2012 NFL Mock Draft Continued
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
The Bengals are reportedly interested in Courtney Upshaw and hopping he falls to this spot. He is gone though, but the fact that they have shown such a heavy interest, could very well indicate their intentions of adding a defensive end. And Mercilus is probably the best player available, so he is the pick. The Bengals could use another pass-rusher across from Carlos Dunlap to rotate with the preseason superstar Michael Johnson. That would give the Bengals a great rotation at defensive end and compensate the loss of Fanene and Rucker.
Mercilus stock is all over the place right now. While some mocks have him going 16 to the Jets, others have him dropping out of the first round. I believe this is the right range for Mercilus since he has probably the most dominant tape of any pass rusher this year, but he is a one year wonder and he does not project to be a great run defender. Some still have his questions about Mercilus. In my opinion, he is a great pass-rusher with great upside, but he will have to correct some technique flaws, especially off the snap.
22. Cleveland Browns: Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
The Browns have lots of options here. They could go quarterback (Weeden), running back (Wilson/Martin), offensive tackle (Martin), defensive end (McClellin/Perry) or cornerback (Kirkpatrick). Ultimately, I am going with Jonathan Martin because if the Browns are going with McCoy as their starting quarterback, they have to make sure he has the best supporting cast possible, and since they have already got a wide receiver, offensive tackle is the most logical option.
Martin’s stock has fell so much, that he could be considered a reach at 22; however, he would be drafted as a right tackle here, where he projects to be much better. In fact, I believe that if the Browns draft Martin, they will have elite protection for whoever is his quarterback three years from now.
Martin’s main issue is his lack of strength. I see good feet to mirror pass rusher, but I a mediocre run blocker. Martin could use some extra pounds to make his play tougher. Martin projects as a much better right tackle than left tackle to me, but he will have to bulk up and learn to run block.
23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
The Lions always go with the best player available and in this case, I have to be Dre Kirkpatrick, who satisfies their biggest need as well. The Lions lost the awful Eric Wright to free agency, so they will need another cornerback to pair with Chris Houston. With this move, Detroit would automatically go from having a dreadful secondary to a pretty solid one. Kirkpatrick has been falling off draft boards, but I do not see him falling any further.
I do not like Dre Kirkpatrick at all. He is one of the most over-rated prospects in this draft in my opinion. He has stiff hips and for being such a big corner, he has no aggressiveness or toughness in his game. What he does have is a great range and good hands off the line of scrimmage. I would not take Kirkpatrick in the top 50, but I do not think the Lions could resist taking him at 23.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont’a Hightower ILB Alabama
This may not be the number one need for the Steelers, but as they cut James Farrior this offseason it is certainly a need. I am giving them Dont’a Hightower though because he is the best player available and because how much the Steelers prioritize having stud linebackers in their lineup. Hightower certainly projects as a great complement next to Lawrence Timmons.
I still have my doubts about Dont’a Hightower. As Barron, Hightower plays with great aggressiveness and passion; he is a great tackler and has nice instincts. But is he quick enough to drop into coverage? I am not so sure. He ran faster than I thought at the combine though, so I may be wrong.
By the way, I have nothing against Alabama defenders. I just believe that the unit was so great, that everyone complemented each other making the look a bit better than what they really are.
25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers DT LSU
I thought on the Broncos going out of the draft with two defensive tackles even before they lost the great Brodrick Bunkley to New Orleans in free agency. The Broncos must take a defensive tackle with this pick no matter what. They did not take Marcell Dareus last year, so now, even if it is a reach, they have to draft one. Fortunately for them, Brockers is not a reach at all, I would say he is a steal
It would be better for the Broncos aspirations to win a Super Bowl drafting a defensive tackle than a wide receiver. There is no doubt about in my opinion.
Brockers is really solid and has the frame a Seymourisian play to turn into a regular pro-bowler. His tape is a bit concerning to me though. I rarely see him getting into the backfield before the defensive ends, but that is easier to say than to do since both BArkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery are projected to be top 10 picks. Brockes should be coached realy, really well, and if so, the reward is huge.
26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
Despite all the losses in free agency, wide receiver is still the number one need in Houston. They cannot afford to start Kevin Walter one more year. I have Kendall Wright rated higher than Stephen Hill, so why not Kendall Wright? First, because Wright’s stock has been falling. Then, Houston likes tall wide receivers and I do not think they would be willing to use a first round pick on a receiver shorter than 6-0. Finally, the Texans love to take prospects form the south east.
Hill is extremely raw. But it is a good sign that his routes have been improved from the season to his pro-day. 6-4 215 pounds guys are not supposed to run at 4.30 as Hill did. There is massive upside in this player, but it will take a year or two for him to become the player he could be.
27. New England Patriots: Nick Perry OLB USC
The Patriots could easily draft two pass rushers with their first two picks, so Nick Perry here is a no-brainer. Perry’s stock has been inexplicably falling to the point of being considered as a second round pick by many evaluators. I remind you that in my last update I had Perry going at 12 to the Seahawks.
