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Q. I had a question about the Iowa guys, specifically probably the top three Bulaga, Angerer and Spievey, what do you see positive and negatives and where they might fall?
MIKE MAYOCK: Bulaga to me is going to be one of the four offensive tackles that could possibly go in the first nine picks. And if you think about it, Scott Pioli, the GM for the Kansas City Chiefs, is a good friend and admirer of Kirk Ferentz. He loves the type of technician that Kirk develops with offensive linemen.
So it wouldn't surprise me if he went as early as No. 5 to Kansas City. Angerer, the inside linebacker, I think is one of the toughest player in this year's draft. Love his production. He's a downhill between the tackle thumper. I think he's a third or fourth round pick.
And I think he's one of those really solid football players that immediately makes your football team tougher.
And as far as the corners, Spievey, I like him a lot as far as a physical press cover 2‑type corner. Anxious to see what he runs. He's only a junior. We don't have any height/weight speed on him. But he's one of those Iowa corners that also could translate ala Charles Godfrey to free safety which adds to his versatility and A.J. Edds, the outside linebacker, who had five interceptions last year, played in the Senior Bowl. He's a draftable kid that because of his play on special teams should find a home in the NFL.
Q. I'd like to get your take on the number of quarterbacks and skilled players who are opting out of the drills this year. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think it could be an advantage for a player like a Tim Tebow who showed so badly at the Senior Bowl, or could it hurt these guys because teams will not get a real evaluation of them at a controlled Pro Day?
MIKE MAYOCK: Nancy, it's a good question. And let me separate quarterbacks from every other position for a second.
Over the last seven years we've seen an increase in the amount of players that have participated, all the other players outside of the quarterback position, since we've televised the event. And it's been kind of fun.
We've had close to 100% participation for getting injuries now with most of the non‑quarterback players. And from my perspective the whole quarterback thing is kind of interesting. And I think it's mostly an insecurity from the quarterback side. And I think some of the agents push the fact that you want to throw the football at home, on your Pro day, to wide receivers that you know so that when you hit your fifth step on a five‑step you know where they're going to be. You're not going to overthrow or underthrow. It doesn't look bad.
There's a comfort level waking up in your own bed, not being in a strange place. I get all that. But from my perspective ‑‑ and I don't say this because I'm an NFL Network guy, I'm just a football guy here. It's all about the competition. You mentioned a controlled environment for the quarterback. You're indoors in a dome. It's never going to get any better as far as type of condition you're throwing under.
And the scouts don't really care if the ball hits the ground. What they want to see is your footwork. They want to see the ball come out of your hand. They want to see what kind of velocity you have on the same field standing next to your competition.
And you get an apples‑to‑apples comparison that way. And lastly, and I talk to a lot of coaches and GMs and scouts around the league. That apples‑to‑apples competition is important to them. And the keyword, I think, out of the whole Combine is "compete." They want to see players that aren't afraid to compete. I give Tebow a ton of credit for showing up and playing at the Senior Bowl. I think he's the ultimate competitor.
I was a little disappointed that he didn't want to throw here. I understand he's going through an evolution right now with his mechanics. Look forward to his Pro day. But to me, every kid in the draft ought to want to compete at the Combine because you're doing it in front of 32 teams; and you know what, you get two chances.
You get the first chance at the Combine. If you like what you did, you don't even have to do anything at your Pro day. If you don't like it, you can mix and match and say I had a great 40 at my Combine, I'm just going to do position drills at my Pro day. So you get two bites at the apple.
And outside of the quarterback position, most of the skilled position players and all the players have taken advantage of it.
Q. Question about the Washington Redskins, they have the fourth and 37th overall pick. Curious, the way you look at it here, is there a combination of position whether you're looking at offensive line/quarterback, quarterback/offensive line that you think gives them the best value the way you see some of these guys evolving in the first elite tier of the draft here, 1 through 40?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think if you're the Washington Redskins, first decision you have to make is at the quarterback position.
And if you believe there's a franchise quarterback that may be available at No. 4, that trumps all other needs in my opinion.
If you think Sam Bradford is a franchise quarterback and that right shoulder is going to stand up medically, then I believe you've got to take Sam Bradford.
Now having said that, there's a school of thought out there also that you better upgrade the offensive line before you draft the young quarterback or he may get killed. But I always go back to the franchise quarterback trumps everything.
So if Bradford or Clausen, in your opinion, is the guy, I think you've got to take them at 4. And I think you've got to develop your young quarterback.
And I believe when you come around there at 37, there's going to be another ‑‑ I've got seven offensive tackles and then a drop‑off. And I believe six of them may go this year in that first round. But I think the seventh guy still may be out there, the sixth guy may be out there. So franchise quarterback first. And then I think you've got to go get an offensive tackle.
Q. Is Bradford or Clausen in that franchise category?
MIKE MAYOCK: You know what, I've done an awful lot of work with the quarterbacks in the past couple of weeks. And I kind of evolved in my opinion of Bradford, and I do think he's a franchise quarterback, with the caveat being that he's got to check out medically.
And I went back and watched a bunch of his game tapes from two years ago, including his two losses, the National Championship Game and the Texas game. And I needed to see him get hit more. I need to see him be under some duress, because that two years ago, for the most part, he stood in the pocket that was beautiful with nobody around him and played pitch and catch and put 60 points a game up there.
But in those two games I just mentioned where he was under duress, he got hit. I thought in the Texas game he struggled a little bit in the fourth quarter, because he got hit an awful lot. I thought his accuracy went down a little bit. But bottom line, to me, I think Sam Bradford is a franchise quarterback and I think he's a Top 10 player.
Q. With the first rounder, with three seconds, I'm wondering which direction you see the Patriots going? And sort of a second part to that question, when you're evaluating linebacker, like three, four linebackers or rush linebackers or whatever, can you tell at the Combine which system they would, how can you tell at the Combine which system they would fit best in?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think you can tell. And for me it starts at the Senior Bowl and continues at the Combine and Pro day. I'll go backwards on your question.
There's an awful lot of what I call the conversion guys out there this year, which is good for the 3‑4 teams because there's more 3‑4 teams than ever. So a bunch of these college 4‑3 defensive ends that need to stand up and show whether or not they can play, I believe you can see most of what you need to see even in a pair of gym shorts.
If you've determined that a kid's a tough kid and a good football player with his hand in the dirt with the 4‑3 system and from the size/speed perspective, you want to see if he can stand up and rush, if he can drop back in coverage. What it really comes down to is whether or not he's as comfortable going backwards as he is forwards.
And I'll give you an example. Couple years ago the Cole kid from, Trent Cole from Cincinnati ‑‑ Philadelphia drafted him ‑‑ he was a 4‑3 defensive end.
As soon as I saw him at the Senior Bowl and Combine I knew he was too tight in the hips to open up and move and be able to drive backwards, but he was really effective coming forward.
And to me, even though he was undersized he was going to have to stay at defensive end. And that's what you can see with these kids. When you see them drop and pass coverage, they force them to open their hips in all these drills. And it's pretty easy to see the guys that are athletic enough that have the fluid movement skills to open their hips, to drive, to bend, to move, to catch the football, and the guys that you just go, no, that's not going to work.
So I think you can see that. And then, secondly, as far as the Patriots are concerned, you know, I think what they do really well is they understand the players that fit what they want, what type of players fit the Patriot system, and to me they've got to get younger and more athletic on the back end. It started last year with Chung and Butler. They need somebody who can rush the quarterback, and I think that's got to be a priority.
You've got to find an edge rusher that can get to the quarterback. So I think the evaluation of all these 34 edge rushers become really important to the New England Patriots.
Q. Mike, the Chiefs pick fifth, as you know. How many guys at that spot, regardless of positions or Chiefs's needs, how many guys at that spot do you think represent values for the Chiefs at No. 5?
MIKE MAYOCK: The way I look at it is the two defensive tackles are the best players in the draft, McCoy and Suh.
I think Dez Bryant, to me, is a top 5 player. And I think, depending on your flavor, I think one of the offensive tackles or two of the offensive tackles are both worthy of a top 5 pick.
So Okung and Bulaga would be the two guys at the top of my list. And I happen to like Joe Haden, the corner from the University of Florida. So to me that's kind of my top of the draft list right there.
Q. Basically you're looking at ‑‑ and four of those guys will probably be gone when they pick. Unless a quarterback or two sneaks in there. So you're thinking their guy or at least the best value will be one of those five guys?
MIKE MAYOCK: I believe that ultimately the best value for them is probably going to be one of the tackles.
Q. You mentioned Joe Haden. Do you think he's a good fit at the Combine at 7?
MIKE MAYOCK: The thing I like about Joe Haden, I knew he had great feet and change of direction skills just from seeing him on television. What I really liked when I put the tape on was how surprised I was at how physical the kid is, both in run support and tackling in the open field and the pass game. He'll take on blockers.
He's a much more physical kid than I gave him credit for. He's comfortable in press coverage. He's comfortable in off coverage.
I'm anxious to see him run. If I have one question about him, I want to see his long speed. Meaning, I want to see him transition beyond 12, 15 yards, flip his hips and run.
And that means I need to see what his 40 is going to be. There's some people out there that think he might only run 4.52 or 4.55; and if that's the case, people will be concerned. And I want to see his back pedal and open up and drive on a V prowl.
Those are the two things I want to see that will confirm to me that he's a legitimate top 10 pick.
Q. Last year you, at least three weeks before the draft, correctly forecasted that the Raiders were going to take Darius Heyward-Bey. And maybe a couple of people did afterwards. But you were on it pretty early. And a lot of us, including myself, pretty much scoffed at it. I'm curious to get your take right now as to what kind of size/speed guys at this Combine that the Raiders might be looking at? And the second part of that question would be, given the success of JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden and Heyward-Bey last year, are they overvaluing those characteristics when they're looking at their players?
MIKE MAYOCK: That's a fundamental discussion that ‑‑ I would say the answer, my own personal opinion is, if you followed what I've said the last few years, basically I said JaMarcus Russell was the most gifted college quarterback I've ever saw. However, I wouldn't take him with a first round pick.
I said Darren McFadden, his lower body went dead on contact. As much as I liked his speed, I didn't think he could make people miss, and I couldn't take him in the top 15 or top 20 of the Draft.
And Heyward-Bey, to me, was just a work in progress. No way he should have been a high first round pick. So I'm on the record with all three of those guys saying I felt they reached because of the height/weight speed scenario.
As far as this year's concerned, for me it's probably too early to tell you what I think they're going to do. However, in my head, I think offensive tackle becomes a primary need.
And I think there are four of them that might go in the first nine or ten picks. So I look at this draft and go, hey, at 5, Kansas City; at 6, Seattle; at 8, Oakland; at 9, Buffalo. All big offensive tackle needs and after those four guys there's a drop‑off.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Raiders ended up with an Anthony Davis, a Trent Williams, Bryan Bulaga or, of course, a Russell Okung.
Q. If you look at the Colts, they pretty much bring back their starters intact, but crying needs might be offensive tackle and defensive tackle. Bill Polian has been reluctant to take those guys at the bottom of a round, because you're not going to get quality. Are these two areas deep enough this year to get those kind of players, if he opts for that?
MIKE MAYOCK: I mentioned ‑‑ you might have heard at the top of this call, I mentioned the depth at defensive tackle. And I'm a big believer in this draft that at defensive tackle where, on average, typically there's seven or eight defensive tackles taken in the first three rounds.
I've got about 13 defensive tackles with grades in the first three rounds. So the answer to the defensive tackle question is an emphatic yes. They're all shapes and sizes. And the Colts traditionally have had some undersized guys. They needed a bigger guy. They need a big body in there. You can get the big body. You can get the quick 3 technique.
The answer from the DT, absolutely. From the offensive tackle side, the point I wanted to make is that there's four guys, I think, are going in the first nine picks or so. And then there are three guys worthy of first or second round picks after that.
And then I think there's a drop‑off. And the three guys after the four I've already mentioned are Charles Brown from USC. There's a kid named Vladimir Ducasse from the University of Massachusetts who struggled a little bit at the Senior Bowl. But he's a very talented kid, huge kid. And Bruce Campbell from the University of Maryland, a tremendous pass blocker, not as good on his run game. After that, I think there's a drop‑off. So I think there's a real concern there depending on when you're picking, whether or not you can give value.
Q. One other question, Jimmy Clausen, what's your take on him, what are your expectations for him?
MIKE MAYOCK: From an on‑the‑field perspective, I think he can make every throw. I think he's got a big arm. I think he can drive the ball.
My only issue on the field is sometimes, for instance, in the USC game, I felt like he anticipated pressure that wasn't there in several instances and got rid of the football early. However, that's typical in a young quarterback. I think the bigger issues for him are convincing people that he's going to be a great leader. He's going to work his tail off and that all the intangibles are there for him to be the franchise face.
But I can tell you right now, as far as just natural physical ability, he has it.
Q. I was going to ask you if both Bryant and Rolando McClain are off the board at 12 for Miami, what's the value there? Doesn't seem like there would be a lot of players in that range who would be high need areas, nose tackle, inside linebacker/receiver, what other names might be in the mix at 12?
MIKE MAYOCK: I like Sergio Kindle from Texas. I think he fits a need. He's a 3‑4 rush linebacker who played defensive end at Texas. I think he's more polished as an outside linebacker than Arakpo when he came out last year, and Arakpo had a heck of a year for Washington. So I would say in that range.
Kindle for me is the logical guy, because I think Dez Bryant will be gone. And then they've got to make a decision whether or not they think Arrelious Benn or Demaryius Thomas would make sense. And Thomas broke his foot last week. He's going to be a little bit of an enigma because he probably won't be able to run prior to the Draft.
Q. You know that Ozzie doesn't like to take wide receivers the first round. He needs wide receivers desperately. What players are there that you think might be tempting to him in lieu of a wide receiver, or would a wide receiver be possibly the best guy there at 25?
MIKE MAYOCK: I don't think Ozzie is ‑‑ I don't think he has an aversion to a first round wide receiver. He took Mark Clayton a few years back. I think Ozzie is true to his word. And the Ravens are as good as any team in the league staying true to their word, not panicking on Draft day.
I think if you're a Raven fan, you look at wide receiver and you look at corner and you say: Luckily this is a good year for both positions. So trust your board. Who is going to be there at wide receiver?
Again, Arrelious Benn from Illinois, 6'3", 220. I'm anxious to see what he runs. Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech, I was told a couple weeks ago he was running in the high 4.3s at API in Phoenix at 224 pounds.
If that's the case, given his production at Georgia Tech, it's hard to kind of do those guys because they're in an option attack. But they're two really logical guys for the Ravens at 25.
And then at corner, there's a lot of depth in this corner class. Let's assume Haden's gone. The next four or five corners, there are a lot of differences of opinion. I like Kyle Wilson from Boise. A lot of people think he's a second‑round pick.
