NB's Big Board

Here's my final big board. Make of it what you will. Probably different than most of the experts, but I truly believe the following are the 32 best prospects in this draft. If anyone has any specific comments or questions on how I came up with the following list, as always, fire away! Feel like I left someone out? Let me know!

1. QB Andrew Luck (Stanford)
2. OT Matt Kalil (USC)
3. CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)
4. WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma St)
5. WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
6. RB Trent Richardson (Alabma)
7. QB Robert Griffin III (Baylor)
8. DT Flethcher Cox (Mississippi St)
9. DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw (Alabma)
10. DE/OLB Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)
11. DT Dontari Poe (Memphis)
12. DE Quinton Coples (North Carolina)
13. OG David Decastro (Stanford)
14. CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)
15. CB Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)
16. S Mark Barron (Alabama)
17. OT Cordy Glenn (Georgia)
18. LB Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
19. CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)
20. OT Jonathan Martin (Stanford)
21. LB Luke Kuechly (Boston College)
22. DT Jerel Worthy (Michigan St)
23. OT Riley Reiff (Iowa)
24. DT Brandon Thompson (Clemson)
25. QB Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma St)
26. QB Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M)
27. LB Zach Brown (North Carolina)
28. C Peter Konz (Wisconsin)
29. DE Jared Crick (Nebraska)
30. DE Nick Perry (USC)
31. DE Whitney Mercilus (Syracuse)
32. WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

 

Couples is a very polarizing prospect. I don't see him as a Top 10 pick but I do acknowledge his immense potential. Simply put, DE is a much bigger impact position than Guard. I think the fact that Decastro is ranked #13, as a Guard, speaks volumes to how much I like the guy.

I think Martin could be a LT. I think Reiff will be lucky to be a RT and may need to kick inside. That is that debate.

I personally see Hightower as a game changer. I think Kuechly will just be a solid LB.

I think Upshaw is a LOLB in a 3-4 ala Lamarr Woodley. Woodley was thought to be a little slow and is why he slipped to Round 2. Remember, Anthony Spencer was seen as the better 3-4 OLB.

 

There's no doubt Poe "could" be a bigtime bust. However, I think a guy that size, with that athleticism can't be ignored. He could be a similar prospect to Haloti Ngata. People like to point to Poe's lack of production, but the numbers he put up in college were quite similar to Ngata's.

I think he could be the best 4-3 DT in this class. The more I think on the subject, the less I like him as a 3-4 NT. I think 4-3 teams will covet him.

 

Early in the process when Martin was being considered as a Top 10 pick I didn't really agree. I had him more in the 20s area. I do think he is a LT though, which is why I have him over Reiff. I think the OT class is being criticized as a whole. I don't foresee Martin sliding out of the 1st though.

I would certainly consider him if he was there at #24, although it looks like the Steelers are determined to move Gilbert to the left side.

 

I was kicking the tires on this subject in another thread. I just don't see it. I know Mayock has him as his 9th overall prospect, and I have seen him flying up boards all over the internet. There's no doubt in my mind, that I think there is a sentiment in the scouting community that some team is going to fall in love with this guy early, much like the Jags did with Alualu a couple years back.

I think people want to see Pierre-Paul in him, but I don't think he is anywhere near the freakish athlete. I have him as a LDE in a 4-3, and had a late 2nd round grade on him

Chandler Jones looks like he will benefit on draft day, but I don't know if we will ever see the production to match where he could go in this draft.

 

I thought that would catch your eye. I really think had Crick played this year and at worse, produced at the same pace he had been, he would be a Top 20 pick. 19 sacks, mainly playing as a DT, that's production. You are right, he does not have the explosiveness of JJ Watt, or the power of Carriker, but he will make a home either as a 4-3 LDE or as a 5 technique, if he adds weight.