In the third round!
His name is Bryan Anger and all he has to do to justify his draft slot is become the greatest player ever at his position.
Never before has this amazing animated GIF been so relevant:
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What Jersey Numbers Will 2012 NFL Draft Picks Wear?
The 2012 NFL Draft is over and we’re starting to get information about which uniform numbers will be worn by all the rookies. For fans who just can’t wait to buy a brand-new Nike jersey of their team’s newest player, information about NFL rookie jersey numbers for 2012 can’t come fast enough. I’ll do my best to update this post as soon as that information becomes available. If you see something I’m missing, leave me a note in the comments section down below!
Arizona Cardinals
Wide receiver Michael Floyd will join Larry Fitzgerald (number 11) in the teens. Floyd will wear jersey number 15.
Atlanta Falcons
Center Peter Konz will wear number 66 for the Falcons.
Baltimore Ravens
Rush linebacker Courtney Upshaw will wear jersey number 91.
Buffalo Bills
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore will wear jersey number 27. Gilmore picked the number because seven minus two equals five, which the number he wore in college. He didn’t reveal the formula he used to turn 27 into 7-2, however.
Can The Rams Pull Off The Greatest Draft Coup Ever?
At the end of the 2011 NFL season, the St. Louis Rams found themselves in an interesting situation. The Rams’ futility in 2011 earned the team the No. 2 selection in the NFL Draft, but the Rams never had any intention of actually using the pick. It’s clear to everyone in the league that quarterback Robert Griffin III is the second-best player available (perhaps the best) and he will need to be drafted as such. The Rams asserted their commitment to young quarterback Sam Bradford (drafted No. 1 overall in 2010) and began looking for quarterback-needy teams to trade with.
Rather than waiting until draft day to work out a deal, the Rams made a wise decision and negotiated a trade down prior to the start of NFL free agency, at a time when their leverage was maximized and the bounty to be had was largest. And it was large. A deal was reached with the Redskins that saw the two teams swap first round picks in 2012 (Nos. 2 and 6) and the Redskins send the Rams their second round pick in 2012 and the first round picks in both 2013 and 2014. Some called it highway robbery, but it was a fair price to demand for the rights to draft a prospect as highly-touted as Griffin.
The Redskins were a perfect partner for the Rams. New Rams coach Jeff Fisher and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan have a great relationship, which surely oiled the gears of negotiation. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder’s aggressiveness, historical willingness to move draft picks and sheer desperation resulting from his failure to find a franchise quarterback helped, too. But what mattered most to the Rams may have been the Redskins’ draft slot: No. 6.
Moving down only four slots to No. 6 leaves the Rams within range of the draft’s elite prospects. And now it appears that they are ready to make a move to get the player they want most.
The latest rumor is that the Rams are looking to move up from No. 6 to No. 3, the pick currently held by the Vikings. According to reports, the Rams covet running back Trent Richardson and don’t think he’ll get past the Browns at No. 4. Richardson has been called the best prospect at his position since Adrian Peterson and he would fit perfectly in new Rams head coach Jeff Fisher’s run-heavy offensive system. If the Rams are committed to the success of Sam Bradford, the best thing they can do is give him a weapon as dynamic as Richardson.
The Vikings have two glaring needs, left tackle and cornerback, and there are elite prospects available at both positions (Matt Kalil and Morris Claiborne, respectively). The teams drafting No. 4 and 5 could each use a cornerback upgrade, but neither is a threat to draft an offensive tackle. It makes perfect sense for the Vikings to move down a bit and still get a player they had at the top of their list all along.
So, what do the Rams need to offer to get it done?
According to the draft value chart, a move up from No. 6 to No. 3 would cost the Rams 600 points. The Rams’ second-round pick (No. 33 overall) is worth 580 points, so there won’t be any need to craft a complicated deal with many different parts. Pick No. 33 alone might be enough to get a deal done. If not, all the Rams would likely have to add is a late-round pick or a player they don’t mind losing. Trading away your early second-rounder hurts, but remember that the Rams already own another early second-rounder (No. 39 overall, acquired from the Redskins). Losing a late-rounder isn’t a big deal in the first place, but the Rams may be able to recoup the loss by trading away aging running back Steven Jackson, whom they would have little need for with Richardson on the roster.
If the Rams manage to pull this off, it just might be the greatest coup in draft history. Essentially, they will have moved down just one spot, drafted a player who some have called the best in the entire draft and who they had at the top of their board all along, and gained an extra two first round picks. Ridiculous.
