2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 201-250

Too Early To Matter 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

1 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250

201.  Brandon Morrow, SP TOR

202.  Cory Leubke, SP/RP SD

203.  Jason Motte, RP STL (remember he didn't have the job all year, wasn't dominant all the time)

204.  Kenley Jansen, RP LAD

205.  Melky Cabrera, OF SF

206.  Chris Perez, RP CLE

207.  Scott Baker, SP MIN

208.  Kyle Farnsworth, RP TB

209.  Brandon League, RP SEA

210.  Ryan Vogelsong, SP SF

211.  Sergio Santos, RP TOR

212.  Ike Davis, 1B NYM

213.  Brennan Bosch, OF DET

214.  Ian Desmond, SS WAS

215.  Mark Trumbo, 1B LAA (not worth much with the addition of Pujols)

216.  Russell Martin, C NYY

217.  Gavin Floyd, SP CHW

218.  Jeff Francoeur, OF KC

219.  Delmon Young, OF DET

220.  Pedro Alvarez, 3B PIT (potential steal)

221.  Aroldis Chapman, RP CIN

222.  Ben Revere, OF MIN

223.  Wilson Ramos, C WAS

224.  Carlos Quentin, OF SD (Petco will kill his power)

225.  Edwin Encarnaccion, 1B/3B TOR

226.  Alfonso Soriano, OF CHC

227.  Frank Francisco, RP TOR

228.  Kelly Johnson, 2B TOR

229.  Vance Worley, SP PHI

230.  Johnny Venters, RP ATL

231.  James Loney, 1B LAD

232.  Chipper Jones, 3B ATL (should be his final season)

233.  Bud Norris, SP HOU

234.  Clay Bucholz, SP BOS (Injury risk, but worth reaching for)

235.  Nyjer Morgan, OF MIL

236.  Matt Capps, RP MIN

237.  Homer Bailey, SP CIN

238.  Mitch Moreland, 1B/OF TEX

239.  Vladimir Guerrero, Free Agent (my guess is MIN)

240.  Mike Minor, SP ATL

241.  Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B CLE

242.  Alcides Escobar, SS KC

243.  Mike Adams, RP TEX

244.  J.P. Arencibia, C TOR

245.  Edwin Jackson, SP Free Agent (my guess is STL)

246.  Chris Sale, RP CHW

247.  Jim Johnson, RP BAL

248.  Ryan Dempster, SP CHC

249.  Mike Gonzalez, RP TEX

250.  Mike Carp, DH SEA

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 151 - 200

Too Early To Matter 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

1 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250

151.  Ubaldo Jimenez, SP CLE (remember when I was a 2nd rounder?  neither do i)

152.  Matt Joyce, OF TB

153.  Dee Gordon, SS LAD

154.  Alexei Ramirez, SS CHW

155.  Coco Crisp, OF OAK

156.  Carlos Lee, 1B/OF HOU

157.  Juan Pierre, OF CHW

158.  Jemile Weeks, 2B OAK (young sleeper, but don't reach)

159.  Logan Morrison, OF MIA

160.  Hiroki Kuroda, SP NYY

161.  Martin Prado, 3B/OF ATL (move up 10, 20 spots if has 2B eligibility)

162.  Danny Espinosa, 2B WAS

163.  Josh Johnson, SP MIA (he just can't stay healthy)

164.  Neil Walker, 2B PIT

165.  Jhonny Peralta, SS DET

166: Yunel Escobar, SS TOR

167.  Doug Fister, SP DET (arguably #2 after Verlander after arrival in DET, can reach on him)

168.  Jaime Garcia, SP STL (good reach candidate, as well)

169.  Carlos Marmol, RP CHC

170.  Angel Pagan, OF SF

171.  Johnny Damon, DH Free Agent (I'll guess BOS)

172.  Trevor Cahill, SP ARZ (be wary of recently parted with Oakland A's pitchers)

