Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can all start to focus on the upcoming NFL Draft in earnest, finally. SB Nation just came out with the latest edition of their 2012 NFL Mock Draft, and they have some interesting picks for the Florida teams. It starts out with a little bit of a gamble for the Buccaneers, taking a running back in the top five.
People are really averse to drafting running backs this high anymore. Everyone's a GM. Richardson has rare talent for a running back, and the fifth pick in the draft is much cheaper than it used to be. Richardson plays like Steven Jackson, adding another dimension to the Bucs' offense.
The Jaguars have fallen into what I like to call a Mock Draft rut. They've been getting the same guy over and over again, and that's Quinton Coples from North Carolina. Not a bad thing, but not noteworthy either.
Jacksonville has a long list of needs. Pass rushers are always at a premium, and Coples is a better pick here than Dre Kirkpatrick or a receiver. Fans should be occupying that behemoth of a stadium to demand that the team re-sign Jeremy Mincey, which would make for a fearsome pairing along their defensive front.
Finally the Dolphins, who pick up a bookend for Jake Long in Riley Reiff from Iowa.
Since sane new ownership isn't available in the draft (Washington probably would have picked that first anyway), the Dolphins pick up a stellar right tackle. Just as important, he can work in relief ofJake Long who's been battling injuries and entering the last year of his contract.
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