There's a good chance he'll be there at 25. He's a heck of a player. Devin McCourty from Rutgers. Patrick Robinson's probably the most talented corner in this draft. And he's probably going to blow up this Combine. But he's inconsistent on tape, and that bothers me.
Jerome Murphy is a second round corner that fits what they do. So I really think that their needs match up with the strength of this draft, and I think you'll see the Ravens with another real positive draft.
Q. A few minutes ago you mentioned Suh and McCoy as being as the top two guys on your board. Could you compare and contrast them and their various skill sets and offer kind of a final verdict as to who you think is the best?
MIKE MAYOCK: Absolutely. I've got Gerald McCoy as my No. 1 player in the draft. And Suh as No. 2. I think they're the top two players without question. Here's the difference. I think they both fit best in a 4‑3 defense as the 3 technique, which is that quick defensive tackle that doesn't play the nose.
And the reason I would pick Gerald McCoy number one is I believe the NFL is a pass‑first league. The NFL has skewed tremendously over to the pass side over the last several years, and teams are winning Super Bowls by throwing the football.
So from a defensive perspective, I want the more disruptive guy. And I think McCoy is more disruptive in the pass game. And he is still good against the run. He's not as stout as Suh, but he's still good against the run.
Suh is a little different in that he can push the pocket, but he's not quite as abrupt a penetrator. He can push with strength. He's not quite as quick as McCoy. He reminds me a lot of Kevin Williams from the Minnesota Vikings, who has been a tremendous defensive tackle in this league.
So when I say I like McCoy better, I do. But I think they're both Pro Bowl potential defensive tackles, and I think they'd help any team out day one.
Q. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are going to bring a large contingent to the Combine. I was wondering if you might touch on some of their players who have the most to prove at the Combine?
MIKE MAYOCK: Sure. I mean Oklahoma, I've talked about Bradford. And to me he's a top 10 quarterback. I wish he was throwing. But we're not going to see that.
Trent Williams, the tackle, has a potential for being a top 10 pick in this draft. I'm anxious to see it, hate to say it, I'm anxious to see how tall he is and how long his arms are.
That cutoff for the left tackle position seems to be a minimum of about 6'4" and a half, which is what I believe he is. How long are his arms? How well does he move? He can start tomorrow at right tackle. I'm anxious to see how he looks at left tackle.
We could go as deep as you want on the Oklahoma guys. It's up to you. Who do you want to know about? Franks and who else?
Q. Franks would be good. You don't need to list everybody.
MIKE MAYOCK: Franks, to me, is a corner that from a talent perspective could be a first round pick. Long arms, good feet. I wish he trusted his eyes more.
Typically doesn't jump some of the routes that I think he's in great position to make plays on. I would like to see him make more plays, and I still think he's going to be a second round pick. And I think he's a very talented kid. But I want to see him just explode out of his back pedal and trust what he sees.
As far as the Oklahoma State kids, Okung, to me, is a starting left tackle and a top 10 pick. What do I want to see from him. I want to see him run his 10‑yard dash, and what he does in the offensive line kick slide drills, I want to see how natural his foot movement is.
Perrish Cox is a corner from Oklahoma State, who on tape I like, but he's got very inconsistent technique. He can help you very much in special teams. But his pedal is a little bit high. And I didn't think he had a great Senior Bowl week.
I think he needs to come in this week, and I think he needs to blow up the 40, run a great 40. Show people he can catch punts. But he's got first round talent. Right now I've got a second round grade on him. Off the top of my head, those are some of the guys I'm most interested in.
Q. What about Dez?
MIKE MAYOCK: Dez I talked about earlier. But to me Dez is a top 10 talent. And I see Andre Johnson, when I look at Dez Bryant on tape I can't get Andre Johnson out of my mind.
I've got him as my No. 3 ranked player in the country in this draft. And I think, more importantly, to him he's got to come in, number one, in shape. There were rumors about him being a little heavy about a month, two months ago.
He needs to come in in great shape. Needs to run a good 40. By that, I would define anything under 4.48 would be a great time for him at his size. I think he can get closer to 4.4. I know he can catch the football. I know how athletic he is. He's got to convince the teams that he's got the work ethic and intelligence necessary to compete at the highest level when they hand him an awful lot of money.
Q. Just wanted to ask about intriguing guy, Myron Rolle, what does he have to answer after a year away?
MIKE MAYOCK: He's an interesting guy. You have to remember, for a guy that was an All‑American with an awful lot of publicity, a big name kid coming out of the Hun school in North Jersey, he only had one career interception. And the wrap against him was just some tightness in the hips and athletic ability. How fast is he? Can he transition, add a back pedal in the full speed. Good player. Solid player, but really how good is he?
Him being away for a year doesn't bother me at all. I thought he did a great job at the Senior Bowl. He was a little quicker than I expected. He was a little smoother than I expected. He's obviously an intelligent kid.
So you start to put that all together, and I think a lot of people thought he might have been maybe a fifth round draft pick just based on, forgetting anything about his intelligence or any of that other stuff, and just put the tape on from Florida State. And you know there was some tightness and a lack of production on the play‑making side.
So I think he answered some things at the Senior Bowl. And now at the Combine, the next step for him, he needs to run well. And by that, plus or minus 4.5 flat for him would be a great time. He got in that 4.5, 4.52 area, that would be phenomenal. He's got to show people in the defensive back drills on Tuesday that he can open up those hips and drive on the football.
If he does those things, I think he can move himself into the third round.
Q. I was curious about the Redskins, going back to the Redskins. And Sam Bradford, is there a chance that you think he may not be there at No. 4, and if that's the case, do they go to Clauson that high?
MIKE MAYOCK: My take on that is that St. Louis has to be looking at Bradford. They've been drafting high for several years now and have not taken a developed quarterback. They really don't have a quarterback in their building right now. So bottom line is St. Louis has the same decision‑making process right now that Washington does.
How much do we believe in Bradford and how much do we believe in our medical reports about Bradford. Quite frankly, and I've said this before, franchise quarterback trumps everything. It's going to be hard to trump those two defensive tackles.
You better be 100% convinced that Bradford is your guy for the next ten years because you're going to be passing up an All‑Pro defensive tackle by doing so.
So that's a long way of saying that I do think Bradford will be their 4. If he's not, now you've got to evaluate Clauson and take it a step further. I don't think he's as polished or as accurate as Bradford. I think he's going to be a first round quarterback.
I don't think he gets past, say, somewhere around 13 or 14, where San Francisco and Seattle come into play. I think it's a little high at No. 4 for Jimmy Clauson given the questions regarding leadership and some of those intangibles.
Q. How would you evaluate Mike Shanahan at his drafts with Denver?
MIKE MAYOCK: He had a mixed bag. I mean, the Jay Cutler Draft class might have been one of the best three or four draft classes in the last three years. They've got Scheffler. They got him. They got Brandon Marshall. They got a starting offensive lineman. They've drafted the Hickson kid that ended up with the Giants. They got Dumervil in that class. That one class to me was phenomenal. Beyond that, I think there were some mixed results there.
Q. You mentioned a couple of the cornerbacks that could be late in the first round, Kyle Wilson, Patrick Robinson and McCourty. Wondering your take on them as zone cornerbacks and their physical nature.
MIKE MAYOCK: Sure. Kyle Wilson, people worried about his size. But he was 5'10", 190 at the Senior Bowl. More feisty than people think. And I believe would be a good fit for what the Vikings do.
Devin McCourty might be the best special teams value in the draft in addition to being a potential starting corner. He's a gunner and jammer, a return guy. I think he could fit in quickly in the nickel package.
