Plenty of big names are off the board by the 17th pick, but historically this is where contenders become champions. Most teams in this range already have strong rosters, so who will they take to help tip their side over the edge and onto greatness? Here’s the second part of your definitive NFL Mock Draft:

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Barkevious Mingo (LB, LSU)

Mingo drops to the 17th pick thanks to concerns over which position he will play in the NFL, as well as questions over whether or not he can bulk up enough in time for the season. This makes him the perfect fit the Steelers, who tend not to rush rookies into the starters roles, and will show the patience required to turn him into a premiere NFL pass rushers.

18. Dallas Cowboys – Kenny Vaccaro (S, Texas)

Dallas have shown a commitment to improving their secondary given the nature of the modern NFL, and Vaccaro is the best safety available in the draft. There is a real need at the position for the Cowboys, but do not be surprised if Jerry Jones goes elsewhere.

19. New York Giants – Alec Ogletree (ILB, Georgia)

The inside linebacker position has been a weakness of the Giants’ defense for some time now, and Ogletree is used to playing the position in a 4-3 defense. New York could also potentially trade back a few places and still pick up Ogletree.

20. Chicago Bears – Desmond Trufant (CB, Washington)

The Bears’ secondary was causing turnovers for fun at times last season, and adding a player of Trufant’s caliber will only improve the unit.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – D. J. Fluker (OT, Alabama)

Reportedly, Andre Smith is looking for big money, and it is looking likely that the Bengals will replace him with a fellow Alabama-alumnus in the form of Fluker, who can step in immediately and take over Smith’s position at right tackle.

22. St Louis Rams – Eddie Lacy (RB, Alabama)

An unlikely pick for many, especially considering serviceable running backs can be found in the lower rounds, and that the Rams have three rookie running backs on their roster from last season, but they have let Steven Jackson go, and Lacy could be the workhorse back who directly replaces him, with the likes of Isaiah Pead being utilized more sparingly.

23. Minnesota Vikings – Manti Te’o (ILB, Notre Dame)

The linebacker has his fair share of critics, but his performances over the years at Notre Dame (barring the infamous game against Alabama) warrant him going in the first round. A much needed component to help improve Minnesota’s defense.

24. Indianapolis Colts – Jesse Williams (DT, Alabama)

The Colts are a young and growing team, but they lack quality at the defensive tackle position. Williams has the ability to start in his first year, and could be just the nose tackle that Chuck Pagano is looking for.

25. Minnesota Vikings – Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia)

Minnesota lost Percy Harvin this offseason, and if there is a player in this draft who can step in and fill his shoes, it is Austin. Not only is Austin an explosive receiver, but also offers versatility as a returner and occasional running back.

26. Green Bay Packers – Montee Ball (RB, Wisconsin)

Running back has been a need for the Packers for some time now and Ball could be a very good fit for their pass-heavy offense. They could also afford to trade back a few places and accumulate an extra pick.

27. Houston Texans – Keenan Allen (WR, California)

If the Texans want to progress deeper into the playoffs, they need another receiver to draw attention away from Andre Johnson. Allen has the speed and ability to form a good dual-threat with Johnson.

28. Denver Broncos – Datone Jones (DL, UCLA)

Elvis Dumervil’s infamous fax machine-related departure could push Denver’s hand here. It will be interesting to see how effective Von Miller is without Dumervil, but a pick like Jones could help minimize the effects of losing Dumervil.

29. New England Patriots – DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson)

Although replacing Wes Welker with Danny Amendola may offer the Patriots more long-term security at the position, there is a drop-off in talent. Picking up Hopkins, a solid short-to-intermediate route runner, could help Tom Brady acclimatize to losing his favorite safety blanket.

30. Atlanta Falcons – Damontre Moore (DL, Texas A&M)

The Falcons are ageing in some key positions, and by letting John Abraham go, amongst others, they are taking strides towards getting younger, particularly on defense. Moore has great potential, but should also be a serviceable starter in his rookie year.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame)

If any team is going to take a tight end in the first round, it will be San Francisco. The loss of Delanie Walker has significant connotations for the 49ers offense, and Eifert would be a good fit, providing an effective dual-threat with Vernon Davis.

32. Baltimore Ravens – Eric Reid (S, LSU)

Baltimore may have signed Michael Huff, but the losses of both Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard means they are under-strength at safety. They may need to trade up a few places to ensure they can grab Reid, but his potential to make plays against both the pass and the run, and be an immediate starter in the NFL, should be enough to convince them he is worth trading up for.

