Mar 18, 2008

Taylor's 2008 NFL Mock Draft 1st Round

1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long, OT, Michigan



2. St. Louis Rams: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU



3. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College



4. Oakland Raiders: Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State



5. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh



6. New York Jets: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas



7. New England Patriots: Chris Long, DE/OLB, Virginia



8. Baltimore Ravens: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State



9. Cincinnati Bengals: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC



10. New Orleans Saints: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, TSU



11. Buffalo Bills: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida



12. Denver Broncos: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC



13. Carolina Panthers: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State



14. Chicago Bears: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt



15. Detroit Lions: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois



16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon



17. Minnesota Vikings: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida



18. Houston Texans: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas



19. Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson, WR/PR, California



20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas



21. Washington Redskins: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson



22. Dallas Cowboys: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma



23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Branden Albert, G, Virginia



24. Tennessee Titans: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State



25. Seattle Seahawks: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas



26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC



27. San Diego Chargers: Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College



28. Dallas Cowboys: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech



29. San Francisco 49ers: Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn



30. Green Bay Packers: Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona



31. New York Giants: Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami

Josh's 2008 Mock Draft 1st Round

1.Miami Dolphins- DE/OLB, Vernon Gholston, Ohio State
Here Miami will have a lot of different options as they have many different needs at quarterback, offensive line, and just defense in general. Bill Parcels will want to re-build the defense first and will pass up Matt Ryan and maybe draft a quarterback in the 2nd Round. Yeah they drafted John Beck in last years draft but that wasn’t with Parcells running the show. With that said I think he will be stuck debating between Virginia’s, Chris Long, and Ohio State’s, Vernon Gholston. With Gholston’s amazing combine I think he raised his stock to be ahead of Long and be the number one pick in this year’s draft. It may change to Long later on depending on how he performs at his Pro Day.
2.St. Louis Rams- OT, Jake Long, Michigan
I believe the Rams will go back and forth between two players here, Jake Long and Chris Long. The Rams desperately need some defensive help and I’ve also heard they might switch to the 3-4 defense and C. Long would fit in well with that defense well actually he will fit in any defense. But then again Orlando Pace, Rams All-Pro Left Tackle has been injured the past two years and it’s about time to find his successor and none better then J. Long.
3.Atlanta Falcons- DT, Glenn Dorsey, LSU
The Atlanta Falcons here would hope Jake Long would still be on the board as they allowed 47 sacks last year but he goes one pick ahead of them to St. Louis. So the available players that could fill Falcons needs, Ryan Clady, Matt Ryan, Sedrick Ellis, and Glenn Dorsey. It would be a reach to draft Clady at 3 so I could see them trading down a couple slots with a team. Then there’s Matt Ryan the great senior quarterback from Boston College he would be a great pick but there’s been a lot of quarterbacks who have been raising their stock that the Falcons could draft in the early 2nd. Also our new Head Coach, Mike Smith, is a defensive minded guy who made a great defense in Jacksonville. He had two star-studded defensive tackles and I believe he will bring that to the dirty south in Atlanta. He will be going back and fourth between Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis. Sedrick Ellis tore it up at the senior bowl and Glenn Dorsey has just been a monstrous defensive tackle his whole college career even though there are injury questions about Dorsey he will still be Atlanta’s guy as he is compared to All-Pro Defensive Tackle, Warren Sapp.
4. Oakland Raiders- RB, Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Alright the Raiders just re-signed Fargas to a big deal and could use a defensive tackle over running back but they also just re-signed Tommy Kelly to a big deal. The smart thing would be for Oakland to draft Sedrick Ellis but we’re talking about Al Davis here. He loves the fast and flashy player, which is exactly what McFadden is. So instead of making the move of filling a need, they will go for the fast and flashy player in McFadden.
5.Kansas City Chiefs- OT, Ryan Clady, Boise State
