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 NCAA Scouting:
Mock Draft V1.0 – 24th Feb
by Sam Monson & Ben Stockwell
24/2/2008
1 Miami Dolphins- Chris Long DE, Virginia
Bill Parcells takes the player that allows him to best transition from the 4-3 the Dolphins currently run, to the 3-4 Defense that he helped make famous. The key word with Chris Long is versatility, as he can play DE in both types of Defense, as well as outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme. As a bonus he’ a smart football player who makes plays and will immediately help improve the Dolphins.
2 St Louis Rams – Sedrick Ellis DT, USC
St Louis have holes in a lot of places, but don’t find the value at OT that they would like so high in this draft, so they end up in a coin flip (literally for the Diner) between Sedrick Ellis and Glen Dorsey. Both DTs would be excellent picks here, as they’re both disruptive forces and will help the Rams Defense get some more pressure up the middle, and can be paired with last year’s #1 pick, Adam Carricker.
3 Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan QB, Boston College
Atlanta isn’t fooling anybody when they talk about their QB situation, which is as dire as it comes. They get their pick of the top QBs in the draft at #3, and decide that they can’t pass on the best of 2008, Matt Ryan. Ryan allows the Falcons to move past the Michael Vick era by giving the franchise a new face at QB. In the end, that’s as big an area of need as the Falcons have.
 4 Oakland Raiders- Glenn Dorsey DT, LSU
Oakland can’t say no to Glenn Dorsey, someone many consider to be the best player in the draft, down at #4. They pick Dorsey as the best player available, and he instantly improves their defensive line massively. Dorsey may end up being the player that Warren Sapp used to be, and he comes along just in time to replace him.
5 Kansas City Chiefs- Jake Long OT, Michigan
Kansas City needs help all along the O-line, and Jake Long fits the bill. Long divides opinion, but even if he ends up being a quality Right Tackle, as his detractors seem to think, he’ll still be a massive (albeit expensive) upgrade for the Chiefs. Long’s toughness, leadership and experience will all be invaluable in Kansas City.
6 New York Jets- Vernon Gholston OLB, Ohio St
The Jets practically trip over themselves to get the card in when they see Gholston still on the board at #6. The explosive playmaker from Ohio St provides some serious outside pass rush for the Jets 3-4 scheme, and is one of the most devastating defensive players in the draft.
7 New England Patriots (via San Francisco 49ers) Leodis McKelvin CB, Troy
New England is laughing all the way to the podium with this pick. At #7 they find themselves with a pretty nice choice of players to go for, and end up picking the best corner on the board, which also fills a need and would sit nicely in their defensive scheme. McKelvin can be a #1 corner for the Patriots, which is just as well, because Ellis Hobbs sure as hell can’t be.
8 Baltimore Ravens- Phillip Merling DE, Clemson
Trevor Pryce needs a replacement, and Merling is it. Merling is a big, physical DE who can play the run as well as get some pressure, and he fits perfectly into the Ravens defensive scheme in the same role as Trevor Pryce. With Suggs expected to return as the main pass rushing threat, the Ravens have a straight choice between Merling and a Corner.
9 Cincinnati Bengals- Derrick Harvey DE, Florida
The Bengals badly need some Defense. They think about halting Darren McFadden’s fall here, but Marvin Lewis has already stated that he won’t touch anybody with character question marks in this draft, and McFadden has just enough to put him off. With that he adds some explosion to the D with a beast of an athlete. Harvey has all-world potential, and could really help the D, especially if Justin Smith leaves in Free Agency.
10 New Orleans Saints- Brandon Flowers CB, Virginia Tech
Flowers becomes the second corner off the board in a move that will shock many. Flowers is a perfect fit for the defensive scheme that the Saints run because he’s a tough, physical corner. He could start opposite Mike McKenzie, and give opposition receivers a much tougher time of it than Jason David can ever hope to.
