1. I was physically ill making this pick. I would bet a lot of your money that Cam Newton is an absolute bust. The Panthers owner loves him which is all that matters. I have serious concerns about his football IQ. I’m still stunned after listening to his interview with Gruden.
2. This will come down to Dareus and Miller and I think new coach John Fox will take Dareus to anchor his front seven. He’s a steal at number two as most experts consider him to the be the top overall prospect. Thank you Carolina!
3. Offense or defense? Most talking heads have the Bills taking Miller, but I see them grabbing Gabbert and solidifying the QB spot. Sorry Harvard boy, but you’re going to be the tutor very soon.
4. Mark this down: A.J. Green will be an absolute beast AND he will be out of Cincinnati as soon as possible. The Bengals couldn’t be more dysfunctional. This is early for a WR, especially for a team with so many holes, but they can’t pass on this kind of talent.
5. Finally Von Miller comes off the board. Like the Broncos, the Cardinals steal a top defensive player because quarterbacks can be tough to pass over. As a tackling machine, he makes an immediate impact on the outside for the sluggish Cardinals.
6. The Browns could go the safe route and take the best available player, Robert Quinn, or they take a chance and get Colt McCoy and the offense a playmaker? I think they roll the dice and take Julio Jones, thus opening up the offense and making Peyton Hillis more effective.
7. The Niners get Mel Kiper’s number one prospect (whatever that’s worth). It’s time for Bill Belichick’s favorite word, value. Getting the top cover corner at number seven is great value. This will be an easy pick if Peterson is still there.
8. Like Buffalo, this comes down to QB or defense, but with Gabbert gone the Titans stick to their board and take Nick Fairley. He’ll be disruptive as a pass rusher and it won’t take long for him to require a double team.
9. Tyron Smith has been linked with Dallas for a long time and I’m jumping on the bandwagon. An instant upgrade at tackle and a very solid pick. As Dallas has learned, keeping Tony Romo upright is of the utmost importance.
10. I can say that I have no clue what the Redskins are going to do. I asked a friend of mine what he thought they should do and he suggested Julio Jones (already selected) or trade for picks. Since trades are tough to predict I’m giving them the best available QB. This is a shot in the dark.
11. Houston needs to upgrade their defense, quickly. The quickest way to make a defense look better is to get after the QB. Teaming up Quinn with Mario Williams should improve the pass defense significantly. Quinn is regarded as the top pass rushing defensive end in the draft.
12. The first surprise of the draft comes right here. Most experts have Akeem Ayers as a late 1st or early 2nd round pick, but I think he shoots up the board the same way Vernon Gholston did a couple years ago. Every year there is a wild card that gets taken a little too early and this year I think its Ayers.
13. My beloved Lions continue to upgrade their defense with Nebraska Cornhuskers and select the number one all-around corner, Prince Amukamara. I’m a huge fan of this pick. He’s exactly what they need. With that said, I’ll probably be wrong. Will that be a popular jersey in Detroit this season?
14. The Rams should be looking offense, but with the top two WR’s off the board and Mark Ingram not being an ideal fit with Steven Jackson, they go with Smith. Smith will bring toughness and tenacity to the playoff bound Rams. Like most of the top defensive ends in the draft, he has a knack for getting to the QB.
15. Similar to Tyron Smith in Dallas, mark Ingram has been linked with the Dolphins from the beginning and it seems like a logical fit. He’ll revamp a suspect RB core in Miami and make it easier for Chad Henne to survive in the pocket (at least for now).
16. Jacksonville needs to be more physical at the line of scrimmage and this is how they do it; they draft J.J. Watt. A monster at 6-6 290 lbs., Watt will be spending plenty of time in the opponent’s backfield very soon. Hopefully he introduces himself to Mr. Peyton Manning. [in cases you were wondering, this would have been the perfect selection for NE]
17. With Watt gone, Bill Belichick elects to draft an offensive tackle to pair with Sebastian Vollmer. Solder is massive, nasty, and will look great on the right side of the line. It’s a close call between Castonzo and Solder, but Solder grades out higher. Getting tougher in the trenches should be the main goal for the Patriots this offseason.
18. In this scenario the Chargers make out like bandits with the versatile Cameron Jordan. They’ll be thrilled to get one of the more skilled defensive lineman who should be able to make the transition to OLB in the 3-4. Jordan has the athleticism and knowledge of the 3-4 (having played it in college) to make an impact early on.
19. This pick should be a no-brainer. The Giants need interior line help and Mike Pouncey needs to get drafted. Done and Done.
20. Tampa gets perhaps the steal of the draft. Due to an injury and some questionable work ethic, one of the top talents in the draft falls all the way to 20. If Bowers is healthy, he’s a top 3 pick. No question about it. I think his skill is too tough to pass on and the Bucs capitalize. The other option at this point would be Ryan Kerrigan.
21. The Patriots of the Midwest take the tackle that the real Patriots almost took. Castonzo is a very good pick here and Scott Pioli will surely take advantage of his size, mobility and intellect. BC can produce offensive lineman and 9-3 seasons. It’s automatic.
22. Peyton Manning has been injury free because of his quick release and good protection. To make sure he stays on feet the Colts take the top tackle left on the board, Gabe Carimi. The Colts might look WR, but this is too early for Randall Cobb or Torrey Smith.
23. He’s the first character guy. The good thing is Andy Reid is the coach and he has a strong locker room. Some draft folks are saying that Jimmy Smith could be the next Darrelle Revis and I don’t see the Eagles passing on a top CB prospect.
24. I think the Saints try and trade up for Mark Ingram, but if the package is too rich I expect them to look for a pass rusher and luckily for them a good one is still on the board, Ryan Kerrigan. Kerrigan falls to number 24 because people aren’t sure where he’ll be most productive, 4-3 end or 3-4 OLB. He’s you’re classic tweener, but I think Gregg Williams will find a spot for him.
25. Here’s a spot that I have no feel for. I think they need a QB, but they just signed Charlie Whitehurst and are claiming he’s going to be the starter. If that’s the case then I think they continue to improve the offensive line and take Derek Sherrod. He’s the norm; a 6-5 321 monster. That’s a good start, right?
26. I think the ravens try to deal this pick to a team looking to get back into the 1st round for a QB, but if they do make a selection I think they work to make their defense a little more dynamic. Justin Houston should be able to do that from the outside, as long as he can keep the recreational drugs out of his system. Amazing that the Ravens are more talented on offense than defense right now.
27. The Patriots of the south take who the real Patriots would have taken at number 28. Cameron Heyward has the feel and look of another Richard Seymour. He should be able to hold down the right defensive end spot for a long time.
28. The Patriots surprise, surprise, trade this pick to Titans for the Titans second round pick this year and a number one in ’12 (which will most likely be a top ten pick). Dalton has been gaining steam recently and the Titans are desperate to get a consistent starting QB to balance Chris Johnson.
29. The Bears select the local DT to help infuse some youth in their front seven. Offensive line could be targeted here as well, but I think Liuget is the guy that makes the most sense.
30. The Jets are looking for a large human being to put in the middle of their defense and Phil Taylor is a large human being. He’s like a refrigerator with hands and feet, which is a good thing when Coach Ryan needs a GD snack.
31. Pittsburgh was torched all last season through the air and they need the top corner available. I went with Aaron Williams because of his hands and his size. A big corner that should be able to help in the run game.
32. The rich get richer as the Packers grab Brooks Reed to make their pass rush even more difficult to deal with. Dom Capers will have a blast with Matthews on one side and Reed on the other.
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