Despite finding "mock" drafts to be utterly ridiculous, I'm going to revise my earlier entry now that we're only 9 days away the draft.
If you're interested, and an ESPN Insider, here's a link to Todd McShay's (of Scouts, Inc.) full 7-round mock draft. I've read through it, and if McShay thinks that the Eagles are going to take OT Derek Morris of NC State with the 204th pick, he's insane. I can't wait to rub it in his face when he's wrong. Incidentally, Derek Morris has come a long way since he was too busy to spend any time with his son, Zack, who was constantly in trouble during his days at Bayside High.
Now, on to the updated mock draft! In this one, I've decided to forego predicting who they'll actually take, and instead am focusing on who they should take, based on need and how well the player would fit.
1. Houston Texans - LT, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia Tech. Reggie Bush would be nice, but until they improve that offensive line, they'll always be a 5-11/6-10 team. Plus, with Domanick Davis signed for a number of years they don't really need Reggie Bush, who doesn't appear to have the build to carry the ball 20-25 times a game over the course of a 16-game NFL season.
2. New Orleans Saints - DE, Mario Williams, NC State. After losing Darrin Howard through free agency, the Saints should add Williams, the most complete defensive end in the draft. He's a game-changer, and has the speed to run down QBs like Mike Vick.
3. Tennessee Titans - QB, Vince Young, Texas. Obviously, Steve McNair is nearing the end of the road, but he still has some miles left on him (provided, of course, they let him back into the facility). Young is nowhere near ready to step right in and produce, so they can take a year or two to get his mechanics right while awaiting for McNair to pass the torch.
4. New York Jets - QB, Matt Leinart, USC. With Chad Pennington's shoulder resembling the cheapest item on the menu at Artie Bucco's restaurant, the Jets need a QB. More than that, they need a marquee name to get its fanbase excited.
5. Green Bay Packers - OLB, AJ Hawk, Ohio State. After years of producing sub-par NFL talent, I don't rate Buckeyes entering the NFL draft that highly. However, AJ Hawk is probably the best LB in the draft, and if he plays the "Will" position, he might not get exposed for being the fraud he probably is.
6. San Francisco 49ers - DB, Michael Huff, Texas. I absolutely love this kid, and he'll start immediately for the 49ers at the FS position. He's a ball hawking, hard-hitting defensive back who is versatile enough to play some CB if necessary. The 49ers need a ton of help if they're ever to return to their glory days, and Huff is a good guy to start with.
7. Oakland Raiders - QB, Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt. They've got the natural disaster commonly known as Aaron Brooks for 2 years, which is plenty of time to let Cutler develop. He could probably step in right now, but why rush it?
8. Buffalo Bills - DT, Haloti Ngata, Oregon. Stopping the run is the quickest way to turn your franchises fortunes around, and with Ngata, you get a massive inside DT capable of plugging the hole and freeing up a guy like Takeo Spikes to run sideline-to-sideline to make tackles.
9. Detroit Lions - OLB, Ernie Sims, Florida State. The temptation to select Vernon Davis at this point would have Matt Millen drooling profusely, but the Lions need to improve the overall defense. Pairing Sims with Boss Bailey as the team's outside linebackers would increase that group's athleticism.
10. Arizona Cardinals - OT, Winston Justice, USC. Two Trojans in the Top 10, and not one of them is named "Reggie Bush". I know, you probably think I'm crazy. Trust me, I am. Just like the Texans, the road to respectability in the NFL starts up front. And right now, what the Cardinals (and Texans) are attempting to pass off as an offensive line is abysmal.
11. St. Louis Rams - TE, Vernon Davis, NC State. The Rams have been so desperate for a TE the last few years, they've tried passing off planetoids like Brandon Manumanaluma as one. Davis is a rare, special talent, and would be an ideal safety valve for the rare occasions Torry Holt isn't open.
12. Cleveland Browns - OLB, Chad Greenway, Iowa. Romeo Crennel loves him some linebackers, and Greenway provides the 2nd year head coach with a versatile football player. After the way Crennel helped shape Mike Vrabel's career, Greenway couldn't land in a better place.
13. Baltimore Ravens - DT, Brodrick Bunkley, Florida State. The Ravens have abandoned the 3-4 defense, and adding Bunkley to the defense would be enormous. He's a quick, athletic DT, and the character issues people have on him would be a non-issue on a veteran defense like Baltimore has.
14. Philadelphia Eagles - WR, Chad Jackson, Florida. This one is pretty obvious, isn't it? Philadelphia always needs a WR, and Jackson is the type of WR that can get down field and make big plays. He and last year's 2nd round pick, Reggie Brown, would make a dynamic duo.
15. Denver Broncos - RB, Reggie Bush, USC. Yes, he's finally off the board. And since any RB can run for 1,000 yards in Denver, the question of whether or not Bush will succeed at the next level is answered. Plus, Denver could use Bush as a slot WR, which is something they desperately need.
16. Miami Dolphins - DB, Donte Whitner, Ohio State. The Dolphins most glaring need is at safety, and Whitner could step in right away and start. They could also use a CB, and a guy like Tye Hill would be awesome in Miami.
