Official Draft Thread

Green Bay Packers select...


































































































































































Patrick Peterson, DB, LSU

 

With the 2nd pick in the draft the Miami Dolphins select..........


QB Blaine Gabbert




Summary
Although there are questions about his college offense and development as a quarterback in that offense, he has prototypical size and strength to go along with outstanding athleticism. He is one of the best pocket passers of the class and has all of the physical tools to get the job done at the NFL level. He possesses the athleticism to keep the defense honest and the arm to tear apart a secondary when he is on his game. A strong defense that can keep constant pressure will be his biggest enemy in the NFL, but with proper coaching and a talented offensive line, Gabbert shouldn’t have too much trouble overcoming this downfall in his game. With a strong, somewhat accurate arm and the legs to pick up first downs, there’s no reason to believe that Gabbert can’t turn into one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.

Decision Making
At Missouri, he played in a spread offense where he took most of his snaps from the shotgun and was never really forced to make NFL-level reads, either before or during a play. When he starts to feel pressure, instead of stepping up into the pocket and making a throw, he relies too heavily on his scrambling ability and gets himself out of the pocket by rolling out instead. When on the run, he does a good job of throwing the ball away if nothing is available down the field or on the ground.

Arm Strength
It definitely isn’t the best in the class, but Gabbert’s arm strength is definitely strong enough for an NFL quarterback. He possesses the zip to squeeze passes into tight windows and has great placement when throwing short slants. To go along with his arm strength, he also has good touch on his throws, although his passes have a tendency to sail when throwing deep. All too often, he puts more strength than needed into throws that causes several of his passes to either sail or miss his target high.

Accuracy
Although his accuracy can’t be considered poor, it definitely is inconsistent. He spent his entire junior year going through hot and cold streaks with accuracy. When he gets into the flow of the game and makes some good throws early, he can tear apart a defense. Because of the spread offense he played in, he had plenty of time to perfect his accuracy on short timing routes, either inside or out. When throwing crossing routes, he places the ball perfectly and does an outstanding job of giving his receivers a chance to make a play after the catch. On out routes, he either puts them right on target or throws them over the heads of his receivers. He has the arm strength and accuracy to make good throws down the field, but has a tendency to come up short when trying to put touch on deep routes. Overall, his accuracy is solid as long as there isn’t too much pressure on the pocket. He struggles to throw accurate passes when the defense turns up the heat. The offense that he played in inflated his accuracy over the course of his career.

Mechanics/Footwork
The mechanics that he uses to throw the ball are almost prototypical. When in the pocket, he stands tall. He holds the ball near his shoulder and gets the ball out of his hands quickly and effectively. Under pressure, he doesn’t do a good job of stepping into pocket to avoid pressure and too often takes off instead of standing his ground and making a throw. When he feels a hit coming, he rushes his throws and doesn’t set his feet to make confident deliveries. He also struggles to set his feet and make proper deliveries when he is on the move. If he can make more confident throws when under pressure and work on his pocket presence, his footwork won’t be too much of an issue in the NFL.

Mobility
Gabbert possesses outstanding scrambling ability that almost has a tendency to sneak up on defenses. When he’s under pressure, he has the ability to roll out and extend plays using his feet. Although he doesn’t have a scrambling tendency, he is more than capable of picking up first downs and big chunks of yardage with his feet. When trying to pick up yards, he does a good job of falling forward and tacking on extra yards at the end of a run. However, he will need to learn how to slide in the NFL if he doesn’t want to get hurt. Despite speed and vision, he doesn’t possess outstanding elusiveness. He does a solid job of throwing while on the run. He doesn’t always make an effort to set his feet while running and throwing and often jumps to throw the ball when on the move. Overall, he is a tremendous athlete who just needs to learn to refine his way of mixing athleticism with quarterbacking.

Release Quickness
He possesses a compact delivery and quick release. When throwing, there isn’t any wasted motion, which is helped by the fact that he holds the ball at shoulder level instead of lower. He does double-clutch and wind up this throws from time to time, but even then, the ball still leaves his hands quickly and efficiently. When the pressure is on, he sometimes has a tendency to short arm the ball in order to get it out quicker. Overall, there aren’t too many concerns with his release that could warrant a draft in his stock.


Bottom Line
I am a Dolphins fan and while Orton is a very good 1 year fill in we needed to get a young franchise QB, as a fan as a GM in this league Im excited to have some really good options at QB now...We ALL know its been a long time.

