Diamondback Jay
Psalms 23:1
1. Raiders
Calvin Johnson
WR
Georgia Tech
-- Russell or Johnson? Johnson or Russell? This question will go right up to the wire for the Raiders. We know Al Davis loves the physical specimine, strong armed QBs, and with the position being a revolving door since Rich Gannon left, it wouldn't shock me in the least if they took Russell here. Of the two positions, QB is obviously a more pressing need.
That being said, it's believed the Raiders feel Johnson may be the better of the two. Whereas Russell could be the answer eventually, I think the answer for the here and now for them is Johnson. With Oakland's atrocious OLine, young coaching staff and questionable offensive surroundings, a raw talent like Russell could be a disaster waiting to happen. Johnson, on the other hand, is one of the few sure bets in this draft. Last year, we all know that the Raider offense was one of the most inept in the NFL. With Joey Porter almost certain not to return, and Randy Moss's Raider future very much in question, Johnson would not only give the team a young, hard working playmaker on offense, but he'd fill a need. He's also one who's closer to being NFL ready, so I'm going to lean on the Raiders taking CJ, and filling their QB needs in round 2 with someone like Trent Edwards of Stanford, Drew Stanton of Michigan State or John Beck of BYU and perhaps pick up a veteran like Daunte Culpepper to start off the bat.
2. Lions
JaMarcus Russell
QB
LSU
-- The Lions, planning to trade down originally, get their plans dashed when Oakland takes Johnson at 2.
It's possible that the Lions still could trade down here, and with Matt Millen looking for an instant impact player, taking an unpolished QB might not be the pick who would make that instant impact, however after last season when they passed on Leinart for Ernie Sims, I would be surprised if he passes on another top rated QB. With Jon Kitna ahead of him, long term this would be a good pick for Detroit, giving Russell someone to mentor him until he's ready to take over next year.
3. Browns
Adrian Peterson
RB
Cleveland
-- Along with the Raider pick, no selection in the draft will impact the remainder of the draft quite like the third one. With Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson both available, the Browns really could not go wrong by selecting either one. Either would pose a tremendous building block, one who's capable of making an instant impact, and both are capable of carrying the Browns and giving them a much needed identity.
For a team that's had a lousy draft history (since returning to the NFL), to have two polished, potential superstars such as Quinn and Peterson fall in to their lap would be a good thing.
I think the Browns go with Peterson here. It's really gonna be a coin flip either way, however with Charlie Frye fairly popular with the Cleveland fan base, and Jamal Lewis both under contract for just one year, and reaching the point in his career where he's not the same HB he once was, I predict the Browns to go for the long term fix at HB and hope that Frye continues to develop.
4. Buccaneers
Joe Thomas
OT
Wisconsin
-- With their first choice (Calvin Johnson) off the board, Tampa Bay turns to option B, giving them a great pair of young OT (with Jeremy Trueblood).
5. Cardinals
Gaines Adams
DE
Clemson
-- Talk about being one number short of winning the lottery, at 5 the Cardinals would have to be feeling just a shade disappointed to see Thomas go at 4 to Tampa Bay, right before them. In this scenario, I'm almost 99 percent sure the Cardinals would look to trade down, perhaps to get Levi Brown or Joe Staley to fix up that Grand Canyon sized hole at LT. That being said, if they can't find a willing trade partner, look for the Cardinals to take Gaines Adams. Bertrand Berry has been solid for Arizona, but he's getting up there in the years, and has suffered a season ending injury in each of the last two seasons. Chike Okaefor has also been solid for Arizona, but he's hardly one who carries that intimidation factor. Adams, on the other hand, is a difference maker on defense, cut much from the same mold of Julius Peppers and a healthy Jevon Kearse.
Again, IF Thomas is off the board, I fully suspect that the team will put forth full efforts to trade down, but if they can't, Adams will fill a need on an improving defense.
6. Redskins
Amobi Okoye
DT
Louisville
-- I forsee this pick coming down to either Okoye or LeRon Landry. The Redskins wouldn't go wrong with either pick, being they have a pressing need at safety (to compliment Sean Taylor) after the Adam Archuletta experiment blew up in their faces. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Skins trade down to stockpile picks, especially with Brady Quinn still on the board.
