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Mock Draft 1.0

Yes, people. That’s right. Now that I just watched the Pro Bowl, I’ve come to grips with the fact that the NFL season is over. Luckily, I get to watch the NFL Network and get myself ready for the NFL draft, which in essence is like a season by itself with all the pro days, combines, and workouts. So, technically, the season hasn’t really ended. Score one for Stan.

Now before I  get on with my first (of many) mock draft of the year, I want to put a few things out there.

1. I met Scott Steiner at Target the other day.

2. This mock draft will not take into consideration trades. I’m only human people.

3. I met Scott Steiner at Target the other day.

4. This mock draft will change over the coming weeks and months, so expect some changes.

So here we go. Oh… by the way, did I mention that I met Scott Steiner at Target the other day? I’m a huge fan.

1. Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford QB, Georgia- If they don’t take Matthew Stafford here, then I really believe that Matt Millen is secretly still working for the organization ala Isaiah Thomas. The one thing you can point to as the reason for the Lions continued crappiness (besides horrible defense, bad coaching, and abysmal front office moves) is quarterback play. At one point, their starting quarterback was Dan Orlovsky. Yeah, that Dan Orlovsky. They could also go offensive line here, but I think if they’re going to fix the line, they should trade down.

2. St. Louis Rams- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama- The Rams have really been lacking a presence along the offensive line since the days of Orlando Pace. Part of me feels like they’ll go for a defensive guy since Steve Spagnuolo is the new head coach but they need a lot more than defense. What they need is consistency on offense. Later on in the year, the Rams found a threat in Donnie Avery but if they can keep Marc Bulger off his back and maybe clear some lanes for Steven Jackson, they’ll be fine.

3. Kansas City Chiefs- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC- Again, I’m not completely sold on Sanchez. I think he came out a bit early, I think he’s a little above average and he’ll be exposed on a talentless team. Granted, there’s Dwayne Bowe, but with Larry Johnson possibly on his way out and Tony Gonzalez looking for a trade, that offense isn’t going to be that great. Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs trade down here.

4. Seattle Seahawks- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech – I was conflicted here because I think the Seahawks could take a running back here but it would be almost impossible for them to pass up on a guy like Crabtree. I still wouldn’t be surprised if they traded down to take a running back. They have the wideouts, they just couldn’t stay healthy this past season.

5. Cleveland Browns- Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn St. – The Browns need an impact pass rusher and I think the difference between Florida St’s Everette Brown and Maybin is very slight. That said, I like Maybin more and I think he’ll play well for Eric Mangini.

6. Cincinnati Bengals- Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest – The Bengals could go offensive line here but I think they still have issues on the defense. With the continued development of Keith Rivers, Aaron Curry could flourish with the Bengals. I also could have gone with Everette Brown here.

7. Oakland Raiders- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia – The Raiders took Darren McFadden last year and he did absolutely nothing. Needless to say, the Raiders may want to consider drafting someone to actually block for him. But hey, what do I know?

8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri – The Jaguars have had issues at wide reciever for a while and I think Maclin is a perfect fit. He doubles as a returner and he could help that not-so-dynamic offense of the Jaguars.

9. Green Bay Packers- B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College – The Packers would be smart to take the best available player here and I think Raji is that player. The Packers offense is set with what they have in place and the defense is starting to come together. If they bring a big defensive tackle that could plug up some holes up front, it would allow their linebackers to do some good things.

10. San Francisco 49ers- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor – I think the 49ers could go a number of directions here, especially with Mike Singletary staying as head coach. But, I think they should have an offense built around Frank Gore and Jason Smith is a pretty good run blocker and will be an even better pass blocker for Alex Smith.

11. Buffalo Bills- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St. – The Bills’ defense kept them in a lot of games last season and their offense is starting to come together. With some consistency at quarterback and a guy like Pettigrew as a safety net for Trent Edwards/JP Losman, the Bills will be a factor in the AFC East.

12. Denver Broncos- Everette Brown, DE, Florida St. – The Broncos really get on my nerves. They never take anyone great on defense. They always bring in defensive players as free agents. They can’t pass up on Brown.

13. Washington Redskins- Rey Maualuga, LB, USC – This actually scares me because I’ve seen a lot of what a healthy Rey-Rey can do. Hell, Rey-Rey at 75% scares me. As much as I’d like to see him as a Giant, it’s not going to happen and I have to be stuck with him in the division.

14. New Orleans Saints- Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas – The Saints took Sedrick Ellis last year and they need to keep adding on to that defense. They can also go cornerback here but I think the more pressing matter is along the line.

15. Houston Texans- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St. – As much as I think the Texans would be willing to go offense here, I think they’re satisfied with Steve Slaton getting the majority of the snaps and they could always grab a back later on in the draft. What they should address here is their lack of an impact cornerback.

