My Buddy Jody Smith (@JodySmith_ on twitter) Invited me to the Gridiron Experts Invitational Mock Draft that was held on 7/16 and I wanted to share with you his review of the event.  Now, keep in mind that this is before ANY free agency moves started, but while we wait for that to truly kick off on Friday, here is something for you to look through.  Please check out the original post as well as well as Follow Jody on Twitter!

This past weekend, Gridiron Experts assembled some of the most knowledgeable and respected minds in the fantasy football world to participate in our first mock draft of the 2011 season. Joining these industry experts were five members of the Gridiron Experts team and two lucky readers who responded to a twitter open call  for participants.

One of our panel experts, Jim Day from GoAheadandScore.com was kind enough to set up a private league for us at MyFantasyLeague.com. (where they have their own recap available here:  http://bit.ly/qBByoB )

The draft was for 12 team, 15 rounds and will use a standard scoring format, starting 1 QB 2 RB 3 WR 1 TE 1 DST and 1 PK. This league will be scored in a best ball format, and will have no transactions. A full recap of the mock draft is available here.

Team # 1

OWNED BY: Joe Everett from RookieDraft.com

• QB- Jay Cutler 10.12, Ryan Fitzpatrick 12.12
• RB- Adrian Peterson 1.01, Felix Jones 4.12, Marshawn Lynch 7.01, James Starks 9.01, Montario Hardesty 11.01
• WR- Reggie Wayne 2.12, Miles Austin 3.01, A.J. Green 6.12, Jacoby Ford 8.12, Arrelious Benn14.12
• TE- Dallas Clark 5.01
• DST- Philadelphia 13.01
• PK- Rob Bironas 15.01
• STRENGTHS: WR- Joe got two studs in Wayne and Austin, then waited to grab the top rookie and a nice sleeper in Ford. Overall a very solid team.
• WEAKNESS: QB- Clearly Joe built his team through the positional players an waited on QB. This is a solid strategy, but he still got a nice starter in Cutler.
• BEST PICK: James Starks- excellent value and could be a steal if he commands a large share of the carries in Green Bay

Team #2

OWNED BY: Michael Light from Gridiron Experts

• QB- Drew Brees 3.02, Matt Cassel 12.11
• RB- Arian Foster 1.02, Knowshon Moreno 4.11, Ryan Torain 8.11, Pierre Thomas 11.02, Thomas Jones 14.11
• WR- Greg Jennings 2.11, Steve Johnson 5.02, Mario Manningham 6.11, Kenny Britt 7.02, Randy Moss 13.02
• TE- Marcedes Lewis 9.02
• DST- Pittsburgh 10.11
• PK- Nate Kaeding 15.02
• STRENGTHS: WR- All five of Mike’s wide outs have an excellent chance of being very productive in a best ball format.
• WEAKNESS: RB- Besides Arian Foster, none of the other runners are even assured of having regular playing time this year.
• BEST PICK: If Mario Manningham starts and puts up the kind of production he ended 2010 with, he’s going to be a stud.

Team # 3

OWNED BY: Randy Chambers from Bleacher Report

• QB- Philip Rivers 3.03, Matthew Stafford 6.10
• RB- LeSean McCoy 1.03, Peyton Hillis 2.10, BenJarvus Green-Ellis 7.03, Jason Snelling 13.03
• WR-Brandon Marshall 4.10, Danny Amendola 8.10, Deion Branch 9.03, Emmanuel Sanders 10.10,Jon Baldwin 12.10
• TE- Jason Witten 5.03, Chris Cooley 14.10
• DST- New York Jets 11.03
• PK- David Akers 15.03
• STRENGTHS: QB; hard not to like the combination of Brees and Stafford
• WEAKNESS: WR- When you select a tight end, back-up QB and a RB3 before securing a 2nd WR (in a league where three wide outs start) you’re putting your team at a huge disadvantage. Also, David Akers is likely to be done in Philadelphia.
• BEST PICK: Jason Snelling is a free agent and his play last year might reward him with an expanded role somewhere. Excellent value that deep in a draft.