At the end of the day, I think the Skins will wind up attempting to fix their DLine by picking up a guy who is a 3 technique type player, in shades of Warren Sapp, in the man-child Okoye. He's a rare type, 19 years old and a college graduate who played as a 16 year old true freshman. He's also an impact playmaker on the DLine, which is what the Redskins desperately lacked.
7. Vikings
LeRon Landry
S
LSU
-- What the Vikings REALLY need here is an impact player at WR, something they've sorely lacked since Randy Moss was traded. Troy Williamson has been a bust, the Koren Robinson reclamation project blew up in their face, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson are gone (they were hardly the answer anyhow) and Bobby Wade, while a decent reciever, isn't exactly one who you're gonna put full confidence in. However, with Calvin Johnson off the books, one would argue taking Dwayne Jarrett, Ted Ginn, Robert Mecham or Dwayne Bowe would be huge reaches.
I can also assure you that there's very little chance the team takes Brady Quinn here. Not after the Vikings gave up as much as they did to acquire Tavares Jackson last year.
What I can see them doing is trying to solidify their pass defense. While teams were outright intimidated to run on the Vikings last season, the relucatance to throw wasn't as high. Landry gives them a solid, elite prospect at safety to build their secondary around. Cut in the mold of Ed Reed, Landry has the tools to be a perennial Pro Bowler and will marketedly improve the Viking secondary.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Jamaal Anderson
DE
Arkansas
-- With Patrick Kearney's departure, Atlanta's left with a hole at DE. At this point, Anderson and Nebraska's Adam Carriker are the two best available. I forsee the Falcons giving the nod to Anderson in this case.
9. Miami Dolphins
Brady Quinn
QB
Notre Dame
-- By this point, every Miami Dolphin fan alive is absolutely estatic to see Quinn fall. Guarantee you, every front office exec in the Dolphin organization is equally estatic. For a team that's gone through Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, AJ Feely, Gus Ferrotte, Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington as QBs since Marino retired, with Fiedler being the only one that had a moderate amount of success, to say the Dolphins need a franchise QB would be greatly underestimating the gaping hole at QB they have.
10. Texans
Levi Brown
OT
Penn State
-- Speaking of gaping holes being filled, is it safe to say the Texans need help on the offensive line, specifically at the tackle position, which they've more or less tried unsuccessfully to fill from Day 1?
Brown will be the no-brainer pick here, and the Texans will finally have some kind of answer at OT, and a mauler to give new QB Matt Schaub some protection.
11. 49ers
Adam Carriker
DE
Nebraska
-- Mike Nolan has done an outstanding job building the 49er defense up to respectability. In the post-season alone, he's greatly upgraded the secondary by adding Nate Clements and the addition of Tully Banta-Cain will be a quiet, under the radar signing that winds up paying dividends.
The only thing the 49ers appear to be lacking on defense is that big play pass rusher to compliment the steady but aging Bryant Young. They're another team that would probably prefer to upgrade the WR position, however again even at this point, the available WRs would be reaches.
Carriker would be the smart and logical pick at 11, and I forsee it being the one San Francisco makes.
12. Bills
Marshawn Lynch
RB
California
-- After giving away.... errrrrrrrrrrrr trading Willis McGahee to the Ravens for a third and a fifth, the Bills found themselves digging a boulder sized ditch at the HB position that needs filled. At this point, Anthony Thomas is the starting HB.. With due respect to the A-Train, they could do worse-- but at the same time, they could do a hell of a lot better.
Some feel Lynch may be the safer pick of the two HB in the draft, merely because of concerns with Adrian Peterson's injury history, and on a talent level, there's not much of a drop between Peterson and Lynch. I forsee Buffalo realizing they've got another HB gem on their hands and taking Lynch.
13. Rams
Alan Branch
DT
Michigan
-- Let me put this bluntly.. St. Louis's run defense sucks. I hate using that word when writing an article of this sort, but there's no other verb that can possibly be used to define it.
Thus far, Jimmy Kennedy has been a huge disappointment, and while La'Roi Glover has some talent, he's also near the end of his career.
