2013 CKL Draft Analysis

Sure this is way late with the first week of the regular season nearly in the books.   But that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. It is, it is!

After the modest success of last season’s post-draft Q&A, I decided to conduct a similarly styled piece following the CKL’s 2013 draft.  Taking place in National Harbor near Washington, D.C. on August 10^th, the 12^th season of the Cavalier Keeper League kicked off with our much-anticipated live draft.  Nine of the fourteen coaches drafted in-person, and I never ceased to be amazed at how many of these guys make a point of attending considering how far apart most of us live.  And I know more would have come under different circumstances.  In the words of our fearless commissioner, it was a “wildly successful and fun draft weekend.”  I couldn’t agree more even with my very first pick already injured (more on that later).

This season, instead of doing a set of interview-style questions, I’ve taken the approach of posting the draft results and using the responses to my various questions to provide some color to each round.  I sent each coach a list of individualized questions plus two additional questions that were the same for everyone.  I want to personally thank each and every coach in the CKL, as I received feedback from every single one of you, which still blows me away.  Thanks also to Kendall for sending me questions to answer about my team.  I also choose to provide an answer to the last question I sent to everyone, and you’ll see that here. 

Aside from some minor editing for grammar (not exhaustive), formatting, spelling, and corrections for when draft picks were made, these are the words straight from each coach.  No pictures in this one, but I trust the content will be sufficiently entertaining.  I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed piecing it together.

Let’s get to it.

Editor’s note: Aside from some last minute additions and editing, the majority of this piece was written prior to the first game of the season on Thursday, September 4^th.  Some of the comments you read may appear outdated and this is the reason.

Round 1

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	1	Rookie	Le’Veon Bell
2	2	Derrick	Stevan Ridley
3	3	Joe	Andrew Luck
4	4	Patrick	Dez Bryant
5	5	Alan	Steven Jackson
6	6	Kirk	Chris Johnson
7	7	Russ	Montee Ball
8	8	Mark	Eddie Lacy
9	9	Paul	Giovani Bernard
10	10	Chad	Andre Johnson
11	11	Kendall	Victor Cruz
12	12	Nathan	Reggie Bush
13	13	Ben	Frank Gore
14	14	Norris	DeMarco Murray

I said this on draft day and I’ll say it again here – the way this first round went down is a game-changer for future seasons.  There was plenty of surprise when I nabbed Bell first overall (as I already kept two RBs), but nothing was more unexpected than when Joe selected Andrew Luck with the third pick, pairing him with Cam Newton.  Joe was clearly drafting with the intent to make a post-draft trade and for his sake I hope it works.  But this had never been done before in the CKL, so I’m sure we’ll all be watching to see how this plays out.  Joe had this to say about his unorthodox approach: “At pick #3 and going in with the knowledge that I was behind the 8-ball with Percival's injury, I felt I needed to do something very unconventional to improve my team. The thought process can be best viewed in the rear view mirror now that I was able to make the trade for TRich.  I love that I made such a move in the draft, but as always, I second guessed it as well as every other pick I made, post-draft.  These last few weeks have been agonizing.”

One of the best picks of the first round, in my opinion, went to Kendall at #11.  In mock drafts we conducted in the weeks (and hours) leading up to the draft, Cruz never fell that far, so I know Kendall was excited to see him there and had this to say: “I was pretty ecstatic to land Cruz at #11.  I had him at #4 on my personal board, behind Andrew Luck, Le'Veon Bell, and Dez Bryant.  (But honestly, I'd rather have Cruz than Bryant -- remember, Dez is still a colossal shithead.)  Concerned about the bruised heel?  Not really.  It's a fucking bruised heel.  He's already back at practice, ready to suit up against Dallas on opening day, and conveniently missed the danger of a worse injury during the second half of training camp and the preseason.  All of that being said, Cruz has already been involved in some early trade discussion, so I guess we'll see what happens!  I do love the guy, though.  For all of the Wes Welker hype, Cruz is the guy who really made slot receivers (and some resurrected Run & Shoot principles) cool.”

Derrick’s thoughts on why Ridley was the obvious choice:  I hadn't decided on Ridley coming into the draft, but I had decided I needed an RB.  I felt like I couldn't wait until my second pick and plenty of WRs would be available then.

Paul’s thoughts on selecting Giovani Bernard at #9: I had no idea who would be available at the 9-spot, and I had no specific targets as the draft began. I was just hoping to land a "sexy-badass" (Thanks for that terminology, Kirk). In retrospect, I wish I'd taken Victor Cruz, but I'm happy enough with Gio. I'm not worried about the Law Firm situation. It'd be nice if he had a big season, but as long as he's keeper worthy at the end of the season, I'll be happy.

My thoughts on taking Le’Veon Bell #1 overall: I agonized for so long over this pick, going back and forth between Andrew Luck and Dez Bryant.  It really wasn’t until the night before the draft that Bell entered the picture.  I didn’t like what I expected to be there at the end of round two in terms of RBs, so I figured this was my best shot to grab a start-worthy RB to pair with the high risk-medium reward duo of McFadden and Miller.  Now that Bell’s injured, there’s some regret and if we drafted today I’d probably take Dez.  But, I still think he comes back in week 4 or 5 and takes over the starting gig in Pittsburgh no later than midseason, thus making him a legitimate keeper.  More than anything, that was my primary goal with the first pick.

Russ’s thoughts on taking Montee Ball despite already having two stud RBs: Three playable RBs in the CKL is always a great idea.  I assumed I'd play 'em, and if not, I'd deal 'em.  Ball is skilled and with PMann.  That means production (if he can block).  

