2012 GML Official Draft Thread

With the second overall pick, the San Diego Chargers select Robert Griffin III, Quarterback, Baylor.

Andrew Luck may be the best prospect since Peyton Manning or John Elway. But RG3 was the most productive QB in college football last season. And we believe he will be able to translate his skills into being a fantastic QB in the NFL.

Let's take a quick look at that productivity. Last season, Griffin completed 72% of his passes with a 10.7 YPA and an 11.8 AYPA. What this demonstrates is that he is accurate to all areas of the field and makes good decisions with the ball. From a purely passing perspective he was slightly better than Cam Newton a few years ago. While he wasn't the incredible rusher that Newton was, he nonetheless showed that he can use his incredible athletic ability to get out of the pocket and gain yards when he needs to. We don't expect him to be another Michael Vick in terms of rushing productivity in the NFL. But we expect that he will be able to scramble enough to force defenses to think about it and open up opportunities for big plays.

Speaking of big plays, RG3 comes to a team designed to get a lot of them. With the resigning of Vincent Jackson and addition of Darrius Heyward-Bey we will utilize Griffin's accuracy down field. And he will of course have Antonio Gates as an option if opposing secondaries figure out a way to keep those two WRs in front of them. Since there will be some big adjustments for Griffin coming into the NFL we will look to Ryan Matthews to take some pressure off the passing game every once in a while. But for the most part we will run the ball sparingly. This will be a very pass oriented offense and will continue to move towards a Patriots/Packers style offense as Griffin becomes more and more comfortable.

We feel confident putting that much on Griffin's shoulders because he has demonstrated outstanding intelligence and determination during his time at Baylor. And aside from how he played and carried himself on the field, we were impressed with his class and charisma off the field. So not only do we expect him to produce at a high level and help this team win a lot of games, we think he will be a positive influence on the community and bring a lot of excitement to the team.

 

With the 3rd pick the 49ers select WR Justin Blackmon, OKST.

Blackmon put up great numbers in a conference that lacked any real defenses, but the 49ers feel that Blackmon will compliment Crabtree and Vernon Davis.



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With the 4th pick the GML draft the Denver Broncos select:



Morris Claiborne - CB, LSU
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185 lbs

2011 Thorpe Award Recipient
2011 Consensus First-Team All-America (AFCA Coaches', AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, CBSsports.com, FoxSportsNext.com, SI.com)
2011 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches)
2011 First-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches)
2011 Nagurski Award Finalist
2011 Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Miss. State)
2010 Second-Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches)

CAREER
Named the recipient of the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award in 2011 as the nation's top defensive back ... Became the second straight LSU player to earn the award, following Patrick Peterson who claimed the honor in 2010 ... Consensus All-America in 2011 after leading Tigers to 13-1 record, the SEC title and a spot in the national championship game ... Played in 33 games, starting 26 times ... Finished career with 95 tackles, 12 pass breakups and 11 interceptions ... Led the nation in interception return yardage in 2011 with 173 ... Tied for sixth in school history in career interceptions (11) and is second in interception return yards (274) ... Opted to forgo his senior season and made himself eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft following his junior season.

 

With the 5th pick, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers select... Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

[video=youtube;lXSfQWM0f3Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXSfQWM0f3Y[/video]

We were kind of hoping Claiborne would get here, but we're not disappointed to be ending up with the best linebacker in the draft. Kuechly is a tackling machine and enters the draft as a 20 year old who just led the nation in tackles and won the Butkus award. He's basically a bigger, more athletic Zach Thomas and we feel will be the leader of our defense for the next decade. We felt good at linebacker, but Kuechly will take the unit to another level and will immediately be our starting Mike and will probably go out there and lead our team in tackles next year. We're very excited to have him on board and now feel like our good defense can turn into a great defense as now we have quite an impressive front 7.

 

With the sixth pick in the NFL Draft the Texans select 6'4 295 Fletcher Cox out of Miss. State


[video=youtube_share;KJMPT5T1DEE]http://youtu.be/KJMPT5T1DEE [/video]

 

In a recent trade, the Kansas City Chiefs have acquired the 7th overall pick.

With the 7th pick in the 2012 draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select OT Matt Kalil, from USC.

 

With the 8th pick Miami selects Quinton Coples DE, North Carolina.

 

With the 9th pick the Carolina Panthers are proud to select...


Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame!

Will add more to my post later.

 

Rams select....

DT Dontari Poe Memphis


Out of fear of the Eagles, Dolphins or Panthers selecting him. I tried to move up, but luckily for me I stayed at #10 and got MY guy.


I have been following the draft for about 7 years now and I have never seen a 350lb man move like this. His combination of power and speed is insane, his combine performance was record breaking and spectacular. Normally Im the last guy to get caught up in the "combine warrior" but this kid is just an athlete that will be pushing OL backwards for a long time. His 40 time was off the charts for someone that big but what impressed me was his quickness.

He will come in and start immediately freeing up my LB's to do what they do best. Make plays.

Couldnt be happier my target fell to me. (Thanks mock draft posters for scaring me)

 

With the 11th pick in the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select...

RB Trent Richardson, from University of Alabama

 

With the #12 pick in the NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks select



WR from Baylor University, Kendall Wright

 

Pick 13, The Zona Cardinals select Riley Reiff OT Iowa

 

Pick 14 Cowboys select Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

 

With the 17th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings, after trading up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, select Georgia Tech, wide receiver, Stephen Hill. We view Hill as our long term and future X receiver as he learns behind Randy Moss at the position. He'll be joining Moss, Deion Branch and Percy harvin to round out the position.

​

 

With the eighteenth pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, The Baltimore Ravens select DE/OLB Shea McClellan out of Boise State.

 

With the 19th selection of the 2012 draft, the Chicago Bears select Andre Branch, DE, Clemson.

 

It is an honour and a privilege for me to be able to introduce you to the newest Titan, headed by the greatest GM to ever GM the 2012 Titans, with the 20th selection in the 2012 GML draft, the Tennessee Titans select Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

 

Bengals select WR, Alshon Jeffery

 

With the 23rd picks (really 22nd I guess) The Tampa Bay Bucs select... Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

[video=youtube;5UuL8H2U-SA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UuL8H2U-SA[/video]

We don't really have any more needs, but we might have had some other positions we were looking to upgrade at this point. Well that went out the window when Ingram was sitting on the board this late. We felt like he could have gone as early as the top 10, and will be a great situational pass rusher and jack of all trades early on for us. Pass rushing has become such an important part of the NFL today with the league trending toward being pass happy. The New York Giants showed how getting constant pressure on the passer can neutralize elite quarterbacks. Because of the great pass rush they got from their front 4, the Giants were able to drop 7 making it very tough to throw against. We hope to be able to accomplish that with the linemen we now have. Having guys like Robert Mathis, Michael Bennett, Gerald McCoy, Da'Quan Bowers, and now Ingram will put us in a position to do that. Ingram is also a very versatile player that can play LB and even kick inside at times. Overall we're shocked and excited to be able to draft a talent like this at this portion of the draft.

 

Bengals select DE, Nick Perry.

Michael Johnson is officially on the block.

 

With the 25th Selection in the 2012 GM Leage Draft, the Cleveland Browns select …

David DeCastro, G, Stanford

​

When we originally traded back to #25 overall we had no idea that this guy would end up dropping to us. But we're not going to complain about it. Instead we'll happily skip up to the podium and turn our card in early, ecstatic to take a guy who we think isn't just a lock to start at the next level, but probably a Pro Bowl caliber player down the road. While we have some holes in other areas, we just didn't have that same feeling about the other players on the board that we were considering. With a team in rebuilding mode, it's important to find building blocks you can count on. DeCastro is a very solid building block. At this spot in the first round, that's really all you can ask for.

We plan to play DeCastro at LG, plugging him in alongside Alex Mack and Joe Thomas, forming what should be a very dominant line that can help protect QB Tim Tebow and open up holes for RB Darren McFadden.

The emphasis really should be on dominant. Check out the film.

[video=youtube;QM3jPINC0WU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3jPINC0WU[/video] ​

And of course, the requisite scouting report, this one courtesy of WalterFootball:

All in all this is a no-brainer pick and one that was very easy to make.

 

With the 26th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft The Philadelphia Eagles select



Brandon Weeden -- Quarterback Oklahoma State

[video=youtube;hpkLIET5uvA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpkLIET5uvA[/video]

[video=youtube;iJjKGeyVO1M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjKGeyVO1M[/video]​

GM SICK:

 

With the 28th pick, GB selects:

Zebrie Sanders, OT Fla St



Analysis




Pass Blocking - Footwork and technique are usually very good. Has a balanced and agile pass protection set that handles all motions effectively. Hand placement is excellent. The one concern is handling the super quick edge rusher. Foot speed and quickness are very good, but not elite. Has the power and bend needed to anchor against the bull rush. Sometimes will attempt to punch too soon, lunge, and fail to transfer power properly as a result.

Run Blocking - Has the ability to sink hips and generate real power with strong hands. Consistently moves defenders back. Grades out extremely well in every aspect of run blocking.

Pulling/Trapping - Outstanding blocking ability on the move. Would grade highly as an OG prospect as well. Agility is very good and power is excellent. Puts a lot of defenders on the ground. Stays low and uses excellent technique.

Initial Quickness - Is usually very good in this area. Fires off the snap and gets push on run plays. First step is quick when pulling. Is rarely beaten off the snap by pass rushers. As with all OTs, crowd noise can limit ability to hear QB.

Downfield - Is athletic and can run, plant, seal, sink hips, and deliver powerful blocks where the play dictates. Consistently makes quality second level blocks.

Intangibles - About the highest possible grade here. Smart, durable, healthy, experienced, and high character. The demonstrated ability to switch from ORT to OLT without any problems is perhaps the best tribute to this prospect's intangibles.

