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Well, it's only a few days away now, so I thought I'd see if anyone out there is following it. I might post a mock draft sometime this week, as well.

I predict GH will be unhappy when the Broncos use their 1st and 2nd round picks on a D lineman and a TE.

Oh hell yeah... I've been following it big time... I did my "mock" draft the other week... it's not a traditional mock draft because I did it based on what I've assessed (my opinion) as what player would be the best fit for each team... here are the first 16 from that:



1. San Francisco – Mike Williams – WR, USC – So much ado is made about whether San Fran will draft Smith or Rodgers, but I don’t think they need a QB. I think Rattay can be a fine QB if you put role players around him and set up that offense to be successful. In my eyes, Williams is the best WR in the draft. He’s bigger than Braylon Edwards, has much more potential and has impressed me in the combine. Without a doubt, the addition of Williams alone gives San Fran the ability to win games now, which is what they need. Their defense, if healthy, can hold it’s own with any team in the league (of SF’s 14 losses, 9 of them were by 10 points or less).

2. Miami Dolphins – Alex Smith – QB, Utah – Forget Ronnie Brown. Forget a running back period. Miami has not had a QB since Dan Marino, and that should be their biggest concern. AJ Feely… no. Brian Griese… no. Jay Fiedler… of course not. It’s almost like they haven’t been trying to get a QB, and it’s anybody’s guess as to what Saban has in mind for this problem. Smith has good size, an amazing arm and has probably the biggest upside of any QB in the draft. With him under the tutelage of this offense, and with plenty of weapons to throw to, I think putting him in right away would be the perfect opportunity for both parties.

3. Cleveland Browns – Aaron Rodgers – QB, Cal – To be honest, the Browns could draft anybody at #3 and it would be an upgrade. Since Cleveland seems to be a graveyard for QB’s, they’ve got to try something new, and Rodgers is new. He’s got better arm strength than folks thought he did before the combine, and the Browns can’t help but try anything at this point.

4. Chicago Bears – Ronnie Brown – RB, Auburn – Without a doubt in my mind, Brown is the best RB in the draft. He is a strong runner who is quick on his feet, which Chicago needs. If Grossman stays healthy and Mushin can provide a solid target at WR then Brown can have a serious impact on this offense. If not, well, we might be looking at another Ki-Jana Carter… wrong place, wrong time.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Cedric Benson – RB, Texas – He is a serious gamble at #5, seeing as he’s got some off the field problems and he has so many miles on his legs already. Regardless, he’s such a strong runner that somebody has to take the chance on him, and I believe the Bucs are willing at this point.

6. Tennessee Titans – Antrelle Rolle – CB, Miami – Adam Jones seems to be the popular pick at #6, but his lack of ideal size, tendency to bite on play fakes and propensity to get pushed around by more physical WRs is too much. Rolle is bigger, more physical and is not too far behind in terms of speed. Rolle also has the ability to play the run a lot better than Jones, and after the off-season clearing-house that was Tennessee this off-season, they need as many 2-way defenders as they can get.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Braylon Edwards – WR, Michigan – He proved to the world that he could perform in big game situations in the Rose Bowl, making a case for himself for the Heisman. A big too late, but Edwards’ quick hands and tough demeanor will provide the Vikings with a very different alternative to Randy Moss. He’s not nearly as big of a vertical threat, but he’ll add a different dimension to the Vikings’ offense. Expect the Vikes to have a very different offense this year.

8. Arizona Cardinals – Derrick Johnson – LB, Texas – As much as I hate to say it as a Cowboys fan, Johnson should be gone by #8. His lateral speed is undeniable and the Cards are looking pretty thin in their front 7. Johnson is one of the few LBers that can make an immediate impact on a defense, and that’s not something that can be ignored. The Cards don’t know what they’ve got in this guy… I don’t think anybody truly does.

9. Washington Redskins – Adam Jones – CB, West Virginia – Washington needs a CB to bolster the best D in the league, and with Jones they would have no problem doing so. Jones is quick, can keep up with any WR in the league but lacks size. Washington can afford to take a gamble on him because their defense is already established as dominant.

10. Detroit Lions – Erasmus James – DE, Wisconsin – He has great size, great closing speed and a wide array of moves to get past offensive linemen. The Lions need bolstering in their front 4 and James can provide that down the road. The only concern about James is durability as he missed ’03 with a hip injury. Aside from that, James should make a serious impact on a Lions team that could make some noise in ’05.

11. Dallas Cowboys – Shawne Merriman – LB/DE, Maryland – I’ve already talked about him: he’s great, but I’m crossing my fingers for Johnson.

12. San Diego Chargers – Dan Cody – DE, Oklahoma – I had the pleasure of seeing Cody live a couple of times, and it just seems like he’s playing at a different speed then everybody else. He’s real fast off the ball and has a vicious spin move, and best of all, he never quits. His motor is always running it seems. He lacks serious bulk, but all San Diego needs on D right now is speed, and Cody definitely provides that.

