Perhaps it sounds a little self-serving and perhaps so, but the last time I interviewed for a job the principal wanted to see my resume. It was a record of responsibilities, accomplishments, goals, etc. Ergo, the reason for this article posting is to showcase that I, with hardy research, common sense, deductive reasoning and a host of other blessings, was able to put together a comprehensive NFL mock draft for Rounds One and Two.
In the beginning I was not looking to compete with anyone. I was merely putting together what I thought was a reasonable draft board. Of course I looked at many mock drafts, who doesn't, but I saw many mocks that just looked to be a mish-mosh of the top 50 players and that was it. Or, I noticed that some who attempted to mock only understood the teams from within the division their team dwells within. As for me, I was looking at the Vikings, my team. We had an abysmal year; one to forget for sure, and I mocked the Vikings all seven rounds, but my point here is, I wanted to challenge myself and here were the final results.
As I mentioned in my FB page, I awarded each candidate 1 point for a direct player hit and .5 for a position hit, but it had to be the exact position. It's not as if I gave credit to someone who had a defensive end (DE) as their choice, but the team chose a defensive tackle (DT).
The challengers were as follows:
Mike Mayock, NFL Network, who has a sturdy reputation in terms of evaluating talent, etc.
Charles Davis, NFL Network, a well respected colleague of Mayock's and former player.
Mel Kiper, JR, a mainstay within the ESPN monopoly.
Todd McShay, another ESPN spokesperson who came on to the scene more as an antagonist to Kiper than anything else.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated, a very well respected sports journalist. I give Peter great credit because he covers most sports; whereas the names mentioned above cover football only.
Matt Miller, a featured columnist and top gun for Bleacher Report. Matt also covers a variety of sports, but he knows his football.
Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly, a very well respected arm of the NFL journalism spectrum.
WalterFootball.com, a compilation site that is a tremendous source for research and the home to much of my information.
Last note before I get to this. I consulted a variety of websites for my research. NFL.com, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, Walterfootball.com, Draftek.com, Footballsfuture.com, and newnfldraft.com
Okay, to the scoring, here are the results for Round One
Mike Mayock: Mike had 5 direct player hits and 10 position hits for a total of 10 points.
Charles Davis: Charles had 6 direct hits and 6 position hits for a total of 9 points.
Mel Kiper, Jr: Mel had 8 direct hits and 8 position hits for a total of 12 points.
Todd McShay: McShay had 6 direct hits and 7 position hits for a total of 9.5 points.
Peter King: Mr. King had 6 direct player hits and 7 position hits for a total of 9.5 points.
Matt Miller: Matt had 6 direct hits and 7 position hits for a total of 9.5 points.
Nolan Nawrocki: Nolan had 5 direct player hits and 8 position hits for a total of 9 points.
Walterfootball.com: They had 6 direct player hits and 7 position hits for a total of 9.5 points.
Me: Scott had 7 direct hits and 9 position hits for a total of 11.5 points.
Four of my direct hits were what most analysts had, so it was almost a given that each person would have those, but it was beyond those obvious picks where things got a little dicey. I am proud to call these as direct player hits.
Andrew Luck, Robert Girffin III, Trent Richardson, Matt Kalil, Fletcher Cox (Eagles), Dre Kirkpatrick (Bengals),
and David Wilson (Giants). I am probably most proud of the last one because of all the numerous mocks I saw, there was only one other who had the Giants taking a RB.
I hit the following teams for position, not necessarily exact player. Jacksonville, Kansas City, Cincinnati's second of their first round pick, Cleveland's second of their first round. I had them drafting Tannehill, who really should have dropped there, but instead the Dolphins drafted Tannehill and the Browns drafted Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State.
I also hit on Denver with a DT, Green Bay, Baltimore, and one of the Patriots picks.
Finally, I was stubborn about the Miami pick. I was in denial that Tannehill would go that high, but it will be interesting to see how the kid works out for them. I am rooting for him.
So, Bottom Line, with a little research, common sense, and reasonable thinking, you might surprise yourself with what you can and/or are capable of doing. I appreciate you getting to this point, thanks.
Showing posts with label matt kalil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matt kalil. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
2012 NFL Draft: Round Two: V1.0
St. Louis Rams – Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut
The Rams got their featured receiver in Round One and now they look to shore up a hole in the middle of their defense.
Indianapolis Colts – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
Why not?
Minnesota Vikings – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
By getting their left tackle for the next decade, the Vikings target a WR for Christian Ponder.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
After missing out on Trent Richardson, the Bucs get a pretty doggone good running back in Miller.
Cleveland Browns – Muhammed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
Why draft Brandon Weeden here when he’s older than Colt McCoy, and if it doesn’t pay off the problems for Cleveland are magnified. Give McCoy a legitimate target and one more year. If the Browns wind up 4-12, they will have a shot at one of the top three QB’s next year.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Keleche Osemele, G, Iowa State
After selecting a featured receiver such as Floyd, Mularkey gets Gabbert some protection with Osemele.
