The folks here at the Fantasy 30 are saddened to announce that due to scheduling issues with the studio, the previously promised 2 round mock draft with trades, that EZ and Ginny promised during their last episode will unfortunately not be happening. As sad as we are about this, we are thrilled to have one of our hosts, EZ, post his final two-round mock with trades right here for you to all read.
As many of you know, prior to joining the Fantasy 30, EZ was the main contributor to EZ Football Futures. There, EZ analyzed the incoming draft prospects, and was well known for putting out multiple mock drafts each year. Since coming over to the Fantasy 30, EZ has been much more focused on Fantasy Football, but old loves never die, and EZ was more than happy to bang out this mock for us.
We know the written articles are not as well liked as the shows, and again, we are sorry for not being able to do the show as promised tonight, but we really do hope you enjoy this mock.
1. Atlanta Falcons via Houston – Jadeveon
Clowney, DE, South Carolina
Good trades work out for both sides, and
this one does exactly that. Thomas
Dimitroff and his Falcons are a very good team, who landed the 6th
overall pick because of injuries last year.
They are not very far away from being a great team, so dealing away
number 6 and a 3rd rounder this year, along with their first in 2015
(which could be a very late first) to land the best player in this draft, and a
once-in-a-decade prospect is a worthwhile risk.
The Texans land more picks, and get to still pick in the top 10 this
year, so this works for them too.
2. Cleveland Browns via St Louis – Sammy
Watkins, WR, Clemson
Another pick, another trade. St Louis is a team with options, but Les
Snead’s first choice will be to trade this pick. The buzz in recent weeks is that Watkins
could go to the Rams at 2. This should
make Cleveland nervous enough to pull the trigger on this deal. The Browns will send the fourth overall
selection in this draft and their first round pick in 2015 to St Louis for the
right to take Sammy Watkins. Watkins
immediately establishes this Cleveland receiving corps as one of the league’s
best. Paired with Josh Gordon, and TE
Jordan Cameron, the Browns will have the ability to score. Now if only they had the QB of the future…
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Khalil Mack, LB,
Buffalo
The Jags need to land a QB in this draft,
but as I have been saying all off-season, I am not in love with any of this
year’s group. I do however love the
prospects of Khalil Mack. He is the top
LB prospect in this class, and with the way Gus Bradley can dial up pressure, I
think this is a perfect match. The
Seahawks are where Bradley made his bones, and they proved this year you can
still win championships with great defense.
4. St Louis Rams via Cleveland – Greg
Robinson, OT, Auburn
After adding more firepower by moving down
two spots, the Rams still land their top target in Greg Robinson. On my board, I have Texas A& M product,
Jake Matthews, rated a smidge higher than Robinson, but it is my understand
that the Rams do not. Robinson has
exceptional athletic ability for an o-lineman, and has all of the attributes
scouts want to see. Although I think
Matthews is more polished, I think Robinson has the bigger upside.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Oakland – Mike
Evans, WR, Texas A&M
With the board falling like this, Oakland
is left in prime position to make some moves.
Teams a little later in the round are starting to zero in on their
target, and many are starting to get nervous that their guy won’t be there for
them. The Bucs are definitely in this
position. Fearful that the Raiders will
take their guy, the Bucs pony up their seventh overall in this draft and add
the fifth pick in the third round this year to move up two spots and secure
Evans. Although Watkins is the top wide
out in this class, Evans is not far behind, and he still has more development
time in front of him. The Bucs need weapons, and Evans brings that dimension to
the offense.
6. Houston Texans via Atlanta – Blake Bortles,
QB, UCF
The Texans need a new signal caller, and
although he is not the top rated QB on my board, I think he is the best fit for
a Bill O’Brien offense. There are
questions about all of the QB prospects in this class, but O’Brien was part of
a staff that turned a 6th round pick with all kinds of questions
into a hall-of-famer (Brady). Adding two
additional picks by trading down will also help Houston fill other needs.
7. Buffalo Bills via Tampa through Oakland –
Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
After trading down from 5 to 7, Oakland
again slides down the board, this time netting the 9th overall pick
and the 9th pick in round three from Buffalo. With all of their needs, this is a sound strategy
for Oakland, and for Buffalo, it puts them in position to address their biggest
need, OT, with the most pro-ready prospect at the position. Matthews has the skill set, mental makeup,
and pedigree to be a stalwart at the position for the Bills for the next
decade, so the move up is well worth the price.
