2009 Mock Draft

1.) Detroit- Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia, 6-2, 225

The Lions need a quarterback like no one’s business. Yes, they could take a tackle, but Jeff Backus is there and that makes getting a tackle the primary option at the 20th pick. Aaron Curry is projected to play ILB in the NFL, so the value is atrocious. If James Laurinaitis can’t get projected to go in the first round, then I do not see why Curry could go first overall. Jason Smith is a good prospect but picking a player due to his upside is not smart in this economy.

Plus, Stafford wants to be there. In a pre-draft interview with Lions’ top brass, Stafford reportedly told head coach Jim Schwartz he wanted to play for the Lions. Stafford even went so far as to sneak up behind and bear hug Lions president Tom Lewand and tell him, “Let’s go!” I hope he didn’t do that, because if you hurt the president, you don’t get drafted by that team. That said, Stafford has a cannon arm and will fit well in a Kevin Smith-led power offense. Stafford will be the first pick because Detroit needs him, he needs Detroit, and most of all. ESPN needs to tease us for four hours on draft day.

2.) St. Louis- Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia, 6-5, 309

Eugene Monroe is the right man to take Orlando pace’s spot. He is a good run blocker and has some of the best feet of any prospect in the last decade. The reason I don’t have Jason Smith here is because he is not a developed run blocker, and as I said before, I would not pick a player who has upside simply because they have upside, especially in a risky economic climate. So Eugene Monroe gets the nod, allowing St. Louis to improve their abysmal offensive numbers from last year.

3.) Kansas City- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forrest, 6-2, 254

Curry is a lock here because he can play every position in the 3-4 defense, which the Chiefs are switching to. They added veteran linebacker Zack Thomas to play the middle, and they have Derrick Johnson to play the rush linebacker spot or the second inside spot, so adding Curry would provide flexibility in the front seven and would help KC run the 3-4 very effectively within a couple of years.

4.) Seattle- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech, 6-2, 215

Seattle finds a bookend receiver for T. J. Houshmanzadeh and finally puts some pressure on Deion Branch to perform. Branch has battled injuries since the Patriots stole Seattle’s first round pick for him a few years ago. Crabtree will extend Matt Hasselbeck’s career and make it an easy transition from him to any future quarterback Seattle adds.

5.) Cleveland- Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas, 6-3, 263

Cleveland adds a player to a very poor defense. Trading Leigh Bodden actually seems to have been a good move, as Shaun Rogers is a huge threat in the middle and his space eating ability makes up for any lack of ability they may have in the secondary. It does not, however, make the linebackers play any better. Kamerion Wimbley failed as a draft pick, and he needs to be replaced. Beau Bell could start on the inside for them this year, the outside spot needs a serious upgrade.

6.) Cincinnati- Jason Smith, OT, Baylor, 6-5, 309

I had B. J. Raji here, but I changed it when I remembered that I had predicted Jason Smith to go after Monroe, something most mocks do not have. Raji would be my pick: the Bengals have a veteran tackle in Levi Jones, who is actually only entering his ninth year and is only an issue because he is recovering from an injury.

7.) Oakland- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland, 6-2, 195

Oakland picks a freak wide receiver, even if Al Davis doesn’t always do so. The reason I don’t have a Michael Johnson here is because he is a huge reach. Not that Heyward-Bey isn’t a reach, but at least he is a consensus round one pick. Johnson is considered by most, including myself, to be a second round guy. Therefore, Oakland adds a receiver with 4.3 speed to a potent offense; that is, if JaMarcus Russell can learn an NFL offense.

8.) Jacksonville- B. J. Raji, NT, Boston College, 6-1, 330

Jacksonville can get back on the right track if they find a number one receiver and reestablish a strong defense front. They accomplish the latter here by replacing Marcus Stroud and getting a great DT in the meantime.

I don’t believe Denver will trade into this spot because I don’t believe that they need Mark Sanchez. I don’t even see Denver finding another QB: clearly, if McDaniels wanted to appease his Denver fan base, he would have kept Cutler. Right now, Orton is the guy for Denver. Can he make every throw possible? No, but neither can Matt Cassel, and he still got a big franchise tag and a starting gig in KC… all because Josh McDaniels produces a great system QB.

