Thursday, April 26, 2012

2012 NFL Draft 1st Round

1) Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck / QB / Stanford
2) Washington Redskins (from St. Louis) - Robert Griffin III / QB / Baylor
3) Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota) - Trent Richardson / RB / Alabama
4) Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland) - Matt Kalil / OT / USC
5) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay) - Justin Blackmon / WR / Oklahoma St.
6) Dallas Cowboys (from Washington via St. Louis) - Morris Claiborne / CB / LSU
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville) - Mark Barron / S / Alabama
8) Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill / QB / Texas A&M
9) Carolina Panthers - Luke Kuechly / LB / Boston College
10) Buffalo Bills - Stephon Gilmore / LB / South Carolina
11) Kansas City Chiefs - Dontari Poe / DT / Memphis
12) Philadelphia Eagles (from Seattle) - Fletcher Cox / DT / Mississippi St.
13) Arizona Cardinals - Michael Floyd / WR / Notre Dame
14) St. Louis Rams (from Dallas) - Michael Brockers / DT / LSU
15) Seattle Seahawks (from Philadelphia) - Bruce Irvin / DE / West Virginia
16) New York Jets - Quinton Coples / DE / North Carolina
17) Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) - Dre Kirkpatrick / CB / Alabama
18) San Diego Chargers - Melvin Ingram / OLB / South Carolina
19) Chicago Bears - Sea McClellin / DE / Boise St.
20) Tennessee Titans - Kendall Wright / WR / Baylor
21) New England Patriots (from Cincinnati) - Chandler Jones / DE / Syracuse
22) Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta) - Brandon Weeden / QB / Oklahoma St.
23) Detroit Lions - Riley Reiff / OT / Iowa
24) Pittsburgh Steelers - David DeCastro / G / Stanford
25) New England Patriots (from Denver) - Dont'a Hightower / LB / Alabama
26) Houston Texans - Whitney Mercilus / DE / Illinois
27) Cincinnati Bengals (from New Orleans via New England) - Kevin Zeitler / G / Wisconsin
28) Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry / LB / USC
29) Minnesota Vikings (from Baltimore) - Harrison Smith / S / Notre Dame
30) San Francisco 49ers - A.J. Jenkins / WR / Illinois
31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New England via Denver) - Doug Martin / RB / Boise St.
32) New York Giants - David Wilson / RB / Virginia Tech

Trade notes:

St. Louis traded the #2 overall pick to Washington for first-round selections in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and a 2012 second-round selection.
Minnesota traded the #3 overall pick to Cleveland for their first, fourth, fifth, and seventh-round selections this year.
Tampa Bay traded the #5 overall pick to Jacksonville for their first and fourth-round selections this year.
Seattle traded the #12 overall pick to Philadelphia for their first, fourth, and sixth-round selections this year.
Oakland traded the #17 overall pick and a conditional 2013 second-round selection to Cincinnati for quarterback Carson Palmer.
Atlanta Traded the #22 overall pick and a fourth-round selection, and their first, second, and fourth-round selections in the 2011 NFL Draft to Cleveland for Cleveland's 2011 first-round selection.
New Orleans traded the #27 overall pick and their 2011 second-round selection to New England for New England's first-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.

With the 32nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the New York Giants select David Wilson, RB Virginia Tech


With the 31st pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Doug Martin, RB Boise St.


With the 30th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the San Francisco 49ers take A.J. Jenkins, WR Illinois


With the 29th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Minnesota Vikings select Harrison Smith, FS Notre Dame


With the 28th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Green Bay Packers select Nick Perry, DE USC


With the 27th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Cincinnati Bengals select Kevin Zeitler, G Wisconsin


With the 26th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Houston Texans select Whitney Mercilus, LB Illinois


With the 25th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the New England Patriots select Dont'a Hightower, LB Alabama


With the 24th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft...

