Comments

1. The Truth Hurts says:

   March 25, 2009 at 3:10 pm

   first off i would have safford going to the lions and i think that the rams will take aaron curry.

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2. J.O½ CJ 4 MVP says:

   March 25, 2009 at 3:12 pm

   The Lions will draft Matthew Stafford with the first pick, unless we get Jay Cutler (which seems unlikely)

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3. Chad Ellis says:

   March 25, 2009 at 3:14 pm

   The Truth Hurts…You could be right on Stafford. It is clear that taking him that high would be a reach for the Lions, who need everything. Regardless, it is still a strong possibility. Curry will not go the the Rams. They MUST take the top left tackle on the board with this pick. Orlando Pace is gone. Even with him on the roster, pass protection was their biggest problem in ‘08.

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4. Chad Ellis says:

   March 25, 2009 at 3:16 pm

   J.O/CJ 4 MVP…Again, very possible but Culpepper is a better option at quarterback than Jeff Backus is at left tackle. We’ll see.

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5. Buck Cypress says:

   March 25, 2009 at 6:48 pm

   9ers won’t take Sanchez, they are trying to build around their defense and running game. Singletary, will go defense here.

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6. phillybirdsphorever says:

   March 25, 2009 at 6:53 pm

   I Bleed Green, so all I looked at was the Eagles picks. I like them, but it’ll never happen with A.R. at the helm. You could have Jerry Rice on the board, but if there was an offensive lineman, tackle, or center on the board he’s gonna go before Rice. I hate A.R. for that reason. We should go after Moreno or Shonn Greene. I really love that for a pick in the second, so I say move up to get him. He’s a friggen beast. If it were me I’d take Jeremy Maclin at 21, the inevitable O-lineman with 28, and then package some of our picks to move up enough in the 2nd to get Shonn Greene. With that, we’d be a force for years to come.

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7. Texans fan in Cowboy country says:

   March 25, 2009 at 6:55 pm

   i like it, especially with the texans going to the secondary in the first 2 rounds.

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8. Coach Lombardi says:

   March 25, 2009 at 7:03 pm

   I still think Jay Cutler throws a big loop into all the draft boards, because there is a very real possibility that the Lions will trade the pick to the Broncos…or select Stafford and trade him for Cutler…but if somehow Cutler does stay in Denver I think this is a pretty accurate look…the Lions and the Ford family are cheap. They are not going to pay a rookie QB 50+ million to take a beating behind that terrible offensive line. Though Staffords high Wonderlic IQ Test (38) will help him. So I think if things remain the same the Lions are going to go with Jason Smith who is going to be a great safe pick at OT. Wouldn’t suprise me if they went Curry as well, the Lions will likely take whichever player gives them the best deal (money wise).

   Curry could go to STL, but offensive line has been their biggest pressing need. I don’t see Seattle taking Crabtree, wouldn’t surprise me if they took BJ Raji or even Mark Sanchez, who I think is slightly better than Stafford. Raji BTW may be the steal of the draft, the guy needs a double team everytime and consistently still gets a push…I know he has some academic and character issues, but the man is a monster in the middle.

   I don’t see Josh Freeman going in the first round and Hakeem Nicks is a real stretch for a first round pick. If Chris Wells or Knowshon falls to 31…then thats a big time steal, both of these kids are very good. Neither of them are Adrian Peterson, but Wells reminds me of a compact Jamal Lewis and Moreno reminds me of Cadillac Williams with a sprinkle of Marion Barber.

   Vontae Davis will probably go a bit lower, he is the most athletic CB in the draft, but he is notorious for taking plays off, giving up on plays, and being pretty incompetent, I think that will scare alot of teams off. He’s almost a DeAngelo Hall clone with bigger character problems. One last thing, how come everybody has the Raiders taking hugely over-rated players with character problems…I know Al Davis is a moron and makes some pretty dumb decisions, but lets give the Raiders a little bit more respect than taking the OT with weight and character issues, or Michael Johnson who looks like Tarzan but plays like Jane; but then again I guess it wouldn’t really surprise me.