9.) Green Bay- Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State, 6-4, 253

Aaron Maybin put on weight and managed to run a 4.5 at his Pro Day. This shows me that there had to have been a major screw up with official times at the combine. After all, Maybin ran a 4.8 at the combine, and had every draftnik moving him down the board. But here he is, back, and possibly, sitting in Packer green and gold.

10.) San Francisco- Mark Sanchez, QB, USC, 6-2, 227

It kills me to put Sanchez here, but he is the best player available. I say it kills me because I absolutely love Shaun Hill. Go ahead, laugh. Go on, do it. But look at the guy’s record. On a bad San Francisco team last year, Hill threw 13 touchdowns and 8 picks in the final eight games, going 5-3 as a starter. Very good for a guy with only either too-old or too-young receivers on the roster. I think Mike Singletary is smart, though. He will allow Sanchez to develop, let Hill play this season, then let Hill walk and give Sanchez the reigns. Either way, Niner fans can all agree on one thing: a celebration is in order, because Alex smith will probably never again play for the Niners!

11.) Buffalo- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State, 6-1, 256

The best pure 4-3 DE left, Buffalo can now help build on their sack total from last year, and still probably come away with a decent value pick.

Brown is too short to play 3-4 rush linebacker, but he is fine for a 4-3. So the Bills can get a good compliment to whatever Schobel brother they have, at this point.

12.) Denver- Tyson Jackson, DE/DT, LSU, 6-4, 296

I really hope Denver does not take a QB here. Josh Freeman is not only a reach but he is not a guaranteed prospect. He is, in my mind, JaMarcus Russell without the hype. Basically, a farce. It takes a lot more to win in the NFL than arm strength and a big body. Therefore, Denver begins to build the defense right here and hopefully try to win over their fan base with solid defensive play. Look for the Broncos to grab Ron Brace, a NT from Boston College, in round two.

13.) Washington- Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss, 6-5, 309

Washington gets a right tackle here and helps protect a now fired up Jason Campbell. Chris Samuels is a good LT, so Oher can be the bookend to an offense that could really put up points this year, especially if Devin Thomas upsets Antwaan Randle El at the spot across from Santana Moss.

14.) New Orleans- Malcolm Jenkins, FS/CB, Ohio State, 6-0, 204

New Orleans need to improve their defense if they expect to win the NFC South ever again. They start here by making their defense forget about the pitiful play on Josh Bullocks. Jenkins was a corner at OSU, but a poor forty, 4.55, could have NFL teams putting him at safety. That’s fine by me.

15.) Houston- Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois, 5-11, 203

Houston could go linebacker here, but they signed Cato June this offseason, and he is a very capable starter. They can address linebacker later in the draft now, which gives them a chance to nab the best corner on the board at this point.

Davis is a very good corner, a natural athlete who could really help Houston try to stop Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez.

16.) San Diego- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama, 6-4, 332

A poor decision maker, Smith left the combine randomly, and openly admitted to not working out before the draft process began…

WTF?????? This is the biggest job interview of your life! You cost yourself millions because you are lazy! How dumb can you be?

At least A.J. Smith, San Diego’s GM, won’t care: he has never shown reluctance to make a boneheaded first round pick. (See Craig Davis, WR, LSU, 2007 Draft.)

17.) New York (Jets)- William Beatty, OT, Connecticut, 6-6, 307

Most mocks have a running back or quarterback going here. I, however, think the Jets will take a tackle to replace Damien Woody, who was severely overpaid last off-season, at right tackle. The Jets can land a running back like Kory Sheets later on in the draft.

18.) Denver- Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC, 6-2, 249

This pick comes courtesy of Jay Cutler’s agent, Bus Cook, from the Bears. I believe Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels will continue to rebuild that horrible defense with a beast of a linebacker here in the middle of round one. While at USC, he won the Bednarik Award as the best linebacker in the nation and was named All-American and Team MVP.

19.) Tampa Bay- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State, 6-6, 248

A fast riser, mostly due to his strong arm, Josh Freeman comes off the board here to help Tampa Bay rebuild. I have never seen a team level their own roster the way the Bucs have this off-season, and hopefully this guy will help them win for years to come. I do not think he will, but hey, what does Tampa care? As long as they sell tickets and fill the seats, everything will be fine… right?

