Pabst
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I got bored, so I figured I toss one out. Rip it to shreds.
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1. Oakland - QB JaMarcus Russell - I think, before all is said and done, Oakland is going to stick with the Quarterback. They've ignored the position for a couple years now, and it's really hurt them. Selecting Russell will give them their QB of the future, although they would be stupid to play him right away.
2. *Trade* Tampa Bay - WR Calvin Johnson - This is probably the spot with the best chance of movement. I think Tampa Bay has fallen head over heels for Johnson, and with good reason. He is simply the best player in the draft, and possesses the athleticism to make an offense all by himself. He will work with Jeff Garcia the way Garcia worked with T.O. in San Francisco, minus the questioning of sexuality.
3. Cleveland - RB Adrian Peterson - This pick changes a lot between other mock drafts, and that's reasonable, considering the huge amount of needs the Browns currently possess. But, if you need a spark right away, RB is the way to go, and Peterson is the best pure RB to come out in quite awhile. Romeo Crennel's job is on the line this season, so you can bet he'll be lobbying hard for the guy who can add a few 'W's and help him secure his job.
4. *Trade* Detriot - OT Joe Thomas - After wasting draft pick after draft pick the past couple of years, Matt Millen decides to go the safe route, selecting the best OT in this years draft. Don't let the trade for George Foster fool you; he's just another guy. The selecting of Thomas will go a long way towards solidifying Detroits' abysmal OL, and the trade down nets them Tampa Bay's remaining first day draft picks.
5. Arizona - DE Gaines Adams - Arizona was probably biting it's fingernails here, hoping that Detriot would select Gaines Adams instead of Joe Thomas. Unfortunately, that just didn't occur. With that in mind, they pull the trigger on Adams themselves, hoping to offset the lost production in recent seasons from Bertrand Berry, who has been a bit beat up.
6. *Trade* Chicago - FS LaRon Landry - When all is said and done, I believe the Lance Briggs trade with Washington will go down. Jerry Angelo can posture all he wants, but when a team offers you a top-ten pick to take a pain in the *** off your team, you do it. Chicago tries to move this pick, but like Washington, can't find any suiters. They select Landry to further improve their big play D.
7. Minnesota - QB Brady Quinn - Surprise! That's what many Vikings employee's will be thinking when they submit the card for Quinn. Everyone at this point is probably thinking "Quinn to Miami," but Minnesota will take the star Golden-Domer themselves. Tavaris Jackson was selected 64th overall in the previous draft, but didn't do much to show Minnesota that there is life after Culpepper. They take the polished Quinn to anchor the position.
8. Atlanta - DT Amobi Okoye - Atlanta can't be too happy right now. The two players they really wanted, Peterson and Landry, are off the board, and they're not a good enough team to draft strictly according to their board. As such, they take a flier on the potential of the 19-year-old Okoye, who new coach Bobby Petrino coached at Louisville. The allegations that Okoye admitted to smoking pot do not hurt him, as his maturity on the whole solidifies him in the top-10.
9. Miami - Wr Ted Ginn Jr - Miami had high hopes after Quinn slipped out of the top-5, but Minnesota dashed them quite expertly. After losing Wes Walker to the Patriots, Miami has a need for an immediate PR/KR, as well as a reciever to pair with, and later replace, Marty Booker opposite Chris Chambers. The Dolphins are banking on Ginn eventually being a Steve Smith type wideout, and not a 3rd Reciever at best.
10. Houston - OT Levi Brown - Carr is out and Schaub is in, and with a changing of the guard, too comes a changing of mindset. While Houston was content to let Carr get battered and beaten behind a porous offensive line, the Texans decide to actually protect their ~50 million dollar investment. I don't necessarily love Brown as a player, but he fills a glaring need for Houston, and gets the nod.
11. San Francisco - DE Adam Carriker - The pressing need for San Francisco lies along it's defensive line, and they would have loved for Amobi Okoye to have dropped for them. Not surprisingly, he did not, and as such, they look towards two other prospects: Carriker and Branch. Questions regarding Branch's work ethic and injury concern force San Francisco to shy towards Carriker, who would split time with, and then replace, Bryant Young at the 3-4 End position.