173.  Jair Jurrjens, SP ATL (best name in MLB?)

174.  Aaron Hill, 2B ARZ

175.  Justin Masterson, SP CLE

176.  Huston Street, RP SD

177.  Gaby Sanchez, 1B MIA

178.  Jhoulys Chacin, SP COL

179.  Daniel Bard, RP BOS (must draft him if you draft Bailey)

180.  Mike Moustakas, 3B KC

181.  Alexi Ogando, SP TEX

182.  Ivan Nova, SP NYY

183.  Kurt Suzuki, C OAK

184.  Colby Rasmus, OF TOR

185.  Josh Willingham, OF MIN

186.  Mike Trout, OF LAA

187.  Andre Ethier, OF LAD

188.  Joe Nathan, RP TEX

189.  Chase Headley, 3B SD

190.  Rafael Betancourt, RP COL

191.  Stephen Drew, SS ARZ

192.  Yadier Molina, C STL

193.  Derek Holland, SP TEX

194.  Colby Lewis, SP TEX (if he throws strikes, has no-hitter stuff, but doesn't throw enough strikes right now)

195.  Ricky Nolasco, SP MIA

196.  Carlos Pena, 1B Free Agent (I'll guess TB)

197.  Chad Billingsley, SP LAD

198.  David Freese, 3B STL

199.  Francisco Rodriguez, RP MIL

200.  Roy Oswalt, SP Free Agent (I'll guess BOS)

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 101-150

Too Early To Matter 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

1 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250

101.  Nick Swisher, OF NYY

102.  Michael Morse, 1B/OF WAS (move him up 30 spots if he still has C eligibility)

103.  Jason Heyward, OF ATL (too good to repeat last year)

104.  Brett Lawrie, 3B TOR (may shoot up my board with a good spring training)

105.  Mat Latos, SP CIN (went from pitcher-friendly Petco to hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark)

106.  Mark Reynolds, 1B/3B BAL

107.  Shin-Soo Choo, OF CLE (he couldn't be any worse than last year, has nowhere to go but up)

108.  Freddie Freeman, 1B ATL

109.  Shaun Marcum, SP MIL (can safely reach for him)

110.  Jose Valverde, RP DET

111.  Johnny Cueto, SP CIN

112.  Brandon Beachy, SP ATL

113.  Adam Lind, 1B TOR

114.  Michael Cuddyer, 1B/OF COL (potential sleeper in hitter-friendly Coors Field)

115.  Ryan Madson, RP CIN

116.  Jeremy Hellickson, SP TB

117.  Miguel Montero, C ARZ

118.  Carlos Beltran, OF STL (based only on faith that STL knows what they're doing)

119.  Ryan Howard, 1B PHI

120.  Yu Darvish, SP TEX (lets see if his rank exceeds the number of millions of dollars TEX spent on bringing him to town)

121.  Lance Berkman, 1B/OF STL (don't reach on him based on last year)

122.  Neftali Feliz, RP/SP TEX (beware of a closer that wants to be a starter)

123.  Gio Gonzalez, SP WAS

124.  Joel Hanrahan, RP PIT (personal favorite from last year)

125.  Jason Kipnis, 2B CLE

126.  Nick Markakis, OF BAL

127.  Tim Hudson, SP ATL

128.  Ervin Santana, SP LAA

129.  Chris Carpenter, SP STL (safe to reach for him, Wainwright is coming back)

130.  Adam Wainwright, SP STL (Cy Young talent, Tommy John injury)

131.  Anibal Sanchez, SP MIA

132.  J.J. Hardy, SS BAL

133.  Derek Jeter, SS NYY (I expect him to bat 9th in that order at some point this season)

134.  Jesus Montero, DH SEA (can move him up 10, 15 spots if he has C eligibility, but Safeco is a tough ballpark to rank him too highly)

