Cincinnati Bengals' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

1st Round (#17) CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

1st Round (#27) G Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

Nfl 2012

2nd Round (#53) DT Devon Still, Penn State

3rd Round (#83) WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers

3rd Round (#93) DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson

4th Round (#116) TE Orson Charles, Georgia

5th Round (#156) CB Shaun Prater, Iowa

5th Round (#166) WR Marvin Jones, Cal

5th Round (#167) FS George Iloka, Boise State

6th Round (#191) RB Dan Herron, Ohio State

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Dre Kirkpatrick: Cincinnati had a major need at cornerback and Kirkpatrick was a fine choice. Leon Hall is recovering from surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. No one knows for sure whether Hall can return to his prior high-level of play. The Bengals also missed Jonathan Joseph last year who went on to have a terrific season with the Texans. Kirkpatrick is a physical cornerback with good length and size. He will fit in well in the rugged AFC North division.

Kevin Zeitler: The Bengals traded their 2nd 1st round draft choice to New England for their 27th pick overall and a 3rd rounder. This trade worked for both teams. The Bengals wanted a quality guard in the draft and secured one by choosing Kevin Zeitler. The former Badger is a tough run blocker and a superbly dedicated football player. Cincinnati upgraded their offensive line with this selection and added another fairly high draft pick.

Devon Still: The key to having a strong 4-3 defense is a deep and talented front four (just ask the Giants). Devon Still was inconsistent at Penn State, but he had a big senior season. He also has an outstanding frame and fine quickness. He has the talent with good coaching to be part of Cincinnati's defensive tackle rotation. Still will likely spell Geno Atkins and help keep him fresh.

Mohamed Sanu: Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson both signed with new teams (Denver and Minnesota) via free agency. Cincinnati has a star in A.J. Green at wide receiver, but he could use some help. Mohamed Sanu is a big, physical target who has a chance to be a solid possession receiver. Sanu runs the slant well and is a willing blocker. The former Rutgers' star could be a poor man's version of Hines Ward. He made a lot of sense for Cincinnati in the 3rd round.

Brandon Thompson: The former Clemson star represented too much value late in the 3rd round. Thompson is not much of a pass rusher, but he is very good defending against the run. The Bengals add another quality defensive tackle to their rotation. Thompson was picked using the selection obtained in the trade with New England. The Bengals acquired two quality players (Kevin Zeitler and Brandon Thompson) in the trade who will strengthen their offensive and defensive lines.

Orson Charles: The athletic former Bulldog represented value in the 4th round. Charles runs well and will give effort as a blocker. Jermaine Gresham is a fine young tight end for Cincinnati and will be the starter. However, if Charles can learn the playbook well enough then he may convince Jay Gruden to use some two tight end sets. Charles could find a niche in Cincinnati's offense and give Andy Dalton another target.

George Iloka: It was a little surprising to see Iloka fall this far in the draft. His ability to change direction and cover began to be questioned. Iloka is a big safety who was productive at Boise State. He may not be able to hold-up in pass coverage against NFL receivers and tight ends. However, in the 5th round there is not much risk. He can contribute on special teams and will do his best to learn the defense and adjust to pro football. Cincinnati again finds value in the draft.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: A

Bottom Line: The Bengals had a lot of draft choices and did an outstanding job utilizing them. The team addressed two area of need (cornerback and guard) with quality selections (Kirkpatrick and Zeitler). The rest of their draft was spent finding value with a bunch of picks. The Bengals are deeper on the defensive line, tight end and wide receiver positions. If Mohamed Sanu develops into a good possession receiver then this draft could be special. The future looks bright for Cincinnati and they should be a force in the AFC North for some time to come.

Cincinnati Bengals' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Chicago Bears' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

1st Round (#19) DE Shea McClellin, Boise State

2nd Round (#45) WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Nfl 2012

3rd Round (#79) FS Brandon Hardin, Oregon State

4th Round (#111) TE Evan Rodriguez, Temple

6th Round (#184) CB Isaiah Frey, Nevada

7th Round (#220) CB Greg McCoy, TCU

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Shea McClellin: Chicago sought a bookend defensive end to pair with Julius Peppers. McClellin (6' 3" and 260 lbs) is a high motor player who lacks great physical tools for an NFL defensive end. He very well may have more potential as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 than as a defensive end. The former Boise State star may have trouble defending the run against powerful NFL offensive tackles. McClellin was a good (7 sacks in his senior season), but not an exceptional pass rusher in college. The Bears passed on Chandler Jones, Whitney Mercilus and Nick Perry. Jones has a bigger frame and more growth potential than McClellin. Perry is a more explosive athlete than McClellin. Mercilus led the nation in sacks (16) playing against better offensive lineman than McClellin faced. McClellin was a questionable selection by the Bears.

