Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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This mock one is in a slightly different format from previous ones. For each team, I?ll indicate whom I think they will select, and then whom I would select with that pick based on the progress of the selections.
1. Houston Texans
Will take: Reggie Bush, RB, USC.
I would take: Reggie Bush. Not their biggest need, but he?s one of those ?too good to be the team that passed on?? players.
2. New Orleans Saints
Will take: Mario Williams, DE, NC State.
I would take: any trade offer that allows me to fall and still get either Williams or D?Brickashaw Ferguson. If I had to keep the pick, I?d take Williams.
3. Tennessee Titans
Will take: Matt Leinart, QB, USC.
I would take: D?Brickashaw Ferguson. They need an immediate upgrade at tackle, plus Billy Volek is a competent QB for another year, even better with a better line.
4. New York Jets
Will take: D?Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia.
I would take: Ferguson, provided they are unable to move up and take Leinart. I don?t buy the Cutler or Young smokescreens one bit. No Leinart = no QB here.
5. Green Bay Packers
Will take: AJ Hawk, LB, Ohio State.
I would take: Hawk, who has the speed, power, and savvy to be the cornerstone of their D for a decade. If Favre departs, I?d consider Jay Cutler here.
6. San Francisco 49ers
Will take: Mike Huff, DB, Texas.
I would take: Vernon Davis. The Niners badly need weapons for last year?s #1 Alex Smith. Not that they don?t need Huff, who will become their best DB the minute he signs.
7. Oakland Raiders
Will take: Vince Young, QB, Texas.
I would take: Young. He?s the epitome of the classic Raider?big, fast, a strong leader about whom many people have serious doubts. With Moss/Porter stretching the field, Young could be lethally effective right away.
8. Buffalo Bills
Will take: Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland.
I would take: Haloti Ngata. They signed a fair TE in Robert Royal but still lack a gamebreaker opposite Lee Evans. But they badly missed Pat Williams last year, and Ngata would plug that gaping hole.
9. Detroit Lions
Will take: Winston Justice, OT, USC.
I would take: Ngata, because he and Shaun Rogers together could dominate on the DL. There is a major need for OL help, and Justice solves that problem.
10. Arizona Cardinals
Will take: Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt.
I would take: Cutler. Kurt Warner is nearing the end and this offense should peak 1-2 years from now. I?m not super-high on Cutler, but enough trusted people are that I?d take the risk.
11. St. Louis Rams
Will take: Antonio Cromartie, DB, Florida State.
I would take: Jimmy Williams. Cromartie would be a surefire top 5 pick next year had he stayed and proven himself healthy. Williams has top 5 talent but a questionable attitude and work ethic.
12. Cleveland Browns
Will take: Kamerion Wimbley, DE/OLB, Florida State.
I would take: Ngata. He?s a giant hole-filler in the middle of the 3-4, and he can learn on the job from one of the NFL?s best in Ted Washington, keeping both big men fresh. Wimbley is a bit of a tweener but a very skilled one.
13. Baltimore Ravens
Will take: Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
I would take: Ngata or Brodrick Bunkley. Time to rebuild the defense. Ngata is the run stuffer and blocker occupier that frees Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to make plays. This is the hardest slot to predict in the entire 1st round.
14. Philadelphia Eagles
Will take: Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State.
I would take: Santonio Holmes, or Chad Greenway or Ernie Sims at LB. Bunkley is a strong up-the-gut pass rusher that they need, but I?d address the bigger holes at WR or OLB here.
15. Denver Broncos (from Atlanta)
Will take: Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State.
I would take: Holmes. Great route runner, gets good separation, and he?s an outstanding blocker for his size. He?s faded a bit in light of Chad Jackson?s physical freakishness, but Holmes has done far more on the field.
16. Miami Dolphins
Will take: Chad Jackson, WR, Florida.
I would take: Chad Greenway or Ernie Sims or maybe Jason Allen. Not that they don?t need speed at WR, but their defense is aging quickly and paper thin.
