2013 NFL Draft -- The Top Ten

Kansas City Chiefs

When the Chiefs traded for Alex Smith in late February, new general manager John Dorsey made it clear that Kansas City was not taking a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. With no blue-chip quarterback prospect in the draft and the team’s quarterback situation solved for the time being, Dorsey can focus his attention on filling the team’s other needs. Receiver Dwayne Bowe was re-signed to a five-year contract worth $56 million, and the Chiefs used their franchise tender on left tackle Branden Albert, worth $9.3 million. Having taken care of their quarterback, the left tackle and the wide receiver, the Chiefs will use the No. 1 overall pick on defense and select Alabama CB Dee Millner.

Jacksonville Jaguars 

The Jaguars struggled mightily on offense and defense in 2012 under first-year head coach Mike Mularky, ranking in the bottom four in both points scored and points allowed. The quarterback situation is anything but settled; 2011 first round pick Blaine Gabbert was ineffective at best and benched for former Dolphins second round pick Chad Henne, who was only slightly less competent. The defensive side of the ball is incredibly devoid of talent, and that was made apparent with a league-low 20 sacks. The Jaguars need pass rushers in the worst way, and will thus be smart to draft LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo, whom NFL insider Pat Kirwan described as “Jason Taylor but quicker.” That’s a good comparison.

Oakland Raiders 

Second-year general manager Reggie McKenzie is in this for the long haul, not the quick fix. After dispatching the high-priced salaries of Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Huff, McKenzie now must make a decision between taking the best player on the board and taking a potential franchise quarterback like West Virginia’s Geno Smith. If he chooses wisely, he’ll take Texas A&M left tackle Luke Joeckel, ranked as the No. 1 player in the draft by a litany of experts. His height (6’6”) and arm length (34 ¼”) are ideal and he’s as close to a sure thing as it gets. I think the Raiders go safe here and pick Joeckel.

Philadelphia Eagles 

Andy Reid is out; Chip Kelly is in. A disastrous 4-12 season cost Reid his job, though he quickly found a new one in Kansas City. The 2012 Eagles were overall terrible, inept at every phase of the game. With Kelly coming from Oregon, many have linked the Eagles to Eugene product Dion Jordan, a pass rusher with elite physical skills. However, recent surgery to repair a torn labrum rendered Jordan unable to work out for scouts at his pro day, and his stock has slipped in recent weeks. Kelly sees his the perfect quarterback to run his spread option offense and can’t help but be enamored by Geno Smith’s unlimited upside. Kelly and Co. pull the trigger and land Smith at No. 4.

Detroit Lions 

Detroit Lions GM Martin Mayhew sees a franchise tackle available at No. 5 overall and wastes no time in selecting Central Michigan prospect Eric Fisher. The Rochester, Mich., product stands tall at 6’7” but needs to fill out his frame before he’ll be able to stand up to bull rushes from the league’s best defensive linemen. With the somewhat surprising retirement of Detroit mainstay Jeff Backus, left tackle becomes a serious need for the Lions. Backus started 190 games for the Lions, and he’s leaving big shoes to fill. The Lions have suffered through positional weaknesses for many years, but left tackle has been a lonely bright spot. Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz hope that Fisher can pick up where Backus left off.

Cleveland Browns 

Under the new ownership of former Steelers co-owner Jimmy Haslem, the Browns have attempted an overhaul on defense, signing defensive tackle Desmond Bryant and linebacker Paul Kruger to big-money free agent contracts. The 2012 Browns defense was middle of the road, allowing the 19th most points in the NFL. They lost a lot of close games; games that could have been won with a superior pass rush capable of closing games. Signing Kruger helps the Browns move closer to the defense new vice president of player personnel Michael Lombardi has in mind, and drafting Georgia pass rusher Jarvis Jones gives the Browns legitimate threats on each side of the line.

Arizona Cardinals 

Déjà vu? Back in 2006, the Cardinals drafted USC quarterback Matt Leinart to be their franchise quarterback. Six years later, Leinart is on his third NFL team and has started only 18 games. Six years later, USC quarterback Matt Barkley is staring the Cardinals in the face. Barkley bypassed a chance at being a top-3 pick in 2012 by staying for his senior season, a decision that proved costly. The Trojans collapsed down the stretch after being ranked preseason No. 1, and Barkley sustained a season-ending injury that epitomized the recent stretch of bad luck in Southern California. Still, the Cardinals need a quarterback, and in a quarterback-driven league, Arizona can’t pass up a guy who threw over 100 touchdowns the last three seasons.

