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Rick Gosselin's Final Mock Draft
08:10 PM CDT on Friday, April 28, 2006
Team No. Selection Pos. School
Houston
Texans Team needs: Pass rusher, Blockers, Blockers, Blockers…
1 Mario Williams DE North Carolina State
Comment: Deciding the NFL's 31st ranked defense needed more help than the 30th ranked offense, the Texans pass over Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Reggie Bush and take the best defensive player on the board. Williams is the prototype strongside end and gives the NFL’s worst run defense 295 pounds of resistance.
New Orleans
Saints Team needs: Pass rusher, OT, G
2 Reggie Bush HB Southern Cal
Comment: In signing Williams on Friday night, the Texans may have given the New Orleans Saints the greatest draft-day gift since 1977 when Tony Dorsett, another Heisman Trophy winner, fell to the Cowboys at the second overall pick. Bush was the top player on the draft board of 21 of 26 NFL teams polled by The Dallas Morning News this month.
Tennessee
Titans Team needs: QB, MLB, WR
3 Vince Young QB Texas
Comment: The Titans need a replacement for aging Steve McNair, and Young comes from the same mold. Titans GM Floyd Reese drafted McNair and loved the results. Young will need patience while he develops a pocket presence, but the Titans waited almost two years on McNair. The Tennessee coaches have been campaigning for Matt Leinart.
New York
Jets Team needs: QB, OT, LB, CB
4 D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia
Comment: The pressing need is for an offensive tackle. But can the Jets pass up a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback (Matt Leinart)? This is a franchise that signed Joe Namath for the value he brought to their marquee. The Jets can get by with Patrick Ramsey at quarterback. But they can't get by right now with what they have at tackle.
Green Bay
Packers Team needs: G, LB, DL, WR
5 A.J. Hawk LB Ohio State
Comment: The Packers like players who know how to play in cold weather. Hawk excelled in the cold in the Big Ten and qualifies as a no-brainer at this draft slot. He has the fewest holes of any player on this draft board. He was a great player in high school, a great player in college and he'll be a Pro Bowl linebacker in the NFL.
San
Francisco
49ers Team needs: Offensive playmakers, C, LB
6 Vernon Davis TE Maryland
Comment: Rookie quarterback Alex Smith was sacked 29 times and threw 11 interceptions in his seven starts. The 49ers need to find him a safety valve receiver – someone who can be his hot read when defenses blitz. Davis would give the 49ers first downs and more – with a 4.38 40-yard dash time, he plays the game with wideout speed.
Oakland
Raiders Team needs: Defensive playmakers, C, DT
7 Michael Huff S Texas
Comment: The Raiders are in need of a defensive playmaker. The lack of defensive plays led to that 4-12 finish in 2005. Oakland intercepted a league-low five passes and forced just 19 turnovers. AFC West winner Denver forced 36. Huff returned a school-record four of his seven career interceptions for touchdowns.
Buffalo
Bills Team needs: Safety, DT, a couple OL
8 Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
Comment: Several teams behind the Bills covet Bunkley, so both the Raiders and Bills will have the chance to trade out of their draft spots. Buffalo needs help up front. The Bills ranked 29th in total defense and 31st against the run last season. Bunkley is the best inside pass rusher in this draft and a 306-pound commitment to run defense.
Detroit
Lions Team needs: DT, Safety, OL
9 Ernie Sims LB Florida State
Comment: New head coach Rod Marinelli spent the last decade of his life helping to build a championship defense in Tampa Bay. Defense wins championships – and Detroit's 20th-ranked defense needs a lot of work to reach that point. Sims has been compared to Derrick Brooks. Marinelli more than anyone can appreciate that comparison.
Arizona
Cardinals Team needs: CB, DT, OL, QB
10 Matt Leinart QB Southern California
Comment: In 1999, when Dennis Green was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Daunte Culpepper slid to him at the 11th overall pick of the draft. Offensive advocate that he is, Green will never let quality offense slide past him even when he's looking for defense. Leinart would be a gift here with an aging quarterback (Kurt Warner) in place.
St. Louis
Rams Team needs: Defensive size, DT, Safety
11 Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
Comment: The Rams want defense desperately with this pick. But a sliding Cutler poses quite the dilemma for new head coach Scott Linehan, an offensive guru and quarterback maker. Cutler could be to this draft what Ben Roethlisberger was to the 2004 draft. He has the strongest arm of the three elite QBs in this draft.
