Mock Draft 3.0 (Pre-Combine Edition, 2 Rounds): Steelers Select ILB Dont’a Hightower and OG Kevin Zeitler
33. St. Louis Rams: Zach Brown OLB (North Carolina)
The Rams need help all over on the Defensive side of the ball. They ranked 31st against the run last season, and they are in desperate need of good players at the OLB position. If New York passes on him at #32, St. Louis can get one of the best 4-3 LB’s of the 2012 Draft Class in the form of Zach Brown.
At 6-2 230 lbs. Brown has improved each and every season at U.N.C. and finished his Senior campaign with 91 Tackles, 11.5 Tackles For Loss, and 2 INT’s. Brown is incredibly athletic and he set the school-record for the indoor 60 meter dash with a time of 6.72 seconds as a Sophomore when he competed for the Tar Heels track team.
34. Indianapolis Colts: Dontari Poe NT (Memphis)
Now that Chuck Pagano and Greg Manusky are in town, Indianapolis’ Defense should receive a bit of a make-over. Switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 is never easy, but one position that needs to be found is a pure 0-Technique Nose Tackle. Therefore, Memphis’ massive 6’5″ 350 lbs. Dontari Poe could be on the Colts’ radars at selection #34.
Poe is the consensus #1 NT on most boards, and Indianapolis could use a space-eater inside to help with the transition. While a tad raw, #34 is a spot of value for the upside that a player like Poe presents to a team like the Colts. Not many 3-4 NT’s Poe’s size have his quickness or brute strength. Some seasoning could be in order to hone his technique and work on his leverage, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Indianapolis went NT in the 2nd or 3rd Round.
35. Minnesota Vikings: Chase Minnifield CB (Virginia)
If the Vikings decide to go O-Line, WR, or trade for a bevy of picks to a desperate team in need of “RGIII” in Round 1, Minnesota will look to address their utterly horrible situation at Cornerback with multiple picks. Luckily for them Chase Minnifield, Alfonzo Dennard, and other CB’s with a Late 1st or 2nd Round grade will be available to them at #35.
Honestly, Minnesota’s Pass Defense last season was pathetic, and I’m being kind here. The Vikings Ranked 26th in Total Pass Yards Allowed, 29th in YPA Allowed, and gave up the most Pass TD’s in the entire League (34). The fact that the Secondary only picked off 8 passes the entire 2011 season is downright ludicrous.
Minnifield, whose Dad was Pro Bowler Frank Minnifield from the Browns of the late 80’s and early 90’s, had a stellar career at the University of Virginia and played with two other 2nd Round CB’s in the form of Ras-I Dowling (Patriots) and Chris Cook (Vikings). At 6′ 185 lbs., Minnifield is a solid all-around Corner who does not have many issues when it comes to bringing down a ball carrier either. A 2-Time All-ACC performer, Minnifield could start Day 1 in Minnesota and help out the Vikings and their issues in the Secondary in 2012.
36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lavonte David OLB (Nebraska)
David’s size is probably the biggest thing keeping him out of the 1st Round, because as a Cornhusker he proved himself to be quite the Linebacker in spite of his 6′ 225 lbs. frame. His toughness was on display week in and week out as he amassed almost 300 Tackles (285) in the last two seasons according to a CBS.Sportsline report from the Senior Bowl. A true gamer, David used his speed above all to shine on the football field at the collegiate level, and many teams looking for a 4-3 OLB will be targeting him early in Round 2.
Known for taking smaller LB’s that fit their system, Tampa Bay is a logical choice here. The Buccaneers had the N.F.L.’s worst Run Defense in terms of Yards Per Game in 2011, and gave up 5.0 YPC to boot. It couldn’t hurt the Buccaneers to upgrade the LB position, and a Tackling machine that mixes it up like David could be just what they need to set forth on their task of improving their Run Defense in 2012.
37. Cleveland Browns: Juron Criner WR (Arizona)
If the Browns are smart, they should be looking to add a play-maker at the WR position with either their second 1st Round Pick or their 2nd Round Pick. One player that should be on their radar’s is Juron Criner from Arizona.
I have personally watched Criner throughout his college career in Tucson, and I can say with full effect that he is going to be a terrific pro player. His size-speed combo (6’2″ 220 lbs.) is tough to match up with, and whichever team he is drafted by will find themselves a “gamer” that can stretch the field, has great hands, and make life difficult for the opposing Defenses.
The prospect of Cleveland drafting Criner and “RGIII” scares the crap out of me as a Steelers fan because Cleveland’s Offensive Line is pretty darn good with Thomas and Mack. They have capable Backs in the stable that can gain tough yards, and Greg Little is beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. If they pair “RGIII” and a healthy Criner together with that mix and a Brad Childress Offense, the A.F.C. North’s Defenses better be on high alert.
38. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alshon Jeffrey WR (South Carolina)
If Jacksonville wants “The Blaine Gabbert Experiment” to pan out, they’d better think about getting him some WR threats to air it out to in 2012. Mike Thomas is a solid possession guy, but the Jaguars still had better think about getting a competent deep man to pair with him. In the event Alshon Jeffrey’s 40 Time is slow, and the rumors of him gaining weight are true, I could see him falling a bit in the Draft. If he gets to Jacksonville however at #38, it wouldn’t shock me at all if the Jaguars pulled the trigger.
