2012 NFL Draft Predictions: Projecting NFL Career Stats for Every First-Rounder

A year ago at this time it may have been imaginable that Cam Newton would gain more than 700 yards on the ground and even set the single-season rushing touchdowns record by a quarterback at 14.  Much less supported would have been the prediction that Newton would also establish a new standard for rookie passing yards, shattering Peyton Manning's 1998 mark, with 4,051 in total.

Likewise, back in 1983 there may have been defensible expectations that Southern Methodist University phenom Eric Dickerson would set rookie rushing records in attempts, yardage and touchdowns that all still stand today. 

However, how about the NFL career exploits of the man that went five picks after Dickerson, QB Todd Blackledge, seventh overall out of Penn State University?  Through parts of seven seasons, he played in just 46 games, going 15-14 as a starter, retiring with fewer than 1,000 pass attempts (881), completing under 50 percent of his passes (48.1) with 29 touchdown throws to 38 interceptions and a 60.2 passer rating.  The stark unpredictability of these results is put into further context when noted that he was drafted that same year ahead of Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino.

It is with these chaotic outcomes in mind, and they are present in the first round of every NFL draft, that I take a fun attempt at predicting the career statistics for the top 32 picks I presently have mocked to go on the evening of April 26.  While these slideshows are intended to state a predictive opinion, and healthy feedback is expected and encouraged, do keep in mind the highly arbitrary nature of an exercise like this.

Because this is not a mock draft, and the players cannot yet be tied with a particular team with any degree of confidence with regard to projecting their production, the slides will be in alphabetical order.

Mike Adams

Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State University, 6'7" 325, senior, DOB: 3/10/1990

Adams is the potential first-round offensive tackle that I currently have rated with the highest chance to bust.  There are industry-wide concerns about his strength and aggressiveness, but also those that value his size and athleticism cannot be taught.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 0

Mark Barron

Mark Barron, S, University of Alabama, 6'1" 215, senior, DOB: 10/27/1989

Because of Barron's relatively quiet pre-draft process to this point, due to his recovery from hernia surgery, there is some question as to whether he will go in the middle or end of the first round.  However, as the top overall safety prospect in the class and the number of teams with this positional need, he seems assured of getting his name called on April 26.

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Total Tackles: 550

Interceptions: 23

Justin Blackmon

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State University, 6'1" 210, redshirt junior, DOB: 1/9/1990

Blackmon's hold on the No. 1 receiver prospect designation is now being hotly contested within the draftnik community, as opinions favoring either Kendall Wright or Michael Floyd have come on.

Regardless of the pecking order, Blackmon should still be a first-rounder and the expectation is that he will produce like a starting wide receiver, even if it is more as a No. 2 and less as a star.  Despite average measureables in size and speed, his pass-catching skills are excellent.  He displays strong hands, good concentration, the ability to work in traffic and is tough to tackle in the secondary after the catch.

Career Stats

Seasons: 10

Receptions: 757

Receiving Yardage: 10,522

Average Yards per Catch: 13.9

Touchdowns: 64

Michael Brockers

Michael Brockers, DL, Louisiana State University, 6'5" 325, redshirt sophomore, DOB: 12/21/1990

After arriving late to the underclassman draft declaration party in 2012, Brockers' stock shot right to the top of the defensive line board.  With his size, expected athleticism and rawness, the industry buzzed about how high he could go and whether he is a better fit in the NFL as a 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end.  His hype has since cooled following subpar athleticism markers at the combine and further tape review by a wider body of the industry.

I think he will make a more seamless transition to 3-4 defensive end, and that teams favoring that scheme will rate him higher, with his elite length (6'5" height and 35" arms) and quality run defense skills.  As a three-technique defensive tackle, despite the rare height, he may struggle to penetrate due to a lack of quickness and be rendered less effective.

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Total Tackles: 375

Sacks: 20

Morris Claiborne

Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State University, 5'11" 185, junior, DOB: 2/7/1990

Claiborne's appeal as a potentially elite cover corner at the top of the draft is easy to understand.  Without any off the field concerns, he combines a high level of skill and acumen for the position with quality physical tools that allow those abilities to play.  He comes off upright in his back pedal at times, but this is a correctable flaw for him at the professional level.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Interceptions: 25

Quinton Coples

Quinton Coples, DE, University of North Carolina, 6'6" 285, senior, DOB: 6/22/1990

Coples is one of the enigmas of the 2012 first-round projection because of the juxtaposition between his talent and lack of production.  Coples is often referred to as the most ideally built and physically talented 4-3 defensive end in the class.  However, after a 10-sack junior campaign in 2010, his production in that category fell to 7.5 this year, more than half of which came against significantly weaker competition.

