Earlier, I posted a mock that featured several trades. Here is my final projection for how the first round will unfold tonight without trades. No need for explanations or justifications at this point, just the picks…

 

1. Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
2. Jaguars – OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
3. Raiders – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
4. Eagles – OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
5. Lions – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon
6. Browns – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama
7. Cardinals – OG Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
8. Bills – WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia
9. Jets – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
10. Titans – OG Chance Warmack, Alabama
11. Chargers – OT D.J. Fluker, Alabama
12. Dolphins – DE Ziggy Ansah, BYU
13. Jets (from Bucs) – TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
14. Panthers – DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
15. Saints – OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU
16. Rams – S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
17. Steelers – WR Cordarelle Patterson, Tennessee
18. Cowboys – S Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
19. Giants – DE Tank Carradine, Florida State
20. Bears – OG Justin Pugh, Syracuse
21. Bengals – S Eric Reid, LSU
22. Rams (from Redskins) – OG Kyle Long, Oregon
23. Vikings – CB D.J. Hayden, Houston
24. Colts – DE Datone Jones, UCLA
25. Vikings (from Seahawks) – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah
26. Packers – OT Menelik Watson, Florida State
27. Texans – WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
28. Broncos – CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State
29. Patriots – CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State
30. Falcons – CB Desmond Trufant, Washington
31. 49ers – S Matt Elam, Florida
32. Ravens – ILB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

One of the most difficult things about mock drafts is that there are inevitably trades that completely throw things out of whack. Here’s my meager attempt to project what the first round might look like with some of the projected movement that could occur tonight.

1. Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
I see Joeckel as the Chiefs pick simply because Andy Reid and John Dorsey were in Green Bay at the same time that Mike Sherman, who recruited Joeckel to A&M, was there.
2. Jaguars – OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
The Jags have a lot of holes, but they need to also bolster their offensive line, which is among the league’s weakest if they intend to try and salvage the skittish Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback.
3. Lions (from Raiders) (trade*) – OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
The Lions don’t see Johnson lasting to five, and they want to make sure they get their bookend tackle. So they send the Raiders their 3rd round pick (65th overall) to jump up two spots. And since the Raiders currently lack a third round pick, they are happy to oblige.
4. Browns (from Eagles) (trade*) – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon
The Browns want to get Jordan to bookend with Kruger and will probably try and find a trade partner for Sheard later on to try and get back into the second round. They swap with the Eagles, giving up their 4th round pick (105th) to move up two spots.
5. Raiders (from Lions) (trade*) – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
The Raiders know they can move down pretty much anywhere within the Top 10 and still probably wind up with Floyd, who adds a good player on a defensive line that sorely needs it.
6. Eagles (from Browns) (trade*) – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama
The Eagles don’t have a pressing need that they must address, and thus will settle for Milliner to bolster a revamped secondary.
7. Cardinals – OG Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
The Cards choose Cooper over Warmack just because he offers a bit more potential as a pass protector, and Arians is a guy that has always leaned heavily on throwing the ball.
8. Steelers (from Bills) (trade*) – WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia
The Steelers make the night’s first really bold move by jumping up 9 spots to get Austin, a kid from their own backyard. Austin adds the explosive element to their offense that they lost with Mike Wallace, and also should be a much more reliable return option than Chris Rainey. The Steelers deal their second round pick (48th overall) to jump up here.
9. Jets – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
Medical issues aside, the Jets go with Jones over Mingo and Ansah based purely off production.
10. Titans – OG Chance Warmack, Alabama
With the Cards taking Cooper, the Titans are happy to settle for Warmack. He’s a better fit anyway since the Titans want to be able to clear lanes for Chris Johnson.
Read more…

The day has arrived, as tonight commences the 2013 NFL Draft! This is the final update for all the mock drafts I’ve collected and collated this off-season to see what the so-called experts project the Atlanta Falcons to do in this year’s draft. In total, 217 mocks were munched, over half of which came in the month of April (120). For most of the off-season, most were projecting the Falcons to focus on the tight end position. Desmond Trufant made a late run to surpass Tyler Eifert as the top pick projected to the Falcons. Mainly because Trufant was the projection for over a dozen sites’ final mock drafts.  As we got further along in the off-season, cornerback and defensive end became the predominant projection for the Falcons. With this final update, there includes a number of mocks that project the Falcons to trade up in the draft as those rumors have picked up steam over the past week or so. After Eifert and Trufant, Jamar Taylor and Zach Ertz were the most popular projections. Here are the final tallies for the off-season. Scroll down to the bottom to see the tallies for the month of April.

