Dean Michaels

Q. Regarding the Miami Hurricanes, beyond Lamar Miller, what draft prospects catch your eye this year?

Mike Mayock:

I think the guy that's driving the fastest is Oliver Vernon, the defensive end/linebacker from Miami. I think he's going to go in the second or third round, which is the same area where I think Lamar Miller is going to go. I think a lot of those juniors that are coming out probably should have stayed in school a year and I think some of them are going to be disappointed by where they go in the draft.

Q. Which one of the juniors to be most disappointed.

Mike Mayock:

As a group, Marcus Forsten I think is going to go on the third day. Tommy Streeter, he's probably going to go maybe in the fourth round. The tackle, Washington, I've got as a fourth round guy, fifth round guy. He might go in the second or third if somebody really falls in love with that type of player.

But from my perspective, all of them could have been high, high draft picks a year from now had they stayed in school and become better players. And I don't know anything about their personal situations, and I'm not making any judgments on that. I'm saying, purely from a football perspective, I think they all would have helped themselves had they stayed in school.

Q. And last question, what does it say about last year's Hurricanes that still might have seven to nine guys drafted this year?

Mike Mayock:

The reality is without Al Golden as a new coach, he's got a different system and this talent would have gotten better had it stayed.

So I don't think you really can look back like that. I'm a believer in Al Goldman. I think the Miami Hurricanes are in good hands.

Q. How would you characterize this entire quarterback draft? Is it going to be like 2004 where you get a number of guys that are successful, or is it just a focus on Luck and Griffin that's drawing everybody's attention?

Mike Mayock:

Let me give you a couple of numbers on the quarterback history because I think it's really intriguing and I think it says a lot about this class.

In the last eight drafts, there have been 23 quarterbacks taken in the first round; 15 of them are starters. In that same time frame there have been 82 quarterbacks drafted in rounds two through seven. Out of those 82, seven have become starters.

So, from a statistical perspective, you've got less than a ten percent chance of drafting a starting quarterback outside of the first round. So I think what's happening in this quarterback-driven league is we are getting a frenzy towards these top guys and it's pushing value up. Last year [Jake] Locker went eight and [Christian] Palmer went 12; I thought that was too high for both of them.

Part of that equation is helped by the fact that the rookie wage scale, it's not as expensive as it used to be and you can sit a quarterback for a year conceptually, like Locker did last year in Tennessee.

So with that as a backdrop, it's intriguing to look at this and go, [Andrew] Luck and [Robert]

Griffin, how good is [Ryan] Tannehill; if you take him at face value today with 19 starts, he shouldn't be a Top-10 pick. He's got a lot of potential, I love the kid, I love his work ethic, I love his potential but he shouldn't be a Top-10 pick. Maybe not a Top 15 or 20 pick.

But, in today's NFL, there's a good chance he will be. And then you look at [Brandon] Weeden, how high will he get pushed up at age 28? I've got him at the top of the second round, but I would not be stunned if somebody pushed up into the first round to get him.

That's a long way of saying, that because of the value placed on the franchise quarterback in this league, because the salary cap is now friendly in the first round towards these quarterbacks, and because everybody is in a feeding frenzy to get one, guys' values are getting pushed up. I think [Brock] Osweiler could go in the third round. Kirk Cousins could go in the third round.

And then after that, you've got to kind of be careful how you pick. Russell Wilson might be a good player or Kellen Moore, but really, I think we are focused on those top four or five guys.

Q. This time last year there was a lot of hand-wringing about how would these rookies assimilate and make the transition with the compressed off-season and then you go down the list of rookies, guys taken up high, who all succeeded, in some cases exceeded expectations, do you have any theories of why, with less practice time, less run-up, these guys did so well?

Mike Mayock:

Yeah, I do, and I think a lot of it goes towards the fact that coaches and personnel evaluators knew they were going to have a compressed time frame and they accounted for it.

And to be honest with you, I think it's as simple as saying that Rob Chudzinski did a great job in making Cam Newton feel comfortable, as opposed to kind of the old school philosophy of saying, ‘Here is our playbook, you go learn it, when you're ready, we'll play you.'

Now, I think what NFL coaches did last year at every position is to simplify things for the rookies, because there was no time to learn. I think the lesson we have learned as football people is maybe we should keep things a little more simple for these rookies, make them feel more comfortable and put them in positions to succeed.

I think we had as a good production level out of last year's entire rookie class as I've ever seen.

Q. Given the Colts take Andrew Luck at one, and given history, how important is it that these guys really focus on getting him people around him, tight ends, receivers, whatever, to have a chance to succeed and who do you see second or third round possibilities to give Luck a chance to succeed?

Mike Mayock:

I think that's important. On the surface, RG3 has got a better chance to succeed day one, because they went ahead in free agency and signed a couple high-level wide receivers.

To Indianapolis's credit, they re-signed Reggie Wayne, however and they signed [Donnie] Avery. But they have got to upgrade the wide receiver group. They have got to get a young, explosive wide receiver in there.

At the tight end position, Brody Eldridge, Anthony Hill, there's nothing there that's going to scare you from a pass perspective, as much as I like Brody Eldridge on the run game.

So there's no doubt in my mind that if you look at successful rookie quarterbacks, it's typically when they have got a good run game and a good defense: Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, [Andy] Dalton, guys that make the playoffs, that's been the common denominator. Indy doesn't have that right now.

So they are going to have go around them, not unlike when Peyton Manning was a first round pick and they went 3-13. That was a tough year. But the next year, if I remember correctly, they won 12 or 13 games.

So it's critical to build around on the offensive side of the ball, and I think what you do have, though, is that you took a first round tackle who is going to be a good player in [Anthony] Castanzo. You took a second round tackle in [Ben] Ijalana, who got hurt but was showing a heck of a lot of promise.

So at least from the inside out, you've got a chance and now you've got to give the guy some weapons.

Q. Is [Coby] Fleener a possibility at 34

Mike Mayock:

I have him at the top of the second round. The Giants could take him at 32. Who knows. But he would make a lot of sense.

Q. How should viewers judge what you do? Should it be based on how accurate you are with your draft order, your specific analysis, or something else?

Mike Mayock:

Boy, that's a tough one. From my perspective, what I hope comes through is just my body of work. Not just how many first round draft picks I got right with the correct team or how many of my top hundred.

That's fun stuff and it's easy to quantify, but what I hope comes through is that not only can I give you my top hundred list or my mock draft, but hopefully for three days, we can have a conversation in people's living rooms and talk about what these picks are going to mean to their NFL teams, how it helps or doesn't help in some cases, your NFL team get better.

And I think you also have that group, that college constituency out there, the fans from LSU that want to see where their guys go and the fans from Miami. I think you have to pay respect to that, also, the college side of it.

I kind of look at myself as a football guy, and I like to be a bridge between that, between the college and the pros. And hopefully not just me, but our entire coverage is able to answer with as much intelligence and integrity as we can all of those kind of questions.

I look at it and I guess to over-simplify it, I look at it like I'm the GM of all 32 teams. I'm not anywhere near as good as the real GM, but at least I can kind of help the guy at home figure out what happened with that pick and y and that's how I hope I'm judged.

Q. How have the Patriots impacted the draft?

Mike Mayock:

It's a copycat league and there's certainly no one right way to go about drafting. But when you have as much success as the Patriots have had, everybody in the league self-scouts, look at what they do right and wrong.

