2013 official NFL Draft thread.

[ClevelandFan11]

Also to everyone clamouring for Warmack in the first round you do realize that would make 3 1st round picks in the past 6 years on the offensive line. Not too mention an additional 2nd and 3rd round pick on the o-line as well. I understand the need for having a good O-Line to be able to compete in todays NFL but that is just too much IMO into one unit especially when there are more glaring holes on the defensive side of the ball with OLB, CB and Safety. A cheaper FA Guard can be found than any of the three other glaring needs for this team in FA and even though they did put a pretty lofty investment into TRich last year I just don't think this much of drafting is good for one unit especially when they all are extended ie Mack and Schwartz and then you have that much money invested into one unit. Plus I feel the team can get away with the rotation of Pinkston/Lauvou and Greco again for a year but could not get away with the current LB group (especially if they do move to 3-4) the current CB group or the current FS group.

Well like you mentioned earlier if Jones, Moore, Miliner, or Werner (if we stay in a base 4-3) are gone I would trade down and grab Warmack. But since I have been reading up on "Air Norv" I can see the TE needing upgraded. But at the same time since Norv uses a lot of 5/7 step drops a great o-line is also needed.

I like Robert Lester the FS out of Alabama, who should be available in the third or fourth round. I think he would compliment Ward very nicely.

[brownies236]

Well like you mentioned earlier if Jones, Moore, Miliner, or Werner (if we stay in a base 4-3) are gone I would trade down and grab Warmack. But since I have been reading up on "Air Norv" I can see the TE needing upgraded. But at the same time since Norv uses a lot of 5/7 step drops a great o-line is also needed.

I like Robert Lester the FS out of Alabama, who should be available in the third or fourth round. I think he would compliment Ward very nicely.

I liked Lester last year and hoped he was going to make the jump to the NFL. Would not mind picking him up as early as the 3rd round.

[Stonevision]

We've all said the last couple years that the Browns draft strategy will depend on what positions they address in free agency only for them to basically do nothing. This year I think it will be different as they will have to spend money and the new guys in charge will target the guys they like and want and will pursue them aggressively. I see Chud and Norv bringing in some offensive players they are comfortable with and whoever their DC is (Horton, Tucker, Pagano) they will bring in some of "his guys" as well. Looking forward to the team announcing their new DC. Sure it will spark some good debate whoever that guy is.

[kosar4president]

I guess I'm just not used to the Brownes doing anything in FA because they really havent the past years but I hope that changes with all the new coaches/FO and new owner.

The browns really don't have too much choice in spending some money in FA. We have away to go to hit the cap floor. I forget how much, but it was over 20 million I remember. I am so excited about the coaches now. This brings me to this question. A few weeks ago, we had a chance to get Chip Kelly. We ended up settling for CHud. That brought Norv and Horton this way as well. What would you have rather had. Chip and his guys or Chud, Norv, and Horton? I love being a Browns fan. I think Lombardi is a decent hire. We all know that he will not have final say. He does give some good insight. I am looking forward to the offseason. Hurry up March!!!

[11tg635]

We will be 3 -4 now right? If so our dline intrigues me with Rubin in the middle and maybe Taylor Hughes and Winn at the ends?

[ottograham14]

Alabama S Robert Lester struggled throughout the practice. Played very high and couldn't change direction quickly. Was pushed around by Vance McDonald when he tried to press. Got lost in traffic on run plays.

Georgia S Baccari Rambo showcased some athleticism through the practice but was caught flat footed a few times in 1-on-1s. Looked very tight in the early drills.

San Diego St. CB Leon McFadden was the shining star of the secondary during the practice. In the interception drill, McFadden made a nice catch above his head at one point. He was extremely physical every single play and came away with two interceptions when he anticipated throws. Pushed around Cobi Hamilton in a 1-on-1 situation to break up a pass as well.

McFadden is a very underated prospect right now IMO that will move up draft boards as draft season progresses.

The star of the day was probably B.Y.U. DE Ezekiel Ansah, who is clearly raw but about as athletic of a defensive end as your going to find. Ansah was impressive in positional drills, displaying top-notch quickness, foot speed and agility. Ansah also made his presence felt in the team portions of the session, tipping passes in 7-on-7's and 11-on-11's. If Ansah continues to play like this all week he'll not only cement his spot in the first round but continue to climb up draft boards even further.

