The official 2009 DRAFT thread

[cpk1994]

Maybe the first big trade of the day will be this...

Mc Shay trades Kiper for his hair. I don't know, Mel's molded hair (which he says his wife cuts for him) reminds me of a bad Play-Doh mold.

I know ESPN is thinking of replacing Kiper with McShay, but miking McShay llok like Mel's clone is a little ridiculous.

[digitaldean]

I do like Kiper's insight, the guy is into this stuff like no one else. But sometimes, he takes it a little beyond with all the work out times, etc.

The game film means more than the work outs.

[jmbarnes101]

Thank you for the info on the NFL Network coverage. I don't get that channel and I don't have cable right now so I was worrying I'd have to go to the local watering hole to watch with my young girls since the wife is working. Now I can stay home and watch the streaming video instead.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This 3PM start sucks. Normally, the draft would have just started. I liked the old format better (3 rounds on Sat, 4 rounds on Sun). They just needed to knock down the time for picks. 10 minutes for 1st round, 5 minutes after that.

[pbmax]

Please, no Orakpo.

Orakpo is all straight ahead. He's a workout warrior. He's not a football player that can move. He can only go one direction, straight ahead, and NFL OT's are going to stone him cold.

the more I see almost all of the college DE's that NFL thinks could be OLB, I see the same thing. I love Orakpo, but I think we're going through a trial seperation period.

ND and JH,

First, sorry to hear about the separation ND
But what was Orakpo's production in college like? Is he truly a workout wonder or is there actual on field performance and just a question of whether he can make the transition to OLB in a 3-4?

[GrnBay007]

This 3PM start sucks. Normally, the draft would have just started. I liked the old format better (3 rounds on Sat, 4 rounds on Sun). They just needed to knock down the time for picks. 10 minutes for 1st round, 5 minutes after that.

I know!!! I thought it started at 10 today!!! I have to be some place at 2pm with little to none chances of being able to watch and/or listen.

Hope my backup plan works and someone will text me the first 10 picks and the 1st Packer pick....whenever that is.

[Rastak]

This 3PM start sucks. Normally, the draft would have just started. I liked the old format better (3 rounds on Sat, 4 rounds on Sun). They just needed to knock down the time for picks. 10 minutes for 1st round, 5 minutes after that.

Completely agree.

[pbmax]

Jets fans at the Draft are the best, and I feel sorry for them. Its been overplayed a little recently, but man did they have a run of WTF? picks. It was like Millen running the team for better than a decade.

But unlike Millen, those picks would be people you never heard going in the first round. Lageman was classic. Back to back TEs. Lam Jones, Freeman McNeil and Ken O'Brien actually had decent careers (Lam Jones not so much), but never lived up to first round hype. O'Brien would have franchise record games against the Dolphins, but the Jets D couldn't stop Marino.

But none of those picks caused me as much anguish as the Browns pick in 1986 I think. They were in the top ten, had Kosar and desperately needed weapons. It was obvious they were going Wide Receiver. I had two publications with me and knew the name of like 10 prospects.

They selected Webster Slaughter from San Diego State I think and I fell off the couch. All the Bear fans with me had a grand time and bring this up to this day. They had sent everyone in the organization to scout every WR prospect (Paul Warfield and Calvin Hill went out to scout even though neither worked in personnel, and Ozzie Newsome might even have been involved while still a player). And this was the guy.

In Mel's words, they did not understand the draft and could have dropped to a lower pick and still gotten him. It turned out well as Slaughter went to a couple of Pro Bowls. But it was the ultimate HUH?

[pbmax]

Did anyone else watch in the 80's when it started at 8 AM Eastern on a Tuesday? Used to have to skip classes to watch. With 15 minutes per first round, friends would go to class, get lunch, do homework and come back while we were still watching the first round

[Rastak]

Did anyone else watch in the 80's when it started at 8 AM Eastern on a Tuesday? Used to have to skip classes to watch. With 15 minutes per first round, friends would go to class, get lunch, do homework and come back while we were still watching the first round

Ha!

