At this point, everyone has a pretty good feel for each team’s strengths and weaknesses. If the run defense hasn’t been fixed by now, it probably never will be – unless of course, Santa comes early. Given that we are approaching the holiday season, I figured it would be a good time to imagine what’s at the top of each team’s Christmas list.

Chicago Bears

A Clean Slate – Well, they had a good start. Unfortunately for Chicagoans, since October 19^th, the Bears join the lowly Jets and Jaguars as the only teams without a win. And it’s been ugly. The quarterback position is a dumpster fire, the defense looks like it’s quit over the past two weeks, and Matt Nagy hasn’t had an answer to stop the freefall.

At this point, it’s clear the Bears are nowhere near where they need to be a contender. If the Bears can’t show any signs of life over the next four weeks, and there’s no reason to think they will, the team might have to clean house. New quarterback, new coach, new general manager, new water boy – new everything. Time for a fresh start.

Minnesota Vikings

A Playoff Spot – In my last NFC North update, the Vikings were sitting at 2-5, and I had all but dismissed their playoff chances. Four weeks later and this team just won’t go away. After clawing out wins against the Panthers and Jaguars in the last two weeks, the Vikings find themselves 6-6 and currently sitting in the last Wild Card spot.

Minnesota has a difficult remaining schedule featuring games against the Buccaneers and Saints. It’s still going to be an uphill climb for them to secure a spot in the postseason, but sometimes a chance is all you can ask for – and the Vikings have a chance.

Green Bay Packers

Home Field Advantage – At 9-3, it isn’t a matter of if Green Bay will make the playoffs, but a matter of what seed they will be. In Aaron Rodgers’ career as a starter, the Packers have a 1-3 record in their four NFC Conference Championship appearances. What did all of those games have in common? None were played in Green Bay. In fact, the Packers have only had the #1 seed once in Rodgers’ career (2011). One can only wonder how some of those games would’ve gone if they were played at Lambeau.

Considering this is a relatively weak year for the NFC, the Packers have a golden chance to make a Super Bowl run. Their biggest threat may be the 10-2 Saints who are currently positioned to have the #1 seed. Although Green Bay has already won in New Orleans this year, playing a dome team and an aging Drew Brees on the frozen tundra would provide a significant advantage in what could very well be the game that determines who will go to the Super Bowl.

Detroit Lions

Competence – Following their annual Thanksgiving loss, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp decided she had seen enough and pulled the plug on head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn. Hardly a stranger to managerial instability, this will be the 7^th time since 2000 that Detroit is in the market for a new head coach.

For good reason, many Lions fans have lost faith in the team’s ownership, and calls for the Ford’s to sell the team have grown louder and louder. With no trust in the current owner to make a good hire, a group of Michigan state legislators actually wrote and sent a letter to Sheila Ford Hamp imploring her to make 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh the Lions’ next head coach. This is what it’s come to in Detroit. I’m not sure even Santa could solve this one.

The post Imagining What’s on Each NFC North Team’s Christmas List appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The wind is crisp

The Bears offense, stalling

The Jets, winless

It’s that time of the year, folks. With Week 8 in the books, we’re officially about halfway through the NFL regular season. It’s the time of year when early season struggles turn into long-term problems. When slow starts become miserable middles. When the contenders start to separate themselves from the pretenders.

Traditionally, superlatives are given out at the end of the year – a fun reflection on the times we had and the people we met. But this year, since nothing has been traditional, I’ve decided to give out superlatives at the halfway point in the season. So without further ado, here are a handful of midseason superlatives for the NFC North.

Best Player – Aaron Rodgers

At almost 37 years of age, Aaron Rodgers is having one of the best years of his career. Through 7 games, Rodgers has tossed 1948 yards and 20 touchdowns while only throwing 2 interceptions. The craziest part? Only one Packers wide receiver has more than 16 catches. Due to a lack of wide receiver depth, Rodgers has relied heavily on Davante Adams and the tandem of running backs to carry the passing game as well as contributions from tight end Robert Tonyan. The Packers offense has, maybe unexpectedly, been a well-oiled machine this year, and Rodgers deserves a lot of credit for it.