Mark’s take on the drama of the first round and why Eddie Lacy was the right pick: I didn't see the rush on rookie RBs happening like it did.  I was targeting Le'Veon Bell as a Steelers fan.  Lacy was a player I was interested in, perhaps not in the first round.  With the Bell injury lingering and the general ineptitude of the Steelers o-line, the Lacy pick may pay off. 

Ben’s take on getting old man Frank Gore at #13 overall:  Well, I kept my optimism low, but once the draft started, the idea that someone might slide to me did creep up.  I was going for best RB/WR available.  Gore was not particularly exciting, but he is a workhorse and will fill a necessary gap.  So maybe not a sexy badass, but the guy gets the job done.

Kirk's thoughts on how well Kendall handled business as his proxy: Kendall did a get job for me as I expected.  He took players I would not have taken myself and I love that actually.  My team suffers because of me.  I have Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson and have for years.  I should have 2 to 3 cups by now and yet through a combination of stupidity and dogged determination I have avoided them.  I'm being stretched a little and I like it. 

Round 2

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	15	Norris	Torrey Smith
2	16	Ben	Pierre Garçon
3	17	Nathan	Vincent Jackson
4	18	Kendall	Tony Romo
5	19	Chad	Danny Amendola
6	20	Paul	Shane Vareen
7	21	Mark	Wes Welker
8	22	Russ	Jordy Nelson
9	23	Kirk	Hakeem Nicks
10	24	Alan	Eli Manning
11	25	Patrick	T.Y. Hilton
12	26	Joe	Chris Ivory
13	27	Derrick	Reggie Wayne
14	28	Rookie	Tavon Austin

No real surprises in round two, as we saw a nice mix of RBs and WRs with a couple of QBs still to go.  I hated to see Tony Romo go to Kendall here, as I think he’ll be a top 10 QB in 2013.  Joe takes his first RB in Chris Ivory which had to make him more than a little uneasy.  Chad appears to have bought into the thinking that Amendola will replace Wes Welker sufficiently well in New England to justify an early selection.  I tend to agree with him, but I also expect Amendola to miss at least three games due to injury.  What does Chad think?  "I wouldn't say I'm completely sold on him, but as I looked around for a reliable passing attache and seemingly a #1 WR I felt like he was the obvious selection at that point.  Leading up to the draft I was targeting Jordy Nelson in the first round, but his injury scared me.  Then that crazy first round happened and Andre Johnson fell so far I couldn't believe it.  I was very happy with those first two picks."

Norris’s thoughts on taking Torrey Smith ahead of several other WRs like Garçon, VJax, and Welker:  I though about those guys but Smith is younger and I believe is poised for a huge season.

Patrick’s thoughts on taking T.Y. Hilton ahead of Reggie Wayne:  God, did I? Shit. I dunno. I just made some projections and took a shot. I had Hiltons at 147 and Wayne at 157. I figured the ten point difference lost out to his youth.

Round 3

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	29	Rookie	Marques Colston
2	30	Derrick	DeSean Jackson
3	31	Joe	Tony Gonzalez
4	32	Patrick	Ahmad Bradshaw
5	33	Alan	Ryan Mathews
6	34	Kirk	Vernon Davis
7	35	Russ	Steve Smith
8	36	Mark	James Jones
9	37	Paul	Eric Decker
10	38	Chad	Daryl Richardson
11	39	Kendall	BenJarvus Green-Ellis
12	40	Nathan	Rashard Mendenhall
13	41	Ben	Steve Johnson
14	42	Norris	Greg Jennings

Joe’s back to making history by taking his second TE before most teams even have one.  The post-draft trade-a-thon is in full force now.  When asked about his strategy with Gonzalez, Joe had this to say. “Yes.  At that point it was about value, and according to my notes - Tony held the most value at that point and I figured I could turn either him or Jimmy G. into a much better receiver than what was left at that point in the draft.  It was all about ‘the trade’.”

Nathan’s thoughts on what he expects from Mendenhall: Mendenhall was just the best RB on my board. I figured the guys drafting behind me wanted a RB more than a WR at that point, so I took Mendy. I don't have very high expectations, just the possibility of a bye week fill-in.

Alan’s thoughts on Ryan Mathews reuniting with the Juris United: I think I'm the only one in the league that's had to put up with his fragile nonsense since he came out of college, but even through all of it, I think he's the best bet in SD and has potential. Sometimes you believe in a guy despite yourself - that "gut feeling" Kendall talks about. I think he could do something this year if he doesn't break a collarbone. I drafted him because there was too much value at that point, but the truth is, I think he's a good RB waiting to happen.

Chad’s thoughts on Daryl Richardson coupled with Isaiah Pead later in the draft:  I needed an RB and Richardson was all that was sitting there that I would consider.  I did zero research on him until a few minutes before I picked him so I certainly wasn't targeting him.  Then I felt like I pulled the trigger on Pead too early.  Not happy with either of them really.  Ideally, the Rams become the Greatest Show on Turf again and I look wise for having three of them on my team; however I think that to be an unlikely scenario.

Round 4

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	43	Norris	J.J. Watt
2	44	Ben	Jermichael Finley
3	45	Nathan	Miles Austin
4	46	Kendall	Andre Brown
5	47	Chad	Josh Gordon
6	48	Paul	Anquan Boldin
7	49	Mark	Ronnie Hillman
8	50	Russ	Emmanuel Sanders
9	51	Kirk	Vick Ballard
10	52	Alan	Kyle Rudolph
11	53	Patrick	Luke Kuechly
12	54	Joe	Mike Williams
13	55	Derrick	Lance Moore
14	56	Rookie	Golden Tate

The IDP seal was broken in round 4, with the consensus top DL and LB coming off the board.  Norris had this to say about making J.J. Watt the first defensive player selected: "It wasn't my plan going in but I wanted to get starters before loading my bench.  Even if Watt's production falls off 20% from last year he will still be the number one defensive player and score more than most WRs and RB."

