1st round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round

“Should” Mock 

Updated 4/16/10

170. St. Louis Rams- RB Joique Bell (Wayne State)

Steven Jackson was still putting up 25-30 carries a week in weeks 13-16 when the Rams only had 1 win because they didn’t have anyone else behind him to carry the ball. If they draft a small school sleeper like Bell, he should be able to serve as a helpful backup. His extreme lack of speed and explosiveness is a bit concerning though, but there’s no denying the production and his ability to bulldoze guys.

171. Atlanta Falcons (via DET)- OT Ed Wang (Virginia Tech)

They don’t have much depth behind Sam Baker, who struggled some last year, and Tyson Clabo, who is a free agent in 2011.

172. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- OT Derek Hardman (Eastern Kentucky)

Jeremy Trueblood really struggled last year so they would be best served to bring in some competition.

173. Miami Dolphins (via KC)- TE Scott Sicko (New Hampshire)

Anthony Fasano is a good blocker, but they don’t have a true tight end receiving option over the middle. For my exclusive interview with Scott Sicko, click here.

174. Miami Dolphins (via WAS)- CB Alterraun Verner (UCLA)

The Dolphins need more depth in the secondary. If Verner pans out, they could move Sean Smith to free safety and get two upgrades for one. If he doesn’t pan out, he could still be very good depth at the cornerback position, which is growing in importance in this new pass heavy game.

175. Carolina Panthers (via OAK)- QB John Skelton (Fordham)

Matt Moore had a few good starts late last year, but I don’t think they are completely sold on him as the quarterback of the future after that. With Jake Delhomme gone, they need a better backup quarterback just in case.

176. Seattle Seahawks- WR Taylor Price (Ohio)

If they can’t trade for Brandon Marshall, they’ll look for wide receiver depth in the mid to late rounds.

177. Cleveland Browns- WR Mike Williams (Syracuse)

They’ve already drafted a receiver this year and they drafted two last year, but the Browns have a ton of picks this year and you never know how many of these guys will pan out. Williams has a laundry list of character issues, but he has 2^nd round talent and is worth the risk here.

178. Buffalo Bills- MLB Phillip Dillard (Nebraska)

Moving to a 3-4, the Bills will need more middle linebacker depth behind Paul Posluszny and Andra Davis.

179. Miami Dolphins- S Chris Maragos (Wisconsin)
Just in case Verner doesn’t pan out and they can’t move Sean Smith to free safety, they’ll take a true free safety here. They drafted Chris Clemons in the 5^thlast year, but he’s no guarantee either. Nothing wrong with more defensive back depth.

180. Jacksonville Jaguars- S TJ Ward (Oregon)

The Jaguars got destroyed by every quarterback they faced last year. They need upgrades all across their pass defense, including safety.

181. Chicago Bears- OT Mike Tepper (California)

Chris Williams hasn’t exactly panned out yet. Kevin Schaffer is average at best and after Orlando Pace was cut, they really lack depth at offensive tackle. Tepper is a solid swing guy off the bench.

182. San Francisco 49ers- WR Marcus Easley (Connecticut)

The Niners have two good receivers with Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree, but if they are going to the spread full time, they’ll need more depth at the wide receiver position. Marcus Easley is a great story and I hope he gets drafted. He walked onto the Connecticut football team, didn’t produce much in his first three years, then led them in receiving last year, and then dropped jaws with his athleticism at The Combine.

183. Denver Broncos- CB David Pender (Purdue)

Besides Alphonso Smith, who struggled in his rookie year and probably isn’t anything more than a nickel longterm, the Broncos don’t have a cornerback on their roster under 30 years old.

184. New York Giants- G Thomas Austin (Clemson)

The Giants need more depth in their interior line if they’ll want to get back to their power running game.

185. Tennessee Titans- RB Trindon Holliday (LSU)

Holliday doesn’t play a position on defense or offense, but the Titans are drafting him here to be their kick returner. He’s an amazing kick returner and an amazing athlete, which the Titans love out of their players. Last year, they had to use Kenny Britt at kick returner, despite the fact that he had never returned kicks on any level before. Think they miss Chris Carr?

186. Cleveland Browns (via CAR)- RB Andre Anderson (Tulane)

Jerome Harrison was solid towards the end of last year, but I have some concerns about his ability to hold up over a whole season. Anderson is good value here.

187. Houston Texans- QB Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State)

Matt Schaub is not known for his great health, in fact, last year was the first time he made all 16 starts in his career. If he goes down, they’ll be screwed so they should tap into this strong quarterback class for a backup.

188. Pittsburgh Steelers- G Reggie Stephens (Iowa State)

The Steelers aren’t going to fix their offensive line in the early rounds, but they’ll need some offensive line depth from the middle rounds.

189. Atlanta Falcons- OLB Stevenson Sylvester (Utah)

They already drafted a linebacker, but, other than their 3^rd round pick AJ Edds, they only have 1 other linebacker under contract after 2011, little known backup Robert James.

190. New England Patriots- G Shelley Smith (Colorado State)

Stephen Neal is injury prone and old and needs a talented backup like Smith.

191. Cincinnati Bengals- K Leigh Tiffin (Alabama)

If they haven’t resigned Shayne Graham yet, they probably won’t ever. If they don’t resign a veteran, as they have not yet, they’ll look for a kicker in the late rounds.

192. Buffalo Bills (via PHI)- OT Adam Ulatoski (Texas)

Jamon Meredith was a 2009 5^th round pick and he’s not proven commodity, so they’ll probably want to bring in some competition with him for the starting right tackle job next year. Ulatoski can also slide inside as well.

193. Green Bay Packers- WR Shay Hodge (Mississippi)

They always take best available. Donald Driver is getting up there in years and I don’t see either James Jones or Jordy Nelson as starting material so they might want to bring in another wide receiver through the draft.

194. Baltimore Ravens- WR Danario Alexander (Missouri)

Derrick Mason doesn’t have too many years left so they may want to add yet another receiver to the mix this offseason.

195. Arizona Cardinals- CB Ben Burney (Colorado)

The Cardinals don’t have much depth at cornerback. Bryant McFadden struggled as their #2 cornerback last year and Burney has a lot of physical upside.

196. Dallas Cowboys- S Aaron Webster (Cincinnati)

They need someone to compete with 2009 5^th round Michael Hamlin for the starting free safety job next year.

197. Houston Texans (via SD)- WR Seji Ajirotutu (Fresno State)

More depth at the wide receiver position for the pass heavy Texans.

198. New York Jets- TE Colin Peek (Alabama)

I find it hard to believe that, as run oriented as the Jets are, they don’t have a single true run blocking tight end on the roster.

199. Minnesota Vikings- OLB Rennie Curran (Georgia)

Ben Leber is average at best and a free agent in 2011. They’ll want another young outside linebacker.

200. Philadelphia Eagles (via IND)- C John Estes (Hawaii)

In case Jamaal Jackson isn’t ready for next season, they’ll definitely one someone better than Nick Cole to play center. Cole got destroyed against the Cowboys in the last 2 games of last year.

201. New Orleans Saints- DT Jay Ross (East Carolina)

The Saints couldn’t stop anyone on the ground when Sedrick Ellis was down last year. Defensive tackle depth is needed.

202. Carolina Panthers (comp)- DT Kade Weston (Georgia)

The Panthers need more depth at defensive tackle and they like big nose tackle sized defensive tackles so Weston makes a lot of sense here.

203. Jacksonville Jaguars (comp)- C Kevin Matthews (Texas A&M)

If the Jaguars can get a longterm replacement for Brad Meester, they’ll cut the mediocre and injury prone Meester.

204. Carolina Panthers (comp)- OLB Keaton Kristick (Oregon State)

Na’il Diggs was cut this offseason and a replacement is needed at strong side linebacker. 

205. New England Patriots (comp)- CB Syd’Quan Thompson (California)

The Patriots need a nickelback and Thompson is a very NFL ready nickelback and, in my opinion, a steal here. He also has some experience as a punt returner and the Patriots will likely be looking for someone to serve that role even if Wes Welker returns to 100%.

206. San Francisco 49ers (comp)- NT Edom Udofia (Stanford)

Aubrayo Franklin is both a free agent in 2011 and a one year wonder. They may target another nose tackle in the late rounds.

207. Tennessee Titans (comp)- DE Alex Daniels (Cincinnati)

The Titans need more depth at the defensive end position, even though they have focused on that position once already in the draft. Daniels should be a solid nickel rusher. 