St. Louis Rams – (from Washington) – Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
Fisher gets to work on that defense.
Carolina Panthers – Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
Keepin’ it Carolina style, Newton gets big target for Red Zone.
Buffalo Bills – Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech
The Bills need to work on the back end of their defense seemed to play very poorly headed toward the end of the year. The receiver class is deep, so the Bills may go WR here, but Hosley is a talented DB who may not even be here at this spot.
Miami Dolphins – Amili Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
Silatolu is climbing the charts and the Dolphins look to beef up the middle of their offensive line. Brandon Weeden is a possibility here, but again, I think the Dolphins should wait on next year, or maybe consider Kirk Cousins in Round Three.
Seattle Seahawks – Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
The Seahawks need depth on the defensive line. Chris Clemons had 11 sacks, but the rest are average. The middle is strong and signing Hawthorne needs to get done.
Kansas City Chiefs – Zebrie Sanders, T, Florida State
The Chiefs need some help along the line specifically guard. Sanders would be better served inside as he seems to struggle with speed rushers.
Dallas Cowboys – Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
The Cowboys stick with defense as Anthony Spencer may be over-rated.
Philadelphia – Bobby Wagner, OLB, Utah State
Philadelphia follows the Cowboys with defense and why not, each team had disappointing defenses last year.
New York Jets – David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
The Jets so called ground and pound has looked more like mush and push. Shonn Greene is not a 3-down back and Joe McKnight is not the answer.
New England (from Oakland) – Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
Belichick has four picks in Rounds One and Two, surely he is going to experiment with one of them; that is the genius of Bill Belichick.
Side note: Is there any team the Raiders have not at least given one draft choice to in the last few years? Just curious.
San Diego Chargers – Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
Antonio Gates has had injury issues the last few years, so Allen adds a nice alternative and eventual replacement for a wonderful career by Gates.
Chicago Bears – Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
It almost sounds sacrilegious to say that Brian Urlacher has seen his better years, but unless he finds the Fountain of Youth, he is going to keep getting older and more banged up. Kendricks would be a good player to mentor.
Philadelphia (from Arizona) – Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
Reid looks for the tall receiver to offset Maclin and Jackson’s diminutive stature.
Tennessee Titans – Reuben Randle, WR, LSU
After seeing the Eagles take Streeter, the Titans waste no time in turning in the card for steady and reliable receiver in Randle.
Cincinnati Bengals – Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
With the loss of Andre Caldwell and the impending legal issues of the human gymnast Jerome Simpson, this could be a likely area to go WR.
Detroit Lions – Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia
This might be a bit of a reach, but the Lions need help on the outside at the second level. Irvin’s got speed, but will need to work on overall game knowledge.
Atlanta Falcons – Josh Robinson, CB, UCF
The Falcons defensive backfield needs upgrading and at this point the Falcons go for BPA.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
Constant motor, relentless, tenacious, Steeler constructed, enough said.
Denver Broncos – Bobbie Massie, T, Mississippi
Getting protection and help for Manning is a priority and Massie is a good start.
Houston Texans – Mitchell Scwartz, T, California
The Texans have some uncertainty along the right side and Schwartz is a solid pass blocker but will need to work on the run blocking. Look for Texans to look at TE in the coming rounds.
Green Bay – Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma
The Packers defense needs an upgrade on the back end. With the selection of Upshaw in Round One, the retooling continues.
Baltimore Ravens – Brandon Brooks, G, Miami (Ohio)
A lot of people do not know that much about Brandon Brooks because he plays in the MAC. Brooks is huge at 6’6” 345, but his weight could become an issue. However, the Ravens were able to motivate Bryant McKinnie, so they should be able to work with Brooks. The Ravens line is aging and needs help now, especially with the departure of Grubbs who saw the Ravens SB window closing.
San Francisco 49ers – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
The 49ers were very impressive on defense last year and they upgrade their back end with Dennard.
New England Patriots – Marvin Jones, WR, California
Jones’ draft stock has been on the rise and the Patriots could look to upgrade their receiver position. There are only so many times you can call on Deion Branch at this point.
New York Giants – Tank Carder, MLB, TCU
The Giants MLB position was a weakness last year, mostly due to injury, but they still need to upgrade this area and Carder has been impressive in workouts and his game film is every bit as impressive also.
Well, there you have it. As always, your constructive comments are welcome.
I know there are players that you will take exception with, and you will undoubtedly say, “What about so and so,” and “No way he drops this far.” That’s cool, just know that trying to evaluate and place matching talent with team needs is a tall task and sometimes guys will get passed over. Thanks for checking out my predictions.
The Rams got their featured receiver in Round One and now they look to shore up a hole in the middle of their defense.
Indianapolis Colts – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
Why not?
Minnesota Vikings – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
By getting their left tackle for the next decade, the Vikings target a WR for Christian Ponder.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
After missing out on Trent Richardson, the Bucs get a pretty doggone good running back in Miller.
