Joel Welser NFL Mock Draft - 4 August 2011

1. Alshon Jeffery 2. Andrew Luck 3. Don'ta Hightower 4. Matt Kalil 5. Quinton Coples

Thu, 08/04/2011

Round 1
1	Carolina	Alshon Jeffery	WR	South Carolina
Carolina may have some suitors for this pick with Andrew Luck the obvious overall number choice at this point. Of course, the Panthers do not need a quarterback after drafting Cam Newton in the first round last season. Instead they should get some people to help Newton. Alshon Jeffery is the best receiver in the nation even if he does not put up numbers equal to Justin Blackmon.
2	Buffalo	Andrew Luck	QB	Stanford
Lucky Buffalo. They passed on many quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft, and fortunately so if this scenario plays out. Luck is a superb quarterback who would have gone with the first overall pick last year had he opted to go pro early. Instead, he is hanging out at Stanford for another year, or two, and that is good news for a team like the Bills who were smart enough not to reach for a signal caller early in the first round last draft.
3	Cleveland	Don'ta Hightower	ILB	Alabama
Cleveland did some wheeling and dealing last draft and now have two first round picks to work with. However, if they are picking this high it may mean the end of Colt McCoy. But it is probably a little early to give up on him. The defense still needs to get better and they can do just that with a stud like Dont'a Hightower in the middle.
4	Arizona	Matt Kalil	OT	USC
Arizona could use some help on the offensive line and Matt Kalil is too good of a talent to pass up at this point in the draft. At 6-7 and 295 pounds, Kalil is a big lineman with plenty of room to get bigger. He has protected Matt Barkley quite well and will do the same for Kevin Kolb, or whoever Arizona has under center in 2012.
5	Cincinnati	Quinton Coples	DE	North Carolina
Cincinnati has failed to address their pass rushing needs. Last season they went with a wide receiver and quarterback in the first two rounds. This time around they need look to the other side of the ball. Quinton Coples is a big, strong and deceptively quick pass rusher who has dominated at North Carolina and can dominate in the NFL.
6	Jacksonville	Cliff Harris	CB	Oregon
Cliff Harris has some personal issues to work out, but his suspension from Oregon does not appear to be anything serious. His ability on the field is the more important matter. While he may not be the best overall cornerback in this class, his return skills make him a little more valuable. Right now Harris is a reach with the sixth overall pick, but that may not be the case after the 2012 campaign.
7	Seattle	Matt Barkley	QB	USC
Fortunately for Seattle, Matt Barkley has fallen into their laps. USC's Barkley and Oklahoma's Landry Jones are the obvious second and third quarterbacks behind Andrew Luck. Barkley has not had the great career with the Trojans that everybody expected, but he is still an NFL quarterback and a top five talent.
8	Washington	Landry Jones	QB	Oklahoma
The Redskins were another team that failed to acquire a quarterback in the 2011 NFL Draft. John Beck and Rex Grossman are not the answer, so grabbing one of the top three quarterbacks in this class is not a bad idea. In this position, the Redskins would be lucky to get Jones. Unlike Luck and Barkley, many feel like Jones has more to prove before he is considered a top ten selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. While that may be true, it is also true for Barkley and a bevy of other quarterbacks. Thus far, Jones has proven to be a great quarterback who is just as capable as Barkley as immediately turning into a starting NFL quarterback.
9	Denver	Jared Crick	DT	Nebraska
Denver's back seven is coming along nicely with the influx of talent they mostly acquired via the draft last season, but the front four could use some fresh blood. Even if the front four is pretty good during the 2011 season, Jared Crick will make it better. Crick will get the opportunity to show off his skills in the Big Ten for one year, where he will probably stuff some pretty good rushers and prove that he is a steal with the ninth overall selection.
10	Tennessee	Brandon Jenkins	DE/OLB	Florida State
The Titans need some pass rushers. Brandon Jenkins is a speedy, elusive and strong pass rushing threat and has the athleticism to be a great player in the NFL. He may not be the best fit in the Tennessee scheme, but Jenkins is a player you can build a scheme around. This year's group of defensive ends is not as talented as last year and if they want to get a good one, they have to jump on Jenkins now even if he is more of a pass rushing linebacker than a true end.
11	Oakland	Jonathan Martin	OT	Stanford
Jonathan Martin could very easily be the top offensive lineman in this class when all is said and done. That would mean he would be long gone by this point in the draft. However, if Matt Kalil stays on top of the draft board, Martin could make a little slide down to Oakland. That would be fine for the Raiders as they continue to rebuild their offensive line.
