2014 NFL Draft Mailbag
I received many e-mails and tweets about my 2014 NFL Mock Draft and the upcoming NFL Draft in general. To share the answers to the questions publicly, I decided to start up a mailbag column. Pass along your NFL draft questions and comments. I'll put together a mailbag periodically that answers questions/comments sent via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
6/2/13
From twitter Ryan Wittman, @ryanwittman0
"Fales in Rd 2? Also, If the Titans are drafting 10th again, I'd assume they'd look QB in Rd. 1."
I'm not sold on David Fales as a first-round pick yet. I need to see more of him as a senior before I move him up into Round 1. Fales completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 4,193 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. However those numbers don't tell the whole story as the first-year starter was dominating a rather weak level of competition. Fales' worst game of the season came against Stanford, his best opponent, when he completed 24-of-35 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown and interception.
Fales looks like he has a quality arm and some accuracy. His completion percentage is inflated by a short, quick-passing offense. While he isn't a dual-threat quarterback, he has some mobility to move in the pocket. Fales needs to improve his field vision as he has a tendency to stare down his primary option. Fales also has to make improvements in his foot work. He could be a little shorter than his listed measurements (6-3, 220) as well.
Let's see how the senior does this year when he rematches against Stanford. That looks the only tough defense he'll play during the regular season. Many were projecting Logan Thomas and Tyler Bray as first-rounders at this time last year, and look how that turned out. Thomas had a bad season and returned to Virginia Tech, while Bray went undrafted. Fales and Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron still have more to prove before I move them into the first round.
From twitter Craig Davis, @UK_Raiders
"A lot can happen between now and 2014. Who is a prospect off the radar who could end up a top 5 or 10 pick?"
That's a great question. This time of the year there are guys who look like potential first-rounders but end up being undrafted. Nobody knew about BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah at this point last year, and he ended up being a top-five pick.
Right now, my favorite under-the-radar prospect is Tennessee left tackle Antonio Richardson. He could easily turn into a first-round pick with a strong 2013 season. The Volunteers were able to move Dallas Thomas inside to guard last year because of Richardson. He did an impressive job of protecting Tyler Bray's blind side.
If Richardson plays well against South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, he could give his stock a real boost. Richardson held his own against the phenom in 2012. I bet Tennessee will let Richardson take on Clowney in some one-on-ones. If Richardson does well on those plays, it could be huge for his draft stock. The 6-foot-6, 332-pounder has good size for a left tackle with surprising quickness and agility. Not a lot of people project him as a first-rounder right now, but I think that could easily change later this fall.
A few other under-the-radar candidates to keep an eye on include Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk, South Florida defensive end Aaron Lynch, UCLA guard/tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and Florida outside linebacker Ron Powell.
From Connor Leenders, Auckland, New Zealand
"What sort of impact do you think the post-draft signings of OT Max Starks and DE Dwight Freeney will have for the Chargers? Also is there any chance that D.J Fluker could play LT down the road?"
I think Starks will have the biggest impact for the Chargers. In my opinion, he was undervalued by Pittsburgh throughout his career. San Diego's offensive line was horrific last year and I think Starks will have a real impact for Philip Rivers and the Chargers receivers. Starks is an upgrade at left tackle and could be a nice 1-year stop-gap while the team finds a permanent left tackle. It would be interesting if San Diego went back to Alabama to land Cyrus Kouandjio to be protect the blind side and reunite him with Fluker.
I think Fluker could turn into a good NFL right tackle or guard, but I don't see him becoming a left tackle. I saw Fluker beaten for a lot of sacks last year and it seemed like many analysts glossed over his struggles in pass protection. He was tremendous as a run-blocker however. Fluker shows glimpses, like when he handled LSU's Barkevious Mingo, but is inconsistent. I think after Fluker gets some good coaching, he could be a solid right tackle. If the speed-rusher problems continue, Fluker could be effective inside at guard.
I think Freeney is slowing down and I don't think he's going to contribute much. I would predict that Freeney will have five or six sacks, but won't be anything close to the pass-rusher he used to be. John Abraham has more left in the tank in my opinion, but his price was higher than Freeney's.
From Phil Jonek, Elmhurst, Illinois
"The pick of Kyle Long has gotten ripped in Chicago, but considering Gabe Carimi is going to get cut does that make the pick better? Also what could the Bears get for Carimi?"
I think the Bears reached for Long. They would have been better off taking linebacker Alec Ogletree in the first round and guard Larry Warford in the second round. Clearly, Phil Emery likes players with athletic potential and Long has flashed the skill set to turn into a good pro. I will say that I'm surprised he's not playing left guard considering that is the guard who needs to be more athletic for pulling, but Chicago could be taking its time with Long and plan to eventually move him to left guard in a year or two.
It does sound like Carimi could be on his way out of town. That does make the Long pick more understandable because there is one less option at guard/tackle. I'm not confident the Bears could get a quality pick for Carimi. He hasn't impressed thus far in his NFL career. I think Chicago's best shot would be to bring Carimi to training camp and see if a team becomes desperate for help because of injuries on the offensive line. The Bears could maybe luck out and land a mid-round pick if a team liked Carimi coming out of Wisconsin.
From Ryan Michel, Savannah, Georgia
"I see you have the Falcons picking 32. God I hope you're right, but do you think have enough talent on defense to win the Super Bowl?"
That's definitely the big question. I may currently have the Falcons at No. 32, but that isn't my final preseason prediction. I'll adjust my projections after getting a look at teams in training camp. Still, Atlanta is already on the short list.
Offensively, I think the Falcons are Super Bowl ready assuming their core players stay healthy. Steven Jackson could give the team's ground game a lift and add a missing dimension to the offense. I wonder if Atlanta had had Jackson last year, would it have been able to grind out a win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.
Defensively, I think Osi Umenyiora will replace John Abraham nicely. I think the Falcons should try and get Abraham back, but it doesn't look like they have the money to convince him to return. Still, I think they could get some pass rush out of Jonathan Massaquoi, Malliciah Goodman and Stansly Maponga. All three of those players had big seasons as pass-rushers in college. If Atlanta keep those players' roles simple and just use them to rush the quarterback, it could expedite their development.
In the secondary, I think first-round corner Desmond Trufant is ready to play as a rookie. Fortunately, the Falcons have a great safety tandem who can give him some help, but I like Trufant as a man corner. Mike Nolan is a good defensive coordinator who can disguise the rookie's weaknesses until he works them out.
I think it is all about the Falcons' defense getting hot heading into the postseason. The Colts had a bad defense in 2006, but they got hot in January, which was enough for them to win the Super Bowl with a great offense. Atlanta could follow that pattern and perhaps the organization's young defensive talents will be emerging as impact players in January.
From twitter Eric Westlund, @EricWestlund
"Still going Johnny (Manziel) that high, huh? The scouting community is starting to go the other way."
Well I'm not sure which scouts you're referring to, but the area scouts who I talk to haven't seriously started the 2014 process. They are mostly on vacation until August.
There are some directors of college scouting in the NFL who have already started watching 2014 players, but the area scouts who give players their round grade haven't started that process yet. Plus Manziel is an underclassman. Most area scouts just focus on the seniors and then go back and review the underclassmen once they've declared for the draft. It is way too early to make an estimation on how the scouting community feels about any 2014 prospect.
Once again send questions/comments via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag - June 2
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag - May 16
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - June 20
2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 18
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 17
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
6/2/13
From twitter Ryan Wittman, @ryanwittman0
"Fales in Rd 2? Also, If the Titans are drafting 10th again, I'd assume they'd look QB in Rd. 1."
I'm not sold on David Fales as a first-round pick yet. I need to see more of him as a senior before I move him up into Round 1. Fales completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 4,193 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. However those numbers don't tell the whole story as the first-year starter was dominating a rather weak level of competition. Fales' worst game of the season came against Stanford, his best opponent, when he completed 24-of-35 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown and interception.
Fales looks like he has a quality arm and some accuracy. His completion percentage is inflated by a short, quick-passing offense. While he isn't a dual-threat quarterback, he has some mobility to move in the pocket. Fales needs to improve his field vision as he has a tendency to stare down his primary option. Fales also has to make improvements in his foot work. He could be a little shorter than his listed measurements (6-3, 220) as well.
Let's see how the senior does this year when he rematches against Stanford. That looks the only tough defense he'll play during the regular season. Many were projecting Logan Thomas and Tyler Bray as first-rounders at this time last year, and look how that turned out. Thomas had a bad season and returned to Virginia Tech, while Bray went undrafted. Fales and Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron still have more to prove before I move them into the first round.
From twitter Craig Davis, @UK_Raiders
"A lot can happen between now and 2014. Who is a prospect off the radar who could end up a top 5 or 10 pick?"
That's a great question. This time of the year there are guys who look like potential first-rounders but end up being undrafted. Nobody knew about BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah at this point last year, and he ended up being a top-five pick.
Right now, my favorite under-the-radar prospect is Tennessee left tackle Antonio Richardson. He could easily turn into a first-round pick with a strong 2013 season. The Volunteers were able to move Dallas Thomas inside to guard last year because of Richardson. He did an impressive job of protecting Tyler Bray's blind side.
If Richardson plays well against South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, he could give his stock a real boost. Richardson held his own against the phenom in 2012. I bet Tennessee will let Richardson take on Clowney in some one-on-ones. If Richardson does well on those plays, it could be huge for his draft stock. The 6-foot-6, 332-pounder has good size for a left tackle with surprising quickness and agility. Not a lot of people project him as a first-rounder right now, but I think that could easily change later this fall.
