2008 Mock Draft 1/22/08
By Zachary Best
1.
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Bill Parcells is going to put his stamp on the Dolphins, and that means a 3-4 defense. Dorsey is a dominating presence, and I believe he is very capable of playing Nose Tackle. DT is not a flashy pick for number 1 overall, but it is the right choice here. Video>> 2. St. Louis Rams – OT, Jake Long, Michigan
Long is the premier franchise tackle in this draft. Orlando Pace’s Hall of Fame career is nearing an end. St. Louis’s offensive line was in shambles last year, and needs to be fixed.
3. Atlanta Falcons – QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
Michael Vick is currently in prison for dog fighting. Neither Joey Harrington nor Byron Leftwich could cut it last year for Atlanta. Matt Ryan is arguably the best QB in the draft, and will give the Falcons a new direction. Video>>
4.
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Oakland gets the son of the Raider great Howie Long to bolster that defensive front. Oakland could use a DT like Sedrick Ellis as well, but Long’s talent is too good to pass up. Video>>
5.
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The Chiefs have lost some Hall of Fame offensive lineman to retirement the past few years. Football starts with the lines, and the Chiefs desperately need an OT. Some might feel this is a reach here, but the Chiefs don’t want to risk trading down to a spot where Clady wont be.
6. New York Jets – RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
This is pretty far for McFadden to slip, but doing a mock without trades, this looks like a spot where he could go. Thomas Jones is solid, but McFadden is a big play RB the Jets do not have. They simply can not pass up on Darren McFadden. Video>>
7. New England Patriots (From 49ers) – DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State
The Patriots grab a flat out stud pass rusher here. Gholston played DE, but the Pats will move him to a pass rushing OLB in their 3-4 scheme. All of the Pats linebackers are aging veterans, and this gives them a big time play maker for the future.
8.
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New head coach John Harbaugh will need a QB to succeed long term. Kyle Boller is really nothing more than a backup, and the old veteran Steve McNair is often injured. Brian Brohm will give the Ravens a franchise QB they have never had. Video>>
9.
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The Bengals defense was horrid in 2007. They need to improve in many areas, but everybody knows that it all starts up front. Ellis is an excellent pass rusher, and is decent against the run despite being undersized. Video>>10. New Orleans Saints – CB Mike Jenkins, USF
The Saints defense has holes all over, but their secondary is in deep trouble. Their big time free agent Jason David spent most of the year getting burnt, and Mike McKenzie tore his ACL late in the season. Jenkins is a fast talented corner who should be a great pick for New Orleans.
11.
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The Bills need more offensive weapons. They found their RB in last years draft with Marshawn Lynch, but they need another receiver to compliment Lee Evans. Kelly brings much needed size to the Bills receiving core, and has very good speed as well. Video>>
12.
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The Broncos really suffered with the loss of Al Wilson. Their run defense was one of the NFL’s worst, and a tackling machine like Dan Connor is just what they need. Penn State is known as “Linebacker U” for a reason, and it’s hard to go wrong with the winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award.13. Carolina Panthers – S Kenny Phillips, Miami
Mike Minter retired last year, and the Panthers have almost no talent at the safety position. Phillips is the highest rated guy coming out of college, and would probably be an instant starter.
14.
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The Bears offensive tackles are getting old, and I don’t see any young talent behind them. It seems logical that they would spend this pick on a lineman. Otah is a massive guy that looks like a potential franchise left tackle.
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The Lions need to improve their secondary. It is clearly among worst in the NFL. Cason is a play making Corner Back that Detroit is really lacking. Fernando Bryant, and Travis Fisher are not good enough to be starting in the NFL.
16. Arizona Cardinals – DE Calais Campbell, Miami
Arizona is in a rebuilding stage, and needs to rebuild the talent at DE. Bertrand Berry is very old, and Chike Okeafor is well Chike Okeafor. Both of these guys ended 2007 on IR, and there is very little depth after them on the roster. Campbell is a huge end who causes havoc on the football field. He will be a great fit in Arizona.
