| Team | 1st Round |
| 1. Miami Dolphins -Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU- The speculation that Miami will trade this pick is killing me because much of the rumors are that the Cowboys are eying this spot for Darren McFadden. I don’t like that scenario because the running back position is so deep this draft. With that said, Miami should stay put. Dorsey is 315 pounds and isn’t easily stopped. He is of good character and the Dolphins might as well start up front with the defense.
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| | 2. St. Louis Rams -Chris Long, DE, Virginia- The Rams are on the decline. The famed wide receivers are aging and the defense is just awful. For half a decade the Rams have needed a strong defensive end. I am pretty positive Chris Long will be a star in the NFL, more than Dorsey. This is one of the best picks in the draft and the Rams finally have their force on defense.
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| 3. Atlanta Falcons* – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas- The Falcons might as well snag the best offensive player in the draft. Although the quarterback spot is a serious problem for the Falcons, they can get by without a star. McFadden can start right away and produce results for the poor offense.
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| 4. Oakland Raiders* – Sedric Ellis, DT, USC- Raiders fans, meet your replacement for Warren Sapp. Ellis isn’t huge and he will need to bulk up a bit, but he’s very strong. He had 8.5 sacks this year at nose tackle which is insane.
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| 5. Kansas City Chiefs* – Jake Long, OT, Michigan- Open some holes for Larry Johnson, Jake. Chiefs fans think they can compete again if the team is healthy. With Brodie Croyle, I suspect they’ll be 6-10. Jake Long is 6 feet 7 inches tall and 330 pounds. Yikes. He’s not incredibly athletic but that can change if someone whips him into shape.
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| 6. New York Jets – Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida- This may be too early for the Jets but they could likely put Harvey at OLB as well. He’s fast off the ball and dealt with a lot of double teams this year for the Gators. He’s pro ready and can start for the Jets.
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| 7. New England Patriots (From 49ers) – Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio St.- Some are comparing Gholston to DeMarcus Ware. He had 13 sacks for the Buckeyes this past season. The Patriots already have a stellar defense but some are aging. And they cannot sign everyone to longterm contracts.
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| 8. Baltimore Ravens – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College- I’m not really sold on Matt Ryan but I think most have him as the best quarterback in the draft. The Ravens desperately need a guy who can throw the ball and stay in the pocket. They have the backfield and the defense hasn’t dissolved too much. The deciding factor has always been poor quarterback play. I think they’ll give Ryan a shot and hope for the best. But if he shines, he could turn this franchise around.
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| 9. Cincinnati Bengals – Keith Rivers, LB, OLB, USC- Rivers isn’t huge but that doesn’t matter as much for his position. He’s damn fast and that’s what the NFL is about at linebacker. He’s versatile and should be the core of a defense still trying to rebuild.
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| 10. New Orleans Saints – Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida- Jenkins is best with man-to-man coverage because of his speed. The Saints had plenty of weaknesses on defense, and stopping the passing game was one. Jenkins is a bit inconsistent and will need to mature, but the talent is there.
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| 11. Buffalo Bills – DeSean Jackson, WR, California- Jackson averaged 15 yards a catch for the Golden Bears and he almost had a touchdown every game. I can’t think of any weakness he has. If the Bills get him here, it’s a steal. He may need to tone down his ego and concentrate more on the game. But he’s a playmaker and will only make the Bills offense better.
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| 12. Denver Broncos – Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State- Clady is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 320 pounds with decent athleticism. The Broncos are recognized for the strong running game. Clady may wait in the wings to start but he’s a guy you can build a franchise around for the offense. He’ll do well protecting the Broncos young quarterback.
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| 13. Carolina Panthers -Jeffrey Otah, OT, Pittsburgh- Likely to lose two on the offensive line, Otah can quickly come in and replace one of them. He is more than 340 pounds and still needs to hone his skills. He may not start right away. But Otah will be needed to fill the gap eventually.
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| 14. Chicago Bears – Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville- Rex Grossman is a huge disappointment for the Bears who held onto him as long as they could as a starter. I like Brohm as much as Ryan. He wasn’t as sharp his senior season but he lost some playmakers. I think the Bears need to find a quarterback who they can rely on so they can stop this Acid Kool Aid Test revolving door of bums.
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| 15. Detroit Lions – Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy- McKelvin may be the first corner taken in the draft, but if he is here, the Lions should snag him. However, why do I have this weird feeling they will pick a wide receiver? Seriously.