135.  Max Scherzer, SP DET (safe to reach for him)

136.  Matt Garza, SP CHC

137.  Chris Young, OF ARZ

138.  Austin Jackson, OF DET

139.  Dustin Ackley, 2B SEA

140.  Alex Avila, C DET (will play fewer games without Victor Martinez platooning at C)

141.  Wandy Rodriguez, SP HOU

142.  Joakim Soria, RP KC

143.  Erick Aybar, SS LAA

144.  J.J. Putz, RP ARZ

145.  Paul Goldschmidt, 1B ARZ

146.  Peter Bourjos, OF LAA

147.  Ryan Roberts, 2B/3B ARZ

148.  Andrew Bailey, RP BOS (injury prone in a big baseball city for the first time)

149.  Jordan Walden, RP LAA

150.  Torii Hunter, OF LAA 

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 51-100

Too Early To Matter 2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

1 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250

51.  Alex Gordon, OF KC

52.  Paul Konerko, 1B CHW

53.  Zack Greinke, SP KC

54.  Carlos Santana, C/1B CLE

55.  Brian McCann, C ATL

56.  Mike Napoli, C/1B TEX

57.  Craig Kimbrel, RP ATL

58.  Brandon Phillips, 2B CIN

59.  Shane Victorino, OF PHI

60.  Ryan Braun, OF MIL (mind the 50-game gap due to suspension)

61.  Desmond Jennings, OF TB (one of the best young players in the game)

62.  Jimmy Rollins, SS PHI (I don't see huge numbers here, OPP player)

63.  Brett Gardner, OF NYY (this is the year Derek Jeter moves down in the order to make way)

64.  B.J. Upton, OF TB

65.  Drew Stubbs, OF CIN

66.  Rickie Weeks, 2B MIL

67.  Ian Kennedy, SP ARZ

68.  Tommy Hanson, SP ATL

69.  Eric Hosmer, 1B KC

70.  Ricky Romero, SP TOR

71.  Brian Wilson, RP SF

72.  Madison Bumgarner, SP SF

73.  Asdrubal Cabrera, SS CLE (don't go nuts drafting him early based off his one good year last year)

74.  Adam Jones, OF BAL

75.  Drew Storen, RP WAS

76.  Mariano Rivera, RP NYY

77.  Michael Young, 1B/3B TEX

78.  Corey Hart, OF MIL

79.  James Shields, SP TB

80.  Aramis Ramirez, 3B MIL

81.  Michael Pineda, SP NYY (another great trade for the Yankees and their AAAA farm team)

82.  Josh Beckett, SP BOS

83.  Daniel Hudson, SP ARZ

84.  C.J. Wilson, SP LAA

85.  Ben Zobrist, 2B/OF TB

86.  Pablo Sandoval, 3B SF

87.  Ichiro Suzuki, OF SEA (he's gotta slow down sometime, right?)

88.  Jayson Werth, OF WAS

89.  David Ortiz, DH BOS

90.  Billy Butler, DH KC

91.  Cameron Maybin, OF SD (ballpark may kill his numbers)

92.  Buster Posey, C SF (Remember Me?  I was awesome until I got injured)

93.  John Axford, RP MIL 

94.  Howard Kendrick, 2B/OF LAA

95.  Heath Bell, RP MIA

96.  Stephen Strasburg, SP WAS (take a flyer, potential is worth it)

97.  Joe Mauer, C MIN (please play me more at 1B so I play more than 100 games)

98.  Jordan Zimmermann, SP WAS

99.  Jonathan Papelbon, RP PHI

100.  Matt Wieters, C BAL

2012 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 1st Edition

Pitchers and catchers report in one short month from now, and already one key catcher is likely out for the season (Victor Martinez).  Also, the pitchers formerly known as Leo Nunez and Fausto Carmona don't really exist (false names and birth certificates).  Little league problems are all grown up now and have made it to the major leagues.  It seemed like only yesterday we were talking about the Danny Almonte's of the world.  Anyway, these are my first fantasy baseball rankings of the year.  Enjoy it and look for the sortable by position rankings up soon.