12. Buffalo - LB Patrick Willis - With the loss of London Fletcher to the Commanders in Free Agency, Buffalo has a sizable hole in their midfield to replace. There is a lot of talk in the Buffalo war-room between Willis and the slew of Cornerbacks that are available, and could reasonably be expected to come in and take over the spot vacated by San Francisco's signing of Nate Clements. Willis, however, is the higher rated player on the board, and is the pick.
13. St. Louis - CB Leon Hall - St. Louis has a need and a desire to select a top DL prospect, and there is a decent talent available in Branch. However, concerns over his work ethic continue to cause him to plummet, even past St. Louis. The Rams decide to go with a Corner, and have both Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis rated highly. They eventually choose Hall, as he is a bit more polished than Revis, although his workout numbers aren't quite as good (Hall ran a 4.39, Revis a 4.38).
14. Carolina Panthers - FS Reggie Nelson - Personally, this is a player I hope drops on draft day, for I would love to see him wearing Cowboys' silver and blue. Unfortunately, he ends up in another shade of those same colors, helping to shore up Carolina's horrible depth at the Safety position. Carolina knows they need a bunch of help in the secondary, and Nelson is a ballhawk-type player who can do just that.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - DE Jarvis Moss - The Steeltown is in a period of transition, which doesn't happen very often for the Steelers, and as such, they're looking for a athlete who can play multiple positions. With Tomlin now in charge, there is a growing sentiment that Pittsburgh will change from the 3-4 to a Tampa-2 scheme. Moss has the ability to play both, either by putting his hand down as a 4-3 End, or by playing Outside in the 3-4.
16. Green Bay Packers - RB Marshawn Lynch - There is a lot of talk recently about how Lynch might drop in the draft, but personally, I don't see it happening. Lynch is the clear-cut #2 runningback available this year, and Green Bay isn't going to gamble at the position, seeing as how it will more than likely (hopefully?) be Brett Favre's last year. They lost Ahman Green to Houston in Free Agency, and someone is going to have to carry the load for old-man Favre.
17. Jacksonville - DE Jamal Anderson - Jacksonville was looking to add a top safety; either Landry or Reggie Nelson. Unfortunately, both of those players are off the board, leaving Jacksonville to look towards the best available athletes. Seeing Anderson still on the board, and having a slight need on the Defensive Line, Jacksonville decides to address the DL in the first, and try to grab a DB like Meriweather in the second.
18. Cincinnati - LB Lawrence Timmons - Everyone, especially Marvin Lewis, knows that the biggest holes on the Bengals' roster reside on the defensive side of the ball. With the loss of many of their LBs, including Odell Thurman and perhaps Brian Simmons, Cincinnati decides to upgrade with the talented but raw Lawrence Timmons. Timmons has the ability to play well at the outside 'backer spot, and displays some decent pass-rush skill.
19. Tennessee - CB Darrelle Revis - With the suspension of Pacman Jones for an entire season, the Titans have a severe hole at CB. There is talk of the Titans selecting a Wide Reciever, but I believe, should one of the top 3 corners remain on the board, they will go in that direction. Revis has a good mix of excellent numbers and decent play-film, and Tennessee decides on him over the much more raw Chris Houston.
20. New York Giants - LB Jon Beason - The Giants have quite a few holes on their roster, but the most glaring is certainly LB. The Giants' braintrust, at this point, is debating between two Linebackers; Beason and Paul Posluszny. They eventually decide on Beason, mostly due to his ability to man all three LB spots, and such an ability is invaluable. While Beason may not be the most talented LB in this years' crop, the film on him shows him to be a tackling machine, and the Gmen make thier pick.
21. Denver - DT Alan Branch - Finally, the plummet stops. Branch, whom many thought would be a top 5 selection, is the Aaron Rodgers of this year, and Denver picks him up. Denver would love some depth along their Defensive Line, and to have Branch fall in their laps is an unexpected boon. Branch fell due to his poor work ethic and reports that he is suffering from a stress fracture in his leg.