A few other under-the-radar candidates to keep an eye on include Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk, South Florida defensive end Aaron Lynch, UCLA guard/tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and Florida outside linebacker Ron Powell.
From Connor Leenders, Auckland, New Zealand
"What sort of impact do you think the post-draft signings of OT Max Starks and DE Dwight Freeney will have for the Chargers? Also is there any chance that D.J Fluker could play LT down the road?"
I think Starks will have the biggest impact for the Chargers. In my opinion, he was undervalued by Pittsburgh throughout his career. San Diego's offensive line was horrific last year and I think Starks will have a real impact for Philip Rivers and the Chargers receivers. Starks is an upgrade at left tackle and could be a nice 1-year stop-gap while the team finds a permanent left tackle. It would be interesting if San Diego went back to Alabama to land Cyrus Kouandjio to be protect the blind side and reunite him with Fluker.
I think Fluker could turn into a good NFL right tackle or guard, but I don't see him becoming a left tackle. I saw Fluker beaten for a lot of sacks last year and it seemed like many analysts glossed over his struggles in pass protection. He was tremendous as a run-blocker however. Fluker shows glimpses, like when he handled LSU's Barkevious Mingo, but is inconsistent. I think after Fluker gets some good coaching, he could be a solid right tackle. If the speed-rusher problems continue, Fluker could be effective inside at guard.
I think Freeney is slowing down and I don't think he's going to contribute much. I would predict that Freeney will have five or six sacks, but won't be anything close to the pass-rusher he used to be. John Abraham has more left in the tank in my opinion, but his price was higher than Freeney's.
From Phil Jonek, Elmhurst, Illinois
"The pick of Kyle Long has gotten ripped in Chicago, but considering Gabe Carimi is going to get cut does that make the pick better? Also what could the Bears get for Carimi?"
I think the Bears reached for Long. They would have been better off taking linebacker Alec Ogletree in the first round and guard Larry Warford in the second round. Clearly, Phil Emery likes players with athletic potential and Long has flashed the skill set to turn into a good pro. I will say that I'm surprised he's not playing left guard considering that is the guard who needs to be more athletic for pulling, but Chicago could be taking its time with Long and plan to eventually move him to left guard in a year or two.
It does sound like Carimi could be on his way out of town. That does make the Long pick more understandable because there is one less option at guard/tackle. I'm not confident the Bears could get a quality pick for Carimi. He hasn't impressed thus far in his NFL career. I think Chicago's best shot would be to bring Carimi to training camp and see if a team becomes desperate for help because of injuries on the offensive line. The Bears could maybe luck out and land a mid-round pick if a team liked Carimi coming out of Wisconsin.
From Ryan Michel, Savannah, Georgia
"I see you have the Falcons picking 32. God I hope you're right, but do you think have enough talent on defense to win the Super Bowl?"
That's definitely the big question. I may currently have the Falcons at No. 32, but that isn't my final preseason prediction. I'll adjust my projections after getting a look at teams in training camp. Still, Atlanta is already on the short list.
Offensively, I think the Falcons are Super Bowl ready assuming their core players stay healthy. Steven Jackson could give the team's ground game a lift and add a missing dimension to the offense. I wonder if Atlanta had had Jackson last year, would it have been able to grind out a win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.
Defensively, I think Osi Umenyiora will replace John Abraham nicely. I think the Falcons should try and get Abraham back, but it doesn't look like they have the money to convince him to return. Still, I think they could get some pass rush out of Jonathan Massaquoi, Malliciah Goodman and Stansly Maponga. All three of those players had big seasons as pass-rushers in college. If Atlanta keep those players' roles simple and just use them to rush the quarterback, it could expedite their development.
In the secondary, I think first-round corner Desmond Trufant is ready to play as a rookie. Fortunately, the Falcons have a great safety tandem who can give him some help, but I like Trufant as a man corner. Mike Nolan is a good defensive coordinator who can disguise the rookie's weaknesses until he works them out.
I think it is all about the Falcons' defense getting hot heading into the postseason. The Colts had a bad defense in 2006, but they got hot in January, which was enough for them to win the Super Bowl with a great offense. Atlanta could follow that pattern and perhaps the organization's young defensive talents will be emerging as impact players in January.
From twitter Eric Westlund, @EricWestlund
"Still going Johnny (Manziel) that high, huh? The scouting community is starting to go the other way."
Well I'm not sure which scouts you're referring to, but the area scouts who I talk to haven't seriously started the 2014 process. They are mostly on vacation until August.