I sure do, I used to take the day off of work.

[cpk1994]

Good lord, ESPN has a camera at Drew Rosenhaus's Draft Party.

[K-town]

Good lord, ESPN has a camera at Drew Rosenhaus's Draft Party.

Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

[cpk1994]

Good lord, ESPN has a camera at Drew Rosenhaus's Draft Party.

Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

I think it is. It also looks like he applied a fresh coat of laquer to his hair.

EDIT: I should also note he has one hell of a spread set up.

[RashanGary]

I don't know with Orakpo. I just don't know. He's so athletically gifted. He had a good college career. I could be wrong. You just see so many workout wonders fail, although he did have a good career at DE.

You think about Greg Lloyd and Lamar Woodley and you think maybe he is that type of guy. He could be. That's the tough thing, 3-4 teams used to be able to grab guys in the 3rd, 4th or 5th round, play them on ST's and then have some of them develop into dominate linebackers. We're taking this guy who looks a little like some of those great players, but you don't know if he can really do it. He's not going to be able to just line up and beat a tackle straight up in the NFL. He's going to have to be complete so that they never know if he's coming. Good skills seem great when a tackle doesn't know who he's blocking until after the snap. Is he a complete OLB that won't get torched in the pass game? I don't know. It's a hefty price to pay #9 overall for a guy you hope develops. Gholston is the same type of player and he had an awful year. Maybe he turns into a stud though. Just never know. I guess it's just a scary pick for me. I don't know how to project a college DE into an NFL OLB.

[Rastak]

Rick Gosselin's final mock:


1. Detroit Lions:
Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

Team needs: QB, MLB, TE, DT
Comment: Bobby Layne was a Pro Bowl quarterback the last time the Lions won a championship in 1957. Detroit hasn't had an elite quarterback or won a championship since then. Stafford, a Highland Park product, gives the franchise hope for the future.



2. St. Louis Rams:
Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

Team needs: OT, WR, MLB, QB
Comment: The Rams had the second pick of the 2008 draft and took the safest player on the board in DE Chris Long. St. Louis repeats that philosophy in this draft by taking W.T. White's Smith. The Rams need to replace Pro Bowl LT Orlando Pace.



3. Kansas City Chiefs:
Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Team needs: LB, OT, WR, TE
Comment: New GM Scott Pioli is retooling the Chiefs' defense in the image of the 3-4 scheme he left behind in New England. The Patriots love those LSU linemen and so does Pioli. He also sees some Ty Warren in Jackson.



4. Seattle Seahawks:
Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Team needs: WR, LB, LT, RB
Comment: The Seahawks finished 30th in defense in the NFL last season. The best player in the draft slides to Seattle at four. Curry also addresses a pressing defensive need: He makes plays on both sides of the line.



5. Cleveland Browns:
Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

Team needs: WR, Pass rusher, S, OL
Comment: Like Seattle, the Browns benefit from a sliding value. Crabtree, of Carter, has been compared to Larry Fitzgerald. If the Browns trade Braylon Edwards, they would need Crabtree. If they keep Edwards, Crabtree would make him better.



6. Cincinnati Bengals:
Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

Team needs: DT, LB, Pass rusher, OT
Comment: Smith showed up at the combine overweight and then performed poorly at his pro day. All that said, he's still the most talented tackle in the draft. He started as a freshman in the SEC and won the Outland Trophy as a senior.



7. Oakland Raiders:
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

Team needs: WR, OT, S, DL
Comment: Tim Brown was a Pro Bowl play-maker for a long time for the Raiders. Maclin is Tim Brown 20 years later. Of the four top wideouts on this draft board, Maclin will have the greatest impact as a rookie because of his return skills.



8. Jacksonville Jaguars:
Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

Team needs: LT, DT, CB, RB
Comment: The Jaguars are in dire need of a left tackle since Khalif Barnes left in free agency. Monroe would be an upgrade at the position. He won the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker in the ACC in 2008.