Buffalo Bills 

Doug Marrone was hired to steer the Bills into winning territory, and it won’t be easy. The Bills haven’t had a winning season since 2004, when Drew Bledsoe was quarterback. The 2013 Bills roster has talent, but lacks cohesion. Less than two years after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to a six-year, $59 million contract, the former Harvard Crimson was sent packing. The Bills’ current starter is…Tarvaris Jackson? Let that resonate for a second. Some have speculated that Marrone, who came from Syracuse, will look at Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib, but Nassib doesn’t belong anywhere near the first round. The Bills should continue to invest in their defensive line and take Florida tackle Sharrif Floyd, who will see plenty of one-on-one opportunities with Mark Anderson and Mario Williams drawing extra attention outside.

New York Jets 

What a mess the New York Jets are. Mark Sanchez was benched after 13 games in of ineptitude in 2012, and the usually-stout defense led by Rex Ryan allowed the 20th most points per game. Disgruntled all-pro cornerback Darrelle Revis will surely be sent packing, either before the season starts or during the season but before the trade deadline. The Jets sacked the quarterback only 30 times last season, and Ryan loves his pass rushers. New general manager John Idzik will search the NFL draft pool for potential game changers and enamor himself with Ezekiel Ansah of BYU, a freak who only started watching football a few years ago. “Ziggy” can rush with his hand on the ground and off, and he’s not as raw as some would lead you to believe.

Tennessee Titans

Two years ago, the Titans selected Washington quarterback Jake Locker No. 10 overall in hopes of turning their franchise around. Two meddling seasons later, the Titans are back in the same position, sitting with the tenth overall pick. Locker hasn’t proven to be a bust or a star, but he’s leaning towards the former with inconsistent play and some injury setbacks. The Titans need to bolster a meddling offensive line, and Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack fits the bell. Warmack’s size—or lack thereof—limits his position availability to guard and center. Still, Warmack is the best guard prospect to come out of the draft in years, and he’ll help protect Locker from injury and open up holes for running back Chris Johnson.

Weather, power outage can't stop EWU pro day

From left to right: Will Post, Kyle Padron, Brandon Kaufman, Zach Johnson, Greg Herd and Nicholas Edwards

Using the square blue lid of a recyclables container, an EWU employee scraped off just enough snow and sleet so that quarterback Kyle Padron could perform his dropbacks without having to worry about sliding on the wet turf in front of 18 professional scouts.

It was that kind of day.

In the face of dreadful weather and an untimely power outage, seven former EWU Eagles football players showed off their wares in front of a record-high number of NFL teams at Eastern’s pro day on March 6. Padron, along with receivers Brandon Kaufman, Nicholas Edwards and Greg Herd, offensive tackle Will Post and defensive end Jerry Ceja worked out on Roos Field and in the weight room, trying to make an impression with pro teams. Linebacker Zach Johnson measured for height and weight but sat out the workouts due to an offseason shoulder surgery.

After performing two drills inside—the bench press and the vertical jump—a throng of scouts and football players made their way out to a soggy red football field to run the all important 40-yard dash. Many athletes not performing at the pro day skipped afternoon classes to root on their fellow Eagles.

Kaufman improved his 40-yard dash time from the NFL combine, shaving a tenth of a second off, from 4.67 to 4.57. “With those numbers being the last thing that people see rather than the 4.67 official, I think that bodes well,” Kaufman said.

After the six players who worked out completed the 40-yard dash, the rain picked up to the point where it became counterproductive. A collective decision was made by the scouts and players to move back inside to the weight room for movement and agility drills, such as the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill.

With the movement drills performed, scouts had still yet to see Padron throw to the talented wide receiver trio of Kaufman, Edwards and Herd. The growing congregation of student athletes, scouts, media and fans moved to the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse, where it was assumed that there would actually be some semblance of football going on.

Then the power went out.

From 2:27 until 2:33 p.m., the only lights that shone in the EWU field house came from cell phones and TV cameras. After the brief outage, a scout from the Seattle Seahawks huddled with Padron, the three receivers and wide receivers coach/pro football liaison Junior Adams, and they decided to head back outside rather than work out in the field house.

Instead of a red field, the players were greeted with a white, sloppy mixture of snow, hail and sleet at least one half inch thick. The receivers ran far less than originally anticipated, opting to remain mostly stationary when receiving the football as opposed to lining up on the line of scrimmage and performing the entire route.

The ball only touched the ground three times—twice on high throws from Padron and once when Herd was throwing to ball-boy and current EWU quarterback Vernon Adams and Adams couldn’t come up with it. “Herd threw a bad ball!” Adams yelled.

