Mock Draft 2.0

Draft day is almost here. I decided to take the time and make another mock, but this time provide my reasoning behind each pick. You will notice that I don't have Clausen going anywhere. I actually think that he will go in the first round, but only because another team trades back up to get him.

#1 – Rams – Sam Bradford QB – Sam Bradford may not be the best player in the draft but the Rams desperately need someone to take over for Bulger. Furthermore, Rams management needs an excuse to keep their jobs. Drafting a defensive tackle wont buy enough job security.

#2 – Lions – Ndamukong Suh DT – It’s possible that the Lions draft an offensive tackle to protect their $45 million dollar investment named Matt Stafford. However, when the Lions drafted Calvin Johnson two years back they demonstrated that they will take the best player available. I have no question that Suh is the best player in this year’s draft.

#3 – Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy DT – The Bucks simply have too many holes to worry about drafting in accordance to their needs. Some people think McCoy is as a good if not better than Suh. The Bucks would be foolish to pass him up.

#4 – Redskins – Russell Okung OT – The Skins desperately need to improve on offense. Picking up McNabb was a start but they need to do more. The number #4 pick is too early to invest in Spiller or Bryant. Accordingly I think they impove their offensive by drafting the best tackle available.

#5 – Chiefs – Eric Berry S – Its possible that the Chiefs go with a Tackle. Cassel sure could use more than 1 second to throw the ball. However, if Eric Berry really is the next Ed Reed then you cannot pass him up.

#6 – Seahawks – Trent Williams OT – I think Bulaga is the better tackle, however he doesn’t fit the zone blocking system that the Seahawks employ as well is Williams. Williams is extremely athletic and would be a great fit for the Hawks who really need to sure up their offensive line.

#7 –Browns – Dan Williams N– A lot of people have Clausen going here. I just don’t think enough teams are sold on him. Dan Williams on the other hand is the only legitimate nose tackle in this year’s draft. I expect the Browns to go with the sure thing and then take a risk on Colt McCoy. As a side note I think that McCoy could thrive in the Browns system and would be a great use of a second round pick.

#8 – Raiders – Anthony Davis OT – There is less consensus about this pick than any other in this year’s draft. No one knows what the evil mastermind named Al Davis is going to do. The fun picks are Bruce Campbell and Jason Pierre Paul who are both so amazingly physically gifted. I think the Raiders settle on Davis who is athletically is just a notch down from those guys. Davis might turn out to best the tackle in this year’s class, however his character issues are a legitimate concern.

#9 – Bills – Brian Baluga OT – Baluga has no business dropping this far. In my opinion he is better than Okung or Davis, however he isn’t as athletic as either. Thus because the league overvalues potential, the Bills will get a steal with the ninth pick. This pick also serves as a death blow to the 49ers, Packers, and Patriots who were all hoping that an elite tackle would somehow make it to them.

#10 – Jaguars – Sergio Kindle OLB– The Jags could go in a lot of different situations here. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with C.J. Spiller, he has the potential to be the next Chris Johnson, but ultimately I think they go with the best linebacker available. Picking Kindle would a smart move.

#11 – Broncos – Dez Bryant WR – With Marshall gone, and Royal stinking up a storm, the Broncos really need a receiving threat. Bryant is supposed to be very similar to Randy Moss. I can see McDaniels being intrigued by what he sees and convincing the team to pull the trigger.

#12 – Dolphins - Derrick Morgan DE– Miami filled a big need by getting Marshall. However they gave a lot to get him. They don’t have the luxury of taking any more risks in this off season. I think they will go with the big bodied Defensive End.

#13 – 49ers – Joe Haden – The 49ers will be bummed that the four top tackles will be off the board at this point. However, getting the best corner back in the league will be a great consolation prize.

#14 – Seahawks – C.J. Spiller RB – The Hawks need an offensive threat. The Williams brothers who are currently trying out are not the answer that they are looking for. Spiller, is the most explosive player in this years draft and could really provide the spark that the Seahawks need.

#15 – Giants – Rolando McClain ILB – The G-men need to replace pierce and get a new leader on defense. McClain is a supposed to be a beast and a great leader and is a perfect fit for this team.