Team #4

OWNED BY: Matt Lechner from Thefantasyfootballsource.com

• QB- Matt Ryan 7.04, Kyle Orton 12.09
• RB- Chris Johnson 1.04, Ahmad Bradshaw 2.09, Mikel LeShoure 8.09, Roy Helu 10.09,
• WR- Vincent Jackson 3.04, Santonio Holmes 5.04, Percy Harvin 6.09, Johnny Knox 9.04, Chad Ochocinco 13.04, Blair White 14.09
• TE- Antonio Gates 4.09
• DST-Green Bay 11.04
• PK- Matt Bryant 15.04
• STRENGTHS: very well balanced team; Top 5 players at RB,TE, DST and PK. This team will be a contender.
• WEAKNESS: Top two WR’s might not return to their respective teams, so their pending status could be a concern
• BEST PICK: Chris Johnson at 1.04 is a no-brainer, and Roy Helu has a good chance to win the job in Washington; Chad Ochocinco in the 13th round was also very strong

Team #5

OWNED BY: Mike Rodriguez from Gridiron Experts

• QB- Tom Brady 3.05, David Garrard 15.05
• RB- Jamaal Charles 1.05, Matt Forte 2.08, DeAngelo Williams 5.05, Kendall Hunter 12.08, Donald Brown 14.08
• WR- Wes Welker 4.08, Pierre Garcon 6.08, Mike Williams (SEA) 7.05, Steve Smith 8.08, Santana Moss 9.05, Malcolm Floyd 11.05
• TE- Lance Kendricks 10.08
• DST- Chicago 13.05
• PK- N/A
• STRENGTH: RB- Nice 1-2 punch with Charles and Forte. Williams should be a top 20 starter.
• WEAKNESS: D’oh! forgot to draft a kicker. In a no transaction league it will be nearly impossible to recover that 100+ point mistake. [Kickers are an after though in Mock Drafts, I was looking for late round value- Mike]
• BEST PICK: The 4-6 WR were all solid selections, but if Joseph Addai leaves Indy and Donald Brown is named the starter, he could be the steal of this draft.

Team #6

OWNED BY: James Reid from Startingfantasylineup.com

• QB- Michael Vick 1.06
• RB- Frank Gore 2.07, Ryan Grant 6.07, Fred Jackson 7.06, C.J. Spiller 10.07, Chris Wells 11.06,
• WR- Dwayne Bowe 3.06, Dez Bryant 4.07, Marques Colston 5.06, Julio Jones 8.07, James Jones12.07, Terrell Owens 13.06
• TE- Zach Miller (OAK) 9.06
• DST- New York Giants 14.07
• PK- Garrett Hartley 15.06
• STRENGTHS: WR- to get three top 15 wide outs in a league where you start three WR’s a week is outstanding. Solid picks throughout; excellent strategy. Another title contender.
• WEAKNESSES: QB- Vick was selected too high and has a history of injuries. With no back-up, Jim’s treading on dangerously thin ice. Must have been shattering for Jim, a huge Bills fan, to not be able to squeeze Trent Edwards onto his roster.
• BEST PICK: Dez Bryant’s current ADP is 31. Jim got him at 43. That’s a great selection.

Team #7

OWNED BY: @pompousdad from: Gridiron Experts (reader)

• QB- Aaron Rodgers 1.07, Sam Bradford 7.07
• RB- Darren McFadden 2.06, Jahvid Best 4.06, Mike Tolbert 8.06, Rashad Jennings 9.07, Reggie Bush 10.06, Ben Tate 12.06,
• WR- DeSean Jackson 3.07, Brandon Lloyd 6.06, Plaxico Burress 11.07, Robert Meachem 13.07
• TE- Jermichael Finley 5.07
• DST- Detroit Lions 15.07
• PK- Stephen Gostkowski 14.06
• STRENGHTS: QB- When you’ve got the #1 guy and a back-up capable of starting, you’re doing something right
• WEAKNESS: WR- 3rd required starter is a 34 year old  free agent who’s been out of the league for two years; position should have been addressed before back-ups Jennings and Bush were selected as fourth and fifth runners.
• BEST PICK: There’s no reason to think the Chargers will change their successful rushing approach from last season. Tolbert had excellent numbers and at the very least should remain a goal line beast.

 

Team #8

OWNED BY: Phil Stuczynski from Gridiron Experts

• QB- Peyton Manning 3.08, Joe Flacco 9.08
• RB- Ray Rice 1.08, Cedric Benson 5.08, Daniel Thomas 6.05, Christopher Ivory 14.05
• WR- Mike Wallace 2.05, Jeremy Maclin 4.05, Michael Crabtree 7.08, Greg Little 8.05, Torrey Smith13.08
• TE- Brandon Pettigrew 10.05, Dustin Keller 12.05
• DST- Dallas Cowboys 11.08
• PK- Adam Vinatieri 15.08
• STRENGTHS: QB- Peyton Manning in the third round is excellent value, and Joe Flacco is a superb back-up; Solid depth throughout the entire roster
• WEAKNESS: RB2- Cedric Benson may have worn out his welcome, and as of now, it’s unclear what kind of work-load Daniel Thomas can expect in Miami.
• BEST PICK: Waiting to select tight end is a sure way to build depth at more important positions. Phil waited until the tenth round and still secured two quality guys.