Padron was satisfied with his pro-day performance. “I’m happy with what I did,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement, and I’m going to go back and start training again on Friday and just looking forward to the journey.”

Not known as the most fleet-of-foot quarterback, Padron ran a 4.78 second 40-yard dash after testing in the 4.9 range while training for this day in Frisco, Texas. “I think the adrenaline, the people here, my old teammates encouraging me—I think that all helped,” he said. “It was good to see all my friends and my old teammates.”

Former EWU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was one of a handful of past Eagles in attendance at the pro day and described the event as “something that would happen to Eastern.”

“You get a record-high [number of] scouts, you got camera crows, you got great recruits, and all of a sudden, here comes some hail, some snow,” he said. “You can’t do anything.”

Eagles head coach Beau Baldwin was proud of how his former players responded to the adversity presented to them. “The fact that we even came out here was because they wanted to,” he said. “Their mindset was ‘let’s go outside instead of throwing in the field house.’ Obviously it’s tough to do things full speed without a plowed field; they were still out there—receivers running. Kyle was taking full-speed drops. It just says a lot about their mentality.”

Baldwin noted that the NFL attention was unprecedented. “That doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “In terms of a pro day, I haven’t seen anything quite this big. It says a lot about the work they put in through their four or five years here.

“They deserve this day.”

Notable standout performances included Edwards’ 40-inch vertical leap and 4.09 second 20-yard shuttle. Edwards also showed off his strength with 16 bench-press reps of 225. Kaufman elected not to not participate in the broad jump or bench press at the pro day after jumping 9 feet 7 inches and repping 225 pounds nine times at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 23.

Washington State wide receiver Marquess Wilson had intended on performing at EWU's pro day, but an NFL rule stipulates that players from football bowl subdivision schools are not allowed to test at football championship subdivision schools, unless that school is located in the player's hometown. Wilson quit the team in November 2012 after lobbying allegations of abuse against WSU head coach Mike Leach and the coaching staff.

Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon arrested for DUI

The mugshot of Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon taken after his DUI arrest Sunday

Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Justin Blackmon is not off to a good start as a professional football player.  The former Oklahoma State phenom was arrested Sunday in Oklahoma and charged with aggravated DUI after he reportedly blew a .24 on a police breathalyzer--three times the legal limit of .08.

Sunday's arrest was not the first alcohol-related incident for Blackmon.  He was arrested in 2010 and charged with misdemeanor DUI after he was pulled over for driving 92 mph in a 60 mph zone and found to have a detectable amount of alcohol in his system.  Blackmon was subsequently suspended for one game and paid a $500 fine.

Shortly after his 2010 arrest, Blackmon said he would learn from the incident.  "I look forward to redeeming myself and proving to everybody that this isn't who I am," he said.  "I'm humbled by this experience and i will grow from it."  

It's clear that Blackmon has not learned from his previous run-in with the law and still has a lot of growing up to do. The Jaguars traded up in the first-round to select Blackmon and have to be concerned with their investment at this point.  

Redskins sign fourth-round QB Kirk Cousins

Redskins QB Kirk Cousin officially becomes a member of the team.

The Washington Redskins announced earlier today via twitter that they have agreed to terms with fourth-round selection Kirk Cousins, the eighth quarterback selected in the the draft and second by the Redskins.

The move raised eyebrows across the league--Why would a team who just selected their potential franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III second overall take another quarterback just three rounds later?  The answer, in a word, is value.  The Redskins saw tremendous value in Cousins as an eventual backup to Griffin III and potentially as trade-bait down the road, so they snagged him up.  The idea that this draft selection will somehow cause a rift on the Redskins' locker room because Cousins is tagged as a 'natural leader' is lunacy.  Griffin is the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins and the only thing that will change that is injury.

Another criticism I've heard of the Kirk Cousins selection is: "Why didn't the Redskins take a player who will actually see the field and contribute instead of a backup quarterback?"  This commentary actually has merit unlike the natural leader fallacy.  But, I'd argue that a legitimate backup quarterback is of much greater importance to a team than a role player or special teams player, which is what you're drafting in the third round anyways.

Cousins was the 102nd overall player selected.  Let's look at some previous players selected 102nd overall:

2011 NFL Draft
Cleveland Browns select Jordan Cameron, TE, USC
Cameron played in eight games for the Browns in 2011, catching six passes for 33 yards.

2010 NFL Draft
Houston Texans select Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami (FL)
Sharpton has 46 tackles and 1.0 sacks in 20 career games played.

