Once again, I have participated in a mock draft where individuals controlled all teams. Once again, I took charge of the Cardinals, and once again, I want to share my result with you.
Before I get started let me give you a few notes.
- Before the start, I had decided that I wanted to target safety Deone Bucannon and either offensive tackle Antonio Richardson or offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. I think all three are excellent fits, and even though I wanted to trade back a bit for each of them, I was prepared to take either one with the #20 pick. If Bucannon were selected before I was up, I would have targeted safety Jonathan Dowling out of Western Kentucky in a later round. I think he has some Kam Chancellor in his game.
- Therefore it was basically a matter of positioning myself to draft two of those three.
- I don’t think the need for an edge rusher is nearly as big as some have suggested. The team has many capable options, and John Abraham clearly had something left in his tank. Yes, it can quickly become a big need but at it is right now, I didn’t thought about using a very high pick on one an edge rusher.
- With the rest of my picks I wanted to balance the selections between players who I think can contribute right away and players who might take some time to develop but who I think has a big sealing.
So let’s get going.
I was able to trade the #20 selection to the Houston Texans. In exchange, I got the first pick in round two, four and five.
#33 (second round) – Deone Bucannon, safety, Washington State
I thought about trying to trade even further back as I was pretty sure that none of the other contestants had the same thoughts about Bucannon as I have. On the other hand, in the end of round one a run on safeties started, and I became afraid to miss out on Bucannon.
I think he is exactly the type of safety this team needs. He is long, he is hard-hitting, he can cover single-high, he can roam from sideline to sideline, and he is a leader on the field. Put him next to Mathieu or Rashad Johnson, and Bowles might just have nearly unlimited options with his safeties.
I wanted to make my mock draft as realistic as possible, and I am pretty sure that Arians and Keim also likes Bucannon quite a bit. He is well respected by everyone at Washington State, he is the son of a former marine and a former Navy-employee so he is very disciplined. He gives everything on the field, and he has an enormous desire to win. On top of that, he is of course also a good player.
With my next pick, I decided to trade up in the second round. As I said, I wanted either Cyrus Kouandjio or Antonio Richardson, and as Kouandjio was picked at the top of the round, I didn’t want to just sit back and hope for Richardson to slide. Therefore, I made a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where I gave up my initial picks in the third and fourth round, and they gave me their pick in the second round.
#38 (second round) – Antonio Richardson, offensive tackle, Tennessee
It is clear that the offensive line is significantly upgraded. However, I still think the right side could be better, and more specifically the positions as right tackle. Bradley Sowell and Bobbie Massie could become the starters but I have doubts about both of them.
I think the signing of Veldheer shows what the coaches want in an offensive tackle. Veldheer is big, he is a monster in the run game, he has somewhat nifty feet and he can get to the second level. That’s almost exactly what I see in Richardson. Obviously, Veldheer came out from a much smaller school at Hillsdale but I really think him and Richardson are close to identical as draft prospects.
I made the choice to go after Richardson before I knew what the situation was with Earl Watford. Now I feel even better about this pick. At the very least, it creates a lot of competition between Richardson, Sowell and Massie. At the very best, the entire offensive line, maybe save for the center-position, is set for the future.
#101 (fourth round) – Arthur Lynch, tight end, Georgia
I’m telling you, it was a nightmare watching the entire third round without a pick. Yes, I was satisfied that I got Richardson but as I didn’t want to give away more picks I had to simply pray that my targets wasn’t picked before the fourth round.
Some of them were but I still got Lynch who I think can become a good role-player as a rookie, and in time maybe develop into a starting tight end. I see him as sort of a poor man’s Jason Witten. Lynch does everything well but nothing spectacular. He is the definition of a safety blanket as he a very skilled in finding the soft spots in short zones, as well as flexing out and get the ball on short throws to the sideline.
Lynch is probably the best blocking tight end in the draft. His technique is as good as it comes, and he really prides himself in doing the dirty work. He is a hard worker in any aspect, and he never complains about anything. By the way, Lynch is very dedicated to politics. He uses a lot of his spare time doing political things, giving people his opinion and stuff like that.
#120 (fourth round) – Will Clarke, defensive end, rush linebacker, defensive tackle, you decide because I don’t know, West Virginia
At West Virginia Clarke played as a down lineman in their 1-gap 3-3-5-defense. At 6’6 he is definitely big enough to add some pounds and play the same position with the Cardinals. However, at the East West-Shrine Game, I saw him play as an edge rusher, and I was literally speechless. Not that he is the best edge rusher in the draft or anything but I had never seen him do it, and he looked so smooth and natural at it. He has a fast first step, can dip his shoulder without losing either speed or control of his body. He can use his arms, probably as he was used to it at his prior position, and he is strong enough to use a decent bull rush. There is no doubt that he needs more
training but I think his potential is very big.
Both Arians and Steve Keim has more than once talked about adding strength along the defensive line and length at rush linebacker. Well, I give them Will Clarke. They choose were they want to use him.
#141 (fifth round) – Brett Smith, quarterback, Wyoming
I thought about trading down a bit at this spot, and I actually had an offer on the table, but in the end, I decided that since I was targeting a quarterback, and since I doubted that Smith would slide much longer, to simply select him at this spot.
I really like him as a developmental prospect. He is nowhere near ready to contribute right away but I think he has a nice array of tools. At Wyoming he has shown that he consistently scans the field before making a decision. Due to Wyoming having a really bad offensive line, Smith has also shown that he can move around in the pocket, that he can process information very fast and that he can run by himself if nothing is open. The last part is something the coaches has talked about adding as well.
Smith was a highly respected leader, person and teammate at Wyoming. He is a student of the game, does everything in his power to win, but is also the first one to encourage and comfort his teammates. I think he is a much better developmental quarterback then Ryan Lindley.
#160 (fifth round) – Aaron Colvin, cornerback, Oklahoma
This was mostly a value pick. Colvin damaged his ACL at the Senior Bowl, and even though the reports are positive and that he might be ready for training camp, there is obviously no guarantee that he will even play as a rookie.
He is a powerful, aggressive and quick cornerback. His biggest issue is that those traits can sometimes take him out of plays because he doesn’t turn as quickly as desired, as well as his straight line speed is average at best. When he plays up to his potential, he looks like a starting cornerback on the outside, and I couldn’t turn that down in the fifth round.
#196 (sixth round) – Preston Brown, inside linebacker, Louisville
I really wanted defensive end Ethan Westbrooks out of West Texas A&M with the pick. I think he is a poor man’s Greg Hardy, albeit at a much lower level. He was drafted a few spots before so I had to adjust my thinking. That wasn’t difficult though as I had not realized Brown was still on the board. Don’t get me wrong, I would have taken Westbrooks before Brown but I am not at all disappointed with the selection.
Last season Louisville had the statistical best defense in college-football. Marcus Smtih and Calvin Pryor might have been the big stars but Brown was their heart and soul. It was Brown who made all the defensive calls, made the adjustments and made sure everyone were lined up correctly. He has a big football-IQ and can diagnose plays really fast. He is definitely best in small areas but he does have some athletic ability to run sideline-to-sideline or cover in shorter zones. Todd Bowles prefers thumpers at inside linebacker, and that is exactly what Brown is. I think he can make the final cut, and I think he can become an asset down the road. By the way, he is also a pretty good special teamer.
That sums up my draft.
2. Deone Bucannon, safety, Washington State
2. Antonio Richardson, offensive tackle, Tennessee
4. Arthur Lynch, tight end, Georgia
4. Will Clarke, defensive end, West Virginia
5. Brett Smith, quarterback, Wyoming
5. Aaron Colvin, cornerback, Oklahoma
6. Preston Brown, inside linebacker, Louisville
Not to sound arrogant but I do think I nailed it. Yes, I would have preferred some different players at various draft spots but overall I was able to select what I think is two instant starters and big contributors with Bucannon and Richardson. I got Lynch and Clarke who I think can make a difference as role players the first year of their careers. Brett Smith, Aaron Colvin and Preston Brown can all, in my opinion, be starters at some time.
