May 4, 2015

Seattle Seahawks vs. Me 2015 NFL Draft

#63- Frank Clark. Seriously? Yikes.. off most boards and their first pick at the end of round 2? I get he can rush the passer, but he certainly isn't elite. My pick originally was Oregon C: Hroniss Grasu who went pick 71... except, he didn't make it that far because I take him again. Clearly, the Seahawks thought they have some issues on their OL since they grabbed 2 interior guys later in the draft.

#69- Tyler Lockett. Moved up via trade with the Redskins to grab Lockett, who is undersized but can run and is a big play threat. He could be a Harvin clone in the offense minus the major locker room issues. I actually like Jaelen Strong and PJ Williams a lot.. I understand the pick and see what they're doing. I would have a hard time not taking Strong, but am okay with Lockett. 

#130-Terry Poole-G-SDSU. I know he didn't go until way later and I took him with the Bills too.. but I just can't pass up Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Too talented, despite the knee injury. He might not have the size the Seahawks prefer, but you saw them struggle in the slot vs. the Patriots. Ifo can clamp that spot down for years.

#134-Mark Glowinski-OG-WVU. Following my earlier mock and knowing that I already have Grasu on the interior, I would grab ILB Ben Heeney. He doesn't have magical speed, but he's a tackling machine and can help special teams early until he gets his feet wet in the defense.

#170-Tye Smith-CB-Towson. I had no plans on taking him, but they could use some DL depth and like moving guys around up front and getting a nasty pass rush.. how can Ohio State DL Michael Bennett still be around? Too good to pass up at this stage.

#209-Obum Gwachum-DE-Oregon State. I'd take Bobby Hart G from FSU. I'm a big school guy for the most part (since I don't get to see much small school stuff) and Hart was a OT but will be moved inside. He's a mauler type guy, doesn't have great feet, but comes from a pro style offense and is a big, developing body inside.

#214-Kristjan Sokoli-OL-Buffalo. I'm sticking somewhat to my mock board and grabbing OLB Zach Hodges who went undrafted. Hodges is explosive and raw off the edge, we know how they like guys that can get to the QB quickly. In Seattle, he can learn and develop some counter moves while taking a situational type spot up front.

#248-Ryan Murphy-DB-Oregon State. I've got nothing against Ryan Murphy, tantalizing athlete and that big, 6'2 frame that the LOB loves soooooo much. My mock has them taking Nick Marshall, who went undrafted (seems like I get that a lot). I'd like to stick with him and I think with Ifo in the mix, Marshall gets a little chance to learn the position before being rushed into action.

Buffalo Bills vs. Me 2015 NFL Draft

#50. Buffalo Bills took: FSU CB Ronald Darby. (I had taken Tre Jackson multiple times who didn't go until the 4th round). My pick: Randy Gregory. Hard to not take a guy despite the DL the Bills already have. I get the CB, but man.. Gregory with Rex Ryan? I'd take that chance. What's not to like about this spot? Potentially get more elite at the pass rush?

#81: Buffalo Bills took: Louisville OG Jon Miller. (I had taken Josh Shaw multiple times; he also went in the 4th round). I'm going with FSU OG Tre Jackson. I think Jackson ends up a better player than Miller and was rated higher coming out. Jackson seemed like a better fit to me, and he still does.. of course, I don't study film much or look at it the same way they do.. but I did notice Jackson a few times this year when watching FSU.

#155: Buffalo Bills took: FSU Karlos Williams, RB. I know he didn't get picked.. but I'm stick with my MSU FS Kurtis Drummond. Shocked he didn't get drafted; I can't go off my board too far. I watched the No Fly Zone often in the Big 10 and I get the no passing game garbage, and Waynes is elite.. but Drummound really solidified that defense at the back end. I'm still shocked he wasn't picked.

#188: Buffalo Bills took: Clemson OLB Tony Steward. My pick was Damian Swann originally who went 167. At this stage I'm going with a guy that was picked shortly after Oregon CB Ike Ekpre-Olomu. Why is he still available?! I get the knee issue, but man.. what an elite talent still on the board!!

