Mr. East’s It’s a Wonderful Horrible Mock Draft

It is painful to think that it is only February and the draft is in April. Therefore all of the draft junkies like to imagine what might take place come draft day. I decided I would take part in this time honored tradition. This mock draft is wonderful because what mock draft isn’t? It is also horrible due to the fact that we are so far away from knowing the final decisions. I was debating whether I would wait for the combine to edit this draft, but luckily for you readers I decided to release this version and update after the combine. UPDATED: 02/19/09

 

Round 1 

 

1. Detroit Lions
   Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

Jim Schwartz must have a lot of guts to take this job and to take an unpolished rookie QB with the first overall pick. However, rookie QBs sell tickets and jerseys, which is something Detroit hasn’t experienced in awhile. The Lions have so many concerns to address that whatever they choose will provide an instant improvement. Even if the Lions address the QB need through free agency it would benefit Stafford to sit out his first year and watch a veteran.

 

2. St. Louis Rams
   Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

Marc Bulger has been sacked 126 times over the past three seasons. This doesn’t help the fact that he’s 31 years old. Michael Crabtree is the best player available on the draft board at this position. Kudos to Walt from WalterFootball for shaking up the mock draft world with this choice. This pick will be very similar to Detroit taking Calvin Johnson or Minnesota taking Adrian Peterson. I do agree with taking the best player available on the board (much like the Steelers do), however, I believe that St. Louis should take Tackle Eugene Monroe, or possibly even Jason Smith.

 

3. Kansas City Chiefs
   Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

Once again, this pick is due to the theory of taking the best player available. Tyler Thigpen played above and beyond his expectations, which would lead one to think Kansas would address their ailing defensive line. However, Thigpen hasn’t proved himself completely and the new offensive minded coach Todd Haley will look to create QB competition (given he liked fellow USC QB Matt Leinart while in Arizona). I do not think Sanchez is the best player available. Sanchez will struggle if made starter come week one Kansas City would be better off taking Aaron Curry or even Brian Orakpo seeing how they only got the QB 10 times.

 

4.  Seattle Seahawks
   Eugene Monroe, T, Virgnia

If St. Louis took Crabtree, and the Chiefs claimed Sanchez, Eugene Monroe will fall into Seattle’s lap. I’m sure Matt Hasselbeck would love to have a dynamic receiver like Crabtree (or even a receiver at all), but at 33 he’d also like having a great tackle to keep him on his feet. Hasselbeck only started 7 games in 2008 and was sacked 19 times, averaging 2.7 sacks allowed a game. Receivers can be gained in FA and in later rounds.

 

5. Cleveland Browns
   Aaron Curry, ILB, Wake Forest

Mike Mayock is very high on Aaron Curry, and Mayock is a great evaluator of talent. Cleveland needs help nearly everywhere on the defense and with Andra Davis going into free agency, Curry could step in immediately. This is a crucial draft for the Browns, they are only a few defensive fills away from a potential winning season. However, this is the Browns… anything could happen. 

 

6. Cincinnati Bengals
   Andre Smith, T, Alabama

This pick makes sense for many reasons. Carson Palmer needs a lot of help in so many ways and Cincinnati loves players with character issues. I think that the Bengals would be better off taking a player like B.J. Raji but depending on the combine and offseason moves this pick is very likely to change.

 

7. Oakland Raiders
   Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

Al Davis loves 40 times like Denver fanboys love Wesley Woodyard. Maclin is explosive, impressive, and down right fun to watch. Al Davis will have a hard time passing this receiver up. JaMarcus Russell needs a lot of help and receiver is one of those spots. Al Davis would be better off taking the blind side Michael Oher or Baylor’s finest Jason Smith, but they don’t run 4.3 40’s.

 

8. Jacksonville Jaguars
   Michael Oher, T, Mississippi

Jacksonville needs an offensive tackle if they want to keep David Garrard alive. Depending on how Jason Smith compares to Oher this pick could change. There is no doubt Jacksonville needs a to grab an offensive tackle in this draft and Michael Oher is a great prospect.

 

9. Green Bay Packers
   B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College

With the hiring of Dom Capers Green bay will switch the 3-4. There isn’t a set NT yet on the defensive line. Even if Green Bay thinks they can fill it in with another player passing up on Raji would be ridiculous with a switch to a new system. Raji will be an offensive line’s kryptonite. Another player that could fall into this spot is Malcolm Jenkins with the aging of Charles Woodson.

 

10.  San Francisco 49ers
    Jason Smith, T, Baylor

It doesn’t matter who the 49ers start at quarterback because he’ll spend a lot of time eating the turf behind their current line. Mike Mayock has Jason Smith at the top of his list for offensive linemen, so look out for Smith at the combine. If Jason Smith falls this far San Fran would be foolish to pass him up.