2009 NFL Draft
Kansas City Chiefs select Donald Washington, CB, Ohio State
The OSU product has two passes defensed and zero interceptions in his first three years in the league.

Now, there have obviously been great players drafted in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds.  My point is that since the quarterback position is the most important positional in the entirety of professional sports, a team should go above and beyond to secure that position.  The Washington Redskins made an excellent decision in drafting Kirk Cousins, and those who rail against it are short-sighted and not understanding the big picture.

Slotted rookie salaries make for quick signings

Luck and Griffin III have yet to sign their rookie contracts, but there's no chance for a holdout.

Before the installment of the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement in 2011, rookie holdouts were commonplace and the idea of full draft classes being signed by June was simply ludicrous.

The times, they are a-changing.

With a newly-implemented slotted rookie salary system aimed at curbing the exponential rise of guaranteed money to early first-round picks, contract talks between teams and player agents have become streamlined and more productive.  Per NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, 147 of the 253 players selected in the 2012 draft (58 percent) had signed a contract as of last Thursday night.  This is in stark contrast to years past; in the five drafts between 2006-2010, 1,273 players were selected and only 62 had signed a contract by the end of May.

With the Chicago Bears announcing the signing of third round safety Brandon Hardin on May 15th, they became the the seventh team to sign their entire 2012 Draft Class, joining the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks.  Several other clubs are one or two players away from completing the signing process.

Packers sign all eight draft choices

Packers LB Nick Perry warms up in drills during the Packers rookie minicamp

The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of first-round pick Nick Perry on Friday, thereby completing the signing process of their eight 2012 NFL draft selections.  The Packers had announced the signing of the other seven selections earlier in the day.  Green Bay held their rookie minicamp over the weekend and all eight draft choices were in attendance as well as numerous undrafted free agents and rookie invitees.

The Curious Case of Russell Wilson

Wisconsin product Russell Wilson impressed during Seahawks rookie minicamps

After signing free agent quarterback Matt Flynn to a three-year, $19.5 million contract with $10 million guaranteed, conventional wisdom dictated that Flynn would be a shoe-in for the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback position.  Flynn was one of the most highly sought after free agent quarterbacks on the market, having just broken Green Bay Packers' franchise records for most passing yards in a game (480) and passing touchdowns in a game (6) and serving as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league for the past four years.  However, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll refused to name Flynn the starter.  "Jackson was our starter last year and he’s coming in to compete head-to-head for the starting job," Carroll said after Flynn was signed, despite the fact that Jackson rated as a below-average quarterback in nearly every meaningful statistical category.  


Now, after just one weekend of rookie mini-camps, Pete Carroll has thrown his weight behind third-round pick Russell Wilson, who apparently had an impressive showing over the past few days.  "He showed us enough," Carroll said. "He's in the competition."  


I can understand the excitement in Seattle for Russell Wilson.  He set an NCAA all-time regular season record in passer efficiency at Wisconsin in 2011 and led the Badgers to their second consecutive Rose Bowl (in which they narrowly lost to Oregon).  He finished 9th in the Heisman voting and his 109 career passing TD rank 7th all-time.  However, Wilson lasted into the third round for a reason (his small stature), and I believe the Seahawks would be making a costly mistake if they selected him as the starting quarterback entering the 2012 season.


Matt Flynn deserves to be named the starter entering the 2012 season.  The notion that Russell Wilson earned himself a chance to compete for the starting position after not being terrible in a rookie minicamp is quite laughable.  Flynn is light-years ahead of Wilson as a passer and far more reliable than Tarvaris Jackson.  But, Carroll and Seahawks GM John Schneider are so enamored with Wilson that I feel they might overlook his small stature and insert him as the starting quarterback after a "competiton" with Flynn and Jackson.  


Let me be clear: If Flynn, Jackson, and Wilson competed in an unbiased quarterback competition, Flynn would win, hands down.  He has spent the last four seasons honing his craft under the tutelage of Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, and is more than ready to step into the driver's seat and lead a talented franchise back to the playoffs.  Hopefully, for the Seahawks' sake, Carroll and Schneider realize that and don't trick themselves into thinking Russell Wilson is ready to be the man. 

