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by Evolution » Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:55 am Ok, this is my first shot at ever doing one of these, so let me know what you guys think:
1. San Francisco - Aaron Rodgers, QB, Cal - The Niners try to trade this pick but there's not a player in the draft that teams will move up to #1 to get. They take Rodgers, who they will try to build around.
2. Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown, RB, Auburn - The Dolphins decide that trading valuable assets for a runningback that they can just pick in their slot is a waste of resources. A solid combine vaults Brown to the top of the RB charts.
3. Cleveland Browns - Alex Smith, QB, Utah - Dilfer was brought in for a reason, to teach a young QB how to play in the NFL. Smith will be the guy Romeo wants to build around, despite a great desire to select Derrick Johnson in this slot.
4. Chicago Bears - Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan - Muhsin Muhammad was a solid FA acquisition, but the Bears need a young wideout to form a connection with Grossman for years to come. Enter Braylon Edwards...
5. Tampa Bay - Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, RB, Auburn - It's no secret Tampa is looking for a back. Gruden and his staff have really liked Cadillac since the Senior Bowl.
6. Tennessee - Antrel Rolle, CB, Miami - "Pac Man" Jones is another possibility here, but we cant let all those Rolle jerseys go to waste...
7. Minnesota - Mike Williams, WR, USC/No School - Minnesota caps a productive offseason by selecting Moss' eventual replacement. Another possibility in this slot is Derrick Johnson.
8. Arizona - Cedric Benson, RB, Texas - With no QBs left deserving of the pick, the Cards will take the focus of their ground game for the future.
9. Washington - Adam "Pac Man" Jones, CB, West Virginia - Losing both Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot in consecutive years hurts, and with the health of Shawn Springs always in question, this would make a great pickup for this defense
10. Detroit - Marcus Spears, DE, LSU - A few short weeks ago, this pick would unquestionably have been Thomas Davis. However, they need a DE who can play both the pass and the run, and Spears appears to be that guy.
11. Dallas - Derrick Johnson, LB, Texas - It's almost unthinkable that he'll fall this far, but every other team has a pressing need that can be addressed in the top 10. Parcells, Jerry Jones and the Cowboy nation are shocked to see him fall to their laps. Another option here is Merriman.
12. San Diego - Troy Williamson, WR, South Carolina - They'll flirt with the idea of drafting Merriman, but giving Brees/Rivers a weapon who can stretch the field the way Williamson can is definitely a priority.
13. Houston - Shawne Merriman, DE/LB, Maryland - A perfect fit for this 3-4 defense, which needs a leader and playmaker in the front 7, especially after cutting Sharper. Another very solid possibility is Alex Barron for that LT slot.
14. Carolina - Alex Barron, OT, Florida State - Paired with Jordan Gross, they could be the league's top tackle tandem in a couple of years.
15. Kansas City - Carlos Rogers, CB, Auburn - Very likely to become the 3rd guy from Auburn to crack the upper half of the 1st round, the Chiefs have a glaring need which must be addressed at corner.
16. New Orleans- Thomas Davis, S, Georgia - His stock has fallen due to experiments at OLB and slowish speeds, but he will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. Not quite Ed Reed, but will be one of the impact players at his position.
17. Cincinnati - Travis Johnson, DT, Florida State - The clear-cut #1 DT in the draft, Cincy really needs to shore up a shoddy run defense, and adding a 300-pound run-stuffing DT is a great start.
18. Minnesota - Erasmus James, DE, Wisconsin - A 3rd linebacker would be nice for the Vikes at this slot, so dont be surprised if you see them take DeMarcus Ware or Daryl Blackstock in this slot, but James would be nice to put into the DE rotation with Udeze and Mixon.
19. St. Louis - Jammal Brown, OT, Oklahoma - The Rams can replace Kyle Turley after the disaster they had with him with a very solid tackle. The greatest show on turf needs great pass-protecters to make it work. Khalif Barnes could also be the other tackle selected in his slot, or they could go CB.
20. Dallas - Khalif Barnes, OT, Washington - Aside from Flozell Adams, they need another tackle as current RT hopefuls Vollers and Tucker do not posess nearly the talent that Barnes has, and Tucker projects more as a guard anyways. They'll also consider another LB such as Crowder, Ware or Blackstock.
21. Jacksonville - David Pollack, DE, Georgia - In a deep DE draft, the Jags take the best one left at their slot. Pollack is solid against the run and a very good pass-rusher. They added Wiley and Heyward via FA, but Wiley is getting up there in years and Heyward is not a huge force at the position. Another possibility here is Heath Miller, if they decide to make TE a part of their offense
22. Baltimore - Mark Clayton, WR, Oklahoma - He's still proven himself to be better than the next tier of WR's. Adding a second young WR will allow them to (wow, it can't be true...) play some 3 WR sets with Mason and Clarence Moore and actually be somewhat of a passing threat. Clayton's speed will draw coverage downfield and away from primary targets Mason and Heap.
23. Seattle - Channing Crowder, ILB, Florida - This guy has all the talent to be one of the better MLB's in the league for years to come, although there are many questions about his off-field issues. If the Seahawks are deterred too much by those issues, they'll likely go after someone like Ware or Dan Cody, but Crowder is the best player for them here.
24. Green Bay - Brodney Pool, FS, Oklahoma - The Packers suddenly find themselves needing a safety after having to cut Darren Sharper. This move gives their young CBs another year on their own to prove themselves.
25. Denver - Justin Miller, CB, Clemson - This is where many of the good CBs figure to begin to go, and with losing Herndon via free agency, the Broncos need to put someone opposite of Champ Bailey, and will run with the Cleveland Browns' D-Line from last season.
26. New York Jets - Heath Miller, TE, Virginia - Stunned that the Broncos matched their offer sheet for Putzier, the Jets will spend their top pick to add a pass-catching TE to the mix.
27. Atlanta - Anttaj Hawthorne, DT, Wisconsin - They have a very good pass-rushing DT in Rod Coleman, but no one to play alongside him. Hawthorne should to a solid job in both regards.
28. San Diego - Shaun Cody, DE/DT, USC - Taking a tweener-type like Ware or Dan Cody here may be a good option as well, but they need someone with Shaun's strength to play end, and there are too many risks with durability with the aforementioned duo as 3-4 DE's.
29. Indianapolis - Fabian Washington, CB, Nebraska - The team's top corner is Jason David... that has to change immediately. Teams play from behind against Indy much of the time, another reason a CB is needed. Washington can flat out fly and he can make plays, because this defense isn't built on prevention, it's built on playmaking ability.
30. Pittsburgh - Marlin Jackson, CB, Michigan - A good young corner to develop, Jackson can sit ideally as the nickelback in this solid defense before become top dog in a 1 or 2 years.
31. Philadelphia - Daryl Blackstock, OLB, Virginia - Pretty much their only need is at OLB. Blackstock projects as the best remainin in a 4-3 at that position. If they want a bigger playmaker, DeMarcus Ware will be the choice here.
32. New England - Corey Webster, CB, LSU - The Pats will likely take the best player who fits one of their minor needs at this slot. Those needs are OG, MLB and CB. Baas or Brown may be an OG pick here, but it's rare to get quality corners late in the 1st round, and Webster is a young project corner who will learn well from Belichick. He'll be able to play nickel this year with Poole returning and Samuel taking the other starter's slot.
*Note*: This draft assumes that no trades have been made and that rosters remain as-is until, and through draft day. Obviously, the board would change if Herny went to Arizona, Surtain to KC, etc...