Mark’s thoughts on taking Ronnie Hillman and whether or not he’ll start for the Broncos: At the time I felt like Hillman was set to be the good side of the RBBC in Denver.  not so sure about that now.  If the draft was more recently done I wouldn't have taken him at all.

Kirk’s thoughts on whether Vick Ballard or Ahmad Bradshaw will be the better Colt RB to own this season: I'm not strong on Bradshaw.  He was on my team before and never impressed me.  I feel like he'll do the same for the Colts.  Ballard will get his carries in the time share and more so later when I need him. 

Round 5

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	57	Rookie	James Laurinaitis
2	58	Derrick	Fred Jackson
3	59	Joe	Kenny Britt
4	60	Patrick	Bobby Wagner
5	61	Alan	NaVorro Bowman
6	62	Kirk	Sidney Rice
7	63	Russ	Greg Olsen
8	64	Mark	DeAndre Hopkins
9	65	Paul	Vincent Brown
10	66	Chad	Owen Daniels
11	67	Kendall	Aaron Dobson
12	68	Nathan	Mark Ingram
13	69	Ben	Michael Floyd
14	70	Norris	Denarius Moore

Three more defensive players go off the board in the first five picks in what looked like the start of a run, but the next IDP selected didn’t occur until the end of round 7.  Regrets anyone? 

-Me:  Yeah, I’d take a mulligan if I could.  I do think Laurinaitis will be a top 3-5 LB at season’s end, but for there to be such a wait, I wish I could do it over.

-Patrick: I figure IDP is gonna make a bigger impact this season. I saw a pretty big fall off after the top 8 IDP or so. Any way, but round 5, it's pretty much garbage out there anyway.

-Alan: No. There were several LBs that went within a round before that pick of mine, and I think top IDPs can be potentially as good as WR2s. Watch - someone will trade for an IDP this year. I dispute that those picks were jumping the gun.

Ben’s thoughts on what he expects from Michael Floyd in his second season: I am bullish on Michael Floyd, but that has happened for me a lot with AZ players since I adopted them as my team.  Usually that grenade blows up in my face around kickoff of game one.  As long as we don't zoom in too far, I am hopeful that Palmer still looks like he has a pair and uses his talented receivers as they should be.

Round 6

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	71	Norris	Jared Cook
2	72	Ben	Christine Michael
3	73	Nathan	Antonio Gates
4	74	Kendall	Ben Tate
5	75	Chad	Isaiah Pead
6	76	Paul	Bernard Pierce
7	77	Mark	Bryce Brown
8	78	Russ	DeAngelo Williams
9	79	Kirk	Toby Gerhart
10	80	Alan	Mikel Leshoure
11	81	Patrick	Zac Stacy
12	82	Joe	Johnathan Franklin
13	83	Derrick	Rueben Randle
14	84	Rookie	Sam Bradford

Norris schooled us all when he took Jared Cook with the first pick of round 6.  He’s going to be really good with the Rams this season, you can book it.  Mastermind Kendall encouraged a run on backup RBs, but were any of these too early?  Ben had this to say when asked if he should have waited to take Christine Michael: “Yeah, this is admitted a directly influenced pick by the master manipulator that sat to my right during the draft.  I am happy with his preseason, but I could have gotten him a round or two later.  I felt that pain and pushed back on later attempts to start an early IDP and kicker round.  In the end, Michael is good to have, as Lynch runs hard (read: gets beat up).  Glad to have this insurance.”  Kendall had this to say about the backup RB round: “Ha ha ha.  It was just the right time for Ben Tate to come off the board.  It was also the right time for Ben to take Christine Michael (especially in light of the recent sleeper hype that guy has generated), for Paul to take Bernard Pierce, and for Kirk to take Toby Gerhart.  Isaiah Pead in the 6th was a bit early for Chad to bite, but it made sense.  I have no clue what Patrick was thinking with Zac Stacy that early.  And Mark sniping Bryce Brown from Russ was great.  I guess I sparked off that run on handcuffs with some good ol' fashioned table talk.  Another of the many benefits of attending the live draft.”

My thoughts on making Sam Bradford my starting QB: It’s not what you want to have happen on draft day, but I’m beginning to really like the idea.  Along with Dalton (selected with the next pick), I believe I have two capable QBs with tons of upside.  Both the Rams and Bengals made significant improvements to their offenses during the offseason and I think it pays dividends starting in 2013.  There’s a chance that one or both have a top 10 season, and to be the 14^th and 15^th QBs off the board, I’m excited.  I’ll play matchups each week and be competitive.  Other QBs I would have considered in these middle rounds after waiting would have included Michael Vick and Jay Cutler.  I think both have good upside this season.

Kirk’s thoughts on his relentless desire to own Toby Gerhart: I'm not going to second guess a 4 time cups winner’s decisions in picking my team.

Russ’s thoughts on DeAngelo Williams: Well, I need him now what with TRich gone.  I'm hoping Cam doesn't snake too many TDs.  