#194: Buffalo Bills took: FSU TE Nick O'Leary. (I took Nick Boyle who went at 171, so he wasn't available.) I'm fine at staying with Nick O'Leary at this spot. I mean.. we're down near the end of the draft so unless there is somebody that you're just in love with.. why deviate from what the team really does?

#234: Buffalo Bills took: Central Arkansas WR Dezmin Lewis. This is a tough pick because it's hard to not like Lewis' size and, of course, I'm a big OL fan.. but I'm going with WR Tre McBride. I think he finds a spot on this roster and helps to stretch the field.

April 14, 2015

Buffalo Bills Mock 2.0

I got to a 2nd mock draft this year... allllllllriiiiiiiiiiighhhhhttttttttttttttt

I use the cbssports.com rankings and cannot draft a player ABOVE the number of the pick. For instance, the Bills first pick is #50, so the best prospect I could take would be 50th on the cbssports.com big board. Fair enough? I suppose so.

#50- (Previous pick: Tre Jackson): Staying with Tre Jackson.. Pro style offense, leg drive and can get to 2nd level. Great run fit.. I did consider Maxx Williams

#81- (Previous pick: Josh Shaw): Keeping Josh Shaw still. Too good of a defensive player to pass up especially with Rex.. he has no problem taking questionable guys and getting them to buy in.

#155- (Previous pick 147: Kurtis Drummond.. who moved all the way up to 113th in the rankings).. Markus Golden OLB Missouri. Drummond is gone, I thought about upgrading the safety position or even taking another WR.. but I went with the edge rusher instead. Some questions about his size, but he can get pressure off the edge and is good at getting in passing lanes. A worthwhile gamble this late.

#188- (Previous: 172 Ryan Russell, 178 Sean Mannion). Damian Swann CB Georgia. Another DB, not quite S size, but did play there a tad at Georgia. Great ball skills, plays bigger than his size and impressive in ST coverage.

#194- Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware. Small school, athletic, not quite the grinding, blocking TE that Rex probably wants.. but adds some versatility to a lackluster position.

#234- (Previous: 209 Antwan Goodley) Shane Carden- QB ECU. Worth a flyer late, smart QB with good enough arm strength and prep work.

March 12, 2015

2015 Seahawks Mock Draft Edition 1

About 3 inches from another Super Bowl, a crushing loss after that Kearse catch.. but that's all I'm doing to reminisce at this point.. time to move forward to the 2015 NFL Draft. As my other mocks: I know that the draft list isn't set yet, so I'll update more later but I am a tad bored right now! Using cbssports.com big board, and I can't draft a player if he's higher than that on the board. #63 is the highest pick I can first make for Seattle since they traded for that Jimmy Graham character. Never heard of him..... have you? Talk radio in WI isn't worried about him as long as they have Aaron Rodgers.. at least, that's the word today. We'll find out when the season starts ;)

#63- Oregon C- Hroniss Grasu. Oh, hey.. guess who Grasu projects to? MAX UNGER. This is such a tempting spot with Funchess, Xavier Cooper, Ty Sambrailo also on the board. A lot has already been made about the.. fragility and skill of Seattle's line last year and they lost Carpenter in FA and Unger in the Graham trade. Might as well start restocking now!

#95- Oregon CB- Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Call me Chip Kelly, apparently.. getting Oregon guys with the first 2 Seahawks selections. Ifo doesn't have the size the Seahawks love and will miss a bunch of the exhibition season with a knee injury.. so why gamble with their 2nd selection? He's young, he can move, he's great with the ball in the air and has great technique. He isn't as physical as they might like, but in today's NFL, he'd be a great addition to the slot for a team that depends so much on their coverage. I think this is a great pick for the Seahawks, I even passed up a few OL to make this one.

109- Wisconsin OL- Rob Havenstein. Run game struggled last year, Havenstein played OT in college but projects as a mauling G in the NFL. Everybody knows, and I've mentioned about the OL already.. potentially replaced a C and a G or, at least, provided depth for a team that loves to run the football.

