ATVZ400
Practice Squad
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Draft Sharks
NFL Round 1 Mock Draft
April 27, 2006
=================
1. Houston Texans: RB Reggie Bush (USC): The Houston Chronicle’s John
McClain (one of our favorite NFL insiders) is on record saying they
should take Vince Young. GM Charley Casserly just said on ESPN 790 they
submitted two contract proposals, one to Bush, one to Mario Williams.
This is allowed when you have the #1 pick. Smokescreen. Like we said
before, Bush-to-Houston is the Lock of the Mock.
2. N.O. Saints: DE Mario Williams (NC St): Wild rumors of a 3-way trade
between the Saints, Jets, and Raiders: The Saints and Jets swap out #2
& #4 -- the Saints get their #29 pick and still draft Mario Williams at
#4. The Jets turn around and send the #2 pick to Oakland for the #7
pick and their 2nd rounder, WR Jerry Porter plus extra picks in 2007.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard about Porter getting shipped. However we
can’t see these teams (3 new coaches with their heads spinning already)
actually agreeing to terms on all sides.
3. Tennessee Titans: QB Matt Leinart (USC): The pendulum swings back
toward Vince Young as the Wonderlic wreckage fades in the rearview
mirror. Titans owner Bud Adams likes Young. It’s been leaked. Still, our
most trusted source in Nashville insists Leinart is the pick. Going back
over the film we see Matt’s accuracy, smarts, and smooth over-the-top
delivery, and it’s truly difficult to fathom Tennessee passing on him.
His fingerprints are still smudged all over Norm Chow’s USC playbook.
4. *** Oakland (from NYJ): QB Vince Young (Texas): Some Raiders fans
will love it, others won’t see any sense in it. But when has Al Davis
ever made sense? The fact is, Aaron Brooks can function, possibly even
thrive for the next 2 years. The Jets receive the mega-talented WR Jerry
Porter (who needs a change of scenery) plus Oakland’s 2nd round pick. A
mini-version of the big 3-way rumor deal above.
5. Green Bay Packers: TE Vernon Davis (Maryland): We’ve been wondering
what made Brett Favre suddenly decide to return. Hmmm… wait a minute,
they must have promised Favre this pick! Davis is a game-changing
255-lb TE who runs a 4.38 with hands stickier than gecko toes.
6. San Francisco 49ers: LB A.J. Hawk (Ohio St): The 2005 Lombardi
Award winner falls in Mike Nolan’s lap. Hawk is not only an instant
starter, he’s a need pick for the 49ers, who lost Julian Peterson and Andre
Carter to free agency.
7. *** NYJ (from Oakland): T D’Brickashaw Ferguson (UVA): For the Jets,
this draft is as pretty as a picture. Brick’s hometown is Freeport,
just 40 miles from the Meadowlands. His college coach, Al Groh, coached
the Jets in 2000. Jets HC Eric Mangini is pumped up with picks #7,
#29, #35, and now #38 from Oakland.
8. Buffalo Bills: S Michael Huff (Texas): The 2005 Thorpe Award winner,
Huff is a major stud. He hits like a truck and can play both safety and
corner. Huff dusted all safeties at the Combine with a 4.34 in the 40 &
3.96 in the short shuttle. Marv Levy likes football players and Huff is
one of the 10 best available regardless of position.
9. Detroit Lions: LB Ernie Sims (FSU): Jay Cutler, Jay Cutler! Lions
OC Mike Martz will stomp his feet but he’s gotta admit this team needs
defense. Sims (5’11/235) has the fastest first step of any linebacker in
the draft. His stock doubled after private workouts. The health of
Lions LBs Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman are a concern.
10. Arizona Cardinals: QB Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt): Cutler grades out
like a beast and Dennis Green can’t resist taking him. The hype meter
pointed toward the top-7 but Jay still had a 11-34 record with no bowl
game experience. Green can use the #41 and #72 picks to address the
O-line.
11. St. Louis Rams: DT Haloti Ngata (Oregon): They will be switching to
a 3-4 scheme and the 6’5/336-lb Ngata fits perfectly. With 4 games vs.
Seattle and Arizona this is the perfect choice to help combat those
offenses.
12. Cleveland Browns: RB DeAngelo Williams (Memphis): We pegged D.W.
here back in January and an inside source is backing us. Yeah, he’s only
5’9/212, but the average of the top-10 NFL rushers last year was
5’10/215. Will Bartholomew, owner of the D1 Sports Facility where DeAngelo
trained this offseason, said D.W. was “built like a tank.†Some analysts
have this guy at #27 to Carolina. No way he falls that far.
