My 2013 guesses--pre-Combine

[gooselovechild]

This is a very dead time for football fans, and since everyone else is doing it, I didn't want to be left out.

I don't think Ellerbe or Kruger will be back, but I do think we find a way to get Ed back for another 2-3 years on a fairly reasonable deal, and that both Boldin and Jones will be back too.

There are no trades in this version, but I think we could be very active come draft time.


1. Sam Montgomery DE/LB LSU
--Should get drafted higher than this, and Ozzie will pounce on a very talented player who can play virtually every spot along the DL, get to the QB, is relentless chasing the ball, but athletic enough to drop into coverage…awesome fit for a defense that needs an injection of youth and talent in the front 7

2. Brandon Williams DL Missouri Southern
--Small school wide body who is scheme versatile and has some pass rush push, will be a beast paired with Ngata

3. David Bakhtiari OT Colorado
--Probably needs to add about 15 pounds, but very physical and experienced at LT…a potential steal in the 3rd round if he can add the weight

4. AJ Klein LB Iowa State
--Good size and speed, always around the ball, very good in coverage, and smart--just what you want in your MLB…has the makings of a defensive captain down the road

4b (comp). Michael Mauti LB Penn State
--Worth a 4th round comp pick, would probably have been a 2nd or 3rd rounder before his knee injury…paired with Klein, our ILB position is solid for the next decade assuming his knee holds up

5. Micah Hyde FS Iowa
--Not the thickest guy in the world, but is a good tackler and has some ball skills, can play CB and S, and will be a strong special teamer from day 1

5b (comp). Quanterus Smith DE/OLB Western Kentucky
--Another guy with an injury flag who should go higher than this…can get after the QB (he had a 3 sack game vs. Alabama last season), but struggles against the run…situational pass rusher only

6. Kyle Padron QB Eastern Washington
--Tyrod Taylor is not a long term answer if Flacco gets injured…Padron has good size, mobility and decent arm strength, and with some seasoning could be a viable backup that we could flip for picks in a few years

6b (comp).. Philip Lutzenkirchen TE Auburn
--Not a true blocking TE, but a good player at this point of the draft; think Bajema with better pass catching ability

7. Manase Foketi OT West Texas A&M
--K-State transfer has good size and strength and adds depth as a possible swing player since Harewood has shown nothing and Oher might be gone in 2014

So there it is. Please be kind.

[coordinator0]

Ohh I like. I like a lot. Waiting that late to address ILB when Ellerbe signs somewhere else is risky though. That's about the only thing I have a gripe with, and even then you addressed it with two solid players.

It would be interesting to see where Williams plays in Baltimore's 3-4 alignment. I think he's better off at the 5-technique but I could see him in a rotation with Cody too. In the 4-man DL sets he would definitely be in at DT.

[gooselovechild]

Williams is one of those very intriguing guys in this draft because he's so big, versatile, and productive--albeit at a lower level of football.

If he blows up in Indy, it could push him out of our reach unless we are willing to make a very risky move by drafting him at 32, and I don't know if I would have the courage to pull that trigger in the 1st round because of his pedigree.

But I do like him an awful lot as a potential stud along the DL, regardless of the alignment we run.

[diamondbull424]

I thought this mock needs a little more love. I try to get to them all and this one has been just a little neglected. So here's what I think.

Picks I like:
Sam Montgomery- The guy is explosive and makes plays. He's also strong and tenacious. He's going to be well coached coming from that LSU defense. Him falling to us in the first would be a very good situation... and I'd wonder what the front office would do in that situation. They mentioned they want to get better in the middle of the defense, but with Montgomery staring them in the face... is that a trade down to a team that might really covet the guy or do we take him ourselves? The only question marks I have with Montgomery that I've noticed with watching him more is his hips look pretty stiff. He looks like strictly a 43 DE. I don't like him as a 34 OLB... at least not with utilizing him in space. I don't mind standing him up as long as it's not dropping him back into coverage where I wouldn't be comfortable with his lack of COD skills.

AJ Klein- He's my 5th rated ILB in this class right behind Greene.. and depending on athleticism, I might move him up to #4... and here we take this guy in the 4th round. Like I said in response to other mocks, I don't think there is anyway Klein falls outside of the 3rd round, but if he does, it only would make the selection for us that much greater and more value injected.

Michael Mauti- I love this pick as well. Before he went down he was high up on my ILB list. I had him rated as a 2nd round talent. The knee issues are concerning but outside of that he's just too talented. Getting him in the 4th would be amazing value and would reduce the value lost if he busts due to injury.

Micah Hyde- I like the value and remember being impressed with him awhile back when I saw his videos. I haven't watched him in awhile, but his value in the 5th would be nice. That said, I don't think he's talented enough to replace Reed or even be anything more than simply solid. But this offseason isn't asking him to do more than that.

Picks I'm not familiar with:
Everyone else. I'm ignorant to those names so I won't judge them. I watched like a few seconds of Williams and I wasn't impressed, but I didn't watch him nearly long enough to give him a fair chance to impress me.
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Blind arrogance sows the field of it's own destruction. - Commander Greil, Fire Emblem

[gooselovechild]

I've been all about AJ Klein for what seems like forever. And truth be told, I almost put him in the 3rd round.

But I could absolutely see guys like Reddick, Alonso and Hodges testing better and jumping him after Indy because people get blinded by athleticism. Teams are silly that way, and I'm ok with it if it allows us to get a quality player while addressing oither needs with earlier picks.

It wouldn't shock me if he gets drafted higher than the 4th round, and I personally feel he has that kind of talent, but I'm also not sure he will be come draft weekend.