Chris Wood's Mock Draft 2.0

The NFL Draft is to teams what a face lift is to Joan Rivers, an opportunity to create a new look for yourself, plug up some ugly blemishes, or just temporarily fix an incurable atrocity. It's a full on facelift for a few organizations (Colts, Vikings, Redskins) and a mere Botox shot to the cheeks for others (Packers, Patriots, Giants). Regardless it's a risky investment that can either go horribly wrong or become a spectacular masterpiece for years to come. 

This mock includes potential trades, players finding their way in to the first round, and one QB desperate team solidifying their other needs (watch out Washington) without further adieu if you'll excuse me, I'm on the clock and in the hot seat. 

With the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Indianapolis Colts select.....

1). Colts- Andrew Luck- duh.

TRADE

2). Browns- Robert Griffin III- the Browns position at 4 is much more enticing than the Redskins position at 6.

Kalil: The first puzzle piece to Minnesota's rebuild

3). Vikings- Matt Kalil- The best lineman in recent years falls right into the Vikings’ lap. 

4). Rams- Justin Blackmon- the two-time Biletnikoff winner finally gives Sam Bradford a big, deep-threat target. The arsenal is empty, with Brandon Lloyd potentially following Josh McDaniels to New England.

5) Buccaneers- Morris Claiborne - Ronde Barber might be retiring this offseason and Aqib Talib is probably going to jail, but if they stay than they’ll immediately have one of the league’s best secondaries.

6). Redskins- Riley Reiff- who knows who will be the starting QB in Washington next season, but it would be in the best interest of the franchise to protect him at all costs. If the Skins miss out on RG3, a trade-down in a second consecutive year seems very possible.

7). Jaguars- Quinton Coples- the Jags had a very pleasant surprise with their defense last season, but someone other than Jeremy Mincey needs to get to the QB.

8). Dolphins- Jonathan Martin- Andrew Luck had great protection in Martin and he'll bring that to South Beach. Martin and Long would form great protection for Matt (Flynn? Moore?)

9). Panthers- Michael Brockers- an absolute freak DT who can plug up the run defense. Still very raw, but can get to the QB in a hurry.

10). Bills- Courtney Upshaw- they play in the AFC East so give them as many defensive weapons as possible. Upshaw is the best defensive prospect on the board, too.

11). Chiefs- Trent Richardson- Jamal Charles might not be ready to go at the beginning of next season, Thomas Jones will most likely be in another uniform and Richardson is the top player available.

12). Seahawks- Devon Still- a strong DT that could anchor a promising young defense.

Floyd is a playmaker, but more importantly he
 could free up Fitz in Arizona.

13). Cardinals- Michael Floyd- remember when it was Fitzgerald and Boldin? Floyd would offer a speedy target that could free up Larry.

14). Cowboys- David DeCastro- they need an O-lineman and DeCastro is the best available.

15). Eagles- Luke Kuechly- Andy Reid doesn't draft LBs in the first round but this kid averaged 15 tackles for Boston College. Immediate upgrade over...anyone on that roster.

16). Jets- Melvin Ingram- the Jets’ defense was not as dominant as last season, and Rex will most likely try to bolster his defensive line. He’s short, but people said that about Elvis Dumervil.

17). Bengals- Lamar Miller- Cedric Benson is not good and probably won't be in Cinci next season. The redshirt sophomore is an animal; absolute home run threat that people say is the best RB out of Miami since Frank Gore.

18). Chargers - Mike Adams-  he will bolster an awful offensive line that must improve with the quick defenses of the AFC West.

19). Bears- Alshon Jeffrey- Cutler was at his best when he had Marshall in Denver. He’s functioned with Knox, Bennett, and Hester, but a big, strong receiver would be an instant upgrade for Mike Tice’s offense (that’s still weird to hear right?)

20). Titans- Peter Konz- best center in the draft and an immediate starter.

21). Bengals- Dre Kirkpatrick- everyone knows the Bengals don’t care about players with off-the-field problems and Kirkpatrick’s recent arrest allows him to fall. He’s a top 10 talent who might as well be called “The 2012 Dez Bryant Dilemma.” 

