I'll try to minimize my threads for Mock Drafts because I'll probably change my mind daily. This is my first attempt at mocking the draft this season and I kept it to the top ten picks. 1 MIA Jake Long OT Michigan 2 STL Glenn Dorsey DT Lousiana State 3 ATL Matt Ryan QB Boston College 4 KC Sedrick Ellis DT Southern California 5 OAK Darren McFadden RB Arkansas 6 NYJ Chris Long DE Virginia 7 NE James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State 8 BAL Calais Campbell DE Miami 9 CIN Keith Rivers LB Southern California 10 NO Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State Reasoning: 1 - Miami will probably stick with the 3-4 with Parcells and Cameron. As such, Dorsey is not a fit for them. Parcells isn't stupid and won't try the old square peg, round hole thing. They will most likely stick with Beck for another year and bring in a veteran and have no use for another RB. They have a need at Tackle and would probably like to move Vernon Carey back inside to Guard or Right Tackle. If Jake Long can step in on the left side that should help their offense. Other consideration: Darren McFadden 2 - Aside from injuries this was still a good football team. Jake Long might fit in on offense but if he isn't available I think they are looking hard at defense. Their DL has always been mediocre and picking up Glenn Dorsey allows them to bump Carriker outside and considerably upgrade their line. Other consideration: Jake Long 3 - Atlanta needs a face with good character. Their QB situation is a mess and they need to establish that position first. Ryan is the safest bet for them. They could use McFadden but I think that he is a luxury they cannot afford. Picking Ryan will also help the team move forward without Vick instead of looking back. Other consideration: Darren McFadden, Glenn Dorsey 4 - Herm needs OL help desperately but I see Long gone by now. If he is around he seems like a lock but Miami and St. Louis could use him. After picking Hali early two years ago and having Jared Allen emerge they need some beef inside. Ellis will free up the linebackers who are pretty good and give Allen and Hali space on the outside. Other consideration: Chris Long, Ryan Clady 5 - Oakland doesn't have a tremendous need for RB but if they let Jordan go and don't think Fargas can cut it, McFadden can be Kiffin's Reggie Bush as he continues to rehab that atrocious offense. Other consideration: Chris Long 6 - Clearly the best available player. At either OLB or DE he will help this team greatly. He has great bloodlines and college production and is a blue chip player. Other consideration: Vernon Gholston 7 - Their only weakness is age and injuries and no where more than at Linebacker. Laurinaitis will learn under some of the best and take over for Bruschi/Thomas/Vrabel/Seau/Brown. Other consideration: Derrick Harvey, Keith Rivers, Vernon Gholston 8 - With Billick gone we might see a reversion back to the 4-3. If so, they need some DEs to stick in there, especially if Suggs is gone. If they don't go to the 4-3 this probably isn't the pick. They need a QB bad as well, Boller may still develop and McNair might still be serviceable but the new regime might want to put their stamp on the franchise. Other consideration: Brian Brohm, Andre Woodson 9 - Cincinnati has such an absurd need for a LB I don't understand how this could go any other way. If not Rivers, then Laurinaitis or Connor. The only other needs they have is DL but if you are starting Dhani Jones and Anthony Schlegel, you've got a problem. Other consideration: Vernon Gholston, Derrick Harvey 10 - I was surprised to see that New Orleans had a pick this high seeing as they were on the verge of the playoffs. They don't have a tremendous amount of needs but after using a first last year on an unnecessary and useless pick they have to go defense here. Ideally I would give them a LB but it would be nice to replace the perennially overrated Mike McKenzie and the last good LB was taken right in front of them. There will be good value in the second at LB to take care of that need. Other consideration: Keith Rivers, Dan Conner
I just don't see Chris Long falling that far. It is obviously possible because anything can happen in the draft, but he also makes me nervous. What is his position? DE? OLB? You should never have to ask that question in the top 10.
The way I see it, Oakland is his only possible destination in the top 5. I believe he will be a DE but as the draft approaches and the combine passes, this list will be updated. Long will either bulk up or slim down depending on what he wants to do. He can't stay pat or you are right.
What pisses me off about Long is that he's so freaking good, that it's frustrating to think he can't come in the way he is and play on this Jets Defense. Sign me up for that Ellis, DRob, Pouha, Long D-line any day...
I agree, the only team that will consider C Long above the Jets is Oakland. So the Wild Card is McFadden, if McFadden slips to Oakland, he's a lock to be a Raider and than C Long is a NY Jet. If a Team above Oakland drafts MCfadden, C Long is a Raider, and the Jets are out of luck. Right now the only 2 players I want with the 6th pick are C Long or DMC, Gholston is good but is a sloppy seconds IMO.
