2011 NFL Draft 2nd Rd Grades and Team Grades Rds 1-3

Round 2 of the NFL draft the burning question when will Da’Quan Bowers go and who out of this group will make the biggest impact for their teams.

1) Ras-I Dowling CB, The Patriots don’t go pass rush linebacker again and instead add another piece to an already young secondary in the oft injured Cavalier would have been right up there with Prince and Jimmy if he had stayed healthy it’s a solid pick but considerable risk at 33. GRADE: C

2) Aaron Williams DB, back to back DBs to start off the 2nd round Buffalo picks another solid kid he was a mid to late first rounder coming in and I like this pick for the Bills pairing him with Leodis McKelvin. GRADE: B-

3) Andy Dalton QB, this is a solid decision by the Bengals they picked a proven winner out of TCU average arm will perform well in a west coast offense think that the top of the second round is a bit high but understand the pick with Palmer threatening retirement it gives them a very solid QB. GRADE: C+ (same amount of reach as Jaguars for Gabbert, I’ll drop it down if Palmer actually leaves)

4) TRADE to SF, Colin Kaepernick QB, Too high once again but I understand the urgency for the 49ers Kaepernick is strong and can sit behind Smith for a year or two more than likely. GRADE: D+

5) Jabaal Sheard DE, the Browns go defense again but with a plethora of quality receivers do not have a whole lot of problem with this pick should be a pass rushing help for the front 4 in Cleveland pairing up with their 1st round pick Phil Taylor solid pick just not the splash many thought they’d see on the offensive side of the ball. GRADE: B-

6) Ryan Williams RB, this is an alright pick I think he’s the 3rd or 4th best running back in the draft but he’s explosive and will hopefully bring the production of an underachieving backfield in Arizona. GRADE: C+

7) Akeem Ayers LB, Ayers is very good athlete better in drop back than pass rusher but has played both standing up and with his hand on the ground 6 INTs in the last two years he’ll be good on a senior Tennessee defense. GRADE: B+

8) Bruce Carter OLB, the former tar heel is an injury risk but the Cowboys are aging a bit up front Carter Should provide more rush to take some pressure off of the secondary like the pick but there are risks. GRADE: C

9) Jarvis Jenkins DT, a good DT played alongside Bowers, who still hasn’t gone, Solid feet could be a 3, 1 or 0 technique plenty of talent but needs to work on his awareness on the field. GRADE: C-

10) Brooks Reed DE/OLB, another motor player for Houston on defense I like this pick he could have gone late first but slips here I think this is one of the best pick so far to a defense that really has dragged this team down the last couple years. GRADE: B

11) Kyle Rudolph TE, if there was ever a team that I thought would and should have pounced on Bowers the Vikings were it, I do like Rudolph good hands and the best TE in the draft just not sure it was the right value at this point for the Vikings. GRADE: C+

12) Titus Young WR, a deep threat opposite Johnson should help and I really like Young another wonderful pick for the lions. GRADE B+

13) Rahim Moore S, best safety in the class out of UCLA should help out a bad defense and aging secondary of the Denver Broncos still a good pick Denver’s draft is shaping up to be solid. GRADE: B-

14) Orlando Franklin OL, Suring up the O-line is a key for just about every team but I think that it’s too early for Franklin who could be a solid Guard. GRADE: D+

15) Lance Kendricks TE, love his pass catching ability and should be a tough matchup for safeties, not much of a run blocker and a bit of a reach at 47. GRADE: C-

16) Stefen Wisniewski OG/OC, A very very good pick for the Raiders who have been surprisingly solid and not as flashy in early rounds the past couple years, Wisniewski is a strong bulldozer and will play center which is so important in the NFL with more teams moving to the 3-4 Wisniewski should start on day 1 or soon after and will be a very good player. GRADE: A

17) TRADE IND, Benjamin Ijalana OL, the best small school prospect out of Villanova will be an OT most likely when he gets to the Colts very good player with very good athleticism and all the measurable you could want very good pick. GRADE: B+

18) Marcus Gilchrist CB, GRADE: C-

19) Da’Quan Bowers DE, Not much to say top 10 talent with major injury concerns this kid is a stud and is well worth the risk long before this but the buccaneers continue to have very good drafts the last couple years. GRADE A+

20) Marvin Austin DT, another kid I really like I think top 15 to 20 talent but didn’t play this year explosive plays in the backfield should help to sure up a slightly aging Giants D-Line should make the Giants D better right away. GRADE: A-

21) TRADE to CHI, Stephen Paea DT, Explosive kid out of Oregon State will help the front four in Chitown and another very nice pick in the middle of this round. GRADE: B

22) Jaiquawn Jarrett S, a nice prospect from temple strong kid hits hard good head on his shoulders he’s an Andy Reid type plyer who will play downhill reminiscent of Dawkins who was a stalwart of those late 90’s early 00’s teams. GRADE: B-

23) Rodney Hudson OL, getting a little worried have been in favor of the last couple of picks so far very good interior lineman good footwork and was a couple year starter at Florida State. GRADE: B

24) Shane Vereen RB, thought this would have been LeShoure but Vereen did a good job of filling the void left by Jahvid Best a solid running back but think it’s a bit of a reach. GRADE C-

25) TRADE to DET, Mikel LeShoure RB, really like this kid good hands finds the hole a little lesser version of Mendenhall but will pair nicely with Best as a fast power combo in that backfield. GRADE: B+

26) Torrey Smith WR, all around player out of Maryland a good pass catcher with speed should be a welcome addition to a team who’s receiving core is up there in age. GRADE: C+

