Author: Rob Staton (Page 361 of 423)

We’ve finally arrived at the #12 pick. Kansas City drafted Luke Kuechly, who received 30% of the votes to defeat David DeCastro (24%) and Melvin Ingram (12%). This is how the mock shaped up 1-11.

#1 Andrew Luck – IND
#2 Robert Griffin III – WAS
#3 Matt Kalil – MIN
#4 Trent Richardson – CLE
#5 Morris Claiborne – TB
#6 Justin Blackmon – STL
#7 Michael Floyd – JAC
#8 Ryan Tannehill – MIA
#9 Quinton Coples – CAR
#10 Riley Reiff – BUF
#11 Luke Kuechly – KC

I’ve selected twelve options at #12. We could’ve included more, but I think this is a healthy sample. I’ve tried to include prospects that overall have been considered possible options during the entire process.

You all know what Seattle’s needs are. You know the prospects below. Let’s see how this plays out. Vote away…

(polls)

Mike Mayock names ranks his top-100 prospects. The biggest headlines? Chandler Jones at #9, Shea McClellin at #14 and Quinton Coples at #21. Mayock previously said he would consider passing on Coples in round two, so #21 appears generous.

Chad Reuter goes for a seven round mock draft. Seattle’s first three picks are: Melvin Ingram, Bobby Wagner and Orson Charles.

Mike Tanier has a positive write-up on Courtney Upshaw, a collectors item at the moment. Tanier: “In most years, Upshaw would be a Top-10 pick. He probably won’t be this year, but only because so many of the teams at the top of the draft board have other, more pressing needs.”

Tony Pauline says Cincinnati will draft Upshaw in round one given the opportunity. “Word we heard last night is Marvin Lewis and the Bengals will use one of their two selections in the initial frame to draft Courtney Upshaw.”

Jason La Canfora believes teams are hot for Fletcher Cox. “Continue to hear Fletcher Cox as going very high in draft. Some teams consider jumping to 5, ahead of STL, for him.”

Brad Gagnon passes on a podcast featuring Nick Saban, where he talks about Alabama’s top draft prospects.

Andrew Brandt talks about his time in Green Bay’s front office and how things worked during the draft. John Schneider gets a mention. Brandt: “The best decision-makers, in my view, “trust the board.” Players have been poked, prodded, analyzed and discussed for seven months. It’s time to let the board do the work. The biggest downfall of decision-makers is becoming impulsive and emotional, straying from the board. Nothing deflates the morale of scouting staffs faster.”

Let’s be nostalgic for a moment. Right before the draft last year we understood the team were ‘leaning’ towards the offensive line if they couldn’t trade the #25 pick. After last years draft we were given some direction on how the team ranked the 2011 group of quarterbacks.  Here’s how the top six were described to us after Seattle spent the #6 pick on Russell Okung in 2010. So here’s a few predictions for this year… Running back could be an early consideration, while quarterback will end up being more of a mid/late focus. Round one should be about pressure, or the lack of it in 2010 & 2011. With a run on pass rushers expected in round one, don’t expect Seattle to hang about.

Brock Osweiler tape vs Arizona:

Interesting comments from John Schneider today, courtesy of an article by Ian Rapoport. Seattle’s GM indicates he and Pete Carroll have settled at two names for the #12 pick and that they’ll be ready if ‘their guy’ leaves the board before the team’s pick. Rapoport:

“We have to be prepared for other people to come to us,” Schneider told NFL.com. “Either we have to be strong and just sit there and take a really cool player or be able to negotiate in a fast manner with a team trying to get up and just decided whether — say they give you two picks — if those two players base would be worth the guy we’d be giving up.”

Schneider said he is set on two players who will be “very attractive” for his team at 12. He feels like he’ll have a chance to draft at least one, though he wouldn’t offer an identity. What he doesn’t know is if a team will leap ahead of him and nab his guy. He’s ready if that happens, though.

This is the most revealing piece of information we’ve seen so far, if accurate. Schneider admitted yesterday that the misinformation between teams started two weeks ago. However, considering there’s no direct names mentioned here, it’s hard to see how this could be constituted as misleading. The Seahawks may well have settled on two guys at #12 and both players could have a pretty good chance of being on the board when the team picks. When you’re picking that early, you don’t necessarily need a list of ten names. Especially if you have a history of thinking outside of he box.

So who are the two?

Many would speculate on the usual suspects you’ll see littered around the national mock drafts. I still firmly believe it could come down to the two names we’ve stuck with all along – Courtney Upshaw and Melvin Ingram. In that order.