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9. rundown7 says:

   March 25, 2009 at 7:28 pm

   I don’t like the looks of it.
   There are just too many reaches where guys that are like 5th best at their position are going in the first round.

   There’s a lot that I don’t like but let me at least say that the Raiders are known to have a thing for workout freaks. The guy you’ve got them picking right now has poor measurables (the thing he’s got going for him is a record of dominance in game situations). I think they’d be a lot more likely to take a guy like Heyward-Bey at that spot just because of the combine performance. And they do need WRs.

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10. smooth daddy Jay Roth says:

    March 25, 2009 at 7:28 pm

    i think the lions will take staford but i can respect jason smith as the pick same with the rams becasue i think they will take curry but moonroe is alright, those best worst case senarios dont tell you anything and there stupid, eugean could be alot worse than chris samuels and prolby will be, chirs samlues is really really good, thats a huge reach for michel oher, eben brittin is a HUGE reach for the redskins, i dont think robert ayers will last that long, alex mac wouldnt go that high, chirs wells wouldnt last that long, thats to high for kenny brit, louis murphy wouldnt go that high at all, clay mathews wouldnt last that long at all, its jamon marideth not jason, louis dealmas wouldnt last nearly that long, same with ziggy hood, nether will eric wood,

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11. Chad Ellis says:

    March 25, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    rundown7…On your comment about reaches…You could only be referring to offensive tackles, pass rushers, and wide receivers. Tackles and pass rushers have always held high positional value, so I disagree with you on that premise. The receiver thing is another story. All of the guys I have going in round one are, in my opinion, first round talents. That being said, wideouts do not hold particularly high positional value so I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two of them go in round two. If they do slip into the second round, expect them all to be gone by 40. The comment you made about the Raiders is true, but the need for a tackle is pressing and they may assume that they can get a receiver later. We’ll see what they do. Al Davis does like workout warriors but he is not famous for taking receivers in the first round.

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12. Chad Ellis says:

    March 25, 2009 at 8:08 pm

    smooth daddy Jay Roth…That’s quite a list of guys moving up! Keep in mind, if all those guys go sooner, an equal number of players must slide. It’s a deep draft. The problem is that too many people give a group of fifty players “first round grades”. There are only 32 picks in the first round. Many of those “first rounders” will slide, as they always do. Many of those “second rounders” will go in the first because they fit a scheme perfectly or there is a glaring positional need. Tackles (like Sam Baker in ‘08) and quarterbacks (like Joe Flacco) often move up. Running backs, interior linemen, inside backers, tight ends, and wideouts often slide. Last year, many mocks had DeSean Jackson going in the top 15. He fell to round two. Some of those same people had Kevin Smith going late in round one. He fell to round three. This is nothing new. By the way, Ziggy Hood is not the prototype DT that most teams look for. He’s a smaller, quicker guy who is a pass rushing gap penetrator. Aside from Tampa-Two teams, I don’t see him getting any first round consideration. He’s very good, but only in the right scheme. Indy at 27 is the only real first round possibility, but they should take a receiver at that spot. Not a great history of drafting defense in round one.

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13. Chad Ellis says:

    March 25, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    Coach Lombardi…We are on the same page on many levels. I too like Sanchez better that Stafford. Keep in mind that I only try to guess what teams will do. If I were drafting, the order would be much different.

    The only things you pointed out that I completely disagree with are your assessments of Josh Freeman and Hakeem Nicks. I honestly believe that Nicks is more NFL ready than even Crabtree. He is the most polished receiver in this draft. He should be a top fifteen pick, in terms of talent, but won’t because of low positional value. Freeman is a lock to go in the first round, even though he will probably be somewhat of a project. Contrary to Nicks, his positional value is very high, keeping him in the first round–ala Joe Flacco, from a year ago, or Jason Campbell from a few years ago. Great comments!

