Score another one for the readers.
A day after a very solid selection for the readers in the 2012 jaguars.com reader mock draft, the reader/mockers turned in another productive day – and this time it wasn't just because they steered the mock into what in retrospect seems a logical direction.
No, the reason it was a good day was this:
Despite some very obvious temptations, the day didn't turn into constant Tim Tebow talk.
Not that it couldn't have gone that way. Indeed, for a short time Monday, the same debate that has raged in recent days on Twitter and in just about every other Jaguars- and NFL-related blog, web site and message board invaded our little draft-oriented corner of the webiverse.
As is the case everywhere, some were for Tebow to Jacksonville and some were against and many on each side were very emotional, but enough cool heads prevailed that we got quickly around to the task at hand – and that was making a selection at No. 11 for the Kansas City Chiefs.
As reader Fred Barnes noted, "This is a tough one."
Indeed it was. Would the readers go cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama? Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe? Or did offensive line make more sense?
If it was the latter, then the selection we offered up at this pick – Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin – could be the direction, but just as many thought defensive end the more logical choice.
If that was the case, readers favored Melvin Ingram of South Carolina.
As often happens at this stage of a mock draft, surprising names are still available. It was the strong opinion of many that the Chiefs' selection would change that for Kirkpatrick.
"The Chiefs will draft Dre Kirkpatrick," JamesfromJacksonville wrote. "The other starting quarterbacks in the AFC West are Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Carson Palmer. . . . The Chiefs need to reinforce their secondary and Kirkpatrick is the second-best cornerback in the draft."
Barnes liked this thought enough to reconsider his original opinion that Poe could be the pick here.
"I wasn't really considering Kirkpatrick here, but now I am," he wrote. "All of a sudden, everyone in the AFC West has to re-evaluate their cornerback position. Meanwhile, defensive ends when it comes to Peyton are worthless because he throws the ball too fast."
I tend to believe the opposite, that ends are more important than corners against Manning, because if you don't pressure him the corners can't cover long enough. Gary Cislo seemed to agree.
"I could see KC taking Martin but I think if Melvin Ingram falls it would be too hard to pass up," Cislo wrote. "Look at what the Giants have done to quarterbacks after drafting multiple defensive ends with first-round picks. You can never have enough pass rushers, so with the 11th pick Ingram will become a Chief."
While there are certainly many who don't believe Ingram will slide nearly this far, many remain skeptical that Ingram is the dominant pass rusher that cries out, "Top 10," but Ingram wasn't an incredibly popular choice here, anyway.
The same isn't true of Poe.
Poe, who turned in a better performance at the NFL Scouting Combine than perhaps any other lineman – or perhaps any other player – has moved into the top half of the draft in the eyes of many mockers. And many of our mockers seemed convinced the Chiefs feel the same way.
"Chiefs have needed a top nose tackle for their 3-4 for years, and now value meets need with DT Dontari Poe," Austin Jarrett wrote, and Matt added:
"Chiefs pick Dontari Poe out of Memphis. He's a big, physical guy that can help their atrocious run defense AND get after the QB."
Other familiar names received support here, too. Boston College middle linebacker Luke Kuechly didn't get the support he got at No. 10 to Buffalo, but he got some mention, and defensive tackle Michael Brockers of LSU made it back to the conversation.
As for Martin, as was the case at No. 10, there were those who felt very strongly that he was the pick here, and many who felt just as strongly he was not.
"Martin goes here for sure," drawbackkid wrote, but Frank Eckenrode wrote of Martin, "I'm gonna stick with him being overrated. Just because he is the best at his position in the draft or the best left doesn't necessarily mean he's worth that selection."
So, for a second consecutive day, the readers rejected our offering of Martin, and by the end of the day, the argument for Kirkpatrick just made a lot of sense.
"Updating the secondary seems like a top need – Dre Kirkpatrick is it!" Micheal wrote.
"I'm gonna say the pick here is Kirkpatrick," Eckenrode wrote. "They've got to contend with Manning now and I'm sure the Broncos will be passing the ball a lot more this year along with the Raiders and Carson Palmer and the Chargers. So I say they pick a young CB . . ."
And in the end, so do we, which means after 11 days the 2012 jaguars.com reader mock looks like:
1.Indianapolis | Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2.Washington | Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3.Minnesota | Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California
4.Cleveland | Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
5.Tampa Bay | Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State
6.St. Louis | Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
7.Jacksonville | Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
8.Miami | Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
9.Carolina | Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
10.Buffalo | David DeCastro, G, Stanford
11.Kansas City | Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
That brings us to Seattle. We're going to offer up Ingram here, not only because pass rush is a need but because he also may be the best available player here – and it's just hard to see him staying available much longer. Have at it.
