It’s that time once again, time for teams to either rebuild or destroy their franchise’s future. Though the true meddle and talent of a draft class needs about five years to truly be measured, I think I can pick out about ten players that I believe won’t measure up to what they’re expected to be. But who knows…1) Miami Dolphins – Jake Long OT (Michigan): This is the safest and smartest the pick the Dolphins can make. They sure up their O-line for the next for the next ten seasons and they began a long rebuilding process.
2) St. Louis Rams – Vernon Gholston LB (Ohio State): I see the Rams pulling the biggest draft day surprise and take the increasingly impressive Gholston. The main reason why the Rams don’t go with Long or Dorsey is they just drafted Adam Carriker last year, so they go for the combo DE/LB type in Gholston to strengthen the edges of their defense.
3) Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan QB (Boston College): Even though I don’t believe Ryan will be top notch NFL QB, the Falcons can’t afford not to draft him here. Pure common sense alone says this is their pick.
4) Oakland Raiders – Darren McFadden RB (Arkansas): Even with Howie Long’s son still sitting on the board, I think Al Davis pulls the trigger on the McFadden pick. Bringing in a guy of McFadden’s caliber to pair with the ever ballooning JaMarcus Russell and veteran receiver Javon Walker could turn the Raiders into a six win team.
5) Kansas City Chiefs – Chris Long DE (Virginia): The Chiefs have always been soft on defense. Bringing in Long and his tenacity and non-stop motor could go a long way to changing the attitude of that defense.
6) New York Jets – Glen Dorsey DT (LSU): The Jets get a major gift with Dorsey slipping to six. The front of their defense was porous last year to say the least. Dorsey’s big body up front is exactly what they need.
7) New England Patriots – Keith Rivers LB (USC): The Pats were really hoping that Gholston would still be on the board when their pick came up. But Rivers was a big part of a great Trojan defense and could find himself on the field quickly in Foxboro.
8) Baltimore Ravens – Joe Flaaco QB (Deleware St.): Flaaco should definitely send Steve McNair a "thank you" card; he needs to thank McNair for single handedly turning him into a top ten pick. With McNair calling it quits Thursday, the Ravens were instantly catapulted into a major need for a QB and Flaaco is the beneficiary. They can’t gamble and wait for the second round anymore. They may even trade up for Matt Ryan.
9) Cincinnati Bengals – Sedrick Ellis DT (USC): The Bengals get a steal with Ellis falling to them at nine. He could anchor a defense that lacked an identity last year. Plus he’s used to winning; he can bring a winning attitude to a unit that is only accustomed to winning court cases…
10) New Orleans Saints – Ryan Clady OT (Boise State): Both Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush saw their yards per carry average take a dip and that can attributed to a lack of push at the point of attack. Clady has the size (6’6" 310lbs) to open up some running lanes to "loose the Deuce".
11) Buffalo Bills – Malcolm Kelly WR (Oklahoma): The Bills really want a big receiver to pair up with speedsters Lee Evans and Josh Reed. Kelly’s 6’4" 220 pound frame and 4.5 speed makes him the obvious pick. However their need for a young defensive back could supersede this.
12) Denver Broncos – Dan Conner LB (Penn State): Even though the more athletic Jerod Mayo is still on the board, the Broncos go with Conner because of his versatility. Conner can play any of the three linebacker spots and he has a very high football IQ.
13) Carolina Panthers – Derrick Harvey DE (Florida): Because Julius Peppers becomes the "incredible shrinking man" after about week 6, getting Harvey at 13 would be a great pick for the Panthers.
14) Chicago Bears – Rashard Mendenhall RB (Illinois): The Bears were best when they had, in the immortal words of Dave Wann-stache, "running back by committee". So bringing in Mendenhall’s power to compliment Cedric Benson’s speed would be a solid move. They might decide to go after an OL.