AFC 2012 NFL Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens

2.03 (35) - Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
2.28 (60) - Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa St.
3.21 (84) -  Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
4.03 (98) - Gino Gradkowski, OG, Delaware
4.35 (130) - Christian Thompson, FS, South Carolina St.
5.34 (169) - Asa Jackson, CB, Cal Poly
6.28 (198) - Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
7.29 (236) - DeAngelo Tyson, DT, Georgia

My grade: C+

The Ravens didn’t have a selection in the first round after trading their pick to the Vikings for Minnesota’s second and fourth round picks.  Luckily (or strategically) for them, standout Alabama product Courtney Upshaw was on the board.  Upshaw will be forced into the lineup sooner than expected due to the recent injury of 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, who will be lucky to see any playing time in 2012.  Baltimore found a complement for bowling ball Ray Rice in the third round with Temple RB Bernard Pierce.  Other than Pierce and Upshaw, I’m not a huge fan of their draft, but they rarely miss up high.

Buffalo Bills 

1.10 (10) - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
2.09 (41) - Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia
3.06 (69) - T.J. Graham, WR, North Carolina St.
4.10 (105) - Nigel Bradham, LB, Florida St.
4.29 (124) - Ron Brooks, CB, LSU
5.09 (144) - Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida St.
5.12 (147) - Tank Carder, ILB, TCU
6.08 (178) - Mark Asper, OG, Oregon
7.44 (251) - John Potter, K, Western Michigan

My grade: B

If the Buffalo Bills want to make the playoffs anytime soon, they’ll need to slow down the dynamic passing attack of Tom Brady & co. in New England. Stephon Gilmore from South Carolina will go a long way towards accomplishing that goal. Gilmore can play press-man as well as zone and uses his large frame to defend balls in the air. With their second pick they grabbed a great value in Georgia offensive tackle Cordy Glenn; Glenn is more suited for the right side at the NFL level and can play both tackle and guard. Receiver T.J. Graham was a bit of a reach in the third round, but “he can fly,” in the words of NFL.com analyst Mike Mayock.

Cincinnati Bengals 

1.17 (17) - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

1.27 (27) - Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin
2.21 (53) - Devon Still, DT, Penn St.
3.20 (83) - Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
3.30 (93) - Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
4.21 (116) - Orson Charles, TE, Georgia
5.21 (156) - Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa
5.31 (166) - Marvin Jones, WR, California
5.32 (167) - George Iloka, FS, Boise St.
6.21 (191) - Dan Herron, RB, Ohio St.

My grade: A+

This is the only A+ I’m giving out, and the last team I thought I’d be giving it to was the Cincinnati Bengals.  But, alas, here we are.  I am handing out an A+ to a Mike Brown-ran football team.  The Bengals had five picks in the top 100, and used them to address needs in the secondary, offensive line, defensive line, and receiving corps. First round pick Dre Kirkpatrick fills a void left by Jonathan Joseph, and second rounders Kevin Zeitler and Devon Still are “plug and play” football players who add depth to the offensive and defensive lines, respectively.  Cincinnati added lanky free safety George Iloka from Boise St. in the fifth round, a player some analysts had going on the second day.  The Bengals took two rookie pro bowlers last year in A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, and they can expect many pro bowls from this 2012 draft class.

Cleveland Browns

1.03 (3) - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
1.22 (22) - Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma St.
2.05 (37) - Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
3.24 (87) - John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati
4.05 (100) - Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami
4.25 (120) - James-Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada
5.25 (160) - Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
6.34 (204) - Emmanuel Acho, ILB, Texas
6.35 (205) - Billy Winn, DE, Boise St.
7.38 (245) - Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
7.40 (247) - Brad Smelley, FB, Alabama

My grade: B

You either love this draft for the Browns or you hate it.  As a big Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden fan, I am of the latter group.  Trent Richardson is the best running back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson.  He adds toughness to the toughest division in football and will help keep the Browns in favorable down and distance situations.  With their second round pick they took 28 year-old QB Brandon Weeden; if you don’t know the story, Weeden played baseball out of high school and only started college in 2007.  Despite his age, Weeden still has the ability to play QB at a high level for enough years to justify the selection.  The Browns used the later rounds and compensatory selections to stock up on players who slid in the draft, including Boise State’s Billy Winn and Arizona’s Trevin Wade.

Denver Broncos

2.04 (36) - Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati
2.25 (57) - Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona St.
3.04 (67) - Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego St.
4.06 (101) - Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona St.
4.13 (108) - Philip Blake, C, Baylor
5.02 (137) - Malik Jackson, DE, Tennessee
6.18 (188) - Danny Trevathan, OLB, Kentucky

My grade: C-

Not a huge fan of the Broncos’ draft.  They filled a big need by going defensive line in the second round, selecting Cincinnati’s Derek Wolfe, but I would have rather seen them go with UCONN’s Kendall Reyes or Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy.  In the second round they took the heir-apparent to Peyton Manning, the 6’7” Arizona State product Brock Osweiler.  Osweiler is a bit of a project with high upside, and will learn from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Ronnie Hillman is an ideal third-down back for the Manning-led offense that can protect the passer and produce in the screen game. Blake was a decent value pick in the fourth round and will push third year player J.D. Walton for the starting center position.