Meanwhile… two members of the SDB community emailed me mock drafts recently and I wanted to get them on the blog before Thursday. Thanks to Clayton Russell and Craig Rosenstein for taking the time to put these together. You can see both projections after the fold. Continue reading

Pete Carroll and John Schneider conducted their pre-draft press conference today. Unsurprisingly the subject of pass rushers came up early. A few quotes from Carroll:

“The most difficult talent to find is ‘pass rusher’.”

“We think Clem (Chris Clemons) is a premier pass rusher. He’s a factor. We need to add to that.”

“You never have enough pass rushers, a lot of edge guys in this draft.”

Carroll also noted that pass rushers don’t have to be 6-4 with long arms, at least not for the Seahawks. I think it’s pretty clear – not that it wasn’t already – that the Seahawks are targeting at least one pass rusher early. It’s been clear for a while. Last year’s pre-draft press conferences didn’t give anything away directly, but there was enough honest information to work with. The team wanted to move down – a genuine plea almost to the rest of the league – but nothing materialised. They wanted to get bigger up front on both lines. They talked about other needs and positions the team were linked with, they answered openly. Yet the options seemed clear and Seattle eventually went big on the offensive line by taking James Carpenter and John Moffitt.

This year, the pass rush is almost certainly going to receive a similar focus. The defense needs more pressure up front. Carroll admitted Jason Jones has been brought in to play the three technique and predominantly play through the middle, but accepted it was an area they were still open to improving. But the Jones signing does suggest it’s going to be an outside rusher that will be drafted as the priority. Despite a lot of attention focused on Luke Kuechly or David DeCastro in a lot of mock drafts, the Seahawks appear destined to try and improve the one area holding back the defensive unit from becoming a real force.

Onto other subjects…

John Schneider noted that misinformation between teams began two weeks ago. He complimented members of the front office for identifying team needs and being able to see through the various smokescreens. Pete Carroll was asked about Ryan Tannehill’s work out, he replied by saying he ran well and looked good. He praised his ‘toughness’ after transitioning from receiver. Peter King wrote today about the Seahawks desires for Ryan Tannehill if he falls to #12. He also poured water on the idea Seattle would move up to #7. I wouldn’t expect the Seahawks to draft Tannehill at #12.

Carroll on wide receiver being a need: “It’s hard to pass up a touchdown maker. Anyone who can score touchdowns is big on our board. We have a very competitive group coming back.” For what it’s worth Carroll and Schneider spent time praising the receivers already on the roster.

Earl Thomas was called a “heart and soul guy for this programme” by Carroll. Marshawn Lynch and Michael Robinson were name checked in a similar way on offense. On tight ends, “We think he (Cameron Morrah) is a really good football player. Anthony’s got some really unique aspects. It’s a good, solid position for us.” Carroll also noted they’d still look at the position and again used the ‘touchdown maker’ phrase. I suspect the Seahawks are willing to keep an open mind at receiver and tight end if the value’s there. I also believe Carroll sees a lot of talent at both positions on the roster and that maybe they deserve a further chance to shine this year.

Carroll admitted Brandon Weeden turning 29 this year is an issue and would be a factor in the way the team viewed him. He also said he’s a good football player. It didn’t sound like Seattle will be drafting Weeden.

When talking about finding value late in the draft, Schneider admitted he takes “a lot of pride from the fourth round down.” He also said Kam Chancellor was graded much higher than the 5th round where he was taken. Schneider spent some time talking about the situation at Green Bay with Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn and why the 7th round quarterback beat out the 2nd rounder. Schneider also talked about perceived scheme fit: “If we see some cool qualities, we’re not saying ‘this is our scheme’. If we like a guy and everyone agrees with it, we’re going to go for it.”

I posted an updated quick-hit mock draft last night. If you missed it, take a look by clicking here.

Trade target?

First things first, don’t forget to check out Kip’s excellent write-up on Courtney Upshaw or the latest SDB community pick.

Quick-fire mock draft

I’ll be publishing my final 2012 mock on Wednesday just before the draft. You never know, maybe Kip will break out a mock too before Thursday (how about that for pressure). As we’re approaching draft week I wanted to note down a few thoughts and provide a quick first round projection. On Wednesday we’ll include the second round and full breakdown as usual.

