kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
It's hard to predict trades, so I'm mentioning when a team is really going to want to trade out of a spot. Also, I leaned heavily on The Huddle Report's Value Board, especially for the Cards' picks.
That's all I have for now. I'll post my Arizona draft in a little bit...
Kerouac9 said:1. OAK - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU. They need a quarterback, no two ways about it.
2. DET - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech. They desperately want out of the pick, and may even accept only a 3rd rounder to do it. Regardless, Johnson will be the pick here. Millen will bite the bullet for this kind of talent.
3. CLE - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame. It may cost Crennel his job, and a lot of Clevelanders love Charlie Frye, but Cleveland thinks that if they can just stay healthy for a season, they can compete even in the tought AFC North. They immediately start praying that Ryan Kalil falls to them in the second.
4. TB - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin. If the Bucs move up, then the Lions take Adams with this pick. But I don't think that's going to happen, and so Gruden takes the best player on his board.
5. ARI - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma. The draft breaks 75% of the way that the front office was hoping it would, but that last 25 percent was a killer. The silence of the phones on Hardy Drive is deafening. At this point, the Cards would like to trade down, but no one's offering anything, and so they trust their board and select the best player available at a position of need, and select All Day Adrian Peterson.
6. WAS - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson. They have no problems selecting a pure pass rusher, since they haven't had one since Bruce Smith retired. They're tickled pink that Adams is still on the board.
7. MIN - LaRon Landry, S, LSU. They want to trade out of this pick because they really like the bigger WRs in this draft. Nothing can be worked out, and so they take the best player on their board.
8. ATL - Levi Brown, OT, Penn St. It's not going to be easy to transition from a Gibbs OL to a more power-blocking scheme. Levi Brown will make that transition easier, especially since he'll be blocking for a left-handed QB in Vick.
9. MIA - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan. Miami wanted an offensive player, but when they looked at their board, all they saw was defenders. They tell the press that they got great value with this pick, and they'll be right.
10. HOU - Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville. Teams with Mario Williams for a DL pair that can protect DeMeco Ryans and put some pressure on the competitive quarterbacks of the AFC South. Willing to trade out of this spot once Hall is off the board.
11. SF - Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi. They need help on defense. They addressed the secondary and defensive line in free agency. Now they help that mid-level and hope that it comes together. Had Ted Ginn, Jr. been healthier at his Pro Day, he likely would have gone here.
12. BUF - Darelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh. They feel like they got a steal in Revis, especially because they feel they're in the catbird seat for Round 2 and RB Brian Leonard.
13. STL - Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas. The Rams are thrilled he's still on the board. May end up a replacement for Leonard Little, but definitely eases the sting of DE defections the past four years.
14. CAR - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan. They think that they can compete with the players that they have as long as they stay healthy. OL injuries last season really hurt the team. This builds depth and Staley could be a potential All-Pro starter to team with Jordan Gross, who remains more comfortable on the right side of the line.
15. PIT - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska. Their new HC is thrilled that he still doesn't have to tip his hand regarding the future of their defense. He can play DE in the 3-4 and move to the strong side when the Steelers eventually convert to a 4-3 Cover-2.
16. GB - Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal. The lock of the draft.
17. JAC - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida. People are wondering if they'll take Ted Ginn, Jr. Those people are stupid. They apparently forget that the Jags have taken WRs in the first round of two of the last three drafts, as well as a TE early last year. The Jags need help in their secondary, and are thrilled to get Nelson and keep him in the Sunshine State.
18. CIN - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami. He's not going to be as good as people think he will, but the Bengals are going to have to get Palmer a good third target until Henry comes back.
19. TEN - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee. The OC was again lobbying for a prospect from Southern Cal, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Chow will be happy when he sees this kid play in minicamp.
20. NYG - Laurence Timmons, LB, Florida State. The Giants couldn't be happier to get a LB who can make plays on the weakside. They look at Ginn, but realize that they already drafted him last year when his name was Sinorice Moss.
21. DEN - Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio St. No, Denver hasn't developed a WR in a while, but they know that an extra 10 yards in field position per game in Denver is worth 30 points a season. The presence of Walker gives Ginn some time to develop, and he'll see snaps at both WR and CB for the Broncos.
22. DAL - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas. The Cowboys don't see great value here, so they'll try and trade down. But they may end up stuck with the pick (They were praying that Ginn would fall to them after he started to slip), and they take a local kid.
23. KC - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU. At some point the Chiefs have to draft a wideout early, right? They think seriously about stopping Alan Branch's plummet, but they know they need help on the outside.
24. NE - Paul Posluzny, LB, Penn State. New England's thrilled that he's still on the board. They're going to have to find replacements for their ILBs soon. Pos gets a year to learn in situational play.
25. NYJ - Ben Grubbs, OG, Auburn. The Jets take another OL prospect with an early pick, knowing that this is going to solidify this group for a decade. They just invested in Thomas Jones; this pick protects that investment.
26. PHI - Michael Griffin, S, Texas. Andy Reid couldn't find an OL or DL to his liking after Grubbs went off the board, so he "settles for" the Longhorn playmaker.
27. NO - Jon Beason, LB, Miami. The Saints helped their secondary by signing the restricted free agent from Indy. Now they help their LB corps. They got by last season without a defense. It's going to be harder this year.
28. NE - Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida. They can't believe he's still on the board, since they almost submitted his name at 24.
29. BAL - Alan Branch, DT, Michigan. A BPA pick. They're going to get one pissed-off DT into training camp who's going to do whatever it takes to punish the NFL.
30. SD - Dwayne Jarrett, WR, Southern Cal. A new outside weapon who will help where it matters most: the end zone.
31. CHI - Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas. Lovie doesn't run as much Cover-2 as people think he does. The Bears were hoping one of the safeties would fall, and aren't going to take the risk on Merriweather. Instead, they plan for the departure of one of their starting corners in Vasher and Tillman.
32. IND - Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee. Exactly the kind of player that Dungy likes for his defense.
That's all I have for now. I'll post my Arizona draft in a little bit...