Biggest Disappointment – The Minnesota Vikings

Aside from the Houston Texans, the Vikings have to be the most disappointing team in the NFL this year. Projected to compete for the division title coming into the season, the Vikings now find themselves 2-5 and facing a tumultuous offseason. Already, the team has traded away recently acquired star defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. While they are fresh off a much-needed win over the Packers, it’s hard to see the Vikings digging themselves out of a hole of this size.

Most Likely to Upset a Team Fighting for the Playoffs in December – The Detroit Lions

Since my mostly negative 1^st quarter of the season performance review of the Lions, the team has quietly scraped together a respectable 3-4 record. Like Lions teams of the past, Detroit appears capable of beating any team on any given day, but general inconsistency and defensive woes will keep them from being a serious contender. Fun fact: if football games were 1 quarter long, the Lions would be 5-1-1.

Not likely to help their cause, the Lions play a gauntlet of a schedule in December – at Chicago, vs Green Bay, at Tennessee, vs Tampa Bay, vs Minnesota. With the exception of the Vikings, there’s a good chance that four of those teams will be jostling for playoff position, and the Lions will have a chance to be a thorn in someone’s side. Don’t be surprised if Stafford and company can’t ruin at least one contender’s Sunday.

Best Rookie – Justin Jefferson

One of the few bright spots for the Vikings this year has been the emergence of rookie wide out Justin Jefferson. Through 7 games, the LSU product has amassed an impressive 563 yards, leading all rookies and good enough for 14th-most leaguewide. The Vikings used the 1^st-round draft pick they received when they dealt Stefon Diggs to Buffalo to draft Jefferson. Although it’s early, it’s looking like the trade is working out for Minnesota.

Most Likely to Get Coal in his Stocking – Javon Wims

During the 3^rd quarter of the Bears-Saints game, Chicago receiver Javon Wims jogged halfway across the field to New Orleans cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, appeared to rip at his chain, then proceeded to connect two punches to the helmet of the stunned Saints defender. A scuffle ensued, and Wims was promptly ejected. He has since been suspended two games. In response to the incident, Gardner-Johnson wrote on social media “that man punch like a female.” If you haven’t seen the video, I highly recommend it.

Most Likely to Suffer a Crushing Playoff Defeat – The Green Bay Packers

This is a loaded superlative. On one hand, the Packers are 5-2, lead the NFC North, and are poised to make the playoffs. On the other hand, the Packers have a tendency to put up duds. After jumping out to a 10-point lead in Tampa, things got ugly, as the Packers gave up 38 unanswered points and were dominated in all phases of the game. Just last week against the Vikings, the Packers defense played as though they had been given sedatives before the game. The first Vikings possession that didn’t end in a touchdown came in the 4^th quarter. While the Packers have certainly shown extended periods of dominance this year, these ‘fluke’ games happen a little too often for comfort.

And as Packers fans know, in recent history, the team has had a tendency to completely wet the bed in big games. In the 2010s, Green Bay lost four playoff games by 14+ points – the most of any team.

The post NFC North Midseason Superlatives appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With no preseason, a lot of fans wondered how the games would look in the early weeks. Would teams start sloppy? What effect would limited fan seating have? How would the rookies fare without the traditional amount of preparation?

For the most part, everything has been largely the same. Offenses are clicking, breakout stars are being born, and the Jets still suck. Sure, it’s weird to see Lambeau Field empty, and Mike Zimmer doesn’t look quite right with a face shield, but once the camera focuses in on the field and the center snaps the ball, it’s easy to forget that we’re in the midst of a pandemic.

