1. Detroit Lions — *Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Lions are a team that has to rebuild with a new regime, and they will decide between an offensive tackle and a quarterback. It's a tough choice, but they select Bradford.
2. St. Louis Rams — Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
The Rams could use an upgrade in their secondary, but with two of the premier offensive tackles on the board, it comes down to Oher or Smith. The pick is Oher.
3. Kansas City Chiefs — *Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
With Bradford off the board and not wanting to reach for a defender, this is a classic trade down point for the Chiefs. Either way, Smith comes off the board.
4. Seattle Seahawks — *Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
With Matt Hasselbeck getting older and becoming more fragile, it's apparent that Seneca Wallace isn't the answer at quarterback. Stafford is the future in Seattle.
5. Cleveland Browns — Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Statistically speaking, the Browns are not that bad at creating INTs and against the pass, but they need a front line CB who is a game changer. Jenkins is the answer.
6. Cincinnati Bengals — *Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
There is a chance that Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are not in Cincinnati next year and with Crabtree being the best available, he's the pick.
7. Oakland Raiders — Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
Disappointed that Crabtree is off the board, the Raiders could turn their attention to Jeremy Maclin. But protecting JaMarcus Russell is a must, and Monroe is a great fit.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars — *Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Jaguars need a playmaker at wide receiver, and it's possible they could look at another position. But Maclin's dynamic skills are hard to pass up.
9. Green Bay Packers — *Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
The Packers were a disappointment, and they have to improve their pass rush. The selection of Brown provides Green Bay with a relentless defender with huge potential.
10. San Francisco 49ers — Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
The Niners could upgrade at many positions, including quarterback, but with Mike Singletary being the head coach and defense coming first, it will be hard to pass up Maualuga.
11. Buffalo Bills — Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
The Bills have the makings of a promising defense with some great athletes, but they lack playmakers. Orakpo gives Buffalo the much-needed pass rush they desire.
12. Denver Broncos — Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
The Broncos will look to upgrade their defense with this selection, and it will come down to Taylor Mays or Curry. Curry's steady play wins out and he becomes an instant impact player.
13. Washington Redskins — Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
Now that Brown and Orakpo are off the board, the Redskins won't reach for Michael Johnson. With that said, they turn their attention to the O-line and select Smith.
14. New Orleans Saints — *Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
The Saints could use a player like Aaron Curry, but with him off the board, they will turn their attention to the secondary. Adding Davis to a woeful unit should bolster their pass defense.
15. Houston Texans — *Taylor Mays, FS, USC
The need for a playmaking defensive back is obvious, and the Texans are in a great position to get the draft's most complete safety. Mays is a starter from day one in Houston.
16. San Diego Chargers — *Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
The Chargers may look at drafting a linebacker, but Maualuga and Curry fit better than James Laurinaitis. So, getting younger at DT is the alternative and San Diego welcomes "Mount" Cody.
17. New York Jets — *Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
The Jets received a great season from Thomas Jones, but with him now 30 years old, the clock is ticking. Adding Moreno gives the Jets an impact player who adds relief for the future.
18. Chicago Bears — Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
Teams in the NFL know what it takes to win: a franchise quarterback, a good running game and a defense that supplies pressure. The Bears now have two of the three with Johnson.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — *Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
The Buccaneers could use an upgrade at WR and OT, but with Wells still on the board and the uncertain future of Cadillac Williams, the Bucs protect themselves with this pick.
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas) — James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State
Drafting Bradford instead of an OT with their first pick was a gamble, because the top three OTs are now off the board. So, the Lions look to improve their defense with the selection of Laurinaitis.
21. Arizona Cardinals — Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
A young, rising defense with a lot of talent, the Cardinals continue to add athletes who can make a difference. With Karlos Dansby being a free agent, Cushing is the selection.
22. Philadelphia Eagles — *Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
It's obvious that L.J. Smith is done in Philly, and adding a tight end who can block and catch is a must. Gresham is tremendously talented and adds a lot on offense.
23. Minnesota Vikings — Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
The Vikings can go in a lot of directions with this pick. Upgrading at QB, WR and OT are possibilities, but with a playmaking CB on the board, Smith is the best value.
24. New England Patriots — William Moore, FS, Missouri
The Patriots secondary is a big concern moving forward, especially with the uncertain future of Rodney Harrison. Moore's playmaking ability and hard-knocks style fit nicely in New England.
25. Atlanta Falcons — Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
The surprising Falcons have rallied behind QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner. To keep things rolling for a while they have to improve upfront; hello Mr. Robinson.
26. Miami Dolphins — B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
The Dolphins will most likely use this pick to upgrade their defense. With the top linebackers being off the board, Miami turns to Raji to bolster their D-Line.
27. Baltimore Ravens — *Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
The Ravens are a defensive team that continues to bring in athletes who attack, but with Flacco as the QB of the future, they give him a weapon in local product Heyward-Bey.
28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina) — Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
The Eagles got their tight end in Gresham with their first pick and will add an OT with this selection. With the top guys off the board, the Eagles reach for Gresham's teammate, Phil Loadholt.
29. Indianapolis Colts — Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
The Colts need more production upfront and have gotten good work from unforeseen sources. Jerry's ability to dominate inside gives the Colts what they need.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers — Max Unger, C/OT, Oregon
The Steelers have to get stronger on the offensive and defensive line. But it's obvious that upgrading the O-line is a bigger need, and although it's a reach, drafting Unger adds versatility.
31. New York Giants — Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
The Giants managed to get by without the injured Osi Umenyiora and retired Michael Strahan and drafting Jackson allows them to move Mathias Kiwanuka back to OLB.
32. Tennessee Titans — *Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
Having a No. 1 receiver who can stretch the field would open up more opportunities for the Titans playmakers and would make their offense much more dangerous. Harvin is the pick.
(*denotes underclassmen)
A member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America, Chris Steuber has provided his analysis of the NFL and NFL Draft prospects on the Web and on the radio since 1999. Steuber's features are published across the FOXSports.com. If you wish to contact Chris Steuber, email him at [email protected].
Some of these explanations are even worse than the picks themselves!
