NFL Draft 2012

[whiteathlete33]

Yes! The Steelers draft a White lineman! Amazing.

We're up to 8 Whites out of the first 24 picks. Who else might go? Konz, Smith, Fleener. . . any other possibilities?

The Steelers last few drafts have basically been coal black. They did draft two white linemen, I think it was two or three years ago, and they were quickly cut. They were late round picks though. At least with DeCastro we know he's a superstar and will start.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

The Steelers last few drafts have basically been coal black. They did draft two white linemen, I think it was two or three years ago, and they were quickly cut. They were late round picks though. At least with DeCastro we know he's a superstar and will start.

They drafted G Kraig Urbik and C A.Q. Shipley. Urbik was never given a legitimate chance and was taken by Buffalo when the Steelers tried to put him on the PS prior to his second season. Of course he has been a starter for the Bills the past two years. Shipley was a 7th rounder, IIRC, and was never really a serious NFL prospect.

Leading up to the draft, I kept seeing the Steeler Nation DWFs talk about Poe or Hightower.

Poe is not a good football player. Period. After he was picked by KC, the ESPN chattering clowns said stuff like "he lacks vision" and "he's on the ground too much" but blamed his defects on coaching. Blah, blah, blah.


As for Hightower, if Tomlin had not refused to draft Sean Lee a couple of years ago, the need for an ILB with Farrior now retired would not be there.


My guess is that even the Steelers knew they couldn't pass on DeCastro when he fell to #24. Everyone could see from his career at Stanford what an elite OL prospect the man is and how much he will improve the Steelers' line play.

 

[FootballDad]

Poe is not a good football player. Period. After he was picked by KC, the ESPN chattering clowns said stuff like "he lacks vision" and "he's on the ground too much" but blamed his defects on coaching. Blah, blah, blah.

Like I mentioned in the Chiefs' thread, I believe that Poe will be a mega-colossal bust. Pioli is just looking for his space-eating Vince Wilfork NT, and figured at 6'6" 350# that this sumo will be the answer, even if he's terrible. Just think, the Chiefs could start Poe, Jackson, and Dorsey on the line on opening day! Opposing teams will be licking their chops.

 

[referendum]

A few thoughts about round one. Great to see 10 whites drafted of course. Also, where the white players went looks pretty good I think. In most cases they will actually be displacing black players when/if they become starters. Mclellin, Kueckly and Harrison all will. Concerning the Bears, Panthers and Steelers drafting white players, it seems to me that if we are ever to see a whiter league in general, the blacker teams are going to have to start moving up from the bottom and drafting white players, like happened yesterday. Would we rather that the Patriots drafted DeCastro, where he might dislodge a white starter, or go to Pittsburgh where he is more likely to dislodge a black starter?

 

[Deadlift]

Linebackers that I would like to see go no later than 3rd/4th round:

Audie Cole (NC STATE)
Tank Carder (TCU)
J.K. Schaffer (Cincinnati)
Joe Holland (Purdue)

 

[Truthteller]

Truthteller, great point about the lack of sumos drafted in the first round. I was surprised at it too and yes I think it is do to the COLOSSAL amount of sumo busts in the past 5 years. Even Tyron Smith was not enough to avoid the red-flaging sumos for (hopefully) some time.

I was quite honestly shocked by the amount of black DT/DEs drafted. 9 in all, in an widely admitted "weak" class. When 6 or 7 of them bust in the next few years while Watt and hopefully Wolfe and Crick succeed, hopefully this will usher in a wave of white DTs.

Woody, as I've noted before, I'm not much of a college football fan, so I can't comment too much on all these defensive lineman. But it does seem like NFL teams will pick any black defensive lineman with good "measureables" over white players with similar measurables and even better college stats. This happens year-after-after, without fail. So many black DE's and DT's have to be picked, as teams constantly have to replace the black busts from prior seasons, who were cleary "projects" right from the start. Jets are a perfect example: Several years back that traded everthing to move up and draft some overhyped scrub from Kentucky named Dwayne Robertson, expecting he'd be a franchise player. He wasn't even as good as veteran "overachievers" Rick Lyle and Shane Burton and was a much bigger bust than Mike Mamula ever should be considered. Then they drafted Gholston and he bombed at getting to the QB. Then they drafted a guy from Temple and, so far, he's been nothing special, so they were forced to go DE, once again.

