This is the third of four parts featuring my 2011 NFL Mock Draft. Picks 17-25 represent teams that either fell just short of the playoffs, or those that lost in the Wild Card Round
Teams picking in this grouping include the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, and New England Patriots (from Oakland).
After the break you can see who I think each team will take as well as an in-depth analysis of each player.
For more first round analysis of every pick, you can find that here: 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 21 (5)
School: Ohio State
Vitals: 6-5, 288 lbs.
40 time: 4.92
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass rush: Though not a true outside pass-rush threat, he will pressure the quarterback no matter where he lines up. Lines up on either end, as well as at the five-technique and uses quickness off the snap and excellent length to split double-teams, get inside of linemen when man-up, or push back guards into the pocket. Agile enough to be effective on twists from the outside. Running backs and tight ends are no match against Heyward in pass protection. Tough one-on-one matchup for guards inside due to his lateral quickness, hustle and club move. Corrals and punishes quarterbacks in the backfield, closing quickly and exploding into the tackle. Inconsistent disengaging from blocks; better left tackles can stand him up and latch on with impunity. Can be pushed back with an initial punch but keeps coming to provide a strong secondary rush. Not a great threat to turn the corner from the edge. Forces tackle up the field and can spin inside to prevent scrambles or pressure quarterbacks stepping up into the pocket. Has the length to affect passing lanes when unable to reach the passer but could get his hands up more often.
Run defense: Strong against the run whether lining up against guards or tackles. Crashes down to close gaps. Can spin off of blocks when runners cut back against the grain. Crashes down on inside runs, using length to get into a play. Good punch to knock his man back, attacks the ball when it is in his area. Maintains edge discipline to prevent bootleg plays on his side of the field. His height can be used against him — he fails to get low on occasion and loses leverage against stronger guards and double teams. Susceptible to cut blocks, though he is athletic enough to recover and get back into the play. Too strong for tight ends to handle one-on-one and uses leverage and hands to blow through edge blocks. Only adequate backfield awareness, will be sucked in on misdirection and lacks great change-of-direction agility.
Explosion: Excellent quickness off the snap, splits double teams with ease and provides a rare pop into his blocker’s pads to knock him back. Will be first man off the ball when pinning his ears back on the rush. Very difficult for slower linemen to match his combination of strength and explosiveness, makes beating them look easy.
Strength: Flashes great upper-body and hand strength, dominating most college linemen with leverage and burst, but does not consistently overwhelm better players. Does not have exceptional muscle definition in his arms. Plays tall inside and lacks a great anchor to maintain his ground against NFL-caliber double-team blocking.
Tackling: Solid tackler; can be explosive and always gives good effort. Leans when closing on the ball to ensure contact and his long arms allow him to wrap consistently. Good hustle downfield on screens. Also follows plays down the line and can chase to the opposite sideline. Best when attacking plays in front of him. Though he can redirect well for his height and size, he doesn’t change direction easily and lacks the immediate burst to play on the edge in the NFL.
Intangibles: He has a great attitude, work ethic and immense talent. Well-liked by his teammates and coaches, he has fun playing the game. Hustles without wearing down much during the game. Returned for his senior season because he enjoyed college and wanted to win a national championship.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 25 (4)
School: Boston College
Vitals: 6-7, 308 lbs.
40 time: 5.06
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass blocking: Good initial quickness out of his stance. Gains depth efficiently in his kick-slide. Plays with good balance, moving on the balls of his feet with his knees bent and shoulders square. Shows good lateral agility to slide and mirror the pass rusher. Appears to be quick enough for the cut-block on quick throws. Prototypical long arms to grasp the pass rusher and has improved his strength to control. Can struggle with leverage and be walked back into the pocket by short, stout pass rushers able to get into his chest. Lacks the sand in his pants to anchor sufficiently.