NFL Comparison: Trent Williams - Washington Redskins

 

With the 29th pick of the 2012 GML Draft, the Baltimore Ravens select cornerback Stephon Gilmore out of South Carolina.

 

With the 31st pick in the 2012 GM League Draft the Pittsburgh Steelers select: Whitney Mercilus - DE/OLB - Illinois

The Steelers see Mercilus as the next Jason Pierre Paul and plan to use him as a OLB. He performed very well during a recent pro day as a stand up OLB. Seeing as how he is raw in the same mold as JPP was we feel he is a fine conversion prospect.

A one-year starter, Whitney Mercilus was a two-star defensive line recruit out of high school, choosing Illinois over Cincinnati, Kansas, Purdue and Michigan State. After redshirting in 2008, he saw limited action as a reserve in 2009 as a redshirt freshman, finishing with 8 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack.

Mercilus saw more playing time in 2010 as a sophomore, recording 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 2 forced fumbles. He started all 13 games in 2011 and had his best season as a junior, finishing with a NCAA-best 16.0 sacks (tied school record) and 9 FF (second in NCAA history), adding a conference-high 22.5 tfl and 57 tkls. Mercilus earned first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors and was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Mercilus decided to capitalize on his breakout campaign and forego his senior season to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Mercilus entered this past season with just two career sacks, but he had a break out performance in 2011 as a first-year starter, leading the Big Ten in several categories and ranking among the tops in all of college football. He has adequate size and build, but lacks the frame to get much stronger and add bulk -- has long arms and big hands to create problems for blockers. Mercilus is still developing and is more of an athlete than polished pass rusher at this point, but he is a high effort player with a nonstop motor and simply finds ways to get to the backfield.

Pass rush: Very active and plays with top effort on every snap. Moves all around the defensive line, lining up off the edge and inside at defensive tackle. Has the natural speed to win the edge and closes in a flash. Attacks gaps and is a pesky rusher, finding ways to squirm into the backfield. Hard player to block cleanly. Plays with a fighting mentality and has the violent hand usage to battle through the trash and make the play. Hustle player with a nonstop motor. Tends to play high and doesn't worry much about technique or fundamentals. Still developing his snap anticipation and will jump offside at times.

Run defense: Lacks an obvious power element to his game and struggles to shed blocks on run plays. Doesn't consistently set the edge and will over run his responsibilities. Still developing his recognition skills and instincts. Struggles to consistently locate the ball and will get caught out of position at times.

Explosion: Fires off the snap with a first step burst that really stands out. A bit tight in the hips and straight-linish in his movements. Lacks great change-of-direction ability to explode laterally or smoothly redirect his momentum.

Strength: Has adequate build with very good length and overall measureables. Plays tough with the hand strength to rip the ball out and force fumbles. Lacks an ideal frame for the position and doesn't have the prototypical muscle definition. Lacks great bulk and doesn't have a lot of room to get much bigger.

Tackling: Physical in the trenches and doesn't try to avoid contact. Has long arms to wrap and wrestle ballcarriers to the ground. Takes pride in his ability to finish and complete tackles.

Intangibles: Has only one year of starting production under his belt, causing questions about being a "one year wonder" and was a relative unknown entering the 2011 season. Had above average production in 2011, leading the nation in sacks (16.0) and forced fumbles (9) and finishing second in tackles for loss (22.5) -- consistent production week-in and week-out as a junior in 2011. Decided to leave early to help his family financially (both his parents are immigrants from Haiti).

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1689559/whitney-mercilus

 

The Titans, with the 32 and final pick of the 1st round select Mark Barron, SS, Alabama.

 

With the 33rd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the New York Giants select TE Dwayne Allen from Clemson. Will provide write up when I get home from work

 

With pick #34 acquired from the Jets, graciously by schisno, the Raiders select Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia. Glenn will be played at G where he better ****s people up.

 

With the 35th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings select Kevin Zeitler, Offensive Guard, Wisconsin. Kevin will start soon. We feel that he'll go slightly later in the 2012 NFL Draft, but we felt it was good value here.

 

With the 36th pick, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers select... Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

[video=youtube;UhO6WUEn_VQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhO6WUEn_VQ[/video]

We considered taking him with our pick in the 1st round as we feel he is the second best corner in the draft. We also were trying to trade up into the end of the 1st, or early 2nd to make sure we got him. We feel is off the field issues are in the past and coming in to our culture with Joe Philbin leading the way is going to really benefit him and allow him to grow as a player and a man. Jenkins will compete for a starting spot right away.

 

With pick 37 in the 2012 GML draft, the Oakland Raiders select Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers. Sanu's size and physicality enabling him to play the X SE spot and the Y SL spots is a perfect compliment to Denarius Moore at Z FL.

 

With the 38th pick the Denver Broncos Select:

Devon Still - DT, Penn St.



Height: 6'5"
Weight: 303 lbs

Draft Analysis:

 

Seattle Seahawks select LT Mike Adams from Ohio St University