Round 7

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	85	Rookie	Andy Dalton
2	86	Derrick	Pierre Thomas
3	87	Joe	Ryan Broyles
4	88	Patrick	Justin Blackmon
5	89	Alan	Ben Roethlisberger
6	90	Kirk	Darius Heyward-Bey
7	91	Russ	Joe Flacco
8	92	Mark	Malcolm Floyd
9	93	Paul	Jay Cutler
10	94	Chad	Cordarrelle Patterson
11	95	Kendall	Philip Rivers
12	96	Nathan	Michael Vick
13	97	Ben	D’Qwell Jackson
14	98	Norris	Sean Lee

Russ is the last to fill his starting QB slot, taking Joe Flacco with the 91^st overall pick.  Here’s what Russ had to say about waiting to select a QB: “I didn't want to have a rehash of 2012, with two middling cubes to juggle week to week, but Joseph fucked that up.  I knew he'd deal though, and obviously that was a good bet, knowing Joe.”

Derrick’s thoughts on whether or not Pierre Thomas’ role with the Saints will increase this season: I think he was one of the better RBs on the board.  I think Mark Ingram is horrible, so as long as he stays healthy I think he'll be the guy along with Sproles.

Nathan’s expectations for Michael Vick, who was named the starter for the Eagles after our draft: As sick as this sounds, I'm pretty excited about Vick. He might even earn a start or two over RG3. If he works out I'll definitely be floating him to QB-needy teams. I have my own needs too.

Chad’s thoughts on taking Patterson and the over/under on 800 yards & 6 TDs in 2013: I think he will be less than 700 yards and 5 TDs.  He was another one where draft day was the first day he was on my radar.  Not real happy with that pick.

Round 8

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	99	Norris	Shonn Greene
2	100	Ben	Josh Freeman
3	101	Nathan	Brandon Lafell
4	102	Kendall	Jordan Cameron
5	103	Chad	LaMichael James
6	104	Paul	Brandon Myers
7	105	Mark	Jacquizz Rodgers
8	106	Russ	Derrick Johnson
9	107	Kirk	Matt Schaub
10	108	Alan	DeMarcus Ware
11	109	Patrick	Jonathan Stewart
12	110	Joe	Danny Woodhead
13	111	Derrick	Alex Smith
14	112	Rookie	Alshon Jeffery

At this point in the draft, things bog down.  Few option look particularly exciting, and the picks seem to take longer.  But these are the rounds that have seen the likes of Rob Gronkowski (7^th round in 2011), Cam Newton (9^th round in 2011), and Demarco Murray (10^th round in 2011) rise to stardom.  Will one of the guys from round 8 be among them?  I think a couple of these players have a shot, particularly Jordan Cameron (Kendall, pick 102) and Alshon Jeffery (pick 112).  These two ooze with upside, and I couldn’t be happier to have Jeffery on my squad.  Here’s what Kendall had to say about his expectations for Cameron: “I love Jordan Cameron.  I think he has top-3 upside at the position.  In fact... 2013 Jordan Cameron = 2011 Jimmy Graham, you heard it here first.”

Patrick’s thoughts on taking Jonathan Stewart considering the current news that he will likely start the season on the PUP list: Yeah. Fuck that guy. I figured he'd nab me 120 pts this season. Oh well.

Derrick’s take on why Alex Smith earned the backup QB nod for the KAG: Wasn't targeting him.  I typically draft a second QB.  I waited longer than usual and Smith was the best remaining.

Round 9

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	113	Rookie	Paul Posluszny
2	114	Derrick	Brian Cushing
3	115	Joe	Patrick Willis
4	116	Patrick	Charles Tillman
5	117	Alan	Fred Davis
6	118	Kirk	Brian Hartline
7	119	Russ	Chad Greenway
8	120	Mark	Martellus Bennett
9	121	Paul	Coby Fleener
10	122	Chad	Lavonte David
11	123	Kendall	Kendall Wright
12	124	Nathan	Jerod Mayo
13	125	Ben	Jared Allen
14	126	Norris	Wesley Woodyard

Lots of defensive players went in this round which isn’t surprising considering we need to start three each week.  But it’s the TEs that really catch my eye, as I think each has a chance to outperform their draft spot.  Here’s what each coach had to say.

-Alan on taking Fred Davis: Just dumb luck that he was still available, but every once in a while I recognize an opportunity.

-Mark on taking Martellus Bennett: To be perfectly honest I like Bennett as one of the 15 TEs that will have 600 yds and 4 TDs.  Don’t really give a shit.  He will have 2-3 good games, 7-10 ok games, and 3-4 stinkers.  Just like every other TE that isn't named Graham or (eventually) Gronkowski.

-Paul on taking Coby Fleener: I planned on waiting on TE and trying to grab two guys that I could play matchups with. Fleener's preseason has been less than stellar, but maybe he'll get healthy and not suck. Kinda concerned about my TE situaish.

Best shot at being a star in 2013: Fred Davis and Kendall Wright.

Round 10

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	127	Norris	Jake Locker
2	128	Ben	Julian Edelman
3	129	Nathan	Lawrence Timmons
4	130	Kendall	Sean Weatherspoon
5	131	Chad	London Fletcher
6	132	Paul	E.J. Manuel
7	133	Mark	Michael Bush
8	134	Russ	Ryan Tannehill
9	135	Kirk	Ed Dickson
10	136	Alan	Andre Roberts
11	137	Patrick	Santonio Holmes
12	138	Joe	Stephen Hill
13	139	Derrick	Dwayne Allen
14	140	Rookie	Tyler Eifert

One of my favorite moments in any draft is when two players from the same team playing the same position are selected back to back.  It seems to happen every year.  Or maybe it’s just that it happened twice last season so it just feels like it happens all the time.  Anyway, it’s a great opportunity to quietly take a jab at the previous pick.  Joe seemed to do just that with his selection of Stephen Hill right after Patrick took Santonio Holmes.  Joe had this to say on taking Stephen Hill right after Holmes went off the board: “It was a total jab at Patrick's selection, but I do think he will be better than Holmes.  Holmes sucks.  Sidenote:  My stomach hurt once I realized I had 3 Jets on my team after the draft ... during the draft my head was spinning so much from how things played out at the beginning that I just lost track.”

