With the season a little more than halfway done, we are starting to get a better idea of what each team is like. I will do one round for every team, and 7 for Miami. Comments are always welcomed and preferred. Draft postition credited to playoffstatus.com
1.Detroit Lions-Sam Bradford QB, Oklahoma The interesting thing about this year's QB class is that there is zero first round seniors. This will make it very difficult for a lot of the top underclassmen to leave early (and also makes it very difficult to guess who will enter). Bradford is a redshirt sophomore so it is up in the air on whether or not he'll leave, but if he can lead OU to a win over Texas Tech, he'll likely play in the BCS championship game, win his second Big 12 championship, and probably win the Heisman. If all that were to happen, I can't see Bradford staying. The Lions need a franchise QB in the worst way. While Stafford gets all the love right now, Bradford is really close in talent and his also more productive.
2.Kansas City Chiefs-Matthew Stafford QB, Georgia This is the guy that most KC fans want. It has been a horrible year for our old friend Herm Edwards, but he's got a lot of good young players to build around. One thing KC is lacking in though is QB. Although Tyler Thigpen has done a nice job in limited action, it is doubtful he can be a franchise QB. And with Brodie Croyle being an injury waiting to happen, they need to look for a QB. The worst part about this draft for KC and Detroit? The guys they want, might not even be in the draft.
3.Cincinnati Bengals-Chris Wells RB, Ohio State Another team having a very rough year. The injury to Carson Palmer has hurt the team, but the 2 biggest problems have been a lack of a running game, and a lack of a pass rush. While there are some tempting prospects at DE, the chance to take a power runner that happens to be a hometown kid is hard to pass up.
4.San Francisco 49ers-Vontae Davis CB, Illinois Despite having Nate Clements the 9ers CBs have struggled. The chance to get another physical CB is too good to pass up for the 9ers.
5.Oakland Raiders-Andre Smith OT, Alabama The Raiders have a starting OT tandem of Cornell Green and Kwame Harris. That is by far one of, if not the, worst tandems in the NFL. Smith has struggled a bit with weight problems, but he is one of the main reasons as to why Alabama has been so good this year.
6.Seattle Seahawks-Michael Crabtree WR, Texas Tech A team that probably should be better than their record, but they've had some bad luck this year. They do need WR help though as Bobby Engram is 36, and Deion Branch is always battling injuries. Crabtree is another guy that might not be in the draft.
7.St. Louis Rams-Eugene Monroe OT, Virginia The Rams really wanted to take Jake Long last year, but we beat them to the punch. Michael Oher could be an option, but his future might be at guard and the Rams are adament they want a true OT. Alex Barron has not developed like they had hoped he would, and Orlando Pace is not getting any younger (and he's ended 2 of the last 3 seasons on IR)
8.Houston Texans-James Laurenitis LB, Ohio State Let me reiterate that I think that Rey Mauluga is a better prospect than Little Animal, but he is not playing like it. Plus, Animal fits into the Texans defense better. Aside from Demeco Ryans, the Houston LB corp is nothing special starting Zach Diles and our old friend Morlon Greenwood. Little Animal will probably struggle in the middle in the NFL due to his biggest weakness being his inability to shed blocks. He is however, very good in coverage and would help the Texans D.
9.Cleveland Browns-Malcolm Jenkins CB, Ohio State Outside of Eric Wright, none of Cleveland's CBs should be starters in the NFL. Another case of taking a very physical CB that is also a local kid. Jenkins may have to move to FS down the road, but he should be a capable CB.
10.New Orleans Saints-Aaron Curry LB, Wake Forrest If this is how the draft works out I would expect NO to trade down a spot or 2 to get Curry (who fits their defense more than Mauluga). Curry is an OLB through and through and would look nice next to Jonathan Vilma.
11.San Diego Chargers-Rey Mauluga LB, USC Rey Rey is a little to reckless for most schemes, but he could fill a huge need for San Diego. The ILBs in San Diego have not been as good as SD had hoped for, and Rey Rey could change that real quick.
12.Jacksonville Jaguars-Michael Oher OT/OG, Ole Miss Oher is a very good story, but that's for another thread. Jacksonville has suffered several serious injuries on the OL. That combined with the lack of production from Khalif Barnes and Tony Pashos, as well as Oher's ability to play guard and tackle, make Oher a very attractive pick for the Jags.
13.Green Bay Packers-Michael Johnson DE, Georgia Tech Outside of Aaron Kampmen, the Packers have no pass rush. Johnson isn't the most productive DE out there, but he is one of the most athletic (the only guy who comes close is a junior named Greg Hardy). Could be quite the steal for the Pack
14.Philadelphia Eagles- William Moore S, Missouri The Iggles don't have many glaring weaknesses, but they do need stronger safety play next to Brian Dawkins (and they also have to be prepared to replace Dawk). Moore is the best safety on the board, and the Iggles will be glad to have him.
15.Minnesota Vikings-Josh Freeman QB, Kansas State Freeman is the best pro prospect that nobody talks about. He has prototypical size, and has shown flashes of brilliance. He is not surrounded by a lot of talent, however and at times it shows in erratic play. With Ron Prince on his way out, it looks unlikely that Freeman will stay at KSU for his senior season. Freeman will be going to a team with a great running game and a couple reliable WRs in Bobby Wade/Bernard Berrian to rely on.
16.Buffalo Bills-Jermaine Grisham TE, Oklahoma Only real weakness I see on Buffalo is a lack of consistency at the TE position. Grisham is a very good prospect and is a playmaker that would add an extra dimension to the Bills offense.
17.Denver Broncos-Rashad Johnson S, Alabama Is this a reach? Yes. The Broncos need a S bad, and I would not be surprised to see them trade up to get Moore. This pick could be Taylor Mays, but I don't think he'll enter the draft this year because he is still very raw. Even with the reach, Johnson is a very good prospect and a playmaker
18.Miami Dolphins-Greg Hardy DE/OLB, Ole Miss If Hardy enters the draft, this might be very wishful thinking. Hardy is an athletic freak that has battled injuries all season. Even with those injuries, Hardy has been a very productive pass rusher for the Rebels. I know CK has been pushing for Clint Sintim (who is coached by Parcells coach Al Groh), but Hardy is just too good to pass up IMO. But as I said, if he enters, we probably won't get a shot at him.
19.Chicago Bears-Darius Heyward-Bey WR, Maryland Marty Booker and Brandon Llyod have provided some exciting plays for Chicago this year, but they still need a go-to WR. DHB has all the physical tools you need to be a WR in the NFL, but the one question in the mental aspect.
20.Indianapolis Colts-Sen'Derrick Marks DT, Auburn The one weakness the Colts have is at DT. Kenyata Dawson and Eric Foster have done the best they can, but both are rediculously undersized to be DTs. In a Tampa 2 you need a good penetrator at the DT spot, and Marks fits that bill.
21.Detroit Lions (via Dallas)-George Selvie DE, USF A combination of injuries and the emergence of other players has pushed Selvie down the board. Selvie is a tad small for the 3-4 (which has dropped him down the boards), but he should help the Lions get a pass rush out of the 4-3 (something that they have struggled to get all season)
22.Washington Redskins-Tyson Jackson DE, LSU Everybody outside the Washington organization believes this will be Jason Taylor's last year (mainly because he's stated as much), and even if it isn't he is 34 so getting a little younger wouldn't hurt.
23.New York Jets-Duke Robinson OG, Oklahoma The Jets should be good without any significant picks for another year maybe 2, but they probably could use an upgrade at RG. Best answer I can give ya Jet fans, if you want somebody else tell me (I don't think Knowshon Moreno will enter the draft in case you guys are wondering)
24.Atlanta Falcons-Brandon Pettigrew TE, Oklahoma State This team surprisingly, does not have many weaknesses. They could use a playmaker at TE, and Pettigrew has proven to be one of, if not the, best TEs in college football.
25.New England Patriots-Clint Sintim DE/OLB, Virginia The Patriots continue to get younger on defense, and Billicheck will take the player coached by Al Groh; somebody he is very familiar with as well.
26.Arizona Cardinals-Alex Mack C, California The OL play has gotten better under Wisenhunt and Grimm, but the Cards still do not have a quality center. Mack is the best in the draft, and will be glad to take him.
27.Baltimore Ravens-Brian Orakbo DE/OLB, Texas Orakbo will fall a bit because of more athletic underclassmen (and most Texas players tend to fall a bit down the draft boards). Not really a huge need for the Ratbirds, but Ozzie Newsome takes the best player available in the draft traditionally.
28.Pittsburgh Steelers-Phil Loadholt OT/OG, Oklahoma I was very tempted to put Jason Smith of Baylor here, but Loadholt fits the Pittsbugh mentality. He's a big bruiser who has played as an OT, and could move to OG in the pros (2 places that the Steelers need a lot of help at). Either way, the Steelers need to get Big Ben some protection.
29.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Peria Jerry DT, Ole Miss Jeremy Macklin would be a good get for Tampa, but I don't think he enters the draft. So instead of getting offensive help, the Bucs continue to get younger on defense. They've been missing the penetrating DT in their cover 2 scheme and Jerry is the perfect fit for them.
30.Philadelphia Eagles (via Carolina)-Jason Smith OT, Baylor Neither Tra Thomas or Jon Runyan are getting any younger, and While Winston Justice is still a good prospect, his showing last season against the Giants giving up 6 sacks to Osi Uminyoura has pretty much made the Iggles give up on him as a LT. Smith is probably the most athletic OT in the draft, and going to Philly would give him a year to develop.
31.New York Giants-Brian Cushing LB, USC Cushing and New York are a match made in heaven as he can blitz and drop into coverage. Rookie Bryan Kehl has been a nice pick-up for the champs, and Antonio Pierce is still getting it done (despite getting older). Danny Clark, and Gerris Wilkinson are not horrible players, but they leave a lot to be desired. As I stated earlier, Cushing is the perfect LB for the Giants.
32.Tennessee Titans-Percy Harvin WR, Florida Harvin has the talent to go higher, but his inexperience as a true WR, and durability questions drop him. The Titans do need help at WR, but have yet to take a first round WR in the 2 years this has been their biggest need. Even so, Harvin gives the Titans the speed they love on offense.
Here is the rest of Miami's draft...
1.Greg Hardy DE/OLB, Ole Miss-See explanation above.
2a.BJ Raji DT, Boston College With Jason Ferguson on the wronside of 30, getting him a backup should be a top priority this offseason. Raji has great size at 6'1 323 lbs.
2b.Kevin Barnes CB, Maryland Good size, great speed, and very physical. He is the type of CB that our defensive staff loves to have.
3.David Bruton S, Notre Dame Bill Parcells goes to one of his former assistants Charlie Weiss, for this pick. Bruton has good size and speed for a S, and is having a good season for the Domers. He would be able to give Bell some help at S.
4.Jonathan Luigs C, Arkansas It is very tough to project where centers will go, so this might be very late for Luigs. Rumors are that Sparano wants a bigger C, and would like to move Satale to guard where is pulling ability would be more valuable.
5.Morgan Trent CB, Michigan As a Michigan fan, I have a love/hate relationship with MFT (take a guess what the F stands for). He got burnt as a freshmen and on national television in the Rose Bowl as a sophomore, otherwise his sophomore and junior seasons were very productive. As a senior, he's gotten burnt quite a bit as Michigan's defense struggled with safety play. Still, he is a playmaker, very physical, and very fast (NFLDC has him at 4.5, but he is closer to 4.3). MFT is worth a look in the mid to late rounds.
7a.Jeff Schweiger DE, San Jose State The former USC player has a lot of untapped talent, and has the size to be a DE in the 3-4.
7b.Marcus Thigpen RB, Indiana We do have 2 very good RBs, and a 3rd RB in Cobbs that has been a very good contributer for us both on offense and ST. We also have Parmele and Hilliard on the practice squad. Still, Thigpen's speed (4.4), and his ability to get outside gives us something different from all the RBs on our roster and might be worth a look.