22. Dallas - WR Robert Meachem - Dallas may have pulled the trigger on Branch, but with Denver scooping him up, they grab another falling prospect. Meachem has been projected just about everywhere in this draft, from the top 10 to San Diego at 30. With Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn not getting any younger, Dallas realizes that they need another wideout to pair with Patrick Crayton in the future. Meachem is also a high-character guy, and will have a year to learn while Owens and Glenn handle the starting spots.
23. Kansas City - OT Joe Staley - With the sudden retirement of Will Shields, coupled with the loss of Willie Roaf, a strength of the Kansas City offense has become a weakness, with Offensive Tackle being the most glaring. While Kansas City would certainly like to add a Wide Reciever, protecting new starting Damon Huard and opening up running lanes for Larry Johnson takes precedence, and as such, the Chiefs grab Staley, the consensus 3rd best OT in this years draft.
24. New England - LB Paul Posluszny - With Tedy Bruschi nearing the end of his career, and very little depth behind Vrabel, the Patriots will be looking to shore up their ranks. Posluszny has the potential to be the next in line of great Penn State linebackers, and he could do worse than getting to play beside Bruschi, Vrabel and Adalius Thomas.
25. New York Jets - TE Greg Olsen - Many may argue that Olsen's collegiate career and workout numbers don't necessarily deem him a first-round pick, and that is a valid complaint against the Miami Tight End. But this year's TE class is one of the weaker classes in the past five-ten years. As such, the best player in the class, Olsen, will get chosen higher than he should be. The Jets surprised last year, making the playoffs, and Olsen should help their offense take them even further.
26. Philadelphia - DE Anthony Spencer - I was tempted at first to give Philly Dwayne Bowe, as it seems the Eagles are always needing some sort of help at Wide Reciever. But, considering that Andy Reid likes to build the Offensive and Defensive Lines through first round picks, I decided against choosing a WR here. Spencer, the top-rated DL candidate, would help to alleviate some of the concerns the team must surely have regarding Kearse and the rest of their underperforming DL.
27. New Orleans - CB Chris Houston - New Orleans surprised this past year, unexpectedly making the playoffs, and going all the way to the NFC Championship before getting knocked out by Chicago. However, their offense carried the defense nearly all year, and no position was under more scrutiny than CB. Taking Houston, perhaps the fastest Corner in the draft, allows them to carry more of a playmaking tendency in the secondary.
28. *Trade* New England - FS Brandon Meriweather - Acquiring this selection from Seattle, New England is the only team with multiple selections in the first round this year. Furthermore, I can see them trading this selection away, for another first round selection next year. But considering the difficulty of trading down in this draft, I'm going to have the Pats select Meriweather. A character concern, for sure, but he does have big-play ability and the great coverage skills to succeed.
29. Baltimore - OL Justin Blalock - Baltimore has the advantage of being able to select the Best Player Available, as do many teams at this portion of the draft. But considering the uncertain status of Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore could do worse than acquiring Blalock, a smart player who can perform at pretty much every position along the Offensive Line. If Ogden does decide to come back for another year, Blalock could be groomed this year to take over in 2008.
30. *Trade* Indianapolis - DT Justin Harrell - Indianapolis, in search of run support helps, trades a 5th round (169) pick to Conference rival San Diego in order to leapfrog Washington to the rights for Harrell. Both teams are in need of DL help, and Harrell is the best left on the board. Widely considered the #3 DT in the crop this year, an injury caused him to drop a bit on draft boards, but he still sneaks into the first round.
31. *Trade* Washington - OG Ben Grubbs - Washington, after completing the Lance Briggs trade, ended up swapping picks with Chicago, as well as giving up their 5th round pick. They had intended to take the top Defensive Line prospect, but seeing Indy swoop up and take Harrell right before him, they have to look in another direction. With Derrick Dockery's defection to Buffalo, Gibbs and co. pick up Grubbs to shore up his old position.
32. *Trade* San Diego - WR Dwayne Bowe - I had not intended to have Bowe fall this fall, and he could just as likely go higher, even up to Tennessee at #19. For this mock, however, I have one of the top wideouts falling, and Bowe happens to be it. The Chargers are in need of a stud Wide Reciever to take some pressure off Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates, and getting Bowe at #32 is a steal towards that very purpose.
