KD's 1st Round Draft Thoughts

I got this idea from a poster, Phil, who does this every year on the Dolphins site I frequent. Rather than grade each pick as they happen - though I will be giving grades for each team's complete draft starting next week - I'll record any lightbulbs that pop as the draft starts. Here we go.

Sometime around 5:45pm - Dr. Phil is on ESPN discussing the draft and how rookies don't get enough training about what to do with their money. I guess he's unaware of the Rookie Symposium. Seriously, what has the world come to when Dr. Phil is on ESPN covering the NFL Draft?

6:04pm - I get a text from my oldest friend Tyler, better known as "Nuts" for several reasons I'll not disclose, saying he and his fiancee just had a baby girl. No name as of yet, but congrats buddy! Perhaps they'll name her Melanie after Mel Kiper.

6:16pm - Get a text from one of my old interns asking if Miami is really considering Ryan Mallett at 15. I reply "yes" as I polish off my first beer. I honestly wouldn't be too upset if Mallett is the pick.

6:17pm - Read a post on the Dolphins board that the rumor is Miami will not select a QB in the first round unless they're able to trade back and recoup that 2nd round - or at least that's what they'd want you to think.

My reaction: *$&^, Miami's going to take Colin *%#&!#$ Kaepernick in round 2. Damn you Nick Saban, Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington, Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, John Beck, Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Pat White, and Tyler Thigpen! Please note these are only the Dolphins starting QBs since 2006, and Nick Saban just because.

6:22pm - Ed Werder and John Elway interview. Elway is clearly bothered by being so close to Werder in the closet they're filming this in in "Denver". I get the sense Ole #7 isn't too high on Tim Tebow despite what he's saying.

6:35pm - Tyler's daughter is named Kaylee Grace. Congrats Tyler & Jen!

6:45pm - Naked Pizza arrives. If you haven't tried it, do it. Thank me later.

6:58pm - The rumor source also now says it could be Andy Dalton. Even worse. At least whoever the new coach and GM in 2012 will get Andrew Luck in 2012.

7:35-7:37pm - Roger Goodell getting booed with fans chanting "We Want Football!". Say what you want about New Yawkers, but they can start a chant with the best of them.

8:03pm - Cam Newton's going to the Panthers before Goodell even starts the draft. I hate how the TV cameras get access to the "Green Room" - takes all the drama out of it.

8:07pm - Cam is the pick. The Universal Draft guys called this one back in January. Kudos guys!

8:13pm - Von Miller to Denver...wonder how that's going to workout with Elvis Dumervil there. Should be an interesting handshake with Roger Goodell.

8:20pm - Damn, Buffalo's D is nasty up front with Dareus and Kyle Williams - the most underrated D-lineman in the NFL. Miami really needs Pouncey now!

8:26pm - Just found out from a source with NFL ties that Ryan Mallett isn't on Miami's draft board...great....

8:35pm - Atlanta with a huge trade with the Browns. Atlanta's offense is crazy good, and Cleveland got a king's ransom. I think this is a good trade for both parties, but makes the Dolphins two 2nd rounders for Brandon Marshall seem like peanuts.

8:43pm - Shocking that San Fran takes Aldon Smith...does Miami move up with Dallas for Gabbert now if he gets past Tennessee?

8:45pm - Well, I had Mallett in my mock to Tennesee, so I'm not that surprised with the Locker pick, but WOW for Tennessee passing on Gabbert and Fairley for him.

8:52pm - Jaguars almost land a deal with Dallas. Jags looking to move up still.

9:00pm - Truth - Schefter reports Jags trade up with Washington for Gabbert. Good move for the Jags in my opinion. He can learn under Garrard for a year or two.

9:06pm - I've received over 200 text messages/Facebook posts about the Draft today...and I'm no guru by any means. So glad Judge Nelson lifted the lockout; not sure what I'd do without the NFL.

9:48pm - After a dozen more texts and a phone call, I'm pretty happy with Mike Pouncey at 15 for my Dolphins. Yeah, it's a little high for a LG, but I think he'll prove to be worth it.

Unknown - After talking with a bunch of people about Miami's pick I lost track of time after a few celebratory Jack 'n Cokes...so the rest of the list will be bullitted.

- Ryan Kerrigan to Washington. Surprised, but looking back on my Mock Draft 2.0 a day later, I got 10 picks right - meaning that I correctly picked these team's picks (Newton, Green, Peterson, Pouncey, and Wilkerson) exactly, 3 guys slotted exactly right, but going to different teams (Ryan Kerrigan, Phil Taylor, Mark Ingram), and I'm going to be generous and give myself 2 more for calling Tennessee and Minnesota to take a QB that was unexpected (Mallett, Locker) when in reality it went Locker, Ponder. So, overall, I'll take that. Plus, I got another 3 teams that picked players at the same position, just the wrong player. I feel pretty good about that.

- For all the fawning over New England and their draft abilities, they pick Nate Solder. Really? I know they need offensive linemen, but Nate Solder. Yikes! I guess I can't complain too much for them drafting a very soft and very raw prospect. I guess if there's one O-line coach who can teach him it's the Pats Dante Sarnecchia (I know I butchered that spelling).

- Looking back at my first mock draft, I got 8 guys exactly right, plus Phil Taylor slotted correctly at 21, and I had Christian Ponder slotted in round 1. Overall I feel pretty good about the mocks, even if my percentage is low.

- Steal for the New York Giants with Prince Amukamara. Absolute steal.

- Peyton Manning is going to be a real happy guy with Anthony Castonzo at LT. Bill Polian got his 1st rounder right this year. No offense Jerry Hughes.

- My buddy B-Rad, a Browns fan, bails out before the Browns pick. I think he'll enjoy it when he wakes up. Phil Taylor is very good if he can keep his weight in check.

- Look at the bling on some of these guys who don't have contracts yet. Dareus, Pouncey, Ingram...all SEC players. And to think they don't get paid in college. I remember the HBO special on the Cam Newton/Cecil Newton scandal. One head coach of a BCS Conference school, not in the SEC though, asked for anonymity, but he said, "If we were recruiting a player to come to our school, and we learned that he was being recruited by an SEC school, we just gave up. We don't have that kind of money."

- Chizzy's got to like the military coming out on stage right before the Eagles pick. That's pretty patriotic in itself, especially with a team whose logo is on our national seal up to bat.

- And the Eagles draft a Canadien! Ha, should've seen that one coming. USA! USA!

- Okay, all things considered, Danny Watkins is the toughest, nastiest SOB in the entire draft. He played hockey, wrestled, and played rugby. He can play both T spots, LG, and C. I'm sure he'll be a starter from day one in Philly.

- Wow, Da'Quan Bowers' knee must really be messed up.

- James Carpenter to Seattle is not the reach that Mel Kiper is making it out to be. Can't wait to see what Todd McShay says about this. Solid pick by Seattle for a team that needs OL help, badly!

- Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome, master of letting the draft come to him, must have a major trade deal in the works to get passed up by KC. That's a really good pick for KC with Jonathan Baldwin there. Schefter reports Ravens on the phone with the Bears that whole time and had a misfire in communicaton. Good pick though with Jimmy Smith (I learned this morning that Smith had a codeiene problem at Colorado and thus, why he slid so badly).

- If there's one player in the draft I'd root for even if he went to a team I hate it's Mark Ingram. Heisman winner; humble dude; great story; and just a fun player to watch - he runs HARD. I thought that was a great moment with he and Suzy Kolber reading his dad's e-mail to him on stage. Great pick by the Saints as they get rid of Reggie "BUST".

- My buddy JM, a Packers and Wisconsin Badgers fan, is PISSED that Gabe Carimi goes to Chicago. Great pick by the Bears!

- Damn, the Steelers just draft defense well. Simply put, they're just unbelieveably good at defense - both playing it and drafting for it.

- Good pick by the Jets with Wilkerson. Up and coming player, and I'm afraid to see how Rex Ryan will use him.

- JM doesn't like Derek Sherrod. I'd spoken to him during the Combine and told him Sherrod could be their pick. I guess I should've gone with my gut in the mock drafts.

Well, there's my draft thoughts for the 1st round. The two major surprises were that Ryan Mallett slipped out of round 1. I guess the drug issue is more of a factor than we thought as 31 teams passed on him - note the Raiders didn't have a 1st round pick. Da'Quan Bowers' knee must be REALLY screwed up. He'd have been a top 10 pick for sure if healthy.

Todd McShay must be furious that his beloved Ginger QB Andy Dalton slipped out of round 1.

Fearless forecast for tomorrow, well, now tonight's Draft:

1) Da' Raidas will take Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick.

2) The Patriots will make more moves tomorrow and walk away with a pretty average draft despite having 5 picks tonight. ESPN overrates them way too much.

3) Someone's going to steal Andy Dalton from right under Cincinnati's nose, so keep an eye for them to take Ricky Stanzi, whom was their starting QB in the Senior Bowl, in round 3.

4) A run on RBs and TEs is going to start soon.

5) I bet an unexpected QB goes in round 3. The gut-shot straight draw would be Greg McElroy of Alabama.

Draft Day Trade Rumors Galore!

Well, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning today. Considering everything that's gone on this offseason in the NFL - the lockout, federal mediation, litigation, and now the lockout being "enjoined" - it's almost kind of a relief just to get the Draft here. I expect a pretty interesting one as most GMs try to fill the major needs (holes in the roster) via free agency and trades, and add the smaller pieces through draft, generally by taking the best player available (BPA) approach.

However, Judge Susan Richard Nelson denied the NFL's request to freeze the lockout via a stay, so the NFL will now file an appeal to the US 8th Circuit Court in St. Louis. This ruling calls for the "league year" to be open - which typically means free agents and trades of players to be allowed. To comply, NFL teams are now opening their facility doors for players to workout and receive medical treatment. The NFL had not prepared for this possibility, so it's widely assumed that the league will not allow player trades or free agents to occur until after the Draft. The NFL would go back to the 2010 league rules (i.e. no salary cap in place) and those hundreds of free agents would be tendered as restricted free agents - meaning any team wishing to sign one of those players would have to give compensation in the form of draft picks.

My guess is that the teams won't sign free agents yet, as this could subject them to fines and forfeiture of future draft picks if they make any moves before the league gives teams official word on the "league year" rules. Al Davis, I'm talking to you. Don't do anything. All signs point to the NFL waiting until the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals processes the NFL's appeal, which according to ESPN's Andrew Brandt could take 1 to 5 days. Something could change in the next 12 hours before the draft, but as I type this on 9:07am Thursday, all transactions - trades and free agent signings - are forbidden until the league gives its own ruling on how to proceed. So, all anyone can really do is stay tuned. I'll try to give an update today if something does happen.

With no free agency or trades as of yet - I'm assuming they'll get here sooner rather than later with the way things have been going - GMs must try to fill their respective needs through the draft. And while everyone's been bantering about Cam Newton's iconic statement(s), Ryan Mallett's character (non-)issues, and fawning over Andy Dalton out of nowhere, people seem to forget that no QB is the best player in this draft, and none would even be top 10 picks had Stanford's Andrew Luck entered the draft. In fact, Blaine Gabbert left Missouri early this year only because Luck stayed in Palo Alto for another year.

With that in mind, the top of the draft looks pretty set, assuming the Panthers don't pull a massive shocker and select someone other than Cam Newton. They could try and trade out of the 1st overall spot - which they're still open to doing. Despite not being allowed to complete other transactions involving players, teams are allowed to trade current and future draft picks during the draft. With that in mind, there should be plenty of draft picks flying as many teams are rumored to want to move up (towards the first pick) or down (further from the first pick) to get a player they specifically target. Right now teams are not allowed to start signing those undrafted college free agents either as they normally do immediately after the Draft concludes. So I'm guessing the NFL, if it makes a ruling today, will include all information on signing free agents, tendering restricted free agents, trading players, and signing college free agents.

Since teams still possess the ability to trade draft picks, here's a look at some of the rumors that have been floated in the past 36 hours that have a lot of "weight" behind them. These have been coming in in no particular order, so I'll work from the juiciest ones at the top of round one on down to the end. Here we go:

1) The biggest one of all, and probably one that is most likely to have some truth behind it, is the Houston Texans wanting to move into the top 5 of the Draft to select either LSU's Patrick Peterson or Texas A&M's Von Miller. Houston doesn't stand a chance to get either of them at the 11th overall spot, and I think they'd rather have a surer bet than getting Aldon Smith.

2) To couple with that story, the Bengals - who hardly ever trade - are rumored to want Auburn DT Nick Fairley. Bengals D-line coach Jay Hayes paid him a visit Wednesday. However, Cincinnati will need more ammo to make a deal, presumably getting another 2nd round pick to move back up to take a QB if there's a run on them early, which is very possible. These two scenarios seem to marry themselves together pretty nicely. However, it's hard for me to see the Bengals moving, so Denver and Cleveland, both teams who have been known to wheel and deal, could be other possible targets for Houston - especially if Houston wants Von Miller who's projected to go to Buffalo with the 3rd overall pick.

3) Atlanta wants to move up. This one is a hot one from Wednesday afternoon. Presumably, they don't like their spot in round one or the projected players that are going to be there. The rumor is that they really want local product A.J. Green or Alabama's Julio Jones (another weapon for QB Matt Ryan would be nice). That'd require a move into the top 5, but I think they may really be targeting one of the defensive ends at the top of the draft - Robert Quinn, Aldon Smith, or even Da'Quan Bowers. Nothing solid for you in the way of a potential trade partner though.

4) Allegedly, Miami and Dallas have an agreement to swap picks in the first round if a certain player drops past the Tennessee Titans at the eighth spot. The player in question here is Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, who had a private workout with the Miami brass despite Miami not being anywhere in contention to select him. Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland came over with Bill Parcells from Dallas in 1998 and the teams have a history of signing each other's players. They also made a trade in 2008 that sent TE Anthony Fasano and NT Jason Ferguson to Miami for a 4th round selection. There's history here, but Gabbert would have to fall past QB hungry Arizona, San Francisco, and Tennesse for this deal to go off. I'm betting it doesn't because...

5) ...Washington really likes Blaine Gabbert and is willing to move up to get him. Again, no real potential suitor here. If the rumor about Cincinnati is true, I could see the Bengals getting their man in Nick Fairley at 10 and Washington getting Gabbert at 4, but as I mentioned, the Bengals hardly ever move draft picks.

6) Philadelphia's been rumored to want to move into the range of 10-20 for some reason, though there's really not a specific target linked to that rumor. They've been hot on the trail of CB Jimmy Smith, but after the AP report citing that he's failed 3 drug tests (one for codiene - did he buy it from the Packers Johnny Jolly?), paid for 2 separate women to have abortions, and had 2 separate alcohol incidents, I think it's pretty safe to say Philly could land him with their 23rd overall selection despite Smith having top 15 talent. But as they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. Stay tuned on this one as Philly is often one of the major movers come draft day.

7) Miami and San Diego may be in the works for a draft day trade again this year. Miami wants to somehow recoup a 2nd round pick they gave up to get Brandon Marshall (which was a win-win deal assuming Marshall avoids all sharp kitchen objects in the near future). San Diego, a 3-4 team, needs to upgrade it's talent on the D-line. In a D-line heavy draft, the Chargers sit after Washington, Houston, Miami, Jacksonville and New England. It's doubtful Miami would have interest in a 3-4 DE at this juncture, so the rumor is that Miami may swap their first rounder (15th overall) in exchange for San Diego's 1st rounder (18th overall) and San Diego's 2nd or 3rd round selections to allow the Chargers to leapfrog the Jaguars and Patriots. The rumored target for San Diego is either Cal's Cameron Jordan or Wisconsin's J.J. Watt. This one carries a decent amount of weight, though I could see San Diego not wanting to part with a late 2nd rounder to move up just three spots.

8) Tampa Bay wants to move up for one of the DE propsects, presumably Robert Quinn of North Carolina. No real trade partner has been established, so I'm guessing they'll try and trade with just about anyone from the Browns at six to New England's at 17 to try and get a better DE than they could at the 20th spot. My guess is they'll have to at least jump over the St. Louis Rams to have an outside shot at Quinn, or whomever their primary target might be.

9) New Orleans moving up for...anybody really. It's been not so secretly mentioned that the Saints want to move up in the first round. For who? For what? No one seems to know, but that's the rumor. I'd have to think they might want to leapfrog the Chiefs to potentially select one of the following D-linemen: Phil Taylor, Adrian Clayborn, Da'Quan Bowers, or even Cameron Jordan or J.J. Watt if they fell there.

10) New England's looking to shop picks. I guess this is more fact than rumor, but with two first round picks and a total of five in the first three round, they've got an absolute ton of trade ammo. I've seen rumors that they want to move up, I've seen rumors that they want to move down, and I've seen rumors that the 28th and 33rd picks could be hot zones for teams that pass on a QB in the early part of round one. Teams want to move up for someone like Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, or even Andy Dalton and snag them before Buffalo and Cincinnati, who are lurking at picks 34 and 35. Maybe the Pats shock us and just hold their ground to get 3 really solid players. I doubt it, but who really knows when it comes to the man underneath the hoodie.

11) Seattle wants to move down from the 25th pick. The Seahawks have a bottom heavy draft with a 1st, 2nd, 4th, two 5ths, a 6th, and two 7ths. My guess is they want to gain a 2nd and a 3rd round pick - there's a lot of "meat and potatoes" in that area, if you will - as opposed to just getting two guys in the top 64 picks. I'm sure a QB-hungry team would be willing to make a move here and give the Seahawks some more ammo. Pete Carroll's first draft was pretty solid, and I think he'd like the opportunity to continue to upgrade his roster in the 2011 Draft.

12) The final one, though I'm not sure how believable this one is, is that Pittsburgh Steelers' Coach Mike Tomlin issued an edict for the Steelers to move up and select Florida G/C Mike Pouncey - brother of current Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey - if Mike makes it past the Dolphins pick at 15. This would reunite the Pouncey twins, and the Steelers could plug Mike in at his natural RG position, or even shift over Chris Kemoeatu and put Pouncey at LG where his adept pulling skills would be put to great use. Either way, this one sounds more like soap-opera drama than substance to me, but you never know. The Patriots 17th pick would be a prime landing spots, as the Giants at 19 are rumored to be heavily interested in Pouncey as well.

Kkeep in mind that these are just rumors, and that NFL teams spread misinformation like they're handing out candy as the draft approaches. Some blatantly lie, so please, take these rumors with a few grains of salt. The only truth I can give you about tonight is that I'll be on my couch with some wings from BW's, some cold beer, and Jack 'n Coke throughout the night with several of my football buddies. I don't imagine going into a fit of rage on par with the meltdown I had when Miami drafted Ted Ginn and passed on Patrick Willis (okay, I'll admit, I wanted Brady Quinn). But if Jason LaCanfora's bold prediction of Miami taking Nevada's Colin Kaepernick or Peter King's pick of Andy Dalton at 15 come true, I'll probably be in the market of a new HD TV soon. I hope you enjoy the draft and that your team doesn't get Belichecked tonight.

Daily Rant 4/27 & 4/28: Don't Trust McFraud

As promised, albeit it very late, here's the rant on Todd McShay.

McShay, often paired opposite the "King of the Coif" (Mel Kiper), has been covering the NFL Draft for ESPN for the past few years since becoming head of Scouts Inc. in 1998. McShay typically covers more college ball than the NFL, and he's pretty good at tht. Where he struggles and tends to get ripped on, by seemingly every draftnik and casual NFL fan is in his draft coverage.

Strengths: McShay is not very strong at creating mocks - he's not even in Kiper's neighborhood in that regard. He's also not good at prognosticating how players will do once they get into the NFL, though his claim to fame is calling Vernon Gholston a bust - and he rubs this in Mel's face every chance he gets, which isn't very often.