How about Ellis, DRob, Haynsworth, Long Dansby, Vilma, Harris but i actually don?t want the jets to switch back, cuz i belive a good 34 is a better D than a good 43. Because the game becomes more and more pass first, and a 34 is just more pain in the ass for a QB than a 43. Reads are harder to make, you can bring more people and have much more variation in blitz packages Just get the 34 to work. We may not have the ideal personal to run it, but we have good enogh personal to make it work proberly, with 2-3 good Offseason additions, mangini has to be able to make it work.
yeah, i know. i?m not high on Haynesworth anyway. I hate to give players a big contract, who break out in their contract year. They get back to medicore usually.
Rambo, I agree with your reasoning and for the most part agree with all of your picks. I do however, believe that the Raiders pass on DMC to go for Long, my reasoning being the following: Warren Sapp is likely to leave the team. Howie had such a great career with the Raiders that Al is likely to want to continue the bloodline. Last year, the Raiders should have taken Calvin Johnson in the first round and then gone after Trent Edwards in the 2nd. They didn't because Al Davis had his mind made up that he wanted Russell bc of his physical abilities. For the same reason he wanted Russell, he'll want Long. Long fits their scheme, his father was a long-time Raider and they know he comes from a good gene pool --- so he'll likely be like his father. This is to say nothing of the fact that the Raiders are actually fairly solid at the RB position. Fargas came out of no where to be effective and I think that is why they go for Long here. 1 MIA Jake Long OT Michigan 2 STL Glenn Dorsey DT Lousiana State 3 ATL Matt Ryan QB Boston College 4 KC Sedrick Ellis DT Southern California 5 OAK Chris Long DE Virginia 6 NYJ Darren McFadden RB Arkansas 7 NE James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State 8 BAL Calais Campbell DE Miami 9 CIN Keith Rivers LB Southern California 10 NO Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
I agree Long has a strong chance to go to Oakland for many of the reasons listed by you. However, I put it at a 50-50 chance for the following reasons. 1. McFadden should have as good if not better physical results compared to Long 2. Their defense is fairly solid and their offense is fairly atrocious 3. I believe Jordan will be gone this season so it depends on if you trust Fargas. Personally I like him as a third down change of pace back 4. Look what Kiffin helped do with Reggie Bush. If he can duplicate that with McFadden he has a strong argument to take him Unfortunately there is a better chance of McFadden being picked ahead of Oakland by Atlanta or another team trading up than McFadden dropping past Oakland. Furthermore, while I would not cry about getting McFadden, the offense he played in scares the crap out of me. I mean when was the last time the kid played a game in the I formation?
Mock Draft v2.0 Code: [b][u]Pick Team Player Position School[/b][/u] 1 MIA Jake Long OT Michigan 2 STL Glenn Dorsey DT Lousiana State 3 ATL Darren McFadden RB Arkansas 4 KC Sedrick Ellis DT Southern California 5 OAK Chirs Long DE Virginia 6 NYJ Vernon Gholston OLB Ohio State 7 NE Ryan Clady OT Boise State 8 BAL Matt Ryan QB Boston College 9 CIN Calais Campbell DE Miami 10 NO Dan Connor ILB Penn State 11 DEN DeSean Jackson WR California 12 BUF Derrick Harvey DE Florida 13 CAR Sam Baker OT Southern California 14 CHI Brian Brohm QB Louisville 15 DET Kenny Philips S Miami Players on the Verge: other players I considered for the top 15 picks Andre Woodson - QB - Kentucky Keith Rivers - LB - Southern California Johnathan Stewart - RB - Oregon Mike Jenkins - CB - South Florida Jeffrey Otah - OT - Pittsburgh
Right now I don't think Baker, Jackson, and Campbell are in the top 15 anymore. Campbell is pure potential, and should have went back to school. Baker isn't a top 15 talent right now, and I'm just not a Jackson fan.
Would you agree that clearly Jackson is the best WR prospect? As soon as he hits 4.4 on the 40 he will be in the top 15. Baker or Otah could go in the top 15 I just went with Baker so maybe you are right. Campbell is pure potential but people, especially DL, shoot up the board every year based on pure potential. He clearly isn't as enticing as he was at the start of the season, but he is the best pure 4-3 DE in the draft.
KC has what they think is their QB in Croyle.. The Phins O-line needs serious help.. And ATL needs a RB and a QB.. D-Mac is far better then any QB in this draft..By 1000000000 Miles
No. I'm a fan of physical receivers, and Jackson is more of a deep threat. I doubt it with Oher, Long, and Clady all ahead of them. True enough. But based on play I like Long, Gholston, Harvey, and Jackson more. Campbell just didn't play like he was ready for the NFL.
I know alot of people here are really high on Gholston , but from the limited time I have seen him play and reports on him , I hope we don't take him. This years draft outside of the top 10 just looks really thin to me. I also agree with the C long comments , 50-50 to the Raiders , although in my heart I think hes as good as silver and black now , I will be very very surprised if the Raiders don't select him if hes still there.