Houston Texans

1.26 (26) - Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
3.05 (68) - DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio St.
3.13 (76) - Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (OH)
4.04 (99) - Ben Jones, C, Georgia
4.26 121) - Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan St.
4.31 (126) - Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska 
5.26 (161) - Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M
6.25 (195) - Nick Mondek, OT, Purdue

My grade: B

I was amazed at some of the responses to Houston’s first round pick--Illinois stud pass-rusher Whitney Mercilus. So many analysts had an offensive player penciled in at the 26^th overall slot, and when Houston went defense they were left scratching their heads.  Houston made a great pick here.  They’re losing Mario Williams in free agency and will likely lose OLB Connor Barwin during next year’s free agency.  Mercilus had the most productive year from any first round pass rusher and should fit in nicely in Wade Phillip’s 3-4 scheme.  In the second round the Texans tried to select a complement to Andre Johnson in Ohio State’s DeVier Posey.  Not sure that Posey was the best available wide receiver here, but he’s better than what Houston’s got.  Houston went to the Big-10 receiver well again in the fourth round when they took Michigan State’s Keshawn Martin, an undersized speedster who should contribute in the return game now that Houston is without Jacoby Jones.  I’m surprised Houston didn’t take a cornerback in the draft; I would assume they are expecting 2010 first round pick Kareem Jackson to step his game up.

Indianapolis Colts

1.01 (1) - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2.02 (34) - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
3.01 (64) - Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson 
3.29 (92) - T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International
5.01 (136) - Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama 
5.35 (170) - Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi St.
6.36 (206) - LaVon Brazill, WR, Ohio
7.01 (208) - Justin Anderson, OT, Georgia
7.07 (214) - Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt
7.46 (203) - Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

My grade: B+

The best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning.  The best quarterback prospect since John Elway.  The best quarterback prospect ever.  I’ve seen all three of these superlatives used when describing Indianapolis’ #1 overall pick, quarterback Andrew Luck.  I’m not quite as high on him as the rest of the world; I think he will max out as a top-ten quarterback in the league, never reaching MVP-status.  However, he most definitely is the safer quarterback between him and Andrew Luck due to his conventional playing style and uncanny accuracy.  I love that the Colts stayed true to their draft board and went offensive skill positions with the next three picks instead of reaching for defense.  The best thing you can do to help our your young quarterback is surround him with weapons, and the Colts did just that in selecting tight ends Fleener and Allen along with the speedy small school wide receiver T.Y. Hilton with their second, third, and fourth selections.

Jacksonville Jaguars

1.05 (5) - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St. 
2.06 (38) - Andre Branch, DE, Clemson 
3.07 (70) - Bryan Anger, P, California
5.07 (142) - Brandon Marshall, OLB, Nevada
6.06 (176) - Mike Harris, CB, Florida St.
7.21 (228) - Jeris Pendleton, DT, Ashland

My grade: B-

Do not adjust your computer screens.  You are reading this correctly: The Jaguars selected a punter in the third round.  Crazy, right?  Well, not entirely crazy.  The Jaguars have a pretty terrible offense, and will be playing the field-position game more often than not.  Anger is the best punter in the draft and an excellent directional kicker.  If you watched the Super Bowl (and if you’re reading this blog, I assume you have) you saw Giants punter Steve Weatherford execute a number of perfect directional punts that forced fair catches and left the Patriots offense with long fields on nearly every possession.  But, the third round is way too early for a punter.  I do like what they did in the first round, however, trading up from 7 to 5 to get wide receiver Justin Blackmon, one of my favorite players in the draft.  Blackmon is right up there with Griffin III and Richardson as the most fun players to watch.  He reminds me so much of Terrell Owens; big and strong, incredibly difficult to tackle, and an unbelievable work ethic.  His only problem is that Blaine Gabbert is his quarterback.  In the second round Jacksonville selected explosive pass rusher Andre Branch from Clemson, a player worthy of the selection who fills a big need.

