Draft and the hole

[Aliencowboy]

Good safeties should be available to clog that touchdown sucking hole
in the secondary. Here are some first round prospects from
Nflcountdown: Reggie Nelson, LeRon Landry, Michael Griffin are good prospects. Unless Dallas ends up in the Superbowl, they should have a shot at one.



REGGIE NELSON

S | Florida | Scouting Report

Last offseason the Falcons completely made over the safety position and brought in Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker to be their new starters. Even though that duo has certainly been an improvement over what they had there is still basically little or no depth and Milloy is nearing the end of his career so it might be time to bring in a youngster. Reggie Nelson has seemingly come out of nowhere this year and he has quickly become the premier playmaker among college defensive backs and seen his draft stock soar as a result. A junior who is leaning towards coming out, some feel that Nelson could also play corner in the NFL and that versatility will help his cause.

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ILB | Ole Miss | Scouting Report

There were already some pretty big questions about the Panthers linebackers (i.e. Na'il Diggs) but with the long-term future and playing career of Dan Morgan now in serious doubt due to repeated concussions the position has now become a major concern. Patrick Willis is athletic and a big hitter who has been as productive of a linebacker as you will find the past couple years. Even though this might be a slight reach "P-Willie" would be a good fit here and he could potentially help out either inside or outside depending on Morgan's health. Teaming Willis with Thomas Davis and perhaps Morgan would give Carolina a top linebacking corp for years to come.

18. PHILADELPHIA EAGLESLARON LANDRY

S | L.S.U. | Scouting Report

One of the big storylines of the Eagles 2006 season has been the drastic decline in play of safety Michael Lewis, who was once considered to be one of the best young players at his position in the entire league but is now just a backup. Lewis is set to become a free agent and Sean Considine is ill suited to be a starter so Philly might very well be in the market for a top safety this upcoming offseason. LaRon Landry is a playmaker in every sense of the word and teaming him with Brian Dawkins would rejuvenate the Eagles deep patrol. Linebacker is also a need and local hero Paul Posluszny would make sense too but safety is a more pressing concern right now.

19. NEW YORK GIANTSMARCUS MCCAULEY

CB | Fresno St. | Scouting Report

Despite their best efforts to upgrade the secondary last offseason their pass defense still ranks in the bottom half of the league and most of the veterans they brought in don't have much left in the tank. Needless to say an infusion of talent wouldn't hurt so if there is a top cornerback available they might just pounce on him. Marcus McCauley has struggled mightily at times as a senior but he's a better prospect than Richard Marshall (who's playing very well for the Carolina Panthers) was last year and his rare blend of size (6-1, 205) and speed (4.3) should help him find a home in Round 1 despite his subpar final season. In fact, this may be a steal.

20. NEW YORK JETSMARSHAWN LYNCH

RB | California | Scouting Report

Regardless of whether Curtis Martin retires or not his career as a starting running back in the NFL is over and the Jets desperately need an upgrade over the likes of Kevan Barlow, Derrick Blalock, Cedric Houston and Leon Washington. Lynch has been very productive throughout his career and is a dynamic big play threat who can take it the distance at any time. In the first year under a new regime the Jets devoted the vast majority of their Draft Day attention to lunch pail guys (i.e. two offensive linemen in round one) but the time is right to bring in some skill position talent and Lynch would be a good pick at this point. Never rule out defense though.

21. KANSAS CITY CHIEFSDWAYNE JARRETT

WR | USC | Scouting Report

For years now the Chiefs have boasted a high-powered passing attack despite not having a true #1 wide receiver but it might be time to change that. After taking care of their defense the past couple of offseasons Kansas City may be in the market for a wideout since Samie Parker hasn't stepped up as they hoped and there isn't much depth to speak of. A prolific wideout since his true freshman season, Dwayne Jarrett has outstanding size and a real knack for getting in the end zone so despite his lack of blazing timed speed and the comparisons to Mike Williams he could very easily go higher than this and become the elite pro player that Williams was supposed to be.

22. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSBRIAN BROHM

QB | Louisville | Scouting Report

Seeing Brohm this low will probably come as a shock to many but the reason for his fall is two-fold. First of all he really isn't as good of a prospect as some have made him out to be and the consensus in scouting circles is that JaMarcus Russell, not Brohm, would be the second quarterback drafted this year. The second reason is just lack of teams between picks 14 and 22 with a glaring need at quarterback. With Byron Leftwich falling out of favor and David Garrard not seizing the starting job it looks like the Jaguars will be in the market for a new quarterback in the near future so to acquire Brohm, who could be a Top 5 pick in 2008, here would be ideal.

23. DENVER BRONCOSRAY MCDONALD

DE | Florida | Scouting Report

Last year Denver was widely panned for their decision to patch the defensive line with Cleveland Brown castoffs like Gerard Warren and Courtney Brown but you have to give credit where it is due because in the end those moves worked out pretty well. However the Broncos still lack a dynamic presence up front, especially at end where Brown continues to battle the injury bug and guys like Ekuban, Lang and Engelberger all leave something to be desired as starters at the professional level and Elvis Dumervil is more of a situational guy. Ray McDonald is a bit of a 'tweener who could see action at either end or tackle and he's seen his stock soar this year.

24. CINCINNATI BENGALSDEMARCUS TYLER

DT | North Carolina St. | Scouting Report

Despite bringing in veteran Sam Adams the Bengals are still among the worst rush defenses in the league and are giving up over 120 yards per game on the ground, which just isn't acceptable for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The big problem for Cincy is that while they have a bunch of solid players on the defensive line they don't have any real impact players or difference makers so the time may be right to invest a first rounder in the position. There isn't a player in the country has helped himself more than "Tank" Tyler this season and he might now be a first round pick next April, just like Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo were in 2006.

25. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (f/SEA)MICHAEL GRIFFIN

S | Texas | Scouting Report

It seems like every year the secondary is pinpointed as a major need for the Pats yet for the most part they still haven't addressed it but the day is coming where they will have to add some help in the deep patrol. After a slew of recent injuries Rodney Harrison doesn't have much left in the tank and while James Sanders was slated to take over a starting safety job the team has seemed to sour on his future prospects so as of right now they don't have Harrison's replacement on the roster. Michael Griffin is a tackling machine, a lights out hitter and a top special teamer who would be a nice fit here and give the Pats the top young defensive back they need.

26. DALLAS COWBOYSLEVI BROWN

OT | Penn St. | Scouting Report

The offensive line is without question the biggest problem area in Big D and the fact that Marc Colombo is starting for them speaks volumes about the state of that group. Levi Brown is a mountain of a man at 6-5 and 325 pounds and while he could potentially play left tackle in the pros like he does for the Nittany Lions he'd be of greater service replacing Colombo on the right side for the Cowboys. This may be just a slight reach but when you are as desperate for offensive line help as Dallas is you tend to do whatever is necessary to bring in help even if it means taking a guy like Brown ten spots early then so be it, although Justin Blalock would work as well.

27. NEW ORLEANS SAINTSPAUL POSLUSZNY

OLB | Penn St. | Scouting Report

It's a little known fact that last year the Saints were prepared to take A.J. Hawk with the #2 overall pick in the draft before Reggie Bush unexpectedly fell into their laps. That should tell you how badly they want to address the position so they would have to be overjoyed to land a poor-man's Hawk like "Puz". At times their linebackers have played okay this year but the bottom line is that they are just a bunch of journeymen and the team needs to add a front line talent. Many have called Paul Posluszny one of the best linebackers that the Nittany Lions have ever produced and considering the schools reputation that is really saying something.

28. BALTIMORE RAVENSANTHONY SPENCER

DE | Purdue | Scouting Report

Top to bottom the Ravens might have the deepest, most talented roster in the league and as a result trying to pinpoint a glaring need for them is difficult. An area that could become a concern however is linebacker, especially when you consider that their underrated defensive playmaker Adalius Thomas is set to become an unrestricted agent and might not be back next year. In college Anthony Spencer plays defensive end but he's undersized and would be an ideal candidate to make the move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme due to his athleticism. Spencer's stock is really on the rise thanks to a strong senior campaign so this is a good fit.

29. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSJEFF SAMARDZIJA

WR | Notre Dame | Scouting Report

The Pats received a first rounder from Seattle for Deion Branch so why not use one to bring in another wide receiver? "The Shark" is a great athlete with ideal size, good hands and tremendous body control and you just can't underestimate the connection that he has with the Patriots, having been coaching by Bill Belichick's former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis for the past two years. Samardzija also plays minor league baseball for the Chicago Cubs which could affect his draft stock but he is a legitimate first round talent if he opts for a career on the gridiron rather than one on the diamond. At this point however that still remains a very big "if".