 

With the 3rd pick of the NFL draft, The Seattle Seahawks draft Auburn Quarterback Cameron Newton.

 

With the fourth pick the bungals select:
WR A.J Green, Georgia

 

The Bills select Marcell Dareus, from way down in Alabam' (bam-ba-lam)

 

With the sixth overall pick in the 2011 GM League draft, the Cleveland Browns select…

VON MILLER, OLB, TEXAS A&M​

Rich Eisen, NFL Network: "Wow. The Browns might have set a sprinting record turning that card in. Von Miller is now a Cleveland Brown. Let's go now to Browns Cam, set up in the war room in Cleveland, and speak to--what the hell?"

Browns Cam's feed comes up on screen. Inside the Browns war room, several strippers are dancing on the conference table, with a sign that says "VON MILLER, *****ES!" formed out of Christmas lights strung up on the back wall. Dick LeBeau is receiving a lap dance. Tom Moore is spanking a blonde young enough to be his granddaughter. Keith Butler is stuffing singles into another stripper's thong.

Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin: "DAAAAAYUUUUUUUUM!"

Before the network censors can cut in, General Manager Desides walks in front of Browns Cam, blocking the view of the strippertastic draft party behind him.

Eisen: "Uh… okay. With us now is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns, Desides. So, I take it by the glittery glow behind you that you got your man?"

Desides: "Yes, Rich, you're correct. We were a little nervous along the way, had some up and downs in the scouting process. I think Coach LeBeau started hitting the bottle at 2:30 and hasn't stopped."

Deion, side: "That ain't the only thing he's hitting!"

From the background of Browns Cam, a female voice can be heard saying "Get the jelly, get the jelly!" Eisen laughs nervously. Mayock saves NFL Network from a multi-million dollar fine by chiming in.

Mike Mayock: "Mr. Desides, this is Mike Mayock. First, congratulations on the pick. Von Miller is a fantastic athlete and football player. What did you see in him?"

Desides: "Thanks, Mike. Going into the draft process, we were a bit nervous about Miller. His 2009 tape wasn't what we expected to see from a candidate for the sixth overall pick. Certainly not from a pass rusher in the scheme of Coach LeBeau and Coach Butler. But his 2010 tape and his Senior Bowl was a great step forward, and he was fantastic in the interview process. By consensus, we put him at the top of our draft board a few weeks ago, and he hasn't budged since. We're thrilled to draft him."

Mayock: "I agree, you look at the tape and you see freakish improvement as you go forward in time. Hey, I want to play devil's advocate for a minute and ask you about Miller's measurables. The knock on Miller is that he's undersized for his position. Some people think Robert Quinn, out of North Carolina, would have been a better fit for you. What do you say to that?"

Desides, chuckling: "We just smile and shake our heads whenever he hear that. Look, James Harrison in Pittsburgh is 6 feet. Cam Wake in Miami is 6'3'', 250 or so? Clay Matthews is about the same, maybe a couple pounds heavier. Tamba Hali is the same height, but heavier. Von Miller is 6'3'', 245. He's only undersized if you think DeMarcus Ware is normal for the position, but he really isn't. Miller reminds us a lot of Cam Wake, a great athlete who's already an excellent pass rusher, maybe a little raw in some other aspects of his game, but that's why we have a great defensive coaching staff. I think you’ll see every aspect of his game improve almost immediately."

A knock on the war room door can be heard over Browns Cam. A staffer walks in with five pizza boxes. A female voice says "Yay, pizza's here! Someone lie down!" Deion and Irvin burst out laughing and fistpump. Mayock blushes. Eisen facepalms.

Eisen: "Uh… right. Well, that's all the time we have. Thanks for joining us, Mr. Desides, and good luck in 2011."

Desides: "Thank you, Rich.”