The loss of Andre Carter and Mark Anderson leaves the Patriots with no pass rusher whatsoever. Perry would certainly fit because he can play 3-4 and 4-3 because he is able to put on weight and drop it with incredible ease. Perry is maybe my favorite pass-rusher in this class for me, the Patriots are getting a steal down here.
28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin OLB Boise State
McClellin’s stock has been rising quicker than any other prospect’s. And with that in mind, I think the Packers would be happy if he makes to 28 because he fills their number one need and gives them a versatile player who fits very well with their defense.
The fact of thinking in McClellin across of Clay Matthews makes me nervous. Imagine the expression on Stafford’s, Cutler’s and Ponder’s face (another reason why they should go with Kalil). This pick could be one of those that make us stand-up and applaud Green Bay’s drafting strategy in a few years.
McClellin is not the most athletics pass-rusher (he has under-rated athleticism though), but he has a knack for getting to the quarterback and he plays with passion that teams want in their pass-rushers. He is one of the most versatile defenders in this draft, so it will be quite fun for any defensive coordinator if his team drafts McClellin.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Kendall Wright WR Baylor
This is what the Ravens do. They snag the best of their board off if that player fills a need. Teams always pass on players for stupid reasons and the Ravens are the ones who take advantage of that. They took Jimmy Smith last year because he fell due to character concerns. Now the Ravens are making an awesome pick at 29. It seems like does not matter how great a receiver is, if he is under 6-0, he cannot be selected in the first round. I am saying this because many are projecting Kendall Wright to slip into the second round. I do not expect the Ravens to let that happen.
Wright has arguably the best tape of any wide receiver in this class. The only concern is that he ran 4.6 at the combine, which is not a big deal because he plays much faster than that. I would like to figure out, though, why the hell he did not run a 4.3 if he plays at that speed. I would do that before drafting him. The Ravens are getting a steal though.
30. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Silatolu OG
Amini Silatolu has been hiding throughout the whole draft process, but teams have finally found him and he could very well be a first round pick. He has been gaining a lot of buzz lately, so I went back and reviewed the tape and I am in love with him. He has no flaws in his game whatsoever. In fact, right now, I have him rated as the ahead of Cordy Glenn and he is my 21 player overall, so this is a steal to me, but in draft day it may sound like a reach. As a 49er fan, I would be excited to pair Amini Silatolu with Mike Iupati and have one of the best duos of guards in the NFL. Remember that everyone thought that Aldon Smith was a reach.
San Francisco most glaring need is at right guard, where they lost Adam Snyder and Chilo Rachal to free agencies, who are two of the worst linemen in football anyway. Daniel Kilgore is projected to start at right guard, so it is safe to say the 49ers will go guard with this pick.
31. New England Patriots: Devon Still DT Penn State
The Patriots address one of their most dire needs with one of the top prospects on the board who fits the range, so this is a boring pick. Not a bad one, though. Devon Still was a top 20 prospects a few months ago, but his stock has been dropping due to an unimpressive combine and a weak post-combine process. I do not think the Patriots will care about that; for instance, Brandon Spikes’ stock dropped a lot two years ago since the combine and yet, the Patriots gave him a chance, thing that I do not think they regret at all.
Devon Still is pretty solid; the only concerns might be consistency. He has had dominant games, but if you go back and view the Wisconsin game, you will understand why his stock has been dropping. He was completely erased in that game and Wisconsin’s offensive line is the most similar to an NFL that you will see in college football, so you really have to question whether or not he will be able to handle superior talent. At any rate, I believe playing next to Vince Wilfork could really help Devon Still to succeed early in his career.
32. New York Giants: Mike Adams OT Ohio State
The Giants always go with the best player on the board, so that makes them an easy team to project. Well, not this time because at this point, could be debated for hours that the top prospect on the board is. It might be a running back like Doug Martin or David Wilson; it also could be one of those players who have been gaining buzz lately like Chandler Jones, Harrison Smith or Coby Fleener; finally, it could be Mike Adams. I am going with the later because all those prospects might be quite even for the Giants, so the tiebreaker would be need and Mike Adams fills the biggest need for the Giants, it is not even close. The Giants need an offensive tackle right away because they let Kareem McKenzie leave in free agency and they currently have James Brewster- who I liked a lot coming out of Indiana- slotted at right tackle. Will Beatty is projected to start at left tackle and Beatty is a mediocre starter at best who is also injury-prone. The need for an offensive tackle is huge for the Giants. Mike Adams could start at right tackle and move to left tackle when Will Beatty gets hurt.
Mike Adams really concerns me. He has off the field issues and looks really soft when you put the tape. He was great at the Senior Bowl though, but his tape is still pretty average. What Mike Adams has is upside; he has the feet, the build and frame to become a solid left tackle, but he will have to bulk up to become a better run blocker and to bench better than 19 reps
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