9. Green Bay Packers:
Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Team needs: DE, LB, OT, CB
Comment: The Packers have two Pro Bowl-caliber cornerbacks in Al Harris and Charles Woodson, but both are in their 30s. With Detroit expected to draft Stafford, and with Jay Cutler now in the division, Green Bay had better load up on pass defenders.



10. San Francisco 49ers:
Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Team needs: OT, DT, pass rusher, WR
Comment: The 49ers ranked 27th in rushing and allowed 55 sacks last season. If San Francisco can't block, it doesn't matter who's at quarterback – Shaun Hill, Alex Smith or Joe Montana. Oher allows the 49ers to move Joe Staley to RT.



11. Buffalo Bills:
Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State

Team needs: LT, pass rusher, S, TE
Comment: Left tackles will have left the board before the Bills could go on the clock. The next priority is upgrading the pass rush. Buffalo mustered only 24 sacks in 2008. Maybin had 12 on his way to Big Ten defensive player of the year.



12. Denver Broncos:
B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

Team needs: DE, DT, OLB, WR
Comment: New coach Josh McDaniels is overhauling the defense, installing a 3-4 scheme after releasing four starters from a year ago. He needs size, and the best defensive tackle in this draft falls into his lap at 12.



13. Washington Redskins:
Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

Team needs: OL, DL, LB, QB
Comment: After failing to land Jay Cutler, Redskins owner Dan Snyder explored his options all week for possible trade-ups for Sanchez. Jacksonville is a potential partner at 8. Snyder needs a QB to compete in the NFC East.



14. New Orleans Saints:
Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

Team needs: CB, S, RB, OLB
Comment: The offense is Super Bowl-ready with Drew Brees. But the defense needs lots of help, especially at cornerback. The Saints ranked 23rd in pass defense. Davis gives New Orleans much needed size and ability there.



15. Houston Texans:
Clay Matthews, OLB, USC

Team needs: OLB, CB, pass rusher, RB
Comment: Why not? Bruce Matthews carved out a Hall of Fame career in Houston. There's a positive vibe attached to the Matthews name in Houston. He is the son of Clay and nephew of Bruce Matthews.



16. San Diego Chargers:
Brian Cushing, OLB, USC

Team needs: RB, LB, DE, WR
Comment: Better players equal better defense. The Chargers finished 25th in defense last season. The return of Shawne Merriman and the selection of Cushing would dramatically improve both the linebacking play and the scheme.



17. New York Jets:
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

Team needs: TE, QB, WR, OT
Comment: With the departure of Laveranues Coles in free agency, the Jets need speed opposite Jerricho Cotchery. Heyward-Bey is the fastest player in the draft with a 4.25 clocking in the 40.



18. Denver Broncos:
Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas

Team needs: DE, DT, OLB, WR
Comment: Taking B.J. Raji at nose tackle at 12 would give the Broncos a building block in the run defense in the new 3-4 scheme. Orapko would give the Broncos some much-needed pass rush. They managed 26 sacks last year. Orakpo had 12.



19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

Team needs: DE, DT, CB, WR
Comment: New coach Raheem Morris hired Jim Bates to run the defense, and he loves to rotate his ends and tackles. So you need quantity as well as quality up front. The Bucs managed 29 sacks last season.



20. Detroit Lions:
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

Team needs: QB, MLB, TE, DT
Comment: QB Matthew Stafford was the first step toward building a playoff-caliber offense in 2010. Pettigrew is the next step. Include WR Calvin Johnson and RB Kevin Smith, and the Lions may actually score some points in 2010.



21. Philadelphia Eagles:
Knowshon Moreno, HB, Georgia

Team needs: DL, OL, TE, RB
Comment: Emmitt Smith gave the Eagles fits in the 1990s in the NFC East. Moreno would give Philadelphia an Emmitt clone to attack the Cowboys. Moreno is the most complete back in this draft – a triple-threat, just like Emmitt.



