Final Chopper Mock Draft (What I would do)

[Chopper0080]

Here is my final mock draft. This is what I would do since I don't have much inside info on what the Cardinals will do. Hate or love, all thoughts are appreciated. I am sure most of you are tired of all of the mock drafts up to this point, but here is my final one.

7(1) - Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina - 6'2 - 311
*The Cardinals want to upgrade the offensive line, but also want a day one starter. Most folks have pegged Chance Warmack as the best interior lineman in this draft. While I agree he is a very special player, Cooper is just as good. The reason I prefer Cooper to Warmack is I believe in the neceesity of blocking at the second level in order to break big running plays. Point of attack gets you 4 yard runs, while cutting off pursuing speedy linebackers gets you 40 yard runs. Cooper brings the athleticism to get outside on pulling plays and gain the numbers advantage, as well as the ability to block at the 2nd level to cut off backside pursuit. Lane Johnson warrants consideration, but I want a plug-and-play starter with my first pick and Cooper is the guy.

38(2) - Cornellius Carradine - OLB - Florida St. - 6'4 - 276
*A couple years ago I stated I didn't want the Cardinals to draft Aldon Smith because he was too big to play OLB. I didn't think he could adjust to an OLB's pass rush responsibilities. I was wrong. The 49ers showed me you can draft an oversized 3-4 OLB and scheme around his coverage issues. So, with this pick I take a risk and draft Carradine. There are a ton of red flags with this pick (one year starter, coming off ACL injury), but I saw an elite pass rusher when I watched Carradine in college which we need. He played smart, quick, had good instincts and a good motor to go along with tremendous strength. There will probably be a learning curve for Carradine as an OLB, but I also believe that teams spend as much time in nickel formations as they do in their base defense. Because of this, I am taking one of the best pass rushers in the draft and will happily play him at DE in our four man nickel defense until he gets acclimated at OLB.

69(3) - Travis Kelce - TE - Cincinatti - 6'5 - 255
*I want more from our TE position in 2013, especially if we will be running more two TE sets. Kelce is inexperienced, but he hs shown the ability to be both a physical TE as well as a player who can make plays in the passing game. He has a brother in the NFL who has also shown the tenacity and agression that I see in Kelce. Kelce would immediately make Jeff King or Jim Dray expendable as a blocker, and has better athleticism than either of them as well.

103(4) - David Quessenberry - OT - San Jose St. - 6'5 - 302
*There is a good chance Quessenberry is taken by this pick, but I am not completely convinced yet. What I like most about Quessenberry is his versatility and football smarts. He has really good athletic skill, but his ability to play all five line positions makes him invaluable IMO. He is a tough blocker which was evident at the Senior Bowl where he was moved all over. I liked his ability to take reps at three positions on that stage and still perform well. That speaks to his mental toughness to me and complements a set of good physical skills. I can't say that he comes in and starts right away, but I do believe he beats out someone to secure a primary backup spot.

140(5) - Quanterus Smith - OLB - Western Kentucky - 6'5 - 250
*Another risk conversion rusher coming off an injury. If I didn't like Smith so much on tape, I would never recommend pairing him in a draft where I also drafted Carradine. That being said, Smith is quick off the ball and uses his leverage very well to handle larger blockers. He has very good athleticism and used all of his skills to show very well against the better college tackles he faced. I believe that 3-4 edge rushers take time to develop and I would take the time to get a solid starter out of Smith.

174(6) - Terry Hawthorne - CB - Illinois - 6'0 - 195
*Hawthorne was once a very highly touted prospect who had a terrible senior season. That being said, he still has the physical abilities he had a couple years ago. He is inconsistent and gets very "handsy" down the field, but if his technique can be refined, he has more potential than many 6th round picks available. In a weaker CB draft, I believe Hawthornes would be a 4th rounder at worst which is why I really like the idea of taking him in the 6th.

219(7) - John Boyett - S - Oregon - 5'10 - 204
*Another player coming off an injury, and another value buy IMO. Boyett was once thought off as a 4th round S or better. He showed good instincts, ball skills and quickness before his injury. I can count on at least two of those coming back. Safety is more about discipline and instincts than it is about pure speed. I want my safety to be smart enough to read past the offenses deception, instinctively move in the right direction and make the play on the ball in the air. Boyett does all of these things from what I have seen.