Team #9

OWNED BY: Jody Smith from Gridiron Experts

• QB- Ben Roethlisberger 6.04, Mark Sanchez 12.04
• RB- Rashard Mendenhall 1.09, Mark Ingram 5.09, Joseph Addai 8.04, LaDainian Tomlinson 9.09,Michael Bush 11.09
• WR- Roddy White 2.04, Larry Fitzgerald 3.09, Mike Williams 4.04, Braylon Edwards 10.04, Titus Young 13.09
• TE- Owen Daniels 7.09,
• DST- Baltimore Ravens 14.04
• PK- Neil Rackers 15.09
• STRENGTHS: WR- Best starting group of wide outs in the league. One top 12 wide receiver is good, but three is phenomenal.
• WEAKNESS: RB2- If Mark Ingram doesn’t take command of the carries in New Orleans, this team will struggle to produce many points from it’s second running back spot. Bye weeks 8 and 11 are both going to be particularly troublesome.
• BEST PICK: Michael Bush has put up solid numbers in Oakland, and should be able to produce a nice return on an 11th round investment.

 

Team #10

OWNED BY: D.C. from Gridiron Experts

• QB- Tony Romo 4.03, Kevin Kolb 10.03, Jake Locker 15.10
• RB- Steven Jackson 2.03, Shonn Green 3.10, Brandon Jacobs 8.03, Mike Goodson 11.10
• WR- Andre Johnson 1.10, Anquan Boldin 5.10, Jordy Nelson 6.03, Steve Smith(NYG) 7.10
• TE- Rob Gronkowski 9.10, Tony Gonzalez 14.03
• DST- New England Patriots 12.03
• PK- Mason Crosby 13.10
• STRENGTHS: TE- More proof that you don’t need to grab a tight end early. D.C. managed to get two good ones late. He also has three solid RB’s
• WEAKNESS: WR- Andre Johnson is a no-brainer, but Boldin is fading fast and Steve Smith’s status is still up in the air. Overall depth is thin.
• BEST PICK: Brandon Jacobs in the eight round is a low risk/high reward pick. Should he assume his role with the Giants, he’ll produce good numbers, especially touchdowns. If Ahmad Bradshaw leaves town, he could have a big season.

Team #11

OWNED BY: Jim Day from GoAheadScore.com

• QB- Josh Freeman 7.11, Eli Manning 8.02
• RB- Maurcie Jones-Drew 1.11, LeGarrette Blount 3.11, Jonathan Stewart 4.02, Bilal Powell 12.02
• WR- Hakeem Nicks 2.02, Austin Collie 5.11, Lance Moore 9.11, Davone Bess 10.02, Derrick Mason13.11
• TE- Jimmy Graham 6.02, Aaron Hernandez 11.11
• DST- St. Louis Rams 15.11
• PK- Sebastian Janikowski 14.02
• STRENGTHS: Very solid, well balanced squad. Awesome 1-2-3 RB’s and still a solid WR corps. Folks, that is how you build solid depth and wait on your QB. Will be a formidable team.
• WEAKNESS: None glaring; Rams defense could be sub-par, but in the overall scheme of things, that won’t make much difference.
• BEST PICK: Blount at the bottom of the third is solid. A healthy season from Austin Collie could make that selection a steal. Lance Moore (9th) and Derrick Mason (13th) also excellent.

Team # 12

OWNED BY: @jwetters from: Gridiron Experts (reader)

• QB- Matt Schaub 3.12, Tim Tebow 11.12
• RB- Michael Turner 2.01, Ryan Mathews 4.01, Ryan Williams 8.01, Delone Carter 9.12, Jacquizz Rodgers 12.01, Ronnie Brown 13.12
• WR-Calvin Johnson 1.12, Sydney Rice 5.12, Mike Thomas 7.12,
• TE- Vernon Davis 6.01, Kellen Winslow 10.01
• DST- Arizona Cardinals 14.01
• PK- Nick Folk 15.12
• STRENGTHS: RB- Turner and Mathews should form a formidable top two RBs.
• WEAKNESS: Depth is thin: Only drafted 3 WRs; any injury will kill this group. Bye weeks will be automatic zeros.Drafted Arizona defense as the eight defense
• BEST PICK: Somebody has to get those tough yards on third down and at the goal line for the Colts. Why not Delone Carter?