7c.Ian Campbell LB, Kansas State Has good size to play OLB or ILB. Good ST player. This late in the draft you are just looking for gems.
1.Detroit Lions-Sam Bradford QB, Oklahoma The interesting thing about this year's QB class is that there is zero first round seniors. This will make it very difficult for a lot of the top underclassmen to leave early (and also makes it very difficult to guess who will enter). Bradford is a redshirt sophomore so it is up in the air on whether or not he'll leave, but if he can lead OU to a win over Texas Tech, he'll likely play in the BCS championship game, win his second Big 12 championship, and probably win the Heisman. If all that were to happen, I can't see Bradford staying. The Lions need a franchise QB in the worst way. While Stafford gets all the love right now, Bradford is really close in talent and his also more productive.
2.Kansas City Chiefs-Matthew Stafford QB, Georgia This is the guy that most KC fans want. It has been a horrible year for our old friend Herm Edwards, but he's got a lot of good young players to build around. One thing KC is lacking in though is QB. Although Tyler Thigpen has done a nice job in limited action, it is doubtful he can be a franchise QB. And with Brodie Croyle being an injury waiting to happen, they need to look for a QB. The worst part about this draft for KC and Detroit? The guys they want, might not even be in the draft.
3.Cincinnati Bengals-Chris Wells RB, Ohio State Another team having a very rough year. The injury to Carson Palmer has hurt the team, but the 2 biggest problems have been a lack of a running game, and a lack of a pass rush. While there are some tempting prospects at DE, the chance to take a power runner that happens to be a hometown kid is hard to pass up.
4.San Francisco 49ers-Vontae Davis CB, Illinois Despite having Nate Clements the 9ers CBs have struggled. The chance to get another physical CB is too good to pass up for the 9ers.
5.Oakland Raiders-Andre Smith OT, Alabama The Raiders have a starting OT tandem of Cornell Green and Kwame Harris. That is by far one of, if not the, worst tandems in the NFL. Smith has struggled a bit with weight problems, but he is one of the main reasons as to why Alabama has been so good this year.
6.Seattle Seahawks-Michael Crabtree WR, Texas Tech A team that probably should be better than their record, but they've had some bad luck this year. They do need WR help though as Bobby Engram is 36, and Deion Branch is always battling injuries. Crabtree is another guy that might not be in the draft.
7.St. Louis Rams-Eugene Monroe OT, Virginia The Rams really wanted to take Jake Long last year, but we beat them to the punch. Michael Oher could be an option, but his future might be at guard and the Rams are adament they want a true OT. Alex Barron has not developed like they had hoped he would, and Orlando Pace is not getting any younger (and he's ended 2 of the last 3 seasons on IR)
8.Houston Texans-James Laurenitis LB, Ohio State Let me reiterate that I think that Rey Mauluga is a better prospect than Little Animal, but he is not playing like it. Plus, Animal fits into the Texans defense better. Aside from Demeco Ryans, the Houston LB corp is nothing special starting Zach Diles and our old friend Morlon Greenwood. Little Animal will probably struggle in the middle in the NFL due to his biggest weakness being his inability to shed blocks. He is however, very good in coverage and would help the Texans D.
9.Cleveland Browns-Malcolm Jenkins CB, Ohio State Outside of Eric Wright, none of Cleveland's CBs should be starters in the NFL. Another case of taking a very physical CB that is also a local kid. Jenkins may have to move to FS down the road, but he should be a capable CB.
10.New Orleans Saints-Aaron Curry LB, Wake Forrest If this is how the draft works out I would expect NO to trade down a spot or 2 to get Curry (who fits their defense more than Mauluga). Curry is an OLB through and through and would look nice next to Jonathan Vilma.
11.San Diego Chargers-Rey Mauluga LB, USC Rey Rey is a little to reckless for most schemes, but he could fill a huge need for San Diego. The ILBs in San Diego have not been as good as SD had hoped for, and Rey Rey could change that real quick.
12.Jacksonville Jaguars-Michael Oher OT/OG, Ole Miss Oher is a very good story, but that's for another thread. Jacksonville has suffered several serious injuries on the OL. That combined with the lack of production from Khalif Barnes and Tony Pashos, as well as Oher's ability to play guard and tackle, make Oher a very attractive pick for the Jags.