17. Minnesota Vikings - WR, Santonio Holmes, Ohio State. Their most accomplished WRs right now are Marcus and Koren Robinson. Yikes! Troy Williamson could become a good WR, but the jury is still out on him. Plus, you never know when Koren Robinson is going to fall off the wagon.
18. Dallas Cowboys - CB, Tye Hill, Clemson. Anthony Henry and Terence Newman are inconsistent CBs, and Tye Hill could pressure one of them (likely Henry) for a starting job.
19. San Diego Chargers - Johnathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina. They just dumped Sammy Davis (and his one eye) to the 49ers, so CB is suddenly a position of need.
20. Kansas City Chiefs - Kamerion Wimbley, DE, Florida State. Wimbley and Jared Allen would be a dynamic pass-rushing duo, and with guys like Aaron Brooks and Jake Plummer in the division, having speed at the DE position is crucial.
21. New England Patriots - OLB, Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State. Who knows, maybe Bill Belichick would've made Andy Katzenmoyer an All-Pro. Linebacker is a position where the Patriots need to inject some youth.
22. San Francisco 49ers - CB, Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech. With 6 divisional games against Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona, the 49ers cannot have too many DBs.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DE, Manny Lawson, NC State. The guy played opposite #2 pick Mario Williams, but while he's not as great an athlete that Williams is, Lawson is a high quality DE.
24. Cincinnati Bengals - CB, Antonio Cromartie, Florida State. He's a bit of a project, but he won't be asked to start immediately in Cincinnati. He hasn't played football in awhile, but his upside is through the roof. He'd make an excellent nickel back in year 1, until he's ready to step in as a starting CB.
25. New York Giants - OLB, Demeco Ryans, Alabama. Even though they just signed Brandon Short, their lack of depth at linebacker could be the sole reason they couldn't stop Carolina in the playoffs last year.
26. Chicago Bears - TE, Leonard Pope, Georgia. He's a massive target for whatever QB (Grossman, Orton) emerges as the starter.
27. Carolina Panthers - C, Nick Mangold, Ohio State. It's suddenly a position of need, and while centers rarely go this high, Mangold is the cream of this year's crop.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars - CB, Ashton Youboty, Ohio State. The Jaguars could go DE at this point, but I think that's foolish. They have a solid front 7, but need to improve the secondary. Youboty is the best DB left.
29. New York Jets - RB, DeAngelo Williams, Memphis. After adding a marquee name in Matt Leinart, the Jets need to give a weapon. Enter DeAngelo Williams, who is likely the most complete RB not named Bush in this draft.
30. Indianapolis Colts - RB, Laurence Maroney, Minnesota. Maroney is the closest thing the Colts will find to Edgerrin James in the draft. There's little chance they enter the season with Domenic Rhodes as their top RB.
31. Seattle Seahawks - DE, Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College. The most glaring need is in the secondary, but you know what? Adding a pass-rushing DE improves your secondary. If they can get a guy who knows how to pressure the QB, the CBs won't have to cover the WRs as long as they would if you didn't have a good pass rush.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers - RB, LenDale White, USC. Good fit on a veteran team, who won't allow him to slip into being this year's Tyrone Wheatley. Has the size to be an instant touchdown machine.
Tune in to ESPN on April 29th to see how wrong I am. My best guess? I'll get 2-3 of these picks right.
2 comments:
Are you Crazy?!?! There is no way that Reggie Bush will slip to 15. If he slips, it will be to No.2. even if they dont need a HB they could have a big trade to get what they need.
Yes, I am crazy. However, what I was doing was stating who a team should take, not predicting who they actually will take. I based this on the team's need, and how the player would fit on that team.
And quite frankly, I think the Texans need a D'Brickashaw Ferguson more than they need a Reggie Bush.
For starters, Reggie Bush is not the type of guy that is going to carry the ball 20-25 times a game. Last year, you had guys like Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown and Cedric Benson, who were the workhorse-type of backs that were worthy of a Top 5 pick.
For Bush to be successful, he's going to need to get the ball in space. If the Texans (his likely landing spot) could lobby to get Fresno State included on their schedule, that would help, too.
Houston's offensive line is putrid, and they won't go anywhere if they don't make improvements. And I'm sorry, but if I'm Charlie Casserly (which I'm fortunately not), I have to realize the following:
1. I don't need a RB. I just signed Domanick Davis to a long-term contract extension, and he's been highly productive considering he has nobody blocking for him.
2. Running Backs, even those of with a collegiate career as impressive as Reggie Bush's, are not as valuable as a franchise left tackle.
3. D'Brickashaw Ferguson is a franchise left tackle.
Houston does not need a return man (Jerome Mathis went to the Pro Bowl in 2005 doing that), they don't need a RB and they need to somehow keep David Carr upright for more than 2 seconds.
The smart move is trading down. The smart pick is Ferguson. The virtual lock is Charlie Casserly selecting Bush out of his fear of being mocked by Mel Kiper at 12:20pm on April 29th.
Post a Comment