2009 NFL Mock Draft V.3

2009 NFL MOCK DRAFT V.3 Round 1

#1 Detroit Lions: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia:
To draft anything other than a QB would be an exercise in futility. Which essentially means the Lions will do what they always do and exercise their futility. I have hope though with the new regime in Motown they will draft their QB of the future. Kitna is done, we'll see him backing up somebody in the near future. Orlovsky did an admirable job considering the cast around him. Drew Stanton just looked awful the times he was in there. Orlovsky should be given one more year to start with Stafford sitting on the bench learning the ways of the NFL. I'm not sure he is NFL ready the way Matt Ryan was. I see more Joe Flacco, could start if needed but the Lions are in no way as talented as the Ravens.

#2 St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia:
The Rams are hurting in a bad way. They need help with just about every position. OL, all aspects of defense and quite possibly a new QB. The idea here is to look at the best available player. Aaron Curry is an option but is Linebacker a more pressing need than Left Tackle? I've heard grumblings of Michael Crabtree here but I think Donnie Avery is working out well for them. With the available players out there I think a new LT is the best option here.

#3 Kansas City Chiefs: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas:
Here's my 1st crazy theory of the 2009 draft. With the signing of Todd Haley as the new head coach I foresee the Chiefs signing Kurt Warner as their starting QB. I'll wait for everybody to stop laughing......OK, now here are my reasons. Warner will not have to learn a new system, he'll just step into Haley's old system. I've also heard that the two had a very good working relationship. Warner would also help Tyler Thigpen's growth tremendously. Besides all that is Arizona really committed to keeping Warner? Not with bonus baby Leinart sitting on the bench they're not. I think it's a fantastic idea myself. With that said Orakpo would be an excellent upgrade over the shadows that replaced Jared Allen.

#4 Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech:
I think this might be the only sure thing of the draft. It makes the most sense of all the teams. What made the Seahawks suck so bad last year? 1. No receivers: This fixes that problem immediately. 2. Bad Secondary: This is no sure thing CB/Safety in this draft. With possibly the exception of Vontae Davis, but that is just a guess. 3. No game changing RB: Is Beanie Wells or Knowshon Moreno a game changer? I think they are glorified 2nd round picks myself. 4. Fragile QB: With all the needs this team has you do not waste a high 1st round pick on a player that will sit on the bench for 2 years minimum. 5. They play in Seattle: The team has no chance of following the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

#5 Cleveland Browns: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois:
So, Malcolm Jenkins is everybody's #1 DB in this draft. I have to disagree. I watched most of the U of Chief Illiniwek's games this year and Davis is a game-changer. Excellent coverage skills, hard hitter and athletic. The 40 time and his height are also intriguing.

#6 Cincinnati Bengals: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College:
I gotta say the main reason I am making this pick is due to Marvin Lewis being his coach at the Senior Bowl. The second reason is the Bengals REALLY need a DT. The Bengals were 21st last year in rushing yards allowed, allowing 120.1 yards per game. This pick combined with the return of Keith Rivers will make the Defense somewhat respectable. The only sticking point with this pick is he does not have a criminal record. The Bengals might just have to overlook that.

#7 Oakland Raiders: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State:
The Silver and Black need help on the Offensive Line. Jamarcus Russel needs some time back there. But, Nnamdi Asomugha will not be back next year. After the failed DeAngelo Hall experiment Al Davis needs to improve his secondary.

#8 Jacksonville Jaguars: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri:
Khalif Barnes had a bad season last year. But he has been doing a decent job in those trenches for 4 years now and he will rebound next year. Combine that with his minuscule contract means they will not give up on him yet. The receiving corps on the other hand need some fresh blood in there to say the least. Maclin will be a stud in the NFL. He is tall enough and fast enough to work the sidelines and big enough to work the slot. He will make the Jags fans forget about the team's ineptitude at drafting 1st round WR's. Much like the Lions finally striking gold with Calvin Johnson.

#9 Green Bay Packers: Everette Brown, DE, Florida St.:
The Pack is converting to a 3-4 Defense. If B.J. Raji is available that is the pick. But in my mock he is already gone. They could reach for Peria Jerry but I don't think he is top 10 worthy. That might change after the combine though. KGB was released last year and Aaron Kampmann was decent. Other than that I don't see a lot of other options for them. Brown is probably the best of the DE's in this draft although his size might be a concern.

