21) Cincinnati* - Kendall Wright - Baylor

After losing Jerome Simpson the Bengals will be looking for a playmaking WR to pair with A. J. Green.

Scouting Report:

Kendall Wright is a threat to take it all the way to the end zone every time he touches the ball. He's a shifty speedy receiver who can run reverses and even throw passes off a screen. He's the type of guy who offensive co-ordinator will enjoy inventing new trick plays to get the ball in his hands. While he needs to polish up some on his routes and his slight size opens him to injury if he runs routes over the middle he's a useful weapon to have for a team that already has a big dominating receiver like Green.

 

22) Cleveland - from Atlanta* - Brandon Weedon - Oklahoma State

Cleveland reportedly likes Brandon Weedon a lot and it makes sense because Mike Holmgren admired QBs like Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Delhomme who Weedon is simular too. If Cleveland passes on Tannehill they'll likely look to draft Weedon. Colt McCoy simply lacks the tools to be a lasting starter in the NFL.

Scouting Report:

Brandon Weedon will be 29 at the start of this season and while that puts a limit on his longevity in the league there are enough QB needy teams this year to warrant him being drafted in the 3rd round. When in the pocket and protected Weedon looks very good throwing the ball. He makes adjustments, goes through his progressions find the open receiver and throws the ball with accuracy and zip. He's a natural leader with a lot of confidence and a fighting spirit. Where he struggles is once the pocket breaks down and he has pressure barreling down on him. He seems to go into panic mode and make ill advised throws to receivers who aren't open and often throws off balence. With a very good offensive line and run game keeping the defenses from blitzing often Weedon could be a solid starting QB but at some point he's going to have to learn who to pass under pressure.

23) Detroit* - Stephon Gilmore - South Carolina

Detroit desperately needs a cornerback. There secondary was abused time and time again last season and if you're facing Jay Cutler and Aaron Rogers twice a year you need a good secondary. The Lions may need to trade up to get one of the top 3 corners in this draft as I highly doubt they'll take a chance on Janoris Jenkins with his multiple drug arrests when just recently 2 of their own players were arrested for drug possession. Stephen Gilmore would be their best bet as he has a clean record and is in contention to be the 2nd best corner in the draft.

Scouting Report.

Stephen Gilmore is a physical corner with solid tackling skills and can mirror the receiver consistently. Not a big hitter like Kirkpatrick but Gilmore doesn't shy from contact. He's good as a blitzer and plays smart. Like Kirkpatrick Gilmore lacks ball skills and won't intercept a lot of passes or find the ball a lot in jump balls to knock it away. His game reminds me a lot of Orlando Scandrick of the Dallas Cowboys. He's taller than Scandrick and so he should fare a little bit better against larger receivers but all in all he seems a quality pick but not a player that blows you away by making big plays.

24) Pittsburgh* - Dont'a Hightower - Alabama

Pittsburgh likes Hightower a lot and it makes sense because he's their type of linebacker. They are aging at linebacker and need to add young talent there soon.

Scouting Report:

Hightower can move from MLB to OLB in their 3-4 defense because he's exceptional rushing the passer and coming off blocks. He's not that fast but reacts quickly and has great instincts finding the ball. He can be a liability in coverage so you'd want him on the strong side playing in the box. He's a hard hitter and a team leader. He's the blue collar kind of guy the Steelers love to have on their team.

25) Denver* - Mike Brockers- LSU

Denver's greatest need is a good run stopping defensive tackle and Mike Brockers is probably the best 4-3 DT at stopping the run in this draft. If one of the top 4 DTs are still on the board when the Broncos pick then it's almost certain they'll draft one.

Scouting Report:

Michael Brockers looks like the ideal DT physically. He's muscular with long arms and can hold up to 320 lbs on his frame. He plays with strength at around 300 lbs and rarely gets pushed backwards by guards. He fills gaps and stuffs the run consistently and shows some potential as a pass rusher if he can improve his technique. The knock on him is that he rarely took on double teams as he played with a very talented group of defensive linemen around him and yet he didn't cause a lot of havoc in the backfield and wasn't dominating against a lot of the better quality guards who often blocked him without help. Brockers like Poe has a very big upside that a lot of teams will see but also like Poe hasn't dominated in his play yet.

