The Mock Draft

Since I can't pretend to know whether Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out of Tennessee St. is a better corner than Leodis McKelvin, I decided to keep my mock draft at 10 picks. After that, I've seen a guy like Cromartie go 10th in some mock drafts and 30th in others. I've seen Branden Albert (G, UVA) taken 6th overall and in the 2nd round. So after 10, things go a little haywire, but here's how I think the top picks will shape up:

1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long, OT Michigan- As a Dolphins fan, even though they have already signed him to a contract, I still think they'll find a way to mess this one up. It's hard to get excited about an offensive lineman at #1 instead of someone flashy like McFadden or Ryan. However, this is the right pick for a team that has the amount of rebuilding the Phish have to do. Great teams start in the trenches, and 6'7, 313 pound Long will anchor the line for years to come.

2. St. Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE UVA- It's either going to be him or Glenn Dorsey, but I think the Rams will go with the safer pick. Long is a hard-nosed, feisty end who can give the Rams a much needed pash rush. Dorsey has tremendous upside, but his injury concerns should prove too much for a team coming off a year decimated by injuries.

3. Atlanta Falcons- Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU- Matt Ryan could also be the pick here, especially if Dorsey does go #2, but the Falcons will have a tough time passing on Dorsey at 3. While injuries are a concern, he is often described as "freakishly" athletic and Falcons fans are going to need a player that can keep them interested, because they are going to be bad for years to come.

4. Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas- Assuming Dorsey is taken by one of the above two, it will come down to Chris Long or McFadden for Al Davis, and thus by process of elimination McFadden is the pick. I personally believe he's the most talented player in the draft. McFadden is a tremendous athlete who posses a rare ability to run with both speed and power.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State- This is where the draft will get dicey, because KC can do a number of things here. They have a 2nd pick (#17) and it appears they want to address their offensive line issues with one of the picks. Ryan Clady and Branden Albert are both possibilities here as well. I think the Chiefs will try to trade this pick, which if Matt Ryan is on the board is a definite possibility (especially with Baltimore expressing interest in doing so). However if they don't trade it, logic says to take the best player available, which in my opinion here is Gholston.

6. New York Jets- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC- The Jets are going to want McFadden or Gholston (or would be ecstatic if Chris Long somehow fell), but as above, will have to take the best player available. I would be shocked to see the Jets go QB here with Pennington and Clemens still on the roster. This could also be a spot where Baltimore jumps in with a trade to prevent anyone else from doing so.

7. New England Patriots- Keith Rivers, LB USC- The Patriots will try to trade down as they always so, but assuming they don't, Rivers will be the pick. The Pats need help at CB too with the loss of Samuel, and should they trade down later in the first round, would often grab a Talib, Cromartie, or McKelvin. However, sitting at 7 with no clear cut favorite at corner, the Pats will fill another need at LB, where they continue to age.

8. Baltimore Ravens- Matt Ryan, QB BC- There's no chance the Ravens pass on Ryan if he's sitting here at #8. It's quite possible they trade up to get him as well, but he won't fall past 8.

9. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State- The Bengals love Sedrick Ellis, but he won't fall to #9. They'll address their need on the line with either Clady or Albert, but since Clady won't have to switch positions, they'll take Clady.

10. New Orleans Saints- Aqib Talib, CB Kansas- The Saints will likely go corner if they are unable to get Ellis or Rivers (potentially in a trade). To be quite honest, this will most likely not be the pick. McKelvin, Cromartie and Mike Jenkins of South Florida are all rated higher on most draft guru's board, and one of them will likely go here instead. However, watching Talib play, he is a tremendous athlete. He's a shutdown CB with tremendous breakway speed, who can also return kicks and punts. I didn't watch too many Tenn. St or Troy games, and can't compare to the other top CBs, but Talib is a special player and whoever lands him will be thrilled.

A couple of other notes for the rest of the draft.

1) Whoever gets Brian Brohm will get a steal. This guy was a potential 1st overall pick last year before a lackluster senior season after a coaching change. Try being a 20 yr old QB and transition from a Bobby Petrino offense to a human offense. Brohm is a great player, and I would be thrilled if he falls out of the first and the Dolphins could nab him with pick #32.

(Of course, Drew Brees fell into the Dolphins lap years ago, but the dolphins opted to take CB Jamar Fletcher instead of Brees, while sporting the best pair of corners in the NFL at the time. We later traded Fletcher for David Boston.)

(And of course, Brady Quinn fell to #9 last year, and we took a punt returner instead.)

2) There could potentially be 11 Virginia Tech players taken tomorrow, which would really be exciting for me. CB Brandon Flowers should be a 1st round pick, but could fall to early 2nd round (attention Dolphins again). OT Duane Brown will be a mid 2nd round selection. LB Xavier Adibi will like fall to round 3, and be a complete steal there. WR Eddie Royal is a solid 3rd selection, he's quick, great hands and is also a fine returner. After that WRs Justin Harper and Josh Morgan will find homes in round 5-7, DE Chris Ellis could get a picked a bit earlier, and D-Lineman Barry Booker and Carlton Powell will likely be picked. Don't be surprised if S D.J. Parker gets taken before round 6 too, as Hokie defensive backs have found roles in special teams.

3) There's a few QBs that I believe will be better pros than people think. In addition to Brohm, I think Chad Henne is underrated. The former Michigan star has a heck of an arm, and has proven himself in big spots. I wouldn't mind him in round 2 either. I'm not sold on Joe Flacco yet, but word is he has tremendous upside as well. John David Booty is also an excellent player, who didn't have the college career many were expecting. But then again, that Brady guy didn't light the world on fire in college either.