The NFL Draft Thread (Formerly Early Entries for NFL Draft)

[rawaction]

Gotta do what's best for my family.

[TruffleShuffle]

Gotta do what's best for my family.

 

can't blame you. plus this is a weak year for wide receivers, you should be gone by mid-second round at the latest

[rawaction]

Gotta do what's best for my family.

 

can't blame you. plus this is a weak year for wide receivers, you should be gone by mid-second round at the latest

 

I'll be gone by the mid-20s. I think even though they have a bunch of smaller WRs like myself, the Eagles could use a 3rd option and a great return man. TB could use me. And I could be the playmaker that Vince Young needs in Tennessee.

 

No top notch WRs in this draft, but a lot of upside on the board. Kelly, Jackson, Bowman, Hardy, Doucet, Sweed, D. Thomas, Manningham, Caldwell, Bennett and Douglas could all be gone by the end of the 2nd. And I'm really intrigued by the 3rd-4th round group. Between Donnie Avery, DJ Hall, Lavelle Hawkins, Jordy Nelson, Arrington, Dexter Jackson, and Marcus Monk; I think there are a couple guys that are gonna be stars that are steals late 1st to early 2nd day picks.

[jersey cubs fan]

I haven't seen a single mock that has McFadden going #1.

 

That's less about his talent and more about who is picking first, and the fact that their best player happens to be a RB.

 

Who is coming off serious knee injury.

[OleMissCub]

Sorry Bears fans....looks like Oher changed his mind and is staying.

 

source coming...

[imb]

I know I'm late on this, but I can spit the diff between DMac and AD out real quick.

 

DMac and AD are both upper body strong, but AD is a lot stronger in the lower body. DMac is a touch faster in terms of straightaway speed, but AD is a better cutter. Much better actually, his vision is leagues ahead of DMac. They both accelerate like they're shot out of a cannon. I want to keep saying DMac.

 

Anyway, DMac is going to be really good, but he's a touch light for a 25 carry back, not that there will be too many of them in the next few years, anyway.

[Andy]

I know I'm late on this, but I can spit the diff between DMac and AD out real quick.

 

DMac and AD are both upper body strong, but AD is a lot stronger in the lower body. DMac is a touch faster in terms of straightaway speed, but AD is a better cutter. Much better actually, his vision is leagues ahead of DMac. They both accelerate like they're shot out of a cannon. I want to keep saying DMac.

 

Anyway, DMac is going to be really good, but he's a touch light for a 25 carry back, not that there will be too many of them in the next few years, anyway.

He's freed!!!!

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

double post Edited January 16, 2008 by GoCubsGo!!

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

yeah, rivals.com has Oher going back now...

[Guest]

Weak....

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Well he is a top 3 pick in 2009 for sure, though I thought it was possible leading up to the draft a team could fall in love with him and he could go top 10.(this year)

[Andy]

Back to normal for Notre Dame players this year (i.e. no one going very high). Was surprised to see Trevor Laws all the way down at round 3 though - and behind Tom Zbikowski, who I'm not sure about in the pros, to boot. I'd have thought Laws's insane 2007 would have gotten him into round 2 at least.

[imb]

Back to normal for Notre Dame players this year (i.e. no one going very high). Was surprised to see Trevor Laws all the way down at round 3 though - and behind Tom Zbikowski, who I'm not sure about in the pros, to boot. I'd have thought Laws's insane 2007 would have gotten him into round 2 at least.

 

Zbikowski screams "Archuleta" to me. And I'm talking about the present day Archuleta.

 

I like Zbi, though. More as a boxer than a football player.

[Guest]

Back to normal for Notre Dame players this year (i.e. no one going very high). Was surprised to see Trevor Laws all the way down at round 3 though - and behind Tom Zbikowski, who I'm not sure about in the pros, to boot. I'd have thought Laws's insane 2007 would have gotten him into round 2 at least.

 

Zbikowski screams "Archuleta" to me. And I'm talking about the present day Archuleta.

 

I like Zbi, though. More as a boxer than a football player.

 

Very much agreed. I hope the Bears stay far away.

[rawaction]

I actually think Zbikowski can be a sleeper. Granted, he is almost an exact clone of today's Adam Archuleta scouting report wise. Strong against the run, big hitter, weak 1-on-1 cover skills, bad over the top as a FS. However, he can run a bit and seems like a smart guy and has had some college success. At worst, you have a pretty good special teams player with his solid straight line speed. But he also seemed to have some great ballhawking skills as a Sophomore. So maybe he could get some of that back. He would require a lot of coaching, though.

[Warpticon]

I know I'm late on this, but I can spit the diff between DMac and AD out real quick.

 

DMac and AD are both upper body strong, but AD is a lot stronger in the lower body. DMac is a touch faster in terms of straightaway speed, but AD is a better cutter. Much better actually, his vision is leagues ahead of DMac. They both accelerate like they're shot out of a cannon. I want to keep saying DMac.

 

Anyway, DMac is going to be really good, but he's a touch light for a 25 carry back, not that there will be too many of them in the next few years, anyway.

 

Ahh, I knew somebody could provide actual, meaningful reasons. I'm not positive that AD is stronger in the lower body, though he's certainly much bulkier. I've seen McFadden drag piles of bigger players many yards. But there probably is an advantage there. And DMac is a pretty straightforward back. He's a lot more prone to run into the backs of his blockers trying to go straight ahead than Peterson. That seems pretty legit. I, of course, think he'll improve in that regard over time, but that's a pretty clear advantage for Peterson.

 

I really really hope Marcus Monk is spectacular in the combine, since his senior season and his knee injury absolutely submarined his draft stock. If there was any possibility of wavering for McFadden or Jones, watching Monk this year would have destroyed it.

[imb]

Here's my first mock draft. I'm happier with parts than I am with others, but with 100 days or whatever until the actual draft, there's time to sort some of this out.

 

1. Miami Dolphins – Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU

He comes in a little banged up, but the Dolphins have a lot of holes to fill, so why not start with the middle? With former Dallas offensive line coach Tony Sparano taking over as the head guy, there might be a push for Jake Long.

 

2. St. Louis Rams – Jake Long OT, Michigan

The Rams drafted Alex Barron in 2005 and planned on him eventually succeeding Orlando Pace. That didn’t work out as planned, so now they’ll go after Long. That sound you hear is Steven Jackson’s fantasy owners rejoicing.

 

3. Oakland Raiders – Chris Long DE, Virginia

This pick is a little wonky, as technically it could still belong to either Oakland or Atlanta. Darren McFadden is the best player available, but with Justin Fargas in tow, I don’t think Al Davis will go after him, opting instead for the son of former Raider great Howie Long.

 

4. Kansas City Chiefs – Ryan Clady OT, Boise State

Kansas City will end up with either the fourth or fifth pick in the draft. No matter of the arrangement of the third, fourth and fifth picks, I believe the teams will all end up with the same players, regardless. The Chiefs could opt to go with McFadden at this point, since Larry Johnson has a lot of miles on his legs, but with a lot of money going his way, they will go with Clady. When Will Shields retired, so did the Chiefs dominance on the offensive line – from 2002-2006 they finished in the top 10 in the NFL in total rushing yards four times, in 2007, they finished in last.

 

5. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan QB, Boston College

The Falcons get their pick of the QB litter, and end up with Ryan. He’s a big (220 lbs) tall (6-5) QB in the mold of Tom Brady, and while he’s had his trouble with interceptions, he’s regarded as more of a Brady style leader. Atlanta will likely sit Ryan during 2008, perhaps using him like Oakland did with JaMarcus Russell did this season, with an eye towards 2009. Had Bobby Petrino stuck around, the pick would likely be Louisville’s Brian Brohm, and depending on combines and who ends up in Atlanta as far as management goes, he still could be.

 

6. New York Jets – Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas

Last year, Adrian Peterson fell to No. 7, went to a team with an established running back, and won the Associated Press’ NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Flash forward to 2008, and the same thing might happen here. Obviously, the Jets already have Thomas Jones in their backfield, but he isn’t the franchise back that McFadden will be. With many teams turning towards a two-back system – not to mention McFadden being the best player on the draft board – the Jets get a ton of value here.

 

7. New England Patriots - Vernon Gholston DE, Ohio State

The Patriots, despite the spygate scandal and other assorted sins, are still loved by the football gods, go undefeated in the regular season – and end up with a top 10 pick! They could go with either a cornerback or linebacker here, and while I think ultimately they will trade this selection, I have them picking Gholston. He came to OSU as a linebacker before being moved to DE, but has the athleticism to play LB at the next level.

 

8. Baltimore Ravens – Brian Brohm QB, Louisville

The Ravens desperately need a QB. Kyle Boller isn’t the answer and neither is Troy Smith. They need help at WR as well, but no wideout is worthy of a pick this high, so they go with Brohm, a guy who would have been a first-rounder a year ago, had he come out of school early.

 

9. Cincinnati Bengals – Sedrick Ellis DT, USC

The Bengals need help, well, basically everywhere on defense. Luckily for them, only three defenders have come off the board so far. Like Miami, they opt to start in the middle, selecting Ellis out of USC. He’s not as big as Dorsey, but is almost his equal as a playmaker.

 

10. New Orleans Saints – Mike Jenkins CB, South Florida

Again, here’s another team that needs help at just about every defensive position. The Saints allowed almost 4,000 yards passing last season, so it’s no surprise that they start at CB. Jenkins, at 6-0, 197, has all of the physical tools and should start right away in New Orleans’ beleaguered secondary. A linebacker, like Keith Rivers or Dan Connor, or safety Kenny Phillips could also be a pick here.

 

11. Buffalo Bills – Kenny Phillips FS, Miami

Just how hard is it to draft defense, anyway? The Bills were 29th against the pass and 25th against the rush in 2007, so guess which side of the ball they’ll be focusing on? I don’t think that I’m breaking news when I say that Jim Leonhard is not the answer at FS for the Bills, so they take Phillips, the premier safety in this years’ draft class.

 

12. Denver Broncos – Keith Rivers OLB, USC

Rivers is a quick, strong LB that has been a playmaker since he stepped on the field as a freshman at USC. He’ll probably be stuck on the weakside until he gains a little more weight, but he and MLB DJ Williams will absolutely terrorize opposing teams with their speed.

 

13. Carolina Panthers - Calais Campbell DE, Miami

Probably the most freakish athlete in the draft, Campbell is a DE in the mold of the Houston Texans’ Mario Williams. He’s rawer than Williams, but physically all the tools are there. He disappointed in 2007 after a breakout 2006, but strong workouts should push him back towards the top of the draft.

 

14. Chicago Bears – Andre Woodson QB, Kentucky

Realistically, I expect the Bears to trade down and select either Jeff Otah, Sam Baker or Gosder Cherilus to strengthen their offensive line. If they stay at No. 14, though, they almost have to draft a QB. With Ryan and Brohm off the board, that leaves them with Woodson, who, despite prototypical size and skills, has had questions pop up about a slow release.

 

15. Detroit Lions - Leodis McKelvin CB, Troy

The Lions need a CB, and at the moment, there isn’t much separating the guys remaining at this position. McKelvin has good size and speed, is incredibly athletic and doubles as an excellent return man.

 

16. Arizona Cardinals – Jonathon Stewart RB, Oregon

Stewart undeservedly flew under the radar in 2007, despite playing on a national title contender and putting up fantastic numbers. With Dennis Dixon off the field in the Ducks’ bowl game against USF, he grabbed opportunity by the throat and ran for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Blessed with amazing speed for his size, he should blow up come workout time, and Arizona will draft him to split time with, and eventually take over for, Edgerrin James.

 

17. Minnesota Vikings - Derrick Harvey DE, Florida

The Vikings have to get help for their pass defense, and decide to pick a pass-rusher to do so. Harvey played well in 2007 despite being the main man on the Gators’ defensive line. A CB like Aqib Talib or Justin King is also an option here.