12	Miami	Kenny Tate	FS	Maryland
Miami wants a quarterback, but in this particular simulation, they did slightly too well in the 2011 NFL season. They could trade up to try and get Landry Jones or Matt Barkley. Otherwise, they will be stuck, just they like they were in 2011, and either have to reach for a signal caller or take somebody else. In this case the somebody else is a superb, and often overlooked, safety in Kenny Tate.
13	Detroit	Nate Potter	OT	Boise State
Sooner or later Detroit needs to replace Jeff Backus at the left tackle position. They seem to have a bevy of right tackles, but nobody to protect Matt Stafford's blindside. When Backus is gone, or unproductive, the Lions will need a youngster who can fill that role. Nate Potter may not be on the national radar too much at the moment, but he is a great tackle and one of the best in this class.
14	St. Louis	Justin Blackmon	WR	Oklahoma State
The Rams did use their second and third round picks on a tight end and a wide receiver last year, but they failed to acquire a big, true number one receiver. Justin Blackmon could have been a top 15 pick last season, but he opted to return to Oklahoma State for one more year. He is not that far behind Alshon Jeffery in talent and some teams may even have him above Jeffery because of his collegiate production.
15	Kansas City	Riley Reiff	OT	Iowa
The Chiefs have been adding weapons to make Matt Cassell a successful quarterback. Now they need to help keep him on his feet. Riley Reiff's stock may slip if Iowa has another average season in the Big Ten, but he will be back up the draft boards by next April after the scouts get a good look at what he can do at the NFL Combine.
16	Tampa Bay	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	Alabama
The Buccaneers would be ecstatic if the best cover corner in the draft fell to them in middle of the first round. If Aqib Talib's legal issues take him out of the game, or off the team, by 2012, it will be time for Tampa Bay to move on and find a new corner. Dre Kirkpatrick would be a great replacement and a great bargain.
17	Houston	Mark Barron	SS	Alabama
Houston beefed up their defense in a huge way in the 2011 NFL Draft. The secondary remains the only area of concern and nabbing Mark Barron with the 17th overall selection is a steal. While free safety may be a bigger need for the Texans, Barron is too good to pass up right here with Kenny Tate already off the board.
18	Minnesota	Ryan Broyles	WR	Oklahoma
Minnesota reached in taking Christian Ponder last year with the 12th overall pick. He will spend some time learning behind Donovan McNabb, but both quarterbacks could use a big play receiver who can make things happen. Ryan Broyles has had an extremely productive career with the Sooners of Oklahoma and his athleticism and fundamentally sound play should make him a nice target in Minnesota.
19	Chicago	Vontaze Burfict	ILB	Arizona State
The Bears defense is getting old and unproductive. No player in this draft is tougher and meaner than Vontaze Burfict. He is an emotional player, which has its pros and cons, but he is a very productive player and will give an edge to the Bears defense. And that is an edge that the Bears defense really needs.
20	NY Giants	Matt Reynolds	OT	Brigham Young
The Giants passed on an offensive tackle last season, and understandably so with Prince Amukamara falling into their laps with the 20th pick. That was just too great of a value to pass up and the Giants knew it. Now they can find some fresh blood on the offensive line. When all is said and done, Matt Reynolds will be right up there among the top three or four tackles in this class.
21	San Francisco	Stephon Gilmore	CB	South Carolina
Even if they win the NFC West, San Francisco will need a lot of help in the secondary and that should become obvious rather quickly once the 2011 season gets underway. Stephon Gilmore is the best corner on the board.
22	Dallas	Jerel Worthy	DT	Michigan State
Many project Jerel Worthy as a top ten selection, so Dallas picking him up this late in the first round is a steal. The Cowboys may need to work with Worthy to turn him into that big defensive end that would fit into their 3-4 scheme, but Worthy is a relatively versatile player. He may not fit the mold as well as a player like fellow Big Ten tackle Jared Crick, but Crick has been off the board for a long time now.
23	Baltimore	Travis Lewis	OLB	Oklahoma
The Ravens always build around their stellar defense. The unit, in general, is getting older, as we all do. With that in mind, Baltimore could just go ahead and take the best defensive player available. In this case, that would be linebacker Travis Lewis. The Sooner is a great all-around playmaker and will bring some more young talent into Baltimore.
24	Indianapolis	Michael Floyd	WR	Notre Dame
Austin Collie's concussions are a big deal and he may not be playing much longer. Indianapolis needs some help on defense, but they also need to keep Peyton Manning happy. Michael Floyd is a great receiver when he's not in trouble and is certainly a first round talent.
