2013 NFL Mock Draft

Unlike past years, I know nearly nothing about this upcoming NFL Draft.  Therefore, this year's mock will serve only to the best possible outcome for the Cleveland Browns (at least in my eyes).

1st Round

1. Kansas City Chiefs-Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville Jaguars-Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
3. Oakland Raiders-Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles-Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon
5. Detroit Lions-Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
6. Arizona Cardinals (via Cleveland for #7 & # #38)-Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma
7. Miami Dolphins (via Arizona through Cleveland for #12, #77, & #111)-Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
8. Buffalo Bills-Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
9. NY Jets-Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
10. Tennessee Titans-Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU
11. San Diego Chargers-Jonathan Jenkins, DT, Georgia
12. Chicago Bears (via Miami with # 139 & #175 through Cleveland for # 20 & #50)-Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
13. NY Jets (via Tampa Bay)-Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
14. Carolina Panthers-Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints-Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU
16. St. Louis Rams-Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
17. Pittsburgh Steelers-Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys-Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
19. NY Giants-Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
20. Cleveland Browns (via Chicago)-Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Alex Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
22. St. Louis Rams (via Washington)-Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
23. Minnesota Vikings-D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
24. Indianapolis Colts-Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
25. Minnesota Vikings (via Seattle)-DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
26. Green Bay Packers-Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State
27. Houston Texans-Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
28. Denver Broncos-Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
29. New England Patriots-Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
30. Atlanta Falcons-Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
31. San Francisco 49ers-Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
32. Baltimore Ravens-Keenan Allen, WR, Cal

DREAM DRAFT FOR BROWNS

1 (20). Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
2 (38). Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
2 (50). Damontre Moore, OLB, Texas A&M
3 (68). Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
3 (77). EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
4 (104). Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State
5 (164). Kevin Reddick, ILB, North Carolina
7 (227). Jasper Collins, WR, Mount Union

Eifert gives Brandon Weeden a dangerous underneath target to complement Josh Gordon and Greg Little on the outside, while Rhodes provides a physical defensive backfield partner for Joe Haden.  Moore has consistency issues, but his tremendous upside is worth a shot at #50.  Warford fills a need, as does Thomas (I honestly have never heard of either of them).  Reddick is the kind of athletic underachiever UNC has been producing for years, while Collins is a local boy who will have a chance to work his way onto the field as a possession receiver.  EJ Manuel in the 3rd round would be neat, especially since Coach Chud seems pumped about him. I would be happy with this haul.  What do you guys think?

2012 Browns Draft Thoughts

This post was originally supposed to go up last Friday, but due to travel and familial commitments, I could not get it up until today.  I think it still is accurate, so enjoy.

The Cleveland Browns had their fans soaring as high as they have ever been since returning to the NFL following their selection of Trent Richardson in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Finally, the most nondescript offense in the league would have an identity, and the Browns would have a marquee player for the first time since Bernie Kosar (and a marquee back since perhaps Jim Brown). Even though the Brownies had to trade up one spot (when it later became apparent that they probably didn't need to), Richardson was worth it (the draft party I was at seemed content with any bounty as long as it didn't include our #22 or #37 picks). The draft was already a win, and the bruising right tackle or speedy receiver added at #22 would be icing on the cake.

2012 NFL Mock Draft

Seven rounds.  253 selections. 6,902 words.  100 percent accuracy.  This is the ultimate in mock drafts, and is a perfect representation of exactly what will go down next week.  I am pretty satisfied with what the Browns are going to do, but maybe you disagree.  Let me know.  For the first three rounds, my pinpoint-accurate analysis follows every pick, while for the last four rounds, I saved my analysis for only the Browns' picks.  Print this off, or load it up on the I-Pad, because this is Gospel, and it deserves to be read on the toilet.  Enjoy.

[EDIT: I accidentally have Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming being selected twice in the third round, first by Washington at 69 and then by Kansas City at 74.  Fixing it would mean re-doing the entire draft after that point, which I simply cannot do.  I feel like I've let you down, but I guess this is what happens when I try to mock every round over the course of two all-night writing session.  Hopefully that's the only mistake, but if there are more, please let me know.]

