"If fans were GMs" mock...

This is just an experiment.
This is not how I think they would pick, or who I think would be a good pick for x team; I'm not good at that.

Instead, I went to search the other team's forums and see what each fanbase is wishing for the draft.

Each fanbase has their own lunatics and their own gurus. Many of them wouldn't be able to make up their minds on what kind of draft they want.
Some of them will have a controversial decision no matter what.

I didn't have the time to search whatever many forums each team has, or whatever many draft threads each forum has; I just checked the ones that caught my eye, so I'm sure there'll be picks that some fanbase don't agree with that.

Anyway, here's what could happen if fans were GMs on draft day:

wait, before we start... if fans were GMs EVERYBODY WOULD TRADE DOWN; once said that, here's the mock:

1) Carolina Panthers - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU.
Funny, the next 10 teams somehow believe Peterson will be available when they're on the clock. So he's one of the top choices for everyteam. Lucky for the Panthers, they're the first ones to choose, so...


2) Denver Broncos - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama.
They'd like Peterson too, but he's been taken by Carolina fans already. They wouldn't mind Fairley at all.


3) Buffalo Bills - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn.
Many Buffalo fans will be pissed no matter what. Half of them want a QB, the other half would hate a QB. The half that want a QB wants Newton and only Newton, the other half wants Gabber and only Gabber. Nobody seems to be really upset for taking Dareus or Fairley and Quinn to some extent, so I went this way.

4) Cincinnati Bengals - AJ Green, WR, Georgia.
Some would like Von Miller instead.


5) Arizona Cardinals - Dequan Bowers, DE, Clemson.
They also like Von Miller in this spot.


6) Cleveland Browns - Cam Jordan, DE, Cal.
Weird place... some of them even want a QB when they've already drafted one last year. Anyway, the majority would choose someone that had already been picked by someone else's fans, so this is the best they would get.


7) San Francisco 49ers -Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M.
If somehow all other 6 teams pass on Peterson, they'll take him. Otherwise, Von Miller is their guy. If they both were gone, some of them would like Gabbert.


8) Tennessee Titans - Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina.
Not really a concenssus here. They all want the guys that were already picked. They really DON'T want a QB... they're kind of scarred with VY.


9) Dallas Cowboys - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska.
They seem to have surrended to their destiny. Apparently the majority of mock drafts have them taking Prince and they seem to be ok with it.

10) Washington Redskins - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Miss.
The first fanbase not totally scared to sign a QB with their first round pick.
They seem to favour a bit Gabbert over Newton.
Besides that, some would love a WR (Jones) some would hate a WR. And they'd seem to like any defensive already picked.


11) Houston Texans - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama.
If it was on them, they'll get Von Miller. Too bad he was taken long ago. Tez Wilson and Aldon Smith are considered too if JJ is not there anymore.


12) Minnesota Vikings - Jake Locker, QB, Washington.
They seem to agree that they need a QB, the problem is they just hate them all (at #12). Newton scares people. They'd consider Locker, Mallet and Ponder at that spot though.


13) Detriot Lions - Brandon Harris, CB, Miami.
They'd like a CB and they know Prince will be gone when they're on the clock.


14) St Louis Rams - Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri.
Apparently if Julio Jones is not there, they could commit mass suicide.


15) Miami Dolphins - Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas.
If Mallett or Newton is available, they'd like a QB; otherwise, Ingram is their pick. Mallett's bandwagon seems to be the cool thing these days in there, and Newton has a similar effect on every fan base... they love him or hate him.


16) Jacksonville Jaquars - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn.
Maybe other fanbases think this QB class is weak... NOT the jax... they're in love with the WHOLE class. They'd love (at #16) any of Dalton, Ponder, Mallett, Newton, Gabbert, Locker, and Kaepernick, each one of them has his own bandwagon.
Since they think Newton will be long gone, they may cry if he falls into their laps.


17) New England Patriots - JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin.
The ones that don't consider him an option is because they're assuming he won't be there.


18) San Diego Chargers - Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple.
Besides the already taken guys, it seems they'd love this pick.


19) New York Giants - Tyron Smith, OT, USC.
But Castonzo or Solder would be nice.


20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue.
Some of them like Houston, some of them don't. Aldon Smith is not here anymore. They're ok with Clayborn, but rate Kerrigan higher.


21) Kansas City Chiefs - Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia.
They'd love Aldon Smith, but he's long gone.
(BTW, nice intelligent discussion in those forums -don't know if they're actually smart or just pretend they are, but at least they make reasonable arguments, more than in other sites I saw).


22) Indianapolis Colts - Derek Sherrod, OT, Miss St.
They'd take Castonzo, and if really forced, Carimi. But they'd be willing to trade up for Sherrod.



23) Philadelphia Eagles - Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin.
There's a CB bandwagon, but no one is against an OT.


24) New Orleans Saints, Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama.
They like a DE on the first round, but they seem to agree that if Ingram (and only Ingram) is still available, they should take him.


25) Seattle Seahawks, Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado.
They seem to be pretty meh about any prospect, but those with arguments seem to like this CB.


26) Baltimore Ravens - Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon.
All the other guys they want have already been taken. They still like Paea.


27) Atlanta Falcons - Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa.
The hardest one. They just mention positions but they don't like to say names.
They'll settle with Clayborn or Ayers, otherwise maybe a WR (Young or Baldwin)


28) New England Patriots - Mike Pouncey, C, Florida.
They were willing to take him with their first pick, so I think this is even better for them.


29) Chicago Bears - Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston.
They want an OT, they're not sure who would fall to their laps, but they'll take it.

30) New York Jets - Akeem Ayers, DE/OLB, UCLA.
They wouldn't mind to reach a bit to get Reed or Sheard, and many wouldn't complain if they're left with Wilson, but they seem to agree that if Ayers is still there, he should be their guy.

