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Mock draft recap -- good, bad and ugly

Posted Jul. 15 at 08:12 PM

What better way to spend a couple afternoon hours in mid-July than a mock draft? Well, there are probably one or two. Still, 11 lucky readers of this website took the time out of their schedules to do a mock draft with me. Here's how it turned out.

We went 14 rounds, drafting for a lineup of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 PK, and 1 Team D. TD passes were 4 points, all others 6. A point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards, and every 25 passing yards. A point for receptions, as well.

The draft was held at MockDraftCentral.com, and you can see the results in grid format at this link or in a cruder format below. I'm not going to recap every pick, but here's a good, bad and ugly for each team (whose names have been turned into 5-digit names below for my formatting ease).

Index:

Best pick: I'll go with Mr. Irrelevant, Arian Foster. People are underestimating his real chance to be Houston's starter this season. I also considered Chester Taylor here.

Worst pick: Some might say Spiller, although at least it's a PPR format. For me I really hated drafting Reggie Bush at 7.01, just because he's an unreliable start. But in a PPR format, he's functional, and the most appealing back available at that point.

Summary: Rookies Spiller and Dez Bryant may be needed to start for this team, so there's some risk involved. If one or both of those guys -- arguably the two most talented rookies -- emerges, it will be a competitive team.

Smash:

Best pick: Either Clark or Favre. Clark should be his usual top-3 tight end, and since there's little doubt Favre will be back, he's a nice value in the 7th.

Worst pick: Best went a little high at 2.11, but I'm going with Santana Moss, who's too unreliable in terms of production and health to be a sixth-rounder.

Summary: The starting lineup will be fine, but I'm not optimistic about the bench players contributing as starters if injuries strike.

Event:

Best pick: Between Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams he should get one good starter, and have a nice No. 2 running back with mid-round picks.

Worst pick: Vernon Davis isn't a bad pick, but I don't see him as a fourth-rounder, either. Although he's only a kicker, Shaun Suisham doesn't have a job right now, and is no lock to be on a roster this year.

Summary: This looks like a pretty balanced team, with the one concern being that two of four running backs are coming off injury and another (Cadillac) an injury risk.

Drank:

Best pick: I was all set to draft Celek when Drank took him three picks earlier. Nice value in the sixth. Pierre Thomas in the fourth is also solid.

Worst pick: We're not Dwayne Bowe fans, and I'm not sure Laurent Robinson or Golden Tate protect that pick particularly well.

Summary: Nice depth at running back, but that third receiver spot might be tricky most weeks.

Pheno:

Best pick: We like Gaffney as Denver's No. 1 receiver this year, so the 10th round is a nice value.

Worst pick: Philip Rivers with Manning still on the board leaps to mind. Maybe his plan to snag three other Colts factored in.

Summary: Having to sweat out which Colts wideout to start, and rely on Shiancoe at tight end, could hurt this team's weekly performance. Nice depth at wideout, but question marks surround the starters there.

DaveD:

Best pick: I considered Jonathan Stewart in the fifth; lot of upside there. I also sort of like Devin Thomas in the ninth.

Worst pick: Julian Edelman in the sixth is too early even if you're sure Welker will open the season on the PUP list. And we're not sure about that.

Summary: If you're sensing a trend, it's that a lot of people (myself included) will have a question mark at the No. 3 receiver spot this year. Apart from that, I like this lineup -- it will probably win the quarterback spot most week, and has two potential star runners.

Matts:

Best pick: Landing Zach Miller in the 7th is ample reason to wait on the tight end position this year.

Worst pick: I love Maclin, but the fourth round is too early.

Summary: Nice acknowledgment of PPR by loading up on pass catchers. I thought Maclin was too early, but this team goes four-deep with quality wideouts and should be pretty strong. Marion Barber's year will probably determine how this team does, but I like the receiving corps

Royal:

Best pick: Manning late in the third and Forsett and Hightower in the eighth and 11th leap to mind. Particularly given the PPR scoring for those runners.