#

There it is folks. We have added two versatile and athletic linemen. Two much needed pass rushers with both size and speed to play the WOLB position. We have added two defensive backs, one with flashes of top potential and the other with top consistency. We have added a much needed in-line TE who also brings athleticism. We have taken some medical risks but those players also come with start potential. We have ignored QB, RB, WR, DL and ILBs due to current roster depth at those positions and higher priority team needs. Flame away.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

Good point on Cooper with the large runs. That point makes me like him a little more but I'm still for Warmack. Warmack is still known to have great feet and agility for his size.

 

[juza76]

yes i like this draft,...so chopper u think they will sign a veteran safety or bethel bell r.johnson plus a 7th rounder is enough?

Quanterus & cornelius from the edge

 

[Jetstream Green]

Good draft Chopper

 

[kerouac9]

I like that he doesn't have a QB selected.

Not sure about taking a whole bunch of medical red-flags.

 

[Cardiac]

I enjoy the knowledge and insight. I know I'm guilty of wanting certain positions drafted due to team need. I like drafts that appear to be simply BPA. There are still plenty of FA's available if the draft doesn't fall to meet all our needs.

Draft 7 guys who stand a good chance of making and helping the team.

 

[joeshmo]

I wouldnt be upset with that. Would of liked a safety a little higher then then that though. Plus I dont mind Smith but he is without a doubt going to be a redshirt his first year. He probably wont play until 2014.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

yes i like this draft,...so chopper u think they will sign a veteran safety or bethel bell r.johnson plus a 7th rounder is enough?

Quanterus & cornelius from the edge

James Sanders is still available. Good depth guy, and solid, IMO.


That mock is very good, very balanced, and very close to my philosophies, just with different players in the slots, and all those different players are very respectable and well chosen.

I love the 7th rounder: 219(7) - John Boyett - S - Oregon - 5'10 - 204

 

[Totally_Red]

Nice work! I would have taken Lane Johnson in the first and a safety in the second or third round. Well-thought out choices all around.

Agree with K9 about not wasting a pick on a quarterback THIS draft.

 

[Catfish]

Very solid Chopper-----I'm very happy that you didn't waste a pick on a QB with this mock. I don't know that BA/Keim will take two OL, but Cooper is an excellent pick at #7.(In my draft I took two Safeties to be eventual replacements for Rhodes and Wilson).

I love the Kelce pick, and believe that he will add some necessary meanness to our offense. We have been lacking that since Whiz benched Lutui.

If the medical issues pan out, this could be a real sweet draft.

 

[cardpa]

I like that he doesn't have a QB selected.

Not sure about taking a whole bunch of medical red-flags.

I second this. No QB and also question the number of red flag medical selections. I would think that past history documents this team does not do well with injured selections

 

[Chopper0080]

Good point on Cooper with the large runs. That point makes me like him a little more but I'm still for Warmack. Warmack is still known to have great feet and agility for his size.

I am really torn on the Warmack vs Cooper issue. What sealed it for me is that players get slower as they get older. I believe Cooper will be able to hold up physically longer than Warmack will be able to hold up athletically. It is splitting hairs but that is the biggest difference between the two for me.

 

[Chopper0080]

yes i like this draft,...so chopper u think they will sign a veteran safety or bethel bell r.johnson plus a 7th rounder is enough?

Quanterus & cornelius from the edge

Probably. I don't personally like our S situation, but I couldn't pass on some of these players that I chose for the S's that would probably be available at the time. I like Carradine over Phillip Thomas (I think Vaccaro, Elam, Reid and Cyprien will all be gone before we pick), Kelce over Shamarko Thomas, Quessenberry over Swearinger, and Smith over Duke Williams. I also preferred to upgrade the offensive line, OLB and TE positions over upgrading at S as well.

 

[Chopper0080]

I like that he doesn't have a QB selected.

Not sure about taking a whole bunch of medical red-flags.

Normally I would agree, but in this draft the only difficult choice was Carradine. My thoughts with him were that we need a pass rushing option and I preferred taking him over Jaime Collins, Cornellius Washington, and Corey Lemonier even coming off his injury.

As for Quanterus Smith and John Boyett, I felt the benefit outweighed the risk for the spots we were drafting for. Same goes for Hawthorne, though his issues aren't medical. I couldn't really find any other prospects that I thought had higher ceilings than Smith and Boyett in the 5th and 7th rounds. I thought it would be better served to take a shot at a starting OLB and FS, than grabbing another special teams linebacker, fringe defensive linemen, 3rd TE, 5th WR, 3rd QB or fringe RB.