Image credit: NFL.com

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It’s that time of year. The Combine and Pro Days are all but over with, and Free Agency has hit its annual lull. Taking into account performances during the college season, Combine showings, and teams’ needs, here is part one of your definitive NFL Mock Draft:

1.  Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel (OT, Texas A&M)

By letting Eric Winston walk, the Chiefs have effectively committed themselves to taking an offensive tackle with their top pick, and despite strong competition from Eric Fisher, Joeckel is the best player available at the position.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dion Jordan (DL, Oregon)

The Jaguars have a lot of holes, but their ability to rush the passer is almost non-existent. Patience would be required with prospects like Barkevious Mingo and Ezekiel Ansah, but Jordan is ready to make an istant impact in the NFL.

3. Oakland Raiders – Sharrif Floyd (DT, Flordia)

Given the state of the Raiders roster last season, coupled with the releases of several key players, Oakland really can go with a ‘best player available’ policy. Questions remain over Star Lotulelei, leaving Floyd as the best defensive tackle in the draft by a considerable distance.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama)

The Eagles have brought in safeties Pat Chung and Kenny Phillips to help their beleaguered secondary, and adding a corner like Milliner could make it a formidable unit next season.

5. Detroit Lions – Eric Fisher (OT, Central Michigan)

The retirement of Jeff Backus and departure of Gosder Cherilus means that the Lions have a big need at tackle. Fisher could be paired with last year’s pick Riley Reiff to give Detroit a tandem that will protect Matthew Stafford for years to come.

6. Cleveland Browns – Ezekiel Ansah (DL, BYU)

Cleveland seem committed to Brandon Weeden, at least for the moment, and will resist the temptation to go after Geno Smith. Few players have improved their draft stock as much as Ansah over the last couple of months, and he will add to an already strong defensive line in Cleveland.

7. Arizona Cardinals – Lane Johnson (OT, Oklahoma)

This year’s draft class is extremely deep at the tackle position, and therefore taking the third tackle off the board with just the seventh pick can probably not be considered a reach. They have brought in Carson Palmer in the offseason, so protecting him, and giving him the time to find a target like Larry Fitzgerald, is a must.

8. Buffalo Bills – Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)

Smith has been questioned a lot this offseason, essentially because he isn’t Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, but he has the tools to be a good franchise quarterback. Parting ways with Ryan Fitzpatrick was a brave move, but probably the right one, and don’t be surprised to see the Bills trade up to ensure they acquire Smith.

9. New York Jets – Bjoern Werner (DL, Florida St.)

The Jets’ offensive failings have been well documented, but their once formidable defense has also struggled of late, and Werner could help reverse that trend. He could also help cover the loss of Mike DeVito to the Chiefs.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack (OL, Alabama)

Warmack is undoubtedly one of the best players in this year’s class, but guards are just not seen to be as valuable as tackles in the modern NFL. The Alabama-product could arguably start on every single team drafting above the Titans, but expect Tennessee to be the first team willing to use a high first-round pick on a guard.

11. San Diego Chargers – Jonathan Cooper (OL, North Carolina)

Like the Titans, the Chargers also have a big need at the guard position, especially with the loss of Louis Vasquez, and they should take Cooper off the board immediately after Warmack.

12. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida St.)

Miami have spent big money to improve their team during free agency, but one area they were unable to make much of a splash in, was the secondary. Rhodes is a big, physical corner, in the ilk of Richard Sherman, and would help solidify an under-strength secondary.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sheldon Richardson (DL, Missouri)

The Buccaneers love interior defensive linemen who can get after the quarterback, and Richardson fits that mould perfectly. Coupled with Gerald McCoy, Tampa could have a solid pairing at the position for years to come.

14. Carolina Panthers – Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah)

A highly versatile defensive tackle, Lotulelei could help improve the Panthers’ defensive line, and help out a very talented linebacker corps behind him.

15. New Orleans Saints – Jarvis Jones (LB, Georgia)

Although New Orleans might be tempted to take LSU’s Mingo, Jones would be the better fit for their defense. If it weren’t for some lingering questions over his health, Jones would potentially be a top-10 pick.

