Sam Farmer's Mock Draft
LA Times' NFL writer Sam Farmer takes some well-educated guesses at how the first round will unfold. A cluster of quarterbacks at the top looks like a pretty safe bet.

Three quarterbacks in the first four picks of next month's draft? Four first-round choices from Alabama, and three each from Stanford and Louisiana State? And the rarity of as many first-round guards (two) as tackles?

That's the way Times' NFL writer Sam Farmer sees it. Here's how he thinks the opening round could go:

1. Indianapolis: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford ג€” The Colts have made some noise recently about considering Robert Griffin III, but this pass has been telegraphed for months. It's Luck.

2. Washington: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor ג€” Griffin has it all. He's very bright, freakishly athletic and has pinpoint accuracy on his deep passes. Now, it's on the Redskins to capitalize on that.

3. Minnesota: OT Matt Kalil, USC ג€” The Vikings need a left tackle to hold down the spot that Bryant McKinnie maintained for the last decade. Kalil is a good fit here and will be reliable.

4. Cleveland: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M ג€” Mike Holmgren loves Tannehill, but Browns could go for an RB (Trent Richardson), WR (Justin Blackmon) or CB (Morris Claiborne).

5. Tampa Bay: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama ג€” If Cleveland doesn't take Richardson, the Buccaneers might find him too good to pass up, even though they also have a desperate need at corner.

6. St. Louis: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State ג€” Sam Bradford would love having this target. Blackmon had 121 catches last season. With an aging Steven Jackson, Richardson fits too.

7. Jacksonville: CB Morris Claiborne, LSU ג€” The Jaguars need pass rushers too, but Claiborne is a safer pick than DE Quinton Coples. GM Gene Smith is the type to play this one safe.

8. Miami: DT Dontari Poe, Memphis ג€” If you're going to gamble, gamble on a huge guy who plays hard, and that's Poe. Of course, if Tannehill is on the board, the Dolphins will go quarterback.

9. Carolina: DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina ג€” At his best, Coples can be dominant. The question about him is whether he gives his maximum effort snap after snap.

10. Buffalo: OT Riley Reiff, Iowa ג€” Reiff is smart and technically sound. He's not as athletic as Kalil, but he has what it takes to lock down a starting job for the Bills for many years to come.

11. Kansas City: DT Michael Brockers, LSU ג€” Lots of mock drafts have Poe going to the Chiefs, and that makes sense. Brockers can play inside or outside, and he upgrades the run defense.

12. Seattle: ILB Luke Kuechly, Boston College ג€” The Seahawks have yet to re-sign middle linebacker David Hawthorne. Kuechly is instinctive and athletic enough to be the Day 1 starter in that spot.

13. Arizona: DE/OLB Melvin Ingram, South Carolina ג€” With Joey Porter done and Clark Haggans near the end of his career, Ingram would be a welcome addition to a team needing pass rushers.

14. Dallas: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama ג€” If all the elite pass rushers are off the board, the Cowboys will look to solidify the back end of their defense. At nearly 6-3, he has very good size for a corner.

15. Philadelphia: DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State ג€” If Cox is still around at this point, he will be hard to resist for the Eagles. He's very agile and can put more weight on his 6-foot-4 frame.

16. New York Jets: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame ג€” The Jets need to give Mark Sanchez another receiving weapon. Floyd can stretch defenses and is big enough to go up and get the ball.

17. Cincinnati: CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina ג€” Scouts say Gilmore is a little raw and still learning to play with his back to the ball, but he's athletic and has huge potential.

18. San Diego: TE Coby Fleener, Stanford ג€” With Antonio Gates nearing the end of his career, Fleener could take the baton and run with it. He might not last until the second round.

19. Chicago: OG David DeCastro, Stanford ג€” Andrew Luck says DeCastro plays angry, and that's just the kind of player who can help Chicago's line. This also could be a spot for a receiver.

20. Tennessee: DE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois ג€” The Titans have only two true defensive ends on the roster, Kamerion Wimbley and Derrick Morgan. They also might use their top pick on a corner.

21. Cincinnati: OG Cordy Glenn, Georgia ג€” The Bengals could use a running back and at least one pass rusher, but Glenn could help solidify the offensive line, something Andy Dalton would appreciate.

22. Cleveland: WR Kendall Wright, Baylor ג€” Griffin's top target would upgrade a lackluster Browns receiving corps. The speedy, field-stretching Wright caught 108 passes last season.

23. Detroit: S Mark Barron, Alabama ג€” Think Detroit needs to improve against the pass? Matt Flynn threw for 480 yards on the Lions. Barron has the speed to play either corner or safety.

24. Pittsburgh: OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama ג€” Upshaw is a physical 3-4 outside linebacker who's a good fit for an aging defense. Reminds some of LaMarr Woodley.

25. Denver: RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech ג€” Wilson has the breakaway speed that Knowshon Moreno doesn't. The Broncos also could use a receiver for Peyton Manning and will consider a center.

26. Houston: WR Rueben Randle, LSU ג€” Lined up opposite Andre Johnson, Randle could take some of the pressure off that Pro Bowl receiver. Randle is tall and lean at 6-4, 205 pounds.

27. New England: DE Nick Perry, USC ג€” Scouts call Perry a relentless "high-motor" guy, and he appears to be just the type Bill Belichick likes. He had a Pac-12-high 9 1/2 sacks last season.

28. Green Bay: OG Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State ג€” The Packers are always looking to upgrade their offensive line, and Silatolu would be a quality addition, although a lightly experienced one.

29. Baltimore: C Peter Konz, Wisconsin ג€” The Ravens are looking for their next Matt Birk, and that just might be the reliable Konz, the best center in this draft class.

30. San Francisco: DT Devon Still, Penn State ג€” The 49ers are a physical team who will look to build on what they established in their first season under Jim Harbaugh. Still fits that pattern.

31. New England: DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut ג€” Reyes might be around if the Patriots wait, and they also need secondary help, but his stock is climbing and he wouldn't be a bad pickup here.

32. New York Giants: DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan State ג€” But for all the talent at defensive tackle in this draft, Worthy would go in the top half of the first round. The Giants need depth on the interior.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

My nigga Poppabitch fucks with the swine?

I FEEL like Tannehill @ 5 is a bad pick for the Browns. I get that they want a QB, and they probably FEEL like they got fucked by losing out on the Luck/RGIII sweepstakes. But it would probably be a smarter move to trade down and get more picks/players in return, plus have the opportunity to make a better value selection from a lower slot than take a high-risk guy like Tannehill way up in the first round. Plus having a rookie QB who isn't a sure-fire bet to develop into a starter will likely only add to the list of issues that franchise has.



PEACE

Agree completely. The only thing in their favor is the fuck the rookie cap so if they miss on him its not a total blow up in your face mistake and its their natural pick instead of giving up 3 or 4 high picks to get.

Agreed too. The Browns are a fucking mess. They need all the picks they can get. Not a hit-or-miss QB prospect who by all accounts is going to go too high.

if i were the browns - especially considering that division - id go all out on defense, trade down for picks, and get a wr between rds 2-4 because wr is their biggest offensive problem area by far.

or shit, maybe get blackmon and then go nuts with defense.

Jets Will Consider 'Hard Knocks' Again
2nd April, 2012 - 4:24 pm
Rich Cimini/ESPN.com - If asked, the Jets will consider making another appearance on HBO's "Hard Knocks."

The team became reality television stars during their 2010 training camp.

"I've heard (the speculation), but we've yet to receive a formal invitation," owner Woody Johnson said. "And when we do, we will take a look at it."

Johnson said there have been informal talks with HBO, but he declined to speculate on an outcome because "we can't react to anything unless it's a real invitation."

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... z1qvxcSb00

Rd 1, Pick 4 (4)
Rd 1, Pick 22 (22)
Rd 2, Pick 5 (37)
Rd 3, Pick 4 (67)
Rd 4, Pick 5 (100)
Rd 4, Pick 23 (118)
Rd 5, Pick 4 (139)
Rd 5, Pick 25 (160)
Rd 6, Pick 34 (204)
Rd 6, Pick 35 (205)
Rd 7, Pick 4 (211)
Rd 7, Pick 38 (245)
Rd 7, Pick 40 (247)

edit: holmgrens been stocking picks a litte, is all of this the falcons deal?

its too bad a team will never build around tebow. a proper tebow vs cam would be an epic matchup

When do you guys think it's ok to pick the top RB of a draft who isn't a once in a generation player?

Ok, lets make this simpler. If Barry Sanders was in this year's draft class, and you could make a selection for each team, where would you take him?


PEACE

Ok, lets make this simpler. If Barry Sanders was in this year's draft class, and you could make a selection for each team, where would you take him?


PEACE

When do you guys think it's ok to pick the top RB of a draft who isn't a once in a generation player?

Oh, if you get to use hindsight than you draft him #1 overall. But you could also end up with Ricky Williams or KiJana Carter.

If you're going to use hindsight why not just not draft a RB at all and sign Arian Foster or Priest Holmes off the street?

What other non-kicking position can you sign pro-bowlers off the street for? Why even waste a draft pick?

2nd round for a very special talent 3rd or later for need. Its just too easy to find a good enough back. And really what is the difference between AP to the 25th best starter in the NFL?

Dude...

My nigga Poppabitch fucks with the swine?