montrose
04-11-2008, 10:19 AM
So here we go, my first mock draft – ever. It’s of the two round variety. In putting together my mock draft, I tried to take into account three factors that I don’t see other mock drafts address nearly enough. 1) Players shooting up the draft board – these are the guys that change an entire draft. 2) Runs on positions – mock drafters tend to focus too much on need when runs on positions often change selections. 3) Teams drafting tendencies – some teams like to reach for need, others to replace a veteran while some tend to go for splashy picks. I tried to use this philosophy along with my somewhat limited knowledge of these players (that has, however, increased tremendously as of late) while following my instincts based on previous drafts. I did not include any trades, which of course would change everything.
Round 1
1) Miami: Jake Long, OT, Michigan – I think they’re stuck at #1 and picking between the Longs, which ever comes cheaper will be the pick.
2) St. Louis: Chris Long, DE, Virginia – Long and Adam Carriker give the team two high motor DL to build around.
3) Atlanta: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU – They’ve addressed RB and I don’t think they like Ryan enough to take him here so they go BPA.
4) Oakland: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas – Vernon Gholston makes all the sense in the world here but Davis is going to go with the flashy pick.
5) Kansas City: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College – They’re not solid on Brodie Croyle, nor should they be. Knowing the rest of the division is loaded with young QB’s, Peterson elects to take Ryan and let another open competition ensue.
6) New York Jets: Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State – Eric Mangini is ecstatic to land this physical freak that can do a great deal in his 3-4 at OLB.
7) New England: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC – Conventional wisdom says they go CB to replace the losses of Asante Samuel and Randall Gay, however looking at the Patriots history, they value DL and OL too much to pass on Ellis.
8) Baltimore: Brenden Albert, G/OT, Virginia – Ozzie Newsome is a BPA kind of guy and is trying to rebuild the Ravens physical front. With Jared Gaither at LT, Albert at LG or RT and Ben Grubbs at RG; the team has a solid young foundation on the OL.
9) Cincinnati: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida – A player shooting up the draft charts, Miami is actually ready to open negotiations with him about being the #1 overall pick. Harvey can step in for the loss of Justin Smith.
10) New Orleans: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee – The draft’s fastest rising player would be an ideal fit for the Saints who have been in need of a franchise MLB for years.
11) Buffalo: Keith Rivers, LB, USC – Buffalo’s places a premium on LB’s and Rivers athleticism would be a great compliment to Paul Posluszny and Angelo Crowell.
12) Denver: DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal – And the Orange Mane sighs… With Mayo and Rivers gone, the Broncos go for a player who fits a need at WR while contributing immediately to a huge area of weakness over the past decade – the return game.
13) Carolina: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State – Jordan Gross only signed a one year deal and the team has had trouble protecting Jake Delhomme.
14) Chicago: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois – An OL makes sense the Bears love taking RB’s in round 1 and this local product would be a great fit in their scheme.
15) Detroit: Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State – The CB position was a huge weakness for them last year without Dre’ Bly, Rodgers-Cromartie should be starting by mid-season.
16) Arizona: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy – They could also go OL but need to shore up the CB spots from the mistake of taking Antrel Rolle.
17) Minnesota: Jeff Otah, OT, Utah – The Vikings have a history of loving big, mauling OL. Otah would improve their OL and give insurance if Bryant McKinney gets in trouble again.
18) Houston: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt – A perfect fit for the Alex Gibbs OL, Rick Smith knows Williams can sit behind Ephriam Salaam for a season before stepping in as the Texans LT for years to come.
19) Philadelphia: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State – Donovan McNabb is desperate for playmakers and Thomas fits the bill.
20) Tampa Bay: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma – The Bucs are another team in need of a WR and hope this Oklahoma wide out is more consistent than their current man, Michael Clayton.
21) Washington: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson – The Redskins need a DE and Merling is a great value at this spot.
22) Dallas: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas – The CB spot was a huge weakness for Dallas and Talib brings a playmaker to that spot. He has dropped because of character questions but if they’re looking at Pacman Jones, I don’t think they’d pass up on Talib.
23) Pittsburgh: Mike Jenkins, South Florida – The run on CB’s forces Pittsburgh to take a CB earlier than they’d like but the need to shore up a spot that’s been a weakness going back to their championship year.
24) Tennessee: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas – The Titans would love to give Vince Young a Texas WR and hope improving the talent at that spot gets Young playing better.
25) Seattle: Jonathan Stewart, Oregon – The local boy’s injury allows him to fall into Seattle’s lap, and I don’t think they’re sold on Julius Jones, TJ Duckett or Maurice Morris – nor should they be.
