The Pigskin Guy

Happy Draft Day everyone! The NFL Draft is my favorite three days (or is it 10 days now?) of the year. I will be running a live blog all three days where I give an initial reaction to each selection, along with early fantasy thoughts when relevant. Stop by throughout the draft and check out my cockeyed opinions. Also, feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you think things are going. Have fun and enjoy the draft.

1. Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
-Luck is now the face of the Colts franchise. He has huge shoes to fill and I don’t mean those of Curtis Painter. On paper, Luck has every single thing to be successful in the NFL. Hopefully for his sake the organization builds a quality team around him. Luck becomes a nice later round fantasy sleeper. He has two proven receivers in Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie and the Colts will likely be playing from behind a lot. However, Luck will need some luck to last the season behind that dreadful offensive line.

2. Redskins - Robert Griffin III, Baylor
-I give Mike Shanahan a hard time but being objective Griffin is a perfect fit for what Shanahan likes to do on offense. Griffin is a pocket passer but he’s also very accurate throwing the ball on rollouts and bootlegs. I like the look of this Redskins team. Their speed on offense with Griffin, Roy Helu, Pierre Garcon, Leonard Hankerson and Fred Davis is scary. I think RG3 will make an immediate fantasy impact. He won’t put up Cam Newton-type numbers as a rookie but at worst Griffin will be a solid spot starter for fantasy owners like Andy Dalton was last year. History suggests that either Luck or Griffin will disappoint but on paper they both look like great prospects.

3. Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
-The Browns trade up a spot with the Vikings to select one of the best running back prospects in recent memory. This is a great move for both the Browns and fantasy owners. Richardson will get almost all of the touches from Day 1 and he should have a big rookie season. He won’t get out of Round 2 in most fantasy drafts. I think the kid is an absolute stud.

4. Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT USC
Taking a tackle early isn’t sexy but this was the right selection for Minnesota. The Vikings offensive line was dreadful last year and if you have a young quarterback like Christian Ponder you either get him weapons or you protect him. The Vikings chose the latter and it was a good move.

5. Jaguars – Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
This is a good move for Jacksonville and Blaine Gabbert but it sucks for fantasy owners. This was the worst possible landing spot for Blackmon in terms of fantasy football. Gabbert may end up being the guy in Jacksonville but that passing game has to improve by leaps and bounds if Blackmon is going to make fantasy owners happy.

6. Cowboys – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
I’m a little drunk but did Jerry Jones move up to No. 6, get Claiborne and not give up next year’s No.1? That’s the best move Jerry Jones has ever made. I’m absolutely giddy right now. Not even I can complain about this trade and pick and I love to complain. I haven’t been this happy since Dallas drafted Roy Williams. Uh-Oh.

7. Bucs - Mark Barron, S Alabama
This pick is kind of surprising but once Dallas came up and nabbed Claiborne the Bucs went with the top playmaking safety in the draft. I love Barron and I like the Bucs getting extra picks but I would be lying if I said the pick didn’t surprise me.

8. Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
This was the easiest pick to call in the draft outside of the first two. Miami had to make this selection in my opinion. I don’t believe Tannehill is ready to start right away but he’ll likely be their starter in 2013. He has upside but he also has a lot of question marks.

9. Panthers – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
I had this one nailed for a month now. I thought Kuechly was the perfect pick for Carolina. It just fit. This is one of the best talent/need picks so far in the draft. Excellent decision by the Panthers.

10. Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
I like Gilmore but I didn’t love this pick. I would have rather seen the Bills go Michael Floyd here. I don’t buy into the “you need corners to be the Patriots” theory. I think you have to outscore the Pats. The Bills upgraded their defense in free agency. I would have liked Floyd to team with Steve Johnson.

11. Chiefs – Dontari Poe, DT Memphis
I’m on a roll. I had Poe going here the entire time too. In my opinion Poe will be another bust DL for the Chiefs. On tape I graded him out as a 4th round pick. I don’t care what his 40 time is. How many times is Poe going to run 40 yards? This is one of the most over-drafted players in my lifetime.

12. Eagles – Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
The Eagles loved Cox and once he started slipping it was obvious who Philly traded up to get. The Eagles had a lot of trouble stopping the run last season so this pick makes sense for them. I still believe that Penn State’s Devon Still is the best DT in this class but I guess time will tell.

13. Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
Boy I love this pick. I really love it. I think Floyd is similar to Fitzgerald in a lot of ways and now the two will play together. If Kevin Kolb can stay upright Floyd is going to make a big fantasy impact as a rookie. I had Floyd as a Top 10 talent in this draft and playing opposite of Fitz is only going to help him get better. I love it. The guy sitting next to me at my draft party says Kevin Kolb sucks and Floyd has no chance. He’s also had 12 jack and Coke’s, so…

14. Rams – Michael Brockers, DT LSU
I really like this pick for the Rams. Brockers is one of the top run stuffers in this draft and if there is one thing the Rams need is a run stuffer. This is a quality pick for the Rams.

15. Seahawks – Bruce Irvin, OLB/DE West Virginia
I hate this pick. I just hate it. I’m going by my rankings and what I think and I think Melvin Ingram is a superior prospect to Irvin. Maybe I’m wrong but like I said, I don’t get the pick.

