Andrew’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Mock Draft 1.0

March 1st

1. Kansas City- Luke Joeckel OL- Texas A&M

2. Jacksonville- Bjoern Werner DE- Florida State

3. Oakland- Sharrif Floyd DT- Florida

4. Philadelphia- Eric Fisher OL- Central Michigan

5. Detroit- Dee Milliner CB- Alabama

6. Cleveland- Lane Johnson OL- Oklahoma

7. Arizona- Geno Smith QB- West Virginia

8. Buffalo- Cordarrelle Patterson WR- Tennessee

9. NY Jets- Jarvis Jones LB- Georgia

10. Tennessee- Chance Warmack OL- Alabama

11. San Diego- Jonathan Cooper OL- North Carolina

12. Miami- Star Lotulelei DT- Utah

13. Tampa Bay- Xavier Rhodes CB- Florida State

14. Carolina- Sheldon Richardson DT- Missouri

15. New Orleans- Dion Jordan DE- Oregon

16. St. Louis- Kenny Vaccaro FS- Texas

17. Pittsburgh- Damontre Moore DE- Texas A&M

18. Dallas- Sylvester Williams DT- North Carolina

19. NY Giants- Tyler Eifert TE- Notre Dame

20. Chicago- D.J. Fluker OL- Alabama

21. Cincinnati- Alec Ogletree LB- Georgia

22. *St. Louis- Keenan Allen WR- California

23. Minnesota- Tavon Austin WR- West Virginia

24. Indianapolis- Johnathan Hankins OL- Ohio State

25. Seattle- Ezekiel Ansah DE- BYU

26. Green Bay- Desmond Trufant CB- Washington

27. Houston- DeAndre Hopkins WR – Clemson

28. Denver- Jesse Williams DT- Alabama

29. New England- Barkevious Mingo LB- LSU

30. Atlanta- Datone Jones DE- UCLA

31. San Francisco- Kawann Short DT- Purdue

32. Baltimore- Manti Te’o LB- Notre Dame

* Pick From Washington

Check out our mock draft and other’s at DCProsportsreport.com/MockDraft

http://dcprosportsreport.com/MockDraft.htm

2013 Daytona 500 Preview

Another year of NASCAR brings a lot of changes to the sport. The biggest is the debute of the new generation 6 cars from Ford, Chevy, and Toyota. Seeing how the drivers can handle the new cars will be something to keep an eye on all year. After the crowning of a new champion in 2012, Brad Keselowski will have the opportunity and the challenge of defending his title in 2013. After all of the expectations and the excitement, we finally get to see the generation 6 cars in action at the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing”, the Daytona 500. Because of how unpredictable picking a winner at Daytona can be, here are five drivers I believe have the best chance to win the Great American Race and three other drivers who may surprise some people by having a great run on Sunday.

Expect To Win

Kevin Harvick, 29 Budweiser Chevy- Richard Childress Racing

Nobody has had a better Speedweek’s this year than Harvick. Winning the Sprint Unlimited and his Budweiser Duel race, the new father has been on point all week with his eyes set on his second Daytona 500 championship. Harvick always has a habit of showing up at the front near the end of a race so don’t be surprised if Harvick is in a great position at the end for the win.

Kyle Busch, 18 M&M’s Toyota- Joe Gibbs Racing

Kyle 2012 season was a rough one for the driver of the 18 car. Missing the chase last year and only winning one race, Kyle got the 2013 season off to a much better start by winning his Budweiser Duel and has a very fast car for the 500 and will try to get his first 500 victory.

Tony Stewart, 14 Bass Pro Shop/Mobil 1 Chevy- Stewart/HAAS Racing

Year in and year out Stewart comes to Daytona Speedweeks with the goal to win the 500 and every year he comes up just short. Tony has won just about every race at Daytona from the July race to Nationwide race but the 3 time champ just can not get the big one. Why not this year?

