leftcoaststeelerfan
04-24-2008, 06:46 PM
Mock draft 6.0: Draft-week trades starting to scramble first round
By Vic Carucci | NFL.com
Senior Columnist
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d807ef372&template=with-video&confirm=true
Now that the Miami Dolphins have eliminated the mystery at the top of the draft, it’s time to put the rest of the picks to bed in our final mock.
With Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long off the board, another team with a crying need at that position, the Kansas City Chiefs, no longer clings to the slim hope that Long might have fallen to them at No. 5. After trading defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota, the Chiefs now have two first-round picks, their own and the Vikings’ at No. 17. That allows them to acquire highly rated players at offensive tackle and defensive end.
In my latest mock, I have given the Chiefs an offensive tackle at No. 5, Ryan Clady of Boise State, and a defensive end at No. 17, Florida’s Derrick Harvey, who I originally had going to the Vikings.
Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, my previous choice for Kansas City at No. 5, falls to Baltimore at No. 8.
After initially knocking Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart out of the first round because of toe surgery, I have reinstated him as the Lions’ pick at No. 15. University of South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins, whom I previously had going to Detroit, falls to the Houston Texans at No. 18.
Other changes occur at No. 19, where I have the Philadelphia Eagles taking Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus; No. 22, where I have the Dallas Cowboys selecting Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib; No. 27, where I have the San Diego Chargers grabbing Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason; No. 29, where I have the San Francisco 49ers drafting Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo, and No. 31, where I have the New York Giants landing Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson.
1. Miami Dolphins
Jake Long
OT, Michigan Long emerged as the answer to what the Dolphins have identified as the most pressing of multiple needs.
Previous mock pick: Jake Long
2. St. Louis Rams
Chris Long
DE, Virginia The Rams are desperate for help on both lines, so with one Long gone, they would gladly take the other.
Previous mock pick: Chris Long
3. Atlanta Falcons
Glenn Dorsey
DT, LSU The Falcons need a quarterback, but this seems far too high to select anyone at the position in this draft. Dorsey's dominance should go a long way in allowing Mike Smith's defense-first mentality take hold. First, though, the Falcons will need to be satisfied that there are no lingering problems with Dorsey's tibia stress fracture that he said dates back to the summer of his junior season.
Previous mock pick: Glenn Dorsey
4. Oakland Raiders
Darren McFadden
RB, Arkansas McFadden is probably the best player in the draft. Although the Raiders would have to take a long look at Dorsey if he were still available, they would have a hard time resisting an infusion of McFadden's world-class speed and game-breaking skills.
Previous mock pick: Darren McFadden
5. Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan Clady
OT, Boise State With two first-round picks, the Chiefs can address critical needs on both lines. They could use this pick on a defensive end, and one possibility is Vernon Gholston, who also can play outside linebacker. They also could still use it on Matt Ryan. But let’s give them the draft’s second-best offensive tackle here.
Previous mock pick: Matt Ryan
6. New York Jets
Vernon Gholston
DE, Ohio State Eric Mangini is desperate to put some teeth into his pass rush. Gholston, an exceptionally talented and versatile defensive end who had 22 ½ sacks for the Buckeyes the past two seasons, should fill nicely into the Jets' front.
Previous mock pick: Vernon Gholston
7. New England Patriots (From San Francisco)
Leodis McKelvin
CB, Troy After losing Asante Samuel and Randall Gay, the Patriots have little choice but to rebuild themselves at cornerback.
Previous mock pick: Leodis McKelvin
8. Baltimore Ravens
Matt Ryan
QB, Boston College Very difficult to get a handle on where Ryan will land in this draft. He could fall out of the top 10, if not the top 15, or he could go here … provided the Chiefs don’t snap him up first.
Previous mock pick: Ryan Clady
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Sedrick Ellis
DT, USC Ellis adds a big, strong, athletic force that the middle of the Bengals' defense needs.
Previous mock pick: Sedrick Ellis
10. New Orleans Saints
Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie
CB, Tennessee St. Rodgers-Cromartie's monster performance at the combine has caused his draft stock to soar, and the Saints just might be willing to take a little bit of a gamble on this small-college prospect. It also doesn't hurt that he is a cousin to one of the best corners in the NFL, Antonio Cromartie.
Previous mock pick: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
11. Buffalo Bills
Devin Thomas
WR, Michigan State Malcolm Kelly had been targeted by the Bills, but his dreadful on-campus workout figures to knock him out of the first round. The temptation was to replace him with a cornerback, Buffalo’s other big need, but the Bills remain determined to add a big, athletic receiver. The danger with Thomas is that he was a one-year wonder, but his talent has him shooting up the board.
