2012 NFL Mock Drafts

[NinerSickness]

decastro at 20? we would basically have to move up or at least try to without getting hosed.

If Decastro is available with the 20th pick then something is seriously wrong. He'd have to be on death row or something.

 

[Flyingiguana]

well sometimes u never know when it comes to the draft. if sing is handling a draft decastro and zeitler prolly go in the top 10

 

[NinerSickness]

well sometimes u never know when it comes to the draft. if sing is handling a draft decastro and zeitler prolly go in the top 10

Decastro SHOULD go in the top 10. Zeitler? No so much.

...In fact I'd take Decastro over any non-QB in this weak draft except Matt Kalil & maybe Poe.

 

[numone9er]

Decastro SHOULD go in the top 10. Zeitler? No so much.

...In fact I'd take Decastro over any non-QB in this weak draft except Matt Kalil & maybe Poe.

Agreed. I can't see him slipping past the Jets as a worst case scenario for him.

 

[NinerSickness]

Luck, Kalil, Decasro & Poe are the only players for whom I'd trade up, and Decastro to a lesser extent than the others. If / when they're all gone I want the Niners to trade down for more / future picks. I think the Niners can get very close to the same quality player in the late 2nd round and 3rd round as they can at 30.

If they stick with the 30th pick I'd want Konz (assuming Nick Perry is gone).

 

[Flyingiguana]

konz is worth trading up for but i have problems with his injury issues. another guy i wouldn't mind trading up for is glenn. eventually i can see him being a very good LT. seems to have the feet for it.

 

[NinerSickness]

I have Glenn just a hair under Konz. He'd be the next guy I'd want.

In fact he might be a better pick because of the injury issue you mentioned. If those two are gone I wouldn't be opposed to taking a shot at Hill; boom or bust pick.

It's slim pickin's this year IMO. If those guys are gone I'd DEFINITELY want to trade down. If they couldn't trade down I'd take a look at Janoris Jenikins or Dre Kirkpatrick if they're there. Maybe Mercilus or Branch. But I'd much rather trade down and get more picks.

 

[Flyingiguana]

boom or bust picks in the late 1st is kinda dumb. 1st and 2nd rounds are filled with quality starters and pro bowl players.

the sweet spots in this draft seem to be around 20-25 and the 2nd half of the 2nd. i usually hate moving up but this could be a decent draft to do so if the right player is there.

 

[NinerSickness]

boom or bust picks in the late 1st is kinda dumb.

Probably. That's why I'd rather trade back or take Konz or Glenn.

 

[numone9er]

Luck, Kalil, Decasro & Poe are the only players for whom I'd trade up, and Decastro to a lesser extent than the others. If / when they're all gone I want the Niners to trade down for more / future picks. I think the Niners can get very close to the same quality player in the late 2nd round and 3rd round as they can at 30.

If they stick with the 30th pick I'd want Konz (assuming Nick Perry is gone).

I'd like to get Devon Still if he's there. I know a lot of people aren't that high on him, but i think he is incredibly under valued. Dude is a beast. I think most of us agree that trading back or for a future 1st is the best case scenario.

 

[BINGO]

Luck, Kalil, Decasro & Poe are the only players for whom I'd trade up, and Decastro to a lesser extent than the others. If / when they're all gone I want the Niners to trade down for more / future picks. I think the Niners can get very close to the same quality player in the late 2nd round and 3rd round as they can at 30.

If they stick with the 30th pick I'd want Konz (assuming Nick Perry is gone).

How about Griffin? You wouldn't put Griffin on that list? Btw, I agree with everything you said with the exception of you excluding Griffin and Jenkins on that list.

 

[Flyingiguana]

griffon isn't a realistic option when it comes to trading up

 

[BINGO]

Sick, speaking of the devil...I found this article for you:





Why RG3 could go ahead of Luck
How the Baylor star could be as good, or better, than Andrew Luck
Originally Published: March 21, 2012
By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider


Robert Griffin III has the potential to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

It is considered a fait accompli that the Indianapolis Colts will select Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick of the 2012 NFL draft, but what if this honor came down to an open competition between Luck and Baylor Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III (aka RG3)?