Then again, no deal has happened yet. The Vikings have the leverage at this point, but it will start to disappear when they get on the clock tomorrow night and are faced with the prospect of being forced to draft Kalil four slots earlier than they have to (and pay him the extra salary that comes with that). I expect this is a trade that, if it happens at all, won’t be finalized until the Vikings are actually on the clock.
There’s also a late-breaking rumor that the Jets are looking to trade up to No. 3 from No. 16, as they also reportedly covet Richardson. For that trade to happen, Gang Green would have to give up a package similar to what the Redskins gave the Rams. It’s unlikely to actually happen, but it might put the pressure on the Rams to increase their offer to the Vikings and get a deal done.
Bold Predictions For The 2012 NFL Draft
It’s no secret that Andrew Luck will be selected at No. 1 overall by the Colts and Robert Griffin III will follow within seconds of the Redskins being put on the clock. We have a pretty good idea which players that many other teams in the draft are targeting, too. More often than not, the NFL Draft goes pretty much like everyone expected.
There are always a few shocking picks that none of the “experts” saw coming, though. Sometimes, they work out and remind us all why the talking heads are on TV rather than running an NFL team. Other times, they cost NFL executives their jobs.
Below, I make some bold predictions for the 2012 NFL Draft. I try to cast aside the conventional draftnik wisdom and figure out what teams are really thinking. I try to determine which general managers and coaches–are desperate/brave/arrogant enough to make a move that no one sees coming.
Take a look at my thoughts and leave a comment to let me know if you agree or disagree.
Kansas City trades up to select Ryan Tannehill
The Chiefs haven’t made much of an attempt to hide their interest in Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The converted wide receiver is raw as heck, but has been described as a more talented Jake Locker–and Locker was a top-ten pick last year. Matt Cassel’s play was below adequate prior to going on IR last season (59% completion rate with 10 touchdowns and 11 turnovers) and the Chiefs may be just about ready to move on. Drafting Tannehill and sitting him behind Cassel for a year makes a lot of sense for both players, as Tannehill needs time to develop and Cassel’s play could improve once he recognizes his career mortality. The Chiefs draft at No. 11 and they would have to move ahead of the Dolphins at No. 8 to get Tannehill. With rumors of the Browns (No. 4), Buccaneers (No. 5) and Rams (No. 6) all wanting to trade down, it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Chiefs to get a deal done–they might even be able to do it without giving up another first round pick.
Justin Blackmon isn’t the first wide receiver drafted
Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon is the first wide receiver off the board on almost every mock draft out there–often getting picked inside the top five. There’s just one problem with this line of thought: Blackmon isn’t the best wide receiver in this draft class. Michael Floyd is simply a better pro prospect and has a surprising lack of hype that may be related a minor off-field issue he experienced in college. Blackmon has an absolutely ridiculous catch radius, but he lacks the field-stretching speed that NFL teams look for when drafting wide receivers early. Floyd has this speed, running in the 4.4s at the Combine. Though he has been anointed as such by many, Blackmon simply isn’t in the same league as recent receivers taken in the first round, like AJ Green and Julio Jones. Perhaps the best comparison for Blackmon is Michael Crabtree, a player who isn’t exactly tearing it up in the NFL (5 catches for 28 yards in the 2011 NFL postseason). Like Crabtree, Blackmon will watch as another wide receiver gets drafted before he hears his own name called. In the end, Blackmon may fall all the way out of the top 15.
Whitney Mercilus is the first defensive end drafted
This draft class lacks a can’t-miss defensive end prospect. Heck, it lacks a probably-won’t-miss defensive end prospect. There are question marks all around at the position. Once considered a lock to be first defensive end off the board, teams are reportedly getting cold feet about Quinton Coples. At 6-6 and 284 pounds, he certainly looks the part. Why, then, was he invisible for much of his senior season? Coples’ inconsistent motor is evident on the game film and it will scare off teams. Unlike Coples, Courtney Upshaw and Melvin Ingram were both consistent producers on the field, but they both lack the measurables that teams look for and might be better-suited to playing OLB in a 3-4 scheme. Illinois end Whitney Mercilus has the statistics (he lead the nation in sacks and forced fumbles in 2011) and has the size and speed that teams desire. Though he lacks well-developed pass rush moves, often gets pushed around by bigger linemen and was a one-year wonder in college, some team will look at his tape and see a bit of Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul had huge bust potential entering the draft and has developed into perhaps the best defensive player in football. Mercilus also carries significant risk, but some team will look past that. Keep an eye on the Jaguars at No. 7, Bills at No. 10 and Eagles at No. 15.