Total Mocks (217 total, 177 unique):
1. Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington (37 total, 28 unique)
2. Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame (35 total, 26 unique)
3. Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State (22 total, 18 unique)
4. Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford (20 total, 16 unique)
5. Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State (12 total, 9 unique)
6. Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M (10 total, 6 unique)
7. D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston (8 total, 7 unique)
7. Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State (8 total, 7 unique)
9. Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State (7 total, 7 unique)
10. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas (7 total, 5 unique)

4.25 - ESPN Insider (Mel Kiper): Robert Alford, CB, SE Louisiana
4.25 - ESPN Insider (Todd McShay): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 - Walter Football: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 - Walter Football (Charlie Campbell): D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
4.25 - Football’s Future: Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.25 - Draft Countdown: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 - Draft Tek: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 - Ourlads: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 – Rotoworld (Josh Norris): Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
4.25 – Rotoworld (Evan Silva): Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
4.25 – CBS Sports (Rob Rang): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.25 - CBS Sports (Dane Brugler): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.25 - CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.25 – National Football Post: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
4.24 – SI.com (Peter King): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – NFL.com (Mike Mayock): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 - NFL.com (Bucky Brooks): Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
4.24 – Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – CBS Sports (Clark Judge): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.24 – CBS Sports (Pat Kirwan): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – CBS Sports (Jason La Canfora): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – Pro Football Talk: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
4.24 – FOX Sports: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
4.24 – USA Today (Nate Davis): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – Great Blue North Report: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
4.24 - Draft Daddy: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
4.24 - NFL Draft Blitz: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
4.24 - Draft King: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
4.24 – Draft Breakdown (Spencer & Engle): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 – Draft Breakdown (Andrew Parsons): Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU
4.24 – The Football Expert: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
4.24 – NFL Draft Geek: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
4.24 – NFL’s Future: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 - Draft Season (Onebar): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.24 - FF Toolbox (Ben Standig): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.24 - FF Toolbox (Matt De Lima): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.24 - FF Toolbox (Ricky Dimon): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
4.24 – FF Toolbox (Forrest N. Long): D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
4.24 - FF Toolbox (Rob Warner): Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
4.23 – NFL.com (Gil Brandt): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.23 - Draft Season (Lomas): Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
4.22 – CBS Sports (Will Brinson): Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
4.22 – Ourlads (Chris Steuber): Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
4.22 – Draft Season (Lupagus): Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

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This is the second official mock I’ve posted this off-season, you can click here to see the first from a month ago. I ran through a first round mock on twitter a week ago and this one won’t be that dissimilar. The biggest and most noteworthy change is that I do not have a single quarterback being taken in the first round of this new three-round mock.

That is significant in my eyes because it would be the first time since 1996 that has happened. So odds are, in that sense this mock will be wrong since it’s only happened once in the past seventeen drafts. But what is interesting that when we entered this off-season, there were a number of teams picking in the Top Ten picks that had needs at quarterback: Kansas City, Jacksonville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Arizona, Buffalo, and the New York Jets. All but one of those teams have made moves this off-season to secure veteran signal callers. That lone holdout is the Jaguars. Even low-level moves such as the Bills and Browns adding Kevin Kolb and Jason Campbell, respectively, suggests to me that teams have learned their lesson and are more reluctant to reach on a first round quarterback.

It’s simply not a good class, and I think the movement of veteran quarterbacks shows that the teams picking at the top of the first round are reluctant to make that investment in subpar players. There could be some passers drafted in the first round from teams moving into the latter part of Round One. The Jaguars hold the key. If they pass on a quarterback at Pick No. 2, they then are likely to pull the trigger on a quarterback with the opening pick of Round 2 at No. 33. Teams might try to jump ahead of them into the latter portion of Round One to get the guy they like. But we will see. This draft won’t be short on interesting storylines, even if it is on top-end talent.

Also you might want to check out the updated mock muncher.

