1st BigCountry Mock

1. Miami- Chris Long, DE Virginia [Rumor has it that the Dolphins are leaning towards Long and while you can't fault them for making that pick, you have to feel bad for Miami to be stuck in the draft without a true number one pick. They will do their darndest to trade it but good luck to the Tuna on that one]

2. St Louis- Glen Dorsey, DT LSU [Dominant interior pass rushers are one of the rarest commodities in the NFL and the Rams may have the best one to come along since Warren Sapp, which allows them to move Adam Carricker to his more natural left end spot]

3. Atlanta- Jake Long, OT Michigan [This pick could change if Matt Ryan blows them
away but it's not uncommon practice to pick the body guard before you take the QB and by watching the superbowl, we found out how much pass protection really means in today's NFL]

4. Oakland- Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas [JaMarcus Russell probably won't set the world on fire next year and with the Raiders offensive line showing it can be dangerous in the running game, Al Davis gambles on McFadden doing for his team what Adrian Peterson did for the Vikings, if to a lesser extent. If Vernon Gholston has a Vernon Davis type combine, expect him to be the pick here, even though former Redskins outcast Chris Clemons notched 8 sacks for the Raiders this previous season]

5. Kansas City- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State [The Chief's other chief concern is conerback so they might have to reach with this pick either way, so they go with a very athletic 6'6, 320 pound left tackle who they can turn into the next Willie Roaf, a player who Clady very much reminds me of. The Cardinals made a similar gamble last year and Levi Brown proved to be a solid pick with a lot more to come]

6. N.Y Jets- Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB Ohio State [No brainer here really for the Jets as the fans have to be tired of watching a team play a 3-4 defense with 4-3 linebackers. If the Jets can find a good nose tackle to go with the likes of Shaun Ellis, Bryan Thomas, Gholston and Kerry Rhodes, this could be a top 10 defense as soon as next year]

7. New England-* Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida [A bit of a reach here but if Samuel rides the green train out of Boston, the Pats defense will be exposed. Their secondary is highly overrated and protected by a monster front seven so even if Samuel stays, this could still be one of their major concerns]

8. Baltimore- Matt Ryan, QB Boston College [The Ravens have a fairly young running back who could be dominant, two young receivers in Demetrius Williams and Mark Clayton that could end up being one of the best tandems in the NFL, and a defense that should manage to stay in the top 15 for a couple of years but this is a franchise that essentially never had a QB. Now is the time take said QB, who is better then anything else they have and can be surrounded with enough to enable him to start and be fairly successful early on]

9. Cincinnati- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC [The Bengals front seven might just be the worst in the NFL and that is hard to accomplish when you have two pretty good defensive ends, but the interior of their defense got destroyed week in and week out. Ellis will help take pressure off of Smith and Geathers and while the linebackers are still in shambles mostly because of awful luck, a good pass rush can patch that up to a certain degree and will certainly make the 1st round choices of cornerbacks Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph look a lot better)

10. New Orleans- Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy [The Saints are another team with two very good defensive ends that managed to put a bad defense on the field but unlike the Bengals it's due to their poor secondary play. Mike McKenzie has a few good years in him and Jason David is just begging to move to the slot. If McKelvin plays for a bigger school he could go even higher and might have the best change of direction of any cornerback in the draft]

11. Buffalo- Keith Rivers, LB USC [The Bills desperately need some speed on defense and with the addition of Rivers to Poszluzny and Angelo Crowell, who's contract is coming up and will not be flying under the radar much longer, the Bills have the making of another great linebacking corps. Rivers reminds me a lot of Derrick Brooks and that kind of talent is hard to pass up]

12. Denver- Kentwan Balmer, DT North Carolina [At some point last year, the Broncos were first against the pass and last against the run. That is as much a testimony to their godawful interior defense as it is of their solid pass rush and star studded secondary. They need a body in the middle and Balmer has all the tools to end up as a steal at this point. He can do pretty much everything from the 3 gap and will help out the 53 defensive ends they took last year]

13. Carolina- Kenny Phillips, S Miami Fl [A once menacing defense now strikes fear in absolutely nobody and while they could use some help on both lines, they would be wise to gamble on a player who was not to long ago considered to be in the Ed Reed, Sean Taylor mold. If John Fox can get the light to turn on again with Phillips, who didn't seem too happy in his final season at the U, they have themselves the steal of the draft]

14. Chicago- Brian Brohm, QB Louisville [Another draft and another QB for Chicago but I see a difference between the cerebral, accurate and grounded Brohm to the two frat boys they previously took in Grossman and McCown]

15. Detroit- Aqib Talib, CB Kansas [Slowly but surely, Rod Marinelli is improving the Lions defense and a shutdown corner is the next step. Talib is a super athlete that lacks some polish but the Lions secondary was the toast of the NFL last year and needs to be addressed]

