April 28, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Lauren Ufer the wife of Miami Dolphins first round draft pick quarterback Ryan Tannehill (Texas A

Uh-huh…made ya look, didn’t I? That’s Ryan Tannehill’s wife – I didn’t know he was married. That’s one thing I learned. I already knew pretty blondes make guys look. I’m a guy, and I look.

Lucky sod. And I’m not even TALKING about being drafted in the NFL. You know. WOW.

Back to the business at hand.

Now that the 77th Annual National Football League Selection Meeting, popularly known as the NFL Draft, is finished, what HAVE we learned?

With the rookie wage scale, drafting has once again become more about the player a team wants/needs than under the old rules, and NFL franchises aren’t shying away from trading up to nab their man.

Indeed, the top pick wasn’t traded. Andrew Luck was at stake and couldn’t have been pried from Indy even under the old rules.

The next organic (read: non-traded) pick was Miami at #8. The six in-between were ALL traded.

Cleveland unnecessarily traded up from 4 to 3 to ensure they got Trent Richardson…and you can read all about all the trades of the draft when you have a day or two to kill. Suffice it to say that franchises feel completely free to pursue the object of their affections because they know the new CBA saves them from themselves and paying what would now be $60+ million in a rookie contract to an Andrew Luck. Luck is one of the top college pro-ready QBs to come out since Peyton Manning, but he’s still never played an NFL down.

As a result, Mock Drafts have become almost obsolete, because while you can mock the top talent all day long, it’s another matter to correctly identify which team will be the one trading up to get a particular player.

Some, you might be able to guess at just by looking at the pile of picks (Cleveland) teams have OR the lack of a pile (New Orleans) an organization wields.

Indeed, the pre-draft talk regarding the Dallas Cowboys was how much they wanted Mark Barron. They traded up to get…Morris Claiborne.

I don’t think anyone saw that one coming until, very literally, the last minute.

Other than Ryan Tannehill going to the Moe Howard-owned Miami Dolphins, the top twelve or so picks pretty much followed the player talent level. The only reach in the top 14 was Buffalo selecting Stephon Gilmore. I think Gilmore is overrated, but time will tell. He’s not a BAD player, I just don’t think he’s a top-ten talent guy.

A considerably small top-talent pool at the CB spot explains that pick.

Tannehill wasn’t a reach when you consider the existing premium on young arms, particularly in light of the rookie wage scale. Gabbert, Locker, and Ponder all went around the same spot in last season’s draft as Tannehill did this year.

Every draft sees certain players rise and fall for various reasons, and this one was no exception.

For example, Chase Minnefield was thought to be a 2nd or 3rd round talent, but had surgery for a microfracture earlier this season and his health status is too uncertain for any of the 32 NFL teams to even take a 7th-round flyer on. Most of the concern stems from the type of injury he has rather than anything about the kid on a personal level, but it goes to show that not all injured players can be an Antonio Cromartie.

When a player eligible for the draft is injured, it needs looking into. A broken finger, even for a WR or QB, would probably cost a player nothing as far as draft position. An injury like Minnefield’s can keep you from being drafted at all. Let’s all hope he recovers completely and finds a team.

It is, however, the first time I saw a guy projected to be a middle/late first round pick 2 months ago become an undrafted free agent.

That guy would be Vontaze Burfict…and he’s healthy as a horse who’s never had a run-in with the law or substance abuse in his life.

Minnefield went undrafted for medical reasons; Burfict for his intangibles…namely his penchant for drawing personal fouls, being a dirty player, slowing down since his junior year, going from 90 to 69 tackles…or pick one or all of the above.

The point here is that players fall for a myriad of reasons. We knew that, but completely out of the draft? Not even one team with a 7th-round compensatory pick would try either player?

Alfonzo Dennard was drafted a week after punching a cop in the face. Hmmm.

Try and keep that in mind when you scratch your head over your own favorite team’s 7th-round pick. That guy will probably be healthy to play special teams or a situational 4 or 5 downs on opening day, unlike Minnefield. Dennard should. Why not Burfict?

Because most of them aren’t projected to be poison on the field and in the locker room, that’s why. Dennard was lucky.

Going to a small school doesn’t really hurt you as we learned from Brian Quick from App. State and Amini Sitatolu from Midwestern State. If you’ve got “it,” the NFL people will find you. Sometimes they find “it” where “it ain’t” but that happens at the big schools too. We armchair GMs don’t have the resources the NFL franchises do, but the internet helps. It still can’t do everything.

