2012 Ravens24x7 NFL Mock Draft

[Dark&Stormy]

Arizona picks...
Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

[dandrews]

Any opinions on the Michael Brockers pick? Just trying to facilitate some discussion

[Ravenswintitle]

Sorry for the hold up. Had an early morning engineering lab.

This pick will not be popular with ravenswintitle.

With the 9th pick in the draft, the Carolina Panthers select Michael Brockers.

Carolina needs a run stopper in the worst way. Brockers is the best run stopper in the draft. At 6'6" 310 pounds, he provides the force inside needed to free up linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis.

While some feel Cox is better, I trust Nick Saban in a talent of judgement. The Alabama oline double teamed Cox 8 times when they played Miss St. They double teamed Brockers 42 times when they played LSU

That's a solid pick. I agree with their biggest need being an ability to stop the run. Teams just ran all over them last year and they have to fix that. They could improve a lot this year if they shore up the defense.

[Dark&Stormy]

GOTA goes with Barron? Seems like everyone else has.

[wickedsolo]

Any opinions on the Michael Brockers pick? Just trying to facilitate some discussion

I like the pick. The only thing with Brockers is it is kind of a risky pick because he's so young and very raw (he just turned 21 in December). Now, that can be 2-fold because being so young he could eventually turn into a terror in the NFC South.

[bmorecareful]

Any opinions on the Michael Brockers pick? Just trying to facilitate some discussion

Well, in Carolina's scheme they ask their DTs to be more run-pluggers rather than gap-shooters, and Brockers is definitely a better fit in that scheme. He is the best run-stopping DT in this draft bar none; Fletcher Cox is comparatively weaker in the run game but he is a far better pass rusher at this point. So I gives points to Brockers for the scheme fit.

I personally think Cox is a better overall player, but the Brockers pick is defensible. He does have a tremendous upside.

[wickedsolo]

1 IND - ravenswintitle - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.
2 WAS - HoustonRaven - RGIII, QB, Baylor.
3 MIN - TTRaven - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.
4 CLE - bmorecareful - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.
5 TB - tucking - Matt Kalil, OT, USC.
6 STL - Carey - Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.
7 JAX - TTRaven - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.
8 MIA - arnie_uk - Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina.
9 CAR - DAndrews - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU.
10 BUF - Irish Raven - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina.
11 KC - alien bird - David DeCastro, OG, Stanford.
12 SEA - alien bird - Quinton Coples, DE, UNC.
13 ARI - Dark&Stormy - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.
14 DAL - GOTA - Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.
15 PHI - Iscull
16 NYJ - Shas
17 CIN - Wickedsolo
18 SD - ctulb
19 CHI - wickedsolo
20 TEN - leachisabeast
21 CIN - Wickedsolo
22 CLE - bmorecareful
23 DET - Lime In The Coconut
24 PIT - GOTA
25 DEN - Lime in the Coconut
26 HOU - runrayrun27
27 NE - JMUpurkfool
28 GB - SugarRay52
29 BAL - JMUpurkfool
30 SF - leachisabeast
31 NE - JMUpurkfool
32 NYG - wickedsolo

Dallas, GOTA, is on the clock.

[GOTA]

GOTA goes with Barron? Seems like everyone else has.

Cowboys now have options which I didn't think they would have coming into this spot. Mark Barron is clearly the best Safety in this draft but at the end of the day even a Strong Safety that is good in coverage is still mostly a run and hit player. Unless he's the playmaker that a young Polamalu was, he's only going to be able to do so much.

The second option is the extremely versatile Fletcher Cox. If the Cowboys had a different DC Cox would make a lot of sense. In Ryan's system though he would be a DE whose primary responsibility is stopping the run. That takes away a lot of what makes Cox so good since he needs to be free to pass rush from that end spot.

That leaves the 3rd option which I'm going to go with. Bradie James, who was one of my favorite LSU players, just was not a great fit in Ryans defense and was pushed out. Keith Brooking is a year younger than Ray Lewis but not holding up nearly as well. Sean Lee emerged as a potential star player last year. Just imagine what he can do playing next to:

Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College

Ware, Lee, Kuechly & Spencer could be the new Fearsome Foursome of the NFL and gives Rob Ryan the tools he needs to be able to run all those crazy Ryan formations that he wasn't able to with Bradie James.

[wickedsolo]

Interesting pick GOTA. The Cowboys did sign Dan Connor a month ago. He's not the athlete that Sean Lee or Kuechly are, but he's a good run stopper. Would that make you reconsider?

[arnie_uk]

he may have forgot?

Interesting pick GOTA. The Cowboys did sign Dan Connor a month ago. He's not the athlete that Sean Lee or Kuechly are, but he's a good run stopper. Would that make you reconsider?

[GOTA]

Interesting pick GOTA. The Cowboys did sign Dan Connor a month ago. He's not the athlete that Sean Lee or Kuechly are, but he's a good run stopper. Would that make you reconsider?

Nope. The reason is because of Rob Ryan. I think Ryan wants versatility. Connor signed a 2 year relatively cheap contract. I see him and Spencer rotating depending on down with Connor being used much the way JJ was here.

Bruce Carter is the guy I see who could lose snaps but he's coming of an ACL and it's hard to know what he'll be able to do this year which frees Spencer up to be more of a pass rusher.

[dandrews]

Interesting LB group in Dallas with Ware, Lee, kuechly, and Connor. I like the Kuechly pick IF they can get secondary help in the later rounds

[GOTA]

Interesting LB group in Dallas with Ware, Lee, kuechly, and Connor. I like the Kuechly pick IF they can get secondary help in the later rounds

Strong Safeties a lot easier to find than Free Safeties. If they can get George Iloka in round 2 they'll be in very good shape.

[Carey]

Brockers to Carolina was the responsible pick imo, i know alot of people were thinking Cox but he doesnt really help them against the run and they got absoluetely gashed last year. Plus i think Brockers has potential to get you 6 sacks a year, i like him better as a 5 tech but he'll be very good for Carolina. Plus i like the guy Mcclain they took last year, even more as a reserve inside one gap rusher

[Ravenswintitle]

Interesting LB group in Dallas with Ware, Lee, kuechly, and Connor. I like the Kuechly pick IF they can get secondary help in the later rounds

I can agree with this but I think they'll go secondary with their first pick; depending on who is available. That's their weakest link

[wickedsolo]

If Iscull doesn't pick by like 4ish I think we should do an auto pick, which to me would be Fletcher Cox.

[Shas]

Cox certainly fits the Iggles scheme. And he is a pretty damn good value at 15.

[bmorecareful]

Yeah, Cox to the Eagles is pretty much their dream scenario. I think Andy Reid would put down his cheese-steak to personally hand in the card if Cox is there at 15.

[GOTA]

If Iscull doesn't pick by like 4ish I think we should do an auto pick, which to me would be Fletcher Cox.

That's not fair. We should give him at least until 8. Not everyone can be on all the time.

[wickedsolo]

That's not fair. We should give him at least until 8. Not everyone can be on all the time.

Woah there GOTA, I was just going off of the 4-hour rule. I thought that everyone agreed to 4 hours for a pick?