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14. klungemonger says:

    March 25, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    Hey, if Ellerbe can wrap up a runner near scrimmage every once in a while and maybe break up the occasional pass play, we’ll take him! Since nobody on Lions D managed to do either of those things last year…

    I like comparing statistics: Let’s say the O-line upgrades from this draft (plus Heller, the blocking TE we signed in FA) can help the offense score on average 1 TD or couple more FG’s per game. Then the defensive patches can stop just one extra TD on average (seeing as they yeilded 4TDs + 1FG per game), we would by the stats be a .500 team next year.

    I’m still all about 1 O-lineman and everything else defense, but as we’ve talked about many times already as long as the trenches get built and they don’t take a QB I’ll be happeeeeeee!!!!

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15. Chad Ellis says:

    March 26, 2009 at 2:00 am

    klungemonger…By the way, I’ve wanted to know since, well, forever, what does klungemonger mean? No pressure to divulge. Just curious.

    Back to business…If Ellerbe slides to Detroit in the third, you should be thrilled. I have him rated up there with Laurinaitis in terms of talent, only Ellerbe is much tougher. He’ll stick his nose in there and is much better getting off blocks, which was the biggest problem for most of Detroit’s defense last year.

    You are getting two o-linemen, at least, in this draft. I thought it best to take them sooner rather than later. They’ve made several moves in the offseason, which alleviates the need to reach on corners, safeties, and so on. What are you going to do about adding a receiver?

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16. klungemonger says:

    March 26, 2009 at 11:23 am

    Haha, I use this name on any and all websites I subscribe to, you aren’t the first to ask about it. It really doesn’t mean anything specific. When I was a kid, me and this one friend would make up dumb words and nonsensical names for people (and each other) like that. When trying to think of a username that was, shall I say, “uniquely generic”, that popped back into my head. It’s all mine, yet says nothing about me! You can call me Joel though (my parents do) it’s probably easier to type…

    That H.Johnson is one big man. He could probably just toss himself on top of the DT and then Smith can use his back as a ramp to launch himself through the gap! Like I said before, I’ll take any lineman so it’s all good, but we are REAL thin on the D-line now as we’ve lost at least 3 guys and only signed 1. Then again, perhaps this is a case of “addition by subtraction” since the line didn’t do much besides Cliff.

    I really think Mayhew is going to do his best to trade out of the #1 if he can get anything decent for it. Honestly I don’t think they like anyone enough to hoard the pick. He’s said as much too. We could see every single mock burn to the ground like 3 days before the draft when the order goes through a tumbler! He actually said he’s open to trade out of both first-rounders to get more picks.

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17. displacedute says:

    March 26, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    What about Sean Smith, the corner out of Utah? I’ve seen him being picked as high as #17, and you don’t have him in the first three rounds? He’s 6′4″ tall and ran a 4.5 40, plus he performed really well in the other drills. Nothing?

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18. Chad Ellis says:

    March 26, 2009 at 5:43 pm

    displacedute…You’re absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out. If you check my last mock (5.0), I have Smith going in the first round. His name was simply lost in the shuffle of editing for the latest version. I will change it shortly. I will have him going at 35 to the Rams, dropping Robiskie down to 39 (Jacksonville), dropping Murphy to 71 (Raiders), dropping Williams to 91 (Giants), and dropping Brandon Gibson out of the third round.

    Sorry about that…so many names, so many moves. He just got lost in the shuffle. I agree with you that he is a great player, and could easily go in the first round.

