Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Jets Projected Picks Rounds 1-7

After making the AFC Championship game in each of the last two seasons, it’s time for the New York Jets to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl. Gang Green is in position to win now, but in order to remain championship contenders for many years to come general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan must continue to have success in restocking the roster through the draft. After acquiring cornerback Antonio Cromartie from the San Diego Chargers last year, the Jets don’t have a second-round pick this April, so they aren’t likely to trade up in the first round. The following is a 1-7 round mock draft of projected Jets selections.
Round 1: Justin Houston, outside linebacker, Georgia
The Jets haven’t had a dominant pass-rusher in their defense since John Abraham left after the 2005 season. In order to be a complete defense, Gang Green will at the very least need a consistent pass-rushing threat who could give the team 10-15 sacks a season. At 6-3, 270 pounds Houston appears to be that type of player.
In 2010 Houston racked up 10 sacks and 18 tackles in the backfield while playing outside linebacker and defensive end in Georgia’s system. He also recorded an interception.
Ryan loves versatile talents, and Houston has shown he can be effective in a three-point stance at defensive end or standing up as a linebacker. The Georgia Bulldog product has also shown he has the athleticism to drop into coverage and disrupt the opposing quarterback’s passing lanes.
Houston turned out to be a pleasant surprise in many ways for the scouts at the NFL Combine a couple weeks ago. Originally thought of as an undersized defensive end, he weighed in at a solid 270 pounds, and wowed scouts with his big hands (10 ⅞ inches), long arms (34 ½ inches), and wide wingspan (81⅝). Additionally, he displayed an impressive array of skills by posting a 36 ½ inch vertical jump, a 10-5 broad jump, and a 4.68 second 40-yard dash.
Last season the Jets got only a combined 17 sacks from the trio of Calvin Pace, Jason Taylor, and Bryan Thomas. With the release of Taylor last week, it would be wise of Tannenbaum and Ryan to fill that hole with a young talent such as Houston.
Justin Houston highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR0L2RVId90

Monday, March 7, 2011

Giants Projected Picks Rounds 1-7

GIANTS Projected Draft Picks



Round 1: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
HT: 6' 7"  WT: 311lbs

There is no question that the Giants need to address their aging offensive line. Castonzo is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the draft, but still possesses the strength, footwork, and aggressiveness to be an effective run blocker. He is a smart player and should be able to step in right away and make an impact. 







Round 2: Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina
HT: 6' 2"  WT: 241lbs

The Giants have had quite a bit of luck when drafting players out of North Carolina. (Lawrence Taylor, Hakeem Nicks) Carter tore his ACL toward the end of the college season, but before he did, he was one of five finalists for the Butkus Award. Carter started virtually every game in his college career, and has an interception for a TD in each of the last two seasons. He is aggressive, explosive, and versatile. He can cover, stuff the run, rush the quarterback, and even block kicks. (6 blocked punts and 1 blocked field goal) If he hadn't torn his ACL, he very likely would have been a top 20 pick. Carter could end up being a huge steal, and will fill a major void at the OLB position that the Giants have failed to effectively address for several years.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Mallett steals show at NFL Combine

A day after being cold to reporters, which provided another blemish to pile on to what has turned into a bad reputation at one of the worst possible times in his young career, Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett put on a quite a show for coaches, scouts, and general managers during the NFL Combine's throwing sessions this afternoon in Indianapolis. According to ESPN's John Clayton, Mallett was the most impressive of the quarterback bunch.

Mallett wins first major passing competition:
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett put on an impressive show with the first group of quarterbacks, edging out University of Washington quarterback Jake Locker, who bounced back nicely from a subpar Senior Bowl. Mallett's strong arm was on display Sunday. On deep seam routes, he was flawless. His fastball delivery on out passes was impressive. Though he struggled with turn-in passes to his left, he was perfect on four throws to his right on post corners and showed great touch on his deep passes.

So, finally, something positive is being written about Mallett, who's been put down repeatedly in the last month with whispers of his alleged drug use and his intelligence being questioned. While the vicious rumors are alarming, after two very successful years with the Razorbacks and today's workout, there's no doubt that Mallett is one of the best quarterbacks in this draft. Should he fall to the mid-rounds, whichever team picks him may get a huge steal.

Source: ESPN

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Augie Tieri’s 2011 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

It's still very early, as the NFL Scouting Combine hasn't even begun yet, but here is my preliminary Mock Draft 1.0  By the time the draft rolls around, I'll probably be up to 7.0 but who's counting...
Feel free to agree or disagree on my picks, and lay the comments down below
Also, if you have a mock draft you want me to post, email me @ a.tieri@ymail.com


Augie Tieri’s  2011 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

1.   DaQuan Bowers     Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
This is going to come down from Panthers ownership. The Panthers have a lot of needs and you can’t tell me that Da’Quan Bowers has enough star talent to keep them from trading out of this pick. They have been adamant about the fact that they want to make a splash at the quarterback position, and haven’t shown an ounce of confidence in either Clausen or Moore. Don’t be shocked if they pull the trigger on this one.

2.   Nick Fairley      Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
Champ Bailey will be gone and the Broncos will need to find a legitimate replacement for him. Peterson is polished, and should be able to step right in and get the job done

3.    Patrick Peterson     Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
Defensive tackle Kyle Williams led the Bills last year in sacks with a whopping total of 5.5. That just isn’t going to cut it. The Bills haven’t had a legitimate pass rushing threat since Bruce Smith, and Aaron Maybin is turning out to be a bust so this is undoubtedly the right selection.

4.    AJ Green     A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
With the almost certain departure of both Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens, and now possibly even Carson Palmer, the Bengals are going to have to address some serious concerns in the passing game.

5.    Von Miller     Von Miller, OLB/DE, Texas A&M
More than likely, the QB situation will be resolved in free agency, which will free up the Cardinals to replace Joey Porter with the top OLB on the board

6.    Marcel Dareus        Nick Farley, DT, Auburn
Following the release of Shaun Rogers, the Browns have to bolster their front line. Farley’s dominant performance in the National Championship game has put him on everyone’s radar. Should be a nice fit for the Browns.

7.   Robert Quinn     Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
Bringing in Jim Harbaugh instantly improves the 49ers offense, but since he can’t play quarterback anymore, they are going to have to find someone who can, and Alex Smith is not it. Gabbert has the tools necessary to be a long-term solution for Harbaugh.

8.    Blaine Gabbert         Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
It’s hard to imagine the Titans without Jeff Fisher, but it is now a reality. The Titans need a QB they can build their franchise around, and establish a threat in the passing game to compliment Chris Johnson’s explosiveness. Mallett is the best pure passing quarterback in the draft.  

9.    Prince Amukamara      Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Tony Romo got lit up more than the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center last season before getting knocked out by the Giants. Solder is every bit of 6’9” with room to grow. He needs to improve his technique but with the right tutelage, he should anchor the Cowboys o-line for years to come.

10.  Cam Newton  Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama
Nothing demonstrated the Redskins desperate need for help on their interior defensive line than the fact that Albert Haynesworth actually played this year. Dareus burst onto the scene this year and made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide. The Redskins can only hope he will do the same for the crimson and gold.

11.  Ryan Kerrigan  Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
The Texans had one of the worst defensive secondaries in all of football last year. The offense amassed huge numbers but was always coming from behind because of the big plays they would give up on the other end.

12.  Tyron Smith  Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
Lost in the Brett Favre saga of last season was the fact that the Vikings could not get after the QB last year. Their defensive line is getting older, and they need a legitimate pass rusher opposite Jared Allen. After missing the entire season, look for Quinn to blow scouts away at the combine.

13. Nate Solder   Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
The Lions showed significant improvement last season and should get even better this season. Ndamakong Suh made an immediate impact on the defensive line last year, and Kerrigan should free up Suh even more, as he wreaks havoc off the edge.

14.  Julio Jones  Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
It is amazing what rookie quarterback Sam Bradford was able to accomplish despite not having the weapons on offense. Adding Julio Jones will be a major step toward solving that problem.

15.  Mark Ingram  Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
There is very little doubt that the Dolphins will take a RB first overall; the only debate will be which one. While LeShoure probably has more upside, Ingram is more proven, and that is what the Dolphins need right now.

