For a little change of pace, I will compare my newest mock drafts to those of Mel Kiper and Todd McShay of ESPN as well as Michael Lombardi from The National Football Post. Commentary certainly appreciated.
1. Detroit
Kiper: Matthew Stafford
McShay: Stafford
Lombardi: Stafford
Banter: Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB - Stafford established himself as the class of the position at the Combine. If the Lions choose to address this need with the first overall pick - and unless they trade for Jay Cutler, I think they will - Stafford will be their guy. With all the hoopla surrounding the NCAA Tournament, Stafford's Pro Day might go unnoticed to many. I'm pretty sure the Lions won't miss it.
2. St. Louis
Kiper: Jason Smith
McShay: J. Smith
Lombardi: Eugene Monroe
Banter: Jason Smith, Baylor, OT - Smith seems like the class of the deep OT class.
3. Kansas City
Kiper: Aaron Curry
McShay: Curry
Lombardi: Curry
Banter: Eugene Monroe, Virginia, OT - I love the storyline of Monroe and last year's first rounder from Virginia, Branden Albert, protecting Matt Cassel.
4. Seattle
Kiper: Monroe
McShay: B.J. Raji
Lombardi: Raji
Banter: Aaron Curry, Wake Forest, LB - Curry dominated the Combine and is now considered by many to be the draft's top prospect. After Seattle's signing of WR T.J. Housyourdaddy and Michael Crabtree's imminent surgery, the two no longer look like the perfect match they were a few weeks back. The trade of LB Julian Peterson clears the way for Curry.
5. Cleveland
Kiper: Raji
McShay: Brian Orakpo
Lombardi: Orakpo
Banter: B.J. Raji, Boston College, DT - A great run-stuffer, but I still question why he never dominated in college like his skills indicate he would. Again, I do not think Raji is worthy of being a top five pick, but this is a mock draft and not what I would do.
6. Cincinnati
Kiper: Michael Crabtree
McShay: Monroe
Lombardi: J. Smith
Banter: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech, WR - The Bengals replace Housyourdaddy with Crabtree. Not a bad deal for them although they have a lot more needs than just this.
7. Oakland
Kiper: Jeremy Maclin
McShay: Maclin
Lombardi: Andre Smith
Banter: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, WR - Al Davis has always been enamored with speed, and Maclin has plenty of it.
8. Jacksonville
Kiper: Matt Sanchez
McShay: Crabtree
Lombardi: Sanchez
Banter: Andre Smith, Alabama, OT - I realize Smith has not had a great few weeks, but his talent is undeniable, and he can slide into the right tackle position.
9. Green Bay
Kiper: Orakpo
McShay: Aaron Maybin
Lombardi: Maybin
Banter: Brian Orakpo, Texas, DE - If he can prove he's healthy at UT's Pro Day, Orakpo would help revamp a struggling defense at Lambeau.
10. San Francisco
Kiper: Maybin
McShay: A. Smith
Lombardi: Robert Ayers
Banter: Mark Sanchez, USC, QB - Can Sanchez be the QB of the future that Alex Smith never was? The 49ers sure hope so.
Showing posts with label Jeremy Maclin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremy Maclin. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
NFL Mock Draft (Part I)
One man's best guess four months before the draft:
1. Detroit: Sam Bradford*, QB, Oklahoma - Where do we begin? Coming off an 0-16 season, the Lions can go in pretty much any direction here. If I were running the team, I would trade down to accumulate more picks. However, it's too soon to forecast trades so my guess is that Detroit will go after the best quarterback in the draft.
2. St. Louis: Andre Smith*, OT, Alabama - On Marc Bulger's behalf, I beg the Rams to take the bookend from Alabama. On irony's behalf, I beg the Rams to take him. It has been rumored that Smith was suspended for his team's bowl game because of inappropriate contact with an agent. Remember, this accusation was also made against the second overall pick in 2006, Reggie Bush.
3. Kansas City: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas - After trading Jared Allen prior to the 2008 season, the Chiefs struggled to generate any consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Orakpo showed this season that he was the best defensive end in all of college football.
4. Seattle: Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech - Seattle has been looking for a solid, dependable wide receiver for years. Crabtree will be the best thing to happen to the city of Seattle since Kevin Durant was drafted by the Sonics. Hopefully, things turn out better for Seahawk fans.
5. Cleveland: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest - The Browns' offense lacks consistency. The defense lacks almost everything. Curry, a playmaker, will help.