Although Branch's stock has dipped slightly, I can't see him falling much further than 13, where the Rams will be more than happy to have his run stuffing skills at the starting DT position.
14. Panthers
Reggie Nelson
S
Florida
-- The Panther safety core took a beating in the off-season with the loss of Shaun Williams and Mike Minter announcing that 2007 will be his last season. Nelson immediately steps in and upgrades the position for the Panthers, and allows them to work the ultra talented safety with the seasoned vet Minter for a season, which would only benefit Nelson's growth.
15. Steelers
Jon Beason
OLB
Miami (FL)
-- With the Steelers switching to a Cover 2 defensive scheme and Joey Porter gone, I think it's a fair bet to say Beason would be an ideal fit for the Steelers at 15. I could also see them trying to address their secondary, and with Pitt CB Derrelle Revis on board, he might be enticing, however at the end of the day, I see the Steelers addressing the ROLB position with the versitile (he can play all LB positions) Miami product.
16. Packers
Ted Ginn Jr.
WR
Ohio State
-- The Pack could go several directions here-- WR, TE or HB. It wouldn't shock me either to see them go after a CB such as Leon Hall or Revis, however with Donald Driver beginning to show signs of age, and Greg Jennings talented, but still unpolished, I forsee the Pack taking another young, explosive WR in Ginn, who has the potential to take it to the endzone everytime he touches the football, and gives them a dimension to their offense that they haven't had since Sterling Sharpe retired.
17. Jaguars
Michael Griffin
S
Texas
-- DE could also be addressed here, however with Donovan Darius's health issues and Deon Grant's departure from the team, the Jags have a void at safety. Griffin at this point is the best on the board, and with his ability to hit like a safety, guard like a corner and his speed on special teams make him a value pick at 17.
18. Bengals
Derrelle Revis
CB
Pitt
-- With Tory James sent packing and Deltha O'Neal stuck with one foot out the door, the Bengals will be coveting a young CB to play alongside Jonathan Joseph.
Revis fits the mold. He's the shutdown CB this team's looking for, and has quietly slid under the radar as one of the top defensive players available.
19. Titans
Dwayne Jarrett
WR
USC
-- Last year, the Titans picked up their franchise face and QB of the Future in Vince Young.
This year, they add a Robin to this Batman movie cast, and nab a go-to WR for Young to work with.
I've said from Day 1, beyond Calvin Johnson, I'm hard pressed to find a better WR in this draft than Jarrett. He's got top notch hands, is a solid, crisp route runner and performs well under pressure, against top flight competition. While he lacks the big game speed of the Calvin Johnsons and Ted Ginns of the draft, his intangibles are just as good. Think Anquan Boldin, and you've got the upside of Jarrett.
He was Matt Leinart's go to WR in each of his last two seasons at USC, and I have no questions he'll be Vince Young's for the next 10-12. It also doesn't hurt that he's familiar with a Norm Chow run offense, which is only an added bonus.
20. Giants
Lawrence Timmons
OLB
Florida State
-- In the post-season, the Giants released both of their OLB with hopes of starting anew and getting more production than they recieved from the crop they had on the field in 2006.
They'll get that and then some with Timmons, who was projected by some to be a top 10-15 talent, and every bit as good as teammate Ernie Sims was coming out last year. Although Timmons may drop, his talent is immeasurable.
21. Broncos
Joe Staley
T
Central Michigan
-- Rumor has it that the Broncos are a team looking to trade up in to the top 4 to get Joe Thomas. While I don't forsee them having the pieces to make a feasable deal to get them in that upper echelon, Mike Shanahan's wishes to move up show that they're serious about trying to get an OT to replace George Foster, who they traded in the Dre Bly deal.
While they come up short in efforts to get Thomas, they get a tackle that some consider to be the next best OT in Staley.
22. Cowboys
Robert Mecham
WR
Tennessee
-- Let's face it.. TO's only going to be on his best behavior for so long. With Bill Parcells now gone, replaced by "nice guy" Wade Phillips, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the TO we all know and "love" starts to show his ugly side this year. With the chance of Owens wearing out his welcome sooner or later a likely bet, and Terry Glenn getting up there in the years, the probability of Dallas coveting a WR in Round One is high.