Cleveland
Browns Team needs: Defensive front seven: DE, DT, LB
12 Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State
Comment: Romeo Crennel, like his old bosses Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, wants to build a team that wins on defense. You do that by building the front seven. The Browns ranked 30th in run defense and 32nd in sacks last season. Wimbley would address the pass rush. He was an end in college who'd become a linebacker in Cleveland's 3-4.
Baltimore
Ravens Team needs: Safety, nickel CB, ILB, blocking TE
13 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
Comment: Ray Lewis has been complaining this month about the Ravens not protecting him in the scheme with quality linemen. He wants to run freely to the ball – but too many blockers are getting out on him. Ngata would be a magnet for blockers. He's the biggest tackle in the draft (338 pounds) and would pump up the NFL's No. 9 run defense.
Philadelphia
Eagles Team needs: DT, OT, nickel CB, LB
14 Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State
Comment: The Eagles need to fortify the offensive and defensive lines. But with Terrell Owens signing with Dallas and Plaxico Burress playing in New York, the Eagles better find a big physical corner who can match up with those offensive giants if Philadelphia is to once again contend for an NFC East title. Cromartie goes 6-2, 208.
Denver
Broncos Team needs: Safety, Pass rusher, RB
15 Manny Lawson DE North Carolina State
Comment: The pressing need is at wide receiver and running back – but this is too high for a wideout and Mike Shanahan historically finds runners in the middle rounds. The Broncos came up empty this offseason in bids to land pass rushers Andre Carter and John Abraham. Lawson would address a punch-less Denver pass rush (28 sacks in 2005).
Miami
Dolphins Team needs: OL, DL, DB, WR
16 Bobby Carpenter LB Ohio State
Comment: Weakside pass rushers abound on every draft board. But the quality strongside linebackers are a scarce commodity. Shawne Merriman was the prototype strongside backer in the 2005 draft and he became Defensive Rookie of the Year. At 256 pounds, Carpenter is the one linebacker on this draft board who can line up on the strong side.
Minnesota
Vikings Team needs: QB, LB, Pass rusher
17 Chad Greenway LB Minnesota
Comment: The Vikings are another team with multiple defensive needs. Quarterback also is a priority, and Minnesota may try to move up for either Leinart or Cutler if they slide into the teens. Failing there, defense would be the need and Greenway the fit. He's from South Dakota, so he'd be a popular local pick as well.
Dallas
Cowboys Team needs: Safety, WR, OL, Pass rusher
18 Donte Whitner S Ohio State
Comment: The Cowboys had hoped to draft a defensive front seven player, but the board has already been picked over with four outside linebackers, three ends and two tackles gone. The best defensive value on the board – and also an area of need – is safety, where Whitner could provide the Cowboys a player with ball skills.
San Diego
Chargers Team needs: OT, CB, LB
19 Marcus McNeill OT Auburn
Comment: The Chargers need a left tackle and it's a toss up between McNeill and Winston Justice. McNeill (6-7, 336) is bigger and more ready to play than Justice. McNeill started four years at Auburn and won the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker in the SEC. He did not allow a sack in the final 41 games of his college career.
Kansas City
Chiefs Team needs: CB, Pass rusher, QB, WR
20 Tamba Hali DE Penn State
Comment: The Chiefs have one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL, managing only 29 sacks in 2005. Hali led the Big Ten in sacks last season with 11 and is one of the few weakside ends with any bulk in this draft. His 275 pounds will come in handy against LaDainian Tomlinson, Lamont Jordan and Tatum Bell in the AFC West.
New
England
Patriots Team needs: DL, OL, CB, RB
21 Richard Marshall CB Fresno State
Comment: Like the Cowboys, the Patriots were hoping for a defensive front seven addition. But with an empty board, New England must look elsewhere. Fresno State coach Pat Hill once worked for Bill Belichick. The Patriots want to know what they are getting on draft day. They know the quality they'd be getting in a Fresno State corner.
San
Francisco
49ers Team needs: Offensive playmakers, C, LB
22 Jimmy Williams CB Virginia Tech
Comment: The 49ers wanted to go defense at 6 but Vernon Davis was too good a value to pass up. Defense figures to rule the rest of the first day, though. Williams was the top corner on several NFL draft boards. He's got the size (6-2, 213) to cover the big receivers and the speed (4.41) to cover the little ones.
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers Team needs: OT, Safety, CB, WR
23 Winston Justice OT Southern California
Comment: The Bucs now have a back capable of a 1,500-yard rushing season in Carnell Williams. Tampa Bay now must build a line capable of delivering those yards. Justice played right tackle at Southern California, which makes him a great fit because quarterback Chris Simms is left-handed. The right side would be his blind side.
