NFL Draft Review

The 2012 Draft has come and gone with some obvious picks and some surprise picks. Before we look ahead to rookie camps and training camps, let's look at some of the picks round by round by that made sense and those that made you scratch your head.
1st Round:
Best Pick- Arizona picks Notre Dame WR, Michael Floyd 13th overall. This is a steal in the first round for the Cardinals, Floyd is a big body who has good speed and will go up and fight for the ball. Playing with Larry Fitzgerald will only make him better and those two will be a nightmare for opposing corners. The Cardinals need to have a quarterback first.
Worst Pick- Kansas City picks Memphis DT, Dontari Poe 11th overall. I get the fact that Poe had great numbers at the combine for someone his size, but that doesn't mean you're going to produce at the next level. Poe played in Conference USA and had only 1 sack this past season. I'm not saying he's going to be a bust but his film does not show how dominant he should be. At 6'4" 345lbs Poe has a chance to be long time pro if he can produce.
2nd Round:
Best Pick- San Francisco picks Oregon RB, LaMichael James 61st overall. This is a sleeper pick in a way, James had a very productive career while at Oregon including being a Heisman finalist. He has great speed and quickness and once he gets in the open space, not too many people can catch him. Frank Gore has been injured and you don't know how long he can remain an every down back so having a back up like James will be very beneficial. He can also be key on special teams.
Worst Pick- St. Louis picks North Alabama CB, Janoris Jenkins 39th overall. This is more of a questionable pick rather than a bad pick. This could go two ways, either Jenkins gets his act together and plays like the top 15 pick he could have been, or he brings all the baggage he had in college and you never hear his name. Jenkins got kicked off the Florida squad but still had an impact on the field. Keep an eye on this one.
3rd Round:
Best Picks- This round had two picks that were very good. First, the Houston Texans pick Ohio State WR, DeVier Posey 68th overall. Posey had one of those careers that might have gone unnoticed to some people. He has great hands, good size, and good speed. He can play the slot along side Andre Johnson. Second, the Pittsburgh Steelers pick Miami OLB, Sean Spence 86th overall. Spence is one of those players who's numbers at the combine don't show how good he really is. He is quick and is strong. He had an up and down career while at Miami. Playing behind James Harrison will be very good for Spence who is only 5'11" and Harrison has shown that you don't have to be the biggest guy to be the best.
Worst Pick- Philadelphia Eagles pick Arizona QB, Nick Foles 88th overall. This is not a bad pick because Foles is a bad player, it's a bad pick because the Eagles need to address other things before a quarterback. They need to address their offensive line so they can protect their starting quarterback Michael Vick, who could be one hit away from being on the shelf.
4th Round:
Best Pick- Miami picks Miami RB, Lamar Miller 97th overall. Miller is in my mind one of the steals of the draft. Miller has great speed and good size for a running back. At 5'11" and 212lbs and running a 4.40, Miller can make an immediate impact for the Dolphins. He is very good in open space and can break tackles, he does have some fumbling issues but if he takes care of that he has the chance to be a top back.
Worst Pick- Houston picks Nebraska DL, Jared Crick 126th overall. Crick was considered a top 10 pick before he got hurt early in the season. It's a concerning pick because we aren't sure how healthy Crick is going to be coming into rookie camp. He has the potential to be dominate like he was in college, but it's a waiting game now.
5th Round:
Best Pick- Washington picks Iowa OG, Adam Gettis 141st overall. Gettis might not start right away but he has the chance to make the team in camps and be a back up. He has good size and strength for a guard. Having started for 3 years in a run first, zone blocking team at Iowa, Gettis could come in and make a name for himself and surprise people.
Worst Pick- Denver picks Tennessee DE, Malik Jackson 137th overall. Jackson started off at USC then transferred to Tennessee and got more playing time. He did produce but he is the type of the player who should produce more for how good he can be. Can you get the productivity from him where he can constant threat to free up Von Miller? Or will he take plays off? Another waiting game player
6th Round:
Best Pick- Kansas City picks Texas A&M RB, Cyrus Gray 182nd overall. This is a team player. Who also is very fast, which people tend to look past. Very compact with a big upper body. The Chiefs do have two backs already but Gray can come in and compete while giving a leadership type role, always motivating his teammates is a great attribute he has.
Worst Pick- Cincinnati picks Ohio State RB, Dan "Boom" Herron 191st overall. Not necessarily a bad pick, but another one of those players who comes in from college with baggage. Suspended for the first 5 games of his senior season while at Ohio State, Herron does display good attributes. He is a strong kid who has decent speed, finds the hole very well. If he's put his college days behind him, can be a solid back.
7th Round:
Best Pick- San Diego picks Michigan State RB, Edwin Baker 250th overall. Baker had a very solid career while in East Lansing, a small back in size but is strong for being 5'8" 204 and is deceivingly fast. The Chargers do have Ryan Matthews, but he has not been the back they were hoping he was going to be. Baker might not come in and start but he has the chance to compete. San Diego was pretty successful with Darren Sproles who was only 5'6".
Worst Pick- Indianapolis picks Northern Illinois QB, Chandler Harnish 253rd overall. They took a quarterback with the first pick, and they take one with the last. Both the Colts and the Redskins took two quarterbacks, which might not have been needed. If you're the Colts, you helped Andrew Luck a little bit on offense, but you need to help him more on defense so he doesn't have to be on the field all the time. A little questionable, but then again, I'm not an expert so what do I know.