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1st round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round

“Should” Mock 

Updated 4/16/10

132. St. Louis Rams- TE Ed Dickson (Oregon)

The Rams didn’t have a lot of firepower from the tight end position last year and then a lot of their tight ends left as free agents. They can use this pick to get a playmaker at the tight end position.

133. Seattle Seahawks (via DET)- G Jeff Byers (USC)

The Seahawks got this pick from the Lions for Rob Sims. Why wouldn’t they use it on his replacement? Byers fits their scheme a lot better than Sims did and he has experience with coach Carroll.

134. Cleveland Browns (via TB)- CB Jerome Murphy (South Florida)

Even with the addition of Sheldon Brown, the Browns need depth at the cornerback position. Brown probably only has 2 more good years in him left anyway.

135. Washington Redskins- WR Andre Roberts (Citadel)

Wide receiver isn’t a huge need, but there isn’t a ton of talent in their receiving corps and Roberts it too good to pass on.

136. Kansas City Chiefs- S Quentin Scott (Northern Iowa)

Quentin Scott could be this year’s Michael Mitchell. That athletic safety no one has ever heard of that gets a lot of mid round consideration. Scott won’t go in the 2^ndlike Mitchell, but he runs a 4.40 at 6-4 224, hits like a linebacker, and also plays receiver. He could be the strong safety the Chiefs need to replace Bernard Pollard

137. Philadelphia Eagles (via CLE)- WR Carlton Mitchell (South Florida)

The Eagles have a ton of picks this year after trading Sheldon Brown. I literally started running out of positions when I was putting this mock together. The Eagles could use a goal line type receiver like Mitchell, who has amazing physical upside.

138. Oakland Raiders- G Marshall Newhouse (TCU)

Newhouse ran a 5.00 at 6-4 322. This makes him a great player.

139. Seattle Seahawks- QB Tony Pike (Cincinnati)

They traded for and gave a large contract to Charlie Whitehurst, but counting on a former 3^rd rounder who has never thrown an NFL pass to be your quarterback of the future is not a good idea. Tony Pike is a steal here and would be a good fit in Seattle’s West Coast scheme.

140. Buffalo Bills- RLB Koa Misi (Utah)

A rush linebacker is needed opposite Aaron Maybin. Misi could be a steal here.

141. Chicago Bears- G Mitch Petrus (Arkansas)

Matt Forte was out of shape last year, but his awful season can’t be completely blamed on him. The Bears’ offensive line opened up a grand total of one hole for him all last year. Petrus would be an immediate left guard upgrade.

142. Kansas City Chiefs (via MIA)- 3-4 DE Jeff Owens (Georgia)

The Chiefs are always looking to add more muscle to the defensive line and Owens is one of the more physically fit players in this draft class.

143. Jacksonville Jaguars- DE Daniel Te’o-Neshiem (Washington)

The signing of Aaron Kampman was smart, but unless Derrick Harvey or Quentin Groves turn things around in a hurry, they’ll need another defensive end opposite him.

144. Kansas City Chiefs (via CAR)- C Matt Tennant (Boston College)

Another offensive line upgrade for the Chiefs who need an upgrade at center.

145. San Francisco 49ers- RLB Willie Young (NC State)

Manny Lawson looked great in the 2^nd half of the season last year. However, one good half season doesn’t convince me he’s not a bust. They’ll need a backup plan in case Lawson reverts.

146. Cleveland Browns (via DET, DEN)- OT Sam Young (Notre Dame)

Among the many things he did upon becoming coach of the Browns, Eric Mangini decided to would be necessary to downgrade the right tackle position significantly, replacing Kevin Schaffer with John St. Clair. That didn’t work, so the Browns will be looking for a right tackle in the NFL Draft.

147. New York Giants- DE Lindsey Witten (Connecticut)

If they decided to cut or trade Osi Umenyiora, they’ll need a replacement in the mid rounds to be their 3^rd rusher in their defensive end rotation.

148. Tennessee Titans- WR Blair White (Michigan State)

Kenny Britt is a solid #1 of the future. Who will be their #2? Justin Gage? Nate Washington? Probably not.

149. Atlanta Falcons- G Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)

The Falcons have very few needs, but interior line is depth is something they lack and Render has decent upside to be a future starter.

150. Houston Texans- OLB Kavell Conner (Clemson)

Brian Cushing was a great pick by the Texans last year, but they needed multiple linebacker upgrades last year and only got too. Conner is a great fit for the scheme. He’s very raw and inexperienced, but you have to like his upside. He was great last year for Clemson after he took the starting job and ran with it.

151. Pittsburgh Steelers- RB LeGarrette Blount (Oregon)

The Steelers lack a goal line back and with Willie Parker gone, they’ll need another running back to pair with Rashard Mendenhall.

152. Cincinnati Bengals – S Kurt Coleman (Ohio State)

Chris Crocker is average at best. Coleman could be some nice competition.

153. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via NE)- WR Jordan Shipley (Texas)

The Bucs need to draft more than one wide receiver this year. Reggie Brown is currently their #1 option for 2010. Shipley is a steal here.

154. Green Bay Packers- RLB Antonio Coleman (Auburn)

Brad Jones was good towards the end of last year, but I don’t think that alone is enough to end him a starting job for the future. They’ll want to bring in competition if they can.

155. Pittsburgh Steelers (via NYJ, PHI)- S Robert Johnson (Utah)

If Troy Polamalu goes down again, they’ll want more safety depth. Johnson could also be their free safety of the future if he pans out.

156. Baltimore Ravens- TE Anthony McCoy (USC)

Todd Heap finally stayed healthy last year. I can’t imagine that will continue.

157. Baltimore Ravens (via ARI)- RLB George Selvie (South Florida)

Terrell Suggs had a horrible year last year after signing his extension. They’ll want a rush linebacker to challenge him and force him to be his best again. 

158. Oakland Raiders (via NE, DEN, DAL)- CB Crezdon Butler (Clemson)

Butler runs a 4.41 at 6-0 199. This makes him a great player.

159. San Diego Chargers- OT Zane Beadles (Utah)

Beadles provides depth at three positions the Chargers are weak at, left guard, right tackle, and right guard.

160. Cleveland Browns (via NYJ)- 3-4 DE Corey Peters (Kentucky)

A natural fit for a 3-4 and experienced in the 3-4 in college, Peters will be a solid depth guy for the Browns who just lost Corey Williams via trade.

161. Minnesota Vikings- CB Walter Thurmond (Oregon)

They’ll need to add a cornerback to the mix in case Cedric Griffin can’t start next season after his injury.

162. Indianapolis Colts- DE Brandon Lang (Troy)

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are both free agents in 2011. They’ll be looking for pass rushers at some point in this draft.

163. St. Louis Rams (via PHI, NO)- CB Patrick Stoudamire (Western Illinois)

It’s not their biggest need, but cornerback could be upgraded. For my exclusive interview with Patrick Stoudamire, click here.

164. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp)- QB Bill Stull (Pittsburgh)

Sadly, Roger Goddell could slap a suspension on Big Ben without a conviction, which, needless to say, would be a huge hit to their team. Dennis Dixon isn’t necessarily the guy you want starting in his absence. Stull probably isn’t either, but if you combine the two, you have a better shot at finding a starter. Stull has experience in a Pro Style offense and is homegrown.

165. Atlanta Falcons (comp)- K Garrett Lindholm (Tarleton State)

The Falcons struggled for consistency at the kicker position last year and almost certainly will address that need in the draft this year. For my exclusive interview with Garrett Lindholm, click here.

166. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp)- 3-4 DE Clifton Geathers (South Carolina)

Besides the unproven Evander Hood, the top 4 guys in the Steelers defensive end rotation are over 30.

167. Minnesota Vikings (comp)- RB James Starks (Buffalo)

Starks could fill Chester Taylor’s old role behind Adrian Peterson.

168. San Diego Chargers (comp)- MLB Micah Johnson (Kentucky)

The Chargers have needed an upgrade inside for years and if Johnson, who played in the 3-4 in college, pans out, he’ll be a nice upgrade.

169. Green Bay Packers (comp)- G Brandon Carter (Texas Tech)

Another offensive line upgrade for one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year.

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1st round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round

“Should” Mock 

Updated 4/16/10

99. St. Louis Rams- DE Austen Lane (Murray State)

Leonard Little probably won’t be brought back and even if he is, they’ll need a true left end of the future. Little is too old.

100. Detroit Lions- S Major Wright (Florida)

Their secondary was beyond awful last year. They need multiple upgrades in the secondary, including safety. Wright has 1^st round upside and would go in the 3^rd round most years so he could be a steal here if they can coach him up and bring out his natural athleticism.

101. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- OLB Roddrick Muckelroy (Texas)

The Buccaneers cut their two starting linebackers for 2008 last offseason and replaced them with the oft injured Angelo Crowell and a former safety. I wonder why they ranked dead last against the run last year.

102. Kansas City Chiefs- G Mike Johnson (Alabama)

Scott Pioli believes in building in the trenches so he’ll probably take a guard like Johnson, who fits the scheme perfectly, the in the 4^th round range to help get some more protection for Matt Cassel.

103. Washington Redskins- G Jon Asamoah (Illinois)

When you give up 43 sacks in a season, you need multiple offensive line upgrades in the offseason. Asamoah is a perfect fit as a left guard in Mike Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme.

104. Seattle Seahawks- CB Amari Spievey (Iowa)

Marcus Trufant committed the most penalties of any cornerback in the league last year. When you consider he missed 6 weeks with injuries, that’s even more embarrassing.

105. Philadelphia Eagles (via CLE)- CB Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State)

If the Eagles are being frugal, they’ll cut/trade Asante Samuel next offseason. They’ll want a replacement.

106. Oakland Raiders- WR David Gettis (Baylor)

David Gettis ran a 4.39 at 6-3 216 at his Pro Day. Putting a ton of stock into Pro day 40 times isn’t a smart idea, but then again, neither is drafting purely on height and 40 times and Al Davis has been doing that for years.

107. Buffalo Bills- WR Jacoby Ford (Clemson)

TO is gone and, after a rocky start to his career and an ACL tear, James Hardy is no sure bet either. Plus, they don’t have anyone with Ford’s speed on their roster.

108. Jacksonville Jaguars- WR Riley Cooper (Florida)

I know what you’re thinking. A 3^rd Florida Gator in as many picks? It could happen. After all, the Jags need to sell tickets and Gainesville is about a 75 minute drive from Jacksonville so stacking a team with familiar players isn’t a bad idea, unless they were huge reaches which they haven’t been. Plus, might as well get Tebow someone he’s familiar throwing to. Tebow and Cooper looked great together last year and, especially, at Florida’s Pro Day in March.

109. Chicago Bears- WR Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh)

The Bears need someone else other than Devin Hester to throw to so Jay Cutler doesn’t have to force it deep every single play like last year.

110. Miami Dolphins- RB Ben Tate (Auburn)

Ricky Williams is probably living on borrowed time as a running back of his age still running well. Ronnie Brown suffers a devastating injury every single year like clockwork and he’s a free agent next offseason. They also aren’t too happy about his recent DUI. If a running back like Tate is still there in the 4^th, they’ll pull the trigger.

111. Tennessee Titans- DT D’Anthony Smith (Louisiana Tech)

The Titans are still searching for a replacement for Albert Haynesworth. Given how much they like defensive line depth, drafting a defensive tackle in the 4^th makes a lot of sense.

112. Carolina Panthers- TE Jimmy Graham (Miami)

The Panthers probably want to get Matt Moore more than one upgrade in his receiving corps. Graham is extremely raw after only one season playing football (he was also a forward on the Miami basketball team), but he is really amazing scouts with his upside and how quickly he has improved this offseason so he could wind up being a steal at this point.

113. San Francisco 49ers- MLB Brandon Spikes (Florida)

All 4-3 teams crossed Spikes off of their draft board after he ran a 5.0+ at Florida’s Pro Day, except for Al Davis because he’s dead and doesn’t have a draft board. No 4-3 linebacker is that slow. The Niners could have a steal, however, with him as a 3-4 middle linebacker in the middle of the 4^th, assuming they can bring the most out of him. Mike Singletary thinks very highly of his ability to bring the most out of players, and rightfully so, which means Spikes makes a lot of sense here.

114. Denver Broncos- 3-4 DE Arthur Jones (Syracuse)

The Broncos seriously stank against the run last year in the 2nd half. Like seriously, I could smell it from here. Adding guys like Jamal Williams and Jarvis Green to their defensive front is a lot better than what they did last offseason (get random castoffs from the Niners and Browns), but they still need to focus on upgrading their defensive line through the draft. Unlike Robert Ayers, Jones is a natural fit at 3-4 defensive end and could be a huge steal if he beats the injuries and lives up to his potential.

115. New York Giants- CB AJ Jefferson (Fresno State)

If Aaron Ross gets hurt again, the Giants are going to suck against the pass again. It never hurts to get more depth at cornerback anyway.

116. Pittsburgh Steelers- RLB Eric Norwood (South Carolina)

James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley combine to make the most fearsome 1-2 pass rushing duo in the NFL. However, Harrison will soon be 33 and they have zero depth behind either. They will be screwed if one of them gets hurt.

117. Atlanta Falcons- WR Eric Decker (Minnesota)

I don’t hate Michael Jenkins. I don’t love him either. I’m sure Matt Ryan wouldn’t mind someone else to throw the ball to. Decker is a very good value here. 

118. Houston Texans- DT Vince Oghobaase (Duke)

Travis Johnson wasn’t very good as a Texan, but he was never replaced when they traded him so the Texans should target a replacement next to Amobi Okoye through the draft this year.

119. New England Patriots – WR Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas)

Randy Moss has only one year left on his contract and based on his effort last year and the Patriots early playoff exit, there’s a good chance they either trade or cut him this offseason. They would need a deep threat to compliment either Wes Welker or Julian Edelman, depending on whether or not Welker can play. Briscoe would fit the scheme extremely well because he played in a similar scheme and had huge numbers at Kansas last year.

120. Cincinnati Bengals- MLB Sean Lee (Penn State)

Lee doesn’t fill a huge need, but he’s a great value here. Dhani Jones is over 30 and a free agent in 2011 and, if they decide not to bring him back, Lee can step in and start. If not, he’ll be valuable depth across the board as a linebacker.

121. Philadelphia Eagles- DE Greg Hardy (Mississippi)

Hardy has first round talent, but he’s got a shitload of injury problems in the past and he showed up to the Combine very out of shape. If enough teams slap him with both the injury prone and lazy tags, he could very well slip into the 3^rd. The Eagles have been taking a lot more character risks in recent years, namely Michael Vick, so while they haven’t yet adopted the Cincinnati style of building a team (in which a player is actually more highly rated if he has committed a crime), I would not be surprised if they took a risk on Hardy here. He’s got the size and the pass rushing moves to be the type of guy Andy Reid would like at left end.

122. Green Bay Packers- RB Deji Karim (Southern Illinois)

They don’t have much behind Ryan Grant as I don’t think they like Brandon Jackson very much. They’ll be looking for a backup running back somewhere in the 4^th-6^th rounds this year.

123. Arizona Cardinals (via BAL)- QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi)

They signed Derek Anderson in free agency to go with Matt Leinart, but they wouldn’t be able to pass on Snead in the 4^th. Plus, Anderson and Leinart aren’t exactly the most trustworthy guys. Between them, they have a combined 1 good season (Anderson, 2007).

124. New York Jets (via ARI)- S Myron Rolle (Florida State)

The Jets signed Brodney Pool from the Browns, but he is one concussion away from having to retire. The Jets can afford to take a high upside guy like Rolle here

125. Dallas Cowboys- 3-4 DE CJ Wilson (East Carolina)

Marcus Spears is a free agent next offseason and there’s nothing wrong with taking best available.

126. San Diego Chargers- S Larry Asante (Nebraska)

Kevin Ellison was thrown into the starting lineup midseason and struggled. He wasn’t supposed to be much more than a backup and a special teamer anyway because he struggles in coverage.

127. Seattle Seahawks (PHI, NYJ)- OT Selvish Capers (West Virginia)

Offensive line coach Alex Gibbs has shown in the past that he has no problem waiting until the mid rounds for a developmental tackle, so, rather than reaching for one in the first, I would not be surprised if he took an athletic project like Capers here in the 4^th.

128. Minnesota Vikings- C Eric Olsen (Notre Dame)

John Sullivan really struggled to replace Matt Birk last year, especially as a run blocker, and Adrian Peterson struggled last as a result.

129. Indianapolis Colts- OLB Donald Butler (Washington)

The Colts always try to upgrade their linebackers in the mid rounds and Butler provides depth at multiple position and could fight for a starting job in the future.

