This will be the first of several mock drafts involving a few of the writers here at withthefirstpick.com. For the first draft Ty Mac, Bryant McNames, and myself took turns assuming the roles of GM’s in the war room for the first round. This mock will be broken up into 3 parts being published over the next two weeks, with analysis accompanying each pick. Keep your eyes out for larger mocks as we get closer to that magic day in April.
Pick 11-21
11. Kansas City – Michael Brockers Defensive Tackle LSU
Bryant: Defensive end is probably not the Chiefs biggest need, but Brockers’ potential is too good to pass up here. Michael was primarily a DT at LSU, but has the skills to transition to a 3-4 DE in the NFL. Other than Tamba Hali, the Chiefs lack a consistent pass rush. Kansas City’s current starting defensive ends Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson have a combined 6 career sacks. Dorsey will be a free agent after the 2012 season, which could open a starting spot for Brockers.
12. Seattle – Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M
Brian: This is the Christian Ponder projection of 2012. Tannehill is the third best quarterback in this year’s class. He is a transitioned wide receiver but has shown good upside and promise as a signal caller. The Seahawks have a huge hole at the quarterback position. The Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst experiments have not panned out and Pete Carroll has to be feeling the pressure to win. Tannehill is definitely a reach at this point but just like with Ponder, if you want Tannehill, you will probably need to take him here.
13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, Guard, Stanford
TY: Arizona’s biggest need this offseason will be to address their problems along the offensive line. David DeCastro would be a huge upgrade to anything the Cardinals already have. DeCastro is an elite prospect who might also be one of the best guard prospects to come out in a number of years. Other than the quarterbacks there is no other player who is as dominate at their position as DeCastro is at his. Unfortunately for him guards are rarely ever considered to be valuable enough to take in the top ten. However, if DeCastro does slip out of the top ten the Cardinals could find themselves in a position to draft a player who I think has the ability to become a perennial Pro Bowler.
14. Dallas – Courtney Upshaw: OLD/DE Alabama
Bryant: The Cowboys definitely should be looking to improve their secondary, but with Kirkpatrick off the board I don’t see another DB worthy of this pick. OLB Anthony Spencer is a free agent and might not be brought back. Pairing Upshaw with DeMarcus Ware would give Dallas two excellent pass rushers on the outside.
15. Eagles – Mike Adams: OT Ohio State
Brian: Mike Adams is the most polarizing prospect at the left tackle position this year. Adams has elite size and physical tools to be the next Joe Thomas or Jake Long. However, Adams lacks true consistency and his suspension this past year has made it more difficult to gather more film. The Eagles o-line needs work if they intend to keep Michael Vick alive for several more years. Many sites are projecting the eagles to draft LB Luke Kuechly because of their need at linebacker. While I agree with the need, look at the Eagles’ track record and you will see the reason for the hole. The Eagles have refused to draft a linebacker in the first round and I expect that to continue this year.
16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame
TY: Looking at the Jets roster it is clear that they have a number of needs. Their offense lacks play makers and their defense, although still solid, is aging. This could be Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan’s last chance to prove to Jets management that they are the one’s capable of leading this team to a Super Bowl. Therefore 2012 will have to be a season where the Jets make the playoffs. Therefore Ryan and company will look to add as many playmakers as they can to help support Sanchez. Michael Floyd is the best offensive player available at this spot. I am a huge Floyd fan and I think that he could prove to be the best receiver to emerge from this draft class. He is big, fast and physical. He attacks the ball and he makes plays after the catch. If Floyd’s off the field behavior wasn’t such an issue during his time at Notre Dame I have little doubt that he would be recognized as a top ten talent. However, because there are questions about his character the Jets could be in a position to take the talented receiver in April.
17. Bengals – Kendall Wright WR, Baylor
Bryant: After a somewhat surprising 2011 season which included a trip to the playoffs, the Bengals are a relatively young team that seems to be on the rise. They could lose Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell to free agency which would put a dent in the depth at the WR position. Adding Wright to last year’s first round pick A.J. Green would give them two exceptional playmakers on the outside and keep the future looking bright.
18.Chargers – Jonathan Martin OT, Stanford
Brian: The Chargers do not have any pressing needs but are desperate for depth at almost every position. There are rumblings that the Chargers might be cutting left tackle Marcus McNeil to free up some cap space. Martin made a living in college protecting Andrew Luck’s blind side, and I’d say he’s been pretty successful there. Martin is a decent run blocker but his specialty is clearly in the passing game, which fits a need for the Chargers. Philip Rivers showed a dent in his armor last year and I expect the Chargers to look to protect him as fast as possible.
19.Chicago Bears: Cordy Glenn, Guard, Georgia
TY: I think the Bears would absolutely love to see one of the premier wide receivers (Blackmon, Floyd, Wright) fall to them on draft night. However, in this scenario none of the aforementioned players are still available so the Bears have to address another need- the offensive line. Some people view Cordy Glenn as a tackle but I think his abilities will prove to make him a solid guard at the NFL level. Glenn isn’t a player for Bears fans to get overly excited about (offensive linemen rarely are) but he is a solid prospect that will upgrade the interior of their line and help keep Jay Cutler upright in 2012.
20. Titans – Stephon Gilmore CB, South Carolina
Bryant: Tennessee could look to bolster a defensive line that produced only 28 sacks last season, but with the pending free agency of CB Cortland Finnegan, they could be looking for his replacement. Gilmore has the skills to contribute right away as a rookie and help fill the potential void left by Finnegan.
21. Bengals – Janoris Jenkins CB, North Alabama/Florida
Brian: This year’s Antonio Cromartie/Pacman Jones Award (Given by me to the player with the most talent and worst off field decision making skills) goes to Janoris Jenkins. One combine analyst put it best “Jenkins has 4 kids, 3 arrests, and 1 positive test for drugs.” Jenkins is a remarkable corner with not only shutdown ability but also big play and return ability. With no off the field concerns, Jenkins is rivaling Morris Claiborne for the number 1 corner spot. With these concerns, many teams are removing Jenkins from their board and will not use a selection on him. However, the Bengals have shown a proclivity for character concern players, and if Jenkins is available here, I think they jump at the chance to replace Jonathan Joseph.