8. New York Giants via Minnesota – Taylor
Lewan, OT, Michigan
With both Robinson and Matthews gone, the
New York Giants are going to be compelled to move up the board here to ensure
they still land one of this draft’s three premier OTs. Although Lewan is not rated as highly as
either Robinson or Matthews, he is still a very good selection for the G-Men,
who learned last year that an aging line can really impact a team in so many
ways. If the Giants want to put last
year behind them, and help Eli resurrect his play, they have to keep him safe,
and Lewan is a beast who immediately steps into this line-up and makes them
better. The 12th pick in this
round, and the 10th in the 3rd is a worthy price to pay
to Minnesota for this opportunity.
9. Oakland Raiders via Buffalo – Justin
Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
After two moves downward which netted them
two additional third round picks, Oakland is still in great position to address
one of their most significant areas of need.
Justin Gilbert is the top corner on the board this year, and he can
immediately step in as a starter in Oakland.
With the extra two picks they received in this very deep draft, Reggie
McKenzie can continue to add young talent to fill in some of the holes and be
mentored by some of the veterans brought in during free agency.
10. Detroit Lions – Darqueze Dennard, CB,
Michigan State
Most mock drafts show the Lions adding
Justin Gilbert at this pick, but in our scenario he is already gone. In this draft that is not an issue at
all. If Gilbert is the best in this
class, a very close second is Dennard. Dennard
is a physical corner who can press at the line, and will be a very welcome
addition to a Detroit secondary that faces Aaron Rogers and Jay Cutler twice
each year.
11. Tennessee Titans – Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
The Titans are a football team that is
still building, but adding a piece like Anthony Barr will most certainly speed
the process up a bit. Barr is a
versatile outside backer who can both rush the passer and drop into coverage.
He is also still developing at the position as he spent his first two years in
college playing running back. Barr has
all of the athletic tools coaches look for, and he has a great disposition and
the desire to be great.
12. Dallas via New York Giants through
Minnesota – Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt
Jerry Jones has never been shy about moving
up and down the draft board to land his guy, and this year they deal their
first rounder (number 16 overall) and the fourteenth pick in round 3 to
Minnesota, who opts to slide back a second time. The Boys are targeting Aaron Donald, and with
good reason. For a team like Dallas, who
had so much trouble up front last year, they need a guy like Donald. He is the most accomplished DT in this class,
and he has a motor that just doesn’t quit.
In new DC Rod Marinelli’s system, Donald fills that 3-technique role
that is so key to defensive success.
13. St Louis Rams – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S,
Alabama
The Rams already added Greg Robinson
earlier in the draft, and they also added an additional first rounder next year
to boot. This is a good team, and they
are getting better quickly. Now they can
focus on adding another defensive playmaker to their squad. Ha Ha Clinton Dix is a classic deep safety, with
excellent ball skills, and who can make tackles too. With the other young, talent pieces in this
secondary, they will put some pressure on the other guys in the toughest
division in football.
14. Chicago Bears – Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida
State
It is my belief that the Bears really covet
Aaron Donald, but with Dallas leapfrogging them to land the standout DT,
Chicago is left to look at plan B. The
good news here is that plan B is a very good option too. Timmy Jernigan was the best defensive player
on the national champion Seminoles this year, and he has the ability to come
into Chicago and make this defense better.
There are some questions about Jernigan, but he holds the number two
spot amongst DTs on my board for a reason.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers – CJ Mosley, LB,
Alabama
When Pittsburgh comes on the clock, they
will have some options, as they uncharacteristically have some holes on their
defense. This pick comes down to a
decision between corner and inside linebacker.
With the exceptional depth at the corner position, and the lack thereof
at inside backer, Pittsburgh opts to add the best ILB in Mosley now, and
address corner later. Mosley is a
playmaker, who led one of the nation’s best defenses. Mosley has an attitude that will fit well
with the blue-collar mentality of the Steel City faithful, and I think he
becomes an instant impact player for Dick LeBeau’s defense.
16. Minnesota Vikings via Dallas – Teddy
Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
After extensive visits with Bridgewater, I
think the Vikes really like the Louisville product. Much has been made about his plummeting
stock, but I still see him as one of this draft’s best QBs based on what he
brings to the table. Minnesota ran a
risk in losing him with the double trade back, but this risk pays off for the
Vikes, and they get some additional trade assets in the process too.
