Ok boys and girls, first and foremost, Big Snack would like to thank his lil brother Pizzy for sending this to me. He actually spent an entire Monday afternoon making this, and I'm not gonna lie - it's pretty good, at least I think.
So without further ado, here goes...
This mock draft has lineman slipping farther than they probably will, but I went with the idea of finding the teams' biggest need and trying to address it. I also do not believe we will see anything like last year where linemen went off the board in record time. 1. Lions- Matthew Stafford (QB Georgia) – He has the arm strength needed to be a franchise QB with above average accuracy. Durability is not a question with him; he never missed a college start due to injury. His problems are that he hasn’t won the big game, he’s inconsistent at times, and never got a chance to call any plays based on his opponents' defense. All in all he’s a tough kid that will take a year or two to develop, but well worth the first overall pick for a team in need of EVERYTHING.
2. Rams- Eugene Monroe (OT Virginia) – He is the most polished tackle in this years draft with exceptional feet for a man-child his size (6’5 ½”). He’s a master pass blocker due to his quick feet and finesse nature. Needs to add bulk to become a better run blocker. Had some injury problems early in his career, but it seems to be a thing of the past. Rams need help on their offensive line more so than any other position and with this pick they should have a solid LT for a while.
3. Chiefs- Aaron Curry (LB Wake Forest) – Has all the physical tools needed to be a star in the NFL and with a new GM in charge, it would be wise to invest in a defensive player since they seem to have a quality tackle in Brandon Albert. Curry is the best defensive player in this draft and they Chiefs need all the help they can get. He's the most NFL ready LB at either position and has produced at a consistently high level in his 3 years as a starter. Never missed a game due to injury. Matthew Stafford would be their ideal pick, but in this mock draft he is gone.
4. Seahawks- Jason Smith (OT Baylor) – He has great speed for a tackle in the NFL since he used to be a TE. He's very aggressive and needs to continue to improve his technique to become a Pro-Bowl type player. Teams love his upside and long arms, but he doesn’t dominate in any one characteristic. He missed a handful of games last year due to injury. Crabtree is an option here, but I don’t see them using a pick this high to get anything but the offensive lineman of their choice.
5. Browns- Malcolm Jenkins (CB Ohio State) – Jenkins is a hard-nosed CB that has exceptional intangibles. He has good speed and size for an NFL CB and has shown throughout his career that he is up to any challenge. He had a few injuries in 05, but since then has been on the field constantly. He's very talented at any secondary position and may actually be better suited to be a safety. The Browns secondary is terrible and this pick would solidify the opposite CB of McDonald.
6. Bengals- B.J. Raji (DT Boston College) – After last season's near miss with Sedrick Ellis going to the Saints, I don’t see them passing up the one legit DT in this draft. They have Peko and need help on their offensive line, but their biggest concern is to keep improving their defense, which continually got better as the year went on. Raji has character issues so he should fit in perfectly in Cincinnati. Seriously though, he is a strong run stopper who would anchor a line in need of some stability.
7. Raiders- Michael Crabtree (WR Texas Tech) – The best talent at any position in the 09 draft, he has the size, strength, and speed needed to be a dominant force in the NFL (think Larry Fitzgerald). With Al Davis in charge in Oakland I would never expect him to pass up the most physically talented player. The Raiders need help on offense even with two top 5 draft picks at QB and RB. WR is a need and Crabtree is the most accomplished receiver to enter the draft in a while, seeing as he only played two years at Texas Tech and had 40 career receiving touchdowns. You don’t have to be a genius to tell he has talent and could change the Raiders offense from being OK to an actual threat.
8. Jaguars- Chris Wells (RB Ohio State) – With the release of Fred Taylor comes the new era of Maurice Jones Drew and “Beanie” Wells. He has the size, power, speed, and vision to be an elite player in the NFL. He has suspect receiving skills at best, but Jones Drew would be their 3rd down back. They need help on the offensive line, but with a draft that is deep at O-Linemen, it's not a must have in round 1. Instead, they can pick a player that could hopefully do what Jonathan Stewart did last year for the Panthers. He has injury problems, but his skills are too great to pass up. Don’t be surprised if they trade back in to the first round later to get a lineman that they targeted.
9. Packers- Vontae Davis (CB Illinois) – He is the younger brother of Vernon Davis, TE for 49ers, and has the prototypical body and speed of a CB in the NFL. He can tackle as well as change direction very fluidly. Character is a problem, but with two aging CB’s in Green Bay they know it’s time to get a future starter and with his potential, it’s a simple pick. Durability has never been an issue with him.
10. 49ers- Mark Sanchez (QB USC) – He came out a year early, but he has potential through the roof. He only started one year at USC and only has adequate height for the position, but he does, however, have a very quick release that is very important in the NFL, especially if you play for the 49ers. They could go with an offensive lineman here, but the chance to grab a franchise QB to forget about Alex Smith is just too tempting to pass up.
11. Bills- Rey Maualuga (MLB USC) – He is a scary man with the best natural instincts at any position in the draft. He takes great angles to tackle the ball carrier and uses his hips well. He has great size, strength, and speed to play MLB and Posluszny has the skills to move outside. The Bills have a strong secondary and an offense with potential so all they need is a front seven to fear and Maualuga definitely accomplishes that right away.
12. Broncos- Knowshon Moreno (RB Georgia) – He is a reckless runner who has average size and speed for the position. He has durability issues as well , but he is the second best RB for a reason. He has produced in his two years at Georgia and is a great competitor. He is willing to do whatever is asked of him and he leads by example. With a new coach running Denver, the GM may realize that the running game that Shanahan has produced in the past was due to the system and not the players. After realizing that, the pick seems obvious because last year they got a lineman and receiver to help the offense with a good, young QB. Their defense is terrible, but their mindset doesn’t have to be defense first. Josh McDaniels will improve their already potent pass offense with his scheme and with a back like Moreno in the back their defense may never see the field again.
13. Redskins- Michael Oher (OT Ole Miss) – He is a well-proportioned tackle with great durability. He is a beast at run blocking and is very good at pass blocking. The Redskins are very old at the tackle position and having a tackle of this caliber slip to them at the 13th pick may be a very lucky sign for the Skins. Zorn is a pass first type of coach and Oher is much better then Andre Smith at pass protection. He also has a mean steak in him that could fully come out as he becomes more comfortable and dominant at the NFL level.
14. Saints- Aaron Maybin (DE/LB Penn State) - They need secondary help and the top two prospects are off the board so they are forced to either trade down or select a defensive front seven guy to help them. With this being the case, I see them actually trading, but for the sake of a mock draft I will say they choose Maybin just because he is versatile and has a nack for making big plays.
15. Texans- Andre Smith (OT Alabama) – He is the top run blocker coming out of college in years, but he doesn’t have the speed needed to stop faster DE/OLB from getting the corner. He is massive and has produced against strong competition in college, but he makes too many physical mistakes to be a top five pick like many other mockers are saying. The Texans have the luxury of having Duane Brown, their first rounder from last year, already playing LT and protecting Schaub’s blindside. With this addition their tackles are set for years and they can let the undersized Eric Winston move inside to guard where his small frame is better suited. rR they could move Smith inside and have the most dominating guard to come out of college in years.
16. Chargers- Jeremy Maclin (WR Missouri) – He has nice size with exceptional speed and the Chargers have shown us that they no longer want to run the ball, with L.T. possibly leaving along with Sproles. Rivers last year had the highest QB rating in the NFL and if he is given another receiver to spread the field this offense will be as dangerous as any other. Maclin can change a team immediately and since this is a mid round selection it could be a steal for the Chargers to take a chance and put the offense on Rivers' back.
17. Jets- Josh Freeman (QB Kansas State) – He has all the physical tools needed to be an NFL QB and with the Jets seeing Favre walk away they should look to their QB of the future. Freeman has the arm strength needed to throw in the winds of New Jersey and with Joe Flacco coming out of Delaware State and having a tremendous rookie year they see a chance of a repeat. He will need work to become NFL ready, but the Jets have few glaring holes for a team selecting in the mid round.
18. Bears- Hakeem Nicks (WR North Carolina) – He may not be a speedster, but he is a true NFL receiver. He can make catches that seem impossible and since there isn’t a QB prospect worthy of this pick, they have to look at other skilled positions on the offense since it is so very bad. With Hester being a speed receiver this pick would make sense since most teams chose to employ a possession receiver and speed receiver to spread the defense and then attack the underneath routes.
19. Buccaneers- James Laurinaitis (ILB Ohio State) – With their linebackers aging and the need for youth at linebacker, James seems like a nice fit. He is a leader that is very productive and instinctive who can rush the passer as well as cover in both man and zone. The new defensive coordinator in Tampa will be asking the GM for immediate help on defense and James is the guy to do it.
20. Lions- D.J. Moore (CB Vanderbilt) – Moore has below average size but makes up for it with speed and nice hands for a CB. He is very fluid with great instincts, but lacks the strength and size to come off of bigger WR's blocks. He is durable and is very tough for a man his size. The Lions need help everywhere, but their secondary is so atrocious that this reach is worth it.
21. Eagles- Brandon Pettigrew (TE Oklahoma State) – He has the size needed to be a quality TE in the NFL and he has the receiving skills needed to become a favorite target for whoever is throwing the ball to him, and his blocking skills are exceptional. His biggest problem is straight-line speed because he is quick for his size, but he is just missing that extra something needed to be a Pro Bowl TE for years to come. Character is terrible, but it’s worth the risk this late in the first round.
22. Vikings- Brian Orakpo (DE/OLB Texas) – The Vikings do not need immediate help on their defensive line, but Orakpo is far too talented to let slip past them. Imagine a line with both Williams’, Orakpo, and Jared Allen. This line would single handedly win them their division. Orakpo has problems with motivation, but having Allen to look up to could change that. Allen and him could realistically have 25 combined sacks between them. Scary if he really slips this far.
23. Patriots- Brian Cushing (OLB USC) – Has great height, size, and speed for a linebacker and the Patriots need to get younger at that position. He has durability concerns, but he is too talented in all phases of the game to pass up. They will take the best available approach like they always do and Cushing is the highest left on my board and he fills a need. This is a win-win for a team that doesn’t need it.
24. Falcons- Everette Brown (DE/OLB Florida State) – He is thickly built and seems to have reached his max on his frame build, but he is such a great pass rusher that it doesn’t even matter. Very durable with high character and he possess a fast first step. The Falcons surprised everyone by making a playoff run last year and by adding Brown to their defense it’s very realistic to see it happen again.
25. Dolphins- Percy Harvin (WR Florida) – This pick doesn’t make sense for a Bill Parcells run football team, but with his explosive nature he is too big of an offensive threat to pass up. The Dolphins went far above their expectations last year and that was due to hard work and winning in the trenches so I figured a weapon for Pennington to throw to only makes sense. He has durability issues, but that is the only reason that he slipped this late. He is more athletic than any offensive weapon in the draft, but since he is undersized and prone to injury he slipped to the Big Tuna.
26. Ravens- Larry English (OLB Northern Illinois) – He has great size, decent rush speed, and can cover exceptionally. The Ravens are at the cross roads with three of their four starters at LB so this pick is more for need than talent. He produced very well in college, but he had some serious injuries that might scare off a few teams. Nice first step and seems like he could be a quick fix for the Ravens no matter who they lose in free agency.
27. Colts- Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR Maryland) – Has good size with very nice, if not exceptional speed for a man his size. He has never had a quality QB throwing him the ball so his college stats aren’t accurate to his talent. If he had Peyton Manning throwing him the ball his stats could finally show his talent. With Marvin Harrison probably gone and Gonzo being a better slot receiver, this pick would solidify a pass offense that still has a lot of pop left in it.
28. Eagles- Duke Robinson (OG Oklahoma) – He is the elite guard in this draft class and is a physical mauler in the running game. The Eagles have few holes that need to be addressed and with Robinson they get a monstrous guard that could be a fixture in the line for years to come. In great shape for a man his size.
29. Giants – Max Unger (OL Oregon) – Unger is so versatile that he gives the Giants numerous options on their offensive line. Their line is strong, but this late in the draft it is a steal to get a lineman that is as talented and versatile as Unger. He is very smart and could emerge as the most versatile and underrated lineman in this draft.
30. Titans- Juaquin Iglesias (WR Oklahoma) – This pick is a stretch, but their need is at receiver and Iglesias is the best one left. He has OK size and speed with nice hands and a nack for making big plays. He can make people forget all about the receivers they passed up on last year.
31. Cardinals- LeSean McCoy (RB PITT) – He has the speed and elusiveness to be special in the NFL. The Cardinals need to upgrade their backfield and McCoy is a gem this late in the first round. If he is here and the Cards pass him up I will understand why the Steelers let their coaching staff leave and gather in Arizona. This is a need pick that is perfect for both parties.
32. Steelers- Tyson Jackson (DE LSU) – The best DE for a 3-4 defense and the Steelers need to get younger on both lines. He has exceptional strength and is unstoppable against the run. If he is gone the Steelers could go either with Alex Mack, the best center to come out in years, or Herman Johnson, 6’7” 382 pounds guard who would scar any player who opposes him on the playing field.
Well guys, that's it - it's a little different from the other mocks you may see, but I think my bro did a pretty damn good job. Hope yinz enjoy reading it as much as I did, and thanks again bro.
Until lata...