16. Jets – Quinton Coples, DE/OLB North Carolina
This is a tough one. I like Melvin Ingram and Chandler Jones more but there is no denying Coples has talent. I also don’t know if he can play OLB in the 3-4, so are the Jets going to use him at end? This will be one of the biggest boom or bust picks in this draft five years from now. I see some Vernon Gholston in Coples, which obviously isn’t a compliment.

17. Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Bengals
I’m kicking myself for changing this pick in my mock. It made so much sense. The Bengals needed a corner and Kirkpatrick had some off-the-field issues. It was a match made in heaven.

18. Chargers – Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB South Carolina
I love this pick. At my draft party I was asked before the draft who was going to be the best defensive player to come out of this class and I answered Ingram. I think this is the best pick of Round 1. To get a guy with his versatility and playmaking skills at 18 is one heck of a pick.

19. Bears – Shea McClellin, OLB/DE Boise State
This pick surprised me only because I thought McClellin was a better fit for a 3-4 team. The Bears obviously wanted to upgrade their defensive line in this draft and they must have liked McClellin. This kid is quick and he makes plays, so it’s hard to argue with the Bears selecting a guy that can get to the passer like McClellin can.

20. Titans –  Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
Whoa, there’s a curveball for you. I like this kind of thinking as I mentioned before. You take Jake Locker early last year, get him some weapons. People have different opinions on Wright but I’ve loved him going back to his college days. I don’t think this is the best spot for Wright in terms of fantasy value this season but in two or three years he could be a star. With Wright, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington and Jared Cook, the Titans have a lot of weapons for Locker in the passing game, assuming he wins the starting job.

21. Patriots - Chandler Jones, DE/OLB Syracuse
I’ve been begging the Pats to take an outside pass rusher for years and they finally got him. Jones is one of the top defensive players in this draft. People who don’t see Syracuse play a lot may not know a lot about Jones but he’s a monster. One question though: Adam Schefter announced that the pats were trading up to take Jones while Tennessee was still on the clock. Couldn’t another team have traded up with the Titans to take Jones?

22. Browns – Brandon Weeden, QB Oklahoma State
If had this pick nailed up until my final mock and then I changed it. What a gutless turd I am. Anyway, I love this landing spot for Weeden. He is ready to come in and compete right away with Colt McCoy. The Browns are moving in the right direction by finally adding talent on the offensive side of the ball. I think Weeden could be the Browns starting quarterback by Halloween.

23. Lions – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
This was a no-brainer. When Reiff fell this far the Lions had to pounce on him. It’s one of those picks that just made sense given need and talent level.

24. Steelers – David DeCastro, G Stanford
One of the safest picks on the board. You plug DeCastro in at guard and let him go to the Pro Bowl for eight straight years. DeCastro was one of my favorite players in this draft, so I obviously love this pick for the Steelers.

25. Patriots - Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama
Wow, the patriots make what I think is one of the scariest picks of the draft. Hightower is an absolute killing machine and he’s exactly the kind of player New England has been lacking in recent years. The Patriots just added Chandler Jones and Hightower. This year when you hear all the draft pundits drooling over the Patriots draft it won’t just be hot air. Two excellent additions to New England’s defense.

26. Texans – Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB Illinois
I don’t like the pick. I thought Rueben Randle or Cordy Glenn would have been a much better addition here for Houston. Obviously the Texans had Mercilus rated high but the way draft fell I didn’t think it was the best pick for Houston. We’ll see.

27. Bengals - Kevin Zeiter, G Wisconsin
The Bengals have a big hole to fill at guard and Zeiter was the second best prospect behind DeCastro. This is a pick that will help out BeJarvus Green-Ellis, as Zeiter excels at run blocking. He should come in and start right away.

28. Packers – Nick Perry, DE/OLB USC
I like Perry but I thought he should have made more plays at USC. The Packers desperately need someone to help put pressure on the quarterback but I have some doubts about Perry. He’s a bit like Quinton Coples. Sometimes he looks like a Top 10 pick and other times he disappears. It all depends on which player of those two the Packers get.

29. Vikings - Harrison Smith, S Notre Dame
He’s a good player. Would I trade up to get him? Probably not. I thought Smith was a solid second round selection. Obviously the Vikings thought much more of him because they moved up into the first round to get him. I think he’ll end up being a solid NFL player but nothing special.

30. 49ers – A.J. Jenkins, WR Illinois
If you follow this blog you know Jenkins is one of my favorite players in this draft. I love this pick for the 49ers. I’m telling you right now Jenkins will be the 49ers No. 1 receiver in two years. He is a big-time fantasy sleeper in 2012, mark it down. Most people aren’t as high on Jenkins as I am but I think he can be a stud receiver in the NFL.

31. Bucs –Doug Martin, RB Boise State
You know the Bucs really wanted Trent Richardson if they are trading up in Round 1 for Doug Martin. This is a good pick for the Bucs because Martin is a good pass protector and receiver, something LeGarrette Blount isn’t. Martin is a fantasy sleeper for me at RB because I get the feeling Greg Schiano doesn’t love Blount. I think Martin will see a lot of playing time as a rookie.

32. Giants –David Wilson, RB Giants
You know I love David Wilson to the point where it’s a little unhealthy. I actually think the Giants got the better running back at the end of Round 1. Wilson is known for his speed but he also runs with power. He  had more yards after contact than any other back in this draft including Trent Richardson. I can tell you right now that Wilson is a big-time fantasy sleeper of mine given Ahmad Bradshaw’s injury history. Great pick.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I’ll have some Round 1 fantasy analysis up later tonight.