And he's a very physical defensive back. Most people have him in the second round, but he could be a legitimate late 1.
Patrick Robinson, that's the biggest question about him is his lack of consistent technique and lack of physicality.
He's a gifted, gifted kid, but he's not a trained killer. He does not get ‑‑ he will not consistently hit people. I don't see a fit there with him and Minnesota.
Jerome Murphy from South Florida, want to talk about a physical kid that can play press coverage, man or zone. Jerome Murphy sometimes is overaggressive.
The Spievey kid from Iowa, another second round type of kid that could be a top level corner. Perrish Cox from Oklahoma State I think is a little inconsistent, and I wouldn't trust him in the zone.
And I'll tell you who would fit really well as a second round pick is Kareem Jackson from Alabama. Technically solid, tough kid, understands zone and man concepts. I really like him.
Q. And then also what about the second tier kind of quarterbacks out there, guys like Lefevour and Pike, who were at the Senior Bowl. Just wanted your take on them as potential second, third, fourth round type guys.
MIKE MAYOCK: Yeah, there are way more questions than answers amongst this year's quarterback class. After Clauson, I've got Colt McCoy. I kind of like Colt McCoy, who I have in the second round.
I compare him a little bit to Plumber when he came out of Arizona State. He's a move guy that I think is a winner. And their two toughest games this past year that they should have lost, Nebraska and Oklahoma, he was horrible for three quarters. He got tattooed.
I don't want to say horrible. But he got beat up for three quarters and found a way to win the game in the fourth quarter.
I'm intrigued by him. Tebow, I'm amazed we've gone this long without a Tebow question. And I'm totally appreciative. Tebow is a guy that I think warrants third round consideration right now with two redshirt years. He needs to play behind a veteran quarterback and develop his mechanical issues.
And then Lefevour and Pike for me are third and fourth round guys. And that's what I mean by more questions than answers.
Pike is a guy that intrigues me a bit. He's 6'5" and a half, almost 6"6", hasn't come close to growing into that body.
He looks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, those guys that came out of college kind of real skinny, 6'5" guys. He's 220 pounds or so.
He needs to be 240. And when he does, I think he'll be more consistent driving the football. He's highly inconsistent on intermediate routes. But I think he has it in him. I just think he's a couple years away.
And Lefevour is very tight with a funky motion. Very good athlete. Those are the logical guys to me. And no matter how many teams I talk to, there's just as many opinions out there as who the next quarterbacks are with Lefevour, Pike, Levy Brown, Daryll Clark, Jarrett Brown.
Jarrett Brown probably looks as pretty as any quarterback there, but he started less than a year or one year I should say at West Virginia. So I hate to say this, but there's more questions than answers in the quarterback class.
Q. Wanted to get your take on a couple of guys, first of all, who might be near and dear to your heart out of BC. McLaughlin and Tennant, both who got invites to the Combine. Wanted to get your opinion, if there's a Massachusetts guy out there, I know you touched on a Duke a little bit. But if there's a New England guy out there that might be flying under the radar at this point?
MIKE MAYOCK: McLaughlin, I think, is a draftable inside linebacker that will be one of the better special teams players in the league. You look at his bloodlines.
His father played in the USFL. A tough guy. His uncle Joe played with me on the New York Giants. Want to talk about a tough guy, one of the toughest players I ever met who is limited physically. Michael McLaughlin has more tools than they did and he's just as tough.
Matt Tennant, I think his best football is ahead of him. He was an undersized center who is finally getting some weight into that 6'4" frame. I think he's got a chance down the road to be a pretty good offensive lineman that can play all three positions, center and both guards.
We mentioned Vladimir Ducasse from UMass who some people have in the first round. I have him in the second round. And then there's some teams out there that think he's too far away as far as a starter and having him in the third or fourth rounds.
But he's an exciting player. Born in Haiti. Played his football at UMass. UConn has a couple of players. Lindsey Witten, defensive end. Half brother is Dante Witner. Had a good senior year. He's an intriguing guy to watch. You see defensive end or outside linebacker. And UMass also has a kid not invited to the Combine named Miles, a safety, who is a tough guy, can run, and I think he's got a chance to make an NFL team also.
Q. Missouri, Sean Weatherspoon. He seems to be on the borderline first or second round. What do you like about him and what's he lack? And also Kerry Meier, the receiver out of Kansas. He's caught 200 balls the last two years after converting from quarterback. Does he have any chance at all based on his athleticism?
MIKE MAYOCK: Sean Weatherspoon, to me, is a solid first round pick that will go somewhere between I'd say 16 and 25. He's a little bit short. He's got short arms. But when you watch him play, he's explosive. Flies all over the field.
I saw him make an interception against Texas, I believe, that convinced me he can be a three‑down linebacker. Opened his hips. Drove on a 45‑degree angle. Watched the quarterback's eye. Drove under the receiver, caught the football and became an athlete in space.
I look at him and say there's no downside. He can play the Mike. I like him at Will, the weak outside linebacker. He's not real tall. And I think I like him out there better in space. Just because of his athletic ability. But he's a solid first round pick.
Kerry Meier is a guy who I have enjoyed watching. And he was a quarterback, as you know, early in his career. I did his Bowl game a couple of years ago out in Phoenix. And he's one of those productive third‑down possession guys.
He's not going to run fast. But the thing I like about him is he's got a big body and he knows how to use it. Kind of like a weak side rebounder. You get in those third and fourth situations where you're trying to either be pressed man or you're trying to sit down in between two linebackers in a zone, and he gets that big body there and he puts it between the football and the defender. And he understands the game. He understands leverage. He understands, because he was a quarterback, he understands the pass game, and he understands defense.
So he'll be a later pick. But I think he's got a great chance to make a team, but he's also going to have a special teams mentality if he's going to do that.
Q. Not too many quarterbacks who played special ‑‑ the only special teams he's ever played was the placement holder. I guess that's something that he's got to learn to do.
MIKE MAYOCK: When I was at Boston College I returned punts and I held extra points. I never had to go down under a kickoff or punt ever in my life. I found out quickly if I wanted to make a living at the next level I better get good at it very fast.
Q. I wanted to ask you what you see as sort of like the top three areas of need for the Vikings, and if there's some names that you can throw out, possibly, through the rounds that you think might be good for them in the Draft, with their picks?
MIKE MAYOCK: Obviously the biggest issue is the quarterback thing. And nobody knows what Favre is going to do. And you've got to ask yourself whether or not you're happy with Davarius Jackson or Sage Rosenfels, and whether or not there's a move either through free agency or the Draft. And that's something they've got to be obviously thinking internally.
Outside of the quarterback position, the defensive back field, to me, can take some upgrading, especially since I love Winfield. And he's getting older. He got hurt. The other corner, Cedric Griffin, got hurt.
The safety position, I think, has upgraded itself a little bit athletically. But I think you've got to be looking at the backside of your defense and saying, okay, where we're drafting happens to hit depth in this class. You can get a really good safety, a really good corner late in the first, second or third round.
So I think that's a real logical place for the Vikings. I already went through all the corners that I think would make sense for the Vikings.
And the safety position, after Berry is gone, I happen to think Earl Thomas is even better, and you guys probably haven't got my new list yet. But I think Earl Thomas, the safety from Texas, is the best safety in the draft now. He won't go ahead of Berry. But I happen to think that the kid is an amazing playmaker and suited for today's NFL.
Taylor Mays from USC will probably be there. I don't think he's anywhere as instinctive, but he's a big, strong, tough guy in the middle of the field.