His star has regained some of its luster with good showings at both the Senior Bowl and combine.  A friend of mine in the community also reminded me recently that Adrian Clayborn (University of Iowa, 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-rounder) suffered a similar junior-to-senior swoon and initial returns on him have been positive.

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Total Tackles: 156

Sacks: 17

Fletcher Cox

Fletcher Cox, DL, Mississippi State University, 6'4" 300, junior, DOB: 12/13/1990

Cox's draft stock is riding high after a strong showing at the combine came on the heels of widespread excitement over what he shows on film.  Buoying his standing even further is dual-scheme appeal that could have him in a playmaking role as either a 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end.

Either way, Cox is a rare interior playmaker that causes a lot of havoc on the other side of the line of scrimmage and must be accounted for by opponents on each down.  Watch this play for his awareness, change-of-direction and pursuit skills on a running back with 4.3 speed.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Total Tackles: 300

Sacks: 35

David DeCastro

David DeCastro, OG, Stanford University, 6'5" 315, redshirt junior, DOB: 1/11/1990

As the long-running top guard prospect in the 2012 NFL draft class, one of the only intrigues remaining with DeCastro is where exactly he will go on the night of April 26.  Does his elite projection convince a team to take him in the top 10 or 15 picks, historically rarefied air for a guard, or will he fall into the second half of the first round?

To me it matters little when he is selected because I think a tremendous NFL career inside in the trenches awaits him and the team(s) he plays for.

Career Stats

Seasons: 12

All-Pro: 5

Pro Bowls: 7

Coby Fleener

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford University, 6'6" 250, redshirt senior, DOB: 9/20/1988

A foot injury has prevented Fleener from running his 40-yard dash in front of scouts so far this spring, but a quality showing in that test on March 22, at Stanford's pro day, is likely all that remains for him to take hold of the No. 1 spot on most positional boards. 

While Fleener does not project to ever be more than adequate as an inline blocker at the NFL level, the pre-draft processes for the other two highly touted TE prospects (Orson Charles, Dwayne Allen) have been somewhat mixed in their reviews. 

Seen as the best pure pass-catching threat in the class, Fleener should be highly productive in the right offense at the next level.

Career Stats

Seasons: 9

Receptions: 378

Receiving Yardage: 4,045

Average Yards per Catch: 10.7

Touchdowns: 35

Michael Floyd

Michael Floyd, WR, University of Notre Dame, 6'2.5" 220, senior, DOB: 11/27/1989

After checking out of the combine with the best size-speed index (he was timed at 4.42 unofficially) amongst the projected first-round receivers, there are defensible arguments throughout the industry that Floyd is the top WR prospect in the class.

NFL teams will undoubtedly be drawn to Floyd's physical makeup as it projects to the No. 1 receiver role.  The question will be: Does he have the concentration and dedication to work up to and remain at that level for a period of years?

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Receptions: 233

Receiving Yardage: 3,075

Average Yards per Catch: 13.2

Touchdowns: 22

Nick Foles

Nick Foles, QB, University of Arizona, 6'5" 245, redshirt senior, DOB: 1/20/1989

Out of the 32 selections I mocked in the first round last week, Arizona quarterback Nick Foles may be the least likely to come to fruition.  As I mentioned at the time, Foles' inclusion here is more representative of my belief that he is the No. 3 QB prospect in the class—and that some team will agree and target him late in the first round—than it is a popular fit on the current draftnik landscape.

In sticking to my guns about the kind of career Foles can enjoy as an NFL starter, I see him becoming some team's No. 1 in his fourth year and growing from there into a top-10 or -12 guy in the league.

Career Stats

Seasons: 12

Attempts: 3,419

Completions: 2,199

Passing Yards: 26,904

Touchdowns: 147

Passer Rating: 93.1

Stephon Gilmore

Stephon Gilmore, CB, University of South Carolina, 6'0.5" 190, junior, 9/19/1990

Gilmore is presently part of the wildly fluid discussion in draft circles about who the No. 2 cornerback off the board will be and which others will fill out the remainder of the top five at the position.