Kansas City Chiefs

1.11 (11) - Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
2.12 (44) - Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois 
3.11 (74) - Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma
4.12 (107) - Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno St.
5.11 (146) - DeQuan Menzie, CB, Alabama
6.12 (182) - Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M 
7.11 (218) - Jerome Long, DT, San Diego St.
7.31 (238) - Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan

My grade: C+

The Chiefs selected Mr. Poe(tential) at the #11 spot, the mammoth-like Memphis defensive tackle.  Poe fits a clear need in the Chiefs’ 3-4 defense and is an incredible athlete for a man of his stature.  However, with that size and athleticism, he should have been a dominant player in college, especially playing in Conference-USA.  Some people chalked it up to Poe not being asked to rush the passer, while others claimed he’s just a workout wonder.  My sentiments lie somewhere in between: I feel Poe will be a solid defensive lineman for the Chiefs, but that it’s going to take a few years of seasoning before he can start to reach any level of dominance. In rounds two and three the Chiefs went offensive line, then transitioning to a trio of speedsters in rounds four, five and six. 

Miami Dolphins

1.08 (8) - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
2.10 (42) - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford 
3.09 (72) - Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami
3.15 (78) - Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
4.02 (97) - Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
5.20 (155) - Josh Kaddu, OLB, Oregon
6.13 (183) - B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan St.
7.08 (215) - Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
7.20 (227) - Rishard Matthews, WR, Nevada

My grade: D+

This grade is heavily based on the selection of Ryan Tannehill eighth overall.  Basically, I don’t believe he is worthy of a first round draft choice.  He played wide receiver longer than he played quarterback at Texas A&M, and when the game was on the line, he played his worst.  He’s a very good athlete and will wow you with some athletic plays, but he is far too inconsistent and careless with the football to ever be a franchise quarterback.  Jonathan Martin should start opposite Jake Long in the very near future.  Lamar Miller dropped because of some medical issues and was picked up by his hometown team.  He’s an explosive player and a threat to go the distance each time he carries the ball but needs to work on his pass-protection skills before he can see extended playing time.

New England Patriots

1.21 (21) - Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse 
1.25 (25) - Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama 
2.16 (48) - Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois
3.27 (90) - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas
6.27 (197) - Nate Ebner, DB, Ohio St.
7.17 (224) - Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
7.28 (235) - Jeremy Ebert, WR, Northwestern

My grade: B-

Much like the Green Bay Packers, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots targeted defensive players heading into the draft.  They left with six defensive selections out of a possible seven, headlined by Syracuse pass rusher Chandler Jones and Alabama thumper Dont’a Hightower in the first round.  Tavon Wilson was a huge surprise in the second round; most draft websites did not have him in the database.  Alfonzo Dennard was once regarded as a possible early-round draft choice until he started being an idiot.  Under the right leadership and in the proper locker room, he could flourish.

New York Jets

1.16 (16) - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina 
2.11 (43) - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech 
3.14 (77) - Demario Davis, OLB, Arkansas St.
6.17 (187) - Josh Bush, FS, Wake Forest
6.32 (202) - Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor
6.33 (203) - Robert T. Griffin, OG, Baylor
7.35 (242) - Antonio Allen, SS, South Carolina
7.37 (244) - Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan

My grade: B

Quinton Coples is one of the most talented players in the draft.  Arguably a top-5 talent.  He shut it down his senior year so he wouldn’t get injured, which is somewhat understandable.  The Jets were able to grab him with their first round selection (pick #16), one spot after Bruce Irvin went to Seattle.  Rex Ryan is going to have dreams about what he can do with a 6’6”, 285 lb. specimen like Quinton Coples in his defense.  Coples can set the edge as a five-technique end in the base 3-4, rush the passer off the edge in the 4-3, or play in a two point stance as an outside linebacker in the 3-4.  The Jets traded up in round two to select Stephen “Thrill” Hill, the latest in a line of wide receivers to come out of triple-option Georgia Tech than can freaking fly.  Hill is 6’4” and ran a 4.36, which compares favorably to 2007 #2 overall pick Calvin Johnson (also of Georgia Tech) who is 6’5” and ran a 4.35.  That’s where the comparisons end, though, as Calvin has much better hands and a far more developed route tree. With five selections in the sixth and seventh rounds, the Jets grabbed a little bit of everything to help with depth.

Oakland Raiders

3.32 (95) - Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah
4.34 (129) - Miles Burris, OLB, San Diego St.
5.23 (158) - Jack Crawford, DE, Penn St.
5.33 (168) - Juron Criner, WR, Arizona 
6.19 (189) - Christo Bilukidi, DE, Georgia St.
7.23 (230) - Nathan Stupar, OLB, Penn St.