127- Nebraska WR- Kenny Bell. Looked at Ty Montgomery and ILB Ben Heeney as well as some OLB, but took a shot with Bell. Bell has good straight line speed, he's a little smaller than a few of their other guys, but he can bring a little bit different dimension to the Seahawks return game as well as cover kicks/punts.

159- Harvard OLB Zach Hodges. Finally getting to work on the front 7, I think they'll draft a LB higher than this, but this was my best find as is. Hodges is from a small school but is a jack of all trades for them, which leaves him a little bit raw. He, however, has the ability to play multiple LB positions and even put his hand on the ground and rush the QB. Sounds like a Seahawks fit to me.

165- Auburn ATH Nick Marshall. Why not? Late pick, already have a CB and trying to add more DB depth. If it doesn't work, it's a 6th rd pick in a trade, so not a big loss. Think he can play CB with his athleticism and size and has some great tutors and a great scheme to work in for development.

223- Iowa DT Louis Trinca-Pasat. Finally a DL for the defense, but not an explosive one. Seattle could use a rotation DT to put in and just grind away and do dirty work until the pass rushers come in. Iowa DL are always extremely high effort, fundamental players. Pasat isn't any different, and could fit into a rotation.


March 10, 2015

2015 1st Bills Mock

Apparently I blog about 4 times a year and it happens to be during the NFL draft. I never did finish my mocks last year or even a "what I would have done" follow up after the draft. This year, I am determined to be different, however.. back to before kids and only the mock draft on my mind!

As a result of trades, like LeSean McCoy, and what not I had to look up the Bills pick and I am taking this site as my guide for now. As usual: I use the cbssports.com rankings and cannot draft a player ABOVE the number of the pick. For instance, the Bills first pick is #50, so the best prospect I could take would be 50th on the cbssports.com big board. Fair enough? I suppose so.

#50- FSU OG Tre Jackson-- I like him better than the other guard in that range (Laken Tomlinson) even though CBS has Tomlinson rated higher. I don't know a ton about Rex's offense, but I know that he loves to run the football and that guard was a weakspot for the Bills last year. Jackson has played in a pro style offense for 4 years, has great leg drive and is able to get to the 2nd level. Sounds like a great run fit to me!

#81- USC CB Josh Shaw-- Don't care about the fabricated story, actually saw his interview and was like.. "Yeah, that makes sense to me." The story part is lame, but he was scared. The kid can play and has insane measurables for this spot in the draft at that position. In the real draft, I think he goes higher, but I'm jumping on the CB/S at this spot and laughing!

#147- MSU FS Kurtis Drummond-- Apparently, I think Rex Ryan likes to have a lot of DBs.. I really think they look at a LB, but I like Drummond here over other raw players. Drummond gives them a smart, physical safety that can play different styles in Ryan's defense. They might look elsewhere, because he can struggle in man coverage, but he does too many other things well to pass him up.

#172- Purdue DE Ryan Russell-- Physical. Great look and explosiveness. Needs time to develop. Oh, hi Rex Ryan and the Bills DL that gets the QB routinely.. what a great place to learn.

#178- QB Sean Mannion- I'd be shocked if he's on the board this long and was surprised he's rated this low. The Bills have QB issues, is he a star? No.. but I can see him being better than Cassell and Manuel.

#209- WR Antwan Goodley-- Actually had a hard time here going back and forth between Goodley and EJ Bibbs. Went with Goodley, who has more explosion (obviously, given the position) than Bibbs, but a TE is a more likely real pick. Goodley fits that slot role that Goodwin never developed into, has his speed, but ability to cross the middle is the difference between the two. Small, explosive, short threat for whoever QBs the team

May 5, 2014

2014 Buffalo Bills Updated Mock Draft

I said I was going to do this monthly.. what I meant was once and then once again BEFORE the draft started.

As usual with my rules; I'm using cbssportsline.com and cannot draft anybody before their pick. For instance, the Bills 1st pick is #9 and even though I hope Khalil Mack will be available CBS has him at #2 (changed from 6 the first time I did this).. so I can't draft him.

#9: (1st time CJ Mosley; now in the 20s).. Now: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA. I really hope for a OT, and I have seen a ton of Ebron going and talk about help for EJ, but I'd shore up the D which can also help out a QB! Barr will get to the QB, period.

