Miller's 2008 NFL Mock Draft - 4/9/08

Miller_time

Here's how I see the 2008 NFL Draft unfolding. With trades being so hard to predict I have left them out of the mock. I have the Mock starting out with the Dolphins trying to rebuild their offensive line with Jake Long. Here's how I see the first round unfolding:

1. Dolphins - Jake Long - OT - Michigan
Bill Parcels starts the rebuilding by getting his franchise OT to build his offensive line around.

2. Rams - Chris Long - DE - Virginia
The Rams are in need of a tough pass rusher on the outside. Chris Long fits the bill.

3. Falcons - Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College
Make no mistake about it, this is not what I think they should do, but a team desperate to have fans forget about Michael Vick is going to take a stab here at Ryan. I think it is a reach as I don't see a QB in this draft worthy of a top 10 pick, let alone the #3.

4. Raiders - Darren McFadden - RB - Arkansas
No way Al Davis is going to pass on this kids raw talent. Davis loves speed and the character concerns will not bother the Raiders one bit.

5. Chiefs - Ryan Clady - OT - Boise State
In the not so distant past, the Chiefs were built around their offensive line. Well those days are gone as father time has taken his tole on this unit. Clady has all the physical tools you look for in a franchise LT, something the Chiefs need to rebuild this line.

6. Jets - Vernon Gholston - DE - Ohio State
Gholston's rare bland of size and speed has made him the buzz of the top of the draft. If he's still here, I don't see how the Jets pass on him.

7. Patriots - Leodis McKelvin - CB - Troy
With Samuel heading to Philadelphia, corner has become a major need for the Patriots. McKelvin is a playmaker who will come in and help fill this need.

8. Ravens - Jeff Otah - OT - Pittsburgh
Ogden is not getting any younger, and there is not much at tackle after him. Otah looks to be a logical pick here.

9. Bengals - Glenn Dorsey - DT - LSU
Dorsey's knee has caused him to slip in some minds.....if he's still here the Bengals should be sprinting to the podium with their card. A dynamic DT is a big need for this team.

10. Saints - Sedrick Ellis - DT - USC
The Saints are another team who will be thrilled if the DT's start to fall. Ellis at this ppint would be a steal and greatly improve their defensive front.

11. Bills - Dominique Rogers-Cromartie - CB - Tennessee St.
Rogers-Cromartie's stock has been on the rise since the Senior Bowl and the Bills defensive backfield is still in need of playmakers.

12. Broncos - Chris Williams - OT - Vanderbilt
Denver needs an infusion of talent on their offensive line and Williams fits the bill. Williams has a lot of upside and could develop into a very good left tackle at the next level.

13. Panthers - Branden Albert - G/OT - Virginia
No one is rising up draft boards faster then Albert. He has excellent size and with a nasty demeanor. The Panthers need to get better at running the ball and to do this, they must make improvements up front. Albert gives them flexibility as he can play at gaurd or tackle.

14. Bears - Malcolm Kelly - WR - Oklahoma
The Bears lack talent outside and have lost what little talent they did have vis free agency. Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd are not the answer. Kelly brings great size and athleticism to a team in need of a number one threat.

15. Lions - Rashard Mendenhal - RB - Illinois
The Lions have ditched the wide open Mike Martz offense and look to return to a more traditional offense. To do this they will need a legitimate threat in their running game. Mendenhal is just that! He is the real deal and should be a star at the next level.

16. Cardinals - Mike Jenkins - CB - South Florida
The Cardinals need a major overhaul at CB, and Mike Jenkins is a nice start. Jenkins has all the physical tools you look for in a corner and should be able to contribute at a rookie.

17. Vikings - Derrick Harvey - DE - Florida
The Vikings have been trying to fill their need for a dynamic pass rusher for quite some time now. Harvey may finally be their answer. Harvey is an explosive pass rusher who possesses excellent athleticism. He would bring an instant boost to their pass rush.

18. Texans - Keith Rivers - OLB - USC
This may not be their top need, but Ryans could use some help and Rivers is too good of a prospect to slide any further. This would continue to boost this young and talented defense.