13. Houston Texans – Alex Barron – T, Florida State – Ever since Carr arrived in Houston 3 years ago, he’s lacked serious pass protection, and as he gets better, his pass protection needs to improve. Barron is far and away the best tackle in the draft and he will bolster a line that will feature him for years to come.

14. Carolina Panthers – Carnell Williams – RB, Auburn – The guy is a workhorse and might fall this far just because of team needs being met. He’s a big running back (think a smaller Jerome Bettis) and cuts/finds lanes very well. The Panthers could go with a WR here (Troy Williamson) to replace Muhammad, but they have some pressing concerns at RB right now. My prediction is that DeShaun Foster doesn’t last another year in Carolina.

15. Kansas City Chiefs – Carlos Rogers – CB, Auburn – For a team as desperate for defensive talent as the Chiefs, they sure haven’t taken advantage of it. Larry Johnson? Rogers, the best CB after Jones and Rolle, excels in man-to-man coverage, which KC likes to play. Rogers has average size and average speed, but at #15 he’s a solid defensive pick-up.

16. New Orleans Saints – Jammal Brown – OT, Oklahoma – An accomplished pass rush defender, Brown has an opportunity to help a Saints line that needs all the help it can get. Brown is incredibly athletic but is inexperienced, and he’ll have to play behind somebody before he can be considered a viable starter.

I wouldn't be unhappy if those were BPA picks. The Broncos really don't have many huge needs other that guard, which can be addressed in the 2nd round.

Matt Jones would be a risky pick, but I wouldn't be unhappy about it.

i hope the cowboys don't take merriman, i'm not too high on him.

Nice mock there, Parchy. Feel free to post the other half if you wish, I'd be interested.

Some thoughts:

--I don't think Tampa takes a RB in the first round. Gruden has always been a RB by committee type guy, and it suited him well when he was in Oakland. I'd think a better fit would be to grab someone like Ciatrick Fason or Vernand Morency in the 2nd.
--I definitely agree that the Dolphins need a QB, but what they really need are more picks. They should try to trade down (though I don't think they may be able to).
--I'm kinda surprised I don't see Marcus Spears yet. I think he'll be a great player. I'm also not that enamored with Cedric Benson.

"5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Cedric Benson – RB, Texas – He is a serious gamble at #5, seeing as he’s got some off the field problems and he has so many miles on his legs already. Regardless, he’s such a strong runner that somebody has to take the chance on him, and I believe the Bucs are willing at this point."



I have heard that Tampa Bay likes Carnell Williams. I hope he doesn't slip down to Carolina. I will have to pull against him when he plays the Falcons.

Auburn could have three first rounders (Brown, Williams, and Rodgers).
Campbell projected second or third round.

I think Merriman would be a better fit in a 3/4 system like the Chargers. I'd say he wouldn't be a great fit for Dallas.

dallas is shifting to a 3-4, but merriman was only good enough in college to start for one year!

Tampa is definitely a wildcard in this whole equation... I can see them going a lot of different ways, but ultimately I think they need the high powered RB Tampa has lacked since Dunn left... and as far as Merriman, he makes me nervous too... but then again, so does Johnson... a lot of draft experts have DJ as maybe 2-3 years away from being an every week kind of guy in the NFL... but the Cowboys probably need to go for one of those 'tweener' guys like Merriman because they're going to switch between the 3-4 and 4-3 all year... I also did this in late March, before Demarcus Ware and some others made their big pre-draft pushes, so they might not be 100% accurate, bu there it is...

Here are my bottom 16:

17. Cincinnati Bengals – Travis Johnson – DT, Florida State – Johnson is the best DT in the draft and if he’s there at 17 the Bengals have to pounce on the opportunity. He’s increased his stock quite a bit through the combine, and he’s an athletic, big guy. He’ll have success in Cincy and should help build up that D-Line.

18. Minnesota Vikings – Brandon Browner – CB, Oregon State – The Vikings have to draft somebody for their weak secondary, and they could go two ways with it. Fabian Washington ran a 4.28 in the combine, and they could certainly go the speed route, but if you ask me Browner is the direction they need to go in. He’s a large human (6’3, 202) and he’s got a tremendous upside for a weak Vikings secondary. He’s naturally tough and physical and will create problems for the opposing defenses. Go for it, Vikes. (now that they have Smoot and Sharper I'm not so sure about this one anymore)


19. St. Louis Rams – Marcus Spears – DE, LSU – The Rams have needed an anchor on their defense for awhile now (that Week 17 game against the Jets shouldn’t have gone like it did) and Spears is what experts call a “physical specimen.” He’s big for a DE but small for a DT, so the Rams could have their work cut out for them as far as training is concerned, but Spears has a long NFL future ahead of him. For such an offense-oriented team for so long now, a defensive cornerstone is a must.

