11) Kansas City - David DeCastro - Stanford
Kansas City's guards are getting very old and their play is slipping. The Chiefs want to run the ball mare and they need a guard who will open lots of running lanes for their running backs. They will be thrilled of DeCastro gets to them at 11.
Scouting Report:
DeCastro is an Elite guard. he excels in run blocking and is good in pass protection. He's highly athletic and has power. He plays till the whistle and looks for blockers down the field after his first guy is taken out. He plays tough and hard and will make running backs look even better than they are.
12) Seattle - Melvin Ingram - South Carolina
The Seattle Seahawks struggled throughout the season to get a good pass rush on QBs from both their interior and outside defensive linemen. They upgraded their defensive tackle position through free agency but still need to add a good pass rusher on the outside. Some teams view Melvin Ingram as the best defensive end in the draft.
Scouting Report:
Melvin Ingram is a tenacious pass rusher who can also play well against the run. He seems to run in high gear the whole game and is very quick off the snap. He is equally skilled on inside moves as on outside rushes. If there are some flaws it would be he's still a bit unrefined and can get caught overshooting his target. He doesn't seem to have hit his peak yet and that's the advantage he'll have over Coples if he's drafted before him. His upside is still pointing up.
13) Arizona - Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
The Cardinals desperately want to return to the type of passing attack they had when Kurt Warner was under center. Arizona needs a receiver across from Larry Fitzgerald to take the double teams off from him. Michael Floyd would give the Cardinal Passing game an impressive 1-2 punch.
Scouting Report:
Floyd is a lot like Justin Blackmon in many ways. He has better hands but runs a bit slower. The reason he goes second behind Blackmon is character concerns. While Blackmon did have one DUI, Floyd has had 3 alcohol related incidents and other off field issues.
14) Dallas - Mark Barron - Alabama
Via former Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus the top 4 prospects that the Cowboys expect to be therefore there at 14 are Mark Barron, Fletcher Cox, Dontari Poe and Courtney Upshaw and it's in that order they are ranking them.
Scouting Report:
Mark Barron is easily the best safety in this draft class. While he projects as a Pro Bowl caliber strong safety Barron showed in his Junior year that he was capable of playing well in the deep centerfield. He plays with great instinct and reacts to plays instantly. He comes off blocks as well as any linebacker would and seems to always be around the ball. He was the centerpiece and leader of probably the best college defense last year at Alabama. He seems to make big plays in every game and he has ballhawk skills when reading the quarterback. He's a good student and well behaved off the field. The biggest knock in Barron would be his skills in man cover. That is when he has to line up against a slot receiver and stay on his hip like a cornerback throw out the receiver’s route. He doesn't possess blazing to recover from mistakes he rarely but sometimes makes against fast receivers. Overall Barron is an Adrian Wilson type playmaking safety who isn't perfect but can be a top 10 safety in the NFL on a yearly basis.
15) Minnesota - from Philadelphia - Dre Kirkpatrick - Alabama
If Minnesota takes the trade down route they may be looking at a guy like Kirkpatrick to bolster their secondary that was often torched be QBs last season.
Scouting Report:
Kirkpatrick is one of the most physical corners to come out in the draft in a long time. He never shies from contact and will intimidate WRs with his bravado. He is a willing tackler who will come up and put hits on tight ends and running backs. He can blitz and play both press and zone coverage. He's not much of a ballhawk and won't rack up a lot of interceptions but he'll bat away a lot of balls. He may not be a total shut down corner but he'll be successful in the NFL especially on physical teams like Minnesota, Baltimore or Pittsburgh.
16) New York Jets - Courtney Upshaw - Alabama
The New York Jets have had trouble the last couple seasons finding a good pass rush from the edge. They have shown a lot of interest in the top edge rushers in this draft and very likely will take the best one available when they pick.
Scouting Report:
Courtney Upshaw's measurables don't jump off the screen at you and his workout numbers don't blow you away but when you watch him play he just lights up and puts everything he's got into each play. He has good power and takes the corner to get to the QB well. He's not overly fast and you wouldn't want him dropping back into coverage often but he plays smart enough to mask those weaknesses decently. He plays the run well and hits hard. He's a very blue collar type player and will be a team leader. He's better suited on the weak side where he can focus on rushing the QB. His never quit mentality will be the asset that gets him picked this high because coaches will hope it carries over to his teammates.
17) Cincinnati - from Oakland - Luke Kuechly - Boston College
The Bengals seem to be losing patience with some of their current core of LBs. Between their run-ins with the law and disappointing production and injuries they may want to look for a brilliant MLB like Kuechly to direct their defense.
Scouting Report:
Luke Kuechly is not a large or fast linebacker. He's just really smart and plays 100% every down. He's great coming off blocks and finding the ball. He's solid dropping in coverage but is best playing the strong side in the box where he can sniff out the play. He's the best overall middle linebacker in the draft.
18)San Diego - Whitney Mercilus - Illinios
San Diago has virtually no pass rush and hasn't remedied that issue in free agency. While they could look for help in the secondary if they get a good pass rusher that alone will help their secondary.
Scouting Report:
Mercilus is all about speed. He flies off the snap and once he gets around the corner on a tackle its game over. He has the quickness and athleticism to drop in coverage although he wasn't asked to much in college playing in a 4-3 DE position. He doesn't show tremendous power and lacks some awareness especially against the run but for a team looking for a speed rusher in a 3-4 Mercilus seems very well suited.
19)Chicago - Cordy Glenn - Georgia
The Bears desperately need to protect QB Jay Cutler. Each year he receives bad Protection from his tackles and gets injured because of it.
Scouting Report:
The scouts are really split on Glenn as a left tackle. Some will point out his lack of foot speed as a red flag that he isn't a good fit against speed rushers from the outside while others will point out his huge frame and long arms and athleticism and say that if he cuts down some weight and works on his technique with his feet he can be a great tackle. One thing for sure is that while his pass protection abilities are in question his run blocking is elite. He's a bruising powerful monster who will bowl over anyone in his path and he's athletic at a mammoth 345 lbs. Considering how the Bears love to run the ball Glenn may be too tempting to pass up.
20) Tennessee - Peter Konz -Wisconsin
Tennessee had one of the worst Centers in football last year and tried and failed to upgrade that position in free agency. It would be no surprise if they take the best Center in the draft with their first pick.
Scouting Report:
Konz is everything you'd want in a center. He's powerful and quick, athletic and smart. He can blast open holes for running backs as well as some of the best guards and is good in pass protection as well. He's strong enough to take on DT on his own and looks like a top center in the NFL from day one. He'd go higher if there were better position value on centers.