130. New Orleans Saints- RB Anthony Dixon (Mississippi State)

The Saints like to use a two back scheme to keep their backs fresh late into games and late into the season. It definitely worked last year, but with Mike Bell gone, and Lynell Hamilton penciled into that #2 back role, it might not work as well this year. Enter Dixon, who would serve as the power back compliment to Pierre Thomas. The two of them would wreak some serious havoc next year.

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1st round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round

“Should” Mock 

Updated 4/16/10

65. St. Louis Rams- OLB Dekoda Watson (Florida State)

They traded Will Witherspoon midseason and replaced him with Paris Lenon and, no surprised, afterwards, their defense really sucked. Lenon is a free agent anyway. The Rams have bigger needs like their defensive line, but Watson has good upside and looked great at The Combine.

66. Detroit Lions- RB Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)

Sticking with best player available, the Lions take Dwyer, who could have gone in the first round before laying an epic stink bomb at the Combine, showing up out of shape, and running a much slower 40 than expected. He still has upside though and the Lions have a need at the position because they don’t have much behind Kevin Smith and even he didn’t have a good year last year.

67. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- DE Jermaine Cunningham (Florida)

No one on the team had more than 6.5 sacks last year, so a defensive end will be targeted early. Cunningham is my favorite sleeper prospect and he would fit their Tampa 2 scheme very well, assuming they switch back to the scheme.

68. Kansas City Chiefs- WR Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)

The Chiefs went through about 8 wide receivers opposite Dwayne Bowe this season until they finally found Chris Chambers who worked for them. Chambers is now a free agent and might not be back and even if he is, they don’t have much depth below him. Thomas would fit the scheme well.

69. Oakland Raiders- QB Jarrett Brown (West Virginia)

Jarrett Brown ran a 4.54 40 at 6-3 224. This makes him a great quarterback in Al Davis’ eyes. He also has a cannon for an arm. He’s like JaMarcus Russell only less of a fat slob. The Raiders said they were sticking by Russell as their quarterback earlier this offseason, but after the rumors that linked the Raiders to Donovan McNabb, that is no longer true. It probably has something to do with the fact that Russell weighed in at 290 at offseason workouts. If they don’t trade for Jason Campbell, they’ll target a quarterback through the draft.

70. Philadelphia Eagles (via SEA)- G Vladimir Ducasse (Massachusetts)

Cutting Shawn Andrews leaves the door open for Andy Reid to draft one of his trademark fat offensive linemen. Ducasse fits that job description at 330 pounds.

71. Cleveland Browns- WR Jeremy Williams (Tulane)

The Browns swapped out all their crap quarterbacks for other crap quarterbacks, some spare change and a fullback. Now time to actually get their quarterbacks someone to throw to.

72. Buffalo Bills- OT Tony Washington (TCU)

In one of the most bizarre NFL draft stories in a long time, it was revealed that Washington once had consensual sex with his 15-year-old biological sister when he was 16 and had to register as a sex offender. Don’t you think if you were a registered sex offender, you might not want to be famous. Just a thought. Either way, as disgusting as that is, that has nothing to do with what kind of football player he will be and the left tackle starved Bills will reach for him here because the left tackle class is extremely thin this year and drops off right after him.

73. Miami Dolphins- RLB Ricky Sapp (Clemson)

The Dolphins passed on a rush linebacker in the first because the rush linebacker class is deeper than the nose tackle class, but they’ll need to take one here to replace the departed Joey Porter.

74. New England Patriots- 3-4 DE Mike Neal (Purdue)

Neal would be a good fit for their defense. They need a long term replacement for Richard Seymour and Neal is a prototypical 3-4 defense end.

75. Chicago Bears- S Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt)

Danieal Manning is a good kick returner, but they are kidding themselves trying to pass him off as a free safety. They need a true free safety. Lewis is a lot like Sean Smith, a defensive back prospect that can play both corner and safety, both of which the Bears need. Lewis is a better fit as a safety in the Bears’ scheme.

76. New York Giants- MLB Pat Angerer (Iowa)

Some guys have Anger, but this guy has angerer. Name jokes aside, the Giants just cut Antonio Pierce and need a longterm replacement.

77. Tennessee Titans- CB Chris Cook (Virginia)

Nick Harper was so bad last year that he may have to retire this offseason, against his will, because no one is interested in the soon to be 36 year old free agent. I don’t see why the Titans didn’t just bench him, but he’s gone now so they’ll need to get someone for the future to start across from Cortland Finnegan. Cook has good upside and a ton of experience in a scheme similar to Tennessee’s at Virginia.

78. Carolina Panthers- DE Corey Wootton (Northwestern)

With Julius Peppers gone, the Panthers are going to struggle to create quarterback pressure unless 2009 2^nd round pick Everette Brown has a huge breakout year. Take away Peppers’ 10.5 sacks and they had 20.5 sacks all last year. Even if Brown pans out, they’ll need a good left end opposite him. Wootton has a ton of upside as either a 3-4 right end or a 4-3 left.

79. San Francisco 49ers- CB Domonique Franks (Oklahoma)

Passing in their biggest need with their first 3 picks might have raised some eyebrows, but this cornerback class is extremely deep. Franks is a 2^nd round prospect available in the 3^rd. He has major upside and can be their future starter across from Shawntae Spencer.

80. Denver Broncos- RB Toby Gerhart (Baylor)

Correll Buckhalter isn’t a bad running back, but he’s 31 and injury prone and Gerhart is a great value here. He would do a very solid job backing up Knowshon Moreno. 

81. Houston Texans- RB Montario Hardesty (Tennessee)

The Texans made it pretty clear they aren’t satisfied with their running game so adding a zone style running back like Hardesty to the mix in the 3^rd makes a lot of sense.

82. Pittsburgh Steelers- OT Kyle Calloway (Iowa)

More offensive line help for one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year, Calloway is strictly a right tackle, but he’s one of the best right tackles in the draft class. He fits what the Steelers look for in a tackle, good mauling size, and good work ethic.

83. Atlanta Falcons- OLB AJ Edds (Iowa)

After signing Dunta Robinson, the Falcons don’t have a lot of needs left. Outside linebacker though is one of them as they need a solid starter to replace Mike Peterson. Edds can play on the strong side moving Stephen Nicholas to the weak side, where he is a better fit. Edds is a very good natural strong side linebacker who could be a starter for this team sometime during year 1.

84. Cincinnati Bengals- CB Javier Arenas (Alabama)

The Bengals are so desperate for a kick returner and cornerback depth that they are considering signing Adam Pacman Jones. Arenas is more talented and less crazy. Plus, he’s also Gilbert Arenas’ cousin and Gilbert Arenas could come shoot up the locker room if Arenas is on the team next year and the Bengals seem to like that element of danger in a player.

85. Cleveland Browns (via OAK, NE)- S Chad Jones (LSU)

They drafted Eric Berry to fix one safety spot, but they could draft Jones here to play the other safety spot. Abram Elam could be upgraded and Jones is a steal here.

86. Green Bay Packers- S Rashad Jones (Georgia)

Atari Bigby is a solid safety, but always seems to be hurt. Seems like all of the good safeties have injury issues. But that can’t be because they hit like linebackers at a smaller size. If that were true, then using a top 5 draft pick on a safety would be pretty stupid. But I digress.

87. Philadelphia Eagles- OT Ciron Black (LSU)

Despite all of the money they spent on the offensive line, they still couldn’t protect Donovan McNabb last year, especially late in the season. I highly doubt Shawn Andrews will play again and they need an upgrade over Winston Justice, who gave up 7 sacks last season. Black fits the Eagles weight requirements for offensive lineman, all of the Eagles offensive lineman are 320 pounds or heavier because Andy Reid is insecure about his own weight issues. Black is 320 pounds and can easily bulk up to 350 on Reid’s all fat diet.

88. Arizona Cardinals (via BAL)- RLB Thaddeus Gibson (Ohio State)

Joey Porter doesn’t solve their pass rushing issue because he, like all of their top rush linebackers, is over 33 years old. They need a rush linebacker like Gibson to pair with Cody Brown in the future.

89. Arizona Cardinals- NT Torrell Troup (Central Florida)

The Cardinals have the right personnel for a full switch to the 3-4, all they need is a true nose tackle like Troup. They are lucky to get him here. After him, the nose tackle class gets pretty ugly.

