3/25/12
From twitter Jason Galvin (@jgalvinannounce)
“What are the chances the 49ers could trade up for Jonathan Martin and move Anthony Davis to guard? “
There hasn’t been a lot of talk about San Francisco trading up, but it makes some sense. They don’t have a lot of needs, so sacrificing some picks on the second and third day isn’t as big of a deal for them. One of their few weaknesses was the right side of their offensive line. If the 49ers move up for Martin it would make sense to move Davis to guard. He would be a solid run blocker on the inside and his pass blocking would be less problematic at guard. Martin should be able to play the right side, and obviously the 49ers know him well with Jim Harbaugh having coached him at Stanford. If Martin slides into 20s, I could see it happening. The key is both Arizona and Chicago passing on him.
From Joe Crandall in Roanoke, Virginia
“With the Brandon Marshall trade, and Cleveland apparently coveting Tannehill, can you see Miami jumping St. Louis to snag Blackmon and Cleveland, a team with many needs, acquiring more picks?”
That is interesting trade scenario. Miami has extra picks after the Marshall trade, so they have the ammo to move up in the draft. I think Cleveland would be thrilled to move down four picks and take Tannehill. However, it would be surprising for Miami to make that move. I think they are more likely to stay at eight. They could go a lot of different directions as they have a number of needs. If the Browns pass on Tannehill, Miami could snag him with the eighth pick. They have great insight into him with his college head coach Mike Sherman as their offensive coordinator. The Dolphins could use a defensive end to fit their new 4-3 defense. That would make South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram and North Carolina’s Quinton Coples options for Miami. They also could consider an offensive tackle like Riley Reiff. I think Miami needs too much to make a move up for Blackmon and sacrifice some players on the second day.
From Joel Williams, Gainesville, Florida
“Do you think there’s any possibility the Jags can trade down for a wide receiver or do you think we’ll see another patented Gene Smith super-reach?”
I think the Gene Smith super-reach is a definite possibility. Jacksonville is in dire need of a No. 1 receiver. Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon won’t make it to their pick. In speaking to some contacts, it sounds like the Jags pick is coming down to Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd or South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram.
It would be ideal for Jacksonville to trade down and land Floyd. It is tough to say which prospect could cause a team to trade up to seven. Perhaps a team will want Ryan Tannehill before Miami has a shot at him, or a team could target Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff before three teams that could take him (Miami, Carolina and Buffalo). Arizona at 13 badly needs a left tackle, but they’ve already traded their second-round pick so they lack the ammo to move up.
If the Jaguars stay at seven, they have to decide whether to reach for Floyd, or miss out on a true No. 1 receiver to help their salvaging of Blaine Gabbert. Ingram is the better value, but Floyd fills the bigger need. If they can’t move down, Jacksonville has a tough decision to make.
From twitter Ben Rudnitsky (@BRudnitsky7)
Who is the best kick returner coming out of this year’s draft?
In my opinion, the best kick returner in the 2012 NFL Draft is Florida International’s T.Y. Hilton. He averaged 30.44 yards per return last year, which ranked eighth in the nation. He had an average of 27 yards per return with four touchdowns during his collegiate career. On punt returns, he averaged 12.5 yards per punt return in his career. Hilton is the best value of a receiver, punt returner and kick returner in the 2012 class.
There are a few other good kick returners. LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is a dangerous returner, taking back a touchdown against West Virginia, but in the NFL, his team will protect their shutdown corner and not use him on kick returns. North Carolina State wide receiver T.J. Graham is a good kick and punt returner. He averaged 23 yards per kick and 9.5 yards per punt return. Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin has returned four kicks for touchdowns in his collegiate career.
From twitter AR (@ariz810922)
If the Panthers like what they see in Luke Kuechly, what are the odds that they take him at 9?
It is a possibility that Kuechly could be the Panthers’ first-round pick, and Carolina is considering him. In Kuechly’s interview with us, he revealed that he would take a pre-draft visit to Carolina. If I had to put a percent on it, I would say it is a 30-40 percent chance they go with Kuechly. The position value is poor for a top-10 pick, so that is why the odds aren’t better.
The Panthers could use help at linebacker. Thomas Davis has had three torn ACLs, so he can’t be relied on to stay healthy. Jon Beason is coming off of major knee surgery. Either Kuechly or Beason could play outside linebacker for the Panthers. This is a deep draft at some of the Panthers other needs like defensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver. They could still land a quality player at one of those positions in the second round, but there is a massive dropoff at linebacker after Kuechly. If Carolina wants a difference-maker at linebacker in the 2012 NFL Draft, they’ll have to use their first-rounder on Kuechly.
From Matthew Buchholz, El Dorado, Kansas
“Isn’t it a possiblity that Kuechly could go 5th overall to the Bucs? MLB is their biggest area of need right now, he is thought to be one of the safest picks in the draft, and if they trade back he could easily come off the board before they pick again. The Raiders took an ILB at #8 overall a couple drafts ago and they do not have to invest a ton of money at pick 5 anymore with the new CBA, what are your thoughts, insights, and/or gut feeling? Keep up the good work-”
Thanks Matt. Kuechly to the Bucs is definitely something I’ve thought about, and I think he could be a dark horse for their pick if Morris Claiborne goes to the Browns with the fourth pick. Right now, I don’t see the Buccaneers passing on Claiborne if he is there, but if he’s off the board, I think the pick would come down to Trent Richardson first and Kuechly second.
A big key will be if they host Kuchely on a pre-draft visit. Tampa Bay has drafted players in the first round whom they’ve hosted on pre-draft visits. If Kuechly comes to One Buc Place before the draft, then it is possibility, especially if they trade down. League sources have told me that Bucs head coach Greg Schiano’s preference is to upgrade the defense with their first-round pick. They upgraded the offense in free agency, but to this point have not addressed the weakness of their linebackers. Kuechly would be a great fit in Tampa Bay. He would immediately improve their run defense and the pass defense in the middle of the field. He would be the quarterback of their defense.
Once again send questions/comments via email [email protected] or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - June 16
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - May 20
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - May 15
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - May 6
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - April 24
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - April 16
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - April 9
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - April 3
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - March 25
2012 NFL Draft Mailbag - March 15
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NFL Picks - Nov. 20
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
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