And they look at New England and you're right, there's position versatility. There's a premium put on football intelligence and IQ and work ethic. And Bill [Belichick] is a bit of a poker player who likes to move up-and-down the board based on what his value is; not what he perceives the rest of the league is. But he knows league value; that's why he's able to move around.

So I think different teams have different comfort levels. Pittsburgh drafts extremely well every year. Kevin Colbert is great. But they don't really move up-and-down. They know what their needs are. They know what their board says and they go by it.

I think a lot of teams take a look at New England and they get nervous about whether they can move up-and-down as efficiently as Bill can. And when Bill is in his draft room, there are not many other people. There are not many other opinions. It's Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio and a couple other people and that's about it.

So I think it's hard to emulate the New England model because there are not as many coaches that wear both hats with the final decision. But certainly, everybody around the league looks at what they are doing, especially on the pure football side, the position versatility, the work ethic, the locker room. I think those are important things that the rest of the league has followed.

Q. Curious about the Browns. We just talked to Tom Heckert and he made it sound like a two-horse race but he didn't tell us which two horses it was. Are you leaning strongly in one direction for them?

Mike Mayock:

I am. And I have two perspectives here. Number 1 is, if you think there's a franchise quarterback, at some point, you've got to get one.

And I like Colt McCoy very much as a person and his work ethic and intelligence. But if the goal is to win a Super Bowl, I think you have to each year evaluate whether you can upgrade that position.

So if you're not going to take a quarterback at fourth, you've got a another plan for your quarterback, I think they have to take Trent Richardson, and they have got needs and you can talk about the corner and you can talk about the wide receiver.

I happen to think from a positional perspective, the corner, [Morris] Claiborne, and the tailback, Richardson are the next two players in the draft. Forget the tackle for a second. You can make an argument there. But I don't think the wide receiver should be in this conversation, which a lot of people in Cleveland do.

So long story short, this is a big boy division. It's all about physicality, toughness, and winning games 17-14, not winning games 42-39. So to me, if you get a tailback that's as good a tailback as I think Richardson is, you can shorten the football game.

And when you have to go to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, and play them twice a year, sometimes in bad weather, you might not even be able to get the football out to Justin Blackmon, whereas you can turnaround and hand the ball to this kid and stay in the game.

So that's a long way of saying that I think Richardson is a guy at four. I think he could comeback at 22, and either get a wide receiver like Kendall Wright or Stephen Hill or revisit the quarterback situation. Or, maybe even get the quarterback in 30, whatever you are, 35, 36, whatever that is. So that's how I look at it.

Q. Would there be any little tiny part of you that's thought if you were the Browns, that maybe you would take Blackmon, too?

Mike Mayock:

No. Consistent with my philosophy is I'm taking the tailback at four. I'll go out and get the wide out at 22 and Weeden, or if you want to get Weeden at 22, fine. But I want the tailback.

I mentioned a little while ago, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco when they went to the playoffs, they had a run game and they had a strong defense. You have a pretty good defense, by the way. You get a run game, you've got a chance.

Q. Wanted to ask you about the Bay Area wide receivers rising up.

Mike Mayock:

Regarding Marvin Jones, I think he's a real solid football player. On average there are 14 wide receivers taken in the first three rounds over the last five years. I would say he's going to fit into the third round. And I do believe that has been a slow, steady rise for him. But I don't see him going higher than that. Although, some people may.

As far as was Chris Owusu is concerned, I root for this kid. He's a good kid with production and a lot of explosion, given his natural skill set. I think with his history of concussion and where the NFL is today with safety, especially regarding the concussion issue, I think it's going to be very difficult for him to be drafted.

Q. Regarding Jones, how would you describe his game? From what I understand, he does a lot of things well.

Mike Mayock:

He's a good blocker.

Matter of fact, I pulled out a bunch of blocking plays off of his tape. I think he ran 4.45 to 4.50. He's got good speed, good size. He's a smooth receiver. What I like is he fights for the ball; come back to the football; he attacks the football. I think he's a good, solid, mid-round receiver and third round pick that ultimately has some upside.

Q. Looks like the Vikings are leaning towards Matt Kalil, and they have a lot of holes to fill, particularly receiver and quarterback. How deep is the pool and maybe some names that would stand out that would be around in the second round?

Mike Mayock:

I don't think they will take a receiver at three. I believe Matt Kalil is the choice and if it's not, it's got to be [Morrsi] Claiborne. They are the two that make the most sense to me at three.

So if we assume they take Kalil, and then when you roll around to the second round at wide receiver, at that point, I think there are four first-round wide receivers in this draft. It's [Justin] Blackmon, [Michael] Floyd, [Kendall] Wright and Stephen Hill.

Hill is a little bit of a wild-card. If he was available early, too, you would have to look strongly at him and however, he's really raw and a developmental project. But boy, is he gifted and athletic. If those four are off the board, I think the next two you are looking at are.

Rueben Randle from LSU and Alshon Jeffrey from South Carolina. They offer different things.

Randle is a vertical threat that flies, and Jeffrey is not as fast. I worry about what his weight is going to be. But you can throw it outside the numbers, jump balls, red zone, he's a gifted kid that doesn't run very fast.

At corner, I think the three first round corners are going to be Claiborne, [Stephon] Gilmore and [Dre] Kirkpatrick. The next two corners come with buyer beware labels, a lot of talent, [Janoris] Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. They both have first-round ability. They both have off-the-field issues. So I don't think Jenkins would go that high to Minnesota.

Trumaine Johnson would fit what Minnesota does athletically but I'm not sure, he's another guy you've got to be really careful that high in the second round with his off-the-field issues; and then you're looking at a whole group of corners: Van de Velde (ph), Hayward, Josh Robinson, Boykin from Georgia; any one of those guys could go in the second or third round and I think they are logical names for the Vikings to consider.

Q. Real quick follow-up, this is a team that has shown kind of a willingness to take a quote, unquote, risk, with guys who have had pocks on their resumé; do you see this front office as being more willing to go outside the box on a Jenkins or Johnson and if they see a worthy talent?

Mike Mayock:

The talent is one thing, and I think what Rick Spielman will do a great job is evaluating the upside and downside of the off-the-field issues. He's been pretty good at deciding when to take a risk or not. And I can't speak for them. The Jenkins kid is scaring a lot of people off. Trumaine Johnson, less so.

So to me, I'd be a little more inclined to look at Johnson than I would Jenkins.

Q. The Bengals have never taken an offensive guard in the first round. Do you see [David] DeCastro there, or between DeCastro and [Cordy] Glenn, which one do you like better?

Mike Mayock:

Two different animals. And DeCastro to be there. A lot of people have pushed him up pretty high at the guard position. I worry a little bit about whether or not how well he's going to handle a big body directly over him. But obviously I really like the kid.

Cordy Glenn is very different. He played left tackle and he's massive. He's a right -- I think in the NFL, he's either a right tackle or a guard and he is a massive and very talented player. But they are two different animals.

If you are looking for the guy that can pull, kick out and locate, that's DeCastro. If you're looking for a guy that's better in a phone booth, although he has natural ability and feet, but better, longer, bigger.

So they are two completely different type of styles. I think a lot of people think that Glenn can actually live on the outside and will have to go inside. And right now, Cincinnati doesn't need a tackle.