In a year of uncertainty, it is important to remember to focus on the brightside. But as all football fans know (some better than others), the NFL is not all sunshine and rainbows. Alas, every team has a frightside – an unpleasant, uncomfortable cause for concern that for 31 teams cannot be avoided.

Without further ado, here are my 1^st quarter performance reviews for the teams in the NFC North.

Chicago Bears

The Brightside: The Bears are 3-1. While it hasn’t been pretty bears fans should be counting their lucky stars that they’re 3-1, as a team’s record is ultimately the only stat that matters in the NFL. Cowboys fans would give anything to win 3 ugly games right about now.

After a little more than 3 years, it appears the Mitch Trubisky era is over in Chicago. Midway through their Week 3 game in Atlanta, Head Coach Matt Nagy pulled Trubisky in favor of former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles who went on energize the Chicago offense and lead an improbable 16-point comeback. While Foles followed his heroic performance up with an absolute dud against the Colts, I think Bears fans have seen enough to know that Mitch Trubisky is not their answer at quarterback. I would rather take my chances with a hot-n-cold slinger like Foles.

The Frightside: They just haven’t played well. Outside of the 4^th quarter in Detroit and Nick Foles’ spark against Atlanta, the offense has been miserable. The kicking game is still unreliable. Perhaps most disappointingly, the Bears’ defense hasn’t been the overwhelming force its been in past years.

It’s also impossible to deny that the Bears have had some luck on their side this year. They could easily be 1-3 or 0-4. It took a miraculous 17-point 4th quarter comeback and wide-open drop in the endzone by D’Andre Swift to beat the Lions. In the following week, the Giants had the ball at the 10 yard line with a chance to win the game right at the end. And in Week 3, the Falcons comically blew a 16-point lead with 7 minutes left. The Bears have had the good fortune of starting the season with a very weak schedule. By the eye test, this is not a 3-1 team. If the offense doesn’t improve soon, Chicago could quickly find their season in a downward spiral.

Key Stat: The Bears are currently averaging 9 points in the first half.

Detroit Lions

The Brightside: Their uniforms look great. When thinking about areas where the Detroit Lions have improved in the past few years, team uniforms are the first thing that comes to mind. Very aesthetically pleasing.

However, looking for actual football positives is difficult. It appears the Lions are headed for an offseason of immense change. Head Coach Matt Patricia is a dead man walking and the Lions are likely to have a very high draft pick. With change comes hope. The Lions are still at least year or two away from competing in the NFC North, and the focus right now should be on taking care of the future. Hopefully, number 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah and D’Andre Swift can continue to show improvement over the course of the season.

The Frightside: I could’ve written an entire article on this section alone. Unfortunately for Lions fans, these have been the same old Lions. That means blown leads, dropped passes, swiss cheese defense, and immeasurable disappointment. Right when you think they’ve hit rock bottom they find a new low.

While Matthew Stafford hasn’t been the problem, the Lions have failed to build a team around him for the past 10 years. As the soon to be 33-year old Georgia product moves past the prime of his career, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Lions become contenders with him at the helm. It might soon be time for the Lions to part ways with the former #1 pick and truly start fresh.

Key Stat: The Lions are 0-3 this year in games in which they’ve had an 11+ point lead.

Green Bay Packers

The Brightside: After a 13-3 season last year, a lot of people, myself included, thought the Packers would take a step back in 2020. Boy, were we wrong. Watching the Packers play offense is like watching a steak knife go through warm butter. There’s just no stopping it. Through the first four games, the Packers were averaging a league-leading 38 points per game. Even with a decimated receiving corps, Aaron Rodgers is still playing some of the best football of his career.

Part of Rodgers’ success can be attributed to the fact that this is the best backfield Green Bay has had in his tenure. The Packers currently have the 4^th most rushing yards in the NFL, primarily powered by the shifty and explosive Aaron Jones who trails only Dalvin Cook for the league lead in rushing. While Rodgers and Jones receive much of the credit for the offense’s success, it would be a mistake not to mention the offensive line. Allowing only 3 sacks so far, the Packers’ offensive line has been as good as any this year. As a result, Green Bay is the only team in the league to rank top 5 in both passing and rushing yards.

