It's time for the NFL Scouting Combine, with over 300 NFL Draft prospects converging on Indianapolis, Indiana over the next few days in an effort to better their draft stock before May's selection process. Over their time at Lucas Oil Stadium, the players will be measured, tested, and drilled. Every mistake will be over-analyzed and every good day will rocket a prospect up draft boards.
Before we get to all the changes, however, I wanted to slide in one last pre-Combine NFL Mock Draft:
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Houston Texans |
Battle Red Blog |
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Blake Bortles | QB | 6'4" | 230 | UCF | ||
At lot of people are starting to see the Texans targeting Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel with this selection, but I am sticking with Bortles. His size fits with head coach Bill O'Brien's ideal and he has the potential to develop nicely at the NFL level. |
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St. Louis Rams |
Turf Show Times |
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Sammy Watkins | WR | 6'1" | 200 | Clemson | ||
The Rams are the wildcard in this year's NFL Draft, and they could do just about anything. Picking a quarterback or a offensive tackle cannot be ruled out here, but, with an extra first round pick this season, they can still address a need later while being agressive with the first pick. In this case, they take the top wide receiver on the board, giving them another weapon for Sam Bradford, or whomever is playing quarterback for the Rams next season. |
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Jacksonville Jaguars |
Big Cat Country |
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Teddy Bridgewater | QB | 6'3" | 218 | Louisville | ||
Jacksonville lands the most pro-ready quarterback in the Draft. They need to upgrade the position, and while one player will not solve the problems with the Jaguars, adding Bridgewater is definitely a big step in the right direction. |
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Cleveland Browns |
Dawgs by Nature |
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Johnny Manziel | QB | 6'0" | 200 | Texas A&M | ||
There is some talk as of late that the Browns could look to take Jadeveon Clowney here, simply because he remains the best player on the board. I just cannot see them passing on Manziel. |
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Oakland Raiders |
Silver and Black Pride |
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Mike Evans | WR | 6'5" | 225 | Texas A&M | ||
The Raiders have to be hoping that one of the top three quarterbacks fall to them here. Unfortunately, that did not happen, so they turn to the man who catches the passes instead and select a big target for some combination of Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin. |
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Atlanta Falcons |
The Falcoholic |
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Jadeveon Clowney | DE | 6'6" | 272 | South Carolina | ||
The fact that Clowney is still on the board at six is amazing, and the Falcons could not have thought this was a possibility. Not only do they get the best player in the draft, but they also fill their top need. Things fell perfectly for Atlanta. | ||||||
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Bucs Nation |
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Khalil Mack | LB | 6'3" | 244 | Buffalo | ||
Mack has incredible versatility, and could play any linebacker position or serve as a pass rusher. With Lovie Smith coming to Tampa Bay, the idea of adding someone with the skill level and potential of Mack could be a perfect fit. | ||||||
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Minnesota Vikings |
Daily Norseman |
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Derek Carr | QB | 6'3" | 212 | Fresno State | ||
Minnesota may be reaching a little for Carr this early in the Draft, but with the way the board has fallen, it may be their best move. Kony Ealy could be on the radar and would make a lot of sense, but the Vikings have to settle their quarterback position and they seem ready to move on from Christian Ponder. That leads them to taking a chance on grabbing Carr early. | ||||||
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Buffalo Bills |
Buffalo Rumblings |
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Anthony Barr | LB | 6'5" | 260 | UCLA | ||
Buffalo continues to build a dominating defense and now has Barr to line up next to Kiko Alonso. He may not have as big an impact his rookie year as he will be down the road, given he has only been playing defense for two years, but the Bills can allow him to develop, without having to rely on him as long as they have Alonso. | ||||||
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Detroit Lions |
Pride of Detroit |
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Marqise Lee | WR | 6'0" | 195 | USC | ||
Giving Matthew Stafford an option not named Calvin Johnson, and giving defenses someone to worry about other than Johnson, should be a priority for the Lions this year. They accomplish both of those with the selection of Lee | ||||||
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Tennessee Titans |
Music City Miracles |
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Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix | S | 6'1" | 208 | Alabama | ||
Tennessee is not sure what to do with the quarterback position this year, knowing that they are getting Jake Locker back from injury, but knowing Locker does not seem to be able to stay healthy. However, with four quarterbacks already off the board, the team looks to one of their other needs with this selection and brings in a good coverage safety who knows how to tackle. Ha Ha should immediately make a difference in the Titans' secondary. | ||||||
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New York Giants |
Big Blue View |
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C.J. Mosley | LB | 6'2" | 232 | Alabama | ||
The Giants need to upgrade their linebacker corps and there is no doubt Mosley does exactly that. Mosley could play middle or weak-side linebacker for New York, giving them the chance to develop him into exactly what they want. | ||||||
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St. Louis Rams |
Turf Show Times |
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Jake Matthews | OT | 6'5" | 305 | Texas A&M | ||
The Rams skipped a chance to land Matthews when they selected Watkins with the second overall pick. Eleven selections later, and Matthews is still sitting on the board. Matthews gives St. Louis the insurance they need for the injury prone Jake Long. | ||||||
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Chicago Bears |
Windy City Gridiron |
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Ra'Shede Hageman | DT | 6'6" | 311 | Minnesota | ||
Chicago not having a dominating defense just seems wrong in the traditions of the NFL. Hageman has the size to dominate along the defensive line, but may need some time to develop into his potential. Given the state of the Bears' defense, he's going to have to do that developing on the field. | ||||||
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Pittsburgh Steelers |
Behind the Steel Curtain |
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Darqueze Dennard | CB | 5'11" | 197 | Michigan State | ||
There are almost too many options remaining on the board here for the Steelers. They could look for a safety, some offensive line help, or grab Dennard in an effort to shore up the secondary. With the way the board is falling, tackles and a developmental safety will be there in the second and third rounds, so grabbing Dennard makes sense. | ||||||
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Dallas Cowboys |
Blogging the Boys |
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Kony Ealy | DE | 6'5" | 260 | Missouri | ||
Any defensive pick would be a good selection for the Cowboys at this point. Ealy gives them an athletic pass rusher who should be the first step in rebuilding the defense, especially given the amount of potential Ealy has. | ||||||
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Baltimore Raven |
Baltimore Beatdown |
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Kelvin Benjamin | WR | 6'5" | 234 | FSU | ||
The Ravens need to find offensive weaponry for Joe Flacco, especially after trading Anquan Boldin last year. At this point, Benjamin gets the nod over Odell Beckham because of the size advantage Benjamin brings to the game. At 6'5", Benjamin should be able to go up and get just about anything Flacco throws his way. | ||||||
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New York Jets |
Gang Green Nation |
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Jace Amaro | TE | 6'5" | 260 | TE | ||
The Jets need to improve their offense, and they start with bringing in the top tight end in the Draft. Amaro gives Geno Smith a seam stretching big target in the middle, and could wind up being the Jets leading receiver. | ||||||
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Miami Dolphins |
The Phinsider |
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Calvin Pryor | S | 6'2" | 208 | Louisville | ||
The board falls favorably for the Dolphins to address the offensive line, but it also falls favorably to completely ignore the offensive line in the first round, coming back to it in the second round. Assuming some combination of linemen are signed in free agency, this pick could be less critical for the position, and freeing it up for the Dolphins to land an impact player at safety. A combination of Reshad Jones and Pryor in the secondary could be dominating. | ||||||
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Arizona Cardinals |
Revenge of the Birds |
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Cyrus Kouandjio | OT | 6'5" | 312 | Alabama | ||
Arizona could be targeting Amaro with this selection, wanting to upgrade their offense and add another option to free up Larry Fitzgerald, but he is off the board, meaning the team either selects their second option at tight end (Eric Ebron) or they choose a need position at tackle. In this case, they select Kouandjio. | ||||||
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Green Bay Packers |
Acme Packing Company |
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Eric Ebron | TE | 6'4" | 245 | North Carolina | ||
The Draft board opens up a lot of options for the Packers, who could address the defensive line, or look for an offensive option. In this case, they target Ebron as a possible replacement for Jermichael Finley, as well as simply giving Aaron Rodgers another receiving threat. |
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Philadelphia Eagles |
Bleeding Green Nation |
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Jason Verrett | CB | 5'10" | 176 | TCU | ||