I have him No. 4 on my personal board (behind Morris Claiborne, Jamell Fleming and Brandon Boykin) but second in my latest mock that also seeks to synthesize the at-large viewpoint.

Gilmore does not jump off the page or the screen in any one area but offers a solidly above-average composite all the way around, including as a tackler and good citizen.

Career Stats

Seasons: 9

Interceptions: 25

Cordy Glenn

Cordy Glenn, OG/OT, University of Georgia, 6'6" 345, senior, DOB: 9/18/1989

Glenn has emerged as arguably the top right-side offensive line prospect, whether at guard or tackle, following a career that saw him play all over Georgia's line, including left tackle as a senior.

He has continued to show well in the postseason draft process with strong impressions at both the Senior Bowl and the combine.  Any team that takes him, likely in the late first round, will value the fact he projects versatility at both spots with a chance to be very good at either.

Check out the 56-second mark on this video when he pancakes his man in pass protection.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 0

Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor University, 6'2.5" 225, redshirt junior, DOB: 2/12/1990

It has been said before, and history shows that it rarely works out, but the top two quarterback prospects in this class have a strong chance to go one-two in the order and be very good at the NFL level.

Griffin is the second of those two but is also considered the more exciting player, and he may be more popular upon entering the NFL in part due to his fantasy projection among the gaming masses.  Injuries and wear and tear may shorten his career some because of how active he is, but look for Griffin to put up some splendid career numbers, starting as early as 2012.

Career Stats

Seasons: 13

Attempts: 5,546

Completions: 3,606

Passing Yards: 42,803

Touchdowns: 284

Passer Rating: 90.5

Carries: 752

Rushing Yards: 5,073

Rushing Touchdowns: 34

Melvin Ingram

Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, University of South Carolina, 6'2" 265, redshirt senior, DOB: 4/26/1989

Ingram's name remains among the hottest in the top half of the first-round discussion due to the need for athletic and versatile pass-rushers and his rising profile as such.  He had one of the better workouts at the combine in Indianapolis and recorded 10 sacks in 2011 as a senior.

Though it is only a quiet whisper at this point in certain corners of the draft analysis realm, mine included, there is a thought that some teams may be concerned with his lack of length (under 6'2" and only 31.5" arm length) and disappearing act in some games this fall.

Full disclosure: I had partially similar concerns about Elvis Dumervil's projection as an NFL pass-rusher after he checked in at 5'11.5" with 32" arms in 2006.  He has gone on to post 52.5 sacks in five seasons, though I will qualify that Dumervil always had a tremendous motor and polished repertoire of pass-rush moves.

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Total Tackles: 359

Sacks: 37

Matt Kalil

Matt Kalil, OT, University of Southern California, 6'6.5" 305, redshirt junior, DOB: 7/6/1989

It appears the only drama remaining for Kalil on draft day is whether the St. Louis Rams will stay put at No. 2 in order to select him or if he will fall into the waiting arms of the Minnesota Vikings with the third selection.

Kalil has long been considered the strong favorite from this class at left tackle, fending off some pressure much earlier in the process from Riley Reiff and Jonathan Martin.  He presents an instant upgrade from day one and should quickly develop into an upper-echelon performer at this spot.

Career Stats

Seasons: 12

All-Pro: 6

Pro Bowls: 9

Dre Kirkpatrick

Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, University of Alabama, 6'1.5" 185, junior, DOB: 10/26/1989

Kirkpatrick maintains a first-round profile, despite a marijuana charge earlier this winter, due to his height, cover skills and aggressive play.  This combination of traits is attractive at cornerback or even possibly as the best free safety profile in the class.

NFL offenses are challenging the deep middle of the field with oversized slot receivers and athletic seam-stretching tight ends.  This forces defenses to come up with coverage players that can handle center field and make plays on the ball and the man down the field.

Career Stats

Seasons: 6

Interceptions: 10

Peter Konz

Peter Konz, C/G, University of Wisconsin, 6'5" 315, redshirt junior, DOB: 6/9/1989

Konz might qualify as one of those rare centers that would warrant a first-round pick even if that was his only projection.  However, the fact that he is highly placed on many NFL teams' guard boards as well probably cinches his value in the late first round for those teams in need of youth and talent at the interior offensive line positions.