Stanford OLB Chase Thomas really struggled to match up in coverage and may be a true 'tweener. The same can be said for Georgia's Cornelius Washington, who definitely looks the part but doesn't appear to be an obvious fit at either defensive end or outside linebacker. More questions raised than answers provided today.

Florida St. QB E.J. Manuel was the worst of the three quarterbacks for the South. It seems as though Manuel was trying to showcase his arm strength, which is excellent, but he didn't change speeds much and was basically gunning everything. Manuel clearly has all of the physical tools but may be more of a thrower than passer and will require development but it's easy to love those measurables.

It was feast or famine for Oklahoma QB Landry Jones, who made some of the nicest throws of the day but struggled at times as well. All of the pieces are there but Jones needs to put them all together and become more consistent.

Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson was up and down and many of his passes seemed to wobble a bit. However, as the session progressed Wilson got a bit better, especially once they started the 7-on-7's and 11-on-11's. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

It's always difficult to evaluate certain positions when they're not in full pads, especially the linemen and linebackers. However, there was still plenty to evaluate and as always there were prospects who stood out both positively and negatively.

In the end the guys who made the best impression were B.Y.U. DE Ezekiel Ansah, San Diego St. CB Leon McFadden, Oklahoma OT Lane Johnson, Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton, Georgia DT John Jenkins and Rice TE Vance McDonald. The biggest disappointment was probably the quarterbacks as a group because despite their high-profiles and impressive resumes Tyler Wilson of Arkansas, Landry Jones of Oklahoma and E.J. Manuel of Florida St. are struggled at times and failed to distinguish themselves from the pick. The good news is still a lot of football to be played and tomorrow will provide another chance to impress potential employers.

http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013practice2.php

Some South Team updates of players mentioned here already and some other ones.

[ottograham14]

SMU defensive end Margus Hunt was one of the stars of the weigh-in, but overall, he had a quiet first practice. Hunt lost on some one-on-one reps, but did beat Wagner for a likely sack in the team scrimmage. It is easy to get wrapped up in the great physical skill set of the 6-foot-8, 277-pound Estonian, but he is still a work in progress as a football player. Hunt needs to work on staying low and not standing up too high. Offensive linemen get under his pads and neutralize him when that happens.

One linebacker who really stood out on Monday was North Carolina's Kevin Reddick. On an end around, he ran to the sideline and pounded Oregon State wide receiver Markus Wheaton to force a fumble. Reddick's hit made a loud thud. He later read a trap run up the middle well to stuff Barner in the hole for no gain. On a short dump-off throw by N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon, Reddick almost snagged an interception, but still managed to slap the ball away. It was an impressive first day for Reddick.

None of the three quarterbacks stood out with a good practice. Glennon, Syracuse's Ryan Nassib and Miami of Ohio's Zach Dysert showed some nice arms, but none of them were particularly effective. Glennon has the strongest arm of the bunch; he can really spin it. Nassib is the most polished of the signal-callers and makes the least mistakes. Dysert, on the other hand, had some of the ugliest mistakes, but also had some of the prettier completions.

There were other mistakes of course. Glennon tossed an interception on a bad overthrow of Western Kentucky tight end Jack Doyle who was wide open, by NFL standards, running down the middle seam. The ball sailed into USC safety T.J. McDonald's arms.

Dysert threw an ugly interception on a pass with terrible ball placement. His receiver was to the outside, but the pass was off the mark and flew directly to the defensive back. It looked like it was Connecticut's Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who caught the ball. Scouts had a chuckle at Dysert's expense. There were a few other lowlights for Dysert. He threw another interception on a short slant during seven-on-sevens. It looked like Connecticut corner Dwayne Gratz grabbed that one. While practicing roll outs without any defenders or offensive players, Dysert tripped over his own feet rolling out to the perimeter. It was a funny-looking blooper that had some of the Oakland coaches chuckling. It is pretty clear that the Miami of Ohio product needs to work on his accuracy.

Dysert came back to throw a nice ball down the seam for Colorado tight end Nick Kasa, but the big tight end couldn't hold onto the ball out in front of him. Dysert closeed out the team scrimmage by lofting in a nice pass down the deep sideline to Wheaton, who made a superb leaping catch. Aside from the fumble, Wheaton had a good practice.

It is normal for quarterbacks to struggle on the first day of college All-Star games. The signal-callers aren't used to their centers or their receivers, so this trio will probably look better on Tuesday and Wednesday. Scouts understand this trend and don't rush to judgement.