16.  Jake Locker  Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
The Jags are yet another team that had an awful secondary last year. In a league that is becoming more and more pass dominant, the Jaguars must improve. Smith is a big physical corner, similar to Akib Talib in Tampa Bay.

17.  Aldon Smith   Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
The Pats have a young secondary that could use a little help in the form of a consistent pass rush. Houston is athletic, can play in space, and get after the QB.

18.  Adrian Clayborn   Cameron Jordan, DE, California
Cameron Jordan is the perfect fit opposite Luis Castillo at the 3-4 defensive end for San Diego. 

19. Corey Liuget      Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
The Giants’ running game has slowed down significantly since winning the Super Bowl in ’07. Once regarded as having one of the best offensive lines in football, age and injuries have caught up to them. Castonzo is a chiseled 6’7” 305lbs with room to grow. Very capable of being the Giants next franchise left tackle.

20.  Akeem Ayers  Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
The Buccaneers finished dead last in sacks last season. Smith will provide some pressure off the edge that is vital for a defensive scheme that is predicated on getting pressure from the front four.

21. JJ Watt   Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi St.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Chiefs picking this late so they must be doing something right the past couple of years in the draft. Expect Scott Pioli to grab the best available offensive lineman on the board with this pick

22. Gabe Carimi   Mike Pouncey, G, Florida
Peyton Manning looked like a very different QB at times this year behind a shaky offensive line, and the Colts could not run the football at all. Pouncey will provide them immediate help at guard, and could be the eventual replacement for Jeff Saturday at center.

23.  Anthony Castonzo  J.J. Wyatt, DE, Wisconsin
The Eagles have seen the Giants defensive line wreak enough havoc over the years. It’s about time they draft a Justin Tuck like hybrid defensive lineman that can move around the D-Line and cause matchup problems.

24. Justin Houston   Mikel LeShoure, RB, Illinois
The Saints had a carousel of RB’s last season when Pierre Thomas went down and it ended up hurting them significantly down the stretch. LeShoure is very similar to Thomas, with a ton more upside.

25.  Jimmy Smith  Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
The Seahawks corners got picked apart often last season, even in the games they won. Williams would join fellow Texas teammate Earl Thomas in bolstering Seattle’s secondary.

26.  Cameron JordanBrandon Harris, CB, Miami
Despite only picking off 4 passes in his career at the U, Harris was a 32 game starter and it seemed that the only reason he didn’t pick off more was because teams were afraid to throw at him.

27.  Torrey Smith  Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
As good as the Falcons were last season, they gave up the big play way too often as exhibited in the playoffs against the Packers. Having a player of Moore’s caliber providing over the top help should reduce that significantly.

28.  Aldon Smith  Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
It is amazing how many first round caliber 3-4 defensive ends there are in this draft. The ironic thing is, there isn’t a tremendous need for them inside the top 25. Patriots won’t be able to pass up Clayborn with their second pick in the first round.

29.  Mike PounceyGabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
Is there a team in this draft that needs more help at offensive tackle than the Chicago Bears? Ask Jay Cutler if he likes this pick

30.  Muhammed WilkersonAkeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
Chances are, Ayers won’t fall this far but don’t put it past the Jets to trade up for him. He is exactly what they need at the OLB spot, as he would provide the athletic pass rushing beast the Jets have been lacking.

31.  Benjamin Ijalana Tyron Smith, OT, USC
Ben Roethlisberger took a pounding all season long. For years now, the Steelers have been in need of an athletic skilled pass protector on Big Ben’s blind side. Smith fits the mold.

32.  Cameron Heyward Stefon Wisniewski, C/G, Penn St.
If you had to dig through Green Bay’s roster to find a single weakness, it would probably be their offensive line. Aaron Rodgers had a tremendous season and the Pack have to make it a priority to protect their elite investment. Wisniewski has the pedigree and the flexibility to play both guard and center.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Welcome!

Because I clearly have no life...

For all my friends that ask me for fantasy advice and everyone else that can benefit....

and to just simply rant about your favorite team and most current sports topic...

Most notably the upcoming NFL Draft and Fantasy Baseball Season...

I bring you: RealTalk Fantasy Sports...let the banter begin!!!