It could easily go either way, but I have a center-needy team taking Konz and starting him there right away.  Later in his career, because of how good he can be at guard, I think he moves over when it makes sense for his team based on its roster breakdown.

Career Stats

Seasons: 11

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 3

Luke Kuechly

Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College, 6'3" 245, junior, DOB: 4/20/1991

Any doubters of Kuechly's athleticism before the combine should have been overwhelmingly silenced.  Coming in at close to 245 lbs., he ran a 4.5 in the 40, threw up 27 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench, vertical jumped 38", broad jumped 10'3", turned in a 4.12 short shuttle and a 6.92 three-cone drill.

These figures are all well above average for inside linebackers and placed Kuechly in the top three or five in every category at his position.  All of that being written, comparisons to Brian Urlacher—both athletically and as a Hall of Fame middle linebacker projection—are premature, if not completely unfair. 

While many of their combine figures are very close, Urlacher did his at an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier than Kuechly.  Similarly, the kamikaze missile style of play that Urlacher showed in college—while playing safety, receiver and return man, in addition to linebacker—previewed the impact player we have watched for more than a decade.

Kuechly plays much more under control, methodically almost; while he was often in position to make tackles or get in on plays in college, he was not a downhill player that projects to blow up a lot of runs at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield.

Career Stats

Seasons: 9

Total Tackles: 1,080

Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford University, 6'4" 235, redshirt junior, DOB: 9/12/1989

In projecting to the NFL as one of the great quarterback prospects of all time, with this comes some astonishing career numbers.  They are so overwhelming, given that his career has not even begun yet, that it almost feels mischievously sneaky to document them—something along the lines of coming downstairs on Christmas morning before anyone else.  The feeling that it will soon be yours is just as compelling as the knowledge that you must wait for everyone else before partaking.

This highlight video, from a Bleacher Report colleague, is the most comprehensive and informative of Andrew Luck's 2011 season.  I encourage you to scroll through some of it and just appreciate how effortless his play is.

Career Stats

Seasons: 15

Attempts: 7,230

Completions: 4,880

Passing Yards: 56,680

Touchdowns: 350

Passer Rating: 96.25

Doug Martin

Doug Martin, RB, Boise State University, 5'9" 225, redshirt senior, DOB: 1/13/1989

From a group of several candidates, Martin is my pick to be the second running back off the board because he shows NFL-readiness in all three phases (run, receive, block) such that he can be a feature back from day one.

Detractors point out that he averaged under five yards per carry this year as a senior and that he lacks both the explosion and top-end speed to be a home-run threat.  However, he ripped off 6.3 yards per tote as a junior, finished with a 5.6 career rush mark and scored 47 touchdowns on offense over the past three years.

Career Stats

Seasons: 7

Attempts: 1,100

Rushing Yardage: 4,600

Average Yards per Carry: 4.2

Rushing Touchdowns: 30

Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford University, 6'5.5" 315, redshirt junior, DOB: 8/19/1989

Although not as physically gifted as Mike Adams in terms of natural size and athleticism, I think Jonathan Martin will end up being the NFL left tackle that Adams supporters think the Ohio Stater could be based on upside.

In fact, although Riley Reiff is almost universally considered the better left tackle prospect, I am curious to follow both of their careers and see who turns out to be the better pro between him and Martin.

He is a very solid left tackle with quality, albeit tempered, upside but also a reasonably high floor that looks like a very smart target for several teams in the middle of the first round.  He should be able to play fairly early in his career and, after getting up to speed in his second or third season, settle in for a quality career providing stability and above average performance.

Career Stats

Seasons: 9

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 0

Whitney Mercilus

Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, University of Illinois, 6'3.5" 260, redshirt junior, DOB: 7/21/1990

Mercilus has likely solidified a position in the first round after testing very well at the combine, even showing enough athleticism to warrant interest as a 3-4 outside linebacker, especially in a weak pass-rush class.

I have been championing Mercilus' cause since January after completing a few games of film study on him and being won over by his relentless motor and tenacity to get after the ball.  Those intangibles from a defensive end are huge indicators of success at the next level when combined with enough natural ability.

Does he have the elite physical talent that we see of players that routinely go in the top-10 or -12 picks at this position? No, but he is a good bet to outproduce a lot of those upside without substance types.

*This projection is if he remains a 4-3 defensive end, which is my preferred scheme and where I hope to see Mercilus play.