27) Greg Little WR, very good player out of UNC a big target for McCoy to throw to good speed good production but another one of the group that didn’t play last year. GRADE: B-

28) TRADE to HOU, Brandon Harris CB, GRADE: B+

29) Jonas Mouton LB, GRADE: C+

30) TRADE to MIA, Daniel Thomas RB, GRADE: C+

31) Marcus Gilbert OT, Pittsburgh addresses interior of O-Line Issues with Gilbert needs to improve technique but has all the physical skills. GRADE: B-

32) Randall Cobb WR/KR, Packers address return man needs and bring a young wideout who needs work to learn under driver as he gets older. GRADE: B

Round 3

33) Terrell McClain DT, GRADE: C

34) Dontay Moch OLB, GRADE: B-

35) Nate Irving ILB, GRADE: C

36) Kelvin Sheppard ILB, GRADE: B-

37) Robert Housler TE, GRADE: D+

38) Justin Houston OLB, late 1st to mid 2nd round pick slips all the way to the early 3rd. GRADE: A

39) DeMarco Murray RB, I like Murray he’s explosive but I don’t get the pick here by the Cowboys. GRADE: C-

40) Martez Wilson LB, in my opinion the best ILB in the draft and should be able to play outside as well great value by New Orleans. GRADE: A

41) Stevan Ridley RB, GRADE: C-

42) Ryan Mallett QB, the 3rd ranked QB on my board goes to a place he can sit behind an all time great for a couple years under the coaching of a great staff what is not to like in this scenario. GRADE: A+

43) John Moffit OG, GRADE: C+

44) Will Rackley OL, GRADE B

45) Jurrell Casey DT, GRADE: C+

46) Austin Pettis WR, gives Bradford a big possession receiver on the outside, reliable hands with a touch of speed not Titus Young’s speed but enough to create separation. GRADE: A-

47) Leonard Hankerson WR, finally Washington addresses a young receiver with talent and got it a round later than they should have been able to. GRADE: A

48) Chris Culliver CB, GRADE: C-

49) Demarcus Van Dyke CB, GRADE: C

50) Vincent Brown WR, GRADE: B-

51) Jerrel Jernigan WR, GRADE: C-

52) Mason Foster ILB, GRADE: B

53) Jah Reid OT, GRADE: B-

54) Allen Bailey DE, GRADE: B

55) Drake Nevis DT, fits the Colts schemes wonderfully undersized quick DT who penetrates the line well. GRADE: A

56) Johnny Patrick CB, GRADE: C+

57) Shareece Wright CB, GRADE: C

58) Curtis Marsh CB, GRADE: C-

59) Akeem Dent ILB, GRADE: D+

60) Joe Barksdale OT, GRADE: B+

61) Chris Conte S, GRADE: C

62) Kenrick Ellis NT Hampton 94, Jets were looking to bulk up that D-Line and they’ve done that well with their first two picks with Ellis more than likely being able to kick outside in the 3-4 if need be. Grade A

63) Curtis Brown CB, GRADE: C+

64) Alex Green RB, GRADE: C-

65) Sione Fua DT, GRADE: B-

Rounds 1-3 Team Grades

NO	A-
BUF	B+
DET	B+
IND	B+
TB	B+
BAL	B
CHI	B
CIN	B
HOU	B
KC	B
NYG	B
OAK	B
STL	B
WAS	B
CLE	B-
JAC	B-
NE	B-
NYJ	B-
PIT	B-
TEN	B-
ARI	C+
CAR	C+
DAL	C+
DEN	C+
GB	C+
MIA	C+
PHI	C+
SD	C+
SEA	C+
SF	C
ATL	D+
MIN	D+

2011 NFL Draft First Rond Analysis and Grades plus 2nd Rond Mock Redo

Pick by Pick Analysis
1) Cam Newton QB, no surprise hear the Panthers take the QB they like best, personally I would have taken Von Miller, Dareus or Fairley but I understand the pick to energize a fan base and what could turn out to be the future of the franchise. GRADE: C

2) Von Miller OLB, Denver opts for the pass rush and explosive ability of the OLB from A&M, yes he has all the explosiveness you could want but it will be interesting to see how quickly he acclimates himself to a 4-3 scheme after playing in the 3-4 in college GRADE: B+

3) Marcell Dareus DL, This is a great pick for a 3-4 team Dareus is a more explosive version of B.J. Raji, who in his first two seasons at Green Bay has played both 5 techniques and the 0 techniques. Love this pick for Buffalo should be an impact player early in his rookie season. GRADE: A

Only Newton off the board here Cincinnati holds the key to the entire draft, will they go WR with Green or Jones, QB in Gabbert or Defense with Peterson, Fairley or Quinn

4) A.J. Green WR, rumors that Jones and his physicality might go here but Green is the best pure catcher since Calvin Johnson not as bulked up coming in as Johnson but great speed route running and hands. GRADE: A-

5) Patrick Peterson CB, maybe not a glaring need but Arizona picks the best player in the draft taking the risk averse route is worth it. GRADE: B+

6) TRADE to ATL, Julio Jones WR, first big surprise not because of the player but the picker, Don’t like this based on team needs and paid a kings ransom, 1 and four next year, 1,2 &4 this year but still they picked a strong WR with suspect hands and health. GRADE: D+

7) Aldon Smith DE, will probably play 3-4 OLB or DE explosive player with good hands and can turn the corner for the 49ers. This guy will help to take some pressure off Willis as well as the Secondary and as such got themselves an impact player at 7. GRADE: B-