11 Buffalo Bills- Keith Rivers OLB, USC
Buffalo take the best 4-3 linebacker in the draft, in what could be seen as the best player available, and also serves as a happy upgrade in their Defense. Wide Receiver is a need here and Tight End is an option, but neither really present value at #11 in the draft, so Rivers becomes the obvious choice.
 12 Denver Broncos- Ryan Clady OT, Boise St
Denver picks up an upgrade on the O-line, and hope he turns out better than George Foster, the last O-lineman they drafted highly. Clady is seen by some as the best OT in the draft, and could work out as a steal for the Broncos at #12. They could also do with help on the D-line, so neither Balmer nor Calais Campbell would be a huge surprise here.
13 Carolina Panthers- Kentwan Balmer DT, North Carolina
Carolina’s D-line isn’t getting any younger, and Balmer is a clear #3 in the Defensive Tackle pool this year after the two top 5 picks of Ellis and Dorsey. The Panthers have been given picks on the O-line in a lot of mocks, but it looks like they’ve managed to keep both OTs, and with Kalil from last season and Hartwig already locked up, we don’t see them picking a RG at #13 overall.
14 Chicago Bears- Limas Sweed WR, Texas
The Bears have two glaring holes in their team: QB and WR. Whilst the Bears might seem like another slot to stop McFadden’s slide, the Bears can make do with Benson, Wolfe, Peterson and Hester. With Moose being cut, even if they keep Berrian the depth behind him is little short of pitiful, so WR becomes the hole in most need of filling. Limas Sweed is a guy who may not time well, but he gets separation despite his speed, and would be a perfect complement to the speedy Berrian.
15 Detroit Lions- Rashard Mendenhall RB, Illinois
Detroit are looking for a running back, but they don’t go for the flashy McFadden, instead they go for the workhorse back, Mendenhall, as he suits the physical nature of the football that Rod Marinelli and their new Offensive Coordinator a former Baltimore Raven like to run. Mendenhall is a tough physical back, and might get some help from Kevin Jones who won’t have to try and carry the load anymore.
16 Arizona Cardinals – Darren McFadden RB, Arkansas
The Arizona Cardinals stop the rot. Darren McFadden is seen as a lock for the top 5 by most people, but he’s going to slide, and he’s going to slide big. The top 5 teams will see enough flaws in his game to steer clear of the pick, and everybody else doesn’t need a running back. He’s also not going to get people trading up to snatch him because of the riches at RB in the middle of the first round. He slides all the way to Arizona here who snatch him up. Edge is close to done, and even if he can’t carry the load, he pairs with JJ Arrington to make a well rounded duo.
17 Minnesota Vikings- Mario Manningham WR, Michigan
The Vikings find themselves in dire need of a WR and a DE, two positions they’ve spent three 1st round picks on in recent years. With the DE talent pool depleted a bit, they end up going for Manningham. Owner of THE slickest double move the Diner has ever seen run, Manningham is possibly the best WR available in this draft, and is the most ready to start. Manningham could be slotted opposite Sidney Rice and make a nice young receiving pair for Jackson to throw at.
 18 Houston Texans- Jonathan Stewart RB, Oregon
A slam dunk pick. The Texans are a .500 team, with no running game to speak of. Here they get a chance to add a workhorse of a back, with not too much mileage on his tracks, and with a mouth-watering blend of size and speed. Stewart could make the Texans into playoff contenders, despite their division.
19 Philadelphia Eagles- Mike Jenkins CB, South Florida
The Eagles are rumoured to be letting Lito Sheppard look for a trade, and there’s talk they’re after Asante Samuel. When they fail to get him, they turn to the draft instead and secure another of a fine crop of corners. Mike Jenkins is another tough, physical corner who perfectly suits what the Eagles like to do on Defense.
20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB, Tennessee St
Tampa continues the run on cornerbacks by taking a small school guy whose stock has been soaring. Cromartie, like his cousin, is a tremendous athlete, and has fantastic hands for the position. He’s a danger with the ball in his hands, and he has the instincts and playmaking skills at corner to get himself in position to make the plays. With Kelly looking to jump ship, the Buccs look to get younger.