I believe the Chiefs here will debate between Clady and Ellis. Both are definite needs as the Chiefs were ranked 28th against the run last year but they have one of the worst offensive lines in the league and this whole draft should be focused on the lines, offensive and defensive. Even though Clady may be a reach and if they can trade down a couple slots to get him that would be better but you have to build your team around the lines and no position is more important then the tackles. That’s why they get Clady over Ellis with this pick.
6.New York Jets- OLB/DE, Chris Long, Virginia
The Jets need that outside player that can get the pressure on the quarterback but they also need another corner to play on the other side along Revis. McKelvin will be a very intriguing prospect here but Long is a top three player in this draft and will be too good to pass up and will fill a big hole on the defense.
7.New England Patriots- CB, Leodis McKelvin, Troy State
The Patriots would wish Gholston or C. Long were still available here but they aren’t so this is an easy pick for the Patriots as they lost both of their starting cornerbacks, Asante Samuel and Randall Gay.
8.Baltimore Ravens- QB, Matt Ryan, Boston College
The Ravens could look at a corner here as both McAllister and Rolle are towards the end of their career but they have a way bigger need at quarterback as they have had quarterback problems for the longest time ever. Matt Ryan could help this offense start to gel with the running game of McGahee now they might actually have a pass attack. They could also draft a corner in the 2nd round as this draft is very deep in corners.
9.Cincinnati Bengals- DT, Sedrick Ellis, USC
The Bengals need desperate help on the defense in general. Their biggest needs in their front 7 as they ranked 24th against the run last year and only had 22 sacks. A guy like Ellis could make immediate impact on this Bengals defense. A couple other players I could see the Bengals drafting here are Keith Rivers, Phillip Merling, or Derrick Harvey.
10.New Orleans Saints- CB, Dominique Cromartie, TSU
The Saints are terrible defending against the pass as they were ranked 30th against the pass so an kind of secondary help here will be a good pick for the Saints.
11.Buffalo Bills- WR, Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
The Bills could use a corner here as they play teams with top flight receivers like Moss and Welker but they could address that in the 2nd round probably. They need a big possession type receiver to compliment Lee Evans and to give Edwards another target and Kelly is the perfect guy. I could also see the Bills trading down here though.
12.Denver Broncos- OLB, Keith Rivers, USC
The Broncos need desperate help on the defensive side of the ball and in their front seven as they were ranked 30th against the run and 28th in points allowed. Keith Rivers should make an immediate impact on the front seven. Hopefully the Broncos will draft some more guys on the defensive line in later rounds or address the receivers to give Cutler some more weapons.
13.Carolina Panthers- OT, Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
The Panthers have two big needs, the left tackle position and free safety. Drafting Kenny Phillips might be a reach here as his stock has fell this past year so maybe they could trade down if they really want him but they have Chris Williams here and he has really raised his stock with a great performance at the senior bowl. This is a good pick to help out the Panthers offensive line.
14.Chicago Bears- OT, Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
Here I could see the Bears maybe drafting a running back but it’ll be very hard for them to run with the line they have as they allowed 44 sacks and they only averaged 3.1yards per carry. Maybe Benson will be able to run the ball well if he has some offensive line now.
15.Detroit Lions- RB, Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
The Lions could desperately use a running back here as they have cut Kevin Jones and lost T.J. Duckett to free agency and now are stuck with only Tatum Bell. I originally thought they would draft a corner with this pick but they have made so many moves bringing in corners through trades and free agency (Leigh Bolden and Brian Kelly).
16.Arizona Cardinals- CB, Mike Jenkins, USF
I originally had the Cardinals getting Stewart here but I believe with his toe surgery they will pass him up. They still have a big need at corner as they moved there best corner Rolle to free safety and now they are stuck with Eric Green as there number one corner. I believe Jenkins could come in and compete for that number one spot.
17.Minnesota Vikings- DE, Phillip Merling, Clemson
The Vikings need a lot of help at four different positions, quarterback, safety, offensive tackle, and defensive end. The best available quarterback is Brohm and he will probably be around to the beginning of the 2nd round so that would be a reach. Kenny Phillips is a reasonable pick here but his stock has slipped and they could trade down for him. Then at offensive tackle theirs Carl Nicks where you can trade down to get. So that leaves you with defensive end, Phillip Merling can come in and help the Vikings get some pass rush on the quarterback as nobody on the line had more then 5 sacks.
18.Houston Texans- CB, Aqib Talib, Kansas
The Texans need corners to compete with the Colts to try to hold their receivers as they have so many and only corner the Texans have is Dunta Robinson, he needs some help he isn’t able to do it his self. I could see the Texans maybe drafting Stewart here but I don’t think they will want to take the risk with his injury as they could get another a running back in the later rounds.
19.Philadelphia Eagles- WR, Limas Sweed, Texas