16. San Diego Chargers- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland – Do you really think the Chargers are dumb enough to get rid of the best running back in the NFL? With LT and Sproles, where are the Chargers going to put a guy like Beanie Wells or Knowshon Moreno? They should get another target for Rivers and bring in Heyward-Bey to spread the defense and keep guys out of the box for LT.

17. New York Jets – Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas St. – With the recent retirement of Brett Favre, the Jets can’t possibly go into next season with Brett Radcliffe as the projected starting quarterback. Josh Freeman is a big, strong-armed quarterback. He’s been getting a lot of comparisons to Joe Flacco and we all know what happened there. I think with Rex Ryan as the new head coach, he’ll be willing to give Freeman a “baptism by fire” the way Flacco was handled last year.

18. Chicago Bears- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois – The Bears lack depth in the secondary and Davis is considered to be one of the top corners in college football. Plus, it helps that he’s sort of a hometown guy and has a good football pedigree as his older brother is Vernon Davis.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Percy Harvin, WR, Florida – Tampa Bay needs a quarterback, there’s no doubt about that. However, I don’t know if I’d use a first round pick on a guy like Nate Davis. Harvin would probably be the best available prospect on the board at this point, so I’d definately take him here.

20. Detroit Lions- Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St. – The Lions at this point will have already taken a quarterback. Now they need to address more needs on offense. Most teams have implemented the two-back system. With Kevin Smith and Beanie Wells in the same backfield, the Lions may have some sort of consistency on offense.

21. Philadelphia Eagles- Brian Cushing, OLB, USC – The Eagles were 4th last season in rushing defense. What they need is an instinctive, tough linebacker to keep that trend going. Cushing has great instincts and is as tough as they come.

22. Minnesota Vikings- Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida- The Vikings have never addressed their needs at tight end and I think this is as good of a time as any. Ingram is coming off of a national championship and despite not having great numbers, its simply because he was on a team with a number of different playmakers.

23. New England Patriots- Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan – The Patriots are going to be looking to replace Rodney Harrison. Unfortunately, Taylor Mays went back to school, so they’ll have to settle for Delmas, who isn’t exactly a gamebreaker.

24. Atlanta Falcons- Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois – With John Abraham having health issues, English might not be his replacement but it’ll be more of an insurance policy. The Falcons already have a good offense that led them to the playoffs and under Mike Smith, English could prosper.

25. Miami Dolphins- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU – The Dolphins defense is still aging and Vonnie Holliday is on his way out of the league. Jackson is one of those guys that flew under the radar at LSU with Glenn Dorsey being the star two seasons ago and Ricky Jean-Francois getting all the attention this past season.

26. Baltimore Ravens- Clay Matthews, OLB, USC – The Ravens are going to have a tough time bringing back Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs. Don’t be surprised if Lewis leaves and the Ravens have Scott fill in his spot and take a guy like Matthews to come in and be another piece to that defense.

27. Indianapolis Colts- Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss – The Colts will finally be completely healthy on offense and they need a run stopping defensive tackle on defense. With Foster and Dawson still developing, the Colts are going to have to rotate guys into the defensive line.

28. Philadelphia Eagles- Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma – The Eagles were 22nd last year in rushing offense. Robinson was part of an offensive line that blocked for two 1,000 yard rushers.

29. New York Giants- James Laurinitis, LB, Ohio St. – The Giants seemed to lack intensity from the defensive side of the ball late in the season. Whether it was because Justin Tuck was being triple-teamed while fighting the flu, or if it was because of whatever may have been distracting Antonio Pierce, the Giants couldn’t get it done against an inferior Eagles team that could barely run the ball.  Laurinitis, as well as the return of Osi Umenyiora should help those matters.

30. Tennessee Titans- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers – Personally, I don’t think Britt is a first round caliber talent, and I think the Titans would be better off trading up for a wide receiver. Unfortunately, I’m not a fortune teller so this pick will have to do.

31. Arizona Cardinals- Fili Moala, DT, USC – The Cardinals were horrible on defense and their offense literally carried them to the playoffs. Even with the possible departure of Anquan Boldin and Kurt Warner, the Cardinals still have a playoff caliber team because they play in the NFC West. The Cards will have to fix that defense and they should start with Moala.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers- DJ Moore, CB, Vanderbilt – The Steelers have no major holes. They’re bringing everyone back on both sides of the ball, and there’s no reason to believe the defense won’t be as good as it was before. At this point, all they can do is add some depth along the offensive line or in the secondary.

