This article is part of our NFL Draft series.
There are a few points I'd like to address to start us off:
First, I think the limbo status of free agency and player trades will result in hysteria with quarterbacks. Any team expecting one of the top seven to fall to its second-round pick, I think, is in serious danger of getting burned.
Second, I think the extreme depth at defensive line will result in at least one or two widely assumed top-15 picks to fall a good ways. Those players are likely to be J.J. Watt and Cameron Jordan.
Third, I'm putting three trades in this mock. The first is San Diego trading with Miami, the second Tennessee with New Orleans, and the third is Dallas with Atlanta.
San Diego trades its 18th and 82nd picks for Miami's 15th and 111th picks.
Tennessee trades its 39th, 109th and 2012 first-round pick for New Orleans' 24th pick.
Dallas trades its 40th and a 2012 first-round pick for Atlanta's 27th pick.
Round One
1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
2. Denver Broncos - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller, (3-4) OLB, Texas A&M
4. Cincinnati Bengals - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
With three in-house potential starters at WR (Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley), A.J. Green just wouldn't help Cincinnati as much as Gabbert or Patrick Peterson. If they banks on a QB falling to their second pick, the Bengals might get burned.
5.
There are a few points I'd like to address to start us off:
First, I think the limbo status of free agency and player trades will result in hysteria with quarterbacks. Any team expecting one of the top seven to fall to its second-round pick, I think, is in serious danger of getting burned.
Second, I think the extreme depth at defensive line will result in at least one or two widely assumed top-15 picks to fall a good ways. Those players are likely to be J.J. Watt and Cameron Jordan.
Third, I'm putting three trades in this mock. The first is San Diego trading with Miami, the second Tennessee with New Orleans, and the third is Dallas with Atlanta.
San Diego trades its 18th and 82nd picks for Miami's 15th and 111th picks.
Tennessee trades its 39th, 109th and 2012 first-round pick for New Orleans' 24th pick.
Dallas trades its 40th and a 2012 first-round pick for Atlanta's 27th pick.
Round One
1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
2. Denver Broncos - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller, (3-4) OLB, Texas A&M
4. Cincinnati Bengals - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
With three in-house potential starters at WR (Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley), A.J. Green just wouldn't help Cincinnati as much as Gabbert or Patrick Peterson. If they banks on a QB falling to their second pick, the Bengals might get burned.
5. Arizona Cardinals - Robert Quinn, (3-4) OLB, North Carolina
6. Cleveland Browns - A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
7. San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
8. Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
9. Dallas Cowboys - Tyron Smith, OT, USC
10. Washington Redskins - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
11. Houston Texans - Aldon Smith, (3-4) OLB, Missouri
12. Minnesota Vikings - Jake Locker, QB, Washington
13. Detroit Lions - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
14. St. Louis Rams - Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
15. San Diego Chargers (from Miami) - Ryan Kerrigan, (3-4) OLB, Purdue
Miami wants to move back, and jumping to this spot allows San Diego to get to Kerrigan before the Patriots might. Last year's Ryan Mathews trade shows San Diego is not afraid to move up, and they have lots of picks this year.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
Word is that the character-conscious Jags are swooning over Kaepernick. He won't make it to their second pick, so they need to lock on here if they want to make a move.
17. New England Patriots (from Oakland) - Muhammad Wilkerson, (3-4) DE, Temple
18. Miami Dolphins (from San Diego) - Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
19. New York Giants - Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
21. Kansas City Chiefs - Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida
22. Indianapolis Colts - James Carpenter, OT, Alabama
23. Philadelphia Eagles - Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
24. Tennessee Titans (from New Orleans) - Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
25. Seattle Seahawks - Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
26. Baltimore Ravens - J.J. Watt, (3-4) DE, Wisconsin
27. Dallas Cowboys (from Atlanta) - Cameron Jordan (3-4) DE, California
28. New England Patriots - Danny Watkins, G, Baylor
29. Chicago Bears - Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
30. New York Jets - Phil Taylor, (3-4) NT, Baylor
31. Pittsburgh Steelers - Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
32. Green Bay Packers - Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
Round Two
33. New England Patriots (from Carolina) – Brooks Reed, (3-4) OLB, Arizona
34. Buffalo Bills – Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
35. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
36. Denver Broncos – Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
37. Cleveland Browns – Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
38. Arizona Cardinals – Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
39. New Orleans Saints (from Tennessee) – Cameron Heyward, DT, Ohio State
40. Atlanta Falcons (from Dallas) - Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
41. Washington Redskins – Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
42. Houston Texans – Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton
43. Minnesota Vikings – Allen Bailey, DL, Miami (FL)
44. Detroit Lions – Ben Ijalana, OT/G, Villanova
45. San Francisco 49ers – Jabaal Sheard, (3-4) OLB, Pittsburgh
46. Denver Broncos (from Miami) – Justin Houston, DE, Georgia
47. St. Louis Rams – Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
48. Oakland Raiders – Clint Boling, G/OT, Georgia
49. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (FL)
50. San Diego Chargers – Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina
51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington
52. New York Giants – Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
53. Indianapolis Colts – Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
54. Philadelphia Eagles – Mason Foster, LB, Washington
55. Kansas City Chiefs – Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
56. New Orleans Saints – Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU
57. Seattle Seahawks – Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida
58. Baltimore Ravens – Edmond Gates, WR, Abilene Christian
59. Atlanta Falcons – Jah Reid, OT, UCF
60. New England Patriots – Ras-I Dowling, CB/FS, Virginia
61. San Diego Chargers (from Jets) – Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
62. Chicago Bears – Will Rackley, G, Lehigh
63. Pittsburgh Steelers – Aaron Williams, CB/FS, Texas
64. Green Bay Packers – DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
Round Three
65. Carolina Panthers – Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami (FL)
66. Cincinnati Bengals – Greg Little, WR, North Carolina
67. Denver Broncos – Quan Sturdivant, LB, North Carolina
68. Buffalo Bills – Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa
69. Arizona Cardinals – Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
70. Cleveland Browns – Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
71. Dallas Cowboys – Sam Acho, (3-4) OLB, Texas
72. New Orleans (from Washington) – Nate Irving, LB, North Carolina State
73. Houston Texans –
Shareece Wright, CB, USC 74. New England Patriots (from Minnesota) – Titus Young, WR, Boise State
75. Detroit Lions – Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
76. San Francisco 49ers – Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
77. Tennessee Titans – Stefen Wisniewski, C/G, Penn State
78. St. Louis Rams – Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
79. Miami Dolphins – John Moffitt, G/C, Wisconsin
80. Jacksonville Jaguars – Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
81. Oakland Raiders – DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami (FL)
82. Miami Dolphins (from San Diego) – Virgil Green, TE, Nevada
83. New York Giants – Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
84. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
85. Philadelphia Eagles – Orlando Franklin, G/OT, Miami (FL)
86. Kansas City Chiefs – Chris Carter, (3-4) OLB, Fresno State
87. Indianapolis Colts – Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse
88. New Orleans Saints – Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii
89. San Diego Chargers (from Seattle) – Christian Ballard, (3-4) DE, Iowa
90. Baltimore Ravens – Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
91. Atlanta Falcons – Julius Thomas, TE, Portland State
92. New England Patriots – Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State
93. Chicago Bears – Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State
94. New York Jets – Bruce Miller, (3-4) OLB, Central Florida
95. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut
96. Green Bay Packers – Aldrick Robinson, WR, SMU
97. Carolina Panthers (Compensatory) – Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee
