Rexall's Mock Draft

[HGRekks]

Some of you might recall I used to do a sleeper list and my own mock a number of years ago on one of the old boards. Suffice it to say, this is another.

I always mention that I make no claim that this is a "should", "must", "will", "best", "smartest", "accurate", or "polyhedral" draft. This is simply a draft look that I like at the time. Feel free to agree, disagree, criticize, change, discuss, shave, or share.

I don't mock trades.

Round 1 - Pick 1

Andrew Luck, QB -Stanford

6'4 235lbs.

A lot of people want Peyton back, and I do too. Personally, I also want the best possible future for the team, and I think that is Luck. I'm a fan of his and think he is cerebral enough to catch on quick enough, though he undoubtedly has room to grow and will have to adjust to reach his pinnacle. I think his athleticism is solid and his accuracy is as good as you'll find in a college QB, but his arm strength is still a question mark to me. While I think he certainly has enough to make all the necessary throws, some of his deep balls seem to lack zip and he tends to make his receivers come back a bit for some of his deeper throws. Overall, I think QB is where the offense starts (though heavily reliant on a solid line), and Luck is a good starter for a new philosophy, rather that happens now or in a few years.

Round 2 - Pick 34

Alameda Ta'amu, NT - Washington

6'3 337 lbs.

Regardless of a change in defensive scheming, run support is a big need for the Colts, especially on the defensive line. Ta'amu is a great fit for the 3-4 and could potentially be a long term anchor as a nose tackle, which is vitally important to the 3-4. He does an excellent job of anchoring and can stand up two blockers and has shown a tremendous amount of strength with his bull rush vs. 1 on 1 blocking. He's also surprisingly athletic for his size, showing a surprising first step. Ta'amu is still rather raw, however, and doesn't have much in the way of a pass rush, tends to play too high at times, and can be washed out of the game by dominant lines. While he might possess the ability to be an instant starter, he's more ceiling than floor. If his game catches up to his athleticism, he might possess the ability to move around on the line.

Round 3 - Pick 65

Jayron Hosley, CB - Virginia Tech

5'10 172 lbs.

Hosley is an aggressive corner with solid ball skills, but he's rather small at 5'10 172. He excels in zone, but has the tools to be a really solid man corner. One of the biggest things that will turn him off to Colts fans is his lack of fundamental tackling. Hopefully, this is problem can be bested by the coaching of coach Pagano. Despite his size and tackling, he plays mad. He attacks constantly, which is a good thing for a guy who might have to start out on special teams (as most rookie DBs do). He can also return punts. Though his speed is often knocked, I think he's sneaky fast.

Round 4 - Pick 97

Chris Givens, WR - Wake Forest

6'0 195 lbs.

Givens is a favorite of mine, so my bias is evident. Givens is a tremendous route runner at the college level and really looks to excel in that area. He's not a crazy athlete, and I'm aware a lot of people want a gamebreaker, but if the option is between an inconsistent gamebreaker (which are most that are left at this point) or a consistent chain mover, I'm going with the latter. Givens is excellent at tracking the ball and making adjustments. He has very solid hands and can be counted on to make plays when he's needed. Not the best prospect, but one with a high floor and who can contribute as at least a #4 immediately and perhaps more later.

Round 5 - Pick 129

Scott Wedige, C - Northern Illinois

6'4 304 lbs.

Go head, laugh. I'll wait.

Good? Notice his last name wasn't Wedgie? Good.

Wedige has been nothing less than spectacular at the college level, paving the way for Chadd Spann to two straight season of 1,000+ yds, 5.3+ ypc, and 19+ TDs while also protecting Chandler Harnish for two seasons of ridiculous numbers. Wedige did play in the MAC, however, so level of competition has to be kept in mind. Regardless, Wedige excels as a pass blocker with decent run blocking ability, but he's got a high ceiling in my opinion.

Round 6 - Pick 162

Adam Nissley, TE - Central Floria

6'6 267 lbs.

This is one of the least attractive picks there is, but it's one I think makes sense. Nissley is not a crazy athlete and he's not going to put up a great highlight tape. Nissley is, however, a sure handed receiver with a massive body. Measuring in at 6'6 267, Nissley surely uses his frame exactly as one would think, boxing out defenders when the need be and grabbing passes other guys just can't. He's not going to put up crazy stats, but he might earn a redzone role. Where Nissley will earn his stripes, though, will be in the blocking department. For my money, Nissley is one of the best blocking tight ends in this draft. He can be a monster in the run game, walking linebackers and some ends out of the play. He's also solid in pass protection. Nissley's combination makes him an enticing pick for Arians offense, as he seems to like his TEs to block first and foremost. He could earn a spot behind Eldridge (or Hill if he's brought back and wins that spot) and show what he's got on special teams in the mean time. Also could end up on the P.S.

Round 7 - Pick 194

Junior Hemingway, WR - Michigan

6'1 225 lbs.

There will probably be a safety in there somehwere, and I had one when I included comp. picks. I just didn't care to edit it too much, and I hate to pick by need as opposed to who I think is a good pick for that slot. Plus, I think Zbikowski or Hakamura will be here.

Hemingway had a really bad break under that other coach at Michigan, but Brady Hoke helped him be the best he could given Denard Robinson's passing ability. Hemingway is not a stellar athlete or route runner at this point, but he's an aggressive receiver who fights for balls and is willing to take shots. He's big and strong enough to break arm tackles and will fight for yards after contact. He's not crazy fast, but he can play the mid range game quite well and will do whatever is asked of him.He came up big when his team needed him most, scoring 12 of his teams 23 points in the overtime Sugar Bowl win over VT. He averaged a nice 20.6 ypc his senior season. He will need to work on his route running and his hands, but the potential is certainly there for Hemingway to be a real contributor to any team.

[Moncrief]

I like the draft different then most others

[wordofmouth]

Thanks Rexall, As someone who never really watched much College ball ( even less now that I live in Africa) I rely on the good folks here to educate me on the prospects entering the draft. You do a great job of evaluating each prospect in a realistic way.

By the way, what are the chances of Ta'amu being around in the 3rd?

[HGRekks]

Thanks Rexall, As someone who never really watched much College ball ( even less now that I live in Africa) I rely on the good folks here to educate me on the prospects entering the draft. You do a great job of evaluating each prospect in a realistic way.

By the way, what are the chances of Ta'amu being around in the 3rd?

Thanks for the feedback. I don't think there is a whole lot of chance of Ta'amu being around come round 3. If he's anywhere near as strong and athletic at the Combine as his tape shows, he might not make it out of the first. The biggest things he'll have working against him are his history of weight problems and his lack of a pass rush. If I recall, he had a horrible showing at Senior Bowl practices, so that might hurt him. He reportedly showed a lack of conditioning and played too high a number of times.

He's really going to be a work in progress, so he has a lot riding on the Combine and his Pro Day. If he comes in and does what people think he can do and shows better conditioning, he might not make it out of the first. If he comes in and looks like he did at the Senior Bowl, he'll likely fall to the middle of the second.The third isn't out of the question, but it's not horribly likely. The best thing he has going for him is Parcell's "Planet Theory". How many guys are out there at his size with his athleticism that can play the game of football? Not many.

[chad72]

Rexall, when you talk blocking TE, I listen. You called Brody Eldridge the year of his draft as one of the best blocking TEs. While Eldridge is still a work in progress due to his injuries, I have Adam Nissley on my radar now . Pagano might definitely be thinking of adding one more blocking TE, IMO.

[HGRekks]

Rexall, when you talk blocking TE, I listen. You called Brody Eldridge the year of his draft as one of the best blocking TEs. While Eldridge is still a work in progress due to his injuries, I have Adam Nissley on my radar now . Pagano might definitely be thinking of adding one more blocking TE, IMO.

Thank you. It is indeed one of the few positions I like to pay close attention to. I'm always fascinated at how poorly a lot of college TEs and FBs block, so it's something I try to be mindful of.

[Flux]

I really like this draft, especially the Ta'amu pick. I've been wanting him ever since I saw him tear up the senior bowl.

[swifty1812]

Actually Rexall, I became a fan of Ta'Amu becaus of what I read about his Senior Bowl practices. I read on one, which I will have to find, that he was showing some suprising pass rush skills.

http://draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/Senior-Bowl.php In atleast 2 of the 4 North Practice reports he had some praise for Ta'Amu on his pass rush.

I love the picks though, only 2 I would adjust, personally, would be the last two. In the 7th if I am going WR BJ Cunningham is my pick, he doesn't have flashy skills, but he runs good routes and has reliable hands.

For the 6th I had a couple things in mind, first if we do lose either Wheeler or Mathis I like Jake Baquette from Arkansas. He played DE for them and put up pretty good numbers, at the Senior Bowl he played OLB and seemed to pick it up pretty quick and wasn't too bad. The ability to learn there is huge for me, especially if we run hybrid D.

If we want to go CB there I would targe Dwight Bentley from LA-Laffeyette, he showed really good skills at the Senior Bowl and could be a great steal of a CB, if for nothing worse than Nickel packages.

I don't know if he will make it this far, but if we go OL at this spot I would love Ryan Miller OG from Colorado. He has great size and could really help our running game, just not sure if he will last that long.

[Blackhawk4]

Not sure about taking Ta'Amu in the 2nd. I don't think he's as good as people thought he was originally. I think he's got a pretty decent shot of falling to the 3rd round, because of Dontari Poe's stock climbing the way it is. I could see him going in the 2nd if someone reaches for Poe in mid/mid end of the 1st round.

[Flux]

Actually Rexall, I became a fan of Ta'Amu becaus of what I read about his Senior Bowl practices. I read on one, which I will have to find, that he was showing some suprising pass rush skills.

http://draftcountdow...Senior-Bowl.php In atleast 2 of the 4 North Practice reports he had some praise for Ta'Amu on his pass rush.

I love the picks though, only 2 I would adjust, personally, would be the last two. In the 7th if I am going WR BJ Cunningham is my pick, he doesn't have flashy skills, but he runs good routes and has reliable hands.

For the 6th I had a couple things in mind, first if we do lose either Wheeler or Mathis I like Jake Baquette from Arkansas. He played DE for them and put up pretty good numbers, at the Senior Bowl he played OLB and seemed to pick it up pretty quick and wasn't too bad. The ability to learn there is huge for me, especially if we run hybrid D.

If we want to go CB there I would targe Dwight Bentley from LA-Laffeyette, he showed really good skills at the Senior Bowl and could be a great steal of a CB, if for nothing worse than Nickel packages.

I don't know if he will make it this far, but if we go OL at this spot I would love Ryan Miller OG from Colorado. He has great size and could really help our running game, just not sure if he will last that long.

Im not so sure Bentley will be there in the sixth, but maybe im just high on him after LA-Laffeyette's bowl game and the senior bowl

[swifty1812]

Im not so sure Bentley will be there in the sixth, but maybe im just high on him after LA-Laffeyette's bowl game and the senior bowl

Yeah that is a worry of mine also, I guess it is more hope that he drops that far over anything else. He sure did get a nice following after the Senior Bowl though.

[HGRekks]

Actually Rexall, I became a fan of Ta'Amu becaus of what I read about his Senior Bowl practices. I read on one, which I will have to find, that he was showing some suprising pass rush skills.

http://draftcountdow...Senior-Bowl.php In atleast 2 of the 4 North Practice reports he had some praise for Ta'Amu on his pass rush.

I love the picks though, only 2 I would adjust, personally, would be the last two. In the 7th if I am going WR BJ Cunningham is my pick, he doesn't have flashy skills, but he runs good routes and has reliable hands.

For the 6th I had a couple things in mind, first if we do lose either Wheeler or Mathis I like Jake Baquette from Arkansas. He played DE for them and put up pretty good numbers, at the Senior Bowl he played OLB and seemed to pick it up pretty quick and wasn't too bad. The ability to learn there is huge for me, especially if we run hybrid D.

If we want to go CB there I would targe Dwight Bentley from LA-Laffeyette, he showed really good skills at the Senior Bowl and could be a great steal of a CB, if for nothing worse than Nickel packages.

I don't know if he will make it this far, but if we go OL at this spot I would love Ryan Miller OG from Colorado. He has great size and could really help our running game, just not sure if he will last that long.

On the Ta'amu front, that's just a difference of opinion between two scouts, I suppose. McShay talked about him losing effort and effectiveness from play to play. It's entirely possible that McShay is alone on this one, but it wouldn't be surprising. Either way, everyone knows he's something of a project.

I like Cunningham alot as well, but I don't think he'll make it to round 7. He'd be the pick if I thought as much, and I'd certainly welcome him if that was the reality.

I have Baquette as a 4th, Bentley as a 3rd, and Miller as high as 5 or as low as UDFA. So the first two, while I think would be awesome choices, I don't have in that range. I'd welcome them, though. I wouldn't mind Miller, but I have a few 7th rounders above him at guard. Jeremiah Warren out of USF is a guy who fits what I assume Goodwin and Foster want to do, but that is an assumption.

Thanks for the input. I probably to get a better look at Miller to get a better feel for where he'll be drafted. Not that I'm great at guessing, but just for mock sake.

[HGRekks]

Not sure about taking Ta'Amu in the 2nd. I don't think he's as good as people thought he was originally. I think he's got a pretty decent shot of falling to the 3rd round, because of Dontari Poe's stock climbing the way it is. I could see him going in the 2nd if someone reaches for Poe in mid/mid end of the 1st round.

I agree that some people think he's better than he is, but I think he's a guy who's going to need time, so it's not that surprising to me that's he's overrated. That is to say that I think a lot of people are attributing the potential to the floor and not the ceiling. I don't think Poe will effect his stock too much, though. I think Poe doesn't appeal strictly to 3-4 teams, nor just at NT. Poe is athletic enough to play DE in an odd front or inside in an even. It's not like Poe will lessen either teams needs or what teams see in Ta'amu. He might cause him to not go in the first, but I think that's about it.

[Warhorse]

Nice job Rexall. I am just delving into the depth of the draft. I will post later my thoughts about this. I am trying to find some film of Ta'Amu that shows his hands when he stacks and sheds.