25	New England (from NO)	Zach Brown	OLB	North Carolina
New England has a couple picks to work with late in the first round. That is assuming they actually keep them. If there is somebody the Patriots want they can pair up their picks and move up or do what they usually do and be smart and trade one of the picks away from a first rounder next year. If they do make this pick, grabbing a great athlete like Zach Brown is a good place to start.
26	Cleveland (from ATL)	Mike Adams	OT	Ohio State
The Browns need to keep Colt McCoy, or whoever, on his feet if they hope to have any success in the not so distant future. After passing on a quarterback earlier in this draft, the Browns need to stick with McCoy and try and give him the best opportunity to succeed. Keeping him off the turf is a good place to start.
27	NY Jets	Jeff Fuller	WR	Texas A&M
Santonio Holmes will be back, but the rest of the wide receivers could be long gone by 2012. And Mark Sanchez already has a strong line and a couple fine running backs, so giving him yet another receiving target could make this offense nearly unstoppable. Jeff Fuller is a big 6-4, 215 pound target.
28	San Diego	Nigel Bradham	OLB	Florida State
Nigel Bradham is flying under the radar right now, but he is fine outside linebacker who will garner some national attention at Florida State this year. The Chargers do not have too many holes to fill, but outside linebacker is a spot that could use an upgrade, or at least some depth.
29	Philadelphia	Manti Te'o	ILB	Notre Dame
The Eagles need a linebacker who can come in and help them out immediately. This is a team that has the talent to make a deep playoff run in 2011 and 2012 and finding players who can make an immediate impact will help in that regard. Manti Te'o has pretty much lived up to his expectations at Notre Dame and can be a fine starter for years to come in Philly.
30	New England	Marcus Forston	DT	Miami (FL)
Vince Wolfork is getting up their in age and other defensive tackles have not worked out all too well. Marcus Forston could be an upgrade to the unit if he can have another solid season at Miami. However, the Patriots may not actually end up with two first round picks, so grabbing another project of a defensive tackle later in the draft is another option.
31	Pittsburgh	Ryan Miller	G/OT	Colorado
Pittsburgh will have a few holes to fill on their aging defense, but the offensive line needs to be upgraded as well. Ryan Miller will be tested in the Pac-12, but he is a versatile and talented offensive lineman who could emerge as a first round talent.
32	Green Bay	Sean Spence	OLB	Miami (FL)
The Packers do not have many needs at the moment, but getting another rush linebacker opposite of Clay Matthews sounds like a good plan. Spence is a little undersized, which will cause his draft stock to fall, but he is effective at working his way into the backfield.
Round 2
33	Carolina	Michael Brewster	C	Ohio State
The Panthers need to protect Cam Newton as much as possible and Michael Brewster is the best lineman on the board.
34	Buffalo	Chris Owusu	WR	Stanford
The Bills got their franchise quarterback with the second pick and now they need to start giving him some weapons to work with. And what better way to make your quarterback feel welcome than by drafting his collegiate teammate.
35	Cleveland	Donte Paige-Moss	DE/OLB	North Carolina
He may not the best fit in Cleveland's defense, but he certainly will help fill a need at linebacker and is a great talent.
36	Philadelphia (from ARI)	Nick Foles	QB	Arizona
The Eagles may use the pick they got in the Kevin Kolb trade to pick up a better quarterback than Kevin Kolb.
37	Cincinnati	Janoris Jenkins	CB	North Alabama
The Bengals can continue building their defense after taking Quinton Coples in the first round. Janoris Jenkins will dominate the competition during his one year at North Alabama.
38	Jacksonville	Luke Kuechly	ILB	Boston College
Jacksonville needs help at middle linebacker and nobody has been more productive than Luke Kuechly. He is ready to play in the NFL right away and should be a steady influence in the middle of the defense.
39	Seattle	T.J. McDonald	FS	USC
By next April T.J. McDonald might be right up there with Mark Barron and Kenny Tate as far as safety are concerned. For now, Seattle gets a nice boost to their secondary.
40	Washington	LaMichael James	RB	Oregon
LaMichael James can only slide so far before somebody nabs him. This is not a great class of running backs, but James is a playmaker and will put some butts in the seats.
41	Denver	Andrew Datko	G	Florida State
After spending a lot of picks on the defensive side, Denver should look to their offense. Andrew Datko is a versatile lineman who the Broncos can plug in wherever needed.
42	Tennessee	Alfonzo Dennard	CB	Nebraska
Alfonzo Dennard is a steal in the second round. He should have a good year as the Cornhuskers move to the Big Ten, but for now he can shore up Tennessee's defense.