16. St Louis Rams – Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee)

The Rams are looking for a star receiver following Brandon Lloyd’s departure last year, and Patterson arguably offers the most potential at the position in this year’s class. He would give the Rams one of the youngest and most dynamic, albeit raw, receiving corps in the NFL, along with the likes of Brian Quick and Chris Givens.

Image credit: NFL.com

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In what was expected to be a tough match-up on the road for the New York Giants, especially while missing key members on offense such as Hakeem Nicks, Ahmad Bradshaw, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon, turned into the Giants defeating the Carolina Panthers 36-7.

Giants running back Andre Brown continues to make a name for himself  after his performance last night against the Panthers. The Giants could not have asked for more from their back up running back. Brown had 20 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

At wide receiver, four-year player Ramses Barden started in place for the injured Nicks. Barden lead all receivers, with 9 receptions for 138 yards. Barden’s performance could have landed him a spot to see the field more often.

Giants tight-end Martellus Bennett caught 6 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. This is Bennett’s third consecutive game with at least one touchdown. Astonishing enough, the last time Bennett scored a touchdown in three consecutive games was back in 2008 when he was with the Dallas Cowboys.

Eli Manning was extremely efficient Thursday night, completing 27 of 35 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown. Eli had a quarterback ratting of 110.2, his highest rating of the season. His 77.1% completion percentage was a season best thus far. Manning was able to enjoy the victory and watch the final minutes of the game from the sideline.

Another key factor in Thursday’s victory was the Giants defense. Although struggling in the secondary because of injury, they were able to force Cam Newton to throw three interceptions. In addition, the Panthers put the ball on the ground two times; both times, the Giants were able to recover and regain possession. The Giants limited Newton to 242 passing yards and only 6 carries for 6 yards on the ground. Newton had a quarterback rating of 40.6, a career worst for the 2nd year star. The Giants were also able to maintain the rest of the Panthers high powered running threats, only giving up 60 yards on 20 attempts.

Panthers back-up quarterback Derek Anderson took over when the game was out of reach, with less than a minute to play.

The Giants have some much needed rest to catch up on with their upcoming schedule. New York will be traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles Sunday September 30.

For additional player or game stats please click here. 

Image Courtesy of  Carolina Panthers

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With excitement growing over the upcoming NFL draft following the annual Combine, the opportunity arises to evaluate whether or not this draft can live up to the lofty expectations placed upon the class’ offensive players by their predecessors. The exceptional performances of Cam Newton and co. have surprised nearly everyone, coaches and fans alike, and have set the bar high for Andrew Luck and his colleagues.

Although he was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers, Newton had his critics before the start of the season, much of which was due to a poor preseason, and was not expected to make the kind of impact that you would expect from a number one pick. In addition to this, the fact Newton is a quarterback, arguably the most difficult position to successfully transition from College Football to the NFL, had many people writing him off before he had even begun.

An exhilarating start against the Arizona Cardinals, with Newton passing for over 400 yards, and people were regretting their decision to judge the quarterback prematurely. Fast forward another few weeks and a string of similarly impressive performances had erased almost all doubts and even had some foolhardy, most likely Carolina fans, labelling him as an ‘Elite Quarterback’.

This heaps pressure onto fellow Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and projected No. 1 pick Andrew Luck considerably. Both will be coming into the NFL with more expectation on them than Newton had and will be required to perform to a similar level now that Newton has set the bar for rookie quarterbacks.

In a year that saw the rise to prominence of the tight end, it was rookie wide receivers that were making a name for themselves. First round wide receivers A. J. Green and Julio Jones both made big contributions to their respective teams, whilst second round pick Torrey Smith had a good season for the Baltimore Ravens, giving their offence a much needed deep threat.

Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State is clearly the best wide receiver coming into the NFL this year, but his ability to make an impact on the level of Green and Jones depends much on which team, and their respective quarterback, drafts him. Georgia Tech product Stephen Hill also excelled at the combine and could find himself drafted late in the first round where many of the elite quarterbacks will be waiting to link up with him.

The offensive line may be one area in which the upcoming set of rookies have the edge on their predecessors, lead by the powerful Matt Kalil. Kalil, the younger brother of Panthers center Ryan Kalil, heads a group of young offensive linemen that include Wisconsin’s Peter Konz and Iowa’s Riley Reiff to name but a few.

It often takes a season or two before a young offensive linesman is ready for a starting role in the NFL, but this group of players seem as ready as any group that has preceded them. The Dallas Cowboys’ Tyron Smith was arguably the pick of the 2011 class and has been tipped to make the daunting move to left tackle this coming season, a position which Kalil has been tipped to be ready for in his rookie season.