...the Pittsburgh Steelers select David DeCastro, G Stanford


With the 23rd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Detroit Lions select Riley Reiff, OT Iowa


With the 22nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Cleveland Browns select Brandon Weeden, QB Oklahoma St.


With the 21st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the New England Patriots select Chandler Jones, DE Syracuse


The Patriots traded up with the Cincinnati Bengals, sending their 1st round pick as well as their 3rd round pick to move up 6 spots to the Bengals' pick.

With the 20th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Tennessee Titans select Kendall Wright, WR Baylor


With the 19th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Chicago Bears select Shea McClellin, OLB Boise St.


With the 18th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the San Diego Chargers select Melvin Ingram, LB South Carolina

With the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Cincinnati Bengals select Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama


Kirkpatrick is the third and presumably final cornerback drafted in the 1st round, following fellow SEC mates Morris Claiborne and Stephon Gilmore.  Kirkpatrick will replace the void left by Jonathan Joseph when he left in free agency for the Houston Texans.

With the 16th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the New York Jets select Quentin Coples, DE North Carolina


The Jets have to be happy thrilled with this pick.  Coples is considered one of the best athletes in the draft, and he falls into the Jets lap at 16th overall.  Coples has great size and can play both DE and OLB in Rex Ryan's 3-4 defense.

With the 15th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Seattle Seahawks select Bruce Irvin, OLB/DE Bruce Irvin


Irvin was viewed as a 2nd round pick by most draft websites, due to his one trick pony pass rushing ability and off-field issues.  The Seahawks will hope that Irvin can develop into a dynamic pass rushing specialist.

With the 14th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the St. Louis Rams select Michael Brockers, DT Louisiana State University



Brockers only tallied 2 sacks in 2011 but has great size and should fit in nicely with Jeff Fisher's swarming defense.

With the 13th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Arizona Cardinals select Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame


Larry Fitzgerald gets his wish. The Minnesota-born wide receiver had professed his love for the Golden Domer, also from Minnesota.  Floyd is the most decorated Notre Dame receiver in its illustrious history and the first wide receiver from the Catholic college selected in the 1st round since NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown in 1988.

With the 12th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Philadelphia Eagles have traded up and will select Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi St.


Conventional wisdom saw Cox going in the top-10, but with him dropping to 12 the Eagles will send a 4th and 6th round pick as well as their original 15th overall pick.  Cox will help shore up a porous run defense in Philadelphia that helped the team miss the playoffs with an 8-8 season.

With the 11th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Kansas City Chiefs select Dontari Poe, DT Memphis


The star of the NFL scouting combine, Dontari Poe did not accumulate large eye-popping statistics while at Memphis, but forced general managers to take a second look at him during his stellar workouts in Indianapolis.

With the 10th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Buffalo pills select Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina


The Bills have made defense a priority this offseason, signing defensive linemen Mario Williams and Mark Anderson to big-money deals in free agency.  The addition of Gilmore to an already talented secondary should help slow down Tom Brady and the Patriots come fall. 

With the 9th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Carolina Panthers select Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College


Mike Mayock called Luke Kuechly the best zone-drop linebacker he's ever seen.  Kuechly should be an instant-impact player, making plays in both the pass and the run game from day 1.

With the 8th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Miami Dolphins select Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman coached Tannehill at Texas A&M

Tannehill only started playing collegiate quarterback as a junior, and has made 15 starts at the position.  He is viewed as a high-upside, high-risk player.

With the 7th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Mark Barron, S Alabama.

Barron is the first defensive player selected from the reigning 2011 National Champions

Tampa Bay traded down from the 5th pick to 7 in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where the Jaguars  selected WR Justin Blackmon.

With the 6th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Dallas Cowboys select Morris Claiborne, CB Louisiana State University.


Dallas traded their 14th overall selection as well as their 2nd round pick to move up to St. Louis' spot at 6th overall.

With the 5th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars have traded up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 5th pick in the 2012 draft.  Jacksonville will receive the 5th overall selection and give up the 7th pick as well as a 4th rounder.