13. Baltimore Ravens: OT Winston Justice (USC): Last year the Ravens
thought free-agent RT Keydrick Vincent was a steal from Pittsburgh but he
really struggled. Justice is a phenom with perfect technique who can
play either side. He also showed nice agility in the Combine, one of only
5 offensive linemen to run under 5.0 in the 40.
14. Philadelphia Eagles: WR Santonio Holmes (Ohio St): He’s a home-run
hitter whose hands seem to get stickier near the end zone. His stock
seems to be rebounding lately, as ESPN’s Skip Bayless even speculated
that Holmes could go top-10. Philly is reportedly about to give a 4th
rounder to Green Bay for Javon Walker too – giving them a dangerous trio
with Reggie Brown still in the mix.
15. Denver Broncos (from Atl): S Darnell Bing (USC): Over the last two
years Bing collected 116 total tackles (15 for a loss), 6 INTs, 12
passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. He’s a specimen at 225 lbs who will
watch John Lynch enforce the middle before he retires. Denver has a
whopping 6 more picks in rounds 2-3-4 so look for a couple RBs joining the
stable.
16. Miami Dolphins: CB Jonathan Joseph (South Carolina): Miami only has
one pick in the first two rounds because of the Culpepper trade.
Joseph can play nickel right off the bat and should eventually beat out Will
Allen or Renaldo Hill. The last Game**** corner taken in the 1st round
was Houston’s Dunta Robinson (#10 in 2004) and he’s a superstar.
17. Minnesota Vikings: DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka (BC): He’s a perfect fit
for a 4-3 scheme. At a shade under 6’6 and a spry 255 lbs, Kiwanuka can
terrorize the immobile NFC North QBs. He tallied 32.5 sacks in 3 years
despite being double- and triple-teamed every Saturday. The Vikings
also have Miami’s 2nd rounder to trade up a few spots if the urge is
there.
18. Dallas Cowboys: DT Brodrick Bunkley (FSU): Bunkley has leapfrogged
Michigan’s Gabe Watson as the #2 DT (maybe even #1 over Ngata) on the
board. He dropped jaws with 44 reps on the Combine bench. His so-so
Orange Bowl effort is in the back of our minds but this is a need pick
since La’Roi Glover left.
19. San Diego Chargers: CB Tye Hill (Clemson): GM A.J. Smith needs to
admit that ex-1st rounders Quentin Jammer (’02) and Sammy Davis (’03)
are busts. Hill’s 4.30 at the Combine was epic and it looked like a 4.20
when we watched it. A friend in the Atlanta Falcons personnel
department told us Hill made scouts “whip out cell phones†during Senior Bowl
week.
20. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Kamerion Wimbley (FSU): He’s risen from a
projected mid-2nd rounder to a mid-1st rounder in less than a month.
ESPN and FOX have the Chiefs taking a corner but we’re thinking Wimbley’s
versatility (linebacker?) will land him here. Honestly, no one has
any idea who Herman Edwards is looking at.
21. New England Patriots: LB Demeco Ryans (Alabama): The
Bruschi/McGinest era is over so it’s time to reload. Ryans is smallish at 233 but
he’s built like a fire hydrant and hunts down ball-carriers. He also
earned Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honors in college, a big character
checkmark for the Patriots staff.
22. San Francisco (from Was/Den): DE Manny Lawson (NC St): Lawson had a
terrific Combine, perhaps one of the best overall workouts regardless
of position. 49ers HC Mike Nolan was surely eyeing Lawson when he gave
up the 37th and 68th picks for this extra 1st rounder. He’ll play
linebacker in Nolan’s 3-4 defense.
23. *** Indianapolis (from Tampa): RB Laurence Maroney (Minn): The
Colts swap 1st round picks (#30 for #23) with Tampa Bay and donate their
3rd round pick. Watching the 6’0/216-lb Maroney slip this far is Tony
Dungy’s dream because 7 of his last 9 draft picks in rounds 1-3 have been
from the Big Ten.
24. Cincinnati Bengals: C Nick Mangold (Ohio St): Mangold is not only
the top center prospect, he’s one of the 5 best overall offensive
linemen. He directs traffic, uses perfect technique, plenty of power. Rich
Braham is 34 years old so taking a center this high is warranted.
25. New York Giants: OT Marcus McNeill (Auburn): The very definition of
a value pick, you could argue that McNeill is a top-10 talent at 6’7 ½,
336 lbs. He didn’t give up a sack in his last 41 games.