Q. Is Isiah Pead still rising up the board and what's your views on Derek Wolfe?

Mike Mayock:

Isiah Pead to me is a really solid third round pick. I think he helped himself at the Senior Bowl both with his running ability, ability catch the ball and the return skills. If he has showed people that he can consistently catch punts, then I think his natural foot speed and talent with the ball in his hand will get him into the third round.

As far as Wolfe is concerned, very solid player. Not flashy. I've heard people say first round. I don't see it. I see kind of late two to mid three, and I think you get a solid player that can play defensive tackle -- or he can play defensive end in the three-man front.

Q. If you're towards a back end, knowing what you know about pass rushers and wide receivers, the back end of the first, the early part of the second, who would you value higher, which position?

Mike Mayock:

I don't know if I value the position higher. It would be more about the individual players. Let's face it, in Houston, your defense played as well as anybody in the league last year. And yeah, you do need a third outside linebacker in the rotation.

And if Shea McClellan from Boise is there, I would value him a lot. He's a guy that's risen him a lot but I see Mike Grable when I look at Shea McClellan. He's going to fit somebody's 3-4 defense at the tail end of the first round, and I think he's going to be a ten-year starter; and I think he fits in perfectly who you have there now.

As far as the wide receiver position is concerned, I think it's a little more tenuous out there. You definitely need another wide-out if possible, typically like the big-bodied guys. I think the two potentials possibilities there are Kendall Wright from Baylor and Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech who are opposite wide receivers.

Q. On the defensive side of the ball, with the hybrid fronts and the way schemes are becoming more flexible, can you talk about some of the more flexible players in the front seven?

Mike Mayock:

I think Shea McClellan, No. 1, very much a scheme-flexible guy. Whitney Mercilus, very much scheme flexible. Ingram from South Carolina has played everywhere. Branch from Clemson, scheme flexible. Ronnell Lewis from Oklahoma, a little bit later, second or third round, scheme flexible.

I think those five guys are all off the top of my head, all are college and defensive ends all of whom are being considered by 3-4 teams.

Q. How about [Quinton] Coples moving from outside to in; do you see any potential for him being a 4-3 3-technique or potential for 5 at the 3-4?

Mike Mayock:

He already played 4-3 3-technique as a junior and had his best year at North Carolina. He can do that and play the 5 technique and play the base end in a 4-3. Yeah, Coples is very much that guy.

Q. The Rams need to get a starting defensive tackle, just wondering of the top guys if you see any of the top defensive tackles worthy of being Top-10 picks and why? And my follow-up would be in the second round, is there value there, some names that you think would be good picks early in the second round.

Mike Mayock:

Sure. To me, if you're talking Top-10, there's only two names you can put in there, and there's different risk/reward. One is Fletcher Cox from Mississippi State. I think he could end up going nine to Carolina if he doesn't go earlier. He can play on the edge. He's a 4-3 end but I think he's better suited in a 4-3 as a defensive tackle. He's stout and can push the pocket.

The other guy is a wild-card and that's Dontari Poe. From a talent perspective, he's in the Top-10. He's 350 pounds and moves like had a Haloti Ngata. But he's a very average football player now. So you're betting on upside with the distinct possibility of downside if he never turns into anything. That's a little bit of a boom/bust scenario but it's intriguing.

When you drop into the second round at defensive tackle, I think Brandon Thompson from Clemson is somebody that can play at that level. Devon Still, a lot of people have it late in the first round. I've got him as an early second round pick. I think for what St. Louis does defensively in the top of the second rounds, those two guys would be intriguing.

Q. Your thoughts on Dre Kirkpatrick.

Mike Mayock:

From Alabama, like most Alabama kids, he's got a strong football IQ.

He's physical and he tackles and he can play zone. He's instinctive and he's tough.

Now, having said all those things, the downside is that he only runs in the 4.5 range and he has off-the-field issues. I have him as my third corner in this draft and as a potential first round pick and as somebody that would make sense for what Detroit does.

As far as Keith Tandy is concerned, he's a late riser out of West Virginia. I think he's a pretty solid corner and I've got him right now kind of middle to late in the fourth round.

Q. Any comparisons to anybody that plays in the league now or used to?

Mike Mayock:

Off the top of my head, no. It's just he's long. He's tough. He tackles. And he's really solid as long as you can live with the fact that he doesn't have great speed and you've got to deal with some off-the-field issues.

Q. Two first round players have the dreaded short arm, from an offensive and defensive perspective, where does that show up as a negative on the field?

Mike Mayock:

From an offensive tackle perspective, you are typically looking for about 33, 33 and a half inches, especially if he's going to be on the left side. Remember, Robert Gallery several years ago had 32-inch arms? Struggled on the outside.

And where it shows up most is in pass protection. The longer your arms are, the better your ability to shoot the hands, get them on somebody and just continue to push a defensive end away from your quarterback.

The shorter your arms are, mathematically, the quicker that defensive end can get the edge on you. Doesn't sound like much, a difference in an inch or two, but it really is the difference between sometimes being able to push or rush a quarterback; who gains the edge.

From an offensive tackle perspective, it's much more important for that tackle than it is the guard because the guard is in the middle of all that trash on the field and there's nowhere near as much room for the defensive player to maneuver.

As far as a defensive person is concerned and the two guys on defense this year, [Melvin] Ingram and [Courtney] Upshaw that are shorter, what do we do with them type defensive end, outside linebacker guys, it's the same question, but just a different perspective with the added issue of the run game: Can you disengage, how quickly can you disengage; how quickly can you control an offensive tackle. Especially if you're Ingram, for instance and you're going up against 6-7, 320-pound offensive tackles with 35-inch arms.

Now all of a sudden you're 6-1 with a 29-and-a-half-inch arm, and if you don't win with speed, you're going to get enveloped. Does that make sense.

Q. Which quarterbacks are the best fits for a West Coast offense? And also how important it is to hit on your second and third round picks, too.

Mike Mayock:

The focus is always on the first rounds picks, you're right. To me it's not just about the first round or the second round or the third round. It's about your volume of picks; how many picks do you have and how many can you hit on and we always talk about what round, the first round, second round. The way teams look at it, it's would can we draft that will upgrade the team.

And I think it's critical to look at it that way. Whether or not you get a third round pick, Tom Brady is a sixth-round pick. It doesn't necessarily matter where your all-pros come from, which round, but it just matters that you get enough of them to be good.

So from my perspective, it's about the entire draft, from top to bottom, including free agents. And I think teams look at it that way, also. We put way too much attention on these high-level guys.

And then secondly the West Coast quarterbacks, in this particular draft, you know, Luck could very easily be a left coast. Tannehill would be a West Coast. Wheat ton could be a West Coast. Cousins a West Coast. I think Osweiler likes to get it down the field and sling it a little bit more. As does Nick Foles. I think Kellen Moore has to play in a West Coast offense for him to have a chance, timing precision and accuracy.

Q. What do you think of Brown when you watch him on film and how good of a pro do you think he can be?

Mike Mayock:

You caught one of my hot buttons here. I'm not as impressed with Zac Brown as most of the league is. And I guess the most impressive attribute he has is obvious, which is his speed. You rarely see a linebacker that's faster than most of the corners in a draft.

So from a height, weight, speed perspective, he's a first round pick. When you watch the tape, he makes a lot of plays, but they are almost all in space. If he diagnoses a screen

pass, and drives on it between the guard and tackle, he looks beautiful. Makes plays all over that way in space.

However, any time a big body gets on him, actually any time anybody gets on him, his feet stop and he's not physical at all. I don't see the toughness and the physicality. He's a run and chase linebacker that's going to make plays with his speed. But I think he's going to get enveloped by anybody.

In the pass rush game, he gets stung by running backs; he's got to be a space player that you cover up and you allow him to run free. That's his effectiveness. I have him going in the third round. He could go in the second just because of his height, weight and speed.

Q. Tannehill is a guy who seems to be a lot of talk and debate about where he should go. I wanted to get from you the likely scenarios of where he might go and why.

Mike Mayock:

Yeah, at this point, I'm leaning heavily towards Cleveland going with Richardson and looking to get wheat on later in the draft.

That's kind of where I think Cleveland -- so if it's not going to be Cleveland at four, the next logical pressure points are Miami at eight or somebody trading up to seven.

And I think Jacksonville would love to get out of seven and trade down. So it opens up the possibility of a Kansas City or a Seattle or whomever to come up to seven and get Tannehill. And if he doesn't go at seven, then he's got his former head coach sitting right there at eight. It's a tough situation for the general manager because he's got to win quickly and this is a quarterback that's at least a year away.

So from Miami's perspective, you have to hope your owner understands what's going on there, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's not ownership pressure there to get a quarterback. So there's an awful lot of different currents going on around there, Cliff, but I think they are the most logical scenarios.

Q. A while ago you gave out stats about first round quarterbacks versus second through seventh round quarterbacks. Wonder if you could repeat those, please.

Mike Mayock:

In the last eight drafts there's been 23 quarterbacks in the first round and 15 are now starters. In the same time frame, rounds two through seven, there have been 82 quarterbacks with seven (sic) (15) starters. Obviously that's 22 of the 32 starters around the league.

By the way, Matt Moore would be a college free agent that's now a starter in Miami in addition to that group.

Q. The Jaguars, really wide receiver and cornerback are two positions that they highly covet. The problem is they have character question marks with some of these players. How do you differentiate between the off the field incidents involving these three guys which seem to be at varying levels, Jenkins, Floyd and then the UI incident involving Justin Blackmon; and any chance you think Justin Blackmon could be available at seven?

Mike Mayock:

Jacksonville is a tough spot because the perception is there's quote, six blue chippers, whether you agree with that or not, that's the perception.

And sitting at seven, unless Tannehill goes before them; or unless they are able to trade out, the perception seems to be that Blackmon will go at six right in front of them and then they have to look at and decide whether they think Michael Floyd is in the same ballpark and whether they will live with his off-the-field issues. We both know Gene Smith is a stickler for off-the-field issues.

So from that perspective, they are in a tough place. And I don't think Jenkins is a guy that you're going to look at as seventh pick in the draft. So from my perspective, Jacksonville has got to be ready.

Obviously if Blackmon gets there, that's a no-brainer. If he doesn't get there, how do they value Michael Floyd? If they don't or won't take a Michael Floyd and they can't trade out of there, then who is the highest rated wide receiver corner or defensive end on your board? Because you probably have to come from one of those three positions.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Ryan Broyles, the Oklahoma wide receiver. He worked out a couple of weeks ago, less than six months after the ACL tear. How did his work out go and what impact is it having on where he is drafted?

Mike Mayock:

Yeah, I'll state before he got hurt, I had him as a mid to late second round guy. Possession receiver, tough as nails, catches the ball really well and one of the best return guys in the draft.

After the workout last week, which I was not at, but I talked to some teams that were there, kind of an amazing recovery from an ACL but still question marks. You don't even know what his status is going to be come training camp; whether he's going to be on the field or the PUP. And he's probably another year away from becoming the Ryan Broyles we really know.

So there is going to be impact here. Initially I thought it would probably drop him around somewhere in the middle of third to late third. I'm thinking more that it's going to be late three to mid four now. Because as good as he looked last week and it was miraculous, I saw some tape of it, he's not going to get in and out of breaks and be who he is for a while.

A, you have to lean on your medical department to tell what you he's going to be come August, September, October and then B, you've got to decide whether or not that's going to be enough to jump up and get him in the third round, because I think there will be a ton of interest in him in the fourth round.

Q. I want to go back to your buyer beware comment. The Lions had three guys arrested for mayor in a possession this past off-season. When you look at it in the league, how concerned should teams be about college teams that are using marijuana and should teams like the lions shy away from Kirkpatrick because of marijuana usage?

Mike Mayock:

I don't think marijuana usage is as big a deal as it was ten years ago in the eyes of most NFL teams.

I think habitual usage of any narcotic, including alcohol, is a concern.

So if you take it to the next level, A, habitual usage is bad, and B, alcohol is legal, pot is illegal. A certain number of positive tests will get a guy suspended. So that's why there's a concern that if it's habitual, and a guy gets suspended, obviously it's going to impact your evaluation of him.

If it was a one-time thing and not that big of a deal. It's not like you're beating women or a convicted felon murdering people. There's hot button issues right now, but I don't think one time with pot is a hot button issue. If it's more habitual and then it's more, what are we going to have to deal with if this guy really likes pot and he gets banged a couple of times; we are going to lose him off the field.

Q. You already mentioned Jenkins and a few other fellas, but Vontaze Burfict and Jansen (ph) what do you know about those guys and how will they be looked at?

Mike Mayock:

Burfict is interesting for me because I put his tape on without absolutely zero preconceived notions. I heard he was athletic, explosive, off-the-field issues, anger issues, but I didn't care. I was just curious as to what kind of football player he was before I delved into everything else.

I watched three tapes and really didn't like him as a football player. I thought he was highly inconsistent. When he had a chance to make a splash play and a big hit in the open field, it was beautiful. Everything else was highly inconsistent. You can see some ability. He went to the Combine and did as poorly as any linebacker at the Combine in literally every measurable.

So from my perspective, I had a poor performance on tape followed by a poor performance at the Combine. If it's up to me, he's a non-draftable kid. Somebody could take him late but they are asking for all those headaches. Does he have upsides? Sure, he's a recruited high school kid and is a big, good-looking kid. For the most part he's either late draftable or free agent, and for me, he's a free agent.

The Jackson kid, the transfer, he's got some ability. I don't think his issues off the field are as significant as people think. I think because of the weak class, he's going to be probably valued somewhere in that fifth round plus or minus and I think he has a chance to make a team.

Q. The Browns need to find a starting right tackle. Can you break down some of the guys you think could be logical targets for them, whether it's late first round or early second round or even in the third round?

Mike Mayock:

I think the logical right tackle, if Riley Reiff was there at 22, which is I think where his real value is, right somewhere in that 15 to 25 range, might go higher than that, but if he was available, he's a starting right tackle.

Cordy Glenn from George I think is a starting right tackle. He could be sitting there at 22 and he would be a very logical pick at 22. I think Mike Adams from Ohio State is a logical right tackle.

Again, you'd have to get him probably at 22 unless he went early in the second round, which he could. And then in the second round, I think Bobby Massie from Old Miss can play right tackle; Jeff Allen from Illinois and Mitchell Schwartz from Cal.

The problem with the tackle draft this year is there's some pretty good guys up high, but after Mitchell Schwartz, after those five, eight or nine guys that I just gave you total, after eight or nine guys in the tackle class, there's a drop-off. And most teams are going to want to get one of those guys, and I think you're probably going to have to get them in the first two rounds.

Q. The Raiders don't pick until the very end of the third round. From what you know about their roster and with your early read of Reggie McKenzie as a GM, do you think they have any chance of trading up into the second round or even the first?

