What do we say to the God of Death? Not today. (Ravens goin to the 'ship)

[TACKLE]

just wanted to get a quick mock up before senior bowl started.

1. Kansas City Chiefs - QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Star Lotulelei, Utah
3. Oakland Raiders - DE Ezekial Ansah, BYU
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
5. Detroit Lions - DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State
6. Cleveland Browns - DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU
7. Arizona Cardinals - QB Mike Glennon, NC State
8. Buffalo Bills - QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
9. New York Jets - WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
10. Tennessee Titans - DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M
11. San Diego Chargers - OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
12. Miami Dolphins - OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DE Dion Jordan, Oregon
14. Carolina Panthers - DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints - OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
16. St.Louis Rams - G Chance Warmack, Alabama
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - NT Jonathan Hankins, Ohio State
18. Dallas Cowboys - S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
19. New York Giants - DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
20. Chicago Bears - G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
21. Cincinnati Bengals - WR Keenan Allen, Cal
22. St.Louis Rams (WASH) - OT DJ Fluker, Alabama
23. Minnesota Vikings - NT Jesse Williams, Alabama
24. Indianapolis Colts - DE Margus Hunt, SMU
25. Houston Texans - OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
26. Denver Broncos - CB Dee Milliner, Alabama
27. Seattle Seahawks - OT Menelik Watson, Florida State
28. Green Bay Packers - ILB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame
29. Atlanta Falcons - TE Zach Ertz, Stanford
30. New England Patriots - CB Jonathan Banks, Mississippi State
31. San Francisco 49ers - DE Datone Jones, UCLA
32. Baltimore Ravens - ILB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

[vidae]

Great KC pick, obviously.

[BallerT1215]

Still like Wilson @ 8

[SuperPacker]

Funny how the Ravens end up with Brown and the Packers end up with Te'o! :)

[nobodyinparticular]

Whoa. Ansah made a huge jump. What am I missing here?

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by nobodyinparticular

Whoa. Ansah made a huge jump. What am I missing here?

His film and his skillset project better than any DE in this class. Also very scheme diverse which is a bigger plus for a team like Oakland. I'll be surprised if he gets out of the top 10.

[nobodyinparticular]

Originally Posted by TACKLE

His film and his skillset project better than any DE in this class. Also very scheme diverse which is a bigger plus for a team like Oakland. I'll be surprised if he gets out of the top 10.

That's some really good reasoning. Ansah doesn't have a lot of football experience correct?

I know it's difficult to extrapolate from a single draft class, especially one as small as the Raiders' was last year, but it would seem McKenzie likes his gritty gamers and football junkies (Bergstrom and Burris) with his first selections and his workout warriors with high upside and limited football experience in the later rounds.

That said, skillset and film is huge and your description of Ansah is exactly the type of player RM would look for in the early rounds. Anyone who fits that description is likely to be high on the board for Oakland in round 1.

[Seasonticketholder]

I like the Jarvis Jones pick!

[Brown Leader]

Why Watson?

[nobodyinparticular]

This draft is so interesting for some many reasons. There may not be a studly QB or other skill position player (like a Megatron), but look at the diversity in this draft.

In some mock drafts you have Jarvis Jones going #3. In this one he's at #15. In some you have Barkevious Mingo top 3, others he's 15-20.

Where does Ansah fit in? Where does Star fit in?

There are a ton of very quality "trench" players, but no Mario Williams, Julius Peppers or Jonathan Ogden. So do teams reach for the skill position players or do they take the BPA at a position that may not have as high of an upside?

Keep in mind that the reason skill position players are so flashy and highly regarded is because the difference between average and great is so big. Whereas the non-skill positions are pretty much all summed up in the quote about MLB. To paraphrase, an AFC executive said he wouldn't draft a guy like Patrick Willis highly because he can get another player to do almost the same thing he does much later in the draft.

Whether or not this is true, this is a common line of thinking in the NFL with all non-skill positions.

[fenikz]

[ChicagoBearsVet23]

I'd take Te'o. Still the best LB in the draft. He didn't commit no crime. Don't see him falling past Pittsburgh though.

[RCAChainGang]

Hmm, I like that you go by your own rankings, but I think Margus Hunt is a reach. Regardless +rep.

