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MIA Chris Long, DE, Virginia
If it was not for the changes in Miami, this could have been a very interesting start to the draft. Remember when they drafted Ted Ginn last year way too early? However, Bill Parcells is pulling the strings now and he knows that all the skill players in the world will get you nowhere if you don't have good lines on both sides of the ball. Injury concerns will keep them away from Glenn Dorsey, but Chris Long will help the defense for years to come.
STL Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
If Glenn Dorsey falls to the Rams, they will have trouble turning him down unless they are going with the recent trend of having Sedrick Ellis as the top DT on their list. Helping out the struggling offensive line is an option as well, so St. Louis will take a long look at Jake Long out of Michigan. As long as Dorsey can stay healthy, he will clog up the middle of the line without a problem.
ATL Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
With the mess in Atlanta, the Falcons need a new face for their franchise. The Falcons could use a new quarterback right now and Brian Brohm is the most NFL ready quarterback available, but the Falcons hope that Matt Ryan has more long term potential. Ryan does not have a rocket arm or elusive speed, but he does do everything extremely well and no quarterback in this class comes close to having his poise and intangibles. Selecting OT Jake Long or DT Sedrick Ellis is a good option if the Falcons feel they can get a quarterback they want in the second round.
OAK Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
There are more glaring needs in Oakland than a running back, but Adrian Peterson's performance last season has everybody hoping they can get the next instant impact back. Darren McFadden has that potential so he will not fall too far and the Raiders could be set at quarterback and running back for the next decade. The Raiders should go after DT Sedrick Ellis, but it's Al Davis.
KC Jake Long, OT, Michigan
The Chiefs will hope Jake Long falls this far so they can begin to rebuild their horrendous offensive line. They will think about a quarterback, but Long, will fill a huge need for the struggling Chiefs. Brodie Croyle has not been horrible and if the line could actually hold, he could be the future of the franchise. It is too early to give up on Croyle and waste a top five pick on QB Brian Brohm. The Chiefs just need to give Croyle some help for him to be successful.
NYJ Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
The Jets defense ranked 29th in the NFL against the run and will look to address that problem during the draft. After Glenn Dorsey, Sedrick Ellis is the most dominating defensive tackle in this class, but he does not really fit into the Jets 3-4 scheme. Vernon Gholston is more known for his pass rushing ability, but he is an underappreciated run stopper. His less than stellar performance in the national championship game has decreased his value somewhat, but he is still worthy of a top ten selection.
NE Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
The Patriots can address their need for a linebacker in the second round. If New England lets Asante Samuel go, they will need a cornerback just as badly. Some teams really like Mike Jenkins and others not so much. That is in part due to off-field issues. If the Patriots have him as the number one corner on their board, they will jump on the South Florida product.
BAL Keith Rivers, LB, USC
With the hiring of new coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens will look to shore up some defensive needs. Unless there is a quarterback that Baltimore just loves, the Ravens will look to the other side of the ball for now. Keith Rivers is a versatile, quick linebacker who can make an immediate impact.
CIN Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
The Bengals would be ecstatic if DT Sedrick Ellis fell to them. The team needs an impact defensive tackle and Ellis will do. At 6-1 he is a little short, but Ellis will bring some much needed penetration to Cincinnati's interior line. The Bengals defense was surprisingly bad last season and Ellis' ability to stop the run and knock down passes at the line will immediately help.
NO Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
After leading the Kansas Jayhawks to a BCS game, the cornerbacks stock has been rising. The Saints are in dire need of a linebacker or cornerback and Talib provides the best value at either of those positions at this point in the draft. If the Patriots pass on a corner with the seventh pick, the Saints could go after Mike Jenkins from South Florida.
BUF Early Doucet, WR, LSU
How bad do the Bills want a wide receiver? Probably bad enough to reach for one on this pick. When Early Doucet was healthy, he was nearly impossible to stop. He has everything a team would want from a receiver and the Bills desperately need a respectable receiver to compliment Lee Evans. As long as injuries do not become a concern, Doucet will be the top receiver on many boards, but that does not mean it isn't way too early to take him.
DEN Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Kenny Phillips and Miami may have had a bad season last year, but Phillips is still a top ten player. There are not a lot of great safeties out there in this draft and Phillips is easily the cream of the crop. John Lynch is getting old and missed some of the year with an injury. It is definitely time to look to the future for the Denver secondary. Phillips has the physical tools to be a big time player right away and make the Denver secondary one of the best in the NFL.
CAR Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Ryan Clady may not be as impressive as Jake Long, but he is a tenacious blocker who will not only open holes for the ground game, but keep the quarterback on his feet as well. His collegiate career at Boise State went largely unnoticed by casual fans, but Clady is quick and strong and an all-around solid tackle.
CHI Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Once they realize Brian Brohm will not help the quarterback situation any more than the guys they have right now, the Bears will look somewhere else. They will not have to look too far as the second best running back is right in their own backyard. Rashard Mendenhall had a terrific junior campaign at Illinois and his stock is rising fast. If Ryan Clady did not go one pick earlier, the Bears would probably have taken him. Jeff Otah or Chris Williams are worthy tackles to take here.