#16 – Titans – Jason Pierre Paul OLB – This is about the part of the draft were I expect we will see a team trading back up to grab Clausen. Unfortunately for Clausen I am not going to try and predict trades and he is about to take a nose dive. Anyway back to the Titans, Paul is the most athletic person in this year’s draft. He has some other problems but I expect the Titans to take a shot here.

#17 – 49ers – Mike Iupati G – The 49ers are going to be frustrated at this spot. The top tackles are all gone and the top pass rushers just went off the board in the previous two picks. I would expect the 49ers to try and trade back at this point. If they traded down to the end of the draft they could get a decent tackle and pick up some draft capital so they can take a good pass rusher. However, since there is no trading in this mock, I predict the 49ers will do anything they can to improve their lousy line. Iupati is supposed to be the next Steve Hutchinson, if that’s true then the 49ers should definitely grab him.

#18 – Steelers – Maurkice Pouncey C – When both Mel and Todd agree it behooves you not to pick against them. Given that the Steelers are starting to rival the Bengals as the team with the most arrests on a weekly basis, it wouldn’t surprise me that they pick someone from Florida.

#19 – Falcons – Demaryius Thomas WR – The falcons could easily go with a pass rusher here. But I think that they will be interested in giving Matt Ryan some more weapons. He had a down year last year and a new toy could do the team good.

#20 – Texans – Kyle Wilson CB – Some people think that the Texans go after a running back here, however the Texans need to improve their pass defense. Kyle Wilson is a great great player who has been overlooked because he plays in a smaller conference. The Texans will be lucky to get him at 20.

#21 – Bengals – Jermaine Gresham TE – It’s somewhat discouraging to see that most experts think that the Bengals need a new TE. The only reason I occasionally watch the Bengals is to watch former BYU player Danielle Coats play. Still Coats isn’t a ball catcher and they desperately need another offensive weapon. In this scenario Demaryius Thomas is already off the board so they should go with the best TE available.

#22 – Patriots – Earl Thomas S – This isn’t a giant need for the Patriots. However, Thomas is supposed to have the best playmaking skills in this year’s draft and the Patriots are the best drafters in the league. They will be smart and grab the best player available.

#23 – Packers – Charles Brown OT – Last season Aaron Rodgers was sacked more times than Idaho Potatoes. Brown is the 6th best offensive linemen in the draft, but he is still good enough to fall in the first round.

#24 – Eagles – Taylor Mays S – I think Mays is simply too athletic to fall outside of the first round. The big criticism on Mays is that he looks to make the hit rather than making a play on the ball. However, the Eagles have always loved that type of rugged philosophy.

#25 – Ravens – Terrance Cody DT – the Ravens would have liked to get their hands on Gresham or Thomas in order to get more weapons for Flacco. However, they are both off of the board and it would be too much of a stretch to take the next best receiving threat. Cody would a good fit given all the defensive linemen that the Ravens lost in free agency.

#26 – Cardinals – Jerry Hughes DE – Perhaps I am biased because I saw him play on a regular basis, but Hughes is a beast. He is a straight out sacking machine that can really held a Cardinals defense which got depleted through free agency.

#27 – Cowboys – Brandon Graham DE – The cowboys would have loved to grab a left tackle. But all the good ones are gone so they go with the best player left on the board.

#28 – Chargers – Ryan Mathews RB – The Chargers really need a cornerback but the top cornerbacks are gone by this point. I think they will seek to address the hole at running back; Mathews would be a good find this far down the draft board.

#29 – Jets – Jared Oddrick DT – I think Oddrick would fit great in Rex Ryan’s blitzing defense. One of the best defenses in the league will get even better.

#30 – Vikings – Patrick Robinson CB – The Vikings desperately need to get a cornerback. Although Robinson is a reach, he still has a lot of potential and there is not an obvious best player available at this point anyway.

#31 – Colts – Kareem Jackson CB – The Colts lost Jackson and Jennings in their secondary to free agency. Kareem Jackson is smart enough to play in Colts cover 2 system and would be a good fit.

#32 – Saints – Sean Witherspoon OLB – The Saints lost Fujita, Witherspoon would be a great replacement for the super bowl champions.