Career Stats

Seasons: 10

Total Tackles: 375

Sacks: 80

Kelechi Osemele

Kelechi Osemele, OG/OT, Iowa State University, 6'6.5" 335, redshirt senior, DOB: 6/24/1989

Osemele is a player that I have right on the fringes of the first round, meaning it is roughly 50-50 that he will make it in or not.  I have him qualifying based on a dire team need for an organization at the end of Round 1.

This portion of the draft, however, is typically very active with teams in the early second round looking to jump back up into the late first and get their targeted player.  The better, more complete teams, which are drafting late in the first round because of this, are usually open to moving back a few spots because of the balance on their board and picking up an extra draft pick in the process.

Osemele is a massive road-grading guard prospect who has enough experience and athleticism to possibly also be a depth piece at right tackle during his career.  Check him out here, No. 72 on the left side, delivering two monster blocks on consecutive plays.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 0

Nick Perry

Nick Perry, OLB/DE, University of Southern California, 6'3" 270, redshirt junior, DOB: 4/12/1990

Perry is another name on the short list of being arguably the best pass-rusher in the class.  And he did nothing to weaken that argument when he showed up at the combine weighing 270 lbs. before he threw up 35 repetitions of 225 lbs. on the bench press, ran a 4.64 in the 40, posted a 38.5" vertical and broad jumped 10'4".

This performance makes him the most athletically gifted sack artist in the draft, even over the likes of Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and Whitney Mercilus.  He burst onto the scene in 2009 as a redshirt freshman with eight sacks before a 2011 encore saw him tally 9.5 this past fall.

I feel like he works better in space and will be able to take advantage of his athleticism by moving around on the perimeter, though there are some concerns about his stiffness and range in coverage.  Different 3-4 schemes, however, emphasize coverage a lot less to their strong side outside linebacker.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Total Tackles: 370

Sacks: 45

Dontari Poe

Dontari Poe, NT, University of Memphis, 6'4" 345, junior, DOB: 8/18/1990

Poe turned out to be the meteoric-rising underclass defensive lineman, and not Michael Brockers, once the combine reached its conclusion.  Based on size and movement results, Poe put on one of the most spectacular shows ever for an interior defensive lineman.

There is a lot to like (no pun intended) with this kid's prospects, but there are also some unsettling concerns.  A man of his size, running a 4.87 in the 40 with a 1.68 10-yard split after putting up a 2012 combine-leading 44 reps on the bench, one would think absolutely manhandled his collegiate competition.

However, not only was Poe only marginally productive, but he played in a non-automatic qualifying conference where he faced very little competition with professional upside along the interior offensive line.  On film he can be seen taking plays off, or in the least not finishing them, content just to hold his ground, or running himself completely out of the action at other times.

The interesting question now will be how far does he fall in the first round based on the gray area between his unteachable gifts and the aptitude that will allow him to be coached into his considerable upside.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Total Tackles: 185

Sacks: 10

Riley Reiff

Riley Reiff, OT, University of Iowa, 6'6" 315, redshirt junior, DOB: 12/1/1988

As we move into March, Reiff's first-round prospect profile has become one of the more interesting on the table.  While many pundits have Reiff safely ensconced as the No. 2 left tackle behind Kalil, somewhere in the No. 6 to 13 range, there are starting to be concerns about his athleticism and length holding up versus elite pass-rushers.

With that talk has come the ideas of kicking him over to right tackle or inside to guard.  On the surface, Reiff does not have the typical size and sheer power of a traditional right tackle.  However, his run-blocking technique and acumen may be so good, along with what would be easily above-average athleticism on the right side, that he could turn out to be the best right tackle in the class; the same notion applies to projecting him to guard.

If he moves off left tackle, and each club will have to decide how it feels about his ultimate home in the NFL, his value does not fit going in the top 15 selections unless he is going to be elite at the other spot.  The uncertainty and potential versatility provides rare intrigue at the top of an offensive line class.

Career Stats

Seasons: 10

All-Pro: 0

Pro Bowls: 2

Trent Richardson

Trent Richardson, RB, University of Alabama, 5'9" 230, junior, DOB: 7/10/1990

Despite a minor knee surgery that prevented him from participating at the recent scouting combine, nothing is challenging Richardson's yearlong stranglehold on the top running back prospect mantle.

