Feb
20
2012
49. San Diego Chargers
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| Amini Silatolu – OG – Midwestern State
It is no secret the Chargers need help up front and after springing for a pass rusher in the first round, they grab the best offensive lineman on the board here. Silatolu may not be as well known as some others, but many feel he has the talent to be a great player inside in the NFL. |
50. Chicago Bears
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| Whitney Mercilus – DE – Illinois
With a need for a capable pass rusher across from Julius Peppers, the Bears gladly end Mercilus’ slide down the board. The former All-American for the Illini could see playing time early in Chicago. |
51. Philadelphia Eagles
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| Lavonte David – LB/SS – Nebraska
After bypassing their greatest area of need with their first two picks, the Eagles finally get their linebacker here. David may lack size, but he plays with remarkable range and is a competent player in coverage. |
52. Tennessee Titans
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| Cam Johnson – DE – Virginia
Sack numbers dropped off severely in Tennessee last season following the loss of Pro Bowler Jason Babin. In Cam Johnson, the Titans get one of the most athletic edge rushers in this draft. |
53. Cincinnati Bengals
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| George Iloka – S – Boise State
Since Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu established themselves as big-time playmakers in the division, the Bengals have struggled to keep up. Here they land a potential impact safety with intriguing size and range. |
54. Detroit Lions
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| Mitchell Schwartz – OT/OG – California
The Lions are building one of the league’s most formidable teams on both sides of the ball, but they still lack youth and talent on the offensive line. Schwartz is the best available at this point and figures to be an immediate starter somewhere up front. |
55. Atlanta Falcons
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| Dwayne Allen – TE – Clemson
Though Tony Gonzalez has proven to be ageless, the Falcons would still be wise to invest in a young tight end if the value is there. Allen is this draft’s most complete player at the position. |
56. Pittsburgh Steelers
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| Alfonzo Dennard – CB – Nebraska
After addressing the offensive line with their first pick, the pressure will be on the Steelers to add an impact player to the secondary here. Dennard, a player they likely would have considered earlier, excels in press-man coverage and would be a good value pick. |
57. Denver Broncos
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| Nick Foles – QB – Arizona
In a move that is sure to rattle any avid supporters of Tim Tebow, the Broncos add a quarterback here to eventually compete for the starting job. Foles gives Denver a more gifted passing option and insurance in case Tebow’s success fades. |
58. Houston Texans
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| Jamell Fleming – CB – Oklahoma
The addition of Johnathan Joseph did wonders for the Texans defense a year ago, transforming an ailing secondary into one of the league’s better units. Still, the team is thin on the back end. Fleming offers Houston valuable depth and talent at the cornerback position. |
59. New Orleans Saints
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| Sean Spence – OLB/SS – Miami
Due to a move up the board in the 2011 draft, the Saints first pick will not come until late in round two. Sean Spence adds much needed speed to the New Orleans defense and figures to be a player capable of starting right away. |
60. Green Bay Packers
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| Jared Crick – DL – Nebraska
After losing Cullen Jenkins in the offseason, Green Bay never was able to find a replacement proficient enough to fill his shoes. Crick falls here only due to an injury that cut his senior season short and could develop into an impact player on the Packers defensive line. |
61. Baltimore Ravens
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| Ben Jones – C – Georgia
With 35-year-old Matt Birk on the brink of retirement, you can be sure the Ravens will be looking for a replacement in the draft or free agency. Jones was a standout in the SEC and appears capable of starting from day one. |
62. San Francisco 49ers
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| Kevin Zeitler – OG – Wisconsin
While the 49ers earned a reputation as a smash-mouth football team under John Harbaugh, the right guard position leaves a lot to be desired. Zeitler is a road-grading interior lineman who fits perfectly into what they are trying to do in San Francisco. |
63. New England Patriots
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| Joe Adams -WR – Arkansas
The Super Bowl runner-up Patriots were able to receive record-breaking production from their tight ends in the passing game this past season; however, it became painfully evident the team lacked depth, speed, and talent at the wide receiver position. Adams gives the New England offense a more explosive element. |
64. New York Giants
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| Zebrie Sanders – OT – Florida State
While the Super Bowl champions used their first round pick on a position many would consider a luxury, New York turns their attention back to the offensive line. Before a poor Senior Bowl stopped his momentum, Sanders was seen as one of the senior class’ top tackle prospects. |
Ryan Lownes
Ryan is currently an undergraduate student at Ohio University pursuing a degree in Sport Management. He has been attending the NFL Draft in New York City since 2005 and has aspirations of a career in scouting. He is currently a draft writer and analyst on the Draft Breakdown team, posting his latest rankings, mock drafts, scouting reports, and more. Be sure to follow Ryan on twitter for year-round NFL Draft analysis.
Follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanlownes. See all posts for Ryan Lownes
That’s stupid, the Vikings aren’t going to trade back and take Reiff. He’s a RT not a LT. If they trade back they’re going CB or WR.
Thank you for your in depth analysis on why Riley Reiff cannot be viewed as a lady tackle prospect.
Left*, sorry for the typo there.
Hate the first two picks for the Jags. And Poz wasn’t the answer? He played damn fine, and LB is the one position on the team that they have no need at.
This is garbage. Browns must address QB AND WR within first two rounds. I’ll pass on Cordy glenn over Jonathan Martin and Sanu. The browns need explosiveness on offense. Not defense. Zach brown is nice but again, we need offense. Can’t wait until round 3 to hit receiver.
@Vanguard I have to extend an apology to Browns fans. This will be one of the more unsettling drafts you’ve seen out there on the internet. More than likely, Cleveland would shop that 4th pick and move down the board; however, I only decided to include trades for Quarterbacks in this mock. Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn were not factored into these picks at all.