Matt Kenseth, 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota- Joe Gibbs Racing

Last years Daytona 500 champion finds himself defending his victory with a new team. Moving from 17 car with Roush Fenway Racing to the 20 car with Joe Gibbs Racing, Matt will have to adapt on the fly with his new team to find success again at Daytona this year. Throughout Speedweeks the 20 team has seemed in sync and will give Kenseth a great chance to defend his title.

Greg Biffle, 16 3M Ford- Roush Fenway Racing

Biffle would have the best Speedweeks of any driver if Kevin Harvick didn’t exist. Finishing 2nd to Harvick in both the Sprint Unlimited and the Budweiser Duel race, Biffle has shown he has a car that can run up front and compete on Sunday. Starting 5th won’t hurt his chances either.

Surprise Drivers

Danica Patrick, 10 Godaddy.com Chevy- Stewart/HAAS Racing

We all know she has got a very fast car, but just getting the pole position in the biggest NASCAR race of the year isn’t enough for some people to give Danica respect. Winning the 500 sure would. Having a teacher/Teammate like Tony Stewart will help Danica learn and get better all week leading up to the 500 on Sunday. If she can keep her car clean and out of trouble, she could be in position to make even more history this Sunday.

Paul Menard, 27 Menard’s Chevy- Richard Childress Racing

Just like his teammates, Paul has had a fast car this week and the former Brickyard 400 winner should have one in the 500. Finishing 7th in the second duel race and starting 16th for the 500, Paul will have some work to do but stranger things have happened at Daytona.

Austin Dillon, 33 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevy- Richard Childress Racing

The grandson of owner Richard Childress, Austin will be running a few races in Sprint Cup this year including the Daytona 500 and he has a fast car. Finishing 3rd in his duel race and starting 8th, Austin will try to make the most of his chance in the 500 and starting up front with great equipment and a whole lot of talent. He may just pull a Trevor Bayne this Sunday.

Predicting NASCAR Chase Drivers In 2013

After the exciting 2012 season that saw young Brad Keselowski holding off five time champion Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer to win his first Sprint Cup Championship. Seemingly out of nowhere, Brad went from a young driver of the future to the champion of the sport. Seeing this youth movement could result in even younger drivers winning NASCAR’s biggest prize.

2013 will also bring Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer together again after Jeff wrecked Clint’s season away in Phoenix, causing members of Clint’s team finding Jeff and putting the smack down on him on national television. Seeing how these two drivers will move around each other this season will be very interesting.

As with any Sprint Cup Season, there are always several driver changes. Matt Kenseth moving from Roush to Joe Gibbs racing no. 20 car and moving Joey Logano from the 20 to Penske racing and the no 22 car. Kurt Busch and Regan Smith swap rides with Busch moving to the 78 and Smith moving to the 51. Also NASCAR’s newest couple Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. both moving up from the Nationwide series to compete for the Rookie of the Year award this year.

Just Missed The Chase- Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Paul Menard.

12.- Matt Kenseth, 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota- Joe Gibbs Racing

The defending Daytona 500 champion moves from the only team he has raced for in the Spring Cup Series to Joe Gibbs racing and the 20 car. It will be different for Matt not seeing the cat in the hat on his pit box each race helping him. This will be a transition year for Matt and the 20 team so seeing them struggle this year will not be that much of a surprise.

11.- Kevin Harvick, 29 Budweiser Chevy- Richard Childress Racing

Announcing last year that 2013 will be Harvick’s last year with Childress Racing, he will be moving to Stewart/HAAS Racing in 2014. Now Harvick and the 29 team will have to avoid the always dreaded lame duck season when all members of the team know they won’t be working together for much longer. The 29 team will make the chase but never find their footing in it and end Harvick’s run at Richard Childress Racing.

10.- Greg Biffle, 16 3M Ford- Roush Fenway Racing

Now the senior member at Roush Racing, Biffle is now the “leader” for the drivers. Greg found success last year in the regular season but just couldn’t have it transition into the Chase resulting in a fifth place finish. Greg will make the chase again this year but without the success he had last year in the regular season.

