My Realistic Top 9 Mock Draft w/ trades

Rashard mendenhall is a Rb not a CB and there is about a 0% chance the patriots tale him at #7.

 

The Raiders just gave the guy their paying to play DT 50 million and can't afford another overpriced player. I would think about one of the 2 #4's for Washington though.

 

Ouch.. A trade up for Darren McFadden? I'd be satisfied if we stood at #6 and took him, but not if we traded up for him.

I like KC taking a DT if Jake Long is gone. They need some interior line help and Dorsey would be a great value as well.

Brian Brohm is not worth the 8th overall pick at all. The Ravens could get him, Flacco or Henne with their 2nd rounder and all are on a similar level.

I'm sure that the Mendenhall thing was a typo. IMO it's not the craziest thing to see New England go RB even though its not what I believe will happen.

I also don't like passing on Gholston. We're better off staying at #6 and getting Gholston or McFadden.

 

Jets like DMC and Gholston. Raiders like DMC. why would raiders trade 4th for 6th when they know they will lose out on McFadden? Washington in the deal is pretty good, but Raiders will never let him go in such a deal while taking the salary cap eater DRob.

 

What the hell? I missed that totally. I agree with you. Brohm will never be in the top 25 atleast...agree..early 2nd rounder along with Flacco.

 

i cant help but feel like this guy is a reincarnation of dylansjets.

 

For a Realistic Mock Draft, this one pretty much sux.

he came to my mind, too, reading this.

 

Raiders have so much money invested in two guys (Russell over 60 million and Hall over 70? or whatever) that I can really see them trading down. They need picks (only 1 in the first 4 rounds) and cheaper commitments. Who they trade with and for what I don't know.

 

Why do some folks think its such a stretch for the Pats to take Mendenhall at #7, and I mean some really smart draftniks like my friend PA {etc.}

You Guys do realize Mendenhall is an "elite" feature back prospect with ideal measurables {central casting}, I presume, therefore you can't be suggesting #7 is a reach in terms of value ... and oh by the way, if you think he's a reach at #7 you might be in a really bad mood if the Jets take him at #6, which is absolutely a real possibility in my view and one you should at least brace yourselves for lest you get completely blind-sided

But I digress, point being Mendenhall is an elite prospect in this draft {IMO}, so much so that I'm not even sure McFadden is the best RB in this draft, that distinction may belong to Rashard Mendenhall all things considered and I suspect a number of GM's are finding this question to be a tougher call than you think, and I'd be shocked if there aren't at least a few GM's out there who have decided this question in Mendenhall's favor {Ala Charlie Casserly opting for Mario Williams over Reggie Bush when that seemed like heresy}

Having said that, I'm assuming this is also a "needs" thing as well, some folks just don't see the Pats drafting a RB {ANY RB} with the need so great at Cornerback and having Lawrence Maroney .. and this may be true .. there is certainly much validity to that argument and it may indeed turn out that NE reaches for a Corner at #7 with front-seven value like DE/34OLB Derrick Harvey still on the board {another player the Jets may consider}, or of course with an elite RB prospect like RM staring them in the face

But before you completely dismiss the idea of NE taking Mendenhall as some apparently have, there are a few things I would politely ask you to consider

1. The knock on Maroney in college was that he's always hurt and he lacks the toughness to play through the types of nagging injuries you must play through in the NFL ... he couldn't {or wouldn't} even do that in college, or perhaps his pain tolerance is just very low, but either way, if he couldn't {or wouldn't} do it in college, the fear was that he would not suddenly get tough at the next level, nor would his durability increase when he's getting hit by bigger, faster and stronger men who create far more impactful collisions

2. The knock on Maroney in college has indeed been his bugaboo in the pros .. BB hides information with his injury reports so its harder to gage the extent to which Maroney would have been on a legit injury report, but the general feeling in NE and elsewhere is "often", it seems Maroney has spent a significant portion of his first two years in the NFL dealing with this nagging injury or that nagging injury, he's already missed a number of games and/or seen his carries significantly decreased, in short he just can't seem to carry the load as NE had hoped and knowing BB {from the Parcells school} when it comes to injuries and playing hurt, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he told Pioli I've had it with this marshmellow, GET ME A FEATURE BACK I CAN COUNT ON, that would be very much appreciated