 

[Chopper0080]

I wouldnt be upset with that. Would of liked a safety a little higher then then that though. Plus I dont mind Smith but he is without a doubt going to be a redshirt his first year. He probably wont play until 2014.

I agree on Smith and, honestly, I probably overdrafted him. I have a hard time projecting where players who are coming off injuries will actually be drafted, and I decided to overdraft him rather then speculate he would be available in the 6th or 7th rounds.

 

[Chopper0080]

Very solid Chopper-----I'm very happy that you didn't waste a pick on a QB with this mock. I don't know that BA/Keim will take two OL, but Cooper is an excellent pick at #7.(In my draft I took two Safeties to be eventual replacements for Rhodes and Wilson).

I love the Kelce pick, and believe that he will add some necessary meanness to our offense. We have been lacking that since Whiz benched Lutui.

If the medical issues pan out, this could be a real sweet draft.

Yeah, a lot of question mark players which makes me second guess the draft as a whole, but round by round, I just felt that these players were the best available to fill our roster and potentially get the best return.

 

[Chopper0080]

Nice work! I would have taken Lane Johnson in the first and a safety in the second or third round. Well-thought out choices all around.

Agree with K9 about not wasting a pick on a quarterback THIS draft.

I think Lane Johnson will be the pick, but it wasn't what I would do. As far as S, I just put more importance this offseason in improving the OL, OLB and TE spots.

 

[Totally_Red]

I think Lane Johnson will be the pick, but it wasn't what I would do. As far as S, I just put more importance this offseason in improving the OL, OLB and TE spots.

I do like Jonathan Cooper over Warmack largely because of his position flexibililty. He could play all three interior positions IMO and even swing out to right tackle in an emergency. You really can't go wrong with any of the top five O-linemen IMO.

 

[Mitch]

Here is my final mock draft. This is what I would do since I don't have much inside info on what the Cardinals will do. Hate or love, all thoughts are appreciated. I am sure most of you are tired of all of the mock drafts up to this point, but here is my final one.

7(1) - Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina - 6'2 - 311
*The Cardinals want to upgrade the offensive line, but also want a day one starter. Most folks have pegged Chance Warmack as the best interior lineman in this draft. While I agree he is a very special player, Cooper is just as good. The reason I prefer Cooper to Warmack is I believe in the neceesity of blocking at the second level in order to break big running plays. Point of attack gets you 4 yard runs, while cutting off pursuing speedy linebackers gets you 40 yard runs. Cooper brings the athleticism to get outside on pulling plays and gain the numbers advantage, as well as the ability to block at the 2nd level to cut off backside pursuit. Lane Johnson warrants consideration, but I want a plug-and-play starter with my first pick and Cooper is the guy.

38(2) - Cornellius Carradine - OLB - Florida St. - 6'4 - 276
*A couple years ago I stated I didn't want the Cardinals to draft Aldon Smith because he was too big to play OLB. I didn't think he could adjust to an OLB's pass rush responsibilities. I was wrong. The 49ers showed me you can draft an oversized 3-4 OLB and scheme around his coverage issues. So, with this pick I take a risk and draft Carradine. There are a ton of red flags with this pick (one year starter, coming off ACL injury), but I saw an elite pass rusher when I watched Carradine in college which we need. He played smart, quick, had good instincts and a good motor to go along with tremendous strength. There will probably be a learning curve for Carradine as an OLB, but I also believe that teams spend as much time in nickel formations as they do in their base defense. Because of this, I am taking one of the best pass rushers in the draft and will happily play him at DE in our four man nickel defense until he gets acclimated at OLB.

69(3) - Travis Kelce - TE - Cincinatti - 6'5 - 255
*I want more from our TE position in 2013, especially if we will be running more two TE sets. Kelce is inexperienced, but he hs shown the ability to be both a physical TE as well as a player who can make plays in the passing game. He has a brother in the NFL who has also shown the tenacity and agression that I see in Kelce. Kelce would immediately make Jeff King or Jim Dray expendable as a blocker, and has better athleticism than either of them as well.

103(4) - David Quessenberry - OT - San Jose St. - 6'5 - 302
*There is a good chance Quessenberry is taken by this pick, but I am not completely convinced yet. What I like most about Quessenberry is his versatility and football smarts. He has really good athletic skill, but his ability to play all five line positions makes him invaluable IMO. He is a tough blocker which was evident at the Senior Bowl where he was moved all over. I liked his ability to take reps at three positions on that stage and still perform well. That speaks to his mental toughness to me and complements a set of good physical skills. I can't say that he comes in and starts right away, but I do believe he beats out someone to secure a primary backup spot.

