Great pick. This makes sense in every way imaginable and it was really the only way for the Dolphins to go. Jake Long is a great talent who is certainly worthy of going #1 overall in this draft and offensive tackle was without question Miami's top area of need so on the field it all adds up. One other factor to consider though is economics and if you have to invest $30 million in a guy you might as well give it to a guy who plays a premium position. The Dolphins got a franchise cornerstone in Jake Long and combined with Vernon Carey, Samson Satele and Justin Smiley they now have a terrific young offensive line with an average age of just 24-years-old.
This was the safe pick but what struck me about it was when Chris Mortensen said that the organization was "at peace" with it. At peace? Sounds like the rumors about two factions, one supporting Long and the other Glenn Dorsey, really were true. Even though they had Dorsey rated higher Chris Long fills a greater need and I think it was the right pick to make. The Rams need a guy who can get some sacks on the outside and while he isn't a Dwight Freeney-type Long should be able to do that. You wonder about "value" though... Long is a terrific player but teams were not jockeying for him like they were Dorsey so was there a deal to be made here?
As much as they liked Glenn Dorsey and needed a defensive tackle this was the right move for the Atlanta organization. The Falcons certainly needed a franchise quarterback but more importantly they needed a player who they could market and build around, both on as well as off the field. I don't know that Matt Ryan is Peyton Manning or anything like that but I think he can be a good starting quarterback in the NFL and he should be able to overtake Joey Harrington and Chris Redman in short order. The Falcons have plenty of picks to address needs at offensive tackle, defensive tackle and corner but this was their only chance to get a top signal caller.
What a shock, Al Davis took the rare athletic specimen with outstanding speed. Everyone saw this coming from a mile away and I think it was a terrific move for Oakland. Justin Fargas was okay last year but he isn't special like Darren McFadden has a chance to be. Teaming D-Mac with last year's #1 overall pick gives Oakland the most exciting young backfield in the league and you can't underestimate how much it will help with Russell's development to have a great running game to lean on. Sure Dorsey or Gholston would've addressed a greater need but McFadden is the most talented player in this entire draft and you just knew Davis couldn't resist.
At first I was hesitant with this pick but the more I think about it the more I like it. Dorsey is the premier defensive tackle in this class and after him and Sedrick Ellis there is a huge drop-off at the position. In other words if they did not get Dorsey here odds are they wouldn't have gotten a true stud for the middle of their d-line. Kansas City has a ton of picks and can get an offensive lineman, a defensive end or a cornerback later because there is plenty of depth at those positions. Dorsey will really give the Chiefs defense a big boost and this begins what will most likely be a long, painful rebuilding process for this franchise. Dorsey's a nice start though.
This was all they could do. Because they won a meaningless Week 17 game the Jets were picking #6 instead of #3 and were essentially at the mercy of the teams choosing ahead of them. With that said Vernon Gholston is a great talent who can really rush the passer and still has a ton of upside. He is also a nice fit at outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme. A guy such as Darren McFadden would have had a bigger immediate impact on the franchise in 2008 but based on what was available at this point Gholston was absolutely the right way for them to go. As J-E-T-S fans would probably agree though, McFadden would have looked pretty good in green...
An outstanding move and this is how you work the NFL Draft. The Saints identified a need, were aggressive and they landed the guy they wanted. A terrific job. New Orleans already addressed their issues in the secondary and at linebacker earlier this offseason but they still needed a stud defensive tackle and if they did not get Dorsey or Ellis they probably weren't going to get one in this draft. There was not much separating Dorsey and Ellis and I have been a big fan of the Trojan defensive tackle since his standout performance at the Senior Bowl, where he was absolutely dominant all week long. I just can't say enough about how much I LOVE this move.
Wow, NOBODY saw this coming. Baltimore will now probably look to add Joe Flacco or Chad Henne late in the first round. The Jaguars obviously needed a defensive end and Harvey was the consensus #3 at that position so I don't really have a problem with this value-wise. I am actually a little surprised at how little it cost the Jags to jump up all the way from #26 ( just two 3rd rounders and a 4th rounder ). After they lost Matt Ryan I guess the Ravens were motivated to dump out of this slot. As I've been saying for weeks Derrick Harvey was much more highly-regarded in NFL circles than the general public realized and was definitely going to go Top 10.