26) Jacksonville: Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC – The Jaguars are another team that puts great stock into the DL and Jackson is great value at this spot.
27) San Diego: Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College – They need help at the OT position and Cherilus is the type of mauler that would fit well. Stewart doesn’t drop farther than this spot.
28) Dallas: Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina – One of the first major surprises of the draft, Johnson is rising up the charts as fast as his 40 time. Jerry Jones take Johnson over Felix Jones because Johnson better compliments Marion Barber III.
29) San Francisco: Dan Connor LB, Penn State – They’d love a WR but elect to shore up the middle of their defense for the next decade with Connor joining Patrick Willis.
30) Green Bay: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech – Green Bay values CB’s highly and Charles Woodson and Al Harris aren’t getting any younger. Did you see the tail-whipping Plaxico Burress gave Harris?
31) New England: Forfeited for cheating
32) New York Giants: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami – This is a good spot to take a safety, which New York needs after losing Gabril Wilson.
Round 2
33) Miami: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina – Miami snags a 1st round talent and improves their DL after going OL with the 1st pick.
34) St. Louis: James Hardy, WR, Indiana – They need to replace Issac Bruce and Dante Hall won’t be returning kicks forever.
35) Atlanta: Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware – Flying up the draft boards to the #2 QB spot, Flacco could be starting by year’s end.
36) Kansas City: Pat Sims, DT, Auburn – The Chiefs have a love affair with 1st day DT’s that won’t end here.
37) New York Jets: Felix Jones, Arkansas – The Jets strong day continues as they land Jones, who should be a strong compliment to Thomas Jones.
38) Atlanta: Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona – They have a need at CB with DeAngelo Hall’s departure.
39) Baltimore: Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn – A Ravens-type player who is a great value in round 2 and fits into their scheme very well.
40) San Francisco: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan – Dropped to round 2 because of character issues and could even drop further. The 49ers have a huge need at WR.
41) New Orleans: Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma – The Saints get their CB one round later than expected.
42) Buffalo: Fred Davis, TE, USC – The Bills need a player to challenge safeties and split the defense.
43) Denver: Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska – The Broncos grab an OT project with great size and athleticism.
44) Carolina: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami – Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker are facing the downsides of their careers and the Panthers highly value DL.
45) Chicago: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville – The Bears grab a QB in round 2 who can take over for Rex Grossman in 2009.
46) Detroit: Dre Moore, Maryland – The Lions hope this large DT can replace their previous, large 2nd round DT, Shaun Rodgers.
47) Cincinnati: Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn – Marvin Lewis hopes Lee and Jonathan Joseph can solidify a very shaky CB spot.
48) Minnesota: Chad Henne, QB, Michigan – I don’t buy that they’re sold on Tavaris Jackson and Henne is a smart guy who can run Brad Childress’ scheme.
49) Atlanta: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue – Keller gives the Falcons a replacement for Alge Crumpler and gives Flacco a safety valve.
50) Philadelphia: Justin King, CB, Penn State – The Eagles are expected to deal Lito Sheppard and they place a high value on the CB spot. King is a local kid who’s a great athlete.
51) Arizona: Sam Baker, OT, USC – With Baker, the Cardinals hope he and Levi Brown can give Matt Leinart the protection to take advantage of those great WR’s.
52) Washington: Early Doucett, WR, LSU – The Redskins have a need at WR and Doucett would be a nice value in round 2.
53) Tampa Bay: Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa – Ronde Barber can’t play forever and Godfrey is a fast rising player.
54) Pittsburgh: Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma – Their MLB’s are getting older and Lofton is a hard-hitting, Pittsburgh-type player.
55) Tennessee: Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame – The Titans love DL and Laws would be a good compliment to Albert Haynesworth.
56) Seattle: Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt – They need to replace DJ Hackett and Bennett would be a great fit in their system.
57) Green Bay: Tyrell Johnson, S, Arkansas State – Johnson gives the Packers a safety to groom next to Atari Bigbi.
58) Miami: Cliff Avril, LB, Purdue – Avril is a tremendous athlete with good size who would work well in Miami’s 3-4 scheme across from Joey Porter.
59) Jacksonville: DaJuan Morgan, FS, NC State – Sammy Knight is getting older and Morgan could team with Reggie Nelson to form a strong safety core.
60) Indianapolis: Chilo Rachal, G, USC – The Colts favor interior OL as much as exterior and Rachal would bring solid depth and a future starter.
61) Green Bay: Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M – The Packers need to replace Corey Williams and hope Bryant and a developed Justin Harrell fortify the middle of their DL to protect Nick Barnett.
62) Dallas: Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida – Dallas needs a WR and Caldwell as the speed that Jerry Jones loves.