Too Early To Matter Top 250 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

1 - 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250

1. Albert Pujols, 1B LAA (Feels weird that he's not STL)
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B DET
3. Troy Tulowitzki, SS COL
4. Robinson Cano, 2B NYY
5. Matt Kemp, OF LAD
6. Jose Bautista, 3B/OF TOR
7. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF BOS
8. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B BOS
9. Joey Votto, 1B CIN
10. Roy Halladay, SP PHI
11. Justin Verlander, SP DET (Yes, he's the #2 ranked pitcher, get over it)
12. Hanley Ramirez, SS/3B MIA (will move to 3B to accomodate newly signed Jose Reyes)
13. Justin Upton, OF ARZ
14. Prince Fielder, 1B Free Agent (my guess will be Seattle)
15. Cliff Lee, SP PHI
16. Evan Longoria, 3B TB
17. Clayton Kershaw, SP LAD
18. Carlos Gonzalez, OF COL
19. Jered Weaver, SP LAA
20. Felix Hernandez, SP SEA
21. Tim Lincecum, SP SF
22. Dustin Pedroia, 2B BOS
23. Curtis Granderson, OF NYY
24. Mark Texeira, 1B NYY
25. Jose Reyes, SS MIA (On potential alone, He's an Other Person's Problem [OPP] player)
26. Adrian Beltre, 3B TEX
27. Andrew McCutchen, OF PIT
28. CC Sabathia, SP NYY
29. Mike Stanton, OF MIA
30. David Wright, 3B NYM
31. Elvis Andrus, SS TEX
32. David Price, SP TB
33. Josh Hamilton, OF TEX
34. Cole Hammels, SP PHI
35. Jon Lester, SP BOS
36. Hunter Pence, OF PHI (Reach for him if you have to)
37. Carl Crawford, OF BOS
38. Jay Bruce, OF CIN
39. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B WAS
40. Matt Holliday, OF STL
41. Dan Uggla, 2B ATL (took his sweet time adjusting in ATL, but was dynamite late last year)
42. Nelson Cruz, OF TEX (Only anticipate 150 games played, though)
43. Matt Cain, SP SF
44. Kevin Youkilis, 3B BOS
45. Yovani Gallardo, SP MIL
46. Michael Bourn, OF ATL
47. Starlin Castro, SS CHC (Best kept secret in baseball last year)
48. Ian Kinsler, 2B TEX
49. Chase Utley, 2B PHI
50. Alex Rodriguez, 3B NYY (Just don't know how to quit you)