I think the Bengals screwed up, as usual. Cincy needed a stud defensive tackle more than anything else yet they allowed themselves to get outmaneuvered by New Orleans for Sedrick Ellis. That could haunt them. With that said I do like Keith Rivers and he will be a major upgrade for that defense with his ability to play outside or inside in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 scheme. At the end of the day though Ellis was the guy who the Bengals needed to come out of this draft with in my opinion and they knew somebody was going to trade ahead of them to steal him away yet they just let it happen. Rivers will be a good player but Ellis would've been better.
I knew the Pats weren't going to go cornerback here and I figured it would be a linebacker in some shape or form but I have to admit I did not really see it being Jerod Mayo. With that said Mayo is a guy who was really moving up draft boards in the last month or so and this probably breaks the heart of Rod Marinelli in Detroit. For New England I like the pick a lot, even if it is a slight reach. Junior Seau may not be back, Tedy Bruschi is going to hang up his cleats any year now and there was no depth to speak of inside. Mayo is athletic, fast, smart and productive, which is usually a fantastic combination, and he fits the profile of what the Patriots look for.
This is a solid move for Buffalo. Most had the Bills taking a wide receiver (Devin Thomas) here but I had them taking a corner in my final mock, albeit not McKelvin because I didn't think he would fall to them. The bottom line is that even though they need a big wideout they also need a corner and there is a good chance that Limas Sweed, James Hardy or Malcolm Kelly will be there for them in round two. McKelvin emerged as the top cornerback on most team's boards and he could have easily gone in the Top 10 overall. I'm not so sure I wouldn't have traded down with a team who wanted an o-lineman and gotten Rodgers-Cromartie or Jenkins later...
I had visions of the Broncos doing something crazy here but in the end they went the direction everyone envisioned. I think Braden Albert was a slightly better value but it's hard to knock the selection of Clady, who should step right in and assume the starting left tackle job. Denver may have lucked out here because there was talk of teams trying to trade ahead of them to start the run on offensive tackles a bit earlier, although odds are they would have still been able to land Albert or Chris Williams at this spot. Oh, and in case you haven't already heard Clady is the first Boise St. player to ever go in round one of the NFL Draft, which surprised me at bit.
I actually had this in my mock but I still find it interesting. Just a couple of years ago the Panthers used a first round pick on DeAngelo Williams but for some reason they continued to give the ineffective, injury-prone DeShaun Foster most of the carries. And now that Foster is finally gone the first thing they do is go out and get another running back in round one? How about giving DeAngelo an opportunity? With that said I think Stewart is a great talent and this is a good situation for him because he won't be counted on to carry the entire load, which is nice because he does have some issues when it comes to durability. How about that tackle though?
This was essentially the guy they had been linked to but that was kind of with the assumption that Branden Albert would be long gone by this point... This is basically a safe pick and let me tell you why. They want a left tackle so they can move John Tait to the right side so for all intents and purposes that eliminated Otah. Albert probably has more upside than Williams but you are also projecting him to a new position, which is a risk. In the case of Williams he's a true left tackle and therefore a sure-fire fit for what Chicago was looking to do with this pick. They need a tackle and a guard though and I would've thought Albert's versatility gave him an edge.
Wow, what a great move by Kansas City to trade up and land Albert here in the middle of round one. Albert was at the very least in the discussion for Kansas City with their first pick but I don't think they ever imagined he could possibly fall this far. Best-case the Chiefs just got themselves a stud left tackle and worst-case they have a potential Pro Bowler inside at guard. For a team with so many issues on the offensive line that is a pretty good scenario. Outstanding job by the Chiefs so far. What are the Lions doing though? With Harvey and Mayo gone you would think Mendenhall would be their target but now Arizona may take him with the next pick!