90. Dallas Cowboys- MLB Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State)

Keith Brooking had a good year last year, but he’s getting up there in age so one bad year and he could be cut. They need an upgrade inside next to him as well.

91. San Diego Chargers- 3-4 DE Tyson Alualu (California)

The Chargers never got a chance to replace Igor Olshansky after he left as a free agent.

92. Cleveland Browns (via NYJ)- G John Jerry (Mississippi)

Eric Mangini will be thrilled to be able to draft a right guard in the 3^rd round. Positional value is a myth. It’s all about centers, guards, kickers, inside linebackers, 3-4 defensive ends, and free safeties.

93. Minnesota Vikings- QB Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)

Brett Favre could literally retire at any moment, and one of those timess he might stay actually retired. Unless they pull off a deal for Donovan McNabb, The Vikings would be smart to bring in a backup whose name isn’t Tarvaris Jackson through the draft.

94. Indianapolis Colts- CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (IUPUI)

AOA would give the Colts the dynamic kick returning option that they really lack right now and give them valuable depth at cornerback.

95. New Orleans Saints- S Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)

As of this moment, Darren Sharper is not a Saint. Even if he resigns, he’s going to be 34 soon, and might not have that many good years left in him. I’m assuming, considering he was drafted with the 14^th pick in 2009, that the long term plan is to move Malcolm Jenkins to cornerback, so they need a longterm free safety. Stuckey is a part of a great safety class and could be a steal at this point.

96. Cincinnati Bengals- WR Marshawn Gilyard (Cincinnati)

The Bengals have already brought in two receivers this offseason, Matt Jones and Antonio Bryant, but they are going to find it tough to pass on Gilyard here. He’s local. He’s a redemption story and he’s one of the best available. Plus, I don’t think Bryant will pan out now that he has a long term deal.

97. Tennessee Titans- OLB Perry Riley (LSU)

Will Witherspoon was a great signing as a weakside linebacker, but they still need help on the strong side. Riley can play there and also play some in the middle of their 4-3 which is also a bit of a need.

98. Atlanta Falcons (comp)- TE Dennis Pitta (BYU)   

Tony Gonzalez only has one year left on his contract and he’s also getting up there in age. With more picks than needs, the Falcons can afford to take a steal on a tight end here.

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1st round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round

“Should” Mock 

Updated 4/16/10

33. St. Louis Rams- WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois)

Donnie Avery and Brandon Gibson are decent young receivers, but neither of them are really an elite #1 guy. Benn has #1 potential and more potential than any receiver left on the board, but he’s very raw.

34. Detroit Lions- CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers)

McCourty both is the best available, which the Lions love to take, and fills a huge need as the Lions really don’t have a lot of talent at the cornerback position. They coached him at the Senior Bowl so they should be very familiar with him.

35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- WR Golden Tate (Notre Dame)

Head Coach Raheem Morris said the Buccaneers were going to try to build around 2^nd year quarterback Josh Freeman this offseason and that would require getting him someone to throw to because, if Antonio Bryant leaves, they will have nothing at the wide receiver position and they have already basically said they will not offer him a longterm deal. Tate is the best available wide receiver, but he will never be a #1 option on a good playoff team. However, he can still be a solid #2 of the future and a very NFL ready wide receiver who could lead all rookies in receiving yards in his rookie year. That will help Josh Freeman out a lot.

36. Kansas City Chiefs- RLB Sergio Kindle (Texas)

The Chiefs more than doubled their sacks total from 2008 to 2009! That sounds impressive until you consider they only had 10 sacks in 2008. 22 in 2009 is hardly anything to brag about. Kindle has huge upside as a future #1 rush linebacker.

37. Philadelphia Eagles (via WAS)- S Nate Allen (South Florida)

Sean Jones failed in his first year in Philadelphia and  won’t be back. Nate Allen is a smart, fundamentally sound player who is a steal at this point. He would be an immediate upgrade over Jones and could start week 1.

38. Cleveland Browns- QB Colt McCoy (Texas)

Of all the quarterbacks available, McCoy would not be my choice, but there’s a very good chance he would be Mike Holmgren’s choice. Holmgren reportedly loves McCoy and might considering moving up into the late 1^st round to take him, if he felt it necessary. I don’t believe he would do that, but I do believe that Holmgren does like McCoy as a quarterback prospect.

39. Oakland Raiders- DT Geno Atkins (Georgia)

Geno Atkins ran a 4.75 at 6-1 293 at the Combine. That makes him the greatest defensive tackle of all time. See, isn’t drafting easy. I’ve had cornerback here in recent weeks, but that was only because I felt they would trade Nmandi Ashmouga (something about being too talented). That no longer looks like it’s going to happen so I think they’ll, sadly, be fine with Ashmouga, Stanford Routt, and Chris Johnson at cornerback next year.

40. San Diego Chargers (via SEA)- RB Ryan Matthews (Fresno State)

The idea with the Chargers moving up to 40 from 60 is to get a feature back like Matthews without having to pass on a nose tackle like Terrence Cody in the first. Done and done.

41. Buffalo Bills- NT Cam Thomas (North Carolina)

The Bills are going to want to get a nose tackle before all the top 2 tier guys are gone and the class really drops off like a cliff. They might not be able to take Linval Joseph with their 2^nd pick in this round so they take Thomas here to be safe.

42. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via CHI)- CB Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest)

They need a defensive end, but there isn’t really one here that fits. They also need cornerback help and Ghee is the best cornerback available He is another guy who raised his stock at the Senior Bowl. He’s very raw, but he got great potential and head coach Raheem Morris, a former defensive backs coach, would love the opportunity to try to bring the most of out Ghee. He’s not likely to be available in a few picks.

43. Denver Broncos (via MIA)- NT Linval Joseph (East Carolina)

Jamal Williams is a nice stopgap, but they need an upgrade at nose tackle for the future and Joseph has really good measurables and high upside. They were awful against the run last year and, with their short throw offense, they can’t afford to be bad against the run in the future. They’ll need to control the ball to win games.

44. New England Patriots (via JAC)- RB Jahvid Best (California)

As a Patriots fan, the Pats’ defense makes me cringe. They let Devery Henderson run straight down field for a touchdown without a guy within 10 yards of him against New Orleans and then missed 4 tackles as the Saints turned a loss on a screen play to a touchdown and they were only able to sack Brees once all game. Then Chad Henne came out and burned their defense again. However, Bill Belicheck will go value over need every time, especially with 3 picks in the 2^ndround to work with. Best would help the Patriots become even more explosive on offensive by adding that explosive homerun hitting back that they lack right now. He would compliment Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk well, both of whom are over 30.

45. Denver Broncos- C JD Walton (Baylor)

Casey Wiegmann doesn’t fit the scheme and could be upgraded. It’s not a very important need in terms of positional value, which means Josh McDaniels will address in it round 2. JD Walton is the top center prospect this year, an All-American, and fills one of their biggest needs. What a steal! Screw positional value!

46. New York Giants- DT LaMarr Houston (Texas)

The Giants are always one to look to upgrade their pass rush and their defensive line. They can’t be happy about the extremely low amount of sacks they generated from the defensive tackle position, or their low ranking against the run. Houston had 7 sacks last year, more than all Giants’ defensive tackles combine, and he is good against the run as well.

Trade:

New England Patriots:

Jacksonville’s 3^rd rounder

2011 2^nd rounder

Jacksonville Jaguars:

New England’s 2^nd rounder

This almost makes too much sense. The Patriots trade out of one pick at least every year and getting a future 2^nd and a 3^rd for a 2^nd rounder is a great value and the Jaguars need to draft Tim Tebow this year.

47. Jacksonville Jaguars (Via NE, TEN)- QB Tim Tebow (Florida)

Some people aren’t going to like this pick. To those people, I say this. First, at least I no longer have him going 10^th and I have the Jaguars making a very necessary trade for a 2^nd rounder to get Tebow, rather than risking their first on him. Second, recently, 1500 hundred people, from the city of Jacksonville, bought Tebow’s autograph from him for 160 dollars (so much for not having money) in a charity event the other day. If 1500 Jacksonvillians (is that a word?) will pay 160 dollars to get Tebow’s signature on a piece of paper, imagine how many will pay money to see him throw footballs for their team. Tebow is a borderline cult figure in Jacksonville and the cash scrapped Jaguars need to capitalize on that. Even if the Jaguars win 7-8 games a season for the next few years and don’t make the playoffs with Tebow, they’ll still make a ton of money and that is necessary for this team if they want to continue to exist. I also happen to believe in Tebow a lot more than most.

48. Carolina Panthers- WR Damian Williams (USC)

Part of Jake Delhomme’s problem last year was that he was forcing it deep to Steve Smith every play because they didn’t have any solid options after him on the depth chart. If they don’t want Matt Moore to do the same thing, they’ll need to get him a solid #2. That should be priority #1 this offseason.

49. San Francisco 49ers- RB Dexter McCluster (Mississippi)

I’ve had cornerback here in recent weeks. I was sure the Niners had to take a corner in the first two rounds, but the Niners are a team that likes to pick best available. This also happens to be an extremely deep cornerback class. They can get a future starter at the cornerback position in the 3^rd round. They can’t get a playmaker like McCluster. McCluster helps on special teams, in the receiver corps as a slot guy, and out of the backfield as a 3^rd down back and a change of pace back.

50. Kansas City Chiefs (via ATL)- TE Aaron Hernandez (Florida)

The Chiefs got this pick from Atlanta for Tony Gonzalez. They might want to consider using it on a replacement tight end, because Matt Cassel needs more guys to throw to. Scott Pioli could be partial to Hernandez over guys like Dennis Pitta and Rob Gronkowski because he reminds people of Ben Watson, who he worked with in New England.

51. Houston Texans- CB Patrick Robinson (Florida State)

The Texans had 14 interceptions all year last year and 4 of those came from their linebackers and 9 from their safeties, including 4 from Bernard Pollard (hey, maybe the Chiefs shouldn’t have cut him). That leaves only 1 interception by any of their cornerbacks. Robinson had 7 in his career at Oklahoma State and he had a very good game in the Senior Bowl.

52. Pittsburgh Steelers- WR Brandon LaFell (LSU)

Santonio Holmes was traded to the Jets this past week. The Steelers will probably be looking for a wide receiver to replace him fairly early. LaFell is a good value here and fits their offense well because of his run blocking ability.

53. New England Patriots- RLB Jason Worilds (Virginia Tech)

Bill Belicheck seems hesitant to draft a rush linebacker, which is weird because he’s never hesitant to do anything. It must be because of how few of the defensive ends switching to rush linebacker actually pan out. For more on that, click here. However, he can’t hesitate anymore, the Pats only managed 31 sacks all last year and their pass defense suffered because of it. Worilds is a safe bet here because he has experience playing standing up at outside linebacker at Virginia Tech, in addition to playing defensive end, so he is going to be comfortable in coverage and blitzing from an outside, standing position. Again, for more on why drafting rush linebackers with experience at outside linebacker is important, click the link above.

54. Cincinnati Bengals- TE Rob Gronkowski (Arizona)

The Bengals needed major help at wide receiver this offseason, but after signing Matt Jones and signing Antonio Bryant, I doubt they’ll target a wideout early, even though I don’t think Bryant will pan out as a #2 in Cincy. This leaves them with very few needs, but they have needed a tight end for years and if one like Gronkowski slips to them in the 2^nd, I could see them pulling the trigger. They like run blocking tight ends and Gronkowski is a good, big blocker in addition to being a solid target over the middle.

55. Philadelphia Eagles- OLB Daryl Washington (TCU)

One linebacker won’t be enough. After cutting Will Witherspoon, the Eagles need a weakside linebacker badly. Washington has the speed Andy Reid looks for in a linebacker.

56. Green Bay Packers- CB Donovan Warren (Michigan)

Al Harris just turned 35 and missed a good portion of the season with injuries, which have been plaguing him for years. Tramon Williams was decent, but not great in relief of Harris. Even if he does pan out well longterm, Charles Woodson, despite winning defensive player of the year, is 33 and will turn 34 next October. He can’t play that well forever. The Packers, who always like to take best available, will take Warren, who would fit their scheme like a glove, because he will provide them some much needed cornerback depth.

57. Baltimore Ravens- CB Kareem Jackson (Alabama)

After Lardarius Webb got hurt, the Ravens had to start kick returner Chris Carr at cornerback. I think its safe to say they need some cornerback depth and Jackson provides good depth and upside at the position.

58. Arizona Cardinals- OT Roger Saffold (Indiana)

Both of the Cardinals starting tackles gave up 9 sacks last year. Kurt Warner played well through it, but Matt Leinart is nowhere near as mentally tough, so they’ll definitely need tackle help.

59. Dallas Cowboys- OT Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)

Continuing to add some youth to one of the oldest offensive lines in the league, the Cowboys take the massive kid from a tiny school, Jared Veldheer. Veldheer is 6-8 315 and certainly fits what the Cowboys look for in terms of an offensive lineman. He was one of, if not the most dominant offensive tackle in Division I-AA over the last 4 years and didn’t miss a single start in his 4 years at Hillsdale. He’ll replace Flozell Adams well.

60. Seattle Seahawks (via SD)- RB Joe McKnight (USC)

Julius Jones is such a bad running back that every single Seahawks fan I have talked to is begging them to draft a replacement in the first two rounds. Pete Carroll and Joe McKnight worked well together at USC. Carroll probably wouldn’t mind giving him a try at the next level and he happens to be the best available running back.

61. New York Jets- 3-4 DE Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)

After trading for Santonio Holmes, the Jets really only need to upgrade their pass rush. They got a rush linebacker in the first, but they need a guy like Carrington to replace Kenyon Coleman as a pass rusher on the three man line. Carrington is both strong against the run like Coleman was, but he also brings a better pass rush.

62. Minnesota Vikings- S Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech)

They have other need, but they never did replace Darren Sharper after he left last offseason and Burnett is a steal who falls here only as a result of this amazing safety class.

63. Indianapolis Colts- OT Jason Fox (Miami)

Charlie Johnson is a decent left tackle, but he’s also a free agent in 2011 so they may be looking for some depth at the position in this draft. Fox could also possibly flip over to the right side if they wanted him to.

64. New Orleans Saints- OLB Navarro Bowman (Penn State)

Scott Fujita just left as a free agent. He could have been upgraded anyway so that shouldn’t matter, but the Saints need to draft a replacement. Bowman would fit the scheme well. He’s a first round talent, but has a few character issues, but the Saints are in a position to take risks.

Go on to 3rd Round

Or check out what I think should happen

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By Eric Karkovack 

After not having turned the ball over in their first two victories, the Saints had 3 costly gaffes that helped lead to a 27-24 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons.  Not to mention a missed 29 yard field goal attempt by Garrett Hartley that would have put the Saints at 3-0 for the second consecutive year.  Instead, it was the rival Falcons who are now tied with the Saints and Bucs in the NFC South with a record of 2-1. 

For the first time in a long time, we saw Saints quarterback Drew Brees (30/38, 365 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 111.1 QB Rating) make a mental mistake.  Early in the 2nd quarter, Brees was chased out of the pocket by an Atlanta defender.  Instead of throwing the ball away, he made an ill-advised underhanded toss intended for TE Jimmy Graham.  The ball was picked off easily by Falcons’ safety Thomas DeCoud.  The Saints were at the Falcon 25 yard line and had a chance to put points on the board.  A rare poor decision by Brees cost the Saints.

The Falcons were at times dominant on offense.  They held on to the ball for 45:50, while the Saints managed just 27:15 of possession.  The Saints defense was already coming off of a tiring effort in San Francisco, and this was the last thing they needed on a short week of rest.

Atlanta ran for 202 yards on the day, led by Michael Turner (114 yards, 1 TD) and Jason Snelling (62 yards).  The Falcons averaged 4 yards per carry and, but for a couple of long runs, it was a very methodical style that wore down the Saints’ front seven.

Quarterback Matt Ryan (19/30, 228 yards, 2 TD, 108.8 QB Rating) was very solid and under control.  The Saints sacked him twice, but after awhile that Falcons running game just slowed down the pass rush.  The Saints did an especially poor job in covering tight end Tony Gonzalez, who had 8 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.  It seemed every time the Falcons needed a big first down, Gonzalez was left wide open.

But the part of this game that really stings is that 29 yard field goal attempt in overtime.  The Saints had stopped the Falcons on their first possession of the extra session.  And Drew Brees was leading the Saints down the field to what looked like a certain victory.  Hartley lined up for the short kick and pushed it wide left – it wasn’t pretty.

The Falcons jumped on the opportunity for new life and drove down the field for Matt Bryant’s game-winning field goal.

