Updated April 23rd, 2012
12. Seattle (7-9)- Nick Perry DE USC
Perry has been my pick sense day one for Seattle. I like this guy but love this fit. Perry can get to the QB and can be a terror in the backfield. I think that he is one of the most complete DEs in this draft and he may be a hot name going into the draft. Interesting note, Carrol recruited Perry to USC to play the Leo position, a position that Carrol uses now with Clemmons as the starter. However with Perry as the Leo, Clemmons can play the other bookend and that tandem can wreak havoc.
13. Arizona (8-8)- Jonathan Martin OT Stanfor
Martin is a quick OT that has shown he could play LT during his time at Stanford. While his skill set screams RT, he has made his name as an LT so the Cardinals might not want to change that. The Cards need a lot in this draft and Martin would be a solid pick that could help them immediately.
14. Dallas (8-8)- Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
This may be a bit of a shock for fans looking for Decastro here. Jerry Jones doesn’t like using his first round picks on offensive lineman, but he does like to make the flashy pick. Mercilus brings could straight line speed to the table and could have very favorable matchups opposite Demarcus Ware. I look for him to be a 6-8 sack guy here who slowly develops as a run defender.
15. Philadelphia (8-8)- Luke Kuechly WLB Boston College
Hear me out anyone who has read my lack of appreciation for Kuechly. As a MLB, I think he is a fringe first round talent, he struggles to get off blocks and isn’t especially powerful at the point of attack. However, his explosion number is the highest of any 4-3 linebackers (that I have calculated so far) and as a WLB he won’t have to fight through as much traffic to get to the BC. Paired with a proven veteran leader like Ryans (who Cushing said played a huge part in his growth as a player) he can help heal the weakness of the Eagles.
16. New York Jets (8-8)- Mark Barron S Alabama
Tough pick here. This is way to high for Barron but beggars can’t be choosers in this safety class. The Jets have holes at both safety positions and Barron can be an effective blitzer in a Rex Ryan scheme.
17. Cincinnati – from Oakland (8-8)- Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
There is a growing notion that Kirkpatrick may translate better to FS that he would CB in the NFL and the Bengals need depth at both positions. Kirkpatrick has the tools and aggression that makes him a huge asset in any defensive backfield.
18. San Diego (8-8)- Melvin Ingram DE/OLB South Carolina
Teams will have a tough time figuring out where Ingram’s best fit is. He is quick of the line and has had success as a 4-3 DE, but is he too small? I think that he can do well in either system, but I may be one of the few. The Chargers desperately need a pass rush and they should be ecstatic that Ingram has fallen this far.
19. Chicago (8-8)- Mike Adams OT Ohio State
Adams has long arms and quick feet, not only that but he has neutralized some of the best pass rushers in college. If he can find a coach that can fix his laziness concerns like Mike Tice the he can be a very good left tackle in the NFL.
20. Tennessee (9-7) David Decastro OG Stanford
Decastro has been the BPA since pick 7 for the Titans however other needs and have sent him all the way to 20. With his skill set and potential, the Titans may have grabbed an All Pro guard at pick 20.
21. Cincinnati* (9-7)- Lamar Miller RB Miami
Miller is a great RB and is drawing a lot of comparisons to McCoy for the Eagles. He is shifty and quick, but has the frame to take a hit. Now, he is not as powerful as Trent Richardson but with the Bengals new line, I can see him having good production immediatel
22. Cleveland – from Atlanta* (10-6)- Kendall Wright WR Baylor
Wright is an explosive WR that can help add some more firepower to the Cleveland offense. With Richardson in the backfield and Wright out wide, Colt McCoy may actually have a chance.
thank you for not putting kuechly at 15. glad to see some other name for the eagles
Yea, my MLB rankings are a little different compared to some others, and I think Kuechly is solid but not exceptional
As painful as it might be to see Kuechly to the Eagles on 75% of the mock drafts, fact is they need him. To get that linebacking corps to an above average level they need the guy who can do it all, and that is Kuechly.