8) Jake Locker QB, Don’t like this pick one bit as I have said he reminds me of the guy they picked 3rd in 06 except that he didn’t win as much as Vince in college Least favorite pick in the top 10. GRADE: D

9) Tyron Smith OT, Like this pick big hole will be filled on the Dallas O-Line will be interested to see if he can make the transition from RT to LT but either way gives them options along an aging line trying to protect Tony Romo. GRADE: B

10) TRADE to JAC, Blaine Gabbert QB, don’t hate this pick I had him rated 1 spot below Newton at 37 but Jacksonville saw value at 10 with Gabbert falling down the board. Think he lands in a good spot able to sit behind a veteran in Garrard and allows team to build elsewhere in future drafts. GRADE: C+ (instead of the Newton C because of draft slot and depth chart situation)

11) J.J. Watt DE, Like this pick may be a little high at this point but Houston needs so much help on the defensive side of the ball and Watt will get after it every down at either 3-4 DE or OLB especially with the explosion showed at the combine. GRADE: B

12) Christian Ponder QB, another QB reach I am not high on this kid slightly above average accuracy, average armstrength should be aided by the dome but will hurt him in the winters of Chicago and Green Bay , I don’t like Locker but this pick sticks in my craw even more than that pick. Just don’t see ponder being worth the 12th pick in this draft when Minnesota has so many holes on defense and O-Line. GRADE: D-

13) Nick Fairley DT, Love love love this pick creates a monster interior in Detroit and I think that he is the best DT in the draft slightly ahead of Dareus, most dominant force in college football last year on the d-line great value pick by the Lions. GRADE:A+

14) Robert Quinn DE, another good value pick the Rams have been searching for pressure up front since drafting Chris Long and get a guy who was thought to go off the board about 8 picks earlier this guy is explosive but has been out of football for a year having been one of UNC players suspended in 2010. GRADE: A-

15) Mike Pouncey OG/OC, a reach on an interior lineman based on the production of his more talented twin brother for the Steelers last year will spend at least a year at guard do to struggles shotgun snapping last year but over all a solid pick here should help to solidify Miami’s O-line other than Jake Long. GRADE: C+

16) TRADE to WAS, Kerrigan lands with Washington a 3-4 defense that could use his pass rushing ability a real motor guy with above average to very good athleticism should help a defense that had troubles all over other than Orakpo. GRADE: B+

17) Nate Solder OT, With Matt Light getting up there in age the Pats get there LT of the future in former TE Solder he’s raw and inconsistent but with a very good coaching staff should be a guy that will be a big part of NE’s future success. GRADE:B

18) Corey Liuget DT, San Diego picks up a DT who could play multiple positions along the front 3 of their base defense he will probably start out as a 5 technique but will move along the line providing a matchup mismatch for many offensive lines. GRADE:B+

19) Prince Amukamara CB, Really like this pick yes Prince has some holes in this game but with a tough coach in Coughlin he should fit into a Giants D that needs help in the secondary. The value is the wow here he was expected to be drafted in the 7 to 12 range for most of the lead up to the draft so this was great value for the Giants. GRADE:B+

20) Adrian Clayborn DE, a beast at Iowa in 2009 and 2010 Clayborn will be a great addition to brian price and Gerald McCoy from the 2010 Bucs class, solid pick not much more to say here other than the birth defect isn’t much of an issue. GRADE: B-

21) TRADE to CLE, Phil Taylor DT, Cleveland trades up from 27 which they got from Atlanta to pick up the behemoth of a man from Baylor really like Mr. Taylor needs to work on conditioning but outstanding big men are hard to find I think a bit of a reach but Holmgren and staff thought moving up pertinent. GRADE: C+

22) Anthony Castonzo OT, The Colts try again to sure up the blind side of an aging Manning with the tackle out of Boston College a good athletic tackle here not a wow pick but will be very productive in Indy and is a very good pass blocker. GRADE: B-

23) Danny Watkins OG- Solid pick versatile O-Lineman a 26 year old player out of Baylor I think this is an intriguing pick but his upside is very limited should come in and help that offensive line right off the bat he won’t have to worry about maturity of mind or body should be a good investment for Andy Reid. GRADE:C+

24) Cameron Jordan DE, New Orleans gets a steal on the defensive front 4 with Cameron Jordan will give them a bookend for Will Smith and will add another pass rusher to aid an aging defense. GRADE: A-

25) James Carpenter OL, A talented kid from Alabama played LT for Nick Saban could potentially play RT to bookend with last year’s #1 pick or kick him inside to a void that hasn’t been filled since Hutchinson left wherever he plays it will help to solidify a shaky offensive line however I think it was a bit early with Sherrod, Carimi and Wisniewski still on the board. GRADE: C+

26) TRADE to ATL, SKIPPED BAL, Jonathan Baldwin WR, a compliment to Dwayne Bowe was a must to help out Cassel and to take some pressure off of the running game by garnering respect from defenses but with Carimi still on the board I question Pioli just a little bit but with the direction of KC under his command I can’t knock the pick too much. GRADE: B-

27) MISSED ORIG. BAL, Jimmy Smith CB, missed pick because of a trade with Chicago falling through but they still got what some consider a top 2 CB in this draft in Smith and can you find a better defense to join for a player with some off the field issues, he should be a welcome addition to Lewis and Co. and Baltimore improves an aging D. GRADE: B+

28) TRADE to NO, Mark Ingram RB, GREAT pick Ingram is by far the best back in this draft gets picked a dozen picks or so late but brings NO exactly what it need a feature back with talent. Ivory is a nice piece and Thomas has his moments but neither has as much to work with as Ingram. GRADE: A+ (worth a late 2 this yr and what should be a late 1 next)