Norris’s thoughts on whether this is a make-or-break season for Jake Locker: Wasn't looking for Locker but needed a backup and he was at the top of my list at the time.  He has shown flashes of greatness and seems to have the tools [to] be productive.  This year is make-or-break and I'm obviously hoping he makes it in a big way.

Paul nabbed E.J. Manuel this round in what could be great value, even though he’s questionable for week 1.  Paul had this to say about Manuel: I expect lots of checkdowns to CJ Spiller, plenty of interceptions, and I dunno maybe some rushing yards/TDs sprinkled in. That pick was a flyer on a dude with potential who was pretty clearly going to start in Buffalo.

My thoughts on drafting so many young “sexy badasses”, including Tyler Eifert: It wasn’t necessarily my plan to go with a lot of young players, but I’ve been burned by going too old in past drafts.  Really, it just happened to be that the players I liked were there for the taking.  I’m particularly excited about Austin and Eifert.  Two unknowns going into the season that could be the difference between another sub-.500 season and a playoff push.

Best shot at being a star in 2013: E.J. Manuel and Tyler Eifert

Round 11

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	141	Rookie	Dustin Keller
2	142	Derrick	Blair Walsh
3	143	Joe	Geno Smith
4	144	Patrick	Von Miller
5	145	Alan	Cameron Wake
6	146	Kirk	D.J. Williams
7	147	Russ	Eric Weddle
8	148	Mark	Morgan Burnett
9	149	Paul	Dannell Ellerbe
10	150	Chad	Eric Berry
11	151	Kendall	Jermaine Gresham
12	152	Nathan	Rod Streater
13	153	Ben	Daniel Thomas
14	154	Norris	Joseph Randle

Farewell Dustin Keller.  You tore just about everything you could in your right knee and are down for the season, possibly more.  Good thing I dropped you for super-sexy rookie TE Zach Sudfeld.  More IDPs in round 11, but there are a few juicy nuggets to be found here.  It looks like Cincinnati will line up in a lot of 2-TE formations this season, which makes Gresham a sneaky late-round value.  I also love Rod Streater in Oakland, as I think he ends the season as their #1 wideout.  But I’m not sure what that will actually mean in terms of overall production given the Flynn/Pryor QB combo we’re likely to see.  Here’s what Nathan had to say about Streater: “I think Streater was a better fit with Flynn at QB, but we'll have to see who Pryor likes. As my fifth wide receiver I like his upside, but I won't hesitate to dump him if I don't get anything out of him.”

Best shot at being a star in 2013: Dannell Ellerbe and Rod Streater

Round 12

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	155	Norris	Roy Helu
2	156	Ben	Curtis Lofton
3	157	Nathan	Daryl Washington
4	158	Kendall	Stephen Gostkowski
5	159	Chad	Matt Bryant
6	160	Paul	Vontaze Burfict
7	161	Mark	Desmond Bishop
8	162	Russ	Matt Prater
9	163	Kirk	Mason Foster
10	164	Alan	Nate Burleson
11	165	Patrick	Justin Tucker
12	166	Joe	Isaac Redman
13	167	Derrick	Jason Pierre-Paul
14	168	Rookie	Colin McCarthy

I don’t have much to say about this round, but Joe should be happy to see Redman as the current starter in Pittsburgh.  He wasn’t great last season, but touches are touches.  Kendall throws us a small curveball in taking the second kicker off the board in round 12.  He may hate kickers, but this was smart.

Best shot at being a star in 2013: Isaac Redman

Round 13

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	169	Rookie	Justin Forsett
2	170	Derrick	Clay Matthews
3	171	Joe	Lance Briggs
4	172	Patrick	Brandon Pettigrew
5	173	Alan	Mario Williams
6	174	Kirk	Bruce Carter
7	175	Russ	Mercedes Lewis
8	176	Mark	Donald Butler
9	177	Paul	Dion Lewis
10	178	Chad	Knile Davis
11	179	Kendall	Perry Riley
12	180	Nathan	Rob Housler
13	181	Ben	Greg Zuerlein
14	182	Norris	Alex Henery

Chad wisely snagged Jamaal Charles’ backup in Knile Davis, and he was able to wait until round 13 – excellent work.  Sadly, Paul already lost Dion Lewis for the season to injury.  I don’t see much upside in this group and it’s hard to say there are potential stars here.

Round 14

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	183	Norris	Greg Little
2	184	Ben	Jacoby Jones
3	185	Nathan	Phil Dawson
4	186	Kendall	Kiko Alonso
5	187	Chad	Chris Givens*
6	188	Paul	Sebastian Janikowski
7	189	Mark	Randy Bullock
8	190	Russ	Robert Woods
9	191	Kirk	Mason Crosby
10	192	Alan	David Akers
11	193	Patrick	Jonathan Dwyer
12	194	Joe	Aldon Smith
13	195	Derrick	Mohamed Sanu
14	196	Rookie	Keenan Allen

*kept as redshirt from previous season

Kudos to Chad for consistently playing the redshirt system to his advantage.  Chris Givens is a steal in round 14.  There are some other WRs here that I think could see comparable production though, which is nice after the dregs in round 13.  Greg Little, Jacoby Jones, Robert Woods, Mohamed Sanu, and Keenan Allen all look like they will be #2 or #3 WRs on their teams which is good value this late.  I didn’t like the pick on draft day, and now that the Steelers have cut Jonathan Dwyer, it doesn’t look any better.