15) Detroit Lions – Leodis McKelvin CB (Troy): Draft day for the Lions has been laughable since Matt Millen has been calling the shots. But taking Ernie Sims last year was a very respectful pick. And taking McKelvin this year would help a secondary that only hauled in 17 INT’s last year.
16) Arizona Cardinals – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB (Tennessee St.): There seems to be a hot trend of having the hyphenated last name. The Cards definitely chuck the ball around, but they have to find a way to stop people from doing the same, Rodgers-Cromartie is the pick. Good luck getting that on the back of his jersey…
17) Minnesota Vikings – Jeff Otah OT (Pittsburgh): The Vikings are going to be a running team for a long time. What better way to make that running game effective than to draft the 6’6" 325 mauler. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikes took a receiver.
18) Houston Texans – Jonathan Stewart RB (Oregon): Gary Kubiak’s system requires a back that can grind out the tough yards and be a homerun threat. Stewart can do both and will be a nice compliment to the aging Ahman Green.
19) Philadelphia Eagles – DeSean Jackson WR (California): The Eagles are in need of a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. Jackson could fill that roll, using his speed to stretch the defense and take some pressure off the oft-injured Brian Westbrook.
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Jenkins CB (South Florida): The Bucs secondary is aging, especially at cornerback. Jenkins could learn from one of the most underrated defensive backs in Ronde Barber and could find himself on the field early as a nickel back.
21) Washington Redskins – Calais Campbell DE (Miami): The Skins have been pretty open about their adoration of Campbell, so that kind of makes me skeptical about this pick, but I think they will stick with it. Campbell’s length will bother a lot of NFL O-linemen.
22) Dallas Cowboys – Felix Jones RB (Arkansas): Jerry Jones has been obsessed with taking one of the Arkansas running backs. I don’t think he has the marbles to pull the trigger to move up and take Run D-Mc (Darren McFadden), so Jones is the pick. This pick also gives the Boys some leverage with resigning Marion Barber.
23) Pittsburg Steelers – Gosder Cherilus OL (Boston College): The Steelers had a tough time keeping Big Ben upright last year, so adding Cherilus will aid in that effort. And you know Cherilus will be a solid player, 75 % of the players drafted out of Boston College are offensive linemen.
24) Tennessee Titans – Limas Sweed WR (Texas): This is the easiest pick in the draft. Sweed caught passes from Vince Young wearing burnt orange now he’ll be catching them wearing light blue.
25) Seattle Seahawks – Kentwan Balmer DT (UNC): The Seahawks lost two DT’s to free agency. So the 6’4" 310 pound Balmer will fill a lot of gaps.
26) Jacksonville Jaguars – Phillip Merling DE (Clemson): The Jags are trying to add some depth to their front four. Merling has a great motor and scary speed coming off the edge. He needs to improve his power so he can take on the stronger lineman in the league. The Jags might take a receiver here.
27) San Diego Chargers – Aqib Talib CB (Kansas): The Chargers really don’t have any glaring holes in their roster, especially after trading for Chris Chambers. So they go after a young CB to groom and use in the pass happy AFC.
28) Dallas Cowboys – Mario Manningham WR (Michigan): Most people will see this pick as a reach. But I think Manningham could benefit greatly from learning from TO. He has good speed, exceptional game speed, and he can be a playmaker down the field for Mr. Romo-Simpson.
29) San Francisco 49ers – Jerod Mayo LB (Tennessee): Mayo slipping is a big possibility. And the 49ers would have to pull the trigger on the pick because he would be one of the best football players left on the board, from any position. Pair Mayo with last year’s defensive rookie of the year LB Patrick Willis and that defense gets nasty.
30) Green Bay Packers – Devin Thomas WR (Michigan St.): The Pack needs to sure up their receiver corps. Taking Thomas is a step in the right direction.
31) Forfeited Pick – Spy Gate…
32) New York Giants – Kenny Phillips S (Miami): The Giants could use a rangy safety like Phillips. I think this is a match made in heaven because the Giants defense already has leaders in Strahan and Umenyiora, so he just come in and make plays on the ball.