26. Chicago Bears: CB Jimmy Williams (Virginia Tech): We thought it was
a misprint when we saw Jimmy posted a 33-inch vertical leap at his Pro
Day (Clemson CB Tye Hill posted 41â€Â) but many still insist this guy is
the top corner. At 6’2/213 he could probably move to free safety
alongside Mike Brown. Williams only had one interception last year but
that’s because no one threw at him.
27. Carolina Panthers: RB Lendale White (USC): Originally projected as
a top-15 pick, the hamstring injury and weight issues cost him
millions. But the film doesn’t lie: White is a shifty-but-bruising power back
who doesn’t fumble. He's worth a shot this late. With DeShaun Foster’s
and Eric Shelton’s injury problems they can't pass White up.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Chad Jackson (Florida): There’s gotta be a
few head-scratchers in the 1st round, so here you go. Jackson’s a
legitimate 4.3 guy who interviewed like a 6-year pro. He should go higher.
The current rotation of Jimmy Smith/Ernest Wilford/Matt Jones isn’t all
it’s cracked up to be so the Jags won't hesitate.
29. New York Jets (from Den/Atl): OT Jonathan Scott (Texas): This
3-time All Big-12 lineman helped the Longhorns put up Madden-like rushing
numbers. First D'Brickashaw Ferguson, then Jonathan Scott, then the Jets
pick again at #35 and #38 for the defense...
30. *** Tampa Bay (from Indy): LB Chad Greenway (Iowa): His 40 time
(4.75) hurt him, as did his 16 bench reps (though several got deducted on
form), but Greenway’s a heady player who fits the Tampa 2 Defense. FOX
Sports’ Bryan Cox said he liked Greenway just as much as Hawk. The
extra 3rd round pick from Indy is nice.
31. Seattle Seahawks: OG Max Jean-Gilles (Georgia): Jean-Gilles is a
mauling run blocker who also played tackle his sophomore and junior
years. Seattle always has these late-round picks and they’re never sexy.
They’ve only used one top-10 draft pick in the last 8 years and that was
for Koren Robinson (9th in 2001).
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Joseph Addai (LSU): Scouts conveniently
compare him to ex-LSU RB Domanick Davis, a scrappy halfback -- but this
Addai kid is more dangerous, like a mini-Ronnie Brown. Addai measures
6’0/215 and peeled off a 4.37 at the Combine. He was stuck in a platoon
of talented RBs just like Brown was at Auburn. Does anyone truly
believe Willie Parker gets a free ride this summer?
Enjoy the draft!
Draft Sharks
NFL Round 1 Mock Draft
April 27, 2006
=================
1. Houston Texans: RB Reggie Bush (USC): The Houston Chronicle’s John
McClain (one of our favorite NFL insiders) is on record saying they
should take Vince Young. GM Charley Casserly just said on ESPN 790 they
submitted two contract proposals, one to Bush, one to Mario Williams.
This is allowed when you have the #1 pick. Smokescreen. Like we said
before, Bush-to-Houston is the Lock of the Mock.
2. N.O. Saints: DE Mario Williams (NC St): Wild rumors of a 3-way trade
between the Saints, Jets, and Raiders: The Saints and Jets swap out #2
& #4 -- the Saints get their #29 pick and still draft Mario Williams at
#4. The Jets turn around and send the #2 pick to Oakland for the #7
pick and their 2nd rounder, WR Jerry Porter plus extra picks in 2007.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard about Porter getting shipped. However we
can’t see these teams (3 new coaches with their heads spinning already)
actually agreeing to terms on all sides.
3. Tennessee Titans: QB Matt Leinart (USC): The pendulum swings back
toward Vince Young as the Wonderlic wreckage fades in the rearview
mirror. Titans owner Bud Adams likes Young. It’s been leaked. Still, our
most trusted source in Nashville insists Leinart is the pick. Going back
over the film we see Matt’s accuracy, smarts, and smooth over-the-top
delivery, and it’s truly difficult to fathom Tennessee passing on him.
His fingerprints are still smudged all over Norm Chow’s USC playbook.
4. *** Oakland (from NYJ): QB Vince Young (Texas): Some Raiders fans
will love it, others won’t see any sense in it. But when has Al Davis
ever made sense? The fact is, Aaron Brooks can function, possibly even
thrive for the next 2 years. The Jets receive the mega-talented WR Jerry
Porter (who needs a change of scenery) plus Oakland’s 2nd round pick. A
mini-version of the big 3-way rumor deal above.
5. Green Bay Packers: TE Vernon Davis (Maryland): We’ve been wondering
what made Brett Favre suddenly decide to return. Hmmm… wait a minute,
they must have promised Favre this pick! Davis is a game-changing
255-lb TE who runs a 4.38 with hands stickier than gecko toes.