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1. Oakland - QB JaMarcus Russell - I think, before all is said and done, Oakland is going to stick with the Quarterback. They've ignored the position for a couple years now, and it's really hurt them. Selecting Russell will give them their QB of the future, although they would be stupid to play him right away.
2. *Trade* Tampa Bay - WR Calvin Johnson - This is probably the spot with the best chance of movement. I think Tampa Bay has fallen head over heels for Johnson, and with good reason. He is simply the best player in the draft, and possesses the athleticism to make an offense all by himself. He will work with Jeff Garcia the way Garcia worked with T.O. in San Francisco, minus the questioning of sexuality.
3. Cleveland - RB Adrian Peterson - This pick changes a lot between other mock drafts, and that's reasonable, considering the huge amount of needs the Browns currently possess. But, if you need a spark right away, RB is the way to go, and Peterson is the best pure RB to come out in quite awhile. Romeo Crennel's job is on the line this season, so you can bet he'll be lobbying hard for the guy who can add a few 'W's and help him secure his job.
4. *Trade* Detriot - OT Joe Thomas - After wasting draft pick after draft pick the past couple of years, Matt Millen decides to go the safe route, selecting the best OT in this years draft. Don't let the trade for George Foster fool you; he's just another guy. The selecting of Thomas will go a long way towards solidifying Detroits' abysmal OL, and the trade down nets them Tampa Bay's remaining first day draft picks.
5. Arizona - DE Gaines Adams - Arizona was probably biting it's fingernails here, hoping that Detriot would select Gaines Adams instead of Joe Thomas. Unfortunately, that just didn't occur. With that in mind, they pull the trigger on Adams themselves, hoping to offset the lost production in recent seasons from Bertrand Berry, who has been a bit beat up.
6. *Trade* Chicago - FS LaRon Landry - When all is said and done, I believe the Lance Briggs trade with Washington will go down. Jerry Angelo can posture all he wants, but when a team offers you a top-ten pick to take a pain in the *** off your team, you do it. Chicago tries to move this pick, but like Washington, can't find any suiters. They select Landry to further improve their big play D.
7. Minnesota - QB Brady Quinn - Surprise! That's what many Vikings employee's will be thinking when they submit the card for Quinn. Everyone at this point is probably thinking "Quinn to Miami," but Minnesota will take the star Golden-Domer themselves. Tavaris Jackson was selected 64th overall in the previous draft, but didn't do much to show Minnesota that there is life after Culpepper. They take the polished Quinn to anchor the position.
8. Atlanta - DT Amobi Okoye - Atlanta can't be too happy right now. The two players they really wanted, Peterson and Landry, are off the board, and they're not a good enough team to draft strictly according to their board. As such, they take a flier on the potential of the 19-year-old Okoye, who new coach Bobby Petrino coached at Louisville. The allegations that Okoye admitted to smoking pot do not hurt him, as his maturity on the whole solidifies him in the top-10.
9. Miami - Wr Ted Ginn Jr - Miami had high hopes after Quinn slipped out of the top-5, but Minnesota dashed them quite expertly. After losing Wes Walker to the Patriots, Miami has a need for an immediate PR/KR, as well as a reciever to pair with, and later replace, Marty Booker opposite Chris Chambers. The Dolphins are banking on Ginn eventually being a Steve Smith type wideout, and not a 3rd Reciever at best.
10. Houston - OT Levi Brown - Carr is out and Schaub is in, and with a changing of the guard, too comes a changing of mindset. While Houston was content to let Carr get battered and beaten behind a porous offensive line, the Texans decide to actually protect their ~50 million dollar investment. I don't necessarily love Brown as a player, but he fills a glaring need for Houston, and gets the nod.
11. San Francisco - DE Adam Carriker - The pressing need for San Francisco lies along it's defensive line, and they would have loved for Amobi Okoye to have dropped for them. Not surprisingly, he did not, and as such, they look towards two other prospects: Carriker and Branch. Questions regarding Branch's work ethic and injury concern force San Francisco to shy towards Carriker, who would split time with, and then replace, Bryant Young at the 3-4 End position.
