Here's my first-round projection for the 2006 NFL draft. I put this list together by taking a look at the general area where each player should go, then placing the player on a team where he filled one of that particular team's top three needs.

In this projection, there are 17 underclassmen in the first round, with Reggie Bush and Vince Young leading the way as the first and third picks of the draft. This is my first projection, but it won't be my last of this season. I will submit another first-round projection after the Senior Bowl, followed by one after the NFL Combine.

2006 Draft Projection

* denotes underclassman

1. Houston -- *Reggie Bush, RB, USC
2. New Orleans -- Matt Leinart, QB, USC
3. Tennessee -- *Vince Young, QB, Texas
4. New York Jets -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
5. Green Bay -- *Mario Williams, DE, NC State
6. Oakland -- A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
7. San Francisco -- DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
8. Buffalo -- *Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
9. Detroit -- Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
10. Arizona -- DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis
11. St. Louis -- *Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
12. Cleveland -- Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
13. Baltimore -- Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State
14. Philadelphia -- *Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State
15. Atlanta -- Michael Huff, DB, Texas
16. Miami -- *Winston Justice, OT, USC
17. Minnesota -- *LenDale White, RB, USC
18. Dallas -- Jimmy Williams, DB, Virginia Tech
19. San Diego -- *Ko Simpson, DB, South Carolina
20. Kansas City -- *Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State
21. New England -- Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
22. Denver (from Wash.) -- Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
23. Tampa Bay -- Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona State
24. Cincinnati -- Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
25. New York Giants -- *Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State
26. Chicago -- *Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
27. Carolina -- *Anthony Fasano, TE, Notre Dame
28. Pittsburgh -- *Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida State
29. Jacksonville -- Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP
30. Indianapolis -- *Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
31. Denver -- *Darnell Bing, DB, USC
32. Seattle -- *Chad Jackson, WR, Florida

Breakdown by positions in first round

Quarterbacks -- 3
Running backs -- 4
Wide receivers -- 3
Tight ends -- 3
Offensive linemen -- 2
Defensive linemen -- 5
Linebackers -- 6
Defensive backs -- 6

Most by school in first-round projection

USC (5) -- Bush, Leinart, Justice, White, Bing
Ohio State (4) -- Hawk, Holmes, Youboty, Carpenter
Texas (2) -- Young, Huff
Florida State (2) -- Sims, Cromartie

This looks good for the Vikes. LenDale White may be just the back they need -- big and fast.

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The only thing I don't understand with the Mock...is why would teams over and over pick RB's....develop these people RB's are only getting better...ie Vikings(bennett, moore) and Arizona(Aarington and Shipp)....I am praying that Hawk falls to the 6 spot

Youbouty in the first round??? WTF? The kid is not very good, I was shocked he left early. He makes a great play every once in a while, and can hit, but in between be tends to get burt like toast more then he does the other two.

Carpenter to NE would be a great fit!

Any one know anything about Claude Wroten, DT, LSU?

Claude is a manchild. Quick as a cat off of the ball wih the size and stregnth to play against the run. He is the kinda of guy you draft no matter what styleof defense you want to run. In a 3-4 he can play tackle or End. In the 4-3 he can slide outside or even play a little inside against the run. He was a Juco Player before he came to LSU where he started the last two years. He's 6-3 290. In his Junior year he had 44 tackles and 12 sacks this year he had 49 tackles and 6 sacks.
I Look for him to start falling in some peoples draft boards. He was arrested a week or ten days ago with 4000 dollars and 2 baggies of Mary-Jane. Not sure how this will play out but he is definetly going to be gone by the end of the second round regardless of whatever happens

White won't get out of the top 10... maybe even top 5. He'll be a big riser in the spring. Everyone wants an every-down power back, and he's the only top-flight one this year.

I have to laughably disagree with that WR pick in the first round.... Gruden loves offense, but he's not going to draft a receiver in the first round with Clayton and Larry Brackins already on the squad. They'll almost undoubtedly go for a plug and play trenchfighter or LB.

He won't fall past #5. =)

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hmmmm, Marvin has taken chances on guy with perceived character issues in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but I wouldn't expect him to take a gamble in rd 1. However, if this kids stock does drop as you suspect, he could be an Odel type pick for us in the 2nd round.

I can't really understand the reasoning behind denver taking kiwi. Denver just spent pick bucks taking clevelands d-line and they have been doing a surprisingly good job. This team doesnt have too many holes, but i would like to see them look at Chad Jackson cause whose knows how long Rod Smith will be around. What u guys think?

WR would be a good pick for Denver IMO.

There was a lot of scoffing at the Jay Cutler pick in Detroit. The consensus opinion is that Mel Kiper was stoned when he made that pick. With Marinelli as the new head coach, the Lions will be committed to strong offensive and defensive lines. Look for the Lions to do something like trade down for Justice or even out of the first round entirely if they can get good value.

RanMan

Detroits problems definately lie withing the offensive line, and that is a position that must be addressed with better players and coaches.

