Thoughts on Round 1

Thoughts on Round 1 –

1. Newton- say what you want but an athlete like Newton hasn’t come around since JaMarcus Russell or Vince Young .  And that’s the only thing that makes this pick questionable Russell and Young were probably available for a much lower price.  Newton has an advantage,  he’s a QB that stares down his primary – everyone should know the ball is going to Steve Smith. So he fits nicely.  He has a run blocking line and he likes to run.  He may be able to avoid being pigeonholed in Carolina like Young and Russell were as classic long ball QB’s, Newton could also be the kind of QB Mike Vick was with Atlanta and while you can argue that Vick is better with the added humility of jail time he surely wasn’t bad before the jail time.  On the other hand,  this is the NFL and you don’t win superbowls with a QB that doesn’t distribute first and think of “me” second.  Newton  may be a little too me first to ever be great.  Only time will tell.   Grade C
2. Von Miller – Miller showed a great motor he even played special teams in that all star game.  And he was everywhere.   People try to say John Fox is this or John Fox is that but Fox finds ways to use his people.  Miller covers a lot of ground at a position the Broncos need a lot of ground covered.  He’s more of a sure thing than Patrick Peterson or Marcell Dareus because Peterson has stiff hips and Dareus seems to be a 5 technique end.   B you don’t get an A drafting at 2.
3. Marcel Dareus -  At the end of the year people will look at Dareus’ stats and go “ho-hum” but it takes a while for a kid to play that 5 technique.  He could be quietly effective for years but the thing that will make him stand out is the bills ability to find a pass rushing pair of OLB’s one put right over this big guy’s shoulder.  If Buffalo does that Dareus won’t get keyed on and they may be on to something defensively.   Troup, Carrington, and Dareus have a world of potential but as long as their job description is muck thing up for the linebackers and the linebackers don’t show up they’ll look like failed picks.  C it’s the best choice but not exciting. 
4. AJ Green – If this means Carson Palmer is in the fold it’s a great  pick.  Green may not be the best WR out there it may be Julio Jones but Green is dynamic and despite the antics of Chad Ochocinco – Chad is someone a young WR can learn from,  Chad sets up Cbs reads coverages and has in the past studied film as well as any wide out around.  Give Palmer someone to throw to,  open up the defense for Benson and seriously as good as Green is reported to be you really can’t go wrong.  B –  T.O. did well  last year  so receiver isn’t really the issue but they got a player.
5. Patrick Peterson- The world had Blaine Gabbert here, but the biggest need was DL and after Dareus the next best is Fairley and he had character issues depending on who you listened to.  And Gabbert, Newton, and every other QB in this class is at least a year behind John Skelton and Max Hall – they may catch up fast but they are behind at present. The linebacking looks needy but  Miller was gone.  The OL didn’t have anyone worth taking here.  So they went with the best athlete available.   Athlete not player because Peterson may not be a CB and may still be learning to play any position.  With Toler, Rogers –Cromartie,  Rhodes,  and Wilson already on the back line maybe the best choice would have been to move down but moving down can be hard so the best athlete is sometimes the best you can do even at 5. Show the willingness to be patient with Skelton and Hall some respect – bring in a veteran to groom them and just maybe one of them could become a dominant QB one day – stranger things have happened.   C – got a great athlete but how he fits as a player is unknown. 
6. Julio Jones -  picking in the 6^th spot the perfect choice for the Browns was a WR who could run routes and play big in a west coast style offense, a guy that could go over the middle and then blow it up with run after the catch ability,  a guy to crack back and open lanes for the running game,  a guy with great hands whose deep presence would soften zones for the tight ends.  Julio Jones is all those things but the Browns traded the pick to Atlanta where Jones create a dominant receiving corps.  The only issue in that offense now is bringing the o-line back.  A- Atlanta  showed a ton of guts to go for what could be the final piece to the puzzle.
7. Aldon Smith –the Niners already had Aldon Smith in Manny Lawson but you can never have too much of a good thing.  Wait,  you say Lawson wasn’t a good thing ?  Well, maybe competition will bring out the beast in both these  guys.  C- if he’s Lawson it’s a D if he makes Lawson better it’s a B. 
8. Jake Locker – Class Act,  excellent arm,  character,  leadership,  played on a bad college team and carried it.  Locker should be a favorite QB.  He’s never had the kind of talent  edge he’ll have in Tennessee.  He should take off. He has his footwork down  more than anyone else and a running game to rely on – the most NFL ready QB in this draft – especially with weapons around him and a line in front. B- fills a need, has great potential,  fits the team. 
