NCAA GridIron Gab

ESPN Draft Expert Analyst Todd McShay’s 2009 Mock Draft

1. Atlanta Falcons — Fili Moala, DT, USC

Atlanta finally gets its playmaking interior defensive lineman. Moala has flown under the radar to this point but he should emerge from the shadow of 2008 No. 7 overall pick Sedrick Ellis and become one of the elite defenders in college football this fall.

2. Detroit Lions — Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

Coach Rod Marinelli’s defense is predicated on speed up front, and Johnson is blessed with plenty of that. Johnson was overlooked while playing in a rotation last season, but it won’t take long for the rangy edge-rusher to make his mark in 2008.

3. Kansas City Chiefs — Matt Stafford*, QB, Georgia

Another injury-plagued and disappointing season out of fragile QB Brodie Croyle will force the Chiefs to address the position with this high draft pick in 2009. If the supremely talented Stafford continues to progress as he did last fall, he could easily emerge as a top-five pick next April.

4. Miami Dolphins — Al Woods, DT, LSU

At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Woods is a physically imposing defensive tackle with enough size and strength to anchor the middle of a 3-4 defense.

5. Cincinnati Bengals — Sen’Derrick Marks*, DT, Auburn

The Bengals got shut out in their pursuit of an elite defensive tackle in this year’s draft, but 2009 will be more kind. Marks is an undersized playmaker with the first-step quickness to disrupt as a 3-technique tackle, which is exactly what Marvin Lewis’ defense needs along its front.

6. Oakland Raiders — Andre Smith*, OT, Alabama

Smith stepped in immediately as the Tide’s starting left tackle and continues to improve with more coaching and game experience. The Raiders could enlist a player with his kind of skills to take care of their most recent first-round investments in QB JaMarcus Russell and RB Darren McFadden.

7. Chicago Bears — Tim Tebow*, QB, Florida

It’s almost certain that the Bears will need a quarterback come next offseason. Unfortunately, next year’s crop of signal-callers does not look promising at this point. Bears fans won’t be thrilled if the team uses a high pick on another Gators quarterback following the failed Rex Grossman experiment, but Tebow’s unique blend of skills and rare intangibles might be too good to pass up. Should Tebow elect to leave school early, however, his uncommon skill set could make him the most difficult prospect at any position to grade.

8. San Francisco 49ers — Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Oher, who possesses the size and athletic ability to develop into an upper-echelon starting tackle in the NFL, would make an ideal bookend opposite 2007 first-rounder Joe Staley.

9. St. Louis Rams — Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC

Maualuga is the top senior prospect on my 2009 draft board at this insanely early point in the process, although he wouldn’t be the first senior off the board. I’ve never seen a defensive player take over a game the way Maualuga did versus Illinois in the Rose Bowl, and his recognition skills are clearly catching up with his rare physical tools.

10. New York Jets — Knowshon Moreno*, RB, Georgia

Moreno burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and he should build on that momentum as a first-year starter behind a more mature offensive line during the upcoming season. The Jets were not able to land McFadden in this year’s draft but Moreno would be worth the wait if he’s available in 2009.

11. Tennessee Titans — Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech

Do not pigeonhole Crabtree; he’s not just a product of coach Mike Leach’s pass-crazy offense. The tall, long-armed receiver could be the go-to-target QB Vince Young so desperately needs.

12. Houston Texans — Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

Jenkins made a wise decision to return as a senior. He needs to improve his footwork and overall man-to-man cover skills to prove to scouts he’s capable of playing corner in any scheme at the next level. Regardless, the Texans could use his ball-hawking skills in their secondary, no matter whether it’s at cornerback or safety.

13. Denver Broncos — James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State

Laurinaitis surprised many NFL scouts when he elected to return to Columbus for his senior season. Assuming he continues to make progress in 2008, there’s no reason to believe he will fall out of the top 20 picks in next year’s draft. The instinctive, high-motor inside linebacker would be a nice addition to a Denver defense in search of more stout defenders up the middle.

14. Baltimore Ravens — Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

The Ravens need an upgrade at corner and a young playmaker like Davis, who possesses rare athleticism for his size, would be an ideal fit.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (from CAR) — Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

The Eagles failed to land a go-to-receiver in the 2008 draft (no, DeSean Jackson does not qualify). Instead of going the free-agent route to land a weapon for veteran QB Donovan McNabb, they might as well use one of two first-round picks in ‘09 on a future primary target for future QB Kevin Kolb.