I really thought they would go with a running back here but I absolutely love the pick of Rodgers-Cromartie. Cornerback was hands down, without question their most glaring need and in my opinion they not only got the best one this draft had to offer but also one of the Top 10 overall players in this entire draft. DRC is just the type of athletic playmaker the Cardinals need in their secondary. This is right about where Antonio Cromartie came off the board a couple of years ago and he turned out to be a steal so watch for history to repeat itself because teams will one day regret passing on this guy. Great player. Great value. An outstanding pick.
Wow, this was a bit of a surprise but I guess if they didn't want Mendenhall here the next best offensive lineman was probably the way to go. George Foster was a huge bust last year so they desperately needed a right tackle and Cherilus is the prototype. I am probably higher on him than most though and even I have to admit this was a slight reach. However, the two guys the Lions really coveted, Derrick Harvey and Jerod Mayo, both came off the board in the Top 10 overall so this was not an ideal situation for them and they deserve credit for at least trading down a bit first. Personally I would've taken Mendenhall but at least it wasn't a wideout.
I'm not speechless (I never am) but this is about as close as it gets. Even though I do have Flacco rated as the #4 quarterback in this draft I understand that those second-tier guys (Brohm, Flacco and Henne) are all rated very close on most teams boards so I don't have a problem with him being the next signal caller off the board after Matt Ryan. But in the middle of round one?!? Late round one maybe, but this is just too early. The Ravens are obviously very high on Flacco and the only thing I can think of is they were worried that Jon Gruden was going to take him a couple of picks later. This is the big shocker of round one so far. Is he ready to play in '08?
They paid a very high price to move back into round one, including next year's 1st rounder, so Otah had better live up to expectations or they could pay for it a year from now. Giving up the future #1 tempers my enthusiasm with this pick a bit but overall I guess it looks pretty good. They needed a left tackle so they could move Travelle Wharton inside to guard and keep Jordan Gross on the right side so after taking Jonathan Stewart earlier they still had a huge hole to fill. Most feel Otah is best-suited to play right tackle but I bet Carolina plans to play him on the left side and he is exactly the type of physical run blocker that they were looking for there.
I am already on the record with how I think Talib is overrated so of course I have reservations about this pick. With that said this was probably the one place where Talib could have gone in the middle of round one where I can see how it could be a great fit. With Brian Kelly gone and Ronde Barber getting old the Bucs needed an infusion of youth in the secondary and Talib is a perfect fit for their zone scheme, where he will be able to utilize his playmaking ability. I think Devin Thomas would have been a great fit as well though and sooner or later they are going to have to add a top young playmaker to that offense. Joey Galloway is nearly 40-years-old!
This is quite a reach in my opinion but I can see where the Falcons are coming from. They desperately need a left tackle, especially now with Matt Ryan in the fold, and at the rate they are coming off the board it doesn't look like they would get one at the top of round two. In fact, they probably targeted this spot because they were afraid Pittsburgh was going to take him a couple of picks later. I think Sam Baker is overrated as a prospect and I'm not sure he's an ideal fit for the Falcons offensive line and scheme but since they have essentially been dealt lemons at the position they might as well do their best to try and make lemonade. Pretty shaky...
As I mentioned in my final mock this is one of those picks that everyone has had for months because it just made too much sense not to happen, although Rashard Mendenhall being on the board made it interesting for a moment. Throw all of the "He played at Arkansas, Jerry Jones is an Arkansas alum" stuff out of the equation and Felix is still a perfect fit for what the Cowboys needed. Marion Barber is a Pro Bowler but he has never carried the load, not even in college where he split time with Laurence Maroney, so Jones will be a great change-of-pace guy and be the lightning to Barber's thunder just like Julius Jones was. Only a heck of a lot better!
This is a great value pick, there's no question about that, and since all of the top offensive linemen are already off the board I like it. Now if Cherilus was available I might take exception but that obviously wasn't the case. Willie Parker is one of the best running backs in the NFL but he is coming off an injury and isn't really built to be a workhorse. Adding Mendenhall to the mix will make Parker more effective and add a power dimension to the Steelers offense that they really haven't had since Jerome Bettis walked off into the sunset following their Super Bowl win. Who could have foreseen Mendenhall falling this far 24-hours ago??? I certainly know I didn't.
