01. DETROIT LIONS – Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
Last year there were some questions about Matt Ryan’s draft value. Some felt he would be a reach at #1 Overall to Miami and apparently the Dolphins agreed, otherwise they would have taken him no matter how much they liked Jake Long, because you don’t pass on a possible franchise QB when you don’t already have one. Some also felt he was a reach at #3 to Atlanta, including yours truly, but the Falcons saw it differently and I think we can all agree they hit the jackpot. Well I think that situation will serve Stafford well because I can see a similar scenario unfolding, where the draft community likes him (as they liked Ryan), yet they may not love him at #1 overall. But the NFL is a copy-cat league and when push comes to shove I suspect the Lions may look at Matt Ryan (then and now) and pull the trigger on Stafford.
02. ST. LOUIS RAMS – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
They had a great run with the dynamic duo of Holt & Bruce, but Holt is showing his age and breaking down physically, and Bruce was doing likewise before he was cut loose. Last year they drafted Donnie Avery, a speedy smurf who looks like the prefect complimentary #2 Guy to a BIG and dynamic #1 like Michael Crabtree. With Steven Jackson, Avery and the Crab, this offense will start to scare people again.
03. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State
With former Patriots player personnel man, Scott Pioli, running the show, I would expect KC to shift to the 34 defense at some point. EB is tailor made for the 34 and can be an absolute terror off the edge ala DeMarcus Ware in Dallas. You can also deploy him at DE in the 43 if and when you occasionally switch fronts. It’s a close call between Brown and Orakpo, both fit the same bill, I just think EB is a little more explosive and I suspect he’ll put on a show at the combines.
04. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
At the end of last season Seattle’s starting offensive line consisted of five guys even most diehard Seahawk fans couldn’t pick out of a police line-up. In fact I believe losing that game and failing to apply pressure on the QB weighed heavily in Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum’s decision to cut Eric Mangini loose.
05. CLEVELAND BROWNS – Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas
By now you must be thinking, where the heck is Aaron Curry? I love Curry and I think he’ll be a terrific traditional 43OLB or even a 34ILB or OLB, but he’s not a dynamic pass rusher and those are the “Impact Guys” in todays NFL, those are the guys who can “Wreck the Game”, and that’s where I see teams like KC and Cleveland going in the TOP 5 if they do decide to select linebackers.
06. CINCINNATI BENGALS – B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
The Bengals D-line is so bad I would recommend just scrapping the whole thing and rebuilding it from left to right. I mean they can’t stop the run and they sure as heck can’t get after the Quarterback either, as evidenced by their dead last ranking for sacks in 2007 and second to last in 2008. BIG RAJ is a good place to start as he can dominate verses the run and provide an inside pass rush as well.
07. OAKLAND RAIDERS – Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
Most people are projecting an OT to Oakland and they may be right, but Al Davis recently tipped his hand when he was effusive in praise for his young left tackle, Mario Henderson, and criticized Lane Kiffin for not playing the neophyte sooner. So while the draft world views OT as a big need in Oakland, the man who calls the shots may see it differently and I suspect he’ll pounce on Curry if the board fell this way.
08. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
This would be excellent value at a position of need and the Jags war-room would probably be doing cartwheels.
09. GREEN BAY PACKERS – Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Al Harris and Charles Woodson are both getting long in the tooth. Malcolm Jenkins would give them an elite young talent at the position with size and speed.
10. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern Cal
The local kid stays home.
11. BUFFALO BILLS – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
This is a value pick and the Bills will have to do some shuffling on the O-line to make it work, like maybe moving Peters back to RT and Langston Moore to RG, but you can’t have too many good OL’s and if you have a chance to build a dominant unit, I say why not?
12. DENVER BRONCOS – Rey Maualuga, ILB, Southern Cal
Some people are growing luke warm on Manaluga, but I’m not one of them. I hope he slides to the Jets, and if he does I hope they take him.
13. WASHINGTON REDSKINS – Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
The Skins need an upgrade at RT and when you’re in the same division with the Giants and those pass rushers they send at your Quarterback in waves, you can’t afford to mess around at either tackle position.
14. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – Brian Cushing, OLB, Southern Cal
Cushing to the Saints is a pretty popular projection and I have no objections, seems like a good fit and the value is about right.
15. HOUSTON TEXANS – Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Ohio State
I like Knowshon Moreno better than Wells, but Beanie is a terrific fit for the Texans who already have a smaller speed/wiggle back in Stevie Slaton and can really use that complimentary power back. That seems to be the trend league-wide and this can give Houston a very good thunder & lightning duo of their own.
16. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
The Great LT2 is getting up there in age and breaking down physically. Last year they lost Michael Turner to free agency and this year Darren Sproles is an unrestricted free agent who may fly the coup as well. So I think Moreno makes a lot of sense here and I really like the value in this spot as well.
17. NEW YORK JETS – Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
Sorry to sound repetitive, but Coles is another one of those guys who is aging and breaking down, and frankly he is no longer a #1 Wideout. I love Cotchery as a #2 Guy, but he too is not a #1. Maclin has a chance to be that kind of player and he also has the pure speed to compliment Cotchery’s strength as a guy who can go over the middle and make the tough catches in traffic. In short, Maclin could be a #1 WR and the best homerun hitter the Jets have had since Wesley Walker. He’s not one of those BIG WR’s who are all the rave, he’s not 6′ 4″/230, but he’s no smurf either, he’s a solid 6′ 1″/200 Pounder who can run like the wind.
18. CHICAGO BEARS – Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
The Bears are not the Bears if they’re not hitting the Quarterback and they haven’t been doing enough of that to satisfy the faithful. Maybin is a little lite at 250, but he can easily add between 10 and 20 Pounds to his 6′ 4″ frame and if there’s one thing he can do its fly off the edge and hit/pressure the QB.
19. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
As anyone who watches college football knows, Harvin is another homerun hitter and a tremendously exciting player with the ball in his hands, just what the doctor ordered for Tampa’s ho-hum offense.
20. DETRIOT LIONS – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
This team needs help everywhere, that’s how you lose 16 Games (and win none), so I thought about any number of players in this spot, but I think Davis offers the best value at a premium position and he’s the whole package, size, speed, ball skills, etc. He has a chance to be a really good one.
21. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – Larry English, DE/OLB, No. Illinois
Dynamic edge rusher who seems to be a better fit at OLB in the 34 scheme, but Eagles defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, knows how to use pass rushers and he’ll make it work with English.
22. MINNESOTA VIKINGS – DJ Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
This Speedy Ballhawk should shore up the CB position opposite Winfield.
23. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
I think its obvious to Bill Belichick that he can no longer count on Maroney ever being healthy, available and consistently productive, so its time to try again and McCoy could be that big play feature back for the Pats.
24. ATLANTA FALCONS – Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Last year a lot of folks projected Glenn Dorsey to the Falcons at #3 overall, but they made the right call with Matty Ice. Now if PJ is there for them at #24 this year, that would seem like a good pick too me.
25. MIAMI DOLPHINS – James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
Channing Crowder is a free agent, and if they lose him, Laurinaitis would be an ideal replacement. Even if they don’t lose Crowder, Laurinaitis wouldn’t look bad playing along side him on the inside of Miami’s 34D.
26. BALTIMORE RAVENS – Tyson Jackson, DE, Louisiana State
Trevor Pryce will be 34 years old in August and Justin Bannan is the quintessential HTFG (Hold the Fort Guy), which means he’s just holding down the fort till a better 34DE can take his place.
27. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
Their biggest need is defensive tackle, but in my view any DT in this spot (with Peria Jerry off the board) would be a reach. So the smart move (IMO) is to take the Corner if free agent Kelvin Hayden flies the coup and draft a DT in rounds 2 or 3. Another option might be RB Shonn Greene from Iowa.
28. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
As I said with the Redskins, when you reside in the NFC East with the NY Giants you best be equipped at offensive tackle.
29. NEW YORK GIANTS – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
One year after dealing Jeremy Shockey, the Giants would be fortunate to find Pettigrew still on the board near the bottom of round one.
30. TENNESSEE TITANS – Clay Matthews, OLB, Southern Cal
Starting LOLB David Thornton is JAG (Just Another Guy) and Matthews can be a lot better than that.
31. ARIZONA CARDINALS – Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa
This is a risky pick and perhaps a bit of a reach because Greene essentially came out of nowhere and had one good year, but to call it a good year is an understatement. This kid tore it up in 2008 to the tune of 1850 (6.0 Yards Per Carry) and 20 TD’s. Those are some eye-popping numbers and I love his size as well, 5′ 11″/235. This could be the perfect compliment to the Cardinals lethal passing attack and I think its worth a shot.
32. PITTSBURGH STEELERS – William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
If the Steelers have a weakness its their offensive line, including both tackles, and you can’t have that when you have a young franchise Quarterback to protect.