For example, I was watching last night and Gruden said he was watching tape-after-tape of Dontari Poe against crappy Conference USA opponents and claimed he would almost never make impact plays in games against teenage guards and centers that are 6' 3", 260. In the NFL, Poe will be facing grown men (mostly white OC's and OG's) that are 6'3", 300 pounds and full of muscle. And many have a serious mean streak. Does a guy that couldn't "flash' against So. Miss. have any chance against Logan Mankins? If I'm not mistaken the Chiefs have used a whole bunch of high picks on DT's and 3-4 DE's the last ten years (Ryan Sims, the guys from LSU, ect.), but they are still fishing for a decent one?

Also, I was watching ESPN today and Christian Fauria noted North Carolina's coaches graded out the Jets first rounder as a "C" last year and questioned his effort and work ethic!!! That's a "C", as in "average"? And he went in round one with a "C", as his on-field grade in 2011? Hopefully he's the next Gholston and Mike Devito retains his job.

Seachickens first rounder from West Virginia has had a long history of arrests and off-field problems and was last arrested right before or after WVU's pro day. Nice timing, right? Didn't matter, he still went in round one. He makes Matt Jones look like Tebow (Mr. Clean). But unlike Jones, he can continue getting arrested a few times a year and it won't affect him too much.

Texans first rounder had two career sacks coming into last season, but then had a breakout year -- sounds like the Aaron Maybin story, once again. How did he workout in Buffalo? What happened to players having to "do it" for a few seasons to be considered that high? Actually, I'm glad the Texans picked him. We know they really couldn't get much whiter on defense, or there would've been a media/DWF backlash...but at least they didn't pick some overhyped, scrub receiver to replace Kevin Walter. That is something the media clearly has wanted and the DWF's don't seem to disagree.


Couple more quick notes:

I don't love the McCellin pick. I like that Chicago picked him in round one, but I would've preferred a 3-4 team for him...and a coach who wasn't such a "Hatie".

I, also, wanted to see Kuechly go elsewhere. Kansas City or even Buffalo would've been nicer. Kind of reminds when they drafted Dan Morgan that high...He was Pro-Caliber for a few years, until consussions took him down way too early.

As far as the white wide receivers, the mock I posted the other day had only Wylie being picked (and 249th overall). What needs to happen is one of those white slot guys needs to higher than expected (round 4?), so perhaps we'll have a nice run of white receivers going after that. I think at least 3 will be picked at some point -- Wylie, Coale and Pearcy. Hopefully Shoemaker, Ebert, the kid from Arizona and few others will sneak into the draft.

 

[dwid]

I like Chase Thomas, I thought he improved greatly from 2010 to 2011 but I am pretty sure he chose to go back for his senior year, if he did then that would work out great. He showed great potential but sometimes still struggled as far as strength. This was more of a problem in 2010, I remember Kyle Rudolph was man handling him by himself. Last year I saw more explosiveness, more strength, saw him take on double teams, not struggle with tight ends, didn't get tied up by linemen as much, there was still some inconsitency and room for improvement, would like to see him drop back a little more. I think one more year in college and he should be going high in the draft. I think he would have gone early this year but one more year and he keeps improving then he could get drafted even sooner. Has anyone seen Austin Johnson from Tennessee? I haven't seen too much of him but he looks like he has potential, I have been meaning to wach some more of his games. He didn't have a high tackle total but he had 4 interceptions last year as a linebacker. I wonder if he was mostly a player used in rotation.

 

[Don Wassall]

But it does seem like NFL teams will pick any black defensive lineman with good "measureables" over white players with similar measurables and even better college stats. This happens year-after-after, without fail. So many black DE's and DT's have to be picked, as teams constantly have to replace the black busts from prior seasons, who were cleary "projects" right from the start.

You hit the nail on the head there. The same is true of cornerback and wide receiver, two other "blacks only" positions with a huge percentage of busts drafted each year that are constantly replaced by more of the same. Same with running back, though it's diminished in importance and become a "committee" position due to the epidemic in recent years of injury prone black RBs, many of whom also lack proper durability and conditioning despite being paid millions of dollars.

