2013 NFL Mock Draft – 3rd Edition

The 2013 NFL Scouting Combine has passed, and several pro prospects impressed scouts, while others have created an uphill climb as the NFL Draft approaches.

Granted there are still Pro Days and individual workouts that will occur, but the first impressions made by players on scouts and coaches will be remembered by everyone when decision day comes.

So here is the third edition of the 2013 NFL Mock Draft.  This draft includes the first three rounds.  There still could be an added compensatory selection at the end of the third round.  The next edition will come closer to the draft, once teams have filled some of their needs through free agency.

As stated before, there is no obvious first overall pick in this draft.  This overall class is way down.  A team has just as good of luck of landing a super-star player in the fourth round, as they do in the first round.

The one big change in this third edition of the mock draft is moving West Virginia QB Geno Smith into the first round.  Southern Cal QB Matt Barkley’s injury concerns, and no real indication on an individual workout, makes it a little risky to pick him right now.  Barkley does go very early in the second round.

Just as a reminder, any similarities to other mock drafts are purely coincidental.  This is on my own research and guesses based on team needs to determine this mock draft.

First Round:

#1 – Kansas City Chiefs – T Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

#2 – Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State

#3 – Oakland Raiders – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

#4 – Philadelphia Eagles – T Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

#5 – Detroit Lions – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

#6 – Cleveland Browns – G Chance Warmack, Alabama

#7 – Arizona Cardinals – QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

#8 – Buffalo Bills – WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

#9 – New York Jets – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

#10 – Tennessee Titans – CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

#11 – San Diego Chargers – T Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

#12 – Miami Dolphins – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

#13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon

#14 – Carolina Panthers – DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

#15 – New Orleans Saints – OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

#16 – St. Louis Rams – FS Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

#17 – Pittsburgh Steelers – DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

#18 – Dallas Cowboys – G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

#19 – New York Giants – T D.J. Fluker, Alabama

#20 – Chicago Bears – ILB Kevin Minter, LSU

#21 – Cincinnati Bengals – DE Datone Jones, UCLA

#22 – St. Louis Rams (from Washington) – WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

#23 – Minnesota Vikings – WR Robert Woods, Southern California

#24 – Indianapolis Colts – CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

#25 – Seattle Seahawks – DT Kawann Short, Purdue

#26 – Green Bay Packers – RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama

#27 – Houston Texans – WR Keenan Allen, California

#28 – Denver Broncos – DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

#29 – New England Patriots – CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

#30 – Atlanta Falcons – DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

#31 – San Francisco 49ers – DT Jesse Williams, Alabama

#32 – Baltimore Ravens – ILB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

 

Second Round:

 

#33 (overall) – Jacksonville Jaguars – QB Matt Barkley, Southern Cal

 

#34 – San Francisco 49ers (from Chiefs) – SS Matt Elam, Florida

 

#35 – Philadelphia Eagles – OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

 

#36 – Detroit Lions – DE Sam Montgomery, LSU

 

#37 – Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

 

#38 – Arizona Cardinals – TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

 

Cleveland Browns – Forfeited pick due to making selection in 2012 Supplemental Draft

 

#39 – New York Jets – QB Mike Glennon, North Carolina State

 

#40 – Tennessee Titans – DE Alex Okafor, Texas

 

#41 – Buffalo Bills – QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

 

#42 – Miami Dolphins – T Kyle Long, Oregon

 

#43 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

 

#44 – Carolina Panthers – FS Eric Reid, LSU

 

New Orleans Saints – Pick forfeited due to bounty scandal

 

#45 – San Diego Chargers – CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

 

#46 – St. Louis Rams – OLB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

 

#47 – Dallas Cowboys – SS Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International

 

#48 – Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

 

#49 – New York Giants – CB David Amerson, North Carolina State

 

#50 – Chicago Bears – T Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

 

#51 – Washington Redskins – WR Terrance Williams, Baylor

 

#52 – Minnesota Vikings – DT John Jenkins, Georgia

 

#53 – Cincinnati Bengals – OLB Khaseem Green, Rutgers

 

#54 – Miami Dolphins (from Colts) – WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee

 

#55 – Green Bay Packers – C Barrett Jones, Alabama

 

#56 – Seattle Seahawks – WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

 

#57 – Houston Texans – T Menelik Watson, Florida State

 

#58 – Denver Broncos – CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

 

#59 – New England Patriots – DE Margus Hunt, Southern Methodist

 

#60 – Atlanta Falcons – RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina

 

#61 – San Francisco 49ers – OLB Sio Moore, Connecticut

 

#62 – Baltimore Ravens – T Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

 

Third Round:

 

#63 (overall) – Kansas City Chiefs – QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

