Mock First round Of The NFL Draft by DraftKing.com
1. Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia ~
The debate is underway on what philosophy the Lions should use in this position. The Lions have a number of options at this spot: take a franchise QB, choose from its pick of the strong offensive tackle class, or take the best player defensive player available. Remember: the Lions have only used one first-round pick on a defensive player since 1999.
With Sam Bradford deciding to return to Oklahoma for his redshirt junior season, it appears that if the Lions are going to take a QB at #1, the quarterback taken would be Stafford.
If the Lions opt not to go with Stafford (or perhaps USC QB Mark Sanchez), they could go with a top-flight offensive tackle, possibly Alabama OT Andre Smith or Virginia OT Eugene Monroe or Ole Miss OT Michael Oher. Certainly there are plenty of great players at offensive tackle to choose from at this spot, and emulating the Dolphins (who went from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008) by taking an offensive tackle at the top spot in the draft might be a wise move.
The major stumbling block for Detroit taking a defensive player at #1 is, quite simply, that there doesn't appear to be a dominant breakout defensive player who would be worthy of taking over either a quarterback or an offensive tackle.
The Lions need a major overhaul on defense; perhaps they will break the bank to land unrestricted free agent to be Albert Haynesworth away from the Titans. But the Lions have two picks in the first round of the 2009 Draft thanks to the Roy Williams trade, and there will be quality defensive players from whom they can choose later on in round one. And with a pick at the top of round two, there will be other chances for the team to rebuild its defense.
2. St. Louis Rams – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
This is a deep draft at offensive tackle, and the Rams could be in position to have their pick of the litter. Unlike some years there is no breakaway consensus choice for who the top offensive tackle is for 2009, but if he turns pro I think Andre Smith has as good of a chance as anyone to be the first offensive linemen selected. The fact that Smith has been suspended from the Sugar Bowl for alleged contact with an agent tells me that he will be leaving school early to join the NFL.
Future hall of fame offensive tackle Orlando Pace is under contract with the Rams through 2011, but his base salary is steep: $5.975 million in 2009, $7.175 million in 2010, and $8.375 million in 2011. Pace is 33, and while he is a talented player, his presence on the roster is not necessarily an indication that the Rams would pass on an offensive tackle with a high first round pick.
3. Kansas City Chiefs – Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
At 6'5" 315, Monroe has great size and is known for blocking multiple defenders on the same play. His stock is on the rise despite the stiff competition in the offensive tackle mix. The Chiefs may consider taking a quarterback at this spot, though the 6'5" 315 pound Monroe is such a strong prospect that the Chiefs may opt to look elsewhere for their QB needs, be it free agency (perhaps a one-year stopgap while looking ahead to the 2010 crop) or later in the draft.
4. Seattle Seahawks – Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech ~
Michael Crabtree is considered by most experts to be the top wide receiver prospect in the draft — and he left school as just a redshirt sophomore. Certainly his performance on national TV in hauling in the game-winning TD catch for the Red Raiders in their win over Texas brought him plenty of attention, but Crabtree is an overall solid player who is quite possibly the best sophomore-eligible NFL wide receiver prospect to come along since Larry Fitzgerald in 2004. Some consider Crabtree to be the best overall prospect in the draft, and he would be an ideal fit in Seattle.
5. Cleveland Browns – Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
Curry has managed to work his way to the top of most defensive prospect lists, and it would be no surprise for him to be a top five pick in the draft. He played his way into this spot with an outstanding 2008 senior season. At 6'2" 245 pounds, Curry runs a 4.6 40 and has an incredible knack for finding the ball. Seeing Curry in a 3-4 defense would be interesting, but he is such a strong prospect that he would project highly in *any* defensive scheme.
6. Cincinnati Bengals – Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
The Bengals are in desperate need of a high quality defensive end. Orakpo is certainly that, and at this point most consider him to be the top defensive end in the draft, though FSU's Everette Brown is gaining some momentum. Orakpo may not be a Mario Williams or Julius Peppers prospect, but he is a talented player who will have an instant impact wherever he ends up.
7. Oakland Raiders – Everette Brown, DE, Florida State ~
When the Raiders were making their series of big money moves last off-season, one thing that they failed to do was to address the defensive end position in any meaningful way. In fact, the Raiders became arguably weaker at DE in 2008 than they were in 2007 due to the move of Tommy Kelly from DE to DT (and giving him a massive payday to boot).
Brown had 13.5 sacks this past season for the Seminoles, and he would be an interesting addition to the Raiders. At 6'4" 250, Brown has great size, and his 4.65 speed presents a great combination for him coming off of the end position.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri ~
While still very raw as a wide receiver, Maclin brings a big play kick return ability that would allow him to immediately impact special teams in a positive way. The Jaguars have a number of needs, but the big-play ability that Maclin has makes him a very appealing prospect. He has jumped up many draft boards since declaring for the 2009 NFL Draft, and understandably so — his unique talent is similar to what Ted Ginn, Jr. had two years ago where he ended up as a top ten pick.
9. Green Bay Packers – Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Consider this: Charles Woodson is 32 and Al Harris (who suffered a ruptured spleen earlier this year) is 34. The Packers need youth at corner in a major way. Jenkins might have been a top 15 pick had he come out last year, but with another year of seasoning on the college level he looks like the clear top cornerback prospect.
10. San Francisco 49ers – Mark Sanchez, QB, 49ers ~
Alex Smith hasn't been the answer for the 49ers, and Sanchez has emerged as the second-ranked QB prospect besides Matthew Stafford. For the 49ers to return to greatness, they will likely need to find a top-flight signal caller to lead the offense. Despite USC head coach Pete Carroll's disappointment about Sanchez not returning to Los Angeles for 2009, it seems hard to fathom a scenario where Sanchez would go higher in the 2010 NFL Draft.
11. Buffalo Bills – Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
After holding out during the 2008 pre-season, Jason Peters struggled severely in 2008 at left offensive tackle for the Bills. This may promp Buffalo to dip into the deep pool of offensive line talent that will be in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Oher is an outstanding pass blocker, and despite a difficult past he turned into one of the nation's best college offensive linemen. Some people view Oher as the best offensive tackle prospect in the nation, particularly with his improved run blocking making him even more of a valuable player.
12. Denver Broncos – Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
There is some talk that the Broncos will move D.J. Williams to MLB to replace Nate Webster, who is entering free agency. Alternately, the Broncos could bring in a major talent like Laurinaitis to shore up the middle of the defense for years to come.
A playmaker who can cover sideline-to-sideline, Maualuga would be a great addition to any NFL team. The concept of Williams and Maualuga in the same defensive corps should be an exciting idea for Broncos fans.
13. Washington Redskins – B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
The Redskins may have their pick of the rather limited DT litter at this spot. Peria Jerry is tempting as a pass rushing threat from the DT position, but Raji, at 6'1" 325, has the bulk to fill the middle arguably better than Perry would. Moreover, Raji had an outstanding Senior Bowl week, to the point where he might end up as a top ten selection.
14. New Orleans Saints – Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
It's widely rumored that the Saints and pending free agent MLB Jonathan Vilma have an understanding that the Saints will make him a nice offer to bring him back for 2009. The Saints won't sign him to a new contract prior to him hitting free agency due to a stipulation in the trade that brought him from the Jets that would ultimately cost the Saints this pick in the draft if they signed Vilma to a new deal prior to him hitting unrestricted free agency.
Without a second or third round pick in 2009, the Saints need to make a strong pick here, and Cushing would be a great addition to the team. He has great size, speed, and has shown poise and skill in big games.
The Saints could use a high-end center, and this draft has a couple of them — but taking one at this spot would be a major stretch. Trading down might be a good idea if that is the objective of the Saints, as they could potentially obtain a second or third round selection as a result.
15. Houston Texans – Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois ~
Texans CB Dunta Robinson is slated to be an unrestricted free agent. If the Texans don't use the franchise tag on him, he could easily be snatched up by another team in early March. It's too close to call on Robinson receiving the franchise tag; this projection goes on the thought that they won't.
Davis is young and still somewhat raw, but he has incredible athleticism and, in the right learning environment, could mature into being an elite NFL talent. And as long as the Texans have to face Peyton Manning twice a year, being strong at corner will be a major need for the team.
16. San Diego Chargers – Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State ~
LaDainian Tomlinson turns 30 later this year, and while he has had a tremendous career, San Diego has to plan for the future — particularly with Darren Sproles likely to depart via free agency in March. The whole "Tomlinson's future in San Diego" storyline has been one of the more intriguing, if not bizarre, news stories for the NFL in 2009.
At 6'1" 235, Wells has Jamal Lewis like size and amazing speed to go with it. With or without LT in 2009, the Chargers would be well-served to bring Wells on board here. There are some who consider Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno to be a superior prospect, but for now I have Wells going over Moreno based on his impressive size.
17. New York Jets – Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia ~
In some ways I question the idea of the Jets not trying to stretch one more year out of the combo of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, but the chance to land Moreno might be too tempting to pass up. The Jets might be tempted to trade up to get Moreno if they fear that San Diego might take him at #16, but of course that hinges on how the new braintrust with the Jets evaluates the relative skills of Wells and Moreno.
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<A href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/draftking.fsv/home;sect=home;fantasy=no;game=no;tile=2;sz=160×600;ord='+random_number+'?" > <IMG src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/draftking.fsv/home;sect=home;fantasy=no;game=no;tile=2;sz=160×600;ord='+random_number+'?" border="0" height="600" width="160"></A> 18. Chicago Bears – Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
Jackson might have been a first round pick had he come out for last year's draft. In 2008 he fell off the radar to a degree due to LSU having a down year, but he has worked his way back into contention at the defensive end position.
The Bears have already locked in DT Tommie Harris to a long-term deal, and adding Jackson to a defensive line that already has Harris and DE Alex Brown would make the team even tougher up front.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Jerry has had a strong season at Ole Miss, and he has moved into strong first round projection territory with his performance and with this being such a weak draft at defensive tackle. The Bucs once had a defensive tackle with great pass-rushing skills with Warren Sapp, and while it's not fair to hold Jerry to Sapp's standards (at least on the field), Jerry could be a strong pickup for a Bucs defense that folded down the stretch in 2008. There are a wide variety of options for the Buccaneers at this spot, but picking Jerry here makes a great deal of sense.
20. Detroit Lions (from Cowboys) – James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
If the Lions take a QB with their own first round pick (the #1 overall selection), they most likely would go defense with this selection. There is plenty of work to be done in Detroit on a defense that was mostly neglected (at least as far as first round pick use went) under former GM Matt Millen, and Laurinaitis could have an instant impact on the team.
21. Philadelphia Eagles – Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
Both starting offensive tackles for the Eagles, Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas, are slated to be unrestricted free agents, and it's a distinct possibility that one (if not both) will be leaving the team.
Luckily for Philadelphia this is a very deep draft at offensive tackle. Smith has been a breakout talent for Baylor, with some (among a divided field) considering him to be the top senior offensive line prospect in the nation. This would be a great value pick for the Eagles.
22. Minnesota Vikings – Alex Mack, C, California
Part of a strong crop of players at center, Mack is a skilled player who is talented at snapping (be it shotgun or traditional) and blocking. With Matt Birk facing unrestricted free agency, Mack could be a strong addition to the Vikings lineup.
23. New England Patriots – D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt ~
An important part of the defense that lead Vanderbilt to its first bowl game since 1982, Moore is heading to the NFL — where he could be a great pickup by New England. He has already shown that he can handle man-to-man matchups with some elite WR talent, which should make him an appealing pick for New England.
The Patriots lost CB Asante Samuel to free agency last year, and giving a boost to that position by bringing a player with Moore's shut-down ability could be great. The Patriots might also consider drafting Wake Forest CB Alphonso Smith with this selection.