 

[Budmademewizer]

I don't know if everyone already sees this, but the Browns were depressingly stupid this entire offseason and draft. When you think that they virtually wasted their 4th round pick to replace a player they let walk, and wasted their second pick to compete with a QB they didn't give weapons to, but they could have with the 4th pick, but they didn't so they also used the 21st pick on a QB to compete with the weaponless one, instead of giving him a weapon, but now they also don't have a weapon for the QB they just drafted, but if they had kept Hillis they could just have used both picks on weapons for the QB they have but ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Let me put it this way:
Option 1: McCoy and Hillis + Blackmon + Kendall Wright or OL for running game or DEF player.
Option 2: Richardson and Weeden.

Huge improvement right?

Glad to see them waste picks on cogs they already had for a winning football team,serves them right after the way Hillis was railroaded out of town.They could have spent those picks on Kalil and DeCastro and actually have a line that could block for a RB or QB and actually opened up the opportunities for Colt & Hillis to do something instead of having 2-3 defensive players in the backfield within a second of the snap.Blackmon or Wright + one of those two Olineman would have also given them a much better looking offense next year.

Looking at the Browns message board is almost depressing,Richardson is already as good as AP or LT according to 90% of their posters and a HUGE upgrade over Hillis while Weeden is the worst pick since their rebirth.:icon_rolleyes:

 

[Leonardfan]

DWID,

You are correct...Thomas did go back for his senior season. Should be a first rounder next year!

Really hoping to see Crick/Wolfe get drafted tonight.

 

[Riddlewire]

Might as well have some fun while waiting for the next round of dumb decisions.

Here are my 1st Rd "Draft Grades" for each pick (from the perspective of the teams):

1. Indianapolis: Andrew Luck - A+
The Colts needed a QB and they got the best one in college football.

2. Washington: Robert Griffin - A
The NFL will reshape the game and massage officiating styles in order to make Griffin successful. The league and their media partners have already invested too much in Griffin for him to fail. They will make sure he's a star, one way or another.

3. Cleveland: Trent Richardson - Hahahahaha

4. Minnesota: Matt Kalil - A+
Offensive tackles provide good value. Kalil is the best in the draft. The Vikings fill a need. A perfect selection.

5. Jacksonville: Justin Blackmon - C-
One spread WR isn't going to take the pressure off of Gabbert. Jacksonville has a lot of needs. Honestly, I think they would get a C- no matter who they picked here. Hopefully the new owner can fix their historical problems.

6. Dallas: Morris Claiborne - F-
Oh, sorry, that was his GPA.

7. Tampa Bay: Mark Barron - D
They need a new quarterback, not a safety. Improving the defense just gives the ball back to Josh Freeman more often. That's not a helpful thing.

8. Miami: Ryan Tannehill - B-
Tannehill should have gone one spot higher. Miami is a club that doesn't know what kind of football team it wants to be. Fortunately, Tannehill's arm and athleticism will rescue them frequently from a bad playbook.

9. Carolina: Luke Kuechly - A-
Assuming Rivera's Run'n'Shoot works for a second straight season, this was a correct pick. Carolina's defense was dumb last year. Kuechly instantly raises its IQ, and, therefore, its ability to stop opposing teams.

10. Buffalo: Stephon Gilmore - C
I admit to not knowing much of anything about Buffalo or their team needs. SEC players are overrated, so this pick gets a C by default.

11. Kansas City: Dontari Poe - D-
How often does drafting an unknown "combine surprise" player work? Almost never.

12. Philadelphia: Fletcher Cox - D
Defensive lines are like the American educational system. Throwing more money at teachers unions doesn't fix anything. The same goes for throwing more sumos onto a defense. All you're doing is increasing your catering costs.

13. Arizona: Michael Floyd - C
Same situation as Buffalo. I haven't watched the Cardinals play recently. Floyd has a lot of accumulated production in his career, although his "Deep Threat" ability is in doubt due to a poor yards/catch avg for a #1 outside guy.

14. St. Louis: Michael Brockers - D
The Rams were dead last in receiving yards and touchdowns last year. How does a slow lardass help Bradford? And analysts freely admit that Brockers is a poor pass rusher, so his only role is to occupy space for the run game. Not exactly a good way to force 3-and-outs.

15. Seattle: Bruce Irvin - F-
Irvin is an anglerfish. He can't stay out of the water for more than a few minutes. How can he possibly play football for the Seahawks?

16. NY Jets: Quinton Coples - F
An assault charge waiting to happen. Coples will be out of the league before his third season. Not exactly good value for a first round pick.