1. Kansas City Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
The reason why Joeckel has been penciled in here is because I haven’t heard enough to not pick him. It’s pretty safe to assume the Chiefs will use the top pick on the best tackle on their board. But whether that player is Joeckel remains to be seen. The reason why most put Joeckel over Eric Fisher is because of the higher level of competition. And the reason why Joeckel over Lane Johnson is because of experience and consistency. But one could argue that Fisher and/or Johnson have higher upside due to their athletic ceilings. Nothing in the pasts of Andy Reid or GM John Dorsey suggest that they have a strong small school bias to use that as a reason to put Joeckel over Fisher. But the consensus today is that Joeckel is slightly better than Fisher, and until there are a few more Mike Mayocks out there that are willing to shift their opinions, I’ll keep pegging Joeckel to be the top pick.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon
What is interesting to me is that Jacksonville’s new GM is David Caldwell, a disciple of both Thomas Dimitroff and Bill Polian. Both Dimitroff and Polian hired defensive-minded coaches as their first choice at their respective jobs in Atlanta (Mike Smith) and Indianapolis (Jim Mora), but proceeded to draft quarterbacks with their first picks. Caldwell hired Gus Bradley from Seattle, who is a defensive maven who’d probably love to have Dion Jordan be the foundation of his rebuilding project for Jacksonville’s defense. But I’m also confident that Caldwell has little faith in Blaine Gabbert moving forward. I just wonder if his confidence is low enough, or perhaps his faith is high enough in one of these prospects to use the No. 2 pick overall on a quarterback. I don’t think so. I think unlike Dimitroff and Polian, Caldwell will settle for taking the best quarterback available with the top pick in the second round.

3. Oakland Raiders – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
The Raiders are just going to be looking for a good football player, and a lot of people really like Floyd. The signing of Tracy Porter probably precludes a move to get Dee Milliner at this pick, who fills a much higher need.
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Is it March already? I just updated the 2013 mock muncher today, but I figured I would offer my own mock draft as well. Here are my projections for the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

1. Kansas City Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
With the Chiefs trading for Alex Smith, it means that they won’t be taking a quarterback with the top pick in the draft. That likely leaves the Chiefs looking to address either their offensive or defensive lines. With Branden Albert being an impending free agent, it’s questionable if he’ll be back in Kansas City next year. Joeckel can potentially slide immediately into that vacant spot across from Eric Winston, continuing what should be a formidable ground attack helmed by Jamaal Charles.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida
The Jaguars reached on Tyson Alualu a few years back and he has not developed into the player hoped for. Terrance Knighton is also a free agent that may or may not be back. With new head coach Gus Bradley in town, the Jaguars will look to bolster their defensive line. Floyd has the versatility, size, and power to be a dominant player up front, something the Jaguars have lacked since they heydays of Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.

3. Oakland Raiders – QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
It’s been stated by the Raiders organization that Terrelle Pryor and Carson Palmer will compete for the starting job next year. But neither player was acquired by the current regime and thus they aren’t tied to either. Dennis Allen and GM Reggie McKenzie will look to put their stamp on the team by taking Smith to be their future franchise passer.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah
Lotulelei’s heart condition may affect his draft stock, but presuming it’s not a big deal, he would be a good addition up front for Philly. They’ve already cut Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson. Lotulelei can come in and be an immediate upgrade to their front and give them some much needed beef on defense.

5. Detroit Lions – OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
The team nabbed Riley Reiff as their top pick last year to be the heir apparent to Jeff Backus. But Gosder Cherilus is likely to part as a free agent, which could mean they could move Reiff to the right side and plug Fisher into the left tackle position. Protecting Matt Stafford and beefing up their run game are priorities for the Lions moving forward,and Fisher is a hometown kid that has risen up the boards the past few months.

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It’s the final update for the mock muncher, compiling projections for the Falcons pick at No. 55 overall in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Because only two-round mocks are being collated, there is a lot of diversity and not a lot of consensus on who the Falcons will take with their top pick. Most mocks seem to be going after the tight end position, as 31 of the 94 mocks munched have chosen that position for the Falcons top pick. The second most popular position seems to be offensive linemen with 28 of the mock drafts choosing a player at that position. A total of 17 mocks have chosen a pass rusher.