Run blocking: Gets a good initial push, but loses the leverage battle quickly and struggles to sustain. Gives good effort and has made significant improvement in this area over the past three seasons. Has a tendency to get his hands too far outside the numbers, but with greater strength would have more control. Relies on positioning and technique and lacks the power to drive defenders off the ball, despite improvement in this area. Flashes some leg drive when he gets under the pads of an opponent.
Pulling/trapping: Has above-average straight-line speed and is surprisingly effective changing direction and hitting a moving target blocking in space. Technically refined trap blocker, though his lack of bulk and ideal strength make him less effective. Good athleticism overall. Should continue to improve in this area.
Initial Quickness: Good initial quickness off the snap. Eases out of his stance into pass protection and is typically able to secure the edge. Can be beaten by pure speed rushers able to turn him and get under his reach. Gains an initial advantage in the running game due to his quickness and is often able to turn and seal his defender from the action.
Downfield: Lacks ideal balance and strength, but not effort, in blocking downfield. Works to sustain. Has made improvements in this area over his career.
Intangibles: Has started all 53 games of his career, tying the Boston College all-time record. Was the first true freshman to start the season opener on the offensive line in 10 years. Enrolled as a biochemistry major in the College of Arts & Sciences and was an Illinois State Scholar in high school. Won the Scanlan Award, BC’s highest honor, after his senior season. Goal is to one day conduct cancer research.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 27 (7)
School: California
Vitals: 6-4, 285 lbs.
40 time: 4.85
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass rush: Only moderate initial quickness off the snap. Doesn’t possess the top-end speed to be more than a marginal pass rusher in the NFL. Relies on his power and technique to pressure the pocket. Has a strong club move and rip and swim moves. Has the hand strength to knock away the initial punch of the pass blocker and often supplies his own punch to drive his opponent into the pocket. Good use of leverage and very good strength for the bull rush. Locates the ball and shows a late burst to close when opportunities are presented. Has long arms but is still developing recognition and timing to get his hands up. Has only five passes broken up in 50 games.
Run defense: Stout run defender. Understands gap responsibilities in the 3-4 defense. Has the long arms to keep defenders away from his chest and the bulk to anchor. Locates the ball quickly and pursues hard. Good balance and appears more agile in run defense forcing the back wide to the sideline than he is as a pass rusher. Good effort in lateral and downfield pursuit.
Explosion: Flashes an explosive initial burst but is inconsistent in this area. Doesn’t have the speed or flexibility as an edge rusher to take full advantage of his spotty suddenness, but can shock his opponent when he times the snap correctly. Shows a late burst to close on the ballcarrier, resulting in big collisions. Forced four career fumbles.
Strength: Arguably his greatest asset. Possesses very good upper- and lower-body strength to remain as a five technique defensive end in the 3-4 or a base (left) defensive end for the 4-3 alignment. Comes off the snap low and hard and has the bulk to create a pile. Can drive his opponent into the pocket with his bull rush and slide off to make the tackle when the ballcarrier is near.
Tackling: Good strength for the drag-down tackle. Will lower his shoulder and bring his hips for the big collision. Strong enough that he can slip off blockers and find the ball. Doesn’t have great balance or flexibility to break down in the open field to tackle elusive ballcarriers but his long arms and good hand-eye coordination help him to at least trip up the target.
Intangibles: High-effort player. Plays to the whistle and pursues hard. Good bloodlines. Father, Steve Jordan, was a six-time Pro Bowl tight end during 13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Suspended for 2008 season opener after an arrest for suspicion of a DUI — the only game he missed at Cal. Played in 50 of 51 games, including 32 starts. Characterized by teammates as a “locker-room clown” and a “just a big kid at heart.” Had his maturity questioned by coaches early in his career, though he emerged as more of a leader since.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 19 (3)
School: Colorado
Vitals: 6-8, 315 lbs.