16. Arizona Cardinals — LeSean McCoy*, RB, Pittsburgh

After Arizona failed to find a complement for Edgerrin James in this year’s draft, the Cardinals’ need at running back will be far more pressing in the spring of ‘09. McCoy is a supremely talented sophomore who is draft eligible after spending a year in prep school, and he is reportedly already eyeing the 2009 draft.

17. Buffalo Bills — Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin

Beckum could emerge as a top-20 pick if he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame while maintaining his big-play ability as a receiver during his senior season.

18. Philadelphia Eagles — Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma

After failing to land one of the record-setting seven offensive tackles selected in the first round of this year’s draft, coach Andy Reid will be craving a big fella like Loadholt in 2009.

19. Washington Redskins — Greg Hardy*, DE, Mississippi

Hardy is flying under the radar right now despite notching 10 solo sacks the past two seasons, and the Redskins will be looking for a young pass-rushing threat after failing to land one during the latest draft.

20. Minnesota Vikings — Percy Harvin*, WR/RS, Florida

Staying healthy for a full season would all but guarantee Harvin a spot in the first round of the NFL draft, either next year or in 2010.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Ciron Black, OT, LSU

The Bucs will be looking to enlist the services of a talented left tackle prospect such as Black, who displays quick feet for a 6-5, 315-pounder.

22. Green Bay Packers — Max Unger, OT, Oregon

Unger, who projects as a first-day pick in next year’s draft, is the type of versatile lineman the Packers typically covet.

23. Cleveland Browns — Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson

Sapp is an up-and-coming talent with outstanding speed and pass-rushing potential. He should fit perfectly as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 scheme like the one employed in Cleveland.

24. Seattle Seahawks — Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma

The Seahawks are still looking for a long-term solution at left guard, so why not use this pick on the player who is at this point the top prospect at that position.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers — Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Jackson is among the elite senior defensive prospects right now but that might not hold up for 12 full months, as he’s simply not a great fit for every team’s defensive scheme. At 6-5 and 290, Jackson is best suited to play defensive end in a three-man front like the one employed in Pittsburgh.

26. New Orleans Saints — Gerald McRath, OLB, Southern Miss

The Saints will be looking for an injection of youth and athleticism at linebacker and the speedy, undersized McRath falls in line with that objective.

27. New York Giants — Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida

The Giants could use a quick and powerful tackling machine like Spikes after failing to address that need early in the 2008 draft.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars — William Moore, S, Missouri

Moore emerged as a playmaking machine in 2007, when he notched 114 tackles and eight interceptions. At 6-1 and 215 pounds he could be the versatile strong safety Jacksonville needs opposite FS Reggie Nelson.

29. Indianapolis Colts — Vance Walker, DT/DE, Georgia Tech

Walker has the right blend of tools to provide depth along the interior of Indianapolis’ quick-but-undersized defensive line.

30. San Diego Chargers — Auston English, DE/OLB, Oklahoma

English is an instinctive, high-motor player with very good speed and fluid hips for a young defensive end. He already has experience dropping into coverage on zone-blitz looks within Oklahoma’s complex defensive scheme.

31. Dallas Cowboys — Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU

Wide receiver is the one area Dallas did not address during an otherwise promising 2008 draft. Byrd has a lot to prove as a senior but he certainly has the blend of size and deep speed it takes to emerge as a first-round draft pick.

32. New England Patriots — Brian Cushing, OLB, USC

The Patriots continue a recent trend of drafting linebackers by using this selection on the versatile Cushing. The 6-5, 248-pounder has experience on the strong side and as a rush linebacker, which will be attractive to a New England coaching staff that likes versatility in its linebackers.

A “Mockery” Of The Draft At Its Finest!

2008 Football Movie Character Mock Draft Courtesy Of: www.Tiricosuave.com
http://www.tiricosuave.com/2008/03/05/2008-nfl-movie-character-mock-draft/

Frequent Readers/Visitors - FYI: Shane Falko Of The “Replacements” (Ohio State) Was Not Included In This Mock Draft Because He Was Considered A Pro During The Movie

1. Miami Dolphins - Forrest Gump. KR. (Forrest Gump).
Bill Parcells would prefer to go with a defensive player here, but can’t resist a player who scores nearly every time he touches the ball. Concerns over Gumps intelligence were allayed when Gump scored a 9 on his Wunderlic test, 2 points higher than Vince Young.

2. St. Louis Rams - Charles Jefferson. DE. (Fast Times At Ridgemont High).
The Rams drafted DT Adam Carriker last year and continue to improve their line by drafting Jefferson. The Rams will also be hiring Jeff Spicoli to trash Jefferson’s new Escalade and blame it on the Seahawks.

