Hello everyone! I hope that you are all doing well. A couple weeks back I had a great chat with Mike Hroncich. Mike is a writer for ProDraftCentral.com and he is just a really nice guy that was perfect for this chat. Also follow Mike on Twitter @NottheOFace. Continue reading for your final NFL Draft wrap up!
Mike Hroncich: Thanks for having me Brandon.
Brandon Sweeney: Okay, what me and Mike are going to be doing is having a back and fourth debate on different topics about the NFL Draft. I will ask questions and he will answer and he will do the same.. Are you ready Mike?
Mike Hroncich: I'm ready. Let's do this.
Brandon Sweeney: Okay, we all know that it was a crazy first round of the Draft, but what i want to know is what was the surprise pick of the first round?
Mike Hroncich: There were a lot of surprises in the first round, but the 1 that jumps out to me is Christian Ponder. He was, AT BEST, a projected late 1st round pick, and for him to be taken at #12, with all that talent on the board, was a complete shocker.
Brandon Sweeney: I have to agree. I didn't even think that he was close to a first round pick. I agree 100%
Mike Hroncich: Who were some later round picks that you thought were great fits by the teams that drafted them?
Brandon Sweeney: Texas-Tech running back Baron Batch was drafted by the Steelers in the 7th round. This guy runs with heart. Smart player and gives the Steelers a younger Mewelde Moore type back. Also like the Chiefs 6th round pick Jerell Powe from Mississippi. Big DT that makes a lot of good plays. What are some of yours?
Mike Hroncich: The first guy I loved was Greg Jones, LB from MSU to the Giants. He's a 2-time All-American, & the reason he dropped to the 6th round is because he isn't a height, speed, weight guy. The guy is instinctive & makes plays.
Another guy I loved was Marcus Cannon, G from TCU to the Patriots. He's a BIG TIME talent, & fell to the 5th round because of health concerns. Cannon will be a starter in the league for 10+ years.
The last guy I thought was a great fit for their team was Owen Marecic, FB, from Stanford to the Browns. He's a smart guy with a great attitude that will bring a toughness & strong mentality of the Browns organization, which is sorely needed.
Brandon Sweeney: I hear that man. I definitely like Cannon myself. Okay, who were you most surprised to see get undrafted?
Mike Hroncich: I know this will sound like a homer pick because I'm an Ohio State alum, but I was really surprised that Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State wasn't picked. He's another guy that's not a height, speed, weight guy. What Sanzenbacher is is a willing down field blocker, tough enough to go across the middle, & always seems to make the clutch catch. I think he's an immediate contender for slot receiver on over 1/2 the teams in the NFL.
What about you?
Brandon Sweeney: Talent wise I have to say DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson. He was on of the best safeties in this class, but off the field issues must have really set him back. He can cover slot receivers very well and is a good tackler. Another person that I like is Mario Harvey, inside line backer from Marshall.Good acceleration and just a good athlete in general. Another one of those type of guys that are undersized at 5'11 and 250 pounds, but is hard nosed.
Mike Hroncich: DeAndre McDaniel was another big surprise that went undrafted.
This QB class was generally thought of as a weak class, but of the QB's picked in the 1st 2 rounds, who do you think will end up having the best career?
Brandon Sweeney: That is a very good question. These quarterbacks all have talent, but somewhere there is something that they need to work on a lot to be successful like Jake Locker and his consistency. The same can be said about Gabbert. Cam Newton is inexperienced when it comes to playing time. (only starting one season at Auburn) I like Kaepernick and Dalton both as well, but has some improving to do in a lot of places. I think that the one that will have the best career is Locker. I can just see this guy in the NFL becoming a play maker. That question was so good Mike that I have to ask it to you. Who do you think will have the best career?
Mike Hroncich: First let me say, I don't think there was a "Franchise QB" picked in the 1st 2 rounds this year.The fact that 6 QB's were picked in the 1st 2 rounds shows the desperation of teams to have a QB, no matter how many flaws that player might have.
That all being said, I'm gonna strongly disagree with you on Locker. To me, he's a "t-shirt & shorts" guy. He looks great in drills going against air, but his athletic skills don't materialize onto the field. He played in a pro-style offense, but only completed 58% of his passes as a senior. To have that poor accuracy against the junk defenses of the Pac-10 is frightening. Also, in the TWO games he played against a good defense (Nebraska), he was 9-36, 127 yards, 1TD, 2 INT. I think Locker will compete with Cam Newton for being one of the biggest busts in this year's draft.
The guy I think will have the best career is Blaine Gabbert. I don't think he'll be a great QB, but I don't see him being a bust either. I see him being a guy who alternates between stopgap QB & backup, but he'll do that for 10 + years.
Since that is what I think the BEST QB of the 1st 2 rounds will be, you can understand how much I hate the crop of this year's QB's picked early.
Brandon Sweeney: I can see that. Well okay, if you talk about the potential busts of this class, who is the biggest one that you are predicting?
Mike Hroncich: I'll say Cam Newton over Jake Locker as the biggest bust in this year's draft only because he was the #1 pick. Physically, Cam Newton is as gifted as any QB to EVER have entered the league, & that includes John Elway & Michael Vick. There are just so many red flags that his physical gifts won't be able to overcome. Can he play in an offense with multiple reads instead of the "1 read & run" offense at Auburn? Can he perfect his footwork from under center that he can consistently take 3 & 5 step drops? I just don't think he can. Also, I won't even begin to dive into his character issues. In recent memory, I can't think of a QB picked that high with that many questions about his character.
Brandon Sweeney: Yeah that is the guy on my board as well. Okay Mike, lets wrap it up here with your offensive and defensive rookies of the year? Also, which team won out in this year's draft?
Mike Hroncich: My offensive ROY is Mark Ingram. My defensive ROY is Patrick Peterson.
The Lions had themselves a draft that will make them a competitor for the NFC North title next year. Fairley, Young, & LeShoure will contribute immediately.
Brandon Sweeney: To to answer that I would have to say that the offensive rookie of the year is Mark Ingram and the defensive rookie to be Von Miller. And as of the best draft. The Lions did have a good draft but the failure to get at least one defensive back scares me. I am going to go with the Steelers. they kept it real and got some really good value. Mike, I had a blast. Thanks for doing this and I would love to have you back on sometime!
Mike Hroncich: Anytime Brandon. It was fun.
If you liked what you read in this article, please go check the site Mike works on ProDraftCentral.com. He is a great guy and you will love what he has to say! Please spread the word NFL Fans! Also, if you would like to answer all the questions that was asked today, please leave a comment in the comment box below this article! If you have anymore Draft questions, please also leave them in the comment box. Mike and I will be happy to answer! Doing all we can to be your number one source for all news and analysis!
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