2011 NFL Mock Draft: The Rest of The First Round

Due to some oversleeping on my part, I'm going to be able to continue the rest of my thrilling mock draft.  The top 10 can be found here, as well as an analogy to poor children and ribbons that has apparently made some uncomfortable.  Therefore, there are no creepy analogies today, but instead only imaginary, uninformed draft picks!

2011 NFL Mock Draft: The Top 10

Hey gang!  It's late April, so that can only mean it's time for your favorite time of the year.  That's right, the 4th Annual Diminishing Skills Mock Draft!!!  Due to severe time constraints that leave me with little to no sleep each night, I'm unfortunately limiting this initial post to the top 10, which--even more unfortunately--may very well be the extent of this year's mock.  So, just as poor children learn to cherish the few shiny buttons and smooth ribbons they sneak from the art room at school to rub their cheeks against in their beds that they share with their 3 siblings, their mom, her mom, and their 8 cats, cherish these precious few trinkets of smooth, smooth wisdom.

INTERNET Road Trip: 2/11/11

Here's some interesting items to get you through the rest of your work week:

• Mocking The Draft explores the NFL pipeline that has developed at Kent State, and explains why it will continue to flow this year.
• According to the NY Times, the Browns are the 26th most popular team in Madden. (via Dawgs by Nature)
• The Shutdown Corner gives us a tour of Deion Sanders $5.5 million ranch (which is for sale, so get in while it's still a buyer's market!).
• Let's Go Tribe has a quick breakdown of the Orlando Cabrera signing.
• Basketball Reference looks at team W-L record in games in which a specific player was the leading scorer.  The all-time worst record when a player led his team in scoring?  Former Cav Lamond Murray, who's teams went 30-92 when he paced them in points.  Who has the best record?  Click and find out!
• Every slam dunk from every NBA dunk contest...ever.
• The Basketball Jones have uncovered the flier for Derrick Rose's All-Star party, "Rose Petals." (probably NSFW).
• Rob Neyer continues his look at the MLB Players of the Decade today with a look at the top shortstops (SPOILER ALERT: Jhonny Peralta didn't make the cut).
• Get your weekend started right with a little Fart Touch (via the hilarious MBMBAM podcast).

carltonmitchell.net

While perusing the results of the Browns day three draft, I found myself Googling each selection (since ESPN offers some pretty weak analysis).  I looked up safety Larry Asante on CBS Sportsline and learned he is a converted linebacker who started his career at a junior college before landing in Nebraska (the Browns certainly do seem to value run-support ability in their safeties).  Then I looked up wide receiver Carlton Mitchell out of South Florida, and the number two result was something called carltonmitchell.net. 

I was blown away.  How awesome is it that our 6th round pick has his own website?  And that the main page of that site is a chart explaining how by the year 2021 he will be the second best receiver in the NFL (and will be the best from 2015 to 2018). 

Now I know Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert and Eric Mangini probably scouted Mitchell and did all the work necessary to make sure he was a good fit for the team, but I like to hope that they went to his website, looked at that chart, and decided they had to take the league's number one receiver (circa 2015).

Welcome to Cleveland, Carlton.  You are my new favorite rookie.

 

If you like made up statistics, then you hate Montario Hardesty

Over at Football Outsiders, they have a study up on the value of college running backs that involves a lot of stats and numbers that I do not understand at all.  The part that caught my eye, however, was when they translated their mumbo-jumbo stats into ratings ranging from +3 to -3 that project a running back's future success in the NFL.

2010 NFL Draft: Round One Thoughts

Like any draft, the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft was full of surprises, head-scratchers, and potential home runs.  Of course, it's pretty hard to evaluate how well a team has done less than six hours from when they made their selection, but I think you can judge how they did based purely on a value scale.  One thing this first round showed more than most (I assume, but that could just be the recency effect wreaking havoc on my mind) is how one team's move can affect pretty much every other selection in the round.

2010 NFL Mock Draft

It's NFL Draft week, and while we all wait to hear the next crazy rumor out of Berea (the Browns are going to trade their entire draft for Sam Bradford; no wait, they're going to take Jimmy Clausen; no wait, they're going to trade down and take Colt McCoy in the middle of the first round; no wait, they're going to trade their number one for Big Ben; etc.), I figured I'd let you know exactly what's going to happen with the 3rd Annual (sort of) Diminishing Skills Mock Draft (you can read the first two here and here, but I must warn you, their accuracy may make your head explode).  Just as with my killer weekly NFL picks--and Starting Lineup's decision to produce the pictured product--these are 100% correct. 

The QB Class of 2007: Worst of the Decade?

Considering the struggles of the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2007 NFL Draft--Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell--, and that Kevin Kolb--the third quarterback selected in 2007--looked about as bad as someone can throwing for 391 yards, I started wondering if the quarterback class of '07 is the worst of the past ten years.  To find out, I looked over the quarterbacks selected in each draft from 1999 to 2008, and then rated each player and averaged out those ratings to determine the average value of each draft year.  To read more about how I came up with the ratings, go to the bottom of the page.  To see the crazy spreadsheet I used to determine all of this, go here.  The results are as follows, from best to worst.  Enjoy.

3 round NFL Mock Draft

ROUND 1

1. Detroit Lions-Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

I hate Matthew Stafford, think he will fail, and think Jim Schwartz will fail if he makes this pick. Of course, I thought the same things about Matt Ryan.

2. St. Louis Rams-Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

Somebody has to replace Orlando Pace.

3. Kansas City Chiefs-Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

Matt Cassell gives the offense hope; Aaron Curry will do the same for the D.

4. Seattle Seahawks-Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

Walter Jones isn't getting any younger (or is he? no, he isn't) and they Housh's arrival makes Crabtree unnecessary.

5. Cleveland Browns-Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

This pick is based upon the assumption that Braylon Edwards is traded.

6. Cincinnati Bengals-Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

Some pass-rushing to replace that dude from Georgia who got paralyzed...David Pollack! I knew I knew who he was.

7. Oakland Raiders-Jeremy Macklin, WR, Missouri

He's fast, he's a wideout, he is going to play for Al Davis.

8. Denver Broncos (from Jacksonville)-BJ Raji, DT, Boston College

(Denver trades the 12, 79, and 235 picks to Jacksonville for the number 8 pick)

Denver starts rebuilding their defense from the inside (and front) out.

9. Green Bay Packers-Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State

The Packers need someone to rush the passer in their new 3-4, and I guess this guy's good at that.

10. San Francisco 49ers-Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

Alex Smith is a bust and Shaun Hill puts up stats without wins; Sanchez finally replaces the yawning hole left by Jeff Garcia's withdrawal.

11. Buffalo Bills-Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

Pass rush is also a need here, but with the acquisition of TO, the Bills' offense needs to produce now.

12. Washington Redskins (from Denver via Jacksonville)-Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

(Washington trades the 13, 150, and 186 picks to Jacksonville for the number 12 pick)

Washington gets the maligned but talented Smith to infuse some youth onto an aging, deteriorating unit.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Washington)-Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

Jacksonville takes advantage of Denver's desire to move ahead of Green Bay for Raji and Washington's desire to make sure the Jags didn't take Smith to pick up some extra picks. Unfortunately, no one else will want to move into this spot, so the solid yet unspectacular (and one-year wonder) Ayers is the pick, as this is too high for any of the remaining receivers.

14. New Orleans Saints-Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State

Wells replaces Deuce McAllister as the big back to spell Reggie Bush. A part-time role is probably best for Wells, who was one of the more notorious boom-or-limp -to-the-sideline players in the nation.

