Draft King NFL Mock Draft exclusive insight decades of experience insider pro football college prospects

Lou Pickney's 2024 NFL Mock Draft


Draft King Analysis
February 13, 2012
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com

Reader feedback is always welcomed here on Draft King. Sound off with your thoughts on Twitter (@LouPickney) or via email at LouPickney@gmail.com.


I'm slated to be on the Batchelor Pad radio show talking NFL Draft related topics at 5:15 CST today -- you can listen online here. We're developing a "Pickney's Picks" feature for my usual weekly segment on the show. At some point I hope to launch a stand-alone radio show to talk NFL Draft stuff (and more), though I worked in the radio and TV business long enough to where, if I do it, I'm going to do it right. It might involve terrestrial radio, though there's nothing pending on that... yet. I nearly landed a weekday sports talk show in Nashville last year before management at the station opted to go in another direction, so it's not as if this is some pie-in-the-sky type of idea.

Later today I'll have an updated 2012 NFL Mock Draft online, and I anticipate moving North Carolina DE Quinton Coples up on my draft board. I'm still very turned off by what appeared to be him taking plays off from giving his top effort in the 2011 Independence Bowl, and he has tremendous boom-or-bust potential. But the NFL is a copycat league, and with Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul (6'5" 278) finding so much success for the Super Bowl champs as a 4-3 DE, I'm going to revise my projection on Coples (6'6" 281), who could very well end up being a successful 4-3 DE.

Mario Williams is 6'6" 283, so it's not just a one-off with JPP being some sort of a freak exception. Kevin Carter excelled as a 4-3 DE and he's 6'6" and had a playing weight in excess of 300 pounds. I still have my reservations about Coples, but it's not fair to discount his potential as an NFL 4-3 DE based on his large size, and I've revised my outlook on him accordingly.

Last night this report indicated that the Philadelphia Eagles will use its franchise tag on WR DeSean Jackson. The Eagles would be wise to keep him, but it's also quite possible that Jackson would bristle at being slapped with the franchise tag.

If that happens, keep in mind that Philadelphia wouldn't be able to trade Jackson until he signs his franchise tender, though I would anticipate that any team making a move to sign Jackson would want to have at least a deal in principle lined up before coughing up compensation to the Eagles in exchange for Jackson's rights.

According to this report on larrybrownsports.com, Randy Moss announced via UStream earlier today that he intends to come out of retirement for the 2012 NFL season. Moss last played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 season, and he timed the announcement for today, which is Moss' 35th birthday. The wide receiver market is already likely to be slammed, and Moss joining the mix would at the very least make things more interesting, even if he signs with a team intending to use him in an ancillary role.


Draft King NFL Mock Draft

NFL Draft Prospect Profiles

Draft King is owned and operated by Lou Pickney. © 2003-2024, all rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, the views expressed here are those of Lou Pickney alone and do not necessarily reflect those of any media company.