43	New England (from OAK)	Sean Cattouse	SS	California
The Patriots have plenty of picks and not so many needs, so they could just go ahead and take the best player on the board.
44	Miami	Kirk Cousins	QB	Michigan State
Now the Dolphins can get a quarterback, although Kirk Cousins may not be the stud quarterback they were looking for.
45	Detroit	Courtney Upshaw	ILB	Alabama
The Lions basically need to protect Matthew Stafford and find some help at linebacker. Nate Potter fulfilled the first goal in the first round and Courtney Upshaw is a steal in the second.
46	St. Louis	Trent Richardson	RB	Alabama
Trent Richardson has some things to prove on the field, but many think he is better than Mark Ingram. Time will tell, but at this point in the draft he is tough to pass up.
47	Kansas City	Tydreke Powell	DT	North Carolina
There is still a hole in the Chiefs defensive front four that needs to be filled. Tydreke Powell is one of those players who emerged during the 2011 season when many of his teammates were suspended.
48	Tampa Bay	Kelechi Osemele	G	Iowa State
Kelechi Osemele is playing tackle at Iowa State, but due to his size and lack of foot speed, he will likely be a guard in the NFL. Either way, he is a good player.
49	Houston	Greg Childs	WR	Arkansas
Eventually Houston has to stop taking defensive players. Greg Childs has nice size and speed and with a good year at Arkansas could be long gone by now.
50	Minnesota	Greg Reid	CB	Florida State
It seems like Minnesota is always looking for cornerbacks. Maybe this time they will find a keeper with Greg Reid.
51	Chicago	DeVier Posey	WR	Ohio State
The Bears are still in need of some receiving help and DeVier Posey would be a much higher pick if he was eligible for the first five games of the 2011 season for Ohio State. In the end, the NFL does not care about that.
52	NY Giants	Keenan Robinson	OLB	Texas
This might be a little bit of stretch at the moment, but Keenan Robinson should help turn Texas around in 2011.
53	San Francisco	Kheeston Randall	DT	Texas
The 49ers will need to look at their front four sooner or later. After adding a corner in the first round, the San Francisco defense should be much better.
54	Dallas	Keith Tandy	CB	West Virginia
The Cowboys do still have issues in the secondary. Keith Tandy is an underrated corner, but he still has some work to do to be a solid second round draft pick.
55	Baltimore	Stephen Good	G	Oklahoma
Stephen Good has the potential to emerge as one of the best guards in this draft class. He is not considered that quite yet, but he has the tools if he can add strength while at Oklahoma.
56	Indianapolis	Ray Ray Armstrong	SS	Miami (FL)
Ray Ray Armstrong cannot slide too much further than this. He is a fine strong safety who will add some quality depth to the Colts secondary right away.
57	New Orleans	Jayron Hosley	CB	Virginia Tech
The Saints need to continue to add talent on defense and they can get a great value in the second round if Jayron Hosley is still around.
58	Atlanta	Vinny Curry	DE	Marshall
Atlanta traded away just about everything to get Julio Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft. They need to make the most out of this pick and finding a pass rusher is the main priority.
59	NY Jets	Devin Taylor	DE	South Carolina
The Jets went offensive in the first round and now it is time to give the defense a new weapon. Devin Taylor is still a project, but he could emerge as a superb player sooner rather than later.
60	San Diego	Dwight Jones	WR	North Carolina
Dwight Jones is a very underappreciated wide receiver. His collegiate production has not been great, but at 6-4 and 225 pounds, he has the ability to be a fine player in the NFL.
61	Philadelphia	Josh Oglesby	OT	Wisconsin
Josh Oglesby is a beast at 6-7 and 331 pounds. After Monte Ball, Josh White and Russell Wilson run for about 4,000 yards, Oglesby will get some credit.
62	New England	Knile Davis	RB	Arkansas
New England is no stranger to picking up quality players who fall for whatever reason. Knile Davis is not really needed in New England, but he is a great value at the end of the second round.
63	Pittsburgh	Janzen Jackson	FS	Tennessee
The Steelers secondary could still use some help. They need to do a better job of stopping the pass if they hope to win a Super Bowl and Janzen Jackson is the best defensive back on the board.
64	Green Bay	Brandon Boykin	CB	Georgia
The Green Bay secondary is not getting any younger, although the Packers have some options in the post Rod Woodson era, but Brandon Boykin will provide another.

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Joel Welser NFL Mock Draft - 4 August 2011

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