17. Minnesota Vikings
Will take: Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State.
I would take: Jimmy Williams, Chad Greenway, or Jason Allen. Their secondary improved as the year went on, but it couldn?t get any worse. Sims? athleticism and versatility make him a good fit too.
18. Dallas Cowboys
Will take: Jimmy Williams, DB, VA Tech.
I would take: definitely a DB, and Williams can play both CB and S. He?s a playmaker and supremely confident, which is important when you get burned as often as he does.
19. San Diego Chargers
Will take: Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina.
I would take: Joseph or Tye Hill, or Jason Allen. Their secondary is brutal and wasn?t addressed in free agency. Joseph has the most experience and best hands of the available corners. If either Holmes or Jackson are around, they?ll go here.
20. Kansas City Chiefs
Will take: Tye Hill, CB, Clemson.
I would take: Hill. Hill was easily the best CB in coverage at the Senior Bowl, and KC badly needs a cover guy. I wouldn?t be shocked if they took RB DeAngelo Williams, though?you read it here first.
21. New England Patriots
Will take: Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State.
I would take: Ashton Youboty or DeAngelo Williams, though Carpenter would be tough to pass up. He?s everything Bill Belichick loves in a player and it?s a positional need. He?s a future team captain with no big holes in his game.
22. Denver Broncos
Will take: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis.
I would take: Williams, providing they took a WR at #15. Williams is a top-10 talent that is the victim of an overabundance of available RBs and should thrive in Denver.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Will take: Jason Allen, DB, Tennessee.
I would take: Marcus McNeill or Chad Greenway. Allen will be the best player available on their board, and the way they?ve deftly drafted defenders, I wouldn?t argue with this pick.
24. Cincinnati Bengals
Will take: Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State.
I would take: Youboty or Nick Mangold. Youboty needs a year or two before he?s a solid #1 or even #2 CB, but he can play nickel right away and last year the Bengals? nickel backs were lousy. They?d love Jimmy Williams to fall here.
25. New York Giants
Will take: Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa.
I would take: Greenway. No team needs a sure tackler more than the Giants. Greenway rarely misses tackles, but his brutal Combine showing hurt his status. He?s worth the gamble that he looks better on the field than off.
26. Chicago Bears
Will take: Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State.
I would take: Leonard Pope or Whitner. The one hole in the Bears? great D is weakside coverage, both S and CB. Whitner is best at S but did well at CB in college. The depth at TE in this draft keeps them from taking Pope.
27. Carolina Panthers
Will take: Demeco Ryans, LB, Alabama.
I would take: Laurence Maroney or LenDale White. Two big holes (RB and LB depth), only one pick. They typically value D more, but if they can run well it alleviates their LB shortage somewhat.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
Will take: Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP.
I would take: Tamba Hali or Leonard Pope. Howard has the speed and vision the Jags covet and crave on D, but the ceiling is higher for a pass rusher like Hali or a massive TE like Pope in an often sputtering offense.
29. New York Jets
Will take: Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota.
I would take: Maroney or LenDale White. I only give them a 50/50 shot at keeping this pick, but they need a new feature back. If this is their 1st pick, they?ll go for Marcus McNeill or Nick Mangold
30. Indianapolis Colts
Will take: Joseph Addai, RB, LSU.
I would take: Addai, LenDaleWhite or any other RB listed above, if available. The Colts benefit from the glut of FA RB talent by getting the guy they feel is the 2nd best back in the draft.
31. Seattle Seahawks
Will take: Manny Lawson, DE/LB, NC State.
I would take: Marcus McNeill. A lot of people are projecting Lawson much higher, but I see a freak athlete, not a football player, and I know I?m not alone. I wouldn?t be surprised if this pick is dealt so someone else can take Lawson.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers
Will take: Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State
I would take: Mangold, the highest rated C prospect in
nearly a decade. Sinorice Moss makes sense here too.
2nd round:
33. Texans
Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn, and they?re rightfully ecstatic he?s still on the board here.