 

#64 – Jacksonville Jaguars – CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State

 

#65 – Detroit Lions – FS Phillip Thomas, Fresno State

 

#66 – Oakland Raiders – DE Cornellius Carradine, Florida State

 

#67 – Philadelphia Eagles – C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

 

#68 – Cleveland Browns – OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

 

#69 – Arizona Cardinals – OLB Trevardo Williams, Connecticut

 

#70 – Tennessee Titans – G Larry Warford, Kentucky

 

#71 – Buffalo Bills – SS Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

 

#72 – New York Jets – WR Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

 

#73 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB EJ Manuel, Florida State

 

#74 – San Francisco 49ers (from Panthers) – CB Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

 

#75 – New Orleans Saints – CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

 

#76 – San Diego Chargers – TE Vance McDonald, Rice

 

#77 – Miami Dolphins – CB Logan Ryan, Rutgers

 

#78 – St. Louis Rams – T David Bakhtiari, Colorado

 

#79 – Pittsburgh Steelers – RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

 

#80 – Dallas Cowboys – DT Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State

 

#81 – New York Giants – OLB Sean Porter, Texas A&M

 

#82 – Miami Dolphins (from Bears) – TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

 

#83 – Minnesota Vikings – FS Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

 

#84 – Cincinnati Bengals – RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin

 

#85 – Washington Redskins – CB Dwayne Gratz, Connecticut

 

#86 – Indianapolis Colts – WR Aaron Dobson, Marshall

 

#87 – Seattle Seahawks – DE John Simon, Ohio State

 

#88 – Green Bay Packers – WR Ryan Swope, Texas A&M

 

#89 – Houston Texans – OLB DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina

 

#90 – Denver Broncos – RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

 

#91 – New England Patriots – DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

 

#92 – Atlanta Falcons – C Brian Schwenke, California

 

#93 – San Francisco 49ers – WR Marquise Goodwin, Texas

 

#94 – Baltimore Ravens – FS Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

 

2012-13 Bowl Game Picks

In past years, I have compared my picks to that of a coin flip.  This year, the coin won’t continue, but the picks will.

Overall, it was a great season picking games, and hopefully the bowl picks keep up the great work.

Last Week:  1-0  (1.000) [Navy beat Army]

Overall:  302-77 (.797)

Nevada vs. Arizona  (First bowl game of the year, should actually be a close one.)

Toledo vs. Utah State

BYU vs. San Diego State  (Essentially a home game for San Diego State.)

Central Florida vs. Ball State  (Essentially a home game for Central Florida.)

Louisiana-Lafayette vs. East Carolina  (Essentially a home game for Louisiana-Lafayette.)

Boise State vs. Washington

Southern Methodist vs. Fresno State  (June Jones gets a win in Hawaii, his old stomping grounds.)

Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky

Bowling Green vs. San Jose State

Duke vs. Cincinnati  (An upset special.)

UCLA vs. Baylor  (Essentially a home game for UCLA.)

Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Virginia Tech vs. Rutgers  (Virginia Tech tries to salvage an otherwise disappointing season.)

Texas Tech vs. Minnesota  (Essentially a home game for Texas Tech.)

Air Force vs. Rice

Syracuse vs. West Virginia  (Geno Smith has a great game in his final game.)

Navy vs. Arizona State

Oregon State vs. Texas  (Essentially a home game for Texas.)

TCU vs. Michigan State

North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt  (North Carolina State has been disappointing after the Florida State win.)

Georgia Tech vs. Southern California

Tulsa vs. Iowa State

Clemson vs. LSU  (Defense should win this game.)

Northwestern vs. Mississippi State  (Northwestern will lead for 3 1/2 quarters, only to lose late.)

Purdue vs. Oklahoma State

Michigan vs. South Carolina

Georgia vs. Nebraska

Wisconsin vs. Stanford  (Defense wins this game.)

Florida State vs. Northern Illinois  (Congratulations to Northern Illinois for making it to a BCS game, that will be about when the celebration ends.)

Florida vs. Louisville

Oregon vs. Kansas State  (The only other good BCS game match-up.)

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma

Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi

Kent State vs. Arkansas State

Notre Dame vs. Alabama  (Game has the potential to be one of the greatest in college football history.  Alabama just has a little more offense than the Fighting Irish.)

Keep track of all of the bowl game results here.

Bowl Predictions FINAL Edition (After 12/1)

Here they are, the final edition of the Bowl Predictions.  Tomorrow the final BCS standings will be released, and the bowl picks will be revealed.

Information is certainly going to be pouring in throughout tomorrow on leaked bowl picks, and I will try to keep the table and subsequent changes updated leading up to the selection show.