17. Baltimore Ravens – Calvin Pryor, S,
Louisville
With this pick, the Ravens will make Calvin
Pryor the second straight Cardinal to be drafted. Pryor is the only other safety on my board
with a round 1 grade, and his penchant for big hits will be a big hit with the
Baltimore fans. Adding him across from
last year’s first rounder, Matt Elam, gives the Ravens a pair who could
cornerstone their next great defense, and get them back into the playoffs again
in a division which is ripe for the taking.
18. New York Jets – Eric Ebron, TE, North
Carolina
If this scenario come to fruition, the Jets
will toy with the idea of trading down here, but ultimately decide that with
the wide receiver depth in this class, they can really put some weapons around
young Geno Smith if they grab a wide out later, and Ebron here. Eric Ebron is the best TE in a very thin TE
class. He is a very god downfield
receiver, and has a lot in common with Jimmy Graham, one of the best in the
business today. Giving Smith a big, fast
target who will create matchup problems for the defense can only help him in
his development, which of course helps the whole team.
19. Miami Dolphins – Zach Martin, OT, Notre
Dame
In retrospect, considering all of the
locker room issues the Dolphins faced last year, their on-field performance was
actually quite good. With those issues
addressed, the Phins can focus on their other glaring issue, keeping Ryan
Tannehill upright. They added Brandon
Albert in free agency to man the LT post, and now they can tab Golden Domer,
Zach Martin to be the other bookend.
Martin is a very good football player, and just as important for this
ball club, he is a great locker room guy too.
20. Arizona Cardinals – Johnny Manziel, QB,
Texas A&M
With where the Cards are slotted to pick,
they have no expectation of a star player being available to them. Despite it not being a position of need, the
Cards are still presented with the opportunity to add, arguably this draft’s
biggest “star”, in Johnny Football.
Carson Palmer is the incumbent, but how much time does he really have
left? Letting him mentor the Heisman
trophy winning QB is a perfect scenario for the Cardinals, and too good to pass
on. Johnny’s ability to put buts in
seats won’t hurt either.
21. Carolina Panthers via Green Bay – Marquis
Lee, WR, USC
Had Marquis Lee been able to come out one
year ago, he would have been the top receiver in the draft. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t, and his
production fell off this past year due to issues the Trojans had at the QB
position. I see Lee as the third best
prospect amongst the receivers, and I think the receiver hungry Panthers do
too. This is why they would be willing
to deal their 28th picks in both the first and third round to Green
Bay to get him.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – Odell Beckham Jr, WR,
LSU
When you have a draft as deep at a position
as this year’s class of wide outs is, it won’t worry a team like the Eagles
when the Panther trade in front of them to grab one. In this case, with Lee gone, the Eagles can
still be very successful by landing a kid like Odell Beckham Jr, who can step
in and start helping the team forget all about DeSean Jackson. Philly will have an exciting offense,
especially with having added Darren Sproles this offseason, but they will need
more weapons on the outside, and Beckham will be just that.
23. Kansas City Chiefs – Brandin Cooks, WR,
Oregon State
And the run on wide receivers continues,
and rightfully so. Not only is this a
talented, deep class at the position, but these teams are in need of additional
help in the area too. For the Chiefs,
they have to give Alex Smith some additional weapons to throw to. Sure Jamaal Charles is fantastic, but with no
passing attack, how long will that last?
Further, shutting down this passing game is as simple as covering
Dewayne Bowe, and as his fantasy owners saw last year, that can be done. Cooks is an immediate upgrade over anything
else on the roster right now, and can be penciled in as a day 1 starter.
24. Cincinnati Bengals – Kony Ealy, DE,
Missouri
The Bengals are a team on the cusp. Unfortunately for Bengals fans, they feel
this has been the case for a few years now, and they are starting to become
impatient. I see the Bengals with lots
of talent, but they have very little depth.
This is a team that could go in just about any direction with this pick,
and still get value. As such, I see the
choice as Kony Ealy. He not only is ne
of the highest rated player left on the overall board, but with Michael Johnson
having left as a free agent, he can soften that loss measurably. Ealy has a knack for getting at the passer,
and his skills will fit in nicely with the pieces already in place.
25. New Orleans Saints via San Diego – Bradley
Roby, CB, Ohio State
The folks in the front office of New
Orleans are pretty smart, and they know that at this point in the first round
there could be a run on corners. The
biggest need for the Saints is at corner, and I suspect that based on what is
left on the board, they would be willing to trade with corner needy San Diego,
and jump corner needy Cleveland to secure their guy. Sure, giving up a first and a third in this
year’s draft is not cheap, but it gets them Bradley Roby, who many have rising
up draft boards quite quickly.