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2, 1st Edition

2012 NFL Mock Draft Round 2:

1. St. Louis Rams: Mohamed Sanu, WR Rutgers.  Passed on Blackmon in the first, have to give Bradford another target.
2. Indianapolis Colts: Whitney Mercilus, DE Illinois.  Pass-rushing force in the Big 10.  Could be a one-year wonder, but Colts have to take that risk with Freeney getting older and Mathis being a free agent.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Adams, OT Ohio State.  Minnesota really needs OT help to protect Christian Ponder so he doesn't HAVE TO use his running abilities.
4.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nick Perry, DE Southern Cal.  Perry slid out of the first round due to lack of fit for most teams in the latter-half of the first round.  Tampa takes the best player on the board to improve what was a horrid defense.
5. Cleveland Browns: Chase Minnifield, CB Virginia.  Cleveland keeps this pick in the family for Chase's father, Frank, was a four-time pro bowler with the franchise in the 80s.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dwight Jones, WR North Carolina.  Jacksonville is no stranger to reaching for picks to fill holes, and this is just another example.
7. Washington Redskins: Zebrie Sanders, OT Florida State.  What's the point of drafting Robert Griffin III if you can't protect him?  Exactly.  Good pick here.
8. Carolina Panthers: Brandon Jenkins, DE Florida State.  Carolina needs to improve its defensive line desperately.  Took care of the run came with Still in the first, now they take aim at getting a pass rush with Jenkins.
9. Buffalo Bills: Peter Konz, C Wisconsin.  The Bills just invested a lot of money in Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Now it's time to protect him, even the miserable pass rush of the Patriots was effective against the Bills.  Good value getting Konz here, as well.
10. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M.  Miami missed out on the RGIII sweepstakes in the first round, drafts the second-best pocket QB in the draft.
11. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Foles, QB Arizona.  The Charlie Whitehurst experiment failed.  Time to think about the future at QB.
12. Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Allen, TE Clemson.  Patriots-Midwest looks at New England and sees the potential of having Allen and Tony Moeaki at TE tearing up opposing defenses in the middle of the field.
13. Dallas Cowboys: Robert Lester, S Alabama.  If lester declares, he will be one of the top FS in the draft.  Dallas really needs help in its secondary.  Drafting Jenkins in the first and Lester in the second goes a long way to address that.
14. Philadelphia Eagles: Lavonte David, OLB Nebraska.  Philly continues to improve its horrid linebacking core.  This time, they get some speed with David to match the intelligence of Kuelchy in the first round.
15. New York Jets: Brandon Washington, OG/OT Miami (FL).  Here's a summary of the Jets at right tackle: 11 Sacks allowed, 11 holding penalties.  Ouch.
16. New England Patriots (via Oakland): Stephon Gillmore, CB South Carolina.  The Patriots continue to stockpile young talent on defense.
17. San Diego Chargers: Coby Fleener, TE Stanford.  San Diego drafts some insurance for when (not if) Antonio Gates misses games next season.
18. Chicago Bears: Andrew Datko, OT Florida State.  Like quarterback Jay Cutler, Datko will be returning from injury this offseason.  Also like Cutler, Datko has first round talent, but unlike Cutler, will fall to the second round in the draft.
19. Philadelphia Eagles (via Arizona): Jared Crick, DT/DE Nebraska.  This pick will hinge on whether DeShaun Jackson returns.  If not, look for Nick Toon, the wide receiver from Wisconsin to go here.
20. Tennessee Titans: Jayron Hosley, CB Virginia Tech.  With Cortland Finnegan likely departing via free agency, Tennessee will need to draft a fill-in there.  Good value with this pick, as well.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lucas Nix, OG Pittsburgh.  Incumbent Bobbie Williams is A) 35 and B) a free agent.  Makes sense to add insurance/replacement.
22. Detroit Lions: Josh Robinson, CB Central Florida.  Finally, Detroit addresses its secondary in the draft.  Also, Robinson can help in special teams.
23. Atlanta Falcons: Ben Jones, C Georgia.  Incombant Todd McClure will be 35 and the Falcons don't have many gaping holes so some insurance at an important position is always a good idea.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sylvester Williams, NT North Carolina.  Williams may need to start sooner rather than later due to Casey Hampton's torn ACL he suffered in Pittsburgh's surprising loss to Denver.  Steelers must address this position early in the draft.  May even go after a DT in the first round.
25. Denver Broncos: LaMichael James, RB Oregon.  For any other team, this would be a reach, but this is the Tim Tebow led Broncos.  James is exactly the type of running back that would work perfectly with this offense.  Will also work well as a tandem with Willis McGahee if Brady Quinn plays.
26. New York Giants: Nate Potter, OT Boise State.  William Beattie hasn't done the job at right tackle and Potter could potentially start week one.
27. Houston Texans: Brian Quick, WR Appalachian State.  One of the best division II players around, but it's always difficult to place them.  Houston could definitely use a big, fast target to go opposite the oft-injured Andre Johnson.
28. San Francisco 49ers: Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB Oklahoma.  San Francisco addressed its biggest need in the first round at wide receiver with Kendall Wright, but he 49ers could use some help at the rush-linebacker spot, where Ahmad Brooks will be becoming a free agent, leaving Aldon Smith alone.  Until now.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Zeitler, OG Wisconsin.  With incombant Ben Grubbs likely asking for big money in free agency, the Ravens will need to do some retooling in the interior offensive line.  Zeitler fits the profile of what the Ravens need on offense with his mean style.
30. New Orleans Saints: Keenan Robinson, OLB Texas.  Robinson will give something the Saints don't have much of on defense: speed.  Robinson should run one of the better 40 yard-dash times for a linebacker at the combine and fits a need on the Saints defense.
31. New England Patriots: Reuben Randall, WR Louisiana State.  Good size, speed combo will force safeties to help corners on the sideline, which will create more matchup problems with tight ends Gonkowski and Hernandez.
32. Green Bay Packers: Trumaine Johnson, CB Montana.  Great size at 6'2" and low 4.5 40-yard dash time expected at the combine may skyrocket Johnson into the early first round, but any slip up at the combine should land him as the heir-apparent to Charles Woodson.

