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Rick Gosselin's mock draft
01:23 AM CDT on Sunday, April 16, 2006
In their 46-year history, the Oakland Raiders have never used a first-round draft pick on a player from the University of Texas. But then there has never been a player the caliber of Vince Young available when it came time for the Raiders to pick.
Young is easily the most scrutinized player to hit an NFL draft board this decade because he's not the prototypical pro quarterback. At 6-4, 230 pounds, he has a linebacker's size with a running back's legs and a quarterback's arm. He rushed for 1,050 yards, finished third in the NCAA in passing efficiency and took his Texas Longhorns to the national title.
But Al Davis is the league's maverick, both on the field and off, and doesn't back off from players different from the norm. So give Young to the Raiders in the first mock draft offering from the Dallas Morning News. Here's the rest of the first round:
1. Houston Reggie Bush HB Southern California
(Bush was the best player in college football last season and has a Heisman Trophy as proof. He's the best player in this draft and likely will have the first overall pick as proof. Pencil him in today as the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year.)
2. New Orleans Matt Leinart QB Southern California
3. Tennessee Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
4. N.Y. Jets Mario Williams DE North Carolina State
5. Green Bay A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
6. San Francisco Vernon Davis TE Maryland
7. Oakland Vince Young QB Texas
8. Buffalo D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia
(If there's a run of quarterbacks at the top of the draft, as there is in this mock, an elite player is going to slide. In this case it's Ferguson, the best blocker on the board and a top-three value.)
9. Detroit Michael Huff CB/S Texas
10. Arizona Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
11. St. Louis Jimmy Williams CB Virginia Tech
12. Cleveland Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
13. Baltimore Jonathan Joseph CB South Carolina
14. Philadelphia Ernie Sims OLB Florida State
15. Denver Manny Lawson DE North Carolina State
16. Miami Winston Justice OT Southern California
17. Minnesota Chad Greenway OLB Iowa
18. Dallas Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
(With two starting wideouts in their 30s, the Cowboys need some youth on the flank. Holmes brings big-play potential in the Terry Glenn mold, averaging 18.4 yards per catch last season.)
19. San Diego Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State
20. Kansas City Tamba Hali DE Penn State
21. New England Bobby Carpenter OLB Ohio State
22. Denver Laurence Maroney HB Minnesota
23. Tampa Bay John McCargo DT North Carolina State
24. Cincinnati Donte Whitner S Ohio State
25. N.Y. Giants DeAngelo Williams HB Memphis
(A run on defensive players in the teens could push the bulk of the running-back board into the 20s. Good backs like Laurence Maroney and DeAngelo Williams could fall into the laps of good teams.)
26. Chicago Tye Hill CB Clemson
27. Carolina LenDale White HB Southern California
28. Jacksonville Ashton Youboty CB Ohio State
29. N.Y. Jets Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State
30. Indianapolis Joseph Addai HB LSU
31. Seattle Chris Chester G Oklahoma
32. Pittsburgh Jason Allen CB/S Tennessee
01:23 AM CDT on Sunday, April 16, 2006
In their 46-year history, the Oakland Raiders have never used a first-round draft pick on a player from the University of Texas. But then there has never been a player the caliber of Vince Young available when it came time for the Raiders to pick.
Young is easily the most scrutinized player to hit an NFL draft board this decade because he's not the prototypical pro quarterback. At 6-4, 230 pounds, he has a linebacker's size with a running back's legs and a quarterback's arm. He rushed for 1,050 yards, finished third in the NCAA in passing efficiency and took his Texas Longhorns to the national title.
But Al Davis is the league's maverick, both on the field and off, and doesn't back off from players different from the norm. So give Young to the Raiders in the first mock draft offering from the Dallas Morning News. Here's the rest of the first round:
1. Houston Reggie Bush HB Southern California
(Bush was the best player in college football last season and has a Heisman Trophy as proof. He's the best player in this draft and likely will have the first overall pick as proof. Pencil him in today as the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year.)
2. New Orleans Matt Leinart QB Southern California
3. Tennessee Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
4. N.Y. Jets Mario Williams DE North Carolina State
5. Green Bay A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
6. San Francisco Vernon Davis TE Maryland
7. Oakland Vince Young QB Texas
8. Buffalo D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia
(If there's a run of quarterbacks at the top of the draft, as there is in this mock, an elite player is going to slide. In this case it's Ferguson, the best blocker on the board and a top-three value.)
9. Detroit Michael Huff CB/S Texas
10. Arizona Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
11. St. Louis Jimmy Williams CB Virginia Tech
12. Cleveland Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
13. Baltimore Jonathan Joseph CB South Carolina
14. Philadelphia Ernie Sims OLB Florida State
15. Denver Manny Lawson DE North Carolina State
16. Miami Winston Justice OT Southern California
17. Minnesota Chad Greenway OLB Iowa
18. Dallas Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
(With two starting wideouts in their 30s, the Cowboys need some youth on the flank. Holmes brings big-play potential in the Terry Glenn mold, averaging 18.4 yards per catch last season.)
19. San Diego Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State
20. Kansas City Tamba Hali DE Penn State
21. New England Bobby Carpenter OLB Ohio State
22. Denver Laurence Maroney HB Minnesota
23. Tampa Bay John McCargo DT North Carolina State
24. Cincinnati Donte Whitner S Ohio State
25. N.Y. Giants DeAngelo Williams HB Memphis
(A run on defensive players in the teens could push the bulk of the running-back board into the 20s. Good backs like Laurence Maroney and DeAngelo Williams could fall into the laps of good teams.)
26. Chicago Tye Hill CB Clemson
27. Carolina LenDale White HB Southern California
28. Jacksonville Ashton Youboty CB Ohio State
29. N.Y. Jets Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State
30. Indianapolis Joseph Addai HB LSU
31. Seattle Chris Chester G Oklahoma
32. Pittsburgh Jason Allen CB/S Tennessee