So I think that's the biggest area of need. And then I think you've got to be looking at that offensive tackle position and you probably have to be looking at a complementary tailback.
Q. A lot of things going on with the Tampa Buccaneers, a lot of speculation as far as what they're going to do at the No. 3 pick. With ten draft picks sitting in the tapper seat and a lot of rumors as far as what they're going to do with that selection, what do you think they should do at No. 3?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think they've got significant defensive needs. And defensive ‑‑ if they get an opportunity to get either one of those defensive tackles, they ought to sprint to the podium and hand the card in. So if they're fortunate enough for St. Louis to take a quarterback and they can get either one of those defensive tackles, I believe they've got to go do it.
After that, they also have to look at the defensive end position. I mean, I think they had one sack or less in 10 or 11 games last year. They had trouble getting to the quarterback, the late games, Adams, has never really developed into what they were hoping.
So would they take a look at Jason, Peter, Paul that early, I think he warrants it from a talent perspective. I like his motor but you're gambling a little bit on a guy that was really only a half‑year starter at the Division I level because he was a transfer.
So you start looking at those positions. And then I also think you have to look at Dez Bryant at No. 3. He's my No. 3 rated player in the country. You've got a young quarterback you're trying to develop. And the best thing you can do for that young quarterback is get him an Andre Johnson‑type receiver.
There's an awful lot of needs for Tampa Bay, obviously, but I think what you're trying to do is look at it and say, okay, if we take the wide receiver or defensive end in No. 1, what can we get in the second round? What's available? Where are the depths of the Draft?
I think I've already gone through where I think the depths are in this draft, and I think Tampa Bay will align themselves accordingly.
Q. Do you think there's any benefit for them to trade out of that spot? There's speculations that that maybe could trade down. Do you see any benefit of doing that and maybe getting more draft picks?
MIKE MAYOCK: There's always a benefit if you're in the top 10 of trading down. The hardest thing is finding a trading partner to do so, because of the money involved with the top 10 pick. You've got to have somebody sitting there at 3. I don't think it will happen until they're all on the clock. Because you've got to have somebody sitting at 3 that somebody else wants.
And to me it means either one of those two defensive tackles or the quarterback Sam Bradford. If somebody thought Washington was going to take him at 4 and they believed in him that much ‑‑ so it would have to be either one of the tackles or the quarterback or else I don't believe they have a chance of moving down.
Q. A question specific to the Patriots. One is with Graham from Michigan, as a outside linebacker projection, do you see him as a fit? You talked about the hips earlier in the call. And second, with the Patriots, with those three second round pictures, who are some possibilities in your mind that might fit that system, in that range of the draft?
MIKE MAYOCK: You're talking about from a defensive side of the ball?
Q. Really, on the second round, any guys that you think might fit what they do that would be in that range in your view of the draft?
MIKE MAYOCK: As far as the outside linebackers and Brandon Graham. Brandon Graham has one of the best motors in this draft. He reminds me a lot of Lamar Woodley who played before him at Michigan and has obviously played really well with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From the Patriots' perspective, they typically like the longer outside linebackers. And by that meaning Brandon Graham, at the Senior Bowl, he came in at ‑‑ let me give you the exact here ‑‑ Brandon Graham was 6'1", 263. That's really short for an outside linebacker in the Patriots scheme. He had 30‑and‑a‑half‑inch arms, which is extremely short.
So just from an initial cosmetic overview, he fits what they do from a rush linebacker perspective, but he doesn't fit the prototype. That doesn't mean they wouldn't take him, but he's not as long as they like.
So I look at who else would you look at at that position? Well, Jerry Hughes, same thing. He's undersized. Daryl Washington from TCU is a long guy that could develop. He doesn't have a history of rushing the quarterback.
When you start getting into some of the other Koa Misi, who I really like from Utah. Again, he's only a little bit above 6'2". You could get him in the second or third round, very explosive rusher. Thaddeus Gibson from Ohio State, longer. A guy that's kind of interesting is Jason Worilds from Virginia Tech. Probably a third round situational pass rusher, tremendously long limbs. Gets to the quarterback, great first step.
So I'm telling you in the first three rounds, there's 15, 18 of these conversion guys. You have to kind of go through who were some of the longer guys that can get to the quarterback, and I also wouldn't discount the fact that they need a wide receiver, with ‑‑ between Russ Welker's ACL and Randy Moss's age and contract situation, I think wide receiver comes into play a little bit with the second round picks as well, and second round wide receiver position there's an awful lot of good players.
Golden Tate. Brandon LaFell could be there. Mardy Gilyard. I like Eric Decker from the University of Minnesota coming off an injury, might get him cheap coming off the injury. Damian Williams, Jeremy Williams. That's a bunch of guys, second and third round, that could fit what New England likes,
Q. You mentioned kind of the second half of the top tier of offensive tackles, Brown, Ducasse and Campbell. The Packers have a clear need at tackle, specifically left tackle. Multi‑prong question: Can either of them play the left side, can any of them play immediately, and are any of them going to be there at 23?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think the logical guy for Green Bay that would probably be there is the Campbell kid from Maryland. He's a junior that I thought should have stayed in school. I thought he really would have helped himself and been a potential high‑level pick. The thing about him is he's a very good pass protecter. And obviously with the age in that offensive line and a tremendous young quarterback, you've got to protect him.
So he's a guy that makes an awful lot of sense right there. And he's not a great run protecter ‑‑ a run blocker. He's not a drive blocker. He's not an aggressive kid. He's much better kick‑sliding and protecting the quarterback, and actually that's what Green Bay needs.
Q. And also looking at the offensive linebackers, which you just touched on with Mike, do you see a special guy kind of like Clay Matthews, looks like he might be, who could be available at the bottom half of the first round, or is the value perhaps lower in the draft?
MIKE MAYOCK: I mentioned ‑‑ I really think Brandon Graham might be there. And he'll fit some teams and not others. Brandon Graham could be at 23, and he's got a great motor and an ability to rush the quarterback and he's very stout against the run.
Teams are going to ding him a little bit for his size and his arm length, but he passes all the smell tests on tape. He played really well against Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. He had a tremendous Senior Bowl week. So for me as just a player he passes the smell test and he might be there sitting there at 23 for Green Bay.
Q. Interested to get your take on the Seahawks with the new coach, Pete Carroll, and new GM, John Schneider, them having three of the first 40 picks, what do you think their priorities would be, first of all? And second of all, do you think Carol has any kind of advantage having come from the college ranks at USC in terms of evaluating players, specifically USC players and other players he might have recruited?
MIKE MAYOCK: Yeah, I think he does. I think what he has is a head start over most of the other head coaches in the NFL. And, you know, he comes out of the college ranks. He knows his team. He knows the Pac‑10 intimately. Most of the coaches don't get caught up in the draft until the season is over and they get brought up to speed by the GM.
I think his knowledge of past draft picks, how well or how poorly they did in the draft, and this year's class will help. As far as what Seattle can look for, I mean, ,at this point ‑‑ I think they're going to end up taking a left tackle with their pick at 6. And I think they need to.
And when you come back around at 14, then you've got to ask yourself a couple of different questions. How long is Hasselbeck going to play? If Clausen is available, are you looking at Clausen?
I think a defensive end makes an awful lot of sense there. A guy I think that would provide value might be Derrick Morgan from Georgia Tech. Tremendous motor. High production. Fits into what they do scheme‑wise on defense.
So they're a couple of guys that I think make an awful lot of sense for them. Do they have to look at running back and safety? I think they do. But I think offensive tackle and somebody to rush the passer ought to be prominent among those first three picks.