The passing game featured some solid first-day performances from the secondary. Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant played well and had tight coverage. Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer had an exceptional pass break up with good closing speed to slap away a short slant. He was beaten by college teammate Wheaton deep down the field for a leaping reception near the end of practice. Generally, Poyer had good coverage, but he did muff a punt at the end of practice.

Boise State cornerback Jamar Taylor had a solid first practice aside from a muffed punt. Some scouts told WalterFootball.com that they look at Taylor as a fifth-rounder.

http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013practice.php

North Updates.

[ottograham14]

Honey Badger hoping for a shot

ZacJackson
FoxSportsOhio.com
January 21, 2013


FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Maybe the most intriguing NFL draft prospect hangingaround on the first day of Senior Bowl week isn't even a participant in the Senior Bowl festivities.

Remember Tyrann Mathieu?

Mathieu, a 2011 All-American cornerback who didn't play football last fall after being kicked off of LSU's team, is hoping NFL decision makers do -- and that come April one team will be willing to invest in what Mathieu insists will be a clean and bright future.

With the eyes of the NFL in Mobile, Ala., for Senior Bowl week, Mathieu is, too. On the advice of agent Patrick Lawlor, he's here Monday and Tuesday with the intent of getting to meet NFL scouts and general managers and make the kind of positive impression a player in his situation needs to make.

"I just want to shake some hands, look people in the eyes," Mathieu said. "I haven't scripted any answers to any questions. This is the real Tyrann right now."

But can the real Tyrann be trusted? Has he really grown from his mistakes?

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/01/21/13/Honey-Badger -hoping-for-a-shot/landing_browns.html?blockID=852 605&feedID=8889

Hasn't played in a year and last time anyone saw him he was getting beating badly by taller WR's on out routes consistantly. I would not touch him before the 5th with the Brownies at this time not having a 2nd but if he was to be there in the 5th I wouldn't mind taking a shot on him as a nickel/rover type of player. Horton with his aggressive play calling could line him up in different areas where he could be a 4th or 5th rusher when dropping his LB'ers. Just would hope him and Flash Gordon don't become good friends.

[ottograham14]

San Diego State cornerback Leon McFadden and Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton stood out as well. Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson was the best of the three South signal-callers. We'll have more on all of their practices shortly.

The scouts had a good look early in practice at the defensive backs' flexibility in the individual drills. Alabama safety Robert Lester looks very stiff and is a plodder. He needs to work hard to look better at the NFL Scouting Combine. Georgia cornerback Sanders Commings and safety Shawn Williams need improvement as well. On the other hand, Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo and William & Mary cornerback B.W. Webb both looked fluid.

BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah started out his session by beating Mills with a bull rush. Ansah got great leverage under Mills' arm to charge into the pocket. The next rep saw Mills allow some penetration, but he held off Ansah long enough to get a win. Ansah beat Mills when they rematched by using a lightning spin move, but Mills stood up a bull rush to earn a split on the final two reps.

Kentucky guard Larry Warford had a good showing on Tuesday. He had two wins against South Florida defensive tackle Corey Grissom. Florida State defensive tackle Everett Dawkins tried a spin move on Warford that went nowhere. Dawkins did beat him on one rep with a speed rush, but Warford bounced back to easily stuff a bull rush from Dawkins.

Unfortunately, Warford didn't go against Georgia nose tackle John Jenkins. The latter was dominant against Clemson center Dalton Freeman; Jenkins outweighs Freeman by about 60 pounds and it showed. Jenkins abused Freeman with a powerful jolt, followed by a rip move, to get to the marker in a blur. It was probably the most impressive rush of the day.

Tyler Wilson displayed a solid arm strength and accuracy in both the seven-on-seven and team-scrimmage practices. One of his good throws went to Gillislee for a nice gain. Wilson also showed perfect ball placement to drop a throw into McDonald in a tight window between Rambo and Lester. Wilson showed off some of his arm strength when he laced a fastball into the chest of Connor Vernon on a dig route with defenders close. That route yielded another good gain from Wilson on a bullet to Hamilton between Rambo and Williams.

Wilson had a pretty play on which he ran out on a bootleg before dropping in a perfect pass to Tennessee tight end Mychal Rivera. A defender skied high in the air, but Wilson had great touch on the ball to get it over the defender's hands and into his target.

Not everything went Wilson's way though. One of his short passes was deflected up into the air by California cornerback Marc Anthony, allowing Florida State linebacker Vince Williams to run under the ball for the interception. It wasn't exactly Wilson's fault, but his receiver definitely wasn't open and he forced the throw.

