Hypo's Mock v.1

[Hypothesis]

Looking around at all the wonderful and insightful mocks that everyone else is doing, I figured I may as well do one as well. I love these things after all and I need a break from the grind of putting together my rough draft scouting reports.

This is going to be a leap for me as I'm going to assume we grab Keith Butler as our DC. In doing so, you can bet the we will be seeing more zone coverage implemented therefore changing the type of players we will be drafting. Lebeau's coverage system is mainly predicated on DB's and LB's that can drop into zone.

Also going by Butler's criteria, I'll be choosing players that I feel fit with what he looks for in his LB's. He has stated that he looks first and foremost for players that have the ability to both bull rush and speed rush, not either or. Also stated that he looks for LB's that have low hips as opposed to high hips, as this generally allows for them to change direction quicker and have lower centers of gravity. It is also important from his standpoint that the LB's be able to play all 4 LB positions. Being able to interchange them gives you flexibility and allows you to be more creative with how you attack the offense. He also likes players that have played from a 2-point stance who can see the whole field and not just the "OT and TE's butts".

Keith Butler will have a lot of input as to the type of defenders we draft I'm fairly certain. Getting Butler's type of defenders will help determine the amount of success our defense has.

Round 1: Robert Quinn OLB 6-5 260lbs North Carolina

Elite talent. Terrific frame with long arms, strong upper body and a stout lower body. Good hips and is very fluid in his movement. Excellent use of his hands and great control of his body. He has the technique that NFL coaches spend years trying to develop in their players. Has an elite initial burst off the ball however needs to time his bursts better as he is usually not the first to move at the snap. Stays low with good pad level and is rarely caught or knocked off balance. Is very scheme friendly and will maintain backside contain. Hasn't been asked to drop into coverage but has played the flat on more than one occasion and has batted alot of passes down with his long arms. Disciplined player, but does need to get stronger against the run. Other than the incident with an agent has been a model citizen according to coaches, teammates, friends and family.

Round 2: Ras-I Dowling CB 6-2 205lbs Virginia

Returned to Virginia for his senior year after a very productive career. Senior year got derailed by injury, but this is an elite talent with great size that was considered to be in competition with Prince Amukamara for second best CB in this years draft. Ras-I is a very physical CB who has been the leader of VA's defense the past 2 years. Has a very long and lean body with long arms, broad shoulders and great leaping ability. He uses those arms exceptionally well in shedding blocks and is a monster in run support, not afraid to lower the boom against opposing ball carriers, yet is a near perfect form tackler at the same time. Ras-I is much better suited for zone coverage however, as in man coverage, his back pedal is a little high and his transition is not as smooth as you would like at this stage. He is much more productive when the action is kept in front of him. Is a ball hawking DB and can also play either of the safety positions in certain packages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmWJb1gPIEM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTjPU5YxvTA&feature=related

Round 3: Clint Boling OG/OT 6-4 310lbs Georgia

Steadily moving up draft boards. Solid technician with great strength. Plays aggressive and has a solid hand punch. Strong at the POA and gets good push in the run game. Can easily pull because of his good athleticism. Has good awareness and picks up on the complex blitz schemes. Needs to work on keeping his pad level low and squared as sometimes can get a little too high and put weight on his heels in pass protection, easily being knocked off balance. Better suited for guard than he is tackle but can play either in a pinch.

Round 4: Pat Devlin QB 6-4 222lbs Delaware

Perfect candidate for a developmental QB. Has a solid build and desired NFL QB height. Could stand to add some muscle. Has a very solid mental make up and is characterized as a leader. His teammates respond very well to him. Is excellent at getting the play called and getting everyone set. Knows his playbook inside and out. Has an adequate arm to make the NFL throws. Not spectacular arms strength but about as strong as Kurt Warner. Does a great job with holding the ball high and ready to throw in an instant. Needs to learn to take snaps from under center but has the athleticism to make drops with his quick feet. Can extend plays with his legs and throws accurately on the run. Doesn't always displace his weight ideally negating the natural torque from the legs up when throwing causing some of his throws to lack in zip. Is not from a typical spread one-read passing game. Delaware utilizes a 3-5 progression spread offense. Is very good at quickly digesting pre and post snap reads and making good decisions. Should easily satisfy the "26-27-60" rule.


Round 5: Kendall Hunter RB 5-7 200lbs Oklahoma State

Running backs have a tendency to fall on draft day, and while this is not necessarily a need for us, Kendall just may be too good to pass up.

Not the ideal height, but he is built extremely solid. Has a thick lower body and a rigid, well developed frame. Lightning quick with instant acceleration. Has the ability to evade tacklers with ease and quite possibly has the best vision of all the backs in this draft. Much more quick than he is fast, he still doesn't get caught from behind often. Uses his blockers very well and is a very patient runner. One of the few small backs that can run between the tackles just as well as he can outside the tackles. Can run from shotgun, singleback or the I. Proved that he is a willing pass blocker and is showing tremendous improvement in this area. Is a legitimate threat out of the backfield on screens and other routes. Great hip flexion and body control. Doesn't set himself up to take big hits. For a small back, can actually use his leg drive and push a pile or slip out of it completely. Outstanding balance and a very low center of gravity.

Could easily take Jason Wrights place and be another weapon on offense and special teams. Could earn a more prominent role if Hightower and Beanie don't improve.

Moved past Barry Sanders on Oklahoma States all time rushing list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVPuzPacWDY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpBSpePYzg

Round 6: Edmond Gates WR 5-11 190lbs Abilene Christian

Unpolished route runner but has blazing speed and can stretch a defense with relative ease. Is a project but has a strong work ethic. Has some slight character concerns but could really be worth the risk. Catches the ball with his hands and doesn't allow the pass into his body. Does bobble some catches. Need to add more speed to our offense.

Round 6: Wayne Daniels OLB 6-2 250lbs Texas Christian University

Strikes me as the type of LB Pittsburgh typically goes after. Has a very solid build with a very stout lower body. He is a very agile and quick defender who has great hip turn, change of direction and leg drive. Plays violently and with a passion. Has very sound technique with his hands and his feet whether its rushing or dropping into coverage. Played DE and didn't drop into coverage often but did on occasion and looked pretty natural doing so. Good balance and body control and plays with leverage. Has a strong bull rush and has the speed to compliment it. Underachieved as a pass rusher as far as sacks go but still was able to press the pocket and hurry the QB. Very solid against the run. Needs to really work on conditioning as often he would get gassed and have to come out. Has the skillset to be able to play OLB or SILB in a 3-4 making him versatile. Could easily contribute on special teams.

Wayne Daniels is my sleeper pick for LB and think he could be a really special player in this league if he goes to a team who can develop LBs. I think he'd be a perfect fit with Keith Butler running the D.

 

[Mitch]

I think you truly have a finger on the pulse of what's going on with the Cardinals and what they will be looking for in this draft.

I like all of the picks---particularly the first three and the last---and your reasoning behind them.

After watching Devlin more closely the past few weeks, I am not as enamored with him as you are. If we could get Kaepernick [I think in three years he could be special (as may Skelton---haven't given up on him at all)---just in time to relieve whatever veteran the Cardinals sign] in the third (which I do not think can happen) and Boling in the 4th then I am sold on your draft.

The other thing is Pittsburgh often likes to play man on the left side of the defense and likes to zone the backside...which I think is perfect for the current personnel...especially because I believe that Toler and Jefferson (who is in the Ras-I Dowling mode) are made to order on the backside. Thus, I think the kind of CB to add is someone who can hound the inside and jump routes...someone like Kendrick Burney of North Carolina. But, Dowling is versatile and could be used in multiple roles, which is why I certainly wouldn't be disappointed with the pick.

The one area that I do think we need to address in this draft is the TE situation...which is tough because I do really like your late picks...and like them a lot.

If we knew we would be able to sign Zach Miller prior to the draft, then that solves the issue.

Hypothesis...what is your take on QB Nate Enderle? I am impressed with him and feel like he would be a nice fit later in the draft.

I am am also interested in knowing what veteran QB you want the Cardinals to sign.

Thanks for an excellent mock. Great work.

 

[Hypothesis]

I think you truly have a finger on the pulse of what's going on with the Cardinals and what they will be looking for in this draft.

