Kipers 4 rounder.............

[k19]

Updated: April 3, 2006
Lawson rises, Kiwanuka falls in latest projectionsBy Mel Kiper Jr.
Special to ESPN Insider
Archive

With the NFL draft two weeks away, the one hot spot in the first round remains with the New Orleans Saints and second overall pick. While I still have North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams going to New Orleans, the outlook of the first round could change significantly if the Saints trade the pick.

My first-round projections remain nearly the same, with the one newcomer being NC State defensive end Manny Lawson. Overshadowed by Williams at NC State, Lawson had a very good senior season then performed exceptionally well at the NFL scouting combine. Right now I am projecting the Jets will use their second first-round pick on Lawson, where he will be used as a pass-rushing defensive end/outside linebacker.

New this week are my projections for the second, third and fourth rounds. You will be surprised to see some players initially projected as first-round picks have slipped to the second round in recent weeks.



First-Round Projections
1. Houston Reggie Bush, RB USC
2. New Orleans Mario Williams, DE NC State
3. Tennessee Matt Leinart, QB USC
4. N.Y. Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson, T Virginia
5. Green Bay A.J. Hawk, LB Ohio St.
6. San Francisco Vernon Davis, TE Maryland
7. Oakland Vince Young, QB Texas
8. Buffalo Brodrick Bunkley, DT Florida St.
9. Detroit Michael Huff, DB Texas
10. Arizona Jay Cutler, QB Vanderbilt
11. St. Louis Chad Greenway, LB Iowa
12. Cleveland Kamerion Wimbley, DE/OLB Florida St.
13. Baltimore Haloti Ngata, DT Oregon
14. Philadelphia Winston Justice, T USC
15. Denver (from ATL) Chad Jackson, WR Florida
16. Miami Donte Whitner, S Ohio St.
17. Minnesota Ernie Sims, LB Florida St.
18. Dallas Jason Allen, S/CB Tennessee
19. San Diego Johnathan Joseph, CB South Carolina
20. Kansas City Tye Hill, CB Clemson
21. New England Santonio Holmes, WR Ohio St.
22. Denver (from WSH) DeAngelo Williams, RB Memphis
23. Tampa Bay Antonio Cromartie, CB Florida St.
24. Cincinnati Jimmy Williams, CB Virginia Tech
25. N.Y. Giants Kelly Jennings, CB Miami
26. Chicago Richard Marshall CB Fresno St.
27. Carolina LenDale White, RB USC
28. Jacksonville Marcedes Lewis, TE UCLA
29. N.Y. Jets (from DEN) Manny Lawson, DE/OLB NC State
30. Indianapolis Laurence Maroney, RB Minnesota
31. Seattle Ashton Youboty, CB Ohio St.
32. Pittsburgh Sinorice Moss, WR Miami





Second-Round Projections
33. Houston Eric Winston, T Miami
34. New Orleans Nick Mangold, C Ohio St.
35. N.Y. Jets Joseph Addai, RB LSU
36. Green Bay Tamba Hali, DE Penn St.
37. San Francisco Bobby Carpenter, LB Ohio St.
38. Oakland Gabe Watson, DT Michigan
39. Tennessee D'Qwell Jackson, LB Maryland
40. Detroit Davin Joseph, G Oklahoma
41. Arizona Leonard Pope, TE Georgia
42. Buffalo Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui, G USC
43. Cleveland Abdul Hodge, LB Iowa
44. Baltimore Brodie Croyle, QB Alabama
45. Philadelphia DeMeco Ryans, LB Alabama
46. St. Louis Orien Harris, DT Miami
47. Atlanta Cedric Griffin, CB Texas
48. Minnesota Kellen Clemens, QB Oregon
49. Dallas Marcus McNeill, T Auburn
50. San Diego Demetrius Williams, WR Oregon
51. Minnesota (from MIA) Chris Chester, OL Oklahoma
52. New England Brian Calhoun, RB Wisconsin
53. Washington Rocky McIntosh, LB Miami
54. Kansas City Darryl Tapp, DE Virginia Tech
55. Cincinnati Dominique Byrd, TE USC
56. N.Y. Giants Thomas Howard, LB UTEP
57. Chicago Greg Jennings, WR Western Michigan
58. Carolina Joe Klopfenstein, TE Colorado
59. Tampa Bay Andrew Whitworth, T LSU
60. Jacksonville Jason Spitz, C Louisville
61. Denver Mark Anderson, DE Alabama
62. Indianapolis Daniel Bullocks, DB Nebraska
63. Seattle Mathias Kiwanuka, DE Boston College
64. Pittsburgh Danieal Manning, DB Abilene Christian