McShay, or McFraud, as I like to call him for various reasons which I will touch upon later, does do one thing better than Kiper in my opinion. That is to actually be somewhat in tune with what each NFL team needs, which I find odd as he typically doesn't cover the NFL all that often. I think he plays this to his advantage on the air quite a bit, often sounding arrogant when he and Kiper get into debates (I think Kiper is too into the player they're discussing and knows he's overstepped his knowledge of NFL rosters when he mixes it up with McShay). His list of team needs are usually pretty solid, and more often than not, those teams usually address his primary need, just not with the player he thinks they should.

Fake tanning. Where in the hell does this man go to tan? Seriously, he must hit some salon at least twice a day. The only person who legitmately looks more tan than McFraud is Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan. I get the fact that it's impossible to compete with Kiper's hair, but seriously, fake tanning?

Weaknesses: I guess this is actually a strength, but thievery. McShay often takes other people's Big Boards, Mocks, picks, etc. and tries to spin them off as his own. For instance, Mike Mayock of NFL Network (one of the best in the draftnik kingdom) said that he liked Illinois Reshard Mendenhall better than Darren McFadden and that Mendenhall would have a better career. While that point is still debatable, McShay, a week later, said the same thing despite having McFadden at or near the top of his Big Board for most of the pre-draft process.

Secondly, I know several people who cover the East-West Shrine game, which Todd McShay calls on-air. I can't remember the exact player he was discussing in 2010, but the host of the segment asked about a particular player, and McShay went on bantering about that player and how good he'd looked in practice. Said player got injured that day and didn't participate according to the guys I know that were there. They also said McShay wasn't even in Orlando at the practice site...makes yo wonder how McShay got his information.

Lastly, he overrates just about any "inside info" (i.e. draft rumor that comes his way). He'll take it as fact, when often it's misinformation. Today, he laughed at the notion of Miami Herald writer Jeff Darlington's mock draft selection of Ryan Mallett with the 15th overall pick, saying that Mallett would be around come the 3rd round. I'd be willing to bet a pretty penny that Mallett's gone in the top 20 picks of the whole show.

If you hear him say something about your team, a particular player, where someone should go, etc. take it with a huge grain of salt and expect the opposite.

KD's Mock Draft - Version 2.0

Draft day is almost here. I've added a 2nd round to my Mock Draft. I didn't project any trades, but on Thursday I'll give you a breif breakdown of some moves that could happen in round 1. Onto the picks:

1st Round

1. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn- GM Marty Hurney rolls the dice here on the dynamic, but unproven, prospect from Auburn. Newton is not a finished product, but he’ll have the opportunity to become the face of the franchise in Carolina. Newton can make plays with his arm and his feet, but his success hinges on his ability to digest an NFL playbook and terminology.

2. Denver Broncos - Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama- John Elway’s window shopped nearly every quarterback prospect in the draft, but Denver’s defense, ranked 32nd last year, is in need of more major repairs at the moment. Elway and GM Brian Xander draft Dareus, a Richard Seymour clone, to be the key cog in the Denver defensive line. He can play the 1, the 3, and the 5 technique and can get after the passer more than you’d think. Best player in the draft.

3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M- The Bills would love to get Cam Newton here as Chan Gailey’s had some success with mobile quarterbacks. Gailey doesn’t get that chance and instead opts to take a dynamic pass-rusher in case Shawn Merriman doesn’t come back from injury. Miller posted DeMarcus Ware-like triangle numbers at the combine, and as long as he doesn’t have to go in reverse much (i.e. drop in coverage) he’ll be a solid threat off the edge.

4. Cincinnati Bengals - A.J. Green, WR, Georgia- The Bengals slot their draft picks based on position, and with no real receiving threat opposite the rapidly aging Chad Johnson, the Bengals nab A.J. Green. Green is a complete receiver, able to run over the middle, has excellent hands, and can beat you deep. Whoever quarterbacks the Bengals next year will need weapons as Andre Caldwell and Jordan Shipley are better served in the slot.

5. Arizona Cardinals - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU- It’s no real secret the Cardinals really covet Von Miller. It’s also a not so big secret that Ken Whisenhunt would like to add a veteran to his quarterback stable, so he passes on Blaine Gabbert here. Peterson is one of the most talented corners to come along in quite some time. He’s got Nnamdi Asomugha size and speed, he can tackle, he can return kicks, and can play safety in a pinch. A do everything type to team with DRC.

6. Cleveland Browns - Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson- Despite the rumors about Bowers’ knee, the Browns take a chance here to get a pass-rusher needed for their 4-3 defense. Bowers has been labeled a one year wonder, but he came on in a big way with 15.5 sacks and 25 TFL’s. He wasn’t quite as productive before 2010, but still tallied 4 sacks and 18.5 TFL’s his first two years when he teamed with Ricky Sappy. Bowers is capable of playing end on either side in a 4-3 defense.

7. San Francisco 49ers - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri- The 49ers brass thinks that Alex Smith is still salvageable, but with no impact linebacker or cornerback left on the board, the 49ers get their “franchise” quarterback. Gabbert comes from a spread system that didn’t throw the ball downfield much, and he’ll have to work a lot on his footwork – he’s very mechanical. He’ll fit Jim Harbaugh’s system pretty well, and Harbaugh tried to recruit Gabbert once upon a time. Think Andrew Luck without the arm or running ability.

8. Tennessee Titans - Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas- Here’s the first major curveball for everyone. I think the “character” concerns about Mallett are way overblown. From a pure arm and football IQ standpoint, Mallett is the best quarterback in the draft. I feel like Tennessee has their foot in the water on the QBs in this draft, and will take one at some point. I don’t think it’ll be at the 8th spot – I think they’ll look to trade down (perhaps St. Louis moves up to look at Julio Jones here) and take one later, but for now, I’ll stick Mallett here.

9. Dallas Cowboys - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska- Dallas is another team that’s open for business to trade, again, I’d look at St. Louis and possibly Miami (who has been linked to Blaine Gabbert as of late) to deal up here. If Dallas stays, and I think that’s a big if, Amukamara will be the pick. The Cowboys gave up a lot of big plays last year in the secondary and Amukamara can step in from day one and shut down one side of the field. Terrance Newman is getting old and Mike Jenkins hasn’t lived up to his potential.

10. Washington Redskins - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama - Mike Shanahan is certainly stubborn enough to give Donovan McNabb another go around. If the Redskins do go QB here, I’d expect it to be Jake Locker, given the mobility factor that Shanahan likes in his QBs (Elway, Cutler). The Redskins can’t rely on Anthony Armstrong as a primary weapon again next year, so taking a premium receiver here in Jones is very good value; more so in my opinion than Cincinnati taking Green 4th overall.

11. Houston Texans - Aldon Smith, LB, Missouri- The Texans could definitely use help in the secondary, but with Amukamara off the board as well, they go OLB here. They have some pieces up front with Mario Williams and Antonio Smith, but they don’t have a pass-rusher yet. Smith has absolutely violent hands, some of the best I’ve ever seen, and can run the arc well. He’ll have a lot of trouble having to drop in coverage, but he’ll provide a nice pass-rush for Wade Phillips’ new 3-4 defense.

12. Minnesota Vikings - Jake Locker, QB, Washington- The Vikings need a signal-caller in light of the Brett Favre disaster last year. With all of the quarterbacks being overvalued, the Vikings have no choice but to pull the trigger on one right now. Locker’s athletic and seems to have a decent football IQ, but he’s got accuracy issues. However, many of these issues appear to be coachable. He’ll be pressed into action early, and it’ll show, but this is the right move for the Vikings at this juncture with how the board as fallen.

13. Detroit Lions - Tyron Smith, T, USC- Detroit can’t land their dream prospect Prince Amukamara, so they finally get someone to protect their investment in Matthew Stafford. Smith’s very athletic, but only has experience at right tackle. Many think he’s got the footwork to move to the left side, but it remains to be seen. I’m not sure if he’s the best left tackle in this class as he’s a notch below where Trent Williams and Russell Okung were last year.

14. St. Louis Rams - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn- While St. Louis would love to have Julio Jones available here, they still get lucky and land Auburn DT Nick Fairley. He’ll be a force for the Rams inside from day one. He’s an upgrade over Gary Gibson and he’ll play next to Fred Robbins and be able to penetrate gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield. He’s more of a one-year wonder than Da’Quan Bowers, but his best football is still ahead of him.

15. Miami Dolphins - Mike Pouncey, G, Florida- Miami’s another team that’s going to trade down. With the top 4 quarterbacks gone, I think they’ll look to move back and go after Mike Pouncey. In their scheme, he’ll be a pulling left guard – bad value at the 15th overall spot – but you can see them drafted in round one (Logan Mankins). Pouncey should start from day one, and I think he’s one of Miami’s main targets, the others being Mallett and Mark Ingram, but I don’t think he’ll be the 15th overall pick.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue- The Jags have tried and tried in recent years to get a productive pass-rusher. They’ve experimented with a lot of potential types. Now they just go by the numbers. Kerrigan, while not a smooth athlete, has 37.5 career sacks and 55.5 TFL’s throughout his career. He can play either side in the 4-3, and is best with his hand in the ground. Comes from a program that’s produced a long line of quality defensive players over the years in Roosevelt Colvin, Chike Okeafor, Shaun Phillips, Ray Edwards, Anthony Spencer, Rob Ninkovich, and Cliff Avril.

17. New England Patriots - J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin- The Patriots need to continue getting younger in the defensive front. Ty Warren is coming off injury, and while they added Marcus Stroud, they can still stand to infuse more talent to bolster the line. Watt has a non-stop motor and can get after the passer. He’s very athletic for a 3-4 DE and can kick inside in nickel and dime packages or even play with his hand on the ground in some 4-3 packages.

18. San Diego Chargers - Robert Quinn, LB, North Carolina- The Chargers also get lucky with Robert Quinn’s free fall here. He’ll convert to the OLB spot in San Diego’s 3-4 defense. They need to upgrade their front seven as Larry English hasn’t panned out and they got rid of Shawne Merriman. A year off from football might make Quinn seem a bit sluggish at first. He needs to increase his repertoire of moves, but that concern should be somewhat alleviated in a 3-4.