140(5) - Quanterus Smith - OLB - Western Kentucky - 6'5 - 250
*Another risk conversion rusher coming off an injury. If I didn't like Smith so much on tape, I would never recommend pairing him in a draft where I also drafted Carradine. That being said, Smith is quick off the ball and uses his leverage very well to handle larger blockers. He has very good athleticism and used all of his skills to show very well against the better college tackles he faced. I believe that 3-4 edge rushers take time to develop and I would take the time to get a solid starter out of Smith.

174(6) - Terry Hawthorne - CB - Illinois - 6'0 - 195
*Hawthorne was once a very highly touted prospect who had a terrible senior season. That being said, he still has the physical abilities he had a couple years ago. He is inconsistent and gets very "handsy" down the field, but if his technique can be refined, he has more potential than many 6th round picks available. In a weaker CB draft, I believe Hawthornes would be a 4th rounder at worst which is why I really like the idea of taking him in the 6th.

219(7) - John Boyett - S - Oregon - 5'10 - 204
*Another player coming off an injury, and another value buy IMO. Boyett was once thought off as a 4th round S or better. He showed good instincts, ball skills and quickness before his injury. I can count on at least two of those coming back. Safety is more about discipline and instincts than it is about pure speed. I want my safety to be smart enough to read past the offenses deception, instinctively move in the right direction and make the play on the ball in the air. Boyett does all of these things from what I have seen.

#

There it is folks. We have added two versatile and athletic linemen. Two much needed pass rushers with both size and speed to play the WOLB position. We have added two defensive backs, one with flashes of top potential and the other with top consistency. We have added a much needed in-line TE who also brings athleticism. We have taken some medical risks but those players also come with start potential. We have ignored QB, RB, WR, DL and ILBs due to current roster depth at those positions and higher priority team needs. Flame away.

1. Cooper. For me, he's not a top ten pick (Warmack is, imo), but I can see the positives.

2. Carradine. Love this pick. He'd be top 20 were it not for the injury and some teams I believe might still have him in their top 20.

3. Kelce. The more I watched of him, the less I liked him. Yes, he's got a nasty streak, but too immature at times like Jeremy Shockey. Plus, Kelce looks slow in his routes, there's nothing crisp about them.

4. Quessenberry. Fantastic pick, even as a tackle. My only question is whether he will make it to #103. The buzz surrounding him is growing and growing...although, I am not sure if he did a smart thing recently when he said that he often thinks about enlisting in the army---the way he said it seemed like he wants to keep that option open---it wasn't with the caveat of "if things don't work out in football." He raved about the "close bond" that only fellow soldiers experience. Not that any of this is wrong at all---but it wouldn't make the team that drafts him happy if he suddenly decides to enlist.

5. Smith. Great pick and value at that point. One of the real sleepers in this draft. Could be a steal.

6. Hawthorne. I liked him at the Senior Bowl...liked his speed and PBU ability...to where i started to think he could also be a nickel FS. He's at his best when he can keep everything in front of him.

7. Boyett. Great pick and value at this spot.

What worries me about this draft is no speed added to what is a slow offense. We need more playmakers on offense.

 

[Chopper0080]

1. Cooper. For me, he's not a top ten pick (Warmack is, imo), but I can see the positives.

2. Carradine. Love this pick. He'd be top 20 were it not for the injury and some teams I believe might still have him in their top 20.

3. Kelce. The more I watched of him, the less I liked him. Yes, he's got a nasty streak, but too immature at times like Jeremy Shockey. Plus, Kelce looks slow in his routes, there's nothing crisp about them.

4. Quessenberry. Fantastic pick, even as a tackle. My only question is whether he will make it to #103. The buzz surrounding him is growing and growing...although, I am not sure if he did a smart thing recently when he said that he often thinks about enlisting in the army---the way he said it seemed like he wants to keep that option open---it wasn't with the caveat of "if things don't work out in football." He raved about the "close bond" that only fellow soldiers experience. Not that any of this is wrong at all---but it wouldn't make the team that drafts him happy if he suddenly decides to enlist.

5. Smith. Great pick and value at that point. One of the real sleepers in this draft. Could be a steal.

6. Hawthorne. I liked him at the Senior Bowl...liked his speed and PBU ability...to where i started to think he could also be a nickel FS. He's at his best when he can keep everything in front of him.

