First Round for everybody. 7 for us. Keep in mind though, I'm going to try and make picks based on rumors from other teams, and where the different stocks are right now.
1.Miami Dolphins Jake Long OT, Michigan I literally flip flopped between Jake Long and Chris Long multiple times. I almost garuntee you that in the next month I will change the pick to Chris Long, and Vernon Gholston might get some love by draft night as well. Case in point, right now we need to upgrade the offensive line, and while some want to wait till round 2, the guys we want the most won't be there (Chris Williams and Brandan Alberts). Despite what some might think, Jake Long is a damn good LT. His main problem is keeping balance at times, but the only guy whose given him trouble is Vernon Gholston. Right now I think Jake Long is the guy.
2.St. Louis Chris Long DE, Virginia The rumors are that the Rams are in love with Gholston, but if Chris Long is there, I think it will be hard to pass on him. Long will not only give the Rams a needed pass rush, but a leader and a hard worker.
3.Atlanta Falcons Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU Knowing what I know about the Falcons new regime (which plans on building the defense like Mike Smith's defenses were in Jacksonville), they're content with waiting on a QB and will instead go for a monster DT. Dorsey is not as big as Marcus Stroud or John Henderson were, but he's a pretty good prospect that will probably be in consideration for pick numero uno (still).
4.Oakland Raiders Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas This is an Al Davis pick. Rumors are he's in LOVE with DMC, and despite the emergence of Justin Fargas I don't think he'd pass up on a star RB (similar to Minny with Taylor and Peterson).
5.Kansas City Chiefs Leodis McKelvin CB, Troy State I don't think it's Herm Edward's style to go after a QB early on, and by all indications, they want Jake Long in the worst way. If he's gone they'll try to trade down. If they can't there are two options. 1)Reach for the guy they have as OT 2 Jeff Otah or 2)Address their need at CB. With Surtain on the wrong side of 30, and Ty Law gone, the Chiefs need a CB. McKelvin is arguably the tob CB in the draft.
6.New York Jets Vernon Gholston DE/OLB, Ohio State Despite signing Calvin Pace and already having Bryan Thomas, I think if Gholston is available the Jets won't hesitate to draft him. For a team that wants to play the 3-4, they still do not have the greatest personel in the front 7, and Pace could probably move inside with Harris.
7.New England Patriots Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB, Tennessee State The Pats could go ILB, but I think they go with the intriguing CB. With no Samuels, no Gay, and no Wilson, they need some CB help (since Merriweather will move to S). As a Fin fan, I'd love for the Pats to say that they're happy with their CBs being Ellis Hobbs, Lewis Sanders, and Jason Webster, but for some reason I think that is wishful thinking.
8.Baltimore Ravens Matt Ryan QB, Boston College Matt Ryan might suffer the Brady Quinn/Aaron Rodgers free fall, but I think the Ratbirds might be pressured into taking him. Kyle Boller has looked good coming off the bench, but Baltimore does not want him as a starter, and McNair is close to retirement. In all honesty, the biggest weakness on this team is QB, and they are the only team in their division without a franchise QB.
9.Cincinnati Bengals Keith Rivers LB, USC Word is the Bengals are looking to move to a 3-4 defense this upcoming year which is why I don't have the pick being Ellis. Even if they don't move to a 3-4, they need some upgrades at LB (especially with Landon Johnson leaving, and he is nothing special). Rivers is a playmaker that was surrounded by a plethora of great LBs at USC.
10.New Orleans Saints Seddrick Ellis DT, USC back-to-back Trojans. With Jon Vilma and Dan Morgan coming in, LB becomes less of a need, but an upgrade at DT is a must. Don't be shocked to see the Saints try to move up and get the hometown boy Glenn Dorsey. Though Ellis is not a bad consolation prize.
11.Buffalo Bills Malcolm Kelly WR, Oklahoma probably a reach right now, but Buffalo needs a WR to take pressure off of Evans in the worst way. Since they did not sign Bryant Johnson, they might be forced to reach for Kelly at this point.
12.Denver Broncos Ryan Clady OT, Boise State From what Denver fans tell me, if the Broncos can't get a top notch DT, they'll do whatever it takes to get Clady. With Matt Lepsis retiring (and a sub par OL left behind him) an upgrade is needed. Clady is also the perfect zone blocking OT.
13.Carolina Panthers Chris Williams OT, Vanderbilt Word out of Carolina is Travelle Wharton is being moved to guard so OT is a need. The Panthers want Clady really bad, but with Denver ahead of them, they'll settle for Williams.
14.Chicago Bears Jeff Otah OT, Pittsburgh The 3rd OT to come off the board in a row. Da Bears need a lot of help all over the offense, and best start with the OL (where there is little to no youth). Otah could step in right away and replace Fred Miller.
15.Detroit Lions Derrick Harvey DE, Florida Dwyane White had a solid year, but Kalimba Edwards was cut leaving the Lions without a pass rushing DE. One option would be to move Cory Redding back to DE, but Harvey might be too good to pass up.
16.Arizona Cardinals Rashard Mendenhall RB, Illinois The Cards don't have a lot of glaring needs so Mendenhall is a luxury they can take to help Edge out. Mendenhall will add a dimension that Edge no longer has. Since neither Shipp or Arrington have helped a lot, the Illini alum is probably the pick.
17.Minnesota Vikings Quintin Groves DE, Auburn Kenechi Udeze will miss the season rehabbing from leukemia, Erasmus James has been a bust, and Ray Edwards is one drug test away from a year long suspension. Pass rush is a must for Minny.
18.Houston Texans Jonathan Stewart RB, Oregon If Willis McGahee can go in round 1 after a blown knee, Stewart can go in the first after turf toe. With Ahman Green slowing down with age/injuries, a young stud RB is a must.
19.Philadelphia Eagles Reggie Smith S, Oklahoma Not a lot of glaring needs on the Iggles. S is somewhat of a concern since Dawkins is older, and an upgrade over Mikell/Considine would be welcomed. Smith could play CB, but most feel is future is at S.
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers DeSean Jackson WR, California Gruden has been looking for a WR to complent Galloway for a couple years now. At 36, the complimenting is pretty much done. Jackson is a speedster that Gruden loves.
21.Washington Redskins Limas Sweed WR, Texas Antwan Randle El has not lived up to his contract and the smurf approach at WR needs to stop. Sweed will give the Skins some much needed size at WR.
22.Dallas Cowboys Felix Jones RB, Arkansas Even though they still have Marion Barber, I think the Cowboys would love for him to have a compliment. Dallas really does not have a lot of needs so Jones is a nice luxury to have. Plus, he can help a somewhat lackluster return team.
23.Pittsburgh Steelers, Brandan Albert OG, Virginia I Even with the Steelers signing Justin Hartwig, I cannot see them passing on Brandan Albert. With questions pretty much all over the line, the Steelers rebuild their line around another G.
24.Tennessee Titans Mike Jenkins CB, South Florida Best player available. Could reach for a WR, but they still need a shutdown CB. Jenkins probably should be drafted a lot higher, but sometimes this happens.
25.Seattle Seahawks Fred Davis TE, USC The Seahawks have 2 glaring needs A)TE and B)DT. I think they'll address TE first. Davis is a very good TE that has experience in a pro style offense.
26.Jacksonville Jaguars Phillip Merling DE, Clemson Bobby McCray is gone, Paul Spicer is nothing special, and Reggie Heyward has struggled coming back from his torn achilles. DE is a need for this solid team.
27.San Diego Chargers Gosder Cherilus OT, Boston College Another team with few needs. With Shane Olivea gone, a RT is probably a priority.
28.Dallas Cowboys Aqib Talib CB Kansas Cowboys lost their nickle and dime backs. Talib may not fit their system, but he's good value.
29.Sas Fransisco 49'ers Kenny Phillips S, Miami Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the safeties for the 9ers Michael Lewis and Mark Roman? An upgrade is definatly needed here.
30.Green Bay Packers Justin King CB, Penn State Al Harris and Charles Woodson are both getting older so King can wait in the wings learning for a year. Physically, King is a top 10 pick he just needs to learn. Plus, he's a high character guy.
31.New England Patriots- ah... oh right...
32.New York Giants DaJuan Morgan S, North Carolina State I really wanted to put Dan Connor here, but losing Gibril Wilson really changed that. Sammy Knight is good, but as we know (way too well) Sammy is a liability in pass coverage. And even with losing Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor, the team still has some decent young prospects in Gerris Wilkinson, Zak DeOssie, and Maithias Kiwanuka (if they keep him at LB).
Miami Only draft (no projected compensation picks)
1.Jake Long OT, Michigan-Want Explanation? Read top of page.
2a.Dan Connor ILB, Penn StateWith us taking Jake Long first, I think we can hold off on Anthony Collins and take Dan Connor. Connor would be too good to pass up.
2b.Charles Godfrey CB, Iowa Hate to steal the pick from NFL Draft Countdown, but Scott Wright is right (no pun intended), Godfrey's physical play is the type of CB Tuna is looking for.
3.Kendall Langford DE, Hampton We've been all over the guy since the Senior Bowl. Projects very well as a 3-4 DE.
4.Jeremy Zuttah OG, Rutgers Prospect on the rise. We've had a lot of contact with him, and he could start from day 1. Hard worker and very strong.
5.Trent Green, now residing in St. Louis
6.Curtis Johnson OLB, Clark-Atlanta great athlete that could develop into a 3-4 LB. We've had a lot of contact with him.
7.Brian Witherspoon CB, Stillman very fast CB with 4.25 speed.
Probably gonna be crapped on by some of you hardasses (kidding), but please comment:up:
1.Miami Dolphins Jake Long OT, Michigan I literally flip flopped between Jake Long and Chris Long multiple times. I almost garuntee you that in the next month I will change the pick to Chris Long, and Vernon Gholston might get some love by draft night as well. Case in point, right now we need to upgrade the offensive line, and while some want to wait till round 2, the guys we want the most won't be there (Chris Williams and Brandan Alberts). Despite what some might think, Jake Long is a damn good LT. His main problem is keeping balance at times, but the only guy whose given him trouble is Vernon Gholston. Right now I think Jake Long is the guy.
2.St. Louis Chris Long DE, Virginia The rumors are that the Rams are in love with Gholston, but if Chris Long is there, I think it will be hard to pass on him. Long will not only give the Rams a needed pass rush, but a leader and a hard worker.
3.Atlanta Falcons Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU Knowing what I know about the Falcons new regime (which plans on building the defense like Mike Smith's defenses were in Jacksonville), they're content with waiting on a QB and will instead go for a monster DT. Dorsey is not as big as Marcus Stroud or John Henderson were, but he's a pretty good prospect that will probably be in consideration for pick numero uno (still).
4.Oakland Raiders Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas This is an Al Davis pick. Rumors are he's in LOVE with DMC, and despite the emergence of Justin Fargas I don't think he'd pass up on a star RB (similar to Minny with Taylor and Peterson).
5.Kansas City Chiefs Leodis McKelvin CB, Troy State I don't think it's Herm Edward's style to go after a QB early on, and by all indications, they want Jake Long in the worst way. If he's gone they'll try to trade down. If they can't there are two options. 1)Reach for the guy they have as OT 2 Jeff Otah or 2)Address their need at CB. With Surtain on the wrong side of 30, and Ty Law gone, the Chiefs need a CB. McKelvin is arguably the tob CB in the draft.
6.New York Jets Vernon Gholston DE/OLB, Ohio State Despite signing Calvin Pace and already having Bryan Thomas, I think if Gholston is available the Jets won't hesitate to draft him. For a team that wants to play the 3-4, they still do not have the greatest personel in the front 7, and Pace could probably move inside with Harris.
7.New England Patriots Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB, Tennessee State The Pats could go ILB, but I think they go with the intriguing CB. With no Samuels, no Gay, and no Wilson, they need some CB help (since Merriweather will move to S). As a Fin fan, I'd love for the Pats to say that they're happy with their CBs being Ellis Hobbs, Lewis Sanders, and Jason Webster, but for some reason I think that is wishful thinking.
8.Baltimore Ravens Matt Ryan QB, Boston College Matt Ryan might suffer the Brady Quinn/Aaron Rodgers free fall, but I think the Ratbirds might be pressured into taking him. Kyle Boller has looked good coming off the bench, but Baltimore does not want him as a starter, and McNair is close to retirement. In all honesty, the biggest weakness on this team is QB, and they are the only team in their division without a franchise QB.
9.Cincinnati Bengals Keith Rivers LB, USC Word is the Bengals are looking to move to a 3-4 defense this upcoming year which is why I don't have the pick being Ellis. Even if they don't move to a 3-4, they need some upgrades at LB (especially with Landon Johnson leaving, and he is nothing special). Rivers is a playmaker that was surrounded by a plethora of great LBs at USC.
10.New Orleans Saints Seddrick Ellis DT, USC back-to-back Trojans. With Jon Vilma and Dan Morgan coming in, LB becomes less of a need, but an upgrade at DT is a must. Don't be shocked to see the Saints try to move up and get the hometown boy Glenn Dorsey. Though Ellis is not a bad consolation prize.
11.Buffalo Bills Malcolm Kelly WR, Oklahoma probably a reach right now, but Buffalo needs a WR to take pressure off of Evans in the worst way. Since they did not sign Bryant Johnson, they might be forced to reach for Kelly at this point.
12.Denver Broncos Ryan Clady OT, Boise State From what Denver fans tell me, if the Broncos can't get a top notch DT, they'll do whatever it takes to get Clady. With Matt Lepsis retiring (and a sub par OL left behind him) an upgrade is needed. Clady is also the perfect zone blocking OT.
13.Carolina Panthers Chris Williams OT, Vanderbilt Word out of Carolina is Travelle Wharton is being moved to guard so OT is a need. The Panthers want Clady really bad, but with Denver ahead of them, they'll settle for Williams.
14.Chicago Bears Jeff Otah OT, Pittsburgh The 3rd OT to come off the board in a row. Da Bears need a lot of help all over the offense, and best start with the OL (where there is little to no youth). Otah could step in right away and replace Fred Miller.
15.Detroit Lions Derrick Harvey DE, Florida Dwyane White had a solid year, but Kalimba Edwards was cut leaving the Lions without a pass rushing DE. One option would be to move Cory Redding back to DE, but Harvey might be too good to pass up.
16.Arizona Cardinals Rashard Mendenhall RB, Illinois The Cards don't have a lot of glaring needs so Mendenhall is a luxury they can take to help Edge out. Mendenhall will add a dimension that Edge no longer has. Since neither Shipp or Arrington have helped a lot, the Illini alum is probably the pick.
17.Minnesota Vikings Quintin Groves DE, Auburn Kenechi Udeze will miss the season rehabbing from leukemia, Erasmus James has been a bust, and Ray Edwards is one drug test away from a year long suspension. Pass rush is a must for Minny.
18.Houston Texans Jonathan Stewart RB, Oregon If Willis McGahee can go in round 1 after a blown knee, Stewart can go in the first after turf toe. With Ahman Green slowing down with age/injuries, a young stud RB is a must.
19.Philadelphia Eagles Reggie Smith S, Oklahoma Not a lot of glaring needs on the Iggles. S is somewhat of a concern since Dawkins is older, and an upgrade over Mikell/Considine would be welcomed. Smith could play CB, but most feel is future is at S.
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers DeSean Jackson WR, California Gruden has been looking for a WR to complent Galloway for a couple years now. At 36, the complimenting is pretty much done. Jackson is a speedster that Gruden loves.
21.Washington Redskins Limas Sweed WR, Texas Antwan Randle El has not lived up to his contract and the smurf approach at WR needs to stop. Sweed will give the Skins some much needed size at WR.
22.Dallas Cowboys Felix Jones RB, Arkansas Even though they still have Marion Barber, I think the Cowboys would love for him to have a compliment. Dallas really does not have a lot of needs so Jones is a nice luxury to have. Plus, he can help a somewhat lackluster return team.
23.Pittsburgh Steelers, Brandan Albert OG, Virginia I Even with the Steelers signing Justin Hartwig, I cannot see them passing on Brandan Albert. With questions pretty much all over the line, the Steelers rebuild their line around another G.
24.Tennessee Titans Mike Jenkins CB, South Florida Best player available. Could reach for a WR, but they still need a shutdown CB. Jenkins probably should be drafted a lot higher, but sometimes this happens.
25.Seattle Seahawks Fred Davis TE, USC The Seahawks have 2 glaring needs A)TE and B)DT. I think they'll address TE first. Davis is a very good TE that has experience in a pro style offense.
26.Jacksonville Jaguars Phillip Merling DE, Clemson Bobby McCray is gone, Paul Spicer is nothing special, and Reggie Heyward has struggled coming back from his torn achilles. DE is a need for this solid team.
27.San Diego Chargers Gosder Cherilus OT, Boston College Another team with few needs. With Shane Olivea gone, a RT is probably a priority.
28.Dallas Cowboys Aqib Talib CB Kansas Cowboys lost their nickle and dime backs. Talib may not fit their system, but he's good value.
29.Sas Fransisco 49'ers Kenny Phillips S, Miami Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the safeties for the 9ers Michael Lewis and Mark Roman? An upgrade is definatly needed here.
30.Green Bay Packers Justin King CB, Penn State Al Harris and Charles Woodson are both getting older so King can wait in the wings learning for a year. Physically, King is a top 10 pick he just needs to learn. Plus, he's a high character guy.
31.New England Patriots- ah... oh right...
32.New York Giants DaJuan Morgan S, North Carolina State I really wanted to put Dan Connor here, but losing Gibril Wilson really changed that. Sammy Knight is good, but as we know (way too well) Sammy is a liability in pass coverage. And even with losing Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor, the team still has some decent young prospects in Gerris Wilkinson, Zak DeOssie, and Maithias Kiwanuka (if they keep him at LB).
Miami Only draft (no projected compensation picks)
1.Jake Long OT, Michigan-Want Explanation? Read top of page.
2a.Dan Connor ILB, Penn StateWith us taking Jake Long first, I think we can hold off on Anthony Collins and take Dan Connor. Connor would be too good to pass up.
2b.Charles Godfrey CB, Iowa Hate to steal the pick from NFL Draft Countdown, but Scott Wright is right (no pun intended), Godfrey's physical play is the type of CB Tuna is looking for.
3.Kendall Langford DE, Hampton We've been all over the guy since the Senior Bowl. Projects very well as a 3-4 DE.
4.Jeremy Zuttah OG, Rutgers Prospect on the rise. We've had a lot of contact with him, and he could start from day 1. Hard worker and very strong.
5.Trent Green, now residing in St. Louis
6.Curtis Johnson OLB, Clark-Atlanta great athlete that could develop into a 3-4 LB. We've had a lot of contact with him.
7.Brian Witherspoon CB, Stillman very fast CB with 4.25 speed.
Probably gonna be crapped on by some of you hardasses (kidding), but please comment:up:
