Things just haven’t been the same with us gone has it? I’m really sorry everyone and would like to first take this chance to beg forgiveness from all of you. Paulie’s family is growing all the time it seems, and he just hasn’t had a spare moment of time to join CJ and myself for some good back and forth banter. Then there’s the fact that he would probably only be joining CJ because I find it very difficult to locate any spare time lately.
When things settle down more all around; I hope you’ll all still be around for more of…
All picks and mock drafts were made as of Tuesday evening so any trades and cuts happening since then were not factored in!
It’s time for Mock Draft Time so let’s get going!
Paulie: With the first pick of the 2008 National Football League Amateur Draft, the Miami Dolphins select…
Vernon Gholston, LB, one of those Ohio State Universities.
It pains me to put a Buckeye in the top spot; but Parcells loves big, athletic edge rushers and Gholston fits the bill. The draft is seriously deep with offensive tackles so they can pick one up later. And Howie’s kid, I believe, is only getting this attention now because he’s Howie’s kid. I’ve been watching ACC football forever and didn’t even know he was PLAYING for Virginia until last year.
Charles Joseph: Based solely on talent this would be Darren McFadden. But financing and need will push Miami to someone else. They’re talking to Jake Long and others. But I still think they’ve got to pick Glenn Dorsey. Outside of McFadden I think Dorsey is the best player in the draft. He can be a great DT for the next 15 years.
Danny: I also think that Dorsey is the greatest talent available in the draft, but that is not the route the Dolphins will go. They are all about the Tuna now and will end up going after the type of guy that he has always liked…and that’s Jake Long, OT, Michigan. Yes, he is getting a lot of attention because of Daddy Flat Top, but he’s good and the Dolphins need a solid guy up front to protect Beck or whoever is going to be their damn quarterback next season.
Danny: There has been a lot of talk lately that my Saints could actually trade up with the Rams if the right price can be met. They would then go on to take Glenn Dorsey which would be a dream come true for me. Still, I don’t think that is the direction the Rams will go if they stay put. The second pick of the NFL draft will be the brother, but not really, of our first pick: Chris Long, DE, Virginia. Their defense sucks.
Paulie: St. Louis takes:
Jake Long, OT, University of Michigan. What the hell? Paulie picking two Big Eleven guys at one and two? Is he running a fever you ask? No, but I do think that Long will be the recipient of Big Eleven over hype. He’s definitely not the best tackle in the draft, probably not even second best, but St. Louis needs to overhaul the O-Line and with the deep draft, they could completely revamp the unit in the draft and it would be better than what they have.
Charles Joseph: St. Louis has a lot of holes. They’ve got a couple of players to pick here that can fill some holes. Jake Long would fill in if Pace can’t stay healthy, and Chris Long would fit on the defensive line. I think they put faith in Pace staying healthy and take Chris Long and make that defensive pretty formable.
Charles Joseph: Atlanta loves my scenario because they’d love to get either Jake Long or Matt Ryan, and both are available here. But Quarterback is the most pressing need, so Matt Ryan is basically a slam dunk.
Danny: So where do the Falcons go here? What holes do they have to fill? Can they hire Keanu Reeves and The Replacements to take over the whole team? No, but they’ll go with a quarterback here because it is the most glaring need since Leftwich, Vick, Harrington, Redman, and Shockley are all not the answer. Man…if Petrino was still around, it’d be Brian Brohm City, but look for Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College to put on the red and black next year as an immediate starter.
Paulie: Atlanta Falcons take:
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. If this were last year’s staff, this pick would be Brian Brohm, Brian Brohm, Brian Brohm. But it’s not. It’s a new guy. They go defense here knowing they can get someone better than Chris Redman early in the second round.
Paulie: The Oakland Raiders take:
Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC. The Raiders are five deep at running back. They drafted their franchise QB last season. They need someone to step in for the retired Warren Sapp. And Al Davis may be crazy. He may love the flash. But the man really isn’t stupid enough to draft McFadden.
Is he?
Charles Joseph: Al Davis loves playmakers. Jake Long probably should go here to give some blocking to the skill players. But McFadden is too good to pass up here. He should be a stud running back for years and he’s the type of player Davis will easily fall in love with.
Danny: The Raiders’ defense honestly isn’t that bad. You can argue that they have sucked horribly and barely won any games over the past two years, but that’s because of their anemic offense. Some new wide receivers and JaMarcus Russell stepping in right away at quarterback will automatically make them better with the ball, and so will Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas.
Charles Joseph: Kansas City loves my scenario too. Offensive line is a huge need for them, and they get the best one in the draft. Jake Long is a slam dunk pick for the Chiefs if he makes it to them.
Danny: How much you wanna bet the Chiefs pick up a QB in the next round because they realize how much Croyle sucks? He’s from Alabama asses! Of course he sucks! But so does their offensive line and they are going to have to stack it up in order to fill the first big need so that’s why they go with Brandon Albert, OT/OG, Virginia. If Jared Allen ends up leaving town though before this weekend (and he did), then this pick could change quickly…hold it, scratch this pick. If he is still around, the Chiefs will take Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. You just can’t pass him up when your defense sucks as bad as theirs’ does.
Paulie: The Kansas City Chiefs select:
Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh. KC needs a QB, they need a QB bad. But until they reload that O-Line, he’s going to be on his butt just as much as Brodie Croyle was last year.
Paulie: The New York Jets select:
Someone the fans will summarily boo the shit out of.
But really…
Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College. Mangini has shown that he really doesn’t have confidence in Kellen Clemens and Pennington’s arm is pretty much shot. They take a shot at a franchise QB here.
Charles Joseph: The Jets are a pretty good team. They don’t have any huge needs. But a pass rusher would fill the hole left by the trade of Jonathan Vilma. So Vernon Gholston would be the pick here.
Danny: I have to agree with CJ here because the Jets are just lacking big time in the middle of the defense with Vilma jetting off to the Saints. Vernon Gholston, LB, Ohio State is an absolute beast that will pick up the speed of the NFL game right away and produce immediately to become the leader of the defense for the J-E-T-S!
Danny: Really don’t give a damn, but the Pats suffered a lot in free agency and that especially holds true for their secondary. Some may consider me off my rocker here, but I’ve watched a lot of film on the kid and I think that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State is the best cornerback in the draft. He will fill in some holes and fit in right away on this team.
Paulie: The New England Patriots select:
Justin Boyle, RB, Duke University Having found no one wanting to trade up into the top 10, Bill Belichick, thumbs his nose at the league again. He considers just letting the clock run out and not picking anyone, but picking a Duke player is more insulting than an empty draft slot.
Charles Joseph: The rich get richer. They don’t usually use first round picks on defensive players, but with age and departures they have to use this pick on a player for the back end. I like Kenny Phillips here and pair him up with Merriweather for the next ten years. But I think a CB would be the pick. Pick one of the top CB’s and put it here. If I had to guess, Talib.
Charles Joseph: Baltimore could use a top QB. Matt Ryan is already gone. And the rest of the QBs seem to be falling like a rock. Bryan Brohm could be a fit. They also have some aging Corners, so Rogers-Cromartie could be a fit too. They also don’t have great WRs, so Jackson or Thomas could fit too. I think Rodgers-Cromartie is the pick.
Danny: With Ryan gone since McNair has retired, the Ravens are in great need of a quarterback. Too bad there isn’t another one in this draft worthy of such a high pick. If Ryan is gone, I think the Ravens will seriously consider getting rid of this pick for some more or a player and a lower one. They don’t really need Ellis so there is no sense in using this pick on him, so they’ll try to improve their secondary a bit with Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas.
Paulie: The Baltimore Ravens select:
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas. In a move sure to piss off Willis McGahee, the Ravens take the highest rated RB on the board since Ryan is off the table and there are no other real top 10 QBs.
Paulie: The Cincinnati Bengals pick:
Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State. They need a run stuffer in the middle, but the big baddies are already gone. Next on the list is shoring up the worst secondary seen in the NFL in YEARS.
Charles Joseph: They need defense. A lot of it. In basically every position. But I think Sedrick Ellis would have the biggest impact for them. Making him the logical pick.
Danny: The Bengals want Dorsey, but will take Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC if he is still on the board here by not being picked by anyone in front or the Saints trading up to get him if they can’t land Dorsey. The Bengals need help in a lot of places and in case you have been in a box, then you’ll realize they need desperate help at wide receiver with Chris Henry being let go for being an idiot and Ocho-Cinco wanting out and wanting out…NOW!
Charles Joseph: New Orleans has done a lot to beef up this offseason and have filled most of their holes. A new corner would fit. But I think they take Kenny Phillips to play a deep half. And keep big plays down which is what killed them last year.