17. Cincinnati: Dre Kirkpatrick - C
Another example of a mediocre prospect being elevated for playing in the SEC. However, Dalton and the offense didn't have any dire needs, so this pick isn't a disaster.

18. San Diego: Melvin Ingram - D-
The most overrated defender in college football.

19. Chicago: Shea McClellin - B+
The Bears are very average all over the field. As long as a truly talented player like McClellin was taken, there were really no bad choices.

20. Tennessee: Kendall Wright - F+
Nowhere near as overhyped as Griffin, but still a mediocre player who benefitted from the brilliance of Art Briles. Wright will never get separation from NFL corners. A wasted pick by the Titans.

21. New England: Chandler Jones - F+
Jones wasn't even a particularly good college player. This is a diversity pick. There can't be any other explanation.

22. Cleveland: Brandon Weeden - F
I like Weeden a lot. I think he could be a successful starter in the NFL. Cleveland is a franchise in full collapse. No QB will be successful there. They should switch to the wishbone.

23. Detroit: Reilly Reiff - C
Only an average score because I didn't watch any Iowa football last year (still pretty pissed at Ferentz). Was this really a need for Detroit?

24. Pittsburgh: David DeCastro - A+
A team with a traditional power running game takes the best OG in the draft. Sounds like a A+ move to me.

25. New England: Dont'a Hightower - D-
Too limited. Not the type of player they claimed to need. Is he only going to come on the field for goal line stands?

26. Houston: Whitney Mercilus - F-
A complete fraud. One year wonder. Nick Fairley 2.0. The Texans didn't need him. A wasted pick.

27. Cincinnati: Kevin Zeitler - B-
Zeitler was underrated because the rest of the Wisconsin O-line was so good. This is a high value pick.

28. Green Bay: Nick Perry - B
The Packers had problems on D last year. I don't know this Perry fellow. His career production seems ok, but USC is full of above average players at every position. So maybe he benefitted from a defense that opposing teams couldn't fight through.

29. Minnesota: Harrison Smith - A-
An excellent choice for the Vikings. A top player at a position of need.

30. San Francisco: A.J. Jenkins - D+
Well, they claimed to need a receiving threat. So they get points for addressing that. But this guy was not considered a top prospect by anybody.

31. Tampa Bay: Doug Martin - B+
I have my own statistical method for evaluating runningbacks. Martin was actually 6th on that list among draft eligible backs. I'm happy with this pick because it likely initiates the end of LeGarrette Blount's career.

32. NY Giants: David Wilson - F
A waste for the Giants. They could pick up any RB much later in the draft with abilities equal to or greater than Wilson's.

 

[Jack Lambert]

I agree with those grades, Riddlewire.

I hope Coby Fleener goes to the Colts today!

 

[Freethinker]

Great analysis Riddlewire. Enjoyed reading that.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Luck has his favorite target again!!! Fleener goes to the Colts!

 

[Don Wassall]

Luck to Fleener! With Collie as hopefully the #2 WR and Tommy Z and Angerer on D, the Colts may still be worth rooting for this year.

 

[Jack Lambert]

DT Derek Wolfe goes to the Broncos with pick # 36!!

 

[Leonardfan]

Derek Wolfe!!! to denver..surprise there

 

[Jack Lambert]

Both Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden liked the Derek Wolfe selection, and both gave him some props.

 

[Don Wassall]

Nice! That's four White D players in the first 36 picks.

 

[Don Wassall]

Damn! All 5 o-linemen taken so far are White, to go with 4 defensive players!

 

[Jack Lambert]

Mitchell Schwartz just went to the Browns!! Another white player off the board already!

Surprise Surprise, draft analysts were wondering why some SEC sumo wasn't the pick at tackle...

 

[foobar75]

Damn! All 5 o-linemen taken so far are White, to go with 4 defensive players!

Nice! The White OL is back with a vengeance this year. I wonder what is prompting this unexpected development.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Who did Carolina just pick??

 

[Woody]

Wolfe will be a true inside DT, so his success will be very important towards the drafting of white DTs in the future.

I think we can't overstate how much the success of highly drafted white players determines the future opportunities of white players.

 

[dwid]

Who did Carolina just pick??

Some polysumo from Midwestern State.
Wright, AJ Jenkins and Brian Quick as the 3rd 4th and 5th receivers taken and I am supposed to believe that Shoemaker isn't a top guy?