Meacham's shot up a lot of draft boards lately, following a 4.4 40 time, and is coming off a very good season. He'll fit right in as a solid #3 this season, and will likely see significant PT when Owens starts his inevidable nonsense.
23. Chiefs
Leon Hall
CB
Michigan
-- Yes, I know they have Ty Law.. Yes, I know they have Patrick Surtain. However, beyond those two, they have..................
Yeah, my point exactly. At this point, Hall (the top CB available) is a real steal, and one who will more than help the Chief secondary.
24. Patriots
Patrick Willis
ILB
Mississippi
-- Speaking of steals, don't think for one second the aging-at-the-ILB position Patriots aren't thanking their draft stars that a guy projected to be a top 10 pick is available at 24. That's the way it works sometimes I suppose. Talk about the good getting better.
25. Jets
Greg Olson
TE
Miami
-- Think about this. A few years back, the Jets gave up their first round pick for Doug Jolley.. Needless to say, much to the surprise of all five Jet fans alive, that deal exploded in their faces, and now they find themselves looking for that TE target they felt Jolley would become. Olson has that potential and capability.
26. Eagles
Dwayne Bowe
WR
LSU
-- Plenty of areas the Eagles could go in here, however I think it's high time they do something to solidify that go-to-receiver spot that's been dogging them for quite some time (with apologies to the brief TO Eagle years). Reggie Brown is a very good WR, however in my opinion, he's better suited to be a #2 possession guy. Bowe on the other hand, was JaMarcus Russell's main go to WR at LSU, and distinguished himself as a potential number 1. He lacks the big play speed, but he's got the size, big play potential and toughness to be that guy. He's also just touched the tip of the iceberg in his full potential, and has considerable upside. He'd quickly establish himself as Donovan McNabb's favorite target, and grow from there.
27. Saints
Paul Posluszny
OLB
Penn State
-- Going in to last year's draft, one of New Orleans's biggest weaknesses was their LB core. While Scott Fujita and Fanlee helped the core, they certainly wouldn't be criticized if they brought in a guy like Poslunszy, who has all the intangibles in terms of leadership, work ethic, competitiveness and intensity that teams fall in love with. He'll more than plug the holes on the Saint defense and will bring leadership and intensity to a defense that at times seemed like they needed it.
28. Patriots
Aaron Ross
CB
Texas
-- Asante Samuel's disgruntled state of mind is well documented. So too is Rodney Harrison's age. Aaron Ross, although overshadowed by Griffin on the Texas roster, is every bit as good as Griff is, and has the versitility to play both safety and Cornerback, which would make him a valued commodity to Bill Bellicheck. Rumors state that the Pats COULD wind up trading this pick and Samuel to Washington for the sixth overall, however at this point, talk is just that. Barring the Pats stand pat, I see them going after the secondary help they're seeking.
29. Ravens
Arron Sears
OT
Tennessee
-- The loss of Tony Pashos inserts Adam Terry into the starting lineup and also severely depletes the depth at tackle.
As good as Jonathan Ogden is, he's also getting older, and has begun dropping that dreaded R word. Sooner or later, the Ravens are going to have to address the depth and the long term future of the tackle position. Not a better opportunity will be had than in the draft, and with Sears being the type of tackle who fits the Raven offensive line mold, he'll be a coveted pick by Brian Billick.
30. Chargers
Sidney Rice
WR
South Carolina
-- Yes, Vincent Jackson showed signs of life last year, but beyond him and of course Antonio Gates and LT, the options for Phillip Rivers are limited.
Rice, with good size, good hands and a solid route running ability, would be an ideal fit for the Chargers. He wouldn't be expected to be "The Man" but he'd certainly give Phillip Rivers another weapon to throw to adequately and regularly.
31. Bears
Ben Grubbs
OG
Auburn
The Bears have made no secrets that they're in love with Grubbs, and with Ruben Brown nearing the age of 82, sooner or later they're going to need a long term successor on the Left Guard spot.
32. Colts
Jarvis Moss
OLB
Florida[/B]
-- A replacement for Cato June and a good run stopper are the two biggest holes the Colts look to fill trhis post season. Moss gives them both, thus killing two birds with one stone.