Self-indulgent. That's the only way to describe this pick in my opinion. After taking running backs in the 2nd round the last two years the Titans go back to the well once again, even though they have other more glaring needs. I guess they're just applying the same strategy they use at the wide receiver position though... Rather than getting one good player to really solve the problem they just continue pecking away at it with a bunch of mediocre ones. Who would have been better here? How about Devin Thomas, Kentwan Balmer, Phillip Merling. That's just for starters. Chris Johnson? To Tennessee? In round one?!!!? Can you say Trung Candidate - Part II.
Once again give credit to a team targeting a player and being aggressive to make sure they got him. I was told that the Cowboys had Jenkins rated as the #2 corner on their draft board and he could have very easily come off the board in the Top 16 overall. Dallas was probably correct to assume that Houston was going to take him with the next pick so they made a deal to move up and got their man. Despite the deal for Pacman Jones the Cowboys still needed another top corner and they not only got one but they were able to get him a good 10 picks later than he should've gone. Other than not getting McFadden this was just a dream 1st round for Dallas.
Hey, my long-shot came through. I had Brown going to San Francisco in my final mock and I have a feeling there weren't many that had him in the Top 31 picks. Do I like the pick? Yes and no. On one hand they really needed a left tackle and he was the next guy on the board so when you look at it that way you can make the case for it being a good pick. On the other hand I had Brown rated as more of an early third round pick so from a value standpoint I am not a big fan of it. At least we can finally stop giving the Texans a left tackle in our mock drafts for the next few years, which will certainly be a welcomed change of pace. I can live with this.
I am a little surprised the Chargers didn't trade down to get some extra picks but I like this selection a lot. While many had Cason graded as a third rounder in their final rankings I was not afraid to put him in my Top 32 overall and I guess at least one team agreed with me. As good of a player as Cason is what stands out about him for me are his intangibles, which are top-notch. Cason will be a nice nickel guy behind Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer and in my opinion he is actually an upgrade over Drayton Florence, who left as a free agent. Why didn't I go with my gut and keep Cason in the first round of my final mock draft... Dumb, dumb, dumb.
This is a surprise and I do not like the pick at all. Jackson is a really good player and I have no problem with him sliding into late round one... but to Seattle? The Seahawks already have a stud in Patrick Kerney and former #2 pick in Darryl Tapp, not to mention Baraka Atkins who was a fourth round pick a year ago. Sure they needed some depth but in my opinion you don't draft for depth in round one. Not even if you are the New England Patriots. If anything what they needed was a tackle and Kentwan Balmer would've been a better fit here. I'm not surprised they passed on Keller though because he is not a good enough blocker for that offense.
The Niners really do have a bunch of needs so they could've gone in a number of different directions here and this was one of them. I actually like the pick for them because with the retirement of Bryant Young they really don't have much to get excited about on that defensive line. Oh sure they signed Justin Smith but I have some reservations as to how he will fit in that 3-4 scheme... Balmer on the other hand will be an ideal fit as a 5-technique defensive end in the 3-4 and if they can ever get his play on the field to match up with his workout numbers they could have a steal. It was high time that they added a top talent to their defensive line.
I'm not real wild about this one... Chris Baker isn't anything special and they could certainly use an upgrade but did they really need a one-dimensional pass catcher this early? Keller was the top tight end in this draft but that does not necessarily mean he is a first round pick and I just think the Jets had other priorities here. How about a cornerback like Brandon Flowers to team with Darrelle Revis? Or a safety like Kenny Phillips to replace Erik Coleman? Or even a big wideout like Limas Sweed or James Hardy? Needless to say there are a lot of other directions that I would have gone here if I were the Jets and taking a tight end was a ways down the list.
Everyone had the Giants down for a safety at this spot. I actually had them taking Tyrell Johnson in my final mock, but only because Phillips was already off the board. The Super Bowl champs lost Gibril Wilson in free agency and even though they did sign Sammy Knight he is, at the absolute best, merely a stop-gap solution. I had Phillips rated as the 20th best player in this draft so obviously I think he's a good value fit here but he also addresses a need, which is always the combination you look for in a good draft pick. I have no doubt that Phillips will outperform this draft slot and a number of teams will ultimately regret passing on him. Outstanding pick.
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