26. Cleveland Browns – Kyle Fuller, CB,
Virginia Tech
After trading up to add Watkins with their
first pick, the Brown can now sit tight and let the draft come to them. Sure they need a QB, but with the top three
already gone, and another pick coming at the top of the second, I would wait,
and instead address another need. I have
long sang the praises of Joe Haden as one of the best corners in the league
today, but they need another talent opposite him. Fuller is a man on the rise. He played against top talent in the ACC,
including the aforementioned Watkins, and he did very well. With Watkins and Fuller, Cleveland is on the
rise.
27. San Diego Chargers via New Orleans – Louis
Nix III, DT, Notre Dame
When the Bolts got onto the clock two picks
ago, they were torn between Roby and Nix.
Needing help at both spots, they instead decided to let the Saints trade
up, and they would likely be assured at least one of their two targets would
still be there. In this case, that is
exactly what happened, and as a result, Nix becomes a Charger. His size in the middle will be a great asset
to this team, as he is a classic space eating, 0-technique DT. He will definitely make it hard to run
against the Bolts next year.
28. Green Bay Packers via Carolina – Cyrus
Koundijo, OT, Alabama
With the Pack having traded down and added
more draft assets, they are still in position to land a guy who would have been
a little bit of a reach at 21. Later in
the round Koundijo provide more value.
The Alabama product has excellent feet, and move into position very
well. He needs to build more upper body
strength though, and he need to learn how to create some punch at the point of
attack. The coaching staff in Green Bay
is quite good though, and they will help bring him along nicely.
29. New England Patriots – Ra’Shede Hageman,
DT, Minnesota
Some coaches have an affinity for a
specific type of player. In New England,
that type of player is big, mountain sized players. Hageman is nothing if not big. In fact his mammoth size, and gifted agility
for giant of his size make him the
perfect fit in a Bill Belicheck defense.
Sometime, you have the perfect match of player to system or player to
coach. This is one of those times.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars via San Francisco –
Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
Inevitably, every year we see a team
picking early in the second get antsy, and trade back into the first to grab a
QB. This year will be no different, and
with QB hungry Cleveland picking in front of them, I see the Jaguars jumping
back into the first to land their signal caller. Chad Henne is a nice piece, but he is not
starter material. Mettenberg is. Mettenberger is a classic pocket passer with
a good enough arm to make all the throws.
He faced some of the stiffest completion in the collegiate ranks playing
in the SEC, and would immediately join Khalil Mack as the new faces of the
franchise. The Niners like to add picks,
and for this deal, they would get Jacksonville’s 2nd and 3rd
round picks this year.
31. Oakland Raiders via Denver - Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia
Another pick, and another trade. After trading down two time earlier in the
round, the Raiders now revese direction, and this time give up their 4th
pick in round 2, and their seventh pick in round 4 to move back into the first
and land OT Morgan Moses from Virginia.
Moses was very successful in college, and performed very well at the
Senior Bowl, earning him the late round 1 grade. With Oakland having many needs, Moses could
immediately step in to replace Jared Veldheer, who was inexplicably allowed to
escape via free agency.
32. Seattle Seahawks – Joel Bitonio, OL, Nevada
Winning the Super Bowl last year earned the
Seahawks the right to make the final selection on Thursday night. This obviously is a very good football team,
but they still have the need to keep moving forward. The biggest asset that Joel Bitonio brings to
the table is his ability to play all three o-line positions, and it will be
this versatility that will lead Seattle to closing out day 1 by calling his
name.
33.
Houston
Texans – Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
The advantage of picking first on day two
is that you have all night to marvel at some of the guys who are unexpectedly
still available. In this scenario, names
like Ryan Shazier, Xavier Sua-Filo, Dee Ford, and this guy, Stephon Tuitt all
make the list. On day one we had Houston
taking their QB of the future. Now on
day 2, they can put the focus on the defensive side, and add the best 3-4 DE
still available. Tuitt is a sizable DE,
and he can both seal the edge, and pressure the QB from this position.
34.