Mike Mayock:

Well, they don't have any picks they can use, because the third round pick, and I think the fourth round pick are both compensatory and you can't trade compensatory picks.

The reality is the Raiders can't trade up and get into the first or second round. Don't think they give away the house anyway from existing players to try and do that. And knowing Reggie McKenzie, who is a really solid football guy, he knows he's starting out behind the 8-ball and his first pick is at No. 95.

So what he's going to do, I believe, is he's going to sit there as frustrating as it is and wait until pick No. 95 because he can't trade out of it anyway and at pick No. 95, he's going to take the best player on his board regardless of position. Because I think that's what you have to do. He's got a lot of needs, tight end, guard, D-Linemen. Bottom line is, he's going to pick a good football player and that's the most you can hope for as a Raider fan.

Q. I haven't seen Michael Floyd for a long time, what are your latest thoughts on him, do you think there's anything to the fact that he might go ahead of Blackmon in this draft, and what are some good team fits for him in the first half of the first round?

Mike Mayock:

Michael Floyd to me is very similar, or I should say, very comparable to Justin Blackmon. I don't really think he's going ahead of Justin Blackmon.

However, Michael Floyd is a big, physical guy that's a natural hand snatcher, one of the best, maybe the best wide receiver blocker in this draft. There's some teams that are going to get scared away by his off the field. And that has to be taken into the evaluation, which is why I think it's going to drop him down a little bit lower than Blackmon.

For instance, Jacksonville at seven, I think he would make a lot of sense there, but I don't think they will pull the trigger on him because of the perceived off-the-field issues.

However, once you get past Jacksonville, I would say that Miami at eight, if they don't take a quarterback, need a wide receiver very badly. The Panthers I think will take a defensive lineman but they need a wide receiver at nine.

The Bills at ten need a wide receiver. I think the Chiefs and the Seahawks at 11 and 12 both need receivers and then the Jets at 16.

So there's five or six teams that I think could make sense. It's just a matter of evaluating where you have them as a football player, and also, taking into account his off the field versus whatever is available at that point in the draft, even if he slid a little bit, somebody is going to get a really good football player.

Q. You alluded about maybe some of the offensive linemen might get overdrafted because of the need and there's so many of them. The Lions are sitting there at 23, and would they find more value maybe in a defensive end or pass rusher if the cornerbacks they like are gone?

Mike Mayock:

If the three corners are gone, you're asking me would there be more value at the defensive end position?

Q. Than one of those potentially overdrafted offensive tackles.

Mike Mayock:

Interesting question, because the defensive end class to me is one of the most volatile. Quinton Coples is a gifted kid who could slide. Do I think he's going to get to 23? No.

I think one of the rising talents in this draft is a 4-3 defensive end from Syracuse named Chandler Jones. And I think he's going to end up going somewhere in that range, starting at about 20 to 32 and I think he's one of the best 4-3 defensive ends in this draft, which is obviously what Detroit plays.

I'm not as big on Nick Perry as some people are, but if a Coples or a Chandler Jones was there, I think you'd have to take a real hard look, because both of them have a chance to be real good.

Q. Generally speaking, is the value as late in the first round at a pass rushing position, depending on need with the offensive line?

Mike Mayock:

The problem is we don't know who is going to be there at 23 at each position. I guess what I'm saying is that Coples and Jones were there. If they are there you have to look at that against the value -- if Reily is not there, who is left? Cordy Glenn? A lot of people think Cordy Glenn can be very special. Which guys are still there?

And then it's a comparison of the players to me a lot more than it's a comparison to the positions in general.

Q. With all of the chatter coming out of Minnesota about Matt Kalil not being the pick and say Claiborne goes to them, how far can you see Matt Kalil sliding?

Mike Mayock:

Oh, he can't get to you. That's not happening.

Q. Do you think he goes Rams six?

Mike Mayock:

It all depends on what else happens but I don't think there's anyway in the world he gets past seven, because even if Tannehill goes, he's one of the quote six blue chippers.

If Jacksonville is sitting there at seven, and there's a drop-off in value between Kalil and whoever they have next on their board, they have got to take Kalil.

I don't think there's anyway that he gets to them.

Q. You were talking about Bill Belichick and his ability to move around the draft so adeptly. The Ravens have done that a lot, too. What do you think enables them to move around so well and how do they compare to the Patriots?

Mike Mayock:

I think Baltimore historically has been one of the best and most consistent drafting teams out there and it starts with Ozzie Newsome and his philosophy, and it extends to Eric and his staff. I think they are one of the best staffs that I've seen in this league and part of the reason is they have been together for so long. That's the first piece. I think there's a lot of talent on the personnel side led by Ozzie.

The second piece is they do as good a job as anybody in the league with being connected with their coaching staff and understanding the needs of the coaching staff.

And that's the biggest mistake to me in pro football as far as the draft is concerned is when there's a disconnect between the personnel side of the house and the coaching side of the house. When that happens, you become a bad drafting team and you become a cellar dweller. With Baltimore, Ozzie is always connected.

So I love the fact that Baltimore sets the board and they stay true to it. There is no confusion on draft day, and when they get to 29 or in the second round or the third, when they get to that point, they are looking at their board for the highest-rated player.

If they feel like they can trade out of that spot, and get better value out of 29 and get a good player at 35 or 37, they will trade out of it in a heartbeat because they trust their board. They know what they can get and how they can get it.

So Baltimore to me has one of the best buildings in the league and it's because Ozzie is so good at what he does and Eric and his staff are so good at what they do.

Q. On Whitney Mercilus.

Mike Mayock:

I think on the positive side, there's production, albeit one-year production which scares some teams, crazy numbers for one year, which begs the question, where were you before then.

However, when you look at what he is on tape, he's a natural pass rusher. He's a natural edge rusher. He's got excellent take off. He understands how to work up the field. Does he need to learn technique and more pass rush moves? Yes, because right now, like a lot of gifted college kids, he depends on his speed to win.

What I would say, so he's one of the most gifted natural pass rushers in this draft. What I would say is that even though he repped out 225 27 times and the numbers look good, on tape he can struggle at the point of attack in the run game.

And I think that's the biggest concern that if you draft him today in the first round, how many snaps are you going to get out of him. Maybe it will be similar to what [Aldon] Smith did in San Francisco; a situational pass rusher that's disruptive and effective, and he will grow into that point of attack role where he'll be a three-down player. But I think that's really the only side is can he be stout enough at the point of attack down the road to justify being a first-round pick.

Q. Do you think the Steelers have to succeed in their pick because -- inaudible.

Mike Mayock:

I don't think they look at it that way and I don't necessarily look at it that way, either. Again, when we are talking about the best drafting teams in the league, Pittsburgh is in the short list. Kevin Colbert, whether it's Bill Cowher or Mike Tomlin, they continue to go to Super Bowls and win football games because the personnel side of the house continues to provide good players.

And they don't move up-and-down the board a lot. And their philosophy is to promote from within and re-sign. I think the way that you have to look at it is when they are spending dollars to re-sign their homegrown players, that's better than free agency because you know what you're getting.

So I don't think it puts any more burden on a first round pick. Like any team that builds from the draft, it puts more pressure on the entire draft which in my opinion is where it should be anyway.

Pittsburgh obviously just need to continue to rebuild that offensive line because you're starting to see some of those former first round guys on defense like Hood and Cameron, they are starting to come on.