Detroit could certainly deal Harrington and a 3rd-round pick to the Jets in order to slide up for D'Brickashaw.. Jeff Garcia is no stud, but he could start for 10-15 teams, easily at this point... so the Lions go to war with him until next year.

"I have to laughably disagree with that WR pick in the first round.... Gruden loves offense, but he's not going to draft a receiver in the first round with Clayton and Larry Brackins already on the squad. They'll almost undoubtedly go for a plug and play trenchfighter or LB."

Brandow, I can only assume you're a loyal Tampa Bay homer... Galloway is good, for sure.. but c'mon.. he's almost Art Monk's age. Clayton has 1 good year and one terrible year under his belt... which is the real him? and I can't even bring myself to research why you would even reference Larry Brackins.... I'm a fairly knowledgeable football fan and I have to admit I've never heard of that guy.... let alone would I ever cite him as a reason that my WR corps is secure. Why would you pass on the chance at grabbing a hot young wideout to grow up with your budding young QB ?

In the Pittsburgh game, you saw Denver's achille's heel on defense. They don't get enough pass rush from their defensive line -- and this forces them into complex blitz packages. If the offensive line manages to pick up the blitz -- as Pittsburgh did -- the secondary is naked in coverage. Most of the season, Denver's blitzes worked. They put pressure on Brady all night. But, to do this, Lynch blitzed alot. Linebackers blitzed. Cornerbacks blitzed.

Denver's taking Kiwi will allow Trevor Pryce to move back inside. Pryce was strong against the run this year -- but with a handful of sacks.

Denver needs more dynamic play out of their defensive ends to free up their secondary to do more double-teams in coverage.

Denver might take two defensive ends in the draft. Courtney Brown and/or Pryce might become salary cap casualties.

Denver does need another WR. I'm hoping (as a Denver fan) that they pick up Mike Hass from Oregon State in the second or even the third round.

Rod Smith is the ultimate possession receiver -- and Lelie stretches the field. They need a #3 who is a possession receiver and who will eventually replace Smith when he retires. Darius Watts looked like the guy to do it until he had some kind of mental breakdown that crippled his ability to catch the ball. He is the best Broncos receiver in terms of his ability to get open -- but he panics when the ball arrives. He was a great receiver in college -- so it is either a mental problem, or he needs corrective lenses.

Denver also needs some help in the offensive line. Both Nalen and Lepsis are free agents. Nalen is talking about following Kubiak to Houston. Lepsis needs to be re-signed. If Nalen leaves, Ben Hamilton moves from left guard to his natural position, center -- and then Denver needs a starting guard. A second round pick would get them Taitusi Lutui from USC who I think is spectacular (but perhaps too big for Denver's taste at 365 lbs) or Davin Joseph from Oklahoma. If they lose Nalen and Lepsis, they'll have to replace Lepsis in the free-agent market I think.

Denver also should draft a safety to eventually replace John Lynch.

With a decent offensive line in Detroit, and, with it, a running game, Harrington might not be such a scared rabbit in Detroit. He's been running for his life the past three years.

With 2 first round picks, the Broncos may very well address the defensive line with both picks, or to DL/WR.

Kiper has another version of his mock draft coming out after the Senior Bowl, it will be intersting to see where he has things then.

Many mock drafts will be updated at that point, including ours.

a little high for a LB to the 49ers....

Here is Kipers latest.

1. Houston Reggie Bush, RB* USC
2. New Orleans Matt Leinart, QB USC
3. Tennessee Vince Young, QB* Texas
4. N.Y. Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson, T Virginia
5. Green Bay Mario Williams, DE* NC State
6. Oakland A.J. Hawk, LB Ohio St.
7. San Francisco Michael Huff, DB Texas
8. Buffalo Haloti Ngata, DT* Oregon
9. Detroit Jay Cutler, QB Vanderbilt
10. Arizona DeAngelo Williams, RB Memphis
11. St. Louis Vernon Davis, TE* Maryland
12. Cleveland Chad Greenway, LB Iowa
13. Baltimore Tamba Hali, DE Penn St.
14. Philadelphia Winston Justice, T* USC
15. Atlanta Jimmy Williams, DB Virginia Tech
16. Miami Ashton Youboty, CB* Ohio St.
17. Minnesota LenDale White, RB* USC
18. Dallas Marcus McNeill, T Auburn
19. San Diego Santonio Holmes, WR* Ohio St.
20. Kansas City Tye Hill, CB Clemson
21. New England Laurence Maroney, RB* Minnesota
22. Denver (from WSH) Mathias Kiwanuka, DE Boston College
23. Tampa Bay DeMeco Ryans, LB Alabama
24. Cincinnati Ko Simpson, DB* South Carolina
25. N.Y. Giants Johnathan Joseph, CB* South Carolina
26. Chicago Leonard Pope, TE* Georgia
27. Carolina Dominique Byrd, TE USC
28. Jacksonville Ernie Sims, OLB* Florida St.
29. Denver Sinorice Moss, WR Miami
30. Indianapolis Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui, G USC
31. Pittsburgh Bobby Carpenter, LB Ohio St.
32. Seattle Maurice Stovall, WR Notre Dame