Worst pick: Moreno at No. 8 overall generated the most debate during the draft; I agree it's a bit high for him.

Summary: Clearly a loyal Index reader here, as guys we like (Finley, Chambers, Forsett) abound. Good team, if we turn out to be correct.

Dewey:

Best pick: Love Jamaal Charles midway through the second.

Worst pick: Vincent Jackson's season is too uncertain, plus he'll definitely miss three games, to go in the fourth.

Summary: If VJax holds out and Aromashodu doesn't start in Chicago (and Boldin gets hurt...) the wideouts will kill this team.

Rocks:

Best pick: I"m not buying all the Ryan Mathews hype, but he certainly shouldn't last until the bottom of the third round. I considered him strongly at 3.01. Chris Cooley way down in the 13 is a steal.

Worst pick: Either Hines Ward in the fifth or Welker in the sixth. Ward went too high, and Welker's health is too uncertain to count on him that early.

Summary: Some interesting lottery tickets here. I don't like the receiving corps much, but if Welker IS able to play early in the season....

Fever:

Best pick: I'm a Harvin fan, so getting him late in the fifth looks good to me. Driver in the seventh is also decent.

Worst pick: In a 3-WR league, I don't think you can afford to draft a tight end as early as he drafts Gates. I like the Harvin and Driver picks, as noted, but not necessarily as his top 2 wideouts.

Summary: One more wide receiver atop this lineup would make it look pretty nice.

Bruss:

Best pick: I like Romo as much as the "elite" QBs, so getting him in the fourth is nice value. I'm also a Hardesty fan.

Worst pick: Eagles should use a committee at running back, so I'm not keen on McCoy over the next few running backs off the board.

Summary: Pretty good balance on this team; he drafted enough running backs and wide receivers that his starting lineup should be fairly strong.

Agree or disagree? Let me know, and I think a few participants may weigh in with comments. A few weeks from now, maybe we'll do another one of these.

1.1     Index     Adrian Peterson
1.2     Smash     Maurice Jones-Drew
1.3     Event     Chris Johnson
1.4     Drank     Frank Gore
1.5     Pheno     Ray Rice
1.6     DaveD     Andre Johnson
1.7     Matts     Michael Turner
1.8     Royal     Knowshon Moreno
1.9     Dewey     DeAngelo Williams
1.10     Rocks     Steven Jackson
1.11     Fever     Drew Brees
1.12     Bruss     Rashard Mendenhall
2.1     Bruss     Calvin Johnson
2.2     Fever     Cedric Benson
2.3     Rocks     Brandon Marshall
2.4     Dewey     Jamaal Charles
2.5     Royal     Randy Moss
2.6     Matts     Roddy White
2.7     DaveD     Aaron Rodgers
2.8     Pheno     Miles Austin
2.9     Drank     Larry Fitzgerald
2.10     Event     Reggie Wayne
2.11     Smash     Jahvid Best
2.12     Index     DeSean Jackson
3.1     Index     Sidney Rice

3.2     Smash     Marques Colston
3.3     Event     Greg Jennings
3.4     Drank     Steve Smith
3.5     Pheno     Philip Rivers
3.6     DaveD     Shonn Greene
3.7     Matts     Steven Smith
3.8     Royal     Peyton Manning
3.9     Dewey     Anquan Boldin
3.10     Rocks     Ryan Mathews
3.11     Fever     Antonio Gates
3.12     Bruss     LeSean McCoy
4.1     Bruss     Tony Romo
4.2     Fever     Chris Wells
4.3     Rocks     Tom Brady
4.4     Dewey     Vincent Jackson
4.5     Royal     Ryan Grant
4.6     Matts     Jeremy Maclin
4.7     DaveD     Michael Crabtree
4.8     Pheno     Hakeem Nicks
4.9     Drank     Pierre Thomas
4.10     Event     Vernon Davis
4.11     Smash     Chad Ochocinco
4.12     Index     Matt Schaub
5.1     Index     CJ Spiller