16. Arizona- Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon [Edgerin James is on his last legs but had his moments last year, and when he did, the Cardinals were extremely hard to beat. They have the cap space to keep their defense in tact but this is a team that has to have a dominant running game. Jonathan Stewart has everything you look for in a running back and to me he has even more potential then McFadden. If he played for a school that was kind enough to actually use him, he'd be a top 5 pick]

17. Minnesota- Malcolm Kelly, WR Oklahoma [The Vikings receivers could be the worst in the NFL and the fact that they probably should have made the playoffs shows just how special that running game can be. There's no reason to give up on Jackson and they need to give him some better weapons. With Kelly opposite Sidney Rice, all they need for their passing game to do is be adequate and have the ability to punish defenses for leaving their CB's on an island. Kelly will be very hard to cover 1on 1]

18. Houston- Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt [Ok, so some of the millions of sacks David Carr took were his fault, but Matt Schaub showed some serious promise last year before he nearly got killed. The Texans have some pieces to make a playoff run but they need Schaub on his feet to do that]

19. Philadelphia- Derrick Harvey, DE Florida [While the Freak's knees have turned to mush, the Eagles get to replace him with a similar player from the same school. Harvey is a gifted pass rusher and along with Trent Cole and Mike Patterson, will make the Eagles pass rush extremely hard to handle]

20. Tampa Bay- DeSean Jackson, WR Cal [Joey Galloway has proven he can still produce but the rest of the Bucs receivers have proven they stink when he's taken out of the game. Jackson has to be accounted for on every snap and if he can improve his route running can turn into another Santana Moss. Add the fact that he could instantly turn into a deadly returner and the Bucs are extremely happy with this pick]

21. Washington- Phillip Merling, DE Clemson [Yes, ladies and gentleman, this could be the year. Draft after draft, circumstances mixed with the typical boneheadedness of the front office have seen the Redskins ignore their defensive line on the first day of the draft but everything seems to be falling into place this year. Greg Blatche puts an emphasis on the defensive line and Merling is his type of player, as he essentially doesn't have to come off the field and fits perfectly in at left end. He may also be the most technically sound pass rusher in the draft and consider this; the Redskins have fielded a top 10 defense 3 out of the last 4 years under the current system and in those years, have had a player record double digit sacks once.]

22. Dallas-* Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee State [The Cowboys secondary had 3 pro-bowlers on it but was by far the weakest part of their defense. Newman and Henry are very good when healthy but when you have a strong safety that couldn't cover me, the nickel back position becomes very important and Jaque Reeves and Nate Jones got picked on a lot last year. Cromartie could be just as athletic as his cousin Antonio but lacks some polish. Down the road he and Newman could be the best tandem in football but until them he will provide the Cowboys much needed help in the slot]

23. Pittsburgh- Jeff Otah, OT Pittsburgh [It's hard to imagine the Steelers' offensive line turning into a liability but as the season wore on, it was exactly that. The Steelers need some youth on their line and the hometown product is the perfect pick. NFL ready and should start right away on either side or even at guard]

24. Tennessee- Limas Sweed, WR Texas [Vince Young ran out of miracles last year but having a weak receiving corps didn't help. Sweed only fell this far because of injuries and having played with Young in college should help immediately. This is another team that needs their passing game to be adequate enough to complement a strong running game and top 10 defense]

25. Seattle- Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois [Shaun Alexander is pretty much done and a team with very much justified championship aspirations cannot afford to pass on a player with Mendenhall's skills when he might be what they're lacking to get back to the superbowl. When this offense has a running game, they're very hard to stop. The Seahawks made a similar move when they drafted Alexander to replace Ricky Waters]

26. Jacksonville- Mario Manningham, WR Michigan [The Jaguars basically have a bunch of tight ends playing wide receiver and with the running game they have, a player like Manningham, who in college turned the go rout into an art form, should thrive. Not many people are crazy about Manningham but he has unparalleled quickness and seems to glide up and down the field. If he's coached right and works on his concentration he will be by far the most productive receiver in his class. Reminds me a lot of Marvin Harrison coming out of college]

27. San Diego- Antoine Cason, CB Arizona [Two of the Chargers 3 starting CB's are free agents this year, they're loaded pretty much everywhere else aside from inside linebacker, and Cason is the type of physical corner they like and has great ball skills. He's going to fall much further then he should but the Chargers won't mind]

28. Dallas- Felix Jones, RB Arkansas [The Cowboys seem content with their offensive line so wide receiver could be an option but this is pretty much a luxury pick here. If the Cowboys are still envisioning an offense with two running backs, Felix could provide them with what Julius didn't and other then saving them from having to make new jerseys, will be the perfect complement for MB3]