Luck has been considered the top quarterback prospect for such a long time now that it might be thought he would win this type of battle hands down, but there are at least ten reasons RG3 could be the No. 1 pick over Luck.

Reason No 1: Better overall statistics in 2011

Let's first examine both quarterbacks' statistics against schools from BCS conferences last season (sans Baylor's game against Kansas).

Robert Griffin III's 2011 statistics vs. BCS schools
Route Depth Comp Att Yds TD Int Pen Pen Yds YPA
Short (1-10 yards) 152 179 1460 6 1 0 0 8.2
Medium (11-19 yards) 38 61 673 3 1 3 -9 10.4
Deep (20-29 yards) 9 15 365 2 1 1 15 23.8
Bomb (30+ yards) 17 33 765 13 1 2 30 22.7
Other (throwaways, etc.) 2 24 89 1 1 0 0 3.7
Total 218 312 3352 25 5 6 36 10.7
Vertical (11+ yards) 64 109 1803 18 3 6 36 16.0
Stretch Vertical (20+ yards) 26 48 1130 15 2 3 45 23.0


Andrew Luck's 2011 statistics vs. BCS schools
Route Depth Comp Att Yds TD Int Pen Pen Yds YPA
Short (1-10 yards) 203 242 1669 17 6 2 -7 6.8
Medium (11-19 yards) 39 64 692 11 2 1 10 10.8
Deep (20-29 yards) 26 44 843 7 0 2 25 18.9
Bomb (30+ yards) 2 16 115 1 1 1 15 7.6
Other (throwaways, etc.) 0 12 0 0 1 0 0 0.0
Total 270 378 3319 36 10 6 43 8.8
Vertical (11+ yards) 67 124 1650 19 3 4 50 13.3
Stretch Vertical (20+ yards) 28 60 958 8 1 3 40 15.8


This is the main reason Heisman Trophy voters chose Griffin III over Luck by a wide margin last year. RG3 crushed Luck in yards per attempt (YPA) and also bested him in completion percentage (72.4 to 71.3) and passer rating (189.5 to 169.7). Griffin III's 37-6 touchdown/interception ratio for the full season was also slightly better than Luck's 37-10 showing in those categories.


Reason No. 2: Better vertical statistics
Part of what gave Griffin III the statistical lead over Luck was a huge advantage on short passes (8.2 YPA vs. 6.8 YPA), but where he really stood out was in the area of vertical passing.

Luck had a slight edge in medium pass YPA, but RG3 bested him in deep, bomb, vertical and stretch vertical YPA -- and did so by significant margins in each category.


Reason No. 3: RG3 had better stats when not throwing to his top target
Some have argued that the reason Griffin III had better downfield numbers is because he was able to throw to Kendall Wright, a speed merchant whom Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both have listed as a late first-rounder in their most recent mock drafts.

The issue in taking this tack is that Griffin III actually had better vertical numbers when throwing to someone other than Wright last year.

RG3's vertical numbers on passes to Wright: 45 targets, 693 yards, 15.4 vertical YPA (VYPA)

RG3's vertical numbers on passes to other players: 70 targets, 1,146 yards, 16.4 VYPA

Luck was the exact opposite in that his vertical totals dropped off dramatically when not throwing to his best vertical target (tight end Coby Fleener):

Luck's vertical numbers on passes to Fleener: 29 targets, 533 yards, 18.4 VYPA

Luck's vertical numbers on passes to other players: 99 vertical targets, 1,167 yards, 11.8 VYPA

RG3 has elite speed at the QB position.


Reason No. 4: Nearly equal decision-making skills
The book on Luck is that he is much more advanced in the area of game management, but he and Griffin III were actually nearly equal in the bad decision rate (BDR) metric.