Dre Kirkpatrick: Top 10 Talent, 5th grader's attitude

22). Browns- Kendall Wright- if they get RG3, why not reunite him with his favorite college target? (This pick could be included in the trade and if the Rams have this pick I like them taking Zach Brown.)

23). Lions- Mark Barron- they can't have enough defensive backs when they play Rodgers twice a year (and possibly Brees, Manning, and Ryan).

24). Steelers- Cordy Glenn- an aging offensive line is not a good thing, and when that line wasn’t spectacular to start with it makes things worse. Big Ben can’t take those hits forever, Glenn will help hold up those AFC North defensive lines.

25). Broncos-Alfonzo Dennard- some scouts rated him higher than Amukamara last year. Could start immediately over Goodman and eventually replace Champ Bailey (big..no, no HUGE shoes to fill)

26). Texans- Mohammad Sanu- this may be a reach, but if Blackmon, Floyd, and Jeffrey are all gone then I could see Houston grabbing a big target to complement Andre.

27). Patriots- Fletcher Cox- helps bolster that run defense (which, admittedly, has looked amazing recently).

28). Packers- Whitney Mercilus- sponge-like defense that could use a lot of plugs. Mercilus may have had the best season out of any defensive player in the draft, but could he be a one-hit wonder?

29.) Ravens- Vontaze Burfict- hot-headed, ill-tempered, and, quite frankly, fucking psycho. He’ll fit right in in Baltimore. Ray Lewis' replacement?

30). 49ers- Lavonte David- a receiver would be nice but I don’t think Dwight Jones is worth a first-round selection. Ahmad Brooks may not be coming back to San Francisco; Willis, Smith, and David could be a formidable linebacking corps.

31). Giants*- Dwayne Allen- Rodgers has Finley, Brees has Graham, Brady has Gronkowski and Hernandez, Eli has Ballard and Beckum.

32). Patriots*- Chase Minnifield- the Patriots can’t go wrong by updating their secondary and Minnifield has shown a ton of promise.

*Super Bowl 46 to determine 31^st and 32^nd picks. 

Do you agree with Woody or think he's a moron? Send your questions, comments, and own analysis to Chris Wood at ChrisWood1313@Gmail.com


Don't forget to send in your questions to Chris Wood and Sean Youngberg (SAYoungberg@gmail.com) for the "So You Think You Know Sports?" weekly mailbag. 

Chris Wood's Mock Draft 1.0

With the 2011 NFL season officially one week away from being finite it seems necessary to find other ways in which we can all eat/drink/breathe more football. No team regardless of how successful they are is ever one hundred percent complete (i.e. New England's secondary) and although it may seem as if rock bottom was hit, than surpassed there is always light at the end of the tunnel (The Detroit Lions) There is plenty of time for 40 times to go awry, vertical leaps to reach new heights, no name players to sneak into the first round and current stars to be arrested in the offseason to change teams strategies. With nearly three months until April's draft plenty can happen, but for now this is what makes the most sense...at least to me...here we go!


With the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Indianapolis Colts Select....


1). Colts- Andrew Luck- duh.

2). Rams- Matt Kalil- I think Browns and Redskins will trade up; Browns position at 4 is more enticing than Redskins position at 6 because Claiborne or Blackmon would be available. For simplicity, Kalil goes to St. Louis.

Claiborne would improve any teams secondary

3). Vikings- Morris Claiborne- big playmaker helps out a porous secondary. 

4). Browns- Robert Griffin III- Colt McCoy experiment failed...miserably.

5) Buccaneers- Justin Blackmon- Mike Williams is 5'10" and the Freeman- Blackmon combination could be dangerous (they'll still finish last in the division, though.)

6). Redskins- Trent Richardson- if they can't land RG3 then Matt Flynn might be in DC (or Brock Osweiler might be drafted in round two). Shanahan loves running backs and Richardson is the best prospect since AP.

7). Jaguars- Riley Reiff- if they're going with Blaine Gabbert as their QB they might as well protect him with a great O-lineman.