5.2     Smash     Dallas Clark
5.3     Event     Ronnie Brown
5.4     Drank     Kevin Kolb
5.5     Pheno     Joseph Addai
5.6     DaveD     Jonathan Stewart
5.7     Matts     Marion Barber
5.8     Royal     Jermichael Finley
5.9     Dewey     Jason Witten
5.10     Rocks     Hines Ward
5.11     Fever     Percy Harvin
5.12     Bruss     Felix Jones
6.1     Bruss     Mike Wallace
6.2     Fever     Matt Forte
6.3     Rocks     Wes Welker
6.4     Dewey     Matt Ryan
6.5     Royal     Antonio Bryant
6.6     Matts     Johnny Knox
6.7     DaveD     Julian Edelman
6.8     Pheno     Pierre Garcon
6.9     Drank     Brent Celek
6.10     Event     Mike Sims-Walker
6.11     Smash     Santana Moss
6.12     Index     Tony Gonzalez
7.1     Index     Reggie Bush

7.2     Smash     Brett Favre
7.3     Event     Jay Cutler
7.4     Drank     Dwayne Bowe
7.5     Pheno     Visanthe Shiancoe
7.6     DaveD     Owen Daniels
7.7     Matts     Zach Miller
7.8     Royal     Malcom Floyd
7.9     Dewey     Devin Aromashodu
7.10     Rocks     Devin Hester
7.11     Fever     Donald Driver
7.12     Bruss     Steve Breaston
8.1     Bruss     Montario Hardesty
8.2     Fever     Brandon Jacobs
8.3     Rocks     Steve Slaton
8.4     Dewey     Eli Manning
8.5     Royal     Justin Forsett
8.6     Matts     Joe Flacco
8.7     DaveD     Ben Tate
8.8     Pheno     Ricky Williams
8.9     Drank     Clinton Portis
8.10     Event     Cadillac Williams
8.11     Smash     Ahmad Bradshaw
8.12     Index     T.J Houshmandzadeh
9.1     Index     Dez Bryant
9.2     Smash     Jerricho Cotchery
9.3     Event     Donovan McNabb
9.4     Drank     Fred Jackson
9.5     Pheno     Austin Collie
9.6     DaveD     Devin Thomas
9.7     Matts     Michael Bush
9.8     Royal     Darren Sproles
9.9     Dewey     Braylon Edwards
9.10     Rocks     Minnesota Vikings
9.11     Fever     Robert Meachem
9.12     Bruss     Matthew Stafford
10.1     Bruss     New York Jets
10.2     Fever     Pittsburgh Steelers
10.3     Rocks     Carson Palmer
10.4     Dewey     Jerome Harrison
10.5     Royal     Chris Chambers
10.6     Matts     Donald Brown
10.7     DaveD     Ben Roethlisberger
10.8     Pheno     Jabar Gaffney
10.9     Drank     Laurent Robinson
10.10     Event     Baltimore Ravens
10.11     Smash     Eddie Royal
10.12     Index     Kellen Winslow
11.1     Index     San Francisco 49ers

11.2     Smash     Larry Johnson
11.3     Event     Lee Evans
11.4     Drank     Golden Tate
11.5     Pheno     Thomas Jones
11.6     DaveD     Derrick Mason
11.7     Matts     Roy Williams
11.8     Royal     Tim Hightower
11.9     Dewey     Marshawn Lynch
11.10     Rocks     Darren McFadden
11.11     Fever     Vince Young
11.12     Bruss     Dustin Keller
12.1     Bruss     Davone Bess
12.2     Fever     New Orleans Saints
12.3     Rocks     Santonio Holmes
12.4     Dewey     Kevin Walter
12.5     Royal     Terrell Owens
12.6     Matts     Chad Henne
12.7     DaveD     Heath Miller
12.8     Pheno     Ryan Longwell
12.9     Drank     Philadelphia Eagles
12.10     Event     Kenny Britt
12.11     Smash     Dallas Cowboys
12.12     Index     Mark Sanchez
13.1     Index     Nate Kaeding