26) Houston* - Dontari Poe - Memphis

In Houston's transition to a 3-4 defense, they have all but one piece left to fill and that is nose tackle. Defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips loves to use athletic nose tackles who can penetrate and get to the QB. While Poe is a bit of a project he has tremendous upside and at 350+ lbs he's definitely got the size for a NT.

Scouting Report:

Poe is amazingly athletic for a 350 lb man and you can see some of that in his game film. He does put in effort and has a lot of power pushing offensive linemen back with his bull rush but he lacks greatly in technique skills and awareness and so he seems to get lost in plays and doesn't seem to have as much of an impact as you would like. Some coaches will see this as merely a technique problem and see his upside.

27) New England - from New Orleans* - Devon Still - Penn State

New England's most glaring need last year was their pass rush at both the inside and outside of their defensive line. They have a reputation for finding steals in the draft and with Devon Still they may have gotten the 2nd best defensive tackle in this draft class.

Scouting Report:

There were questions of Still's consistency and ability to handle the wear of an entire NFL season. A lot of this was unfounded because Still was plagued early in college with injuries. He had a huge year in 2011 but seemed to fall off in his last 3 games. Some of this may be attributed to the turf toe injury he suffered at that time as well as the Sandusky scandal his college (Penn State) was caught up in resulting in his head coach being fired during that period. Still makes plays against both the run and pass and can beat double teams to get to the ball. Out of the top 4 DTs he has the most tackles for a loss and has only a half sack less than the #1 DT Fletcher Cox.

 28) Green Bay* - Shea McClellin - Boise State

Greenbay desperately needs a pass rusher to pair with Clay Mathews as teams doubled up on Mathews and Greenbay couldn't seem to generate much of a rush because of this.

Scouting Report:

Shea McClellin has a lot of similarities to Clay Mathews in that he's a smaller highbred type of 3-4 OLB with a lot of versatility which will put him very high on the Packers' draft board

29) Baltimore* - Harrison Smith -Safety- Notre Dame

Baltimore lost its 2 back up safeties to free agency and Ed Reed is approaching the end of his career. If Reed gets injured they don't have much talent behind him. Harrison Smith can be that fall back and eventually replace Reed once he retires.

Scouting Report:

Harrison Smith has a lot of flexibility as a safety. He can play both strong and free safety positions and has a nose for the ball especially when playing centerfield. While he doesn't have the same instinct skills as Mark Barron he does seem to be in on most plays. Like Barron he struggles in man coverage but is a little faster in straight line speed than Barron. I did notice the angles he takes aren't as efficient as Barron's. I liken him to a slower Eric Weddle. While no Ed Reed he can still be a solid if not very good starter in the NFL.

30) San Francisco* - Coby Fleener - Stanford

The 49ers are known to like Fleener and it makes sense being a former player of 49ers coach and former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh's. The 49ers may be looking to run 2 tight end sets like Harbaugh ran at Stanford to help boost their passing attack.

Scouting Report:

Fleener fits into the trend of a new type of hybrid TE who plays more like a big wide reciever. Fleener is only 244 lbs so this limits his blocking ability although he does well for his size. He has huge hands and is very good catching the ball. He's fast, runs good routes and will be a big matchup nightmare for defensive co-ordinators.

31) New England* - Nick Perry - USC

After losing one of their best pass rushers in free agency the Patriots must have an outside rusher high on their list of needs. They'll likely look for a guy that can play both 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB in their new high-bred defense.

Scouting Report:

Nick Perry bursts off the line like a cannon and has a nice combination of speed and strength. While he's not likely to bowl linemen over he has a good push with his hands and will play at full speed till the whistle. He's dropped into coverage and played well doing it so this makes him a good 3-4 OLB prospect as well as a 4-3 DE. He plays with a lot of effort which coaches always love to see.

32) New York Giants* - Doug Martin - Boise State

After losing Brandon Jacobs to free agency the Giants will be looking for a replacement to pair with Ahmad Bradshaw.

Scouting Report:  


Doug Martin has no major flaws in his game. He excels at blocking, receiving and running the ball in both short yardage and 1st down situations. He may not jump off the screen with his speed although he has good speed or blow you away with his power though he has some power too but it's his ability to do everything well that makes him a 1st round quality running back. Oh and he returns kicks too.


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