Monday, October 28, 2013

Justin's Week 8 Mock

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) - Teddy Bridgewater (QB/Louisville)



Poor Jacksonville, the team can't even avoid being embarrassed outside of their own country.  The 49ers pummeled the Jaguars last Sunday.  Chad Henne wasn't horrible, but he has still shown that neither him nor Blaine Gabbert should be starting for Jacksonville.

Bridgewater completely dismantled South Florida's defense last week, completing 86.2-percent of his passes and tossed three touchdowns.

2. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Jadeveon Clowney (DE/South Carolina)



Quarterback is clearly a need, but it's hard to avoid a player as talented as Clowney, especially when you factor in the fact that Tajh Boyd hasn't been great over the past two weeks.  Clowney received so much attention over the past season that team are literally avoiding running to his side and they are double teaming him on passing downs.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) - Tajh  Boyd (QB/Clemson)


Immediately after the Buccaneers lost to the Panthers, I stated that I think head coach Greg Schiano will be fired this week. Schiano has a my way or the highway approach to coaching, which is something that only works when the team is winning games.  If Schiano is replaced before next season, the new head coach will bring in his guy at quarterback.  Boyd has had two straight subpar performances, but quarterbacks tend to be drafted higher than where their value truly stands.

4. Buffalo Bills (5-11) - Anthony Barr (OLB/UCLA)


Buffalo has several players who can get to the quarterback, including Mario Williams, but in today's NFL, you can never have enough pass rushers.  Anthony Barr has become an absolute stud at outside linebacker since converting from running back last season.  He notched two sacks against Oregon last week.

5. Oakland Raiders (5-11) - Mike Evans (WR/Texas A&M)


Terrelle Pryor has performed very well for the Raiders this season and has at least made Oakland exciting to watch, but he needs weapons around him.  Darren McFadden is a free agent, but Pryor also has no reliable receiver on his roster.  Evans has outperformed all receivers this season.  With a 6'5" frame, Evans is similar to Vincent Jackson.

6. St. Louis Rams (6-10) - Jake Matthews (OT/Texas A&M)


Right tackle Roger Saffold is an impending free agent while blindside protector Jake Long is an injury risk.  With quarterback Sam Bradford recovering from a torn ACL, upgrading the protection along the offensive line will carry a larger priority than in recent years.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (6-10) - Bradley Roby (CB/Ohio State)


The Eagles need help all across their defense, so they will look into taking the top defensive player available.  Cary Williams has been terrible, but Roby could line up well across from Brandon Boykin.

8. Tennessee Titans (6-10) - Marcus Roberson (CB/Florida)


Alterraun Verner is having a great season and is in his contract year.  If the Titans are unable to retain him, they will need to find a way to replace him.


9. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) - Johnny Manziel (QB/Texas A&M)


The Vikings are a mess at quarterback no matter who is thrown out there.  Manziel is undersized, but has the talent to succeed in the NFL.

10. New York Giants (7-9) - Taylor Lewan (OT/Michigan)


Justin Pugh was drafted last year, but he has shown no sign that he can handle defenders on the right side, let alone the left.  With the offensive line in a steep decline, it isn't too far fetched to see the Giants double-dip at tackle.

11. New York Jets (7-9) - Sammy Watkins (WR/Clemson)


With a lack of talent on the offense, the Jets will continue to be an inconsistent team week in and week out.  If the Jets want to win and for Geno Smith to succeed in the NFL, they need to find a receiver for him.

12. St. Louis Rams (7-9) - Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix (S/Alabama)


The Rams need help at safety, where Rodney McLeod has been a liability.  Clinton-Dix can play both the strong or free safety position.

13. Atlanta Falcons (7-9) - Khalil Mack (DE/Buffalo)


Atlanta has had difficulty getting to the quarterback all season.  Carson Palmer was sacked three times, but the Cardinals offensive line is consistently among the worst in the NFL.  Mack has registered at least a half of a sack over the past five games.