Seeing as the NFC North appears to be one of the weaker divisions this year, the Packers are extremely well-positioned to win the division title and compete for the number one seed in the conference. This might be Aaron Rodgers’ best last chance to get to another Super Bowl. Enjoy the ride, Packers fans.

The Frightside: It can’t get much better than this. At some point, the offense will come back to Earth. Aside from a game in New Orleans against a Saints team that struggled out of the gate, the Packers have played a relatively weak schedule. It is yet to be seen how Green Bay stacks up against the NFL’s top class. Last year, they were manhandled by the 49ers twice, and the two teams will meet again in San Francisco on November 5th. Before that highly-anticipated showdown, the Packers will have a chance to prove themselves in Tampa against Brady and the new-look Bucs. While the Packers are currently flying high, losses against these two teams might mean another year of a Green Bay team that’s good but not good enough.

Key Stat: The Packers have scored in every quarter this season.

Minnesota Vikings

The Brightside: Seven teams make the playoffs this year. While the Vikings certainly haven’t gotten off to the start they wanted, once September ended the team woke up and secured a critical win against Houston that should provide hope that the season isn’t dead yet. Dalvin Cook is a stud. Kirk Cousins has been to the playoffs before. Mike Zimmer has historically been a good coach. It’s not like the Vikings are a perennially underperforming regular-season team. Given the newly expanded playoff structure and the fact that the NFC as a conference is relatively weak this year, I’m not counting the Vikings out just yet.

The Frightside: Frankly, the Vikings have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Considered by many to be preseason NFC North favorites, the Vikings came out of the gate looking sluggish and mentally unprepared. Embarrassingly, Kirk Cousins somehow managed to get sacked for a safety in each of the first two games.

Probably the most concerning aspect of this year’s Vikings is their defense. For the past several years, Minnesota has had a stout, aggressive defense with talent at all three levels. However, this offseason they lost several key players including Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Xavier Rhodes (not to mention Stefon Diggs on offense). The result? A young, inexperienced secondary that has struggled and a defense that has allowed the 4^th most yards per game. If the Vikings are going to right the ship, their defense needs to improve.

Key Stat: Through 4 games, Kirk Cousins has thrown 6 interceptions. He threw 6 all of last year.

The post NFC North Performance Reviews Through One Quarter of the Season appeared first on KRUI Radio.

My assignment of watching a movie each day this year has taken a serious blow. Professional football season has begun. I enjoy just about every major sport including college football, but when the NFL season starts, it seems that all I have time to do is either watch football, analyze football teams, or watch talking heads overanalyze football teams. Still, this movie thing has got to get done.

I could have just watched a bunch of football movies, but any of the ones worth watching are about high school or college ball. God knows I am not wasting my time writing about Draft Day. So instead I decided to look at my list of movies and see which ones resemble which teams in today’s NFL landscape. I am a bit of an asshole when it comes to football, so if I go hard on your team, sorry. Just keep in mind I’m a Detroit Lions fan.

The Dallas Cowboys are the entire modern DC Comics film franchise. America’s Team. Not a great nickname considering most people you know probably find the Cowboys and their fans to be insufferable. Year after year, the Cowboys come out of training camp as one of the most hyped teams in the league. Even when their quarterback breaks his back in the preseason and they have quite literally no defense, they are still supposed to win it all.

Just like Man of Steel, Batman Vs. Superman, and now Suicide Squad, it seems impossible for the Cowboys to live up to the hype. These movies (and the Boys) always come primed and ready to become financial successes, but no one really made sure to bother that they would be good or even entertaining. Yes, I am very excited for 2017’s Wonder Woman, and yes I still think the Cowboys will suck next year.