8). Dolphins- Jonathan Martin- Andrew Luck had great protection in Martin and he'll bring that to South Beach. Dre Kirkpatrick would have gone here but he loves his marijuana.

9). Panthers- Michael Brockers- an absolute freak DT who can plug up the run defense. Still very raw, but can get to the QB, as well.

10). Bills- Courtney Upshaw- they place in the AFC East so give them as many defensive weapons as possible.

11). Chiefs- Whitney Mercilus- may have had the best season out of any defensive player. Gives the Chiefs a force alongside Hali and Johnson.

12). Seahawks- Devon Still- He was the only positive anything to come out of Penn State this year, a huge DT that could anchor a promising young defense.

Devon Still: The answer to Seattle's defensive woes?

13). Cardinals- Kendall Wright- remember when it was Fitz and Boldin? Wright would offer a speedy target who could free up Larry.

14). Cowboys- David DeCastro- they need a fucking  O-lineman and DeCastro is very good.

15). Eagles- Luke Kuechly- Reid doesn't draft LBs in the first round but this kid averaged 15 tackles for Boston College. Immediate upgrade over...anyone.

16). Jets- Michael Floyd- Sanchez could use a big, strong target. Holmes and Floyd could be lethal 1-2 punch.

17). Bengals- Lamar Miller- Cedric Benson is not good and probably won't be in Cinci next season. Redshirt sophomore is an animal; absolute home run threat.

18). Chargers- Mike Adams- awful offensive line that must improve with the quick defenses of the AFC West.

19). Bears- Quinton Coples- makes a good defense even better; top 10 talent.

20). Titans- Peter Konz- best center in the draft and an immediate starter.

21). Bengals- Janoris Jenkins- Bengals loves players with off the field issues and Jenkins has them. He's an absolute ball-hawk though and a great value pick.

22). Browns- Dre Kirkpatrick- he falls because of his recent arrest but is an absolute steal this late. Huge, physical corner that can hit.

Mark Barron would help Detroit against the NFCs QBs

23). Lions- Mark Barron- they can't have enough defensive backs when they play Rodgers twice a year (and possibly Brees, Manning, and Ryan). 

24). Steelers- Cordy Glenn- an aging offensive line is not a good thing, especially after the hits Ben takes.

25). Broncos-Alfonzo Dennard- some scouts rated him higher than Amukamara last year. Could start immediately over Goodman and may be the next Champ? Probably not, but hes intriguing.

26). Texans- Alshon Jefferey- gives Schaub another target to go along with that Andrew Johnson guy.

27). Patriots- Fletcher Cox- helps bolster that run defense (which, admittedly, has looked amazing recently).

28). Packers- Melvin Ingram- sponge-like defense that could use a lot of plugs. Ingram is quick and can get to the QB

29.) Ravens- Vontaze Burfict- hot-headed, ill-tempered, and quite frankly fucking psycho. Ray Lewis' replacement?

30). 49ers- Mohamed Sanu- Alex Smith needs help and Sanu could complement Vernon and Crabtree.

31). Giants- Dontari Poe- 6'5" 350 lbs. Put him in the middle of Tuck, Pierre-Paul, and Osi. Oh my.

32). Patriots- Jayron Hosley- need help in the secondary and the man out of Tech could be the answer.

Christopher Michael Wood also known as Woody is a 5th year senior at James Madison University with an incredible amount of time on his hands and knowledge in his brain. Woody is the former co-host of JMU's #1 Radio Talk Show "So You Think You Know Sports?" and a lifelong Denver Broncos fan, Atlanta Braves supporter and curling guru.

Do you agree with Woody or think he's a moron? Send your questions, comments, and own analysis to Chris Wood at ChrisWood1313@Gmail.com

Saturday's NFL Games from a Gambling Perspective

Yes, we are talking about playoffs. Another NFL weekend filled with sitting on couches, digesting meat by the bucket loads, guzzling beers, as well as placing bets and making predictions in hopes of gaining extra cash, pride, bragging rights, or all three.