BACK to Round 1

2012 NFL Mock Draft: 1st Edition

Did your team not make the playoffs?  Don't worry, there's always hope that they will have an awesome draft and be relevant next year, just ask the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers.  Even though Southern Cal. and Oklahoma quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Landry Jones are staying for another season, there are plenty of other prizes in this year's draft.  I encourage comments, concerns, questions, etc. on my mock drafts so if you have anything to say please say it!  Let me preface this draft by saying that I believe that Robert Griffin will go at the #2 spot via a trade with Cleveland, Washington, and Miami most likely to move up and draft the Heisman award-winner.

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB Stanford.  The $28 million bonus owed to future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning may force the team to be different in this slot, but the player remains the same.  Luck can beat the opposition with both his arm and his legs, but most importantly, he can beat them with his brain.  Stanford calls three plays in the huddle and then, based on the defense, Luck chooses the final play.  There used to be an NFL team that did the same thing: oh yeah, it was the Colts with Peyton Manning.
2. St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil, OT Southern Cal.  Do I expect St. Louis to stay at this pick with Robert Griffin III on the board with teams like Miami and Washington fighting for the opportunity to draft this year's Heisman trophy winner?  No.  Throw in the regression of Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Matt Barkley's decision to stay at Southern Cal. for one more year and St. Louis suddenly finds itself in a position of leverage.  However, if the Rams stay at the #2 spot in the draft, they need to protect their $78 million quarterback in Sam Bradford whose three-step drop goes, "one, two, three, DUCK" because he is constantly getting hit/knocked down/sacked/injured.  Kalil has ideal size and athleticism to start right away in the NFL.  The most NFL-ready tackle since Jake Long in 2008
3.  Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne, CB Louisiana State.  Despite his counterpart Tyronn Mathieu getting all the attention with his Heisman nomination, Claiborne is the more complete NFL cornerback.  Minnesota ranked 21st in total defense and head coach Leslie Frazier, as a former defensive coordinator, will not tolerate that going forward.  If North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples has a good combine, he could be another option here as Jared Allen's counterpart on the defensive line.
4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB Alabama.  The Madden Curse continued this year with Peyton Hillis spitting the bit all year, this year.  Montario Hardestry couldn't stay healthy as a backup and Chris Ogbonnaya was awful.  With Hillis likely departing via free agency, Richardson makes a ton of sense to help support quarterback Colt McCoy and the Browns offense improve to an NFL level.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre' Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama.  I've been higher on Kirkpatrick than others because he passes my 'eye test.'  He always seems to make plays for Alabama's vaunted defense against both the pass and the run.  Kirkpatrick also will fill a void in Tampa's aging/troubled defense.  Aqib Talib's future is up in the air and Ronde Barber can't play forever, can he?  This won't be the flashiest pick, but it will be one of the more instantly beneficial.  
6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor.  Griffin will never make it to this pick, but if he does, the Redskins' time spent on the clock would total the amount of time it took commissioner Roger Goddell to walk to the podium and pronounce Robert Griffin III.  On a fantasy football sidenote, head coach Mike Shanahan will further frustrate fantasy owners with his newest running threat.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma St.  Blackmon brings the talent of Dez Bryant, a fellow Oklahoma St. prodigy receiver, but also brings and NFL-grade brain and work ethic.  Blackmon's 8 rec. 186 yard, 3 TD performance in the Fiesta Bowl (against Andrew Luck by the way) was herculean and inspired Oklahoma St. to come back and win the Fiesta Bowl in overtime.  Jacksonville's anonymous wide receiver corps desperately needs an upgrade for Blaine Gabbert to be even remotely successful.
8. Miami Dolphins: Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina.  One of the highest ceilings for defensive players in this draft.  He's not the most athletic player in this draft, but his size and speed combination on the defensive line make him a potential force opposite Cameron Wake on a pass rush and against the run.
9. Carolina Panthers: Devon Still, DT Penn State.  I apologize to Carolina for all of my doubts in Cam Newton.  With that being said, don't go crazy and draft a wide receiver here, there is no one of value (I'm referring to Michael Floyd from Notre Dame).  Improve that 28th ranked defense.  There's talent in the linebacking core with Jon Beason and James Anderson, but zero anywhere else on that defense.  Still was the MVP of Penn State's turmoil-filled season and showed that he could be versatile at the next level.