6. San Francisco 49ers: LB A.J. Hawk (Ohio St): The 2005 Lombardi
Award winner falls in Mike Nolan’s lap. Hawk is not only an instant
starter, he’s a need pick for the 49ers, who lost Julian Peterson and Andre
Carter to free agency.
7. *** NYJ (from Oakland): T D’Brickashaw Ferguson (UVA): For the Jets,
this draft is as pretty as a picture. Brick’s hometown is Freeport,
just 40 miles from the Meadowlands. His college coach, Al Groh, coached
the Jets in 2000. Jets HC Eric Mangini is pumped up with picks #7,
#29, #35, and now #38 from Oakland.
8. Buffalo Bills: S Michael Huff (Texas): The 2005 Thorpe Award winner,
Huff is a major stud. He hits like a truck and can play both safety and
corner. Huff dusted all safeties at the Combine with a 4.34 in the 40 &
3.96 in the short shuttle. Marv Levy likes football players and Huff is
one of the 10 best available regardless of position.
9. Detroit Lions: LB Ernie Sims (FSU): Jay Cutler, Jay Cutler! Lions
OC Mike Martz will stomp his feet but he’s gotta admit this team needs
defense. Sims (5’11/235) has the fastest first step of any linebacker in
the draft. His stock doubled after private workouts. The health of
Lions LBs Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman are a concern.
10. Arizona Cardinals: QB Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt): Cutler grades out
like a beast and Dennis Green can’t resist taking him. The hype meter
pointed toward the top-7 but Jay still had a 11-34 record with no bowl
game experience. Green can use the #41 and #72 picks to address the
O-line.
11. St. Louis Rams: DT Haloti Ngata (Oregon): They will be switching to
a 3-4 scheme and the 6’5/336-lb Ngata fits perfectly. With 4 games vs.
Seattle and Arizona this is the perfect choice to help combat those
offenses.
12. Cleveland Browns: RB DeAngelo Williams (Memphis): We pegged D.W.
here back in January and an inside source is backing us. Yeah, he’s only
5’9/212, but the average of the top-10 NFL rushers last year was
5’10/215. Will Bartholomew, owner of the D1 Sports Facility where DeAngelo
trained this offseason, said D.W. was “built like a tank.†Some analysts
have this guy at #27 to Carolina. No way he falls that far.
13. Baltimore Ravens: OT Winston Justice (USC): Last year the Ravens
thought free-agent RT Keydrick Vincent was a steal from Pittsburgh but he
really struggled. Justice is a phenom with perfect technique who can
play either side. He also showed nice agility in the Combine, one of only
5 offensive linemen to run under 5.0 in the 40.
14. Philadelphia Eagles: WR Santonio Holmes (Ohio St): He’s a home-run
hitter whose hands seem to get stickier near the end zone. His stock
seems to be rebounding lately, as ESPN’s Skip Bayless even speculated
that Holmes could go top-10. Philly is reportedly about to give a 4th
rounder to Green Bay for Javon Walker too – giving them a dangerous trio
with Reggie Brown still in the mix.
15. Denver Broncos (from Atl): S Darnell Bing (USC): Over the last two
years Bing collected 116 total tackles (15 for a loss), 6 INTs, 12
passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. He’s a specimen at 225 lbs who will
watch John Lynch enforce the middle before he retires. Denver has a
whopping 6 more picks in rounds 2-3-4 so look for a couple RBs joining the
stable.
16. Miami Dolphins: CB Jonathan Joseph (South Carolina): Miami only has
one pick in the first two rounds because of the Culpepper trade.
Joseph can play nickel right off the bat and should eventually beat out Will
Allen or Renaldo Hill. The last Game**** corner taken in the 1st round
was Houston’s Dunta Robinson (#10 in 2004) and he’s a superstar.
17. Minnesota Vikings: DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka (BC): He’s a perfect fit
for a 4-3 scheme. At a shade under 6’6 and a spry 255 lbs, Kiwanuka can
terrorize the immobile NFC North QBs. He tallied 32.5 sacks in 3 years
despite being double- and triple-teamed every Saturday. The Vikings
also have Miami’s 2nd rounder to trade up a few spots if the urge is
there.
18. Dallas Cowboys: DT Brodrick Bunkley (FSU): Bunkley has leapfrogged
Michigan’s Gabe Watson as the #2 DT (maybe even #1 over Ngata) on the
board. He dropped jaws with 44 reps on the Combine bench. His so-so
Orange Bowl effort is in the back of our minds but this is a need pick
since La’Roi Glover left.