9.- Kasey Kahne, 5 Farmers Insurance Chevy- Hendrick Motorsports

Kahne’s first year at Hendrick Motorsports started off slow but picked up late to help Kasey finish 4th in 2012. Kahne will look to continue the success in 2013 and should be competitive all year however his struggles in the chase this year will hurt his hunt for the cup.

8.- Carl Edwards, 99 Fastenal Ford- Roush Fenway Racing

Well my pick for the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship didn’t have the season anyone thought he would. Missing the chase completely and going winless, Carl looks to have a bounce back year after the nightmare season that 2012 was. Carl will backflip a few times this year and return to the chase in 2013.

7.- Tony Stewart, 14 Bass Pro Shop/Mobil 1 Chevy- Stewart/HAAS Racing

Tony’s title defense last season didn’t match his expectations but the three time champ is still always one of the best out on the track. From the owner side of Stewart’s job has gotten a little more exciting and complicated with the addition of Danica Patrick to his team. The driver/owner will look to win his second Sprint Cup trophy as a owner driver in 2013 but will fall just short this year.

6.- Jimmie Johnson, 48 Lowe’s Chevy- Hendrick Motorsports

This must be strange for the five time champion, not winning a Sprint Cup trophy in two years. After failing to be in real contention for the trophy in 2011, last year Johnson had a chance in the last week of the season before trouble found him and he fell to third in the season standings. Johnson will fall even further away from the title this year.

5.- Kyle Busch, 18 M&M’s Toyota- Joe Gibbs Racing

Kyle has been on his best behavior since his Truck Series incident in 2011 and after missing the chase in 2012, Kyle will be focused to make a run at the trophy in 2013. In the 10 chase races last year, Kyle scored the second highest amount of points in the chase of any driver, only trailing eventual champ Brad Keselowski. Kyle will return to the chase and compete for the cup.

4.- Dale Earnhardt Jr., 88 National Guard/ Diet Mountain Dew Chevy- Hendrick Motorsports

NASCAR’s most popular driver finally returned to victory lane in 2012 and was a real threat for the Sprint Cup until Dale suffered a concussion in the chase, making him sit out two races and just about ending his season. Dale will look to keep the momentum he built up before the concussion going in 2013 and will fight for the Cup this year.

3.- Brad Keselowski, 2 Miller Light Ford- Penske Racing

Wow, what a year Brad had last year. Coming out of nowhere to win a Sprint Cup Championship last year, Brad solidified himself as one of if not the young face of NASCAR. People thought Brad could and possibly would win a championship one day, just not this fast. Now Brad has the difficult task of repeating that feat as the defending champion and he will put up a fight for it but come up just short.

2.- Clint Bowyer, 15 Five Hour Energy Toyota- Michael Waltrip Racing

Clint had himself a fantastic 2012 season and was in great contention for the championship in his first season with Michael Waltrip Racing. That is until the Phoenix race when Jeff Gordon intentionally wrecked him, taking him out of contention for the trophy and causing the two teams to fight in the garage. This season Clint will try to look past all of the drama of last seasons finish and try to capture this years title. He will get close but will not be able to take home the trophy.

1.- Denny Hamlin, 11 FedEx Toyota- Joe Gibbs Racing

My pick for the 2013 Sprint Cup Championship is Denny Hamlin. Denny had a bit of a disappointing 2012 campaign but still finished sixth in the standings. Denny, who just had his first child this year, looks more focused and ready to finally get the trophy that has eluded him for years. Denny has been very close to the trophy in the past falling just short to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Denny, learning from his mistakes in the past will finally reach the top and win his first Sprint Cup Championship in 2013.

Andrew’s Super Bowl XLVII Projections

Super Bowl Sunday is finally upon us and it couldn’t have come quick enough. With all the non stop talk about the Harbaugh brothers matching up to Ray Lewis playing for the final time, its finally time to stop talking about it and let the play on the field speak for itself. But until then a little more talking.