7. Boyett. Great pick and value at this spot.

What worries me about this draft is no speed added to what is a slow offense. We need more playmakers on offense.

I agree with the idea, but I feel we are not in the best position to add those players. For me, this draft was focused on improving the offensive line, getting a legit in-line TE, adding pass rushers and drafting depth for the secondary. I would love the ability to add playmakers like Markus Wheaton, Marquise Goodwin, Kenjon Barner, Ace Sanders, and so on, but where do you put them? How many speed TEs are you going to have on a team? How many targets will a speed WR get behind Fitz, Roberts and Floyd? How many shots is a Kenjon Barner going to get when Arians wants a one back system? At some point, you have to build your infastructure and make priority positions a priority.

Personally, WR is a devalued position for me. Every year we see more and more top athletes as WRs in college and declaring for the draft. Chris Harper out of Kansas St is considered a 4th/5th round pick and is only that because there are so many good WRs available. Steadman Baily is a really good WR who is a 3rd or 4th. For me, I can get these players any year in the 2nd - 4th rounds and keep the position very deep. Sleeper alert, Mark Harrison out of Rutgers. Stud, and may be a 5th or 6th round pick. More talent on draft day at WR than any other position for the past couple years IMO and I expect that trend to continue.

 

[kerouac9]

Normally I would agree, but in this draft the only difficult choice was Carradine. My thoughts with him were that we need a pass rushing option and I preferred taking him over Jaime Collins, Cornellius Washington, and Corey Lemonier even coming off his injury.

As for Quanterus Smith and John Boyett, I felt the benefit outweighed the risk for the spots we were drafting for. Same goes for Hawthorne, though his issues aren't medical. I couldn't really find any other prospects that I thought had higher ceilings than Smith and Boyett in the 5th and 7th rounds. I thought it would be better served to take a shot at a starting OLB and FS, than grabbing another special teams linebacker, fringe defensive linemen, 3rd TE, 5th WR, 3rd QB or fringe RB.

I didn't look back up, but do you anticipate Demontre Moore or Alex Okafor being available when the Cards go on the clock in the second round?

 

[WildBB]

I know you said it's the final mock. I have difficulty coming up with one, so I usually have at least an A & B scenario in mine. At least with some of the picks.

Do you have a second (B) scenario that you'd be more than happy with (what you would do)? I know I would. Probably a third too.

 

[Chopper0080]

I didn't look back up, but do you anticipate Demontre Moore or Alex Okafor being available when the Cards go on the clock in the second round?

No, I think Okafer goes to Atlanta and Moore to Detroit. I like Carradine better than either of them, but I would probably rank both of them better because of his injury. Definitely Okafer, but only maybe on Moore. He comes with some major question marks if you ask me from his history playing standing up to his work ethic questions.

 

[Chopper0080]

I know you said it's the final mock. I have difficulty coming up with one, so I usually have at least an A & B scenario in mine. At least with some of the picks.

Do you have a second (B) scenario that you'd be more than happy with (what you would do)? I know I would. Probably a third too.

I have a bunch of scenarios I would be comfortable with. An easy one is..

1-Barkevious Mingo-OLB
2-Kyle Long-OG
3-Travis Kelce-TE
4-DJ Swearinger-S
5-Luke Marquardt-OT
6-Mark Harrison-WR
7-Walter Stewart-OLB

Essentially, with most of my preferred drafts we take two OL and OLB. We take a TE early, first 4 rounds, and take some gambles (injured or inexperienced) in the later rounds. I like the S class, but I feel it drops off faster than most and the best ones will go early. Same with CB. I feel the draft will take most of the better offensive linemen very early and the rest are real projects. I really like the immediate impact that Barrett Jones, Travis Frederick and David Quessenberry could have but I can't get a good feel if they will make it to the 3rd or 4th rounds. OLB is a pretty weak class IMO.

 

[kerouac9]

I know you said it's the final mock. I have difficulty coming up with one, so I usually have at least an A & B scenario in mine. At least with some of the picks.

Do you have a second (B) scenario that you'd be more than happy with (what you would do)? I know I would. Probably a third too.

St. Louis GM Les Snead was on the Rich Eisen Podcast last week and he said "I try not to fall in love with players; I like to fall in love with options." I thought that outlook was very smart.

I'm not in love with out options at #7, although I'm in like with them. I L-O-V-E our options in the second round, though.