1) Detroit Lions
QB – Matthew Stafford – 6’3″ 236lbs. Jr. Georgia 40 Time: 4.78
Easily the best and most pro-ready QB in the draft; the Lions need a signal caller to lead them and Stafford is this year’s perfect selection.
2) St. Louis Rams
OT – Andre Smith – 6’4″ 340lbs. Jr. Alabama 40 Time: 5.28
Smith is a strong, durable and physical force at the line of scrimmage; he should help a pathetic blocking attack for the Rams in ’09.
3) Kansas City Chiefs
OLB – Aaron Curry – 6’2″ 246lbs. Sr. Wake Forest 40 Time: 4.62
Curry can do it all on the defensive side of the ball, tackle, pass rush, run stop and intercept; the top defense player on the board.
4) Seattle Seahawks
DT – B.J. Raji – 6’2″ 334lbs. Sr. Boston College 40 Time: 5.15
Raji is a wall of a defensive tackle, who is physical, can engulf RB’s who attempt to run up the gut and be a QB’s worse nightmare
5) Cleveland Browns
CB – Malcolm Jenkins – 6’0″ 200lbs. Sr. Ohio State 40 Time: 4.45
Jenkins was a lock down corner at OSU and he should be able to help Cleveland in that aspect, due to their lack of quality secondary play.
6) Cincinnati Bengals
OT – Jason Smith – 6’5″ 300lbs. Sr. Baylor 40 Time: 5.14
Smith’s stock has risen tremendously since the senior bowl; however this brutal converted tight end may have durability issues.
7) Oakland Raiders
WR – Michael Crabtree – 6’3″ 214lbs. So. (RS) Texas Tech 40 Time: 4.54
Crabtree is arguably the best player in this year’s draft and the ultimate weapon at WR; he has tremendous possession receiver tools as well as deep threat skills.
8) Jacksonville Jaguars
OT – Eugene Monroe – 6’5″ 315lbs. Sr. Virginia 40 Time: 5.23
Monroe at one point was the top rated OT on the board, his stock hasn’t fallen it’s just others have risen; he’s an outstanding, brute blocker.
9) Green Bay Packers
OT – Michael Oher – 6’5″ 309lbs. Sr. Mississippi 40 Time: 5.22
Oher is every bit as solid as the 3 other OTs I’ve projected to go in the top-10; just not as athletic as they are, but he’ll do just fine.
10) San Francisco 49ers
QB – Mark Sanchez – 6’3″ 225lbs. Jr. USC 40 Time: 4.85
The 49ers have needed a QB since Garcia left, Sanchez’ll be the guy; not the strongest throwing arm, but showed he can throw the deep ball.
11) Buffalo Bills
DE – Everette Brown – 6’4″ 252lbs. Jr. Florida State 40 Time: 4.65
Many consider Brown to be the top DE in the draft, I’m one; he has amazing pass rushing skills and will also tackle a RB in the back field.
12) Denver Broncos
HB – Knowshon Moreno – 5’11” 208lbs. So. (RS) Georgia 40 Time: 4.48
With Denver in bad need of a running game and Shanahan out of town, the Broncos will select Moreno, the top RB in the draft in the 1st round.
13) Washington Redskins
DT – Peria Jerry – 6’1″ 290lbs. Sr. Mississippi 40 Time: 4.98
Jerry should give the Skins defense a boost up-front; he’s got good speed for a DT for pursuit of a QB and can stuff runs in the middle.
14) New Orleans Saints
DE – Brian Orakpo – 6’4″ 260lbs. Sr. Texas 40 Time: 4.73
Orakpo was one of the nation’s most feared pass rushers in ’08; with that being a need in New Orleans, he is the perfect pick.
15) Houston Texans
CB – D.J. Moore – 5’10” 184lbs. Jr. Vanderbilt 40 time: 4.45
This ball-hawking corner has a nose for where the football is going; Moore has great speed, good leaping ability and solid hands.
16) San Diego Chargers
WR – Jeremy Maclin – 6’1″ 200lbs. Jr. Missouri 40 Time: 4.38
Maclin has great speed and hands which should help bring more potency to an offense that’s already one of the NFL’s best.