The complete list, and times of games, is listed here.

UPDATE #1 1:10 p.m.:  Pittsburgh is in to a bowl game.  Appears they are going to be allowed to play in a game, even with one of their 6 wins coming against different division.

UPDATE #2 1:50 p.m.:  Looks like ACC, Big Ten, and SEC bowls are close to being set, at least the bigger games, based on reports.  Remember, it is still VERY UNOFFICIAL.  On the NIU in the BCS front, I just don’t think it will happen

UPDATE #3 2:20 p.m.:  Rutgers has accepted bid to Russell Athletic Bowl (source) and Nebraska returns to the Capital One Bowl (source).

UPDATE #4 3:10 p.m.:  Cincinnati officially going to Belk Bowl and Michigan to the Outback Bowl.

UPDATE #5 3:40 p.m.:  The rest of the Big Ten bowl games appears to be set.

UPDATE #6 4:50 p.m.:  The BCS has busted, as reports are that Florida State and Northern Illinois will play in the Orange Bowl.  That changes everything.

UPDATE #7 5:40 p.m.:  It appears that SEC teams will be next to start announcing where they are going.  Georgia to Capital One, Mississippi State to Gator, and South Carolina to Outback.

UPDATE #8 6:10 p.m.:  No more specific updates, the bowl announcements should be coming quick now, as with the BCS figured out, it’s just about slotting teams at this point.  Will continue to update as information is released.

BOWL:	TEAMS:
Gildan New Mexico Bowl	Nevada	Arizona
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Utah State	Toledo
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	BYU	San Diego State
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl	Central Florida	Ball State
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	Louisiana-Lafayette	East Carolina
MAACO Las Vegas Bowl	Boise State	Washington
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl	Southern Methodist	Fresno State
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Central Michigan	Western Kentucky
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman	Bowling Green	San Jose State
Belk Bowl	Duke	Cincinnati
Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	UCLA	Baylor
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl	Ohio	Louisiana-Monroe
Russell Athletic Bowl	Virginia Tech	Rutgers
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl	Texas Tech	Minnesota
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force	Rice
New Era Pinstripe Bowl	Syracuse	West Virginia
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	Navy	Arizona State
Valero Alamo Bowl	Oregon State	Texas
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl	TCU	Michigan State
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl	Vanderbilt	North Carolina State
Hyundai Sun Bowl	Georgia Tech	Southern California
AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Tulsa	Iowa State
Chick-fil-A Bowl	Clemson	LSU
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl	Northwestern	Mississippi State
Heart of Dallas Bowl	Oklahoma State	Purdue
Outback Bowl	Michigan	South Carolina
Capital One Bowl	Georgia	Nebraska
Rose Bowl Game presented by Visio	Wisconsin	Stanford
Discover Orange Bowl	Florida State	Northern Illinois
Allstate Sugar Bowl	Florida	Louisville
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	Kansas State	Oregon
AT&T Cotton Bowl	Texas A&M	Oklahoma
BBVA Compass Bowl	Mississippi	Pittsburgh
GoDaddy.com Bowl	Kent State	Arkansas State
Discover BCS National Championship	Notre Dame	Alabama
Italics indicate team has already accepted bid.

Week 14 College Football Picks

It is championship week for some conferences, while others are playing the final week of games.  This week’s picks will include all games in the FBS.

The big game to watch will be the MAC Championship.  If Kent State wins, they will more than likely go to a BCS game.  The second biggest game, the SEC Championship, since this is a national semifinal to face Notre Dame for the National Championship.

Last Week:  17-8 (.680)

Overall:  286-73 (.797)

Louisville vs. Rutgers

#21 Northern Illinois vs. #17 Kent State

#16 UCLA vs. #8 Stanford (Stanford’s defense does it two weeks in a row against UCLA.)

UCF vs. Tulsa

#23 Oklahoma State vs. Baylor (Just a warning:  Baylor has played the upset card real well this season.)

#11 Oklahoma vs. TCU (Just a warning:  TCU has played the upset card real well this season.)

Nicholls State vs. #15 Oregon State

Kansas vs. West Virginia

Middle Tennessee vs. Arkansas State

Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Florida Atlantic

Cincinnati vs. Connecticut

#20 Boise State vs. Nevada

#2 Alabama vs. #3 Georgia (QB A.J. Murray just does not show up to play in the big games.)

New Mexico State vs. Texas State

Pittsburgh vs. South Florida

#13 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (Florida State does not deserve to go to any bowl if they lose this game.)

#18 Texas vs. #6 Kansas State

#12 Nebraska vs. Wisconsin (Nebraska does not deserve to go to any bowl if they lose this game.)

