Ott You Ready for the Draft?

Let’s make a deal!  Monte Ball carries the ball past Oregon Ducks linebacker Michael Clay (46) in the  2012 Rose Bowl. (photo by: US PRESSWIRE/Richard Mackson)

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, who will go where and what teams will come out victorious? Well, this year I can’t find stand out guy that I would draft with the first pick. In the past I always came up with some type of scenario that made sense, but this year there just isn’t any way I can sit here and say “THIS GUY IS WORTH IT”.

If I owned the any of the first 8 picks I would be doing everything in power to trade down, let another team overpay a guy, for the most part will not impact my team other than sucking money out of my check book. “I’ll Pass” should be the motto for the 2013 NFL Draft, I’ll still watch it and I am sure I’ll be in a sense of rage after teams after team make decisions that mimic the style of a drunken college student. I’m sure there will be fans nationwide with the same look on their faces as I will have, you know the one, it’s the same one you have after a long night drinking and you wake up next to a fat, stinky, snoring girl from the hills of Arkansas, you wonder why and how and rub your eyes and shake your head to clear the cobwebs.

I’m not saying there isn’t any talent in this draft; I’m just saying there isn’t any talent worth taking and paying big bucks in the first round. I would TRADE DOWN and load up picks in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds and save a lot of money in the process.

There are no guys in this draft that can come close to last year’s talent of Luck, RGIII, and Trent Richardson; there is talent, just not at their level. Here is short list of guys you should keep an eye on, guys that could impact their team but will not be a top 10 pick.

QB- EJ Manuel- Florida State- If he learns how to protect the ball he could start by seasons end.

QB- Landry Jones- Oklahoma- He needs to learn to take snaps from under center.

RB- Montee Ball- Wisconsin- Work Horse/proven talent.

RB- Giovani Bernard- North Carolina- Very versatile and has incredible footwork.

WR- Aaron Dobson- Marshall- Perfect size and speed to be a starter in the NFL.

WR- Stedman Bailey- W.V. – TOUCHDOWN MACHINE with amazing hands!

OG- Brian Winters- Kent State- hard-nosed kid with a fighter’s mentality.

OG- Hugh Thornton- Illinois- Tackle/Guard combo that has pure power on his side.

OT- Justin Pugh- Syracuse- Durable +smart + athletic = INSTANT STARTER

OT- Reid Fragel- THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY- ex tight end with great hands. Can play left or right tackle

DE- Alex Okafor- Texas- PLEASE LET THE BROWNS GET HIM… PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

DE- Malliciah Goodman- Clemson- Streaky but a hard worker.

DT- Johnathan Jenkins- Georgia- A true roadblock of man, pure run stuffer.

DT- Brandon Williams- Missouri Southern State- A Backfield Menace!

ILB- A.J. Klein- Iowa State- Smart, quick and technical.

ILB- Jon Bostic- Ideal run stuffing ILB for the NFL.

OLB- Corey Lemonier- Auburn- Fast, powerful pass rusher with a nasty hitting style.

OLB- Chase Thomas- Stanford- Disruptive and an on field leader.

CB- Jordan Poyer- Oregon State- Ball Hawk that plays very physical.

CB- Darius Slay- Mississippi State- Burner that can stay on the hips of any WR.

Safety- Phillip Thomas- Fresno State- lead nation in INT’s with 8, 3 of which ended in TD’s.

These are guys you can land after the top 10, after the big paychecks are gone and still have a ton of value. Keep an eye on these players and see where they land and how they play in their rookie seasons compared to the big names in the top 10.

I’m willing to bet I’m right more than I’m wrong.

Enjoy the draft, unless you are a Raiders or a Jets fan in which you’ll continue to hate the ways your team drafts.