15. Houston Texans-Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

In a bit of a shocker, the Texans fill their need for a corner with Davis, not Malcolm Jenkins. I think Jenkins will probably be the better player, but the Texans seem like the kind of team that would be scared off by Jenkins's slow 40 time.

16. San Diego Chargers-Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State

Maybin will serve as the pass-rushing complement to Shawn Merriman that the Chargers proved last year they desperately need.

17. New York Jets-Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

Bay replaces Laveranues Coles and will help take pressure off Jericho Cotchery and whoever is throwing him the ball.

18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago)-Rey Maulauga, ILB, USC

Denver continues to solidify their front 7, adding Maulauga to Raji to form a stout core.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

Even with the signing of Byron Leftwitch, the Bucs need a QB of the future. Freeman is that man.

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas)-Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss

Jerry gives Jim Schwartz a beast to develop up front, ala Albert Haynseworth in Tennessee.

21. Philadelphia Eagles-Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

Although he isn't the big back needed to complement Brian Westbrook, Moreno has the skill set to eventually replace Westbrook as the focal point of the offense and to at least let him get a little bit more rest.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota)-Clay Matthews, OLB, USC

(Cleveland trades Brady Quinn to Minnesota for the 22 pick)

Although it would be hard to pass on the hometown boy Malcolm Jenkins, the Browns opt to solidify their terrible linebacking corps with the son of the last great Browns linebacker.

23. New England Patriots-Brian Cushing, OLB, USC

Like always, the Patriots get their man. Cushing's versatility (as well as his durability issues) fit in splendidly in Bill Belichick's complicated defense.

24. Atlanta Falcons-Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State

Although they have bigger needs along the defensive line, the Falcons can't pass on the slipping Jenkins, whose versatility and intelligence will more than make up for his lack of top-end speed. Steal of the draft.

25. Miami Dolphins-Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Jackson was built to play defense end in a Bill Parcells 3-4.

26. Baltimore Ravens-Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

Harvin is the type of athlete the Ravens love; hopefully he will pan out better than their other 1st round receivers (Mark Clayton, Travis Taylor).

27. Indianapolis Colts-Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

A bit of a reach by the Colts, but at this point in this draft, picks are going to be dictated by need, and the Colts need some fresh blood on the interior of their D-line.

28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina)-Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss

Oher will help solidify a line that struggled with short-yardage situations last season.

29. Cleveland Browns (from NY Giants)-Alex Mack, C, Cal

(Cleveland trades Braylon Edwards to New York Giants for picks 29 and 129)

Not a sexy pick, but Mack replaces the barely mediocre Hank Fraley and sticks it to the Steelers, who reportedly were targeting Mack.

30. Tennessee Titans-Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut

Butler is the kind of ball-hawking corner the Titans love.

31. Arizona Cardinals-Connor Barwin, DE/OLB, Cincinnati

A relative unknown (to me at least), Barwin is a converted tight end with the speed to play linebacker and the size to play end. That kind of versatility should fit in well with the Cardinals 4-3/3-4 hybrid, aggressive D.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers-Eben Britton, OT, Arizona

Britton can play both sides of the line and will provide depth for the most maligned Super Bowl champion offensive line ever.

ROUND 2

33. Detroit Lions-James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

A smart player with leadership qualities, he will help lead the turnaround on the Detroit defense. As an Ohio State fan who has watched him his entire career, however, I can only hope that Lions fans enjoy seeing him getting completely devoured by downfield blocks.

34. New England Patriots (from Kansas City)-Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan

It is disgusting how things always work out for the Patriots. If they end up with Cushing and Delmas on draft day, I'm going to puke.

35. St. Louis Rams-Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois

A pass-rushing fiend in the mold of Mathias Kiwanuka for new coach Scott Spagnuolo to play with.

36. Cleveland Browns-Sean Smith, CB/S, Utah

A giant (6-4) to help out the diminutive duo of Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright, Smith has the speed to play outside, the size to play safety, and can even be used on blitzes.