South Alabama vs. Hawaii (Slight home field advantage for Hawaii.)

Week 11 College Football Picks

An overall good week in Week 11.  A couple of upsets didn’t quite end up happening, but that’s the risk.

Don’t forget after checking out this week’s picks, to check out the 2012-13 Bowl Predictions.

Last Week:  20-6 (.769)

Overall:  225-53 (.809)

Ball State vs. #25 Toledo (This game is the reason these picks are coming Tuesday, as opposed to Wednesday or Thursday.)

#10 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (Any other year, you would consider calling the upset.)

#15 Texas A&M vs. #1 Alabama (If Alabama is going to get upset in the regular season, this will be the week.)

#2 Kansas State vs. TCU (If Kansas State is going to get upset in the regular season, this will be the week.)

#3 Oregon vs. California

#4 Notre Dame vs. Boston College

#5 Georgia vs. Auburn

Louisiana-Lafayette vs. #6 Florida

#21 Mississippi State vs. #7 LSU

Arkansas vs. #8 South Carolina (If this Arkansas team has QB Tyler Wilson playing well, a poor South Carolina secondary might make this a closer game.)

#9 Louisville vs. Syracuse

#11 Oregon State vs. #14 Stanford

Baylor vs. #12 Oklahoma

Maryland vs. #13 Clemson (It’s hard to think of an upset here when you are out of quarterbacks.)

Penn State vs. #16 Nebraska (Nebraska really needs this one to show they are legitimate, not just the class of the Big Ten because of Penn State and Ohio State having postseason bans.)

Iowa State vs. #17 Texas

#18 UCLA vs. Washington State

Arizona State vs. #19 USC

#20 Louisiana Tech vs. Texas State

Kansas vs. #22 Texas Tech

Army vs. #23 Rutgers

#24 Northwestern vs. Michigan

Miami (FL) vs. Virginia

Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina

Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State

Missouri vs. Tennessee

Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss

Week 8 College Football Picks

Not a bad week last week, much better than picking NFL games.  Just three losses, one was a shocker, one was a shocker in how poorly one team played, and another was a toss-up game.

Don’t forget after checking out the picks, to check out the 2012-13 College Football Bowl Projections.

Last Week:  20-3 (.870)

Overall:  167-34 (.831)

#3 Oregon vs. Arizona State (This one will be closer than people think)

#1 Alabama vs. Tennessee

#7 South Carolina vs. #2 Florida (I don’t think Florida is the 2nd-ranked team in the country)

#4 Kansas State vs. #13 West Virginia (Sorry, Kansas State, West Virginia has rebound on the mind after last week’s dismal performance.  A win by Kansas State puts them in the National Championship picture.)

BYU vs. #5 Notre Dame

#6 LSU vs. #18 Texas A&M (After benefiting from the home crowd against South Carolina, LSU finds out what it is like to play as a visitor at Tiger Stadium)

Utah vs. #8 Oregon State

Kansas vs. #9 Oklahoma

Colorado vs. #10 USC

#11 Georgia vs. Kentucky

Middle Tennessee vs. #12 Mississippi State (Though Georgia Tech isn’t as good as Mississippi State, remember that Middle Tennessee beat them earlier this year)

#14 Florida State vs. Miami (FL) (Could be an ACC Championship Game preview)

#15 Rutgers vs. Temple

South Florida vs. #16 Louisville

#17 Texas Tech vs. #23 TCU (Closer than people think)

Virginia Tech vs. #19 Clemson

#20 Stanford vs. California

#21 Cincinnati vs. Toledo

UNLV vs. #22 Boise State

#24 Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State

Baylor vs. #25 Texas

Wake Forest vs. Virginia

Boston College vs. Georgia Tech

North Carolina State vs. Maryland

North Carolina vs. Duke

Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

Rapid Fire Picks for October 29th

There was an issue with the site that these are normally posted on, so they will be here today.

NFL:

Last Week: 7-6
Overall: 69-33

Titans over Colts
Saints over Rams
Dolphins over Giants
Panthers over Vikings
Ravens over Cardinals
Texans over Jaguars
Bills over Redskins
Lions over Broncos
Patriots over Steelers
49ers over Browns
Seahawks over Bengals
Cowboys over Eagles
Chiefs over Chargers

College Football (Rankings based on BCS Standings):