20. Dallas Cowboys – Brodney Pool – S, Oklahoma – Talked about him already… but for the love of God Cowboys, do not take Roddy White. I will throw things if you do.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Troy Williamson – WR, South Carolina – Fastest wide out in the draft, and for a young Jags passing attack Williamson will stretch the field and provide a great compliment to Leftwitch. Williamson went under the national radar but impressed a lot of people in the combine and should impress in the NFL as well.

22. Baltimore Ravens – Roddy White – WR, UAB – He’s a great talent at WR, and should compliment Derrick Mason well. Don’t be fooled, the Ravens passing woes are not cured just because Mason has arrived on the scene. They should still be worried about Boller getting the ball to his receivers, so a compliment to Mason would be nice. The defense is solid, so offense should be the name of the game.

23. Seattle Seahawks – David Pollack – DE, Georgia – He broke a bunch of records at Georgia for pass rushing, and while semi-undersized he should provide help to a front 7 that doesn’t need too much. The Seahawks were one short defensive stop away from Round 2 of the playoffs, so that little bit should make them better.

24. Green Bay Packers – Thomas Davis – OLB, Georgia – He played safety in college but at 225 he’s ideal for a linebacker. He punishes ball carriers and naturally has great speed (you can’t play safety in college and not). Great athletic ability and should help out the D.

25. Denver Broncos – Demarcus Ware – DE/OLB, Troy – Having followed Shawne Merriman and a team that is also switching to 3-4, I understand the desire here. Ware is a quick small outside linebacker can play and help out a lot on the flats and against quick TEs.

26. New York Jets – Justin Miller – CB, Clemson – The Jets, like so many others, are looking to upgrade in the secondary and they need all the speed they can get. Miller is deceptively fast and will be physical with wide receivers and stick with them. He’s a bit of a gamble at #26, but he’s got the tools to succeed.

27. Atlanta Falcons – Mark Clayton – WR, Oklahoma – After spending so much money on defense in the off-season, the Falcons need to go with offense. The first thing people see about Clayton is his size (5’10, 185) but he is still one of the best WR prospects, and if the draft pool weren’t so stacked this year he’d go a lot higher than this. He has amazing anticipation, hands and jumping ability and should provide Atlanta the capability to start over with WR since the Price experiment has failed.

28. San Diego Chargers – Channing Crowder – ILB, Florida – San Diego’s passing attack is super solid and if you ask me they need to look on the defensive side of the ball for improvement. ‘Clam Crowder’ is great in pass-coverage and can step up to stop the run, but he is not destined to be a starter right away (not many are this low in the draft). Under tutelage from Donny Edwards he should blossom into a great linebacker in the NFL.

29. Indianapolis Colts – Darryl Blackstock – OLB, Virginia – It seems like every year the Colts only have defense on their mind come draft time and they’ve done well recently. Mike Doss was a great pick-up, and Blackstock is a superb OLB at #29. He fills gaps well and does all the right things mentally, which can only help the Colts blossoming defense.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers – Heath Miller – TE, Virginia – Far and away Miller is the best TE in the draft and at #30 he’s an absolute steal. He’s big, physical, blocks well and will be a nice target for Roethelisberger come game time.

31. Philadelphia Eagles - ??? – Who knows what the Eagles will do. They’re deep at every position and could literally do anything they wanted. My guess is they’ll go for something at the offensive end… maybe a guard or tackle to help after the departure of Jermaine Mayberry. Some names to watch for are Marcus Johnson and Adam Terry.

32. New England Patriots – Odell Thurman – ILB, Georgia – The Patriots will probably have to play without Teddy Bruschi this year and linebacker is the only place they’re starting to thin out in. Thurman is a 3-4 type player with speed but ideal bulk on the inside. Again, the Pats don’t have any pressing needs, but Thurman should help out on the defense.

for the cowboys i'd like spears or williamson at 11 and then thomas davis at 20.

"20. Dallas Cowboys – Brodney Pool – S, Oklahoma – Talked about him already… but for the love of God Cowboys, do not take Roddy White. I will throw things if you do."

I have heard the Falcons like him. I will be pissed if he is selected by the Falcons.

"20. Dallas Cowboys – Brodney Pool – S, Oklahoma – Talked about him already… but for the love of God Cowboys, do not take Roddy White. I will throw things if you do."

I have heard the Falcons like him. I will be pissed if he is selected by the Falcons.

Davis as an OLB or as a SS?

SS, definitely.

I highly doubt he'll be off the board by #20... the Cowboys don't exactly share my vision for the future, and I betcha anything they don't even look at a safety until round 2 with Josh Bullock from Nebraska

bullocks won't be there when the boys pick in round 2.

edit: i was thinking washington, not bullocks.

That raises it's own set of problems (as does Pool)... then you've got two essentially oversized safeties hell-bent on run protection but not especially great on coverage... this #20 pick will be a tough choice... I don't envy it

i hope the niners take braylon edwards over those two quarterbacks