19. Eagles - Kenny Philips - S - Miami
Dawkins needs a running-mate at safety and Philips would make a very good addition to their defensive backfield. Philips is a great all-around player who has the physical tools you look for along with off the chart intangibles.

20. Buccaneers - Devin Thomas - WR - Michigan St.
Despite a very promising rookie season, I think Tampa Bay needs to admit that Michael Clayton is not going to live up to the potential he showed that first season. Thomas is a tremendous talent who possesses an excellent blend of size and speed. Thomas has tremendous upside, but may take a couple years to develop.

21. Redskins - Limas Sweed - WR - Texas
The Redskins lack size in their current group of WR's. Sweed gives them a great red-zone target and knows how to use his big frame. A very smooth WR who also has great hands and tremendous leaping ability. He will add a new dimension to this offense.

22. Cowboys - Aqib Talib - CB - Kansas
The Cowboys lack of depth at CB was exposed early last season when Newman went down. Talib can come in and play Nickel from the start and provides much needed depth at a very thin position. Talib likes the limelight and may thrive under the bright lights of the Dallas Star.

23. Steelers - Gosder Cherilus - OT - Boston College
It's amazing how quickly this offensive line has gone from one of the leagues best to the team biggest weakness. Cherilus fits the Pittsburgh mold and is a big and tough road grader type, that excels in run blocking.

24. Titans - Philip Merling - DE - Titans
The Titans have lost both defenisve ends used to compliment Vanden Bosch and Kearse is only a stop gap at best. Merling has tremendous size and a great motor. He could even slide inside in certain packages.

25. Seahawks - Jonathan Stewart - RB - Oregon
The Shaun Alexander era in Seattle seems to be over and Julius Jones is a decent, but not great answer. Stewart is a big, fast, and tough back that will be a great long term replacement for Alexander. With Jones on the team, the Seahawks can wait on his injury and give him the time needed to get completely healthy.

26. Jaguars - Kentwan Balmer - DT - North Carolina
The Stroud/Henderson duo has been the stample of this team for years. Now that they have cut ties with Stroud, a new star to team with Henderson is needed. Balmer is a tremendous talent that finally lived up to his talent level last season. Is a boom or bust type prospect, but could thrive next to a player the caliber of John Henderson.

27. Chargers - Jerod Mayo - ILB - Tennessee
The Chargers are still soft up the middle and need a player maker to lock down this middle for them. Mayo is a great athlete who has player in the middle his entire career but is athletic enough to move outside if needed. He gives the Chargers more options at LB.

28. Cowboys - Felix Jones - RB - Arkansas
Marion Barber has tremendous potential, but his running style makes him a walking injury risk. Jones gives them some insurance to a Barber injury and a dynamic opposite to Barber in what would be a RBBC. Jones gives them an excellent outside spark to pair with Barber's bruising style.

29. 49ers - Antoine Cason - CB - Arizona
The 49ers need a complement to Nate Clements as Walt Harris should not be starting in the NFL. Cason is a good athlete who has top notch intangibles. Is one of those players that is more productive then his raw skills would lead you to believe.

30. Packers - Reggie Smith - S/CB - Oklahoma
The Packers have little depth behind Al Harris and Charles Woodson at cornerback. Smith is a physical playmaker who has tremendous range. He may project to either CB or safety at the next level and gives the Packers some flexibility and depth in their defensive backfield.

31. Partiots - A New Camera Man
Can you be any more obvious? Maybe the next guy will at least try to hide what he is doing!

32. Giants - Dan Conner - LB - Penn State
With Kawika Mitchell leaving via free agency, the defending champions have a need to fill at OLB. They also would like to move Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end. This means that OLB is one of their biggest needs come draft day. Conner projects best to a weak-side backer in the NFL and is an extremely productive and active player.

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Miller_time

First round is now complete.