Coby Fleener was the most popular pick through January and February, but in March the tide has turned towards Dwayne Allen as most mocks feel that Fleener has moved up on draft boards due to a solid Combine and pro day. Allen edged out Fleener to appear in 16 total mocks (14 unique), while Fleener only appeared in 12 (9 unique). Next on the list are Cam Johnson, Kelechi Osemele, and Mitchell Schwartz, all tied with 5 total and 5 unique mocks. Out of the 39 players projected to be the Falcons top pick, 22 one of them are “one-shots” meaning they have yet to appear in a second mock draft.

4.26 – Draft Tek: Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
4.26 – Draft Countdown: Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
4.26 – NFL Draft Blitz: Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss
4.26 – Walter Football: Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
4.26 – Walter Football (Charlie Campbell): Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
4.26 – Sideline Scouting: Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
4.26 – NFL Draft Geek: Chris Polk, RB, Washington
4.25 – Great Blue North Report: Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
4.25 – My NFL Draft: Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern St.
4.25 – The Football Expert: Andre Branch, LB, Clemson
4.25 – NFL Draft 101 (Zach Bohner): Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
4.25 – FF Toolbox (Ryan McKenzie): Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson
4.25 – FF Toolbox (Ricky Dimon): Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern St.
4.25 – FF Toolbox (Jonnie Stoneberg): Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
4.25 – FF Toolbox (Jeff Christiansen): Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State
4.25 – FF Toolbox (Ben Standig): Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
4.25 – Draft Season (Lupagus): Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana
4.25 – Draft Breakdown (Eric Stoner): Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
4.24 – FF Toolbox (Walton Spurlin): Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern St.
4.24 – Draft Season (Ultimate): Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

As usual, I’ll keep track of which are “unique” mocks, indicating a mock that was updated and had the Falcons taking a different player than that site’s previous projection. Since we just got started in January, and a relatively late start, all of them were unique.

January Mocks (14 total, 14 unique)
1. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford (5 total, 5 unique)
2. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson (2 total, 2 unique)

February Mocks (30 total, 27 unique)
1. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford (6 total, 3 unique)
2. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson (3 total, 3 unique)
3. Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia (3 total, 3 unique)

March Mocks (22 total, 20 unique)
1. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson (5 total, 4 unique)

April Mocks (28 total, 28 unique)
1. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson (6 total, 5 unique)
2. Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern St. (4 total, 4 unique)
3. Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State (4 total, 4 unique)
4. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California (3 total, 3 unique)

This year marks our Seventh Annual Mock Draft Contest. By submitting your prediction for how the first round of the draft will lay out, you can win some awesome prizes from the FalcFans-sponsored online store as well as the opportunity to have your mock drafts featured on this site next year. This year’s contest will feature predictions of the entire first round, as well as the Falcons pick in the second round.

Submit your mock drafts on the forums, in the special Mock Draft Contest designated subforum by creating a thread using this submission format. If you are not a registered member of the forums, you can click here to become one. You can edit/modify your submissions up until the deadline, which will be one hour before the draft, at 7:00 pm Eastern, Thursday, April 26, 2012. At 7:01, the forums will be locked and all submissions will then be final.

To get further details about rules, prizes, and scoring, please check out the Mock Draft Contest subforum.

This is my third mock and as such I figured I would expand it from the two rounds of my previous one.

FIRST ROUND

1. Colts – QB Andrew Luck, Stanford
It’s no secret that the Colts have been locked in on Luck from day one. He’ll be asked to fill the huge shoes left by Peyton Manning.

2. Redskins (from Rams) – QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor
The Redskins gave up too much a lot to move up to this spot to get Griffin. But he’ll be the potential franchise QB that this franchise has been wanting for over a decade now.

3. Vikings – OT Matt Kalil, USC
Kalil is a virtual lock for this position, as the Vikings have been waiting many years to get the next bookend left tackle.

4. Browns – WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St.
Since the Browns appear committed to Colt McCoy for at least another year, they’ll do their best to surround him with some weapons.

5. Buccaneers – CB Morris Claiborne, LSU
Despite their acquisition of Eric Wright, the Bucs still need a lot more help in their back seven.

6. Rams (from Redskins) – RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
Needing an heir apparent to Steven Jackson, the Rams don’t see this as settling with a player many think could be comparable to Adrian Peterson in the pros.

