We have a new 1st round pick mocked for the Panthers, and without too much surprise it's LSU DT Michael Brockers. There's no player who Indianapolis will mean more to than Brockers whose performance at the combine will determine whether he is selected in the bottom part of the 1st round as a developmental pick, or if he vaults himself into the top 10 by looking like an elite DT prospect. At this stage most pundits are betting on the latter. In a class already weak at DT he already looks able to start in the NFL now, but has a Jason Pierre-Paul level of upside as he's destined to add more weight to his frame in an NFL strength and conditioning program.
While I'm a big fan of Brockers, I'm not a huge fan of the need heavy 2nd and 4th round picks Walter has going to us. I'll look at these after the jump.
2nd round: Stephon Gilmore
I understand the methodology behind mocking us the next best CB, but I'm just not a fan of this South Carolina cornerback. When I watch tape on him I don't see a player with the physical tools to exceed in man coverage and though he has the ability to be a premier run stopper at the position I just don't see a player with a 2nd round grade.
4th round: Senio Kelemete
The big guard from Washington is a jack of all trades, master of none. The problem I have with this is that we already have a similar player in Geoff Schwartz. When I see Walter mock players like TE Michael Egnew (a natural replacement for Jeremy Shockey in time) and WR Juron Criner (who I think could develop into a solid #2 WR) after us taking Kelemete I can't help but feel like we're getting stuck with a player that represents pure need without any attention to BPA.