The Baltimore Ravens are director Ridley Scott. Both have celebrated and storied pasts. Both won their respective industries’ highest honor in early 2001 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl and Scott’s Gladiator won the Oscar for best picture. Most important of all, no one has any idea what to expect of their next effort. Scott’s last movie, The Martian, won awards, made tons of money, and was hailed as an unmitigated success. He is also responsible for instants classics such as Blade Runner and Alien. Recent flops however, like Prometheus and Exodus, have shaken viewers’ confidence much like the Ravens’ last season. Much like Scott’s recent films, the Ravens could go 6-10 with a sluggish season or 10-6 with a playoff berth or better.

Finally, my Detroit Lions are the film Requiem for a Dream. Year after year I find myself coming back to football just as excited as the year before, even though my favorite team is historically one of the worst in the NFL. They were the only team to post a winless 0-16 season after all. Much like the lives of four people who are tragically ruined by drugs in Requiem for a Dream, my world seems to come apart each fall. I keep coming back to my Honolulu Blue-clad team with high expectations that are set simply to be crushed almost instantly. The fact that I can even make a comparison between being a Lions’ fan and a drug addict shows just how bad my team is. At least I will have more time to watch movies when they start the season 1-7 and the sweet high of football season wears off.

For those interested to take a look back into some of the greatest football matches, then you should take a look at the history of St James’ Park here.

Watch and Talk is a column that discusses movies. They are not always reviewed, but are simply talked about. Watch and Talk looks at the various cultural aspects and impacts of films.

The post Watch and Talk: Are You Ready for Some Football? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The most active team was Chicago as they made two trades. The Bears are extremely desperate for young, controllable talent on both sides of the ball. They were able to get the quarterback of the future and did so without mortgaging the future. The Cowboys pick up a talented running back to replace DeMarco Murray. The biggest winner from this draft for me is the New Orleans Saints who used all three picks to select starting caliber players at really good values.

There were several teams I wanted to trade up or down for, but was unable to due to a lack of trade partners or assets. These teams just selected the best player available if the draft spot wasn’t worth the player that was right for the team.

My next NFL piece will be a review of the draft. Until then enjoy both my final mock and the real draft.

Round 1

The post NFL Draft: Predicting the First Two Rounds appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, and Vikings could all trade up if they fail to address the position earlier in the first round. Also tackles will start to come off the board pretty fast as there is a need for young controllable linemen, although most of the players taken this year will be moved to the right side of the line or inside to guard, there is still a huge need to protect the quarterback.

These picks are what I think teams will do at certain positions based off the needs I believe they need to address, but also from what I’ve been reading about each team from numerous sources. There is an occasional pick where I went with what I solely thought the team should do, but that’s only one or two picks. I did not include trades, but I will in the next mock draft. The three picks I like the most are the picks to Kansas City, New England, and Carolina, all of which I think got steals at their positions either based off value, or a player that I feel is underrated. Here we go, the San Diego Chargers are on the clock.

17) San Diego Chargers:  Melvin Gordon III- RB Wisconsin

The best running back in college football this year with Todd Gurley sitting most of the year out. Even with Gurley playing Gordon would’ve still ben extremely productive and fighting with Gurley for position as the top running back. The Chargers watched their top running back leave for Philly, and even though he was injury-prone, he was a productive back and they have no immediate solution. Gordon will be the perfect fit for the chargers who have a third down back in Woodhead and would allow Gordon to focus on running and limit the number of passing plays he would be a part of as catching is one of his biggest weaknesses.

Other Options: Malcolm Brown, Cameron Erving, Breshad Perriman

18) Kansas City Chiefs: Cameron Erving-OC Florida St.

Erving is one of my favorite players in this year’s draft. He has been playing center for Florida State, but was originally a tackle and should have the ability to play multiple positions on the line. Here he would stay at center where the Chiefs lost their starter to Oakland. The Chiefs have a couple positions to draft on the line and have addressed the need with the acquisition of Grubbs from the Saints. They could also look for receiver here or try to address depth on the defensive side of the ball.