Still available:
Jabaal Sheard, OLB, Pitt.
Cam Heyward, DE, Ohio.
Tez Wilson, DE, Illinois.
Akeem Ayers, DE/OLB, UCLA.
Corey Liuget, DL, Illinois.
Rahim Moore, S, UCLA.
Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor.
If fans were GMs, these guys would still be available when we're on the clock.


31) Pittsburgh Steelers - Cam Heyward, DE, Ohio.
If we pick Heyward, they'd take Wilson. They won't complain if they were to get Cannon or Taylor.


32) Green Bay Packers - Nate Solder, OT, Colorado.
They'd only take an OL if one of the top ones falls on them. I figured that they'd be ok with Solder. Other than that, they'd take Wilson, a CB (Harris) or a WR (Baldwin or Hankerson).

 

Thanks @everyone for the comments.

Actually it's the opposite.
If I had a lot of time on my hands I would have actually watched this guys play, then I would created my own draftboard after analyzing their performances, then I would studied all teams different needs and GM's draft trends and finally I would have devoted some time to try to predict what they would do.

Instead, I just let the other fanbases do the hard work and just survey them to check what would be their wishing list.

About the cowboys, it was a mistake on my part not writting a comment... as you can see, I finished the mock after 3am (I wake up at 6am to go to work), so there were a couple of things I should have double checked.
Sorry, I don't have tiger blood.

Cowboys seem to have surrended to their destiny. Apparently the majority of mock drafts have them taking Prince and they seem to be ok with it.
Obviously, like everyone else, they'd love to get almost any of the guys that had been already taken, but the better rated for them that they wouldn't complain about is Prince.

Again, this is somehow the fanbases wish list, not an expert's mock.

I trust our own draft gurus when they say Newton is the real deal, but not everyone in other forums are convinced about it.

He polarizes fanbases (bi-polarizes them? ), some in Buffalo really want him, but then half of them really would hate him; this mock is somehow like trying to piss the less people off.

About Mallet and Locker (actually more Mallet than Locker), it's like Sheard in our forums. No one else have mentioned Sheard in the other forums. They'd be surprised to see that he's so highly rated in here.
Mallet is like that for Vikings, Redskins, Miami and Jags. They like the guy and say he's overlooked just because of his drug incident.

There was only a couple of forums I thought they had similar arguments to those that are presented in this board, with a handful of guys giving deep insight on the prospects, either to defend them or to knock them.

I don't know if that's because in here there's more people posting stupid ideas that requires for the gurus to give a lot more detailed arguments, or if it's because there's actually people that know what they're talking about. Either way, I think it's better this way.

 

A couple of notes now that I have a little more time...

a) Why this idea? usually when someone outside your own fanbase creates a mock, somehow they manage to pick someone you weren't even considering.

We're talking about pass rushers and then they come up with a NT. Yeah, some may think that he could work, maybe that's what Tanny would do, I don't know... but that's NOT what we would choose and if that happened it would be dissappointing to say the least to many in here.

So, instead of trying to decide what's better for the other teams, I choose to check what they would be ok with.

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b) I should have posted a Jets pick, not options; so I'll post it in here and I'll take the chance to show you the process I used for all those picks:

Checking this place, I see a poll; the top guy is already taken (Houston), so he's ruled out.

Then, it comes Wilkerson (also taken) and Sheard. I'd find it odd that he's so high when no one else mentioned him before, so I'll need to read to see the reasons.

Along with Sheard, I need to consider Hayward (high on the poll) and Ayers, who seems to be overlooked because they're assuming he won't be there. That automatically places Ayers ahead of the other two, but the only bandwagons I can see are Sheard and a new guy, Wilson.

Like many bandwagons, Sheard and Wilson have their detractors, so they're controversial and I don't like controversial, so I need to read reasons; after reading a bit, the guy with the better argument to defend Sheard is also defending Ayers, so there's no need to argue... Ayers is definitely ahead.

Also, there's a mock with Ayers as the pick, and everybody seems to be ok with it.

Finally, I double check with another site. In there, the big (BIG) bandwagon seems to be Brooks Reed, but they're also considering Ayers is gone.

So that's it:

30) New York Jets - Akeem Ayers, DE/OLB, UCLA.
They wouldn't mind to reach a bit to get Reed or Sheard, and many wouldn't complain if they're left with Wilson, but they seem to agree that if Ayers is still there, he should be their guy.

That's how this mock was created.

 

Mmh... I'm not sure if I'm understanding your point...
If you mean that if I choose their second choice if their first it was already taken, then yes; if your question is if I came up with a name of my own, then no.

Look at the jets example in the post above; Houston could be the first choice according to a poll, but since he was taken I had to dig deeper (and live well) to find what was the highest ranked choice available.

Usually all fanbases have around 5 players to choose from (maybe only the rams were obsessed with only one), and all have "trade down" as one of their first 2 or 3 choices (except also the "let's trade up to get JJ" rams); I just had to find out among the available ones, the higher rated and least disliked candidate.

 

Thanks mate; it would be too weird if I tried to do it that way because all fanbases are assuming some players won't be there, so they're not even considering them.
I mean, I would guess that Fairley would be the jets wish but no one mentions that because it's absolutely impossible; there's like 10 different teams that their top choice is Peterson.

Anyway, I tried to mention that in the comments to reflect what you're saying, but it would be impossible (or way too arbitrary) to draw a line on when a fanbase is being unrealistic or not.

Thanks and nice idea... I'll try to do that too. :up:

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ok, now... what do you think about the fanbase's picks?
which are the smarters ones and which are the ones stabbing themselves?
which teams would be better listening to the vox populi instead of listening their GMs?