29. San Francisco-* James Hardy, WR Indiana [Alex Smith struggles were not all his fault as he never had a consistent target or any kind of offensive line to speak of so a guy like Sam Baker could be considered but the 49ers have already spent two picks on Joe Staley. Arnaz Battle plays as hard as anyone but he is better suited to play in the slot and by adding Hardy to Battle and Vernon Davis, the 49ers give Smith a far more diverse set of weapons. Hardy has amazing hands and in this system, his lack of speed can be covered for]

30. Green Bay- Reggie Smith, DB Oklahoma [Even with Al Harris and Charles Woodson the Packers secondary still needs work. Atari Bigby can make a sportscenter highlight but he didn't show he can consistently be effective in coverage and Reggie Smith can fill that role. An underrated player who always seems to find the ball and could also replace Woodson or Harris down the road]
31. New England - forfeit -

32. N.Y Giants- Dan Connor, LB Penn State [It's hard to imagine a team that rode its defense to a superbowl victory needing defense but neither Reggie Torbor or Mathaias Kiwanuka are the answer on the strong side and the Giants will be much better suited moving Kawika Mitchell to that side and plugging the NFL ready Connor in his place]

Round 2:
1. Miami- Sam Baker, OT USC
2. St Louis- Tracy Porter, CB Indiana
3. Oakland- Calais Campbell, DE Miami Fl
4. Kansas City- Brandon Flowers, CB Virginia Tech
5. N.Y Jets- Fred Davis, TE USC
6. Atlanta- Pat Sims, DT Auburn
7. Baltimore- Terrell Thomas, CB USC
8. San Francisco- Anthony Collins, OT Kansas
9. New Orleans- Ali Highsmith, LB LSU
10. Buffalo- Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State
11. Denver- Andre Caldwell, WR Florida
12. Carolina- Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College
13. Chicago- Brandon Albert, OG Virginia
14. Detroit- Jerod Mayo, LB Tennessee
15. Cincinnati- Xavier Adibi, LB Virginia Tech
16. Minnesota- Lawrence Jackson, DE USC
17. Atlanta*- Chad Henney, QB Michigan
18. Philadelphia- Curtis Lofton, LB Oklahoma
19. Arizona- Quentin Groves, LB Auburn
20. Washington- Early Doucett, WR LSU
21. Tampa Bay- Carl Nicks, OT Nebraska
22. Pittsburgh- Kendall Langford, DL Hampton
23. Tennessee- John Carlson, TE Notre Dame
24. Seattle- Trevor Laws, DT Notre Dame
25. Cleveland- Jamaal Charles, RB Texas
26. Miami*- Darrell Robertson, DE/OLB Georgia Tech
27. Jacksonville- Mike Pollack, C Arizona State
28. Indianapolis- Roy Schuening, OG Oregon State
29. Green Bay- Erin Henderson, LB Maryland
30. Dallas- Adarius Bowman, WR Oklahoma State
31. New England- Bruce Davis, DE/OLB UCLA
32. N.Y Giants- DeJuan Morgan, S N.C State


Round 3:
1. Miami- Chris Johnson, RB East Carolina
2. St. Louis- Tony Hills, OG Texas
3. Kansas City- Marcus Harrison, DT Arkansas
4. New York Jets- Attiyah Rubin, DT Iowa State
5. New England- Beau Bell, LB UNLV
6. Atlanta- Kevin Smith, RB Central Florida
7. San Francisco- Marcus Griffin, DB Texas
8. Buffalo- Justin King, CB Penn State
9. Buffalo- Eric Young, OG Tennessee
10. Minnesota- Martellus Bennett, TE Texas A&M
11. Carolina- Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky
12. Chicago- Earl Bennett, WR Vanderbilt
13. Detroit- Ray Rice, RB Rutgers
14. Cincinnati- Chris Ellis, DE Virginia Tech
15. New Orleans- Quentin Demps, DB UTEP
16. Houston- Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia
17. Philadelphia- Patrick Lee, CB Auburn
18. Arizona- Chilo Rachal, OG USC
19. Minnesota- Jonathan Hefney, S Tennessee
20. Tampa Bay- Joe Flacco, QB Delaware State
21. Washington- DeMario Pressley, DT N.C State
22. Tennessee- Tavares Gooden, LB Miami Fl
23. Seattle- Robert Felton, OG Arkansas
24. Cleveland- Red Bryant, DT Texas A&M
25. Pittsburgh- Simeon Castile, S Alabama
26. Jacksonville- Phillip Wheeler, LB Georgia Tech
27. Chicago- Martin Rucker, TE Missouri
28. Green Bay- Owen Schmitt, FB West Virginia
29. Dallas- Oniel Cousin, OT UTEP
30. Indianapolis- Geno Hayes, LB Florida State
31. New England- Lavelle Hawkins, WR Cal
32.New York Giants- DeJuan Tribble, CB Boston College