Mock Draft v2.0: Post Combine and Free Agency

 

What’s Changed: More and more, there are serious rumblings that the Lions are cooling on Stafford and don’t view him as a #1 overall pick. With the recent trade for Julian Peterson, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry doesn’t make much sense, both from a position standpoint (they’d have to shift him to the middle) and monetary standpoint (where the Lions would be committing serious cash to a non-premium position). That means it’s likely to be Smith or Eugene Monroe, and it will come down to who they can get to sign on the dotted line first.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Rams made it official, releasing longtime veteran Orlando Pace. Curry could be an option here, but a premium is placed on franchise left tackles—of which Monroe looks to be—and the Rams have a huge hole at left tackle.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: What once could have been a landing spot for Stafford is no longer a viable option with the addition of Matt Cassel. I have zero doubts that this is the guy Scott Pioli is targeting. A perfect fit if he falls this far.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Seahawks have been aggressive in free agency attacking their needs. They got a WR to complement Deion Branch (T.J. Houshmandzadeh), and have added two cogs to the middle of their defense in Colin Cole and Cory Redding. As such, they’ve put themselves in position to draft their franchise quarterback. Matt Hasselbeck is 33 years old and not getting any younger. He’ll play a couple more years, and in the meantime Stafford will learn the ropes.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Orakpo has made a move into the top 5 with a strong combine. Coincidentally, the Browns are in serious need of a pass-rushing outside linebacker. They’ve already scheduled a private workout with him, so there already are strong signals pointing towards a union between Orakpo and the Browns.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Cincy needs help along the O-line, but with the ascensions of Smith and Monroe they’re unlikely to be available. Raji presents more value at the #6 slot than does the other lone top-10 caliber offensive lineman, Andre Smith. More teams are taking the Giants approach of loading up on defensive lineman, and the Bengals could do the same by adding Raji to the mix to go along with Pat Sims, Domata Peko, and Jason Shirley.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The most mysterious man in the draft, opinions vary as to where Crabtree will exactly end up. Offseason foot surgery has cast doubt on his draft stock. However, if he’s still on the board at #7, I have a hard time believing that Al Davis will pass up on the premier wide receiver in this draft.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Jaguars added veteran tackle Tra Thomas in free agency, but he’s hardly the long-term answer at the position. Smith’s draft stock is starting to climb a bit after a disastrous combine. He’s still widely regarded as a top-10 pick, so this would be a good spot for him.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Not much. The Packers are still in dire need of some 3-4 personnel, and an outside pass rusher like Brown would fit the bill perfectly.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The team is bringing back former #1 overall pick Alex Smith to compete for the starting job, but the fact of the matter is that the current group competing for the starting nod consists of Smith, Shaun Hill, and Damon Huard. Not exactly an inspiring group.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Bills biggest need is still a pass rusher, and with Orakpo now probably out of range they’ll have to settle for someone else. Maybin exhibited some extra bulk at the combine and could now likely fit as a 4-3 DE. If the Bills feel the same way, the Penn State product would be a nice fit to a defense that lacks teeth.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Denver has been the most active team in free agency. They’ve signed a bunch of players at a variety of positions, but they could still pretty much go in any direction. It’s likely to be on the defensive side of the ball, and Jenkins could be in their crosshairs. He had a less than stellar combine, and there are questions about his long speed. That’s what could make him slide to #12, and if he’s there the Broncos could add him to go along with Champ Bailey and recent free-agent signee Andre Goodman.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Much like the Steelers, the Redskins entered the offseason sorely needing to boslter their offensive and defensive lines. They did the latter by signing Albert Haynesworth to a mega-deal, but have yet to address the former. It’s an aging unit, and with only five picks, Washington has pigeon-holed itself into making sure they fill this need early on. Oher is a slight reach at this point, but the Skins have to pull the trigger.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The signing of Jabari Greer, coupled with promising youngstersTracy Porter and Usama Young is enough to put cornerback on the backburner. The Saints can now turn their attention towards upgrading an under-whelming linebacking corps.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Similar to the Saints, the signing of defensive end Antonio Smith to a huge deal will allow the Texans to put defensive end on the backburner. Not to mention, it’s never smart business to commit so much cap space to one position, which is what the Texans would be doing by adding a first-round defensive end contract to those of Smith and Mario Williams. Houston can now look to find a cornerback like Davis to pair with Dunta Robinson.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: After successfully re-negotiationg LaDainian Tomlinson’s contract, runningback is no longer a first-round priority. Jackson is a guy who’s perfect for the 3-4 defense, and coincidentally defensive line is also an area that San Diego could use a boost.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: I still think they’ll be looking for a QB here, and it could be Kansas State’s Josh Freeman if Sanchez is not available. Currently, however, they do have a need for a playmaking wide receiver now that Lavernaeus Coles has shuffled off to the Queen City. Maclin is exactly that.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: One of the fastest-risers in this year’s draft, Ayers’ stock is climbing rapidly. He was not even in the first round of my previous mock draft. He’s making a Branden Albert-like move up draft boards, and by draft day he could go top-15. For now, he’s seems to be clearly ahead of Johnson on most teams boards, and a team like Chicago could definitely use him.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: For a team with a ton of cap room, Tampa Bay has been pretty quiet this offseason. The Buccaneers were heavily involved in the Haynesworth sweepstakes but were unable to land him. Still, it shows that they feel defensive tackle is a priority. Jerry to the Bucs still makes a ton of sense.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Freeman is another guy who is rising up draft boards and now looks poised to go in round one. If Detroit opts to eschew a QB with the #1 overall pick, they most definitely could be in the market for one at this slot, and Freeman could be sitting there for them.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: They could still opt for an offensive tackle like Britton, but if a talent like Moreno slides all the way to #21, he’d be awfully hard to pass up for a team that needs to take some of the load off an aging Brian Westbrook.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Ryan Cook has had his share of struggles at RT, so the Vikings are in the market for a tackle. If they want Britton they may have to move ahead of Philly to get him. But in this scenario, Moreno’s lackluster combine allows him to fall right into Philly’s lap at #21, allowing Minnesota to get their guy.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Same position, same college, just a different player. Matthews offseason performance has pushed himself into the first round, and he’s the type of versatile, pure football player that New England likes.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Many expected Pettigrew to run a bit faster at the combine, but I’m of the opinion that he still doesn’t get out of the first round. For the type of run-first offense that Atlanta runs, Pettigrew’s superior in-line blocking skills would be a great fit. The fact that he’s an accomplished receiver is a bonus.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: I had Maualuga going #12 to the Broncos last mock draft, but the demand for inside linebackers isn’t high unless the player is deemed a superior prospect (think Patrick Willis). Around the league it seems Maualuga is not viewed as such, but at #25 he would make some sense to a team that needs help inside.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Ravens have been aggressive patching their holes in the secondary, signing defensive backs Domonique Foxworth and Chris Carr. Expect them to seriously consider a wide receiver with their first pick, with Heyward-Bey getting the nod over Harvin here due to his superior size.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Options could abound for the Colts should they choose to fill their need at wide receiver. But from a true value standpoint, Bill Polian usually goes for the best player available. Hood would be right up there on this list, and he would fill one of the Colts other needs of an inside presence on their defensive line.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Eagles signed free agent OT Stacy Andrews, but that’s hardly enough. He’s also coming off a season-ending knee injury. Beatty is the last of the widely-viewed six first round tackles available, and if the Eagles view him as such, they’ll take him to upgrade an aging and undermanned unit.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: With the additions of Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, and Michael Boley, the Giants have put themselves in a position to draft BPA. That could be Laurainitis, who could eventually replace Antonio Pierce in the middle of the New York defense.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Former Steeler Nate Washington’s signing allows the Titans to focus on the cornerback position, where they lost Chris Carr to free agency. Smith is a fluid corner with great instincts who could complement the more physical and imposing Cortland Finnegan.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: Wells’ stock may have actually gone up a bit, but he falls in this mock draft because I feel that ultimately, runningbacks and wide receivers are going to be pushed down the board. We saw that last year, with no receivers going in the first round and Mendenhall unexpectedly falling to the Steelers at #23. A similar unexpected fall gives the Cards their franchise back to add to their potent offense.

