My reasonable four round mock draft.
 

I assume a couple of things-
1)we re-sign Carr and Bowe
2)we are unable to trade up for one of the blue chip QB's.
3)we are stuck with Mediocre Matt for another season

round 1:
#11-Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.
I understand and mostly agree with the idea that RB's can be found in later rounds, and that they don't last long, yadda, yadda. This is all true. This is also true: we don't have an elite QB, but we do have an ascending defense. Our playmaking RB is coming off ACL surgery and has never really been an every down workhorse. A Richardson/Charles backfield is deadly, and you can't get any more impact at this point in the draft with any other player.

Round 2:
#44 Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State.
The right tackle position is addressed, finally. NFL Drafttek has him as the #27 overall in this draft. The interesting second tier QB prospects are all gone here, unless Tannehill somehow falls but it's not likely.

Round 3: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin.
This finishes the offensive line and ensures that Charles and Richardson will have holes to run through. If we must have mediocre QB play (likely giving way to Stanzi at some point) we'll need the best protection we can arrange.

Round 4: Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State
Has all the tools to be an NFL QB-plus arm, good size, good intangibles. Probably as good a prospect as the second tier guys.

Rounds 5-7 BAA (i mean really, you can't project realistically and these guys are likely special teamers/camp fodder anyway)

Sign me up, i'll take it.

Like you said, Richardson in the only player who may be available that will have an instant impact on offense, and Lindley has one of the best arms coming out in the draft. I watch him play and I swear he looks like he has Stafford type potential.

His production dropped off this season compared to last, but he was working with arguably the worst WR's in the MWC, and that's saying A LOT. The guy is a gunslinger, with all the physical tools to be elite QB at the next level.

He needs to, however, stop starring down his receivers and work on consistency with his accuracy.

A strong Senior Bowl performance next week can put him in round 2 IMO, so he may not last till 4.

Lindley has trouble hitting water when falling out of a boat.

Ok. yeah. You don't know wtf you're talking about.

I'd take it.

This game sums up Lindley.

Makes outstanding Throws, mixed in with some boneheaded throws into coverage, accurate on a lot, missed some open receivers and a whole lot of dropsies. Hell, he hit one wide open guy right in the freaking bread basket only to have it dropped.


Like i said, he needs to work on being consistently accurate and not force it into coverage too much. He also stares down his receivers at times.

All of those things can be worked on and fixed.

Dude has the tools and is easily worth a 3rd and possibly a 2nd if he has a great combine/Senior Bowl.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bZKHc0FKDsQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I can't see taking an entire draft on one side of the ball. This team still has holes on the defensive side. Without a QB the path to the championship is through defense. Cassel is not going to hang with the high scoring teams, so the way to victory is to keep the game close.

I doubt you would. There are still rounds 5-7, and the BAA at some point will almost certainly be LB or a CB or S.

I just compared 6 or 7 different mocks, kind of averaged where people were and picked for value as well as need.

I don't see any real NT prospects and the rest of the defense is pretty good other than MAYBE an ILB to upgrade Belcher (although I think he's fine.) Depth at S, CB. No starters needed really.

so, yeah. I went o-line in 2 and 3, developmental QB in 4.

The defense needs a NT and depth.

If Burfict is there in the second we def should grab the guy. He could be the nasty ass lb that puts us over the top.


Soliai in front of DJ and Burfict woudl be nasty.

I am ok letting Belcher stay there but if Burfict does drop that far I would be happy with that pick. It also depends on what they do in FA and with the first pick obviously. If the second round starts with us having taken steps to help the Oline and NT position I would be fine with it. Even more so if we somehow managed to work on the QB position although it seems like a mid-round pick is coming with that if at all.

Pioli may just punch us all in the balls and sign a vet QB to be the backup and have Stanzi at 3rd still and take all thoughts of a QB away.

I've watched Ryan Lindley, and his biggest problem with his accuracy is an easy fix, and I find myself wondering how his coaches haven't already corrected it.

He rarely follows through with his right foot in stepping into his throws.
He sorta half steps it.

I didn't watch the video pposted here, but I'd bet there's tons of examples of this there in that 10+ minutes.

I like the potential of Lindley.

I also think that the very best thing you could do for this defense, given the draft position and what's likely to be there-is to make sure that you can run the ball and control the clock. A backfield tandem of Richardson and Charles ensures that even with a shitty QB like Cassel you won't be 3 and out every damned series.