Cincinnati
Bengals Team needs: Safety, Pass rusher, TE, OL
24 Jason Allen S Tennessee
Comment: One of the buzz words in this draft season has been "coverage safety." Everyone seems to want a safety who can walk up to the line and cover a slot receiver. Allen is among the best on this draft board. He has safety size (6-10, 209) and cornerback speed (4.39). The NFL's 26th-ranked pass defense can use him.
New York
Giants Team needs: LB, CB, WR
25 Tye Hill CB Clemson
Comment: New York's best cornerback Will Allen left for Miami in free agency this offseason, so coverage is the area of greatest concern in this draft. Hill is only 5-9, which is why he's still on the draft board this late into the round. But he has 4.30 speed and broke up 35 career passes at Clemson.
Chicago
Bears Team needs: CB, TE, KR, DL
26 Nick Mangold C Ohio State
Comment: Coming off an 11-5 season with a young team, the Bears are in a position to take the best player that slides to them. That would be Mangold, one of the safest picks in this draft. The only knock on him is his position. Centers don't generally go high in drafts. He's been described as a Mark Stepnoski with a bit more size.
Carolina
Panthers Team needs: RB, WLB, Safety, nickel CB
27 Laurence Maroney HB Minnesota
Comment: The Panthers cut Stephen Davis this offseason and enter the draft with a pressing need at running back. Surprisingly, the second running back in the draft has slid to them. But is it Maroney ... or LenDale White ... or DeAngelo Williams ... or Joe Addai? Coach John Fox likes power backs with some speed and Maroney best fits that profile.
Jacksonville
Jaguars Team needs: LB, CB, OL
28 LenDale White HB Southern California
Comment: The Jaguars have grown weary of trying to keep Fred Taylor on the field for 16 Sundays each fall. He's not getting younger. Jacksonville needs a hammer on the ground to take some of the heat off quarterback Byron Leftwich. White is sliding – but the Southern California alum who coaches the Jaguars, Jack Del Rio, will end his slide here.
New York
Jets Team needs: QB, OT, LB, CB
29 DeAngelo Williams HB Memphis
Comment: Curtis Martin hit the wall last season at the age of 32. So like the Panthers and Jaguars just ahead of them this round, the Jets have an immediate opening at running back. And like the Panthers and Jaguars, an elite running back slides to them. Williams is the fourth all-time leading rusher in NCAA history.
Indianapolis
Colts Team needs: RB, CB, LB, KR
30 Joe Addai HB LSU
Comment: The Colts lost Edgerrin James in free agency. So Indianapolis also has an immediate opening at running back and makes it four backs in a row this round by selecting Addai. He's an elite receiver (66 career catches) and pass protector, which is ideal for a Peyton Manning offense. He also averaged 5.3 yards per career carry.
Seattle
Seahawks Team needs: CB, DE, TE
31 Johnathan Joseph CB South Carolina
Comment: The Seahawks are the defending NFC champions but not a team without holes, ranking 25th in the NFL in pass defense. You can't have enough covermen in a division with Arizona and St. Louis. Joseph is one of the four elite corners on this draft. He has 4.31 speed and been compared to Seattle's own Marcus Trufant.
Pittsburgh
Steelers Team needs: WR, Safety, KR, RB
32 Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
Comment: The Steelers lost Antwan Randle El in free agency, so wide receiver is the only real hole on the defending Super Bowl champions. As luck would have it, the entire wide receiver board has slid to the Steelers – Holmes, Chad Jackson and Sinorice Moss are all available. Holmes has 4.34 speed and, like Randle El, returns kicks.
Atlanta
Falcons Team needs: S, RB, DE
47 Jerious Norwood HB Mississippi State
Comment: The Falcons have cooled on T.J. Duckett and need fresh legs to keep the NFL's best rushing attack atop the statistical chart. The Falcons are fast with Warrick Dunn and Mike Vick – and Norwood can make them faster. He has 4.42 speed and used it to become Mississippi State's all-time leading rusher.
Washington
Commanders Team needs: LB, DT, TE
53 Daryn Colledge OT Boise State
Comment: The Commanders address all their needs in free agency and use the draft to patch the leftover holes on the depth chart. Colledge is the fifth and final quality left tackle on the board, but it's a big jump to the NFL from Boise State. The Commanders are in no rush – they can bring him along slowly behind Chris Samuels.
08:10 PM CDT on Friday, April 28, 2006
Team No. Selection Pos. School
Houston
Texans Team needs: Pass rusher, Blockers, Blockers, Blockers…
1 Mario Williams DE North Carolina State
Comment: Deciding the NFL's 31st ranked defense needed more help than the 30th ranked offense, the Texans pass over Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Reggie Bush and take the best defensive player on the board. Williams is the prototype strongside end and gives the NFL’s worst run defense 295 pounds of resistance.
New Orleans
Saints Team needs: Pass rusher, OT, G
2 Reggie Bush HB Southern Cal
Comment: In signing Williams on Friday night, the Texans may have given the New Orleans Saints the greatest draft-day gift since 1977 when Tony Dorsett, another Heisman Trophy winner, fell to the Cowboys at the second overall pick. Bush was the top player on the draft board of 21 of 26 NFL teams polled by The Dallas Morning News this month.
Tennessee
Titans Team needs: QB, MLB, WR
3 Vince Young QB Texas
Comment: The Titans need a replacement for aging Steve McNair, and Young comes from the same mold. Titans GM Floyd Reese drafted McNair and loved the results. Young will need patience while he develops a pocket presence, but the Titans waited almost two years on McNair. The Tennessee coaches have been campaigning for Matt Leinart.
New York
Jets Team needs: QB, OT, LB, CB
4 D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia
Comment: The pressing need is for an offensive tackle. But can the Jets pass up a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback (Matt Leinart)? This is a franchise that signed Joe Namath for the value he brought to their marquee. The Jets can get by with Patrick Ramsey at quarterback. But they can't get by right now with what they have at tackle.
Green Bay
Packers Team needs: G, LB, DL, WR
5 A.J. Hawk LB Ohio State
Comment: The Packers like players who know how to play in cold weather. Hawk excelled in the cold in the Big Ten and qualifies as a no-brainer at this draft slot. He has the fewest holes of any player on this draft board. He was a great player in high school, a great player in college and he'll be a Pro Bowl linebacker in the NFL.
San
Francisco
49ers Team needs: Offensive playmakers, C, LB
6 Vernon Davis TE Maryland
Comment: Rookie quarterback Alex Smith was sacked 29 times and threw 11 interceptions in his seven starts. The 49ers need to find him a safety valve receiver – someone who can be his hot read when defenses blitz. Davis would give the 49ers first downs and more – with a 4.38 40-yard dash time, he plays the game with wideout speed.
Oakland
Raiders Team needs: Defensive playmakers, C, DT
7 Michael Huff S Texas
Comment: The Raiders are in need of a defensive playmaker. The lack of defensive plays led to that 4-12 finish in 2005. Oakland intercepted a league-low five passes and forced just 19 turnovers. AFC West winner Denver forced 36. Huff returned a school-record four of his seven career interceptions for touchdowns.
Buffalo
Bills Team needs: Safety, DT, a couple OL
8 Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
Comment: Several teams behind the Bills covet Bunkley, so both the Raiders and Bills will have the chance to trade out of their draft spots. Buffalo needs help up front. The Bills ranked 29th in total defense and 31st against the run last season. Bunkley is the best inside pass rusher in this draft and a 306-pound commitment to run defense.
Detroit
Lions Team needs: DT, Safety, OL
9 Ernie Sims LB Florida State
Comment: New head coach Rod Marinelli spent the last decade of his life helping to build a championship defense in Tampa Bay. Defense wins championships – and Detroit's 20th-ranked defense needs a lot of work to reach that point. Sims has been compared to Derrick Brooks. Marinelli more than anyone can appreciate that comparison.
Arizona
Cardinals Team needs: CB, DT, OL, QB
10 Matt Leinart QB Southern California
Comment: In 1999, when Dennis Green was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Daunte Culpepper slid to him at the 11th overall pick of the draft. Offensive advocate that he is, Green will never let quality offense slide past him even when he's looking for defense. Leinart would be a gift here with an aging quarterback (Kurt Warner) in place.
St. Louis
Rams Team needs: Defensive size, DT, Safety
11 Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
Comment: The Rams want defense desperately with this pick. But a sliding Cutler poses quite the dilemma for new head coach Scott Linehan, an offensive guru and quarterback maker. Cutler could be to this draft what Ben Roethlisberger was to the 2004 draft. He has the strongest arm of the three elite QBs in this draft.