Other Options: Breshad Perriman, Jaelen Strong, Landon Collins,

19) Cleveland Browns: Breshad Perriman- WR UCF

Nobody has seen their draft stock rise faster than Perriman due to one test. His 40-yard dash at his Pro day came out with numbers below 4.24 seconds being reported. On top of that he has good height and hands but again lacks polish in focus and route-running. The browns are in trouble on offense with Josh Gordon facing another suspension and Manziel being in rehab. If they want to succeed with Josh McCown as their quarterback they are going to need to surround him with weapons like he had in Chicago.

Other Option: Malcolm Brown. Landon Collins, TJ Clemmings

20) Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Collins- S Alabama

Landon Collins may be seeing a drop due to an injury he sustained during the season, or it may be that teams reviewed the tape and were not as thrilled as they were originally, for any reason, he is still a quality player and will address a need for Chip Kelly. After their offseason of confusion, it’s a little difficult to predict anything for this team, but this seems like a logical and safe way to go for the Eagles.

Other Options: TJ Clemmings, Dorial Green-Beckham

21) Cincinnati Bengals:  Malcolm Brown- DT Texas

The Bengals could really go a couple of different routes with this pick and if Malcolm Brown is available here I think this makes the most sense. This defense has been hit by injuries and players leaving in free agency, and could really use some depth especially along the offensive line. Being on a talented defense should help Brown’s development as he will probably see very few double teams and will opportunities created by other players on the defense.

Other Options: TJ Clemmings, Dorial Green-Beckham,

22) Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Clemmings- OT Pittsburgh

Wow this would be a cool scenario for Clemmings to stay in town and play football for the same city he’s played for the last four years for. The Steelers definitely could go defense here, but adding depth along the offensive line to protect Roethlisberger is important. We saw last year, when Big Ben was protected, there was no way to slow down this offense, but Ben also had one of his healthiest seasons in a while. This offensive line has had some injuries and really could use the depth to make sure Big Ben stays upright all year.

Other Options: Marcus Peters, Brad Dupree

23) Detroit Lions: Brad Dupree- OLB Kentucky

The Lions were hurt in free agency this year when they lost Suh to the Dolphins. Adding Haloti Ngata was a great addition and they really could use more help along the defensive line, but their choices here are not great. Still this defense could really some cost-controlled play-makers to help negate the loss of their best player last year. Dupree brings a great rush to stop passers from having time to survey the field, also can be a run-stopper with his great speed. The only thing he needs to work on is his pass-coverage which he will be asked to do more being in a 4-3 system.

Other Options: Green-Beckham, Eddie Goldman

24) Arizona Cardinals: Todd Gurley- RB Georgia

The Cardinals were the surprise team of the NFL last year with how well they played with Carson Palmer under center. Although most of the credit should go to the defense for being in the top five for almost every defensive category last year. The goal now is to try and improve a little offensively to take some pressure off the defense. Gurley would give them the power back they’ve been lacking to convert short third down and short into a new set of downs. He can take pressure off the quarterback and really open the play-action passes while also keeping their defense off the field by extending drives. He is coming off an ACL injury, but his talent warrants the risk at this point in the draft.

Other Options: Dorial Green-Beckham, DJ Humphries

25) Carolina Panthers: Dorial Green-Beckham- WR Missouri

His name has been all over the news lately and this mock draft for other options. Green-Beckham is super talented at 6’5” and 230+ pounds, he runs extremely well and is a ball hawk in the air. The reason he could drop this far is he has a history of off-the-field issues and many teams were concerned, but after the combine, teams see so much talent that they almost cannot look pass him and I expect him to rise up draft boards and make a push towards the top ten. The Panthers really could use a lot of help on offense and another defensive linemen could help as well. Remember this team made the playoffs with a below .500 record so they are a team with a lot of needs, but I felt made several good under the radar moves to try and improve this team. It will be interesting to see who is available at this time because that will most likely determine which position this team will draft.