Best shot at being a star in 2013: Chris Givens

Round 15 (REDSHIRT ROUND)

Pick	Overall	By	Player
1	197	Rookie	Marcus Lattimore
2	198	Derrick	Denard Robinson
3	199	Joe	Dennis Pitta
4	200	Patrick	Markus Wheaton
5	201	Alan	A.J. Jenkins
6	202	Kirk	Ryan Williams
7	203	Russ	Michael Crabtree
8	204	Mark	Justin Hunter
9	205	Paul	Kenbrell Thompkins
10	206	Chad	Kendall Hunter
11	207	Kendall	Jeremy Maclin
12	208	Nathan	Tavarres King
13	209	Ben	Kenjon Barner
14	210	Norris	LaGarrette Blount

The redshirt round is one of my favorite wrinkles in the CKL draft.  Anyone drafted in this round can be kept next season (in addition to the standard 3 keepers) for the cost of next season’s 14^th round pick.  I’m thinking about who I’m going to take as it can really pay dividends.  Though I’ve never kept anyone the following year, I have made some successful choices in the past (Russell Wilson in 2012, Torrey Smith in 2011).  Well, I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited about the prospects of a potential redshirt as I am right now with Marcus Lattimore.  Sure he’s recovering from a nasty injury that ended his time at South Carolina, but all reports suggest he’s recovering well so far.  And I have no doubt that his talent will give him every chance to start for the 49ers next year. 

There were several other picks I liked in this round but instead of talking about them myself, I want to give each coach the chance to talk about their redshirt selection and how they feel about that guy a few weeks removed from the draft.

-Derrick on Denard Robinson: They've been raving about him in camp.  He'll never be an every down back, but if MJD doesn't return next year, maybe he'll see significant time.

-Joe on Dennis Pitta: Again, my head was spinning.  I didn't really want a rookie ... I wanted someone that would be out for the year but was a proven player in the league.  Truth be told, it was between him and Maclin - and Maclin to me seems like he's hurt all the time and I've got enough of those guys.  I completely forgot about Crabtree (I had previously eliminated his name from my draft lists), had I not forgotten about him being injured - that's hoo I would've taken.  If I can manage do hold on to him all year, I'm alright with Pitta being my backup/startable TE next season and his value will be higher than whatever else I could get in the 14th round next year.

-Patrick on Markus Wheaton: Like that guy. I was a little mad about Keenan Allen going ahead of redshirt. But I do love them stillers.

-Alan on A.J. Jenkins: I really had my sights set on Aaron Hernandez, but I didn't want to get made fun of.

-Kirk on Ryan Williams: I only gave Kendall one specific player instruction, "I would prefer not to have Shonn Greene."  I like Ryan Williams as a player and as a guy who was very very humble and appreciative in a moment where he could have been a huge fucking jackass.  He's a long shot success story and a perfect fit as a red shirt on my team.

-Russ on Michael Crabtree: Cheap, available, and can be a solid WR2 or Flex next year, if healthy. Looking at the fact that Gibson is the only 2013 redshirt, that's not bad, right?

-Mark on Justin Hunter: This dude is fast.  The WR corps in Tennessee needs a shot in the arm.  Hoping he will be able to distance himself over the course of the year.

-Paul on Kenbrell Thompkins: He'd been getting some buzz on Twitter so I figured "what the fuck?" I didn't have any better ideas of my own.

-Chad on Kendall Hunter: This pick I like.  I love the SF running game.  I want to get a piece of that action any way I can.  My hope is that somehow Lattimore doesn't pan out for next year or even this year if Gore goes down early enough Hunter could pay dividends this year and just burn my redshirt.

-Kendall on Jeremy Maclin: Touched on this a bit on the message board already, but I'll tell you, my guess is that Jeremy Maclin is a Chief next season, repeating his career-best season of 70-1000-10. My redshirt targets were Lattimore, Crabtree, Kenbrell Thompkins, Maclin, Kenjon Barner, and Marvin Jones as an emergency pick. I was happy to see Maclin last to the 11th redshirt pick, because I've always liked the guy.  He's a real-life WR1 in the NFL if he can stay healthy.

-Nathan on Tavarres King: I was initially excited about King. Early in camp he was talked about as the fourth WR, an enviable position since the Broncos have three starting caliber pass catchers. Since he got cut and added to the practice squad, it made my decision to use his roster spot elsewhere very easy. Maybe he'll be a grower over the years. I honestly wasn't sure who I was going to target in the RS round.

-Ben on Kenjon Barner: He's fucking fast!  I got to see Barner play in college and it amazed me.  The entire Oregon team amazed me with their speed, but Barner seemed to be on another plane.  I hope the same team that I witnessed run circles around Washington doesn't show up in C'ville this weekend.  Excited to finally hold on to a redshirt pick. 

-Norris on LaGarrette Blount:  He was the last pick of the draft and the only guy I saw that could see some real action this year.  He was a starter and lost his job.  He's a fat underachiever but I'm hoping Billichick can light a fire under him and turn him into something productive.

And here are the two questions posed to each coach, with each coach’s respective responses.

Q: Looking at your entire draft, which pick do you like the most?  Which do you like the least?

Me:  My favorite pick is definitely Marcus Lattimore, though I do wish I was more excited about someone who will play this season.  If my team is better off next year because of this though, I’ll take everything else as is.  Looking back, I wish I could undo the James Laurinaitis pick and take Jared Cook there instead.

