Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
I never heard of the guy before either but I like his version of any PRE-Combine mock that I've seen to date.
Well its not perfect but I really like how he has the first 13 picks going off the board.
From pick 14 on eh but the first thirteen look pretty good PRE-Combine to me.
Here it is:
My link
Well its not perfect but I really like how he has the first 13 picks going off the board.
From pick 14 on eh but the first thirteen look pretty good PRE-Combine to me.
Here it is:
My link
Pick No.
1 KC - Geno Smith QB West Virginia
If the Chiefs are unable to re-sign offensive tackle Branden Albert, this pick will likely be spent on Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel. Assuming Albert's still around, I could see Andy Reid making the decision to roll the dice with Smith's upside at the quarterback position.
2 JAC - Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia
Pass rush is the No. 1 area of need for the Jaguars. New head coach Gus Bradley employs a scheme that can feature an undersized pass rusher like Jones (see: Bruce Irvin in Seattle). General manager David Caldwell spent the majority of his scouting career in Indianapolis, where undersized pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis enjoyed tremendous success.
3 OAK - Sharrif Floyd DT Florida
The Raiders need a dynamic player on their defensive front. Floyd has outstanding quickness and could quickly emerge as one of the NFL's top interior pass rushers.
4 PHI - Star Lotulelei DT Utah
The Eagles are focused on getting bigger on defense as they adjust their scheme with a new coaching staff. Lotulelei would form an excellent tandem with last year's first-round pick, Fletcher Cox.
5 DET - Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
In this scenario, the Lions would be ecstatic. Joeckel is the top offensive tackle in the draft, and he would start in Detroit from Day 1. Current left tackle Jeff Backus is 35 years old, while starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus is about to become an unrestricted free agent. Joeckel could team up with Riley Reiff to provide the Lions with two very tough, smart and physical building blocks to protect Matthew Stafford.
6 CLE - Dee Milliner CB Alabama
The Browns could go in a number of different directions with this pick. The previous regime was sky high on Oregon linebacker Dion Jordan, but I have the current leadership electing to solidify the cornerback position. The AFC North has quietly evolved into a passing division, and Milliner would join Joe Haden to form an excellent coverage duo in Cleveland.
7 ARI - Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan
There is a lot of buzz out there that the Cardinals are high on N.C. State QB Mike Glennon. I could very easily see them shoring up the left tackle position with Fisher and then trying to trade into the bottom of the first round to snag Glennon.
8 BUF - Dion Jordan DE Oregon
I was with new Buffalo defensive coordinator Mike Pettine for four years in Baltimore. He loves versatile defenders who allow his creative mind to mess with opposing quarterbacks. Jordan is a perfect fit for that role.
9 NYJ - Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee
The Jets need explosive players on offense. Patterson is a perfect fit to provide some excitement on the outside. He also provides additional value on special teams, contributing as both a kick and punt returner.
10 TEN - Chance Warmack OG Alabama
The Titans have a solid pair of tackles, but they could use an upgrade on the interior of their offensive line. Warmack is a dominating run blocker and he doesn't have any trouble anchoring down versus powerful interior pass rushers. His presence would benefit both Jake Locker and Chris Johnson.
11 SD - Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
I haven't been shy in expressing my feelings about Johnson's ability. He is just scratching the surface of how good he can become. The former junior college quarterback dominated at the Senior Bowl and would be an enormous upgrade at left tackle for the Chargers.
12 MIA - Kenny Vaccaro SS Texas
Vaccaro is one of my favorite players in this draft. He is an explosive hitter and boasts the speed and agility to cover in the slot. The Dolphins must add help at the receiver position, but they can address that need in another round. There isn't a Julio Jones or A.J. Green in this draft, but there is incredible depth at the position.
13 TB - Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M
Moore is a long, rangy defender who plays with a non-stop motor. I don't view him as the top-five talent many others see, but he is very capable of producing eight to 10 sacks on a yearly basis. And if Michael Bennett departs via free agency, this would fill a need for the Buccaneers.
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14 CAR - Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri
I've never graded an interior defensive lineman with a better motor than Richardson. He routinely makes plays 20 to 30 yards downfield, chasing down ball carriers. He would give the Panthers an athletic interior presence to complement their edge rushers.
15 NO - Bjoern Werner DE Florida St.
Werner is a tough player to evaluate. I love his initial quickness, balance and production, but I thought he lacked explosiveness in his hands at Florida State and never saw him convert speed to power as a rusher. Teams are very split on him. Some have him in the top 10, while others have him in the second round. I'll split the difference and put him right here.
16 STL - Jonathan Cooper OG North Carolina
The Rams need to upgrade their offensive line and Cooper is an outstanding talent who would start from Day 1. There are some teams that have him rated as one of the top 10 players in this draft. He has the ability to play any of the three interior positions.
