Hordes of NFL personnel people have invaded Indianapolis this week as the league's next generation of talent interviews and works out for their potential employers at the scouting combine.
More than 330 potential prospects have been invited to Indy and perhaps no one is more well-versed on them than Mike Mayock, the former Boston College safety who was once a 10th-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 1981.
These days, the Philadelphia-area native is the NFL Network's lead draft analyst and we, along with other media members from around the country, picked his brain earlier this week.
Here are the results as The Sports Network rolls out its latest mock draft, the pre-combine edition:
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M - A lot of Andy Reid's success in Philadelphia was tied to quarterback Donovan McNabb, but Mayock doesn't think there is a signal-caller worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick in this cycle.
"I'm a big believer in value," Mayock said earlier this week. "If you have a top 10 pick, you want an All-Pro at some point. If you look at (West Virginia quarterback) Geno Smith, he could be a top 10 pick in some people's eyes. Now for me, he and (Southern California signal-caller) Matt Barkley to me are more like 20 to 32. That's where I feel more comfortable."
So who's worthy of being a No. 1?
According to Mayock, look toward the offensive line: "Four guys (should be in the discussion): (Alabama guard Chance) Warmack, (North Carolina guard Jonathan) Cooper, (Texas A&M tackle Luke) Joeckel and (Eastern Michigan tackle Eric) Fisher."
Since tackles are valued far more than guards in today's NFL, and Reid had Pro Bowl-caliber bookends for years in the City of Brotherly Love (Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan), the guess here is Big Red either trades down or takes the safest pick -- Joeckel -- the Aggies' left tackle who should step in and play at a high level for the next decade.
"Part of it depends on what they're going to do with free agency and Branden Albert," Mayock said of the Chiefs. "I don't care whether it's Warmack or Joeckel. People will tell me I'm crazy that a guard can't go No. 1. I think (Warmack's) the best player in the draft, so I would argue that. But either way, I think they've got to get an offensive lineman."
Previous Pick: Joeckel
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State - The Jags are concerned with their pass rush, specifically their lack of a consistent one and Werner remains the likeliest pick, edging out fellow pass rushers like Jarvis Jones of Georgia and Damontre Moore of Texas A&M.
Mayock disagrees, however, and thinks the lowly Jags should be choosing talent over need, specifically Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd.
"From a need perspective, I think they could use a pass rushing defensive end more than a defensive tackle." Mayock said. "But what I saw on tape from Sharrif Floyd, I thought he dominated."
Won't matter -- the Jags are sold on Werner.
Previous Pick: Werner
3. Oakland Raiders - Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida - The Raiders were awful against the run in 2012 and Floyd has usurped Utah's Star Lotulelei as the draft's best interior lineman.
"He can get an edge as a pass-rusher. He's strong enough to push the pocket. He's stout against the run, and he can run sideline to sideline," Mayock said of Floyd. "When he is fresh and can run, it's really special. I think he's a top-five talent in this draft."
Previous Pick: Lotulelei
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan - Restructuring Mike Vick means the Eagles aren't all that high on any of the quarterbacks in this draft. Chip Kelly could use help in a lot of places and Lotulelei would be a nice fit, but the 6-foot-7 Fisher stands out here. Fisher is clearly the second-best left tackle on the board with the wingspan and athleticism to excel. He just needs to add strength in order to deal with the bull rush.
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