Last Week: 18-7
Overall: 164-43

#3 Oklahoma State over Baylor
#5 Clemson over Georgia Tech
#6 Stanford over USC
#7 Oregon over Washington State
#9 Oklahoma over #8 Kansas State
#10 Arkansas over Vanderbilt
#14 Nebraska over #11 Michigan State
#12 Virginia Tech over Duke
#13 South Carolina over Tennessee…SC 23-16
#15 Wisconsin over Ohio State
#16 Texas A&M over Missouri
#18 Michigan over Purdue
#19 Penn State over Illinois
#20 Texas Tech over Iowa State
#21 Arizona State over Colorado
Florida over #22 Georgia
#23 Auburn over Ole Miss
#24 Texas over Kansas
#25 West Virginia over Rutgers

ACC:

Florida State over North Carolina State
Maryland over Boston College
Wake Forest over North Carolina

SEC:

Kentucky over Mississippi State

Other Games:

Notre Dame over Navy

Fundraiser:
Remember that WUSC’s fall fundraiser runs through November 3rd. To donate, click on “Support” at the top of the page or call the station at (803) 576-WUSC or online at wusc.sc.edu

Show Correction:
During the show, I kept saying that Texas hasn’t lost back-to-back games since August. That was the Texas Rangers, not the Texas Longhorns football team.

Have a Happy Halloween!!

Clemson Takes Spotlight from South Carolina

If you have not seen the Clemson Tigers this season, here is what you have missed.

They’re good.  They’re really good.  They’re great.

They are also fifth in the most recent BCS Standings and have a legitimate shot of going to a BCS game, if not the National Championship.

Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be the script for the South Carolina Gamecocks?  Wasn’t this supposed to be the Gamecocks’ year?

While the Gamecocks had their run at an undefeated season broken up against Auburn, the Tigers are quietly undefeated and have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

They now have a Heisman Trophy candidate in Tajh Boyd and the most exciting freshman in the country in Sammy Watkins.

This is from a team that many people thought might make it to a bowl game and end up spending the offseason looking for a new coach.

Now, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney is known as the guy who gets too excited in post-game interviews.

Instead, the Tigers are suddenly two tough games (Georgia Tech and South Carolina) and a potential ACC Championship game berth away from re-kindling the magic from the 1981 season.

They upset both Virginia Tech and Florida State, and pulled out a miraculous comeback against Maryland to get in this position.

For a team that everybody wrote off earlier in the season, they are for real.

They have enjoyed being outside of the spotlight with all that has gone on at South Carolina, whether it was Stephen Garcia being kicked off the football team or Marcus Lattimore’s season-ending knee injury.

The Tigers might be the best team nobody is talking about.

And for Clemson fans and Clemson haters, they are young and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Author’s Note:  Yes, I know this show and website is from the University of South Carolina.  However, sometimes there are situations where a hated rival has to be given credit where its due.  This column was in no way, shape, or form trying to slight one school or the other, just pointing out a really good team.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Preview/Pick: South Carolina vs. Florida State

ATLANTA, GA. — Of the 35 different bowl games this year, the Chick-Fil-A Bowl between #19 South Carolina and #23 Florida State is likely the one game that is so evenly matched, that it is near impossible to pick a winner.

Florida State and South Carolina both lost in their respective conference championship games, both have had great games, and both have had disasters.

Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher is in his first year, replacing the legendary Bobby Bowden, leading the Seminoles to the ACC Conference Championship game, where they lost to Virginia Tech.

South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier seems to have the Gamecocks’ program on track, getting the team to its first SEC Championship Game, with an embarrassing loss to Auburn.

Looking ahead to this game, Jimbo Fisher said in his press conference on Thursday that senior Quarterback Christian Ponder would be ready to play.  Fisher has not decided whether Ponder or E.J. Manuel would get the start, but that both would play.

The only injury for South Carolina would be OG Garrett Chisolm, who re-aggravated a knee injury earlier in the week.  Terrence Campbell will get the start, but expect to see Jarriel King play as well.

The difference in this game will be the defense.  Will South Carolina finally figure out the defensive secondary that has plagued them the second half of the season?  Will South Carolina be able to establish an offense against a historically tough Florida State defense?

While Spurrier downplays a difference between Ponder and Manuel, there is a small difference.  Manuel has more of an ability to get out of the pocket, while Ponder can beat you with his arm.  According to Spurrier, South Carolina’s coaches say that Ponder and Manuel are more similar rather than different.

On paper, these teams are very similar in offensive and defensive categories.  As previously mentioned, each team has had its highs and its lows, and each made it to their Conference Championship game by being in mediocre divisions.

In the end, SEC prevails.  The speed of the SEC will off-set the balance of the ACC.  However, this game could easily go either way, and expect a back and forth affair.

South Carolina wins the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, 24-23.

Section 26 Sports Final Mock Draft

So here it is folks.  This is the final NFL mock draft of the year.  This mock draft is full of interesting draft picks that you may not see anywhere else.

And keep in mind I don’t do trades in my mocks.  They get way too complicated and are impossible to predict.   I could easily see some teams, especially Detroit trading down, and some others, especially Oakland or Cleveland trading up at some point.

Round One
1. St Louis – Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma – They obviously need a franchise QB and Bradford is tops in the draft class.
2. Detroit – Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska – I could easily see a trade down here. Detroit has holes to fill as positions with depth in the draft (RB, OT, DT). However, because I don’t do trades, they take Suh.
3. Tampa Bay – Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma – Defensive line help is the biggest need for Tampa and they get an elite DT.
4. Washington – Russell Okung OT Oklahoma St – Chris Samuels retired and Washington got their QB in McNabb. Step 2 is the franchise LT, Okung.
5. Kansas City – Trent Williams OT Oklahoma – Kansas City could go in quite a few directions here, but if they’re smart they’ll go with the offensive line. Branden Albert faded quickly last season and they need someone to fill in and protect Cassel.
6. Seattle – Bryan Bulaga OT Iowa – With Seattle’s two first round picks, they will try to bolster the trenches. It seems sure one of the top two DE’s should drop to them later so they take Bulaga here.
7. Cleveland – Eric Berry FS Tennessee – It is amazing Berry fell this far and Cleveland should be thrilled. They fill a need with one of the top players in the draft. Berry will also help in the return game which would assist Cribbs moving to WR permanently.
8. Oakland – Bruce Campbell OT Maryland – This is a HUGE reach. Campbell is not a top player, but he’s very athletic for a tackle and, well, this is Al Davis after all.
9. Buffalo – Anthony Davis OT Rutgers – Buffalo has one of the worst offensive lines in the league so they desperately need to address it. With a line that bad, it doesn’t matter who is at QB. Anthony Davis is a bull when run blocking and Buffalo will have to rely on their run game, as they have no pass game. This seems a natural pick.
10. Jacksonville – Derrick Morgan DE Georgia Tech – Morgan is the best pass rushing DE in the draft and he will go to the worst pass rushing team in the NFL, Jacksonville. Jacksonville did sign Aaron Kampman, but that won’t be enough. This will give youth and fire to the weak defensive line.
11. Denver (from Chicago) – Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma St – As expected, Brandon Marshall is gone. We also found out that Tony Scheffler is going to Detroit. Eddie Royal is a good WR, but not a number one option. They need an elite receiver and Bryant is the best in the class.
12. Miami – Dan Williams DT Tennessee – Miami has a few needs but nose tackle is a glaring one. However, if they do trade Ronnie Brown, CJ Spiller could jump up to this pick for Miami.
13. San Francisco – Joe Haden CB Florida – Haden does not fill their strongest needs, offensive line and quarterback, but he’s the best player available and the 49ers have two first round picks. He’s worth the pick here as a top notch player.
14. Seattle (from Denver) – Jason Pierre-Paul DE S Florida – As stated before, Seattle has to start from the inside out with the trenches. It’s time for the defensive line and Jason Pierre-Paul is the pick. He can play a 4-3 DE or a 3-4 rush LB. Here he’ll play at DE and rush the passer, which is his specialty.
15. NY Giants – Rolando McClain ILB Alabama – Antonio Pierce was a staple on the Giants defense, but his neck injuries led to his release. The Giants need to retool and the best place to start is at MLB. However, if they trade Osi Umenyiora they could draft a DE here, possible Carlos Dunlap.
16. Tennessee – Kyle Wilson CB Boise St – The could go defensive line, but I really think they need to go with a CB here. Wilson is a physical back and fits well with Tennessee’s philosophy.
17. San Francisco (from Carolina) – Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame – Some say Clausen would never fall this far, but I really don’t like his future. He has an attitude issue and a slow deliver at times. However, the 49ers need a QB and Clausen has potential.
18. Pittsburgh – Devin McCourty CB Rutgers – The current CB’s on the Steelers’ roster are weak and can’t get it done. McCourty is an underrated CB that will fit well with the Steelers’ defense.
19. Atlanta – Carlos Dunlap DE Florida – Jamaal Anderson is a bust, we all know that now. It’s time to get a young pass rusher to play opposite John Abraham. Dunlap is a big pass rusher with the size and speed to start immediately. He does however have motivation problems at times.
20. Houston – Earl Thomas FS Texas – Houston will need to fill a big need at both safety positions as well as replace CB Dunta Robinson. Here they will go with Thomas who will fall further than his talent level represents. The bottom line is that this is a steal for Houston.
21. Cincinnati – Taylor Mays SS USC – Simply put, Cincinnati needs safety help and they love the USC products. Mays will fit in very well.
22. New England – Sergio Kindle OLB Texas – The Patriots need to fill a pass rushing void and Kindle would work well as a top-level 3-4 pass rusher.
23. Green Bay – CJ Spiller RB Clemson – This is the surprise pick of the draft. Green Bay doesn’t have too strong of a need at RB and Spiller may not fall this far. However, I see him dropping for various reasons, including his horribly low Wonderlic score. Green Bay will fill two secondary needs, backup RB and return specialist.
24. Philadelphia – Kareem Jackson CB Alabama – With Sheldon Brown gone, the Eagles will need a CB opposite Asante Samuel. Jackson is a great talent and will fit very well with the fast, athletic ideals of the Eagles defense.
25. Baltimore – Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma – Todd Heap has been invisible for Baltimore lately. They need another pass catcher for Flacco. They picked up Boldin and re-signed Derrick Mason. Here they will get their much needed TE.
26. Arizona – Brandon Graham DE Michigan – Graham is an underrated pass rusher. He will be one of the better 3-4 rush LB’s in this year’s draft. Arizona needs a pass rush. The signing of Joey Porter helps, but he’s already in trouble. They need youth at the position.
27. Dallas – Mike Iupati OG Idaho – Flozell Adams is gone from the offensive line and Dallas was relatively weak at guard last season. Iupati is the next Steve Hutchinson. Dallas gets a great one here.
28. San Diego – Ryan Mathews RB Fresno St – Mathews is the most complete and NFL-ready RB in this draft. San Diego needs to replace Tomlinson and Mathews is the best guy to get it done.
29. NY Jets – Jerry Hughes OLB TCU – Pass rush is a strong need for the Jets, along with FS. Here they get another one of those top-level 3-4 OLB’s. Hughes will come in ready to get some sacks. Even if they do sign Jason Taylor, Hughes is still the pick here.
30. Minnesota – Patrick Robinson CB Florida St – Injuries at CB hurt the Vikings late last year. Here they get Robinson, a great cover CB who can come in ready to start on a powerful Vikings defense.
31. Indianapolis – Brian Price DT UCLA – The Colts need to get depth and competition on their lines and Brian Price is a good start. He’ll compete from day one.
32. New Orleans – Sean Witherspoon LB Missouri – Witherspoon would have gone sooner if the Steelers had not signed Larry Foote or the Eagles had not traded for Ernie Sims. However, here we are. The Saints get a much needed defensive play-maker with the swagger to fit right in with New Orleans.

Round Two
1. St Louis – Everson Griffen DE USC – The Rams need more pass rush help and if they don’t trade for Osi Umenyiora, Griffen is a great pick here.
2. Detroit – Jahvid Best RB California – If the Lions trade for a RB, expect Penn St LB Novorro Bowman to be the pick here. However, they need more stability at RB and Best is a big play threat and elite return man.
3. Tampa Bay – Arrelious Benn WR Illinois – With Antonio Bryant in Cincinnati, Josh Freeman needs something resembling an offensive weapon. Benn is a good start.
4. Kansas City – Terrence Cody DT Alabama – Scott Pioli wants his “Vince Wilfork” and that’s what Cody is. He eats space at NT which is what the Chiefs need.
5. Philadelphia (From Washington) – Maurkice Poucey OL Florida – Interior offensive line is a need for Philadelphia. Pouncey falls a little far and the Eagles get a steal here.
6. Cleveland – Colt McCoy QB Texas – This is a little bit of a reach, but McCoy will fit with Cleveland well and could adapt into a very efficient QB.
7. Oakland – Linval Joseph DT E Carolina – This is another reach, but Joseph has the measurables to be an elite NT in the NFL in time. Joseph is 6’4″ 328 pounds, had 39 reps on the bench press and ran his 40-yard dash in less than 5.00.
8. San Diego – Cam Thomas DT N Carolina – Another NT off the board. Jamal Williams is in Denver so the Chargers need to replace him very quickly.
9. Buffalo – Ricky Sapp OLB Clemson – Buffalo still needs a lot and a pass rushing OLB in their new 3-4 defense is much needed.
10. Tampa Bay (From Chicago) – Donovan Warren CB Michigan – Aside from Aqib Talib, there is no Buccaneer CB with a future.
11. Denver (from Miami) – Jared Odrick DT Penn St – Odrick will be a great 3-4 DE and will fit in nicely next to newly acquired NT Jamal Williams.
12. New England (From Jacksonville) – Lamar Houston DT Texas – The same assessment from Odrick goes for Houston. The Patriots need to get younger up front and Houston will fit in nicely.
13. Denver – Vladmir Ducasse OG UMass – Denver is filling many needs in this draft and interior offensive line is just another one. Ducasse is underrated because he comes form UMass.
14. NY Giants – Geno Atkins DT Georgia – With Fred Robbins gone to the Rams, the Giants need a new DT quickly. Atkins will come in ready to make an impact. However, he is one of those players that could also easily slip to the third round. Luckily for him, DT is a league-wide need this year.
15. Carolina – Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati – Steve Smith wanted more speed at WR. Gilyard provides that, as well as return skills.
16. New England (From Tennessee) – Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech – It is time for Moroney to go away and Dwyer would be ready to play right away for the Patriots.
17. San Francisco – Charles Brown OT USC – The 49ers got their QB and an elite CB prospect. Here they get a big, smart tackle with great footwork.
18. Houston – Ben Tate RB Auburn – Houston needs RB depth and Tate is very underrated. He has a fair blend of speed and power. He will fit nicely with the Texans.
19. Kansas City (From Atlanta) – Kao Misi OLB Utah – Kansas City has their linemen and now need a good pass rusher. Misi is an underrated prospect that will fit in as a 3-4 OLB.
20. Pittsburgh – Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech – Thomas doesn’t run the best routes, but he’s got the physical tools most WR’s dream about. With Holmes traded to the Jets and Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El aging, the Steelers need a young possession receiver.
21. New England – Damien Williams WR USC – The WR corps in New England is aging. Luckily the Patriots have four picks in the first two rounds and can afford to use one on a WR. Williams has soft hands and runs smooth routes, exactly what you need in the Patriots’ offense.
22. Cincinnati – Aaron Hernandez TE Florida – The Bengals have gotten their WR’s and now need a pass-catching TE. Hernandez isn’t much for blocking but he’s an elite receiving threat at TE.
23. Philadelphia – Nate Allen FS S Florida – The Eagles need to upgrade at the safety position, Allen is a great talent.
24. Green Bay – Chris Cook DB Virginia – Cook can play both CB and FS, both of which are aging positions for the Packers.
25. Baltimore – Golden Tate WR Notre Dame – Baltimore is making an offensive overhaul early in the draft. Tate will be an amazing slot receiver inside of Boldin and Mason and his speed will match perfectly with Flacco’s strong arm.
26. Arizona – Kyle Galloway OT Iowa – Arizona needs depth and competition at LT and Galloway could come in ready to compete.
27. Dallas – Jordan Shipley WR Texas – This isn’t an obvious need for Dallas, but Shipley is a Texas man and a great return man. Patrick Crayton needs to stop returning punts. Shipley will be the new and improved Patrick Crayton.
28. Seattle – Dexter McCluster RB Mississippi – While not a typical NFL RB, McCluster does provide a firm change of pace for Seattle’s offense as well as versatility to play in the slot, in the Wildcat and in the return game.
29. NY Jets – Morgan Burnett FS Georgia Tech – Burnett simply fills the void left by Rhodes who left for Arizona. Keep in mind, Burnett is a high-risk/high-reward type player. Potentially a bust.
30. Minnesota – Chad Jones FS LSU – Chad Jones is a smart athlete, and solidifies the defensive secondary for Minnesota along with first round pick Patrick Robinson.
31. Indianapolis – Rodger Staffold OT Indiana – Staffold is a highly underrated OT in the draft. He’s not quite first round talent, but very close on some people’s boards. The Colts continue to help their lines.
32. New Orleans – Alex Carrington DE Arkansas St – The Saints partially addressed DE in the offseason, but Carrington will provide depth for a team that needs defensive line help.

There are some interesting picks, I know. I’m sure it won’t turn out just like this, but these would be interesting picks. I could see all of these happening, even though they may not.

And some other prospects that could fit into the second round in some way:
Corey Wooton DE Northwestern – He has the talent to go in the first round, but the lack of 4-3 DE needs drops his chances.
Brandon Spikes LB Florida – Spikes was originally seen as first round talent but ended up slow and out of shape.  He should fall to the late third round.
Brandon LaFell WR LSU – Depending on the type of WR a team is looking for, LaFell could go in the middle of the second round.
Navorro Bowman LB Penn St – I originally had Bowman to the Saints in the first round, but with Witherspoon falling to them, and the lack of a desire for 4-3 OLB’s dropped Bowman very far.
Daryl Washington LB TCU – Washington can play any LB position in a 4-3 or an inside LB in the 3-4 defense.  He’s very versatile on defense, but barely misses the cut.
Eric Norwood LB South Carolina – Norwood is no longer looked at strictly as a 3-4 OLB.  He has dropped weight and added mobility to increase his ability to play OLB in a 4-3.
Mike Johnson OG Alabama – Very few guards get taken in the first two rounds it seems and Johnson drops some because of that.