Previous mock pick: Malcolm Kelly
12. Denver Broncos
Chris Williams
OT, Vanderbilt The Broncos' offseason shopping addressed a variety of defensive needs and wide receiver. That would seem to make offensive tackle an obvious spot for this pick. And who better to protect Jay Cutler's blind side than the man who once did so for him in college?
Previous mock pick: Chris Williams
13. Carolina Panthers
Jeff Otah
OT, Pittsburgh The Panthers have crying needs on both lines. Otah allows them to help plug a hole in their porous pass protection.
Previous mock pick: Keith Rivers
14. Chicago Bears
Rashard Mendenhall
RB, Illinois The Bears can't continue to leave their running game in the unreliable hands of Cedric Benson.
Previous mock pick: Jeff Otah
15. Detroit Lions
Jonathan Stewart
RB, Oregon His recovery from toe surgery is a concern, but he is exactly the big, powerful running back that looks like a perfect fit in the scheme of new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto, who coached a similar type of back in Baltimore in Jamal Lewis.
Previous mock pick: Mike Jenkins
16. Arizona Cardinals
Felix Jones
RB, Arkansas The Cardinals need a big-play running back to consistently provide the balance Ken Wisenhunt wants to incorporate in his offense. Edgerrin James is getting too old to be that player anymore.
Previous mock pick: Rashard Mendenhall
17. Kansas City Chiefs
Derrick Harvey
DE, Florida After trading Jared Allen to the Vikings, it makes sense for the Chiefs to find a replacement at defensive end. I previously had Harvey going to Minnesota in this spot, but it's now Kansas City taking the edge rusher out of Florida.
Previous mock pick: Derrick Harvey
18. Houston Texans
Mike Jenkins
CB, South Florida The Texans can't go wrong with a running back or a cornerback, two of the deeper positions in the draft. If Mendenhall and Stewart are off the board at this point, they should be able to land a good cornerback. Jenkins is probably the best value at cornerback at this spot.
Previous mock pick: Aqib Talib
19. Philadelphia Eagles
Gosder Cherilus
OT, Boston College The Eagles have a steadfast belief in investing top picks in linemen, and this year should be no different.
Previous mock pick: Kenny Phillips
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DeSean Jackson
WR, California The Buccaneers need playmakers, and Jackson gives them a good one. They also could use some help for their offensive line, but Jon Gruden is likely to go with a receiver first.
Previous mock pick: DeSean Jackson
21. Washington Redskins
Limas Sweed
WR, Texas The Redskins need help in a variety of spots, but new coach Jim Zorn is pushing for someone to add spark to his offense.
Previous mock pick: Calais Campbell
22. Dallas Cowboys (From Cleveland)
Aqib Talib
CB, Kansas Although the Cowboys traded for Tennessee’s Pacman Jones, they still should be in the market for a corner with the first of their two first-round choices.
Previous mock pick: Justin King
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
Branden Albert
G, Virginia Not a whole lot to analyze here. Alan Faneca is gone, so the Steelers replace him with another player who fits their big, physical prototype for an offensive lineman.
Previous mock pick: Branden Albert
24. Tennessee Titans
Kentwan Balmer
DT, North Carolina The Titans could very well go against the grain of their drafting philosophy and get a wide receiver, a position they haven't addressed with a first-round pick in 10 years. Balmer would enhance the tremendous production of the best tackle in the game, Albert Haynesworth.
Previous mock pick: Limas Sweed
25. Seattle Seahawks
Dustin Keller
TE, Purdue The acquisition of Julius Jones takes care of the Seahawks' running back need. Now, they can focus on getting another high-impact target for Matt Hasselbeck.
Previous mock pick: Devin Thomas
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
Calais Campbell
DE, Miami Campbell should give the Jaguars' pass rush a much-needed boost.
Previous mock pick: Phillip Merling
27. San Diego Chargers
Antoine Cason
CB, Arizona Cason looks like less of a reach here than any of the remaining cornerbacks.
Previous mock pick: Brandon Flowers
28. Dallas Cowboys
James Hardy
WR, Indiana Hardy is extremely productive, especially when it comes to touchdown receptions. He should quickly become a favorite target of Tony Romo.
Previous mock pick: Devin Thomas
29. San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis)
Jerod Mayo
LB, Tennessee Mayo is a talented player who looks like a good value and good fit in the 49ers’ defense.
Previous mock pick: Gosder Cherilus
30. Green Bay Packers
Keith Rivers
LB, USC The Packers are likely to use this pick to address the team's future rather than trying to fill an immediate need. They could easily go with an offensive tackle a good one happens to fall this far, but they would have a very hard time passing up on the best linebacker in the draft.
Previous mock pick: Jerod Mayo
31. New York Giants
Tyrell Johnson
S, Arkansas State University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips also is a possibility here, but Johnson seems to have moved slightly ahead of him at a position that doesn’t seem to offer any clear-cut first-rounder.
