2012 NFL Draft - Thurs. April 26th

[NinerSickness]

Josh Chapman DT, Alabama: Has the making of a starting caliber nose at the next level in either a 3-4 and 4-3 front. Can consistently anchor on contact, is long armed and tough to move off the football. Also, is a better pass rusher than given credit for. Will likely fall because of medical concerns, but could be a real bargain because of it.

This.

 

[CalamityX11]

what kind of medical concerns?

 

[Yadahell]

Claiborne gives birth to a four on the Wonderlic | ProFootballTalk

 

[BINGO]

Ravens eyeing pass-rushers?
10:16AM ET
Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens did not get too involved -- at least from what we know -- in the Mario Williams free agency extravaganza this offseason, but they did bring in Williams' new teammate Mark Anderson for a visit prior to Anderson's signing with Buffalo as well. And with many of their other potential pass-rusher targets inked elsewhere, the club is now pushing forward with other options, according to head coach John Harbaugh.

"Probably more of our attention is toward developing our guys and toward the draft," Harbaugh acknowledged this past week, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.

Mink adds that there are several interesting prospects that the team could target with their first-round pick (No. 29 overall), including South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram, Illinois DE Whitney Mercilus, Clemson DE Andre Branch, Southern California DE Nick Perry and Syracuse DE Chandler Jones. ESPN AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley believes that two of them should be of particular interest to Baltimore:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Jamison Hensley
Branch, Jones could be a fit

"I'm intrigued by Clemson's Andre Branch, an athletic defensive end who can provide a pass rush but also move to outside linebacker in a base 3-4 defense. Branch is projected to go toward the bottom of the first round. Don't forget about the possibility of Baltimore using its first-round pick on Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, who is the younger brother of current Ravens defensive lineman Arthur Jones."

 

[BINGO]

The Bills and Reiff
9:17AM ET
Buffalo Bills

A lot still has to happen for Iowa OT Riley Reiff to wind up being taken by the Buffalo Bills at No. 10 overall, but that's been a popular choice in mock drafts thus far this draft season. The only problem? Some believe that he's not worth the pick, meaning that the Bills could potentially trade down and pick up some additional assets while still securing him later in the first round.

Chad Reuter of the NFL Network is amongst those sending Reiff to the Bills at No. 10, and BuffaloBills.com scribe Chris Brown allows that "this pick is becoming somewhat realistic."

All of this analysis is interesting, but could ultimately be moot: under GM Buddy Nix, the Bills have not always drafted for "need" -- to wit, their selection of C.J. Spiller in 2010 -- so it's no certainty that an OT (or another position of need) will be addressed at No. 10.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

[BINGO]

More buzz on the No. 14 pick
8:56AM ET
Dallas Cowboys

A report on Monday from DraftInsider.net indicated that Memphis DT Dontari Poe was emerging as a favorite for the Dallas Cowboys at the No. 14 overall pick. Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Star-Telegram is not yet ready to anoint a "favorite," per se, but does note that Poe is amongst a cohort that is expected to be under consideration.

More specifically, he's one of the prospects that will visit the Cowboys during the remainder of the pre-draft season. This is important, because as Hill notes, every top pick since 2006 -- Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Spencer, Jason Williams, Felix Jones, Dez Bryant and Tyron Smith -- has been a pre-draft visitor.

Of course, while the visits and reports and everything else may give us some clues as to which prospects are atop the Cowboys' draft board, there's a lot of misinformation going around at this time of year as well. So take all of it with a grain of salt.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

[BINGO]

Options for the Browns at No. 22
8:32AM ET
Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns' first first-rounder is a key turning point in this year's draft, a song we've been singing around these parts for the past several weeks: they can go with Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill -- if they feel it's time to have another non-Colt McCoy option under center -- pick an offensive playmaker at RB (Trent Richardson) or WR (Justin Blackmon) or grab another shutdown CB (Morris Claiborne) to pair with Joe Haden. But what about their second first-round pick, No. 22 overall?

One possibility -- in the future world where they do not take Richardson -- is that they'll target a different RB at 22. And on Tuesday, they'll be hosting a visit for one of those candidates. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Va. Tech RB David Wilson is the prospect in question, and he's a possibility for the second first-round pick, along with Boise St. rusher Doug Martin.

Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. had the Browns going with Blackmon at 4 and Ohio St. OT Mike Adams at 22 in his latest mock, while ESPN AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley sent them Richardson at 4 and Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill with No. 22. Here's Hensley on the Richardson selection:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Jamison Hensley
They'll stay at 4, and they'll take the 'Bama bruiser

"Not buying the speculation that the Browns will take Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill here. The Browns tipped their hand when coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert skipped Tannehill's pro day to watch Richardson, the draft's only elite running back who can be the centerpiece of Cleveland's offense."

 

[BINGO]

Claiborne gives birth to a four on the Wonderlic | ProFootballTalk

Concern over Claiborne?
8:16AM ET
Morris Claiborne

LSU CB Morris Claiborne is considered an elite prospect, the best in this year's draft class at a highly valued position at the NFL level. It would be shocking if he is still on the board past the No. 6 pick, and it's more likely that he'll be snagged before then.