Q. Do you think they'll take a long, hard look on whether or not to take one of those franchise quarterbacks if they're available at 6 or 14?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think they have to. And I say that every year about the higher picks and teams that need quarterbacks. I mean Hasselbeck, I forget, he's 34, 35, something like that. He's been injured. You've got ‑‑ especially with a new regime with Carroll and Schneider, you've got to sit there and close the door and say, okay, if one of these two guys or both of these guys are franchise quarterbacks and they're sitting there at 6 and 14, do we pull the trigger at either level for a quarterback? And that's the first decision those two guys have to make with the door closed.
Q. I know you spoke about Tony Pike earlier. Just wanted to get your breakdown on Mardy Gilyard and also what do you think the Bengals will do at No. 21?
MIKE MAYOCK: Mardy Gilyard, to me, had an interesting Senior Bowl week. I watched a bunch of his tape. I think off tape he was probably an early second round pick. And he got to the Senior Bowl in the first two days must have dropped six or seven passes.
And I think he was frustrated. I think he was probably a little surprised at how competitive it was with the defensive backs. But whatever the reason, there was a negative buzz about him after the first two days.
As the week went on, he got better. He had heck of a game, five catches for over 100 yards. I know he scored a touchdown. He created some separation. He caught the football. I think in my mind what he's done is he's confirmed his second round status.
Some other people might think he's a first round guy. I think what he runs is going to be important. I know he's quick. I know he can get in and out of breaks. But I want to see whether or not at the can separate consistently. I'd like to see him run a good time.
As far as Cincinnati, what are they, 21, 22 ‑‑ 21?
Q. They're at 21.
MIKE MAYOCK: I think wide receiver, tight end makes a lot of sense right here. For instance, Jermaine Gresham, the tight end from Oklahoma, if he's 100 percent healthy from the ACL last year, if he runs well and catches well, I think you have to look at Jermaine Gresham.
And I think you have to look at it compared to what's going to be out there at wide receiver and if you think Gresham provides more in the pass game because you need a big play person in that offense. And if you think that tight end can alleviate some of the pressure on the outside guys, that's great. I think you can go with a tight end.
And I think Gresham might be there. And if not, Gronkowski, the kid from Arizona, tight end, interesting for the same reasons. Both were hurt, didn't play a snap last year. I think Cincinnati has really got to evaluate those two tight ends, and then I think they also have to say how do they compare to the wide receivers that we may have an opportunity.
So they've got to look. Dez Bryant is going to be gone. Where is Arrelious Benn? Where is Demaryius Thomas? How highly do they feel about Golden Tate or Brandon LaFell. And I think those are some of the questions they're asking right now.
Q. I know at tight end last year they took a little bit of a reach on Chase Coffman. With the two tight ends that you cited, just how would they fit into their scheme? As far as I know, they're good receivers, but how about blocking?
MIKE MAYOCK: First of all, they're both way more explosive in the pass game than Coffman. Coffman is a good solid receiver, don't get me wrong. He was finesse at tight end out of Missouri. But doesn't have the big play capabilities of either of these guys.
As far as blocker, both are big enough and strong enough to be inline tight ends and they can be H backs and move guys. I don't usually talk about tight ends in the first round unless I think they can have some semblance of a blocker, which both these guys can. They have the size and ability. They're not trained killers. But they understand leverage and they can block well enough to play tight end in the NFL.
Q. Looks like the draft, based on the strengths you said, sets up well for the Steelers. Just wondering where you think they might go early in it?
MIKE MAYOCK: Well, you're talking about nose tackle, offensive line and corner, I think. When you look at the Steelers ‑‑ and they're picking a little bit earlier than the Pittsburgh Steelers are used to. So when you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, I think at 18 a guy that's really interesting to me is either Maurkice Pouncey, the center from the University of Florida, who is one of the best centers I've seen come out since, say, Nick Mangold.
And also Mike Iupati, the center guard or the center guard from University of Idaho. I think they're two really logical players for them.
Then we talked about the defensive tackle position and how important that is. You know, Casey Hampton is going to be an unrestricted free agent. I forget, he's 32, 33 years old. I think you've got to be looking at what's next with him, and I think in this draft I think the defensive tackle position, I've said it a bunch of times, Dan Williams from Tennessee. Jared Odrick from Penn State. Brian Price is a typical nose tackle from UCLA.
You get into some second and third round guys, Cam Thomas from North Carolina and Terrence Cody, the 370‑pound behemoth from Alabama. So I think that they would be some of the guys along with the corner position, and I've talked about them a bunch already that I think would make sense early on for Pittsburgh.
Q. Sean Lee, where do you see him going in this draft? Do you think the injuries he had at Penn State will really hurt his stock?
MIKE MAYOCK: You know what, it's funny. I just watched his tape, his bowl game tape the other day against LSU and had a conversation with some people around the league. I wouldn't be surprised if he runs well and works out well this week. And, medically, of course, he's going to get a very thorough evaluation.
But it wouldn't surprise me if one of those really good teams that made it to the playoffs last year, between 25 and 32, that don't have a lot of needs but they just want a good solid football player, I wouldn't be surprised if he snuck in late in the first round.
If he doesn't, then I think he's going to go on the front end, front half of the second round. He's too good a football player. He's smart. He's instinctive. He comes downhill. He makes plays. If his knees check out, he's too good a player to last much beyond No. 40 in the draft.
Q. You mentioned quality third round safeties at the top. Is Kam Chancellor one of those guys you're talking about maybe there? And, also, wanted to see if you had any buzz on any two small‑school guys that I'm tracking down here, Arthur Moats and Chris Bell?
MIKE MAYOCK: As far as the safeties are concerned, you're talking about Chancellor. I think he's a guy that's going to go in the third or fourth round. And he's a big, physical guy. Actually a better athlete than I gave him credit for when I put the tape on a few weeks ago. I think he's got better range than I anticipated.
But he's still one of those 225‑plus‑or‑minus‑pound safeties where teams are trying to decide is he a safety. Some teams have even looked at him as a Will linebacker. I think there's value because he'll play special teams. I happen to think he can play strong safety in the league. I like him late third, early fourth.
As far as ‑‑ you were talking about Moats?
Q. If you've heard any buzz about Moats or Chris Bell out of Norfolk State?
MIKE MAYOCK: Moats is the kind of kid out of JMU, you want to talk about a productive kid, won a lot of awards. Potential hybrid conversion guy. That's what I've been hearing from some of the teams. They're looking forward to working him out as a 3‑4 outside linebacker. If that's the case, with his ‑‑ because of what his size is, he's got a chance to get drafted somewhere in that fifth or sixth round, I believe.
And then the kid from Norfolk, who is the transfer from Penn State, very athletic kid. I think teams are looking forward more than anything is just to try to get to know him a little bit at the Combine, talk to him about why he transferred from Penn State, what the issues were. Put him under the gun a little bit, because athletically he's a gifted kid.
Q. I'm actually just curious, what are your thoughts on Vladimir Ducasse? You kind of mentioned him before. But where do you see him fitting into this draft? Is he a guard or tackle? What teams could you see that are kind of interested in him?
MIKE MAYOCK: Well, there are opinions all over the map on this kid. There's some people that think he could be a first round draft pick. And if he went in the first round, and I don't think he should, but if he did, it would probably be a San Diego, a team like that that has an offensive line need. They don't have a starting right tackle. He would fit better off on the right side early on. But if you draft him with a first round pick you're expecting him to start right away.