9. Tyron Smith- IF smith can play at 315 or 320 he’ll be the best tackle taken and a regular in pro-bowl games.  If he struggles to maintain his weight  he’ll get pushed around.  This is a reactive pick by Dallas – Philly and the Giants both play small fast ends that get up under your pads and blow past your.  So that’s 4 games against speed on two sides.  Doug Free is pretty solid but Marc Colombo, Sam Young, and Alex Barron struggle with speed .  So the pick makes sense.  But will Smith be effective in run blocking ?  At some level  a DB has to show up in Big D.  So while smith isn’t a bad choice there could have been a better one for the Cowboys.  D- as in depends on his ability to hold weight.  If he gets pushed around it’s a bust if he plays strong it could be an A. 
10. Blaine Gabbert – Jacksonville is a perfect fit. Gabbert is going to get a year to learn under the ultimate team player David Garrard.  Garrard plays well,  great,  if the kid doesn’t complain you know you have a real team first guy.  That will bode well when he’s handing off the next season.  Gabbert has all the tools and the opportunity to sit and learn ( Locker and Newton don’t get that) may make him more formidable than the others eventually.   B- perfect pick if the team has patience.
11. JJ Watt -  Big strong athletic with a great motor you couldn’t ask for, well you could ask that he be an  OLB for a 3-4 or better yet a NT or a CB and while Watt may be the perfect complement to Mario Williams NT, OLB and DB may have been better fits. As a best player available pick this one is excellent but with Amukamara or Quinn available and possibly able to compete and more needed spots it leaves a little to be desired.  B- best player  but he isn’t a great fit. 
12. Christian Ponder – Ponder fits what the Vikings do in the modified West Coast offense, he doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, he has enough arm,  and he’s football smart.  Tarvaris Jackson should be ready but this really screams Tarvaris will never be ready.  So the Vikings have to find a Quarterback. A veteran might have been better but with the labor dispute finding one may be easier this way.  The pick is solid even though  the team reached.  But Mallett’s character must be a hum-dinger because his arm is amazing and nobody seems to love him.  B- fits the team well but will probably have to start. The rush could hurt. 
13. Nick Fairley – based on athletic traits for his position Fairley might be the best player in the draft.  The list makes him sound like a Suh- clone.  One more thing Fairley and Suh are both fast- quick enough to play outside. But imagine those tow monsters crushin a single side of a line and it might make you pee a little.  Best player available and with Suh and Vandenbosch on the line with him they may have the tools to keep him motivated.  B and an A if they keep him motivated. 
14. Robert Quinn – best player on the board and you know Spags knows how to use a pass rusher. Selvie showed some life as a rookie. Long and Hall were effective the Rams had bigger holes but roled the dice on a great athlete who can fill a niche in the defense they play.  B.
15. Mike Pouncey – if last year’s line was healthy you’d have a better idea if this was a need pick. RB, and QB seemed to be bigger needs – Berger,  Incognito and Jerry could have been a nice big interior and Carey and Long had talent outside so maybe they’ve given up on some of the interior guys.  But this pick may not be better than the guys already there.  C
16. Ryan Kerrigan  - the redskins may have had bigger needs but Kerrigan is a football player.  He may eventually end up inside as he learns to play LB but for now he improves the pass rush and the run defense and keeps teams from keying on Orakpo.  Seems like Shanahan is stocking up on “character” guys. B – not exciting but effective. 
17. Nate Solder – there were more exciting players available.  But Solder is a finesse LT like Matt Light who stands 4 inches taller,  has more length,  and is a really good athlete.  There is no need to rush him. He’s a physical prototype for the slot and could protect Tom Brady as long as Tom chooses to play.  B- not sexy but solid.
18. Coery Liuget -  this is the first why ? pick.  Liuget is the best under tackle available in the draft.  He’s got a great motor but at 6’2” he’s not long enough to play the outside as a 5.  He’s quick enough to get up under a G as an under tackle but the problem is SD doesn’t use a player  like that . So Why ?  Maybe SD is changing and no one knows.  B – right player for the wrong system. 
19. Prince Amukamara-  may be a better CB than Patrick Peterson.  He has a little bit of a nasty streak but gets caught with his eyes in the backfield.  The scheme seems to be a problem in NY when you don’t get to the QB there are holes everywhere.   Blame Perry Fewell as much as Webster,  Terrell and Ross or Rolle and Phillips and Grant.  This defense plays the DBs deep and the Lbs close and leaves a big soft spot in the middle.  B- Not sure how he fits but the giants don’t have a lot of holes – LB was one.  After Von Miller no one has grabbed a true LB. 
20. Adrian Clayborn – Physically he’s better than any DE on the Tampa roster right now and he basically has 1 arm. That may make him size specific but if he plays like he did as a JR at Iowa he’ll be allowed to play any where he wants.  B- fits the scheme, fits the team, fills a need but he has some issues to overcome – he’s had them a while though and dealt  with them quite well.