 

With the Eighth pick the Indianapolis Colts select:

Prince Amukamara - CB, Nebraska

Position: Cornerback
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205




• Ideal height and bulk with a muscular physique
• Great speed / acceleration with a burst to close
• Fluid hips and quick feet to transition smoothly
• Athletic w/ good agility, balance and leaping ability
• Technically sound; understands nuances of game
• Strong, physical and gets a great jam at the line
• Showcases outstanding instincts and anticipation
• Smart with nice awareness and a high football IQ
• Able to match up effectively in either man or zone
• A reliable tackler who will also deliver the big hit
• Not afraid to come up and support versus the run
• Is competitive and confident with a short memory
• A hard worker who earns the respect of teammates
• Very durable with a ton of high-quality experience


Last name is pronounced "ah-MOO-kuh-mare-uh" --- Was a three-year starter and team captain for the Cornhuskers --- Consensus 1st Team All-American in 2010 --- Was 1st Team All-Big 12 as a senior and 2nd Team as a junior --- Honored as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 --- Graduated with a Sociology degree and was a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll --- Very active in community as a volunteer --- Also a basketball and track star in high school, winning multiple state titles (AZ) in both sports --- Played in 47 consecutive games to close out college career --- A well-rounded player with the physical tools and intangibles to be a legitimate #1 corner in the NFL.

 

With the 9th selection in the 2011 GM League Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars select

Ryan Mallet - QB Arkansas



write-up to follow

 

With the 10th pick of the draft, the Panthers select Aldon Smith- OLB, MIZZ



Good size, quick, good motor, and athletic. What more could you ask for from your pass rushing 3-4 OLB?

 

with the 11th pick the Texans select WR Julio Jones Alabama

 

With the 12th pick in the 2011 GM League Draft the New York Giants select: Anthony Castonzo Left Tackle, Boston College

In my opinion Castonzo is the only LT deserving of a 1st round selection and he was the one and only player on my draft board for this slot. After trying like crazy to move up I feel lucky that Castonzo fell this far. The only missing piece for me was a good LT and now I have what I feel is basically a poor mans Jake Long. Hes not as dominant a run blocker as Long as he gets his pad level too high at times but hes still pretty darn good. Tom Coughlin brings another Boston College guy on board!

 

With the 13th pick the Detroit Lions select Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado.




Scott Wright from NFL draft countdown had this to say.

 

With the 14th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams Select....



Defensive End, out of Clemson. Da'Quan Bowers!

 

With the 15th pick The Miami Dolphins Select....


DE University of North Carolina Robert Quinn





Strengths: Shines as a pass rusher. Is explosive off the ball and, combined with his quick acceleration and speed, is able to beat offensive tackles around the corner. Once he turns the corner, has an explosive closing burst to the quarterback. Can consistently beat offensive tackles one-on-one because he can go inside or outside. Has excellent quickness and agility, enabling him to change directions in a flash. As a run defender, flashes an excellent burst off the ball to split the tackle/guard gap and can make tackles in the backfield. Also has the speed to come down the line of scrimmage and make tackles.

Quinn, who entered the draft early after being suspended for the 2010 season, has all the physical talent to become an elite rush linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Ofcourse he WAS suspended for all of 2010 for accepting benefits from his agent, many people believe he was a top 5 pick had he played. Ofcourse he lied about it to officials in a vey Tressel like manner.

Many people believe he is the best pass rusher in the draft, we will see how he develops a risk I can afford to take...he will rotate with OLB's Brandon Graham and Cam Wake...he is only 21 years old.

 

After a deal with the Broncos, with the 16th pick the Arizona Cardinals select...

Tyron Smith, OT, USC


[video=youtube;EbPMqyHnDEA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbPMqyHnDEA[/video]

After trying unsuccessfully to move up for one of the two top ends who went in the previous two picks, it's probably a blessing in disguise because DE would have been a luxury pick and LT was a much greater need. In Smith we feel we got the best LT in the draft and a player with enormous upside at only 20 years of age. He's extremely athletic and has a body that looks more like a TE than a LT even at over 300lbs. We expect him to protect Matthew Stafford's blind side for the next decade.

From Scouts Inc.

 

With pick 17, the Dallas Cowboys are awarded...



Mike Pouncey, OG/C, Florida.

 

With pick 18, the San Diego Chargers are proud to select...



Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin.


Gabe will come in and play RT right away for us, and give us a pair of quality bookends.