And I don't think he's a starting tackle yet. I think he's a gifted kid. He's a huge kid with good feet, long arms. I think he should go in the second round. And I think he should start at right tackle.
And I think ultimately because he's a pretty gifted kid, I think he could someday move to left tackle. But he's got to show that he can play the right side first. At the Senior Bowl he struggled with anybody who had any inside moves. In practice in the one‑on‑one drills he struggled.
What I liked was when the game came on Saturday, he had a better game than he had in practices. Showed me he kept his head about him. Kept his head up. Played well.
So I think he's a solid second round pick, and the type of teams that will like him are the teams that like the big, heavier offensive line, the Dallases, the San Diegos, the Pittsburghs, those kinds of teams.
Q. What do you think he has to show at the Combine, if anything? What are you going to watch from him in particular?
MIKE MAYOCK: His speed and his feet. He's 6'5" 1/2, about 320 pounds, very similar to Duane Brown when he came out of Virginia Tech a couple of years ago, but Duane Brown I think ran a 503 40, and I gave him a third round grade. He went in the first round, which I thought was a reach. He showed some athleticism that I didn't think he had at the Combine.
So what Ducasse needs to do is run a good ten‑yard dash. I'm interested in seeing how quick he is, can he run in those offensive line drills where they mirror and move their feet. I really hope he's as light as he can be, because he needs to show his feet off a little bit.
Q. Gresham, I wanted to hear your comments on Graham, but is Gresham a guy that will be in that 20 to 30 range along with Weatherspoon and Graham?
MIKE MAYOCK: Yeah, I think Gresham, assuming that he tests out okay on the medical side, as soon as he ‑‑ as long as the doctors are okay there, he's going to be in that 255‑ to 260‑pound range. I'm looking to see him run somewhere in the 4‑6s and see him catch the football, cut on that bad knee, do all the things you want to see a tight end do.
If he does all those things, and there's no reason to think that he won't, then, yeah, I mentioned he could go to Cincinnati at 21.
I think any team that's looking for a tight end to alleviate pressure on the offense who can get down the field and is a playmaker, I think he's the first tight end off the board. I think it's somewhere between 20 and 30.
Q. Would you rate Perrish Cox as the top quarterback if you grouped Kyle Wilson, Perrish Cox and Patrick Robinson together?
MIKE MAYOCK: I'm going to give you my top 5 corners in order: It's Joe Haden, Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty, Patrick Robinson, Jerome Murphy. So I do not have Perrish Cox in my top 5. Doesn't mean I don't think he's a talented kid. I think I said earlier in the call he's got first round talent but I gave him a second round grade because he's highly inconsistent.
Q. Could I clarify a couple of things real fast before I ask my question? Thomas, broken foot? Demaryius Thomas broke his foot? When did that happen?
MIKE MAYOCK: Last Tuesday, training at API in Phoenix, very similar injury to what happened to Crabtree a year ago. Four‑ to six‑week rehab. Don't know whether or not he'll have a Pro Day workout prior to the draft. Too early to tell.
Q. And when Berry Jackson asked you a question about the Dolphins, had you removed McClain before 12? Is he gone before 12 with you?
MIKE MAYOCK: That's what he had said. He said if McClain's gone, who do you like.
Q. Okay. So my question is: Best‑case scenario for the Dolphins, they pick a 12, 43, 74, it seems from the depth at certain positions, especially outside linebacker, they might be able to wait possibly and get a guy later, edge rusher. What's kind of the best‑case scenario playing out here for Miami and Bill Parcells that you're well familiar with?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think if you're trying to look, I'm hearing a lot of people talking about McClain versus an outside linebacker, et cetera. And, to me, in that 3‑4 defense, I think the outside linebacker is more important. So if Sergio Kindle was there at 12, I'd pull the trigger on Sergio Kindle. I think he's an explosive edge rusher and I think it would instantly upgrade that team.
They probably need a nose tackle. I think you can get one a little bit later in the draft, and obviously the same thing at wide receiver. I really believe that depending on who is sitting there at 12, that's what they're also looking at is, you know, Kindle is an explosive player maker on defense. Is there anybody at 12 that can help us on offense. I don't think there's any way in the world Dez Bryant gets there. So if he's gone, does another wide receiver warrant consideration at 12.
And I think that's some of the discussion that's gone on right now. And to give you an idea, I've got Rolando McClain rated as the 17th best player in the country. I've got Sergio Kindle at No. 7. So that tells you I think Kindle is a better player, and I think he's a fit for that team.
Q. The other two rounds, are there a couple of guys who jump out at you? Like wide receiver, you mentioned Decker, Thomas now has a big question mark. Are there guys third round, second round that jump out at you that would fit the other two needs that you mentioned?
MIKE MAYOCK: I think a guy like Dez Briscoe from Kansas is an intriguing big wide receiver, 6'3", 205 pounds, great hands. He's got some off‑the‑field issues that I know Bill and Tony would have to qualify. But he's an intriguing second or third round big wide receiver.
The Decker kid from Minnesota, I think somebody's going to steal him. I've done a lot of work on him, and he's a heck of a player. He played baseball and he's had some injury history. He might slide a little bit, and I think he'd be a steal.
A guy a lot of people are really anxious to see is South Florida guy, Carlton Mitchell from USF, the junior that came out. He's 6'4", 215. I've been told he'll run a sub 4.4. Might be inconsistent from a hand perspective, but you want to talk about a big‑play machine, I think he had eight of his 40 catches over 50 yards this year. I might be wrong on that stat, but it's something like that.
So he's a guy that's supposed to be a big guy that runs fast. He's from south Florida. A lot of third round grades on him. But he needs to show he can catch the ball consistently.
Q. I wondered if I could get you assess a little bit about how you see Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert's plan might be taking shape in Cleveland and if quarterback fits in anywhere considering what you think of this year's class?
MIKE MAYOCK: Interesting question. I mean, just the way I look at this team is I think you've got to trust in the administration that you have there right now, you've got two proven guys that have drafted effectively over the years.
The quarterback situation, you've heard me say a bunch of times, if you think there's a franchise quarterback and you need one, you gotta draft them. Now, Cleveland's got to make some decisions in‑house about the two quarterbacks they have sitting there.
And Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, I don't know where the new regime is on them. But the way I look at Cleveland is I think they've got to deal with wide receiver and corner. And sitting there at No. 7, a Dez Bryant or a Joe Haden I think are the two real logical guys. And if Dez Bryant slides down to 7, I think you've got to take him. Braylon Edwards is gone, he's a big, physical wide out that instantly makes those quarterbacks better.
I would look at that position first. Because corner is so deep, I think you could come back later and get a quality corner.
Q. I apologize if you talked about Eric Berry earlier. Two questions. One is, who do you think has the bigger impact as a pro, Haden or Berry? And, number two, if you're looking for a pure right offensive tackle, is No. 7 too high to take them?
MIKE MAYOCK: No. 7 is purely too high ‑‑ it's funny, one of the first things you can be is a right tackle only. If you're a right tackle only, that means you're not good enough athletically to play on the left side, means you're not big enough or strong enough or tough enough to play inside. So you better be a pretty good right tackle to be a right tackle only.
And they're not typically valued anywhere near the first round, let alone No. 7.
And then the second part of the question is what, I'm sorry?
Q. Haden versus Eric Berry, and I imagine you talked about Berry earlier, but I missed it. You're not too high on him?
MIKE MAYOCK: No, I'm high on him. I love the kid. I think he's a great football player. I've got him as the No. 12 player in the country. I think the Thomas kid from Texas is better. I've got Thomas at 10, Berry at 12, and I've got Joe Haden at No. 5.