Calvin Johnson
WR
Georgia Tech
-- Russell or Johnson? Johnson or Russell? This question will go right up to the wire for the Raiders. We know Al Davis loves the physical specimine, strong armed QBs, and with the position being a revolving door since Rich Gannon left, it wouldn't shock me in the least if they took Russell here. Of the two positions, QB is obviously a more pressing need.
That being said, it's believed the Raiders feel Johnson may be the better of the two. Whereas Russell could be the answer eventually, I think the answer for the here and now for them is Johnson. With Oakland's atrocious OLine, young coaching staff and questionable offensive surroundings, a raw talent like Russell could be a disaster waiting to happen. Johnson, on the other hand, is one of the few sure bets in this draft. Last year, we all know that the Raider offense was one of the most inept in the NFL. With Joey Porter almost certain not to return, and Randy Moss's Raider future very much in question, Johnson would not only give the team a young, hard working playmaker on offense, but he'd fill a need. He's also one who's closer to being NFL ready, so I'm going to lean on the Raiders taking CJ, and filling their QB needs in round 2 with someone like Trent Edwards of Stanford, Drew Stanton of Michigan State or John Beck of BYU and perhaps pick up a veteran like Daunte Culpepper to start off the bat.
2. Lions
JaMarcus Russell
QB
LSU
-- The Lions, planning to trade down originally, get their plans dashed when Oakland takes Johnson at 2.
It's possible that the Lions still could trade down here, and with Matt Millen looking for an instant impact player, taking an unpolished QB might not be the pick who would make that instant impact, however after last season when they passed on Leinart for Ernie Sims, I would be surprised if he passes on another top rated QB. With Jon Kitna ahead of him, long term this would be a good pick for Detroit, giving Russell someone to mentor him until he's ready to take over next year.
3. Browns
Adrian Peterson
RB
Cleveland
-- Along with the Raider pick, no selection in the draft will impact the remainder of the draft quite like the third one. With Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson both available, the Browns really could not go wrong by selecting either one. Either would pose a tremendous building block, one who's capable of making an instant impact, and both are capable of carrying the Browns and giving them a much needed identity.
For a team that's had a lousy draft history (since returning to the NFL), to have two polished, potential superstars such as Quinn and Peterson fall in to their lap would be a good thing.
I think the Browns go with Peterson here. It's really gonna be a coin flip either way, however with Charlie Frye fairly popular with the Cleveland fan base, and Jamal Lewis both under contract for just one year, and reaching the point in his career where he's not the same HB he once was, I predict the Browns to go for the long term fix at HB and hope that Frye continues to develop.
4. Buccaneers
Joe Thomas
OT
Wisconsin
-- With their first choice (Calvin Johnson) off the board, Tampa Bay turns to option B, giving them a great pair of young OT (with Jeremy Trueblood).
5. Cardinals
Gaines Adams
DE
Clemson
-- Talk about being one number short of winning the lottery, at 5 the Cardinals would have to be feeling just a shade disappointed to see Thomas go at 4 to Tampa Bay, right before them. In this scenario, I'm almost 99 percent sure the Cardinals would look to trade down, perhaps to get Levi Brown or Joe Staley to fix up that Grand Canyon sized hole at LT. That being said, if they can't find a willing trade partner, look for the Cardinals to take Gaines Adams. Bertrand Berry has been solid for Arizona, but he's getting up there in the years, and has suffered a season ending injury in each of the last two seasons. Chike Okaefor has also been solid for Arizona, but he's hardly one who carries that intimidation factor. Adams, on the other hand, is a difference maker on defense, cut much from the same mold of Julius Peppers and a healthy Jevon Kearse.
Again, IF Thomas is off the board, I fully suspect that the team will put forth full efforts to trade down, but if they can't, Adams will fill a need on an improving defense.
6. Redskins
Amobi Okoye
DT
Louisville
-- I forsee this pick coming down to either Okoye or LeRon Landry. The Redskins wouldn't go wrong with either pick, being they have a pressing need at safety (to compliment Sean Taylor) after the Adam Archuletta experiment blew up in their faces. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Skins trade down to stockpile picks, especially with Brady Quinn still on the board.
