Brad7686’s Initial Mock Draft

Brad was the winner of the THN draft guru contest, and this mock draft will kick off the draft season for us.

1. Detroit (0-16) Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia– As much as I’d like to put a defender here to help aid the pathetic Lions defense, the offense is pretty bad too. So when a rare arm like Stafford’s is available to help turn the franchise around, you take it. He has tremendous arm strength, good accuracy, and a clean over-the-top release.
2. St. Louis (2-14) Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia– The Rams need a left tackle, and Monroe will win out due to questions about Andre Smith’s quickness and Jason Smith’s experience. Monroe has had injury problems in the past, but stayed healthy all last year and looks primed to go high in the draft.
3. Kansas City (2-14) Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest– The Chiefs’ 30th ranked run defense would benefit greatly from adding Curry. He combines elite tackling ability with excellent pursuit, and the strength to shed blocks. Curry translates these skills to the pass rush, leading him to break up a lot of plays in the backfield.
4. Seattle (4-12) Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech– Seattle was a surprising 28th in Total Offense last season, and they literally found themselves signing WR’s off the street to fill the injury-riddled position on the depth chart. Yes, the defense was terrible too, but Crabtree’s skillset will be too much for them to pass up.
5. Cleveland (4-12) Everette Brown, DE, Florida State– Cleveland will undoubtedly want to address the paltry 17 sacks produced by their defense, which will lead them to select Brown. His fluid athleticism and pass-rush moves make him a prime candidate to be transformed into a 3-4 OLB at the next level.
6. Cincinnati (4-11-1) Andre Smith, OT, Alabama– He’s big, he dominates DE’s, and he’s physical in the open field. Heck, he even catches touchdown passes. The Bengals could plug Andre in at Right Tackle and never look back. He is the best run blocker in the draft.
7. Oakland (5-11) Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri– Oakland needs to add as many playmakers as possible to jumpstart their offense. Maclin may be the most explosive athlete in the draft, and will be a good addition to the young nucleus of skill players they hope to groom into winners. He is extremely dangerous in the open field, both on offense and in the return game.
8. Jacksonville (5-11) Jason Smith, OT, Baylor– Smith is the most athletic OT in the draft, and could develop into the best pass blocker with time. The former TE is making his way up everybody’s draft boards, and would be a nice fixture at LT for the Jaguars.
9. Green Bay (6-10) B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College– Green Bay gave up 132 yards per game on the ground last year, and could really use a run stuffer to help lower that number. Raji is a massive DT prospect, but is also athletic enough to get upfield in a 4-3 defense.
10. San Francisco (7-9) Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State– Like Everette Brown, Maybin will most likely be turned into a 3-4 DE, and San Francisco would love to see him there at pick 10. He is a monster coming off the edge, and also has the quickness to be an effective run stopper.
11. Buffalo (7-9) Brian Cushing, OLB, USC– The Bills were 22^nd in rush defense last year, something Cushing would certainly help with from the SAM linebacker position. He has excellent speed for his size, allowing him to make big hits and effectively rush the passer.
12. Denver (8-8) Rey Maualuga, MLB, USC– Denver’s defense is equally atrocious against the run and the pass, so why not draft the future leader of the defense? Maualuga can do it all at MLB, and has excellent physicality; which is something the rest of the defense could feed off of.
13. Washington (8-8) Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas– Is this the year the ‘skins address the defensive line? If O-sack-po is there, it may very well occur. While RT may be the biggest need, Orakpo could provide immediate pass rush help. He has freakish strength for his size, which he mixes with good quickness and moves. Theoretically, he could also play SAM linebacker.
14. New Orleans (8-8) Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State– Hey, a DB is off the board! Jenkins is a very balanced corner, who produced very well at the college level. He has good quickness and recovery speed, and is excellent in run support. New Orleans would be glad to add him to their struggling pass defense.
15. Houston (8-8) Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois– The Texans are far from stacked at CB, and may snag Davis with pick 15. Davis is very physical in man-to-man coverage, and has good recovery speed and fluidity for his size.
16. San Diego (8-8) Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU– Igor Olshansky is opting out of his contract, leaving the Chargers with a hole at DE. Jackson is very stout against the run, and will transition seamlessly to a 3-4 scheme. San Diego’s situation in the backfield could result in the first RB coming off the board here.
17. New York Jets (9-7) Mark Sanchez, QB, USC– Sanchez may benefit greatly from the Scouting Combine, but his lack of experience has him going to the Favre-less Jets at pick 17. Sanchez has a big-enough arm, with good accuracy and touch, but is inconsistent at times and may need some time to develop in the NFL.
18. Chicago (9-7) Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina– The Bears lack a physical presence at the WR position, something that Nicks would definitely bring to the table. He also runs crisp routes, adjusts to the ball well, and has great hands. His separation ability is the only real question.
19. Tampa Bay (9-7) Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss– Oher is a bit inconsistent at times, but possesses all the physical tools. Tampa could stretch for a QB, or have one fall to them. However, Oher would be a great value here.
20. Detroit – from Dallas (9-7) D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt– Though undersized, Moore is a tremendous athlete with a nose for the ball. He won’t win many jump balls, but he will cover tight and bat down a lot of passes.
21. Philadelphia (9-6-1) Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Ohio State– The Eagles would benefit from a physical RB to complement and provide depth for the oft-injured Brian Westbrook. Wells is an explosive North/South runner with good agility for his size.
22. Minnesota (10-6) Percy Harvin, WR, Florida– Harvin is explosive, and can be utilized as a WR, on special teams, or as a RB on a gadget play. Tarvaris Jackson can use all the help he can get, and Harvin is sure to keep opposing defenses off balance.
23. New England (11-5) James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State– He fits the New England tradition of smart, physical LB’s. His instincts and sure tackling will help the Patriots’ average run defense from last season.
24. Atlanta (11-5) Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois– English is an undersized college DE who projects as a SAM linebacker in the NFL. Scouts believe he can make the transition successfully, and he should be able to provide a much needed spark off the edge.
25. Miami (11-5) Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland– Heyward- Bey is a dangerous vertical receiver with blazing speed. He will need to polish his route running and ball skills, but he is an absolute burner in space.
26. Baltimore (11-5) Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia– With Heyward-Bey gone, the Ravens could focus on their questions at tailback. How healthy/productive is Willis McGahee going to be? Moreno’s quickness and toughness would be an excellent complement to FB Le’Ron McClain.
27. Indianapolis (12-4) Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss– Jerry is the most disruptive 4-3 DT in the draft, something that would greatly benefit the Colts’ run defense. I could also see them in the mix for a RB here.
28. Philadelphia – from Carolina (12-4) Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State– The first TE comes off the board. Philly could reach for a OT here, but Pettigrew provides great value at this pick. He is an excellent blocker who makes the tough catch in traffic.
29. New York Giants (12-4) Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia– The Giants could use an infusion of athleticism at OLB, so Sintim sounds good here. He has good bulk and speed, with sound tackling technique. His effort is somewhat inconsistent at times, which is a concern.
30. Tennessee (13-3) Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest– Smith is a solid cover corner, and would add some secondary depth to a pretty stacked defense. WR Kenny Britt is also a possibility here, but Smith is more deserving of a first round pick.
31. Arizona (9-7) Eben Britton, OT, Arizona– They could use an upgrade at LT, and perhaps Kurt Warner would come back if someone protected his blind side better. Britton, who already plays in Arizona, has very good footwork and quickness as a pass blocker.
32. Pittsburgh (12-4) Alex Mack, C, California– Mack is the best interior lineman in the draft. He has great awareness, quickness, and strength for a Center.