Annual PlanetSteelers Board Mock Draft (2014 official selection thread)

[RuthlessBurgher]

Multiple picks have now been missed, so I'll need to do a little bit more leapfrogging to get us up to speed. Jacksonville was already leapfrogged once by Minnesota. Buffalo could have also jumped over the Jags, but they aren't here yet either, so Tennessee will now leapfrog both the Jags and Bills.

The Titans cut Chris Johnson and his huge price tag. No RB's have been taken yet, so Tennessee has the pick of the litter.

The Tennessee Titans select:

Ohio State RB Carlos Hyde

[RuthlessBurgher]

Now that Jacksonville has been leapfrogged twice, I will now make their selection for them. The Jaguars opted to forego all of the top-tier QB with their early pick in round 1, taking Buffalo LB Khalil Mack. Their biggest need is still obviously QB, with Chad Henne currently penciled in to be their starter.

The Jacksonville Jaguars select:

Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo

[RuthlessBurgher]

Buffalo was leapfrogged once (by Tennessee). The Jacksonville pick doesn't count as leapfrogging the Bills because JAX was scheduled to pick before BUF all along. So I'll jump over the Bills one more time with the Giants, and then things should get back to normal.

The Giants were temtped by DT Aaron Donald in round 1 before opting for OT Taylor Lewan instead. There are still some intriguing DT prospects available at this stage in round 2, including a couple of Golden Domers. It seems to me that Tom Coughlin would prefer the versatility that Stephon Tuitt provided over the pure NT in Louis Nix III.

The New York Giants select:

Notre Dame DT Stephon Tuitt

[RuthlessBurgher]

After being leapfrogged by the Titans and Giants, it's time to make a pick for the Bills. In round 1, steelerfaninT.O. mentioned that he wanted WR Mike Evans if available, and if not, he wanted TE Eric Ebron. Well, Mike Evans was available, so they drafted the wideout as a big target for E.J. Manuel. Why stop there? If Manuel wants big targets, then Manuel will get big targets. After choosing the big WR over the athletic TE in round 1, they can get a different athletic TE in round 2.

The Buffalo Bills select:

Texas Tech TE Jace Amaro

[RuthlessBurgher]

The Rams addressed the OL and the secondary with their two picks in round 1, taking Auburn's Greg Robinson and Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. They now have two quality starting OT's, Jake Long and Greg Robinson, a quality starting center in Scott Wells, and a quality starting RG in Rodger Saffold. However, they have a big hole at LG. They decide to double dip in the OL pool, taking a versatile o-lineman who has been steadily rising up draft boards this offseason.

The St. Louis Rams select

Nevada OG Joel Bitonio

[RuthlessBurgher]

In spite of signing Golden Tate this offseason to team up with Calvin Johnson, the Detroit Lions were rumored to have expressed interest in possibly moving up for Sammy Watkins, and would have been tempted to take Mike Evans in round 1 had the Bills not jumped in to swipe him away first. They did address CB in round 1 with Justin Gilbert instead, but there are obviously still a lot of quality wideout still available in a loaded WR draft.

The Detroit Lions select:

Indiana WR Cody Latimer

[Gus]

We, the Steelers, love to sit back on draft day watching all the hoopla and see what falls to us. In this case, give us a guy to anchor our 3-4 for a decade or so. The Steelers select:

Louis Nix III - NT - Notre Dame



Strengths: Nix is a big man (6-2, 331 pounds at the scouting combine) who understands how to use leverage to play even bigger — for the most part, he comes low off the snap and drives forward with his hands extended. Puts blockers back on their feet with a violent hand strike off the snap, and he’s very quick about taking advantage of that with fast lateral movement to either side, which makes him an effective head-over nose tackle. Plays against slide protection very well, because Nix gets rolling at an angle in a hurry, and he’s aggressive about working his way to and through open lanes. As a 1-tech tackle (lined up between the center and guard), Nix uses a decent array of hand moves to get free and start pursuing. Takes double teams on a regular basis, which fits the nose tackle profile — he’s a guy who will do the dirty work so others can blow through and make plays. Has an extra blocker assigned to him on a high percentage of plays.


Persistent player who works his way back to the pocket step-by-step, and can disrupt that way. Has surprising speed to either side of the field for his size — Nix will chase ballcarriers with impressive effort, and he could be useful in certain zone blitz situations (think what Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau used to do with Casey Hampton). Didn’t stunt a lot at Notre Dame, but showed that he could get free pretty easily when he did; Nix could benefit greatly from a more diverse line scheme. Decent form tackler when he gets the opportunity. His spin move is in the embryonic stages, and it could be devastating if he develops it.