19. New York Giants - Anthony Castonzo, T, Boston College- The Giants played musical chairs last year on the O-line, and they probably missed the playoffs because of it. Both David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie are aging at tackle. Castonzo is the best pure left tackle in this draft, though, again, a notch below what Williams and Okung were last year. Castonzo can play either side, but he’s best suited on the left where the Giants can kick David Diehl back inside to his natural guard position.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Cameron Jordan, DE, California- The Buccaneers will have to heavily consider Colorado CB Jimmy Smith at this point due to the impending release of Aqib Talib. However, I doubt they’ll take another CB with issues, and Smith has some. Cameron Jordan gives them a solid strong side end to take up the Kevin Carter position in Tampa. He’s versatile enough to be a number one pass rush threat and he can kick inside on passing downs.

21. Kansas City Chiefs - Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor- The Chiefs need a nose tackle to plug the run on the D-line. They’ll have some high investments there having used 1st round picks on Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, but Taylor might end up being better than both when all is said and done. He’s 6’3” 334lbs and is very athletic for a man his size – classic “Planet Theory” player. He’ll disappear for long stretches, but he’s got loads of potential and is still coming into his own.

22. Indianapolis Colts - Nate Solder, T, Colorado- GM Bill Polian admitted he regrets taking Jerry Hughes with his first round pick last year and not protecting Peyton Manning. Solder’s a converted tight end with good feet and a blue collar attitude, despite his finesse style of play, and he should start immediately at left tackle for the Colts. He’ll have to learn quickly, but doesn’t everyone when Peyton Manning’s running your huddle?

23. Philadelphia Eagles - Gabe Carimi, T, Wisconsin- As mobile as Michael Vick is, he still took a beating last year. Philadelphia has the left side of the line under control with Jason Peters, but they could definitely stand to improve over Winston Justice. Carimi will have to transition to the right side, but he’s pretty athletic – he was asked to pull from his LT post at UW – and is nasty in the run game.

24. New Orleans Saints - Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa- The Saints need pass rush help opposite Will Smith. They’ve tried to plug players in that spot for the last few years with little success. Clayborn’s a proven rusher who had an outstanding 2009 season. His play fell off a bit in 2010, but that may have been due to injury. He gave Wisconsin T Gabe Carimi fits throughout his career and will have Smith opposite him.

25. Seattle Seahawks - Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado- Pete Carroll’s been known to take a chance on guys with questionable character in the past. The Seahawks have a lot of talent on defense, but can use an upgrade at CB. Marcus Trufant is a solid veteran, but Kelly Jennings’ play has taken a dip recently. Smith’s triangle numbers at the combine were outstanding and he’s a true shut down corner.

26. Baltimore Ravens - Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State- GM Ozzie Newsome is known for sticking to his draft board and landing talented players. He gets another one here with Cameron Heyward. Heyward is a prototypical 3-4 DE and he can start from day one. He’ll allow Haloti Ngata to slide in and be a true NT. Heyward is a 3-down player, but he is coming off a serious elbow injury that bears watching. Excellent value pick here for Baltimore.

27. Atlanta Falcons- Justin Houston, DE, Georgia- The Falcons are stuck between a rock and a hard place with a serious run on pass rushers. They take a chance on local product Justin Houston, who looks the part, but isn’t always productive. A physical specimen at 6’2” 270lbs with a 4.69 40, he’s got a few decent moves. Buyer beware with Georgia pass rushers though.

28. New England Patriots - Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama- I fully expect another team to be picking in the 28th spot - primarily one of the teams that needs to address the quarterback spot like Buffalo or Cincinnati. Ingram fits in well with what the Patriots do, and he’s an upgrade over Laurence Maroney and Danny Woodhead. He’s a tough, tough runner, and has good hands out the backfield. Has drawn tons of comparisons to Emmitt Smith.

29. Chicago Bears - Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois- The Bears need another force up front as Tommie Harris is gone, and Matt Toeaina and Anthony Adams are merely average. Liuget is raw, but very talented and fits that quick, undersized mold the Bears seem to love. He really came on in 2010 and his best football may still be in front of him. Typical Bears selection that will pay off big for them.

30. New York Jets - Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple- The Jets can stand to upgrade their front seven as well. No one knows about the future of NT Kris Jenkins, though Sione Pouha played well at times in his absence. Shaun Ellis is 33 and an impending free agent and Trevor Pryce is a dinosaur. There’s little else in the way of depth aside from Mike DeVito, so Wilkerson can step in as a plug and play DE in the 3-4.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers - Aaron Williams, CB, Texas- Historically the Steelers haven’t taken cornerbacks in round one. With Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden having less than stellar seasons and getting burned in the Super Bowl, the Steelers add another piece to their defense. Williams has size and speed and enough talent to start from day one opposite Ike Taylor. He’ll eventually be tasked with taking over the #1 CB duties and that should be a relatively smooth transition.

32. Green Bay Packers - Brooks Reed, LB, Arizona- The Packers get a lot of injured talent back in 2011, which makes them even better. The Packers had great success drafting Clay Matthews late in round 1 in 2009, and they dip into the OLB well again. Ted Thompson’s always been a BPA guy, and at this point, that player is Reed. Reed is 6’2” 263lbs has a non-stop motor and good speed. He’s got the size to play the strong side position and he should be able to supplant Frank Zombo there to give the Packers the best OLB duo not named Harrison and Woodley.

2nd Round

33. New England Patriots - Danny Watkins, G, Baylor
- Tough as nails G who can fill the void of Stephen Neal’s retirement at RG.

34. Buffalo Bills - Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
- A tough, mobile QB that will eventually unseat incumbent Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo.

35. Cincinnati Bengals - Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
- Dalton should take well to Jay Gruden’s new west coast system in Cincinnati.

36. Denver Broncos - Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
- The Broncos need a QB-friendly target. Rudolph is big and explosive with great hands.

37. Cleveland Browns - Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
- Browns bolster D-line with a 1st round talent who slips because of suspension.

38. Arizona Cardinals - Jabaal Sheard, LB, Pittsburgh
- The Cards get a productive pass-rusher to play OLB. Can put his hand down if needed.

39. Tennessee Titans - Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
- Immensely talented, but underachieved in 2010. Will challenge troubled Kenny Britt.

40. Dallas Cowboys - Derek Sherrod, T, Mississippi State
- Cowboys get lucky with a solid LT prospect that injects much needed youth to their OL.

41. Washington Redskins - Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
- Shanahan gets a mobile QB to be the eventual successor…or starter. Talented athlete.

42. Houston Texans - Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
- Much needed upgrade at the CB position and comes from a strong lineage at the U.

43. Minnesota Vikings - Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
- The Williams wall has started crumbling. Paea is vastly underrated and very strong.

44. Detroit Lions - Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
- Detroit needs help in the secondary and they land a big, physical CB here.

45. San Francisco 49ers - Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
- 49ers land a leader for the secondary to go with their new offensive leader from rd 1.

46. Denver Broncos - Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
- Broncos land a talented LB for their new 4-3 defense. Can play either outside spot.

47. St. Louis Rams - Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami
- The Rams get a legitimate receiving weapon for QB Sam Bradford. Underrated player.

48. Oakland Raiders - Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
- Nnamdi Asomugha is gone, and Al Davis loves him some speed. Patrick has speed.

49. Jacksonville Jaguars - Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
- The Jags need more firepower on offense with Mike Sims-Walker about to leave.

50. San Diego Chargers - Kenrick Ellis, NT, Hampton
- Hugely talented player who had some off-field issues at Penn State early in career.

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
- The Bucs need another CB prospect for when they release the troubled Aqib Talib.

52. New York Giants - Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
- Tough, physical runner to replace Brandon Jacobs in the backfield for the G-Men.

53. Indianapolis Colts - Titus Young, WR, Boise State
- It almost seems unfair to give Peyton Manning another great weapon at the WR spot.

54. Philadelphia Eagles - Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
- Excellent CB with great size/speed combo. Tough as nails and a 4 year starter.

55. Kansas City Chiefs - Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
- The Chiefs need a better complimentary player across from Dwayne Bowe.

56. New Orleans Saints - Bruce Carter, LB, North Carolina
- Saints need more bodies at both outside linebacker positions. Carter is a good player.
57. Seattle Seahawks - Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
- Carroll takes a former recruit to bolster the interior of the defensive line.

58. Baltimore Ravens - Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado
- The Ravens need all kinds of help at the CB spot; Brown is very underrated.

59. Atlanta Falcons - Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin
- Falcons get a talented successor to Tony Gonzalez at TE. Will help Matt Ryan a lot.

60. New England Patriots - Mason Foster, LB, Washington
- Potential OLB for the Patriots. Underrated and undersized, but very, very talented.

61. San Diego Chargers - Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
- Speed slot WR who can replace Darren Sproles on kick and punt returns.

62. Chicago Bears - James Carpenter, T, Alabama
- Bears need to upgrade over Frank Omiyale at the LT spot. Carpenter can play T or G.

63. Pittsburgh Steelers - Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois
- James Farrior won’t be around too much longer. Wilson can play both ILB and OLB.

64. Green Bay Packers - Allen Bailey, DE, Miami
- Packers take a chance on physical specimen. Needs training wheels on for a while.

The Daily Rant 4/25: Mocking Themselves

I hope everyone had a good Easter. Chizzy will have the "Quick Hits" coming up today. I feel like there's going to be a jab in there about his Cardinals taking 2 of 3 from the Reds. Since we're both fans of Ohio State Football we'll keep you posted on the breaking news. Needless to say, it sounds like they're about to be royally screwed thanks to Jim Tressel. Let me go on record right now and say that I personally think he's the most overrated coach in college football. That's my opinion, I'll stick to it. I love Ohio State for the tradition and the game day experiences I've been to since my grandpa took me to my first game when I was 8 (a 52-0 shutout of Houston). But Tressel can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag when Ohio State's down by more than 7 points after the 1st quarter...seriously, someone show me where he's done this. Ever. But I digress. It sounds like his cover-up of Terrelle Pryor et al is going to be his undoing as it's being reported they're going to face the "strictest penalties from the NCAA". Hope that doesn't mean they get the SMU treatment...stay tuned.