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19. Shawn coombs says:

    March 26, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    Here is how I see the top 5

    1) Eugene Monroe
    2) Jasons Smith
    3) Arron Currey
    4) Michael Crabtree OR Texas DE
    5) Rauji

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20. Sy says:

    March 27, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    CHAD-

    WTF!!!!

    get freeman the hell out of pick 17

    it’s not happening.

    altho, you are entitled to your opinion

    -i just hope it’s dead wrong

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21. Chad Ellis says:

    March 27, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    Sy…Your response is consistent with many responses I’ve heard from Jet fans. The Jets are reported to really like Freeman and have worked him out privately. I’ve got to be honest, at this point, due to his positional value, I really doubt he’ll be there at 17. I see a lot of movement happening in this draft. I think someone will leapfrog the Jets and take him at 16. Forget about Sanchez being there. I’d be surprised if he made it out of the top ten. I’m sure you want a wideout, and I can’t blame you. Again, this isn’t a reflection of what I think they should do, just what I believe they will do. Ideally, you’d see the Jets trade the pick to move down some, pick up their receiver and another pick or two. We’ll see what happens.

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22. w p crooks says:

    March 27, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    I like Mack for the Steelers, but A Q Shipley the Rimington Award winner from Penn State visited the South Side last week and my hunch is the Steelers like him. He’s a bit short (but so was Mike Webster) with short arms but he’s a football player with the intangibles the Steelers might like. I see the Steelers going D line or DB with the first pick. Mack still makes a certain sense if they see him as a guard and pick up Shipley in the forth round as heir apparent to Hartwig. Makes for a nice 1-2 punch on the interior line. But the Steelers are seldom predictable in the draft….look for a DE or a DB.

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    • Chad Ellis says:

      March 28, 2009 at 1:07 pm

      w p crooks…It’s funny you say that. In my last mock, I had Shipley going to the Steelers at the end of round three. I agree with you that the scenario you described is a strong possibility. They could go defense with the first pick. I think it depends on whether or not someboby “falls” to them. If not, and Mack is on the board, I’ve got to believe they pull the trigger. I know center is not usually a valuable position in drafts but Mack is a left tackle playing center. He’s awesome! Some creedence has to be paid to that fact.

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23. Godsey Dank says:

    March 31, 2009 at 10:18 pm

    One quibble. It’s a lock that Cincinnati; A) would take Andre Smith over Oher and B) would take either Unger in round two or, ideally, Eric Wood, in three. Center is a much more urgent need for the team. Otherwise, I like the picks.

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24. Dave M says:

    April 1, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Is it my imagination or just coincidence that the Steelers have drafted 5 consecutive first rounders who have all been underclassmen who declared early?

    Mendenhall
    Holmes
    Miller
    Roethlisberger
    Polamalu

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25. hunter willhoit says:

    April 1, 2009 at 6:34 pm

    wow i love what you did with the falcons great mock draft and thank you for standing up for jared cook who is a better blocker than people give him credit for and would help the WR get open and i hope cushing is aroung for the 24th pick would be a great pick up

    once agian lol love the falcons picks awsome choice

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26. Greg Patriot says:

    April 2, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    I like the picks for NE, but will you and your mock draft compadres please stop saying that the NE LB corps is old!

    First, Seau and Colvin will NOT be back. They were late season injury replacements in ‘08. Vrabel is also gone. The LB position got decimated by injury last year. Thomas, Crable, Ruud, and Woods all went on IR, which hastened the returns of Seau and Colvin. They were experienced guys who knew NE’s complicated system.

    Yes, Thomas will be 32 and Bruschi is 36, but other than that, the NE LB corps is young. Woods and Alexander are 27. Banta-Cain is 29. Bo Ruud is 25. Guyton, Redd, and Crable are 24. Mayo is 23!!! This is old? How?

    Thomas will play a lot, but Bruschi’s action will be limited this year.

    Plus, if they draft a LB like say LAURINITIS(!), the LB corps will get even younger!

    It’s the same at DB. Just because they signed Shawn Springs doesn’t mean the DB position is old!

    Remember that perception is almost NEVER reality.

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27. klungemonger says:

    April 3, 2009 at 12:28 am

    How about that Cutler deal, Chad??? Now all the mockers have to tear up the drafts and get more Denver picks there in round 1&3!!! I just got an awesome idea though: I will use “The Force” to coerce McDaniels into trading #12 & #18 to us for the #1!!!