You don’t like Hightower?
I second that.eagles will get lb in free agency though.then take the best player available.but keep desean or lose him they need to take a hard look at Michael Floyd.
floyd is a beast. probably had a better combine than most receivers. 4.4 40 is pretty fast and he is a major upgrade over djax. Its better if the eagles get Tulloch or Lofton in free agency than a rookie if reid wants a ring
Eagles need IMMEDIATE impact and production at mlb.not sure a 3-4 guy can convert to 4-3 quickly enough to have that immediate impact.if they draft hightower Chaney will be starting mlb week 1.probably can say the same for kuechly.they will get a mike in free agency.
Alabama actually ran more 4-3 that I thought, and he seems very comfortable in that system. Which MLB do you want to see them get in FA?
if we do trade djax, i would spend a 1st round on blackmon(trade up) or floyd(without risking any picks) but i think for now hightower is the safest pick
If you trade Djax what about Kendall Wright? He is very explosive and he knows how to help a running QB
Nevermind Kuechly at 15 you dont even have him in the 1st round??? He will definitely be a 1st round pick, if not with the Eagles, then some team. BEST LB IN THE DRAFT
What makes you think he is the best LB in the draft?
Hightower is too big and not fluid enough to mike a 4-3.he could stuff the run but he couldn’t cover witten,Gonzalez, Graham v Davis.the NFC is loaded with tight ends.hightower is not well rounded.I think most Philly fans are so tired of undersized players they see a guys size as more important than his skill set.kuechly is an inch taller than Patrick Willis and only 5 lbs lighter runs a 4.5 forty has great instincts is a vocal leader and can cover.please tell me why on earth anybody would value hightower over kuechly
Because he is a better player? You guys have 3 CBs that have the ability to cover most players in the league, your DC can find a way to put one of those guys on the Joker TEs. Kuechly should never be mentioned in the same sentence as Willis. Willis was a game changer in the SEC and Kuechly is the Barret Ruud of college football. Sure he gets a lot of tackles and can be a starter, but will he make 10+ TFLs every year? No. Will Hightower? Maybe not but he has a much better chance than Kuechly
OK.scenario were playing green bay.asomugha on Jennings asante on jordy Nelson and drc on Donald driver.who covers jermichael Finley?hightower?and I wasn’t comparing kuechly to Willis I was noting their size was similar.the league is turning into a 70/30 pass first league.lbs better cover or ur gonna loseif u want ur lbs making TFLs switch to a 3-4.you know THE STYLE OF DEFENSE HIGHTOWER PLAYS!
Is he a great cover LB no, but neither is Kuechly. Do you think Kuechly could shut down Finley? If you are looking for that guy you need to draft Zach Brown the OLB, but why are you worrying about the Packers? No team in the league can cover the Packers WRs, the Giants didn’t even do that they flustered Rodgers with blitzes (which Hightower does better than Kuechly) and they stopped the run game. You don’t always have to go man coverage, you play to your strengths.
OK OK I get it.u don’t like kuechly.but he and hightower are two different styles of linebacker. One of them fits Philly’s scheme and its not hightower.eagles never blitz their mikes.never.no kuechly can’t shut down Finley but that’s not exactly an argument for hightower at least kuechly could cover him in the flat.my argument isn’t so much meant to be pro kuechly as it is meant to be anti-hightower .teams like Baltimore or Pitt need a guy like hightower not Philadelphia.
Ok, I’m starting to see your point more. The Willis comment earlier threw me off. I understand that people like Kuechly and he may be a better fit for Philly’s system, but he could play the mike in a 4-3 defense. He can take on and shed blocks to help against the run game, and he does a great job breaking down the play in the first second or so after snap. If his job is to cover the flat then I think he could do it. You may not agree, but that is my opinion of Hightower.
I don’t even want a lb in the first rd.if they land Michael Floyd ill be ecstatic.