The Rams draft Trent Richardson
It doesn’t matter that St. Louis has Steven Jackson under contract. It doesn’t matter that the team has more pressing needs than at running back. Jackson has far more tread on his tired than any other running back in the entire league and he is owed no guaranteed money. New head coach Jeff Fisher likes to run the ball as much as anyone in football and he once drafted Chris Johnson when the Titans already had a 1000-yard rusher on the roster (LenDale White) and had bigger needs elsewhere. If the Rams get the chance to draft the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, and a player some have called the best in the draft behind Luck and Griffin, the team will ignore all other needs and pull the trigger on Trent Richardson at No. 6.
What Jersey Numbers Will Draft Picks Wear?
It’s been almost a week since the first round of the NFL Draft and we’re starting to get information about which uniform numbers will be worn by all the rookies. For fans who are dying to purchase the jersey of their team’s newest player, information about NFL rookie jersey numbers for 2011 can’t come fast enough.
Update – Friday, July 29: The NFL lockout is over, rookies are signing their contract and camps are beginning. This means one thing: numbers are being assigned. We will continue to update this post as information about what uniform numbers rookie NFL players will wear rolls in.
Arizona Cardinals
First-round pick Patrick Peterson will wear jersey number 31. Second-round pick Ryan Williams will wear number 44 (an unusual number for a running back, but perhaps a trendy one among recently drafted RBs–Jahvid Best also wears number 44).
Atlanta Falcons
Julio Jones wore number 8 at Alabama, but wide receivers aren’t allowed to wear that number in the NFL. Instead, Julio Jones will wear jersey number 11.
Jacquizz Rodgers will wear jersey number 22; Akeem Dent will wear jersey number 43; Matt Bosher will wear jersey number 5; Andrew Jackson will wear jersey number 69 and Cliff Matthews will wear jersey number 93.
Baltimore Ravens
First round pick Jimmy Smith will wear jersey number 22 when he lines up at cornerback in one of the league’s most feared defenses. Wide receiver Torrey Smith will wear jersey number 82. OT Jah Reid will wear jersey number 76. WR Tandon Doss will wear jersey number 89. CB Chykie Brown will wear jersey number 40. DE Pernell McPhee will wear jersey number 90. QB Tyrod Taylor will wear jersey number 6. RB Anthony Allen will wear jersey number 35.
Buffalo Bills
Marcell Dareus will wear jersey number 99, a number most recently worn by Marcus Stroud.
Aaron Williams will wear jersey number 23. Kelvin Sheppard will wear jersey number 55. Da’Norris Searcy will wear jersey number 25. Chris Hairston will wear jersey number 75. Johnny White will wear jersey number 35. Chris White will wear jersey number 50. Justin Rogers will wear jersey number 42. Michael Jasper will wear jersey number 69.
Read more…
2011 NFL Draft, Round 1 – The Morning After
The first round of the 2011 NFL draft is in the books and it was certainly a night to remember. Things started off with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell receiving a loud chorus of boos from the fans in Radio City Music Hall, but they soon settled in to a nice groove. Let’s take a look back at the most memorable moments from the draft.
Riveting entertainment
Moving the first round to prime time and shortening each team’s on-the-clock time to 10 minutes has to be considered a huge success at this point. Rarely did last night’s action feel like it was dragging on, whereas watching the draft in previous years has often felt like a chore. Talk of trades, surprise picks and teams rushing to turn in their draft cards all led to a quick and exciting pace to the draft. If each team had taken their full allotment of time, the draft would have stretched past 1 a.m. Instead, it was done in about 3 hours, 30 minutes.
Newton is first
As expected, the Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton with the first pick of the draft. It’s the third consecutive year that a quarterback has been selected first. Newton joins a team that spent its first pick on a quarterback in last year’s draft. Clearly, the Panthers have no faith in Jimmy Clausen’s ability to lead the franchise. There could be some tense and awkward moments in the future for the Panthers because Clausen’s jersey number is 2, the same number Newton wore at Auburn. It will be interesting to see what kind of deal the two work out. The Panthers would be wise to eliminate any possible distractions for Newton and trade Clausen for whatever they can get for him.
Falcons and Browns do a blockbuster deal
The first trade of the draft was a huge one, as the Atlanta Falcon’s paid a hefty (and we mean hefty) price to move up 21 spots to No. 6 and select wide receiver Julio Jones. The Cleveland Browns received the Falcons first round pick (No. 27), second round pick and fourth round pick in this year’s draft, as well as their first round pick and fourth round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The buzz is that the Falcons would have preferred to grab A.J. Green and offered the same deal to the Bengals to move up to No. 4. The Bengals turned down the offer and selected Green themselves.