29) Gabe Carimi OT, I don’t understand what would keep him from being a LT he faced 3 DE’s last year in games and 1 in practice every day that were drafted in the first round and did well against them. This is also wonderful value at 29 getting a top 3 OT with the 4th to last pick of the 1st round. GRADE: A+- (I know funky grade but it wasn’t on par with the A+’s but was a tad better than you’re A’s)

30) Muhammad Wilkerson DT, It’s possible I ranked him too low because of a lack of knowledge and he definitely gets a plus for playing in the 3-4 in college but he didn’t make plays in the MAC against lesser talent and that’s what worries me about this pick. GRADE: D+

31) Cameron Heyward DE, Not much to say here Pittsburgh takes a solid playmaker who will provide some rush from a 5 technique and maybe shuffle in some exotic packages. GRADE: B

32) Derek Sherrod OT,A lot of Packers fans will say they should have pounced on Bowers here but with the continual accumulation of talent on the defensive side of the ball league wide and age catching up to the line in front of Aaron Rodgers this is a solid pick for TT and McCarthy should at least create solid depth in 2011 and could play either tackle down the road teaming with Bulaga to bookend the future O-Line for the Packers. GRADE: B-

2nd Round Mock Redo

Round 2		1st Rd
New England Patriots	Akeem Ayers OLB	OT
Buffalo Bills	Da'Quan Bowers DE	DT
Cincinnati Bengals	Andy Dalton QB	WR
Denver Broncos	Brooks Reed DE	OLB
Cleveland Browns	Marvin Austin DT	DT
Arizona Cardinals	Ryan Mallett QB	CB
Tennessee Titans	Kyle Rudolph TE	QB
Dallas Cowboys	Aaron Williams CB	OT
Washington Redskins	Stephen Paea DT	DE
Houston Texans	Brandon Harris CB	DE
Minnesota Vikings	Jabaal Sheard DE	QB
Detroit Lions	Rahim Moore S	DT
San Francisco 49ers	Colin Kaepernick QB	OLB
Denver Broncos	Martez Wilson ILB	OLB
St. Louis Rams	Torrey Smith WR	DE
Oakland Raiders	Benjamin Ijalana OT	n/a
Washington Redskins	Leonard Hankerson WR	DE
San Diego Chargers	Ras-I Dowling CB	DT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Justin Houston OLB	DE
New York Giants	Rodney Hudson OL	CB
Indianapolis Colts	Allen Bailey DE	OT
Philadelphia Eagles	Johnny Patrick CB	OL
Kansas City Chiefs	Stefen Wisniewski OG/OC	WR
New England Patriots	Mikel LeShoure RB	OT
Seattle Seahawks	Will Rackley OL	OT
Baltimore Ravens	Mason Foster OLB	CB
Cleveland Browns	Titus Young WR	DT
New England Patriots	Clint Boling OG	OT
San Diego Chargers	Bruce Carter OLB	DT
Chicago Bears	Jerrel Jernigan WR	OT
Pittsburgh Steelers	Davon House CB	DE
Green Bay Packers	Ryan Williams RB	OT

2011 NFL Draft

The NFL draft is one of my favorite events in sports because not only of the hope for every team but because it also provides that forecasting and the chance to evaluate the future of all 32 teams in the NFL. I'm going to do a 2 round mock with the trades that I see happening. After that I will put in what I would do with each pick this year for the first two roundsThe last two years I've gone 12 out of 64 on right team right player, but have had 52 of the 64 players selected in the first round.

1st Round Mock: 

1	Carolina		Cameron Newton QB
2	Denver		Marcell Dareus DL
3	Buffalo		Von Miller LB
4	Cincinnati		A.J. Green WR
5	Houston	Trade	Patrick Peterson CB
6	Cleveland		Julio Jones WR
7	San Fran		Blaine Gabbert QB
8	Tennessee		Nick Fairley DT
9	Dallas		Tyron Smith OT
10	Washington		Robert Quinn DE
11	Arizona	Trade	Aldon Smith OLB
12	Minnesota		Prince Amukamara CB
13	Detroit		Cameron Jordan DE
14	St. Louis		Mike Pouncey OL
15	Miami		Mark Ingram RB
16	Jacksonville		J.J. Watt DL
17	New England		Ryan Kerrigan DE
18	San Diego		Corey Liuget DT
19	New York Giants		Anthony Castonzo OT
20	Tampa Bay		Da'Quan Bowers DE
21	Cincinnati	Trade	Jake Locker QB
22	Indianapolis		Nate Solder OT
23	Philadelphia		Gabe Carimi OT
24	New Orleans		Muhammad Wilkerson DT
25	Seattle		Derek Sherrod OT
26	Baltimore		Jimmy Smith CB
27	Atlanta		Cameron Heyward DE
28	New England		Akeem Ayers OLB
29	Chicago		Phil Taylor NT
30	Arizona	Trade	Ryan Mallett QB
31	Pittsburgh		Aaron Williams CB
32	Green Bay		Adrian Clayborn DE

2nd Round Mock:

33	New England		Danny Watkins OG
34	Buffalo		Christian Ponder QB
35	Kansas City	Trade	Brooks Reed DE/OLB
36	Denver		Kyle Rudolph TE
37	Cleveland		Marvin Austin DT
38	New York Jets	Trade	Justin Houston OLB
39	Tennessee		Andy Dalton QB
40	Dallas		Brandon Harris CB
41	Washington		Jonathan Baldwin WR
42	Arizona	Trade	Jabaal Sheard DE
43	Minnesota		Stefen Wisniewski OG
44	Detroit		Ras-I Dowling CB
45	San Francisco		Martez Wilson ILB
46	Denver		Stephen Paea DT
47	St. Louis		Leonard Hankerson WR
48	Oakland		Benjamin Ijalana OL
49	Jacksonville		Rahim Moore S
50	San Diego		Torrey Smith WR
51	Tampa Bay		Davon House CB
52	New York Giants		Rodney Hudson OG/OC
53	Indianapolis		Mason Foster OLB
54	Philadelphia		Curtis Brown CB
55	Kansas City		Jerrel Jernigan WR
56	New Orleans		Mikel LeShoure RB
57	Seattle		Colin Kaepernick QB
58	Baltimore		James Carpenter OT
59	Atlanta		Titus Young WR
60	New England		Ryan Williams RB
61	San Diego		Quan Sturdivant LB
62	Chicago		Marcus Gilbert OT
63	Pittsburgh		Will Rackley OL
64	Green Bay		Sam Acho DE/OLB

Trade Info:

Trades	Teams	Picks	Pick Value
1	Houston	5	1700
1	Arizona	11,42	1730
2	Cincinnati	35,68	800
2	Kansas City	21	800
3	Arizona	38,70	765
3	New York Jets	30,94	744

How I would do it:

Round	One	Position
Carolina Panthers	Von Miller	OLB
Denver Broncos	Patrick Peterson	CB
Buffalo Bills	Marcell Dareus	DT
Cincinnati Bengals	A.J. Green	WR
Arizona Cardinals	Robert Quinn	DE
Cleveland Browns	Julio Jones	WR
San Francisco 49ers	Nick Fairley	DT
Tennessee Titans	Da'Quan Bowers	DE
Dallas Cowboys	Prince Amukamara	CB
Washington Redskins	Alson Smith	OLB
Houston Texans	Marvin Austin	DT
Minnesota Vikings	J.J. Watt	DE
Detroit Lions	Ryan Kerrigan	DE
St. Louis Rams	Cameron Jordan	DE
Miami Dolphins	Mark Ingram	RB
Jacksonville Jaguars	Jimmy Smith	CB
New England Patriots	Akeem Ayers	OLB
San Diego Chargers	Stephen Paea	DT
New York Giants	Troy Smith	OT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Martez Wilson	ILB
Kansas City Chiefs	Anthony Castonzo	OT
Indianapolis Colts	Gabe Carimi	OT
Philadelphia Eagles	Aaron Williams	CB
New Orleans Saints	Corey Liuget	DT
Seattle Seahawks	Phil Taylor	DT
Baltimore Ravens	Sam Acho	OLB
Atlanta Falcons	Adrian Clayborn	DE
New England Patriots	Stefen Wisniewski	OG/OC
Chicago Bears	Mike Pouncey	OG/OC
New York Jets	Justin Houston	OLB
Pittsburgh Steelers	Brandon Harris	CB
Green Bay Packers	Cameron Heyward	DE
Round	Two	Position
New England Patriots	Jabaal Sheard	DE
Buffalo Bills	Cam Newton	QB
Cincinnati Bengals	Blaine Gabbert	QB
Denver Broncos	Christian Ballard	DE
Cleveland Browns	Justin Houston	DE
Arizona Cardinals	Derek Sherrod	OT
Tennessee Titans	Drake Nevis	NT
Dallas Cowboys	Nate Solder	OT
Washington Redskins	Titus Young	WR
Houston Texans	Brooks Reed	OLB
Minnesota Vikings	Torrey Smith	WR
Detroit Lions	Mikel LeShoure	RB
San Francisco 49ers	Davon House	CB
Denver Broncos	Muhammad Wilkerson	DT
St. Louis Rams	Mario Fannin	RB
Oakland Raiders	Ras-I Dowling	CB
Jacksonville Jaguars	Jonathan Baldwin	WR
San Diego Chargers	K.J. Wright	ILB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Benajamin Ijalana	OT/OG
New York Giants	Rahim Moore	S
Indianapolis Colts	DeAndre McDaniel	S
Philadelphia Eagles	Rodney Hudson	OG/OC
Kansas City Chiefs	Leonard Hankerson	WR
New Orleans Saints	Kyle Rudolph	TE
Seattle Seahawks	Ryan Mallett	QB
Baltimore Ravens	Danny Watkins	OG/OC/OT
Atlanta Falcons	Austin Pettis	WR
New England Patriots	Jake Kirkpatrick	OG/OC
San Diego Chargers	Quan Sturdivant	ILB
Chicago Bears	Jason Pinkston	OT
Pittsburgh Steelers	Mark Herzlich	ILB
Green Bay Packers	Greg Little	WR

Pre-Draft NFL Positionals and Team Needs

The NFL Draft is in one week and as I've done the past couple years will put out a Mock Draft but I thought today I would talk about players I like, dislike and ain't quite sure on. So here we go... First of my top 32 players overall:

1: Patrick Peterson CB LSU
2: A.J. Green WR Georgia
3: Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
4: Nick Fairley DT Auburn
5: Marcell Dareus DT Alabama
6: Robert Quinn DE/OLB UNC
7: Da'Quan Bowers DE/OLB Clemson
8: Marvin Austin DT UNC
9: Aldon Smith DE/OLB Missouri
10: Julio Jones WR Alabama
11: Mark Ingram RB Alabama
12: J.J. Watt DE Wisconsin
13: Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue
14: Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska
15: Cameron Jordan DE/OLB California
16: Akeem Ayers UCLA
17: Stephen Paea DT Oregon State
18: Tyron Smith OT USC
19: Jimmy Smith CB Colorado
20: Corey Liuget DT Illinois
21: Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College
22: Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin
23: Martez Wilson ILB Illinois
24: Aaron Williams CB Texas
25: Stefen Wisniewski OL Penn State
26: Phil Taylor DT Baylor
27: Mike Pouncey OG Florida
28: Brandon Harris CB Miami (FL)
29: Sam Acho OLB Texas
30: Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa
31: Cameron Heyward DE
32: Justin Houston DE/OLB Georgia

