Note: Rather then posting two stories back to back, I thought I'd just knock out the final two picks here since today will already be busy enough.
With the 31st pick of the Revenge of the Birds community mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts select...
Maurkice Pouncey | Center | Florida
GM: TheAngelsColts
Strengths: Starting the last two years at center, Pouncey has had to deal with the SEC elite defenses. He fires off the ball and stays low in his stance. Pouncey has the ability to move his first assignment and get up field to the second level. Very fast lineman.
Weaknesses: Florida's zone blocking scheme could put Pouncey at a disadvantage if put into a man blocking scheme. Pouncey only spent two years as a center and his freshman and high school years at guard. Also, Pouncey is not used to a quarterback under center. Might be a better guard as a pro.
Why they will draft him: Jeff Saturday isn't getting any younger and if they've learned anything from Saturday, it's that having a dominant center can go a long way for the offense. Pouncey is a rare case of a college center being ready for the NFL. He can still learn under Saturday, or even be moved to guard if he's needed to.
And with the 32nd pick of the Revenge of the Birds community mock draft, the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints select...
Kareem Jackson | Cornerback | Alabama
GM: Reo Hayes
Strengths: He has a good initial jam off of the line of scrimmage and likes to play very physical with receivers. He'll leave a small window for quarterbacks to throw to, making it hard for him to get caught out of position. He's fluid in zone coverage and likes to bait quarterbacks into throwing his way, often disrupting the pass before it reaches the receiver. Jackson proved that speed may not be an issue when he ran a 4.40 forty-yard dash at the combine, giving him the ideal combination of speed and strength to make it in the NFL.
Weaknesses: Other then speed, Jackson's biggest strength - physical nature - could also be a problem in the NFL. The Rules are different in college and some believe draping on receivers as Jackson often does, could be a problem. He does need to work on his zone coverage and footwork dropping back. He's a bit raw and may need some fine tuning under the tutelage of a defensive backs coach if Jackson wants to see playing time immediately.
Why they will draft him: The Saints pass defense wasn't top notch last year and defense overall is a need in New Orleans. Jackson provides them with a solid cornerback coming out of the draft that has the potential to be a dominant defensive back in the NFL.
Big thanks to TheAngelsColts and Reo Hayes for making these final two picks. I also want to thank everyone for participating this year and if you didn't get a chance to, there's always next year. So what does everyone think of the ROTB mock draft? I believe it could easily go down this way and I'd obviously love getting Dan Williams in the first round.
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St. Louis - Sam Bradford, QB
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Detroit - Russell Okung, OT
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Tampa Bay - Ndamukong Suh, DT
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Washington - Bryan Bulaga, OT
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Kansas City - Eric Berry, S
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Seattle - Gerald McCoy, DT
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Cleveland - Jimmy Clausen, QB
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Oakland - Trent Williams, OT
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Buffalo - Bruce Campbell, OT
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Jacksonville - Joe Haden, CB
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Denver - Rolando McClain, LB
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Miami - Earl Thomas, S
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San Francisco - C.J. Spiller, RB
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Seattle - Dez Bryant, WR
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New York Giants - Derrick Morgan, DE
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Tennessee - Sean Weatherspoon, LB
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San Francisco - Anthony Davis, OT
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Pittsburgh - Kyle Wilson, CB
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Atlanta - Brandon Graham, DE
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Houston - Taylor Mays, S
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Cincinnati - Jermaine Gresham, TE
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New England - Sergio Kindle, OLB
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Green Bay - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE
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Philadelphia - Mike Iupati, OG
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Baltimore - Jared Odrick, DT
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Arizona - Dan Williams, DT
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Dallas - Charles Brown, OT
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San Diego - Terrence Cody, DT
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New York Jets - Jerry Hughes, OLB
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Minnesota - Brian Price, DT
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Indianapolis - Maurkice Pouncey, C
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New Orleans - Kareem Jackson, CB