 

11.  Buffalo Bills
    Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

The Bills have many holes to fill in defensively. The top defensive players on the board at this point are Brian Orakpo, Everette Brown, and Malcolm Jenkins. Last year Buffalo drafted Leodis McKelvin so it makes sense for them to draft a solid pass rusher. The Bills only managed to tally 24 sacks on the year, so they basically had a DeMarcus Ware. This pick will be more clear when the combine is over.

 

12.  Denver Broncos
    Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State

Where to begin? Denver’s defense is absolutely atrocious. Everette Brown has the potential to be an instant starter in Denver at a much needed position. Some think Jarvis Moss could be a good fit at OLB, but he is just as unproven in that position in the NFL as Brown is. Even with the release of Dre’ Bly don’t look for Denver to draft a corner because it’s not as essential to have shutdown corners in the 3-4.

One theory is that any defensive position Denver drafts is an improvement, which is true to a point. The question is what should Denver do to optimize the improvement with their 1st round pick? Right now I believe Brown is the ideal choice for Denver, but come April there will be a different story. Between the combine, all the players that will continue to be released, and the free agents that will be acquired Denver will be in a completely different place. Brown is a talented player, but this selection may only be possible with the Raiders not selecting one of the premier offensive tackles of this first round. The only other player on the board at pick 12 that would fulfill that spot’s potential is Knowshon Moreno. If Denver doesn’t want to address the running back position, Brown, or Rey Maualuga then trading down would be a wise decision. 

Brian Xanders said himself that there would be a chance that Denver would be acquiring more draft picks which could mean two picks in the second round. If I had it my way Denver would select Clay Matthews and Ron Brace in the second round. However, I believe that Matthews will rise into the first round after the combine. I would expect some big name player on the Denver defense to be traded if Denver doesn’t want to trade down.

 

13.  Washington Redskins
    Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

The Redskins looked really solid at the start of the season, at one point they were in first in the NFC East only to finish last. At the end of the season Redskins ranked 4th in the NFL for yards allowed a game (288.8 yards), but only 28th in the NFL in sacks (24 total). Demetric Evans (a free agent this offseason) is great against the run but only mediocre at getting to the passer. If Washington wants to compete in the QB heavy NFC East they’ll need a guy who can cause havoc in the backfield. Johnson’s stock may fall at the combine, so this pick might change to Peria Jerry, who I expect to have a great performance.

 

14. New Orleans Saints
    Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State

Can Reggie Bush ever stay healthy? Can he run between the tackles, or are we destined to watch him catch the screen pass? There might be a reason why Drew Brees threw for over 5,000 yards this season, the only capable backs were Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. Another possibility would be Tyson Jackson so New Orleans could finally register a decent amount of sacks.

 

15.  Houston Texans
    Malcom Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Houston would love to stop the pass for once. Now with the potential departure of Dunta Robinson the secondary needs to be addressed more than ever. If Malcolm Jenkins falls this far down Houston will rejoice.

 

16.  San Diego Chargers
    Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Does anyone else find it ridiculous that the Chargers went to the divisional round of the playoffs and get to pick before non-playoff teams? Apparently that San Diego defense wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be and adding Tyson Jackson should be a smart decision if Igor Olshansky leaves in free agency. Don’t be surprised if San Diego takes Knowshon Moreno if he’s still on the board.

 

17.  New York Jets
    Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

Vernon Gholston did not work out very well last year, so I don’t see the Jets spending first round money on an OLB. Expect the Jets to patch up their 29th ranked passing defense. Vontae Davis may have character issues but his talent is hard to pass up when your corners aren’t doing their job.

 

18.  Chicago Bears
    Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

The Chicago Bears are famous for their defense, but they fell violently short this season. Opposing quarterbacks torched the Bears averaging 234.5 yards a game. Therefore the Bears definitely need improve the secondary. Some may think this is too high for Smith but he will impress at the combine.

 

19.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

Tampa Bay can’t afford to trust the health of Cadillac Williams, and the Earnest Graham, Warrick Dunn tadem was very ineffective. It’s a shame to let Moreno fall this low but it will mean great things for the Buccaneer backfield.

 

20.  Detroit Lions
    Eben Britton, T, Arizona

Congratulations Detroit, you drafted a QB with your number one pick… now protect him! Eben Britton is considered to be one of the best offensive tackles on the board at this spot. If Detroit knows anything about football they should protect the sanctity of their QB whether young or old.

 

21.  Philadelphia Eagles
    Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma

The bigger guys always crowd up on the Philadelphia’s offensive line… I mean just take a look at Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas (free agent). It is no secret that their offensive line is aging and needs whatever they can get, and Duke Robinson is the top offensive lineman on the board.