There was also my most disappointing player. Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict. Projected a first round pick coming into this past season, but he has a lot of baggage and takes a lot of plays off. He has all the talent which could have made him a top 10 pick. Burfict didn't crack the 5.00 at the combine, he signed by the Bengals as an undrafted free agent. Lets hope Marvin Lewis can make him realize he should have been a first round pick.

Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis- QB, Andrew Luck, Stanford
2. Washington- QB, Robert Griffin III, Baylor
3. Minnesota- WR, Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
4. Cleveland- RB, Trent Richardson, Alabama
5. Tampa Bay- CB, Morris Claiborne, LSU
6. St. Louis- OT, Matt Kalil, USC
7. Jacksonville- DE, Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
8. Miami- QB, Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
9. Carolina- ILB, Luke Kuechly, Boston College
10. Buffalo- CB, Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
11. Kansas City- OT, Riley Reiff, Iowa
12. Seattle- WR, Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
13. Arizona- DE, Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
14. Dallas- CB, Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
15. Philadelphia- OLB, Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
16. New York Jets- DE, Quinton Coples, North Carolina
17. Cincinnati- DT, Dontari Poe, Memphis
18. San Diego- DT, Michael Brokers, LSU
19. Chicago- OG, David DeCastro, Stanford
20. Tennessee- OT, Cordy Glenn, Georgia
21. Cincinnati- DE, Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
22. Cleveland- DE, Chandler Jones, Syracuse
23. Detroit- OT, Jonathan Martin, Stanford
24. Pittsburgh- DT, Devon Still, Penn State
25. Denver- ILB, Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
26. Houston- OLB, Shea McClellin, Boise State
27. New England- RB, Lamar Miller, Miami
28. Green Bay- DE, Nick Perry, USC
29. Baltimore- RB, Doug Martin, Boise State
30. San Francisco- TE, Coby Fleener, Stanford
31. New England- S, Harrison Smith, Notre Dame
32. New York Giants- QB, Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Everyone will question this but that's what makes it a "mock" draft. You can make changes and get it right so when it comes time for the draft you look smart. I feel pretty confident with the first 2, after that, its anyone's guess.

NFL Draft Preview

Now that we all know the Colts will draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck number one overall, that means Robert Griffin III will go second for those of you who were confused, we can focus on picks 3-254. Right now we'll focus on the top 10. Who will go to Minnesota at number 3? They could go out west and take USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, or they can snag Oklahoma State All American wide receiver Justin Blackmon. They could even go down south to Baton Rouge and take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. That pick is way up in the air which makes the draft better, the suspense is always the best part. After Minnesota comes Cleveland, who could take one of the two guys that the Vikings do not take. Or they could take Alabama freak of nature running back Trent Richardson, they do need a running back since Peyton Hillis is now in Kansas City. Next comes Tampa Bay who has been reported to be interested in Richardson, although Legarrette Blount doesn't like that, so they could go in that direction. Maybe they'll take a corner if Claiborne is still on the board. Their first round pick from a couple years ago and starting corner Hakeem Talib hasn't been what Buc's fans have wanted. That brings us to St. Louis, they need to give Sam Bradford some help. If Matt Kalil is still on the board, not likely, but if he is that would be a huge get. If he is gone, they can hope that teams somehow missed Justin Blackmon so they can give Bradford a legit wide receiver. Now on to Jacksonville. They didn't win the Tim Tebow sweepstakes, which isn't surprising because they have quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. A sleeper in the top 10 could be Mississippi State defensive end Feltcher Cox, so look out for the Jags to pick someone unknown. The Miami Dolphins are in an interesting spot; should they draft a quarterback? Should they draft another wide receiver to help their starting QB Matt Moore? Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd would be a great choice if that's the case. If they do decide to go with a quarterback, Texas A&M receiver turned quarterback Ryan Tennehill could be a good pick. He hasn't had a lot of experience in college calling plays, but you go to the NFL to learn and become great. The Carolina Panthers have the 9th pick and might look to boost their defense and take Cox if he is still on the board. A sleeper at this pick could be Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly who was a stud in college while at Boston College and has great size at 6'3" 235. He might not be the "safest" pick, but really no one is safe pick. He will certainly be a player who can contribute. Closing out the top ten are the Buffalo Bills. The Bills got a huge gift over the off season when they signed free agent star Mario Williams. They could draft someone to help him on defense or they can try and help their offense first. If Floyd is on the board, I'd look for them to pick him. If he is gone, they could help that defense by taking Memphis mystery Dontari Poe. He blew away scouts at the combine but his film doesn't match up to what he showed in Indianapolis. He could very well surprise everyone but I wouldn't spend a top ten pick on him. With all that said, here's how I predict the top ten to shape out.
*Note: I am NOT an expert
1.  Indianapolis: QB, Andrew Luck (Stanford)
2. Washington: QB, Robert Griffin III (Baylor)
3. Minnesota: WR, Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)
4. Cleveland: RB, Trent Richardson (Alabama)
5. Tampa Bay: CB, Morris Claiborne (LSU)
6. St. Louis: OT, Matt Kalil (USC)
7. Jacksonville: DE, Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State)
8. Miami: QB, Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M)
9. Carolina: WR, Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
10. Buffalo: LB, Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

