2012 First Round Thoughts

As is always the case I come away from the first round thinking how well some teams did, and how poorly some others did. this year, I am most surprised at how much talent is still going to be there early tomorrow. Courtney Upshaw fell, and I found that surprising. Also, the lack of interest in the o-line surprised me. Guys like Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, and Peter Konz will all get pick by some very luck teams tomorrow. Alshon Jeffery, Stephen Hill, and Ruben Randall will help fill out wide receiving corps tomorrow.

I am very excited to see how things will play out as teams that traded down to add assets will have a lot of options.

Thanks all for reading. I will post a recap of tomorrow, late tomorrow night or on Saturday morning.

2012 Pick 32 - David Wilson

a bit of a surprise here, the Giants leaving Cordy Glenn and Courtney Upshaw on the board. Wilson was my number two running back, ahead of Martin who went one pick earlier. I think this pick makes some sense, in that they need a second back. He is very fast and will provide New York with an additional element to their offense. Leaving behind better options pushes this pick down to a C-.

2012 Pick 31 - Doug Martin

And at 31, the Bucs get back into the mix and grab themselves Doug Martin. I know they need a second back, but they need linebackers more, and with Upshaw still on the board, this is a big miss for them. Blount is better than serviceable, and I am not sure that Martin is a real improvement. For this move, I am giving the Bucs a D.

2012 Pick 30 - AJ Jenkins

And the second head ringer of the night. AJ Jenkins has been moving up boards very quickly, but I had him rated much lower. I think the kid may be good, but I am not convinced. He measured very well, but did not play nearly that well. He is smart and fast, but I just dont see it. I would have picked Jeffrey or Hill instead. I am going to give SF an F.

2012 Pick 29 - Harrison Smith

And Minnesota moves back up into the first round and with their newly acquired pick they grab Harrison Smith. Sure they needed help in the secondary, but I think Smith is a reach here. He may be OK, but I don't see him as an ube-productive pro. I think the Vikes could have stayed put and grabbed him in the second round. Trading up will lower the grade on this pick to a D.

2012 Pick 28 - Nick Perry

This is a GB kind of pick, which is exactly why I had this pick pegged a few Mocks ago. He has great edge speed, and if they can get it from Perry their secondary will look a lot better. I think this may be a slight reach, but not too much. I would have probably gone with Upshaw before Perry, but a pretty good choice. Ill call it a C.

2012 Pick 27 - Kevin Zeitler

The Bengals traded down and are still in position to fill a hole on the o-line. Getting Zeitler and Kirkpatrick is a solid first round. Zeitler is a very solid o-lineman, and I think he could be a good fit. Most of the Wisconsin o-linemen become solid pros. I think this is a safe pick. I would have rather seen them take Cordy Glenn who is more polished and more flexible, but Zeitler is solid. Ill give them a C.

2012 Pick 26 - Whitney Mercilus

Houston's primary need was to find an alternative wide out who can take some of the defense's focus off Andre Johnson. With Wright off the board, the team looks to the defense to replace the production lost with Super Mario and Demeco Ryan leaving town. Mercilus has a good pass rush knack, but he only did it for one year. His instincts are solid, but there is the potential he could return to his pre-senior form. The risk howver is worth the payoff at 26, so this pick get Houston a B.

2012 Pick 25 - Dont'a Hightower

The Pats come out of the first round with both Jones and Hightower. Trading up for the second time lands them another very good ball player. The Pats do what the Pats do, and they again have made themselves a better ball club. Another move I like for the Pats. Solid B.

2012 Pick 24 - David DeCastro

I think this is an excellent pick. Interior linemen aren't typically over drafted, and DeCastro is the rare Guard worthy of a first round selection. The Steelers were weak up front and DeCastro will change that in a hurry. DeCastro + Pouncy = awesome oline for the next decade. Steelers get an A.

2012 Pick 23 - Riley Reiff

the Lions need help in their secondary and up front on the o-line. Most of my Mocks had them looking at Gilmore, who is obviously gone. The obviously aren't that high on Jenkins, so instead they look at Reiff to shore up the o-line. reiff has the potential to be solid, and if he is, this is a win for the Lions. Not too much risk here at 23 either. I give it a B.

2012 Pick 22 - Brandon Weeden

Obviously, where there is smoke there is fire. There has been talk of them being uncertain of Colt McCoy all offseason, but now Brandon Weeden comes to town. As an older QB, he will be expected to come in right away and compete for a starting position. With Wright off the board, I like this pick. They can now wait for the 2nd round to land another WR. I give this a B-.

2012 Pick 21 - Chandler Jones

With the 21st pick the Bengals trade down and that makes sense. I have to say I like that move. I also like this move for New England. Jones has exceptional potential, and his stock has been rising in recent days. I said his rating was close to that of Branch and Mercilus, and now he goes before both. The Pats need a pass rush, and corner help, and Jones immediately improves the pass rush. I give the Pats a B.

2012 Pick 20 - Kendall Wright

There were two primary needs for this team coming into tonight, DE and WR. Kendall Wright is rated as the third best receiver and he will make a nice compliment for Kenny Britt. He has the know-how having started for 4 years at Baylor. For Tennessee, this is a B-.

2012 Pick 19 - Shea McClellin

This is a bit of a surprise. I like McClellin, but not here, and not for the Bears. I think a Jerel Worthy makes a lot more sense. McClellin can be a good OLB in the league, but I am just not loving this pick. Sure, Briggs and urlacher aren't young anymore, and McClellin could be a replacement on the outside, but still, with other, more pressing needs, I give this pick a C.

2012 Pick 18 - Melvin Ingram

This is an excellent selection. Ingram is a very versatile talent. He can play DE, OLB, or MLB. Simply put, he is an excellent defensive football player. With San D having a few needs on their D, I love this match. I think he will be very good, and San D gets an A for landing a player of this talent level at 18.

2012 Pick 17 - Dre Kirkpatrick

I have been saying for some time now, this makes sense. Kirkpatrick does not have huge upside, but I think he is a good fit for this team. He seems like a what you see is what you get type. He reminds me of a Terrance Newman, who they just signed. I think a chance on Jenkins may have paid better dividends, but this is a safer selection. With the speed receivers in the AFC north, Dre's lack of speed could be an issue. I'll give it a C+.

2012 Pick 16 - Quinton Coples

The Jets have needs at pass rusher and OT. Coples has the biggest upside on any player remaining on the board. If he becomes a Julius Peppers type, this will be a steal. He has the talent to be that. Unfortunately, he takes plays off and has questionable attitude. That being said, he fit the Jets perfectly. Ill give them a B.

2012 Pick 15 - Bruce Irvin

Sure, the Hawks need a pass rush, but Irvin at 15 overall. Are you f'in kidding me. He can get after the passer but this is way, way too early for him. If you want upside, go for Coples. I just don't get it. They could have traded down a full round, and still reached for him. Simply crazy!!! I give Seattle an F for this one.

2012 Pick 14 - Michael Brockers

After trading down twice, the Rams pick Michael Brockers. I am not a fan of this pick. I would have much rather seen them grab Melvin Ingram or Courtney Upshaw. Brockers has boom or bust written all over him, and I fear it may be bust. He has upside, no doubt, but if I felt I had to grab a DT I would have preferred Worthy. They could have also tried to trade down again, which I also would have liked better. I give this pick a C.