22. Minnesota Vikings:
Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

Team needs: CB, OL, WR, QB
Comment: With Aaron Rodgers emerging in Green Bay, Jay Cutler now in Chicago and Matthew Stafford on his way to Detroit, there's a sense of urgency for the Vikings to find a quarterback. Freeman could be the answer.



23. New England Patriots:
Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi

Team needs: DT, DE, TE, QB
Comment: Bill Belichick won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants and three more as head coach of the Patriots with a dominating defensive front. You can never have enough quality linemen.



24. Atlanta Falcons:
Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut

Team needs: CB, DT, S, TE
Comment: Like NFC South lodge brother New Orleans, Atlanta has an offense that's playoff-ready with Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White. But the defense needs help, and the glass-smooth Butler provides it.



25. Miami Dolphins:
Paul Kruger, DE, Utah

Team needs: CB, WR, OLB, TE
Comment: Elite pass-rushers are few and far between in this draft. Kruger qualifies as elite but is off a few draft boards medically because he has one kidney. One kidney slow down Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie any at Arizona in 2008.



26. Baltimore Ravens:
Rey Maualuga, MLB, USC

Team needs: RT, WR, pass-rusher, CB
Comment: Bart Scott left in free agency, leaving a hole at inside backer alongside Ray Lewis. Over the next two years, Lewis can teach Maualuga the Ravens way, and the legacy of Pro Bowl inside backers in Baltimore would be secure.



27. Indianapolis Colts:
Beanie Wells, HB, Ohio State

Team needs: S, LB, WR, P
Comment: With Dominic Rhodes leaving in free agency, the Colts need a second back to pair with oft-injured Joseph Addai in the rotation. Wells would represent a substantial upgrade with his 5.8-yard career average and 30 TDs.



28. Buffalo Bills:
Max Unger, C, Oregon

Team needs: LT, pass-rusher, S, TE
Comment: Buffalo missed out at left tackle at the top of the draft, but Unger is a nice consolation prize. He's one of the three elite centers in the draft, a Bills weakness in 2008, and also has college experience at left tackle.



29. New York Giants:
Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri

Team needs: WR, LB, CB, KR
Comment: The most-talented team in the NFC takes the best player available. New York's defensive tackles are stout run players, but Hood would inject a pass-rush threat into the mix, with 14½ career sacks at Missouri.



30. Tennessee Titans:
Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

Team needs: WR, CB, G, DL
Comment: Smith is the most productive cornerback in this draft but has the worst measurables – he's 5-9 and runs a 4.50 in the 40. The same knocks kept Brandon Flowers out of the first round in 2008, but he made the all-rookie team.



31. Arizona Cardinals:
Donald Brown, HB, Connecticut

Team needs: RB, LB, OL, KR
Comment: The Cardinals reached the Super Bowl but found themselves a running game away from the Lombardi Trophy. Arizona finished last in the NFL in rushing with an aging Edgerrin James. Brown, the NCAA rushing champion, brings fresh legs.



32. Pittsburgh Steelers:
Eric Wood, C, Louisville

Team needs: OL, WR, CB, S
Comment: QB Ben Roethliserger and HB Willie Parker are Pro Bowl play-makers who absorb too much of a beating behind a porous blocking front. Wood started 49 consecutive games at Louisville and can also play guard.



49. Chicago Bears:
Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

Team needs: WR, S, DT, DE
Comment: The Bears and Cowboys share the same shopping list, but Chicago drafts two picks higher than the Cowboys. So the Bears will get first crack at any sliding safety or wide receiver the Cowboys may covet.



51. Dallas Cowboys:
Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State

Team needs: WR, S, OL, LB
Comment: Levitre started three years at left tackle in the Pac-10 but is rated the best guard on the draft board. Some teams project him as a center. That's his value – he can play all five positions across the front.



59. Carolina Panthers:
Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond

Team needs: DT, DE, CB, OL
Comment: With the status of Pro Bowl pass-rusher Julius Peppers in limbo, the Panthers need some insurance at defensive end. Sidbury is the last end on this draft board with any speed – 4.53 in the 40.