Boston College Mock Draft Update 6: One Week to Go
By Joe Micik
The penultimate installment of STG’s scan of the mock drafts comes just one week before Luke Kuechly, who has declined his invitation to Radio City Music Hall but is nevertheless a virtually-guaranteed first-round pick, is off to the NFL. The final mock draft roundup will be posted a week from today, on the morning of the draft.
In previous editions, it has become clear that senior Donnie Fletcher will be the second Eagle to get chosen, though we will almost certainly have to wait until the third day. Unfortunately, those same roundups showed that those late picks in the draft would not be favorable to other eligible Boston College players, such as Max Holloway. With just seven days until the NFL war rooms assemble, have their odds improved, and is Kuechly still trending towards the Pacific Northwest?
10th-best player available on Scouts Inc. big board
DraftCountdown.com: Round 1, Pick 12 — Seattle Seahawks [unch]
"Scouting report: Underrated athleticism with adequate height and bulk | Amazing natural instincts and outstanding football IQ | Extraordinarily productive with lots of quality experience"
DraftTek: Round 1, Pick 10: Buffalo Bills [unch]
"Best player available"
NFL.com (Steve Wyche): Round 1, Pick 11 — Kansas City Chiefs
NFL.com (Charles Davis): Round 1, Pick 12 — Seattle Seahawks [unch]
NFL.com (Albert Breer): Round 1, Pick 11 — Kansas City Chiefs [unch]
NFL.com (Charley Casserly): Round 1, Pick 11 — Kansas City Chiefs
CBS Sports (Rob Rang): Round 1, Pick 15 — Philadelphia Eagles [unch]
CBS Sports (Dane Brugler): Round 1, Pick 19 — Chicago Bears [unch]
WalterFootball.com: Round 1, Pick 12 — Seattle Seahawks [unch]
DraftSite: Round 1, Pick 12 — Seattle Seahawks [unch]
NFL Draft Info: Round 1, Pick 13 — Arizona Cardinals [unch]
Your NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 15 — Philadelphia Eagles [unch]
The New NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 15 — Philadelphia Eagles [-7]
"With this selection I have them taking Luke Kuechly because he is a play maker at the linebacker position and they need to improve their defense in nearly every way possible."
By team: Seattle 4, Kansas City 3, Philadelphia 3, Buffalo 1, Arizona 1, Chicago 1
DraftTek: Round 5, Pick 139 Overall — Cleveland Browns [-3]
DraftSite: Round 5, Pick 149 Overall — San Diego Chargers [unch]
WalterFootball.com: Round 6, Pick 193 — Pittsburgh Steelers
DraftTek.com Big Board Rankings
Luke Kuechly: 8
Donnie Fletcher: 140
Montel Harris: 301 [note: not in draft]
Current Ranges
Luke Kuechly: Mid-1st round
Donnie Fletcher: Early 5th round to late 6th round
All others: Undrafted
Analysis
Clearly, the folks at CBS Sports don’t think as highly of Luke Kuechly as everyone else, but if you’re thinking picks 10-13, then you agree with about two-thirds of the mock drafters. There has been a late push for taking Kuechly in the top ten, and if it happens, Buffalo is a definite landing spot. If you asked me, therefore, I would narrow Kuechly’s likely teams down to Buffalo, Kansas City, Seattle, or Arizona.
Very few of the writers changed their votes from last time, though a few still have him hanging around until #15 for Philadelphia. I personally do not believe he will last that long, and I would be absolutely shocked if he’s there for Lovie Smith and the Bears at #19 as one said he would be.
Donnie Fletcher has one sixth-round appearance, but has a couple fifth-round votes as well. The bottom line here is that he is getting noticed and he is going to be drafted; just keep listening for that little jingle they play on TV every time a new pick is announced in the late rounds. I know, Herzlich was getting picked in all the mock drafts as well, but he was in a more unique situation. I do believe Fletcher is relatively safe for a third-day selection.
It’s not looking good for Max Holloway, who has now gone weeks without appearing anywhere in a seven-round mock. He didn’t even make DraftTek’s Top 350 big board, and considering that there are only 253 picks, Holloway’s odds of being drafted look slim. Undrafted free agent would seem to be his destiny.