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| 16. Arizona Cardinals – Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas- Talib’s stock improved in the Kansas bowl game. He’s speedy and plays the zone well. He has good instincts and might be able to return punts. He’s not the best tackler in the draft, but he can improve that skill.
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| 17. Minnesota Vikings – Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma- Kelly should be that wideout the Vikings have been searching for since Moss left. He had nine touchdowns this past season, thanks to his great hands. The Vikings could get the rookie of the year two years in a row.
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| 18. Houston Texans – Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois- Ahman Green is likely on his last legs. The Texans were one of the most improved teams. They competed in almost every game and Matt Schaub has breathed some life into the offense. So, with a strong running back, who knows where the Texans could end up.
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| 19. Philadelphia Eagles – Calais Campbell, DE, Miami- The Eagles need to replace Jevon Kearse who really never stayed healthy for them. Campbell can come off the bench for a year before he is a full time starter.
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| 20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – James Hardy, WR, Indiana- The Bucs aren’t likely to have Galloway for much longer. Hardy is a fast receiver and very tall. He scored 16 touchdowns this past season which is incredible. He’s a bit unheard of but wait until the combines get going. We may see his stock rise significantly.
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| 21. Washington Redskins – Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami- The Redskins secondary isn’t bad but they ought to replace Sean Taylor right away.
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| 22. Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) – Reggie Smith, CB/S, Oklahoma- Ahh yes. Not only can he play corner, Smith can come in as safety too. So, when Dallas finally does dump Roy Williams for sucking it up, Smith can take over. But, he will likely play immediately at corner. He may not be here at pick 22, but this is the second time I found a way to get him here. I love it.
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| 23. Pittsburgh Steelers – Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt- One or two offensive lineman are leaving the Steelers. Williams is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 320 pounds. He is smart and can play different positions on the line. Perfect size for the NFL, too. Williams is the perfect pick here for the Steelers.
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| 24. Tennessee Titans – Limas Sweed, WR, Texas- Vince Young had no one to throw to this year. He gets criticized a lot for his lack of passing ability but maybe he just needs a playmaker. Sweed is taller than most wide receivers and improves your red zone offense where he is the biggest threat to defenses. Throw a corner lob to him in the endzone and he should catch it.
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| 25. Seattle Seahawks – Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon- Shaun Alexander was awful this year. He reminded me of Julius Jones in his lack of running attack. Maybe he was injured or maybe he is just over the hill. Point is, the Seahawks defense is pretty good. The offense needs one incredible wide out and a good running back to share some carries with Alexander. I think they’d be crazy not to plan for the future of the backfield with this pick.
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| 26. Jacksonville Jaguars – Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson- Merling started popping up late this winter on mock drafts. He’s not well known and I had to do some research on him. His status has improved because he is disciplined and can help slow the opposing offense’s running attack. He is 6 foot 3 inches and 295 pounds. Not a lot of scouting reports on him either.
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| 27. San Diego Chargers – Dan Connors, LB, Penn State- The Chargers defense is pretty good.Connors is a great tackler and can play either side of the ball. But his best skill is tackling.
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| 28. Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas- I want Dallas to grab a receiver at this pick, but I just think Jerry Jones is going to either make this pick happen or move up to draft McFadden. I’m really worried about it, too. If the Cowboys pick Jones here, I won’t say it is an awful choice. But the running back position is so damn deep this year that I think picking a wide out is a better choice. I would like Hardy to come in here if possible, or Mario Manningham. Early Doucet, too. But, I doubt it.
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| 29. San Francisco 49ers (From Colts) – Early Doucet, WR, LSU- Leave Alex Smith alone. Give him someone to throw to first and then criticize him. But for a couple of years all he had was Antonio Bryant and that’s just wrong. Really wrong. Early Doucet has great hands.
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| 30. Green Bay Packers – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, TSU- The Packers secondary is getting a bit old. R-C may not need to start right. His stock increased at the Senior Bowl. Ryan Grant’s strong play allows the Packers to take someone here to learn a bit.
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| CHEATERS |
| 32. New York Giants – Ali Highsmith, LB, LSU- What an unbelievable run to the Super Bowl. The Giants may try and pick a corner here, too. Highsmith plays with emotion and that fits well with the Giants who ran emotions to a Super Bowl surprise.
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