Now naturally there is some players that create debate, I assume most people have Gabbert and Newton which I understand but I just don't think that either is truly worthy of a 1st round pick. Last year I was adamant that Tebow was a 3rd to 4th round pick and I think that Newton is a better pure passer so I see him as a 2nd round pick but he will go 1st round. Gabbert on the other hand looks like a pocket passer should but he has accuracy issues and I have doubts about his transition. I see Gabbert having a Clausen type season this year rather than a Bradford type season. I've loaded the lower part of the top 32 with DE/OLB types but its a talented group toward s the top and I think the demand is second to only QB this year especially in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Now with our prospect list up I think it's important to identify some players I like in each position group:

Quarterback
As is the case with most drafts we start with the QBs this years group is deep overall but shallow at the top with a sure fire overall prospects, that being said here's my top 10....
Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Mallett, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker, Greg McElroy, Ricky Stanzi, Christian Ponder, Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick..... This group has been creating a lot of hubub so lets skip Newton, Gabbert and Mallett and focus on Dalton, Locker, McElroy and Ponder. I feel the same way about Dalton as a I do McElroy they are both proven winners with slightly above average arms but both are cerebral players who will grasp the playbook early and step right into an open west coast QB job and compete to start. The downside however is the lack of upside if you draft them, I would still take these if I'm running a true west coast offense because they take care of the ball and play smart football. Now I know that I have Ponder and Locker much much lower than most other people but after looking into Ponders numbers I didn't like what I saw and I just don't understand the love affair with a player who was hurt in 2010 and underwhelmed us all in 2009. I may just not get Ponder and that's alright but I think he need a very good situation I could see him settling well into Minnesota, Seattle or San Francisco but if I were San Fran I'd go with Mr. Dalton. Lastly Jake Locker last years almost consensus #1 before he came back has always stumped me, I get that he has been on bad teams and he's tough as nails but he makes bad decisions with the football, his body and the intangibles everyone talks about to me don't show up anymore brightly than Dalton/McElroy. Locker is my 2011 NFL Draft Tebow I slightly see the appeal and he'll go 40 picks higher than I would take him but I would feel good if I took him in the 12 to 40 range most people think he will be taken in.

After QB I think Defensive Tackle intrigues me the most...
After the 43DE/34OLB group this is the deepest group on the field, however this group is much more top heavy than is that other group, I see two splits of players here...
TIER 1: Nick Fairley, Marcel Dareus, Marvin Austin, Stephen Paea, Corey Liuget, Phil Taylor
TIER 2: Drake Nevis, Muhammad Wilkerson, Jerome Powe and Sione Fua
I really like Fairley over Dareus not by much but while watching Fairley this year I saw a Warren Sapp type player in Fairley disruption from a what will be a 3 technique DT, quick burst, strong hands and overall disruption. Now Dareus is no slouch either who can forget his performance against Texas in the 2009 Nat. Championship game but I just don't get that same level of butterflies when I watch Dareus as I do with Fairley. Now for those other guys rounding out Tier 1, Austin missed the 2010 campaign because of NCAA troubles  but he has everything scouts drool over with very good hands, burst and quickness; Paea was a standout in his time at Oregon State and although he's more likely a NT in a 34 he's has a high motor and can be a force in the middle for some team in the NFL, Liuget will make a team like New England or San Diego very happy by filling a need at 34DE which is a similar position in skills necessary as DT in a 43 where he excelled this past year at Illinois. Taylor is the ? of this group reportedly some teams are worried about what the physical from the combine showed about his feet but he made many big plays in the Big 12 this year and helped to carry on the recent tradition of Big 12 teams producing elite NFL D-Linemen.
Here are the rest of my positional rankings, I didn't break them down because there wasn't as much intrigue with these groups as I thought there was with the DTs and QBs:

CBs		Pos.  Rank	Overall Rank
P. Peterson	CB	1	1
Amukamara	CB	2	14
J. Smith	CB	3	19
A. Williams	CB	4	24
B. Harris	CB	5	28
D. House	CB	6	48
Dowling	CB	7	50
B. Burton	CB	8	79
C. Brown	CB	9	81
J. Patrick	CB	10	74
Wright	CB	11	89
Chekwa	CB	12	95
Van Dyke	CB	13	116
Marsh	CB	14	115
WRs
Green	WR	1	2
J. Jones	WR	2	10
T. Young	WR	3	43
T. Smith	WR	4	44
Baldwin	WR	5	45
Hankerson	WR	6	49
G. Little	WR	7	65
Pettis	WR	8	64
V. Brown	WR	9	82
Kerley	WR	10	102
Jernigan	WR	11	103
Gates	WR	12	105
Doss	WR	13	107
DE/OLBs
V. Miller	DE/OLB	1	3
Quinn	DE/OLB	2	6
Bowers	DE/OLB	3	7
A. Smith	DE/OLB	4	9
Watt	DE/OLB	5	12
Kerrigan	DE/OLB	6	13
Ayers	OLB	7	16
Jordan	DE/OLB	8	15
Acho	DE/OLB	9	29
Clayborn	DE/OLB	10	30
Heyward	DE	11	31
Houston	DE/OLB	12	32
Ballard	DE/OLB	13	33
Reed	DE/OLB	14	34
Sheard	DE/OLB	15	35
Bailey	DE	16	77
Romeus	DE	18	83
Foster	OLB	19	84
Carter	OLB	20	99
Moch	OLB	21	100
RBs
Ingram	RB	1	11
LeShoure	RB	2	38
M. Fannin	RB	3	39
Hunter	RB	4	73
R Williams	RB	5	72
D. Murray	RB	6	86
D. Thomas	RB	7	87
B. Powell	RB	8	109
Todman	RB	9	104
D. Evans	RB	10	111
J. Rodger	RB	11	112
Vereen	RB	12	114
OT's
T.Smith	LT	1	18
Castonzo	LT	2	21
Carimi	OT	2	22
Sherrod	OT	4	42
Solder	LT	5	41
Pinkston	LT	6	63
M. Cannon	RT	7	66
M. Gilbert	OT	8	67
Ijalana	OT	9	51
J. Carpenter	OT	10	68
C. Hairston	OT	11	70
ILBs
M. Wilson	ILB	1	23
Wright	ILB	2	47
Sturdivant	ILB	3	57
Herzlich	ILB	4	58
Matthews	ILB	5	69
C. McCarthy	ILB	6	92
Irving	ILB	7	93
Sheppard	ILB	8	94
C. White	ILB	9	113
OG/OC
Wisniewski	OG/OC	1	25
Pouncey	OG/OC	2	27
Hudson	OG/OC	3	55
Watkins	OG/OC	4	59
Kirkpatrick	OG/OC	5	60
Moffitt	OG/OC	6	101
Fusco	OG/OC	7	88
S's
McDaniel	S	1	53
R. Moore	S	2	52
Sash	S	3	78
Black	S	4	85
D. Williams	S	5	117
TE's
K. Rudolph	TE	1	56
Kendricks	TE	2	80
D. Williams	TE	3	90
V. Green	TE	4	91
Stocker	TE	5	110
Housler	TE	6	118
FBs
Marecic	FB	1	71
Hynoski	FB	2	119

TEAM NEEDS
AFC (Needs in Order of most to least)
Patriots: OFF (OG, RB, OT, WR), DEF(DE34, OLB34, S)
Jets: OFF (OT, OG), DEF (NT, OLB34, DB)
Ravens: OFF (OT, OC, WR), DEF (OLB34, ILB, CB(2))
Dolphins: OFF (RB, QB, WR), DEF (OLB34, DE34, CB)
Jaguars: OFF (OG, WR, QB), DEF (DE43(2), DT43, CB)
Bills: OFF (OT, OG, TE), DEF (OLB34, DE34, ILB)
Steeler: OFF (OT, OG), DEF (CB(2), OLB34, DT34)
Browns: OFF (WR, TE), DEF (CB, S, DE)
Bengals: OFF (WR, QB, RB), DEF (LB, DT)
Colts: OFF (OT, OG, WR, RB), DEF (S, CB, DE)
Titans: OFF (QB, WR), DEF (DT, DE, CB, S)
Cheifs: OFF (WR, OT, RB(late)), DEF (CB, S, DT34)
Texans: OFF (none), DEF (CB, DE, S, DT)
Broncos: OFF (RB, OG), DEF (DE43, OLB43, S, CB)
Chargers: OFF (WR), DEF (OLB34, DE34, CB)
Raiders: OFF (WR, OT, OG), DEF (OLB, DE, CB)
NFC
Giants: OFF (OG, OT), DEF (DE43, ILB43, CB)
Eagles: OFF (OT, OG), DEF (LB, CB, DE)
Redskins: OFF (WR, QB, RB), DEF (OLB34, CB, S)
Panthers: OFF (WR, OT, QB), DEF (DT, DE)
Buccaneers: OFF (OT, TE, RB), DEF (DE, OLB, CB, S)
Falcons: OFF (OT, TE, OG), DEF (DE43, DT43, CB)
Lions: OFF (OT, OG, RB), DEF (DE43, OLB43, S, CB)
Bears: OFF (OT, OG, WR), DEF (ILB, S, DT43)
Packers: OFF (OT, OG, RB), DEF (OLB34, DE34, CB)
Saints: OFF (OT, RB), DEF (DE43, DT43, CB)
Rams: OFF (WR, OG, RB), DEF (DE43, S, CB)
Vikings: OFF (QB, OT, OG, RB), DEF (DE43, CB)
Cowboys: OFF (OT, OG, QB), DEF (OLB34, CB, S)
Cardinals: OFF (QB, OG), DEF (OLB, DE, CB)
Seahawks: OFF (QB, RB, OT, OG), DEF (OLB, S, CB)
49ers: OFF (QB, WR, RB), DEF (CB, DT34, DE34)