There is a bump in the road, however: Pro Football Talk has reported via sources that Claiborne scored a 4 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test during his draft testing.

While that's obviously not a great score, the Wonderlic is controversial in that it does not account for individuals with learning disabilities, as noted by Green Bay Packers personnel man Eliot Wolf after the report posted. In addition, Wolf notes that "every year there are players who score in the 30s who can't learn football & players who score single digits who have great football minds."

The latest example of players who scored poorly on the Wonderlic but excelled once in the league are Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green and Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson. In spite of a report from USA Today that they scored a 10 and a 9, respectively, the two men were taken with consecutive picks at the top of the first round, and were amongst the best rookies in the league in 2011.

So as with Green, Peterson and others before them, this particular aspect of Claiborne's resume shouldn't have too much of an effect on either his draft stock or what he brings to the field.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Claiborne gives birth to a four on the Wonderlic | ProFootballTalk

Shocking, IMO. The guy actually sounds pretty smart in interviews.

 

[Flyingiguana]

do most positional players even take the wonderlic seriously? i bet they work on their 40 time with a track coach, but i doubt they prepare for the wonderlic.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Griffin tells Colts “no” to private workout | ProFootballTalk

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Claiborne has a "reading" learning disability.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Draft 2012

Ranking the 2012 WR draft class
The top 10 wideouts in this year's draft class, according to the metrics
Updated: April 3, 2012, 2:34 PM ET
By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

Justin Blackmon is the consensus No. 1 wideout this year. But should he be?

With the NFL on the precipice of what could be the decade of the pass, it's not a surprise that quarterbacks such as Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are garnering the bulk of the draft headlines.

Quarterbacks can't make it happen without pass-catchers, however, so let's take a closer look at what the metrics have to say about the top 10 wide receivers in this year's draft.

Each wideout was ranked in the following categories: age, height, weight, 40-yard dash time, overall yards per attempt (YPA), short pass yards per attempt (SYPA), vertical yards per attempt (VYPA) and stretch vertical yards per attempt (SVYPA). (Note: Short passes are aerials thrown 10 yards or less downfield; vertical passes travel 11 or more yards; stretch verticals are thrown 20 or more yards. Each player's metrics are based on a tape review of a minimum of nine 2011 contests against BCS conference-caliber opponents.)

The players' rankings in each category were then tabulated on a 1-10 scale with the best score getting a rating of 1. The category rankings were then added up and are listed under the ranking points heading (with a lower score being better).

Now that we have the prelims out of the way, let's take a look at how the rankings turned out.




1. Stephen Hill

Birth date: May 1, 1990 (21 years old)
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
40-yard dash time: 4.36
YPA: 12.0 (43 targets)
SYPA: 4.0 (13 targets)
VYPA: 15.5 (30 targets)
SVYPA: 17.2 (22 targets)

Ranking points: 27

Hill is highly rated on many draft boards, but a combination of factors puts him at the top of this ranking chart, factors including his showings in YPA (first), VYPA (second), height (first), 40 time (first) and birth date (third). There is every reason to think he could be just as explosive in the NFL as Georgia Tech predecessor Demaryius Thomas has been, but without the nagging injury issues that have held Thomas back.





2. Rueben Randle

Birth date: May 7, 1991 (20 years old)
Height/weight: 6-3, 210
40-yard dash: 4.55
YPA: 10.7 (70 targets)
SYPA: 7.2 (38 targets)
VYPA: 14.7 (32 targets)
SVYPA: 18.6 (17 targets)

Ranking points: 31

Randle ranked in the top four in every YPA category and did so in an offense piloted by Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson, two quarterbacks who were so limited that the LSU offensive coaching brain trust never did let them cut loose in the passing game. He also posted these numbers against SEC-caliber competition. Randle is also the second-tallest wideout of this group and is easily the youngest (no other player was born in 1991).




3. Jarius Wright

Birth date: Nov. 25, 1989 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 5-10, 182
40-yard dash: 4.42
YPA: 10.9 (88 targets)
SYPA: 6.5 (50 targets)
VYPA: 16.7 (38 targets)
SVYPA: 19.0 (23 targets)

Ranking points: 38

Wright's speed (he ranked third in the 40-yard dash category) was the primary reason he topped this group in VYPA and was third in SVYPA. He does have some potential roadblocks in that he is the second-lightest and fourth-shortest wide receiver in this comparison, but he did post these figures against SEC-caliber competition, so the positives well outweigh the negatives.




4 (tie). A.J. Jenkins

Birth date: Nov. 8, 1990 (21 years old)
Height/weight: 6-0, 190 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.39
YPA: 9.4 (102 targets)
SYPA: 6.0 (60 targets)
VYPA: 14.3 (42 targets)
SVYPA: 16.3 (27 targets)

Ranking points: 44

The main issue in Jenkins' relatively low-ranking points total is that he's here because he ranked second in both the 40-yard dash and age categories. He ranked no higher than fifth in any of the YPA categories, and those numbers were actually skewed by the 90 yards he gained against blown coverages last year. Jenkins is also the third-shortest and third-lightest wideout in this analysis. Put it all together and he might not be as good as the overall points suggest.