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Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have no QB and Larry Fitzgerald has said that he will not stay in Arizona if they cannot take the QB position seriously this season and get him someone to throw him the ball.  They opted not to draft a QB with the 5^th overall pick, but instead they snatched up the safest and among the most talented players in this year’s draft.  LSU’s Patrick Peterson was projected by a lot of analysts to go #1 overall to the Panthers earlier in the offseason, but he fell to Ken Whisenhut at #5. Peterson will be an impact player and shut-down cornerback in this league.  He has the intangibles to be as good as Darrelle Revis or Nnamdi Asomugha, but it will be up to Ray Horton (Cardinals Defensive Coordinator) to groom him and get him to realize this potential.  In the second round, the Cardinals continue to ignore the available QB talent (though it was pretty well picked over by this time) to take Ryan Williams, RB from Virginia Tech. I was surprised here as Williams was not a name I was very familiar with, and with Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower and LaRod Stephens-Howling all on the roster already… I did not expect to see another RB taken.  There is no concealing that Wells was a disappointment, but Hightower still has some gas in the tank and Stephens-Howling is a playmaker who they like to have touch the ball around 5 times a game. And in the third round the Cards took TE Robert Housler, an athletic pass catcher that reminds me a little bit of Tony Moeaki.  Housler has very good leaping ability to go with his reliable hands and considerable speed.  It still all depends on which QB the Cards get from free agency, but Housler has a chance to make an impact in his rookie season.  Taking a QB with their picks would have been a mistake and if the trades didn’t work in their favor, the Cards made a solid, disciplined decision to wait on taking a QB of the future.  Solid draft for the Cards.

My Grade: B

St. Louis Rams

I expected St. Louis to take a RB and WR early in this draft.  Sam Bradford progressed quickly and was very close to getting his team into the playoffs in his rookie campaign.  The Rams do not have a #1 caliber WR and Steven Jackson is quickly running out of gas in the tank after many seasons carrying the entire Rams offense.  Unfortunately for St. Louis, Julio Jones was long gone by the 14^th pick and there was no reason to reach that far up on Mark Ingram, so the Rams took Robert Quinn from UNC.  Quinn is a bit of a developmental prospect, but I expected him to be off the board by this pick as his 6’4’’ 265 lb frame and the potential he showed in college shows that he could be one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL before long. Initially he will be part of a rotation with Chris Long and James Hall, but after one or two seasons, I expect Quinn to surpass both of these guys in production. In round two, the Rams took TE Lance Kendricks from Wisconsin.  Kendricks is 6’3’’ and also has more than enough speed to be an impact player in the passing game.  Young QB’s tend to lean on their TE in a sticky situation so hopefully for Bradford, Kendricks is able to start Week 1.  In rounds 3 and 4, the Rams finally address the WR need.  They took Austin Pettis and Greg Salas consecutively, but neither guy is a #1 receiver.  The Rams seem to have an army of slot receivers and no one capable of getting open against the opponent’s top cornerback.  I like that the Rams didn’t reach for a player that shouldn’t have been drafted yet, but I would have liked to see them get involved in some of the trades going on to try and fill some of their bigger needs.

My Grade: C+

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco made the first eyebrow raising pick in the draft this year with the first round selection of DE Aldon Smith.  Smith is an explosive pass rusher off the edge and once he adjusts to playing from a 2-point stance, he will prove to be a key part of Jim Harbaugh’s new defense.  The 9ers do have questions at QB and DB, but I think they are going to re-sign Alex Smith for one more season, which allowed them to take a more developmental QB in the second round.  That QB is Colin Kaepernick.  Colin is a dual-threat, with the ability to take off and run as demonstrated from his “pistol” offense that he ran in Nevada.  Kaepernick was one of my favorite QB prospects in this draft and was probably the only one that wasn’t selected too early by their new team.  In round three, the 49ers took DB Chris Culliver from South Carolina.  He is a bit of a ball-hawk and a versatile one at that.  I expect Culliver to compete for time in nickel packages.  Overall, the 49ers stayed true to their board and were able to do a good job addressing their biggest needs early in the draft.  Very solid draft and a great start for new coach Jim Harbaugh.

My Grade: B+

Seattle Seahawks

Head Coach Pete Carroll tore this team down last season to rebuild it in his image.  It proved to be a success as he took his team to a playoff win against the Saints despite being just 7-9 in the regular season.  Russell Okung proved to be a great pick for the future and Carroll wanted to give him some support, so with his first two picks this year, he took James Carpenter (round 1) and John Moffitt (round 3).  Carpenter is a VERY versatile player that can play at guard or tackle on either side of the ball.  He will provide stability to the line in the event of injuries and will likely be a solid starting offensive lineman for years to come.  Moffitt is a bit more of a developmental prospect, he probably will not see the field unless there are injury problems in his rookie season.  Time will tell whether or not he has the tools to be a starter in this league, but he sure has some great young talent around him to develop with and learn from.  This wasn’t a very sexy draft for the Seahawks, but the offensive line is crucial to sustained success in this league and soon there will be a new QB in Seattle that will need protecting.