63) New England: Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State – Barrett and the recently signed Tank Williams gives the Pats some young insurance behind Rodney Harrison.
64) New York Giants: Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan – The Giants greatly value DE’s and with Michael Strahan on his way to retirement soon and Osi Umenyiora in a contract struggle, the G-Men bring in another DE and move Mathias Kiwanuka back to his natural spot.
Round 1
1) Miami: Jake Long, OT, Michigan – I think they’re stuck at #1 and picking between the Longs, which ever comes cheaper will be the pick.
2) St. Louis: Chris Long, DE, Virginia – Long and Adam Carriker give the team two high motor DL to build around.
3) Atlanta: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU – They’ve addressed RB and I don’t think they like Ryan enough to take him here so they go BPA.
4) Oakland: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas – Vernon Gholston makes all the sense in the world here but Davis is going to go with the flashy pick.
5) Kansas City: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College – They’re not solid on Brodie Croyle, nor should they be. Knowing the rest of the division is loaded with young QB’s, Peterson elects to take Ryan and let another open competition ensue.
6) New York Jets: Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State – Eric Mangini is ecstatic to land this physical freak that can do a great deal in his 3-4 at OLB.
7) New England: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC – Conventional wisdom says they go CB to replace the losses of Asante Samuel and Randall Gay, however looking at the Patriots history, they value DL and OL too much to pass on Ellis.
8) Baltimore: Brenden Albert, G/OT, Virginia – Ozzie Newsome is a BPA kind of guy and is trying to rebuild the Ravens physical front. With Jared Gaither at LT, Albert at LG or RT and Ben Grubbs at RG; the team has a solid young foundation on the OL.
9) Cincinnati: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida – A player shooting up the draft charts, Miami is actually ready to open negotiations with him about being the #1 overall pick. Harvey can step in for the loss of Justin Smith.
10) New Orleans: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee – The draft’s fastest rising player would be an ideal fit for the Saints who have been in need of a franchise MLB for years.
11) Buffalo: Keith Rivers, LB, USC – Buffalo’s places a premium on LB’s and Rivers athleticism would be a great compliment to Paul Posluszny and Angelo Crowell.
12) Denver: DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal – And the Orange Mane sighs… With Mayo and Rivers gone, the Broncos go for a player who fits a need at WR while contributing immediately to a huge area of weakness over the past decade – the return game.
13) Carolina: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State – Jordan Gross only signed a one year deal and the team has had trouble protecting Jake Delhomme.
14) Chicago: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois – An OL makes sense the Bears love taking RB’s in round 1 and this local product would be a great fit in their scheme.
15) Detroit: Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State – The CB position was a huge weakness for them last year without Dre’ Bly, Rodgers-Cromartie should be starting by mid-season.
16) Arizona: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy – They could also go OL but need to shore up the CB spots from the mistake of taking Antrel Rolle.
17) Minnesota: Jeff Otah, OT, Utah – The Vikings have a history of loving big, mauling OL. Otah would improve their OL and give insurance if Bryant McKinney gets in trouble again.
18) Houston: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt – A perfect fit for the Alex Gibbs OL, Rick Smith knows Williams can sit behind Ephriam Salaam for a season before stepping in as the Texans LT for years to come.
19) Philadelphia: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State – Donovan McNabb is desperate for playmakers and Thomas fits the bill.
20) Tampa Bay: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma – The Bucs are another team in need of a WR and hope this Oklahoma wide out is more consistent than their current man, Michael Clayton.
21) Washington: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson – The Redskins need a DE and Merling is a great value at this spot.
22) Dallas: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas – The CB spot was a huge weakness for Dallas and Talib brings a playmaker to that spot. He has dropped because of character questions but if they’re looking at Pacman Jones, I don’t think they’d pass up on Talib.
23) Pittsburgh: Mike Jenkins, South Florida – The run on CB’s forces Pittsburgh to take a CB earlier than they’d like but the need to shore up a spot that’s been a weakness going back to their championship year.
24) Tennessee: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas – The Titans would love to give Vince Young a Texas WR and hope improving the talent at that spot gets Young playing better.
25) Seattle: Jonathan Stewart, Oregon – The local boy’s injury allows him to fall into Seattle’s lap, and I don’t think they’re sold on Julius Jones, TJ Duckett or Maurice Morris – nor should they be.
26) Jacksonville: Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC – The Jaguars are another team that puts great stock into the DL and Jackson is great value at this spot.
27) San Diego: Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College – They need help at the OT position and Cherilus is the type of mauler that would fit well. Stewart doesn’t drop farther than this spot.
28) Dallas: Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina – One of the first major surprises of the draft, Johnson is rising up the charts as fast as his 40 time. Jerry Jones take Johnson over Felix Jones because Johnson better compliments Marion Barber III.