 #41: (1st time Antonio Richardson; now in the 90s).. Richardson's stock has plummeted.. I still really like him but won't reach for him at 41. Now: Terrence Brooks, S, FSU. He's at #69 now and I was able to get him at #105 before; he's projecting up and this might be a reach.. BUT, how badly do the Bills need safety help?!

 #73: (1st time: Jared Abbrederis, 90s.)  Now: Antonio Richardson, OT, TN. I like Abbrederis and Borland, but OL is such a HUGE need for the Bills it isn't even funny. They could also look to S here, but Richardson has 1st round talent and is somehow still on the board according to CBS.

#105: (1st time: Terrence Brooks, now 69) Now: Marqueston Huff, S, Wyoming.   Great numbers, former athletic CB that played S last season at Wyoming. Worried about physicality on the back end, but in a passing league, a ballhawk is a necessity deep.

 #137: (1st time: Jaylen Watkins, now in the 90s). Now: Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia. One time considered a 1st round talent.. we saw what happened when EJ got hurt last year. Murray is smart, athletic, and I think, underrated, at this stage.

 #169: (1st time: Denicos Allen). Now: Brandon Thomas, OG, Clemson. Tore his ACL, probably a top 100 pick if he didn't; the Bills have guards signed for next few seasons, so a redshirt year is a good idea. Worthwhile in the mid-rounds.

#201 (1st time: Connor Shaw). Now: Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford. I already took Aaron Murray, so I don't need another QB, instead I'm going with a DE that can play inside or outside and be strong and fundamental at either spot. Mauro isn't an athletic freak and won't give great burst off the edge, but he'll help in the run game and might offer a bit of slippery rush from the DT spot on pass downs (if needed)

Was going to get a WR, but didn't see the need with plenty of guys available as UFA. I don't think RB is a need with Spiller/Jackson still playing well. I would have liked to get a CB, but Huff could play a hybrid/both role there. Ultimately, I don't think Anthony Barr is who they take even if available, but he's too good for me to pass up.

January 5, 2014

Packers Only 2014 Mock Draft

Packers are about the 3rd/4th team on my list right now.. I'm not going to go into why (Brett Favre has a lot to do with it), but I still watch them on occasion. Seahawks and Bills are ahead of them.. but I still am interested in them being successful, especially now that they've actually adopted a running game.
Same rules as my Bills mock (mainly I don't draft a guy ahead of their CBS ranking)

#21: Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix. S. 'Bama. I don't think he'll really still be available.. but CBS has him ranked low right now. Have you watched the Packers DBs this year? Their okay (at times) at CB with Shields/Williams.. outside of Claymaker they get no pass rush and their S are brutal. They need playmakers and tacklers all over the field, but especially at S

#53: Shayne Skov. LB. Stanford. Kept debating between Skov and Carl Bradford from ASU. Bradford probably makes more sense but is higher risk/higher reward pick.. and I like to play safe especially with ballhawking good tacklers from Stanford.. one of my favorite college programs right now because of how physical they play.

#85: CJ Fiedorowicz. TE. Iowa. Not sure what's up with Finley and his health, but the Iowa kid is a solid blocker/catcher. Iowa players are always fundamentally sound and good blockers in the run game. He has underrated speed/hands and adds a fun element to the Packers offense.

#117: Tajh Boyd. QB. Clemson. Love him. Vastly underrated passer dropping because of his size. Excellent backup possibility.

#149: Wesley Johnson. OL. Vandy. Swing, undersized OL. Has played multiple OL positions at Vandy and been through it all as a multiple year starter in a tough conference. With Packers injuries, a guy that can play multiple positions is good to have around.. plus, he's not Marshall Newhouse.

#181: Ben Gardner. DL. Stanford. Probably not a pick if they stay in the 3-4, but if Capers is gone then the 4-3 makes sense for Gardner. See my mentions on Skov. I also like Ricardo Allen and Kevin Pierre-Louis in this spot.

#213: Dri Archer. Athlete. Kent State. Why not? Let the big dogs eat.