#1 IND – Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford)
#2 WAS – Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor)
#3 MIN – Matt Kalil (OT, USC)
#4 CLE – Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama)
#5 TB – Morris Claiborne (CB, LSU)
#6 STL – Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma State)
#7 JAC – Fletcher Cox (DT, Mississippi State)
#8 MIA – Ryan Tannehill (QB, Texas A&M)
#9 CAR – Quinton Coples (DE, North Carolina)
#10 BUF – Stephon Gilmore (CB, South Carolina)
#11 KC – Luke Kuechly (LB, Boston College)
#12 SEA – Courtney Upshaw (DE, Alabama)
#13 ARI – David DeCastro (OG, Stanford)
#14 DAL – Mark Barron (S, Alabama)
#15 PHI – Melvin Ingram (DE, South Carolina)
#16 NYJ – Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame)
#17 CIN – Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama)
#18 SD – Nick Perry (DE, USC)
#19 CHI – Michael Brockers (DT, LSU)
#20 TEN – Whitney Mercilus (DE, Illinois)
#21 CIN – Peter Konz (OG/C, Wisconsin)
#22 CLE – Reuben Randle (WR, LSU)
#23 DET – Chandler Jones (DE, Syracuse)
#24 PIT – Dont’a Hightower (LB, Alabama)
#25 DEN – Doug Martin (RB, Boise State)
#26 HOU – Dontari Poe (DT, Memphis)
#27 NE – Shea McClellin (DE, Boise State)
#28 GB – Vinny Curry (DE, Marshall)
#29 SF – Riley Reiff (OT/G, Iowa)
#30 BAL – Cordy Glenn (OT/G, Georgia)
#31 NE – Stephen Hill (WR, Georgia Tech)
#32 NYG – Jonathan Martin (OT, Stanford)

More of this kind of thing on Wednesday.

Trading up for Fletcher Cox?

Dave ‘Softy’ Mahler at KJR tweeted an interesting rumor today, suggesting the Seahawks would consider moving up in the draft to get Fletcher Cox. The Seahawks want a pass rusher, it’s absolutely the #1 priority in the first round. While many have speculated about Luke Kuechly, David DeCastro and Michael Floyd, it’s all about creating more pressure up front. Cox is a pass rusher, so I’m paying more attention to this rumor than I would if – for example – it was being suggested the Seahawks wanted to trade up for Ryan Tannehill.

Cox put on a clinic at the combine, running a 10-yard split in the low 1.6’s (comparable to the top defensive ends) despite weighing 298lbs. He had 30 reps on the bench press and recorded a 4.79 forty. The guy looks the part, no doubt about it. Deciding his best position is the difficult part and is created an interesting (and at times, heated) debate for a lot of the off-season.

At Mississippi State he lined up everywhere – three technique, five technique, orthodox defensive end. I’ve always compared his game to a runaway train – full of speed and power, he can be unstoppable at times. He’s also a little off-balance and reckless and the key will be keeping the speed/power while rounding off a few of the rougher technical edges. He’s a pure physical specimen who doesn’t use a lot of technique or hand use, he prefers to get his head down and bull-rush. For that reason I think his best position will undoubtedly be the five-technique, where his speed and style will be a little more effective. He may even be able to play end on the strong side and could increase his rush capacity by losing a bit of weight and playing at around 290lbs.

When he’s at tackle I’m not enamoured by his run defense – he could be stouter, he could use a little more in the lower body. Cox looks like a big, athletic defensive end playing inside. His gap control is superior in the five and he’s not always the toughest to angle out on inside runs. He’s a pure pass rusher and while a lot of people believe he’ll create more pressure working inside, I’d rather see this guy playing the edge. Either way he’s one of the more unique athletes in this year’s draft and the versatility he brings to the table will probably interest Pete Carroll as much as anything else.

Would he fit into the scheme? Having spent a lot of time arguing the case for Courtney Upshaw, I’m not about to claim there’s no fit for Cox. They could use him at the three, before moving outside on certain downs. Yet isn’t that what they signed Jason Jones for? And if you’re drafting a guy to play tackle inside, do you cut Alan Branch? He isn’t likely to play permanently at end given Red Bryant’s recent extension. And before anyone asks about moving Bryant inside – this team moved him outside for a reason, and they also made him the best paid player on the defense as a defensive end for a reason.

It’s a name that hasn’t been touted elsewhere, which makes me believe there could be something in this. At the same time, moving up would be an expensive ordeal. You’d have to expect the Seahawks to pay a second round pick for the privilege of taking Cox, an expensive price given the needs elsewhere. And despite being such a physical impressive prospect, he still managed just five sacks in 2011. Break it down even further, and he actually only had sacks in three games – registering two against both Kentucky and South Carolina and one against Wake Forest (see tape below).

In 2010 he had 2.5 sacks and zero in 2009. Draft history is littered with stand-out athletic prospects who perform well at the combine, gradually rise up the boards and become top-ten picks. If those prospects fail, people inevitably try to find out what went wrong. They look at the late rise, they look at the lack of top-end production in college. That’s not to say Cox won’t play his best, productive football in the NFL, but sometime’s there’s a ‘fools gold’ aspect to prospects like this. That’s the gamble you take on upside, of which Cox has plenty.