Let me know if your team has different needs than what I listed

2011 Big Ten Football

The 2011 Big Ten football will be one of the more exciting races for the conference title in recent memory. Not only do we have Nebraska joining the league, but Ohio State is a team in turmoil with key senior suspensions early in the season and Tressel's NCAA troubles. With these influences, along with the new divisional set up, the race for the 2011 Big Ten championship has some interesting story lines and teams. Lets start in the Leaders Division by looking at 2010 Regular Season records, Post-Season performances, returning starters(offense, defense and special teamss (punter & kicker)) and any notable coaching changes:
Illinois (4-4, 6-6), 38-14 Texas Bowl Win over Baylor, Returning starters 6 (incl. QB) Off., 6 Def. and 1 ST 
Indiana (1-7, 5-7), no post-season, 6 (no QB) Off., 7 Def. and 2 ST, Kevin Wilson Oklahoma
Ohio State (7-1,11-1), 31-26 Sugar Bowl win over #8 Arkansas, Returning starters 8 (QB) Off., 4 Def. and 1 ST, Jim Tressel is suspended for the first 5 games of the year and maybe more pending NCAA sanctions
Penn Sate (4-4, 7-5), 24-37 Outback Bowl loss to Florida, 7 (QB) Off., 8 Def. and 1 ST
Purdue (2-6, 4-8), no post-season, 7 (QB) Off., 9 Def. and 2 ST
Wisconsin (7-1, 11-1), 19-21 Rose Bowl loss to TCU, 4 (no QB) Off., 6 Def. and 2 ST, With Doeren DC gone Wisconsin promoted it's DC from within with Chris Ash running defense, also worth noting is the departure of John Settle RB who has done wonders with Wisconsin running backs.

Breakdown
It will be interesting to see how Ohio State responds to off the field troubles and the play of some youngsters for those returning starters who have been suspended (Pryor QB, Herron RB, Posey WR, Adams OT and Thomas DE a non-starter) along with the suspension of coach Tressel will tell us a lot about the make up of a team that must replace most of its defense. For what seems like the 3rd time in 3 years we see a lot returning for coach Danny Hope's team but as always health lingers over this team. With that being said I think the team that wins the Big Ten Leaders division will be Penn State Joe has 15 of 22 returning starters and the added caveat of two QB's who started last year should provided more confidence in the offensive huddle. The biggest offensive loss is Wisniewski at guard with 2 returning tackles and a returning guard the offensive line should be solid and Silas Redd showed flashes last year of being a feature back to help whichever QB starts. Ohio State will challenge for the division because of the talent pool but with NCAA sanctions looming over the coach and program off-field distractions and a slow start will hinder this teams chances for success this season. The team I believe will underwhelm will be Wisconsin I don't think they slump to the 7-6 level of a couple years ago but losing the entire left side of the offensive line with two NFL O-line prospects is going to hurt added to the loss of Tolzien will hinder what this team will do. The saving grace for the Badgers will be that the Defense should be healthy and will have playmakers in the back 7 of the defense that will help keep them in games. Lastly it must be noted that Indiana should look better they picked up a very good young coach in Wilson who will continue the recent tradition of high flying offenses at Indiana, however, they will struggle to gain any footing this year in the division.

Now on to the Legends division: 
Iowa (4-4, 7-5) 27-24 Insight Bowl win against Missouri, 5 (no QB) Off., 4 Def. and 1 ST
Michigan (3-5, 7-5) 14-52 Gator Bowl loss against Mississippi State, 9 (QB) Off., 9 Def. and 2 ST, Brady Hoke SDSU HC has come in and brought Mattison DC back to Ann Arbor
Michigan State (7-1, 11-1) 7-49 Capital One Bowl loss to #16 Alabama, 6 (QB) Off., 6 Def. and 1 ST, Treadwell OC leaves and MSU promotes OL coach Dan Roushar to OC
Minnesota (2-6, 3-9), no postseason, 5 (no QB) Off., 9 Def. and 1 ST, Jerry Kill HC NIU
Nebraska (Big 12 last yr) (6-2, 10-3), 7-19 Holiday Bowl loss to Washington, 5 (QB) Off., 7 Def. and 0 ST, Lost OC promoted RB coach Tim Beck to OC
Northwestern (3-5, 7-5), 38-45 TicketCity Bowl loss to Texas Tech, 9 (QB) Off., 7 Def. and 1 ST

Breakdown
The Legends division has two new coaching staffs, one new team and could be anywhere from a 5 horse race for the division title or a run away success for 1 of 3 teams. I think you have 3 tiers of teams in this division, Front-runners: Nebraska and MSU, Wild Cards: Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa, and Underwhelming: Minnesota who is a year or two away. I think Nebraska is the best team in the division with a stand out defense anchored by Jared Crick and a very good stable of linebackers, and offense that has the ability to be very explosive. Michigan State is coming off its best year of the Dantonio era the loss of Treadwell will hurt but you know this team will be solid Michigan is the divisions team that could finish anywhere from 1st to 5th in the standings, they return a bunch of starters on defense but have huge strides to make after an abysmally sloppy season in 2010 from a fundamentals stand point I love the addition of Mattison to Hoke's staff and think that this defense should improve enough to make great strides in the over all team performance. Northwestern's problems haven't changed in the past 5 years plenty of offense but will we see any semblance of a defense out of Coach Fitzpatrick's team this season. Iowa's O-Line should be better this year but inexperience in the backfield at RB & QB will leave explosion to be desired all season; not to mention they have some huge holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball. Coach Ferentz has his work cut out for him this year in Iowa City and should be an interesting study in coaching. Minnesota is inconsistent, with some veterans who played on an all time stinker last year on defense along with a QB who started at WR last year, I believe Kill was the right man from the job as he has built programs at all levels in his career but I think the lack of overall ability and the fragile state of the program will doom his inaugural campaign. I think that Nebraska wins the Legends division in it's first year as a Big Ten program which will be a story line to watch nationally.

End of Year Standings
Leaders
Penn State
Ohio State
Illinois
Wisconsin
Purdue
Indiana
Legends
Nebraska
Michigan
Michigan State
Northwestern
Iowa
Minnesota


Championship Game
Penn State over Nebraska in Indianapolis to close out a wonderful and competitive season for the newly reformed Big Ten.

Note: Returning Starter stats were taken from PhilSteele.com and 2010 records from ESPN.com