Danny: My Saints are trying to do a lot of wheeling and dealing. Rumors are they are trying to trade up with the Rams and take Glenn Dorsey, but that is a long shot. With more rumors circulating even stronger about a possible trade with the Giants for TE Jeremy Shockey, then you can forget about the Saints using ANY of their six draft picks on anyone offensively. The defense has been bulked up a little, but it still needs a lot of help. If they are stuck here at the tenth pick, then you can expect Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy to be in black and gold this season.
Paulie: The New Orleans Saints take:
Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida. Aside from Reggie Bush, the Saints’ biggest weakness last season was the secondary. They start the rebuilding here.
11.) Buffalo Bills – Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State.
12.) Denver Broncos – Branden Albert, OL, Virginia
13.) Carolina Panthers – Chris Long, DE, Virginia because Fox and Hurney are stupid.
14.) Chicago Bears – Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
15.) Detroit Lions – Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
16.) Arizona Cardinals – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie , CB, Tennessee St.
17.) Minnesota Vikings – Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
18.) Houston Texans – Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
19.) Philadelphia Eagles – Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DeSean Jackson, WR, California
21.) Washington Redskins – Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
22.) Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
23.) Pittsburgh Steelers – Gosber Cherilous, OL, Boston College
24.) Tennessee Titans – Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
25.) Seattle Seahawks – Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
26.) Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
27.) San Diego Chargers – Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
28.) Dallas Cowboys – James Hardy, WR, Indiana
29.) San Francisco 49ers – Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
30.) Green Bay Packers – Sam Baker, OT, USC
31.) New England Patriots – Pick Forfeited Due To Spygate
32.) New York Giants – DaJuan Morgan, SS, NC State I don’t know why anyone from last year’s Wolfpack squad is rating as a first rounder, but people seem to think so, and I’m a homer, so I’m going with it.
11.) Buffalo Bills – Devin Thomas, Michigan State
12.) Denver Broncos – Leodis McKelvin, Troy
13.) Carolina Panthers – Derek Harvey, Florida
14.) Chicago Bears – Bryan Brohm, Louisville
15.) Detroit Lions – Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
16.) Arizona Cardinals – Branden Albert, Virginia
17.) Minnesota Vikings – “Troy Williamson Version 2” DeSean Jackson, Cal
18.) Houston Texans – Ryan Clady, Boise State
19.) Philadelphia Eagles – James Hardy, Indiana
20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jerod Mayo, Tennessee
21.) Washington Redskins – Antoine Cason, Arizona
22.) Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones, Arkansas
23.) Pittsburgh Steelers – Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
24.) Tennessee Titans – Limas Sweed, Texas
25.) Seattle Seahawks – Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina
26.) Jacksonville Jaguars – Calais Campbell, Miami
27.) San Diego Chargers – Dan Connor, Penn State
28.) Dallas Cowboys – Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
29.) San Francisco 49ers – Phillip Merling, Clemson
30.) Green Bay Packers – Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
31.) New England Patriots – Pick Forfeited Due To Spygate
32.) New York Giants – Keith Rivers, USC
11.) Buffalo Bills – DeSean Jackson, WR, California
12.) Denver Broncos – Brandon Albert, OT/OG, Virginia
13.) Carolina Panthers – Keith Rivers, LB, USC
14.) Chicago Bears – Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
15.) Detroit Lions – Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
16.) Arizona Cardinals – Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
17.) Minnesota Vikings – James Hardy, WR, Indiana
18.) Houston Texans – Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
19.) Philadelphia Eagles – Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
21.) Washington Redskins – Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
22.) Dallas Cowboys – Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
23.) Pittsburgh Steelers – Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
24.) Tennessee Titans – Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
25.) Seattle Seahawks – Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
26.) Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
27.) San Diego Chargers – Sam Baker, OT, USC
28.) Dallas Cowboys – Dan Conner, LB, Penn State
29.) San Francisco 49ers – Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
30.) Green Bay Packers – Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
31.) New England Patriots – Pick Forfeited Due To Spygate
32.) New York Giants – Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
Go here in the forums to discuss our picks or talk all weekend long about the draft. I’m sure that I’ll at least be around and possibly comments from the rest of the guys and the peanut gallery here at IP. I really am sorry about the lack of PTP in the past couple months, but hopefully we’ll be back up and running soon.
Enjoy the draft folks and we hope to see you around Tailgate Crashers for full coverage.
About Danny Cox