13.Green Bay Packers-Michael Johnson DE, Georgia Tech Outside of Aaron Kampmen, the Packers have no pass rush. Johnson isn't the most productive DE out there, but he is one of the most athletic (the only guy who comes close is a junior named Greg Hardy). Could be quite the steal for the Pack
14.Philadelphia Eagles- William Moore S, Missouri The Iggles don't have many glaring weaknesses, but they do need stronger safety play next to Brian Dawkins (and they also have to be prepared to replace Dawk). Moore is the best safety on the board, and the Iggles will be glad to have him.
15.Minnesota Vikings-Josh Freeman QB, Kansas State Freeman is the best pro prospect that nobody talks about. He has prototypical size, and has shown flashes of brilliance. He is not surrounded by a lot of talent, however and at times it shows in erratic play. With Ron Prince on his way out, it looks unlikely that Freeman will stay at KSU for his senior season. Freeman will be going to a team with a great running game and a couple reliable WRs in Bobby Wade/Bernard Berrian to rely on.
16.Buffalo Bills-Jermaine Grisham TE, Oklahoma Only real weakness I see on Buffalo is a lack of consistency at the TE position. Grisham is a very good prospect and is a playmaker that would add an extra dimension to the Bills offense.
17.Denver Broncos-Rashad Johnson S, Alabama Is this a reach? Yes. The Broncos need a S bad, and I would not be surprised to see them trade up to get Moore. This pick could be Taylor Mays, but I don't think he'll enter the draft this year because he is still very raw. Even with the reach, Johnson is a very good prospect and a playmaker
18.Miami Dolphins-Greg Hardy DE/OLB, Ole Miss If Hardy enters the draft, this might be very wishful thinking. Hardy is an athletic freak that has battled injuries all season. Even with those injuries, Hardy has been a very productive pass rusher for the Rebels. I know CK has been pushing for Clint Sintim (who is coached by Parcells coach Al Groh), but Hardy is just too good to pass up IMO. But as I said, if he enters, we probably won't get a shot at him.
19.Chicago Bears-Darius Heyward-Bey WR, Maryland Marty Booker and Brandon Llyod have provided some exciting plays for Chicago this year, but they still need a go-to WR. DHB has all the physical tools you need to be a WR in the NFL, but the one question in the mental aspect.
20.Indianapolis Colts-Sen'Derrick Marks DT, Auburn The one weakness the Colts have is at DT. Kenyata Dawson and Eric Foster have done the best they can, but both are rediculously undersized to be DTs. In a Tampa 2 you need a good penetrator at the DT spot, and Marks fits that bill.
21.Detroit Lions (via Dallas)-George Selvie DE, USF A combination of injuries and the emergence of other players has pushed Selvie down the board. Selvie is a tad small for the 3-4 (which has dropped him down the boards), but he should help the Lions get a pass rush out of the 4-3 (something that they have struggled to get all season)
22.Washington Redskins-Tyson Jackson DE, LSU Everybody outside the Washington organization believes this will be Jason Taylor's last year (mainly because he's stated as much), and even if it isn't he is 34 so getting a little younger wouldn't hurt.
23.New York Jets-Duke Robinson OG, Oklahoma The Jets should be good without any significant picks for another year maybe 2, but they probably could use an upgrade at RG. Best answer I can give ya Jet fans, if you want somebody else tell me (I don't think Knowshon Moreno will enter the draft in case you guys are wondering)
24.Atlanta Falcons-Brandon Pettigrew TE, Oklahoma State This team surprisingly, does not have many weaknesses. They could use a playmaker at TE, and Pettigrew has proven to be one of, if not the, best TEs in college football.
25.New England Patriots-Clint Sintim DE/OLB, Virginia The Patriots continue to get younger on defense, and Billicheck will take the player coached by Al Groh; somebody he is very familiar with as well.
26.Arizona Cardinals-Alex Mack C, California The OL play has gotten better under Wisenhunt and Grimm, but the Cards still do not have a quality center. Mack is the best in the draft, and will be glad to take him.