13.2     Smash     Garrett Hartley
13.3     Event     Leon Washington
13.4     Drank     Matt Moore
13.5     Pheno     Matt Hasselbeck
13.6     DaveD     Green Bay Packers
13.7     Matts     Washington
13.8     Royal     Stephen Gostkowski
13.9     Dewey     Rob Bironas
13.10     Rocks     Chris Cooley
13.11     Fever     Mario Manningham
13.12     Bruss     Arrelious Benn
14.1     Bruss     Mason Crosby
14.2     Fever     David Akers
14.3     Rocks     Lawrence Tynes
14.4     Dewey     New York Giants
14.5     Royal     Miami Dolphins
14.6     Matts     Dan Carpenter
14.7     DaveD     David Buehler
14.8     Pheno     Tennessee Titans
14.9     Drank     Joe Nedney
14.10     Event     Shaun Suisham
14.11     Smash     Tarvaris Jackson
14.12     Index     Arian Foster

Readers' Comments

Posted by DAVID DIGREGORIO | Jul. 15 at 09:12 PM

Loved the draft. Thanks again. Did you guys ever consider running leagues, like fanball. With all of your subscribers, you have a nice base to draw from. One stop shopping! As far as my team, my plan was wait till the top 7 QBs were drafted, and pick Kolb. Then I was going to wait until about 6 TEs were picked and select Z Miller. Oh well, the best laid plans... I took a lot of heat on Edelman. Rightly so. But, the patriots are notorious liars about injuries. I have a hard time thinking Welker will be back right away with his injuries. I thought they would take a year to heal. I saw him in practice on tape, but it's note a game. It was a reach, but with upside. I only drafted one D and one K. This gave me the luxury of getting 2 extra players.

Posted by Paul Owers | Jul. 15 at 10:41 PM

Thanks for organizing, Andy. It's only July, but it's still a good tune-up for what to expect in September. I agree with your assessment of my team -- question marks surrounding the starters. I mistakenly took Rivers over Manning -- that won't happen in my real draft. You don't seem to be a big fan of V. Shiancoe in a PPR format. He did catch only 56 passes last year, but he at least should be a reliable scorer in that offense. I say middle of the seventh round is nice value for a guy who had more touchdowns last year than Dallas Clark, who went early in the fifth round.

Posted by Matthew Kenerly | Jul. 15 at 11:25 PM

It didn't work out like I expected, but if this counted I would feel okay going to war with this team. I'd argue the Gates pick by noting that I personally don't believe that any of the WRs taken between he and Harvin will outproduce him, and he's one of 2 or 3 TEs I think could grab 80 balls and score 10 TDs. I consider him my #1 WR and contend that the Brees-Meachem connection would win a couple of matchups, as well. The lineup may not be flashy -- Harvin aside -- but I think it'd be a contender. As the other guys said, thanks for the opportunity!

Posted by Duane Stay | Jul. 16 at 12:33 AM

Chris Johnson going 1.3 was a surprise to me.

Posted by Sean Chi | Jul. 16 at 02:34 AM

Gave me a new perspective on magazine mocks drafting this early in the year. Had alot of heartbreak in this draft. Gaffney and Lee Evans going right in front of my face really screwed me at WR. Late in the draft, decided to just swing for the fences with Tate and Robinson. Figure even if they bomb, just how much help would a Kevin Walters really be? That's my philosophy for the draft in general. How many games is a 1,000 rusher with 6 tds and 20 catches really going to win you? Trust me, I had Jamal Lewis in 06, he was no better than a Kevin Faulk. Better to take risks than settle for mediocrity. As for WR, you can find 50 catches and 800 yards on waivers easily. I also actually like Bowe too but really no basis to back it up (actually, his 09 numbers do project to WR3 on per game basis).

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