12. Buffalo - LB Patrick Willis - With the loss of London Fletcher to the Commanders in Free Agency, Buffalo has a sizable hole in their midfield to replace. There is a lot of talk in the Buffalo war-room between Willis and the slew of Cornerbacks that are available, and could reasonably be expected to come in and take over the spot vacated by San Francisco's signing of Nate Clements. Willis, however, is the higher rated player on the board, and is the pick.
13. St. Louis - CB Leon Hall - St. Louis has a need and a desire to select a top DL prospect, and there is a decent talent available in Branch. However, concerns over his work ethic continue to cause him to plummet, even past St. Louis. The Rams decide to go with a Corner, and have both Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis rated highly. They eventually choose Hall, as he is a bit more polished than Revis, although his workout numbers aren't quite as good (Hall ran a 4.39, Revis a 4.38).
14. Carolina Panthers - FS Reggie Nelson - Personally, this is a player I hope drops on draft day, for I would love to see him wearing Cowboys' silver and blue. Unfortunately, he ends up in another shade of those same colors, helping to shore up Carolina's horrible depth at the Safety position. Carolina knows they need a bunch of help in the secondary, and Nelson is a ballhawk-type player who can do just that.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - DE Jarvis Moss - The Steeltown is in a period of transition, which doesn't happen very often for the Steelers, and as such, they're looking for a athlete who can play multiple positions. With Tomlin now in charge, there is a growing sentiment that Pittsburgh will change from the 3-4 to a Tampa-2 scheme. Moss has the ability to play both, either by putting his hand down as a 4-3 End, or by playing Outside in the 3-4.
16. Green Bay Packers - RB Marshawn Lynch - There is a lot of talk recently about how Lynch might drop in the draft, but personally, I don't see it happening. Lynch is the clear-cut #2 runningback available this year, and Green Bay isn't going to gamble at the position, seeing as how it will more than likely (hopefully?) be Brett Favre's last year. They lost Ahman Green to Houston in Free Agency, and someone is going to have to carry the load for old-man Favre.
17. Jacksonville - DE Jamal Anderson - Jacksonville was looking to add a top safety; either Landry or Reggie Nelson. Unfortunately, both of those players are off the board, leaving Jacksonville to look towards the best available athletes. Seeing Anderson still on the board, and having a slight need on the Defensive Line, Jacksonville decides to address the DL in the first, and try to grab a DB like Meriweather in the second.
18. Cincinnati - LB Lawrence Timmons - Everyone, especially Marvin Lewis, knows that the biggest holes on the Bengals' roster reside on the defensive side of the ball. With the loss of many of their LBs, including Odell Thurman and perhaps Brian Simmons, Cincinnati decides to upgrade with the talented but raw Lawrence Timmons. Timmons has the ability to play well at the outside 'backer spot, and displays some decent pass-rush skill.
19. Tennessee - CB Darrelle Revis - With the suspension of Pacman Jones for an entire season, the Titans have a severe hole at CB. There is talk of the Titans selecting a Wide Reciever, but I believe, should one of the top 3 corners remain on the board, they will go in that direction. Revis has a good mix of excellent numbers and decent play-film, and Tennessee decides on him over the much more raw Chris Houston.
20. New York Giants - LB Jon Beason - The Giants have quite a few holes on their roster, but the most glaring is certainly LB. The Giants' braintrust, at this point, is debating between two Linebackers; Beason and Paul Posluszny. They eventually decide on Beason, mostly due to his ability to man all three LB spots, and such an ability is invaluable. While Beason may not be the most talented LB in this years' crop, the film on him shows him to be a tackling machine, and the Gmen make thier pick.
21. Denver - DT Alan Branch - Finally, the plummet stops. Branch, whom many thought would be a top 5 selection, is the Aaron Rodgers of this year, and Denver picks him up. Denver would love some depth along their Defensive Line, and to have Branch fall in their laps is an unexpected boon. Branch fell due to his poor work ethic and reports that he is suffering from a stress fracture in his leg.