24. Atlanta Falcons – Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State ~
OLB Keith Brooking turns 34 this year, and with his high cap level ($8.3 million for the 2009 season) he could easily end up being released before training camp.
Maybin is a somewhat raw talent, but with superb speed (sub 4.7) and great athleticism, Maybin could be a good fit for the Falcons defensive front seven. Moreover, Maybin could also provide depth at the defensive end position, which would be a win-win for Atlanta.
25. Miami Dolphins – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida ~
The Dolphins could use a solid OLB, but instead of stretching to take one here the Dolphins could land an amazing talent in Harvin. Harvin has great speed, to be sure, but what makes him really stand out is his uncanny knack for not only running great routes but also in getting open. While I could see the Dolphins trading down here in Bill Parcells expert draft style, if Miami has the chance to draft Harvin here that could be a great move for a team that already has an emerging star with Ted Ginn, Jr.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina ~
The Ravens used a first round pick on a wide receiver in 2005 with Mark Clayton. But Clayton (after having 931 receiving yards in 2006) has not lived up to expectations the past two seasons, and a talent like Nicks would be a solid addition to a Ravens team that could use additional targets for quarterback Joe Flacco.
27. Indianapolis Colts – Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn ~
The Colts rely on defensive pressure from its front four to pressure the quarterback with its Cover 2 defense. Moreover, the team looks to the interior defensive line to stop the run, which has been a hit-or-miss proposition in recent years.
At 6'1" (or 6'2" depending on who you believe) and 295 pounds, Marks would be able to help turn around the interior defensive line problems of the team. The DT position has been hit hard in the past two seasons, with the career-ending knee injury in August 2007 suffered by Anthony McFarland (who the Colts acquired for a second-round pick in 2006) and then the release of starting DT Ed Johnson early in the 2008 season after Johnson was arrested for possession of marijuana.
28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Panthers) – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
One year ago the Eagles used their franchise tag to retain tight end L.J. Smith. It seems unlikely that the team would do that again, and short of Smith signing a long-term deal with Philly, the Eagles could be in the market for a tight end.
At this point Pettigrew looks like the best of the bunch with Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham going back to school for 2009. At 6'6" 260 Pettigrew has great size and appears to have the ability to block on an NFL quality level. He is also a receiving threat, and adding him to the mix in Philly would be quite intriguing.
29. New York Giants – Fili Moala, DT, USC
Moala is part of a fantastic USC defense, and he would be a nice fit for an already strong Giants front four. With DE Osi Umenyiora returning from a left knee injury that ended his 2008 season before it began, the Giants could become even more fearsome on its front four defensive front in 2009 with Umenyiora back and with the massive Moala plugging the middle.
30. Tennessee Titans – Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland ~
Heyward-Bey has an unusual combination of size (6'2" 205) and world-class speed (sub 4.4 40), so much so that on one play early in the 2008 season he literally *outran* double-coverage en route to an open touchdown reception. If the Titans lose Chris Carr to free agency, Heyward-Bey would be an intriguing addition at the kick return spot.
31. Arizona Cardinals – LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh ~
The Cardinals have a rather strong need for a franchise running back. Edgerrin James turns 31 in August, and for a third straight season he finished with a sub 4.0 yards per carry rushing average in 2008. He's also due a $5 million base salary in 2009. Tim Hightower had an even worse average than James, with an anemic 2.8 yards per carry in the 2008 regular season. J.J. Arrington had only 31 carries and is an unrestricted free agent as of March 1.
McCoy is a very talented running back who would provide an instant boost to the Cardinals rushing attack. At 5'11" 210 he has decent size, but it's his sub 4.5 speed that helps make him be considered such a strong prospect.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
At 6'5" 330, Robinson is a massive presence who has helped Oklahoma be so productive on offense this season. The Steelers lost OG Alan Faneca last off-season, and they would fill that lingering vacancy and help their overall offensive line by taking Robinson at this position.
What's more for the Steelers is that even at this lower position they will still have multiple offensive linemen from which they can choose, all of whom are worthy first round picks.