There are some directors of college scouting in the NFL who have already started watching 2014 players, but the area scouts who give players their round grade haven't started that process yet. Plus Manziel is an underclassman. Most area scouts just focus on the seniors and then go back and review the underclassmen once they've declared for the draft. It is way too early to make an estimation on how the scouting community feels about any 2014 prospect.
Once again send questions/comments via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag - June 2
2014 NFL Draft Mailbag - May 16
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come on dude
02-04-2013
09:48 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.158
(total posts: 1)
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The Browns didn't "botch" the RG3 situation. They offered both 2012 first rounders and their 2013 first rounder and were ready to throw in their 2012 second when the Rams accepted the Skins offer before the Browns could throw in that second rounder. The redskins offered a first from 2012, 2013, 2014 and threw in their 2012 second. Considering current draft picks are much more desirable than future picks, it's pretty clear that the Browns offer was the better one but Jeff Fisher took his buddy Shanahan's offer instead, screwing over the Browns. It's not former Brown's GM Tom Heckert's fault that Shanahan and Fisher have been friends for years.
seahawker
02-04-2013
02:48 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx2.66
(total posts: 1)
6
8
I hearing that the seahawk have 10 pick in the draft.I only see 8 pick.dose anybody know what the 2 are that are missing.
MarkB
01-18-2013
08:36 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.189
(total posts: 1)
320
136
Steelers defense top three? Someone's delusional. Football Outsiders scores every play, every game and adjusts for opponents, and they rated the Steelers defense #13 this year,down from #7 last year.
Jimbo
01-18-2013
10:21 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.227
(total posts: 5)
47
19
I hear you Russell Wilson haters. You're just jealous that your team passed him up.
Jimbo
01-18-2013
10:19 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.227
(total posts: 5)
6
6
With the 17th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Sam Montgomery, linebacker, LSU
Jimbo
01-17-2013
10:10 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.227
(total posts: 5)
27
6
Russell Wilson has the character, drive, intelligence, and accuracy to forge a long and successful NFL career. All Seattle has to do is get the man some receivers.
Jimbo
01-17-2013
10:07 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.227
(total posts: 5)
6
6
Good luck with the Chiefs trading that first overall pick. There isn't a single standout, transcendent player in this draft, including Jarvis Jones.
Jimbo
01-17-2013
10:03 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.227
(total posts: 5)
7
11
New Jets GM Rex Cryin' will trade his entire draft for Mingo and validate the move by calling him a "freakin' beast" and a "gosh darn good player." Then he'll say, "I'm tired. I'm gonna get myself a goddamn snack."
Dan
01-16-2013
10:15 am
xxx.xxx.xxx5.34
(total posts: 1)
73
8
Anyone with half a brain can tell Russell Wilson is the real deal. Just because you and all of your idiot peers agreed he wasn't worth an early pick doesn't make you all wrong.
Rookies that "fizzle out" later in their careers don't go cross country and lead their team on a game winning drive with 30 seconds remaining. That is clutch John Elway stuff that isn't going away.
Check out my mock draft!
12-21-2012
01:02 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.181
(total posts: 1)
73
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http://jackandradesports.blogspot.com/p/nfl-mock-drafts.html
c. bauer
12-17-2012
05:39 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx6.15
(total posts: 1)
24
40
@nycsportzfan
I am also a fan of Rambo's game but he comes with off the field concerns. He was suspended for a few games this season due to a positive marijuana test. That wasn't his first offense. So if a team is willing to overlook that I could see him as a solid 2nd rounder. Its a very good deep safety class (depedning on Juniors who come out) but all seem to have a some sort of flaw.
nycsportzfan
12-17-2012
01:49 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.109
(total posts: 1)
6
9
Does anyone think Baccari Rambo could end up being a late 1st rder if he has a big combine? Hes a awesome playmaker, who has all the size a safety needs, and comes from the S.E.C.. I mean, if he runs a fast 40 and works out well, what would stop em from being a late 1st, or at worst, early 2nd rder?
Hes one of my fave prospects in this draft.. I have Rambo and Poyer as the head of there positons.. Better then vaccaro and milliner respectivley..
Wire
12-10-2012
08:37 am
xxx.xxx.xxx1.36
(total posts: 1)
36
158
The guy who is panicking because the Jets might take Barkley is an idiot. Matt Barkley is going to be the #1 pick and it won't even be close.
If I was him, I would be worried they might take a horrible QB like Geno Smith way before he should come off the board.
@BW
11-27-2012
08:02 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.169
(total posts: 1)
9
9
yeah they did they, the saints were supposed to draft 27th that draft but new england used it to trade up for chandler jones
BW
11-23-2012
03:51 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx3.93
(total posts: 1)
13
9
"The Saints have two first-round picks invested in Ingram."
No they don't. They traded a 2nd round pick and swapped their 2012 1st round pick for the 2011 pick. All they lost was a second round pick in the transaction. |
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - June 20
2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 18
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 17
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
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