Hartley had a bad opener against the Vikings, but seemed to rebound last week against the 49ers.  He even hit the game-winning kick.  Now it appears his job is in jeopardy as the Saints are working out kickers this week.

This has got to be a tough call for coach Sean Payton.  Hartley hit the biggest kicks in Saints history during the playoffs last year.  They wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl without him.  But, on the other hand, how long can Payton wait for Hartley to turn things around?  Will he have the confidence in Hartley to hit another clutch kick?

I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt for another week.  But if Hartley has lost his confidence, it may be time for a change.

Still, this loss came down to more than just a missed kick.  The Saints as a whole were too mistake prone and gave the Falcons too many opportunities.  It’s just a shame that they couldn’t take advantage of a chance to win, even after the mistakes.

Who Dat Awards:

Lance Moore – Had 6 catches for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Also had a huge punt return.  Great to see #16 healthy and contributing in a big way again.

Jeremy Shockey – Darn near matched Tony Gonzalez’s production.

Will Smith – The defensive end had 1 sack and was able to apply some pressure on Matt Ryan.

Jimmy Graham & Jason Kyle – The duo teamed up for one of the prettiest muffed punt recoveries you’ll ever see.

http://www.nosreview.com/ 

Spotlight #1: Arkansas DE Jake Bequette

Spotlight #2: Arkansas WR Joe Adams 

1^st quarter

12:18: Bequette pancaked on a bull rush.

11:41: Bequette blocked off the play for a big gain to his side.

10:30: Bequette with a sack. Unblocked, missed assignment by the line.

9:50: Bequette with a pressure, forces a hurried throw and an incompletion.

2^nd quarter

13:23: Jonathan Banks with a strip sack in the red zone, returned 52 yards by big defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

6:32: Adams with his first catch of the game, a check down in the flat, surrounded by 2 guys who bottle the play up immediately for a loss and a fumble, recovered by Arkansas. Loss of 13.

5:01: Fletcher Cox with a blocked field goal. The junior defensive tackle has 9.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks on the season at 6-4 300 and would be one of the top defensive tackles in this weak draft class should he declare early.

2:40: Greg Childs has been hurt, but he was once a potential 2^nd day pick. Here he has 3 consecutive catches before leaving the field. All 3 were impressive. The 2^nd was a nice pluck against tough coverage and on the 3^rd he caught it short and laid out for extra yards.

2:16: Joe Adams with a catch along the sideline for 8 yards.

2:04: Joe Adams burns a safety deep for a 32 yard touchdown, nice catch in the end zone. The safety was playing deep, but took one misstep up and Adams burned him. Still a nice over the shoulder catch by Adams as he didn’t have a ton of separation. He wasn’t completely wide open, but overall a great play that shows his speed and pass catching abilities.

1:00: Joe Adams showing nice abilities in the open field for a 29 yard gain after a dump off, but called back after a facemask penalty by a teammate.

3^rd quarter

5:30: Joe Adams, who was taken out of the game earlier after being hit in the eye with the ball on a low bounce, doesn’t have his helmet on on the sideline. He doesn’t look like he’s coming back in up 31-10. I’ll be focusing a little bit on Jarius Wright for the remainder of the game. Wright has 7 catches for 90 yards to this point.

4:18: Wright with a reception for about 7 or 8 short of the first down sticks.

3:06: Greg Childs looking a little slow still trying to catch up to a deep ball in the end zone. He’s still not 100%.

1:16: Tramain Thomas almost got his 5^th pick of the year, but bobbles and drops it.

4^th quarter

11:42: Bequette with a good pass rush move, could have gotten pressure had it not been a screen play.

10:25: Bequette just misses a sack, forces the quarterback up where he’s sack by a rusher from the other side.

8:44: Bequette with a sack fumble. He was unblocked as Arkansas’ blitz on 4^th and 9 just confused Mississippi State’s offensive line.

0:00: Bequette has really been coming on in recent weeks, especially as a pass rusher and he continued that tonight. Bequette, who had 7 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2010, is now had 8 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss on the season in 2011, despite missing 3 games with injury. He now has 7 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in his last 5 games, playing Mississippi, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.

Bequette also held up well against the run for the most part. Arkansas held Mississippi State and Vick Ballard to 84 yards on 32 carries. Ballard rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries, in what wasn’t his best game of the season. He still looks like a mid rounder. Bequette has good size at 6-5 270, runs a 40 in the 4.7s, has a good motor and has really come on in these last few games. He’s a 3 year starter, a 4 year contributor, and an all-around high character guy. He looks like he could end up in day 2 of the NFL Draft if he keeps this up.

Offensively, Arkansas has 3 great wide receivers. Joe Adams is the speedy one. Jarius Wright is the possession receiver. Greg Childs is the biggest of the 3, but he hasn’t been healthy this season. Let’s start with Adams. Adams only played 2 and a half quarters, leaving with an eye injury that probably won’t cost him any games moving forward. He might have come back in this one had Arkansas not been blowing Mississippi State out.

Adams had 3 catches for 29 yards, including an impressive deep touchdown. On the season, Adams now had 46 catches for 595 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season, as well as 3 punt return touchdowns. He has three years of good production and is amazing in space, as he showed in this one on a 29 yard gain on a dump off, in which he reversed field and turned nothing into yards. It was called back by penalty, but it still showed his ability in space.

He should run in the 4.3s, and combine that with his ability in space, his special teams ability, and his 3 years of production, he could be a day 2 pick as a speed receiver/special teamer. NFL teams are always looking for the next DeSean Jackson or Mike Wallace and they may see Adams as potentially that guy.

Jarius Wright could also be a day 2 pick. He’s not very big (5-10 180) or fast (4.4/4.5), but he is very productive and he has great chemistry with Tyler Wilson. He has 3 years of good production and is currently Arkansas’ all time leading receiver. This season, he has 61 catches for 1002 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games. He looks like a slot receiver or a possession #2 receiver at the next level.

Childs had 48 catches for 897 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2009 and then had an awesome 2010, with 46 catches for 659 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 8 games, missing the last 5 with injury. That injury was a torn patellar tendon and it has slowed him this season as well. He’s missed 4 games, in 3 different stints, but even when he’s played, he hasn’t looked right and he hasn’t been on the field very much. He had a very good 3 catch stretch in this game that showed what he can do when he’s right, but on the season, he has 13 catches for 152 yards and no scores. Once a potential day 2 pick, the 6-3 215 pound Childs looks like a mid-late round flier.

The guy throwing to all of these receivers was Tyler Wilson. Wilson is having a fantastic season in his first season as a starter, completing 63.1% of his passes for 8.4 YPA and 21 touchdowns to 5 picks. He’s clearly got a great arm and is showing good leadership and intelligence, running Bobby Petrino’s Pro Style offense.

There were times in this one when his awesome receiving corps really helped him out, catching not the most accurate passes, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does next season, assuming he comes back (he most likely will as he only has a year of starting experience), without Childs, Wright, and Adams. If he plays well next year, he could be an early draft pick, competing with the likes of Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray, Robert Griffin (should he return), to be the first quarterback off the board.

On the Mississippi State side, they have two stud juniors on their defense, Jonathan Banks and Fletcher Cox. Both had a big part in a big fumble recovery for Mississippi State. Banks, a cornerback, forced it on a blitz and Cox recovered it, looking very good in the process returning it 52 yards. He certainly didn’t look like a 6-4 300 pound defensive tackle on that one. Cox has 44 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 4 sacks on the season. Banks has 12 picks in 3 seasons, including 5 this year. At 6-2 185 pound cornerback also has 3 sacks and a punt return touchdown on the season. Both would likely be 2nd round picks if they declared this year, but could be 1st round picks if they returned for their senior seasons. 

Debate the Vikings’ offseason needs in The Football Fan Forum 

2010 Preview:

8/6/10: Hey, you know that whole Brett Favre retiring thing. Turns out it was pretty much a hoax. Even though no one in the media heard it straight from his mouth that he was retiring, the entire world went into a panic and assumed he was retiring because of some alleged text messages. 

8/3/10: It appears Favre is retiring. With Tarvaris Jackson, they are a 8-8 team. They won 10 games with Jackson in 2008, but the division is significantly better since then. 