Once regarded as a reasonable, even likely, top-10 pick despite the annual market depression at the running back position, elements may be in place that will drive him as low as the middle of the first round now.

If the Cleveland Browns trade out of the No. 4 spot, the Washington Redskins trade down or take the next-rated quarterback after losing the RG3 sweepstakes, and with the Seattle Seahawks having tied up Marshawn Lynch to be their feature back, the first teams that may seriously consider him are the Arizona Cardinals at 13 and the New York Jets three picks later.

The possibility does remain that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could make a splash—and a mistake—by taking the big back at five, especially if Morris Claiborne is off the board, or a team from the middle or late part of the round, like the Cincinnati Bengals, makes a move up if he reaches the teens.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Attempts: 1,500

Rushing Yardage: 6,450

Average Yards per Carry: 4.3

Touchdowns: 50

Devon Still

Devon Still, DL, Penn State University, 6'5" 305, redshirt senior, DOB: 7/11/1989

Still exploded this past fall and had a monster senior year to tease evaluators with the potential upside of his great body and skill when properly motivated.  Seventeen of his 55 total tackles went for a loss, as he used leverage, quickness and awareness to have his way with offensive linemen and get past blocks to make plays.

However, there have been lingering questions about his motor, even during his big 2011 season, and a merely adequate combine has done nothing to "quiet the silence" of a lack of fanfare during the pre-draft process.

If all of this adds up to push Still into the mid- to late 20s on the draft board, any number of teams will be happy to get a player that may have matured this year and figured things out just in time for the NFL.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Total Tackles: 337

Sacks: 25

Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M University, 6'4" 220, redshirt senior, DOB: 7/27/1988

Tannehill is another one of the most fun prospects to discuss this time of year because of the vibrant polarity attached to his profile.  Some of us, myself included, believe he is an athletic, eye-test, mirage of a first-rounder that belongs way down the quarterback board.  Others are convinced that once his experience catches up with his athleticism that he will be as good as the upside of 2011 draftees Jake Locker and Christian Ponder.

I see Tannehill as a big, strong athlete with a good arm that has the ability to make some plays both with his arm and his legs.  His actual savvy and natural instincts to play quarterback are extremely limited at this point, in part due to the late college conversion from wide receiver to under center, but I am unconvinced his learning curve will speed up to compensate at the NFL level.

With talk of him going in the top-10 picks as the third quarterback off the board for whichever team does not settle its QB depth chart before the draft, look for that organization to suffer its misjudgment and be set back the usual three to five years, plus regime firings, in connection with this kind of mistake.

Career Stats

Seasons: 5

Attempts: 1,400

Completions: 830

Passing Yards: 9,000

Touchdowns: 45

Passer Rating: 71.7

Courtney Upshaw

Courtney Upshaw, OLB, University of Alabama, 6'1.5" 275, senior, DOB: 12/13/1989

Upshaw remains one of the surest translations of any player with a first-round grade and a very likely pick in the middle of the first round.

I feel like his best position will be at strong side outside linebacker in a 3-4, from which he can set the edge against the run, pressure the quarterback, make plays in pursuit, as well as some minimal coverage duty.

Beyond the measureable talent, part of why I am so high on Upshaw is the unspoken toughness he projects to bring to a defense simply with the consistency and manner in which he plays.

Career Stats

Seasons: 10

Total Tackles: 725

Sacks: 75

Kendall Wright

Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor University, 5'10" 190, senior, DOB: 11/12/1989

With a trio of names still jockeying for position to sneak into the late first round as wide receivers (Alshon Jeffery, Rueben Randle, Stephen Hill), the marquee trifecta appears to have been established between Kendall Wright, Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd.

Opinions vary on the order of their respective draft merit with almost every different analyst whose viewpoint is sought.

Positives with Wright include his great footwork in patterns that helps him create tremendous separation from the defender, fast-twitch actions when plucking the ball away from his body and immediately turning into a runner and the seeming quality of playing at a speed slightly ahead of everyone else on the field.

His size does not, in fact, limit him to lining up inside as a slot receiver.  His top-end speed and overall receiving skills project well for him to win matchups on the perimeter also.

Career Stats

Seasons: 8

Receptions: 450

Receiving Yards: 6,850

Average per Catch: 15.2

Touchdowns: 50

As always, I look forward to your comments below and you may follow me on Twitter at @JeffRoemer.