With the NFL Draft being tomorrow night, I’ll share with you what I believe the first round will look like:
Round One
1. Colts, Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Redskins, Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Vikings, Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Browns, Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Buccaneers, Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. Rams, Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jaguars, Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
8. Dolphins, Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
9. Panthers, Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
10. Bills, Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Cheifs, Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
12. Seahawks, Luke Kuechly, MLB Boston College
13. Cardinals, Mike Adams, OT Ohio State
14. Cowboys, Mark Barron, SS Alabama
15. Eagles, Michael Brockers, DT LSU
16. Jets, Courtney Upshaw, OLB Alabama
17. Bengals, Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. Chargers, Whitney Mercilus, DE Illinois
19. Bears, David DeCastro, OG Stanford
20. Titans, Melvin Ingram, OLB South Carolina
21. Bengals, Dre Kirkpatrick, FS/CB Alabama
22. Browns, Andre Branch, DE Clemson
23. Lions, Peter Konz, OL Wisconsin
24. Steelers, Cordy Glenn, OG Georgia
25. Broncos, Dontari Poe, DT Memphis
26. Texans, Zach Brown, OLB North Carolina
27. Patriots, Devon Still, DT Penn State
28. Packers, Kendall Reyes, DE Connecticut
29. Ravens, Coby Fleener, TE Stanford
30. 49ers, Dont’a Hightower, MLB Alabama
31. Patriots, Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
32. Giants, Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
It looks like the top six picks are pretty much set in stone, but I think things will get interesting with the No. 7 pick. The Jaguars have a lot of holes that need to be filled and don’t be surprised if they trade the pick. Jacksonville defiantly needs a pass rusher but Coples has a lot of question marks surrounding his name. And on the other side of the ball, Michael Floyd would be a nice target for second year quarterback Blaine Gabbert to get familiar with. But again, don’t be surprised if they trade the pick to someone eyeing Ryan Tannehill (say Cowboys?) or another team trying to move up (like the Chargers to snag up Mark Barron).
And for my sleeper pick: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall University. As being a former member of the Thundering Herd, I’ve seen this guy play a lot. Last year he racked up 77 total tackles, 11 sacks and forced seven fumbles. He is an explosive athlete who has the versatility to fit the defensive scheme of the team who selects him, meaning he can put his hand on the ground in a 4-3 or he can stand up and play OLB in a 3-4. He does struggle at times in the run game locating the ball carrier but he’ll get better with experience. A team could really cash in on Curry in the second round. I can see the 6’3, 266 pound end playing a role similar to what Aldon Smith did his rookie year. The 49ers used Smith mainly on third down or in obvious passing situations as a pure pass rusher, resulting in Smith setting the record for sacks for a rookie and runner-up in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
With the event now being on Thursday night in prime time, expect anything. Teams will be looking to make the ‘sexy’ pick to excite fans, who undoubtedly will be watching the spectacle that the NFL Draft has now become. But GMs need to keep in mind that just because you please your fans in April, doesn’t mean you’ll have their support in January when the playoffs roll around.
Sports Talk on the Hilltop 