37. Seattle Seahawks-Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

Although small (5'9"), Smith has the ball skills and speed to be an effective corner, and will fit in nicely in the nickel with Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings.

38. Cincinnati Bengals-Max Unger, C, Oregon

Another boring pick by an Ohio team that fills a big hole.

39. Carolina Panthers (from Jacksonville)-D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt

(Jacksonville trades picks 39, 72, and a 2010 1st round pick to Carolina for Julius Peppers)

The Panthers use Peppers's discontent to trade back into the upper part of the draft and snatch Ken Lucas's replacement.

40. Oakland Raiders-William Beatty, OT, Connecticut

Having already goten a receiver to help Jamarcus Russell, Al Davis now works on giving Russell enough time to bomb it deep to Macklin.

41. Green Bay Packers-Ron Brace, DT, Boston College

Brace should anchor the nose for the new 3-4 Packers defense, or at least be a significant part of a rotation with Ryan Pickett and Justin Harrell.

42. Buffalo Bills-Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia

A pass-rusher to take the pressure off of Aaron Schobel.

43. San Francisco 49ers-Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

A bruising hitter, Chung should become a favorite of coach Mike Singletary.

44. Miami Dolphins (from Washington)-Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina

A solid receiver with size who should open up the deep game for Ted Ginn.

45. New York Giants (from New Orleans)-Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

Despite franchising Brandon Jacobs, the Giants take Brown to replace the departed Derrick Ward and provide a little flash to Jacobs's bruising thunder.

46. Houston Texans-Fili Moala, DT, USC

A large, active man who should draw double teams and free up Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye.

47. New England Patriots (from San Diego)-Brian Robiske, WR, Ohio State

The Patriots usually avoid drafting receivers, but Robiske fits so nicely into the role vacated by Jabar Gaffney that I just want to see it happen. Besides, with this many picks so high in the draft, maybe Bellichick will splurge a little on welcoming back Tom Brady (although we all know he is going to trade down from every single one of these picks, accumulating 5 more picks in the 1st 3 rounds of next year's draft, leaving us all wondering how the Patriots keep getting so many draft picks.)

48. Denver Broncos-Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon

Byrd possesses good cover skills and can help Champ Bailey transition from dominant to merely very good. Byrd is also an excellent return man.

49. Chicago Bears-Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

After investing so much in Jay Cutler, the Bears had better get someone for him to throw to. While he isn't Plaxico Burress, it is important to remember that Britt isn't Plaxico Burress yet.

50. Cleveland Browns (from Tampa Bay)-LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh

With the acquisition of so many extra picks, the Browns have the luxury of grabbing Jamal Lewis's eventual replacement (possibly as soon as this year).

51. Dallas Cowboys-Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma

It isn't the typical Cowboys razzle-dazzle pick, but Robinson fills a big need on an aging line.

52. NY Jets-Jamon Meredith, OT/G, South Carolina

A versatile player who has lined up at both tackle spots as well as guard during his career, Meredith will provide excellent depth along the offensive line.

53. Philadelphia Eagles-Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma

Iglesias is tailor-made for the West Coast offense, which the Eagles just happen to run.

54. Minnesota Vikings-Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona

A versatile mighty-mite (5'8"), Thomas can score the ball running, receiving, or returning. He will provide some explosion from the slot and on runbacks.

55. Kansas City Chiefs-James Casey, TE, Rice

(Atlanta trades pick 55 to Kansas City for Tony Gonzalez)

The Chiefs trade Gonzalez for his replacement, another freak athlete who comes with the added bonus of extreme versatility (having played defensive end, safety, quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and whatever else Rice needed from him).

56. Miami Dolphins-Jarron Gilbert, DE/OLB, San Jose State

A small school athletic freak, Gilbert has the potential to be as disruptive as another Bill Parcells small school draftee, DeMarcus Ware.

57. Baltimore Ravens-Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati

With the departures of Samari Rolle and Chris McAllister, the Ravens could use some help in the secondary. Mickens is the type of ballhawk the Ravens love, and has potential to be a shutdown corner.

58. New England Patriots-Andre Brown, RB, NC State

A dynamic pass-catching back to eventually replace Kevin Faulk.

59. Carolina Panthers-Lawrence Sidbury, Jr., DE/OLB, Richmond

Sidbury lacks the size to be an every-down player; however, he possesses enough pass-rushing ability to help ease the loss of Julius Peppers.

60. New York Giants-Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina

Kevin Boss was a bit of a disappointment last season. Cook has the athletic gifts and receiving skills to be an absolute monster over the middle for the Giants offense.

61. Indianapolis Colts-Marcus Freeman, OLB, Ohio State

The Colts seem to like Ohio State players (Mike Doss, Anthony Gonzalez, Quinn Pittcock), and Freeman should fit in nicely in their Tampa-2 defense.

62. Tennessee Titans-Derrick Williams, WR, Penn State

Williams may not develop into a number one wideout, but he possess the size and athleticism to be a big time playmaker someway, be it on kick returns or end-arounds.

63. Arizona Cardinals-Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa

Greene should come in and replace Edgerrin James as the primary back. He is not the pass-catcher James is, but he is much more of a power runner, which should add a different dimension to the explosive Arizona attack.

64. Pittsburgh Steelers, Eric Wood, C, Louisville

Having missed out on Alex Mack, the Steelers fill their center slot with Wood, who is only really a slight step down from Mack. Along with Eben Britton, Wood should help solidify the porous Steelers line.

ROUND 3

65. Detroit Lions-Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma

The Lions pick up this massive beast (6-8, 332) to initially man right tackle but he could be groomed into Jeff Backus's replacement on the left side.

66. St. Louis Rams-Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU
Beckwith has the versatility to play inside and out, he is probably better suited to be a run-stuffing inside linebacker, allowing the more explosive Will Witherspoon and Chris Draft to move outside.

67. Kansas City Chiefs-William Moore, S, Missouri

A hard-hitting ballhawk, Moore should be the back-end enforcer the rebuilt Chiefs defense needs.

68. Seattle Seahawks-Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston State

The Seahawks snatch up the disgraced former Sooner to be Matt Hasselback's heir apparent.

69. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland)-Darcel McBath, S, Texas Tech

McBath should be able to step into the void left by Roy Williams's release.

70. Cincinnati Bengals-Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty

Cedric Benson is not the answer at RB, so Jennings should be able to contribute from day one.

71. Oakland Raiders-Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn

Marks is a stout run stuffer to plug into the middle of a porous Oakland defensive line.

72. Carolina Panthers (from Jacksonville)-Herman Johnson, G, LSU

Johnson's mauling style should fit right in with the run-oriented Panthers.

73. Green Bay Packers-Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland

Barnes is fast with good size and should help the aging Charles Woodson and Al Harris.

74. San Francisco 49ers-Paul Kruger, DE/OLB, Utah

Kruger should add some pass rush to Mike Singletary's D.

75. Buffalo Bills-Kraig Urbik, G, Wisconsin

Can play guard or tackle; will provide depth and flexibility should Jason Peters depart. A four-year starter at Wisconsin, Urbik will also provide some leadership.

76. New York Jets (from New Orleans)-Pat White, QB/WR/RB, West Virginia

A versatile athlete, White should prove to be a dangerous playmaker wherever he lines up.

77. Houston Texans-Mohammed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia

The Texans may have finally found the complement to Andre Johnson, as Massaquoi has the size, skill, and smarts to be a tremendous NFL player.

78. San Diego Chargers-Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida

Ingram provides insurance in case Antonio Gates's injury problems continue. Much like Gates, Ingram is an athletic pass catcher who is a legitimate weapon.

79. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Denver)-Louis Murphy, WR, Florida

A tall burner, Murphy will give the Jags the deep threat they've lacked since the days of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.