Q. What's your analysis of Hilton, the Florida International University and what type of offense you see him working best in?

Mike Mayock:

He's really an exciting player because he's one of those guys that's not just quick, but fast. He ran in the 4:30s on his pro day and very quick with the ball in hand and added value in the return game.

So when you add all those things up, I think he's going to be a late two to a mid three. He's going to be a return specialist. He's dangerous with the ball in his hand. Some teams will look at him as a slot receiver because he's so darned quick but I don't think you can lump him in there and say he's just a slot and return specialist, because he also has long speed.

But give him a chance to earn a spot outside, because there's some value there, but ultimately, he's going to be, I think, one of the better inside receivers in the game along with a return specialist.

Q. You touched on this a little bit but with the pass rushing defense, can you give me an overall view of them, your thoughts on them and what you guys might consider Top 15 picks?

Mike Mayock:

I guess the best way to answer this is to say from a league wide perspective, most guys think Quintin Coples is a Top 15; so from Seattle's perspective they have to be looking at him. He had a huge year as a defensive tackle the year before, and he's gifted enough and looks like Julius Peppers, which is ironic given the fact they both go to North Carolina. He's a big, good-looking kid. I didn't like his production as a senior but Pete Carroll is the kind of guy that can get production out of this guy because he does have Pro Bowl potential.

Now the guy I like is the Syracuse player, Chandler Jones. People think 12 is way too high for that, and it probably is. I think his best football is ahead of him as he gross into his body; 35-and-a-half-inch arms; I think he'll be 280 before it's done. He's only about 265 now.

So from Seattle's perspective as pure defensive ends, Coples, Chandler Jones and some people would say Courtney Upshaw; I think that's too early for him. And then you can talk about some of those outside linebacker conversion types, like Ingram from South Carolina, who I don't think is quite the fit for them, or Whitney Mercilus, and that's a little high for him. But still Whitney would have to be considered because he can put his hand in the dirt and rush the quarterback.

Q. What direction do you see the Steelers going in the draft?

Mike Mayock:

Well, I think you have to look at their offensive line, and I think what a great job the coach has done there with the injuries the last couple of years. They are going to kick Gilbert from right tackle to left tackle. Willie Colon has played one game in the last two years which he'll stop at right tackle so you have to be nervous about that.

Obviously they re-signed Trey Essex. I would be looking to upgrade that offensive line in the first two rounds if possible, and it doesn't matter as much to me whether it's a guard or a tackle but I've got to get some help out there. I needed another young, healthy body that can play.

Also, I think the safety position and nose tackle position are two positions they have to be looking at. Hampton has been a great player for a lot of years and Steve McClendon is a young guy that they got off the street last year and looks like a good, young player and I would love to see an impact nose tackle in Pittsburgh; and I think at safety, Polamalu and Clark have been great players. They are getting older as is Will Allen and Ryan Mundy.

I think at some point the second or third round, they have got to find a safety, a young safety, that can provide depth and ultimately become a starter. I think they are the positions of need, at least initially for the Steelers.

Q. A team that misses out, what is the outlook there -- inaudible.

Mike Mayock:

I missed the beginning of that but I think you're talking about Mercilus and the outside linebacker class.

I mean, [San Diego Chargers are] kind of at the beginning of what I look at as the 3-4 teams that need defensive help, and there are a bunch; you guys and New England and Baltimore, Green Bay and there will be a premium on the outside end rush guys, and you have the first shot at whoever those guys are in the second half of the first round.

So from my perspective, I bang the table for Shea McClellan and again a lot of people have thought he's a second or third round pick. He's going to go in the first round to a 3-4 team and he's going to be a very good football player; so he's a name.

Mercilus in is a name. I don't think Ingram will fly down that far, but if Melvin Ingram was available, that would be another guy. They are the logical 3-4 type guys. Some of the 3-4 teams will even look at Chandler Jones as a 3-4 outside linebacker or a Nick Curry.

But they are the logical names there. And what was the second part of that?

Q. And teams that missed out on a strong safety.

Mike Mayock:

It's not a good safety class and to me Harrison Smith from Notre Dame, and I think the entire league is Mark Barron one, Harrison Smith two, Brandon Taylor from LSU three.

And then after that, there's a bunch of different question marks and it's kind of like what's your flavor at that point. But I think Harrison Smith will go either late one or early two. I see him somewhere between 28 and 40.

And then Brandon Taylor from LSU, I think because of, again, the lack of safeties, I think he's going to end up in the second round and then after that, I mean, people all over the board, I happen to like Menzie from Alabama, who is Alabama's starting corner last year. I think he's going to be better off inside at safety. But you know, after him, boy, there's a bunch of guys but I don't think they are going to go to the fourth and fifth rounds.

Q. Your thoughts on Russell Wilson, some questions about his height and Kuechly from Boston College who had some incredible numbers.

Mike Mayock:

Sure. Russell Wilson, I enjoy watching his tape and he's not typical and he's too short and all those things. However, to me, he's a winner. Doesn't matter where you plug him in; he finds ways to win. I think he's going to go in the fourth round, and I think he's going to be a backup, developmental-type quarterback.

What I like about him is that early on he provides some value, perhaps as a change of pace quarterback. Come in, fast break it, get out on the edge and throw the ball. I just think he's a winner, and I think he's the kind of guy that might develop more so than people think. And then who as the second one?

Q. Luke Kuechly.

Mike Mayock:

Yeah, he's one of the ten best players in this draft.

The intriguing thing about Luke is that historically inside linebackers are not valued, mostly because they get replaced on sub-downs in sub-packages and nickel packages. He's the opposite and his strength lies in the pass game. He's the best pass-dropping inside linebacker from the inside I've ever seen in college football. He has instincts and speed.

So on the third down, when the sub package comes in the game, he's going to stay in the game a lot like a Shawn Lee in Dallas. I think there's real value there because he's a three-down, inside linebacker. He'll occasionally give get enveloped by a big body but the NFL is a pass-first league and there is value in Luke Kuechly.

Q. The 49ers have gotten a lot of production out of the last couple drafts. I want to see your thoughts on how their personnel department.

Mike Mayock:

I'm really happy for Trent Baalke because a couple of years ago when there was all of the turnover and nobody knew what was going to happen and who was going to be the head coach and would the head coach bring in his own general manager.

I think the 49ers ownership group stood tall and said: Look, we like this guy and we are going to tie him at the hip with our new coach.

You know, when you do look at their draft, you know, and you see what they did, for instance, with Aldon Smith, I got fooled last year, I was at the Missouri workout, Jimmy Harbaugh was there and I know the Harbaughs pretty well, and I assumed he was there for the quarterback and of course, ended up taking Smith at seven; they take Chris Culliver in the third round who became a good player; Kendall Hunter in the fourth.

And when you look at the history of what Baalke's done, they have revamped the offensive line in 2010. I think they got [NaVorro] Bowman in that class, also. So from my perspective, Trent Baalke doesn't get enough credit around the league. And the fact this they went 13-3, not only is a testament to Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff but it has to be a testament to Trent and his personnel staff.

Q. Wondering what you thought the ceiling was for a guy like Stephen Hill and if he's worth --

Mike Mayock:

He's one of the most intriguing players in this draft because from a height, weight, speed perspective and from a talent perspective, he's probably a Top 15-type player.

I was at his pro day, and what really surprised me for a tall player was his ability to get in and out of breaks. That's rare to have a guy that big not be stiff. He's fluid getting in and out of breaks. His hands were good, although he had some key drops last year at Georgia Tech, but he's a little bit of a lightning rod.