With the increase in passing yards per game and the relatively short careers of running backs, many experts are saying the days of running backs being drafted in the first round are numbered, with the class of this year tending to agree with this prediction. Trent Richardson of Alabama is an incredible prospect and has been tipped by most to go with the third or fourth pick in the first round, but beyond Richardson there are no real standout prospects and there is a good chance no other running back will be drafted in the first round.

It is hard to predict the effectiveness of running backs in their debut NFL season due to the nature of frequent injuries in the position affecting how many touches a player is going to get. Richardson will have to outperform DeMarco Murray who was the best rookie running back in the NFL last season, but with the diminishing role of running backs in the professional game, it remains to be seen whether or not this will come to pass.

The extra pressure placed on Luck and Griffin because of Newton’s outstanding season could well be their downfall, with both also unlikely to have a wide receiver of Steve Smith’s quality to pass to. That being said, the fact the top four prospected picks are all offensive players speaks volumes about how talented these players are, and providing they have the right pieces around them, the offensive rookies in the upcoming draft may even be able to outshine a great group in the class of 2011.

Image Courtesy of  Walter G Arce / Shutterstock.com

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The NFL season is a quarter of the way through after four weeks and what a start we have witnessed. Despite the lockout and no training camps, teams have not missed a beat. The offensives have put up historic numbers, setting NFL records in passing yards for a single week by week one and breaking that record in week two.

Also for the first time in history, in weeks two and four, there were no divisional games. The league protected itself just in case of a lockout. Now bye weeks come into play, where teams will be giving off selected weeks from week five to eleven. Here is how the teams stack up through four weeks:

The Real Deal

No Surprise

.500 Club

Overachievers: 

Underachievers: 

Andrew Luck Sweepstakes

Rebuilding

Ken Durden / Shutterstock.com

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With preseason finally over, and Monday nights opener against the Dolphins waiting on the other side of the weekend, the New England Patriots seem once again poised to make another promising run at the Lombardi Trophy.

Already loaded with offensive firepower, the Pats spent the off-season beefing up their d-line with the additions of Albert Heyensworth, and former jets defensive end Shaun Ellis; moving from a predominantly 3-4 based defense to a 4-3 in hopes of finally adding the all-elusive pass rush to their arsenal.

But with last year’s quick playoff exit to the Jets still fresh in fans minds, and the sting from a playoff romping at the hands of Baltimore in 2009 still palpable, there are certainly questions about the 2011 New England Patriots that go beyond personnel acquisitions and schematics.

Consider this; the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since beating the Chargers in the 2006 AFC Championship game. Furthermore, their last three playoff exits have not been easy defeats to swallow; in three losses to the Giants, Ravens, and Jets, Belichicks teams looked weak, confused, and perhaps most concerning of all, under prepared.

What’s troublesome about this is that while the Super Bowl teams of 2001, 2003, and 2004 were all extremely skilled, they specifically prided themselves on always being defensively strong, mentally sound, and extremely well prepared. Perhaps these first three Super Bowl victories spoiled us all, letting us believe that no pressure, no situation, no one game was too much for the unflappable Tom Brady and his stoic puppeteer Bill Belichick.

But three Lombardi trophies and seven years later, has the allure been lost, the mojo run out? At whatpoint does the “Patriot Way” become not what it was from 2001-2004, but what it has become from 2007-2011? One also has to wonder what this season means to the legacies of Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck.

A Super Bowl win would undoubtedly secure Brady’s spot in the greatest of all time debate, making him only the third quarterback ever, along with Bradshaw and Montana, to win four Lombardi’s. For Belichick, another Super Bowl victory would give him six rings over all, with four as a head coach, tying him with Chuck Noll for the most by any head coach. But another playoff loss?

Without a doubt, both Belichick and Brady will go down as some of the best ever at their respective positions; no one can argue that. But a failure to win one more big game together could tarnish the twilight years of Brady’s career, leaving his lasting image as someone who won early, but faltered late.

Most importantly, if neither Brady nor Belichick win another ring, each will have a clear superior: Brady behind Montana and Bradshaw, and Belichick behind Noll. This season is not just any season for the Patriots; resting in the balance are the legacies of coach and quarterback, a prospect which makes Monday nights debut against Miami that much more exciting, as if it needed to be.

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