At the end of the day, I think the Skins will wind up attempting to fix their DLine by picking up a guy who is a 3 technique type player, in shades of Warren Sapp, in the man-child Okoye. He's a rare type, 19 years old and a college graduate who played as a 16 year old true freshman. He's also an impact playmaker on the DLine, which is what the Redskins desperately lacked.
7. Vikings
LeRon Landry
S
LSU
-- What the Vikings REALLY need here is an impact player at WR, something they've sorely lacked since Randy Moss was traded. Troy Williamson has been a bust, the Koren Robinson reclamation project blew up in their face, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson are gone (they were hardly the answer anyhow) and Bobby Wade, while a decent reciever, isn't exactly one who you're gonna put full confidence in. However, with Calvin Johnson off the books, one would argue taking Dwayne Jarrett, Ted Ginn, Robert Mecham or Dwayne Bowe would be huge reaches.
I can also assure you that there's very little chance the team takes Brady Quinn here. Not after the Vikings gave up as much as they did to acquire Tavares Jackson last year.
What I can see them doing is trying to solidify their pass defense. While teams were outright intimidated to run on the Vikings last season, the relucatance to throw wasn't as high. Landry gives them a solid, elite prospect at safety to build their secondary around. Cut in the mold of Ed Reed, Landry has the tools to be a perennial Pro Bowler and will marketedly improve the Viking secondary.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Jamaal Anderson
DE
Arkansas
-- With Patrick Kearney's departure, Atlanta's left with a hole at DE. At this point, Anderson and Nebraska's Adam Carriker are the two best available. I forsee the Falcons giving the nod to Anderson in this case.
9. Miami Dolphins
Brady Quinn
QB
Notre Dame
-- By this point, every Miami Dolphin fan alive is absolutely estatic to see Quinn fall. Guarantee you, every front office exec in the Dolphin organization is equally estatic. For a team that's gone through Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, AJ Feely, Gus Ferrotte, Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington as QBs since Marino retired, with Fiedler being the only one that had a moderate amount of success, to say the Dolphins need a franchise QB would be greatly underestimating the gaping hole at QB they have.
10. Texans
Levi Brown
OT
Penn State
-- Speaking of gaping holes being filled, is it safe to say the Texans need help on the offensive line, specifically at the tackle position, which they've more or less tried unsuccessfully to fill from Day 1?
Brown will be the no-brainer pick here, and the Texans will finally have some kind of answer at OT, and a mauler to give new QB Matt Schaub some protection.
11. 49ers
Adam Carriker
DE
Nebraska
-- Mike Nolan has done an outstanding job building the 49er defense up to respectability. In the post-season alone, he's greatly upgraded the secondary by adding Nate Clements and the addition of Tully Banta-Cain will be a quiet, under the radar signing that winds up paying dividends.
The only thing the 49ers appear to be lacking on defense is that big play pass rusher to compliment the steady but aging Bryant Young. They're another team that would probably prefer to upgrade the WR position, however again even at this point, the available WRs would be reaches.
Carriker would be the smart and logical pick at 11, and I forsee it being the one San Francisco makes.
12. Bills
Marshawn Lynch
RB
California
-- After giving away.... errrrrrrrrrrrr trading Willis McGahee to the Ravens for a third and a fifth, the Bills found themselves digging a boulder sized ditch at the HB position that needs filled. At this point, Anthony Thomas is the starting HB.. With due respect to the A-Train, they could do worse-- but at the same time, they could do a hell of a lot better.
Some feel Lynch may be the safer pick of the two HB in the draft, merely because of concerns with Adrian Peterson's injury history, and on a talent level, there's not much of a drop between Peterson and Lynch. I forsee Buffalo realizing they've got another HB gem on their hands and taking Lynch.
13. Rams
Alan Branch
DT
Michigan
-- Let me put this bluntly.. St. Louis's run defense sucks. I hate using that word when writing an article of this sort, but there's no other verb that can possibly be used to define it.
Thus far, Jimmy Kennedy has been a huge disappointment, and while La'Roi Glover has some talent, he's also near the end of his career.