Washington
Redskins – Jimmy Ward, S, Northern Illinois
Thanks to making a trade to land RG3
2-years ago, the Skins were again without a first round pick, making this their
first selection. Lucky for them, this is
a very deep draft. The Skins changed coaches
this year, and they already made a splash signing former Eagle, DeSean Jackson,
to a shiny new deal. Now with this pick
they can address their shaky secondary with safety Jimmy Ward. Ward is a valuable addition here, he has
exceptional coverage ability, and with this pass happy offense, Ward would
allow the defense to avoid 1st down nickel packages against the
offense on 11-package, 3-wide sets.
35. Cleveland Browns – Derek Carr, QB, Fresno
State
It has been no secret that the Browns have
coveted Derek Carr, possibly more than any other QB in this class. With three picks early in this draft, the
Browns have done a great job of working their board to get their targeted
guys. First Watkins, then they added
Fuller, now they get Carr. No doubt with
the talent already present in this organization, new GM Ray Framer will have a
lot of folks singing his praises.
36. Denver Broncos via Oakland – Jason Verrett,
CB, Texas Christian
After trading back from round 1, the
Broncos are in a great position to go in just about any direction with this
pick. Yes the team did add Aquib Talib
at the corner position this offseason, but I still think this is one of this
team’s biggest need areas. Another
option would be ILB, but I am not sold on any of the remaining ILBs being a
value selection at this time. Instead, I
see the team adding the diminutive, yet lionhearted Jason Verrett with this
pick. He immediately brings depth in a
secondary which will be facing non-stop aerial attacks all year against teams
just looking to keep up.
37. Atlanta Falcons – Deone Bucannon, S,
Washington State
The Falcons made the biggest splash in
round 1, trading up to the top spot to grab Clowney. Having filled their pass rush need, Atlanta
is now free to grab Bucannon who will be an immediate asset to this
secondary. A 4-year starter, and 3-year
captain for the Cougars, Bucannon has both the physical ability and leadership
needed to thrive in Atlanta.
38. Minnesota Vikings via Tampa Bay – Dee Ford,
DE, Auburn
Both the Bucs and Vikes were active during
the first round, and now they get together here in the second round and reach
an agreement. The Vikes send Tampa their
second and fifth round picks in this draft, and then they land the potentially
dominant Dee Ford from Auburn. Ford is a
high quality pass rusher off the edge, and considering Minnesota parted ways
this offseason with pass rusher extraordinaire, Jared Allen, they will need
Ford to be at his best.
39. San Francisco 49ers via Jacksonville – Ryan
Shazier, LB, Ohio State
Ryan Shazier has the talent to go 10-15
picks earlier than this on draft night, however, due to a confluence of
circumstances, he is still on the board with the Niners on the clock here for
their first selection of the 2014 draft.
With the well chronicled troubles facing Aldon Smith, the San Fran brass
has to be looking at a replacement. The
fact that the Buckeye fell to them after amassing more picks through trading
down is quite fortunate for them.
40. Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Minnesota – Jack
Mewhort, OT, Ohio State
Tampa added back some of what they gave
away on day 1 with their trade back here in the second round. Now they make their move to add Mewhort to
bolster their rickety o-line. Some may
argue that one of the QBs remaining should be their target, and it very well
could be. Still, I subscribe to the old adage that all QBs look the same while
laying on their backs, and without an o-line, it won’t matter much who is under
center this year.
41. Buffalo Bills – Xavier Sua Filo, OG, UCLA
On the Fantasy 30 this week, I slotted Sua
Filo to the Panther at the end of round 1.
Here we are in the middle of round 2 and he is still on the board. What happened? Nothing Sua Filo had any
control over. Other moves resulted in
this talented guard to still be available, and no one will be happier than the
Bills. Last year they invested in their
QB of the future, EJ Manuel. Now they
need to keep him safe. Matthews in
round 1, and Sua Filo in round 2 may not be “sexy” picks, but this could not
have worked out any better for the Bills.
42.
Tennessee
Titans – Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State
This offseason the Titans parted ways with
their top RB, Chris Johnson. Although
Shonn Green and Jackie Battle are nice pieces, they are not feature back
material. There is not a running back
worth taking in round 1 this year, but Hyde is definitely second round
material. After addressing defense
during the first round, Hyde make perfect sense here in the second.
43.
New York
Giants – Kyle Van Noy, LB, Brigham Young
In round 1 the Giants were bold in moving
up the board to grab their newest OT, Taylor Lewan. Now they sit tight, and are in a great
position to add another guy who could be in their starting lineup sooner than
later. Van Noy is a very good linebacker
and I think he fits the Giants system quite well too.