After a very successful first weekend in which I went 4/4 in picking winners, and 3/4 in going against the spread (who knew Atlanta would play that horrendously?) It is time to bring out the crystal ball and see what the 2012 Divisional Playoff weekend has in store for us and our wallets.

New Orleans Saints (-3.5) @ San Francisco 49ers

Over / Under: 47.5

This is a game between the yesterday and today of the NFL. An old school 49ers defense taking on the futuristic air-attack of Drew Brees and the Saints. The multitude of experts, analysts, and fans jumping to place their money on New Orleans isn't surprising, it's the safe bet, but here's why it's the wrong bet.

If the 49ers can avoid falling behind by more than two scores early in this game they'll survive to play another day. 

Smash Mouth D vs High Flying Offense

New Orleans is 5-3 on the road this season, against a relatively light schedule (St. Louis, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Carolina, and Tennessee) and now they head across the country to take on the league's top ranked rush defense and 16th pass defense. On the road the Saints scoring is cut nearly in half of what they do when in the comforts of the Super Dome. 

With Patrick Willis and Frank Gore back at full strength, playing at home hosting their first playoff game in nearly a decade - and first under Jim Harbaugh I expect to see a lot of fight out of the 49ers - enough fight to pull the upset and wait to see if they're heading to Lambeau or hosting the New York Giants. 

Conventional wisdom says Saints, but I'm not feeling it. With a little inspiration from The Honey Badger I like San Francisco to upset the NFC South Champs: 28-24

Betting Re-Cap: Take the 49ers with the spread. Take the Over (47.5)

Tebow: NFL Mercenary

Tim Tebow is a lot of things -- a professional football player, religious role model, an atheist's nightmare, a winner, a leader, a motivator, the butt of jokes -- and now he's becoming something completely new, an NFL Mercenary.

Hate him or love him he is the man we have all been waiting for, and he's on the team that could just bring us all a little bit of glory. 

QB? RB? Who cares - he's a football player. 

It began in Week 11 when the hard nosed Denver Broncos stunned the NFL's largest group of Divas and sent the Jets back to New York with their panties tied in a bunch after a 17-13 upset in which Tebow drove down the field with under a minute left to seal the kill. 

He helped snipe the Chargers in week 12, tore up a criminal filled Minnesota Vikings secondary for 202 yards in week 13, sliced the throat and playoff hopes of the Chicago Bears in Week 14 which led Brian Urlacher to whine and complain like a Mafia Kingpin heading for a life's sentence.

He took on assignment that every NFL expert deemed impossible and executed it by doing what his boss John Elway told him "Pull the trigger."

Mafia King Pin Ben Rapelisberger 

Tebow's tactics may have been a little cruel and definitely unusual - but like Dexter Morgan he looks his victims in the eyes, smirks a little school boy smirk, and than shoves his blade into your heart - or in this case an 80 yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas to complete the quickest over time in NFL history (regular or postseason) He pulled the trigger and aimed right for Pittsburgh's heart.

With the barrel still smoking it's time for revenge. 

The assailants who slipped away in week 15, due large in part to three costly and consecutive Bronco (and Tebow) turnovers that changed the winds and took away what looked likely to become the first Mile High Miracle.

The Father, The Son....

The father of all head coaches and his fortunate son with their loot of Super Bowl rings, scandals, and victories will invite this year's hottest trend to Foxborough for a date with destiny. A high power octane offense meeting a prideful defense in the ring for a second go around, the best QB of the last decade against the QB who defies all the odds, and an offense ready to prove they have a few more rounds in the chamber and are not just a smoking barrel.

Who knows a victory Sunday may send Denver to the crime capital of the USA, to Baltimore to take on a group that prides themselves on their thug attitude. This spree is not ready to end.

If you ask Tebow if he's ready to accept his role as NFL Mercenary he'll probably reach into the quote vault and pull out former boxing champion Larry Holmes' words, "I never tried to be a mercenary or a killer but a hard working fighter." 

Hate him. 

Love him. 

The NFL Mercenary is out there fighting the fight the rest of us wish we could. 

Is the old face of the NFL ready to make room for Tebowmania? We'll find out Sunday.