Before I get started let me give you a few notes.
- Before the start, I had decided that I wanted to target safety Deone Bucannon and either offensive tackle Antonio Richardson or offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. I think all three are excellent fits, and even though I wanted to trade back a bit for each of them, I was prepared to take either one with the #20 pick. If Bucannon were selected before I was up, I would have targeted safety Jonathan Dowling out of Western Kentucky in a later round. I think he has some Kam Chancellor in his game.
- Therefore it was basically a matter of positioning myself to draft two of those three.
- I don’t think the need for an edge rusher is nearly as big as some have suggested. The team has many capable options, and John Abraham clearly had something left in his tank. Yes, it can quickly become a big need but at it is right now, I didn’t thought about using a very high pick on one an edge rusher.
- With the rest of my picks I wanted to balance the selections between players who I think can contribute right away and players who might take some time to develop but who I think has a big sealing.
So let’s get going.
I was able to trade the #20 selection to the Houston Texans. In exchange, I got the first pick in round two, four and five.
#33 (second round) – Deone Bucannon, safety, Washington State
I thought about trying to trade even further back as I was pretty sure that none of the other contestants had the same thoughts about Bucannon as I have. On the other hand, in the end of round one a run on safeties started, and I became afraid to miss out on Bucannon.
I think he is exactly the type of safety this team needs. He is long, he is hard-hitting, he can cover single-high, he can roam from sideline to sideline, and he is a leader on the field. Put him next to Mathieu or Rashad Johnson, and Bowles might just have nearly unlimited options with his safeties.
I wanted to make my mock draft as realistic as possible, and I am pretty sure that Arians and Keim also likes Bucannon quite a bit. He is well respected by everyone at Washington State, he is the son of a former marine and a former Navy-employee so he is very disciplined. He gives everything on the field, and he has an enormous desire to win. On top of that, he is of course also a good player.
With my next pick, I decided to trade up in the second round. As I said, I wanted either Cyrus Kouandjio or Antonio Richardson, and as Kouandjio was picked at the top of the round, I didn’t want to just sit back and hope for Richardson to slide. Therefore, I made a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where I gave up my initial picks in the third and fourth round, and they gave me their pick in the second round.
#38 (second round) – Antonio Richardson, offensive tackle, Tennessee
It is clear that the offensive line is significantly upgraded. However, I still think the right side could be better, and more specifically the positions as right tackle. Bradley Sowell and Bobbie Massie could become the starters but I have doubts about both of them.
I think the signing of Veldheer shows what the coaches want in an offensive tackle. Veldheer is big, he is a monster in the run game, he has somewhat nifty feet and he can get to the second level. That’s almost exactly what I see in Richardson. Obviously, Veldheer came out from a much smaller school at Hillsdale but I really think him and Richardson are close to identical as draft prospects.
I made the choice to go after Richardson before I knew what the situation was with Earl Watford. Now I feel even better about this pick. At the very least, it creates a lot of competition between Richardson, Sowell and Massie. At the very best, the entire offensive line, maybe save for the center-position, is set for the future.
#101 (fourth round) – Arthur Lynch, tight end, Georgia
I’m telling you, it was a nightmare watching the entire third round without a pick. Yes, I was satisfied that I got Richardson but as I didn’t want to give away more picks I had to simply pray that my targets wasn’t picked before the fourth round.
Some of them were but I still got Lynch who I think can become a good role-player as a rookie, and in time maybe develop into a starting tight end. I see him as sort of a poor man’s Jason Witten. Lynch does everything well but nothing spectacular. He is the definition of a safety blanket as he a very skilled in finding the soft spots in short zones, as well as flexing out and get the ball on short throws to the sideline.
Lynch is probably the best blocking tight end in the draft. His technique is as good as it comes, and he really prides himself in doing the dirty work. He is a hard worker in any aspect, and he never complains about anything. By the way, Lynch is very dedicated to politics. He uses a lot of his spare time doing political things, giving people his opinion and stuff like that.