At 6’4″ 230 lb. Jeffrey established himself as the S.E.C.’s most dangerous deep-threats in 2011 and over the course of his college career while playing with some less than decent QB’s at South Carolina. As I stated before, the weight and speed issues could be a concern. Yet if Jacksonville thinks he is the right guy, the value at #38 could be too good to pass up on for Gabbert and the rest of the team.
39. Washington Redskins: Ryan Tannehill QB (Texas A&M)
Personally, I don’t think that Ryan Tannehill will last this long. In fact, I believe that some team will try and trade up into the latter half of the 1st Round to acquire Tannehill’s services and overdraft the athletic yet underdeveloped Aggie. Since I’ll be putting off projected trades until the peak of the Free Agency period has run its course, I’ve Mocked Tannehill to the team with the biggest QB need in the 2nd Round.
I personally feel that Tannehill’s body of work is too small, his accuracy needs a bit of work, and he is still a developmental prospect. Nevertheless, QB’s are constantly over-drafted (see Ponder, Christian and Losman, J.P.), and Tannehill should garner quite a bit of interest come Draft Day due to his upside as an athletic prospect.
A WR for half his career in college, Tannehill has a strong arm, great build (6’4″ 222 lbs.), and has terrific mobility. If Washington loses out on the Peyton Manning/Matt Flynn Sweepstakes, it would not surprise me at all if the Redskins selected Tannehill as a year or two project in waiting.
The key to Tannehill’s development will be him waiting and learning the nuances of Reading Defenses/Coverages as well as polishing his accuracy a tad. I look at him as a bit less mobile, but stronger armed Jake Locker. If Washington or another team is willing to wait for Tannehill to develop, they could be getting themselves a solid selection.
40. Carolina Panthers: Mohamed Sanu WR (Rutgers)
While Carolina has holes along their Defensive Line, they could be looking to acquire another pass-catcher for Cam Newton in the Draft. Outside of Steve Smith, the Panthers don’t have a heck of a lot at the WR position in terms of weapons. If a big, physical WR like Mohamed Sanu, or even the aforementioned Alshon Jeffrey, or Juron Criner fall this far, Carolina would be wise to make the move and draft one.
Sanu, who stands 6’2″ and 215 lbs., established himself at Rutgers as a go-to guy in the Scarlet Knights’ passing game. A three year starter in college who is big and strong and uses his size well, Sanu would give Newton an imposing target to find when teams key on Smith, LaFell, Shockey, and Olsen, and make the young Panthers Offense even more dangerous.
41. Buffalo Bills: Chandler Jones DE/OLB (Syracuse)
As I discussed in the 1st Round, the Bills pass rush is nothing short of terrible, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if Buffalo went with Pass Rushers in the first two Rounds of the Draft. If a guy like Chandler Jones is still available at #41, the Bills would be wise to add him to their roster.
A 2011 All-Big East selection and standing 6’5″ and weighing 265 lbs., Jones has a stout “tweener” frame to play DE in a 4-3 and pack on about 10 more lbs., or stand up to play OLB in a 3-4 set at his current weight. Putting Jones together with a Melvin Ingram type player would instantly remedy a large amount of Buffalo’s pass rushing woes.
42. Miami Dolphins: Andre Branch DE (Clemson)
Miami could be moving to a 4-3 Defensive alignment this season, so they would be wise to acquire some 4-3 personnel. Luckily for them, they could get a steal in the form of Clemson’s Andre Branch at #42. A factory for producing N.F.L. Defensive Ends, Clemson churned out another pass rusher in Branch who notched 77 Tackles and 10.5 Sacks in his Senior campaign with the Tigers in 2011.
Branch is a guy that may need to put on a bit more weight in years 1-2 (6’5″ 260 lbs.) to be an every-down player as a hand in the dirt DE. However, he could be best used in pass rush situations during that time to help give Miami and adequate Pass Rusher opposite of Cameron Wake. If the Dolphins decide not to go Defense here, they could look to upgrade their Offensive Line once again in Round 2.
43. Seattle Seahawks: Brock Osweiler QB (Arizona State)
Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst are not the long-term answers for the Seahawks at the QB position. In the short term, they can keep Seattle in contention in the N.F.C. West. But as for the long term and setting up the Seahawks for deep postseason runs, I just don’t believe either guy has shown the knack for being “The Guy.” In need of a Franchise QB, Seattle could go after a developmental guy that is shooting up the boards like Brock Osweiler from Arizona State.
In terms of his athletic ability, the 6’7″ 240 lbs. Osweiler committed to Gonzaga on a basketball scholarship before deciding to go to Tempe to play QB. His sample size of 15 games started is small, but his arm strength and athleticism could make him a danger to opposing Defenses down the road. Osweiler’s accuracy and ability to throw on the run may need a bit of work, and he shouldn’t be asked to be the Day 1 savior of a franchise.
A team like Seattle would be perfect for Osweiler because he wouldn’t be asked to step in early and run the show. He could master an N.F.L. Offense, learn to read through progressions better, and polish any weaknesses in his game over a year or two on the bench. If he wows at The Combine, we could see Osweiler’s name moving up into the mid-30’s.