Now, for the Daily Rant. You've seen them both if you've watched Sports Center any time in the last 3 months. They hate each other, and you know you hate watching them. Mel Kiper Jr, and Todd McShay. Aside from Mel Kiper's hair, he's usually pretty solid. Todd "fake tan" McShay is horrible. I figured in honor of Draft Week, let's face it, the Draft is like Christmas in April for me, I'd give you a run down of both Kiper and McShay, what I think about them, and what you should be wary of if you're just a casual "draftnik". Let's start witht he living legend himself, Mel Kiper today. I'll have Todd McShay's up sometime this week.

Mel Kiper: Mel's been doing draft coverage since 1984, which is to say since before any of us actually cared about the draft. Mel's done it on his own, and has been covering it for ESPN since I can remember. He's been fairly accurate over the years (finished 3rd in accuracy last year based on all available mocks) and historically he's in the top 10 overall. He was once fired by ESPN, but was re-hired a day later - this was before Todd McShay and long before NFL Network.

Strengths: Hair. That one's obvious. Aside from that, and not counting other "draftniks", Mel's usually pretty solid when it comes to forecasting which players will go on to have successful NFL Careers. He's also pretty good at doing player comparisons, i.e. - he called Jake Long the next Tony Boselli at left tackle, and that's proven to be true. He's also very good at making Todd McShay (who if yo haven't figured out yet, I can't stand) look bad and getting him to backtrack in their draft "arguments". Kiper also pretty much coined the term "draft value". While I think it's a bit arbitrary to call someone a good value - how can you possibly say picking Cam Newton with the first overall pick is a good value? There's certainly going to be some 4th, 5th, or 6th round pick that contributes more than Newton will this season, albeit probably at a different position. That said, Kiper's essentially made a career for himself out of covering the NFL Draft. Who else can say they did that without Mel having done it first?

Kiper, who does his own research, often knows about the "little guys". I remember him knowing everything about William Hayes (a 4th round DE from Winston-Salem State) while NFL Network was left scrambling to find out who the guy even was and if Winston-Salem State was even a real school. It is, and Hayes, as Kiper said, is a solid contributor for the Titans.

Weaknesses: Knowing the NFL. Kiper is so invested in the college prospects and doing the leg work to find out everything there is to know about the college guys, he's not really in tune with what the NFL teams actually need. He often doesn't realize who currently rostered players are used by NFL teams and doesn't seem to take into account resource allocation. For instance, I doubt the Browns are going to spend the 6th overall pick on Julio Jones based on the picks they've put into the WR position over the past few years.

Assigning value. While I give him credit for coining this term, essentially, he abuses it. How can any pick be a "good value" until you've seen the player on an NFL field. The NFL game is the elite of the elite. Only 3% of college football players make it to the NFL, in which the average career is about 3 seasons. As I said before, if you take the best value at the 1st overall pick, and it's someone like Cam Newton who probably will need time to develop, how can you say he's a better value than a 4th round G prospect who is going to start from day one?

What you should know: Kiper deserves every bit of credit he's given, even if he's arrogant. He pretty much made the Draft into a TV event. It was once a continuous event going round the clock for 48 hours. There's even a story of one team trying to draft Robert Kennedy, yes JFK's brother, because their draft personnel were so exhausted from sleep deprivation. Now, it's a 3-day event that pretty much every sports fan tunes into at least for an hour or so.

While Kiper's not the greatest mock drafter (that honor goes to the Dallas Morning News' Rick Goesslin - check his mock Tuesday or Wednesday this week) he's still one of the top 5, and he's the most recognizeable one there's every going to be. Keep in mind he's not very in-tune to current NFL rosters, but he's very good at predicting what round players will go one, who they compare to, and prognosticating how they'll do in the NFL. Don't take him at his word if you don't like the grade he assigns your team right after the draft as he's been known to re-review his grades within a month and reassign a better one after he digests how your players will fit in. Kiper's going to stand on a table for guys he likes, and he's not going to admit he's wrong, because, well frankly, he's not very wrong very often.

KD AND CHIZZY'S ALTERNATING MOCK DRAFT - PART II

Whew. We needed to take the weekend off after that one. Here we go with Part II now with halftime over with.

17. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. Mike Pouncey, C, Florida. Chizzy, in response to your Miami comments, I’ve partied in South Beach. Quite the time, and I'm sure Ryan Mallett would love it. However, the Dolphins closer to Fort Lauderdale, and the stadium is closer to the Everglades than civilization. I'm hoping they lock Mallett up there, but I like to imagine the 26 day binger he'd go on in South Beach after the season. It'd make "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" look like a Disney movie. Onto the Patriots pick. I'd bet $50 they trade one of their first round picks. If there's one thing Bill Belicheck as an affinity for, other than videotaping teams and trading picks, it's tabbing Florida Gator players. Chad Jackson, Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, and Aaron Hernandez have all been selected in the first four rounds in the last four years. For all the hemming and hawing over the Patriots and their being so good at drafting; they really aren't that great at hitting picks in recent years. Ron Brace, Patrick Chung, Jonathan Wilhite, Terrance Wheatley, Kevin O'Connell, Bo Ruud, Matthew Slater, Darius Butler, Tyrone McKenzie, Rich Orhnberger, George Bussey, Myron Pryor, Daryl Richard...remember them? ESPN sure doesn't. With that in mind and the Patriots O-line getting older, not to mention Stephen Neal’s retirement and Logan Mankins wanting out of town, the Patriots play it safe and take the best interior prospect in Florida C Mike Pouncey. He'll step in at RG from day 1 and won't look back for 12 years. Pouncey's got great size, good athleticsim, and bloodlines. His brother, Maurkice of the Steelers, might be the best young C in the game not named Nick Mangold. Mike, while not quite his brother, is a damn solid prospect in his own right and is a typical Belichick pick. He'll make Tom Brady rest easier at night, not that he'd be tossing and turning next to Gisele and/or Bridget Monyhan. Hell, he's probably in the middle, ponytail and all. Pouncey will help Danny Woodhead and - I'm going to make a fearless forecast here - Ronnie Brown run through some holes next season as Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, and everyone else failed.

18. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS. JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin. KD, I'm extremely pissed at you for that pick. The Philadelphia Eagles were jonesin' for Pouncey with the 23rd pick. You better make amends when you pick for my team. Now, for the Los Angeles, I mean, San Diego Chargers' first round pick, they're going to select one of the numerous DE's in this slot. The Chargers don't really have a lot of weaknesses, but they could stand to upgrade the D-line, especially with an explosive passrusher. Wisconsin DE J.J. Watt fits that mold, and I think he's a perfect fit for the Chargers. In a 3-4 defensive scheme, he won't be asked to drop back in coverage, something he never had to do at Wisconsin. He's strong, so he can break through the O-lines of the weak AFC West to stop the run or get to the quarterback if he drops back to pass. This is a great fit for the Chargers. The New York football Giants are now on the clock.

19. NEW YORK GIANTS. Anthony Castonzo, OL, Boston College. The Giants thank the football gods that an offensive tackle falls into their laps. They had more linemen play than any team in the NFL last year. Injuries to David Diehl, Rich Suebert, and Shaun O'Hara dealt major blows to their playoff hopes. That, and that rookie punter's decision to kick to DeSean Jackson. Anyways, David Diehl trained on at the NFL level at G, and he's been playing the all-important left tackle spot for the past few years. This pick is right in the Giants wheelhouse as they select Boston College's Anthony Castonzo. A native northeasterner, this pick will be loved by everyone, even Eli Manning, who’s more emo than Jay Cutler. Ouch. Castonzo could stand to add some bulk, but he's got a good frame, good feet, and a decent hand punch. He won't gore a DE like Jake Long or Joe Thomas do, but he can mirror and slide with them in pass protection, like Ryan Clady. In the run game he's solid; not quite Gabe Carimi level, but solid. This pick makes life easier for Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Brandon Jacobs. The Tampa Bay "should have made the playoffs" Buccaneers are on the clock.

20. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA. The Buccos were hands down the most surprising team in the NFL last year. Their offense improved by leaps and bounds with pre-season question mark Mike Williams being a steal in the 4th round and Josh Freeman emerging as a budding superstar. This year, look for coach Raheem Morris to upgrade the other side of the ball in the draft. Last year they took care of the DT position, so this year I think they focus early on linebackers and defensive ends. In the NFC South, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan like to throw a lot of short slants and mid range passes, and I think finding a playmaking LB is more important in a weak draft for the position. So I'm drafting UCLA LB Akeem Ayers for two reasons: (1) I think he is a good coverage LB that has an eye for the ball, which is something the Bucs haven't had since Derrick Brooks; and (2) I know you were taking him with the Eagles, I don't want to see the Eagles draft him, so I had to get him off the board. In my mind, that works for me. In a deep DE draft and a lot of teams before them looking to select a QB, I think the Bucs find a great value DE in the second round.

21. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor. The Chiefs were a close second to Tampa Bay in terms of surprise teams last year. They have some explosive playmakers on offense with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe. Rookie TE Tony Moeaki was a pleasant surprise, and really their only weakness is at RT. While Gabe Carimi might make sense here, he's a LT in my opinion. What the Chiefs lacked - and this was evident against the Ravens in the playoffs - was a run stuffer on the D-line. They've invested high picks there in recent years with Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson, and they'll do so again with Baylor NT Phil Taylor. There have been some foot issues swirling about Taylor as of late. While he's not quite as big as some NTs like Vince Wilfork, Haloti Ngata, and Paul Soliai, he's in the next weight class down. The above three guys are planet sized; Taylor's just moon sized at 6'3" 334lbs. His technique is raw, and he can disappear for whole series at a time...which is hard for anyone that size to do. However, if he can rotate with Shaun Smith for at least part of the 2011 season until he's up to speed, he could become a Casey Hampton type in the middle for KC. The Indianapolis Peyton Mannings are on the clock.

22. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. Nate Solder, OL, Colorado. The Peyton Mannings haven't used a first round pick on an OL since Bill Polian has taken over as GM. After last season, Polian said he should've used his first round pick on an OL. The question is whether they go with Wisconsin OL Gabe Carimi or Colorado OL Nate Solder. There are questions about Carimi's pass protection ability, and I don't think that's something Peyton needs after getting the worst beating of his career last season. They need an immediate starter that can both protect Peyton and create holes for whatever back happens to be running for the Colts on that particular day. So the Colts go with Solder, who started off as a blocking TE at Colorado, then added 30 pounds to become their left tackle. I think in the NFL he translates to either tackle position, but my guess is the Colts do not put a rookie on Peyton's blind side. Solder starts at right tackle, and becomes a long-time figurehead of the Colts O-line for years to come. Now, on to the most important pick of the draft, the Philadelphia Eagles! E-A-G... L-E-S... EAGLES EAGLES EAGLES!!! Don't screw this up KD. We live in the same city you know.

23. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (FL). I feel some pressure picking for the Iggles. Andy Reid, never one to shy away from wheeling and dealing on draft day, is forced to stay put. The Eagles made due with Dmitri Patterson and Joselio Hanson playing opposite Asante Samuel at CB last year. Respect to Patterson and Hanson, but they're better suited to nickel and dime backs. As Chizzy stole Jimmy Smith earlier in the round, pissing off Andy Reid, he goes back to the talent well better known as "The U". Brandon Harris is the pick here. While "The U" hasn't been a talent factory since Larry Coker's departure, you can still get some talented payers. Harris is one of those lightning quick CBs that has a knack for getting his hands on the ball, breaking up 25 passes the past two years. He follows the pedigree of Miami DBs who've had success in the NFL with Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, and last year's undrafted superhero Sam Shields, who replaced Charles Woodson in the Super Bowl. Harris is a shade under 5'10", and while he's not going to come in and knock you out like Vontae Davis or Antoine Winfield, he's a solid wrap and drag tackler. He's aggressive in coverage and has plenty of experience with 39 starts under his belt. A two-time semi-finalist for the Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back), Harris gives the Iggles some versatility as he can shift into the slot if need be and man up guys like Wes Welker, Davone Bess, and Harry Douglas or he can stay on the outside. I think he provides Philly with a nice #2 CB to team with Asante Samuel with the potential to be a #1 CB down the road.

24. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS. Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal. KD, I'm disappointed. I threw you a softball and you dribbled it to the pitcher, as this guy wanted Carimi to shore up an O-line that struggled to protect Michael Vick last year. But alas, what's done is done. I still know where you live. The New Orleans Saints are now on the clock. I was in New Orleans last year for the shellacking they received at the hands of the 8-8 Seahawks, and let me tell you something. Win or lose, this city knows how to party. I can't even imagine what life was like on Bourbon Street when the 'Aints won the Super Bowl two years ago. What's funny is that this team still really doesn't have any pressing needs. But I'd like to see them find a DE to team up on the other side of the line from Ohio State alum Will Smith. As the best prospect left on the board, I think the Saints throw a bone to DE Cam Jordan out of California, who has risen faster than anyone up draft boards the last few months. His stats suffered in the 3-4 D that Cal ran, so I think he could thrive on the opposite side of a perennial All-Pro candidate. Jordan bolsters the Saints D and helps to shore up a run defense that really struggled last year.

25. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU. Gabe Carimi was too much of a softball for Philadelphia. I think he's going to play left tackle, and Philly has Jason Peters there already. The Seahawks are on the clock here, and they provide the first real shocker of round 1. The eschew Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan AND local boy Jake Locker and select TCU quarterback Andy Dalton. I hate myself for picking Dalton in the first round as this will cause Todd McShay to go from 6 to midnight. Dalton hails from the Horned Frogs offense where slip screens and TE pops are the same as deep balls. He's a solid fit for Pete Carroll's west coast offense (WCO) and can learn for a year, or three, behind Matt Hasselbeck and "Clipboard Jesus" himself, Charlie Whitehurst. Dalton's stock has been fire for the last week...I'm not sure why. Even Peter King mocked Dalton to Miami at 15...needless to say, if this happens, I'll be 100 times more pissed off than when they took Ted Ginn with Patrick Willis sitting on the board (sorry Chizzy, and OSU fans, Ginn sucks). Dalton can play in the WCO, and he'll probably have success which will fuel my hate of Todd McShay (McFraud) even more.

26. BALTIMORE RAVENS. Aaron Williams, CB, Texas. Wow. Suffice to say, I'm shocked the Hawks don't take Mr. Locker. Snubbing the homeboy in favor of a Texan? How dare you. The 12th Man will not be happy. Now one of my least favorite teams in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens, are on the clock. The Ravens don't need much, but they could use some upgrades on the defensive side of a ball for a unit that has been slipping the last two or three years. Alleged murderer and sure-fire Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is getting older (weird to use those two statements in the same sentence), so they need someone to take his throne in the next few years. But I think the Ravens have an immediate need for an elite playmaker CB prospect, because when was the last time anyone in the Ravens' secondary made a play besides TD machine Ed Reed? With four CB's off the board already, the Ravens get the last elite CB prospect in this draft in Texas CB Aaron Williams. The Steelers are not happy with this pick, which makes me happy. He's a smart, aggressive player who excels in pass coverage, and was known as a playmaker before Big 12 offenses stopped throwing his way this year. I really like this pick for the Ravens.

27. ATLANTA FALCONS. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa. The Atlanta Falcons are a very well put together football team, except for one area - the D-line. John Abraham, once a feared pass-rusher, is nearing the end of his career. He looks to be replaced by Kroy Beirmann in the near future. Biermann is a good situational pass-rusher for now, but he'll have another year or two to be groomed behind Abraham. Opposite Abraham is ultra-bust, Jamaal Anderson. He was taken 9th overall in the 2007 Draft, and if not for Vernon Gholston, he'd be the biggest defensive bust of the decade. Atlanta goes to the Big 10 here, and has to choose between Adrian Clayborn or fan favorite Cameron Heyward, whose father Craig "Ironhead" Heyward played fullback for the Falcons for three seasons in the mid 90s. The Falcons choose Clayborn as he's a better fit for their 4-3 defense (Heyward is a better prospect, but in a 3-4 defense). Both players suffered dropoffs in play their senior seasons, but Clayborn gave Wisconsin T Gabe Carimi fits. Heyward was abused by Carimi in Ohio State's meeting with the Badgers (sadly, I was there to witness it - thanks for the tickets JM!). Clayborn notched 20 TFL's and 11.5 sacks in 2009, and from what I've heard, that's what a lot of NFL scouts are looking at as opposed to 2010 where he played through some minor injuries. The one warning sign for Clayborn is that he's been diagnosed Erb's Palsy in his right shoulder, a condition that inhibits the nerves and causes a difference of strenght from his right arm to left arm (hence his low bench press performance at the combine). If Atlanta plays him at LDE, as I expect they will, his upfield shoulder will be his right one - used for all moves, wrong-arming gaps, and taking on lead backs, so, buyer beware label here.

28. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama. I'm really disliking the fact that I'm having to pick back to back to back for the Ravens, Pats, and Jets. Who does this to a man? KD, next year I get the first pick. Now I think that the Pats, the only team with two first round picks, could easily trade this one to a team that wants to pick up either QB Christian Ponder or Jake Locker. But, I'm stuck with this pick like white on rice. The Pats shored up the OL concerns earlier this draft with C Mike Pouncey, a great pick. Nopw the Pats need to find a RB to run through Pouncey, Matt Light, and Logan Mankins. You predicted earlier that Ronnie Brown would be running for the Pats next year, but I don't necessarily think that he's the answer. I think the Pats take Alabama RB Mark Ingram with this pick, who has visited with the team and is the thoroughbred back that the Pats are looking for. The fact that this is the earliest any team is even considering a Heisman Trophy winning RB really shows the transition of how teams value the position. Teams are scared of investing a ton of money in a position that has a shelf life of 3 years in most cases. Just look to the fact that very few top 15 draft picks have been used on RB's the last few years, and that current Pats tandem of fearless midget Danny Woodhead and workhorse "Law Firm" Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis, both of whom were undrafted. While they both had solid seasons last year, I think that Pats grab Ingram because he has the potential to be one of the best bruising backs in the league, and the new rookie wage scale that will be implemented will prevent the team from being forced to invest too much in a player with injury risks. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ingram will make the Pats even MORE dangerous on offense.

29. CHICAGO BEARS. Marvin Austin, DT, UNC. Chizzy, that's pretty disgusting, and I'm sorry I made you go through that. I should've let you pick for Philadelphia and we could've gone from there. Next year, please give Andrew Luck to Miami if that's where they're picking. Sadly, I feel like Miami's D is too good to let that happen. Onto the Bears. They're really tempted to go with Gabe Carimi at this juncture. But the Bears pride themselves on their D, which revolves around solid interior play. Tommie Harris is gone, and Matt Toeaina and Anthony Adams leave you with a lot to be desired. Chicago, who was sad to see Corey Liuget off the board, narrows it down to UNC DT Marvin Austin and Hampton DT Kenrick Ellis. What’s that? You've never heard of Kenrick Ellis? Trust me, you will. But Chicago goes with UNC's Marvin Austin. Austin, who was suspended for the whole season in the agent scandal in Chapel Hill was considered a possible top 5 pick before the season. He's a very solid player, but like Baylor's Phil Taylor, he can just flat out disappear for long stretches. And just when you're about to ask why your team drafted him, he'll knock a pass down at the line, make a tackle in the backfield, and strip-sack the quarterback 3 plays in a row. At 6'1" and 309lbs, he ran a 4.90 time in the 40 and is very athletic for a big man. If the Bears can get him to harness all that talent and make him consistent, he'll be a Pro Bowl DT in less than 3 years. Book it.