44. St Louis Rams – Kelvin Benjamin, WR,
Florida State
The Rams had the benefit of multiple day 1
selections, and they made the most of them, adding both Robinson and Clinton
Dix, while securing an additional first rounder next year too. Now they can go in just about any direction
they’d like. Kelvin Benjamin is a raw,
unfinished talent at wide out, who was whispered to be in first round
discussions. Now here in the mid second,
he is a steal, and with his size paired with the speed of guys like last year’s
choice, Tavon Austin, Bradford will have no excuse to not put up exceptional
numbers this year.
45. Detroit Lions – JaWuan James, OT, Tennessee
The Detroit Lions are a football team with
a lot of talent on offense, but they still have some work that can be done
up-front. I don’t know that Richardson
would step in as an immediate starter, but he is a talent who would see the
field during 2014. Detroit addressed
their biggest need in the first with Dennard, but now they have to get better
in the trenches if they want Stafford to take that next step in his maturation.
46.
Pittsburgh
Steelers – Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State
As I mentioned earlier, this was
Pittsburgh’s plan. Add Mosley in round
1, and the best available corner in round 2.
Lemarcus Joyner is a very good corner, who has the added benefit of
being someone who could play safety too.
With the again, slower players in the Pittsburgh secondary today, Joyner
provide immediate benefit, and would even allow for a possible switch of Ike Taylor
to safety full-time.
47. Dallas Cowboys – David Yankee, OG, Stanford
The Cowboys are the NFL’s perennial 8-8
team. If they are going to improve on
that they will have to get better in both trenches. With their day 1 addition of Aaron Donald
they have addressed the defensive side of the ball. Now with this pick they add David Yankee, the
accomplished guard from Stanford to aid on the offensive side of the ball. Yankee is a skilled, experienced player, and
will be a welcome addition to the Dallas family.
48. Baltimore Ravens – Trent Murphy, DE,
Stanford
Although they won the Super Bowl only two
years ago, this team has some holes to fill.
Having already added prior to the secondary, they continue to rebuild
this defense. This time they add Trent
Murphy from Stanford. Murphy is a solid
DE, he has enough size to hold up in a 3-4, and he will immediately become part
of the rotation with Baltimore.
49. New York Jets – Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana
The Jets came into the draft with real
needs at the skill positions. They
intended to add a receiver in the first round, but were lucky to be in a
position to grab a potential franchise TE instead. Now in the second round, they are luck again. Cody Latimer, who is very athletic, and has
great size too, is still on the board.
Some experts believe that Latimer is a first round talent, so for the
Jets to come away with him in round 2 is real value.
50. Miami Dolphins - Trevor Reilly, LB, Utah
The addition of Zach Martin to help the
o-line in round 1 was a must, but the Phins have opportunities on the defense
as well. Last year they added a lot of
free agents to help at linebacker, by they still have real opportunity
there. Trevor Reilly is a good
linebacker who cover ground well and can put some pressure on at the edge. If Martin and Reilly both reach their
potential, the Dolphins could become a very good football team.
51. Chicago Bears – Marcus Roberson, CB,
Florida
The Bears made great strides a year ago on
the offense, but their defense did not play up to par. They need to be better against both the run
and the pass. Jernigan will aid against
the run, and now Roberson can come in to help against the pass. The Bears still have veteran Peanut Tillman
in their secondary, and he can serve as an excellent mentor to the young
Gator. Roberson has the tools, and with
the right time to develop, he could be very good.
52. Arizona Cardinals – Jaylen Watkins, CB, UF
After their first round curve ball named
Johnny Football, the Cards still have to address some of their needs. Patrick Peterson is a real stud, but
Antonio Cromartie is only a stop gap.
Adding a playmaker like Jaylen Watkins could really help improve a
secondary in a very tough division.
53. Green Bay Packers – Allen Robinson, WR,
Penn State
The Pack have a roster with a lot of
talent, but they lost a weapon when James Jones headed to Oakland. Although it is not a huge need, adding Allen
Robinson gives them a guy who can continue to develop and learn from guys like
Jordy Nelson.
54. Philadelphia Eagles – Stanley Jean Baptiste,
CB, Nebraska
With their first round pick they Eagles
worked to replace Desean Jackson. Now
they need to address their secondary which was amongst the worst in the league
last year. Stanley Jean Baptiste is a
good corner who can play both man and zone well. He can step in immediately in the Nickel
role, and progress to a starter in short order.