This statistic measures how often a quarterback makes a mental error with the ball that leads either to a turnover or a near-turnover such as a dropped interception.

Luck tallied a 2.9 percent BDR last season while RG3 racked up a 3.1 percent BDR. Both of those numbers are well below the 3.5 percent BDR rate that is considered par for the collegiate course.


Reason No. 5: Tougher competition
Last year RG3 faced three teams that ranked in the top 30 in the FBS in passer rating allowed in 2011, and two of those teams (the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma State Cowboys) had exceptionally strong starting cornerback batteries.

By contrast, Luck faced only one team (the Utah Utes) that ranked in the top 30 in passer rating allowed last year.



Reason No. 6: Griffin III has operated a pass-first offense
Both of these quarterbacks are likely to be asked to operate a pass-first offense right out of the gate, but Griffin is the only one who has experience doing this. Check out the pass-run ratios for each of their teams during their three years as a starter:

Griffin III: 37.6/62.4, 50.1/49.9, 57.6/42.4
Luck: 36.8/63.2, 41.5/58.5, 44.6/55.4

Griffin III began his Baylor career by operating a run-first offense, but by the end of his tenure, the Bears had fully switched to a pass-first environment. Luck's Cardinal teams moved more towards the pass but never adopted a pass-first philosophy.

Reason No. 7: Equivalent overall body of work
Luck's proponents might contend that Griffin III was a one-year wonder and that Luck outperformed him over the course of their collegiate careers.

That argument doesn't hold up, though, when looking at their career statistics:

Career Statistics
Player Comp Att Yards YPA TDs INTs Passer Rating
Griffin 800 1,192 10,366 8.7 78 17 158.9
Luck 713 1,064 9,430 8.9 82 22 162.8


Those are basically equivalent figures across the board and that is before RG3's significant leads in rushing yards (2,257 for RG3, 957 for Luck) and rushing touchdowns (33 for RG3, seven for Luck) are accounted for.

Reason No. 8: Speed at the position
Luck's 4.67 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine was more than respectable, but RG3 was an All-American in track and ran a 4.41 in the 40. To get an idea of just how dominant that level of speed is, consider that Griffin was only five one-hundredths of a second behind the fastest wide receivers in the combine.

Reason No. 9: Vocal leadership
Luck and Griffin III both posted a top score in the Scouts Inc. intangibles rating, but it's worth noting that Griffin III was said to be a vocal leader while Luck was still working on this area. This obviously is a major gray area, but Griffin III shined with evaluators in terms of his poise, smarts and ability to deal with the media. If the leadership aspect at QB extends off the field (which we know it does), his ability to thrive in that arena is going to be huge.


Reason No. 10: Something to prove
One of the keys to Cam Newton's success last year was his incredible motivation level to prove all of the naysayers who thought he wasn't worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick wrong. He worked extra

If Griffin III was to be taken first overall, he would encounter just as many naysayers. Given his mental makeup, it is easy to see him being equally motivated to prove to the world that Indianapolis made the right choice in selecting him.

Even with all of these advantages, the Colts are still almost certain to select Luck. If and when they do, the Washington Redskins will be getting a franchise quarterback who will be even more motivated to prove his doubters wrong.

 

[Flyingiguana]

i said this before in a different thread. luck would have had better numbers in another offense and woud have walked away with 1 or 2 heismans. griffon has a high cieling, especially going to shanahan's offense. luck is the hands down choice at #1.

 

[Yadahell]

Kind of an interesting 5 rounder:

30. San Francisco 49ers: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
Umm... did I forget about Vernon Davis? No. Jim Harbaugh loves utilizing multiple tight ends in his offense. If you don't think this can work, let me refer you to the Patriots. I'd say Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez complement each other rather well.