19. San Diego Chargers: CB Tye Hill (Clemson): GM A.J. Smith needs to
admit that ex-1st rounders Quentin Jammer (’02) and Sammy Davis (’03)
are busts. Hill’s 4.30 at the Combine was epic and it looked like a 4.20
when we watched it. A friend in the Atlanta Falcons personnel
department told us Hill made scouts “whip out cell phones†during Senior Bowl
week.
20. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Kamerion Wimbley (FSU): He’s risen from a
projected mid-2nd rounder to a mid-1st rounder in less than a month.
ESPN and FOX have the Chiefs taking a corner but we’re thinking Wimbley’s
versatility (linebacker?) will land him here. Honestly, no one has
any idea who Herman Edwards is looking at.
21. New England Patriots: LB Demeco Ryans (Alabama): The
Bruschi/McGinest era is over so it’s time to reload. Ryans is smallish at 233 but
he’s built like a fire hydrant and hunts down ball-carriers. He also
earned Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honors in college, a big character
checkmark for the Patriots staff.
22. San Francisco (from Was/Den): DE Manny Lawson (NC St): Lawson had a
terrific Combine, perhaps one of the best overall workouts regardless
of position. 49ers HC Mike Nolan was surely eyeing Lawson when he gave
up the 37th and 68th picks for this extra 1st rounder. He’ll play
linebacker in Nolan’s 3-4 defense.
23. *** Indianapolis (from Tampa): RB Laurence Maroney (Minn): The
Colts swap 1st round picks (#30 for #23) with Tampa Bay and donate their
3rd round pick. Watching the 6’0/216-lb Maroney slip this far is Tony
Dungy’s dream because 7 of his last 9 draft picks in rounds 1-3 have been
from the Big Ten.
24. Cincinnati Bengals: C Nick Mangold (Ohio St): Mangold is not only
the top center prospect, he’s one of the 5 best overall offensive
linemen. He directs traffic, uses perfect technique, plenty of power. Rich
Braham is 34 years old so taking a center this high is warranted.
25. New York Giants: OT Marcus McNeill (Auburn): The very definition of
a value pick, you could argue that McNeill is a top-10 talent at 6’7 ½,
336 lbs. He didn’t give up a sack in his last 41 games.
26. Chicago Bears: CB Jimmy Williams (Virginia Tech): We thought it was
a misprint when we saw Jimmy posted a 33-inch vertical leap at his Pro
Day (Clemson CB Tye Hill posted 41â€Â) but many still insist this guy is
the top corner. At 6’2/213 he could probably move to free safety
alongside Mike Brown. Williams only had one interception last year but
that’s because no one threw at him.
27. Carolina Panthers: RB Lendale White (USC): Originally projected as
a top-15 pick, the hamstring injury and weight issues cost him
millions. But the film doesn’t lie: White is a shifty-but-bruising power back
who doesn’t fumble. He's worth a shot this late. With DeShaun Foster’s
and Eric Shelton’s injury problems they can't pass White up.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Chad Jackson (Florida): There’s gotta be a
few head-scratchers in the 1st round, so here you go. Jackson’s a
legitimate 4.3 guy who interviewed like a 6-year pro. He should go higher.
The current rotation of Jimmy Smith/Ernest Wilford/Matt Jones isn’t all
it’s cracked up to be so the Jags won't hesitate.
29. New York Jets (from Den/Atl): OT Jonathan Scott (Texas): This
3-time All Big-12 lineman helped the Longhorns put up Madden-like rushing
numbers. First D'Brickashaw Ferguson, then Jonathan Scott, then the Jets
pick again at #35 and #38 for the defense...
30. *** Tampa Bay (from Indy): LB Chad Greenway (Iowa): His 40 time
(4.75) hurt him, as did his 16 bench reps (though several got deducted on
form), but Greenway’s a heady player who fits the Tampa 2 Defense. FOX
Sports’ Bryan Cox said he liked Greenway just as much as Hawk. The
extra 3rd round pick from Indy is nice.
31. Seattle Seahawks: OG Max Jean-Gilles (Georgia): Jean-Gilles is a
mauling run blocker who also played tackle his sophomore and junior
years. Seattle always has these late-round picks and they’re never sexy.
They’ve only used one top-10 draft pick in the last 8 years and that was
for Koren Robinson (9th in 2001).
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Joseph Addai (LSU): Scouts conveniently
compare him to ex-LSU RB Domanick Davis, a scrappy halfback -- but this
Addai kid is more dangerous, like a mini-Ronnie Brown. Addai measures
6’0/215 and peeled off a 4.37 at the Combine. He was stuck in a platoon
of talented RBs just like Brown was at Auburn. Does anyone truly
believe Willie Parker gets a free ride this summer?
Enjoy the draft!