The San Francisco 49ers enter the Super Bowl with a record of 11-4-1 after winning the NFC West title for the second year in a row. After last years disappointing NFC championship defeat to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, the Niners return to their 6th Super Bowl with a record of 5-0 in their previous 5 appearances.

The Baltimore Ravens enter the big game with a record of 10-6 after winning the AFC North title in back to back years. Similar to the Niners, the Ravens avenged their heartbreaking loss last year to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game by beating them convincingly in New England two weeks ago and return to their second Super Bowl in team history.

A good Super Bowl has to have good story lines to keep the conversation going during the weeks before it and this one has plenty of backdrop. This game has been named the “Harbowl” by many because of the coaching matchup between the San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh. This being the first time in NFL history two brothers will be coaching against each other in the Super Bowl. Another big story heading into the game will be the final appearance of Ray Lewis in a NFL game. The sure fire hall of famer will end his 17 year career sunday trying to win his second Super Bowl and ride off into the sunset in the most perfect way possible. Another future hall member who will try to get his first Lombardi trophy will be Randy Moss, playing in his second and possibly last Super Bowl, knows he does not have many years left so he must make the most of this opportunity.

Colin Kaepernick leads the high powered Niners offense that has been firing on all cylinders this postseason into the big game to face Lewis and the Ravens always tough defense in one of the big match-ups this sunday. Kaepernick will shine on the big stage as he has done all year while in games and help the Niners get the lead early. His natural athleticism will cause countless problems for the Ravens defense throughout the game but the Ravens will fight back.

One big question mark for the Ravens seemingly all year has been quarterback Joe Flacco. After a shaky regular season, Joe showed critics he could deal by throwing 8 touchdown passes while not throwing a single interception this postseason, beating Indianapolis, Denver, and New England. Joe will make a early mistake that the 49ers will capitalise on and take the lead early. Joe will bounce back with the help of running back Ray Rick and keep up with Kaepernick.

One playmaker that I believe will be a big difference maker will be 49ers running back Frank Gore. With all of the attention seemingly on Kaepernick, Frank will not have the defense watching him all game, giving him opportunities to make big plays for the 49ers. Expect Frank to find the endzone a few times on sunday.

The Niners offense will exploit the Ravens defense’s flaws to take a early but the Ravens who have been riding on the will of Ray Lewis for the postseason. Joe Flacco will get the Ravens close at halftime with the help of wide recievers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin. The game will stay close with each team trading possessions till the Niners take a double digit lead. The Ravens will fight back and make the game close late, but the Niners strong defense lead by Aldon Smith and Patrick Willis will shut the Ravens offense down and hold on to the lead for good. The San Francisco 49ers will win their 6th Super Bowl trophy and end Ray Lewis’s magical last ride. Frank Gore will get the MVP and the Niners will return to the top of the NFL.

San Francisco 27 Baltimore 20

Andrew’s 2012-2013 NFL Award Picks

Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year- Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

You could put Peyton Manning in at MVP and Comeback Player of the Year and I would have no problem with it but Adrian Peterson is much more important to the Vikings than Manning is to the Broncos. After last seasons horrific season ending injury, tearing his ACL and MCL, Adrian’s 2012 season was in doubt. Many people thought even if he came back, would he be as strong has he has been in the past? Well he’s back and better than ever by putting together one of the best seasons by a running back in NFL history. Finishing the 2012 season with 2,097 rushing yards, finishing only 9 yards short of breaking the all time record held by Eric Dickerson with 2,105 yards. Adding on 12 touchdowns, Adrian lead the Vikings from a 3-13 record in 2011 to a 10-6 record in 2012 and a wild card birth. Without Adrian, the Vikings would be nowhere near the postseason making him the most valuable player to any team in the NFL.

Offensive Player of the Year- Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

Ok, Adrian could and maybe should win this award too but after the season Peyton has had, he deserves at least one award right? And what a season Peyton had with the Broncos. After missing the entire 2011 season by having 4 neck surgeries, his comeback season showed doubters that Peyton could still sling pretty good. Throwing for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns, Peyton lead the Denver Broncos to a 13-3 record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, even if they didn’t go as planed for Peyton and the Broncos. Even if the playoffs didn’t play out the way Peyton wanted, it takes nothing away from the spectacular season he had.