#120 (fourth round) – Will Clarke, defensive end, rush linebacker, defensive tackle, you decide because I don’t know, West Virginia
At West Virginia Clarke played as a down lineman in their 1-gap 3-3-5-defense. At 6’6 he is definitely big enough to add some pounds and play the same position with the Cardinals. However, at the East West-Shrine Game, I saw him play as an edge rusher, and I was literally speechless. Not that he is the best edge rusher in the draft or anything but I had never seen him do it, and he looked so smooth and natural at it. He has a fast first step, can dip his shoulder without losing either speed or control of his body. He can use his arms, probably as he was used to it at his prior position, and he is strong enough to use a decent bull rush. There is no doubt that he needs more
training but I think his potential is very big.
Both Arians and Steve Keim has more than once talked about adding strength along the defensive line and length at rush linebacker. Well, I give them Will Clarke. They choose were they want to use him.
#141 (fifth round) – Brett Smith, quarterback, Wyoming
I thought about trading down a bit at this spot, and I actually had an offer on the table, but in the end, I decided that since I was targeting a quarterback, and since I doubted that Smith would slide much longer, to simply select him at this spot.
I really like him as a developmental prospect. He is nowhere near ready to contribute right away but I think he has a nice array of tools. At Wyoming he has shown that he consistently scans the field before making a decision. Due to Wyoming having a really bad offensive line, Smith has also shown that he can move around in the pocket, that he can process information very fast and that he can run by himself if nothing is open. The last part is something the coaches has talked about adding as well.
Smith was a highly respected leader, person and teammate at Wyoming. He is a student of the game, does everything in his power to win, but is also the first one to encourage and comfort his teammates. I think he is a much better developmental quarterback then Ryan Lindley.
#160 (fifth round) – Aaron Colvin, cornerback, Oklahoma
This was mostly a value pick. Colvin damaged his ACL at the Senior Bowl, and even though the reports are positive and that he might be ready for training camp, there is obviously no guarantee that he will even play as a rookie.
He is a powerful, aggressive and quick cornerback. His biggest issue is that those traits can sometimes take him out of plays because he doesn’t turn as quickly as desired, as well as his straight line speed is average at best. When he plays up to his potential, he looks like a starting cornerback on the outside, and I couldn’t turn that down in the fifth round.
#196 (sixth round) – Preston Brown, inside linebacker, Louisville
I really wanted defensive end Ethan Westbrooks out of West Texas A&M with the pick. I think he is a poor man’s Greg Hardy, albeit at a much lower level. He was drafted a few spots before so I had to adjust my thinking. That wasn’t difficult though as I had not realized Brown was still on the board. Don’t get me wrong, I would have taken Westbrooks before Brown but I am not at all disappointed with the selection.
Last season Louisville had the statistical best defense in college-football. Marcus Smtih and Calvin Pryor might have been the big stars but Brown was their heart and soul. It was Brown who made all the defensive calls, made the adjustments and made sure everyone were lined up correctly. He has a big football-IQ and can diagnose plays really fast. He is definitely best in small areas but he does have some athletic ability to run sideline-to-sideline or cover in shorter zones. Todd Bowles prefers thumpers at inside linebacker, and that is exactly what Brown is. I think he can make the final cut, and I think he can become an asset down the road. By the way, he is also a pretty good special teamer.
That sums up my draft.
2. Deone Bucannon, safety, Washington State
2. Antonio Richardson, offensive tackle, Tennessee
4. Arthur Lynch, tight end, Georgia
4. Will Clarke, defensive end, West Virginia
5. Brett Smith, quarterback, Wyoming
5. Aaron Colvin, cornerback, Oklahoma
6. Preston Brown, inside linebacker, Louisville
Not to sound arrogant but I do think I nailed it. Yes, I would have preferred some different players at various draft spots but overall I was able to select what I think is two instant starters and big contributors with Bucannon and Richardson. I got Lynch and Clarke who I think can make a difference as role players the first year of their careers. Brett Smith, Aaron Colvin and Preston Brown can all, in my opinion, be starters at some time.
Right behind ya bud.
I'd have targeted Moses instead.
