1st Round
1. CLO Collins (8-6) - HB Eddie Lacy, Alabama - You can never have too many backs and after snagging Alabama's best back in last year's draft CLO will look to stay with the same successful formula. There are some questions surrounding Lacy and whether his productivity was mostly due to Bama's offensive line but questions abound about a lot of prospects in this draft. If Lacy goes to a solid landing spot (Mayock currently has him mocked to the Bengals) then a lot of those questions will subside and he'll be the unquestioned number one overall pick. Caleb Collins was quoted as saying "If Lacy lands with the Bengals he would be like a Corey Dillon/Ickey Woods mixture on steroids with potential to revolutionize the runningback position." I don't know about all that but with a solid landing spot Lacy would be a fantastic HB3 of the future behind Richardson and McCoy.
2. Scott's Tots (3-11) - WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee - Taylor Ray's receiving corps is in dire need of an upgrade (Steve Johnson, D.Moore, Decker) and while Patterson is by all accounts a little raw he is the skill position player (excluding QB's) most likely to go the highest come April. While his route running skills have been brought into question there's no denying the kid is a freak and has a very high ceiling. Taylor Ray was quoted while wearing a bow tie and coming out of a formal as saying "This guys YAC is fratastic and the best thing to come out of Tennessee since Dolly Parton." In my opinion Patterson has a Demaryius Thomas type ceiling but also high bust potential with Taylor Ray's conservative nature it'll be interesting to see if he'll pull the trigger on this guy.
3. Beat Skeet Eat Leave (5-9) - HB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina - Tough to figure out who to mock here as Andrew could definitely use a potential elite quarterback to replace Roethlisberger but is Geno Smith that guy? I don't know how much Beat Skeet Eat Leave values Geno but I'm assuming they'll just go best player available here and take Bernard especially if he lands in a nice situation (Atlanta would be a dream scenario). Bernard has been compared to LeSean McCoy by some but has also been claimed to be nothing more than a 3rd down back by others. When I watch him play I see a Brian Westbrook type which means his fantasy potential is going to rely a lot on what team drafts him and how that coaching staff uses him. I talked to some sources at the FAN in Charlotte and they say Andrew has been talking with Bernard and his family daily about becoming a member of the Beat Skeet Eat Leave franchise and believes if Bernard lands in Atlanta he'll be a top 10 runningback for over half a decade.
4. Miami Sharks (9-4-1) - HB Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina - This kid was supposed to be the consensus 1.01 coming into last season before he destroyed his whole knee. While it's no guarantee he ever resorts to his previous form after seeing runners like McGahee and Gore recover from gruesome collegiate injuries and go on to have very productive careers in the past I believe this kid can come back as well. A lot of teams can't really afford to take the risk with this pick as he may not even be ready to contribute early in the 2013 season but as loaded as the Sharks' roster is they can afford to take this kid and wait and see. Owner Michael Gibson was quoted as saying "While it appeared Lattimore's super star potential had burnt out in October I'm betting on his star burning brighter than ever by late 2013 early 2014 as the premier player of this entire draft class."
5. Bi-Polar Bears (7-6-1) - WR Robert Woods, USC - While I may be making this too simplistic it seems obvious that Anthony will be taking his guy out of USC Robert Woods. While this would be considered to be by some a reach I know Anthony really believes in this kid and he's gonna go in the first round so if he wants him he's gotta take him here. Woods could turn into a very solid flex option in future years for the Bears and maybe a long term fixture at receiver as the WR2 to Harvin once Marshall falls off. Anthony said "Woods will be superior to last year's top drafted receiver Blackmon in every single way excluding DUI's" With the cluster of talented receivers this year there are no clear cuts at the position it's almost a preference thing and I couldn't fault Anthony for going with his guy Woods here and adding to his young collection of talent.
6. Carolina Lions (8-6) - WR Keenan Allen, California - The Lions could go in a couple of different ways here, they could grab Geno as a higher upside back up to Flacco, grab Ball or Ellington as a potential Gore replacement, or do what I have them slotted to do grabbing Keenan Allen to pair with Michael Floyd as his receivers of the future. Allen has been on some parts of the web in the conversation to be the 1.01 in rookie drafts as well as compared to a bigger Percy Harvin. While I don't quite buy into all that hype Allen could be a solid mid tier WR2 in fantasy in the coming years. Luke Zente is known for being strictly against having players below the age of 28 on his roster though so I wouldn't be surprised to see the pick get dealt.
7. Super Manning (6-8) - TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame - Phil really wanted to trade up for this pick so I assume he has some sort of target in mind and the only two things I could really think of is he's either hoping Lattimore dropped this far or he had his eyes on the solid potential of Eifert. Super Manning currently has two solid tight ends rostered in Witten and Gates but they are both old and on the decline. Eifert has been compared to a Todd Heap who in his prime was a solid fantasy TE1 and if he were to end up in Atlanta as Gonzo's eventual replacement this pick could be money. Rumors have it that Phil has named his favorite ant in his room in the apartment after Tyler Eifert making this pick seem even more likely.
8. Scott's Tots (3-11) - HB Montee Ball, Wisconsin - This guy does everything good but nothing too great. He scored a lot of touch downs at Wisconsin and could be a solid goal line back in the NFL depending on where he gets drafted. A lot of people are scared off by Wisconsin backs after Ron Dayne's failed transition to the NFL but if Montee were to fall into the right situation say a Pittsburgh he could be a very nice HB2 in fantasy but in a less than ideal situation he may just be the power back in a committee and playing an inferior role to a more talented back between the 20's. After taking the risk on an electrifying speed back in 2012 (Pead) who looks to be headed for a committee is Taylor Ray ready to take a similar risk on a slower power back in 2013?
9. Carolina Lions (8-6) - QB Geno Smith, West Virginia - The former heisman trophy candidate would be a solid selection for the Lions as a quarterback of the future especially if he winds up in Kansas City under the coaching of Andy Reid. Geno doesn't have the speed of Luke's former young QB RG3 but he does have good passing ability and in the right system could be a fantasy QB1 in a few years. While this isn't a pick that will inspire Luke to change his team name to something crazy very few understood like the RG3 pick it could still be a very solid pick for the franchise's future.
10. CLO Collins (8-6) - HB Andre Ellington, Clemson - Ellington has been written off by some as a scat back strictly change of pace runner but the same was said about Charles and Chris Johnson coming in. While Ellington lacks their elite speed he does have nice wiggle and could surprise and be a solid runner in the NFL he's worth the risk at this point in the draft depending on what situation he finds himself in. Caleb Collins told me before going off on his interview this morning that Ellinton is Jamaal Charles 2.0 end of story so at least he believes in his guy.
11. Goonsuqad (2-11-1) - WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee - While I could see DeAndre Hopkins being the pick here as well or even a Tavon Austin I'd rather roll the dice on Hunter. He has a similar frame to AJ Green but that's about where the comparisons end he is nowhere near as polished of a route runner or pass catcher as Green. I like Hunter's potential but he reportedly lacks focus and will probably have a very tough time getting off of jams at the NFL level. Hunter may actually be the most NFL ready out of the receiver prospects but with his only 4.5 speed I don't think the ceiling is high enough to take him until late 1st or early 2nd in the rookie draft. His upside is somewhere around Kenny Britt level but I'm not sure if he can get there. Tick did say that if the Colts draft a rookie skill position player semi high in the draft come April that his pick may change dramatically.