Previous mock pick: Jerod Mayo
By Vic Carucci | NFL.com
Senior Columnist
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d807ef372&template=with-video&confirm=true
Now that the Miami Dolphins have eliminated the mystery at the top of the draft, it’s time to put the rest of the picks to bed in our final mock.
With Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long off the board, another team with a crying need at that position, the Kansas City Chiefs, no longer clings to the slim hope that Long might have fallen to them at No. 5. After trading defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota, the Chiefs now have two first-round picks, their own and the Vikings’ at No. 17. That allows them to acquire highly rated players at offensive tackle and defensive end.
In my latest mock, I have given the Chiefs an offensive tackle at No. 5, Ryan Clady of Boise State, and a defensive end at No. 17, Florida’s Derrick Harvey, who I originally had going to the Vikings.
Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, my previous choice for Kansas City at No. 5, falls to Baltimore at No. 8.
After initially knocking Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart out of the first round because of toe surgery, I have reinstated him as the Lions’ pick at No. 15. University of South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins, whom I previously had going to Detroit, falls to the Houston Texans at No. 18.
Other changes occur at No. 19, where I have the Philadelphia Eagles taking Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus; No. 22, where I have the Dallas Cowboys selecting Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib; No. 27, where I have the San Diego Chargers grabbing Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason; No. 29, where I have the San Francisco 49ers drafting Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo, and No. 31, where I have the New York Giants landing Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson.
1. Miami Dolphins
Jake Long
OT, Michigan Long emerged as the answer to what the Dolphins have identified as the most pressing of multiple needs.
Previous mock pick: Jake Long
2. St. Louis Rams
Chris Long
DE, Virginia The Rams are desperate for help on both lines, so with one Long gone, they would gladly take the other.
Previous mock pick: Chris Long
3. Atlanta Falcons
Glenn Dorsey
DT, LSU The Falcons need a quarterback, but this seems far too high to select anyone at the position in this draft. Dorsey's dominance should go a long way in allowing Mike Smith's defense-first mentality take hold. First, though, the Falcons will need to be satisfied that there are no lingering problems with Dorsey's tibia stress fracture that he said dates back to the summer of his junior season.
Previous mock pick: Glenn Dorsey
4. Oakland Raiders
Darren McFadden
RB, Arkansas McFadden is probably the best player in the draft. Although the Raiders would have to take a long look at Dorsey if he were still available, they would have a hard time resisting an infusion of McFadden's world-class speed and game-breaking skills.
Previous mock pick: Darren McFadden
5. Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan Clady
OT, Boise State With two first-round picks, the Chiefs can address critical needs on both lines. They could use this pick on a defensive end, and one possibility is Vernon Gholston, who also can play outside linebacker. They also could still use it on Matt Ryan. But let’s give them the draft’s second-best offensive tackle here.
Previous mock pick: Matt Ryan
6. New York Jets
Vernon Gholston
DE, Ohio State Eric Mangini is desperate to put some teeth into his pass rush. Gholston, an exceptionally talented and versatile defensive end who had 22 ½ sacks for the Buckeyes the past two seasons, should fill nicely into the Jets' front.
Previous mock pick: Vernon Gholston
7. New England Patriots (From San Francisco)
Leodis McKelvin
CB, Troy After losing Asante Samuel and Randall Gay, the Patriots have little choice but to rebuild themselves at cornerback.
Previous mock pick: Leodis McKelvin
8. Baltimore Ravens
Matt Ryan
QB, Boston College Very difficult to get a handle on where Ryan will land in this draft. He could fall out of the top 10, if not the top 15, or he could go here … provided the Chiefs don’t snap him up first.
Previous mock pick: Ryan Clady
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Sedrick Ellis
DT, USC Ellis adds a big, strong, athletic force that the middle of the Bengals' defense needs.
Previous mock pick: Sedrick Ellis
10. New Orleans Saints
Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie
CB, Tennessee St. Rodgers-Cromartie's monster performance at the combine has caused his draft stock to soar, and the Saints just might be willing to take a little bit of a gamble on this small-college prospect. It also doesn't hurt that he is a cousin to one of the best corners in the NFL, Antonio Cromartie.
Previous mock pick: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
11. Buffalo Bills
Devin Thomas
WR, Michigan State Malcolm Kelly had been targeted by the Bills, but his dreadful on-campus workout figures to knock him out of the first round. The temptation was to replace him with a cornerback, Buffalo’s other big need, but the Bills remain determined to add a big, athletic receiver. The danger with Thomas is that he was a one-year wonder, but his talent has him shooting up the board.
Previous mock pick: Malcolm Kelly
12. Denver Broncos
Chris Williams
OT, Vanderbilt The Broncos' offseason shopping addressed a variety of defensive needs and wide receiver. That would seem to make offensive tackle an obvious spot for this pick. And who better to protect Jay Cutler's blind side than the man who once did so for him in college?