30. NEW YORK JETS. Cameron Heyward, DE, THE Ohio State University. I love that you picked someone who I don’t know for the Bears. The Jets have somehow been on the verge of the Super Bowl the last few years with Mark Sanchez as QB1. I'm not really sure how, but a little common sense says that the defense has something to do with it. A top 5 unit the past few years under Rex Ryan's helm, one may think why the defense needs upgrading? I'm glad you asked. Basically, in football years, their 3-4 D-Line is a bunch of old geezers. DE's Shaun Ellis and Jason Taylor have been around forever and are wearing down, and DT Kris Jenkins has been injury plagued the last two seasons. While in my mind, Jenkins’ injury concerns are a bigger issue than Ellis and Taylor aging, I still take DE Cameron Heyward. Rex Ryan may fear a repeat Buckeye-bust like like Vernon Gholston, but Heyward has a football pedigree and will provide a pass rush to this Jets D. Not only that, but he’s one of the best tacklers in the this year’s draft. He’s a versatile player, which makes him a perfect fit for the Jets D; his aggressive style will make Rex Ryan a happy man. Just not happy enough to put down the Double Cheeses.

31. PITTSBURGH STEELERS. Gabe Carimi, OL, Wisconsin. The Steelers have never spent a 1st round pick on a CB, their #1 position of need. With the top 5 off the board they turn their attention elsewhere to the OL. They have an outstanding center in Maurkice Pouncey, and a pair of solid guards in Chris Kemoeatu and Ramon Foster. Willie Colon or Flozell Adams will suffice at RT for another year, but the struggle has been at left tackle. Max Starks - when healthy - is solid. Problem is he's never healthy. Jonathan Scott took over his duties last year and was marginially effective. The Packers steal a local product from right under the Packers’ noses and select Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi. The Steelers recently spent a pick on former Wisconsin guard Kraig Urbik, who is waiting in the wings behind Kemoeatu. Carimi is a mauling left tackle, and while not quite in the class of Anthony Castonzo or Tyron Smith, he's good in his own right. He dominated his matchup against Cameron Heyward this year, but struggled against Adrian Clayborn. But given Ben Roethlisberger's athleticism, if Carimi can merely slide and mirror his man, he'll be effective in pass-blocking. He'll have no problem run-blocking in the NFL and his demeanor just fits the sense of the Steelers. The Packers are on the clock to finish off round 1 and the first annual TGTS Mock Draft.

32. GREEN BAY PACKERS. Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue. The defending Super Bowl Champion Packers don’t need much, but they want to pick a player who fits into their mold. Ryan Kerrigan can do what Aaron Kampman could not in Green Bay: He can thrive in Green Bay’s 3-4 Defense. If he can improve on his strength, he can be versatile enough to rush the passer as a DE. If he works on his pursuit angles, he can drop back into coverage as an OLB and defend TE’s. There are question marks about his ability to do this, but I think you have to draft him and watch to see if he can thrive in one of the two positions above. He’s a tweener, but he’ll find a role in that D.

Frankly, I don't know about you KD, but I'm tired. This took a really long time, but I think we did a solid job. It's good to know that none of this will happen next Thursday night in Radio City.

CLICK HERE FOR PART I

KD AND CHIZZY'S ALTERNATING MOCK DRAFT

Alright ladies and gentleman, here's what you all have been waiting for: two guys actually talking about sports. That's right, we have an alternating mock draft here, with KD and I doing the picks. KD's bringing the rational insight and knowledge; I'm bringing the idiotic comments and picks that resemble Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen's drafts from 2002 to 2006. Before we get started here, there's two ground rules: 1. No trading picks. Teams are stuck where they are. 2. We aren't picking based on what we think teams are GOING to do, we're picking based on what we think teams SHOULD do. Because it's more fun that way. We're going to release the first half today; second half of the first round picks come out tomorrow. Now, as Michael Buffer likes to say... "LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" KD, you're on the clock with the Carolina Panthers.

1. CAROLINA PANTHERS. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn. Welcome everybody, happy to be here. With the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton. The Panthers swing for the fences with this one. Newton will get the opportunity to play behind Jimmy Clausen at first while he learns th

e nuances of the pro game. Once he does, the sky is the limit for him if he can master an NFL offense - easier said than done. Newton's got prototypical size, good athleticism and has shown surprising accuracy. Coming from Auburn coach Gus Malzahn's offense will be a big transition, but all things considered, he's the best move for this franchise. The Denver Broncos are now on the clock.

2. DENVER BRONCOS. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. Phew. If you didn't take Newton, I was going to pick him just so I could imagine what it would be like to have bad boy Cam Newton, religious guru Tim Tebow, and party animal Kyle Orton fighting it out for a starting QB job. Could you imagine the things we could do with that race?

I really considered taking a QB anyway, but really, I like Kyle Orton there. He works well in the system and I don't understand for the life of me why they messed with the passing game, the only thing that clicked in Denver last year. Denver's probably going to take Marcel Dareus because they need a defensive tackle like whoa, but to boost a defense that thought it was playing two-hand touch last year, the Denver Broncos are going to select DT Nick Fairley from Auburn. I'm taking Fairley based on what I saw this season. Fairley dominated college football on the defensive front, impressed at the combine, and excelled at Auburn's pro day. Sure, he has character issues, but who doesn't? Fairley plays with an edge and destroyed the toughest conference in football last year. He's my guy.

3. BUFFALO BILLS. Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama. The Bills throw a bit of a curveball taking Marcel Dareus here. At OLB they saw James Moats emerge; they have Chris Kelsay who is solid, and they'll get Shawne Merriman back from injury so they pass on Von Miller. They lost Marcus Stroud and really could use a 3-4 DE to help Kyle Williams up front. Dareus is the best front 7 player and the Bills play it safe after misusing RB C.J. Spiller last year.

4. CINCINNATI BENGALS. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri. Because we're doing this by what teams SHOULD do, not what they WILL do, the Bengals are taking a QB1 here. Mike Brown is calling Carson Palmer's bluff by saying he's not taking a QB with the fourth pick, but I don't think Palmer's bluffing. He's as good as gone, which once again proves that Mike Brown needs to be fired (wish that could happen) as the owner of the Bengals. This team's support has jumped off a cliff after last year; expect many empty seats in Paul Brown Stadium. And Jordan Palmer isn't exactly Big Brother's caliber; when your potential starting QB’s greatest professional achievement is the establishment of www.runpee.com, you’ve got issues. As much as I would love the Bengals take recently admitted party animal Ryan Mallett here to fit the team's profile, the Bengals take Gabbert. He's a solid prospect at 6'4" and 235, and has very good arm strength. He needs to work on his deep ball over the next year, but I think the concerns are a result of the lackluster weapons he had at Missouri. I don't love the pick, but he's clearly the second-best QB prospect on the board and needs to be taken here by the Bungles.

5. ARIZONA CARDINALS. Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M. The Cardinals are reeling a bit as they fully expected the Bengals to take Ryan Mallett and leave them with Blaine Gabbert. After all, Mallett fits the Bengals MO. While the Cardinals are fully expected to sign Marc Bulger, who by all accounts was just as good as Joe Flacco in practice last year, the Cardinals have to take a long, hard look at Ryan Mallett. But after much deliberation, and being force-fed restraints from the conservative Bidwell family, the Cardinals take Texas A&M OLB Von Miller. Miller, the best pass-rusher in the draft, had triangle numbers (size, speed, strength) on par with DeMarcus Ware. Joey Porter can't run anything but his mouth, and the Cards don't have much else with Chike Okeafor, Will Davis, and O'Bryan Schofield (who is coming of a torn ACL). With Arizona's system, they'll take their chances of getting a guy like Ponder or Dalton in the 2nd round rather than get burned again by a QB in the first...ala Matt Leinart.

6. CLEVELAND BROWNS. AJ Green, WR, Georgia. The Brownies are torn here between selecting a solid DE or DT to bolster their 27th ranked run defense, or select a game changing WR with All-Pro potential. Considering that this is one of the deepest D-line drafts in years, I look for the Browns to select Georgia WR AJ Green over Alabama WR Julio Jones in a tough decision. I mean, name one successful Browns WR over the last 10 years. Braylon Edwards you say? He needed stick ‘em to catch the ball and ran his mouth better than he ran routes. Josh Cribbs you say? Hello! He's a kick returner, and not much else. Anyone else? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Sure, AJ Green has some character issues, as he sold his bowl jersey for $1,000 and sat out the first four games of last season. But if I'm an NFL GM, who cares now? He can sell whatever the hell wants as a professional! I want a 6'4", 210 lb physical reciever who played in the SEC and over 8 games averaged 7+ receptions and 100+ yards/game with 9 touchdowns.

7. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. Jim Harbaugh practically pisses himself as he has his minions turn in the card that reads Patrick Peterson. What, no quarterback you say? You don't need a quarterback when you can play defense the entire game. Realistically, I think Alex Smith might turn a few heads in Harbaugh's offense (NOTE: Chizzy laughed at this comment), and if you don't think they'll pony up every pick possible to get Andrew Luck next year, you're crazy. Having said that, Peterson is probably the most talented player at any position in the draft. Peterson gives the 49ers a lock-down corner opposite Nate Clements, or he could potentially be the next Sean Taylor by replacing Dashon Goldson at free safety. Either way, a defense with Patrick Willis and Patrick Peterson in its back seven is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Peterson's a freak in the mold of Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha, and Nate Clements certainly still has some good game left in him. If the 49ers can find a pass-rush later in the draft, watch out for that defense.

8. TENNESSEE TITANS. Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina. With Mr. AWOL Vince Young out the door at QB and the stache-man himself Jeff Fisher out at coach, the Titans need to make a solid pick here as a new era begins in Nashville. Ideally, the Titans should trade down as I don't really like anyone for them here, but that's not how we play this game. The Titans need a QB bad, but not bad enough to pick Christian Ponder, Jake Locker, or Ryan Mallett at the 8 slot. To me, this came down to these options: a DE, a DT, or WR Julio Jones. There's no DT here worth taking, and I think the Titans are ok with Kenny "I wasn't driving that Porsche" Britt and Nate Washington. So in a bold move, the Titans select North Carolina DE Robert Quinn, who hasn't played football since the 2009 season, over Da'Quan Bowers, who has injury concerns. Quinn looked good at the Combine, was a beast the two years he played, and fits the Titans mold as a pass-rushing savant. The Dallas Cowgirls are now on the clock.