My Grade: B-

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With the NFL lockout looking as though it is about to end, it is about time to end my little vacation get this series finished!  Given how much time has passed since the draft, I am going to run through these last two divisions quickly, but I am always available on twitter to talk about your teams’ newest players.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are traditionally conservative in their draft strategy, but changed their ways this year by making a blockbuster trade to move to the 6th overall pick and draft Julio Jones.  Jones BLEW UP the NFL Scouting Combine and did so on a broken foot.  He is an explosive playmaker that will further help Matt Ryan develop into the franchise QB he has been playing like the past few seasons.  Normally I say that the winners of draft-day trades are the teams that acquire picks, but I can not say that this time.  The Falcons are on the verge of becoming a Championship team.  Their regular season was VERY impressive last year and the only area of concern on offense for me was at WR2.  Jones alleviates that concern immediately and could be the one peice of the puzzle that was missing for the Falcons.  I can’t grade them too high when they paid so much, but I truly believe time will show this to be a great pick for the Falcons.  In round three, the Falcons added Akeem Dent from Georgia.  Dent has a fast motor that never quits and should be able to make an impact on special teams while he earns a spot in the starting lineup.  Lastly, in round 5, Atlanta added a more traditional change-of-pace back with the selection of Jacquizz Rodgers.  Rodgers has INCREDIBLE lateral movement which was on display at the scouting combine and I think is likely to return kicks as well as see the field in third down scenarios.

My Grade: B-

Carolina Panthers

Oh Carolina… The Panthers were in a tough spot with the first pick in the draft.  They took Cam Newton to be the new QB of the future despite how risky it was.  Newton’s talent is matched only by his potential, but he is as unproven as a Heisman winner and National Champion can be after his brief career at Auburn.  The problem is, that despite all this potential, Newton fits the prototype that scares a lot of people: mobile, inexperienced and accuracy issues.  On the flip side, he wins. Enough said, really.  He won an NCAA National Championship with Auburn AND the NJCAA National Football Championship at Blinn College the year before.  I for one do not think that Newton will be able to translate his game to the NFL, but i’m sure he’ll make enough plays that it will be fun to watch!  Also, with two picks in round three, the Panthers took two interior defensive lineman (Terrell McClain and Sione Fua) to help bolster their 23rd ranked rush defense.  The success of this draft will be entirely dependent on whether or not Newton is a success and since my gut tells me he will not, I cannot grade them well.  Sorry Panthers fans, I hope I am wrong.

My Grade: D

New Orleans Saints

The Saints made great strides in this draft.  They surprised me by selecting Cameron Jordan with the 24th overall pick, but only because they didn’t select Mark Ingram, who they traded back into the first round for.  Jordan is a VERY talented and physically gifted defensive end and should prove very valuable to Gregg Williams, who loves to blitz from the second and third level.  Ingram is what the Saints needed most of all, a punishing interior rusher.  Pierre Thomas was as close as they had and he missed the vast majority of the regular season last year, leaving Chris Ivory to carry the load with Reggie Bush.  Ingram is also quite a good pass blocker and should prove to be a key addition for a team more than talented enough to make another Super Bowl run.  In round three, the Saints took Martez Wilson to help Gregg Williams with his blitzing schemes.  Wilson is a versatile player that can lineup either inside or outside and could very well see the field in his rookie season as a pass rusher on third downs.

My Grade: B+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are an exciting, young team with a lot of pieces in place already.  They were a surprising 10-win team last year and there is a lot of pressure for them to continue their winning ways.  The biggest need for Tampa was a pass-rusher at defensive end.  They sure got that as they took Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers with their first and second round picks.  Bowers was a first round talent that slid due to his knee injury.  It is a pretty serious one and will likely keep Bowers from having a very long career in this league.  With that said, there was not a more talented DE in this year’s draft class and Bowers should make an impact on the field starting in his first game.  I am not a huge fan of taking back to back players at the same position, but since when is the ability to rush the passer from both sides a bad thing!?  In the third round, Raheem Morris decided to stay on the defensive side of the ball and took Mason Foster to play LB.  Foster isn’t the biggest guy on the field and he isn’t the fastest, but he has great instincts and is pretty quick for the position he plays.  Foster reminds me a lot of Jon Beason, so if they get lucky, the Buccs will have a long term starting linebacker.

My Grade: C+

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