Cardinals' Mock Draft Game: Using Gil Brandt's Top 100 in Tiers

[Mitch]

The Cardinals first three picks are at #31, #63, and #95. I will now provide you with the ten players in each of the three tiers that Gil Brandt just assembled, then you make the choice at each of the first three selections>

#31: Tier 4 (Top 31-40):

Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
Larry English, DE/OLB, NIU
Darius Heywood-Bey, WR, Maryland
Evander "Ziggy" Hood, DT, Missouri
Alex Mack, C, California
Jamon Meredith, T, South Carolina
Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio St.
Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
Max Unger, C, Oregon

#63: Tier 7 (Top 61-70):

Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland
Ron Brace, NT, Boston College
Jarius Byrd, CB, Oregon
James Casey, TE, Rice
Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa
Rashod Johnson, FS, Alabama
Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Sean Smith, CB/FS, Utah
Eric Wood, C, Louisville

#95: Tier 10 (Top 91-100):

Darry Beckwith, LB, LSU
Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston St.
Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina
Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama
Anthony Hill, TE, NC St.
Keenan Lewis, CB, Oregon St.
Darcel McBath, FS, Texas Tech
Sherrod Martin, S, Troy
Chris Owens, CB, San Jose St.
DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati

It's interesting that the 3 players I recently predicted the Cardinals would take (in my last Cardinals' Mock) are in each respective tier:

(1) Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut; (2) James Casey, TE, Rice; (3) Sherrod Martin, FS, Troy.

My picks:

1. Larry English (because we need pass rushers...and I like Shonn Greene so much...and I think English is just the player the Cardinals need. I would not at all be disappointed to see Donald Brown taken here...but I worry that the best edge pass rushers will be taken prior to #63 and look, Gil Brandt doesn't even have one in the 7 tier)

2. Shonn Greene (I like Ron Brace and if he really was available at #63, which I think there is NO chance of whatsoever, I would have to pause very hard...but I like Greene and I like adding a speed back like Cory Sheets in the 4th or 5th to compliment Hightower and Greene.)

3. Sherrod Martin (to me he's the DRC of FSs in this draft and if Green isn't there at #63 I would take Martin there and not risk waiting overnight and 32 more picks).

What do you think the Cardinals will do if these are the players available?

What are YOUR picks?

 

[joeshmo]

English, Hood being a close second.

Brace and its very easy decision for me.

Having not picked a RB yet I will have to take Caldwell over Martin or Brinkley, because Caldwell will be needed to help Hightower or a lower round RB.

 

[Shogun]

English
Brace
Brinkley

 

[Buckybird]

English (I still feel he may be gone)
Green
martin

 

[stretchthefield]

English
Brace
Brinkley

Add a couple late round RB's & special teamers and we're ready to go

 

[Goldfield]

English
Greene

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

my choices from that list would be:
Mack-probably still the best overall choice for the Cards but i could live with English as well.
Sean Smith-he's a 1st round talent and would be a no-brainer for me.
Daryl Beckwith-with Dansby looking to leave, they'll need to draft some ILB's.He's a good one, although i don't know what his size is off the top of my head.

 

[binkar]

Brown, Brace, Martin...

or

English, Casey/Greene, Martin

Of the first tier I only like Brown and English (for the Cards at least)

Of the second tier I like Brace, Casey, Greene, Smith, and Wood.

Of the third tier I like Martin and Caldwell.

 

[Stout]

RD 1-Larry English
RD2-Eric Wood
RD 3-Sherrod Martin

The flaw in this exercise is that there are definitely other players that would be available I'd prefer over Martin and Wood. Not that I wouldn't be happy with Eric Wood in the 2nd, though

 

[Arizona's Finest]

1) Brown
2) Wood
3) Brinkely

BPA - I am not feeling the English hype like many others. When you go for the small school guy you want his measurables to be ridiculous. Like DRC or Ware. I have seen little game tape and read the pro day stuff and am some what unimpressed. I am open minded if anyone wants to take the time to convince me otherwise.

I also don't think they draft another DT that early even if Brace is available.

If we could get McKillop, a KR guy and another rotation Defensive lineman I think this would be a draft that would put us over the top.

 

[binkar]

RD 1-Larry English
RD2-Eric Wood
RD 3-Sherrod Martin

The flaw in this exercise is that there are definitely other players that would be available I'd prefer over Martin and Wood. Not that I wouldn't be happy with Eric Wood in the 2nd, though

Agreed. I think the sole purpose of these activities are to keep our bored minds occupied until the draft.

 

[WildBB]

1) Brown
2) Wood
3) Brinkely

BPA - I am not feeling the English hype like many others. When you go for the small school guy you want his measurables to be ridiculous. Like DRC or Ware. I have seen little game tape and read the pro day stuff and am some what unimpressed. I am open minded if anyone wants to take the time to convince me otherwise.

I also don't think they draft another DT that early even if Brace is available.

If we could get McKillop, a KR guy and another rotation Defensive lineman I think this would be a draft that would put us over the top.

I like it too.
1. Brown
2. Wood or S. Smith (both great value there)
3. Brinkley

 

[sinsay]

Brown
Casey
Caldwell

That is the most explosive offense in the nfl. I know casey is knot a blocking te but that is a little overrated. Tony Gonzelz is not really a blocking te shannon sharpe was not a blocking te and gates is barley soild. A good blocking te can tie up one player. Were a good pass catching te can tie up two maybe three players. A team may have to drop a lb as well as give them saftey help deep. depends on who that saftey is they may have to use a cb. Teams will tend to play zone and call off the dogs.I will take the pass catching te every time.

 

[Garthshort]

Two things:
1. Using your guidelines-1. Hood,2. Greene,3. Martin
2. In every Draft, players fall through the cracks, so I would think you can get a player/players from a higher Tier. That is why I think an OLB will be available in the Third.

 

[cgolden]

using this info the way it's presented here's mine:

1. Donald Brown - No way he'll still be on the board but if he is, there's no way I can pass on him.
2. Sean Smith - He's a slightly better version of a guy I really like (Sherrod Martin) and no one else is very appealing.
3. Jasper Brinkley - Before Dansby's comments yesterday I might have gone a different direction but now ILB has to be a concern.

 

[binkar]

I thought is was interesting that Kiper said that Casey is falling on a lot of draft boards and is a potential 4-6th round pick at this point. After watching some of his tape, he looks like a terrific athlete and I think he would be a steal in the 4th or 5th round. He has played multiple positions on both sides of the ball at different points in his career and I think he would be a terrific special teams player on top of being a great receiving TE.

He also said Ringer was falling a bit and is 4th or 5th rounder now. I like Ringer a lot and would be more than happy to pick him up in either the 4th or 5th round. I just wish he could return kicks.