Experience matters – even when NOT seeing the field all the time can be a good thing.

How’s that, you ask?

The knock on 4-year starters if you’re a running back out of college is how much “tread you have left.” Ricky Williams came into the NFL with over a thousand rushing attempts at Texas and questions about that followed him into the NFL. Good thing for Ricky that Mike Ditka was (and still is) nuts – it only takes ONE team to fall in love with you, remember?

This year, we saw a very talented young RB with “only” one year of “wear” on him fall from late-first/early-second pre-draft to early 4th round in David Miller. Part of his slide could be attributed to a nagging shoulder injury that he played through last season and had surgery on in December, but it’s not a particularly troubling injury but an injury nonetheless. He’s only got 335 carries under his belt.

So, it would appear that “wear” for running backs is less problematic than “durability” issues, so don’t be fooled by next year’s pre-draft propaganda that always accelerates 48 hours before the start of the thing. Doesn’t “playing through pain” count for anything?

Since this was my first draft as a semi-professional writer, I had looked a good bit deeper into the players and their abilities, backgrounds, and unique challenges they’ve faced. The more I dug, the more I found out I didn’t know.

I learned that each NFL franchise personality has to be considered, and that is one of the hardest things to know. Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers always seem to have that blue-collar approach to the game, making their draft rather predictable by position if not by each individual targeted. But what about teams like the Buccaneers that completely changed their approach from one season to the next?

That’s the most unpredictable thing of all and the reason for it is the people behind the scenes change.

Keep in mind that “team needs” are both objective and subjective. While one area may not look to be a glaring weakness, that same area may be one that the people behind the scenes want to make into a strength and go after two players while outside observers may think they have more needs in other spots and not draft anyone there.

Look at the very Wide Receiver-needy teams like Cleveland and Miami. Both teams need two starters. Badly. Each team drafted only one; Cleveland in the 4th round and Miami in the 6th. Well, Miami added one in the 7th…point being, none of them were high picks.

This bears more looking into, but I’d be willing to bet each team signs at least a couple of UFAs at the position to see what they can do in camp and get a good look at, if nothing else.

That IS how Victor Cruz got into the league two years ago, after all, but boy is he the exception.

Any team’s given thought process or approach to the game of football is just something that’s too difficult to foresee without already having intimate knowledge of the organization in question and none of us have that kind of access. We just do the best with what we’ve got. So do the other 31 teams in trying to figure out what any OTHER organization is up to.

THAT is why Cleveland traded up from 4th to 3rd for Trent Richardson!

Oct. 15, 2011; Pullman, WA, USA; Stanford Cardinals quarterback Andrew Luck (12) drops back for a pass against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-US PRESSWIRE

Results of the 77th Annual National Football League Selection Meeting:

#1 Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

#2 Washington Redskins (from St. Louis): Robert Griffin, III, QB, Baylor

#3 Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

#4 Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland): Matt Kalil, OT, USC – Christian Ponder’s new BFF

#5 Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State – Blaine Gabbert’s new BFF

#6 Dallas Cowboys (from Washington through St. Louis): Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU – gives the Cowboys defense a chance to hold 4th quarter leads

#7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville): Mark Barron, SS, Alabama – top safety prospect; hard hitter that can cover well. Cam won’t like him very much in the division.

#8 Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M – first pick since #1 overall NOT traded!

#9 Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, MLB, BC – 532 career tackles. Patrick Willis-type talent, great player to build a defense around. With injuries to the Panther LB corps the last couple of years, Rivera picks up his own version of Mike Singletary to coach.

#10 Buffalo Bills: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina – first reach of this year’s draft. Decent speed, better in zone than man coverage.

#11 Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis – great fit at the 0-technique. HC Romeo Crennel is an old D-line coach

#12 Philadelphia Eagles (from Seattle): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State – Gap penetrating tackle for the Eagle “wide-9″ scheme

#13 Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame – projects to start opposite Larry Fitzgerald

#14 St. Louis Rams (from Cowboys): Michael Brockers, DT, LSU – 3rd DT in last 4 picks. Great run-clogger that will only get better.

#15 Seattle Seahawks (from Eagles): Bruce Irvin, OLB, WV – pass-rush specialist with rare (sub-4.5) speed; a reach in the first round with character concerns.

#16 New York Jets: Quentin Coples, DE, North Carolina – help for Rex Ryan’s pass rush is on the way. Good 3-4 DE for their system; his only real weakness is a questionable motor.