14. Detroit Lions (8-8) - Cyrus Kouandjio (OT/Alabama)


Riley Reiff would be better served on the right side.  If the Lions do decide to move him over, they will need to bring in a new blindside protector.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) - Jason Verrett (CB/TCU)


As one reader put it "with Pacman and Newman in their twilight and Hall coming off of another torn Achilles, I think CB has to be the pick here."  In today's NFL, a team can never have enough cornerbacks.

16. San Diego Chargers (8-8) - Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE/Washington)


With Antonio Gates aging, the Chargers will look to find a new safety valve for Philip Rivers.  Seferian-Jenkins has been underused in Washington this season, but could become a matchup nightmare in the NFL.

17. Miami Dolphins (8-8) - Antonio Richardson (OT/Tennessee)


Jonathan Martin has shown he can play right tackle in the NFL, but he has been horrible on the blind side.  The Dolphins acquired Bryant McKinnie last week, but he is not the long-term answer to the position.

18. Baltimore Ravens (8-8) - Marqise Lee (WR/USC)


Anquan Boldin has become a much bigger loss to the Ravens than expected.  Torrey Smith has performed well, but no team fears Jacoby Jones.

19. Carolina Panthers (9-7) - Jordan Matthews (WR/Vanderbilt)


Steve Smith is getting older and the Panthers have nobody else to offer aside from him.  Brandon LaFell had 107 yards and touchdown against the Vikings two weeks ago, but he has disappeared since, something he does often.

20. Arizona Cardinals (9-7) - Ra'Shede Hageman (DE/Minnesota)


The Cardinals need help on their pass rush, where they have no real reliable options.  Hageman has been practically unblockable all season and can line up nearly anywhere along the defensive front.

21. Houston Texans (8-8) - C.J. Mosley (MLB/Alabama)


The Texans need a second middle linebacker to play next to the oft-injured Brian Cushing.  The team has never properly replaced Demeco Ryans.

22. Dallas Cowboys (8-8) - Louis Nix (DT/Notre Dame)


Dallas has cut ties with Jay Ratliff, but the team needs to bring in a new nose tackle for their defense.  If Nix falls here, this pick is a no brainer.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) - James Hurst (OT/North Carolina)


Pittsburgh's offensive line has regressed and Ben Roethlisberger has been clobbered all season because of it.  The team will look to fix this during the offseason.

24. Chicago Bears (10-6) - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB/Oregon)


With both starting cornerbacks entering free agency, cornerback could suddenly become a huge hole to fill in Chicago.

25. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) - Vic Beasley (DE/Clemson)


Vic Beasley has had a phenomenal season, but he is very undersized for defensive end.  Regardless, he is the top player available and would be a great addition to the Chiefs pass rush.

26. San Francisco 49ers (10-6) - Kyle Van Noy (DE/BYU)


Who knows when Aldon Smith will return?  Justin Smith is banged up and the 49ers will need to bring in more pass rushers for next season.

27. New Orleans Saints (10-6) - Adrian Hubbard (DE/Alabama)


The Saints defense has improved under Rob Ryan, but there is still room to improve among their front seven.

28. New England Patriots (12-4) - Loucheiz Purifoy (CB/Florida)


Aqib Talib has played well and more importantly stayed out of trouble, but he is in his contract year.  If he walks, the Patriots will need to find another cornerback.

29. Green Bay Packers (9-7) - A.J. Johnson (MLB/Tennessee)


A.J. Hawk has quickly aged and the team lost Desmond Bishop in the preseason.  Johnson is a talented linebacker who could fit in well in Green Bay.

30. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Zach Mettenberger (QB/LSU)


Lache Seastrunk is still an option here, but I can't see the Browns not using one of their first round picks on a quarterback.  Mettenberger has been consistently solid for LSU in his career and has flown nearly too low under the radar.