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by RCAChainGang

Hmm, I like that you go by your own rankings, but I think Margus Hunt is a reach. Regardless +rep.

Well I do to an extent. I'm giving them who I think they will take in right now in mid-January but it's still early enough in the process to try to project your/my own risers and fallers.

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by nobodyinparticular

This draft is so interesting for some many reasons. There may not be a studly QB or other skill position player (like a Megatron), but look at the diversity in this draft.

In some mock drafts you have Jarvis Jones going #3. In this one he's at #15. In some you have Barkevious Mingo top 3, others he's 15-20.

Where does Ansah fit in? Where does Star fit in?

There are a ton of very quality "trench" players, but no Mario Williams, Julius Peppers or Jonathan Ogden. So do teams reach for the skill position players or do they take the BPA at a position that may not have as high of an upside?

Keep in mind that the reason skill position players are so flashy and highly regarded is because the difference between average and great is so big. Whereas the non-skill positions are pretty much all summed up in the quote about MLB. To paraphrase, an AFC executive said he wouldn't draft a guy like Patrick Willis highly because he can get another player to do almost the same thing he does much later in the draft.

Whether or not this is true, this is a common line of thinking in the NFL with all non-skill positions.

The thing I find interesting about this class along similar lines is that this is a very strong draft for D-Line/pass rushers yet most of the top guys are all 'high ceiling-low floor' players. Tons of potential but a lot of those same guys have a lot of unknowns.

[coordinator0]

You know I like that Baltimore pick.

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by Brown Leader

Why Watson?

http://draftcountdown.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55185

Seattle has proven that they're a team that's willing to take chances on talent. They could certainly upgrade the RT spot but Watson wouldn't have to start right away. Okung has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career so at very least he gives them quality depth early on while he develops.

[nobodyinparticular]

Originally Posted by TACKLE

The thing I find interesting about this class along similar lines is that this is a very strong draft for D-Line/pass rushers yet most of the top guys are all 'high ceiling-low floor' players. Tons of potential but a lot of those same guys have a lot of unknowns.

This is a great point. This really lends to the volatility of this class because if these were true blue-chip DTs, rushers and LTs, they would be locked in the top selections.

[bendert58]

You think Milliner, the consensus top CB, will drop all the way to Denver at 26?

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by bendert58

You think Milliner, the consensus top CB, will drop all the way to Denver at 26?

Just the way it worked out. I considered giving him to Tampa as early as 12. I'm not as high on him as most. Solid all around player but doesn't have tools that really jump out at me as far as him being a slam dunk top 10-15 talent so I didn't feel the need to force him into a spot once he started sliding.

[princefielder28]

Te'o is a decent selection...if the Packers do go ILB with that pick I would prefer Kevin Minter

If Seattle were to roll the dice on an offensive tackle I would think Kyle Long would top the list over Watson...they also need to upgrade their pass rush so a guy like Sam Montgomery would make far more sense

[bendert58]

Originally Posted by TACKLE

Just the way it worked out. I considered giving him to Tampa as early as 12. I'm not as high on him as most. Solid all around player but doesn't have tools that really jump out at me as far as him being a slam dunk top 10-15 talent so I didn't feel the need to force him into a spot once he started sliding.

Fair enough. Idk if he's "elite" either but I think Tampa would jump all over him.

[jared3]

Dee Milliner falling to pick 26. hahah sure.

[T-RICH49]

Originally Posted by vidae

Great KC pick, obviously.

What he said

[derza222]

Patterson to the Jets is something I've been thinking about as an interesting option, but this is the first mock I've seen it in which is cool. Always appreciate a unique mock. There are obviously a few other guys I think would make sense there, but I like seeing the different pick.

I think it makes sense, particularly in this situation. For all of the mocks out there that have the Jets taking an OLB, the offense is absolutely atrocious. And as immediate a need as that position is, the Jets aren't in a position to compete next year so they really need to take the best long-term option, which I think there's an argument Patterson is. Plus Holmes is gone either this year or next year in all likelihood, and Hill is anything but proven.

Given Patterson's upside is pretty much a guy you can build an offense around and the Jets have no skill guys remotely like that right now, I think it's an interesting option. Obviously a quarterback would be preferable, but in this situation it works. Think he fits the WCO too. I wouldn't be surprised if some Jets fans come in here and bash you for it, but I think it's an interesting pick.