29) San Francisco: Dan Connor LB, Penn State – They’d love a WR but elect to shore up the middle of their defense for the next decade with Connor joining Patrick Willis.
30) Green Bay: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech – Green Bay values CB’s highly and Charles Woodson and Al Harris aren’t getting any younger. Did you see the tail-whipping Plaxico Burress gave Harris?
31) New England: Forfeited for cheating
32) New York Giants: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami – This is a good spot to take a safety, which New York needs after losing Gabril Wilson.
Round 2
33) Miami: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina – Miami snags a 1st round talent and improves their DL after going OL with the 1st pick.
34) St. Louis: James Hardy, WR, Indiana – They need to replace Issac Bruce and Dante Hall won’t be returning kicks forever.
35) Atlanta: Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware – Flying up the draft boards to the #2 QB spot, Flacco could be starting by year’s end.
36) Kansas City: Pat Sims, DT, Auburn – The Chiefs have a love affair with 1st day DT’s that won’t end here.
37) New York Jets: Felix Jones, Arkansas – The Jets strong day continues as they land Jones, who should be a strong compliment to Thomas Jones.
38) Atlanta: Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona – They have a need at CB with DeAngelo Hall’s departure.
39) Baltimore: Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn – A Ravens-type player who is a great value in round 2 and fits into their scheme very well.
40) San Francisco: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan – Dropped to round 2 because of character issues and could even drop further. The 49ers have a huge need at WR.
41) New Orleans: Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma – The Saints get their CB one round later than expected.
42) Buffalo: Fred Davis, TE, USC – The Bills need a player to challenge safeties and split the defense.
43) Denver: Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska – The Broncos grab an OT project with great size and athleticism.
44) Carolina: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami – Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker are facing the downsides of their careers and the Panthers highly value DL.
45) Chicago: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville – The Bears grab a QB in round 2 who can take over for Rex Grossman in 2009.
46) Detroit: Dre Moore, Maryland – The Lions hope this large DT can replace their previous, large 2nd round DT, Shaun Rodgers.
47) Cincinnati: Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn – Marvin Lewis hopes Lee and Jonathan Joseph can solidify a very shaky CB spot.
48) Minnesota: Chad Henne, QB, Michigan – I don’t buy that they’re sold on Tavaris Jackson and Henne is a smart guy who can run Brad Childress’ scheme.
49) Atlanta: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue – Keller gives the Falcons a replacement for Alge Crumpler and gives Flacco a safety valve.
50) Philadelphia: Justin King, CB, Penn State – The Eagles are expected to deal Lito Sheppard and they place a high value on the CB spot. King is a local kid who’s a great athlete.
51) Arizona: Sam Baker, OT, USC – With Baker, the Cardinals hope he and Levi Brown can give Matt Leinart the protection to take advantage of those great WR’s.
52) Washington: Early Doucett, WR, LSU – The Redskins have a need at WR and Doucett would be a nice value in round 2.
53) Tampa Bay: Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa – Ronde Barber can’t play forever and Godfrey is a fast rising player.
54) Pittsburgh: Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma – Their MLB’s are getting older and Lofton is a hard-hitting, Pittsburgh-type player.
55) Tennessee: Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame – The Titans love DL and Laws would be a good compliment to Albert Haynesworth.
56) Seattle: Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt – They need to replace DJ Hackett and Bennett would be a great fit in their system.
57) Green Bay: Tyrell Johnson, S, Arkansas State – Johnson gives the Packers a safety to groom next to Atari Bigbi.
58) Miami: Cliff Avril, LB, Purdue – Avril is a tremendous athlete with good size who would work well in Miami’s 3-4 scheme across from Joey Porter.
59) Jacksonville: DaJuan Morgan, FS, NC State – Sammy Knight is getting older and Morgan could team with Reggie Nelson to form a strong safety core.
60) Indianapolis: Chilo Rachal, G, USC – The Colts favor interior OL as much as exterior and Rachal would bring solid depth and a future starter.
61) Green Bay: Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M – The Packers need to replace Corey Williams and hope Bryant and a developed Justin Harrell fortify the middle of their DL to protect Nick Barnett.
62) Dallas: Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida – Dallas needs a WR and Caldwell as the speed that Jerry Jones loves.
63) New England: Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State – Barrett and the recently signed Tank Williams gives the Pats some young insurance behind Rodney Harrison.
64) New York Giants: Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan – The Giants greatly value DE’s and with Michael Strahan on his way to retirement soon and Osi Umenyiora in a contract struggle, the G-Men bring in another DE and move Mathias Kiwanuka back to his natural spot.