By Brett Crow
In just over two months, fans across the country will be thumbing through NFL Draft magazines as their teams pick the future of the franchise. As Cleveland Browns fans, we can’t even begin to imagine what we’re going to do with our pick. So let’s explore those first few picks of the coming draft.
With the number one pick, the Indianapolis Colts will surely take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. They have no reason not to take Luck. Luck not only addresses the need at QB that the Colts have, but he’s also the mostly highly valued player in the 2012 NFL draft. Even if they don’t want him (which is absurd to think), they could easily find a team willing to sell the farm for Luck as their franchise quarterback.
The number two pick is where things get really tricky and where most of the focus should be for Browns fans. The St. Louis Rams own this pick and are the wildcard in determining fates for the next few teams below them on the board.
Assuming the Rams don’t trade their pick, they will more than likely draft offensive tackle Matt Kalil out of USC. Kalil is the common sense pick for the Rams, as installing him on the left side of the line will instantly make life easier for current Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. Kalil has the pedigree aswell, with both brother (Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers) and father (Frank Kalil, Buffalo in USFL) having played on the offensive line.
However, it’s unlikely that the Rams will keep this pick. It’s highly speculated that the Rams will trade this pick to the Cleveland Browns so that they will draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Browns have the most to offer the Rams with a first round pick not far from where the Rams initially are and the bonus of the Browns having a late 1st round and an early 2nd rounder. The Rams can get whatever price they want for RGIII.
That being said, the Rams can also use RGIII, and see what value they can get for Bradford. However, the value of Robert Griffin is much higher than Bradford, even though Bradford has proven he can be an effective starting quarterback in the league. The most likely move the Rams will take is to trade their pick or sign RGIII and trade him somewhere. They will easily find a suitor for him and get more than enough value for him. If they elect not to trade however, the easy pick is Kalil.
Third in the draft order is the Minnesota Vikings. Assuming Cleveland traded up and took Robert Griffin, Minnesota will not waste anytime in picking Matt Kalil. Or will they? Minnesota is also in dire need of help in the secondary. While Matt Kalil should be the common sense pick, they could easily pick up LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. And when you have Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers on your schedule twice a year, along with Calvin Johnson on the Detroit Lions, a secondary is increasing important in the NFC North.
Now we come to the Cleveland Browns (or St. Louis Rams if we assume the trade happens). With the fourth pick in the first round, the Cleveland Browns could find a lot of use out of receiver prospect Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. There’s no doubt Blackmon is a standout wide receiver with exceptional playmaking ability. With the current weak wideout core that the Browns currently boast, Blackmon would be a great asset for the Browns and is certain to be available at pick number four. However, I would expect the Browns to trade up for Robert Griffin, as I feel that quarterback is the more pressing need for the Cleveland club.
Assuming they do trade and the pick ends up in St. Louis’ hands, it’s hard to imagine that St. Louis would pass on Blackmon. There’s also a chance that they could go with Iowa tackle Riley Reiff. As mentioned before, St. Louis needs a lot of help on the line.
At pick five, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are next in the draft. It’s hard to imagine that Tampa Bay will look anywhere aside from at Alabama running back Trent Richardson. NFL scouts across the country sing his praises and the move would enable the Bucs to either get rid of an oft-troubled LeGarrette Blount or present a formidable two-headed running back attack that has become the norm in the NFL.
Speculation aside, I think it’s pretty easy to see how the top five picks will go:
1. Colts: Andrew Luck, QB from Stanford
2. Browns (from Rams): Robert Griffin III, QB from Baylor
3. Vikings: Morris Claiborne, CB from LSU
4. Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR from Oklahoma State
5. Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB from Alabama
No comments:
Post a Comment