There's two schools of thought, either you think he's a raw, developmental guy that's not worthy of a anything but a late two or mid-three, or you're intrigued, and if he only catches 30 or 35 passes as a rookie, five or six of them are probably going to be for touchdowns and that's worth pick number 24 or 25 or 28 or whatever. I would not be surprised at all if this kid goes somewhere between 20 and 32 because so much upside to have a kid like that outside the numbers.

Q. On Trent Baalke saying they have one player at No. 30.

Mike Mayock:

Well, boy, if you look at -- you have to look at who is available versus what their needs are, and you know, Stephen Hill would obviously be a wide receiver that could be available.

And interior offensive lineman, could David DeCastro slide that far? I doubt it. He would obviously be a great fit for a lot of reasons. Amini Silatolu and are Kevin Zeitler, two linemen that are ticketed for the top of the second round, both are tough, nasty physical players which fit what the 49ers do.

Some of their defensive line depth, for the defense that they play, at No. 30, who could be there at 30? I'm not seeing anybody that makes a whole lot of sense at 30 from a D-Line depth perspective. I don't think they will be interested in Wolfe. Worthy I think will be off the board and he doesn't fit as well there.

So yeah, I would look at some inferior offensive linemen and that wide receiver we talked about.

Q. Your thoughts on that receivers are high risk -- and looking at this perfect the perspective of the Rams and Blackmon and they have two early second rounders.

Mike Mayock:

I think every year is different and I think that perception is changing a little bit. Just because of the rule changes in the NFL and the way the league has gone towards a pass first league.

I've always kind of contended that had two biggest issues for rookie wide receivers are No. 1, learning how to get off aggressive press coverage which we rarely see in college; and No. 2 just the complexity of all the routes and the progressions and the hot routes and everything else, I think is a completely different thing mentally and it can slow you down physically. I think they are the two main components.

However, in today's league with the back shoulder, with the outside the numbers play, you can't hit the quarterbacks, we are seeing more and more productive young wide receivers. And it's mostly because we are throwing the ball up for grabs more often.

And therefore, I think when you're looking at wide receivers in the first round, you are going, okay, who can make plays, Blackmon can make plays, Floyd can make plays, Kendall Wright, Hill, those guys are legitimate first-round discussions. I don't like the second round group as much this year. A lot of years I like the second round group as more.

This year to me, Rueben Randle has some questions; Alshon Jeffrey has some questions; Brian Quick from Appalachian State, you know, he's a height, weight, speed guy with a lot of upside and I don't know whether we are going to see production out of him and maybe he's overwhelmed and Jenkins from Illinois.

So this year I kind of like the first round group more than I like the second round group, and I would kind of bang the table for maybe not necessarily No. 6, although Blackmon fits there, but I think those guys are all legitimate first round picks.

Q. They are in a pretty good position just to get a good player, and there's some available talent, defensive talent, there's other guys, there's receivers there if they need them. How do you see that playing out for them and there's also been talk of them possibly moving up. Do you think that would be more -- obviously it's a risk reward, but would it be more risk than reward at this point, all things considered?

Mike Mayock:

Well, tell me who you think they are moving up for.

Q. I would think like a Fletcher Cox and talk about Mark Barron the safety, maybe move up ahead of the Cowboys?

Mike Mayock:

And Barron is one of the best players in this draft and I think he's going to go between 10 and 15. But he has them ticketed at 14 but there are other teams that could step up. I mean, look at Buffalo with ten, for instance. They are going to play New England twice a year with those tight ends.

To me, Mark Barron and Luke Kuechly are two logical guys for Buffalo. I would not assume that Barron is going to go 4. And from an Eagles perspective, man, you and I both know Andy's history, and it's inside out. I think Fletcher, Cox is going to be gone. He might be Carolina at nine.

The next intriguing name to me is Dontari Poe. The reason I like Poe is twofold: He's a physical freak and he's got a good motor. The problem is he's just a very average player right now because he doesn't know how to play the game of football. So he's a boom/bust guy, but for the Eagles in the middle of that defensive line, he could make a lot of sense.

Michael Brockers, if they set there at 15, he could make some sense. And then don't forget about the offensive line and how Andy is, and even though they signed Bell to play left tackle, you know, what are they going to do? What happens at 15? Would they take a Reily if he was sitting there? I think that would be tempting to Andy because then he could plug him in and then probably move Merriman into guard.

I'm not sure about them trading up this year unless they feel like they have to go get Mark Barron.

Q. Just a quick follow-up to Andy; there's been talk about the drawn-out process of him being back this year. Do you expect that he's going to have more influence in this draft, and that could influence the first round pick they had?

Mike Mayock:

I think Andy has always had the main influence in the draft and obviously Howie Roseman has a lot to say as the GM and Joe Banner is involved. But Andy has always kind of been the final guy.

And from my perspective, they have a pretty good feeling in that building about the big picture and they got a little excited last year and obviously kind of got carried away with free agency. But, the big picture is always important to Howie and the people in that building and I think Andy is on the same page.

I don't see the same disruption in that building that a lot of the people in the media and Philadelphia want to portray.

Q. With a team like Miami and a new coaching staff in place, trying to merry itself with a general manager that's been here for a few years, what would you say is the proper strategy to take in the draft? Is it going for a need that fits, or best player available or a hybrid of both?

Mike Mayock:

I think the most important thing that the Miami Dolphins have to define internally is what's their position on the quarterback position.

And they have got to define with their general manager and their coaching staff, how comfortable they are with the quarterbacks in the building today; Matt Moore, David Garrard. Are we happy with them? Are they better than anything in the draft? Because it's going to shape your entire draft philosophy.

Mike Sherman knows Tannehill better than anybody. They have to have a decision in that building that they want to have Ryan Tannehill or they don't and if you want him, can you wait till No. 8.

Again I'm on the record as saying Tannehill is at least a year away and if the Dolphins believe he is a franchise quarterback, they have to either take him at eight or make sure they get him at six, if somebody is going to trade up, or whatever. But they have got to get Ryan Tannehill. That's the most important delineation in that building.

If we get -- if we need to get him, let's go get him. If not, we can feel comfortable in the second or third round, there's a guy there, we are going to pass this year entirely, we are not comfortable with any of the quarterbacks. But that's going to shape your philosophy.

After that, if you're sitting there at eight, if we are not taking a quarterback, who is the best wide receiver? I mean, [Brandon] Marshall is gone. Does Michael Floyd sit, does Michael Floyd off the field sit? What about the right side of our offensive line with Kerry and Columbo? You've got to have a big picture philosophy in place. Can we get a right tackle and a right guard in the second or third round?

I mean, all those things have to be discussed, and at the end of the day, it's driven by the quarterback position.

Q. Wanted to know if you can talk about outside of Poe and Brockers, who are some nose tackles that might be available in the second or third round and teams that they would potentially --

Mike Mayock:

Sure. Outside of Poe and Brockers, you're talking about second and third round?

Q. Yes.

Mike Mayock:

And you want nose tackles as opposed to regular defensive tackles? Okay.

I would start with Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, if you're talking about pure nose tackle for either a 3-4 or 4-3. So Ta'amu would be a late 2 to 3. He's massive and may only be a two-down defender but those downs are going to be really good. I think Mike Martin from Michigan, and the appeal to Martin as a potential third round pick is he's not as big, but he probably offers as much or more pass rush than any of the second or third round defensive tackles in this draft in those positions.

