vikings/nfl
Mark Craig's mock draft
- Article by: Star Tribune
- Updated: April 25, 2012 - 11:29 PM
How many NFL mock drafts does it take before one's head explodes into a pile of draft-day clichés that sound like a mixture of Herm Edwards and Mel Kiper Jr.?
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How many NFL mock drafts does it take before one's head explodes into a pile of draft-day clichés that sound like a mixture of Herm Edwards and Mel Kiper Jr.?
We aren't sure, but here's another one. Read on at your head's expense.
Don't be surprised if you hear a loud bang followed by a three-day continuous loop of the following comments:
"He's a football player."
"He plays downhill."
"He plays well in space."
"He's a blue-collar guy."
"He's a blue-chipper."
"He's a lunch-pail guy."
"He's got tremendous upside."
"The game is won at the line of scrimmage."
"The game is won in the trenches."
"He was the best player available."
"He's a steal in this round."
"He's the complete package."
"He has all the tools."
"He brings a lot to the table."
And the best one of all ...
"He was the highest-rated player on our board."
1 COLTS
The pick: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Whaddaya know. Got one right.
2 REDSKINS
The pick: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
According to Google, 33,700,000 mock drafts just started 2-for-2. Now let the swings and misses begin.
3 VIKINGS
The pick: Matt Kalil, LT, Southern Cal
A good, solid blue-chip pick. But can he cover Brandon Marshall and Megatron?
4 BROWNS
The pick: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Cleveland passes on Ryan Tannehill, virtually guaranteeing him of a successful NFL career.
5 BUCCANEERS
The pick: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Bucs pull first shocker. With Morris Claiborne on the board, fans might go with "Boo!" instead of "Luke!"
6 RAMS
The pick: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
St. Louis gets three No. 1s and two No. 2s to move down from No. 2. And it still gets the player it wanted? That Christmas Eve victory at Washington keeps looking worse for the Vikings.
7 JAGUARS
The pick: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Jags need a receiver and a pass rusher, but Claiborne will be too good to pass at No. 7.
8 DOLPHINS
The pick: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
With Dan Marino set to turn 51 on Sept. 15, the Dolphins try to replace him. Again.
9 PANTHERS
The pick: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Carolina got its QB last year. Now its awful defense needs a guy to knock down the other teams' QBs.
10 BILLS
The pick: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
One of these millennia, the Bills are going to make the playoffs. They add a cover corner to their new pass rush.
11 CHIEFS
The pick: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Kansas City tends to go boring in the first round. So we'll give them the No. 1 guard here. Yawn.
12 SEAHAWKS
The pick: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Seattle needs a stronger presence in the middle and will pounce on the best defensive tackle in the draft.
13 CARDINALS
The pick: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Larry Fitzgerald is pushing for Michael Floyd here, but Arizona can't pass as Ingram falls to them.
14 COWBOYS
The pick: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
After boosting the cornerback position in free agency, Dallas lands the best safety higher than some expected.
15 EAGLES
The pick: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Defense is a possibility, but coach Andy Reid loves him some big fellas up front on offense.
16 JETS
The pick: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
Any son of Buddy Ryan can't live with the fact that last year's team leader in sacks had only six of them.
17 BENGALS
The pick: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
If there's one place that isn't concerned about character issues, it's Cincinnati, home of the red flag.
18 CHARGERS
The pick: Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
Not a household name, but he fits a 3-4 defense that needs to increase its pressure on QBs.
19 BEARS
The pick: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
How weird is it to say the Bears don't need a receiver or a quarterback? Time to rebuild the D.
20 TITANS
The pick: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Not happy with the pass rushers left on the board, Tennessee decides to replace Cortland Finnegan.
21 BENGALS
The pick: Courtney Upshaw, LB/DE, Alabama
Coach Marvin Lewis wants to focus on the defense, so third Crimson Tide defender gets the call.
22 BROWNS
The pick: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Cleveland adds another playmaker in hopes that it helps Colt McCoy end a long streak of QB failures.
23 LIONS
The pick: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
Detroit hasn't drafted this low in 20 years. Twenty. It took DE Robert Porcher No. 23 in 1992.
24 STEELERS
The pick: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
The O-line is patched together and the defense is old. Pittsburgh needs help for 35-year-old Casey Hampton.
25 BRONCOS
The pick: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
Andrew Luck gets Peyton's old job. Peyton gets Luck's old target.
26 TEXANS
The pick: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
With Mario Williams now in Buffalo, Houston needs a pass rusher.
27 PATRIOTS
The pick: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
The fifth Crimson Tide player taken has the versatility to be a strong defensive puzzle piece for Bill Belichick.