9. DALLAS COWBOYS. Tyron Smith, OT, Southern Cal. I feel dirty just for having to select the Cowboys pick. If there's a team that really needs to step up their draft efforts it's the Cowboys. They haven't found many quality players since Bill Parcells left town. For a team that's as bad as Dallas is, there's not too many glaring needs. OT, CB, and DE are the three main concerns. I'm not going to just throw J.J. Watt in there in this draft, so it comes down to taking an offensive tackle or taking Prince Amukamara. The Cowboys have drafted a lot of depth at CB over the years to go with Terrance Newman with mixed results (Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, DeAngelo Smith, and Mike Mickens). Tony Romo getting blasted last season sent a message to Jerry Jones that he ignored for years: your QB is only as good as the blockers in front of him. Andre Gurode is the only starting caliber OL on the Cowboys roster, and despite his infamous tweet, I think the 9th overall pick is too early for C/G Mike Pouncey. Jerry Jones is always one for flash, so USC's Tyron Smith is the pick, and the Cowboys will move him to LT as opposed to the RT spot he played out at USC. Smith is athletic, strong, and the left side will be a transition, Romo's mobility should help him out. The same thing happened with Jay Cutler in Denver in Ryan Clady's rookie year. My guess is Chizzy will feel just like dirty money making the pick for the Skins.

10. WASHINGTON REDSKINS. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. I drink hate for the Pinkskins, (Lil')Giants, and Cowgirls on a daily basis, so you're damn right I feel dirty for picking for D.C. When was the last time this team was relevant? 1989? But when looking at this pick, I began to love it, because I realized that the Skins have more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese. Where do I start? DE? DT? RB? QB? WR? But I feel like only one glaring need can be fixed here. The Skins have lacked a playmaker on offense for years. I don't think McNabb is washed up, I just think he needs a big time receiver to throw the ball to. Santana Moss is a possession receiver (and he's lost a step), Anthony Armstrong is a C+ version of DeSean Jackson, and Joey Galloway is older than My Boy Blue!!! That's where Alabama WR Julio Jones comes in. He's fast as hell, has great hands, even better range, and can make short catches on third down or go for the deep bomb. Plus, he's tough. The guy ran a 4.34 40 at the combine on a broken foot. I want him on my team, and he'll make NFC East D's cry for years to come (take your time on the next pick while I go bang my head against the wall a few times).

11. HOUSTON TEXANS. Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri. The Houston Texans have a ridiculous offense. Andre Johnson is an absolute weapon, and their system just works. However, their defense has been awful...and their answer was to add Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator and switch to a 3-4. They have Mario Williams to play one of the end spots, and that have two studs in the middle with DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing. What they don't have are a NT, pass-rushers, and a cornerback. Their pass defense was historically bad last season. So I think it comes down to Prince Amukamara or a pass-rusher as there's really not a good value at NT here. That being said, the Texans shock the world and go with Missouri DE Aldon Smith. Smith will switch to OLB in the Texans 3-4 scheme. He's got absolutely violent hands, the best I've seen in long while, and if the Texans allow him to move forward a lot a la DeMarcus Ware in Dallas (where Wade Phillips was last seen) as opposed to dropping him in coverage. Just for reference, the Steelers are consistently the best defense in the NFL with their 3-4 defense. Quick, name one of their CBs. It's okay I'll wait for you to Google it. If you can get to the QB, you can improve your defense, and that's what Aldon Smith will do for the Texans defense. I think Smith could be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate in Phillips' system.

12. MINNESOTA VIKINGS. Prince Amukamura, CB, Nebraska. In what could potentially be their last draft ever in the Great State up North, the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock. The Vikings have a lot of holes to fill, and it came down to three options: (1) one of the QB's; (2) CB Prince Amukamura; (3) DE Da'Quan Bowers. My thoughts are that any QB at this point will not be a starter right off the bat, so the Vikings hope Andy Dalton or Ricky Stanzi is sitting there in the later rounds. The Vikes will have either Joe Webb, Patrick Ramsey or Tavaris Jackson behind center (gulp). The Vikings need a pass-rusher to complement Jared Allen, and a shutdown CB of the future as Antoine Winfield is 34 years old. I think the Vikings look at Da'Quan's injury risks and decide to get the best player available and a name we’ve tossed around a lot so far, CB Prince Amukamura from Nebraska. Prince will immediately make an impact, taking over the other side of the field from Asher Allen and Lito Sheppard, who listed his favorite hobby as "letting WR's blow right by me while I stand there looking like a lost puppy." Amukamura is so good that Big 12 offenses haven't even thrown at him the last two years. He immediately upgrades the secondary and the Vikings take a QB and DT/DE in the later rounds. Besides, Prince in purple seems like a legitimate fit doesn’t it? The perennial NFL whipping boy, the Detroit Lions, are on the clock.

13. DETROIT LIONS. Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson. Detroit fans are so disappointed about not being able to select Prince, well...I'm not sure what they'll do. My buddy Sean, a lifelong Lions fan, once threatened to burn down a BDubs (during the Calvin Johnson non-touchdown against the Bears) with me inside as the Dolphins game was still going on. Yikes.

Anyways, Detroit has a ton of needs. While conventional wisdom says they need a CB, none are worth of being selected here. They've got some talent on offense, but they need to keep Matthew Stafford alive long enough to use said talent. They also need a replacement for Kyle Vanden Bosch at defensive end. Cliff Avril is a pretty underrated player on the other side, but he needs help. While I'm not sold on Colorado's Nate Solder or Boston College's Anthony Castonzo, I am sold on Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers. Bowers is a physical specimen who’s played both DE spots, and can even stand up and play some OLB much like how the Cardinals have used Chike Okeafor and the Bengals have used Michael Johnson. Not sure if that's Jim Schwartz's style, but we know this: his job prior to Detroit was as the Defensive Coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, who year in and year out have one of the most consistent D-lines in the game. Bowers probably steals a starting job from either Vanden Bosch or Avirl, much to the chagrin of Rams fans awaiting the next pick. Detroit must now pray to the football gods that an offensive tackle like Derrick Sherrod, Orlando Franklin, or Will Rackley is available when they're on the clock again.

14. ST. LOUIS RAMS. Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois. I was trying to foil your Fins pick here, KD, but I have no idea who you think they'll take. The Rams are one of the most impressive teams over the last few years, even if they will always play second fiddle in St. Louis to the Redbirds (everyone like my obligatory Cardinals reference? Because I do). Their selections of franchise QB Sam Bradford, DE Chris Long, LB James Laurianitis, and OL Jason Smith and Roger Saffold the last two years has helped to bring this team back to relevance for the first time since "The Greatest Show on Turf." The Rams need a WR or TE, but with none on the board worth taking at this point I think they look to bolster their defense, which seems to be a player or two away from becoming a top tier unit. What this team needs is a disruptive player on the other side of the unit to draw some attention away from DE Chris Long. Since he can play either tackle position, the Rams select Illinois DT Corey Liuget. He's a freight train when trying to bust through the line, and has the athleticism to work around more adept O-lineman. Solid pick here for the blue and gold. KD, your 'Fins are on the clock.

15. MIAMI DOLPHINS. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas. As this draft process has wound down, the Dolphins have 3 main targets if they can't trade out of the 15th spot (since that's against the rules, the pick is one of these): Florida C Mike Pouncey, Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, and Alabama RB Mark Ingram. Having followed the Dolphins religiously, their last three first round picks have met with Miami one time prior to the draft - Jake Long, Vontae Davis, and Jared Odrick. If that logic prevails, then the pick is Mike Pouncey. However, after learning about new OC Brian Daboll role-playing as Brandon Marshall during a meet with TCU QB Andy Dalton (yes, Miami is embarrasing. This a year after asking about Dez Bryant's mother's street life as a prostitute), I've grown tired of mustached head coach Tony Sparano and I wish he'd go the way of the fishes. But I like Jeff Ireland and think he'll be around for the long haul. He wanted to trade the 32nd pick of the 2008 draft to move back into the 1st round to select Joe Flacco. Needless to say, a combo of Jake Long and Joe Flacco would've been gravy. Bill Parcells overruled Ireland then, but Parcells is gone now. And if there's one QB in this draft that most similarly resembles Joe Flacco, it's Arkansas Ryan Mallett. Drug issues aside (it's college, who doesn’t party a little...or every day in UD's case), he's the most talented QB in the draft, so the Dolphins take Ryan Mallett. As to who will coach him up...good question. Sparano's an idiot. His QB Coach is former UCLA Head Coach Karl Dorrell - who has been Miami's WR coach since he arrived in 2008 and has no prior experience at any level - high school through the NFL - coaching QBs. Good luck Mr. Mallett.

16. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado. Ryan Mallet? In Miami? Have you been to Miami? You want him going to your team, in a city that inspired this article? That's a bold move, Cotton. Anyway, let's tackle the Jags draft situation. Like many teams, Jacksonville is in dire need of a QB. Speaking of drugs, David Garrard is a fantasy football addict's worst nightmare: 4 TDs and 280 yards passing one week; 0 TD's, 2 INTs, and 140 yards passing the next. But the only QB in this draft I see fitting in this spot is Christian Ponder, and frankly, I don't like his pro prospects. If I was an NFL GM, I wouldn't draft Ponder if you said I could have Super Bowl and Masters tickets for life (who am I kidding, yes I would). So like many other teams, I think Jacksonville waits to draft a QB. Since this is the third team I’m saying this for, yes, I believe there will be a run of QB's taken on Day 2. So I look to bolster the Jags 28th ranked pass defense, and to do that they make quite a reach and take shutdown CB Jimmy Smith out of Colorado. He's a big, physical corner than can frustrate opposing WR's at the line of scrimmage, an important trait for facing timing QB's Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub four times a year. Smith immediately takes the starting job opposite Rashied Mathis. Jacksonville fans b*#(% and moan for another year as the Jags refuse to take a QB. Hold on, what's that you say? There are no

CLICK HERE FOR PART II.