Weaknesses: When Nix comes off the snap too high, he has the same problem most bigger guys do — he loses the advantage of his upper-body strength, and he’s not quick enough to make up for it. As a result, he spends a lot of time wrestling when he could be shooting gaps. Can get walled off on run plays at times by single blockers. He needs to use rip and swim moves more accurately and consistently to offset this issue. Weight has been a problem for Nix, and he has a tendency to get top-heavy — he’ll need a better distribution between upper-body and lower-body power to succeed in the NFL. Footwork is good, but could be better; Nix occasionally gets narrow and upright, and it’s too easy to push him around. He’s at his best when he quickly gets his hands on the opponent’s numbers and moves the blocker to one side.


Conclusion: As the positional delineations for defensive linemen drift away, players such as Nix — who would have been expected to simply plug holes and occupy blockers a decade ago — are asked to do more. And there’s no question that with the right teaching and coaching (and a stellar conditioning program), Nix has the potential to fit the bill. Yes, he’s an ideal 3-4 nose because he excelled in that role and it’s most of what you see on tape, but I could also see him moving to a 1-tech or heavy 3-tech in a four-man base front and doing just as well, especially in a front (like Dallas’ or Green Bay’s) where the ends are more committed to pure pass pressure than run demolition. And in the right circumstance, his occasional frustrations regarding low stat totals could very well be a thing of the past.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

holy crap...didn't catch that these were only 30 min....
Cowboys are Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon state... will edit this and do the write up in a bit...

[pfelix73]

The Baltimore Ravens select OLB/DE Trent Murphy out of Stanford University.....


With Trent still on the board at this point of the draft, we decided to go ahead and add depth to our LB corps. We love this guy's leadership skills and his overall demeanor and look forward to getting him into camp this summer.



STRENGTHS: Possesses a surprisingly lean, country-strong frame with broad shoulders, a trim middle and long limbs with plenty of room for additional muscle mass. Lined up the majority of the time out of the two-point stance, showing fair speed off the corner in this role. Has a high, choppy back-pedal but gains ground quickly due to his long legs and has surprisingly fluid hips to turn and run with potential receivers. Shows better burst off the ball out of the three-point stance, timing the snap well and showing natural explosiveness in his legs to spring forward. Uses his hands well, including a very effective club and shoulder dip to efficiently cross the face of pass-blockers. Possesses at least fair closing speed, as well as vision and anticipation to stalk the ball-carrier, often meeting them as they attempt to flee rather than missing them deeper in the backfield. Instinctive defender. Locates the ball and is a high-motor player. Functional flexibility. Recognizes cut-blocks and sprawls well, using his hands to knock down defenders and keeping his eyes up to react to the quick-throw. Plays with a degree of toughness and physicality that every coach will appreciate... A former steer-wrestler and plays with this mentality.

WEAKNESSES: Will be viewed by many as a classic 'tweener. Does not possess the muscled-up frame teams are expecting as a defensive lineman nor the straight-line speed expected of a linebacker. Has been surrounded by other instinctive and physical players throughout his career at Stanford and Murphy's lack of ideal "juice" was evident against the better athletes at the Senior Bowl.

COMPARES TO: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings -- Through hard work, Allen (selected No. 126 overall by Kansas City) has made himself into a perennial Pro Bowler but I scouted him in person at the East-West Shrine Game in 2004 and it was far from a consensus that the Idaho State product would develop into this caliber of player, especially after he lifted 225 pounds just 13 times at the Combine. At a rangy 6-5, 252 pounds, Murphy doesn't necessarily project well to a classic 4-3 alignment or even the 3-4 scheme in which he starred for the Cardinal but like Allen (6-5, 260), he's one of the tougher, more ornery players I've come across. I think he'll ultimately out-play his draft selection, though not necessarily to the staggering degree as Allen.

[Gus]

No need to wait until Monday. The Jets filled their need for a WR in round 1. That leaves CB as the most pressing need.

The New Jersey Jets select:

Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State

He may be short, but he doesn't play like it.