Other Options: Cedric Ogbuehi, Owamagbe Odighizuwa

26) Baltimore Ravens: Devin Smith- WR Ohio State

I think Baltimore is sitting here hoping a WR falls as drafting Smith here may be a little` bit of a reach. After losing Torrey Smith in free agency, the Ravens will need to replace his production. The Ravens really do not have a glaring need, but do have several areas across the board that could use help, depth, or may start to need a replacement due to aging players. This really allows the Ravens to draft the best available player and not draft a need. Then again how many teams actually draft the best available player instead of a need? The answer; very few.

Other Options: Trade Down, Eddie Goldman, Tevin Coleman

27) Dallas Cowboys: Jaelen Strong- WR Arizona State

The Cowboys really could go a lot of ways here as they have several needs and areas to improve. Really any position could use an upgrade outside of that fantastic offensive line. That said, the idea is to improve and draft the best available player. This team made the playoffs because it is already talented on one side of the ball and the defense really played a lot better than it should have thanks to Rod Marenelli. Adding Strong would be more to protect Dez Bryant and take some pressure off 0f him and I believe Strong is the best available player at this point. Obviously adding any defensive player would help this defense, but that can be addressed at a later point. If addressing the defense is the main concern, I would highly suggest trading down instead of reaching for a player.

Other Option: Eddie Goldman, Trade Down, Benardrick McKinney

28) Denver Broncos: Eddie Goldman- DT Florida State

Denver just lost their starting nose tackle to free agency and really could use a cost-effective solution that has upside. Enter Goldman, who will need to add some weight and would probably be a better fit in a 4-3 system, but he will bring effort and experience. His speed could cause some problems for centers, but the main benefit is being on a talented defense and not needing to perform immediately and could use the time to develop. The Broncos could also go offensive lineman to try and keep Peyton Manning upright, they also could use some depth at the position. Either way, it looks like the trenches is the way Denver to improve.

29) Indianapolis Colts: DJ Humphries- OT Florida

If there is any quarterback that needs a little protection in the pocket it would be Andrew Luck. The Colts have been one of the worst teams at protecting the passer that last two years. It’s actually scary to think how good Luck could be if he had time to throw. Now Humphries will not solve the problem, actually this does not even come close to solve the problem, but it will be a solid start as Humphries projects to be a solid right tackle or a great guard. Either way this is a start, with four other positions that could use long-term solution on the offensive line. Expect the Colts to draft a couple linemen.

30) Green Bay Packers: Kevin Johnson- CB Wake Forest

The Packers are in a great situation where they really do not have a glaring need and really can draft however they feel like drafting. The fact is the defense is solid and the offense is great as long as Aaron Rodgers is under center. Johnson makes sense here since the Packers are at risk of losing Shields in the future and could really use some depth now just to protect in case of an injury.

Other Options: Maxx Williams

31) New Orleans Saints:  Maxx Williams- TE Minnesota

The Saints have two picks in the first round thanks to the Jimmy Graham trade that shocked the whole sports world. If Williams is available at this point I would declare the Saints the winner of the trade. I believe Williams to be a future Graham-like tight end that is an absolute match-up problem for defenses and a ball hawk in the air. The addition of Unger and Williams would really help Brees and the Saints to have a bounce back year.

32) New England Patriots: Marcus Peters- CB Washington

Arguably the most talented corner in the draft, but his stock has taken a hit due to off-the-field issue. Peters has great ball skills and plays faster than his 40 time shows. He can help fill the void left by Revis and Browner leaving this offseason. The Patriots will still need another corner, but getting a starter is more important than the nickel, and they will probably wait until a later round to address that need.

The post NFL Mock Draft: Part 2 appeared first on KRUI Radio.