 

18. Houston Texans – Rashard Mendenhall RB, Illinois

The Texans need a running back and with McFadden and Stewart gone, they luck out now that Mendenhall is skipping his senior season with the Illini. Mendenhall is a big, strong back that shined in his first season as a starter, helping lead Illinois to the Rose Bowl.

 

19. Philadelphia Eagles – Desean Jackson WR, Cal

They want a left tackle, but with none of those left, they take Jackson. He may not necessarily be the best pass-catching wide receiver available, but with the recent focus on the return game – something he excels at – he makes an attractive pick.

 

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jeff Otah OT, Pittsburgh

Otah is a giant at 6-7, 340 and gives the Bucs’ someone that they can pencil in on the offensive line for the next few years.

 

21. Washington Redskins – Sam Baker OT, USC

Not as big as Otah, Baker, a four year starter at USC, falls to Washington. He disappointed in 2007, but that was likely due to a hamstring injury. Before the year he was regarded as possibly a top-10 talent, so this could end up being a steal, particularly if he can add some weight to his frame.

 

22. Dallas Cowboys – Limas Sweed WR, Texas

Sweed sat out part of 2007 with an injury, but that doesn’t concern Dallas, which will eventually need a replacement for Terrell Owens or Terry Glenn. Sweed is physically reminiscent of former Longhorn Roy Williams, although he lacks Williams’ top end speed. The Cowboys might also go for Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly or Arkansas running back Felix Jones here.

 

23. Pittsburgh Steelers – Dan Connor OLB, Penn State

Connor plays a lot like last years’ Penn State LB draftee Paul Posluszny, who fell to the second round due to injury concerns. Connor could probably stand to add a little weight, but that should come in time. Can possibly slot in the inside should be add size.

 

24. Tennessee Titans – Malcolm Kelly, WR Oklahoma

The Titans desperately need someone to catch passes, and with Jackson and Sweed off the board, they take Kelly. Much like Sweed, the only thing Kelly lacks is 4.4 speed, but he makes up for that with the best set of hands in the draft, which he’ll need to catch QB Vince Young’s wobbly passes.

 

25. Seattle Seahawks – Fred Davis, TE USC

Originally the plan was to draft Jonathon Stewart here, but after his performance in the Sun Bowl, he’ll be long gone at this point. They could use help on the offensive line as well, so they might go with Cherilus, but with no starting TE to speak of on their roster, I think they’ll take Davis here. Texas A&M TE Martellus Bennett is also an option.

 

26. New York Giants – Gosder Cherilus OT, Boston College

Cherilus is a four year starter at BC that could possibly slot into LT at some point in his career. Not as big as Otah, but big enough. The Giants could also look to pick Kansas CB Aqib Talib here.

 

27. Jacksonville Jaguars – Mario Manningham WR, Michigan

Manningham isn’t big, just 175 pounds, but is extremely fast and gives the Jaguars the speed option they need at WR. A safety like OU’s Reggie Smith could also be the pick here.

 

28. San Diego Chargers – Frank Okam DT, Texas

The Chargers don’t have a lot of needs, per se, but they could use a big tackle to take over for Jamal Williams in the middle of their 3-4 defense. Okam has as much upside as any DT in the draft, and if the Chargers feel like he can handle nose tackle duties, he’ll be the pick here.

 

29. Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones RB, Arkansas

With Julius Jones hitting free agency, and owner Jerry Jones’ love of former Razorbacks, the Cowboys use their second first round pick on the explosive Jones. He’ll give them the homerun threat they need next to Marion Barber III and he also doubles as a return specialist.

30. San Francisco 49ers – Early Doucet WR, LSU

The Niners need as much help at WR as anyone in the draft. Too bad they traded their first rounder to New England! This pick comes via Indianapolis, and with all the major wide receivers already picked, they end up taking Groves. He’s a little small-ish for a DE, but he has a motor and makes plays. He played with an injury during much of 2007 that slowed him down. LSU WR Early Doucet, or even OSU WR Adarius Bowman are options here, thought I don’t expect them to take Bowman after the Rashaun Woods debacle.