@Dale I received some bad info on Pos that keeps coming up in conversations with Jags’ fans. If I were to change things: cornerback would be a position I’d expect Gene Smith to address there.
Yes, I’d have the Jags go with Coples and one of the 2nd round cbs. Would be very happy with Quick in the third.
Reiff was a TE converted to a OT. His skillset is better suited at RT, Reiff would be good value outside the top 10 as a RT. No way Blackmon makes it out of the top 10
If Zach Brown Stephon Gilmore Burficit and Hightower available when the vikings pick id say pull the trigger on any of them over Randle. Ta’Amu would be great with that second 2nd pick
Brian Quick, Nick Toon, Stephen Hill, Harrison Smith, Markelle Martin, Vontaze Burficit(again)and Boyken are all guys id take over Trumaine Johnson. His arrests make me think of Chris Cook…
@Justin You want to be careful not to think in terms of absolutes in February. Remember four QBs wound up drafted in the top 12 last year, Dez Bryant fell into the 20s in 2010, and LSU DE Tyson Jackson rose into the top three picks in 2009. There are no absolutes before the NFL Combine and it is important to understand that it only takes one team to throw things off. I’m not sure how TE –> OT indicates RT, left tackles Joe Staley and Jason Peters are among many that would suggest otherwise. Protecting the QB has to be the Vikings’ first priority IMO.
I agree that protecting the QB is top priority, but i dont think any OT besides Kalil deserves to be picked top 10.
Ryan I’m a big fan but I’d hate to see the Eagles draft play out like your mock. I understand the Worthy pick in the first, it’s a luxury pick but Andy does love taking lineman and this draft is full of 1st round DT talent. However, your 2nd round picks don’t fill any needs for us, assuming Evan Mathis is resigned. We took Watkins in the first last year and Mathis was the top LG in the NFL last season, why draft a back-up with your 2nd pick? Lavonte David is talented, but doesn’t have the size to play SAM and be a run-stuffer which is what the Eagles need. Broyles in the 3rd could definitely be a steal but the Eagles need a red zone threat more than another slot receiver. I do think you have a very good handle where players will be going come April though, from that perspective this is one of the best mocks I’ve seen yet. Thanks.
No way V.Burfict lasts until round three. Maybe first inside linebacker taken.
@Justin You have to be careful about thinking in terms of absolutes in February. Dez Bryant, who was a more talented prospect than Blackmon, fell into the 20s in the 2010 draft. It’s unlikely that Tyson Alualu was ever mocked close to the top 10 that year also. What I shoot for is a realistic mock draft, not an idealistic one. Not every team will make what fans consider the “best” pick.
@Wayne Unless he absolutely blows the doors off the Combine, there is no way Burfict is drafted before Kuechly and Hightower. The tape never matched the hype in his case.
I see the vikings taking rg.III then trading him to the highest for their picks and their starting left tackle. what do you think of that? that way they fill a need at lt and multiply their picks this year and the next.
I love the Redskins moving to 3 instead of 2.Fisher won’t pass on Kalil and the Vikings would move down.I think they go cb or s in the third.They will address wr in fa.
If Martin and Barron aren’t still on the board, than the Jenkins pick is a good one. But if Martin falls that far, the Lions will absolutely jump at the chance to draft a future LT over a questionable corner.
@Rob The idea of drafting a player than trading his rights is much more NBA than NFL. It’s a nice thought, but probably not a very realistic one.
@Mike That makes sense if they are to in fact believe Martin is a left tackle in the NFL. A lot of different ideas out there on him; many see him more likely to fit on the right side.
Kirkpatrick & Trumaine Johnson in Dallas BABY!!!!!!!
The Lions love drafting the best player available over need. In the second round, do you feel Schwartz is truly the best player available in this scenario? Based on this criteria, who else would they consider.
@Tony I think the Senior Bowl did wonders for Mitchell Schwartz’s stock. Many teams will view him in the mid 2nd-early 3rd range.
@KeepSwinging – Sorry it took me a while to get to your comment. The concept of a luxury pick is fairly subjective. Reid has shown in the past that he prefers to look LB later & while this year could have served as a wake-up call, 15 is still very high for Luke Kuechly. K. Osemele is among the most versatile linemen in this draft, most likely fitting at RT for the Eagles. Lavonte David, despite his size, is a good run stuffing LB and could project to a variety of roles in that Philadelphia defense. I did wonder if Audie Cole would be the better fit there as he shares some similarities. As a native of the Philadelphia area, I’ve been hoping the team would add a big WR for years; however, it seems like they are having much more success with smaller guys. I think you should be careful in assuming Broyles is purely a slot receiver. In my opinion, you can play him anywhere but he gives the Birds a combination of quickness, reliability, & toughness in the slot that they currently lack.
Steelers 1st pick I would love martin to fall to the steelers. As for the next 2, if we do go CB rather go for Fleming at that point much better zone corner and tackler, but both are pretty good. We have a lot of youth and depth and question marks there so no need to add more ?. Rather go back to back Oline picks and make sure the offensive line is ready for more run oriented offense. As for the third pick same thing, lots of ? and guys there. Here I would think there is plenty of value left for us to pick up either a LB, inside or out James Harrison can’t be young forever. Or NT, which we know is a major need.
I’d prefer the Texans take Rueben Randle with their first pick. He’s faster than Sanu and is able to routinely get separation from DB’s, whereas Sanu is not. Just sayin’….
Jamel Fleming’s ok, I guess. I think I’d rather go with Josh Norman, the CB from Coastal Carolina, believe it or not. He tore it up at both the East-West Shrine and the Senior Bowl practices/workouts.
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