2012 NFL Draft: Patriots and 49ers

I'm going to pick players based on who I think the team will pick and I won't try to predict trades. I'll look back after the draft and check my accuracy.

Patriots

27: Harrison Smith, Safety, Notre Dame

Although Mark Barron is clearly the best safety in the draft, Smith isn't far behind and looks to be a pretty safe pick. Smith compliments Patrick Chung well with his coverage skills and is known to be a very smart player. Although the Patriots need pass rushers just as badly as safety, there seems to be far more pass rushing depth than there is safety depth.

31. Shea McClellin, Outside Linebacker, Boise State

McClellin is drawing many comparisons to old Pats favorites Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi. McClellin does a good job of setting the edge and has good versatility, as he should be able to play both 4-3 and 3-4 in the NFL. Although his ceiling may not be as high as players such as Nick Perry of USC or Whitney Mercilus of Illinois, he's far more polished than them and should be able to step in as a starter from day one.

49ers

30. Coby Fleener, Tight End, Stanford

I see this team looking to boost their offensive weapons as well as the guard position during the draft. General consensus is that there is only one first round rated guard, so I see them drafting an offensive weapon. I know fans want a receiver, but Smith isn't exactly very accurate down field. Look for them to give Alex Smith a Gronkowski-Hernandez type threat with Fleener teaming up with Vernon Davis.

*Note: If I were the Niners, I would try to get Weeden (QB). I know Weeden is in his late 20s, but he could solidify the quarterback position for six to eight years. Does Alex Smith even come close to maximizing Moss and Manningham?

By Arjun Parikh  

The Two Kings

Two men sit atop the food chain that is American sports. They've been the ones in recent years that control the headlines and not only are they the faces of their respective teams, sports, and leagues, but they're the kings of the American sports world.

Tom Brady is the NFL. He's part of the winningest QB-Coach combo in the NFL and plays for a franchise that's won three Super Bowls in the last decade and had perhaps the greatest season by a QB ever in 2007. He's got that image that Americans love, is married to Gisele and uses Gillette razors. Peyton Manning would share this seat with Brady if not for his injury, and I can see Aaron Rodgers taking over in the next few years.

He's the best player in baseball, he's young for a player that's accomplished what he has, and is well on his way to breaking records. He's Albert Pujols. He's got this foreign charm thing going with him and has a squeaky clean image. What I love is that he's been with the Cardinals for his whole career. He loses his seat if he leaves St. Louis for the money, and baseball will be faceless. Remember when A-Rod left Seattle? That's what would happen if Prince Albert left.

Yes, they call him King James, but can you really be a King in the sports world when you aren't even the most important on your own team. That's Wade. So, sorry to all of you LeBron fans, but he doesn't deserve a spot at the table. If Kevin Durant were in a larger market he'd be one, but he's not. Simple as that.

The EPL Class System

The last few years in the English Premier League (EPL) has created a clearly visible class system. Parity is seemingly gone and blowout scores are becoming commonplace even among the top few clubs (Man U - Arsenal 8 2, Man City - Tottenham 6 1, Man City - Man U 6 1, and Arsenal - Chelsea 5 3 just to name a few). I divided the EPL into 5 tiers:

Tier 1 - The Elite Clubs of Manchester

1. Manchester United

Yes, I know, City, not United is in first, but two months of dominance doesn't trump six years of dominance in England. A combination of great work in the transfer market (Ashley Young, Phil Jones) and strong youth development has set up United nicely for the future.

2. Manchester City

Money, money, money. That's it. City's 25th man is making as much per year as the San Jose Earthquakes players combined. This model will bring City a few trophies, but it's unsustainable. Their monstrous wages will catch up to them and City will fall back to the middle tiers within ten years.

Tier 2 - Man City Seven Years Later

3. Chelsea

Money, money, money... but what money buys gets old. Chelsea bought themselves a few trophies and it was fun for a while, but their stars are aging and it's going to be tough to dig themselves out without young stars. Aside from Daniel Sturridge and maybe Ramires the future looks bleak.

Tier 3 - By Other Ways

4. Arsenal

While Arsenal haven't won a trophy in six years, they've made the Champions League 14 straight years, which is a remarkable success considering the rigors of the Premier League. Stellar youth development is the key here, with young stars from the Academy always coming in to replace the departed. Don't worry, Arsenal faithful, a trophy will come.

5. Tottenham

Tottenham are a poor mans version of Arsenal. I don't think they'll ever be as good as Arsenal, but they're always going to be threat to the top 4. They play exciting soccer but at the moment they seem a little lucky, Modric, Bale, and van der Vaart won't be around forever. I see them falling a bit in the next few years.

6. Liverpool

I can't really read Liverpool right now. They signed players in the summer that are stars for middle class teams but only average against the big guns. Downing, Henderson, and Adam will never be as good as Nani or Gerrard (pre-injuries). At the moment, Liverpool seems destined to be a 4th-8th place quality team.

Tiers 4 and 5 coming soon.