80. Washington Redskins-Tyrone McKenzie, LB, South Florida

McKenzie can play inside and out, and may be able to replace the departed Marcus Washington.

81. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Martin Sharrod, CB, Troy

Ronde Barber is getting old and Sharrod should be able to step into the nickel and contribute.

82. Detroit Lions (from Dallas)-Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss

Nelson gives Matt Stafford a safety valve over the middle.

83. Green Bay Packers (from NY Jets)-Gerald Cadogen, OT, Penn State

The Packers need help at right tackle, and Cadogen may be their man.

84. Denver Broncos (from Chargers)-Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina

A big linebacker who can lineup next to Mauluaga and bolster the Denver interior.

85. Philadelphia Eagles-Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina

Quinn is the blocking tight end this team has lacked, and should help convert those 3-and-1s the Eagles struggled with last year.

86. Minnesota Vikings-Troy Kopog, OT, Tulane

Another team taking an offensive lineman. How exciting!

87. Miami Dolphins-Keenan Lewis, CB, Oregon State

A tall corner who excels in man-to-man coverage.

88. Baltimore Ravens-Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest

A ferocious hitter, Vaughn should fit right in with the physical Ravens D.

89. New England Patriots-Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri

Yet another weapon for Tom Brady to find in the passing game.

90. Atlanta Falcons-Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama

The Falcons again just go with a tremendous value pick, getting Johnson to be the future field general for their defense.

91. New York Giants-Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State

Played both tackle spots in college, but projects to guard in the pros. Gives the Giants depth and flexibility on the O-line.

92. Indianapolis Colts-Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State

Ringer should be able to fill in for the 3-4 games Joseph Addai will miss.

93. Carolina Panthers-Kevin Ogletree, WR, Virginia

Yet another receiver to try and lineup opposite Steve Smith.

94. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Tennessee)-Alex Magee, DT/DE, Purdue

(Pittsburgh trades picks 96 and 205 to Tennessee for picks 94 and 242)

Magee should develop into a stout DE in the Steelers 3-4.

95. Arizona Cardinals-Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU

A talented but troubled player, Arizona may get a steal.

96. Tennessee Titans (from Pittsburgh)-Scott Dorrell, DT, Clemson

Dorrell is a talented player who underperformed in his senior year.

97. New England Patriots (compensatory pick)-Asher Allen, CB, Georgia

The Patriots lose half of their secondary to injury every year, so Allen adds needed depth.

98. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory pick)-David Bruton, S, Notre Dame

A good leader who will at least be a special teams dynamo.

99. Chicago Bears (compensatory pick)-David Veikune, DE, Hawaii

Adds depth to a defensive line that really underwhelmed last year.

100. New York Giants (compensatory pick)-Christopher Owens, CB, San Jose State

A mentally-tough corner who could become a fan favorite.

2007 Mock Draft

This is for my boy Matt, and if you should happen to see it, so be it.

Round 1

1 Oakland Jamarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2 Atlanta Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (Traded by Detroit to Atlanta for 8th, 39th, & 44th pick)
3 Cleveland Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
4 Tampa Bay Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
5 Arizona Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
6 Washington Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
7 Buffalo Adrian Peterson, HB, Oklahoma (Traded by Minnesota to Buffalo for 12th, 43rd, & 92nd pick)
8 Detroit Laron Landry, S, LSU (Traded by Atlanta to Detroit for 2nd pick)
9 Miami Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
10 Houston Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
11 San Francisco Adam Carriker, DE/OLB, Nebraska
12 Minnesota Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio State (Traded by Buffalo to Minnesota for 7th pick)
13 St. Louis Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
14 Carolina Patrick Willis, ILB, Ole Miss
15 Pittsburgh Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
16 Green Bay Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
17 Jacksonville Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
18 Cincinnati Greg Olson, TE, Miami (Fl.)
19 Tennessee Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
20 NY Giants Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State
21 Denver Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
22 Dallas Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
23 Kansas City Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
24 New England Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
25 NY Jets Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida State
26 Philadelphia Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
27 New Orleans Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State
28 New England Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida
29 Baltimore Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue
30 San Diego Michael Griffin, S, Texas
31 Chicago Jon Beason, OLB, Miami (Fl.)
32 Indianapolis Justin Blalock, G, Texas

Round 2

33 Oakland Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
34 Detroit Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
35 Tampa Bay Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio State
36 Cleveland Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas
37 Chicago Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
38 Arizona Victor Abiamiri, DE/OLB, Notre Dame
39 Detroit Ryan Kalil, C, USC (Traded by Atlanta to Detroit for 2nd pick)
40 Miami Brandon Merriweather, S, Miami (Fl.)
41 Minnesota Zach Miller, TE, ASU
42 San Francisco Craig Davis, WR, LSU
43 Minnesota Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia (Traded by Buffalo to Minnesota for 7th pick)
44 Detroit Brandon Siler, ILB, Florida Traded by Atlanta to Detroit for 2nd pick
45 Carolina Doug Free, OT, Northern Illinois
46 Pittsburgh Lamar Woodley, OLB/DE, Michigan
47 Green Bay Steve Smith, WR, USC
48 Jacksonville Ray McDonald, DE, Florida
49 Cincinnati Jonathan Wade, CB, Tennessee
50 Tennessee Eric Wright, CB, UNLV
51 NY Giants Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
52 St. Louis Tank Tyler, DT, NC State
53 Dallas Tim Crowder, DE, Texas
54 Kansas City Arron Sears, G, Tennessee
55 Seattle Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE, Hawaii
56 Denver Jason Hill, WR, Washington State
57 Philadelphia Brian Leonard, RB, Rutgers
58 New Orleans David Harris, ILB, Michigan
59 NY Jets James Marten, OT, Boston College
60 Miami Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan State
61 Baltimore Josh Wilson, CB, Marlyand
62 San Diego Johnnie Lee-Higgins, WR, UTEP
63 NY Jets David Irons, CB, Auburn
64 Tampa Bay Turk McBride, DT, Tennessee

Round 3

65 Oakland Marshall Yanda, OT, Iowa
66 Detroit Trent Edwards, QB, Stanford
67 Cleveland Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio State
68 Tampa Bay Tony Hunt, RB, Penn State
69 Arizona Rufus Alexander, OLB, Oklahoma
70 Denver Aaron Rouse, S, Virginia Tech
71 Miami Manuel Ramirez, G, Texas Tech
72 Minnesota Tarell Brown, CB, Texas
73 Houston Josh Gattis, S, Wake Forest
74 Buffalo Brandon Mebane, DT, California
75 Atlanta Eric Weddle, S, Utah
76 San Francisco Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia
77 Pittsburgh Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn
78 Green Bay Andy Alleman, G, Akron
79 Jacksonville Tanard Jackson, S, Syracuse
80 Tennessee Tim Shaw, OLB, Penn State
81 NY Giants Samson Satele, C, Hawaii
82 St. Louis Dustin Fry, C, Clemson
83 Carolina Michael Johnson, S, Arizona
84 Kansas City Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida
85 Seattle Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
86 Denver A.J. Davis, CB, North Carolina State
87 Dallas Daymeion Hughes, CB, California
88 New Orleans Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware
89 NY Jets Michael Coe, CB, Alabama State
90 Philadelphia Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
91 New England Michael Okwo, ILB, Stanford
92 Minnesota Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida State (Traded by Buffalo to Minnesota for 7th pick)
93 San Diego Josh Beekman, G, Boston College
94 Chicago Courtney Taylor, WR, Auburn
95 Indianapolis David Clowney, WR, Virginia Tech
96 San Diego Antonio Johnson, DT, Mississippi State
97 San Francisco Dan Bazuin, DE/OLB, Central Michigan
98 Indianapolis Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina
99 Oakland Buster Davis, ILB, Florida State