17) New York Jets
LB – Rey Maualuga – 6’2″ 254lbs. Sr. USC 40 Time: 4.74
New Jets coach Rex Ryan may see his new Ray Lewis in the form of Maualuga; he’s strong, physical, a sure tackler and great leader.
18) Chicago Bears
WR – Percey Harvin – 5’11” 195lbs. Jr. Florida 40 Time: 4.36
Can the fastest WR in the draft put to rest the toughness and durability issues; if so he’ll be a tremendous weapon in Chi.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OT – William Beatty – 6’6″ 291lbs. Sr. Connecticut 40 Time: 5.16
Beatty should be able to provide stability and toughness to a front line that desperately needed both in 2008.
20) Detroit Lions (from Dallas)
LB – Brian Cushing – 6’3″ 243lbs. Sr. USC 40 Time: 4.75
Cushing is a fabulous LB and it should translate into the pros; his stock is fine, there just wasn’t any team to place on which is fine for the Lions.
21) Philadelphia Eagles
HB – Chris “Beanie” Wells – 6’1″ 237lbs. Jr. Ohio State 40 Time: 4.53
Wells is a big, physical, powerful back; he should give Philly that tough between the tackles runner which they’ve needed.
22) Minnesota Vikings
TE – Brandon Pettigrew – 6’5″ 257lbs. Sr. Oklahoma State 40 Time: 4.82
Minnesota needs to improve the caliber of weapons around Tavaris Jackson; Pettigrew provides a TE to rely on in the pass game.
23) New England Patriots
LB – James Laurinaitis – 6’2″ 240lbs. Sr. Ohio State 40 Time: 4.59
Laurinaitis is an outstanding, well disciplined LB who should perfectly into the Patriots scheme on the field and in the locker room.
24) Atlanta Falcons
CB – Vontae Davis – 6’0″ 204lbs. Jr. Illinois 40 Time: 4.42
Davis may be the quickest CB in the draft, he is a very good cover corner and will also step up and make a hit; the Falcons definitely need that.
25) Miami Dolphins
CB – Alphonso Smith – 5’9″ 193lbs. Sr. Wake Forest 40 Time: 4.45
Even though he’s a bit under-sized, Smith makes up for it with his athleticism and intelligence; he should improve and already solid D.
26) Baltimore Ravens
WR – Hakeem Nicks – 6’1″ 210lbs. Jr. North Carolina 40 Time: 4.57
Everyone knows Flacco needs more weapons to throw to; Nicks provides the perfect option with this selection, he’s got A+ hands.
27) Indianapolis Colts
OT – Eben Britton – 6’6″ 310lbs Jr. Arizona 40 Time: 5.09
Britton is a great athlete at this size and a pretty good blocker too; the O-Line is where the Colts where the most vulnerable in 2008.
28) Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina)
LB – Clint Sintim – 6’3″ 249lbs. Sr. Virginia 40 Time: 4.70
Sintim is a solid, wrap-up tackler and good decision maker at the LB position; he should be a great addition for Jim Johnson and his D.
29) New York Giants
WR – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 6’2″ 206lbs. Jr. Maryland 40 Time: 4.37
Heyward-Bey is a solid route-runner and has great speed at the WR position; with the Burress situation up in the air, this is the pick for NY.
30) Tennessee Titans
TE – Chase Coffman – 6’6″ 252lbs. Sr. Missouri 40 Time: 4.83
Coffman is a good combination of a quality receiver and blocker at the TE position; the Titans need to improve their air attack.
31) *Arizona Cardinals
HB – LeSean McCoy – 5’11” 210lbs. Jr. Pittsburgh 40 Time: 4.49
McCoy is an explosive, hard-nosed runner who’s tough to tackle; add him to Arizona’s offense now and their Super Bowl XLIII champs.
32) *Pittsburgh Steelers
DE – Michael Johnson – 6’7″ 258lbs. Sr. Georgia Tech 40 Time: 4.67
Johnson has the size, speed and toughness to be a monster in the league; he should add more physicality to an already top defense.
*= Selection number subject to outcome of Super Bowl