Cleveland
Browns Team needs: Defensive front seven: DE, DT, LB
12 Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State
Comment: Romeo Crennel, like his old bosses Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, wants to build a team that wins on defense. You do that by building the front seven. The Browns ranked 30th in run defense and 32nd in sacks last season. Wimbley would address the pass rush. He was an end in college who'd become a linebacker in Cleveland's 3-4.
Baltimore
Ravens Team needs: Safety, nickel CB, ILB, blocking TE
13 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
Comment: Ray Lewis has been complaining this month about the Ravens not protecting him in the scheme with quality linemen. He wants to run freely to the ball – but too many blockers are getting out on him. Ngata would be a magnet for blockers. He's the biggest tackle in the draft (338 pounds) and would pump up the NFL's No. 9 run defense.
Philadelphia
Eagles Team needs: DT, OT, nickel CB, LB
14 Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State
Comment: The Eagles need to fortify the offensive and defensive lines. But with Terrell Owens signing with Dallas and Plaxico Burress playing in New York, the Eagles better find a big physical corner who can match up with those offensive giants if Philadelphia is to once again contend for an NFC East title. Cromartie goes 6-2, 208.
Denver
Broncos Team needs: Safety, Pass rusher, RB
15 Manny Lawson DE North Carolina State
Comment: The pressing need is at wide receiver and running back – but this is too high for a wideout and Mike Shanahan historically finds runners in the middle rounds. The Broncos came up empty this offseason in bids to land pass rushers Andre Carter and John Abraham. Lawson would address a punch-less Denver pass rush (28 sacks in 2005).
Miami
Dolphins Team needs: OL, DL, DB, WR
16 Bobby Carpenter LB Ohio State
Comment: Weakside pass rushers abound on every draft board. But the quality strongside linebackers are a scarce commodity. Shawne Merriman was the prototype strongside backer in the 2005 draft and he became Defensive Rookie of the Year. At 256 pounds, Carpenter is the one linebacker on this draft board who can line up on the strong side.
Minnesota
Vikings Team needs: QB, LB, Pass rusher
17 Chad Greenway LB Minnesota
Comment: The Vikings are another team with multiple defensive needs. Quarterback also is a priority, and Minnesota may try to move up for either Leinart or Cutler if they slide into the teens. Failing there, defense would be the need and Greenway the fit. He's from South Dakota, so he'd be a popular local pick as well.
Dallas
Cowboys Team needs: Safety, WR, OL, Pass rusher
18 Donte Whitner S Ohio State
Comment: The Cowboys had hoped to draft a defensive front seven player, but the board has already been picked over with four outside linebackers, three ends and two tackles gone. The best defensive value on the board – and also an area of need – is safety, where Whitner could provide the Cowboys a player with ball skills.
San Diego
Chargers Team needs: OT, CB, LB
19 Marcus McNeill OT Auburn
Comment: The Chargers need a left tackle and it's a toss up between McNeill and Winston Justice. McNeill (6-7, 336) is bigger and more ready to play than Justice. McNeill started four years at Auburn and won the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker in the SEC. He did not allow a sack in the final 41 games of his college career.
Kansas City
Chiefs Team needs: CB, Pass rusher, QB, WR
20 Tamba Hali DE Penn State
Comment: The Chiefs have one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL, managing only 29 sacks in 2005. Hali led the Big Ten in sacks last season with 11 and is one of the few weakside ends with any bulk in this draft. His 275 pounds will come in handy against LaDainian Tomlinson, Lamont Jordan and Tatum Bell in the AFC West.
New
England
Patriots Team needs: DL, OL, CB, RB
21 Richard Marshall CB Fresno State
Comment: Like the Cowboys, the Patriots were hoping for a defensive front seven addition. But with an empty board, New England must look elsewhere. Fresno State coach Pat Hill once worked for Bill Belichick. The Patriots want to know what they are getting on draft day. They know the quality they'd be getting in a Fresno State corner.
San
Francisco
49ers Team needs: Offensive playmakers, C, LB
22 Jimmy Williams CB Virginia Tech
Comment: The 49ers wanted to go defense at 6 but Vernon Davis was too good a value to pass up. Defense figures to rule the rest of the first day, though. Williams was the top corner on several NFL draft boards. He's got the size (6-2, 213) to cover the big receivers and the speed (4.41) to cover the little ones.
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers Team needs: OT, Safety, CB, WR
23 Winston Justice OT Southern California
Comment: The Bucs now have a back capable of a 1,500-yard rushing season in Carnell Williams. Tampa Bay now must build a line capable of delivering those yards. Justice played right tackle at Southern California, which makes him a great fit because quarterback Chris Simms is left-handed. The right side would be his blind side.