20.) Detroit- Eben Britton, OT, Arizona, 6-6, 309

Eben Britton only did 24 reps of the 225-lb bench press at the combine, but he ran the ten yard dash in 1.68 seconds, fastest of all the first round tackles. That swiftness will aid his NFL transition, especially against speed rushers.

21.) Philadelphia- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers, 6-3, 218

Kenny Britt was a star at Rutgers, managing great numbers without a great quarterback. Philly needs another good receiver opposite DeSean Jackson, and they can get him here in Britt, who runs a high 4.4 forty, which is great for his size. Most people accuse Andy Reid of stupidity, and rightfully so, but after trading his other first round pick to Buffalo for left tackle Jason Peters, I think Reid has to draft Britt here in order to get a good receiver.

22.) Minnesota- Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut, 5-11, 183

Another guy who has risen the wave of pre-draft hype, Darius Butler has a lot of talent. But will his game translate to the NFL? Minnesota will find out if they draft him here. Too bad they couldn’t draft a decent GM and a lobotomy for their entire front office, that way they could get rid of Tavaris Jackson and add a real quarterback by trading up for one.

23.) New England- Brian Cushing, OLB, USC, 6-3, 243

Cushing has been rundown by some analysts as nothing more than a workout warrior with a chiseled body who needs more time to develop into a real football player. Who better to do that then Bill Belichick? Cushing has all the talent to take over for Mike Vrabel as the ILB / OLB tweener in the Pats 3-4 defense.

24.) Atlanta- Clay Mathews, OLB, USC, 6-3, 240

Most mocks have Brandon Pettigrew here. I do not, however, because right now Atlanta has NO ONE at outside linebacker. Curtis Lofton is great in the middle, but Keith Brooking and Michael Boley both left in free agency, and the Falcons need to improve the defense more than the offense. A defensive tackle like Peria Jerry would also fit here.

25.) Miami- Connor Barwin, OLB / DE, Cincinnati, 6-4, 256

A former tight end, Connor Barwin is exactly the type of versatile player Miami likes. He could play across from Joey Porter in the 3-4, and there in no reason why he couldn’t play some offense at the tight end spot.

26.) Baltimore- Hakim Nicks, WR, North Carolina, 6-1, 212

Jeremy Maclin is an option, but Baltimore doesn’t really need a kick returner so much as they need a good receiver. That’s what Nicks can be. What helps rokkie reciever more than any other skill? Route running. Nicks is a standout route runner, and he can instantly become the Ravens’ number two receiver across from Derek Mason.

27.) Indianapolis- Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss, 6-2, 299

Peria Jerry is an immediate upgrade over Keyunta Dawson, who actually tried out for some teams as a linebacker before coming into the league in 2007.

28.) Buffalo- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State, 6-6, 263

The Bills finally get their tight end. Thanks to a trade with Philly, Buffalo can use this pick on Brandon Pettigrew, who despite a lack of deep speed (high 4.8 forty times) is a very good pass catcher, and a guy who can use his big frame to steal receptions from smaller defense players.

29.) New York (Giants)- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri, 6-1, 198

While not the huge target Plaxico Burress was for the Giants, Maclin could be a great returner and receiver for the Giants, and with such a good roster already, the Giants can really pick the best player available here. In my mind, that has to be Maclin.

30.) Tennessee- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forrest, 5-9, 193

While he is small, Alphonso Smith is a gamer and exactly the type of corner Tennessee needs. He is a ball hawk and a great athlete who could be an instant upgrade over the aging Nick Harper.

31.) Arizona- Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Ohio State, 6-1, 235

A big back, Chris Wells could take Edgerrin James’ place in the Cardinals’ offense. Wells falls here in my mock only because running back is not a great value pick, and none of these teams really needs a tailback that badly. Although, don’t put it past the Pats to take him at 23rd overall.

32.) Pittsburgh- Alex Mack, C, California, 6-4, 307
Pittsburgh needs a new center after Justin Hartwig surrendered 6.5 sacks in 2008, tops in the league. Actually, they could use a whole new offense line. All of their starters would be backups on 75% of the other teams in the league.