40 time: 4.89
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass blocking: Solder’s length and athleticism makes him a prototypical pass protector on the blind side. Very difficult to get around when he bends his knees and is smooth in his lateral movement. Resets his hands quickly after initial contact, manages to anchor after a strong initial bull rush. Agile and long enough to combo block down and still push blitzing linebackers around the pocket. Also handles twists and stunts well. Cuts quickly to allow bubble screens to his side. Plays with a narrow base at times, which causes him to lose balance or cross his feet when engaged on outside rushes. Takes short, choppy steps after kick slide, has trouble cutting off quick ends from turning the corner and resorts to diving at their legs. Also gives up the inside lane too frequently. NFL-caliber ends can get under his pads and drive him back on occasion because of his height and inconsistent knee-bend.
Run blocking: Very willing and able run blocker on the edge with exceptional mobility for his size. Good get-off and upper-body strength allows him to latch onto defensive ends and stand-up defenders and take them out of the play. Despite his height, he plays with leverage at the point of attack and can widen his base to anchor. Nimble and quick, he seals his edge easily, gets out in front of screens well, and can block multiple defenders to wall off the back side. Quicker defenders can get under his pads, however, and disengage to move down the line and stop inside runs.
Pulling/trapping: Does not work behind the line very often from the left tackle spot, but his combination of size and mobility should allow him to do so at the next level. Effective getting around the tight end to take out targets on the outside. Can drop his hips to negate defenders at the second level. Has flexibility to get his hands on the inside defender, though his height can make it difficult to stay with smaller, quicker defenders when he doesn’t first lock on.
Initial Quickness: Gets off the snap fairly well for his size, but is inconsistent with his kick-slide and hand quickness, which could cause problems for him against better NFL ends. Able to deliver a pop as a drive blocker, stopping defensive ends in their tracks or even pushing his man off the line of scrimmage.
Downfield: Exceptional feet and agility make him a threat to take out defenders in space. Very quick getting to the second and third levels. Locates targets well downfield, keeps his feet moving to gain the correct angle and hands strong and active to latch onto linebackers and move them out of the play. Will throw a shoulder into a defender at times instead of sustaining the block.
Intangibles: Owns the work ethic to become a Pro Bowl offensive tackle. In the spring of 2009, he was awarded the John Wooten Award for outstanding work ethic and the offensive line’s Iron Buffalo Award for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage lifted in the weight room. Needs to become more of a vocal leader on the field, though he does play with attitude and competitiveness and is not afraid to go through the whistle and talk to defenders on the field. Very good student, had a 3.93 GPA in high school and was one of 16 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes in 2010. Brother, John, played linebacker at Stanford.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 18 (4)
School: Purdue
Vitals: 6-4, 263 lbs.
40 time: 4.82
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass rush: Hustle pass rusher with the size to contribute on either side of the line. Not a threat to turn the corner because he is a bit stiff in the hips, but anticipates the snap well and flashes the occasional burst to pressure tackles up the field. Defeats tight ends on the line and running backs in the backfield with his hands and strength. Capable of putting his blocker on skates to take him back into the pocket. Provides secondary rush, keeps his eyes in the backfield and will chase down quarterbacks if they hang onto the ball too long. Does not have an exceptional closing burst, but his height and length make it difficult to see over or pass around him. Drops into coverage on occasion and hustles to plays but lacks great agility in space. Lacks counter pass-rush moves.
Run defense: Intelligent, assignment-sure run defender. Keeps arms extended to stack tackle to contain on the edge, though he could shed more consistently. Works hard to get down the line if the play is run away from him. Recovers quickly from cut blocks using his hands to keep his balance, but will lose the ball in the process. Presses double teams, will not give up on a play. Good overall build and has improved his functional strength. Better tackles can control him off the snap, though he will overpower or shed tight ends on run plays when one-on-one. Lacks speed to keep containment against quicker backs if he takes a step inside.
Explosion: Is not a quick-twitch athlete but has enough explosiveness from his stance to challenge strong-side tackles as a pass rusher. Keeps his hips low and delivers a strong punch into his blocker’s chest, giving him a strong bull rush and the ability to keep his distance from tackles on the edge.
