A QB at pick #5 ?

[swede]

Aaron Rodgers is only in the strictest sense a first round pick. Last night Chris Mortenson said on ESPN that Alex Smith would be the 4th ranked QB in this draft.

So what would that make Aaron Rodgers?
I am suddenly waking up from my calm "everything happens for the best" attitude and suffering from a huge case of heebie jeebies as I ponder life without Favre.

And maybe TT, who tends to make a draft plan and stick with it, will this year, like last year, pick the highest rated player on the board regardless of position or team need.

1. Bush
2. Mario
3. Leinert
4. Ferguson
5. Young !?

This is certainly not what I want, but I did want to warn Bretsky to place an inch-thick sheet of plexiglass in front of his TV and get a couple of bricks ready.

[MJZiggy]

You forgot Hawk.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I don't think Hawk is a better prospect than any of those 5.

He's a safer, more comforting choice, though.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I think Hawk is a better prospect than Leinart and possibly Young. To me, Young in the right system could be an All-Pro. Young in the WCO, dink and dunk offense might not be a great fit.

[ND72]

Hawk is better than Young and Mario, and rated higher than Ferguson, so Hawk would be #3 on my board.

[Oscar]

I'm with everyone on taking Hawk with our #5 pick. If T.T. takes a QB with the pick I'll throw my TV out the front room window! JK I wanted to do defense with the first pick last year and want the same this year. I have a strong feeling that T.T. is gonna trade down though.. If not Hawk is the guy.

[billy_oliver880]

I'm with everyone on taking Hawk with our #5 pick. If T.T. takes a QB with the pick I'll throw my TV out the front room window!

I don't blame you...I think I will too.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Personally, I don't buy this, but it's interesting.

"The big deception, in my opinion, is that the Packers already know Favre is returning. But if they delay the announcement until after the draft, they can keep talks alive that they just might take Leinart or Young if either drops. Do you really think the NFL would have assigned three prime-time games for the Packers if they had not been given assurances that he would return for his final tour?

Of course, the Packers taking a QB in the first round really doesn't make a lot of sense anyway. They drafted California's Aaron Rogers in the first round last year. But that hasn't stopped the Packers from playing the game in a big way, and it hasn't stopped others from buying into their act!"

Year of the Smokescreen
From James Alder
Apr 17 2006

Positioning for the 2006 NFL Draft

Every year, teams send up plenty of false signals to throw competing teams off their trail as far as their draft intentions are concerned. But this year, there seems to be an inordinate amount of false information being leaked, especially at the top end of the draft. And this year's biggest player might just be the Green Bay Packers, who hold the No. 5 pick.

Starting with the top overall pick, though, the only smokescreen associated with the Houston Texans' first-round selection is their feigned interest in hometown hero Vince Young. Barring a trade down, there's little doubt in my mind they'll select USC running back Reggie Bush.

At No. 2, the New Orleans Saints would love to trade down a couple spots, but in case they can't, they've been sending out plenty of conflicting signals as to the direction they will take. The hottest rumor making the rounds is their interest in North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams. However, the club already has two solid starters at the position, making the selection unlikely in my opinion.

There has also been talk that the Saints could be tempted by USC quarterback Matt Leinart, despite having signed former Chargers starter Drew Brees during the offseason. Brees' contract does include a $12 million bonus prior to the 2007 season, so his agreement, in essence, might be nothing more than a one-year deal. However, the Saints are more likely to take a wait-and-see attitude with Brees during the 2006 season before committing to go in another direction at QB.

A much more likely target is Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, especially in light of the Wayne Gandy trade. New head coach Sean Payton is doing his best to divert attention from such an obvious replacement, however, by stating last year's top pick, Jamaal Brown, will be moved to the left side to fill the vacancy. In my opinion, Brown is better suited for the right side and the Saints know it. But if they can disguise their interest in Ferguson, another team might be tempted to move up for either Leinart, Williams, or Young.

The Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 3 pick, have been rumored to be enamored with Young as a replacement for the aging Steve McNair. But with the club's recent refusal to let the league's former co-MVP work out at team facilities, I'm led to believe Leinart is their target if they're thinking QB.

Current Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow was Leinart's offensive coordinator at USC, but that's not as big of an indicator as the way the team is dealing with McNair. If they truly thought Young was their QB of the future, the Titans wouldn't risk alienating McNair. Young has a lot of development ahead of him before he will be NFL ready, and needs a veteran with a history of success to teach him the ropes.

If the team is targeting the more polished Leinart, they could throw him in the lineup from day one, or they could turn the reigns over to backup Billy Volek, while Leinart is eased into the starting role.

At No. 4, the New York Jets are all but guaranteed to have a top selection that fills a need fall to them, so they haven't dabbled quite as much in the games of deception. But at No. 5, the Packers might be the biggest deceivers of all. Green Bay has a number of holes to fill themselves, and despite having the recently re-signed Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila on the roster, Mario Williams appears to be one of their main targets. Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk is also on their wish list, and what better way to ensure one of the two is available than to float the possibility of taking a quarterback to succeed Brett Favre. One of the two is almost assured of being there already, but it wouldn't hurt if another team jumped ahead of them to snag a QB.

The big deception, in my opinion, is that the Packers already know Favre is returning. But if they delay the announcement until after the draft, they can keep talks alive that they just might take Leinart or Young if either drops. Do you really think the NFL would have assigned three prime-time games for the Packers if they had not been given assurances that he would return for his final tour?

Of course, the Packers taking a QB in the first round really doesn't make a lot of sense anyway. They drafted California's Aaron Rogers in the first round last year. But that hasn't stopped the Packers from playing the game in a big way, and it hasn't stopped others from buying into their act!

Look for more thoughts in our updated mock draft later this week!