6. Cincinnati: Aaron Maybin*, DE, Penn State - Maybin was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the country. The Bengals can use the help.
7. Oakland: Jeremy Maclin*, WR, Missouri - Maclin, a player I discussed last week, is an explosive wideout who would provide a nice deep threat for JaMarcus Russell.
8. Jacksonville: Chris Wells*, RB, Ohio State - Wells would be a huge upgrade over Fred Taylor and in order to be dominant in the NFL, teams must have two backs. He would be the thunder to Maurice Jones Drew's lightning.
9. Green Bay: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State - The Packers pass defense really struggled last year, and Jenkins solidified himself as the top corner in the nation with a great season.
10. San Francisco: Matthew Stafford*, QB, Georgia - If Stafford lasts until the 10th overall pick, the 49ers can thank Tyler Thigpen. Had Thigpen continued to struggle running Kansas City's offense, Stafford would be gone seven picks before this spot. Personally, I think the comparisons to John Elway are way off base. He never dominated the college game the way Mark Richt had hoped.
* = Underclassman, has not declared for draft thus far.
This blog was created to form a medium of exchange where sports fans can share ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The creator has written for a number of websites and has appeared on ESPN Radio as an NFL Draft, MLB Trade Deadline and Fantasy Sports Analyst. He can be reached at mjs3131@hotmail.com
1. Detroit: Sam Bradford*, QB, Oklahoma - Where do we begin? Coming off an 0-16 season, the Lions can go in pretty much any direction here. If I were running the team, I would trade down to accumulate more picks. However, it's too soon to forecast trades so my guess is that Detroit will go after the best quarterback in the draft.
2. St. Louis: Andre Smith*, OT, Alabama - On Marc Bulger's behalf, I beg the Rams to take the bookend from Alabama. On irony's behalf, I beg the Rams to take him. It has been rumored that Smith was suspended for his team's bowl game because of inappropriate contact with an agent. Remember, this accusation was also made against the second overall pick in 2006, Reggie Bush.
3. Kansas City: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas - After trading Jared Allen prior to the 2008 season, the Chiefs struggled to generate any consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Orakpo showed this season that he was the best defensive end in all of college football.
4. Seattle: Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech - Seattle has been looking for a solid, dependable wide receiver for years. Crabtree will be the best thing to happen to the city of Seattle since Kevin Durant was drafted by the Sonics. Hopefully, things turn out better for Seahawk fans.
5. Cleveland: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest - The Browns' offense lacks consistency. The defense lacks almost everything. Curry, a playmaker, will help.
6. Cincinnati: Aaron Maybin*, DE, Penn State - Maybin was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the country. The Bengals can use the help.
7. Oakland: Jeremy Maclin*, WR, Missouri - Maclin, a player I discussed last week, is an explosive wideout who would provide a nice deep threat for JaMarcus Russell.
8. Jacksonville: Chris Wells*, RB, Ohio State - Wells would be a huge upgrade over Fred Taylor and in order to be dominant in the NFL, teams must have two backs. He would be the thunder to Maurice Jones Drew's lightning.
9. Green Bay: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State - The Packers pass defense really struggled last year, and Jenkins solidified himself as the top corner in the nation with a great season.
10. San Francisco: Matthew Stafford*, QB, Georgia - If Stafford lasts until the 10th overall pick, the 49ers can thank Tyler Thigpen. Had Thigpen continued to struggle running Kansas City's offense, Stafford would be gone seven picks before this spot. Personally, I think the comparisons to John Elway are way off base. He never dominated the college game the way Mark Richt had hoped.
* = Underclassman, has not declared for draft thus far.
This blog was created to form a medium of exchange where sports fans can share ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The creator has written for a number of websites and has appeared on ESPN Radio as an NFL Draft, MLB Trade Deadline and Fantasy Sports Analyst. He can be reached at mjs3131@hotmail.com
Saturday, January 3, 2009
When Teammates Hate You; Pet Peeves; and Other Thoughts and Observations
When Teammates Hate You
While watching the Alamo Bowl on Monday night, I was struck by two things:
-Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin was a man among boys; and
-Jeremy Maclin's teammates must really dislike him.
Maclin scored two touchdowns on the night. After each touchdown, exactly one teammate / coach congratulated him. Think about that. On a team consisting of about 75 players, 10 coaches, and a few other staff members, only two people acknowledged the guy.
These weren't meaningless touchdowns, either. The first, an electrifying, momentum-changing 75-yard punt return, improbably tied the game at 10 after Northwestern had dominated the majority of the first half.