DET Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt
Jeff Otah has not been playing football very long and he has plenty of room to improve. He stepped into the college level at Pittsburgh and did an amazing job and seemed to improve on a daily basis. The Lions could use another quality lineman and they could fall for Otah's versatility. If he continues to improve, Otah will be a great player for years to come and Detroit would get a steal.
ARI Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
As far as physical talent goes, Calais Campbell is on top of the list for defensive ends. His relatively unproductive senior season at Miami has knocked his stock down a bit, but that is good news for Arizona who need some help all along the defensive end. At 6-8 and 280 pounds, Campbell is an imposing figure and has great speed and quickness for his size.
MIN Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
The Vikings sported the worst pass defense in the NFL last year and seeing CB Antoine Cason on the board should be too much to pass up. Cason won the Thorpe Award last year and has plenty of experience against top notch wide receivers playing in the pass happy Pac-10. If he can overcome his critics who question his speed, he should be a first rounder. If the Vikings are not sold on Cason, there are other quality defensive backs like Leodis McKelvin and Reggie Smith available.
HOU Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Houston needs a running back, but their top two choices are already off the board. It might be a touch early for Jonathan Stewart, but he has just as much potential as Rashard Mendenhall. With Stewart in the backfield, the Texans offense could find that final piece that can turn them into a force in the AFC South. Now they just need a secondary.
PHI DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal
The Eagles need a linebacker, they could use a receiver at some point too. DeSean Jackson is not the big, strong receiver Philadelphia needs, but he is playmaker and a great returnman. Having Jackson and Brian Westbrook on the same team will give defensive coordinators nightmares.
TB Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Tampa Bay would be surprised if Brian Brohm slipped this far. The Bucs are expected to pick up a quarterback at some point in this draft and with Brohm they could get the top QB on their board. If Tampa Bay needs him to play right away, Brohm is the quarterback that is the most prepared to hit the field this year.
WAS Sam Baker, OT, USC
Sam Baker is another one of those players that some teams are really high on and others are not. Baker has the physical tools to dominate, but his problem is a lack of consistency. If the Redskins think they can fix that issue, they may fall in love with his ability to overpower just about any pass rusher.
DAL Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
The Cowboys need some depth in the secondary and Leodis McKelvin is the best available right now. Players like Simeon Castille and Reggie Smith have the versatility to play at corner or safety and picking them up instead is certainly an option for the Cowboys. However, if they want to go with a traditional corner, McKelvin has the speed and instincts to produce in the NFL from day one. His return skills are also very
impressive.
PIT Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Pitt is hoping Ryan Clady, Jeff Otah or Chris Williams fall this far. The Steelers need some youth at the tackle spot and Williams has the ability to develop into a solid tackle after an impressive collegiate career at Vanderbilt.
TEN Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
With only a couple wide receivers off the board, Tennessee will have their pick of the litter right here. Sweed has the size and speed to be a first round selection, but an injury shortened senior season has decreased his value. If he is healthy enough to show his stuff before the draft, he should work himself back into a first round pick. Otherwise, the Titans may look to Mario Manningham or Malcolm Kelly.
SEA Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
The Seahawks could stand to improve the interior of their defensive line and Kentwan Balmer has plenty of potential to fill that gap. Balmer has been inconsistent during his career at North Carolina, but he has good speed and can provide some pressure on the quarterback. His run stopping is not quite as polished as his pass rushing, but Balmer has room to grow.
JAX Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College
There is no doubt that the Jaguars need a wide receiver, but there will be some value at that position in later rounds. You can never have too many quality offensive tackles and Gosder Cherlius has plenty of potential. The big guy from Boston College spent the last few years making Matt Ryan a superstar.
SD Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
Dan Connor is your typical blue-collar, tough, hardworking linebacker from Linebacker U. Connor is not flashy by any means, but he will get the job done at any level. San Diego does not have any huge needs, but Connor could be starting at one of the inside linebacker spots next year.
DAL Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Dallas could go for a big play receiver with one of their two first round picks. Malcolm Kelly is probably the safer pick, but somebody will take Mario Manningham sooner or later. He has good speed and is a typical big play receiver, but it is his hustle that is in question. He will explode to the ball when it is thrown in his direction, but he is going to have to show that he can fight off strong corners and finish plays.
SF Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
If there is not a wide receiver that the 49ers like, they could look for an impact end. Quentin Groves out of Auburn might fit into the system a little better, but if Derrick Harvey falls this far, San Francisco would be happy to get the Florida product.
GB Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
If the Packers are not sold on Brandon Jackson and Ryan Grant being the running backs of the future, they will pick one up in this draft. Green Bay might not want to use their first round pick for the backfield, but Felix Jones has the speed to be a big time playmaker right away. If they know Favre is going to be around for one more year, they might try and get a player who can help the offense immediately instead of building for the future.
NE Forfeited
NYG Reggie Smith, S, Oklahoma
The Giants do not have a lot of needs, but finding a linebacker and a corner or safety should be high on their list of priorities. If Reggie Smith falls this far, his versatility to play just about anywhere in the secondary will make the Super Bowl champs snatch him up in a hurry.