Cincinnati
Bengals Team needs: Safety, Pass rusher, TE, OL
24 Jason Allen S Tennessee
Comment: One of the buzz words in this draft season has been "coverage safety." Everyone seems to want a safety who can walk up to the line and cover a slot receiver. Allen is among the best on this draft board. He has safety size (6-10, 209) and cornerback speed (4.39). The NFL's 26th-ranked pass defense can use him.
New York
Giants Team needs: LB, CB, WR
25 Tye Hill CB Clemson
Comment: New York's best cornerback Will Allen left for Miami in free agency this offseason, so coverage is the area of greatest concern in this draft. Hill is only 5-9, which is why he's still on the draft board this late into the round. But he has 4.30 speed and broke up 35 career passes at Clemson.
Chicago
Bears Team needs: CB, TE, KR, DL
26 Nick Mangold C Ohio State
Comment: Coming off an 11-5 season with a young team, the Bears are in a position to take the best player that slides to them. That would be Mangold, one of the safest picks in this draft. The only knock on him is his position. Centers don't generally go high in drafts. He's been described as a Mark Stepnoski with a bit more size.
Carolina
Panthers Team needs: RB, WLB, Safety, nickel CB
27 Laurence Maroney HB Minnesota
Comment: The Panthers cut Stephen Davis this offseason and enter the draft with a pressing need at running back. Surprisingly, the second running back in the draft has slid to them. But is it Maroney ... or LenDale White ... or DeAngelo Williams ... or Joe Addai? Coach John Fox likes power backs with some speed and Maroney best fits that profile.
Jacksonville
Jaguars Team needs: LB, CB, OL
28 LenDale White HB Southern California
Comment: The Jaguars have grown weary of trying to keep Fred Taylor on the field for 16 Sundays each fall. He's not getting younger. Jacksonville needs a hammer on the ground to take some of the heat off quarterback Byron Leftwich. White is sliding – but the Southern California alum who coaches the Jaguars, Jack Del Rio, will end his slide here.
New York
Jets Team needs: QB, OT, LB, CB
29 DeAngelo Williams HB Memphis
Comment: Curtis Martin hit the wall last season at the age of 32. So like the Panthers and Jaguars just ahead of them this round, the Jets have an immediate opening at running back. And like the Panthers and Jaguars, an elite running back slides to them. Williams is the fourth all-time leading rusher in NCAA history.
Indianapolis
Colts Team needs: RB, CB, LB, KR
30 Joe Addai HB LSU
Comment: The Colts lost Edgerrin James in free agency. So Indianapolis also has an immediate opening at running back and makes it four backs in a row this round by selecting Addai. He's an elite receiver (66 career catches) and pass protector, which is ideal for a Peyton Manning offense. He also averaged 5.3 yards per career carry.
Seattle
Seahawks Team needs: CB, DE, TE
31 Johnathan Joseph CB South Carolina
Comment: The Seahawks are the defending NFC champions but not a team without holes, ranking 25th in the NFL in pass defense. You can't have enough covermen in a division with Arizona and St. Louis. Joseph is one of the four elite corners on this draft. He has 4.31 speed and been compared to Seattle's own Marcus Trufant.
Pittsburgh
Steelers Team needs: WR, Safety, KR, RB
32 Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
Comment: The Steelers lost Antwan Randle El in free agency, so wide receiver is the only real hole on the defending Super Bowl champions. As luck would have it, the entire wide receiver board has slid to the Steelers – Holmes, Chad Jackson and Sinorice Moss are all available. Holmes has 4.34 speed and, like Randle El, returns kicks.
Atlanta
Falcons Team needs: S, RB, DE
47 Jerious Norwood HB Mississippi State
Comment: The Falcons have cooled on T.J. Duckett and need fresh legs to keep the NFL's best rushing attack atop the statistical chart. The Falcons are fast with Warrick Dunn and Mike Vick – and Norwood can make them faster. He has 4.42 speed and used it to become Mississippi State's all-time leading rusher.
Washington
Commanders Team needs: LB, DT, TE
53 Daryn Colledge OT Boise State
Comment: The Commanders address all their needs in free agency and use the draft to patch the leftover holes on the depth chart. Colledge is the fifth and final quality left tackle on the board, but it's a big jump to the NFL from Boise State. The Commanders are in no rush – they can bring him along slowly behind Chris Samuels.
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