Previous mock pick: Chris Williams
13. Carolina Panthers
Jeff Otah
OT, Pittsburgh The Panthers have crying needs on both lines. Otah allows them to help plug a hole in their porous pass protection.
Previous mock pick: Keith Rivers
14. Chicago Bears
Rashard Mendenhall
RB, Illinois The Bears can't continue to leave their running game in the unreliable hands of Cedric Benson.
Previous mock pick: Jeff Otah
15. Detroit Lions
Jonathan Stewart
RB, Oregon His recovery from toe surgery is a concern, but he is exactly the big, powerful running back that looks like a perfect fit in the scheme of new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto, who coached a similar type of back in Baltimore in Jamal Lewis.
Previous mock pick: Mike Jenkins
16. Arizona Cardinals
Felix Jones
RB, Arkansas The Cardinals need a big-play running back to consistently provide the balance Ken Wisenhunt wants to incorporate in his offense. Edgerrin James is getting too old to be that player anymore.
Previous mock pick: Rashard Mendenhall
17. Kansas City Chiefs
Derrick Harvey
DE, Florida After trading Jared Allen to the Vikings, it makes sense for the Chiefs to find a replacement at defensive end. I previously had Harvey going to Minnesota in this spot, but it's now Kansas City taking the edge rusher out of Florida.
Previous mock pick: Derrick Harvey
18. Houston Texans
Mike Jenkins
CB, South Florida The Texans can't go wrong with a running back or a cornerback, two of the deeper positions in the draft. If Mendenhall and Stewart are off the board at this point, they should be able to land a good cornerback. Jenkins is probably the best value at cornerback at this spot.
Previous mock pick: Aqib Talib
19. Philadelphia Eagles
Gosder Cherilus
OT, Boston College The Eagles have a steadfast belief in investing top picks in linemen, and this year should be no different.
Previous mock pick: Kenny Phillips
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DeSean Jackson
WR, California The Buccaneers need playmakers, and Jackson gives them a good one. They also could use some help for their offensive line, but Jon Gruden is likely to go with a receiver first.
Previous mock pick: DeSean Jackson
21. Washington Redskins
Limas Sweed
WR, Texas The Redskins need help in a variety of spots, but new coach Jim Zorn is pushing for someone to add spark to his offense.
Previous mock pick: Calais Campbell
22. Dallas Cowboys (From Cleveland)
Aqib Talib
CB, Kansas Although the Cowboys traded for Tennessee’s Pacman Jones, they still should be in the market for a corner with the first of their two first-round choices.
Previous mock pick: Justin King
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
Branden Albert
G, Virginia Not a whole lot to analyze here. Alan Faneca is gone, so the Steelers replace him with another player who fits their big, physical prototype for an offensive lineman.
Previous mock pick: Branden Albert
24. Tennessee Titans
Kentwan Balmer
DT, North Carolina The Titans could very well go against the grain of their drafting philosophy and get a wide receiver, a position they haven't addressed with a first-round pick in 10 years. Balmer would enhance the tremendous production of the best tackle in the game, Albert Haynesworth.
Previous mock pick: Limas Sweed
25. Seattle Seahawks
Dustin Keller
TE, Purdue The acquisition of Julius Jones takes care of the Seahawks' running back need. Now, they can focus on getting another high-impact target for Matt Hasselbeck.
Previous mock pick: Devin Thomas
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
Calais Campbell
DE, Miami Campbell should give the Jaguars' pass rush a much-needed boost.
Previous mock pick: Phillip Merling
27. San Diego Chargers
Antoine Cason
CB, Arizona Cason looks like less of a reach here than any of the remaining cornerbacks.
Previous mock pick: Brandon Flowers
28. Dallas Cowboys
James Hardy
WR, Indiana Hardy is extremely productive, especially when it comes to touchdown receptions. He should quickly become a favorite target of Tony Romo.
Previous mock pick: Devin Thomas
29. San Francisco 49ers (From Indianapolis)
Jerod Mayo
LB, Tennessee Mayo is a talented player who looks like a good value and good fit in the 49ers’ defense.
Previous mock pick: Gosder Cherilus
30. Green Bay Packers
Keith Rivers
LB, USC The Packers are likely to use this pick to address the team's future rather than trying to fill an immediate need. They could easily go with an offensive tackle a good one happens to fall this far, but they would have a very hard time passing up on the best linebacker in the draft.
Previous mock pick: Jerod Mayo
31. New York Giants
Tyrell Johnson
S, Arkansas State University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips also is a possibility here, but Johnson seems to have moved slightly ahead of him at a position that doesn’t seem to offer any clear-cut first-rounder.
Previous mock pick: Jerod Mayo