Defensive Player of the Year- J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

J.J. Watt lead the terrifying Houston defense as one of the best in the NFL. Leading the NFL in sacks with 20.5, Watt was a nightmare for offenses. Racking up 81 combined tackles, 4 forced fumbles and recovering 2 himself, Watt was all over the field. Even when Watt was getting blocked at the line, J.J. made his presence known, recording 16 pass deflections at the line of scrimmage.

Coach of the Year- Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts

Ok, so technically he was not a head coach last year, but stepping in for head coach Chuck Pagano when he was diagnosed with Leukemia during the season and leading the Indianapolis Colts to a 9-3 record under him and a 11-5 total record, returning the Colts to the playoffs after winning two games last season. Keeping his team focused enough to play football as their leader was fighting a much more serious battle was tough enough, but getting that team to win a lot of games and make the playoffs is impressive. So impressive that he is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, hoping to find success there as well.

Offensive Rookie of the Year- Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

I can’t imagine a more difficult situation for a rookie quarterback to walk into than the one first overall pick Andrew Luck had this year. Replacing one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and beloved icon in the Indianapolis area, Peyton Manning, Andrew had ridiculous expectations to meet. Add in the absence of his head coach, Chuck Pagano who was battling Leukemia throughout the season, and it made for one of the most difficult rookie seasons imaginable. But Andrew took all of the obstacles and found great success. Throwing for 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns, Andrew lead his team back to the playoffs after the 2-14 debacle of a season for the Colts last year. RG3 and Russell Wilson had equally impressive years as well and all three could and should win this award, I just believe Luck had the better season and was more valuable to his team.

Defensive Rookie of the Year- Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers

Luke had himself a very excellent year for the Carolina Panthers. Recording a NFL leading 164 combine tackles, Luke showed why the Panthers picked him ninth overall in the draft that year. Luke also had two interceptions and three fumble recoveries to complete his impressive rookie campaign for the Panthers who with Cam Newton on the offensive side and Luke on defense have two young, impressive pieces to build around.

The Pro Bowl: Does Anyone Still Care?

Ah it’s that time of the year again, the NFL Pro Bowl. The National Football League’s effort to put on a exhibition game featuring the best players the game has to offer all on one field playing in beautiful Hawaii. Great idea right. However what is displayed on the field is a half assed snooze fest featuring the best players in the NFL who are not in the biggest game of the year (Super Bowl if you didn’t know), not injured, or players who couldn’t think of a good enough excuse to skip out. The only real reason to even go is to get a trip to Hawaii and the swag bag they give out.

The Pro Bowl has become such a joke that after the upset win over the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Terrell Suggs told the Patriots to “Have fun at the Pro Bowl”.

The idea for the Pro Bowl is a fine one but it has a major problem. Football unlike basketball and baseball is a very tough sport to play and not play hard. When players play at 75% when they normally play games at 100% it is very noticeable and the product on the field suffers greatly. In football, you are taught to play 100 MPH until the whistle blows, hit the opposing players hard, and do whatever you can to get the win for your team. But its very difficult to keep that mentality when the atmosphere surrounding the game is all about relaxing and having fun rather than taking off someones head.

One major problem for the Pro Bowl is the possibility of injuries. Because football is a full contact sport, injuries always happen. So no team wants their best player to get injured in a meaningless exhibition game. And no player wants to get injured in a meaningless game and have the chance that the start to their next season for their actual team could be in jeopardy. As players like Alex Smith can tell us, getting injured and giving up your spot to another could have you looking for a new team. As a fan the only reason I would watch any part of the Pro Bowl would be to make sure players on my favorite team got through the game injury free.