His second score was an overtime reception which put his team ahead for good.
Admittedly, I know very little about Maclin on a personal level, and I could be way off base here, but I would imagine Maclin is not a popular teammate.
********************
Pet Peeves
Sports Pet Peeve #6: When trying to down a punt deep inside an opponent's territory, a player will wildly slide / jump / dive on top of a football forcing it into the end zone for a touchback. Failure to down the ball inside the 1-yard line has become an epidemic. I cannot count the times this has occurred recently.
Sports Pet Peeve #34: Soccer players wearing gloves. Really, soccer players? It's so cold that you need gloves to cover your delicate fingers? Man up. You don't use your hands anyway.
Note: This applies to cross-country runners as well, but no one pays them much bother anyway.
********************
Other Thoughts and Observations
--I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the camoflauge uniforms Army wore against Navy. They were awesome.
--Coaching football cannot be easy. However, the coaching in these bowl games has been especially appalling. This includes everything from wasted timeouts to complete disregard for time and game situations.
Perfect example: in Thursday's Rose Bowl, Penn State chose not to go for the two-point conversion after scoring a touchdown to cut their deficit to 31-13 with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. USC's defense, regarded as one of the best of all time, must have been doing backflips when they saw kicker Kevin Kelly sprint onto the field after the score. A successful two-point conversion would have made it a two possession game. The odds would still have been long, but by not going for two, the chance of winning was completely eliminated.
--In a recent article, Peter Gammons shed some light on the salary cap issue in baseball:
Pretty good stuff from the legend.
This blog was created to form a medium of exchange where sports fans can share ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The creator has written for a number of websites and has appeared on ESPN Radio as an NFL Draft, MLB Trade Deadline and Fantasy Sports Analyst. He can be reached at mjs3131@hotmail.com
While watching the Alamo Bowl on Monday night, I was struck by two things:
-Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin was a man among boys; and
-Jeremy Maclin's teammates must really dislike him.
Maclin scored two touchdowns on the night. After each touchdown, exactly one teammate / coach congratulated him. Think about that. On a team consisting of about 75 players, 10 coaches, and a few other staff members, only two people acknowledged the guy.
These weren't meaningless touchdowns, either. The first, an electrifying, momentum-changing 75-yard punt return, improbably tied the game at 10 after Northwestern had dominated the majority of the first half.
His second score was an overtime reception which put his team ahead for good.
Admittedly, I know very little about Maclin on a personal level, and I could be way off base here, but I would imagine Maclin is not a popular teammate.
********************
Pet Peeves
Sports Pet Peeve #6: When trying to down a punt deep inside an opponent's territory, a player will wildly slide / jump / dive on top of a football forcing it into the end zone for a touchback. Failure to down the ball inside the 1-yard line has become an epidemic. I cannot count the times this has occurred recently.
Sports Pet Peeve #34: Soccer players wearing gloves. Really, soccer players? It's so cold that you need gloves to cover your delicate fingers? Man up. You don't use your hands anyway.
Note: This applies to cross-country runners as well, but no one pays them much bother anyway.
********************
Other Thoughts and Observations
--I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the camoflauge uniforms Army wore against Navy. They were awesome.
--Coaching football cannot be easy. However, the coaching in these bowl games has been especially appalling. This includes everything from wasted timeouts to complete disregard for time and game situations.
Perfect example: in Thursday's Rose Bowl, Penn State chose not to go for the two-point conversion after scoring a touchdown to cut their deficit to 31-13 with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. USC's defense, regarded as one of the best of all time, must have been doing backflips when they saw kicker Kevin Kelly sprint onto the field after the score. A successful two-point conversion would have made it a two possession game. The odds would still have been long, but by not going for two, the chance of winning was completely eliminated.
--In a recent article, Peter Gammons shed some light on the salary cap issue in baseball:
Remember this: For all the talk of a salary cap, only twice in the past 30 years has a team won the World Series with a $100M-plus payroll -- the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox.
In those 30 years, 20 different teams have won World Series, and it likely would be 21 without the 1994 strike that cost the sport's best team that year -- the Montreal Expos -- a chance to win it all. In those 30 years, 14 different teams have won the Super Bowl, 13 have won the Stanley Cup and nine have won the NBA championship.
Pretty good stuff from the legend.
This blog was created to form a medium of exchange where sports fans can share ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The creator has written for a number of websites and has appeared on ESPN Radio as an NFL Draft, MLB Trade Deadline and Fantasy Sports Analyst. He can be reached at mjs3131@hotmail.com
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