Although Branch's stock has dipped slightly, I can't see him falling much further than 13, where the Rams will be more than happy to have his run stuffing skills at the starting DT position.
14. Panthers
Reggie Nelson
S
Florida
-- The Panther safety core took a beating in the off-season with the loss of Shaun Williams and Mike Minter announcing that 2007 will be his last season. Nelson immediately steps in and upgrades the position for the Panthers, and allows them to work the ultra talented safety with the seasoned vet Minter for a season, which would only benefit Nelson's growth.
15. Steelers
Jon Beason
OLB
Miami (FL)
-- With the Steelers switching to a Cover 2 defensive scheme and Joey Porter gone, I think it's a fair bet to say Beason would be an ideal fit for the Steelers at 15. I could also see them trying to address their secondary, and with Pitt CB Derrelle Revis on board, he might be enticing, however at the end of the day, I see the Steelers addressing the ROLB position with the versitile (he can play all LB positions) Miami product.
16. Packers
Ted Ginn Jr.
WR
Ohio State
-- The Pack could go several directions here-- WR, TE or HB. It wouldn't shock me either to see them go after a CB such as Leon Hall or Revis, however with Donald Driver beginning to show signs of age, and Greg Jennings talented, but still unpolished, I forsee the Pack taking another young, explosive WR in Ginn, who has the potential to take it to the endzone everytime he touches the football, and gives them a dimension to their offense that they haven't had since Sterling Sharpe retired.
17. Jaguars
Michael Griffin
S
Texas
-- DE could also be addressed here, however with Donovan Darius's health issues and Deon Grant's departure from the team, the Jags have a void at safety. Griffin at this point is the best on the board, and with his ability to hit like a safety, guard like a corner and his speed on special teams make him a value pick at 17.
18. Bengals
Derrelle Revis
CB
Pitt
-- With Tory James sent packing and Deltha O'Neal stuck with one foot out the door, the Bengals will be coveting a young CB to play alongside Jonathan Joseph.
Revis fits the mold. He's the shutdown CB this team's looking for, and has quietly slid under the radar as one of the top defensive players available.
19. Titans
Dwayne Jarrett
WR
USC
-- Last year, the Titans picked up their franchise face and QB of the Future in Vince Young.
This year, they add a Robin to this Batman movie cast, and nab a go-to WR for Young to work with.
I've said from Day 1, beyond Calvin Johnson, I'm hard pressed to find a better WR in this draft than Jarrett. He's got top notch hands, is a solid, crisp route runner and performs well under pressure, against top flight competition. While he lacks the big game speed of the Calvin Johnsons and Ted Ginns of the draft, his intangibles are just as good. Think Anquan Boldin, and you've got the upside of Jarrett.
He was Matt Leinart's go to WR in each of his last two seasons at USC, and I have no questions he'll be Vince Young's for the next 10-12. It also doesn't hurt that he's familiar with a Norm Chow run offense, which is only an added bonus.
20. Giants
Lawrence Timmons
OLB
Florida State
-- In the post-season, the Giants released both of their OLB with hopes of starting anew and getting more production than they recieved from the crop they had on the field in 2006.
They'll get that and then some with Timmons, who was projected by some to be a top 10-15 talent, and every bit as good as teammate Ernie Sims was coming out last year. Although Timmons may drop, his talent is immeasurable.
21. Broncos
Joe Staley
T
Central Michigan
-- Rumor has it that the Broncos are a team looking to trade up in to the top 4 to get Joe Thomas. While I don't forsee them having the pieces to make a feasable deal to get them in that upper echelon, Mike Shanahan's wishes to move up show that they're serious about trying to get an OT to replace George Foster, who they traded in the Dre Bly deal.
While they come up short in efforts to get Thomas, they get a tackle that some consider to be the next best OT in Staley.
22. Cowboys
Robert Mecham
WR
Tennessee
-- Let's face it.. TO's only going to be on his best behavior for so long. With Bill Parcells now gone, replaced by "nice guy" Wade Phillips, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the TO we all know and "love" starts to show his ugly side this year. With the chance of Owens wearing out his welcome sooner or later a likely bet, and Terry Glenn getting up there in the years, the probability of Dallas coveting a WR in Round One is high.