28 PACKERS
The pick: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Ted Thompson stays in the state to give Aaron Rodgers his center of the future beyond Jeff Saturday.
29 RAVENS
The pick: Mike Williams, OT, Ohio State
Baltimore's O-line needs tending to. With Konz off the board, they turn to LT Bryant McKinnie's heir apparent.
30 49ERS
The pick: Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern (Texas) State
With a strong and deep roster, the 49ers take a chance on a small-school player to help a pretty good O-line.
31 PATRIOTS
The pick: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
Vince Wilfork turns 31 this season. Adding Worthy and Hightower makes Pats stronger up the middle.
32 GIANTS
The pick: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
Super Bowl champs have the luxury to take a gamble on the 6-4, 215-pounder with the 4.36 speed.
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| Tampa Bay - LP: C. Archer | 1 | FINAL |
| Boston - WP: A. Aceves | 5 |
| NY Mets - WP: M. Harvey | 4 | FINAL |
| Atlanta - LP: A. Wood | 3 |
| Los Angeles | 0 | Postponed |
| NY Yankees | 0 |
| Washington - LP: R. Detwiler | 2 | FINAL |
| Philadelphia - WP: C. Lee | 4 |
| Kansas City - LP: K. Herrera | 3 | FINAL |
| Cleveland - WP: C. Allen | 4 |
| Colorado - LP: J. Francis | 3 | FINAL |
| Toronto - WP: E. Rogers | 8 |
| Baltimore - WP: Z. Britton | 5 | FINAL |
| Detroit - LP: J. Verlander | 2 |
| NY Mets - WP: Z. Wheeler | 6 | FINAL |
| Atlanta - LP: P. Maholm | 1 |
| Pittsburgh - WP: C. Morton | 4 | FINAL |
| Cincinnati - LP: M. Latos | 0 |
| Oakland - WP: J. Parker | 6 | FINAL |
| Texas - LP: Y. Darvish | 2 |
| Tampa Bay - LP: J. Peralta | 1 | FINAL |
| Boston - WP: A. Bailey | 3 |
| Chicago WSox - LP: R. Troncoso | 5 | FINAL |
| Minnesota - WP: J. Burton | 7 |
| Milwaukee - LP: A. Figaro | 1 | FINAL |
| Houston - WP: J. Lyles | 10 |
| Chicago Cubs - WP: J. Samardzija | 4 | FINAL |
| St. Louis - LP: A. Wainwright | 2 |
| Miami - LP: C. Qualls | 2 | FINAL |
| Arizona - WP: D. Hernandez | 3 |
| Seattle - WP: C. Furbush | 3 | FINAL |
| LA Angels - LP: G. Richards | 2 |
| San Diego - LP: D. Thayer | 4 | FINAL |
| San Francisco - WP: J. Machi | 5 |
| San Antonio | 100 | FINAL |
| Miami | 103 |
| Montreal | 6/20/13 6:00 PM |
| Toronto |
| Winnipeg | 6/20/13 6:00 PM |
| Hamilton |
| Calgary | 6/20/13 9:00 PM |
| Saskatchewan |
| Edmonton | 6/21/13 9:00 PM |
| Brt Columbia |
| Montreal | 6/27/13 8:00 PM |
| Winnipeg |
| Washington | 86 | FINAL |
| Seattle | 96 |
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| Date/Opponent | Time | W | L | Score |
| 2013 preseason | ||||
| Aug 9 - vs. Houston | 7 pm | |||
| Aug 16 - at Buffalo | 6 pm | |||
| Aug 25 - at San Francisco | 7 pm | |||
| Aug 29 - vs. Tennessee | 7 pm | |||
| 2013 regular season | ||||
| Sep 8 - at Detroit | Noon | |||
| Sep 15 - at Chicago | Noon | |||
| Sep 22 - vs. Cleveland | Noon | |||
| Sep 29 - vs. Pittsburgh (in London) | Noon | |||
| Oct 6 - Bye | ||||
| Oct 13 - vs. Carolina | Noon | |||
| Oct 21 - at. NY Giants | 7:40 pm | |||
| Oct 27 - vs. Green Bay | 7:30 pm | |||
| Nov 3 - at Dallas | Noon | |||
| Nov 7 - vs. Washington | 7:25 pm | |||
| Nov 17 - at Seattle | 3:25 pm | |||
| Nov. 24 - at Green Bay | Noon | |||
| Dec 1 - vs. Chicago | Noon | |||
| Dec 8 - at Baltimore | Noon | |||
| Dec 15 - vs. Philadelphia | Noon | |||
| Dec 22 - at Cincinnati | Noon | |||
| Dec 29 - vs. Detroit | Noon |
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