22. Dallas - WR Robert Meachem - Dallas may have pulled the trigger on Branch, but with Denver scooping him up, they grab another falling prospect. Meachem has been projected just about everywhere in this draft, from the top 10 to San Diego at 30. With Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn not getting any younger, Dallas realizes that they need another wideout to pair with Patrick Crayton in the future. Meachem is also a high-character guy, and will have a year to learn while Owens and Glenn handle the starting spots.
23. Kansas City - OT Joe Staley - With the sudden retirement of Will Shields, coupled with the loss of Willie Roaf, a strength of the Kansas City offense has become a weakness, with Offensive Tackle being the most glaring. While Kansas City would certainly like to add a Wide Reciever, protecting new starting Damon Huard and opening up running lanes for Larry Johnson takes precedence, and as such, the Chiefs grab Staley, the consensus 3rd best OT in this years draft.
24. New England - LB Paul Posluszny - With Tedy Bruschi nearing the end of his career, and very little depth behind Vrabel, the Patriots will be looking to shore up their ranks. Posluszny has the potential to be the next in line of great Penn State linebackers, and he could do worse than getting to play beside Bruschi, Vrabel and Adalius Thomas.
25. New York Jets - TE Greg Olsen - Many may argue that Olsen's collegiate career and workout numbers don't necessarily deem him a first-round pick, and that is a valid complaint against the Miami Tight End. But this year's TE class is one of the weaker classes in the past five-ten years. As such, the best player in the class, Olsen, will get chosen higher than he should be. The Jets surprised last year, making the playoffs, and Olsen should help their offense take them even further.
26. Philadelphia - DE Anthony Spencer - I was tempted at first to give Philly Dwayne Bowe, as it seems the Eagles are always needing some sort of help at Wide Reciever. But, considering that Andy Reid likes to build the Offensive and Defensive Lines through first round picks, I decided against choosing a WR here. Spencer, the top-rated DL candidate, would help to alleviate some of the concerns the team must surely have regarding Kearse and the rest of their underperforming DL.
27. New Orleans - CB Chris Houston - New Orleans surprised this past year, unexpectedly making the playoffs, and going all the way to the NFC Championship before getting knocked out by Chicago. However, their offense carried the defense nearly all year, and no position was under more scrutiny than CB. Taking Houston, perhaps the fastest Corner in the draft, allows them to carry more of a playmaking tendency in the secondary.
28. *Trade* New England - FS Brandon Meriweather - Acquiring this selection from Seattle, New England is the only team with multiple selections in the first round this year. Furthermore, I can see them trading this selection away, for another first round selection next year. But considering the difficulty of trading down in this draft, I'm going to have the Pats select Meriweather. A character concern, for sure, but he does have big-play ability and the great coverage skills to succeed.
29. Baltimore - OL Justin Blalock - Baltimore has the advantage of being able to select the Best Player Available, as do many teams at this portion of the draft. But considering the uncertain status of Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore could do worse than acquiring Blalock, a smart player who can perform at pretty much every position along the Offensive Line. If Ogden does decide to come back for another year, Blalock could be groomed this year to take over in 2008.
30. *Trade* Indianapolis - DT Justin Harrell - Indianapolis, in search of run support helps, trades a 5th round (169) pick to Conference rival San Diego in order to leapfrog Washington to the rights for Harrell. Both teams are in need of DL help, and Harrell is the best left on the board. Widely considered the #3 DT in the crop this year, an injury caused him to drop a bit on draft boards, but he still sneaks into the first round.
31. *Trade* Washington - OG Ben Grubbs - Washington, after completing the Lance Briggs trade, ended up swapping picks with Chicago, as well as giving up their 5th round pick. They had intended to take the top Defensive Line prospect, but seeing Indy swoop up and take Harrell right before him, they have to look in another direction. With Derrick Dockery's defection to Buffalo, Gibbs and co. pick up Grubbs to shore up his old position.
32. *Trade* San Diego - WR Dwayne Bowe - I had not intended to have Bowe fall this fall, and he could just as likely go higher, even up to Tennessee at #19. For this mock, however, I have one of the top wideouts falling, and Bowe happens to be it. The Chargers are in need of a stud Wide Reciever to take some pressure off Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates, and getting Bowe at #32 is a steal towards that very purpose.