#17 Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders): ‘Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama – Should play corner, not safety. Aggressive but lanky and not a ball-hawk with only 3 career INTs at Alabama.

#18 San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina – top-ten rated overall talent that can play multiple positions and is a great value pick. Can play DE, OLB or Nickel LB.

#19 Chicago Bears: Shea McClellin, OLB/DE, Boise State – Disruptive OLB/DE Clay Matthews-hopeful SAM linebacker that had been shooting up the draft boards in recent weeks.

#20 Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor – Jake Locker is waiting and Kenny Britt can’t stay healthy. Wright is going to be even more dangerous after going through an NFL strength and conditioning program.

#21 New England Patriots (from Bengals): Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse – Another edge rusher flying up draft boards lately, Jones has power and speed to help a needy Patriot pass rush.

#22 Cleveland Browns (from Falcons): Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State – Not a surprising choice. Cleveland got Richardson at 3, now an upgrade over Colt McCoy. If only they had someone to catch it.

#23 Detroit Lions: Reilly Reiff, OT, Iowa – Best available that fits a need and a great value pick here. CB is their other big need but would have been a reach as the board sits.

#24 Pittsburgh Steelers: David DeCastro, G, Stanford – Great value pick and best available pick here. The Steelers didn’t expect to see him here and have to be thrilled.

#25 New England Patriots (from Broncos): D’onte Hightower, OLB/DE, Alabama – another guy on the outside for this Patriot defense. BB and Robert Kraft know what’s broken and are trying to fix it.

#26 Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois – NCAA sack leader last season was his only year of production. The Texans lost Mario Williams in Free Agency and can use the help.

#27 Cincinnati Bengals (from Saints through Patriots): Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin – Andy Dalton’s new BFF

#28 Green Bay Packers: Nick Perry, OLB, USC – will line up opposite ex-USC teammate Clay Matthews on the Packer front seven.

#29 Minnesota Vikings (from Ravens): Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame – the Vikings trade up into the first round again for help in the secondary. Good trade now that they’re nimble from trading down from 3 to 4 earlier to get the second-best safety in a very shallow class.

#30 San Francisco 49′ers: A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois – Good speed and great hands gives Harbaugh yet another option to get some production out of the WR position this year.

#31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Patriots through Broncos): Doug Martin, RB, Boise State – does everything well and can play every down. A nice upgrade over the fumble-prone Blount. Kuechly will be tackling him a lot.

#32 New York Giants: David Wilson, RB, VT – interesting fit and adds a dynamic kickoff returner as well as becoming Eli Manning’s new BFF

Interesting how Denver kept trading back out of the first round, with a couple of DTs they could use still on the board. The Pats actually traded up. Shoot, everyone except the top 2 and Miami traded and from now on I’m only typing who actually makes the pick!

At the end of the day, the one franchise’s people that had to be the most relaxed of all would definitely be the Saints.

Jan 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver (81) Justin Blackmon scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Oklahoma State defeated Stanford 41-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

In all actuality, this may be one of the most talented Drafts at the position when we look back ten years from now. A few players are coming out a little early adding to the depth, but overall we may see up to three taken in the first round and no less than 12 total should hear their names called sometime during the Draft.

Only a handful of Pro-Days remain for those looking to make a jump up big boards and if your name wasn’t Stephen Hill, you really didn’t standout at the NFL Combine.

Below is my Top 7 and a few “Sleeper Names You May Hear”.

1.) Justin Blackmon   6’1″   207 LBS   OKLAHOMA ST    4.46  40-YD DASH    35 INCH VERTICAL JUMP

Blackmon is very similar to former teammate and fellow Cowboy Dez Bryant in the comparison of production and down rite domination of College Football. After that, off the field and upstairs, Justin Blackmon has continued to separate himself from any comparisons between the two in either regard.

The Oklahoma native piled up 38 receiving touchdowns in two seasons, won two straight Biletnikoff Awards as the nations top receiver, and decided it was time to go pro after just his Junior season. Who can blame him? He is a natural receiver and has shown the ability to run routes like a pro already. His frame and run after catch makes him an all-around wide-out who should be a Bryant-Type, impact player and day one starter in the NFL.

A weakness some may point out is his average blocking.

2.) Michael Floyd   6’3″   22o LBS   NOTRE DAME    4.47 40-YD DASH    36.5 INCH VERTICAL JUMP 

Floyd is a freakish athlete who is in the same category as Blackmon when it comes to showing consistent production, despite defenses knowing and most likely game-planning to stop them. If you haven’t watched the clip of Floyd on ESPN’s Sports Science, check it out and it will make you a believer in his athletic ability. His running vertical (Floyd’s 41.5)  is higher than reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose‘s (40 in.).