4 (tie). Kendall Wright

Birth date: Nov. 12, 1989 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 5-10, 196
40-yard dash: 4.61
YPA: 11.4 (100 targets)
SYPA: 8.1 (55 targets)
VYPA: 15.4 (45 targets)
SVYPA: 20.7 (19 targets)

Ranking points: 44

Wright ranked third or higher in every YPA category but still has a few concerns. A review of Griffin's numbers showed that his vertical metrics were actually better on passes to other Baylor receivers than they were on passes to Wright, so Wright may have benefited more from RG3 than vice versa. Wright is also the shortest and slowest wideout of this group (though he plays faster than his 40 time), as well as the second-oldest and fourth-lightest.




6 (tie). Justin Blackmon

Birth date: Jan. 9, 1990 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 6-1, 207
40-yard dash time: 4.46
YPA: 9.0 (139 targets)
SYPA: 8.1 (85 targets)
VYPA: 10.6 (54 targets)
SVYPA: 8.9 (20 targets)

Ranking points: 47

Blackmon is rated first on nearly every wide receiver draft list, but check out his multitude of negatives. He ranked seventh in YPA, eighth in VYPA and dead last in SVYPA of this group. He is in the middle of the pack in height and weight (sixth in both categories), and his 40-yard dash time ranked fourth.

Blackmon's 2011 totals were much worse than his 2010 totals, and the rest of the Oklahoma State pass-catchers had numbers that were roughly equal to Blackmon's this past year. He was kept in check when covered by Texas Longhorns star cornerback Carrington Byndom this past season and, as good as Byndom is, the NFL will give Blackmon that caliber of competition in nearly every game.





6 (tie). Michael Floyd

Birth date: Nov. 27, 1989 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 6-3, 220
40-yard dash: 4.47
YPA: 7.3 (136 targets)
SYPA: 7.1 (87 targets)
VYPA: 7.8 (49 targets)
SVYPA: 9.6 (30 targets)

Ranking points: 47

Floyd, in many ways, had by far the most disappointing set of numbers in this entire analysis. He ranked dead last in YPA and VYPA and was next to last in SVYPA. The only saving graces for him were his showings in height (ranked second) and weight (ranked first). When his incredibly low on-field production levels are added to the multiple off-field issues he had in his Notre Dame career, it means he brings a ton of risk to whatever team ends up drafting him.




6 (tie). Marvin McNutt

Birth date: July 4, 1989 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 6-3, 216
40-yard dash: 4.54
YPA: 9.5 (99 targets)
SYPA: 6.3 (55 targets)
VYPA: 13.5 (44 targets)
SVYPA: 9.8 (16 targets)

Ranking points: 47

The quandary in analyzing McNutt is that there really wasn't an area he excelled in. His best ranking in the YPA totals was fifth and his rankings got worse the further downfield the passes were thrown (seventh in VYPA, eighth in SVYPA). He has favorable height and weight (second in both categories), but he ranked seventh in the 40-yard dash and is the oldest wideout in this comparison.




9. Alshon Jeffery

Birth date: Feb. 14, 1990 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 6-3, 216
40-yard dash: 4.51
YPA: 7.9 (69 targets)
SYPA: 5.6 (29 targets)
VYPA: 9.5 (40 targets)
SVYPA: 12.6 (23 targets)

Ranking points: 48

Jeffery's backers might point out that his low rankings in the YPA totals (ninth in three categories) were a direct result of the quarterbacking woes that beset the South Carolina offense this past season.

The problem in taking that tack is that the Gamecocks' four leading underclassmen pass-catchers last season tallied a composite 9.8 YPA that was nearly two yards higher than Jeffery's. South Carolina's field generals certainly didn't help Jeffery, but if he was truly an elite receiver he would have posted better totals.




10. Joe Adams

Birth date: Nov. 22, 1989 (22 years old)
Height/weight: 5-11, 179
40-yard dash: 4.55
YPA: 8.5 (52 targets)
SYPA: 5.7 (35 targets)
VYPA: 14.2 (17 targets)
SVYPA: 21.1 (7 targets)

Ranking points: 59

Adams' No. 1 ranking in SVYPA is more than offset by his subpar performance in overall YPA (ranked eighth), SYPA (eighth), height (ninth), weight (10th), 40-yard dash time (ninth) and age (ninth).

 

[CalamityX11]

well LOOK at that.....

hmmm.....

 

[Flyingiguana]

kc joyner needs to go back to the drawing board on those wr 'metrics'

 

[CalamityX11]

^ lol....

 

[Ltrain]

sweet, based on those metrics maybe we can snag Blackmon in the late 2nd round. Hell, maybe he'll be there in the 3rd. lol.

 

[EKmane]

what kind of medical concerns?

Josh Chapman played most of 2011 for Alabama on torn ACL, meniscus | al.com

Didn't concern me though, makes me put him on superman status.

If we could get him in the 5th, we need to!

 

[Flyingiguana]

i doubt he lasts that long.

 

[NinerSickness]

If we could get him in the 3rd, we need to!

Fixed your post.