17 PIT - Barkevious Mingo DE LSU
Pittsburgh is always on the lookout for talented edge rushers and Mingo fits that profile. He needs to get bigger and stronger, but his get-off quickness has teams excited.
18 DAL - Ezekiel Ansah DE BYU
Ansah had a poor week of practice at the Senior Bowl, but he made up for it with a dominant performance in the game. He is still incredibly raw, but he has the tools to develop into a double-digit sack artist at the next level.
19 NYG - Alec Ogletree ILB Georgia
The Giants could spend this pick on an offensive lineman, but Ogletree might be too intriguing to pass up. He has excellent size, range and explosiveness. If he just took on blocks with his hands instead of turning his shoulder, he would likely be a top-10 pick.
20 CHI - Kevin Minter ILB LSU
Minter might lack ideal size, but he plays with excellent instincts, toughness and quickness. He made a ton of plays for LSU's defense and would provide the Bears with some much-needed youth at the linebacker spot.
21 CIN - Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame
Is there a team better equipped to handle the Te'o situation? Marvin Lewis has dealt with Chad Johnson/Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, the late Chris Henry, Pacman Jones and Vontaze Burfict. He'll gladly welcome questions about a fake girlfriend. All of the craziness aside, Te'o is a solid player and would fill a need for the Bengals.
22 STL - Menelik Watson OT Florida St.
Watson is the offensive version of Ezekiel Ansah. He is very raw, but his upside is sky high. He lacks the size of Alabama's D.J. Fluker, but he is much quicker and projects as a better pass protector at the next level.
23 MIN - DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson
Minnesota's passing attack was non-existent in 2012. Hopkins is a versatile playmaker who would be an excellent complement to receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Kyle Rudolph.
24 IND - Kwann Short T urdue
Short dominated all week long at the Senior Bowl. He has the power and quickness to play in either a three- or four-man front. After focusing on offense in last year's draft, expect the Colts to address the defensive side of the ball this April. Short's effort has been called into question by some evaluators, but Indianapolis general manager Ryan Grigson played at Purdue and should be able to get to the bottom of that issue.
25 SEA - Keenan Allen WR California
Russell Wilson was outstanding last season, and it only makes sense to continue to surround him with playmakers. Allen isn't going to test well in Indy and could easily fall into Pete Carroll's lap with this selection.
26 GB - Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St.
Can he run? That is the main question surrounding Rhodes. He is very good on tape. He's long, athletic and knows how to play the ball in the air. However, I never saw him really tested deep to gauge his top speed. If he runs under a 4.5 40-yard dash, he could go much higher than this spot.
27 HOU - Eric Reid FS LSU
The Texans need to upgrade the secondary. Reid would be a good fit in their defensive system. He didn't play as well last season as he did in 2011, but his size, range and ball skills are very enticing.
28 DEN - Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina
The Broncos don't have many glaring needs on their roster. They should be able to sit tight and just select the best available player. Williams is a quick interior pass rusher with enough strength to hold up versus the run. He was overshadowed at the Senior Bowl by Short, but he also had an impressive week of practice.
29 NE - Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio St.
Hankins is a big, powerful run stuffer with a little bit of wiggle as a pass rusher. The Patriots could also look to address the cornerback position with this pick. Another option could be Florida safety Matt Elam.
30 ATL - Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame
The Falcons will need to add a tight end in this draft if Tony Gonzalez does indeed end up retiring. There are several quality players to choose from. Eifert and Stanford's Zach Ertz have been mentioned with this Falcons pick, but I wouldn't sleep on Florida's Jordan Reed. His stock is quickly rising.
31 SF - Tavon Austin WR West Virginia
Can you imagine the explosive Austin in this offense? He can line up in the slot or in the backfield and he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He would provide an endless amount of headaches for opposing defensive coordinators in San Francisco's system.
32 BAL - Sam Montgomery DE LSU
Baltimore is always going to take the best available player, regardless of position. That said, Montgomery would provide some much-needed insurance should the Ravens lose Paul Kruger to free agency. Montgomery would team up with Terrell Suggs and Courtney Upshaw to provide a diverse and dynamic outside pass-rushing trio.
T/DE in the 1stDE/WR in the 2nd WR/DE/RT in the 3rdRT/LB/CB/S/TE/WR in the 4th - 7th (they have additional picks in the 5th and 7th)Obviously, it's a little strange to be considering draft picks now without knowing how free agency will shake out. I'm guessing we try to re-sign Alan Branch and Jason Jones to 2-year deals and try to retain Cameron Morrah for cheap. I don't see them making a big splash in FA again this year--it just isn't the style of John Schneider at all. Besides, we have to save room for Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman's contracts which will hit the team in the 2014 offseason.