    OK that’ll never happen, but who knows maybe this is the catalyst, the first of numerous draft order shakeups to come over the next few weeks. Has this thrown a wrench into Version 7.0? I have been anticipating it…

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28. Author, Editor says:

    April 3, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Chad will be back soon to answer all questions

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29. Chad Ellis says:

    April 8, 2009 at 1:43 pm

    TO ALL…Hello again! My apologies to all for my absense. I am back and ready to take your questions/comments. Within the next couple of days, I will be posting 7.0 with tons of updates.

    klungemonger…Missed you man! Regarding Cutler…As you know, my brother is a huge Bears fan. Needless to say, he’s been riding a high for days and shows no signs of coming down. Denver may surprise some people and not draft a quarterback in the first round at all. McDaniels is like his mentor in that he is one of the most arrogant people on the planet. He believes he can win with a Kyle Orton or a Chris Sims. With all of their defensive needs, I’d be surprised if they trade up to get a quarterback. They would take Sanchez (possibly), were he available at 12, which he won’t be. Otherwise, I doubt they try moving up.

    Also, the Stafford/Sanchez talk is finally aligning itself to what I’ve said since January: “Sanchez is as good, if not better than Stafford!” These two players may only be separated by one or two spots when all is said and done. There’s no guarentee, at this point, that Stafford goes ahead of Sanchez. Seattle likes Sanchez a lot. If both quarterbacks are available at four, and Seattle can’t get a value tackle, I think Sanchez could go before Stafford. Same thing in San Fransisco. Not sure about Jacksonville yet. We’ll see.

    There will be no wrench in the next mock. The Denver situation really only affects the actual draft, due to the possibility of a trade. As you know, I can’t account for trades. Both QB’s will be off the board by the time Denver selects at 12. It will likely be Defense and Defense with their two picks. Great to be back. Hope to hear from you soon.

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30. Chad Ellis says:

    April 8, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    Greg Patriot…Their depth at linebacker may be young enough but their starters are past their primes, with the exception of Mayo. They need speed at linebacker. The first thing to go when players start getting “long in the tooth” is speed. They need a speedy rush linebacker and an inside backer with range. That’s all I’m saying. Sorry, Greg, but we obviously graduated from different schools of thought…Perception is almost ALWAYS reality. Perceptions are easily altered, however, when emotion is factored in. Rooting for guys or wanting them to defy the odds won’t make it happen. Whether you want to see it or not, Teddy B. is done and AD makes too much money for his current level of production. They need two linebackers in this draft.

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31. Chris Fry-Lopez says:

    April 8, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    I really like your pick of Andre Smith for the Raiders. I think the Raiders will pick BJ Raji or the best OT available, & Smith is probably the best OT @ the 7th pick. Most mock draft have the Raiders picking a WR @ 7th , Crabtree, Maclin, or Heywood-Bey, but those of us who live near Oakland and have been really following the Raiders know the WR the Raiders really want is Ramses Barden. He is very raw as football player and a wide out because he was a basketball/ track-star, who played football for the 1st time as a 12th grader and didn’t play against good talent in college. But he’s 6″6, 127lbs. had a 4.48 40 time @ his pro-day, is a great leaper, & really good hands. Tom Cable met him @ the Combine, the watched him @ his Pro-day, a Raider scout watched him @ USC’s Pro-day were Barden helped Mark Sanchez work out, and Barden even came to Oakland to meet Al Davis. Most teams have Barden in the 3rd round but the Raiders will try to trade down the 7th pick of 2nd round to a mid- 2nd round, to pick Ramses Barden the player they most want in the draft.
    Raiders Picks; Rd.1= DT or OT, Rd.2= Ramses Barden WR. Cal-Poly, Rd.3 Chip Vaughn SS. Wake Forest

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