 

 

 

 

What’s Changed: The Steelers, as expected, have been quiet in free agency. My feeling is they’ll take BPA among OL, DL, or CB, and in this scenario that guy is Gilbert. There’s a strong likelihood that we may not even have a shot at him by the time April 25 rolls around. Possible alternatives for the Steelers in this mock are California OC Alex Mack or a trio of cornerbacks: Utah’s Sean Smith, Connecticut’s Darius Butler, or Vanderbilt’s D.J. Moore.

 

 

 

 

18. Chicago- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

 

20. Detroit- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

 

23. New England- Clay Matthews, OLB, USC

 

27. Indianapolis- Evander “Ziggy” Hood, DT, Missouri

 

28. Philadelphia- William Beatty, OT, Connecticut

 

32. Pittsburgh- Jarron Gilbert, DE/DT, San Jose St.

 

 

 

18. Chicago- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

 

22. Minnesota- D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt

 

26. Baltimore- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

 

27. Indianapolis- Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn

 

30. Tennessee- Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina

 

31. Arizona- Lesean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh

 

 

 

 

 

QB (3): Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman

RB(2): Moreno, Wells

WR (3) : Crabtree, Maclin, Heyward-Bey

TE (1) : Pettigrew

OT (6) : J. Smith, Monroe, A. Smith, Oher, Britton, Beatty

 

 

DE (5): Orakpo, Brown, Maybin, Jackson, Ayers

DT (4): Raji, Jerry, Hood, Gilbert

OLB (3): Curry, Cushing, Matthews

ILB (2): Maualuga, Laurainitis

CB (3): Jenkins, Davis, A. Smith