27.Baltimore Ravens-Brian Orakbo DE/OLB, Texas Orakbo will fall a bit because of more athletic underclassmen (and most Texas players tend to fall a bit down the draft boards). Not really a huge need for the Ratbirds, but Ozzie Newsome takes the best player available in the draft traditionally.
28.Pittsburgh Steelers-Phil Loadholt OT/OG, Oklahoma I was very tempted to put Jason Smith of Baylor here, but Loadholt fits the Pittsbugh mentality. He's a big bruiser who has played as an OT, and could move to OG in the pros (2 places that the Steelers need a lot of help at). Either way, the Steelers need to get Big Ben some protection.
29.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Peria Jerry DT, Ole Miss Jeremy Macklin would be a good get for Tampa, but I don't think he enters the draft. So instead of getting offensive help, the Bucs continue to get younger on defense. They've been missing the penetrating DT in their cover 2 scheme and Jerry is the perfect fit for them.
30.Philadelphia Eagles (via Carolina)-Jason Smith OT, Baylor Neither Tra Thomas or Jon Runyan are getting any younger, and While Winston Justice is still a good prospect, his showing last season against the Giants giving up 6 sacks to Osi Uminyoura has pretty much made the Iggles give up on him as a LT. Smith is probably the most athletic OT in the draft, and going to Philly would give him a year to develop.
31.New York Giants-Brian Cushing LB, USC Cushing and New York are a match made in heaven as he can blitz and drop into coverage. Rookie Bryan Kehl has been a nice pick-up for the champs, and Antonio Pierce is still getting it done (despite getting older). Danny Clark, and Gerris Wilkinson are not horrible players, but they leave a lot to be desired. As I stated earlier, Cushing is the perfect LB for the Giants.
32.Tennessee Titans-Percy Harvin WR, Florida Harvin has the talent to go higher, but his inexperience as a true WR, and durability questions drop him. The Titans do need help at WR, but have yet to take a first round WR in the 2 years this has been their biggest need. Even so, Harvin gives the Titans the speed they love on offense.
Here is the rest of Miami's draft...
1.Greg Hardy DE/OLB, Ole Miss-See explanation above.
2a.BJ Raji DT, Boston College With Jason Ferguson on the wronside of 30, getting him a backup should be a top priority this offseason. Raji has great size at 6'1 323 lbs.
2b.Kevin Barnes CB, Maryland Good size, great speed, and very physical. He is the type of CB that our defensive staff loves to have.
3.David Bruton S, Notre Dame Bill Parcells goes to one of his former assistants Charlie Weiss, for this pick. Bruton has good size and speed for a S, and is having a good season for the Domers. He would be able to give Bell some help at S.
4.Jonathan Luigs C, Arkansas It is very tough to project where centers will go, so this might be very late for Luigs. Rumors are that Sparano wants a bigger C, and would like to move Satale to guard where is pulling ability would be more valuable.
5.Morgan Trent CB, Michigan As a Michigan fan, I have a love/hate relationship with MFT (take a guess what the F stands for). He got burnt as a freshmen and on national television in the Rose Bowl as a sophomore, otherwise his sophomore and junior seasons were very productive. As a senior, he's gotten burnt quite a bit as Michigan's defense struggled with safety play. Still, he is a playmaker, very physical, and very fast (NFLDC has him at 4.5, but he is closer to 4.3). MFT is worth a look in the mid to late rounds.
7a.Jeff Schweiger DE, San Jose State The former USC player has a lot of untapped talent, and has the size to be a DE in the 3-4.
7b.Marcus Thigpen RB, Indiana We do have 2 very good RBs, and a 3rd RB in Cobbs that has been a very good contributer for us both on offense and ST. We also have Parmele and Hilliard on the practice squad. Still, Thigpen's speed (4.4), and his ability to get outside gives us something different from all the RBs on our roster and might be worth a look.
7c.Ian Campbell LB, Kansas State Has good size to play OLB or ILB. Good ST player. This late in the draft you are just looking for gems.