Derrick: I like the DeSean Jackson pick probably more than most.  I think Chip Kelly will keep him involved.  Probably like reshirt/Robinson pick the least.  Maybe should have taken a little more of a sure thing with the injured guys like others did.

Joe: Luck.  Only because I was able to work out a deal with Russ.  Otherwise, it would have been Broyles.  The least ... probably Geno or Hill, not sure.  As always, I hated all of my drafted players by the end of the draft.  I'm working on a robot that will select as my proxy next year.  I tend to overthink these things.  I'm glad I can answer these questions post-trade.

Patrick: Dez. Really happy he fell to me. Not thrilled about Von Miller missing 6 games

Alan: I least like my Eli Manning pick. He's a good quarterback who doesn't look good, and doesn't get any respect, and I never know whether it's going to be a 10-point or 25-point day (I prefer some measure of predictability). My favorites for where I got them are Davis and Burleson (for when Megatron tears his vagina).

Kirk: It's a fair question if I had picked the team but again I'm not going to second guess a 4 time cups winners decisions in picking my team.

Russ: I didn't like my TE picks, but again, Joe was basically drafting for me (not for real for real).  I didn't feel great about Jordy Nelson either.  I liked Montee because the first round got started so wildly with Le’Veon and Luck going where they did.

Mark: Favorite pick is DeAndre Hopkins.  I’ve got a hunch about this guy being legit and I hope I’m right.  Least favorite pick is probably Hillman at this point.  He will probably never start for the peens, and that's saying something.

Paul: Favorite pick: Thompkins' ADP skyrocketed in the weeks after our draft, so that was pretty sweet.  Least favorite: Jay Cutler. If I'd known I was going to get Manuel, I probably wouldn't have taken Smokin' Jay.

Chad: Like the most: I guess Amendola.  Like the least: Pead.

Kendall: My favorite pick (other than Cruz and Cameron, who we've already discussed) was Tony Romo in the 2nd round.  I got him where I needed him, and I think he's a top-8 quarterback this season.  He's good enough to win a Cup with, I can tell you that.  Plus, as much as I hate the Cowboys, I like Tony Romo.  He loves playing football, and I like the way he plays.

Nathan: I still really like Bush in the first. I think he'll easily give me RB2 production, which is plenty fine with Doug Martin on board. But the choice has to be VJax. I flipped a coin between him and Bush in the first, and was flabbergasted that he made it back to me. Really pleased with my starting core of RB/WR.

Ben: Besides Barner (who I do like a lot), I'd say Jermichael Finley.  It was a later TE pick, but it seems like Finley has to break out one of these years.  Cheesehead catch a lot of balls and receivers do that Lambeau leap a ton of times.  He's fallen a bit because of lower than expected expectations, but the talent and scheme are there for him to make good.  On the bad side, I'll go with Josh Freeman.  I was not very educated on the guy, but when the time came to pick a backup QB, he was there.  His preseason has scared me, but hey, he is a backup.  Brees just needs to keep doing what he does. 

Norris:  I'm excited about my team.  Of the guys I drafted, I'm looking forward to seeing Torrey Smith play the most.  I'm not as excited about DeMarco Murray.  I felt forced into that pick.  I was hoping someone else would fall to me.  If he stays healthy he'll be great but I worry.

Q: Looking at the draft as a whole, which pick by another team did you think was really good?  Which did you think was not so good?

Me: My three favorite picks from other teams were Jared Cook in the 6^th to Norris, DeAngelo Williams in the 6^th to Russ, and E.J. Manuel in the 10^th to Paul.  My three least favorite picks were J.J. Watt in the 4^th to Norris (Kuechly should have been the first IDP off the board in my opinion), Santonio Holmes in the 10^th to Patrick (he’s hurt, he sucks, and his QB will be terrible even if Holmes plays), and A.J. Jenkins in the redshirt round to Alan (nearly got cut by the 49ers before being dealt to KC.)

Derrick: I haven't went back and looked at the entire draft.  Can't really say on this one

Joe: I really like Russ' pick of Crabtree in the redshirt round.  I keep kicking myself for not paying attention.  Not so good?  If I had to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of your Bell pick, even before the injury.  The trade that I offered you the morning of the draft could have netted you Dez Bryant (or your pick of RBs) and Andrew Luck, but I'm now really glad you didn't accept it.  

Patrick: Jesus the Moose might have had the best draft. Roo Tang's lookin ugh.

Alan: No response provided.

Kirk: I wasn't there so I don't have the benefit of context of when and why a player was taken.  I'm sure Russ did pretty poorly overall and Joe hated every player he took.  Chad and Mark probably robbed me of players I wanted.  Kendall, Nathan, and you probably made learned picks that people applauded.   Derrick probably took a guy who we all thought was dead and will revive him for one last zombie push this season. And Alan probably picked a keeper, maybe even his own.  The rest did the best they could in between.    

Russ: Kirk (Kendall) had a solid draft, esp. early, and I liked Kendall's Cruz pick.  The Holmes pick was obviously criminal.

Mark: I like Paul’s Kenbrell Thompkins pick.  a player i reached for in the 11th of a redraft league the following weekend.  Don’t love Patrick’s Jonathan Stewart pick.  Dude has 0 fantasy value this year.