Any comments are welcome.

chrisslabaugh

Wishfull thinking on your part that Dorsey slips to #9 which happens to be who? The Bengals!!! Pretty much agree w/most everything else and desperately hope that you are correct with the Mendenhal to Detroit projection

Phicinfan

I gotta agree, Dorsey won't drop that far. I also don't think McFadden goes to Raiders...they have much more dire needs. I could see a trade there though...so potential for him to go at #4 is solid.

I also think you have Otah way too high. He is solid, but not worth a top ten pick.

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Miller_time

Seeing quite a few projections predicting Dorsey's fall, so this isn't unique thought. However I can see it not being a popular one either. Fact is his knee has many NFL execs concerned, and someone always seems to fall unexpectedly, so why not Dorsey? A man can dream right

But dream or not, if he gets past the Falcons he may start to fall. Guess we'll see.

Miller_time

I am a believer in you build on the lines, and I like Otah, he is very close to Clady as the #2 OT IMO.

Great commetns so far, keep them coming, I'll do my best to respond.

var8rfan

I am 50/50 on whether the Raiders take McFadden, and also whether they should. We have more dire needs and don't really need a RB, but you also can't help but see what AP has done for the Vikes, and hope that McFadden could do the same with the Raiders.

At this point I am really hoping they go DL. I read an article today that said Al is really big on Gholston, which I would have no problem with at all at #4.

Miller_time

Gholston would be my 2nd pick for the Raiders. I think it's close between those two at this time.

Jackson

I would sob with joy if Sedrick Ellis fell to the Saints at #10.

FireMillen

Nice mock. Well thought out. I would like to see Detroit take Harvey, Rivers, or Mayo if any of them are available to them as they are in this mock. Mendenhall looks to be a talented RB, but they can get a decent RB with one of their 2 3rd round picks IMO. I would also be happy with an OL like Williams or Albert for Detroit, but they are not available in this mock.

My biggest wish is for someone, like Dallas, to really want Detroits pick at 15 enough for them to allow Detroit to get more picks and still have a later pick in the 1st round.

Da Bomb

looks pretty good overall.

i think youve got gholston and albert sliding too far. both have too much buzz and momentum at this point, whether they deserve to go that high or not.

i'll be shocked if otah somehow gets into the top 10. hes not a top 10 player. that IMO led williams and cherilius to also go too high at OT.

at the same time, i'll be totally stunned if neither of those DTs gets picked until the #9 spot. looks like wishful thinking to me. i could see one slipping there, but not both. keith rivers is one other play i will expect to go higher than that. history generally shows OLBs sliding but in recent years teams have started to buck that trend for big time playmakers.

and at the end, a little surprised at a few of those names (the last 3 in particular), but those last 5 picks or so are always a little unexpected.

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Miller_time

Thanks! As always, appreciate the feedback and comments.

Gholston could go anywhere in the top 6, and if crazy Al doesn't go McFadden he should be gone at 4. But I think there si a real shot that he's there for the Jets.
Albert is rising and 13 is much higher then he's has been for most of the offseson. Could he rise higher? Sure, but he could also land in the 10-15 range as a final destination.

You build around your OL in my belief and this leads me to place high importance on the top OL prospects. As far as Otah, I've seen him anywhere from 5 to early 20's. If Albert continues to rise, he could end up in that 8 spot with Baltimore.

I sure didn't go into this thinking both Tackles would fall, but after some research this is what I ended up with. Easy to call it wishful thinking, it just worked out that way with how I feel the top 5 will fall. If Ryan doesn't go to Atl as I feel will happen and McFadden doesn't go to Oakland at 4 as I feel, I doubt you see both, if either tackle fall. If they do, there is a great chance someone will trade up, but since I leave trades out of Mocks I have both Cincy and the Saints getting a gift.

Rivers shocked me....and after he fell in mine, I did some looking around and I'm not the only one to have him falling. Some I've seen him falling to the end of rd 1. I like Rivers a lot, this mock just fell wrong for him.

Your surprised about the new camera man? i thought that was the easiest pick the the mock

Miller_time

hey, got just as many right as Todd McShay, lol

catman

McShay has taken his share of grief from ESPN's announcers, hasn't he?

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