3. Atlanta Falcons - Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass. QB. (Remember The Titans).
After a terrible season under immobile QBs, Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich, the Falcons draft a more mobile quarterback. Arthur Blank hopes Bass’s long, dreamy, glowing locks make Falcons’ fans forget about their last franchise QB.

4. Oakland Raiders - Lucy Draper. K. (Necessary Roughness)
Sebastian Janikowski is 30 years old and was ineffective last year hitting only 23 of his 32 field goal attempts. Drafting Draper means an end to Seabass’s tenure in Oaktown, and though they will theoretically never be teammates, if we were Draper we wouldn’t leave our drinks unattended for the few practices just to be safe.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Billy Bob. OL. (Varsity Blues)
The Chiefs are very old along their offensive line and Billy Bob will help to inject some youth into the unit. Though, Kansas City may want to check into rumors that Billy Bob has lost 500 or so pounds since he last played.

6. New York Jets - Al Bundy. RB. (Married With Children).
The Jets filled their needs at DT and OG through free agency and trades, so here they get running back to team with Thomas Jones. Though Bundy never played college football, the memory of his mythical four TD performance rocketed him up the Jets board.

7. New England Patriots - Steve Lattimer. LB. (The Program)
Lattimer dominated in his senior season at ESU and New England seems to be getting a steal here. The Patriots plan on using him as a linebacker in their 3-4. He immediately moves into the empty locker next to Rodney Harrison’s.

8. Baltimore Ravens - Rico Dynamite. QB. (Napolean Dynamite).
The Ravens haven’t learned from the past and again are targeting a QB based more on upside than results. Following Dynamite’s performance at his pro day, where at one point, he was rumored to have thrown a football over a mountain range, the Ravens were sold.

9. Cincinatti Bengals - Ricky Baker. RB. (Boyz N The Hood).
Though Baker has had somewhat of a checkered past (poor test scores, a brother in a gang, a child born out of wedlock), the Bengals were nonetheless intrigued by his talent. He will battle Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson for the starting job.

10. New Orleans Saints - Bobby Boucher. LB. (The Waterboy).
With the Saints having problems last season getting to the quarterback and with the water supply of New Orleans still in dire need of replenishment from Hurricane Katrina, local product Boucher makes perfect sense.

11. Buffalo Bills - Charlie Tweeder. WR. (Varsity Blues).
The Bills look past some of Tweeder’s youthful transgressions and add another homerun hitter to their receiving crops. Our sources report that Tweeder plans on celebrating by drinking beer, ‘cause Tweeder drinks beer.

12. Denver Broncos - Fred “Ogre” Palowakski. OL. (Revenge Of The Nerds).
Denver’s offensive line has gotten old and Ogre helps them return to glory with his special brand of intensity. The Broncos can only hope that Palowakski’s irrational hatred of nerds does not affect his relationship with head coach Mike Shanahan.

13. Carolina Panthers - Paul Blake. QB. (Necessary Roughness).
As the Panthers demonstrated with Chris Weinke, they have no problem drafting QBs in their early 50’s. Blake’s slow Texas drawl should be easier to understand in the huddle than Delhomme’s excited, unintelligible Cajun Man impression.

14. Chicago Bears - Jonathan Moxon. QB. (Varsity Blues).
After too many seasons of the Sex Cannon and the Neckbeard, Lovie Smith wants to draft a more cerebral QB, and fell in love with Moxon the combine, going as far as to let the QB knock a beer can off his head as to demonstrate his accuracy. Only time will tell if Moxon would rather read his playbook or Slaughterhouse 5.

15. Detroit Lions - Alvin Mack. LB. (The Program).
The Lions were dead last in the NFL at stopping anyone and everyone so Mack will definitely help there. Mack was able to come back from serious knee surgery and is reportedly excited to buy his mother the house that goes along with that door-knocker. Unfortunately, that house will be in Detroit.

16. Arizona Cardinals - Julius Campbell. DE. (Remember The Titans).
The Cardinals are looking for a guy to get after the passer and the athletic Campbell fits the bill. Although, rumors had surfaced earlier that the Cardinals liked Campbell’s teammate, Gerry Bertier, more, but um…..lets move on.

17. Minnesota Vikings - Stan Gable. QB. (Revenge Of The Nerds).
Brad Childress tells anyone listening that he is sold on Tarvaris Thomas as his quarterback. But the Vikings can’t pass on All American Boy, Stan Gable, here at 17. Our guess is that no matter where he’s drafted, he ends up living next door to our projected #6 pick.