10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT Iowa.  Reiff has not played his best football yet, and that's the scary part.  He shows good movement for someone of his size, and needs to develop to become an elite left tackle, but could easily start for Buffalo on day one protecting their newest quarterback investment Ryan Fitzpatrick.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford.  I've had Martin ranked in my top five for a while, but he lacks the athleticism necessary for the NFL's elite pass rushers.  If that develops, then I can see him being back up in the top 5-10 range, but he is a good value for the Chiefs at the 11 spot.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina.  Seattle finished with a better record this year than the year previous, but did not make the playoffs (7-9 vs. 8-8).  Seattle is mediocre at everything so the best player available would be a good draft pick, and Perry represents that player here.
13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, OG Stanford.  Arizona paid a hefty price for Kevin Kolb and they need to keep him upright.  DeCastro is a versatile o-lineman who is a mauler in the run game.  He also shows the athleticism to keep up with the best pass rushers.  Also showed the ability to effectively pull and seek out linebackers in space.  Arizona could also look to improve their defensive backfield here, but protecting their investment in Kolb should take priority.  
14. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama.  Jenkins was a former University of Florida standout, but was dismissed from the team when Will Muschamp took over.  The cornerback was a man amongst boys playing for division II North Alabama under Terry Bowden, but that was to be expected.  If teams drafted on pure talent alone, Jenkins would be a top-5 pick, but above the shoulders he may be undraftable to certain teams.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuelchy, ILB Boston College.  Kuelchy is not the most athletic linebacker by any means, but the Eagles don't necessarily need that from their inside linebackers. Kuelchy is extremely intelligent and has superior instincts that led to his 191 tackles in 2011.  Could be an excellent quarterback of the Eagles defense.
16. New York Jets: Mark Barron, S Alabama.  Barron is a Rex Ryan dream come true at safety.  He can make plays moving up into the box in the run game, and dropping back and playing the point against the pass.  The Jets were weak, at best, at safety, and were scary-bad once Jim Leonard went down.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders): Alfonzo Dennard, CB Nebraska.  Cincinnati really felt the loss of Jonathan Joseph in pass defense and Dennard is the best available defensive back.  Dennard is sub-par vs. the run and was easily blocked by most wide receivers, but Cincinnati was solid against the run with its front seven and can afford to have an above average cover-corner on the outside.
18. San Diego Chargers: Vontaze Burfict, ILB Arizona State.  The Chargers first pick will depend on whether Vincent Jackson is retained.  If not, look for the Chargers to improve at wide receiver.  If Jackson stays, Burfict is a great athlete has has prototypical size and speed for a middle linebacker that the Chargers desperately need.  Burfict needs to develop some better instincts, but the Chargers have one of the best instinctual linebackers in Takeo Spikes who helped develop Patrick Willis in San Francisco and could show Burfict the ropes.
19. Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery, WR South Carolina.  Chicago has desperately needed a wide receiver for a while now and picking up scrubs like Roy Williams via free agency has not worked thus far.  Jeffery doesn't have the breakaway speed of a Justin Blackmon, but his size and athleticism should open up more space for the speedsters already on the Bears like Johnny Knox and Devin Hester.
20. Tennessee Titans: Andre Branch, DE Clemson.  Tennessee's defense wasn't bad last season, but it did rank 31st in sacks.  Branch is a great athlete with good size at defensive end (6'5", 265) who can flat out pass rush.  He is, however, a liability against the run, and would need a lot of coaching in that aspect of his game.  Branch is loaded with the dreaded 'p' word: potential.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller, RB Miami (FL).  With 29-year-old incumbent Cedric Benson approaching free agency, the Bengals need to find a potential replacement to go along with Bernard Scott at running back.  Miller declared as a redshirt sophomore due to the fact that the NFL draft advisory board thought he was a first round pick.  Although I am more skeptical than others, this could be a good fit for the Miami running back.
22. Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta): Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame.  Cleveland desperately needs to be able to create a threat of a vertical passing game in a division that contains the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals defenses.  Some consider Floyd to be the best all-around receiver in this draft given his route-running and speed combination.  The Browns have done well adding the best RB in the class and arguably the best WR in the first round. 