 

With the 21st pick the Indianapolis Colts select:

Nate Solder - OT, Colorado
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 319



• Great size w/ huge frame, long arms and large hands
• Athletic and a natural knee bender with nimble feet
• Extremely quick and agile with outstanding balance
• Moves well laterally and is able to slide and mirror
• Excels in pass protection and can protect the edge
• Shows the ability to adjust and recover when beat
• Understands positioning / angles and seals off defenders
• Can sustain blocks and control defender once locked on
• Mobile w/ range to get out in space and to second level
• Intelligent with good instincts and overall awareness
• Durable with a great work ethic and is also a leader
• Lots of experience but still has considerable upside

Last name is pronounced "sold-er" --- A three-year starter and team captain for the Buffaloes --- Named 1st Team All-Big 12 in 2009 and 2010 --- A consensus 1st Team All-American as a senior --- Weighed 245 pounds when he arrived on campus in Boulder --- Began college career as a tight end, redshirted in 2006 then played in 13 games with four starts at the position in 2007 --- Moved to offensive tackle in 2008 and held down left side for the next three seasons --- Only missed two snaps from 2008-2010 and gave up just five sacks --- Brother, John, played outside linebacker at Stanford --- Active in the community and is a fairly accomplished artist (paintings and sculptures) --- Also excelled in the classroom and graduated with a degree in biology --- Rare physical specimen at the position who reportedly has less than 10% body fat --- A finesse blocker who looks like an early first round pick on paper --- Has all the potential in the world and the tools to develop into a stud left tackle at the next level but is not yet a finished product.

 

the texans select WR Jonathan Baldwin Pittsburgh

 

With the 23rd overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers select

Danny Watkins, OT, Baylor



[video=youtube;__ZPkFfJzys]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__ZPkFfJzys[/video]

​

Danny Watkins is an older prospect but well worth the pick in our minds. The San Francisco 49ers will be following the old Rich McKay method of not putting pressure on the draft picks by placing them as backups up until they are ready or the veteran at the top of the depth chart is not reaching our standards of play. Watkins will be a backup RT to Vernon Carey until Carey's contract expires (in 1 year). He has the flexibility to play at LG, OC, and RG for us and in many ways reminds us of Logan Mankins in many ways, who is a similarly built, cut-throat player that is versatile.

 

Miami Dolphins Select


CB Brandon Harris




Brandon Harris is a very underrated player in this years draft, and gets overshadowed by Super CB Prospects Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara. The only thing Harris doesn't have is size. He has elite speed, and is such a smooth and fluid athlete, he makes everything look so easy. All his movements are quick, and he can instantly stop, start, change directions, and quickly regain his speed. He has great ball skills, he is an excellent leaper, times his jumps well, and has very good hands. His hips are as fluid and quick as they come, he gets very low in his back pedal and explodes out of it to turn and start running full speed. As mentioned the only downside with Harris is his lack of size, so he may struggle with taller receivers, but he possesses all the other tools at a high level, and he will be a very good cornerback at the next level. He reminds me a lot of Jonathan Joseph of the Bengals.

Harris fell further than I expected and I tried from Houston on down to get in this position, love the way he comes off the corner and blitzes...we just need to work on his tackling a bit.

Harris will be in a 2 man race with Eric Wright for the #2 CB slot.

 

With the 27th pick the Indianapolis Colts select:
Ryan Kerrigan - DE, Purdue

Position: Defensive End
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 267



• Good size with a nice frame and growth potential
• More quick than fast but has a burst to close
• Able to get around the edge and run the arch
• Strong, powerful and an outstanding bull rusher
• Has a wide array of moves in pass rush repertoire
• Competitive and relentless with a non-stop motor
• Good range and does a great job in pursuit
• Reliable tackler who can deliver the big hit
• More than holds his own versus the run
• Displays violent hands and uses them well
• Shows the ability to disengage from blockers
• Smart with terrific instincts and awareness
• Utilizes proper technique and understands leverage
• Super tough and will play through pain / injuries
• Productive with a knack for making impact plays
• Superb leadership qualities and amazing work ethic
• Offers some positional and schematic versatility
• Lots of quality experience and a great pedigree

A three-year starter and team captain for the Boilermakers --- Named 1st Team All-Big Ten in 2009 and 2010 --- A unanimous All-American selection in 2010 --- Honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading the conference in sacks as a senior --- Also garnered notice from the Big Ten for his work in the classroom --- Led the entire nation in tackles for a loss as a senior --- Finished career at Purdue tied for second on the school's all-time sack list --- 14 career forced fumbles set the Big Ten record and tied the NCAA mark --- Hails from the same college program that produced NFL pass rushers such as Rosevelt Colvin, Chike Okeafor, Shaun Phillips, Ray Edwards, Rob Ninkovich, Anthony Spencer and Cliff Avril --- Suffered a broken foot in the final game of the 2009 season, which had to be surgically repaired --- Could project to defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or outside linebacker in an odd (3-4) front --- Fantastic football player who compensates for a lack of eye-popping physical tools with top-notch intangibles --- Draft stock soared after a standout senior campaign and it seemed as though everyone who saw him play came away singing his praises --- Might never be an "elite" sack artist along the lines of Julius Peppers but will be a very good player for a long time -- Profiles as a Chris Long-type of presence at the next level.