I like all of the picks---particularly the first three and the last---and your reasoning behind them.

After watching Devlin more closely the past few weeks, I am not as enamored with him as you are. If we could get Kaepernick [I think in three years he could be special (as may Skelton---haven't given up on him at all)---just in time to relieve whatever veteran the Cardinals sign] in the third (which I do not think can happen) and Boling in the 4th then I am sold on your draft.

The other thing is Pittsburgh often likes to play man on the left side of the defense and likes to zone the backside...which I think is perfect for the current personnel...especially because I believe that Toler and Jefferson (who is in the Ras-I Dowling mode) are made to order on the backside. Thus, I think the kind of CB to add is someone who can hound the inside and jump routes...someone like Kendrick Burney of North Carolina. But, Dowling is versatile and could be used in multiple roles, which is why I certainly wouldn't be disappointed with the pick.

The one area that I do think we need to address in this draft is the TE situation...which is tough because I do really like your late picks...and like them a lot.

If we knew we would be able to sign Zach Miller prior to the draft, then that solves the issue.

Hypothesis...what is your take on QB Nate Enderle? I am impressed with him and feel like he would be a nice fit later in the draft.

I am am also interested in knowing what veteran QB you want the Cardinals to sign.

Thanks for an excellent mock. Great work.

Thanks Mitch...I really enjoy doing these offseason mocks and reading all the great ones that others post on these boards. I try to balance what I perceive as team needs and what I feel the team looks for as well as areas that I feel need improvement..i.e. Edmond Gates and overall team speed.

As far as Colin Kaepernick goes, it would not disappoint me one bit if we grabbed him in the 3rd - 4th round range. I like his upside though I must admit, I am a little more traditional in the sense of liking my QB's to be pass first and to have thrown the football a lot in college. ColKap is intriguing to me though as he has looked pretty good when he has thrown it. I'm not adverse to taking risks with mid round picks, especially if the risk can offer a great reward.

Your second point regarding TE's...I think there are some pretty good TE's in this draft that could help us, however I have everyone that I picked in this mock rated higher at those picks than I do any one TE. I really think there are some really good TE's in this FA class and that we will go after one of them. And yes, I'm 100% sure there will be FA this year.

As for Nathan Enderle, I definitely see him as a project. He's got the prototypical size, and he can work the middle of the field really really well in the short to intermediate routes. He works under center and does an amazing job at his pre snap reads. He often makes his own calls right from the line of scrimmage. Has good pocket awareness and good feet in the pocket to step up and avoid blitzes. He really struggles when making the out throws and the deep throws. Needs to work on his throwing mechanics to get more velocity behind his passes. Has a long wind up and often signals the defense when he's going to throw by patting the ball. He doesn't necessarily look off the safeties very well and often stares his receivers down. He is a smart kid though and should be able to correct most of this but it will take him a good 3-4 years I think to get comfortable with what he's learned.

As for my pick for a vet QB...I'm going to pick someone who doesn't get alot of attention here on this board. Billy Volek. He's 34 years old, but he only has about a seasons worth of wear and tear on his body. I feel he's proven to be one of the most reliable backups in this league and think he's overdue for a starters role. He's spent his entire career working under great QB's (Steve McNair and Phillip Rivers) and for great systems. In fact, both Tennessee (at the time of McNair) and San Diego have similar philosophies regarding offense as how our offense is run so I think he'd be able to jump right in and feel at home with the playbook.

 

[ARodg]

I'd rather have either Miller or Houston over Quinn but that's just a personal preference.

Would rather go elsewhere with the 2nd rounder but there's no denying that CB help is needed.

 

[Hypothesis]

I'd rather have either Miller or Houston over Quinn but that's just a personal preference.

Would rather go elsewhere with the 2nd rounder but there's no denying that CB help is needed.

I could live with Houston instead of Quinn but Von Miller is far less suited for this defense than either of those two in my opinion. Although he is a freakish speedster, he is just not physical enough for what I believe Whis and Co. are trying to accomplish here.

There's a few different routes we could go with the second pick, but Ras-I Dowling I feel is a perfect fit for a physical defense and I feel that he is without question a first round talent if he's fully recovered from his pretty serious ankle injury.