34. Saints
Max Jean-Gilles, OG, Georgia. The Saints always draft OL well, yet they need to once again.
35. Jets
D?Qwell Jackson, LB, Maryland. Solid tackler fills a major void. If earlier picks don?t include an OL, they?ll address that here.
36. Packers
Richard Marshall, CB, Fresno State. If he can both cover and tackle, he?s an immediate starter. Heck he might start if he can do neither.
37. 49ers
Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State. A versatile rusher whose stock has fallen in spite of his performances on the field.
38. Raiders
Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan. At times Watson dominated; more often he was stymied by inferior interior linemen. A needed risk pick.
39. Titans
Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami. He and PacMan Jones could start together for years. For better or worse.
40. Lions
Abdul Hodge, LB, Iowa. A tackling machine for a LB corps that struggled even trying to make tackles. They?ll go OL if they didn?t earlier.
41. Cardinals
Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma. The Edge gets the snowplow up front to open running lanes. Will be Brodie Croyle if they don?t go QB at #10.
42. Bills
Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina. Former projected top-15 prospect falls, and the Bills desperately need DB depth with ability.
43. Browns
Claude Wroten, DL, LSU. Apprentice for Ted Washington in the middle. If they went DL at #12, this pick will be a LB or WR.
44. Ravens
LenDale White, RB, USC. Major board plummet, thanks to a bum hamstring and too much ham.
45. Eagles
Sinorice Moss, WR/KR, Miami. Lacks size but his amazing quickness and vision will keep him on the field. And in the end zone.
46. Rams
Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College. Draft board plummeter could fill a big need for the Rams.
47. Falcons
Deuce Lutui, G, USC. For their 1st pick they address a need for stability up front. Could be packaged with backup QB Matt Schaub to move up.
48. Vikings
Charlie Whitehurst, QB, Clemson. The QB that Whitehurst most resembles on the field? Vikings aging/fragile starter Brad Johnson.
49. Cowboys
Eric Winston, OT, Miami. Adds much needed depth and physicality to their needy OL.
50. Chargers
Rocky McIntosh, LB, Miami. Reloading on D with a draft board riser with attitude.
51. Vikings
Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA. Don?t be surprised if this pick and #48 are packaged to try and snatch Cutler.
52. Patriots
Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona State. Rough offseason for Hagan, but he was quite productive in college.
53. Redskins
Leonard Pope, TE, Maryland. 1st pick for the Redskins and they take Pope, a potential 1st rounder who falls thru the cracks in this mock.
54. Chiefs
Chris Chester, OL, Oklahoma. Late blooming former TE can play multiple spots, good fit for a team with two aging stars on the line.
55. Bengals
John McCargo, DT, NC State. Another late board riser with injury history but potential to make an impact.
56. Giants
Daniel Bullocks, S, Nebraska. Rangy playmaker and sure tackler bolsters a secondary that misses lots of tackles.
57. Bears
Anthony Fasano, TE, Notre Dame. Great receiver off the line who fills a major need for a possession receiver.
58. Panthers
Joe Klopfenstein, TE, Colorado. Every other mock has him going here, so I won?t argue. They do have a need for a sure handed TE.
59. Buccaneers
Demetrius Williams, WR, Oregon. A bit of a reach due to wild inconsistency and durability, but he has flashed brilliance as well.
60. Jaguars
Dominique Byrd, TE, USC. Showed greatness at Senior Bowl but has slipped since then. A great steal here if he catches 50 balls, and he can.
61. Broncos
Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech. Undersized but I?ve never seen any pass rusher get off the snap and around the end quicker than Tapp.
62. Colts
Charles Spencer, OL, Pittsburgh. Versatile lineman that will keep improving on a line that needs improving.
63. Seahawks
Brodie Croyle, QB, Alabama. Quality backup QB with potential, would go much higher if he weren?t always hurt and showed any ability to avoid a rush.
64. Steelers
Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame. Big receiver that flourished his senior year after being a major disappointment beforehand.