Paul: Overall Favorite Pick(s): Andrew Luck. Can't wait to see Joe swing some big-time trades. Also Victor Cruz. Total steal for Kendall.  Least favorite(s): Toby Gerhart. He's the exact opposite of "sexy" and "badass." Also Christine Michael. I thought Ben took him several rounds too early, but with the way Mark was stockpiling backups, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

Chad: I think Mark drafted well.  I am still lost on some of Nathan's picks.  In past years those two thoughts would have been reversed.

Kendall: Picks I Really Liked:

-- Le'Veon Bell at #1.  Game changer.  I love the chaos that pick created.

-- Andrew Luck at #3.  Joe showed that value can win out over need.

-- Danny Amendola at 2.5.  Minor steal for Chad.

-- Shane Vereen at 2.6.  Another great pick in a draft full of great picks for Paulie.

-- Tavon Austin at 2.14.  At worst, he'll be fun to watch until he gets hurt.  At best, he'll be everything Percy Harvin was supposed to be.

-- Nuke Hopkins at 5.8.  Smart pick for Mark.

-- Mark Ingram at 5.12.  Gotta love the high-pedigree post-hype sleepers in the explosive offenses.

-- Jared Cook at 6.1.  I think we're all jealous of that one.  Great pick for Norris.

-- Reuben Randle at 6.13.  Great pick for Doc.

-- Bradford / Dalton at the 6th/7th turn.  I still think Rookie is an asshole for taking the Red Rifle when he knew I had the jersey ready to bust out when I drafted him, but it was still a good couple of picks for a QB-needy team.

-- Alshon Jeffery at 8.14.  Good pick.

-- Julian Edelman at 10.2.  He has long hair.

-- E.J. Manuel at 10.6.  Easily my favorite pick of the draft.  I wish I had made the pick.

-- Stephen Gostkowski at 12.4.  I thought it was slick.

-- Vontaze Burfict at 12.6.  I don't want to pimp ALL of Paulie's picks, but Burfict is a freaking man.

-- Chris Givens in the 14th round.  Another great cultivated redshirt by Chad.

-- I also really loved the redshirt picks of Rookie, Patrick, Russ, Paul, myself, and Ben.

Picks I Thought Were Bad:

-- Gio Bernard at #9.  I might have eschewed Romo had Gio still been on the board for me in the 2nd round (which honestly is what I expected).  Damn you, Paul!

-- Torrey Smith at #15 overall.  I thought this was a bit of a reach.

-- Eli Manning at 2.10.  At that point, Alan should have just waited for the QB.

-- T.Y. Hilton at 2.11.  Reeeeeeeeeach.

-- J.J. Watt at 4.1.  I think this shows a bit of overvaluing last year's production in our new-look IDP landscape.

-- Aaron Dobson at 5.11.  Kenbrell Thompkins erupted the weekend of the draft, and Dobson lost his projected spot in the New England pecking order.  I still think Dob's the best deep receiver the Pats have now, so I'll hold on to him to find out.

-- Santonio Holmes at 10.11.  Good for comedic value, bad for fantasy football.

-- A.J. Jenkins in the redshirt round.

-- LeGarrette Blount.  Wasted pick.

Nathan: Ben's pick of Christine Michael followed shortly by Kendall getting Ben Tate. Those dudes handcuffed up at the exact right time. Got their dudes and didn't overpay. Very well done. Also liked Derrick taking Rueben Randle, Patrick's Justin Blackmon pick, and Alan taking Ben Roethlisberger. I think all three will outperform their draft position.  Didn't care for Russ' pick of Montee Ball. I mean, I get it, but the situation is so muddled (and has been all summer) that you can't go that way with a first round pick. I'm sure he'll be a long-term hold for Russ, but you'd hope to get a lot more out of a first rounder, even in year one. I didn't really care for Joe's double-up early strategy either, although it’s interesting if nothing else. Norris took J.J. Watt WAY too early. His value got eaten up by the rule change.

Ben: Both of these are first-rounders - Luck (good) and Bell (not so good).  I know Joe didn't need a QB, but I see Luck as a great keeper.  Indy has a history of building a team around a player like Luck, who consequently puts up monstrous numbers.  This was a ballsy move, but one that I think will prove smart.  Don't get me wrong, I like Bell.  It just seems like you could have traded down a few picks, still gotten your guy AND quite a bit of sweetener.  He is also unproven and I have little faith in the Steelers this year.  I expected Bell to slide to mid-first round.  Good upside and passes the eyeball test, with plenty of risk.  But maybe I am still jaded from my McFadden experience.  Eat shit fantasy Run DMC.

Norris:  Chris Ivory was the worst pick of the draft.  I think Giovani Bernard was a good pick.  He is going to be better than Bell, Ball and Lacy and should have gone before them.  I was hoping he would fall to me.

That’s a solid look at the 2013 CKL draft, but before I close, I want to list a few players I really thought should have been drafted but weren’t:

·         Brandon Weeden – Sure, he wasn’t particularly great last year as a rookie and is already pretty old for a second-year pro, but I’m a little surprised no one took a shot with him as a redshirt.  He does have some weapons and some offensive-minded coaches there now with Chudzinski and Turner).

·         Quinton Patton – He’s already been scooped up from the waiver wire, and perhaps this is who Nathan would have selected as a redshirt over Tavarres King who he dropped to nab Patton.  It looks like the 49ers like what they’ve seen and he may end up starting opposite Anquan Boldin.

·         Bilal Powell – Another guy that has been picked up since the draft (nicely done Norris), I was immediately surprised post-draft that Powell was still around.  Ivory may have been brought in to take the job, but his injury history suggests he’ll miss significant time.  And now it looks like Powell is even slated to start week one.

And that’ll do it, folks.  Feel free to add your own draft commentary if you feel so inclined.  Thanks for reading.