With his size and frame, combined with the ability to block well and catch the ball over the middle, I see no reason why the 22 year old from St. Paul, MN won’t be the second receiver off the board come draft day.

3.) Alshon Jeffery  6’3″   213 LBS   SOUTH CAROLINA   4.47 40-YD DASH   36.5 INCH VERTICAL JUMP 

Jeffery has been one of several different players heading into the draft whose stock continues to fluctuate. His weight was down from 216 at his pro day (each of his numbers are from S.CAR pro day) and some speculated he ran his first clocked forty-yard dash at 4.38. This may all be true, well the weight is official at least, but can he keep this pace of hard work and determination heading into the league? Alshon’s size and high level of domination in the SEC without ever having a decent, full-time QB leads me to believe he can excel and be great with an NFL quarterback.

One interesting fact I learned heading into this 2012 Draft was both a positive and somewhat of a negative in the aspect of Steve Spurrier‘s track record with Wide Receivers. He has had 25 Drafted into the NFL, but only one has been a Pro Bowler (Sidney Rice).

4.) Kendall Wright  5’10″  196 LBS   BAYLOR   4.44 40-YD DASH (PRO DAY)  38.5 INCH VERTICAL JUMP

Kendall Wright was on the other end of 14 touchdowns thrown from Heisman Trophy winning teammate RG3 in the Baylor Bears magnificent 2011 football season. After a head-scratching 40 yard dash time at the combine (4.61), Wright headed into his pro day wanting to improve on that.

Though he is not the tallest guy on the field, his quickness and burst off the line make him a deep threat anytime he is on the field. Wright could become a player who is used in several different offensive packages and even on Special Teams just to get the ball in his hands.

5.) Stephen Hill  6’4″   215 LBS  GEORGIA TECH  4.36 40-YD DASH   133.0 INCH BROAD JUMP

Hill finds himself in a situation where he may be punished for the system in which he comes from. As a Yellow Jacket, playing in an option attack, opportunities for him to showcase his receiving skills were not abundant.

Yet, with that Speedy Gonzalez forty time at the combine and perhaps, the breakout success of Demaryius Thomas now outside of the exact same system shows it can be done. Combine Hill’s speed with his size and he will be a number one target in time.

6.) Nick Toon  6’2″   215 LBS   WISCONSIN   4.54 40-YD DASH   37.5 INCH VERTICAL JUMP

Here is another receiver who only found success after being blessed with an efficient quarterback. Toon was in an offense that epitomizes the ground and pound mentality. He runs strong routes and can contribute in the run game as a blocker and not become a liability. Being that he is the son of Wisconsin Hall of Famer and former New York Jet Pro Bowler Al Toon, I see him having the mind and ability to stick around for some time in the NFL.

7.) Rueben Randle  6’3″   210 LBS    LSU      4.55 40-YD DASH   31.0 INCH VERTICAL JUMP

Randle is yet another receiver coming out this year who just didn’t have enough opportunities throughout his collegiate career based on the offense in which his team ran.

Though Randle is not as polished as some of the others ranked above him at the position, his ability to catch the ball anywhere combined with his overall understanding of zones, coverages, and what it takes to win makes his value through the roof later in the draft.

SLEEPER NAMES WHO YOU MAY HEAR:

Joe Adams  5’11″   179 LBS   ARKANSAS 

Adams broke out his Senior season and proved to be a major contributor on a Top Ten offense and Team. He could find himself having success in a situation where he can play both Special Teams and in the slot because of his play-making ability, good hands, and overall speed.

Juron Criner  6’3″  224 LBS   ARIZONA

His career has been up and down but at times he has been as dominate as any receiver in college football. Criner’s great size and powerful athleticism will land him in the NFL, but, can his attitude and occasional disappearing act on the field be a thing of Juron’s past.

Dwight Jones  6’3″  230 LBS   UNC      &       Brian Quick   6’4″   220 LBS   APPALACHIAN STATE

Both of these receivers have the size that NFL teams are always looking for at the WR position.

Jones is very similar in college production and size to former UNC WR , standout Greg Little, who is now with the Cleveland Browns. Quick has all the potential in the world and will have to be in a perfect situation with a coach who knows how to develop young wide-outs. It wouldn’t hurt if they were teamed up with a Pro Bowl quarterback either, in fact they both could be productive as Rookies if in a scenario like that.