Harbaugh needs to acquire an offensive playmaker for Alex Smith even after the Mario Manningham signing, and Coby Fleener happens to be the best one available. It's also worth noting that Fleener's stock has gone up despite the fact that he didn't work out in Indianapolis because Orson Charles and Dwayne Allen were both highly disappointing.

62. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
The 49ers lost right guard Adam Snyder to free agency, so they'll have to bring in a replacement.

93. San Francisco 49ers: Joe Adams, WR/KR, Arkansas
It wouldn't hurt to add a receiver in the middle rounds. The 49ers need insurance once the Randy Moss experiment inevitably fails.

125. San Francisco 49ers: Vontaze Burfict, OLB AZ State
Poor Vontaze Burfict. Literally poor. He blamed his collegiate coaching staff during the Combine interviews, and then proceeded to run a 5.1 40, looking completely out of shape.

The 49ers are a team that could take a chance on Burfict. They showed that they don't care about character issues when they signed Randy Moss and Perrish Cox this offseason. Burfict doesn't fill an immediate need at all, but he's definitely the most talented prospect on the board.

157. San Francisco 49ers: David Molk, C, Michigan
Jonathan Goodwin was just a short-term solution at center.

2012 NFL Mock Draft - WalterFootball.com

 

[BINGO]

griffon isn't a realistic option when it comes to trading up

Jenkins is a better corner than Claiborne, who I think will eventually be a probowler in the league someday. So trading up for a talent like that is a realistic approach IMO. If teams continue to pass on him due to his character concerns, and he's at #20 - #25 and don't think about trading up, I'd be disappointed at our team.

 

[Flyingiguana]

i'd wait to see if jenkins drops to 30

 

[BINGO]

Kind of an interesting 5 rounder:

30. San Francisco 49ers: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
Umm... did I forget about Vernon Davis? No. Jim Harbaugh loves utilizing multiple tight ends in his offense. If you don't think this can work, let me refer you to the Patriots. I'd say Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez complement each other rather well.

Harbaugh needs to acquire an offensive playmaker for Alex Smith even after the Mario Manningham signing, and Coby Fleener happens to be the best one available. It's also worth noting that Fleener's stock has gone up despite the fact that he didn't work out in Indianapolis because Orson Charles and Dwayne Allen were both highly disappointing.

62. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
The 49ers lost right guard Adam Snyder to free agency, so they'll have to bring in a replacement.

93. San Francisco 49ers: Joe Adams, WR/KR, Arkansas
It wouldn't hurt to add a receiver in the middle rounds. The 49ers need insurance once the Randy Moss experiment inevitably fails.

125. San Francisco 49ers: Vontaze Burfict, OLB AZ State
Poor Vontaze Burfict. Literally poor. He blamed his collegiate coaching staff during the Combine interviews, and then proceeded to run a 5.1 40, looking completely out of shape.

The 49ers are a team that could take a chance on Burfict. They showed that they don't care about character issues when they signed Randy Moss and Perrish Cox this offseason. Burfict doesn't fill an immediate need at all, but he's definitely the most talented prospect on the board.

157. San Francisco 49ers: David Molk, C, Michigan
Jonathan Goodwin was just a short-term solution at center.

2012 NFL Mock Draft - WalterFootball.com

My dream pick for the 2nd round would be to land Kelechi Osemele. I think he'll be a very good guard in the league for years to come.

 

[luckyluke22]

Burfict is interesting for us. He'd be behind two All-Pros, so he obviously will ride the pine but can also see the work ethic needed to perform at that level. Bowman and Willis are such competitors they'll challenge him in every way.
So quickly we'd see if he's motivated or a Nate Davis mold.
I'd spend a 5th rounder to take a flyer on him. IMO he's like Taylor Mays in that we will know his worth after one year.

 

[NinerSickness]

Sick, speaking of the devil...I found this article for you:



Why RG3 could go ahead of Luck
How the Baylor star could be as good, or better, than Andrew Luck
Originally Published: March 21, 2012
By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

Wow. KC Joyner is an enormous tool.