Third-Round Projections
65. Houston Ko Simpson, DB South Carolina
66. Houston (from NO) Gerris Wilkinson, LB Georgia Tech
67. Green Bay Max Jean-Gilles, G Georgia
68. San Francisco David Pittman, CB Northwestern St. (La.)
69. Oakland Maurice Drew, RB UCLA
70. Buffalo (from TEN) Ryan O'Callaghan, T California
71. N.Y. Jets Brandon Williams, WR Wisconsin
72. Arizona Jon Alston, LB Stanford
73. Buffalo Maurice Stovall, WR Notre Dame
74. Detroit Devin Hester, CB Miami
75. New England (from BAL) Chris Gocong, DE/LB Cal Poly-SLO
76. Philadelphia Claude Wroten, DT LSU
77. St. Louis David Thomas, TE Texas
78. Cleveland Charles Spencer, G Pittsburgh
79. Atlanta Calvin Lowery, DB Penn St.
80. Dallas Charlie Whitehurst, QB Clemson
81. San Diego Paul McQuistan, OL Weber St.
82. Miami Parys Haralson, DE Tennessee
83. Minnesota Will Blackmon, WR/CB Boston College
84. San Francisco (from WSH) Victor Adeyanju, DE Indiana
85. Kansas City Brandon Marshall, WR Central Florida
86. New England Montavious Stanley, DT Louisville
87. N.Y. Giants Kyle Williams, DT LSU
88. Chicago Anthony Fasano, TE Notre Dame
89. Carolina Darnell Bing, DB USC
90. Tampa Bay Willie Reid, WR Fresno St.
91. Cincinnati Stanley McClover, DE Auburn
92. Jacksonville Jerome Harrison, RB Washington St.
93. Atlanta (from DEN) Devin Aromashodu, WR Auburn
94. Indianapolis Dusty Dvoracek, DT Oklahoma
95. Minnesota (from SEA) Le Kevin Smith, DT Nebraska
96. Pittsburgh Brent Hawkins, DE/OLB Illinois St.

97. N.Y. Jets (comp. pick) Roman Harper, DB Alabama

Fourth-Round Projections
98. Houston James Wyche, DE Syracuse
99. New Orleans Demetrice Webb, CB Florida
100. San Francisco Lawrence Vickers, FB Colorado
101. Oakland Anthony Smith, DB Syracuse
102. Tennessee Leon Washington, RB Florida St.
103. N.Y. Jets Alan Zemaitis, CB Penn St.
104. Green Bay Derrick Martin, CB Wyoming
105. Buffalo Elvis Dumervil, DE Louisville
106. New England (from DET) Guy Whimper, T East Carolina
107. Arizona Fred Matua, G USC
108. Philadelphia David Kirtman, FB USC
109. St. Louis Kevin Boothe, OL Cornell
110. Cleveland DeMario Minter, CB Georgia
111. Baltimore Dion Byrum, CB Ohio
112. Cleveland (from ATL) Rodrique Wright, DT Texas
113. San Diego Babatunde Oshinowo, DT Stanford
114. Miami Zach Strief, T Northwestern
115. Minnesota Miles Austin, WR Monmouth
116. Philadelphia (from DAL) Tarvaris Jackson, QB Alabama St.
117. N.Y. Jets (from KC) Greg Eslinger, C Minnesota
118. New England Derek Hagan, WR Arizona St.
119. Denver (from WSH) Owen Daniels, TE Wisconsin
120. Chicago Freddie Keiaho, LB San Diego St.
121. Carolina Jonathan Scott, T Texas
122. Tampa Bay Brandon Johnson, LB Louisville
123. Cincinnati John McCargo, DT NC State
124. N.Y. Giants Jeremy Trueblood, T Boston College
125. Jacksonville James Anderson, LB Virginia Tech
126. Denver Bernard Pollard, DB Purdue
127. Philadelphia (from IND) Hank Baskett, WR New Mexico
128. Seattle John Torp, P Colorado
129. Pittsburgh Andre Hall, RB South Florida