My grade: C-

The draft cupboards were pretty bare for first year general manager Reggie McKenzie after 2011 head coach/de facto general manager Hue Jackson traded away the team’s 2012 first round selection and 2013 second round selection to the Bengals for Carson Palmer.  That trade is pretty heavily slanted toward the Bengals at the moment, although that could change if Palmer can return to form and cut down on his mistakes.  No flashy names here for the Raiders, but a lot of guys that should improve depth along the offensive and defensive lines as well as a steal in the fifth round with Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner.

Pittsburgh Steelers

1.24 (24) - David DeCastro, G, Stanford 
2.24 (56) - Mike Adams, OT, Ohio St. 
3.23 (86) - Sean Spence, OLB, Miami 
4.14 (109) - Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
5.24 (159) - Chris Rainey, RB, Florida
7.24 (231) - Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado
7.33 (240) - David Paulson, TE, Oregon
7.39 (246) - Terrence Frederick, CB, Texas A&M
7.41 (248) - Kelvin Beachum, OG, Southern Methodist

My grade: B+

And David DeCastro falls right into Kevin Colbert’s lap.  I wonder if they even thought about trading out of this pick or if they handed in the card in record time.  David DeCastro is arguably one of the safest picks in this draft; he has ‘plug-and-play’ written all over him.  The Steelers have had nothing but underwhelming play on the offensive line for a number of years, and DeCastro as well as second-round offensive tackle Mike Adams will go along way to change that.  Adams has a few red flags as far as character goes (failed drug test at the combine and sold memorabilia) but he’s a gifted athlete with NFL left-tackle position.  Everyone is slobbering over the fact they drafted Alameda Ta’amu from Washington in the fourth round, but there’s a reason he went in the fourth round.  A man of his stature should not be so easily moved around in the running game.  Go put on the Baylor or Stanford tape from Washington’s 2011 season when the Dawgs were rushed on for more than 400 yards in each of those games.  Ta’ama was consistently washed out of plays and showed questionable effort.  If he can play up to his potential he will be a great pick here, but let’s not go crazy yet, he’s got a long ways to go.

San Diego Chargers

1.18 (18) - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
2.17 (49) - Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut 
3.10 (73) - Brandon Taylor, SS, LSU 
4.15 (110) - Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette
5.14 (149) - Johnnie Troutman, OG, Penn St.
7.19 (226) - David Molk, C, Michigan
7.43 (250) - Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan St.

My grade: A-

A terrific, terrific job done by A.J. Smith and Norv Turner here.  Melvin Ingram fell right into their laps and they did the prudent thing in selecting the outstanding South Carolina pass rusher.  A bit undersized at 6’1”, Ingram can line up and produce at nearly every spot on the defensive side of the ball.  Hell, he can even play running back!  The Chargers’ defense has not been the same since Shawne Merriman became ineffective; they are hoping Ingram can be Merriman v2.0 only without the steroid issues.  The rich got richer in the second round with UCONN defensive lineman Kendall Reyes, an interior guy in college who will kick out to five-technique in the pros and then back inside in the sub-packages.  Brandon Taylor was among the top safeties in the class (which really says more about the lack of depth at the position than anything else) and Ladarius Green is a matchup nightmare at the tight end position.

Tennessee Titans

1.20 (20) - Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor 
2.20 (52) - Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina 
3.19 (82) - Mike Martin, DT, Michigan
4.20 (115) - Coty Sensabaugh, CB, Clemson
5.10 (145) - Taylor Thompson, DE, Southern Methodist
6.20 (190) - Markelle Martin, FS, Oklahoma St.
7.04 (211) - Scott Solomon, DE, Rice

My grade: B-

I was screaming for David DeCastro at the #20 spot but the Titans instead selected the speedy Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright.  Wright is a bit of an enigma; he played lightning-quick in college but tested very poorly at the combine and then was reported to have a very high body fat content.  Regardless, he’s an explosive weapon that will instantly contribute in the receiving and return game.  Also, I think this is a precursor to Jake Locker winning the quarterback spot out of training camp.  Why else would you draft a deep threat wide receiver unless you’re going to pair him with a quarterback able to throw the deep ball?  I like Matt Hasselbeck but he can’t fully utilize Wright the way Locker can.  In the second round Tennessee took Brown out of UNC, an amazing athlete who’s somewhat of an underachiever.  So much was expected out of him because of his freakish speed (4.50 40 yard dash at 244 lbs.) and when he didn’t make all the highlight-reel plays a lot of scouts soured on him.  Regardless, he’ll have the chance to prove himself immediately if he can lock down the weakside linebacker position out of training camp.  Mike Martin is a prototypical three-technique under tackle that will shoot the B-gap and get in the quarterbacks face.