Unlike the MLB, NBA, or NHL, the NFL’s all-star game is at the end of the season either the week before or the week after the Super Bowl. Some players are angry for making the playoffs but falling short of the big game and playing in an exhibition game is the last thing they want to do. Other players who missed the postseason have not played since week 17, almost a month ago, and its tough to get their motors running again for a meaningless game. There is no real ideal placement for the Pro Bowl to get the fans and players excited.Put in in the middle of the season like other sports and it would be tough to move the schedule of teams around it and the fact that players who did not get chosen to play would be getting basically another bye week in an already grueling season. Playing the game after the Super Bowl makes the game have no real excitement, no intensity between players, its basically like watching a walkthrough practice with pads on.

The players often show up but never too much on the field. The idea of defense is non existent, which is why in back to back years the winning team has put up 50 plus points on the board. The offensive and defensive lineman are just there for show, not hitting each other too hard and not trying to get the quarterback or running back with much drive. The game breaks down into basically a 7 on 7 drill. Some players don’t even bother showing up, citing injuries as reasons to miss the game. For the 2013 Pro Bowl there will be 31 alternates playing for players either injured, in the super bowl, or who didn’t want to show up. All 3 quarterbacks for the NFC team chosen had to be replaced as well as several voted starters.

Even players and the commissioner of the NFL have realized the Pro Bowl is a pretty big embarrassment to the game. On October 24, 2012 in a interview with a Sirius XM show, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had second thoughts about the Pro Bowl taking place this year saying that if the players did not play more competitively, he is “not inclined to play it anymore”. Future Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning is begging players to play hard in the Pro Bowl, calling the play in the past few years “unacceptable”. If players and the head of the NFL have to ask players to get excited, put effort in and play hard in this game, maybe this game should no longer exist.

The Pro Bowl has become a glorified two hand touch game played in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its a joke to watch which is why hardly any NFL fans actually take the time to watch the game. The game is this sunday and I doubt I will even watch for a quarter and my favorite team, the Buffalo Bills, has three players in it thanks to the alternates rule (Running Back C.J. Spiller, Defensive Lineman Kyle Williams, and Safety Jairus Byrd). It may be time to either change up the format of the Pro Bowl drastically or just let it die entirely.

Oh and as for my pick? Ah… give me the AFC winning 76 to 62.

by Andrew Isaac

Andrew’s NFL Championship Round Picks

AFC Championship Game

Baltimore @ New England

The Patriots and the Ravens meet once again in a rematch of last years memorable AFC Championship Game where the Ravens had the Super Bowl in their hands and dropped it. Now they return this year to fight for the same prize, but on the Ravens side they have a little more inspiration then they have had in previous years. Now that the Super Bowl is in site, Ray Lewis in his final year will be pushing even harder (if that was even possible) to get back to the big game where he won his first ring over a decade ago. On the other sideline is another great to play the game, Tom Brady. He leads the Patriots back to the AFC Championship game where now it seems like a given every year. After last years tough loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl, the Patriots want redemption this year. Tom Brady will get the Patriots offense moving over the Ravens Defense to get out to a lead but the Ravens will find a way to get it close. The Patriots will pull away late and return to the Super Bowl. New England 27 Baltimore 20.

NFC Championship Game

San Francisco @ Atlanta

Speaking of teams returning to the Championship weekend, the San Francisco 49ers return after their own heartache last year. This year, lead by red hot QB Colin Kaepernick, the Niners have returned to the Championship game to extract a bit of revenge from the loss last year to the Giants. Playing the “Giants” this year will be the Atlanta Falcons who got their illusive playoff win last week by blowing a lead to the Seattle Seahawks and just getting it back to squeak out a win and advance. Speaking of future hall of famers who’s last ride will be this year, Tony Gonzalez has just about said he will hang up his cleats after this postseason and this is the farthest he has ever gone in the postseason. The Niners, after dismantling the Packers last week, will start fast against the Falcons but the Falcons will counter and the game will be close throughout. The Niners will score late and face off with the Patriots in the Super Bowl. San Francisco 31 Atlanta 28.