Strength: A taller defensive end, he plays with good leverage on the edge and gets under the pads and moves tackles into the backfield. Moves with blockers on the edge to prevent plays getting outside. Must improve using his hands to consistently disengage from blocks to make plays.
Tackling: Secure tackler inside and when chasing downfield. Excellent hustle to track down receivers and running backs downfield on short throws. Long, strong arms make it difficult for ballcarriers to elude his tackles. More of a drag-down tackler than explosive, but brings enough pop to force fumbles when attacking the quarterback. Lacks elite speed and has only adequate change-of-direction agility for his size; he might struggle to corral quick and elusive NFL backs.
Intangibles: Team captain and unquestioned leader of the defense. Off-the-charts work ethic on the field and weight room, equally excelling at both. Exceptional student-athlete, has garnered multiple Academic All-Big Ten and All-American honors during his career. Full name is Patrick Ryan Kerrigan. Father played football at Ball State. He had surgery on broken foot after 2009 season, which he also aggravated during spring practices in 2010.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 17 (2)
School: Southern California
Vitals: 6-5, 285 lbs.
40 time: 5.08
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass blocking: His best trait. Flashes very good initial quickness and gains good depth with his initial kick-slide. Plays on the balls of his feet with good forward and lateral balance. Shuffles his feet laterally to mirror the defender. Has the long arms and strong hands to lock onto the defender. Loses focus and relies too much on his agility to remain in front of the pass rusher. Becomes susceptible to swim moves when he doesn’t use his hands aggressively. Has the agility to handle converting to the left side.
Run blocking: Good positional blocker. Quick off the snap and can catch and turn his opponent away from the play. Does a nice job of walling off his target, but needs to get stronger and keep his feet churning to drive his opponent out. Too often gets stood up by defenders, creating a pile that the ballcarrier must run around, rather than clearing a hole for the play to run through. Isn’t afraid of contact and can drive the defender off the ball in short-yardage situations with his initial push, but isn’t yet strong enough to finish blocks consistently.
Pulling/trapping: Good mobility to pull and lead the toss-sweep. Good balance and straight-line speed getting to the second level. Struggles to hit the brakes and re-direct and allows his arms to flail at the defender, which could draw holding calls at the next level.
Initial Quickness: Inconsistent with his initial get-off. Capable of being the first off the snap, as he often is when he anticipates a blitz to his side or has to get out in front of a sweep play, but can also be among the last off the snap.
Downfield: Good athleticism and effort to make downfield blocks. Looks for someone to hit and will peel back if necessary to pop a defender giving chase. Good overall athleticism, but struggles changing direction and therefore must do a better job anticipating where the defender is going to be, rather than allowing him to rush past.
Intangibles: Only three years removed from high school. Occasionally moved to left tackle during games, but all 24 of his career starts were at right tackle. Missed the Boston College game in 2009 due to an academic suspension. Missed the 2010 Notre Dame game with a sprained knee. Played on special teams, blocking two kicks in 2010 (Washington State, Arizona State). Not yet a finished product.
Projected Round: 1-2
Overall Rank (Position): 24 (3)
School: UCLA
Vitals: 6-4, 255 lbs.
40 time: 4.67
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Read & React: Average instincts and is prone to biting on play-action and taking false steps on the reverse. Possesses rare agility and straight-line speed for the position, typically allowing him to make the play.
Run defense: Has size, strength and willingness to take on blockers at the point of attack. Seems to enjoy the physicality of the game, showing good upper-body strength and quick, active hands to quickly shed blocks. Unselfish defender that typically maintains gap discipline.
