Today I have extended my mock draft to twenty teams. When the playoffs are complete the mock will become a full first round prediction. The right hand side bar will continue to show the top ten picks but in future, an article such as this will provide a larger mock and analysis.
1 Detroit Lions - Matt Stafford (QB, Georgia)
It seems obvious the Lions will take a quarter back first overall, they will choose between Stafford and Sam Bradford.
2 St Louis Rams - Andre Smith (OT, Alabama)
Orlando Pace is likely retained so the Rams pick Smith to watch the right side. He could eventually switch over to the left.
3 Kansas City Chiefs - Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma)
With a new GM and possibly a new head coach the Chiefs might look to select their 'own man' at signal caller. Bradford could sit initially behind Tyler Thigpen.
4 Seattle Seahawks - Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech)
Experts are calling Crabtree the safest pick in the draft. This should eliminate any concerns about taking a receiver this high.
5 Cleveland Browns - Aaron Curry (LB, Wake Forest)
Cleveland are well positioned to take the best defensive prospect on the board. The only question is, does he suite a 3-4 defense? To see the rest of the picks click here.
6 Cincinatti Bengals - Michael Oher (OT, Ole Miss)
The Bengals need to protect Carson Palmer so they won't hesitate to select the best pass protecting tackle in the class.
7 Oakland Raiders - Eugene Monroe (OT, Virginia)
JeMarcus Russel needs better protection to develop and the Raiders look towards the next best tackle. Monroe kept Branden Albert at guard when both were at Virginia.
8 Jacksonville Jaguars - Jason Smith (OT, Baylor)
The offensive line in Jacksonville was ravaged by injuries in 2008. They need to protect their quarter back better and Smith is a good fit if he can bulk up.
9 Green Bay Packers - Malcolm Jenkins (CB, Ohio State)
The Packers need to improve their pass rush but could also do with getting younger and better in the secondary. Despite concerns about his recovery speed, Jenkins is still an exciting prospect.
10 San Francisco 49ers - Everette Brown (DE, Florida State)
Brown is a great scheme fit for the 49ers as a DE/OLB hybrid. The Niners could go in a number of directions with this pick, but Brown is being ranked amongst the best at his position.
11 Buffalo Bills - Brian Orakpo (DE, Texas)
The Bills need to support Aaron Schrobel with another pass rushing end. Orakpo could fit in a 4-3 or a 3-4 and had an excellent senior year.
12 Denver Broncos - Aaron Maybin (DE, Penn State)
The Broncos awful defense could do with improving at every position. The appointment of Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator suggests a shift to a 3-4 defense, perfect for the talented Maybin.
13 Washington Redskins - Eben Britton (OT, Arizona)
Britton excelled at both right and left tackle for Arizona. In Washington he would start at RT and could eventually move over.
14 New Orleans Saints - Taylor Mays (S, USC)
The Saints have a prolific offense and the only thing holding them back is an average defense. Taylor Mays is good value with this pick and instantly improves the New Orleans secondary.
15 Houston Texans - Vontae Davis (CB, Illinois)
The Texans showed they have an explosive offense and now they need to improve defensively to be a dark horse in 2009. Davis is a great pick here to improve the corner back position.
16 San Diego Chargers - Jeremy Maclin (WR, Missouri)
Maclin is an explosive play maker with elite speed. Chris Chambers is in a contract year and will be 31, whilst Vincent Jackson was recently arrested for DUI.
17 New York Jets - Rey Maualuga (LB, USC)
Maualuga dropping this far seems unlikely to me. If he does, he would be a good fit if the Jets keep a 3-4 defense. David Harris and Maualuga present a great combo at ILB.
18 Chicago Bears - Michael Johnson (DE, Georgia Tech)
The Bears have needs at QB and WR but perhaps their biggest need is at defensive end. Johnson has the physical talents and could excel in the Bears defense.
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)
Tampa Bay need to get younger and better at running back. Moreno is a steal here and has only dropped due to the lack of needs at his position.
20 Detroit Lions - James Laurinaitis (LB, Ohio State)
Having got their franchise quarter back with the first overall pick, they pick up their defensive leader in Laurinaitis, who provides great value at this spot.
9 comments:
Rob, i saw earlier you mention the possibilty of W Jones retireing, my question is, is this a real possibilty? If so, this will surely affect the way we draft.
The team expect Jones to return and recently said his recovery was ahead of schedule. It is a knee injury though and the surgery he had was quite serious. At this moment I expect Jones to return, but if the knee doesn't recover properly it becomes a big concern.
In the worst case scenario and Jones does retire before the draft, then OT becomes a lot more likely then it does at present. If Jones returns and makes a full recovery as we hope, I don't think Seattle will take an offensive tackle. It's just too much money to invest in somebody who will be out of position at guard for as much as 2-3 years. Locklear's contract makes it very unlikely he is cut or moved from tackle.
Factor in that Michael Oher doesn't grade well as a guard or RT anyway, and Andre Smith is not a good scheme fit. If Jones returns, Matt Hasselbeck returns, Leroy Hill re-signs and Michael Crabtree goes in the first three picks - I wouldn't like to predict who they'll select!
If Jones retires I imagine Ruskell would give serious consideration to obtaining Jordan Gross via free agency, as opposed to relying on a rookie LT to protect a potentially gimpy and older QB. Alternatively, Locklear could move to LT, although I have never considered him a legitimate LT at this level.
I know for a fact that the Seahawks were very interested in Jordan last offseason until the Panthers unexpectedly slapped the franchise tag on him. This season the Panthers plan to tag Peppers, so Jordan could be a very real possibility for the Hawks and I know Jordan would be very interested.
No matter what happens before the draft, I think it is a no brainer that the Seahawks should take Crabtree. He will make an immediate impact and help us get back to the playoffs.
Can't believe the Cardinals will be hosting the NFC championship game. Good for them but I am cheering for Eagles because the Cardinals are division rivals.
I'm starting to wonder if there's a good chance the Rams end up grabbing Crabtree. I know they were high on drafting an OT in Long last year, but don't they have a new GM this year? That combined with the likelihood of Holt being gone next year, makes me wonder if they might be looking for a new #1 WR, and a pick that might put some butts in the seats.
I agree that Crabtree would be the Seahawks best pick at #4 if he's there. Look at Oher dropping though. Apparently a few scouts have downgraded him even more after the Bowl game. Here ESPN has him almost dropping out of the first round, and the fifth OT taken. Before the bowl game they had him fourth.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft
I just can't see StL choosing Smith over Crabtree. Then again, I graded Smith very low.
I'm curious that Oher is falling. I watched the bowl game and, aside from a spin move by Brandon Williams (TT DE) that was brilliant, Oher did a very nice job against a very good pass rusher. I think Oher is being over-analyzed, as players with 40+ games starting are often subjected to.
I really think Oher's biggest flaw - lack of ferocity - will be minimized in Seattle's scheme. Blocking in zone, half the battle is footwork and half is speed to get to the 2nd level. Oher has good feet and gets to the 2nd level well.
I think there is a good chance the Rams select Crabtree as I will discuss in greater depth on the blog today. At the moment I have them taking Smith to play RT, a position I believe they would have liked Jake Long to play had he fallen to them last year. I've toyed with dropping Smith in the mock (he was going 6th overall last week) but I keep reading mixed reports. I think we'll have to wait until the combine for a great understanding of the direction the Rams will go.
Post a Comment