2012 NFL Mock Draft: Grading the AFC East Picks in Twitter-Based 'Mock Two'

When I heard about the opportunity to participate in a mock draft on Twitter, I jumped at the opportunity like a Star Trek nerd on a Comic-Con ticket.

And Captain Kirk himself couldn't have led the Patriots more triumphantly than I did the New England Patriots.

Mock Two is a Twitter-based mock draft, where teams are represented by fans and experts on the teams they are drafting for. The mock ran a full seven rounds, so let's get right to the grades.

New England Patriots: A-

The Patriots addressed every one of their major needs in this draft, trading up for Courtney Upshaw, as they sorely need to find youth and depth off the edge with the departure of Mark Anderson and the uncertainty of Andre Carter's future. Bill Belichick may not like to trade up, but the opportunity to grab Upshaw was too good to pass up, and the Patriots were able to jump in front of the Jets, who would have surely taken him at 16.

Jerel Worthy provides a much needed force in the trenches on defense. His presence will be even more necessary if the Patriots plan on switching back to the 3-4 this year.

The Patriots' problems at safety are well documented, and grabbing Markelle Martin for added depth was a must and presents great value at the end of the second round.

With Marvin Jones, the Patriots get a tall receiver who can stretch a defense over the top, and one who also has experience in a precision offense such as the one run by Josh McDaniels. The Patriots added a lot of talented receivers, but most are over 30 and the ones who aren't mostly have one-year deals. It will be a pressing need sooner than later.

As for David Molk, the pick was a no-brainer with uncertainty around the future of Dan Koppen and Brian Waters; even if both are back next year, it's likely that neither will be back after that.

Overall, this draft equips the Patriots with a group of players who won't be expected to start right away, allowing them time to learn the schemes and get up to speed before increasing their work load.

Miami Dolphins: B+

The Dolphins worked the board very well, trading up twice to get players they had pegged as must-haves. Any gripes with their moves are based on personal preference and opinion.

Justin Blackmon may be one of the best receivers in this year's draft, but that doesn't make him a good value here. He had a hard time separating in college, and that's not going to get any easier in the NFL. Beyond that, Joe Philbin simply doesn't value wide receivers enough to take one in the first round, and said as much at the coach's breakfast on Wednesday morning.

Ryan Tannehill at the end of the first round is a coup. How he fell that far is beyond me, but it's not likely to happen in the real draft. That the Dolphins were able to address the quarterback position with a top-three prospect at the position at the end of the first round is impressive.

If the Dolphins are switching to the 4-3, as has been reported, adding a sideline-to-sideline playmaker like Bruce Irvin on the second level is a great add. With Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett already in the fold, Irvin solidifies the linebacking corps for years to come.

Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles is a great pick in the fourth round, adding another slot option to the new West Coast offense being installed by Philbin. In that sense, he's a prototypical Philbin receiver in that he's not flashy but very effective in the short to intermediate game.

The Dolphins don't have a dire need at running back, but Baylor running back Terrence Ganaway gives them something they don't have in a powerful guy that can get the tough yard or yards on or near the goal line or first down marker.

Adding a late-round tackle in Levy Adcock from Oklahoma State at least gives the Dolphins another camp body to compete for a roster spot and to potentially back up Jake Long or, should he return, Marc Colombo.

Buffalo Bills: B+

The Bills worked the board well, packaging picks to move up twice.

The Floyd pick is a no-brainer; the Bills need a complementary receiver for Stevie Johnson, and Floyd has been an incredibly popular mock pick for the Bills. That'll help them open up the playbook, and we all know how much Chan Gailey loves to spread 'em out with four- and five-wide sets.

Adding Ole Miss tackle Bobby Massey is smart as insurance against Demetrius Bell, and even if Bell remains a Bill, they need depth there. 

As the Bills switch to the 4-3 alignment, they need to find linebackers that fit the scheme. They made two great picks in that regard, adding Keenan Robinson from Texas in the third round and Josh Kaddu from Oregon in the fifth. If nothing else, both provide depth, but each has the ability to run and effectively defend the field from sideline-to-sideline, but also can cover.

Two big steals: Chase Minnifield is spectacular value in the third round, as I've seen him projected in the early second round in some mocks. Kirk Cousins should be a great back-up for Fitzpatrick, and gives them a quarterback to develop should things fall apart with the Amish Rifle.

New York Jets: B-

The Jets made eight picks in this draft, more than any other year in the Rex Ryan era. They sorely need the depth across the board, and start off right with Mark Barron from Alabama. He isn't the type of coverage guy the Jets look for at the free safety spot in their Cover 1, but gives them a solid in-the-box option to compete for time with LaRon Landry, and to possibly step in should he go down with another injury.

By selecting Oklahoma defensive end Ronnell Lewis in the second round, the Jets add a potentially solid pass rusher who may be able to make the switch to 3-4 outside linebacker and can certainly give the Jets solid depth behind the 34-year-old Bryan Thomas.

One area the Jets definitely need to improve is on the offensive line, specifically right tackle, so I love the picks of Florida State tackle Zebrie Sanders and Rutgers guard Desmond Wynn in the seventh. Both guys have some work to do. Sanders had an unimpressive Senior Bowl, but he's got the talent to warrant a mid-third-round pick. Wynn is solid depth at a position where the Jets still have question marks with Matt Slauson.

Other than that, the Jets devoted their picks to getting weapons for Sanchez. The Nick Toon pick makes perfect sense since the Jets need big-bodied receivers for the red zone, even with the acquisition of Chaz Schilens, but the selection of two running backs is highly debatable. The Jets have taken far too many of those in the past few years (one in each of the past three years) but still need talent there. 

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