Best Sporting Events

If you ask any sports fan I'm sure they have their top sporting events they'd like to attend before they die. Here are some to think about if you're creating a bucket list (Not in any particular order)
- Summer Olympics. Every four years the best athletes in the world come together in and compete to bring home the gold medal for their country. For 17 days, athletes put everything they have into competition with literally the worlds greatest athletes. A different city every time it is sure to be the trip of a lifetime.
- The World Series. Baseball is America's past time, and what better way to celebrate that with a trip to a world series. It doesn't even have to be your team, although most of us would like to see that, just being around that atmosphere is enough to make you want to be there. You can go for a game 1, or hope for a game 7 and witness a winner take all event you'll remember forever.
- Ohio State/Michigan. It is THE game in the college football season. No two teams hate each other more than Ohio State and Michigan. Watch the game from either The Horseshoe or inside the Big House. Over 100,000 fans decked out in their scarlet and gray or their maze and blue. Records don't matter, although fans on both sides would tell you otherwise sometimes, it is sure to be an amazing old school Big Ten battle.
- North Carolina/Duke. You either wear dark blue or light blue in this game. Much like Ohio State/Michigan, this is the ultimate game in the college basketball season. The teams, separated by 8 miles, play twice a year with the winner usually being the ACC regular season champs. Take a seat inside the Dean Smith Center, or travel down to Durham and witness Cameron Indoor. A National Title is nice, but beating the other shade of blue is that much better.
-The Masters. Simply put, a tradition unlike any other. Played on the beautiful Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia, this 4 day event is the biggest golfing event of the year, it is the Super Bowl of the PGA Tour and sees the top golfers in the world compete for the famous Green Jacket. If you're able to get one of it not the toughest tickets to get in sports, enjoy the drive down Magnolia Lane leading up Augusta National. You won't forget it.
- NCAA Final Four. March Madness, simple at as that. A bracket full of top programs, cinderella teams, and everything in between. Those 64 teams are fighting for a chance to go to the Final Four and cut down the nets for a National Title. Grab a seat and watch the magic of March Madness.
-Stanley Cup Playoffs/Finals. Probably the most action packed event you can attend. Whether its the first round or the finals, there will never be a shortage of big hits and amazing goals. Often referred to as the best athletes on the planet, these superstars go 100 miles an hour every night in hopes of raising Lord Stanley's Cup.
-A night game in College Football. If you love college football, this is a must.There are few things like the atmosphere of a night game between to college football teams. There are certain places where you have to go for this one; Tiger Stadium- home of the LSU Tigers, The Horseshoe- home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Beaver Stadium- home of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Bryant Denny Stadium- home of the Alabama Crimson Tide, The Swamp- home of the Florida Gators. Just one of those things you have to see to believe.
-Red Sox/Yankees Game. Need I say more?
-Tailgating at any event. This is a must. You can be the average sports fan and show up 20 minutes before the event and just enjoy it for a couple hours. Or you can show up hours before, fire up the grill, grab a beer, and have a good time. You might want to head to a college football game for the best experience. The schools mentioned above are GREAT places to go.

Others to attend: World Cup (every 4 years), Super Bowl; I'd rather stay home and watch the commercials and have a party but that's just me, NBA Finals, Kentucky Derby, NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Home Run Derby, WWE Wrestlemania.