I kept going back and fourth on this pick between Derrick Harvey and Limas Sweed but I figured the Eagles have been trying really hard to bring in a possession receiver and haven’t brought that guy in yet and they could draft a defensive end in the 2nd round like Cliff Avril or Calais Campbell.
20.Tampa Bay Buccaneers- WR/KR, DeSean Jackson, Cal
This pick Tampa should be looking for either a receiver or a corner since all of their players are aging on the defensive side of the ball. Then on offense they have Galloway and just signed Antonio Bryant but they could still use help. Also they are not a great team when it comes to special teams and with Jackson he could bring that X-Factor in the return game to Tampa, something they never had.
21.Washington Redskins- DE, Derrick Harvey, Florida
The Redskins have needed some help on their pass rush for a while and if they want to look at their division rivals, New York Giants, they’re Super Bowl champions and have one of the leagues best pass rushes. I could also see the Redskins maybe drafting a receiver here if a big possession guy comes around.
22.Dallas Cowboys- WR, James Hardy, Indiana
The Cowboys have a nice receiving core with T.O. and Terry Glenn but they aren’t getting any younger. Then there’s Patrick Crayton a solid slot receiver but not a number one or two guy. So the Cowboys look for their successor to Owens and Glenn. He will probably be the number 3 guy on the depth chart this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted a corner here.
23.Pittsburgh Steelers- OG, Branden Albert, Virginia
The Steelers without any doubt need to find a replacement for Alan Faneca. That should be their number one priority in this draft. Then they could also draft some more offensive line in the 2nd and 3rd round as they allowed 47 sacks this past season.
24.Tennessee Titans- WR, Early Doucet, LSU
The Titans desperately need some receivers to give Vince Young some weapons. They helped him a little by acquiring former Atlanta Falcon, Tight End, Alge Crumpler. Now Crumpler won’t be able to do it his self he will need some help and drafting Doucet here can help them out a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they took Thomas instead of Doucet here.
25.Seattle Seahawks- RB, Jonathan Stewart, Oregon
The Seahawks would be so happy if they saw Stewart fall to them at this pick, even with his surgery I think he will come in by mid-season and be a great impact and once again Julius Jones will be the 2nd best back on the team. Stewart could lead this teams for years.
26.Jacksonville Jaguars- DE, Lawrence Jackson, USC
I kept going back in fourth between Lawrence Jackson and Kentwan Balmer. I believe they will go with Jackson simply because there is more depth at defensive tackle in the 2nd round then at defensive end.
27.San Diego Chargers- FS, Kenny Phillips, Miami
I see the Chargers doing either two things, drafting Kenny Phillips to give them a young raw safety core for the future or trading down to get more picks since their next pick wouldn’t be until the 5th Round.
28.Dallas Cowboys- RB, Felix Jones, Arkansas
Here I believe they will draft either Felix Jones or Antoine Cason. I had them get Jones because they can get another corner in the 2nd round as they could also get a running back in the 2nd those running backs that will be available will more then likely be more of a power running back then a home run hitter like Jones.
29.San Francisco 49ers- OLB/DE, Quentin Groves, Auburn
The 49ers need a defensive upgrade in the front 7 as they were ranked 22nd against the rush. Also nobody had more then six sacks. That is disgusting. Groves will be a great player in this 49ers defense.
30.Green Bay Packers- CB, Antoine Cason, Arizona
Unless the Packers make a trade for another big name corner I see them drafting a corner here with the 30th pick simply because they need help at the nickel and also because their two starting corners are getting up there and age.
31.New York Giants- ILB/OLB, Dan Connor, Penn State
Knowing they didn’t try to re-sign Kawika Mitchell they are going to need a linebacker to fill in his spot.

Free Agency Rumors

Kris Wilson is making a decision on offers from Green Bay and Tampa Bay.

The Cardinals are the front runner to land Brandon Chillar. He will chose between the Cardinals and Packers.

Both the Packers and Raiders have offered Quinn Gray a contract. Look for the Packers to be front runner to land him.

The Packers will upgrade the contract of the Star receiver Greg Jennings.

Will Oakland Be Losing Two Corners Soon?



Many teams have been calling about Nnamdi Asomugha after the Hall trade. Raiders would want a 1st and a 3rd in this or next years NFL draft, according to my source the Teams that have called about Asomugha are Jacksonville, New York, Green Bay, Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta.


Oakland’s former 1st Round Iick CB Fabian Washington will be released by the end of the draft if he cannot be traded. My source said that a lot of teams would have a ton of interest in him if he were to be released.

Anquan Boldin With A New Team?


According to some inside sources we are hearing that Anquan Boldin could be on the move and around 6 teams are highly interested. Teams are said to be interested are Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Dallas, Buffalo, Oakland and Philly. This will be interesting to see what goes on with this rumor. It has already been reported that Boldin is wanting Larry Fitzgerald type money and Arizona is in no shape at all to pay him that type of money......