 

22. Minnesota Vikings
    Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss

Much like the Eagles offensive line the Minnesota defensive line could use some youth. Both Kevin Williams and Pat Williams aren’t getting any younger and Peria Jerry at pick 23 is a steal. Look out for Jerry at the combine, his stock will rise.

 

23.  New England Patriots
    Larry English, DE/OLB, NIU

With Mike Vrabel getting up there in age, Larry English could be a great addition to New England’s 3-4 defense. English is the ideal OLB in the 3-4 scheme. If English is all he’s cracked up to be then the Patriots’ linebacking core will be one to reckon with come the 2009 season.

 

24.  Atlanta Falcons
    Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

Brandon Pettigrew is obviously the top tight end of this draft, but tight ends should not be taken so high in the first round. At pick 24 Pettigrew is a great choice to compliment Matt Ryan’s passing game.

 

25. Miami Dolphins
    Brian Cushing, ILB, USC

Brian Cushing has the versatility to play any linebacking spot in any scheme, though his best spot is considered ILB in a   3-4. The Dolphins don’t really have playmaker at inside linebacker and Cushing is their best opportunity at this position to fill this spot by week one.

 

26. Baltimore Ravens
    Alex Mack, C, California

With the release of Chris McCallister Baltimore stated their desire to resign Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. With Jason Brown headed into free agency it will be hard for them to retain him with the other big names. I had D.J. Moore in this spot earlier, but Mack is a hard player to pass up on. One can also argue that a receiver will be taken such as Percy Harvin or Hakeem Nicks.

 

27. Indianapolis Colts
    Hakeem Nicks, WR, UNC

I spent a lot of time panning out the options at this pick. It was between Alex Mack or Nicks. Yes, the Colts drafted Mike Pollack last year but he mainly played time as a right guard. Jamey Richard didn’t fill the shoes of Jeff Saturday, who’s going into free agency. Expect the Colts to address the center position, whether it is in the draft or not. With the aging/expected departure of Reggie Wayne a receiver has a good chance of landing here.

 

28. Philadelphia Eagles
    Rey Maualuga ILB, USC

Critics believe that Rey Maualuga won’t fall this far. They may be right, but I believe that Maualuga isn’t as versatile as Cushing and will not have a great combine. Maualuga will have a good combine, and he will put up numbers that were expected of him leading people to say that he’s a beast. Matt McGuire at WalterFootball wrote a great article about this in his blog. Anyways, Maualuga is a great prospect at ILB and the Eagles aren’t exactly stacked at that position.

 

29. New York Giants
    James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State

Staying at Ohio State for another year obviously hurt Laurinaitis’ draft stock. There is no doubt that Laurinaitis is a natural football player and athlete. The real question is his playmaker ability, his capacity to be an elite ILB in the NFL. The Giants need help at ILB badly and Laurinaitis at pick 29 is a good time address it. Antonio Pierce has seen his best of days and I don’t think Giants fans are comfortable with seeing Chase Blackburn becoming a starter.

 

30. Tennessee Titans
    D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt

Either Tennessee is really lucky or a lot better at drafting than everyone thought last season. Rookie players like Chris Johnson and Cortland Finnegan highly contributed to the Titans 13-3 record and playoff appearance. Some mock drafts will have Percy Harvin here, but I don’t see Harvin as 1st round material (even though I saw him win 5 races at my high school track state championship) and everyone says the Titans don’t draft receivers this high. Moore’s draft stock is rising and after the combine he will squeeze his way into a low first round choice. If Alex Mack is on the board here Tennessee may opt to take him seeing how Kevin Mawae is 38.

 

31. Arizona Cardinals
    LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh

Edgerin James wants out of town and tippy toe Tim Hightower won’t exactly get it done down after down. McCoy has proven to the world in the last two years that he can get it done. McCoy has averaged 4.8 yards carry in the past two seasons and he has gained 549 yards receiving in his career as well. The Cardinals can’t afford solely rely on their passing game next year, just ask Mike Shanahan.

 

32.  Pittsburgh Steelers
    Max Unger, C, Oregon

Do the Pittsburgh Steelers hate Big Ben? Yes. They stick good old Ben behind a line of amateurs and hope he stays alive. Max Unger is the logical choice seeing how the Steelers need all the help they can get at offensive line, but they always take the best player available. This pick is completely useless to predict as of now. Who would have guessed that Pittsburgh chose Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed last year?

 

Thats all of round one. After the combine check back to see the updated version. I’m not sure if I’m ballsy enough to explore a complete round two but I’ll let be known that Ron Brace would be my choice for Denver. Air out out readers! Let me know what you love and I know you’ll let me hear what you hate.