23. Detroit Lions: Cordy Glenn, OG/T Georgia.  Detroit will draft who they think is the best available player in the first round, regardless of need.  The Lions have ignored their perimeter defensive players despite a glaring need the past three season, and it won't change in the first round this season.  Glenn is one of the most versatile lineman in the draft, playing at nearly all five line positions with success at Georgia.  I guess it's never a bad idea to protect Matthew Stafford, who showed that when he plays a full season, he plays at an all-pro level.  Glenn will help Stafford play more complete season going forward.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kelechi Osemele, OG/T Iowa State.  The Steelers really wanted Glenn to fall one more spot, but will have to settle on Osemele.  He played tackle for the Cyclones, but will most likely end up being an interior lineman at the NFL level due to his lack of athleticism to keep up with elite speed on the edge.  He, however, displays a nice nastiness constantly driving defense ends to the ground, and putting linebackers on their backsides, which is something Pittsburgh loves to do.
25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy, DT Michigan State.  Worthy is a beast to move, and would fit well in Denver's system under John Fox.  Can be deployed as a NT in a 3-4 and demand a double team.  At 6'3" and 310 pounds, Worthy showed some ability to get to the quarterback for the Spartans, but did not show enough consistency to count it as a potential upside to his game.  Denver, however, already has two elite pass rushers in Von Miller and Elvis Dumerville and Worthy would allow them more one-on-one matchups on their way to opposing quarterbacks.
26.  New York Giants: Zach Brown, OLB North Carolina.  Brown is a track star at the linebacker position and will give the Giants another dimension on defense.  His ability to fly to the ball on running plays and his ability to back up and cover like a safety will be just what the doctor ordered to back up the elite pass-rushing defensive ends the Giants already possess, could be the steal of the first round.
27. Houston Texans: Dontari Poe, DT Memphis.  Poe hasn't even played his best football yet, and that's the scary part.  His talents are very raw, but defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has a track record of developing defensive players quickly and effectively (see J.J. Watt).  Poe has the highest ceiling of all the DT/NT's in the draft this  year, and the Texans may be able to get the most out him.
28. New England Patriots (via New Orleans): Courtney Upshaw, OLB Alabama.  Who better to take over a Nick Saban defensive player, than his mentor in Bill Belichek.  New England needs everything on defense, but a good pass rush can make up for some lapses in the secondary.  Upshaw is the best available pass rusher, and in future mock drafts will most likely be gone before this point.  But, for now, Upshaw lands in New England to play alongside Jerod Mayo.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, ILB Alabama.  Obviously, middle linebacker is not an immediate need for the Ravens with Ray Lewis being the lifeblood of the defense, but he will not be around forever.  Hightower has elite size and speed for the position and showed that he can be an effective run stopper as well as a guy who could drop back in pass coverage.  Hightower could not be happier with where he is heading.
30. San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Wright, WR Baylor.  Wright was the main beneficiary of RGIII's magic at Baylor, hauling in big play after big play.  He has track star abilities as far as speed, but struggles with tracking and adjusting to the ball when going deep.  San Francisco has showed that they can punch people in the mouth with its offense.  Wright will add another speed dimension outside that could open up more running lanes for Kendall Hunter and Frank Gore in the run game and vice versa.
31. New England Patriots: Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State.  Cox has something that Bill Belichek loves in his defensive players: versatility.  In four-man fronts, Cox can be a disruptive force as a DT, but can also slide to DE in a three-man front, and utilize his violent and active hands in stopping the run and eating up blockers.  Bottom line is that he is the best available on defense, and New England needs to start utilizing its picks on defensive players so that Tom Brady only needs to score 25 points/game instead of 30 to win.
32. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Thompson, DT Clemson.  Thompson may be better suited as a 4-3 DT, but Green Bay may take a risk on the one of the ACC's most disruptive interior forces.  Thompson never got many sacks (5 in his career) but that will not be necessary in Green Bay who have plenty of sack artists.  Thompson can, however, require a double team and open up space for the likes of Clay Matthews.

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