Cleveland Browns – Muhammed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
Why draft Brandon Weeden here when he’s older than Colt McCoy, and if it doesn’t pay off the problems for Cleveland are magnified. Give McCoy a legitimate target and one more year. If the Browns wind up 4-12, they will have a shot at one of the top three QB’s next year.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Keleche Osemele, G, Iowa State
After selecting a featured receiver such as Floyd, Mularkey gets Gabbert some protection with Osemele.
St. Louis Rams – (from Washington) – Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
Fisher gets to work on that defense.
Carolina Panthers – Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
Keepin’ it Carolina style, Newton gets big target for Red Zone.
Buffalo Bills – Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech
The Bills need to work on the back end of their defense seemed to play very poorly headed toward the end of the year. The receiver class is deep, so the Bills may go WR here, but Hosley is a talented DB who may not even be here at this spot.
Miami Dolphins – Amili Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
Silatolu is climbing the charts and the Dolphins look to beef up the middle of their offensive line. Brandon Weeden is a possibility here, but again, I think the Dolphins should wait on next year, or maybe consider Kirk Cousins in Round Three.
Seattle Seahawks – Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
The Seahawks need depth on the defensive line. Chris Clemons had 11 sacks, but the rest are average. The middle is strong and signing Hawthorne needs to get done.
Kansas City Chiefs – Zebrie Sanders, T, Florida State
The Chiefs need some help along the line specifically guard. Sanders would be better served inside as he seems to struggle with speed rushers.
Dallas Cowboys – Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
The Cowboys stick with defense as Anthony Spencer may be over-rated.
Philadelphia – Bobby Wagner, OLB, Utah State
Philadelphia follows the Cowboys with defense and why not, each team had disappointing defenses last year.
New York Jets – David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
The Jets so called ground and pound has looked more like mush and push. Shonn Greene is not a 3-down back and Joe McKnight is not the answer.
New England (from Oakland) – Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
Belichick has four picks in Rounds One and Two, surely he is going to experiment with one of them; that is the genius of Bill Belichick.
Side note: Is there any team the Raiders have not at least given one draft choice to in the last few years? Just curious.
San Diego Chargers – Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
Antonio Gates has had injury issues the last few years, so Allen adds a nice alternative and eventual replacement for a wonderful career by Gates.
Chicago Bears – Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
It almost sounds sacrilegious to say that Brian Urlacher has seen his better years, but unless he finds the Fountain of Youth, he is going to keep getting older and more banged up. Kendricks would be a good player to mentor.
Philadelphia (from Arizona) – Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
Reid looks for the tall receiver to offset Maclin and Jackson’s diminutive stature.
Tennessee Titans – Reuben Randle, WR, LSU
After seeing the Eagles take Streeter, the Titans waste no time in turning in the card for steady and reliable receiver in Randle.
Cincinnati Bengals – Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
With the loss of Andre Caldwell and the impending legal issues of the human gymnast Jerome Simpson, this could be a likely area to go WR.
Detroit Lions – Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia
This might be a bit of a reach, but the Lions need help on the outside at the second level. Irvin’s got speed, but will need to work on overall game knowledge.
Atlanta Falcons – Josh Robinson, CB, UCF
The Falcons defensive backfield needs upgrading and at this point the Falcons go for BPA.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
Constant motor, relentless, tenacious, Steeler constructed, enough said.
Denver Broncos – Bobbie Massie, T, Mississippi
Getting protection and help for Manning is a priority and Massie is a good start.
Houston Texans – Mitchell Scwartz, T, California
The Texans have some uncertainty along the right side and Schwartz is a solid pass blocker but will need to work on the run blocking. Look for Texans to look at TE in the coming rounds.
Green Bay – Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma
The Packers defense needs an upgrade on the back end. With the selection of Upshaw in Round One, the retooling continues.
Baltimore Ravens – Brandon Brooks, G, Miami (Ohio)
A lot of people do not know that much about Brandon Brooks because he plays in the MAC. Brooks is huge at 6’6” 345, but his weight could become an issue. However, the Ravens were able to motivate Bryant McKinnie, so they should be able to work with Brooks. The Ravens line is aging and needs help now, especially with the departure of Grubbs who saw the Ravens SB window closing.
San Francisco 49ers – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
The 49ers were very impressive on defense last year and they upgrade their back end with Dennard.
New England Patriots – Marvin Jones, WR, California
Jones’ draft stock has been on the rise and the Patriots could look to upgrade their receiver position. There are only so many times you can call on Deion Branch at this point.
New York Giants – Tank Carder, MLB, TCU
The Giants MLB position was a weakness last year, mostly due to injury, but they still need to upgrade this area and Carder has been impressive in workouts and his game film is every bit as impressive also.
Well, there you have it. As always, your constructive comments are welcome.
I know there are players that you will take exception with, and you will undoubtedly say, “What about so and so,” and “No way he drops this far.” That’s cool, just know that trying to evaluate and place matching talent with team needs is a tall task and sometimes guys will get passed over. Thanks for checking out my predictions.
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