With the 5th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma St.

Blackmon won the Biletnikoff award in 2010 and 2011, given to the nation's best wide reciever

With the 4th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Minnesota Vikings select Matt Kalil, OT University of Southern California

Matt will join big brother Ryan in the NFL

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder finds himself an elite pass-protector in Matt Kalil, and the Vikings will be able to improve two spots on their offensive line by sliding incumbent LT Charlie Johnson to LG.

With the 3rd pick of the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Cleveland Browns select Trent Richardson, RB Alabama.


Cleveland traded up with Minnesota to ensure their selection of Richardson, the best running back in the draft.

With the 2nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor

RGIII won the 2012 Heisman trophy over #1 pick Andrew Luck
The Redskins hope Robert Griffin III can become their first franchise quarterback since Joe Theisman.

With the 1st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft...

...the Indianapolis Colts select QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

The successor to Peyton Manning
But we knew this already.

Browns trade up for #3 pick

Browns Executive VP of Football Operations Mike Holmgren
The Cleveland Browns have traded up with the Minnesota Vikings for the #3 pick in the draft, according to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter.  The Browns will trade their 1st round pick, along with picks in the 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds.  Schefter tweets that the Browns will select Alabama RB Trent Richardson, the consensus best player in the draft aside from the two quarterbacks that will go #1 and #2, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

Mock Draft Aggregation

NFL Network's lead draft analyst Mike Mayock's top-5 


I love mock drafts. They are a fun exercise in hypothesizing which player might fall to a certain team or be snagged higher than people think.  It seems like every football head on ESPN or NFL Network does at least one, and for the most part they are very different.  I've compiled a list of mock drafts here for your viewing pleasure.  I am presenting these to you without bias and for your personal reference.

(Name - Employer)








Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Six players test positive for banned substance

Vontaze Burfict takes aim at USC's Matt Barkley


According to ProFootballTalk, a total of six players tested positive for a banned substance while attending the NFL Scouting Combine.  Three of these players include LB Vontaze Burfict from ASU, Ohio State OT Mike Adams, and Virginia Tech CB Jayron Hosley.

Colts make it official: Luck will be #1 pick

Andrew Luck will become an Indianapolis Colt Thursday night


First year Colts general manager Ryan Grigson announced Tuesday that the team would be selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the 1st pick of the 2012 NFL Draft Thursday night.  There were reports that the Colts had notified Luck of their intentions late last week, and now the foregone conclusion of Andrew Luck replacing Peyton Manning is certain.

Welcome to My World

...the world of Red Bull.  Just kidding.  Those commercials are dumb.  Oh, look at me, I'm a super-daredevil motocrosser getting paid inordinate sums of money to do a trick and then look into a camera and say some cheesy line.  Yeah, not buying it.

Anyways, my name is Peter Sowards.  I am a junior at Eastern Washington University.  I am a journalism major and contributing writer for The Easterner, EWU's student newspaper.  I like turtles.  And I've created this blog to serve a dual purpose:

  1. I love the excitement of the NFL Draft and I'm going to live-blog (at least) the first round for my own amusement, and
  2. This blog will serve as my "signature project" for the Advanced Reporting class in which I am enrolled.

The scene inside draft central at Radio City Music Hall in New York City


My professor has a pretty good sense of humor, so I'm hoping he will take to my deadpan approach on this blog and overall comedic styling.  I fancy myself as somewhat of a humorist, but I realize that not everyone thinks I'm George Carlin.  I'll instill a bit of comedy as I see fit, but this blog will be mostly dedicated to the continuous updates of draft rumors and eventual selections and trades.

I'm still toying with the overall layout of the blog.  Bear with me.  It will be subject to a lot of changes over the next 24 hours.  I'm not anticipating a huge onslaught of traffic in initial launch, so it shouldn't be that big of an issue, but I feel it necessitates forewarning. 

And with that, we're off!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.