Meacham's shot up a lot of draft boards lately, following a 4.4 40 time, and is coming off a very good season. He'll fit right in as a solid #3 this season, and will likely see significant PT when Owens starts his inevidable nonsense.
23. Chiefs
Leon Hall
CB
Michigan
-- Yes, I know they have Ty Law.. Yes, I know they have Patrick Surtain. However, beyond those two, they have..................
Yeah, my point exactly. At this point, Hall (the top CB available) is a real steal, and one who will more than help the Chief secondary.
24. Patriots
Patrick Willis
ILB
Mississippi
-- Speaking of steals, don't think for one second the aging-at-the-ILB position Patriots aren't thanking their draft stars that a guy projected to be a top 10 pick is available at 24. That's the way it works sometimes I suppose. Talk about the good getting better.
25. Jets
Greg Olson
TE
Miami
-- Think about this. A few years back, the Jets gave up their first round pick for Doug Jolley.. Needless to say, much to the surprise of all five Jet fans alive, that deal exploded in their faces, and now they find themselves looking for that TE target they felt Jolley would become. Olson has that potential and capability.
26. Eagles
Dwayne Bowe
WR
LSU
-- Plenty of areas the Eagles could go in here, however I think it's high time they do something to solidify that go-to-receiver spot that's been dogging them for quite some time (with apologies to the brief TO Eagle years). Reggie Brown is a very good WR, however in my opinion, he's better suited to be a #2 possession guy. Bowe on the other hand, was JaMarcus Russell's main go to WR at LSU, and distinguished himself as a potential number 1. He lacks the big play speed, but he's got the size, big play potential and toughness to be that guy. He's also just touched the tip of the iceberg in his full potential, and has considerable upside. He'd quickly establish himself as Donovan McNabb's favorite target, and grow from there.
27. Saints
Paul Posluszny
OLB
Penn State
-- Going in to last year's draft, one of New Orleans's biggest weaknesses was their LB core. While Scott Fujita and Fanlee helped the core, they certainly wouldn't be criticized if they brought in a guy like Poslunszy, who has all the intangibles in terms of leadership, work ethic, competitiveness and intensity that teams fall in love with. He'll more than plug the holes on the Saint defense and will bring leadership and intensity to a defense that at times seemed like they needed it.
28. Patriots
Aaron Ross
CB
Texas
-- Asante Samuel's disgruntled state of mind is well documented. So too is Rodney Harrison's age. Aaron Ross, although overshadowed by Griffin on the Texas roster, is every bit as good as Griff is, and has the versitility to play both safety and Cornerback, which would make him a valued commodity to Bill Bellicheck. Rumors state that the Pats COULD wind up trading this pick and Samuel to Washington for the sixth overall, however at this point, talk is just that. Barring the Pats stand pat, I see them going after the secondary help they're seeking.
29. Ravens
Arron Sears
OT
Tennessee
-- The loss of Tony Pashos inserts Adam Terry into the starting lineup and also severely depletes the depth at tackle.
As good as Jonathan Ogden is, he's also getting older, and has begun dropping that dreaded R word. Sooner or later, the Ravens are going to have to address the depth and the long term future of the tackle position. Not a better opportunity will be had than in the draft, and with Sears being the type of tackle who fits the Raven offensive line mold, he'll be a coveted pick by Brian Billick.
30. Chargers
Sidney Rice
WR
South Carolina
-- Yes, Vincent Jackson showed signs of life last year, but beyond him and of course Antonio Gates and LT, the options for Phillip Rivers are limited.
Rice, with good size, good hands and a solid route running ability, would be an ideal fit for the Chargers. He wouldn't be expected to be "The Man" but he'd certainly give Phillip Rivers another weapon to throw to adequately and regularly.
31. Bears
Ben Grubbs
OG
Auburn
The Bears have made no secrets that they're in love with Grubbs, and with Ruben Brown nearing the age of 82, sooner or later they're going to need a long term successor on the Left Guard spot.
32. Colts
Jarvis Moss
OLB
Florida[/B]
-- A replacement for Cato June and a good run stopper are the two biggest holes the Colts look to fill trhis post season. Moss gives them both, thus killing two birds with one stone.
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