Pass defense: Can be fooled by play-action but is surprisingly fluid in coverage for a big linebacker. Relies too much on reading the eyes of the quarterback in coverage. Has proven to be a playmaker, but could be fooled by savvy passers at the next level. Good ball skills. Has six career interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
Tackling: Generally a reliable tackler, leading with his shoulder or getting too high going for the highlight-reel hit and bouncing off the ballcarrier. Can improve as a wrap-up tackler. Can get a bit out of control when pursuing laterally and overrun the play, but is so long and athletic, he’s usually able to trip up the ballcarrier to prevent cutback opportunities. Good effort laterally and downfield in pursuit. Good strength for the drag-down tackle. Brings his hips as a tackler, creating explosive hits to force the ball out. Has seven forced fumbles in three seasons.
Pass Rush/Blitz: One of Ayers’ better areas. Good burst off the snap as a standup and hand-down rusher. Capable of crossing the face of the tackle with his explosiveness and possesses good flexibility and balance to scrape the corner and close quickly. Relies on his speed to rush the passer, showing little in terms of true pass rush technique, at this point.
Intangibles: Redshirted in 2007. Arrived at UCLA and was known as a prankster, but has matured into a team leader, according to those close to the program. Voted a team captain in 2010. Has played in all 37 games of his career … History major who earned a spot on the Honor Roll in 2007.
Projected Round: 1
Overall Rank (Position): 15 (3)
School: Iowa
Vitals: 6-3, 286 lbs.
40 time: 4.79
Analysis, from CBS Sports:
Pass rush: Strong pass rusher able to rips off blocks with violent hands to get the corner. Good closing speed to the quarterback, even after absorbing a big punch from offensive tackles off the snap. Able to break down in space to get his hands on ballcarriers. Tight ends and fullbacks have little chance to handle his strength and strong punch on the edge. Will pause his pass rush to knock a running back off his route into the flat and continue on his path to the quarterback. Pass rush comes from strength and hustle, not an explosive first step that allows him to turn the corner. Does not have counter rush moves and will not be able to swipe aside most starting NFL tackles. Appeared less sudden and relentless in 2010.
Run defense: Active and stout run defender who stays square to the line of scrimmage and often gives a second and third effort. Plays with leverage, able to stack tackles and shed in either direction using strong hands to get to the ballcarrier — even if pushed off the line a bit by stronger tackles. Feels cut blocks, keeps his eyes up and uses his hands well. Uses his hands to use tackles’ momentum against them. Flows through traffic, keeps his feet moving, and separates from linemen with active hands on inside runs. Lowers his shoulder to anchor against pulling guards behind the line to help linebackers stay free. Consistently keeps contain on his side of the line, especially against mobile quarterbacks, and is able to change direction to chase down backs going for the sideline. Lack of height allows larger tackles to engulf him.
Explosion: Doesn’t have the typical explosive first step of most rush ends because of his girth and lack of ideal height. He is considered an explosive player against the run and pass, because he has one of the strongest punches and most effective hands in the class.
Strength: Uses his low center of gravity and strong upper and lower body to play with great leverage. Consistently leverages blockers and disengages from blocks with strong and violent hands. Lacks height to block field goals but provides good push and penetration inside; also a factor on punts as protectors cannot handle his strength and quickness.
Tackling: A solid tackler who is very active and stays square and low, but his technique is not always sound. Strong arms allow him to be explosive when coming straight on and force fumbles by ripping or simply creating a big impact. Punches blockers in space to keep them from latching on, stays alive to make a play. Doesn’t have great length and will often slip or bounce off ballcarriers; his initial impact might be strong enough to bring down college running back, but NFL runners might have more success staying alive.
Intangibles: Unquestioned emotional leader of the Iowa defense on and off the field. Named a permanent team captain and praised by coaches for his character and work ethic. Teams will check out nerves in his right arm and neck to ensure the Erb’s Palsy he suffered at birth is a non-issue. Charged with assaulting an Iowa City taxi driver in January 2009 after reportedly confronting a taxi driver who honked his horn in a traffic jam. Pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in March 2010, but was not suspended by Iowa coaches because they felt the situation required only minor internal penalties.
For more first round analysis of every pick, you can find that here: 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32
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