Alshon Jeffery: The Bears traded for Brandon Marshall to provide him with a talented lead receiver. The selection of Jeffery adds a big possession receiver and an excellent red zone target to Chicago's passing attack. Jeffery could be a bargain in the 2nd round. The former Gamecock has terrific hands and made plenty of plays against SEC defenses. He slipped to the 2nd round due to concerns over his conditioning and work ethic. If he keeps his weight down and commits to being a pro then Jeffery is going to help the Bears. This was a relatively low risk/high reward selection.

Brandon Hardin: The search for improved safety play continues for Chicago. Hardin played cornerback at Oregon State, but has the size (6' 2" and 220 lbs) and tackling skills to play safety. The problem is he was frequently injured in college (missed last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery). Hardin also was not much of a ball-hawk (7 pass breakups and 1 interception in 3 seasons) for Oregon State. The Bears passed on offensive line help (Bobby Massie) and cornerback help (Jayron Hosley and Jamell Fleming) for Hardin. This pick looks like a reach and Hardin may have been available later in the draft.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: C+

Bottom Line: The Bears have to hope that Shea McClellin is big and strong enough to put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. His career production will be compared to Chandler Jones, Whitney Mercilus and Nick Perry to see if Chicago made the right decision for years to come. Chicago did not improve their offensive line or the cornerback position in this draft. A team that plays twice a year against Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford should have done more than add Brandon Hardin as a potential safety.

Chicago Bears' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Houston Texans' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

1st Round (#26) DE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

3rd Round (#68) WR DeVier Posey, Ohio State

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3rd Round (#76) G Brandon Brooks, Miami (OH)

4th Round (#99) C Ben Jones, Georgia

4th Round (#121) WR Keshawn Martin, Michigan State

4th Round (#126) DT Jared Crick, Nebraska

5th Round (#161) K Randy Bullock, Texas A & M

6th Round (#195) OT Nick Mondek, Purdue

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Whitney Mercilus: The Texans finally made it to the playoffs and the defensive turnaround was a huge reason why. Houston let Mario Williams depart via free agency. The key element to a Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense is a strong pass rush. Mercilus led the nation in sacks last season and has the pass rushing skills and work ethic to develop into a fine outside linebacker in Houston's defense. The team wisely passed on wide receiver help to further strengthen the defense with another young and talented front seven defender. Mercilus has work to do at stopping the run and setting the edge. He likely will start out as a pass rushing specialist and join Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed in a rotation. The Texans passed on Nick Perry. Mercilus has more pass rush moves than Perry does and looks more comfortable standing up.

DeVier Posey: Houston has been looking for improved receiver help to complement Andre Johnson for quite some time. Posey has decent size (6' 1 ½" and 210 lbs) and speed (4.45 in the Forty), but needs a lot of work on becoming a precise route runner. He is a bit of a project who may never develop into a trusted 2nd receiver. The Texans passed on several promising wide receiver prospects such as, Mohamed Sanu and Jarius Wright. Houston was correct in addressing the wide receiver position, but they may not have chosen the correct one.

Brandon Brooks: The former University of Miami (Ohio) offensive guard has heavy hands, tremendous size and a powerful lower body. He has a chance to push for a starting job in Houston at guard provided he keeps his weight under control. Brooks moves well for a player of his size (6' 5" and 345 lbs) and is athletic enough to handle Houston's zone blocking scheme. The key question for Brooks is conditioning and keeping his focus during games over the course of a season. The Texans love to run the ball and Brandon Brooks has the potential to be a solid addition to the team's offensive line.

Jared Crick: A torn pectoral muscle cost Jared Crick 8 games during his senior season and he dropped to the 4th round. Crick does not have J.J. Watt's size, but he plays with a similar intensity and awareness. The Texans will convert Crick from a defensive tackle into a defensive end in their 3-4 defense. Wade Phillips version of the 3-4 defense enables smaller defensive linemen to excel, as long as they have quickness. Crick has to get stronger, but he does fit Houston's defense. He represented value in the 4th round.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: B

Bottom Line: The Texans added a key pass rusher (Whitney Mercilus) to their defense and that is always a positive. They also added to their offensive line depth with the selections of Brandon Brooks and Ben Jones. The Jared Crick pick was likely the team's best from a value standpoint. He joins a young and talented front seven. The only question regarding Houston's draft was did they find receiver help for Andre Johnson? DeVier Posey was a key pick near the top of the 3rd round. Posey has to prove to his quarterback that he can consistently be in the right spot and relied upon.

Houston Texans' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Baltimore Ravens' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

2nd Round (#35) OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

2nd Round (#60) OT Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

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3rd Round (#84) RB Bernard Pierce, Temple

4th Round (#98) G Gino Gradkowski, Delaware

4th Round (#130) FS Christian Thompson, South Carolina State

5th Round (#169) CB Asa Jackson, Cal-Poly

6th Round (#198) WR Tommy Streeter, Miami

7th Round (#236) DE Deangelo Tyson, Georgia

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Courtney Upshaw: The Ravens were able to add a 4th round draft choice by moving down six spots in a trade with Minnesota. Baltimore then selected Upshaw with the high 2nd round selection. Upshaw's lack of top athleticism did cost him a 1st round selection. However, the former Alabama defender is tough, physical and should fit in well with Baltimore. The team has been searching for an outside linebacker who can rush the quarterback to pair with Terrell Suggs for some time. Jarret Johnson (a better run stuffer than pass rusher) signed with San Diego. Paul Kruger has been average and Sergio Kindle may never recover fully from a fractured skull sustained in 2010. Upshaw plays the run well and with experience can be a decent pass rusher as well. Baltimore had to have been pleased to add Courtney Upshaw to their defense in the 2nd round.

Kelechi Osemele: This is another excellent fit for the Ravens. Ben Grubbs left via free agency for the Saints. Baltimore wants to run the ball with their best offensive player, Ray Rice. Osemele does not have the quickness to play offensive tackle in the NFL. However, his tremendous size and power are what Baltimore is looking for in a guard. Osemele is no Ben Grubbs at this point. He has to improve his technique and play tougher. The Ravens add a guard with excellent potential, but it may take him some time to reach it.

Bernard Pierce: The retirement of Ricky Williams led the Ravens to find a complement to Ray Rice. Pierce is a good-sized back (6' and 220 lbs) who can be a physical runner. His job will be to give Rice a breather. Pierce will have to improve his ball security and earn his coaches' trust. Lamar Miller has a superior burst to Pierce, but Baltimore was looking for a bigger and more physical back. Robert Turbin has a similar skill-set to Pierce. Turbin catches the ball more naturally than Pierce does. The former Utah State back may have been the better selection and Baltimore would not have had to trade up to secure his services. Bernard Pierce was a decent selection, but time will tell whether he or Robert Turbin was the way to go.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: B

Bottom Line: The Ravens added two starters (Courtney Upshaw and Kelechi Osemele) in the near future. The rest of their draft consisted mostly of adding potential backups at running back, offensive line and the secondary. Gino Gradkowski is the most appealing of Baltimore's 3rd day draft choices. The former Delaware offensive lineman played guard and center. His football IQ and dedication give him a chance to develop into a starting center down the road with a lot of work.

Baltimore Ravens' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Atlanta Falcons' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

2nd Round (#55) C Peter Konz, Wisconsin

3rd Round (#91) OT Lamar Holmes, Southern Mississippi

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5th Round (#157) FB Bradie Ewing, Wisconsin

5th Round (#164) DE Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy

6th Round (#192) SS Charles Mitchell, Mississippi State

7th Round (#249) DT Travian Robertson, South Carolina

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Peter Konz: Todd McClure is 35-years-old and does not have many years of football left in his body. The Falcons resigned him for just one more season. Konz is a mobile technician who is Atlanta's future center. He can also play right guard until McClure's time in Atlanta is up. Konz was a solid choice for the Falcons.

Lamar Holmes: Holmes is a huge man, but is an average athlete with conditioning concerns. Atlanta was mediocre on the offensive line in 2011 and it made sense to address this area. Holmes is a bit of a project and the Falcons chose him over Bobby Massie. It will be interesting to see which of these two offensive tackles has the better NFL career.

Jonathan Massaquoi: The former Troy defensive end had a strong sophomore season rushing the quarterback. He played overweight last season and was not as productive. He can provide some depth at defensive end, but Massaquoi is mediocre defending the run. Massaquoi may provide some production as a situational pass rusher provided he gets into shape.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: C

Bottom Line: Atlanta did not have a 1st round draft choice due to the Julio Jones trade. The team tried to improve their offensive line and did find a likely long-term answer at center with Peter Konz. The Lamar Holmes selection was questionable as he has a long way to go from a conditioning and technique standpoint. Overall, the Falcons probably added one starter from this draft and remain a team that is unlikely to have playoff success.

Atlanta Falcons' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Jacksonville Jaguars' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

1st Round (#5) WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

2nd Round (#38) DE Andre Branch, Clemson

Nfl 2012

3rd Round (#70) P Bryan Anger, Cal

5th Round (#142) OLB Brandon Marshall, Nevada

6th Round (#176) CB Mike Harris, Florida State

7th Round (#228) DT Jeris Pendleton, Ashland

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Justin Blackmon: The wide receiver position has been problematic for the Jags since Jimmy Smith retired. Jacksonville made the right move and traded up a little bit (from #7 to #5 overall) to draft Justin Blackmon. The two-time Biltenikoff Award winner provides Blaine Gabbert with a potential quality lead receiver. Blackmon is a physical receiver who excels at catching slants, fades and gaining yards after the catch. His wide catching radius makes him very quarterback friendly. The selection of Blackmon not only fills a major need at wide receiver, but gives Gabbert a better chance to succeed after a poor rookie season. Blackmon was recently arrested for DUI and this has to be a concern for Jacksonville. However, there is nothing in Blackmon's background to indicate that he will be another Charles Rogers. Blackmon has to mature more, but in the end he should deliver on his promise and provide the Jags with a playmaker at receiver.

Andre Branch: The lack of a pass rush has also dogged the Jaguars for several years. Branch had a strong senior season, but it took him awhile to deliver at Clemson. He has a good outside pass rush and plays hard, but Branch will have to add variety to his pass rush moves. Jacksonville needed pass rush help, but Andre Branch may be just an average defensive end in the NFL.

Bryan Anger: The former Cal punter has a big leg and probably was the best punter in college football. Field position is important, but Jacksonville won 5 games last year and have many positions that require an upgrade more than at punter. Jacksonville's offensive line and secondary are far from top-notch yet the Jaguars passed on a number of prospects for a punter.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: C+

Bottom Line: Jacksonville is a bad team that needed a big draft to help turn the franchise around. They only had six selections and even spent a premium draft choice (a high 3rd rounder) on a punter. Are the Jaguars confident that they will be punting a lot in the future and Anger will be well utilized? How about improving a terrible offense so the punter stays on the sideline far more often? The Jaguars came out of this draft with one likely quality starter (Blackmon) and a potentially decent pass rusher (Branch). That is not enough for a team with so many needs.

Jacksonville Jaguars' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

Oakland Raiders Draft Analysis

The Oakland Raiders have been the butt of many jokes the past few seasons particularly after their last draft in 2009 and after a decade of incompetence on the football field. Known for taking too many risks in the draft and for drafting players merely based on their potential the Raiders changed course this year and probably had their best draft in ages by actually drafting players based on need and not potential. Raider fans have a lot to be excited about based on the Raiders 2010 draft which was their best in years if not decades!

The Oakland Raiders ended the 2009 season as football team that had all kinds of problems stopping the run as well as running the ball themselves. According to head coach Tom Cable the Raiders were to address the line of scrimmage from both sides of the ball. The plan, according to Cable, was to pick players that had years of experience starting in major college football programs as well as to fill positions of need along the line of scrimmage...

Nfl 2012

The Raiders began the draft by picking inside linebacker Rolando McClain out of Alabama. McClain is a run stuffer and started for Alabama for 3 years as well as called an NFL style defense while at Alabama under Nick Saban. McClain was the best middle linebacker coming out of college and is a great pick for the Raiders because he will help them stop the run which was a major weakness for the team last year.

With their second pick in the draft in the second round, the Raiders selected defensive tackle Lamarr Houston out of Texas. Like McClain, Houston started at Texas for 3 years and played against the best college football players in the country. Both players also played in the BCS National Championship game. Houston is known as an extremely quick run stopper with excellent pursuit along the line of scrimmage. For the second straight pick in the draft the Raiders drafted somebody that should help them against the run and somebody that should be able to step in and start immediately something that the Raiders desperately needed on the defensive side of the ball...

With their two first picks addressing the defense many Raider fans began to wonder if all the other weak areas of the team, particularly the offensive line, would be addressed and the Raiders responded admirably.

With their first pick in the third round the Raiders picked Jared Veldheer a mamoth 6'8", 312 lb. tackle from little known, division 2 college Hillsdale. According to coach Tom Cable, Veldheer should compete for the left tackle spot this year so it should be interesting to see how Veldheer makes the jump from a small college to the NFL.

With their first pick in the fourth round the Raiders picked Bruce Campbell, 6'6" 315 lbs, out of Maryland. A lot of experts saw Bruce Campbell as the first round pick for the Raiders because of his impressive physique and his performance at the NFL combine and because of their propensity in past years to pick players based purely on raw talent. For the Raiders to draft this guy in the fourth round was huge because he could potentially start for them at right guard along the offensive line this season.

Also in the fourth round the Raiders drafted a speedster out of Syracuse by the name of Jacoby Ford. Ford is a little guy but the Raiders plan to use him for returning kicks and punts next season which was another huge area of need for the Raiders - a decent return game on special teams.

But the biggest change the Raiders made on the NFL draft weekend was the trade for recently benched Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell. For the past few seasons the Raiders have started their number one pick in the 2007 draft JaMarcus Russell who has been nothing short of a huge bust - probably the biggest bust ever in the NFL.

Trading for an NFL caliber starting QB in Jason Campbell and giving up only a fourth round draft pick in the 2012 draft capped off a huge weekend for the Raiders and will surely be remembered by Raiders fans as the weekend the Oakland Raiders officially came back!

Oakland Raiders Draft Analysis

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