Few comments on the draft:
- Just curious: how sure are you on the top 5 picks?
Less now than when I wrote it. My "knowns":
Curry will not fall below KC. It's more likely that Rush Limbaugh will solicit campaign $$ for Hillary Clinton than the Chiefs not taking him.
STL prefers Monroe to Jason Smith and will take him if he's there. If DET takes Monroe (not likely) then the Rams will take Curry
Seattle is looking to slide back a few spots and take Crabtree. They don't want the risk at that high a pick. He's not out of the question at #4, but neither is Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez.
Detroit is probably 75% sold on Curry, 15% Jason Smith, 5% Stafford, and 5% Monroe.
* Last week NFL.com had an article by Sam Wyche where he quoted a source that said the Seahawks were leaning towards going with an "offensive playmaker" with the 4th overall pick. Take it for what it's worth but I just thought it was interesting. On top of that, I just can't see the Seahawks going with Everette Brown with how much money they have invested there now with Cole, Redding, Kerney, and Jackson, as well as the amount of draft picks they spent the past couple of years (Tapp, Jackson, Mebane, Bryant, etc.).
You know, I forgot about Cole completely. I agree with Wyche's assessment but I think it might be a little lower.
* Malcolm Jenkins to the Browns...really? I have a feeling that the Browns, well Mangini, might really like Jenkins, but that high for a position that they don't really *need* and especially after his 40 time? I'm not totally opposed to Jenkins but I have a gut feeling they'll take Orakpo if he's there (don't like it, but...).
Orakpo is unlikely because he's had some trouble staying healthy and they are tired of being snakebit on that. Very tired. Everette Brown is a very realistic possibility. And one Browns beatie insists off the record that they are very serious about taking Matt Stafford if he is there. IMO that's a smokescreen to either drive up the asking price for the pick or to help try and get Jay Cutler, but that's just a guess.
In the 2nd round I have no problem with Larry English. Love it.
But Cedric Peerman with the Kellen Winslow pick? I think Browns' fans would have a collective mutiny if that happened. I know they just signed Noah Herron but they now go 3-deep. Herron isn't much of a reason to pass on a RB but Peerman seems like a duplicate of Herron and, IMHO, won't be much more than a 3rd down back. I could see Donald Brown, Shonn Greene or even Andre Brown (wouldn't agree with it) but is there something I'm missing on Peerman? Or do the Browns just really like him?
They do very much like Peerman, for a couple of reasons. First is that he's a lot like Deangelo Williams, a between-the-tackles guy but with great explosion after he gets thru the line. He plays big. His 40 time is very good, but what really sets it apart was his 10-yard split. He's at 1.4, and no other RB has put up better than 1.5 in any officially timed workout. He's also got great hands, low mileage, and high character. I believe you're going to see him steadily climbing draft boards and in other mocks soon enough.
Great 3rd round pick too. Love Chung, especially with the Jets matching the Elam offer sheet. Chung is the best SS prospect in the draft.
They are super pissed that the Jets matched on Elam, even though everyone I talked to expected that to happen. They're still in denial/shock that Jones took significantly less money and security to leave. I am not a Chung fan at all (too deliberate and very much a tweener type, a la Terrence Holt), but as I always say...these picks represent what I believe the teams will do given the situation, not what I would do.
How I would pick for the Browns:
#5 - Michael Crabtree
#37 - Larry English
#50 - Wood/Luigs/Caldwell
# 100 - Patrick Chung
How I would pick it, my ideal Browns draft:
#5 - B.J. Raji
#37 - James Laurinaitis
#50 - Coye Francies
#100 - Rashad Jennings
Any clue which way they're leaning, by any chance? Any info would be appreciated.
* Michael Crabtree seems like a logical pick but Michael Lombardi said he's positive that the Raiders go with a lineman (defensive or offensive) at #7. Take it for what it's worth.
I'll have to give Michael a call and chat. Great guy and he would know.
* Clay Matthews that high...REALLY?!?! The kid isn't anything more than a 3rd round talent and teams will pay for taking him anywhere higher than there.
He could go to Buffalo at #11, and I highly doubt he would fall below New England. Most people I talk to think he's clearly the best USC defensive prospect in this draft, and would still be if Taylor Mays had declared. Bloodlines mean a lot, and the fact he developed and blossomed (not a common trait amongst Trojans, sorry Lakeshow!) during his career speaks volumes about him.
* I can see Tyson Jackson that high but it does seem a bit high there.
Tyson is a toughie because nobody really knows exactly what he is. IMO he's a 3-4 end or a 4-3 LDE, which normally doesn't merit that high a pick. I really like him and his stock went up in my book despite not having the big numbers because he did what LSU asked him to do and worked very hard at it. Ricky Jean Francois, on the other hand...look out below!
* Boy would the Lions be on the right track with those first three picks...but who the heck is Chad Owens?
It's Chris Owens, and he's another guy you're going to see moving up in most mocks. He played opposite Coye Francies (a guy I really like) and Peanut Lowery of the Jets and saw a ton of action as a result. He's not flashy or much of a playmaker but he's very solid in man and zone and he's got a great football IQ. A lot of WRs have talked him up as the best cover man they faced, and teams listen to that type of stuff.
