No Dez, No McClaine

So much depends on what happens in free agency and in the picks just before the Dolphins at #12.

If a linebacker is picked up thru free agency, doesn't that affect the decision at #12?

What if Dez or McClain are picked ahead of the Dolphins’ #12?

We have nothing to gage what will happen in free agency, other than when it is actual news and negotiations have begun.  So let’s look at what the picks might be from number one through number twelve courtesy of many, many, many, many, many, many, many mock drafts out there.

At #1, the Rams have a great many choices since they have so many needs.  A quarterback is probably the most pressing need since all teams want or need a franchise face to their team and that happens mostly through a quarterback.  Besides, it’s a need for them.  They could go defense, but my money is on quarterback, it’s just a matter of which one.  Besides, you don’t go defense at #1 with franchise quarterbacks needed AND available.

At #2, we have the Lions thinking “don’t mess this up… don’t mess this up… don’t mess this up”.  The lions have line problems on both sides.  I believe they can get offensive line help in later rounds, so that leaves the defensive line to focus on here.  They allow too many points and we all know you start from the inside out.  The lions have no pass rush, but they need a strong middle too.  With two highly rated Nose Tackles available, where the position is rare to find, much less a good one, they should go in that direction here.  Somehow, they’ll mess that up.

Tampa Bay at #3 has a defensive front line made of rice paper that even Tedd Ginn could run through.  So whoever the Lions pick, the Buccaneers will take the other “rare to find” Nose Tackle.  This is the first team to consider Eric Berry though, and could make him their “no-fail” pick.

The Washington Redskins have a new Head Coach and no quarterback.  So this is the “other” quarterback taken that the Rams do not.

I am surprised that Matt Cassel wasn’t killed with that offensive (and insulting) line the Chiefs fielded last year.  They better take the best tackle available at #5.  And that is Russell Okung.  They could go best athlete, and if Berry is still on the board, the Chiefs could pull the trigger on him too.  This is also the first possible opportunity for a trade for their pick.  Think quarterback here if the pick is traded (Bills).

Pete Carroll is an ass.  He’s also a narcissist.  So the Seahawks at #6 will be looking for someone that feeds the Pete Carroll image.  Usually this is a quarterback.  Unfortunately, the best prospects may already have been taken.  Quarterback blind-side protection should be the priority, and so, they go offensive tackle.  But because Pete is ass, enter Eric Berry, who will be the “pleasure principle” for the new head coach.

The Browns at #7 is the worst team to try and guess on what the hell they will do with this pick.  Anyone sad the Dolphins passed on Brady Quinn?  I’m not.  The Browns have no captain for their ship.  They also need to stop the scoring on their defense.  I do not believe there will be a quarterback worthy of this spot, so they go Rolando McClain, Joe Haden, Eric Berry, Everson Griffen or Taylor Mays depending on who’s available.

Ah, the ever stable, predictable, and long-standing idiot Raiders at #8.  Whoever is the fastest gets picked here.  Enough said.

At #9 the Bills also have a new coach.  That means a new quarterback.  Besides, they have nothing that screams franchise there.  But unless the Bills move up in the draft, they go offensive line here.  Gotta protect what you got at least.

With the #10 selection, the Jacksonville Jaguars pick………………. Tim Tebow, quarterback out of Florida.  This is also Jack del Rio’s last season.

The Denver Broncos need defensive front seven help.  So there are many possibilities here.  Depending on availability, the names are DE Carlos Dunlap, ILB Rolando McClain, SS or OLB Taylor Mays and NT Dan Williams.  If they unload Brandon Marshall, then Dez Bryant is a strong possibility.

This brings us to the Dolphins’ #12 pick and ironically, they find themselves in exactly the same needs as the Broncos.  Like I mentioned before, what the Dolphins do in free agency, will affect what happens here.  This is also true on what happens in selections one through twelve (especially at #12).  The consensus at The Phinsider has been the possibilities of an ILB, NT and WR in free agency and Rolando McClain or Dez Bryant in the draft particularly.  I have shown where these later two favorites may not be there at #12… being selected by a few teams ahead of the Dolphins’ pick.  Besides, I don’t think Miami will select a WR at #12 (Parcells).

Some of the possible selections are: Jason Pierre-Paul, Joe Haden, C.J. Spiller, Brandon Graham, Everson Griffen or Jerry Hughes.

Most know my desire since last year for a running back, so C.J. Spiller is my favorite pick here.  But if defense is the direction for Miami, then give me Jerry Hughes or give me Everson Griffen.  Both can play at OLB, dropping into coverage and are just monsters in the pass rush.  The team can go ILB later.

If McClain and Dez are gone, who’s the pick and why?