130. Denver (comp. pick) Jeremy Bloom, WR Colorado

131. Pittsburgh (comp. pick) Daryn Colledge, T Boise St.

132. Baltimore (comp. pick) Rob Sims, G Ohio St.

133. Pittsburgh (comp. pick) Omar Jacobs, QB Bowling Green

"Who in the hell is Mel Kiper, anyway?"

 

[Pokes28]

I could live with that draft although I don't think it is great. I think the Allen pick is a bit of a reach and I don't think Dallas takes a QB in this draft, but stranger things have happened.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh

 

[Bigdog]

I don/t knowhow much truth but a poster at KFFL under the mock draft heard through an ESPN insider article that Jason Allen has failed his physical with both Dallas and Miami. This could be just a rumor.

 

[DocScholl]

I would hate that draft .

1. Lawson /Carpenter/Wimbley
2. Spencer
3. Watkins/Colledge

 

[Reigle9]

I don't think I could live with it, I just don't see how they could draft Jason Allen at #18. Now if they could trade back in the first and get him, I would like it. Love the second round pick that has McNeil falling to us. Couldn't hate the third round pick any worse. Bledsoe is going to be the starter for two more years, why draft a marginal QB to go along with our other two? Even if Henson never does work out, then wait until next year and use a first rounder on a QB. He'll have a year to sit, then have a chance to be ready in his second year if he's a legit first round guy and not a reach.

I want our 4th round pick back too.

 

[Alexander]

I don't think I could live with it, I just don't see how they could draft Jason Allen at #18

A frightening thought if you believe the rumors that Allen is failing physicals.

 

[Pokes28]

My comments about it were before I read that Allen had failed physicals. So while I said it wouldn't be a great draft, now it looks like it very well could be much worse than that.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh

 

[brewers47]

why not Jimmy williams

 

[Natedawg44]

If the draft were to lay out like that I would prefer.
Manny Lawson in the 1st
Marcus McNeil in the 2nd
and either
Darnell Bing or Anthony Smith in the 3rd. Some people are high on Smith. With an improved pass rush Bing might suffice. Who knows maybe we will never ditch the interchangeable safety system.

 

[AbeBeta]

Hate Allen. Like McNeil in the 2nd (and only the 2nd). Hate Whitehurst with every fiber of my being. He's a waste of a pick.

 

[shnagy]

Hate Allen. Like McNeil in the 2nd (and only the 2nd). Hate Whitehurst with every fiber of my being. He's a waste of a pick.

I don't know why they are so infatuated with Whitehurst, but I think I would rather have the guy from Bowling Green than Whitehurst. JMO

 

[Clove]

If the draft were to lay out like that I would prefer.
Manny Lawson in the 1st
Marcus McNeil in the 2nd
and either
Darnell Bing or Anthony Smith in the 3rd. Some people are high on Smith. With an improved pass rush Bing might suffice. Who knows maybe we will never ditch the interchangeable safety system.

If I'm going third rounder on FS, I'd rather go with Pat Watkins or now (after the Allen Reports) Jason Allen.

 

[kartr]

I could live with that draft although I don't think it is great. I think the Allen pick is a bit of a reach and I don't think Dallas takes a QB in this draft, but stranger things have happened.

David Harrell - Pokes
dwh

That's a terrible draft.