18. Houston Texans - Louie Lastik. OL. (Remember The Titans).
Finally, the Texans address their needs along the offensive line. Lastik also plans on starting a soul group with Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye and DeMeco Ryans, an agreement made after Lastik back off demands that he’d only play for Motown.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Daniel Ruetigger. DE/LB. (Rudy).
Ruetigger didn’t see the field much, but it seemed that whenever he did, he got to the quarterback. Although he is vastly undersized (one coach described him as ‘Hobbit-like’), teams were blown away by his work ethic at the combine. The Eagles hope that Ruettiger picks up where Mike Mamula left off.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tim Waymen. QB. (The Program).
Though both Waymen and Joe Kane project to go in the first round, the Heisman-winner Waymen is projected a little higher on teams draft boards, mostly because while Michigan has a strong pedigree of pro QBs, teams could not think of the last successful QB to emerge from ESU.

21. Washington Redskins. Ivory Christian. DE. (Friday Night Lights).
The Redskins need a dominant defensive end and Christian fits the bill. An immediate and forceful presence in the locker room, you can also be sure he’ll let the Redskins know when they are playing like a bunch of little girls.

22. Dallas Cowboys - Darnell Jefferson. RB. (The Program).
His impressive workout numbers had a lot of teams proclaiming “Gee Whiz Darnell!”. Jefferson split time with Ray Griffin at ESU, so he should be comfortable splitting time with Marion Barber. Jefferson has already promised that he will wear number 5, but his team will un-doob-it-tably be number one.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Andre Krimm. DT. (Necessary Roughness).
Krimm will hold up blockers and teach the Steelers about astronomy as well. What will franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger think about the pick? I don’t know, do you even find Sinbad funny? Wait, does anyone find Sinbad funny?

24. Tennessee Titans - Air Bud. WR. (Air Bud, Golden Retriever).
I have to admit, I’ve never seen any of the Air Bud movies, but from what I understand, it’s about a dog that catches footballs in it’s mouth. He has to be better than Roydell Williams, Justin Gage or Brandon Jones. He also scored two points higher on the Wonderlic than Vince Young.

25. Seattle Seahawks - Joe Kane. QB. (The Program).
An up-and-down season at ESU, punctuated with barfights, a DUI, and a stint in rehab drop the talented Kane down to the Seahawks, who have the luxury of letting Kane ride the bench for a season or two before eventually taking over the reigns from Matt Hasselback. Kane will also most likely have to enter the NFL’s substance abuse program upon being drafted.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Bud Light Kamenski. OL. (The Program).
It’s seems fitting that Joe Kane’s inseparable sidekick goes one spot after him. The Jaguars do not have a lot of holes, so here, they go best player available. Or best player named after beer available. Ride along lil’ doggies.

27. San Diego Chargers - Boobie Miles. HB. (Friday Night Lights).
Miles was able to get back into playing shape through heavy rehabilitation. With Michael Turner off to Atlanta, Miles will be ready for those moments when LaDanian Tomlinson decides that sulking on the bench is more important than playing through injuries.

28. Dallas Cowboys - Spike Hammersmith. LB. (Little Giants).
Hammersmith can play either full back or linebacker and the ‘boys see him as an OLB. The downside, however, is that like Terrell Owens, the Cowboys worry that Hammersmith is a mere mercenary who will only play hard when things are going well.

29. San Francisco 49ers - Stefan Djordevic. QB. (All The Right Moves).
The Niners stop Djordevic’s free fall at 29. His stock fell when he only measured out at 5 foot 5 at the combine, but that doesn’t scare off San Fran since his hands were still twice the size of current Niners QB Alex Smith’s muffin stumps with fingers.

30. Green Bay Packers - Petey Jones. DB. (Remember The Titans).
Turns out storylines centered around defensive backs aren’t all that interesting so DB’s are at a premium in this draft and Jones is clearly the best available. If you don’t believe us, ask Jones yourself. The Pack hopes he plays like a superstar instead of just acting like a scrub.

31. New England Patriots - Forfeit.
Forfeiting this pick was supposed to teach the Patriots organization and Bill Belichick a lesson but the stoic Belichick doesn’t seem to be affected when he addressed the media saying he doesn’t have a whole lot of interest in Hollywood type films and could spend the rest of his days simply watching his own home movies.

32. New York Giants - Becky “The Icebox” O’Shea. FB. (Little Giants).
Rumors that O’Shea was considering cheerleading over football drops her to the the Giants who envision O’Shea as the lead blocker for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants main priority is keeping her the hell away from Jeremy Shockey.