30. SAN DIEGO CHARGERSSIDNEY RICE

WR | South Carolina | Scouting Report

The phrase that probably best describes the San Diego Chargers group of wide receivers is solid but unspectacular. Keenan McCardell is very reliable but beyond him the team has very little to get excited about and really lacks a true #1 option. Although he is just a sophomore Sidney Rice redshirted in 2004 and has been out of high school for three years which means technically he could enter this draft if he so chooses. Physically Rice has just about everything that you look for in a top receiver including outstanding size, hands and ball skills and while there are certainly some question marks the potential rewards probably outweigh all the risks at this point.




2007 NFL Mock Draft Links - Other mock drafts from around the web. Always updated.


31. CHICAGO BEARSZACH MILLER

TE | Arizona St. | Scouting Report

Even though they already have one of the best defenses in the entire league the Bears used almost their entire 2006 Draft to bolster that side of the ball, ignoring a porous offense. Maybe that will turn out to be the right decision and maybe it won't but one way or another Chicago is going to have to add some impact players in the passing game and one position that is going to have to be upgraded is tight end, where Desmond Clark is solid but average. After bursting onto the scene as a true freshman in 2004 Zach Miller has been one of the most productive tight ends in the college game and would give the Bears a top pass catching threat at the position.

32. INDIANAPOLIS COLTSBUSTER DAVIS

ILB | Florida St. | Scouting Report

The only explanation needed for this pick are the names of Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington and David Thornton, all outside linebackers who Indy let flee when they became free agents. With Cato June due to hit the open market and Gilbert Gardner struggling it would appear to be safe to say that linebacker is the Colt's greatest need and even though they historically haven't addressed the position in the early rounds you can never say never. A versatile guy who is able to play either inside or outside, Buster Davis had a great senior season and even though he doesn't have the ideal height that you look for it really won't matter in Indy's defensive scheme.

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

 

[Future]

This didnt make much sense to me, but I do like Reggie Nelson from Fla. The little I've seen of him he seems more than able to cover receivers man-to-man. Should be the ball hawking type we are looking for.

 

[DragonCowboy]

I thought Columbo was one of our better OL?

 

[dbair1967]

just fix the hole on the sideline when it comes to game planning and scheme on the defensive side of the ball, and all will be fine

if they dont change one single player they'd still improve by leaps and bounds with someone who was more bright and creative

David

 

[Rampage]

yeah lets draft a fs again. it worked out great last time try free agency

 

[parchy]

Every year these predictions have us taking an OT in the first round and every year they're dead wrong.

 

[Clarkson]

we need a first round FS. Ive read Griffin is more of a SS like Roy. Not sure though

 

[Natedawg44]

I would rather have the best available veteran FS. We need the FS position to be solid NOW, not one or two or three years from now if we draft a rookie as we often hear from the Carpenter defenders.

 

[jrumann59]

OL in the 1st round is a stretch unless he is an all universe left tackle. Oh wait thats been done a la Gallery. OL talent is too subjective almost as hard as gauging a young QB.

 

[Common Sense]

That's a pretty bad mock, IMO.

 

[Natedawg44]

Too early for a mock, that being said I'd rather we have Sidney Rice.

 

[PrimeTime22]

Right now I don't think we'd have a shot at Reggie Nelson, I think he'll probably go in the top half of the first round.

 

[cnhnyy]

All I can say is that this is a pretty weak draft. You take the best player in the first round in a weak draft. I mean, we need upgrade/good backups in almost all the postions other than RB/TE. You can reach a little in N0.2 and No.3 (OL and Safety).

 

[Phrozen Phil]

Even though this article is noted as updated on December 6th, the reality is that most of it was posted well before that. Let's get real about the draft. THe Cowboys have shown in this past year that they establish a draft board and take the best player available, according to that board. In this year, we have no reason to expect anything different. This team finally has some depth at various positions (especially LB) and will look to to the strength of this draft. I personally think that the best value when the Boys pick might be at CB or WR. Drafting to need often results in reaching and is rarely a good long-term strategy. In Ireland I trust!