Quarterbacks go early
As many experts had predicted, there was a run on quarterbacks in the top half of the round. It didn’t play out in the expected fashion, though. The Tennessee Titans made Jake Locker the second quarterback off the board, selecting him with the No. 8 pick. Blaine Gabbert was passed over by numerous teams in need of a quarterback, including the Bills, Bengals, Cardinals, 49ers and Redskins, before the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select him at No. 10.
Gabbert’s slide lends credence to the theory that he was a bit of a manufactured prospect; a player who looked like a franchise quarterback on the surface, but who just didn’t have the college production to back it up. Now he’ll be able to use that as motivation, as so many others players have claimed to in the past. It will be fun to watch Locker and Gabbert battle in the AFC South in the years to come.
Seeing the pool of quarterbacks dwindle, the Minnesota Vikings made a bit of a panic pick, selecting Christian Ponder at No. 12. The Vikings appears to make a strong effort to trade back and were unable to do so. The pick looks like a bit of a reach, considering the fact that no other quarterbacks were selected in the first round after Ponder. Then again, quarterback trumps all other needs and the Vikings may have realized that Ponder was unlikely to still be on the board in the second round.
The Ravens… pass?
There was a moment of confusion in the middle of the round when it appeared that the Baltimore Ravens had failed to turn in their pick on time. The Kansas City Chiefs were the next team in line and they rushed their pick of wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin to the podium. It came out later that the Ravens were working on a trade down with the Chicago Bears, but the Bears failed to confirm the deal with the NFL in time. Ultimately, the trade fell through and the Ravens made their pick one spot later than they should have (they took cornerback Jimmy Smith). The Bears took offensive lineman Gabe Carimi. It was an embarrassing moment for the Ravens and Bears, but each team ended up with the player they wanted.
Patriots stockpile picks yet again
The New England Patriots entered the night with two picks in the first round. As expected, they traded one away for future picks. After grabbing offensive tackle Nate Solder at No. 17, the Patriots the No. 28 pick to the Saints for their second round pick and a 2012 first. The Patriots own the first pick in tonight’s second round, No. 33, and many expect that they will spend this morning and afternoon shopping it around. It’s quite likely they will receive a third 2012 first round pick in return. It’s great that the Patriots are able to stockpile so many high draft picks, but at some point they are going to have to actually use some of them to draft impact players. It’s been years since the last Super Bowl win in New England and the Patriots roster is not without holes.
Saints grab Ingram, say goodbye to Bush?
It looks like Reggie Bush is done as a New Orleans Saint. After selecting defensive end Cameron Jordan with their first pick in the draft (No. 24), the Saints traded back into the first round to grab running back Mark Ingram. Soon afterwards, Reggie Bush tweeted a goodbye message to New Orleans. Ingram will certainly bolster New Orleans’ already formidable offense, but the pick is a bit curious when you consider what they gave up. The Saints apparently decided that Ingram wasn’t worth taking with their No. 24 pick, but he was worth trading their second round pick and a 2012 first round pick for.
Style over substance
More than in previous years, the draftees last night showed off some serious style. Bowties were prevalent, as we’re thick-rimmed “hipster” glasses.
For my money, defensive tackle Nick Fairley was the best-dressed player.
The year of the D-line
Everyone said that this year’s draft class was full of excellent defensive lineman. That certainly proved to be true, as 12 defensive ends and defensive tackles were selected in the first round–an NFL record.
The New York Jets Select: Boo!
The NFL Draft is mere hours away and I don’t feel like writing about rumors anymore. Teams are locked in to their plans at this point and any information that leaks out now is almost certainly misinformation.
Let’s have some fun and watch a video that is pretty much required viewing for this day every year. It’s a collection the the New York Jets’ draft blunders over the years, including the times when they passed on Dan Marino and Warren Sapp, and even the time they took a fullback in the first round (!).
The Jets have been a good team over the past few years and not all their first round picks have been mistakes (Vernon Gholston certainly was and Kyle Wilson might turn out to be, but at least Mark Sanchez looks like a good pick). That said, it’s a tradition for the Jets to be loudly booed after they make their pick and we hope the fans keep that tradition alive tonight.
Quarterback Comparisons
With so many teams in dire need of a quarterback, expect the position to take center stage at the NFL Draft. Some experts are claiming that we could see five quarterbacks drafted in the first round and perhaps as many as eight in the first two rounds (which would be a record).
Let’s take a look at the top quarterback prospects and attempt to determine what pro quarterback they are most like.