 

We have a trade! The San Francisco 49ers send the 28th overall pick to the Cleveland Browns! And with that 28th overall pick, the Cleveland Browns select…

Christian Ponder, QB, FSU​

Ponder’s meteoric, Rivers-like rise up the draft board ends here. Mike Holmgren’s incessant badgering of his first year GM finally paid off, and the Browns acquire legitimate competition to second year signal caller Colt McCoy. May the best QB win.

 

With the 31st pick in the 2011 GML Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars select UCLA Free Safety Raheem Moore

 

With the 30th pick of the GM League Draft the New York Jets (in a do-over), select ...

Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple

 

(Roger Goodell approaches the podium)
"We have a trade to announce. The Atlanta Falcons have traded the 33rd, 70th and 172nd draft picks to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 39th, 68th and 144th draft picks.

With the 33rd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft the Philadelphia Eagles select... Cornerback/Safety, Aaron Williams from the University of Texas.

​

 

The Miami Dolphins Select:

WR from The 'U' Leonard Hankerson





Strengths:
Big-game experience since high school
Capable blocker for running game
Has been coached well, good route runner
Will make the big catch
Red zone target
Strong and physical
Good character

Player Comparison: Braylon Edwards. Hankerson and Edwards have similar size and ability to come up with the football down the field in dramatic fashion.

I liked Leonard all year and REALLY liked him in the Senior Bowl, he had 72 Catches for over 1,000yds, and 12 TD's with VERY poor QB play, he won me over in Feb, but I just didnt ned him until now. Excellent compliment to Stevie Johnson with Amendola and Marcedes working the middle.

 

With the 35th pick, The Cincinnati Bungals select Corey Liuget DT, Illinois

​

 

With the 36th selection, the Chicago Bears select Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame.



[video=youtube;f6UwzaYPCq8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6UwzaYPCq8[/video]

With some of the bargains the Bears targeted taken right before our pick, we are opting to grab the best TE available and fill a glaring need with the departure of Greg Olsen in the offseason.

 

With the 37th overall selection, the San Francisco 49ers select...
Davon House, Cornerback, New Mexico State

​

We don't have a lot of holes on our team right now, mostly depth but you never have enough cornerbacks and we couldn't pass up on Davon House of New Mexico State. House is a long limbed athlete that has very good foot speed as well as recovery speed and uses his length in man well. He is a natural ballhawk and has very good hand-eye coordination and is physical in both pass and run game. We had him rated higher than Aaron Williams and are pleased to have him in our 2 Read scheme, which fits his strengths to a tee. He is a long time 49ers fan.

 

With the 38th selection in the 2011 GM League Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select ...

Mikel LeShoure, RB, Illinois


​

The Kansas Chiefs (and their drunken GM) are ecstatic to pick up a big back (6'0, 230 lbs) to pair with returning All Pro Jamaal Charles. The obvious cliché would be to call them "Thunder" and "Lightning" but we feel that's a slight to both men. Charles is more than capable of taking it between the tackles, while LeShoure has underrated speed (4.6 40) to get to the corner.

Let's not kid ourselves though. The dude is going to be a load to take down in the middle of the field. We had him rated as the best power back in the draft, and right up towards the top of our draft board in terms of running backs overall. We plan to have him split carries with Charles, providing an instant upgrade over the road-weary Thomas Jones. Splitting carries should prolong the careers of both Charles (still only 25) and LeShoure (just turning 21) for the next 8 to 10 years. That's right suckers. 8 to 10 YEARS.

Still not convinced? Let's take a look at some of the highlights. The TEN MINUTES of highlights. Go on. Take a look. I'll go get a beer.

[video=youtube;gVgFcPDMQLQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVgFcPDMQLQ[/video]​

Some folks may suggest that LeShoure is a character risk. Whilst I can understand some of those concerns, I believe LeShoure more than answered them this past season. He came out focused in 2010, with teammates and coaches alike praising him for a new found maturity. Oh, and and as for his production on the field? All he did was go out and rush for over 1500 yards and win All American honors in the process.

We're pumped to have him join the Chiefs.

 

With the 39th pick the Atlanta Falcons select DE Justin Houston, Georgia