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The Vikings grab a heck of an athlete in Reggie Smith here. He played Safety and Corner for the Sooners, and the Vikings will likely want him to play Safety. Darren Sharper, and Dwight Smith are two good veterans to learn behind until his time comes to start. Video>>
18. Houston Texans – RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
The Texans seemed to have made the right choice passing on Reggie Bush for DE Mario Williams, but RB is still a need for this team. Ahman Green is not a long term solution, and neither is Ron Dayne. Mendenhall had a a tremendous Junior year, and is looking to cash in at the NFL level. Video>>19. Philadelphia Eagles – DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
Jevon Kearse’s days in Philadelphia are numbered. Darren Howard, and Jerome McDougle could be gone as well. Trent Cole is great at right DE, but the Eagles will look for another pass rusher for left Defensive End. Harvey is a great athlete, and has a knack for making plays. This gives the Eagles another pass rusher in the fold, and will hopefully cause more turnovers for the defense.20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR Desean Jackson, Cal
Jackson is a blazing fast receiver with kick off, and punt return ability. Joey Galloway has played well for Tampa Bay, but he can’t play forever. Desean Jackson is very similar to Tedd Ginn of last years draft, but he is a much more polished receiver. Video>>
21.
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OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
Cherilus is another huge OT in this draft. He has been a beast at RT for the Eagles. Jon Jansen is old, and often injured lately. It is time to find a young future replacement. Rookie free agent Stephon Heyer did play well in Jansen’s place, but I don’t see him as a full time starter.22. Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) – WR Limas Sweed, Texas
Sweed missed most of his Senior year with a broken wrist, but the talent of this kid is not in question. He is a very tall, fast play maker that any team would love to have. Terrell Owens, and Terry Glenn maybe have one year left in Dallas. Sweed will be the go-to guy for the rest of Tony Romo’s career. Video>>23. Pittsburgh Steelers – OT Sam Baker, USC
Pittsburgh might lose Alan Faneca and Max Starks in free agency. The great ground game of Willie Parker starts with the big guys up front. The Steelers always look to the draft to replenish their talent, and Baker looks like a great fit to their system.24. Tennessee Titans – WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
The Titans are definitely lacking offensive play makers. Vince Young needs better receivers for him to lead the Tennessee deep into the playoffs. Video>>
25. Seattle Seahawks –
Seattle has very little talent at the tight end position. Jerramy Stevens left the team, and Marcus Pollard is past his prime. Davis is a great receiving tight end, that should fit into the West Coast Offense very well.26. Jacksonville Jaguars – LB Keith Rivers, USC
Jacksonville has invested a lot into offensive weapons in the first round. They need to add a play maker on defense. Keith Rivers is a great talent, and could probably push for a starting job in year one. Video>> 27. San Diego Chargers – CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy
It’s tough to say that the Chargers really have any needs. This team is so talented from top to bottom, and has a pretty good player at almost every position. San Diego is not afraid to reach for a player they really like, and McKelvin could be one of the best talents available. He is not only a great cover corner, but he is also a great kick returner.28. Dallas Cowboys – CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
The lasting image of the Giants scoring a touch down in 47 seconds is still tattooed in the minds of Cowboys fans. Eli Manning constantly picked on Dallas CB Jacque Reeves, and abused him. Anthony Henry is also getting up there age wise(31), and Dallas may want to consider moving him to Safety.Talib adds immediate depth, and a future starter at CB. Video>>29. San Fransisco 49ers (From Colts) – DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina
Still trying make the transition to a 3-4 defense, the Niners grab a very good defensive lineman here. He is capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 formation. Bryant Young is not getting any younger, and the Niners need to sure up the defensive front seven.30. Green Bay Packers – CB Jack Ikegwuonu, Wisconsin
Another Corner Back flies off the board. The Packers do have two good ones, but they are up there in age. Charles Woodson is 31, and Al Harris is 33. The home town kid lives a child hood dream of playing for Green Bay.
31.
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Kawika Mitchell is due to be a free agent, and may receive a big pay day for playing so well. The Giants came into the season pretty thin at this position, and had to convert DE Mathias Kiwanuka to OLB. Some think Zach DeOssie could be a starter, but I see him as more of a solid reserve. The Giants grab Highsmith to be a key linebacker for the future.
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