3. The Pats have had so much success with mid-to-late round DB's, even UDFA's, heck even turning a WR like Troy Brown into a Nickel/Dime a few years back, that I just don't get the feeling they feel a sense of urgency to draft a CB in the TOP 10 ... maybe they do, I admit that, but I wouldn't be so sure that they do, that's all I'm saying

4. Lastly, the Pats didn't get this good by passing on value and reaching for needs .. they're too smart for that trap .. they may draft a Corner all things being equal, if the value is there or its close enough, but if they give Mendenhall or Harvey a higher grade than the Corners and the disparity is not exactly miniscule, I would expect NE to take the value seeing as Harvey fits their scheme {like a glove} and we already discussed where Mendenhall can unseat Maroney as the feature back BB can depend on

JMO fellas, I could be wrong, Just a few things to consider

{EDIT}: One more thing I forgot to mention is that sometimes it makes sense to draft to your strength and make it even stronger, as opposed to fixing your weaker side of the ball, because its easier to take a great passing attack and add the element of a great rushing attack to boot, you can do that by adding one player, perhaps a player like Mendenhall, then your offense is even more abrurdly unstoppable than it already was, now its a two dimensional serial killer .. and BB can hold most teams under 28 with his schemes and decent personnel on defense

 

Good post.

In the end, when you're drafting this early you're drafting BPA and not need.

I just saw someone today make a post on how we should go best WR available if none of the Holy 5 from this draft makes it to us. Why? Theres no WR worth the 6th pick in this draft, but we have a need there. An emphasis on need early on leads to picks like Alex Smith. ZOMG we NEED a QB or we won't survive...or we NEED a really fast WR (Vikings) lets go Troy Williamson...

 

How was this in any way realistic? If the Jets are going to move up with the Raiders (though, highly unlikely) they'd swap first round picks and give up either a 4th or DRob and they'd leave Fabian Washington out of this altogether. In essence you're saying the Jets get #4 and the Raiders get #6 and two 4th rounders PLUS we swap DRob for Washington.

What part of this is realistic?

 

I also think that Value is a much more important Faktor than need up there, but only to a certain point. When it comes to the pats, i don?t think they have that much freedom in this draft. They?re really getting old on D and have some holes there and a lot of players on their O are heading to the end of their prime, so they will get some holes there, too within the next few years. If they want to stay competitive they despretely need youth in their D, especially when they have a young and very talented RB in Maroney. My guess is that (if Gholston ist gone) Harvey will be their pick. They can get a CB who fits their system later.

@ Jabba, i definitly see your point and understand what you want to say, but i think you somethimes have the same weakness as many good draft nicks (which i think you are) have: you are too focused on the players future, not on the teams future. Even thou i think Mendenhall is a better player (and will be a better pro) than McKelvin or Harvey or DRC, i definitly think that that one of the 3 will make the Pats a better team than Mendenhall, not only now, but also in 2,4 and 6 years. I think that was the case when the Texans passed on Bush, they may not have thought that Williams was the better player, but they may have thought that he makes the team better long term, and that?s the most important thing for a GM, not the value of the player.

 

Good Post, German .. excellent point/counter point :up:

 

OMG i was thinking the same thing a few days ago.

Anyway, why would they take 2 4's and Drob whos not worth anything to move down 2 spots and also throw in a good young corner.

NO CHANCE

 

I find it almost impossible to believe the patriots take mendenhall at #7 for the simple fact that they are all about value picks. They have maroney and morris both of whom played well last year, but even if they were going BPA, mendenhall isn't it at #7, Ellis probably is. Though I think it's academic since I doubt the patriots actually pick at #7.

 

If the Jets made that trade up to get a player they do not need and has very very real bust potential, after the brick went through the TV I might just pull out all my air in frustration.

 

I could totally see the pats taking an RB...maroney is a little fragile and sammy morris is as good as he's ever going to be.