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STRENGTHS: Despite his smaller frame, Joyner plays like he's 6-2 and 225 pounds, hitting like a truck in run support. He has bounced between safety and cornerback, showing NFL scouts his versatility to help out anywhere in the secondary. Aggressive striker who only knows how to play full-speed, showing excellent timing to make plays on the ball. Plays fast with natural acceleration to go from 0 to 60 in a flash, displaying impressive closing burst. Possesses the build of a running back and loves to deliver punishing hits with his violent playing style. He also adds value as a kick returner and looks natural as a ballcarrier. Excellent awareness and instincts with quick diagnosis skills as well as the balance, agility and speed to handle coverage duties.WEAKNESSES: Though he plays with desirable aggression and intensity, he can be overaggressive at times, biting on fakes and allowing receivers to gain a step. While playing with no fear, does lack ideal size for safety. Where will his ideal position prove to be in the NFL?--Dane BruglerPLAYER OVERVIEW

NFL scouts will be hard-pressed to find a better inch-for-inch defender in the country than the hard-hitting 5-foot-8 Joyner, who produces big plays with his physical tackling and ability to time blitzes and penetrate the backfield.The instinctive defender played for perennial powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale and chose the Seminoles over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Notre Dame and USC. Joyner signed with Florida State initially as a highly regarded prep cornerback and logged his first action there in 2010, posting 23 tackles, two passes broken up and an interception as a true freshman. He moved to strong safety in 2011 and started all 13 games, earning second-team All-ACC honors while registering 54 tackles, one sack and three pass breakups. Joyner started all 14 games as a junior, giving him 27 consecutive starts at safety before moving back to more of a cornerback/nickel back role as a senior.Joyner proved to be one of the nation's top overall defensive backs in 2013, earning first-team All-ACC honors from the coaches and media and was selected as a First Team Walter Camp All-American.The versatile defensive back has bounced between safety and cornerback most of his career, but played mostly a cornerback role as a senior, seeing a lot of action as a nickel back covering the slot receiver.With his marginal size, Joyner won't be a fit for every NFL defense, but he plays bigger than he looks and has a future at the next level in some capacity, most likely as a nickel back. Defensive backs coaches in the NFL will appreciate Joyner's versatility, as he's logged action against legitimate competition while lining up outside, inside and deep.

[RuthlessBurgher]

The Miami Dolphins addressed their train wreck of an o-line in round 1 with Zack Martin. Their OL is their biggest hole by far (even after signing Branden Albert and Shelley Smith in free agency) that they could easily double down with OL pick early in the draft. The original thought when drafting Zack Martin in round 1 was to play him at RT opposite Branden Albert, but part of what makes Martin so valuable is his versatility. While he could be a solid NFL tackle, he might also be a Pro Bowl level NFL guard. Since there is a still another OT on the board who has a borderline 1-2 draft grade, they could take him and consider moving Martin inside, where he could potentially dominate.

The Miami Dolphins select:

Tennessee OT Ja'Wuan James



Although you don't necessarily want to have the right side of your line being manned by a couple of rookies if you can help it, this lineup is infinitely better than it was when they got rid of Richie Incognito, Jonathan Martin, John Jerry, Bryant McKinnie, etc.

Branden Albert-Shelley Smith-Mike Pouncey-Zack Martin-Ja'Waun James.

Not bad, all things considered.

[Gus]

The Cardinals pull a vikings leap frog over the bears and select (due to getting kid to school);
Jemarcus Lawrence DE Boise State

[RuthlessBurgher]

The Packers addressed the defense with Ryan Shazier in round 1, so they'll use their second round pick to address the offense. Jermichael Finley is a free agent (and no guarantee to resume his career in Green Bay or elsewhere following neck fusion surgery), so they could use a weapon at TE again. They did re-sign TE Andrew Quarless, but he is more of the solid not spectacular type of TE. An upgrade would be useful.

The Green Bay Packers select:

Washington TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins

[RuthlessBurgher]

Now that the Bears have been leapfrogged twice, I can make their pick for them. Their biggest needs coming into the draft were at defensive tackle and safety. Lucky for them, Aaron Donald fell into their laps at #14, so they chose him over Calvin Pryor. Now they can address that safety need in round 2.

The Chicago Bears select:

Florida State FS Terrence Brooks

[RuthlessBurgher]

Looks like it's time for some more leapfroggery. Cincy moves ahead of Philly. The Bengals addressed the defense by selecting CB Bradley Roby in round 1, so now they move to the offense. They recently released their starting center Kyle Cook, and there does not appear to be a viable option on the roster to adequately replace him. They'll go with a versatile o-lineman whose best position in the NFL may very well be at center.

The Cincinnati Bengals select:

USC C Marcus Martin