#10 San Francisco 49ers: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC:
Shaun Hill, J.T. O'Sullivan and Alex Smith are all great QB's.....for the Arena League. San Fran needs to upgrade. There are questions about Sanchez. Does he have the experience to make it in the NFL? Matt Cassell proved that a USC QB who didn't even start can make it. I like this pick and so will the Niners fans. Eventually.

#11 Buffalo Bills: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU:
The Bills were right below the Bengals in rush defense. So by the transitive property of mock drafts the Bills need to go for a DE as well. 'Cuz y'know we are talking about an exact science here. Anyways, the Bills had 24 sacks last year. That's 14 more than the Chiefs and we all know how much they sucked last year.

#12 Denver Broncos: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest:
I'm torn on this pick. Do the Broncos need a dominant ILB like Maualuga or do they take a chance that an OLB like Curry here is athletic enough to switch to the middle. After much Kerry-esque flip flopping I decided Curry is the man here.

#13 Washington Redskins: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss:
It looks like the Redskins will be letting Jon Jansen walk this year. Even though I think that might be a bad idea, Oher can step right in and replace him. Another option is the Redskins going after Jordan Gross in Free Agency and draft a DE here. Which seems more like Daniel Snyder's style.

#14 New Orleans Saints: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC:
Yet another in the long line of amazingly athletic LB's from USC. The Saints had two major weaknesses last year Linebacking and the Secondary. With Tracy Porter coming back next year the CB depth is a little bit better. I think for the betterment of the Saints Scott Fujita should not be back and Vilma needs to move to the outside. You will be hearing Maualuga's name being called at the Pro Bowl for many years to come.

#15 Houston Texans: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt:
Some say D.J. Moore is the best pure coverage CB in this draft. I say that sounds good and I can't wait to see him at the combine. The Texans were tied for 21st with 12 Ints last year and they were 17th giving up 213.9 passing yards. Think how many yards they would have given up if they didn't have Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans. I think Moore will be a suitable replacement for Dunta Robinson if he leaves via free agency.

#16 San Diego Chargers: Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn St:
The Chargers are not going to draft a replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson. They will give him one more year to prove that he is not this year's Shawn Alexander. They will on the other hand draft Darren Sproles' replacement later in the draft. Look for Javon Ringer, Ian Johnson or Tyrell Sutton to get a call from the Bolts on the second day of the draft. Now, I don't think San Diego will have any problem drafting a replacement for Igor Olshansky though. My only question is if it will be Maybin, Larry English or Michael Johnson. Can't wait for the Combine.

#17 New York Jets: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida:
The Jets need a playmaker at WR. The Jets did not have a deep threat or a 1000 yard receiver last year. Jericho Cotchery and Laverneus Coles are good receivers but they are not 1st option WR's. Percy Harvin showed in the title game that he has heart and talent. I think he should have gotten some of that love that was thrown at Tim Tebow by the announcers.

#18 Chicago Bears: Jason Smith, T, Baylor:
What to do, what to do?! The Bears need a WR. The Bears need some help on the D-line. The Bears need some help in their secondary. The Bears absolutely need some help on the O-Line to keep Orton healthy and whoever is backing him up out of the game. I say grab a Tackle now and hope he stays healthy. Grab a Dominic Hicks in the 2nd round and maybe grab a somewhat decent CB in the third. Got it Jerry Angelo? OK good thats covered.

#19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas St:
Taking Freeman in the 1st round is a reach. But, of all the teams that need a QB the Bucs are the one that can afford to overlook their other needs. The Bucs need a WR but can afford to take one in the second round. Ditto with a Linebacker. But, Freeman will be gone by the time they draft in the 2nd round. Freeman is going to get a ton of comparisons to Joe Flacco for the next two months. I think that is warranted. Big, strong and from a "small" school. Tampa Bay hopes rookie playoff QB is another comparison.

#20 Detroit Lions: Andre Smith, T, Alabama:
If the NFL is one thing it is a copycat league. Look how many teams suddenly adopted the wildcat formation for example. Last year the Falcons drafted a QB #1 and used their second 1st round pick on OT Sam Baker. They made the playoffs. I'm sure the Lions want to make the playoffs. I don't think Matt Millen wanted to, I think he just liked drafting in the top 10 every year. Lions would be foolish not to follow the example of the Falcons. Draft a franchise QB and then grab a big Tackle to keep him upright. Andre Smith's rep has taken a huge hit since the end of the season. Being suspended for talking to a scout was just the start. At the Senior Bowl his inability to stop the speed rush hurt more than anything.

