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The NFL Scouting Combine in this weekend, with college draft prospects all hoping their performances during the drills will help them climb up draft boards. As those prospects get ready for what could be the most important day of their lives, NFL fans are all clamoring for a chance to watch their favorite prospects, dreaming of them landing with their favorite club.
Which brings us to one of the favorite offseason topics - the mock draft. Between the end of the NFL regular season in December and the end of the draft in April, mock drafts are all over the place, from big names like Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay down to the smallest of blogs, everyone shares their thoughts on how the first round of the draft will unfold.
As we prepare for the Combine, SB Nation's Mocking the Draft has updated their mock draft, trying to predict some of the players who will rise and fall from this week's event. As Dan Kadar writes in his explanation of the mock:
"This mock projects some players timing well and rising up the draft board. Think it doesn't happen? Stephon Gilmore wasn't a top 10 pick before the Combine last year. Players like Doug Martin, Kelechi Osemele and Dontari Poe helped themselves in Indianapolis a year ago as well."
Atop the draft, Kadar has the Kansas City Chiefs defying the current conventional wisdom by taking West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. After KC, the Jacksonville Jaguars take LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo, the Oakland Raiders select defensive tackle Star Lotulelei from Utah, and the Philadelphia Eagles pick Oregon defensive end/linebacker Dion Jordan. The Detroit Lions round out the top five with Texas A&M defensive end Damontre Moore.
Dropping down to the Miami Dolphins with the twelfth overall draft pick, Kadar has the team taking California wide receiver Keenan Allen. Once the most popular pick among mock drafts for Miami, Allen has fallen behind fellow wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson as the most commonly mocked pick to the Dolphins. However, Kadar writes:
"This is a pick we're sticking with for the moment. There have been knocks on Allen of late, but he's a much better fit for Miami's offense than a player like Cordarrelle Patterson. Allen is at his best when he can catch a short pass and get yards after the catch. He would fit nicely as Miami's top wide out."
Do you agree with Kadar that Allen should be the pick for Miami? Do you want to see the Dolphins select the 6'3", 210 pound wide out? Let us know in the comments below.
On a side note, Kadar will be holding a live Q&A session Tuesday morning starting at 10am Eastern. He will be doing it in the comments for his mock draft thread, so if you want to get a better idea of his thoughts on Allen versus Patterson, or anything else with the draft, make sure you head over there and ask questions. You can post your questions now, and he will answer them tomorrow morning as well.