Cam Newton = Vince Young. Newton is a bit smarter than Young (he scored a 21 on the Wonderlic, which is far better than Young’s pathetic 6), but he’s basically the same player. A tall, athletic, run-first quarterback who took the nation by storm in college and won a national championship. Young had a very difficult time adjusting to the pro game and never learned how to read defenses. Young also struggled mightily with the adversity he faced off the field and never seemed willing to put in the work required to become great. There are genuine concerns that Newton doesn’t have the drive it takes to become elite and will be content as a mediocre pro quarterback.
Blaine Gabbert = Mark Sanchez. Both players are athletic and intelligent. Both emerged from college needing a lot of polish. If Gabbert can develop in a system that will play to his strengths (like Sanchez has in New York), he could become a solid long-term starter.
Jake Locker = Donovan McNabb: Locker struggles with his accuracy and is prone to making poor decisions, but he’s a natural leader and is driven to be successful. Like McNabb, he might never win the big one, but he should establish himself as a top player at his position.
Ryan Mallett = Drew Bledsoe. Like Bledsoe, Mallett possesses a huge body and a rocket for an arm. He is the best pure passer in this draft class, but he’s also prone to poor decision-making and his is immobile to the point that he’s been called a statue in the pocket. Behind a great offensive line, he could put up big numbers.
Christian Ponder = Chad Pennington. Ponder makes very good decisions and is highly accurate in the short game, but he has endured numerous injuries to his throwing arm and may never become a threat to throw the ball deep. He could be successful in a west coast offense, but lacks upside.
Andy Dalton = Drew Brees. This comparison may seem extreme, but it’s based on many reports that NFL executives see some Brees in Dalton. He’s a bit undersized and his arm is weaker than you’d like, but somehow Dalton finds a way to win games. It’s important to note that quarterbacks like Brees come around about once every decade, so it’s likely that Dalton will fall short of matching Brees’ accomplishments.
Colin Kaepernick = Josh Freeman. Both players are big, strong and mobile. Kaepernick might be behind a few years in his development, but he has tremendous intelligence and could progress much faster than expected. Both are high-character guys.
Ricky Stanzi = Matt Cassel. You look at Stanzi’s leadership and decision-making and you want to believe he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL, but his skill set just doesn’t justify it. He simply lacks the arm and he is prone to folding in the clutch. The best-case scenario for Stanzi is that he bides his time as a backup and then gets the chance to lead a team, much like Cassel did when he left New England for Kansas City.
Last-Minute NFL Draft Rumors
The 2011 NFL Draft begins tonight, with the first round taking place in prime time. The rumor mill is starting to really churn. Much of what you hear and read over the next 12 hours will be completely bogus–smokescreens put out by teams to try to confuse their competition. We’re here to filter out some rumors that may have some truth to them.
Prince could be in for a slide. The thinking so far has been that there’s no way the Detroit Lions could pass on Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara at No. 13. However, Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News (one of the best mock drafters in the business) has Amukamara falling all the way to the Seahawks at No. 25.
The Rams want Ingram? Gosselin’s mock has the St. Louis Rams taking Alabama running back Mark Ingram at No. 14. While the Rams would seem to have much bigger needs (like wide receiver), they may realize that Steven Jackson doesn’t have much mileage left on his tires and Ingram’s talent may be too much to pass up.
Al Davis is at it again. The latest report is that the Oakland Raiders have informed Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick that he’s the top quarterback on their draft board. It sounds like the Raiders might try to trade into the late first round in order to grab him. Kaepernick is extremely raw, but he might be the most physically talented quarterback in this draft class. As we see every year, Raiders owner Al Davis values speed, strength and other measurables above all else.
Gabbert might find a home in the Bay Area. In their final mock drafts, both Rick Gosselin and Mike Mayock have Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert going to the San Fransico 49ers at No. 7. Until the past few days, most people assumed that Gabbert wouldn’t get past the Bills at No. 4 or the Cardinals at No. 5.
Patriots trying to trade up? There are multiple reports that suggest the New England Patriots are talking to the Cleveland Browns about trading up for the No. 6 pick. New England has two first round picks and the first pick in the second round, so they certainly have the ammunition to make something happen. The most likely target? North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, whom the Patriots would convert into a pass rushing OLB in their 3-4 scheme.
NFL Headlines
- Osi falls short of Twitter target to buy LT's ring
- Pats' Welker backs off 'gotten worse' remarks
- Bears' Marshall learned from NYC club incident
- Bucs' Price absent, grieving over sister's death
- Source: Jets sign safety Bell for 1 year, $1.4M
- Tebow's lawyers threaten to sue T-shirt makers
- Loomis: Brees deal must be right for both sides
- Ex-Pats LB Johnson: Seau death 'tipping point'
- Source: Former Colts TE Clark visits Patriots
- Senser lawyer wants guilty verdicts thrown out
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