Wilson recovered and connected with Patton for a big gain in the deep middle of the field. However, the play was slow enough that the signal-caller would've been sacked in a real game. Still, coaches and scouts like to see a throw and completion as if the protection had been sound.

It was clear from Tuesday that Wilson is the most efficient and polished quarterback on the South squad. His teammates, Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel and Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, flash big arms and occasional nice throws at times, but neither was very consistent.

Manuel's day wasn't great. For one, he telegraphed a dump-off throw that was batted down by Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas. It could have been easily intercepted. Manuel had another attempt in which Hamilton was running open on a corner post, but the signal-caller sailed the ball out of bounds. Manuel completed a lot of check downs, but he doesn't seem to be a natural passer.

Jones' day had its problems as well, including a fumbled snap to start his reps. He also had a late throw to Vernon that was batted away by Anthony. McFadden followed suit by slapping away a pass from Jones on a dig route.

http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013practice4.php

South Tuesday Updates

[ottograham14]

One of the defensive standouts of this drill was Nevada safety Duke Williams. It didn't start out well with a loss to Western Kentucky tight end Jack Doyle, but Williams came back to get wins against Colorado tight end Nick Kasa and San Jose State tight end Ryan Otten. Williams shed blocks well and used speed to dart around the blockers.

Trufant didn't have a flawless practice, but was good overall. He had blanket coverage to force an incompletion on a pass to Oregon State wide receiver Markus Wheaton. Trufant did that again against Kansas State wide out Chris Harper. In the rematch, Harper was able to briefly get separation before Trufant recovered to run with Harper and negate a reception.

In the team-scrimmage portion of practice, Trufant had sound coverage on a route by Harper, but a perfect pass from N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon hit Harper between three defenders for a nice gain. Overall, Trufant has looked good in the Senior Bowl and is helping himself.

Desmond Trufant - CB Washington, could be steal in 3rd Round

In the team-scrimmage portion of practice, Mike Glennon was impressive. It started poorly since he fumbled the first snap, but he then made some nice throws. Glennon showed off his strong arm and dropped the ball into some tight windows. His perfect pass to Chris Harper between Trufant and two other defenders was a thing of beauty.

Glennon also threw a bomb for Dobson, but the receiver was beaten downfield on the jump ball by Cyprien and Wreh-Wilson. Still, Glennon had a few good completions and looked the best of the three quarterbacks.

Miami of Ohio quarterback Zach Dysert was inconsistent again. He had a bad throw for a leaping breakup by Poyer. Dysert's best pass came with an accurate ball to hit Kasa in stride down the middle seam. Dysert also had a completion to Dobson on a deep cross going against Trufant.

Syracuse's Ryan Nassib has been moderately disappointing. He fumbled his first snap like Glennon. Nassib also telegraphed a roll-out pass which let USC safety T.J. McDonald slap the ball away from San Jose State tight end Ryan Otten.

Nassib's best throw went down the seam to his former teammate Lemon between a few defenders. To close out the team scrimmage, Nassib hit tight end Jack Doyle who beat McDonald to get open.

http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013practice3.php

North Updates

[ottograham14]

6. Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU
The Browns have to find a franchise quarterback to compete for the AFC North. There are none worth taking here, however, but that's OK because they need to improve their pass rush as well. Jabaal Sheard led the team in sacks with only seven. Juqua Parker-Thomas was next with six, and he'll be a 35-year-old free agent this offseason.

It's either Barkevious Mingo or Jarvis Jones at this spot, but the Browns may opt to be cautious because the latter has too many red flags.

Have them passing on Miliner and Jones for Mingo.

68. Cleveland Browns: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
The Browns have a new front office, so they'll want to draft a quarterback in the middle rounds if Colt McCoy is traded.

Can't see this unless they move Weeden somehow and pick up a veteran QB to start 1-2 years as a gap for Jones.

101. Cleveland Browns: Dion Sims, TE, Michigan State
Ben Watson is a free agent, while Jordan Cameron, drafted by the old regime, hasn't shown much yet. The Browns will likely search for a tight end upgrade this offseason.

Dont actually mind this pick in the 4th as I like Sims blocking and feel he could be a very nice seam TE to allow Cameron to work more on the outside.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2013_4.php

[bmxrider9]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/M...erbacks-012113

Was driving around today listing to the Really Big Show and they were talking about how this guy is really good friends with Lombardi and how he's maybe heard some rumblings. Won't ruin who he thinks we will pick but was becoming IRATE in the car at the thought of wasting our pick yet again. Luckily, I now see his entire mock and realize this very well could be the worst mock ive ever seen.