31. Seattle Seahawks (12-4) - Cameron Erving (OT/Florida State)


Seattle has looked great, but their offensive line needs to be upgraded.  Erving could line up at right tackle across from Russell Okung.

32. Denver Broncos (13-3) - Cyril Richardson (G/Baylor)


Denver has also looked incredible this season, especially on offense, but could be even better with an upgrade on the interior of their offensive line.  Richardson can play both guard positions along with right tackle.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Justin's Week 7 Mock Draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) - Teddy Bridgewater (QB/Louisville)



The Jaguars are a mess at the quarterback position and the team has already began the process of overhauling their roster.  Blaine Gabbert will likely be a part of the purge so the team will need to find their new guy in the draft.

Louisville was upset this weekend by Central Florida, but Bridgewater was still solid, completing 76.3-percent of his passes and a pair of touchdowns.

2. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Jadeveon Clowney (DE/South Carolina)



Cleveland needs a quarterback too, but more importantly, they need to take the best player available.  Clowney would solidify an already talented front seven.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) - Tajh Boyd (QB/Clemson)



I wanted to drop Boyd after a poor performance against Florida State, but the Buccaneers need a quarterback and if Boyd bounces back next week, he will be fine.  Mike Glennon has shown that he isn't the answer to the Buccaneers quarterback woes.

4. Oakland Raiders (4-12) - Anthony Barr (OLB/UCLA)



Stanford tried to neutralize Barr by running the ball, but he still wreaked havoc, registering eight tackles.  Barr is a stud pass rusher and would be a huge addition for Oakland.

5. Buffalo Bills (5-11) - Jake Matthews (OT/Texas A&M)



Buffalo's pass block unit has been among the worst in the NFL.  Cordy Glenn can't cut it at left tackle and either needs to move to the right or slide inside at guard.  Matthews, son of Hall of Fame tackle Bruce Matthews has been solid for Texas A&M all season.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (6-10) - Bradley Roby (CB/Ohio State)



Philadelphia's pass defense has been among the worst in the NFL this season.  Their secondary has been getting burned and the team will need to bring in someone who can cover during the offseason.

7. Tennessee Titans (6-10) - Marcus Roberson (CB/Florida)



Alterraun Verner has had a great season and will command a big contract in free agency.  If the Titans let him walk, they will need to replace him.

8. St. Louis Rams (7-9) - Taylor Lewan (OT/Michigan)



With Roger Saffold entering free agency at season's end, the Rams will need to address the offensive line, again.  Sam Bradford will need protection even more next season after suffering a torn ACL.

9. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) - Johnny Manziel (QB/Texas A&M)



Josh Freeman was horrible in his Minnesota debut an unless he drastically improves, he won't be the team's signal caller in 2014.  Manziel didn't have his A game against Auburn, but he still nearly led the team to a win.

10. New York Giants (7-9) - C.J. Mosley (LB/Alabama)



The Giants need help all across their defense and Mosley is the top defensive player available.  Middle linebackers seldom go in the top 10, but I think Mosley can be the exception.

11. New York Jets (7-9) - Sammy Watkins (WR/Clemson)



Geno Smith needs some weapons in order to be successful in the NFL.  He played well against New England, but without quality weapons, he will continue to be inconsistent.

12. St. Louis Rams (7-9) - Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix (S/Alabama)



Rodney McLeod has been a weak link within the secondary for the Rams this season.  The team will need to find some replacements on a defense that has been awful all season.

13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) - Ra'Shede Hageman (DE/Minnesota)



At 6'6" 310 pounds, Hageman is a monster at the end position.  He is a threat in multiple ways on the pass defense, both as a rusher as well as a threat to break up plays.  Hageman had an interception and three pass deflections against Northwestern.