I think Ta'amu would be the first guy we talk about. I think Mike Martin would be the second guy. The Chapman kid from Alabama who tore the ACL and played through it last year, not sure when he's going to be available, but teams really like Chapman, fourth or fifth round, depending on the status of the ACL. And as you go down through the draft, there's is a line-from BYU and some other guys. But for second and third round, those are the guys I would look at.

Q. Do you believe that Brandon Thompson from Clemson is a potential nose tackle?

Mike Mayock:

I think he's more of a three technique. I think you could play him at nose but I see him more as a three technique. And you would look at some of that group like Wolfe and Reyes and fill potential five techniques and three-four where they are playing out over the tackle.

Q. Has your perspective on Orsen Charles changed during this pre-draft process? How do you see him fitting?

Mike Mayock:

He's a hard one to do right now for a couple reasons. One is the off-the-field issue he had a few weeks ago which I think hurt him a little bit, bad timing for him, cost more homework for teams.

No. 2, while we can all see that the physical ability he as a vertical receiver, and his effort in the run game, which is more than he can say about a lot of college tight ends, the problem is he's got a very narrow and small frame. He's barely 241 pounds, but he looks like a wide receiver, and he's not going to get much bigger.

So you're talking about a guy that can't play inline. He's going to have to be an h-back move kind of guy. And now you've got off the field concerns. I think he was probably considered a late second round pick. I think he's down at least a round now until the late third round, and I think other teams have pushed him down further.

Q. A quick question on punters and kickers --

Mike Mayock:

To be honest, I don't even look at the punters and kickers until draft week and then I go talk to special teams coaches. To me they are golfers, I don't know anything about their swings. Me watching tape of a punter and kicker is not going to do any good. By the draft, I'll know what I'm talking about because the coaches will tell me but right now I don't have a clue.

Q. Looking at the Eagles, obviously they have a need at defensive tackle and defensive line, and they have struggled at that position early on, do you think that's a deterrent to them picking at this position in this draft early on?

Mike Mayock:

I don't think so. You and know, let's keep in mind that they are anticipating getting Antonio Dixon back who is their best run-stopping defensive tackle who was on IR last year. So I don't think their past history will prevent them from taking a defensive tackle.

They just have to make those decisions, because they have got a little bit different kind of scheme now with the wide nine and what they are trying to do. I think they have to figure out what kind of player is going to fit most in that scheme and make sure that that fits the overall scheme.

Q. First of all, I wanted to ask you about a couple of local cornerbacks, obviously Stephon Gilmore at South Carolina and Ryan Steed at Furman. And you mentioned Alshon Jeffrey; did his weight loss prior to the Combine and pro day help, hurt, or have any influence at all? And lastly, where do you see Ingram playing in the NFL?

Mike Mayock:

Going from back to front, Ingram is a tough question here and his versatility is a plus. However, it forces teams to try to figure out what he's going to be.

And for me, I think the 3-4 teams look at him as an outside linebacker but they worry about him on first down; can he disengage and sack the run. I think the 4-3 teams say can he be a Sam or a Mike linebacker; is he smart enough. You start asking all those kind of questions because you don't know the answer whenever you move a kid from one position to another in a different type defense. The entire league is trying to figure out where he fits in their particular defense.

To me I keep going back to what I saw on tape which is using a variety of different ways and I think you have to use them kind of like the Giants do with Tuck and that's move them around, protect them a little bit, let them rush from the inside, let them rush from the outside, but don't just fit them one place. I think the 3-4 teams can be a little more flexible that way and the teams -- from first down where does he line up.

The two corners you mentioned, I'm a big fan of Gilmore. I think he's a Top-10 or 12 player in this draft. So to me he's a top half of the first round. Not sure where he's going to end up yet but he'll be one of at least three first round corners.

The kid from Furman, Ryan Steed, kind of like him. I think he has some upside. I think he'll probably go somewhere in that fifth round. For a small school corner, he's competitive and tough and I think he acquitted (ph) himself well in the All-Star Game. I think I'm missing one. Was there another question in there?

Q. Who do you think is the best athlete in this draft? And in the first round, what are the biggest boom or bust type players in the first round?

Mike Mayock:

Okay. In the first round, boom or bust kind of guys, Tannehill the quarterback. He's a boom or bust, franchise guy, but you've only seen 19 starts.

I would say that a couple of the tackles, Mike Adams and Jonathan Martin, significant upside. Don't see much consistency.

Stephen Hill, the wide receiver from Georgia Tech; how, does he have upside, but you're betting a lot on his athletic ability and not a whole lot on college production.

On the defend side of the ball, Quinton Coples. He could be an All-Pro but has bust potential written all over him. Dontari Poe, I talked about him, All-Pro, but his college is average, even though he's got a great motor and he's a physical freak.

That's about it on that side. As far as the best athlete, that's a hard one. It might be Robert Griffin, the quarterback. He could be an Olympic athlete and he could be a quarterback in the NFL, and as far as I'm concerned, they are both pretty special. the fourth to seventh round, who do you think could be a future Pro Bowler?

Mike Mayock:

Fourth to seventh round Pro Bowler -- how about -- I'm going to say -- good question. If I thought they were going to be a Pro Bowler, they wouldn't be in my fourth to seventh round though.

Ryan Broyles to me to be a value guy. Could have got to the second, but probably going to go second to fourth and if he's healthy he's a return specialist on a slot receiver with a lot of up sides. I'll say Ryan Broyles.

Q. Just wanted to ask, not sure if you saw the report today, sort of knocking Robert Griffin's character, called him a selfish guy and said there were some things on tape that sort of spit out his negatives. Just curious, I know you are really high on Griffin, if there's anything that stands out to you as red flags or concerns in terms of him stepping in and taking over in Washington next year?

Mike Mayock:

From my perspective, A, I did not see the report. And B, I have not seen any of those red flags. And I was around -- and again, I was only around the kid at the Combine in his pro day, and spent some time with him in both situations. Can speak much more adequately about him from what I've seen on tape, which doesn't really tell you much about his character.

What I saw on tape that I liked from a character perspective is his ability to win close games; the game he won against Oklahoma, for instance; the way his teammates seemed to rally around him at his pro day in Waco. I think he's got a naturally charismatic personality that will draw players to him. I think wide receivers are already lining up to try and play in Washington with him.

I give Mike Shanahan and that organization a ton of credit, because you can argue all you want about whether or not they gave away too many draft picks, but at the end of the day, if this kid is as good as they think he is, it won't matter.

Q. Not sure if you talked about Kendall Reyes, just wanted to get a thought from you on him and where you think he'll go in the draft and also --

Mike Mayock:

I think Kendall Reyes is a really solid defensive tackle and unfortunately for Kendall this year, it's probably the deepest group, position group, in the draft.

So when you look at Kendall Reyes, he's a very solid second round pick. You've got Cox, worthy, those kinds of guys that are going to be first-round guys. I think he fits in comfortably in the middle of the second rounds and I think he's going to be a good, solid player and he can play the 4-3 or a 3-4.

Moore, one of the quicker guys you're going to see on tape. Runs very fast. He's quick and he's fast. A little different evaluation. He's probably a fifth or sixth round wide receiver, and he's got the potential to be return specialist also.

Mike Mayock's 2012 NFL Pre-Draft Interview - NFL Football