7. Jaguars – DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
Ingram has the athleticism without the question marks of Coples which will cause the Jags to view him as the top pass rusher in this year’s class.

8. Dolphins – QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
The fact that they had to settle on David Garrard means that they are locked in on Mike Sherman’s former protege at Texas A&M.

9. Panthers – DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina
They will roll the dice on the inconsistent athletic marvel from Chapel Hill just like they did a decade ago with Julius Peppers.

10. Bills – OT Riley Reiff, Iowa
If they lose Demetrius Bell in the coming days, they will be on the lookout for a replacement at left tackle.

Read more…

This is my second mock draft, to follow up my last one. Before I took a look at the Top 46 picks, going all the way to the Falcons pick in Round 2. I will do the same here, but instead I’ll go all the way to the end of the second round. An asterisk (*) denotes an underclassman. Note that picks 8 and 9, along with 11 and 12 have yet to be determined due to a coin flip.

FIRST ROUND

1. Indianapolis Colts – QB Andrew Luck, Stanford*
While you’ll hear some discussion and debate on whether Griffin is the better prospect, the reality is going to come down to the fact that Luck still has him beat. People will talk up Griffin’s athleticism and arm strength, but forgotten is that Luck grades very well in both as well. People constantly compare Luck to Peyton Manning, but his playing style much more mirrors that of Aaron Rodgers in terms of his ability to move around the pocket and make plays with his legs when need be. At the end of the day, Luck is going to be the No. 1 pick.

TRADE!
2. Miami Dolphins (from St. Louis) – QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor*
Ultimately, I think somebody will swap picks with the Rams to move up to get Griffin. While Luck is better, Griffin is a very good prospect that I personally think is at this point a better prospect than Cam Newton was a year ago. Griffin still needs some polish, but he does have a lot of upside based off how much improvement you’ve seen him make over the last year and his collegiate career. I think the Dolphins among the Redskins, Browns, and Seahawks are probably the most likely to bite on Griffin because those other three teams have decent stopgaps already in place, but Miami does not. While the Dolphins will probably sniff around Matt Flynn, I think they’ll ultimately favor going with Griffin. Trade Terms: Rams get Miami’s 1st (#9), 2nd, 4th in 2012, and their 2nd in 2013.

3. Minnesota Vikings – OT Matt Kalil, Southern California*
It would not surprise me if Iowa’s Riley Reiff moves past Kalil on many boards. But at this point, I’ll go with Kalil here. The Vikings need a left tackle after dumping Bryant McKinnie, and Charlie Johnson was no less atrocious for the Vikings as he was for the Colts. If/when Steve Hutchinson moves on, they can slide Johnson into his more natural left guard spot, plug Kalil in at left tackle and they should be able have a solid left side.

4. Cleveland Browns – WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State*
The Browns will be an interesting team to watch since they could easily jump into the Robert Griffin sweepstakes, but probably won’t be willing to offer the Rams quite as much as other teams since they won’t have to move up as high. They also have a decent young QB in Colt McCoy, so they probably could with two first round picks concentrate more on surrounding him with talent than starting fresh with a new QB. They need a No. 1 receiver, and while it might be smarter to try to find a veteran free agent, it’ll be hard to pass up on a good receiver like Blackmon here. Blackmon is not an elite WR prospect like A.J. Green or Julio Jones, but he’s a good one that should be a good fit in their version of the West Coast offense.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Morris Claiborne, LSU*
Claiborne is not quite on par with former teammate Patrick Peterson as an NFL prospect, but he is not a far cry from him. Claiborne has excellent combination of size, speed, and his ball skills are second to none. New Bucs head coach Greg Schiano knows the value of a good cover corner, having coached the McCourty Bros. at Rutgers. The off-field issues of Aqib Talib, potential retirement of Ronde Barber, and the utter lack of solid depth at this position makes a player like Claiborne a smart pickup.