Now, I know what you’re thinking and I agree. How can I have a mock draft with Knowshon Moreno? You know what? This is the first of several mock drafts. Until I’m convinced that the Chargers are going to get rid of LT, I can’t see them taking another running back. I also thought they Lions could have taken him, but then that leaves Wells out of the mix. You see what I’m saying? This isn’t easy.

The Queens native handles all things football on KeepingItRealSports.com. Stan attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, Queens and SUNY Old Westbury. He's spent his post graduate career in different parts of the media, as an editorial assistant, a production assistant and a board operator. He can be followed on twitter @FunnyManStan and routinely performs standup comedy all over New York City.

10 comments on “Mock Draft 1.0

  1. Thomas May on said:

    Lions taking a QB and RB in the first round???? Does this guy know anything about football?? The Lions lost every game at the line of scrimmage…Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and Dan Marino would all have had Kitna-esque numbers last year for the Lions. And why would they take Chris Wells with Kevin Smith there?? The Lions have other pressing issues. (Possibly the worst defense ever?)

  2. Eric on said:

    If Knowshon is available at 21, the Birds are taking him. As a Giants fan, I know that scares you.

  3. Anand on said:

    this isnt a great one dude. the saints have tons of money tied up in smith and grant, and they dont have a legit corner especialy cuz theyre moving mckenzie to safety. if jenkins is there (which i dont think he will be) he’ll be going to the saints no doubt. if the chargers dont take a running back theyre definitely not taking a wide receiver. they’ll go defense, inside linebacker most probably. 2 back systems work if the 2 backs are of different styles. wells and smith are too similar to work together in a 2 back system, and the lions cant take another running back when they have so many holes. cornelius ingram? really? he’s projected a 4-5th round pick. he’s an undersized TE that missed almost his entire senior year because of injury. no way he goes in the first round. and if you dont think delmas is a playmaker, then why do you have him going in the first round? to the pats even? the pats are one of the smartest drafting teams in the league so if you dont think the guys a playmaker, then they probably dont either. they’re not going to address the safety position in the first round anyway, its almost certainly going to be a linebacker. fili moala is only a second rounder at best and the cards are gonna take a running back because they let go of james and they dont trust hightower with a full season. you could put moreno there or mccoy. another place for one of them would be with the eagles, because they dont have anyone good after westbrook, and westbrook is turning 30 and is oft-injured.

  4. A tightend to the Vikes in the First? Come on, who in the world would do that in this organization. The Mike Tice Era is over. The vikes have had some very good drafts. They go BPA and/or fills a need. Shiancoe looked very good the second half of the season and hopefully we bring back Jimmy K. for his blocking. Yes, depth is an issue, but why reach for what’s-his-name in the first when there are better players available at positions of need?

  5. MstrG on said:

    Are you kidding? Go take a look at the Steeler’s free agent list, then come back and edit your mock regarding who is coming back, unless you have a brother-in-law working in their front office. No way all their starters are returning, nor can they keep all those free agents, which will produce holes!

  6. Green Bay Packers Fan Apparel on said:

    Good looking mock draft, can’t wait for the next season!

  7. StanStan on said:

    I disagree… outside of Bryant McFadden and Nate Washington, they aren’t losing anyone that cant be replaced.

  8. StanStan on said:

    It does scare me… a lot.

  9. StanStan on said:

    The problem I saw with the Lions was inconsistency at quarterback. Passing up on Matthew Stafford would be a bad idea, unless they could find a veteran quarterback elsewhere, and unless they’re going to trade for a guy like Cutler, I think quarterback is the right choice. As far as taking Beanie Wells, to me he just seems like a good fit because he’s a banger up the middle and Kevin Smith is one of the guys that can turn the corner and break a big run. I do agree that they should address their defensive issues. Its the first mock draft… work in progress. I appreciate the input.

  10. StanStan on said:

    I didnt know about McKenzie, so thanks for that. They could have a legitimate shot at jenkins. I agree with you about the Chargers going defense, but I was a little stuck there and I dont know what they would do but the general consensus was Knowshon. As far as Wells and Smith being similar, I think Wells is more of an “up the middle” banger type where Smith like a guy that can get to the outside and break a huge run. I could probably change that though. I got desperate with Cornelius Ingram, to be honest. And I’m a little biased. I thought Taylor Mays would come out so when he didn’t, I looked at some highlights of Delmas and I didnt see what I saw from Mays. And I didnt think the Pats would take a linebacker because I figured they’d stick with what they had but then they traded Vrabel and its pretty clear. I think the Cards could hold on to Edge because it doesnt seem like there’s a huge market for him and they can bring him back without breaking the bank. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… knowshon to the eagles scares me. Putting that in a mock draft scares me. I’m only human. Thanks for the comments, man. I really appreciate the input. I’m trying to see if I can perfect this on my way to being the black Mel Kiper Jr.