This was my 1st annual Shock Draft from 2012. I will be releasing a complete 1st and possibly 2nd Round Shock Draft this year. Feel free to over analyze and critique it. Every year during the NFL Draft season we are bombarded with a plethora of Mock Drafts, i.e. Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. Im no stranger to Mock Drafts myself, usually partaking in this dilemma and producing my own. After much contemplation, I have realized that the NFL Draft has become predictable and in many cases, flat out bad decision making by general managers and staff personal. So, this year Im starting a new tradition, Shock Draft. The Shock Draft will be a combination of best fit for the team, regardless of pick position/hype, and shock factor. So, here we go, the first annual Shock Draft Top 10! (#1) - IN - Andrew Luck -QB- Stanford - (I know this isnt a shock to anyone that has seen a glimpse of ESPN in the past 8 months, but it is the only pick that Indianapolis can make. Irsay has put a lot of Colts fans on the fence with the Peyton Manning decision, and this is the only move he can make to ensure they stay Colts fans for atleast another 3-5 years while Luck transitions into the NFL and matures at the QB position.) (#2) - WAS - Robert Griffin III -QB- Baylor - (Again, not much of a shock factor here, but if your a Skins fan, your happy that the Colts are picking Andrew Luck with the #1 pick. I believe RG3 has more of an upside, and more of a ceiling of potential to grow in the NFL. Besides, the Skins need ANYONE that can bring life to this team, and RG3 has the talent to win a couple of games a year by himself. (#3) - MIN - Trent Richardson -RB- Alabama - (SHOCK! Wait, am I crazy? Dont they already have a guy named All Day? Isnt Adrian Peterson one of the best RBs in the league? Well, the last time I checked, the NFL stood for the (N)ot (F)or (L)ong league, and RBs are the biggest example of that. The average NFL life for a RB is 3-5 years on a great-good scale, and AP is closing in on that fast. He has a long history of injury problems, and in Week 17, in a meaningless last game of the season, he tore his ACL/MCL and they dont know if hell be ready to go Week 1 of the 12-13 season. They gave up 49 sacks last year, and what better way to slow the pass rush than by having two dynamic backs. If AP isnt healthy and is looking like he might not rebound from the knee injury, you can TRADE him, have Toby Gerhart and Trent Richardson. I know this has become a pass first league, but noone can convince me that a good running game and defense cant carry you into the playoffs. Oh yeah, did anyone watch Richardson play in college? Dude was a MONSTER!) (#4) - CLE - Michael Floyd -WR- Notre Dame - (SHOCK! Wait? What?! Floyd over Justin Blackmon?! In this case, yes. Does anyone see the Cleveland Browns as the Chicago Bears of the AFC? A team that consistently has a pretty good defense/running game, yet no consistent play at QB or WR. Well, you have a very accurate QB in Colt McCoy. GET HIM SOME HELP! Josh Cribbs is a watered down Devin Hester. Massaquoi has been a bust by all means. Put Michael Floyd in this system, a 6-3 220lb Go up and Get em WR, and watch the offense open up. Cleveland can get a RB with the 22nd pick in the 1st Round, or the 5th pick in the 2nd Round. Trent Richardson is the only RB in this draft that is a must have, so dont overspend. Besides, Floyd mastered making average/bad QBs look good.) (#5) - TB - Jamell Fleming -CB- Oklahoma - (SHOCK! No Morris Claiborne? No Dre Kirkpatrick? What am I thinking? Lets see, both Claiborne and Kirckpatrick played in the pass happy SEC. Wait?! What!?! The SEC isnt pass happy? So tell me how the two top CB prospects in the Draft can come from a conference with ZERO top QB prospects? Jamell Fleming played in the BIG 12 against some of the TOP QBs and WRs in the country! He is a stout 200lbs and has above average speed. I believe he would be a better fit, considering the Bucs play against Drew Brees and Matt Ryan.) (#6) - STL - Matt Kalil -LT- USC - (SHOCK! Yes Yes. I know Sam Bradford needs a dynamic playmaker to toss the pigskin to, but doesnt he need someone to protect that blindside? Bradford had a semi-serious injury in college when he took a blindside hit early in the 1st QTR in the Red River Shootout {if you dont know what the Red River Shootout is, please just stop reading this and go about your day} and hurt his throwing shoulder. The Rams gave up 55 sacks last year, which was most in the NFL. He also got hurt last year. You cant win football games with your #1 Pick at QB watching games from the sidelines in a shoulder harnest, no matter how good Justin Blackmon is. Please STL, protect Bradford and look to get a WR early in the 2nd Round.) (#7) - JAX - Justin Blackmon -WR- Oklahoma State - (SHOCK! Why? Because noone can believe that Blackmon fell to #7. For me this is the hardest pick in the Top 10. Jacksonville needs so much, its hard to point out one player or position to draft this high on. Im not particularly happy about this choice, but at this position, they wouldnt have much of a choice but to draft Blackmon. How do you find out of your former 1st Round QB is a bust? Give him a 1st Round WR to work with, and if he still doesnt produce, then you know you dont have your QB of the future. Personally, I think this is the most likely pick to be traded, and overall, thats probably the best option for the Jaguars, especially considering how much they need.) (#8) - MIA - Dre Kirkpatrick -CB- Alabama - (SHOCK! We all know that Matt Moore isnt an elite QB in the NFL, but we also know that Tannehill will never be either. So, why waste a Top 10 pick on something that everyone seems to agree on, Tannehill is a long shot, and a multi-year project. The NFL has become a pass happy league. Oh yeah, they play this guy twice a year, you might have heard of him, Tom Brady. Kirkpatrick is 6-3 190lbs, so he has size and could play against New Englands 2 TE set they love to use. Can anyone remember the 99 yard TD on Monday Night Football? They need help in the secondary. Go with Kirkpatrick.) (#9) - CAR - Luke Kuechly - LB - Boston College - (Im not sure how much of a shock this would be, considering Carolina is hurting at LB and needs a presence in the middle of the field, but most Mock Drafts I have seen have them taking a DT. Last year the Panthers drafted their leader and franchise on offense, this would be the opportunity to do the same on defense.) (#10) - BUF - Courtney Upshaw -LB/DE- Alabama - (SHOCK! Yes. I know most Bills fans want a big time WR, but there are none available, and none worth reaching inside the Top 10 for outside of Floyd/Blackmon. Upshaw would give the Bills a versatile defense, allowing Upshaw to roam around the field between anywhere on the D-line to anywhere in the LB core. You need to pressure Brady to beat him, and what better way to add yet another pass rusher. There will be WRs up for grabs in the 2nd Round, and they will be in position to draft one.) Stay tuned for Shock Draft 14.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 12:13:41 +0000
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