21. Phil Taylor – the biggest why ?  Not only because he goes 340lbs but because  the Browns are moving to a 4-3 and they took the drafts best NT.  NT usually take a while to develop.  Then there’s the question of Shuan Rogers – Rogers was quicker off the snap than Taylor will probably ever be. He showed that he was always playing hard through his work blocking kicks .  And the Browns cut him loose because theywere moving to a 4-3.  Well Taylor is more 3-4 specific than Rogers ever was (remember Rogers played some end at one pt and could have lined up at either tackle spot – when you have 3 whys – you get  a D.  Oh and Taylor may need surgery on his feet and Cleveland’s health care has been great to the browns in the past.  Maybe the Browns were moving up to take a pick for the Chargers or some other 3-4 team .  If that’s the case this is forgiveable.  But Jauron has worked well with 2 huge tackles in the past.  Oh one more why – you traded up for someone who doesn’t fit your scheme and plays the same position as the only sure starter on your line Ahtyba Rubin – and has character and health questions.  That D may be an F.
22. Anthony Castonzo – Cerebral T and former TE who wants to one day cure cancer. Seriously. Started since his freshman year . All Conference 3 times.  Best tackle at the Senior bowl. 4.0 GPA in Bio-Chemistry.  He thinks he can play LT.  Sounds like the kind of guy that can do pretty much anything so don’t bet against him.  B- and maybe an A – here’s why Castonzo  will be practicing against Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and he’s smart if he can figure out a away to hang with them He’ll be a stud.
23. Danny Watkins – goes from being a big fish in a small pond to being a big guy on a huge line.  Watkins is tiny for Philly.  He looks like a G for a team that might want to get a little more traditional in run blocking with  LeSean McCoy and Mike Vick back there instead of huge lineman that  seem more comfy pass blocking. Having a guy that move downfield could help those guys.  C – small school guys like Injalana and Rackley and  FSU’s Hudson all look like better fits in Philly unless they are aiming Watkins at a Tackle spot . 
24. Cameron Jordan – most see a DE in a 3-4…really because he’s a little small and relies on quickness a bit much for a 5 technique.  Some saw OLB…but he’d be the slowest OLB in NFL history…Jordan can fill a bunch of needs as a rotational end.  That doesn’t usually translate to star but it can help a team to a superbowl.  B
25. James Carpenter – He’s always been a LT tackle but Okung is a better LT.  So he’s got to bump inside or over to RT.  His run blocking for a LT is very good.  Feet are pretty good .  A bit of a reach but Seattle needed athletic lineman for the Carroll system.  Carpenter is athletic. He can run block or pass block but if he ends up just being a LT he’s a wasted pick because the ‘hawks have one of those.  C on ability,  B on team need. 
26. Jon Baldwin – arguably the next receiver off the board he make Dwayne Bowe look little and also makes Bowe the quick WR in KC’s offense.  WR was a need  but this is a bit of a reach and a smaller quicker guy could be available later.  KC is the team most likely to be the reason that Cleveland moved up and it would have been a much better fit for Taylor.  But if Jon Baldwin learns to run routes as well as he uses that big body in the red zone he’ll open things up for Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster and make KC very dangerous.  B – the right player but maybe not the biggest need for the chiefs. 
27. Jimmy Smith – is a very good athlete. He hasn’t always been a very good CB so much so that he could have been viewed as a potential safety.  He’s played down to his level of competition.  But the Ravens are the perfect team for a guy like that – no team has more character or leadership in the locker room.  Guys like Lewis, Johnson, Gregg, never take a down off and Ed Reed is still around to cover Smith’s mistakes and teach him the ropes in the backfield.  – B maybe an A if Lewis, Reed and the rest really rub off. 
28. Mark Ingram everyone else loves Ingram but he wasn’t as good as Trent Richardson last year. He played on great Alabama teams and he’ll play on a great team in New Orleans – but Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas might really be better than Ingram.  No one will admit that though.  B- He’ll start as long as he’s healthy.
29. Gabe Carimi – a big tough RT who thinks he can play LT. The bears have huge needs all along the OL and Carimi is one of those guys who wants to be good.  He isn’t the most athletic guy in the world but for a change the Bears selected heart over athletic ability.  C- not sure if he’s a LT or a RT and the interior line may be more of a mess than the tackle spot but at least he is first and foremost a football player.
30. Muhammad Wilkerson – a big guy who will have to learn the 5 technique but he’s the best pass rushing tackle in the draft.  And he has a lot of room to develop and with the Jets he’ll get a chance to move around some and use his athleticism a nice move  long term.  B.
31. Cam Heyward – there just aren’t a lot of 5 techniques out there but Heyward is one.  The steelers seemed to have bigger needs  but that line is aging and Heyward is one of those guys that can last 10 years and fits the system.   C- not the greatest fit and not a need day one so he may not do much right away. 
32. Derrek Sherrod – Sherrod has some LT ability but he looks like Chris Williams in Chicago.  That fits better in the GB than it did in Chicago . C – fills a need but doesn’t jump off the charts. 
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