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This is a draft that could change a lot of passing attacks across the league, for it is deep in quarterbacks, in cornerbacks, in pass rushers, and receivers, and is at least average in terms of pass protectors.  But otherwise, this will be remembered as one of the weaker draft classes in recent memory.  The quarterbacks are pushed up the board not for internal reasons, but because the players at other positions (particularly on the defensive side) are flawed.

There were eight or nine players in last years draft who fielded an elite grade, but this year, there are only four.

1. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

2. AJ Green, WR, Georgia

3. Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

4. Marcell Dareus, DL, Alabama

On those four players I have little concern about their ability to translate their skill sets to the pros, and little concern about their ability to quickly adapt as professionals.  That’s why they are where they are.  This group, as stated above, is notably smaller and littered with underclassmen than the elite player group in any other class.

5. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

6. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

7. Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal

8. Anthony Castanzo, OT, Boston College

9. Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri

10. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

11. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

12. Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

13. Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

14. Tyron Smith, OT, USC

15. Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

16. Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

17. Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple

18. Cameron Heyward, DL, Ohio State

Just a barrage of names here to fill out the first half of the first round. There are a lot of defensive lineman here, and I don’t feel like the right to choose is that important.  Most of these linemen offer scheme versatility and there is a significant amount of risk in these selections (less so for Jordan and Castanzo for the rest of this list).

19. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

20. Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia

21. Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

22. Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami

23. Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

24. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

25. Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina

26. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

27. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

28. Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

29. Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

30. Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State

To round out the first round values is a couple of high-talent character risks, as well a few fringe (1st-2nd round) talents who offer a clean bill of health, and very good character.

31. Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy

32. Mikel LeShoure, RB, Illinois

33. Derrek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

34. Ben Ijilana, OT, Villanova

35. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

36. Aaron Williams, CB, Texas

37. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

38. Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

39. Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

40. Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware

41. Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

42. Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida

43. Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia

44. Donald Thomas, RB, Kansas State

45. Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

46. Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina

47. Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech

48. DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma

49. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

50. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

51. Marcus Cannon, OT, TCU

That rating on Cannon necessarily requires a complete recovery from cancer.  In this group of my big board I have rated my second round quarterbacks right up with the holdover pass rushers that some teams may draft in the first and the remaining quality lineman (minus one).

52. Ahmad Black, S, Florida

53. Da’rel Scott, RB, Maryland

54. Darvin Adams, WR, Auburn

55. Titus Young, WR, Boise State

56. Taiwan Jones, RB, Eastern Washington

57. Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State

58. Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh

59. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

60. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA

61. Dontae Moch, LB, Nevada

62. Roy Helu Jr., RB, Nebraska

63. Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

64. Quan Sturdivant, LB, North Carolina

65. Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois

66. Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU

67. Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii

68. Niles Paul, WR, Nebraska

69. Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn

70. Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

71. Sam Acho, LB, Texas

72. Kenrick Ellis, NT, Hampton

73. Kendall Hunter, RB Oklahoma

74. Brooks Reed, LB, Arizona

75. Stefan Wisnewski, C, Penn State

76. Colin McCarthy, LB, Miami

77. Curtis Brown, CB, Texas

78. Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State

79. Scott Tolzien, QB, Wisconsin

80. Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa

81. Brandon Bair, DE, Oregon

82. Alex Green, RB, Hawaii

83. Shane Vereen, RB, Cal

84. Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa

85. Allen Bailey, DE, Miami

86. Chris Carter, LB, Fresno State

87. Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson

88. Edmund Gates, WR, Abilene Christian

89. Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech

90. Brandon Burton, CB, Utah

91. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State

92. Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor

93. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC

94. Orlando Franklin, OT, Miami

95. Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida

96. D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas

97. Terrence Tolliver, WR, LSU

98. Will Rackley, OG, Lehigh

99. James Carpenter, OT, Alabama

100. Drake Nevis, DT, LSU

101. Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame

102. Stephen Ridley, RB, LSU

103. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt

104.  Ugo Chinasa, DE, Oklahoma State

105. Cliff Matthews, DE, South Carolina

106. Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

107. Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville

108. Evan Royster, RB, Penn State

109. Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State

110. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC

At this point, we’re deep into fourth round territory where players drafted here are steals if they have a 1/2 chance or better of developing into every-down starters.  I think we’ll go up to 151 on the big board, but if I make it to 201, I make no apologies.

111. Virgil Green, TE, Nevada

112. Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin

113. Kristopher O’Dowd, C, USC

114. Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple

115. Davon House, CB, New Mexico State

116. Shareece Wright, CB, USC

117. Cecil Shorts III, WR, Mount Union

118. Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech

119. Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

120. Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma

121. Anthony Walters, S, Delaware

122. Brandon Fusco, G, Slippery Rock

123. Jake Locker, QB, Washington

124. Chris L. Rucker, CB, Michigan State

125. Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond

126. James Brewer, OT, Indiana

127. Jake Kirkpatrick, C, TCU

128. Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee

129. Chris Conte, S, Cal

130. Tyler Sash, S, Iowa

131. Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina

132. Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

133. Mike Hartline, QB, Kentucky

134. Jonas Mouton, OLB, Michigan

135. Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State

136. Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

137. Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia

138. Jordan Cameron, TE, USC

139. Robert Sands, S, West Virginia

140. Rob Housler, TE, Florida Atlantic

141. Derrick Locke, RB, Kentucky

142. Justin Harper, RB, Clemson

143. Mario Fannin, RB, Auburn

144. Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati

145. Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska

146. Demarcus Love, G, Arkansas

147. Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State

148. Allen Bradford, RB, USC

149. Mason Foster, OLB, Washington

150. Mark Herzlich, OLB, Boston College

151. Jurrell Powe, DT, Ole Miss

142. Sione Fua, DT, Stanford

153. K.J. Wright, OLB, Mississippi State

154. Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh

155. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford

156. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon

157. Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

158. Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU

159. Akeem Dent, LB, Georgia

160. Martin Parker, DT, Richmond

161. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State

162. Cedric Thornton, DT, Southern Arkansas

163. Charles Clay, FB, Tulsa

164. Stanley Havili, FB, USC

165. Chris Neild, DL, West Virginia

166. David Carter, DT, UCLA

167. John Graves, DT, Virginia Tech

168. Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma

169. T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina

170. Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona

171. Ollie Ogbu, DT, Penn State

172. Nate Irving, LB, North Carolina State

173. Zach Hurd, G, Connecticut

174. Mario Harvey, LB, Marshall

175. Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M

176. Josh Bynes, LB, Auburn

177. Damik Scafe, DL, Boston College

178. Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU

179. Blake Bolles, QB, Northwest Missouri State

180. Marc Schiechl, DE, University of Colorado-Mines

181. Chris White, LB, Mississippi State

182. Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh

183. Shawn Chapas, FB, Georgia

184. Jerrard Tarrant, S, Georgia Tech

185. Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina

186. DaNorris Searcy, S, North Carolina

187. Tandon Doss, WR, Indiana

188. Greg Little, WR, North Carolina

189. DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson

190. Chris Culliver, CB, South Carolina

191. Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee

192. Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado

193. Marcus Gilchrist, CB, Clemson

194. Jermale Hines, S, Ohio State

195. Jeron Johnson, S, Boise State

196. Josh Thomas, CB, Buffalo

197. Jeff Maehl, WR, Oregon

198. Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

199. Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

200. Preston Dial, FB, Alabama

201. Eric Hagg, S, Nebraska