1.  Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT/ Texas A&M – Johnny Manziels blindside protection is without question the best overall prospect.  It’s just a matter of whether Kansas City puts an emphasis on rebuilding from the trenches or if they plan on drafting a quarterback.

  2.  Jacksonville Jaguars – Damontre Moore, DE/ Texas A&M – The new regime will want to put a franchise like player on the field.  With Dwight Freeney ability Moore should do… well “Moore” than enough to get people in the stands, and a swagger to the Jaguars defense ranked 30^th overall in 2012.

  3.  Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith – The ghost of Al Davis lives.  This is such an Al move.  Selecting one of the most physically gifted athletes in this year’s draft.   Not say Carson Palmers 14 Interceptions, and 33 year old body would persuade the Raiders to look elsewhere for their general on the field.  There is some talk about Pryor getting a chance in 2013, my guess is that he plays until Smith is ready, and that Palmer may not be with the team by OTA’s.

4.  Philadelphia Eagles – Bjoern Werner DE/ Florida State – The Eagles would be ecstatic to get Werner.  After only picking up the game at the age of 15, Werner closed his career as a Seminole with 35 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, 18 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in just two seasons! Wow.

  5.  Detroit Lions – Jarvis Jones OLB/ Georgia – A 6’2” 242 pound first team All-SEC Performer, Jones also suffers from Spinal Stenosis; a restriction to the spinal canal that causes pain, numbness, and in some cases loss of motor control.  Jones has both the most to gain as well as the most too loose at this years’ combine.

  6.  Cleveland Browns – Dee Milner CB/ Alabama – Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com said Milliner is extremely aggressive with the ball in the air and plays with excellent timing, instincts and anticipation.  The former 5 star prospect had his breakout season in 2012, as he was a first-team All-American and unanimous All-SEC first-team pick after finishing the regular season tied for third nationally with 18 passes defensed. He totaled 54 tackles, four for loss and 22 pass break-ups by the time Alabama wrapped up the national title.

  7.  Cardinals – Eric Fisher OT/ Central Michigan – Yes, the Cardinals need a quarterback and both Tyler Wilson and Ryan Nassib are still available I get that.  What’s the point if he isn’t standing upright after most downs?  Call me old fashioned but I believe the only way to fix a bad offense is by helping both the run and the pass with a 6’7” 304 pound tackle who has the potential to be an immediate impact for Bruce Arians and his offensive prowess.

  8.  Buffalo Bills –Ryan Nassib QB/ Syracuse– The Amish Rifle is not the answer.  Fitzpatrick has shown his inability to finish out a season as well as he starts.  Nassib will be battling with Chance Warmack here and we will see which way Doug Marrone and his new coaching staff decides to go.

  9.  New York Jets – Ezekiel Ansah DE/ BYU – The Jets defense can’t function without a pass rush.  Regardless if Mark Sanchez is the quarterback or not, Rex Ryan still wants to win games through imposing his will on the other team.  Ansah is a freak of nature, and is flying up draft boards, as I wrote a piece for gmenhq.com last week with him at #19.  See link below. http://gmenhq.com/2013/01/16/2013-nfl-draft-g-men-strike-gold-again-in-byus-ansah/

  10.  Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG/Alabama – Considered to be the best guard prospect in this year’s draft, Jake Locker should be thanking his lucky stars if the Titans can have Warmack fall to 10.  The Cardinals, Bills, and Jets could all have interest in Warmack.  with 40 career starts and the ability to get to the second level, Warmack has developed himself into a definitive top ten selection.

  11.  San Diego Chargers – Barkevious Mingo, DE/LSU – Mike McCoy has been an uber-talented offensive coordinator, now he’ll get his first cut as a head coach.  Philip Rivers would love some offensive line help, but since Warmack, and Fisher are off the board, a pass rush will become their biggest need they can fill.   Mingo possesses the frame at 6-5, 240 pounds and athleticism to warrant top 10 considerations but at this point he remains an unpolished prospect.

  12.  Miami Dolphins – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – It looks like Miami found their quarterback last year in Tannehill, now it’s time to give him a weapon.   Patterson scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career.  If he can bring that versatility to the NFL, Miami would look pretty smart in a few years’ time.

  13.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers –Kenny Vaccaro, S/Texas - With Aquib Talib finding a new home in New England, The need for a corner is Massive in Tampa.  Still, Mark Barron was such a beast in his first yr, they may just try it again.

  14.  Carolina Panthers –Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah – How do you make Cam better?  Simple, a better defense.   Lotulelei is considered to be the best DT prospect at this time, We’ll see how the combine may change this selection, but Cam needs help winning games, and the best way to do that is by giving Greg Hardy some help upfront.  Oh and his first name is Star!!!!

  15.  New Orleans Saints – Sheldon Richardson, DT/Missouri – NO ranked 26^th in sacks, and 24^th in forced fumbles, so clearly they need some help with the front seven.  Richardson, became Mizzou’s first-ever All-SEC designee, as he was named to the 2nd-team for his outstanding play in 2012. Richardson led all SEC interior linemen with 75 tackles which is 2nd-best on the Tiger squad.

  16.  St. Louis Rams – Barrett Jones, C/Alabama – Jones is the only lineman in college to win a championship at 3 different positions across the offensive line.  His versatility is unmatched in this year draft, and he could rise to a top 10 pick if he can come back after tearing ligaments in his ankle in time for the combine.

]]> http://gmenhq.com/2013/01/25/2013-nfl-mock-draft-the-first-16/feed/ 0 http://gmenhq.com/2012/05/07/next-year-in-mock-drafts/ http://gmenhq.com/2012/05/07/next-year-in-mock-drafts/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:30 +0000 Salvatore Stefanile http://gmenhq.com/?p=10626 For the second ever installment of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ for GMEN HQ I featured Andrew Perloff of SI.com and his mock draft for the 2012 NFL Draft that was released in May of 2011. That’s almost a year before the 2012 NFL Draft took place! Anything can happen when a mock draft is [...]

Next Year In Mock Drafts - GMEN HQ - GMEN HQ - A NY Giants Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

For the second ever installment of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ for GMEN HQ I featured Andrew Perloff of SI.com and his mock draft for the 2012 NFL Draft that was released in May of 2011. That’s almost a year before the 2012 NFL Draft took place!

Anything can happen when a mock draft is released that early and pretty much everything did. Looking back at his first 2012 mock draft here were a few highlights:

• The Giants were picking 20^th overall
• Andrew Luck went 1^st overall… to the Buffalo Bills
• Landry Jones and Matt Barkley went in the top 5; neither entered the draft
• Vontaze Burfict was selected 28^th overall by Browns; he went undrafted

It’s easy to fault Perloff for all his mistakes but that’d be no fun. He knew as well as anyone reading his mock draft that producing a way too early mock draft wouldn’t stand the test of the time but he did one anyway. If you want to check out each of his picks from his first 2012 mock draft then go on right ahead.

Since I enjoyed reading Perloff’s mock draft so much last year I went looking to see if he had typed one up for the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft, and to my joy he did! So, how about we have at it and see what Perloff’s 2013 crystal ball has in store for the GMEN in regards to next year’s draft?

Before we delve in though let me forward you Perloff’s note about how his draft is: “ordered by predicted finish in 2012. Picks 1-20 are based on standings, while picks 21-32 are based on order of elimination from playoffs.”

Now that the Surgeon General’s warnings are out of the way let’s talk about where Perloff projects the Giants and that’s at the 20^th overall spot in the first round, which is the exact same spot he had the GMEN picking last year and which also means he sees the Giants yet again missing the playoffs. Of course the Giants didn’t miss the playoffs and actually ended up winning the Super Bowl so maybe this is a good sign.

Who does Perloff see the Giants taking with the 20^th overall pick? Last year it was Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams, who ended up being selected in the 2^nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft that just passed. This year Perloff has the Giants taking an offensive tackle again and this time it’s Ricky Wagner from Wisconsin; here’s what Perloff had to say about him in his mock draft:

“The Giants go best player available and continue to rework their line with the next breakout offensive line star from Wisconsin.”

Just like drafting an offensive lineman last year made sense to most mock drafters, including Perloff, it makes just as much sense this year. The tackle positions will be up for grabs this year and it’s no lock that Will Beatty will be given his starter’s spot back after being put on the I.R. last year due to an eye injury. Beatty, David Diehl, former 4^th-round pick James Brewer and incoming rookies Brandon Mosley and Matt McCants will be in the mix for the tackle spots and nothing will be settled when it comes to the Giants’ O-line until the end of the pre-season.

Sep 17, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Ricky Wagner (58) blocks during the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Soldier Field. Wisconsin defeated Illinois 49-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

So, projecting an offensive lineman is the safe route to take by Perloff, as the Giants will eventually have to address their O-line weakness early in the draft at some point so why not 2013?

If you want to know more about Ricky Wagner we can tell you that he’s 6’6, 322 pounds, is a redshirt Senior, was an All-Big Ten consensus honorable mention back-to-back years and was a left tackle starter for all of the Badgers’ 14 games in 2011. The Badgers saw a couple of their key cogs on the O-Line drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft with guard Kevin Zeitler going to the Bengals at 27^th overall in the first round and center Peter Konz being taken by the Falcons in the second round. Wagner could have followed their footsteps and entered the 2012 NFL Draft, where he probably would have been taken pretty high but he chose to return for one more year of college football.

Wisconsin has provided the NFL with some quality offensive linemen in recent years such as Gabe Carimi (drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft), Kraig Urbik (3^rd round, 2009), and (Joe Thomas, 3^rd overall pick, 2007). Wagner might be next in the line of Badger O-linemen to play and start in the NFL and he might even see his name called in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft; perhaps even higher than 20^th overall.

However, we still need to remember that it’s May of 2012 and the 2013 NFL Draft isn’t until April of next year. Who knows what can happen between now and then and it’s best not to think about Wagner in a Giants uniform just yet, even if he would be a nice addition.

What do you think GMEN HQ readers? Would you like to see Wagner suit up in a Giants uniform one day? If not Wagner who do you have your eyes set on for the 2013 NFL Draft? Is it too early to start talking about the 2013 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments section.

]]>

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Giant fans react to the pick of David Wilson during the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/The Star-Ledger via US PRESSWIRE

So, how about we get down to it and open the results envelope, shall we? So, the mock draft prognosticator that picked the New York Giants to take running back, David Wilson, from Virginia Tech, with the 32^nd overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft was…

Nobody!

Yup, you read that correctly. Not a single mock draft prognosticator that was featured in the many TWIMD I wrote up for GMEN HQ had Wilson going to the Giants. If you were to count them all up there was a total of 22 mock drafts that I covered, and if you include my mock draft, then that number would be 23.

You may not think this but not having a single mock drafter out there mocking Wilson to the Giants is a good thing, as it proves just how useless mock drafts can be. Anything can happen in the world of the NFL and a mock draft for the 2012 NFL Draft from May 2011 is pretty much worthless the moment it’s written. How about we go back to that very first mock draft I covered on May 30, 2011 to see what the crystal ball said the Giants should do but never did?

Before I do that though let me first give Ryan Van Bibber of SBNation.com some credit, as one of his mocks was the only one I could find that had the Giants taking Wilson at 32; some good guesswork there.

Now back to Chad Reuter,  who put together a mock for CBSSports.com in May of last year, where he had the Giants selecting 19^th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. One strike against him already. Then he mocked a linebacker to the Giants: Vontaze Burfict. Strike two. What’s strike three? That  Burfict, due to off the field issues and a poor combine, went completely undrafted.

That was possibly the worst pick Reuter could have made for the Giants last year and goes to show you why mock drafts don’t mean anything in the world of pro football.  They are only useful when it comes to wasting time reading them or having a little fun trying to play keyboard GM.

We can give Reuter some credit though, since that was his first mock draft, and instead let’s use his most recent seven round mock draft that he put together for NFL.com. In that mock draft he had the Giants selecting TE Coby Fleener, who was a popular choice amongst many mock draft writers, but that didn’t pan out either. Although, Fleener was taken two picks later by the Colts, so that wasn’t such a bad mock guess.

Out of all the mocks I wrote about in TWIMD only one had mocked a running back to the Giants and that was done so by Darius J. Pendergrass from RealHypeSports.com. That running back wasn’t Wilson though. Neither was it a running back that entered the draft this year. It was Arkansas running back Knile Davis, who returned to Arkansas for another season after missing out on his 2011 campaign due to a pre-season season ending injury sustained during a summer practice.

Now Davis might become a Heisman candidate if his season plays out the way most predict it will. That would have been a pretty sweet pick for the Giants, but we would need a time machine of some sorts to make it happen and I don’t think Bill and Ted really care about the NFL enough to alter such course of events.

Some other names thrown around by various mock draft prognosticators when it came to guessing the Giants’ 2012 first round draft plans included Bobby Massie (taken in the 4^th round by the Cardinals), Harrison Smith (29^th overall in the first round to the Vikings), Nick Perry (Packers 1^st round pick, #28 overall), Jonathan Martin (Dolphins 2^nd round pick), Luke Kuechly (Panthers 1^st round pick, #9 overall), Mike Adams (Steelers 2^nd round pick), Kelechi Osemele (Ravens 2^nd round pick), Zach Brown (Titans 2^nd round pick), and Courtney Upshaw (Ravens 2^nd round pick).

A hodgepodge of draft prospects that range from actually being drafted in the top 10 picks of the draft all the way to 4^th round of the draft. Right there shows you everything you need to know about mock drafts and how valuable they are.

Really, the only two mock drafts that are actually worth reading are Mike Silver’s Ultimate Mock Draft, where anybody is free game to be drafted, and that includes current NFL players and Greg Cosell’s mock draft that is based solely on watching game tape; both obviously for different reasons.

Yet, even though we know that people still write mock drafts and we will still continue to read them at a furious pace because mock drafts let us get in on the fun of what it would be like to be an NFL GM who’s in charge of molding the future of their franchise. That’s also the reason why I’ll keep covering mock drafts for GMEN HQ throughout the upcoming season and hopefully someone will already have their 2013 NFL mock draft out so I can get right back into the groove of things and mocking in the free world.

And the only way to do that is by providing you with my very own mock draft of this year’s first round of the 2012 NFL Draft and without further ado here it is…

• 1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
• 2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
• 3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
• 4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
• 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
• 6. St. Louis Rams: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
• 7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
• 8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
• 9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
• 10. Buffalo Bills: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
• 11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
• 12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, LB, South Carolina
• 13. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
• 14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, Safety, Alabama
• 15. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
• 16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
• 17. Cincinnati Bengals: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
• 18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
• 19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
• 20. Tennessee Titans: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
• 21. Cincinnati Bengals: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
• 22. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
• 23. Detroit Lions: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
• 24. Pittsburgh Steelers: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
• 25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State.
• 26. Houston Texans: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
• 27. New England Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
• 28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin, LB, Boise State
• 29. Baltimore Ravens: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
• 30. San Francisco 49ers: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
• 31. New England Patriots: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall
• 32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

So, that’s what I think the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft might look like but that I’ll probably get wrong. My wish is for the Giants to trade up and draft Kuechly but that would probably cost too much and won’t happen. I went with Fleener instead of other players just because of the immediate need the Giants have at tight end, yes, even with the signing of Martellus Bennett. Doug Martin, the running back out of Boise State is another name I could see going to the Giants after Jacobs’ departure but I have faith in Da’Rel Scott being able to step up this year and take on more of an active role in the running game, which made me lean towards Fleener as my final mock choice for the Giants at the end of the first round. Guess we’ll just have to wait to find out what actually goes down for the Giants and every other NFL team during the draft tomorrow.

If you want to post your own mock draft do so in the comments and I’ll go over the results in a post-mortem This Week In Mock Drafts.

In the meantime if you’re looking for something to do while watching the draft live why not download one of the best second screen sports apps on the market in FanCake and join in the fun that many other draftniks will be having? FanCake is a fun, easy and interactive way to enjoy sports on your second screen where you can make live in-draft predictions and even win prizes! Plus it’s free in the App Store. So come on out and enjoy the party; I’ll be there!

Jan 2, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Ole Miss Rebels offensive tackle Bobby Massie (79) blocks against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. The Rebels beat the Cowboys 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Sports Illustrated has given the reigns of the website’s main mock drafting duties to Banks and it’s always a good day when I see he’s released his mock draft predictions/throw-names-on-a-dart-board-and-hope-one-sticks mock predictions. His latest mock draft, which was released last week on April 4^th, and that you can read by clicking on this link, is his 4^th 2012 NFL mock draft and he plans to do three more until the start of the draft for a total of 7!

So, how about we take a run down to see who he has slated going to the Giants as of April 4^th and just how that pick has differentiated over time since his first 2012 NFL mock draft back on January 27.

With Bank’s mock draft version 4.0 he has the Giants selecting OT Bobby Massie from Eli Manning’s Alma Mater Ole Miss. The 6’6, 316 pound offensive lineman is the same player Banks mocked to the Giants in his mock draft version 3.0. The only time Banks didn’t go with an OT for the Giants’ draft pick was his second mock draft, where he went with Stanford’s tight end Coby Fleener. In his very first 2012 NFL mock draft Banks went with an OT from Florida State in Zebrie Sanders.

So, to recap, four mock drafts, three times an offensive tackle was picked and then a tight end the other time. Tight ends and offensive line have been running themes when it comes to mock drafts and the Giants and it would be a surprise if the Giants didn’t come away from the draft with at least one of those positions, if not both, filled. But is Massie the man? Last week in TWIMD I featured one of my favourite mock draft writers Scott Wright, who runs the excellent website Draft Countdown and he had the Giants picking an OT that didn’t really excite me much. Going back to his mock I looked for Massie’s name and saw that Wright had him going in the second round of the draft, 54^th overall to the Lions.

So, one mock has Massie at 32 while another has him at 54. Interesting so I checked out some more mock drafts. Mel Kiper over at ESPN Insider has Massie being taken by the Jets at 47 overall in the 2^nd round and Mike Chiari of the Bleacher Report has him going to the 49ers in the first round at 30^th overall. Plus Massie was already mentioned in this feature as a possible Giants first round pick, 23rd overall to be exact, back in August of last year and you can check out the analysis of that mock draft by clicking here.

From the scouting reports and the analysis these mocks have provided it looks like to me that Massie has the potential to be a first round talent offensive tackle but still needs some work to develop his skills, which makes him a good value pick in the 2^nd round but a little bit of a reach if taken in the first round. That assessment also seems to jibe with the scouting report from withthefirstpick.com where they project Massie going anywhere from the late 2^nd round to the early 4^th round and in one of their team mock draft articles have him going to the Dolphins at 42^nd overall in the second round.

As a first round pick I think Massie would be a solid but not great pickup but as a 2^nd round pick I would call it a great selection. See how fickle drafting in the NFL is and just how fine the line between boom and bust is? That’s just one of the reasons why going over mock drafts is so much; you never know what is going to happen and the only thing I can fully predict with 100% certainty is that Andrew Luck and RGIII will be the first two players, in some order, taken later this month.

Until then I’ll keep mock draft talking here at GMEN HQ and hope some of you readers decide to jump in on the fun. For now what do you all think about Massie? First round talent? Should the Giants take him? Sound off in the comments section below.

Apr 22, 2009; New York, NY, USA; ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. during the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

In the early stages of the rise of mock drafts Kiper was the man many people viewed as an NFL Draft guru. Whatever he had to say was heard by his disciples as gospel and he’s still a very popular man to this day in the world of NFL mock drafts and the actual draft itself after landing an on-air personality gig for ESPN during its televised draft coverage.

Even though I’ve switched my allegiances from Kiper over to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock I know there are still many Kiper fans out there so I thought I’d take a look at his most recent mock draft to see who he has the Giants taking with their 32^nd overall draft pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft for this week’s version of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’

Kiper’s mock drafts are a part of the ESPN Insider brand so if you don’t have access to their site then you can’t read his article, so don’t click on this link if you’re not an insider. Don’t worry Giants fans we got you covered later in this article for his analysis on the Giants’ pick.

In his most recent mock draft, version 3.0, that was published before the big trade that saw the Redskins mortgage their future for the present and let it be known that RG3 will be a Redskin, Kiper has taken the route many mock draft prognosticators have taken and mocked a tight end to the Giants.

The tight end that Kiper has going to the Giants, as of right now, is the same one that was featured in a previous installment of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’ And that would be Stanford’s tight end, Coby Fleener.

This is what Kiper has to say right now about Fleener going to the Giants:

“The Super Bowl was great for the party, but the Giants took a hit on the personnel side, where they lost a pair of tight ends to injury. Fleener has overtaken Dwayne Allen of Clemson as the top tight end on my board, and the Giants need one. He has great hands, will run a lot better than people think and knows how to work in a pro-style system, lined up on the line of scrimmage. He’s a great red zone target. The Giants also need offensive line help, or could target a linebacker here, but Fleener makes a lot of sense.”

The scouting report from our fellow FanSided brethren over at NFLMocks.com on the 6’6, 247-pound tight end, project Fleener as a late first round to 2^nd round draft pick and compare him to Kevin Boss, Marcedes Lewis and Tony Scheffeler.

FanSided also went on to say about Fleener that he’s a, “big play threat at all times…can line up in the slot and run pretty good routes…good at finding holes in zone coverage…impressive body control and ability to catch the ball in his soft hands…”

Those were the nice things they had to say but they also had some concerns about Fleener that revolve around his age (he’ll be 24 during his rookie campaign), his lean build that might not lead to him holding up in the blocking game, questions about whether he’ll be able to handle not being the go-to receiver in an offense and that’s he’s not very dynamic once the snap goes off.

Every rookie is going to come into the professional football ranks with holes in his game so Fleener should be able to work on his game as he progresses. If the Giants do take Fleener he’ll have to work on his game much sooner, especially if they don’t sign a veteran free agent tight end, because he would shoot up to the top of the tight end depth chart in New York because of injuries to Ballard and Beckum.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Giants do take a rookie tight end in the first round since they would potentially be in the running to start as a rookie and make a big impact in a pass heavy offense.

Feb 1, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Christian Barrett poses in front of a mock NFL draft set during Play 60 Kids Day at the NFL Experience at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

While deep down inside we knew that there was no way the NFL would cancel the season or miss games the longer the lockout dragged on the more uncertainty it created. That didn’t stop sportswriters from talking about mock drafts and making predictions though and that didn’t stop me from talking about those talking about the mock drafts.

Eventually the lockout ended and we had ourselves a new labor agreement and football was officially back in our lives! The mock drafts that I covered for GMEN HQ at the beginning of the season were all about me preaching how it’s hard to predict what player a team will draft when a season hasn’t even started yet and we don’t know what the team will look like heading into off-season or where we would be drafting in the first round.

Well, now that the season is over we have some questions answered that can help up properly mock the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. First off, thanks to the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI, we now know where the Giants will be picking in the draft and, barring trade, the Giants are slated to pick 32^nd and last overall in the first round of the draft.

I’m sure GM Jerry Reese will gladly take the last pick of the draft anytime if it comes along with a Lombardi Trophy attached to it. With the NFL in off-season mode we know which players are free agents and we can speculate as to which players teams will attempt to re-sign, let go or go after in free agency. That helps us mock draft prognosticators or those mocking the mock draft prognosticators pinpoint areas of needs or target positions in the draft for each of the 32 teams.

As of right now, thanks in part to the major injuries suffered to the tight end position in the Super Bowl and the lack of depth at the position, tight end has become the trendy mock draft position pick for the Giants. And that’s exactly the case with today’s installment of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ brought to you by the good folks over at The National Football Post.

The third and most recent version of their mock draft has the Giants taking tight end Coby Fleener out of Stanford. Out of the 15 previous TWIMD articles that I wrote for GMEN HQ not a single one of them predicted the Giants would draft a tight end but I have a feeling that will change and we will see the tight end position mentioned a lot more frequently headed towards draft day.

Jan 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck (12) throws to tight end Coby Fleener (82) during the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Oklahoma State Cowboys beat the Stanford Cardinal 41-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

According to the latest scouting report on Fleener from NFP they say that he’s, “An impressive pass catcher who can win both down the field and underneath vs. man coverage. Has the frame and flexibility to develop into a solid blocker as well and looks like a future starting caliber NFL TE.” That sounds like some pretty lofty praise for Fleener and it also makes it seem like he would be just the type of guy to fit right in on the Giants.

The tight end position has helped revolutionize the way the passing game is now played and while we’re not always going to see a Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez or Jimmy Graham type of player come into the league and light it up right away like they recently did there’s no denying that tight ends can come into the league and make an impact immediately. If the Giants can draft a tight end that starts out as a rookie and makes a difference from Week 1 it would only add to the arsenal of players Manning has at his dispersal.

The Giants have always been a team known for drafting the best available player, no matter the need or the position. It’s worked out well for them in the past and if they were to go that route this year and that best player available did in fact turn out to be a tight end the Giants would be pretty smart to do so since not too many other teams view tight end as a position of need, which would leave the Giants picking whatever tight end they rank the best at the position.

In addition to the 6-6 Fleener, other names to watch out for at the tight end position include Georgia’s Orson Charles, Clemson’s Dwayne Allen, Chase Ford out of Miami and Michael Egnew from Missouri.

Of course, we can’t forget that it’s only February 20 and the draft doesn’t take place until April 26. That’s plenty of time for the Giants to sign a free agent tight end such as Jeremy Shockey, Visanthe Shiancoe or John Carlson as a one year stop gap to fill in for the injured Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum or permanently take over their spots.

All I know is that mock draft season is in full swing and GMEN HQ is happy to be a part of it and that TWIMD should once again become a Mock Monday regular here on the blog.

With free agency pretty much done, minus the few leftover scraps, and drafted and undrafted players signed and brought into training camps, most teams know what they will look like this upcoming season.

Before free agency started, even with Steve Smith’s injury concerns, the wideout position looked like it had some pretty good depth to it. After Smith’s departure to the supposed “Dream Team” many Giants fans and NFL scribes decided that it was now time to worry.

Not me. I think the Giants still have a great group of wideouts, led by Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. And a couple of players behind them, especially Domenik Hixon and potentially Victor Cruz, give them a sold nucleus of receivers.

What we know right now is that Nicks and Manningham are ballers and that the Giants have a great 1-2 duo at the starting wide receiver position. Having Smith gave them a lethal 1-2-3 but he’s not here anymore and it’s time for someone else to step up and I think Hixon or Cruz will be that guy.

Then there’s a group of others including Devin Thomas, Jerrel Jernigan, Michael Clayton, Darius Reynaud and Ramses Barden who could make an impact on the depth chart behind the main four guys, depending on who makes the team and who gets cut. Barden is the one to keep a close eye on; all the talent in the world but the injuries are a major concern that could see him not even making the final 53 man roster.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I don’t think the Giants need to draft a wide receiver next year but the columnist of today’s mock draft featured doesn’t agree me and has the Giants taking a wide receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft.

(more…)

And that’s exactly what I’m doing yet again for you loyal ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ readers at GMEN HQ. Today’s website featured is one that many of you who have been sticking with me from the beginning are familiar with: WalterFootball.com.

Back on June 20^th I featured Walter himself from Walter Football and his mock draft from June 1 of this year. In that draft he had Notre Dame’s linebacker extraordinaire Manti Te’o going to the Giants at 22^nd overall.

This week we’ll be taking a look at contributing writer Charlie Campbell and his 2012 mock draft that he posted on August 16 of 2011 and later updated the next day.

One thing that’s different about his mock draft is who he has picking first overall. It’s not the Washington Redskins. They’re actually picking 6^th but still wind up with a quarterback: Matt Barkley out of USC. The team picking first, which would be the team that Campbell considers will finish with the worst record in the NFL is the Buffalo Bills and will have won the right to take Andrew Luck.

The Giants meanwhile come in at 26^th in Campbell’s draft, good for a second place finish in the NFC East behind the Eagles and a playoff spot. Today’s edition of  ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ has a bit of a theme going for it and that theme, boys and girls, is familiarity.

We have a site we’ve featured before, the Redskins taking a QB, the Giants making the playoffs but not winning the NFC East and now we can add one more to that list: another linebacker mocked to the Giants.

(more…)

Knowing what players the Giants have on the roster right now makes predicting the 2012 NFL Draft that much easier for mock draft prognosticators. The draft is still a ways away but having the free agency period underway makes mocking the draft easier as certain teams start to fill needs. Up until now the main positions mock prognosticators have been targeting for the Giants have been linebacker and offensive linemen.

Now that the Giants have started bringing in free agents and locking up drafted and undrafted players the linebacker need has taken a backseat to the needs on the offensive line and this week’s mock draft featured in ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ at GMEN HQ agrees.

(more…)

Today’s installment of the most popular 2012 NFL mock draft feature based on the zero negative feedback I’ve received up to now is taking the ridiculousness of covering 2012 NFL mock drafts to a new high as I cover a 2012 NFL mock draft that was mocked up before the 2011 NFL Draft even took place.

Crazy, right? Crazy, indeed! The name of the site I’ll be featuring says it all: Football Mockery. If you’re going to be mocking the 2012 NFL Draft you might as well start early and there’s nothing earlier than getting ahead of the game and mocking which players will be taken in 2012 before the ones in 2011 were taken.

Okay, so, if you’re still with me and understood everything typed up in those previous paragraphs let’s get a move on to the this week’s installment of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’

(more…)

So, get out the soda pops, potato chips, and seedless watermelons and dig into this week’s ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’

The next contestant on ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ for the week of July 4, 2011, is Reggie McColgan from NFLMocks.com. Just to get this out of the way so no one accuses me of blatant homerism, NFL Mocks is a part of the FanSided network of sports blogs, which is the very same network that GMEN HQ calls home.

The mock draft that I’ll be taking a look that McColgan mocked up is from June 29, so kind of a recent one. Most of the mocks I’ve been featuring here in this column were written all the way back in May; ancient by today’s mock draft musings standards.

The order of McColgan’s 2012 NFL mock draft is based on what he describes as, “upon situation and observation on my part.” He also says to enjoy them, as do I!

(more…)

Catchy, right? Let’s see how quickly we can get that to be used in everyday online conversation. I imagine by the year 2019, at least one other person besides myself will use it in their everyday conversations. My money is on me.

Since today is Monday, that means I’m back for another rendition of the uber-popular mock draft feature, ‘This Week In Mock Drafts.’

This week’s mock feature takes a look at Darius J. Pendergrass’ 2012 NFL mock draft over at RealSportsHype.com, dated May 5, 2011. As usual the focus is on who he has mocked to the New York football Giants, because, well, this is a New York Giants blog.

Mr. Pendergrass has predicted the Giants will be picking 20th overall in the 2012 NFL draft, meaning that he thinks the Giants will be making an appearance in the post-season next season. In fact, they’ll be taking the NFC’s second wildcard spot. Who does he have winning the NFC East? The Dallas Cowboys. How about the Eagles? Not making the playoffs at all. And, like a lot of 2012 mocks, the Redskins pick first overall where they get the honor of taking current top draft pick du jour, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

After last week’s feature on WalterFootball.com, the first site I covered for a ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ feature here at GMEN HQ that predicted the Giants would make the play-offs, Pendergrass makes it two weeks in a row. I hope it’s some sort of a trend.

Onto the picks…

(more…)

Nobody has made any complaints whatsoever about this feature so it’s safe to say that every single person who has read it loves it and wants more of it! I can’t say no to such a high public demand.

Let’s get on with it, shall we?

(more…)