Philadelphia needs to fix the defense, and Verrett is the best player on the board, so it accomplishes both a need and BPA. Verrett may not wind up being the most physical cornerback in the league, and the Eagles would likely prefer Dennard at this point, but Verrett will definitely be able to step in opening day and help the Eagles. |
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Kansas City Chiefs |
Arrowhead Pride |
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Odell Beckham, Jr. | WR | 6'0" | 193 | LSU | ||
Kansas City has a ton of talent, but they have to keep up with the high flying offense of Peyton Manning and the Broncos. To accomplish that, they add a top prospect wide receiver who seems to catch anything and everything thrown his way. | ||||||
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Cincinnati Bengals |
Cincy Jungle |
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Justin Gilbert | CB | 6'0" | 200 | Oklahoma State | ||
The secondary should be the primary concern for the Bengals entering this year's draft, and they pick up one of the top remaining cornerbacks with this pick. Gilbert could serve as both a cornerback and a return man for Cincinnati, and gives them a dynamic threat at both positions. | ||||||
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San Diego Chargers |
Bolts from the Blue |
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Zack Martin | OL | 6'4" | 305 | Notre Dame | ||
This draft is ridiculously deep along the offensive line, as evidenced by the slip of tackles like Taylor Lewan and Antonio Richardson. Teams simply are skipping the linemen, knowing there will be good ones available on day 2. San Diego, however, bucks the trend by grabbing a player who could perform at tackle, but could also slide inside to guard, which is where the Chargers need to most help. | ||||||
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Cleveland Browns |
Dawgs by Nature |
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Xavier Su'a-Filo | G | 6'6" | 332 | UCLA | ||
After bringing in Manziel to be their new quarterback, the Browns have two options at this point: protect him or get him some weapons to go along with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron. Picking in this spot, the best offensive weapon available is Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who, while the league is proving two tight ends can be a great asset, is somewhat of a luxury. Instead, the Browns shore up the inside of the line with Su'a-Filo. | ||||||
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New Orleans Saints |
Canal Street Chronicles |
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Antonio Richardson | OT | 6'6" | 332 | Tennessee | ||
Once again, the depth of offensive linemen in the Draft benefits a late first round team perfectly. In this case, the Saints need to upgrade the tackle position, and Richardson does exactly that. | ||||||
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Carolina Panthers |
Cat Scratch Reader |
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Jordan Matthews | WR | 6'3" | 205 | Vanderbilt | ||
Matthews should come into the Combine with good measurables, but will likely not time well. However, his film shows that he catches the ball really well, and he secures it all the way through a catch, even in traffic. He may not be the fastest wide receiver, but he is able to create separation and he high-points the ball extremely well. He should give a nice big target to Cam Newton. | ||||||
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New England Patriots |
Pats Pulpit |
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Lance Nix | DT | 6'3" | 326 | Notre Dame | ||
The Patriots take a chance on Nix, who underwent knee surgery in December, but that's the brilliance of the Patriots. And, no doubt, it will pay off. There's a good chance that the Patriots will look to snap up Austin Sererian-Jenkins at this spot as the tandem tight end with Rob Gronkowski, but the potential of Nix, and the fact that the knee injury scared away some teams, makes this a very Patriots pick. | ||||||
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San Francisco 49ers |
Niners Nation |
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Bradley Roby | CB | 5'11" | 190 | Ohio State | ||
Roby was inconsistent last year, and is falling down draft boards because of it. At the Combine, however, he should show his athleticism and he could rebound. Everything Jim Harbaugh touches seems to turn to gold, so why wouldn't Roby? | ||||||
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Denver Broncos |
Mile High Report |
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Timmy Jernigan | DT | 6'2" | 298 | FSU | ||
Denver should be looking primarily along the line of scrimmage this year, either protecting Peyton Manning or looking to get after opposing quarterbacks and running backs. Jernigan solves the last of the three areas, able to clog up the middle of the defensive line and take on double teams. He is undersized, but the Broncos can work on that in the weight room. | ||||||
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Seattle Seahawks |
Field Gulls |
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Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | 6'6" | 270 | Washington | ||
Seattle's defense carried them to a Super Bowl championship this year. Now, they start adding to the offense to become more potent next season. That starts with ASJ, who cracks into the first round as the third tight end off the board. The 2013 Doak Walker award winner should become a force on offense for Seattle. | ||||||