#21 Philadelphia Eagles: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia:
Two things are certain in Philly, the cheesesteaks are the best sandwiches you will ever eat and Brian Westbrook will be injured for part of the year. This pick will not be made to replace Westbrook but to complement him and fill in when he is hurt. Moreno is a more enticing option over Beanie Wells for the Eagles. Moreno does not have the injury bug that has followed Wells and Moreno is a better pass catching RB. I think either one will help the team but you do not want to replace a injury prone RB with another injury prone RB.

#22 Minnesota Vikings: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC:
Minnesota's defense started to get a lot of respect last year. This pick will cement the fact that they have the best defense in the NFC North. Cushing lined up on the opposite side of Greenway is a dominating duo. Minnesota is also in a position to take best available player. The team is pretty solid and the only two needs they have are secondary and of course QB. With Freeman gone there is a huge talent dropoff. There is a chance that S Louis Delmas or Patrick Chung will be available later.

#23 New England Patriots: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio St:
Kind of a surprise pick here. But, this is all dependent on my 2nd crazy theory/ prediction. I'm guessing the Pats play heavy in the LB free agency pool. How do you think Suggs, Ray Lewis, Karlos Dansby or LeRoy Hill would look in a Pats uniform? So, if New England decides to fix their most glaring need via free agency why not make your already strong offense even better? Laurence Maroney is already showing signs of being old and he's only 24. Get some fresh legs in there to spell Old Man Maroney.

#24 Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St:
If you have Marcus Pollard on your team, you need help at TE immediatly. Brandon Pettigrew is the top ranked TE in this draft. I think Chase Coffman will be a better TE down the road, but this guy ain't bad either.

#25 Miami Dolphins: Larry English, DE/OLB, N. Illinois:
The Dolphins were ranked 25th against the pass last year. Is that more because of their secondary or the lack of a pass rush. I am guessing they look at DE and grab English here (or Michael Johnson) and grab a DB like San Jose St's Coye Francies later on in the draft.

#26 Baltimore Ravens: James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio St:
The Ravens are going to lose one of their LB's. If it is Ray Lewis then this is the pick, if it is Terrell Suggs then it will be Clay Matthews or Clint Sintim. If it's Bart Scott then they will draft a WR. My apologies to all the Bart Scott fans out there.

#27 Indianapolis Colts: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss:
One thing was certain last year, who ever was rushing against the Colts was going to have a very nice game. Colts are going to be very happy to see Jerry here at #27. I would like to see the Colts go after Albert Haynesworth via free agency and maybe slide Jerry over to DE.

#28 Philadelphia Eagles: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut:
Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are either leaving or getting old. Either way Eagles need to draft a replacement for one of them. William Beatty and Phil Loadholt are in battle to see who is the 4th best OT out there. Look for the Eagles to draft a TE, maybe a Chase Coffman, in the second round.

#29 New York Giants: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland:
Six Shooter Plaxico probably won't be coming back to the Giants. Which means they will need another fast big man. Let's hope Heyward-Bey isn't a NRA member. The Giants do still Mario Manningham and Marcus Monk. Besides the obvious greatness of the alliteration, either one of these M&M's could be a starter next year. The other option is taking whichever Linebacker Baltimore doesn't take. The Giants need some depth at that position. Look for them to address the secondary in the 2nd round.

#30 Tennessee Titans: Fili Moala, DT, USC:
No matter who the Titans draft here, it will be a reach. All of the 1st round caliber WR's, OT's and DT's have been taken. Moala is a borderline 1st round pick anyways so this pick makes the most sense. But, only if they lose Haynesworth. If they somehow manage to retain him look for Cal's C Alex Mack to be the selection here.

#31 Arizona Cardinals: Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois:
This is the pick only and only if Karlos Dansby leaves the team. Johnson is athletic enough to pull off outside linebacker but could also put a hand down and replace Antonio Smith and Bryan Robinson. If the team manages to keep Karlos Dansby (there is a good chance they will franchise him) then the team will look at LeSean McCoy. Edge is good as gone. Tim Hightower could still be a servicable RB but he will need someone to platoon with. McCoy will be a definite upgrade over J.J. Arrington.

#32 Pittsburgh Steelers: Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma:

It's hard to believe that the Steelers need anything after the incredible year that they had. But, when you have a line that gave up that many sacks you might want to look into that. Robinson will soon be having dinner at one of Big Ben's pool parties. His teammate Phil Loadholt might be another option. It just depends on which is a greater need; interior line or on the outside of the line. It looks to me like Robinson might be the better option.