So what that tells you is that I think Haden is more of an impact player day one and I think it also fits a need in Cleveland. And I think if you've got a Pro Bowl corner potential versus safety versus this past league you're going with the corner first.
So I think that the logical guys in Cleveland, as I said in the last call, were Haden or Dez Bryant.
Q. You touched on Taylor Mays already, but I was hoping I could get a little bit more your thoughts on his strengths and weaknesses and how you feel about his decision to come back for this season and how that may have impacted his draft status?
MIKE MAYOCK: I don't think it impacted his draft status. I think sometimes that gets overdone. When a guy declares, and you get a chance to sit down and break down his tape, flaws, et cetera, come to the forefront regardless of whether it was last year or this year.
I think he's a really good football player. And he's got a body sculpted by God. I remember seeing the kid on the practice field at USC when he was a freshman and sophomore. I couldn't believe he's a safety. 6'3", 280 pounds. He's going to run well. He's got good range. And he's a physical kid. So when you add all that up, he's probably a first round pick.
The only issue I have with the kid is I don't think he has the instincts that Thomas or Berry have. And that's why I don't think he makes as many plays as those two kids do. Two years ago Berry had seven interceptions. This year Thomas had eight interceptions.
I look at Taylor Mays who played on one of the best defenses in the country for four consecutive years, and in his career he only had five interceptions. Three of them were when he was a freshman.
You can talk about how they played them and why they played them and all those different things, but when you put the tape on, I don't think he's as instinctive as the other two.
It doesn't mean I don't think he can be a good NFL player, it doesn't mean I don't think he'll probably go somewhere in the first round, but I just don't think that he's quite as instinctive in a pass‑first NFL. I want a guy with great range and instincts, and I don't think he's got the same as the other two.
Q. Mike, you mentioned Maurkice Pouncey of Florida earlier. What is it that you like about him?
MIKE MAYOCK: About everything. It's difficult to get a first round grade out of me for an interior offensive lineman. And what Pouncey is is he's big enough and strong enough to anchor against the big 34 nose tackles that are 350 and 360. But he also has really good feet, can snap and pull. Can get to the next level.
Seems like an intelligent kid. Directs traffic up front, and I believe he's worthy of a first round pick.
Q. I was curious with respect to the offensive tackles at the top. I mean, after Okung, who in your estimation is the most NFL‑ready tackle on day one to maybe play on the left side? Because you've got some young kids there, some juniors there at the top?
MIKE MAYOCK: No question. I think Okung, Bulaga from Iowa is the kind of kid that would fit perfectly in Buffalo. You're talking about a cold weather kid that's tough. He's technique‑proficient.
The only question I have on him, I hate to bring it up, is his arm length. We all remember a few years ago when the kid from Iowa, Gallery, went really early to Oakland.
He had 32‑inch arms, struggled on the outside, had to kick him on the inside.
So Bulaga looks like he's got short arms. We haven't measured him yet. This week it will be interesting to see whether or not he's 33 inches or more. But technique is tremendous. He's been coached very well. He's a tough kid. He's smart in both the run and pass game. So I think he's ready to start.
And I think that the Davis kid from Rutgers, even though he's a junior, may be a little bit immature off the field. May be a little bit inconsistent. He's got the talent to play on the left side day one.
And what that's going to mean that the coaching staff is going to have to grab his attention early and keep it and you're going to plug, if you take him that high, you're going to take him and plug him in day one, he's going to need to play at a high level. A little bit of a work ethic issue but he's supremely talented.
Trent Williams, the Oklahoma kid, I think is probably a little more suited for the right side. However, on tape it sure looks like that he can play on the left side. And, again, he's got a couple of off‑the‑field issues, work ethic‑wise. But he's a kid that I think you could plug in.
Those four guys are the guys that I think could go top 9. And of course I'm including Buffalo in that group.
Q. So Bulaga, just to clarify, Bulaga may be most ready to be a pro; Davis maybe with the highest ceiling?
MIKE MAYOCK: You know, you're not talking about Okung of course.
Q. I'm assuming he's gone.
MIKE MAYOCK: Okung is in that group, obviously. And, yeah, you're paraphrasing me a little bit, but I think Bulaga is ready to go day one. And I think the other kids have to grow up just a little bit. But that's not saying they can't play day one, because they're both really talented.
Q. We've gotten this far without talking about the running backs. And obviously that's some interest where I'm at. Could you just kind of summarize your top few guys in that position and then also what you think would be the best fit here in San Diego?
MIKE MAYOCK: From a running back perspective, I think it's a great year. So you don't have to get a running back in the first round. But I have C.J. Spiller as the 11th best player in the country and the first running back, and that's because he's a three‑phase guy.
He can play running back. He catches the football. And he's a killer in the return. After that, it gets kind of interesting, because it depends on your flavor.
For instance, Ryan Matthews is a guy that might make some sense in San Diego. Fresno State. 220 pounds. I think he's got as good balance as any running back I've seen in this year's draft. Highly productive. This year he's had some injury and durability issues. Some people think he's a late first round pick.
I'd put a second round grade on him because I'm not sure he's got an elite burst and acceleration. But I'm anxious to see what he runs at 220. He could end up running 4.38 or 4.40 and that would be pretty interesting because he's a very talented kid.
Jahvid Best from Cal, I've got with a second round grade, because of the concussion and uncertainties around that and his size, probably the only reason that anybody has him with a second round grade because he's got first round ability. Makes people miss, home run hitter.
Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech, I thought he played a little heavy this year, around 240. Rumors are that he's lost close to 20 pounds. He's going to be down there in the 220, 225 range. If he runs in the 4.4s at 225, you're going to see some people just pushing him upwards very quickly.
Then I've got Joe McKnight from USC and Dexter McCluster from Ol' Miss. I think McCluster is too much like Sproles. And the question I think that people in San Diego have to be asking is do they want to complement to the Sproles type guy, which means do you want a bigger guy that can push the pile.
And if that's the case, I think Ryan Matthews, Jonathan Dwyer are logical guys early on. But, again, this is a deep, deep class. There's some bigger backs you can get in the second round. Anthony Dixon from Mississippi State, 240 pounds. Better feet than you think.
Toby Gerhart from Stanford, might be a third round pick, another 235‑pound guy. Ben Tate from Auburn. Hardesty from Tennessee. And Legarrette Blount from Oregon, who has some off‑the‑field issues as we all know but had a heck of a Senior Bowl week.
This is one of the deepest running back classes I've seen in a while. You don't necessarily have to pull the trigger in the first round.
Q. Along the lines of those running backs, Mike Shanahan had some success getting guys very late. Which running backs do you see perhaps sliding maybe sixth or seventh that perhaps Mike Shanahan and Washington might be able to make something out of?
MIKE MAYOCK: Talking about fifth, sixth, seventh round running backs?
Q. Yes.
MIKE MAYOCK: What he likes are those one‑cut downhill guys in that 200, 215‑pound range. Ben Tate from Auburn, 215 pounds. Charles Scott from LSU a little bigger than that. Chris Brown from Oklahoma. He's a 5'10", 205 tailback. Javarris James from Miami, six feet, 213. Those are some of the guys that he likes.
And I'll give you one smaller guy, Shawnbrey McNeal, who was a transfer from Miami to SMU. He's only 5'10", 190, but real quick and catches the football extremely well. * * * * * *The All Access Football ninth annual 2010 NFL Draft Bible Package Is Now Available! Click Here To Learn More…
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