55. Cincinnati Bengals – Jordan Matthews, WR,
Vanderbilt
After addressing a replacement for Michael
Johnson, with Kony Ealy in the first round, the Bengals can now put an effort
into adding an alternate target to pull some attention off AJ Green. Sanu is part of the receiving corps, but he
still has room to grow, and has to stay healthy. Adding a talent like Matthews, who has an
great pedigree as well (cousin of Hall-of-Famer, Jerry Rice) could be a nice
pairing.
56. San Francisco 49ers – Telvin Smith, LB,
Florida State
Don’t read too much into the fact that the
Niners exercised their 5th year option on Aldon Smith. The talented but often troubled all-pro will
likely not be in San Francisco for long.
Coach Jim Harbaugh will still have a talented defense without him, but
adding a young Telvin Smith to the defense will soften the loss.
57. San Diego Chargers – Bashaud Breeland, CB,
Clemson
The Bolts had real needs at both DT and at
corner. With their selection of Louis
Nix, they found their help at DT, and now they can add the top corner still on
the board. Breeland was the top corner
on a very talented Clemson team. He
played against great competition and always held his own. If he can grow and develop with the Bolts, he
will be a force in the starting lineup before long.
58. New Orleans Saints – Marcus Martin, C, USC
This offseason, the Saints let go of their
starter at center. Marcus Martin is the
best center in a very thin center group.
To be able to land the talented Trojan here will be of value to the
Saints offense and Drew Brees. Martin is
not a plug-and-play lineman, but he will have a good group around him, and one
of the top coaching staffs in the game.
59.
Indianapolis
Colts – Terrance Brooks, S, Florida State
Thanks to the acquisition of Trent
Richardson mid-season, this will be the first time the Colts will be on the
clock in this draft. Although this could
leave them a little short on draft day, the Colts are still expected to be one
of the best teams in the AFC this season.
They don’t have many holes, but there is definitely room for improvement
at safety after losing Antoine Bethea in the offseason. Brooks won’t replace Bethea right away, but
he does have the upside to develop into a very good player in a few years.
60.
Carolina
Panthers – Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota
Not too many football draft prospects come
from North Dakota, but Billy Turner is legit.
He can play against the better competition, although it could take him a
little time to transition. For the
Panthers, they need to get more talented up front, and Turner will give them
the opportunity to do that.
61. San Francisco 49ers – Donte Moncrief, WR,
Ole Miss
After trading out of round 1, adding more
assets, and then adding to the secondary, the 49ers now can add another piece
to the arsenal of weapons on the offense.
Donte Moncrief is starting to move up draft boards, although I have been
high on him for some time. I think with
the talent around him, and no pressure to be a difference maker on day 1,
Moncrief will have the time to continue to develop, and will be a nice
complementary piece, until he is ready to step in for the aging Boldin completely.
62. Oakland Raiders via New England – Aaron
Murray, QB, Georgia
After moving all around the board earlier
in the draft, and adding assets at multiple positions, the Raiders still find
themselves missing their QB of the future.
Well consider that need now met too.
The Raiders, feeling the pressure, deal the third pick in the third
round of this draft, plus their 4th round pick in next year’s draft
to the New England Patriots for the rights to move up to this spot and take the
signal caller from Georgia. I really
think in 5 years time, Aaron Murray will be looked at as the best NFL QB from
this class. He is a very smart QB, who
knows how to win football games. With
this draft haul, the Raiders would be a team on the rebound.
63. Denver Broncos – Chris Borland, LB,
Wisconsin
In my book, Borland has a very early third
round grade, but with the lack of depth at inside backer in this draft, the
need of the Broncos at the position, and how late we are in round two, I feel
it would be a safe spot for the defending AFC champs to add him. Borland is a tackling machine, and with some
added size, he could become an excellent defender at the next level.
64. Seattle Seahawks – Louchiez Purifoy, CB, Florida
As has become typical of the Seahawks, they
simply draft guys who fit their system, even if experts call it a “reach”. Purifoy is that type of player. His skills fit very well with the defensive
scheme that the Hawks run and will be able to contribute on special teams as
well. Considering they lost some depth
at the corner position this offseason, I like this fit even more. Most, including me, would say picking Purifoy
here is a bit above his range, but, the defending Super Bowl champs did not
earn that title by worrying about what others think.