6. Washington Redskins – QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
The reason why there is not much buzz on Tannehill right now is because a foot injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl. But when all is said and done you can bet that Tannehill will be a Top 10 pick. His game combines arm strength and athleticism similar to Aaron Rodgers, and while he’s still young and raw, his upside is very good given how solid he’s been despite only playing a year and a half as Texas A&M’s starting QB. His presence will be one of the reasons why a team like Washington won’t go too crazy trying to move up to get Griffin.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – OT Riley Reiff, Iowa*
New head coach Mike Mularkey is going to have to find a way to keep Blaine Gabbert upright, as the young quarterback’s pocket presence is some of the worst I’ve ever seen. Improving the protection is a key, and plugging in Reiff on the right side makes sense. Eben Britton has struggled due to injuries, and Reiff briefly played some right tackle as a sophomore where he went up against the likes of Derrick Morgan, and contained him. If the Jaguars want to continue to work MJD as their primary weapon on offense, they have to get better up front.

8. St. Louis Rams (coin flip/from Miami) – RB Trent Richardson, Alabama*
The Rams certainly are happy to move down, picking up some extra picks and plugging multiple holes. Moving down, they will likely target offensive line help, but also with Richardson sitting here, it’s too good to pass up. The team needs to find the heir apparent to Steven Jackson, and Richardson is the perfect fit. His combination of speed and power, along with his potential in the passing game make him the most complete running back prospect in the draft since Adrian Peterson.

9. Carolina Panthers (coin flip) – DT Michael Brockers, LSU*
Brockers is a high-upside guy who was only a sophomore at LSU, but showed good potential. The Panthers run defense was atrocious this past year and rookies Terrell McClain and Sione Fua did little to suggest they are going to be big-time pieces going forward. Brockers was a stand-out run stuffer at LSU, manhandling guards in the SEC. He also flashes potential as a pass rusher, although he’s raw there. But he has the sort of talent to be a force in the middle that the Panthers haven’t seen since the heyday of Kris Jenkins.

10. Buffalo Bills – DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina
The Bills need to solidify their defense and try to find ways to stop teams. Coples is a good prospect to try and help them do that. A big, athletic specimen that flashes the ability to be on par with guys like Julius Peppers and Mario Williams, that also hailed from his neck of the woods. Coples, alongside a healthy Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus could give Buffalo one of the most formidable fronts in the entire league if he can be developed. He’s a boom/bust prospect, but there’s no doubt someone is going to gamble on his potential high in the draft.

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I spent my bye week trying to catch up on as much college football as I could to prep for this mock draft. It’s the first 46 picks, because at this point, the Falcons first pick will be the 46th overall due to their trading their top pick to Cleveland. So here is my mid-October projection of what next year’s draft could look like through the first round and a half.

1. Indianapolis Colts – QB Andrew Luck, Stanford*
Whether Peyton Manning returns healthy to the Colts next year or not, the Colts will be smart to grab Luck, a player that many consider the best QB prospect since Manning came out in 1998.

2. Miami Dolphins – QB Matt Barkley, USC*
Barkley is not in the same class as Luck, but he’s a pretty good QB prospect that can make up for the Dolphins previous mistake of passing on Matt Ryan.

3. Arizona Cardinals – OT Matt Kalil, USC*
The Cardinals need to solidify their offensive line, starting with their left tackle spot. Kalil is a quality prospect that should allow them to move Levi Brown back to his more natural right tackle spot, killing two birds with one stone.

4. St. Louis Rams – OT Riley Reiff, Iowa*
Jason Smith has struggled at right tackle, and Rodger Saffold has not held up at left tackle. They need to add a blocker that can help out and fix one of those issues.

5. Carolina Panthers – DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina*
Charles Johnson is a solid pass rusher, but they need to find someone to play opposite him. Coples is a premier talent, arguably one of the best since Julius Peppers to come out of Chapel Hill.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars – WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State*
The Jaguars need a No. 1 target for Blaine Gabbert to throw to, and Blackmon has comparable skillset to Terrell Owens.

7. Minnesota Vikings – OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford*
The Vikings need a left tackle to replace Bryant McKinnie since Charlie Johnson was never going to cut it.

8. Seattle Seahawks – QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
Tannehill is low on experience, but high on potential and is the quality passer that Pete Carroll has been waiting for.

9. Denver Broncos – RB Trent Richardson, Alabama*
Richardson offers Adrian Peterson-like potential to stabilize the Broncos ground game while Tim Tebow is under center.

10. Washington Redskins – QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma*
Jones is not quite Sam Bradford, but a good QB prospect that Mike Shanahan can grow and develop in his version of the West Coast Offense.

Read more…