 

31. Green Bay Packers – Aqib Talib CB, Kansas

The Packers will eventually need a CB to replace Charles Woodson or Al Harris, so they take Talib, who had a great game in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. OU’s Reggie Smith could also go at this spot.

 

32. Miami Dolphins – Philip Merling DE, Clemson

Ok, I know that technically this is actually a second round pick, but with New England forfeiting their first rounder in the spygate scandal, I’m going to pretend that the Dolphins get two first rounders. Hey, for a team that won just one game in 2007, they need all the help they can get. They take Merling here, who any other year would be a first round pick, more than likely. There’s just too much depth at DE this year.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

14. Chicago Bears – Andre Woodson QB, Kentucky

Realistically, I expect the Bears to trade down and select either Jeff Otah, Sam Baker or Gosder Cherilus to strengthen their offensive line. If they stay at No. 14, though, they almost have to draft a QB. With Ryan and Brohm off the board, that leaves them with Woodson, who, despite prototypical size and skills, has had questions pop up about a slow release.

 

 

I hate you :evil: Woodson is uber talented, but a boom or bust pick, IMO. Factor in the Bears, and this adds up to a bust. I really like this kid Joe Flacco out of Delaware in the later rounds....

 

flacco hightligts

Edited January 17, 2008 by GoCubsGo!!

[Handlebar McSkullet]

14. Chicago Bears – Andre Woodson QB, Kentucky

Realistically, I expect the Bears to trade down and select either Jeff Otah, Sam Baker or Gosder Cherilus to strengthen their offensive line. If they stay at No. 14, though, they almost have to draft a QB. With Ryan and Brohm off the board, that leaves them with Woodson, who, despite prototypical size and skills, has had questions pop up about a slow release.

 

 

I hate you :evil:

 

I hate you as well :twisted:

[Derwood]

I think you have Connor slotted about right. He's a first rounder, but I don't think he's as good as Poszluzny (or Sean Lee for that matter, who could be top 15 next year)

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

I think you have Connor slotted about right. He's a first rounder, but I don't think he's as good as Poszluzny (or Sean Lee for that matter, who could be top 15 next year)

I think some weight concerns have Dan Connor slipping a bit.

http://www.canaltcm.com/myfiles/visto/roseanne.jpg

[AI]

23. Pittsburgh Steelers – Dan Connor OLB, Penn State

Connor plays a lot like last years’ Penn State LB draftee Paul Posluszny, who fell to the second round due to injury concerns. Connor could probably stand to add a little weight, but that should come in time. Can possibly slot in the inside should be add size.

Having spent their 1 and 2 last season on LBs, I don't see Pittsburgh going with a LB here. Woodley will likely start in place of Haggans next season, and the team is already grooming Timmons to move inside. The Steelers most glaring weakness right now is on the OL. With Faneca likely leaving and the tackle play spotty, I see the Steelers going OL in round one.

[Andy]

14. Chicago Bears – Andre Woodson QB, Kentucky

Realistically, I expect the Bears to trade down and select either Jeff Otah, Sam Baker or Gosder Cherilus to strengthen their offensive line. If they stay at No. 14, though, they almost have to draft a QB. With Ryan and Brohm off the board, that leaves them with Woodson, who, despite prototypical size and skills, has had questions pop up about a slow release.

 

 

I hate you :evil: Woodson is uber talented, but a boom or bust pick, IMO. Factor in the Bears, and this adds up to a bust. I really like this kid Joe Flacco out of Delaware in the later rounds....

 

flacco hightligts

You can't have Flacco...I want the Panthers to draft him. Seems like a classic Carolina thing to do to spring on this guy in the 3rd round...they love trying to dig up an unheralded QB.

[Guest]

Nice, IMB! I'm working on one right now and it can be a pain in the rear, especially when you forget a player and have to start over (screw you, Gholston). You have Clady going higher than I do. I also agree that New England will trade down with no James Laurinaitis or Malcolm Jenkins in this draft. Same for the Bears if Phillips and viable top-15 OTs are gone.

[rawaction]

I'll post mine on Saturday. I gotta take out all the guys I had in that stayed in school. I never had Laurinitas going to the Pats.