14. Detroit Lions (8-8) - Cyrus Kouandjio (OT/Alabama)



Riley Reiff has been less than stellar at left tackle, but he played well on the right side last season.  Perhaps the Lions will bring in another tackle to help protect Matt Stafford.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) - Louis Nix (DT/Notre Dame)



Yes, the Bengals have one of the league's best defensive tackles in Geno Atkins, but could you imagine how great their defensive line could be with Nix added?  Basically nobody would be able to run against Cincinnati.

16. San Diego Chargers (8-8) - Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE/Washington)



The tank is almost empty for Antonio Gates.  If he decides to retire at the end of the season, the Chargers will need a new security blanket for Philip Rivers. Seferian-Jenkins is an absolute stud at tight end, in the same mold of Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8) - Khalil Mack (DE/Buffalo)



Atlanta has almost no pass rush and if they want to compete in the NFC South, they need to find a way to get to the quarterback.

18. Miami Dolphins (8-8) - Antonio Richardson (OT/Tennessee)



Miami acquired Bryant McKinnie from Baltimore, but his career is over. Miami's pass defense was terrible against Buffalo and it allowed Mario Williams to come up with two game changing sacks in the fourth quarter.

19. Baltimore Ravens (8-8) - Mike Evans (WR/Texas A&M)



Torrey Smith can't get it done all by himself.  Jacoby Jones is awful and the Ravens will need to find a new receiver for their system.  Evans would succeed in the slot in Baltimore.

20. Carolina Panthers (9-7) - Marqise Lee (WR/USC)



Brandon LaFell is too inconsistent to be a starting wide receiver and Steve Smith is at the tail end of his career.  Cam Newton needs a new option at receiver.

21. Houston Texans (8-8) - A.J. Johnson (LB/Tennessee)



The Texans are thin at linebacker and have been in the middle since trading DeMeco Ryans.  Johnson would line up well next to Brian Cushing.

22. Dallas Cowboys (8-8) - Vic Beasley (DE/Clemson)



Beasley has been a monster all season, but he is undersized.  Regardless, Dallas may take a flyer on him with Anthony Spencer headed to free agency.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) - James Hurst (OT/North Carolina)



The Steelers offensive line has really regressed over the past two seasons.  The entire line will need to be addressed during the offseason.

24. Chicago Bears (10-6) - Jason Verrett (CB/TCU)



Chicago is facing the possibility that both of their starting cornerbacks could be lost to free agency.  Even if only one is retained, they will need to replace the other.

25. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) - Jordan Matthews (WR/Vanderbilt)



Right now Dwayne Bowe is the only real solid option for Alex Smith, and Bowe has regressed a lot this season.  The Chiefs will need to take a receiver early in the draft.

26. San Francisco 49ers (10-6) - Kyle Van Noy (DE/BYU)



With Aldon Smith's cloudy future and Justin Smith's aging, the pass rush again has become an issue for the 49ers.

27. New Orleans Saints (10-6) - Adrian Hubbard (DE/Alabama)



The Saints need to address their defensive line, which has not been spectacular this season.  Will Smith is at the end of his career.

28. New England Patriots (12-4) - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB/Oregon)



Aqib Talib will be a free agent and can demand a big contract at season's end.  If the Patriots lose him, a replacement will be needed.

29. Green Bay Packers (9-7) - Scott Crichton (DE/Oregon State)



The Packers are thin at the pass rush and it shows now that Nick Perry is injured.  Crichton can provide them depth.

30. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Lache Seastrunk (RB/Baylor)



The Browns are clearly trying to rebuild.  Seastrunk has had a great season at Baylor and emerged as a first round candidate.

31. Seattle Seahawks (11-5) - Cameron Erving (OT/Florida State)



The Seahawks are a very solid team, but they need help on their offensive line for team to really be elite. Erving could start on the right side.

32. Denver Broncos (13-3) - Cyril Richardson (G/Baylor)



Blocking was an issue for Denver last week, especially on the interior of their offensive line.  Richardson can play both guard or right tackle.