That potential is expected to secure Cox a place in the top ten – either to St. Louis, Jacksonville, Miami or Carolina. I’m not convinced the Seahawks will pull the trigger on a trade, even if it is being contemplated as Softy has suggested. But one way or another they’ll be adding to the pass rush early in this draft.

So what’s the plan for draft day? Last year we ran a productive live-chat session that featured on Seahawks Draft Blog and Field Gulls. I’m pleased to say we’ll once again be using the live-chat feature on Thursday and Friday on both sites, covering rounds 1-3. For the final day on Saturday I’ll be creating an open thread for comments and reaction. Last year several hundred people used the live chat to talk with other Seahawks fans, analyse the picks and more. I hope you’ll join us again.

On Tuesday we’ll vote for Seattle’s pick at #12, concluding the community mock. Kansas City are next up after Buffalo drafted Riley Reiff with 60% of the votes. This is how the board looks so far:

#1 Andrew Luck – IND
#2 Robert Griffin III – WAS
#3 Matt Kalil – MIN
#4 Trent Richardson – CLE
#5 Morris Claiborne – TB
#6 Justin Blackmon – STL
#7 Michael Floyd – JAC
#8 Ryan Tannehill – MIA
#9 Quinton Coples – CAR
#10 Riley Reiff – BUF

The Chiefs could go in a number of directions. If you believe the speculation, they are fond of Ryan Tannehill and may have the opportunity to draft him. The team’s offensive line could still use further additions, with David DeCastro a possibility even if it is a little early for a guard. Yet most people believe the Chiefs will take a defensive player at #11 with several solid options available.

They could choose Luke Kuechly, who looks like the prototypical Scott Pioli draft pick. Although he’s not an obvious scheme fit in the 3-4, Pioli may just feel the guy is too good to pass in this range – offering a defensive leader for the long term. Even so, it’s still not a position of priority need for the Chiefs. Would they gamble on a nose tackle such as Dontari Poe or Michael Brockers? How about a corner like Stephon Gilmore? Or would they keep adding to the pass rush with Melvin Ingram or Courtney Upshaw?

It’s in your hands…

(polls)

With the 9th overall pick, Carolina drafted Quinton Coples. He just edged out Fletcher Cox (39% vs 33%) in the closest vote we’ve seen so far. We’re just two picks away from the Seahawks, with Buffalo and Kansas City yet to make their choice.

#1 Andrew Luck – IND
#2 Robert Griffin III – WAS
#3 Matt Kalil – MIN
#4 Trent Richardson – CLE
#5 Morris Claiborne – TB
#6 Justin Blackmon – STL
#7 Michael Floyd – JAC
#8 Ryan Tannehill – MIA
#9 Quinton Coples – BUF

The Bills went big in free agency to improve their pass rush, making a huge offer to Mario Williams and then adding Mark Anderson. Buffalo suddenly has one of the more feared defensive fronts in the AFC. However, will they be susceptible to even the most modest of rush attacks if they don’t improve their offensive line?

Demetrius Bell played left tackle for the Bills last year, but he’s since moved on to Philly. The team needs an offensive tackle, simple as that. Riley Reiff would make a lot of sense here and while he isn’t the elite pass protector teams look for in this range, he’ll solidify the line and help keep Ryan Fitzpatrick upright. If they don’t fancy Reiff, then Cordy Glenn and Jonathan Martin could be alternatives.

I’ve also included cornerback Stephon Gilmore and linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Bills could go defense and wait on a tackle, but they’d be taking a gamble. Many expect Michael Floyd to be a consideration but he left the board at #7.

So which direction do the Bills take?

(polls)

Upon the draft’s conclusion next Thursday, we’ll be reviewing the prospects taken by Seattle before moving on to 2013. We’ll get into this subject more when we break down the tape of various prospects, but I wanted to publish early videos on three key quarterbacks. In my eyes, Matt Barkley is the clear #1 next year and several teams will already have an eye directed towards the USC quarterback. But who are some of the others to think about?

Regulars who visited between September-December will know I’m not a fan of Oklahoma’s Landry Jones. Had he declared for this year’s event, he would’ve been a mid-rounder at best in my eyes – so no surprises he chose not to declare. But three other quarterbacks are a little more intriguing.

We touted Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas on our top-50 watchlist for 2011 and he didn’t disappoint – showing enough potential as a first-year starter to warrant genuine excitement. He is a possible #1 overall pick next year. Tyler Wilson will have to deal with the departure of Bobby Petrino at Arkansas, but he was also the most prolific SEC quarterback last year. I like Wilson, but I do have some concerns (all in good time…). Tyler Bray has had to deal with injury problems at Tennessee and he needs to add weight, but he throws a pretty ball. Tape supplied below by JMPasq, expect full and detailed breakdowns after the 2012 draft. Expect the latest SDB community mock draft pick later today.