21 Washington Redskins- Calais Campbell DE, Miami
The Skins have a few holes to fill, but they can’t do much better than the prospect from Miami. Campbell is a beast of an athlete, possibly the most athletic DE in the draft, and he would be an instant upgrade on the Redskins D.
22 Dallas Cowboys (via Cleveland Browns) Aqib Talib CB, Kansas
Dallas take a chance that nobody between their two picks will take a running back, and they look to strengthen their secondary first, by taking the 5th corner off the board. Talib is seen by many as the second best corner in the draft, and the Cowboys are delighted to see him still on the board here.
23 Pittsburgh Steelers- Branden Albert OG/OT, Virginia
Albert is a perfect fit for the Steelers. The G from Virginia is comfortably the best G prospect in the draft, and would allow them to instantly replace Alan Faneca without losing anything, but Albert also has many scouts believing he can kick outside, perhaps even to Left Tackle. Albert brings the kind of toughness and mean streak that Steelers linemen are famous for, and he’ll upgrade what has become a sub-standard unit in recent years.
 24 Tennessee Titans- Malcolm Kelly WR, Oklahoma
The Titans need receivers, desperately, and they find a good one fall into their laps here. Kelly is a big, rangy receiver, who has great hands, and should provide a big target for Vince Young to aim at. There’s talk that the Titans want to add a playmaking tight end during the off-season, so USC’s Fred Davis wouldn’t be a shock here either.
25 Seattle Seahawks- Fred Davis TE, USC
Mike Holmgren jumps on the USC standout here, snagging the player that Marcus Pollard no longer is. Fred Davis is a former WR, and suits the Seattle passing game far more than Notre Dame’s John Carlson, who many have as the superior prospect. Look for Davis’ stock to soar once we hit the combine.
26 Jacksonville Jaguars- DeSean Jackson WR, California
Jacksonville is a team without too many glaring needs, but it never hurts to add blazing speed. Jackson will help out a receiving corps which has disappointed in recent years, despite previous 1st round picks, and he will also help out on special teams, where he and Maurice Jones Drew might be the scariest twosome around.
27 San Diego Chargers- Jeff Otah OG/OT, Pitt
Otah is another Offensive lineman that projects to more than one position potentially in the NFL, and is outstanding value this low in the first round. He would provide an upgrade on the San Diego line, and he has the kind of mean streak that coaches look for in a lineman.
28 Dallas Cowboys- Felix Jones RB, Arkansas
The Cowboys gamble and win, getting the chance to select the Arkansas running back that they wanted all along, with the 28th pick in the 1st round. Felix Jones provides the speed to Marion Barber’s power, and gives the Cowboys a fearsome running back pair. Jerry Jones gets his Arkansas alumni, and upgrades at the same time ladies and gents, that’s called ‘a plan coming together’.
 29 San Francisco 49ers (via Indianapolis Colts) Early Doucet WR, LSU
The 49ers need help pretty much everywhere, so it’s a pity that they don’t pick until 29. The Defensive Linemen they so desperately need have been taken by here, so they look to the offensive side of the ball instead, where they find LSU’s Early Doucet. Doucet should provide an upgrade on the 49ers poor receivers, but does come with some injury concerns. All in all it’s a pity they traded their 7th overall pick away really.
30 Green Bay Packers- Dan Connor OLB, Penn St
Dan Connor is a smart, versatile football player, who can play all three linebacker positions in the 4-3. The Packers take him looking to slot him in for Brady Poppinga as an instant upgrade, but will see his versatility as a bonus in case they are forced to use him solely for depth. Corner is also a need here with little behind Harris and Woodson, but the top prospects have been taken by now, so they look to hit one in the second.
31 New York Giants Chris Williams OT, Vanderbilt
The Giants finally decide the David Diehl experiment failed. Drafting Chris Williams gives them a legitimate Left Tackle, enabling them to kick Diehl back inside to Guard, where he excels. Williams has been impressing since his Senior Bowl performance, and may be one of the better ‘true’ left tackle prospects in this draft.
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