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With The First Pick
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Mike Mayock Says’ (Mock Draft Edition)

By Larry McDaniel

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Unlike most major sports network analyst, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock doesn’t spam us with mock drafts. He watches months worth of tape, and then releases one the day prior to the draft. Well, today is that day. No even thirty minutes ago, NFL.com uploaded his mock draft, and there are some interesting picks, to say the least. I actually just released my mock draft, and it looks drastically different than Mayocks’. Enough talking about it, let’s get to some of the “shockers”.

Denver and Buffalo take opposites:

  • Denver – Everyone thinks this pick will be Marcell Dareus, but look at the big picture for the Broncos. Defensive tackle is a strength of this draft, so the Broncos take Miller, the best edge rusher, and then come back and get a defensive tackle with their next pick.
  • Buffalo – With everyone thinking Miller would go to Buffalo, what are the Bills going to do? They go Dareus, a scheme-diverse guy who can play all three spots in the 3-4 front. My favorite player in the draft.

San Francisco takes Blaine Gabbert:

  • I was thinking corner or rush lineman initially, but the quarterback is there in this scenario. There’s a new regime in San Francisco, so the 49ers are going to have to turn things around. Gabbert is my top-rated quarterback. I love the marriage of Gabbert and coach Jim Harbaugh.

Washington skips on pass rushers and QB’s for Amukamara:

  • Do the Redskins think about a quarterback here? Maybe. But cornerbacks Carlos Rogers and Phillip Buchanon are both set to be free agents. If I’m Mike Shanahan, I look at Amukamara as one of the most gifted players in the draft and an immediate help.

Scott Pioli finds his Logan Mankins for KC

  • When Scott Pioli worked with the Patriots, they took a guy named Logan Mankins. I see his reincarnation in Watkins. I think Watkins is a Pioli guy. He’s a try-hard kid. He’s gifted, tough and mean. You plug him in at right tackle in Year 1, and he’ll be able to move inside later, if needed.

Patriots make a splash with Locker:

  • Any of the teams at the bottom of the first round could be looking to trade out, including New England here. It’s not about the teams at this point, it’s about the players. Teams’ draft boards at this point will be decimated at positions like defensive end and offensive tackle.

Packers recreate the past with the pick of Dalton:

Why not trade out of this spot and let another team trade in to take Dalton at the end of the first round? There will be teams who would rather deal with the Packers here than working out a deal with the Patriots at the top of the second round at No. 33. At the end of the day, I think four quarterbacks go in the first round of the draft.

(For the complete mock draft, visit here)

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