[ottograham14]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/M...erbacks-012113

Was driving around today listing to the Really Big Show and they were talking about how this guy is really good friends with Lombardi and how he's maybe heard some rumblings. Won't ruin who he thinks we will pick but was becoming IRATE in the car at the thought of wasting our pick yet again. Luckily, I now see his entire mock and realize this very well could be the worst mock ive ever seen.

Yeah I saw this from Shrager too and just started laughing. If the Browns move Weeden for a draft pick or something and want to take a QB in the first I would not have a problem with it as at least they are moving on from a guy that they don't think is the future and at least would have a direction. The biggest problem ie Mangini is sticking with a guy just to stick with a guy who you feel will never get you where you want to go just because its good for PR. Kind of like dating a woman to me. If the entire FO and Coaches don't feel like Weeden is the guy then they should at least try bringing in a guy they think possibly could be after they have done their due diligence on Weeden. If they feel they can mold him and continue to grow him into what they are looking for then stick with him but if not at least bring in some competition for him or move him to help the team and bring in what you think would be a better option. The biggest problem with all of this though is if there is a better option out there? My take is they should stick with Weeden but if they dont feel he is the guy then there is no reason to continue to stick with him but if they do bring in another guy to start they better give that player ample time to show he isn't since it would be their guy.

Im getting a feeling that Alex Smith will be the Browns starting QB on opening day in 2013 and that there will be a fourth round QB in the draft brought in to groom with Anderson as the backup. Don't know why but that is the feeling I am getting currently and don't think Weeden will be here next season.

The thing that made me laugh about that mock was that there was not Star Lotulelei in the First round, smh. Damonte Moore was down to #19, smh and that EJ Manuel was so highly praised, smh.

[letsgobrownies7]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/M...erbacks-012113

Was driving around today listing to the Really Big Show and they were talking about how this guy is really good friends with Lombardi and how he's maybe heard some rumblings. Won't ruin who he thinks we will pick but was becoming IRATE in the car at the thought of wasting our pick yet again. Luckily, I now see his entire mock and realize this very well could be the worst mock ive ever seen.

Worst mock draft I've seen yet this year!!

[ottograham14]

When it was time for the one-on-ones between the receivers and cornerbacks, a few players really did well. The most impressive among them was Trufant. He started out by slapping a pass away from Marshall receiver Aaron Dobson. Trufant then had tight coverage on Dobson on a quick slant with a near pass broken up.

Trufant continued his success by forcing incompletions on his last two reps. The first came with good coverage to push a throw out of bounds against Oregon State wideout Markus Wheaton, and the next was when Trufant batted away a ball intended for Syracuse receiver Alec Lemon. Trufant is a big trash-talker and plays with a cocky swagger. He's helped himself this week.

Glennon made some very impressive throws on Wednesday. The first was a great pass to Mellette. It was deep down the field along the sideline and hit him in stride between Cyprien and Williams. It caused a murmur in the crowd.

Glennon followed that up with a precise pass to Goodwin on a deep out. It was a well-placed ball to beat coverage from Utah State's Will Davis. Glennon has been rather solid this week. He hasn't been outstanding, but he has done his job and helped himself.

Nassib tossed a beautiful pass between two defenders to Wheaton. It was a perfectly thrown ball that couldn't have been more accurate. Jones may have had a sack on the play in a real game. Nassib also lofted a nice ball down the sideline to Barner on a wheel route. The running back juggled the ball before controlling it for a big gain.

Dysert didn't really stand out as good or bad on Wednesday. He hasn't really impressed this week and didn't take advantage of the opportunity.

After the warmups, the North squad got to work on some pass-protection one-on-ones with running backs going against linebackers and safeties. Oregon running back Kenjon Barner really stood out on Tuesday with his ability to pick up and block blitzers. On Wednesday however, he didn't have as much success.

Barner lost his first rep to Florida International safety Jonathan Cyrpien. Things didn't get any better as Nevada safety Duke Williams bull rushed Barner straight into the quarterback marker. Barner got some revenge on a one-on-one passing route by beating North Carolina linebacker Kevin Reddick with an out and up route.

North Updates

Duke Williams could be a sleeper throughout the draft process.

http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013practice5.php