I touched on the Vikings a bit in Green Bay’s write up, but I’ll elaborate here. These are Brett Favre’s 2009 stats. 4202 yards, 363 completions, 68.4 completion percentage, 7.9 YPA, 33 touchdowns, 7 picks, a 107.2 QB rating. Those yards were his 3^rd highest total of his amazing career, those completions the 2^nd highest (tied) total of his career, the completion percentage was a career high (by a whole 1.9%), the YPA also a career high, and those picks were a career low, by a lot. He threw 6 fewer picks last season than he had in any 16 game season of his career. That QB rating, 7.7 points higher than any season of his career.

Let’s not talk about whether or not Brett Favre is coming back. He is coming back. There is no arguing that. He hasn’t retired yet, as he does most off seasons, so I don’t even know why we’re talking about whether or not he’ll return. He had ankle surgery which was necessary for him to play in 2010. That’s not something someone does if he’s not planning on playing. He jokingly said he would return if Southern Miss’ baseball team made the College World Series. He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t made up his mind about returning. Brett Favre is coming back. 

But, even though he is coming back, to expect a soon to be 41 year old quarterback to match a season in which, arguably, was the best season of his amazing career across the board, is crazy. That and the Packers being a better team, as well as the possible suspensions of Pat and Kevin Williams, make this team slightly worse overall than last year, and my projected record will show that.

Projection: 11-5 2nd in NFC North

Power Ranking: 7

Last season: 12-4

Draft:

#34 CB Chris Cook (Virginia)

Cook fills a bit of a need as the Vikings probably would be best served bringing in another starting caliber cornerback, in this pass heavy league, with Cedric Griffin being average and injured and Antoine Winfield getting up there in age, but he’s a slight reach here and Jimmy Clausen would have made a lot more sense. What happens when Favre retires?

Grade: C

#51 RB Toby Gerhart (Stanford)

They needed a backup for Adrian Peterson with Chester Taylor leaving for Chicago and Gerhart is a good player who fits the range, but I would have rather have seen them take a guy who can catch more passes out of the backfield in the way Taylor could.

Grade: B-

#100 DE Everson Griffen (USC)

Ray Edwards is a free agent in 2011 and even if he returns, they could still use some more pass rushers. In terms of pure value, this may have been the steal of the night, up there with Clausen at 48 and Damian Williams in the mid 3^rd to the Titans. If Griffen pans out and capitalizes on his upside, there would be no stopping this line at all. Forget about protecting your quarterback. It wouldn’t even matter. Running backs getting holes? Forget about it. Not happening.

Grade: A

#161 G Chris Degeare (Wake Forest)

A slight reach in the 5^th, but in the 5^th, a slight reach is alright. It’s very possible they just saw something more in him than I did. He has great size and fits their blocking scheme well and they needed more interior linemen. Adrian Peterson actually struggled late last season running the football because of their interior line and we’ve certainly seen plenty of starting caliber guards come out of the mid rounds before.

Grade: B

#167 MLB Nathan Triplett (Minnesota)

They may have had bigger needs, but there is nothing wrong with taking a guy who fits the draft range, from in state. Plus, if EJ Henderson is not ready to go next season or gets hurt again, Triplett could step in. Jasper Brinkley was a real liability in coverage last year as he insisted on biting on every play fake ever.

Grade: B

#199 QB Joe Webb (UAB)

In 2000, the Patriots drafted a quarterback with the 199^th pick by the name of Tom Brady. In 2010, the Vikings used the same pick on a quarterback, Joe Webb. Coincedence. Probably, but hey, you never know. Maybe he’ll be the next Brady. Or more likely he’ll end up at wide receiver and provide solid depth.

Grade: B-

#214 TE Mickey Shuler (Penn State)

They have a good solid tight end, but they lacked depth behind him. Shuler provides that, though they had bigger needs.

Grade: B-

#237 MLB Ryan D’Imperio (Rutgers)

Another middle linebacker? I know Jasper Brinkley was bad, but they most likely are going to have EJ Henderson back for week 1 next year. I guess D’Imperio could play special teams or another position and he does fit the draft range, but I would have prefered they had taken some depth at center, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, or safety.

Grade: C-

Overall:

This was a fairly solid draft and the steal of a borderline 1^st round prospect in Everson Griffen in the top of the 4^th was great for them. Chris Cook does fill a need and both Gerhart and Degeare will fill valuable roles for them. However, they left a few too many needs untouched, safety, center, defensive tackle, outside linebacker. Also, if Brett Favre retires either this offseason or next, they’ll either not have a solid backup or have to start a rookie. Taking Clausen in the 2^nd would have allowed for a pretty seemless transition at the quarterback position, especially if Favre was able to play at least one more year. If Favre retires this season, I know, they have a strong supporting cast, but they won’t have a good quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson is average at best and Sage Chokesenfels is the only quarterback I know who can blow a 17 point lead with 4 minutes left AND the ball. In this division, which has quickly become one of the best in football, that could mean 7-9 wins and 3^rd or even fourth (depending on Matt Stafford’s development) place.

Grade: B

Key undrafted free agents:

QB Ryan Perrelioux (Jacksonville State)

G Thomas Austin (Clemson)

WR Ray Small (Ohio State)

OT Marlon Winn (Texas Tech)

Positions of need:

Defensive Tackle:

Pat Williams says he’s 50-50 about returning next year. Even if he does return, he’ll be 38 in October and could retire after 2010. They don’t have very much depth behind the two Williamses. The defensive tackle position has been the strength of their team for years and they can’t risk losing that. They need to acquire a talented young defensive tackle to throw into the mix and to groom to be Pat Williams’ future replacement. Brian Price and Jared Odrick will be options at 29.

Quarterback:

Brett Favre could literally retire any minute between now and forever and maybe one of those times he might not come back. Tarvaris Jackson could be a decent quarterback on this team with this supporting cast and get them into the playoffs, but with all the talent they have, they are going to want a quarterback in the future with the talent to lead this team to good things. Unfortunately, I doubt any franchise quarterback will fall to them in the draft. They could look for a talented backup quarterback on one of the other teams and trade for him, the way Houston did when they traded for Matt Schaub. Kevin Kolb could be an option.

Drafted Joe Webb (#199) 

Offensive Guard:

How did Adrian Peterson struggle late in the season? Well, awful interior blocking had something to do with it. They look for big lineman so they could target a big guard in the middle rounds. Maurkice Pouncey and Vlad Ducasse could be options in the 2^nd and John Jerry could be an option in the 3^rd.

Drafted Chris Degeare (#161)

Cornerback:

Antoine Winfield is losing some of his speed at 33 and he has had some recent injury issues as well. Asher Allen was drafted in the 3^rd last year and he has some upside, but more as a kick returner than a defensive backs. Cedric Griffin just had a nasty ACL tear in the NFC Championship game loss and he wasn’t much above average even before his injury. They need some depth at the position, at the least.

Drafted Chris Cook (#34), Signed Lito Sheppard

Outside Linebacker:

Ben Leber isn’t great and he’s also over 30. He’s also in his contract year. If they have a talented outside linebacker drop into their laps, I could see them taking him.

Defensive End:

This becomes a bigger need if Ray Edwards isn’t brought back. Even if he is brought back, they could use some defensive end depth. Ray Edwards did have 8.5 sacks last year, but 4 of those came against Green Bay and Detroit, who have awful offensive lines.

Drafted Everson Griffen (#100) 

Safety:

They never did replace Darren Sharper. Both of the guys they have at the safety position right now are pretty average and there is little depth at the position either.  

Running back:

If Chester Taylor leaves as a free agent, they’ll need to bring in a capable backup for Adrian Peterson.

Drafted Toby Gerhart (#51), Signed Ryan Moats

Free agents:

QB Tarvaris Jackson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

RB Chester Taylor- signed with Bears 4 years 12.5 million

FB Naufahu Tahi (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

OT Artis Hicks- signed with Redskins 3 years 9 million

OT Ryan Cook (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

DT Jimmy Kennedy- resigned 3 years 6 million

DT Fred Evans (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

DE Ray Edwards (restricted)- resigned 1 year 2.5 million

CB Benny Sapp- resigned 2 years 

CB Karl Paymeh (restricted)- not tendered, signed with 49ers 1 year

S Eric Frampton (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

Offseason moves:

Vikings claim WR Marko Mitchell

Vikings re-sign DE Ray Edwards 

Vikings sign RB Ryan Moats 

Vikings sign CB Lito Sheppard

Vikings re-sign QB Tarvaris Jackson 

Vikings re-sign DT Fred Evans

Vikings re-sign OT Ryan Cook

Vikings re-sign S Eric Frampton 

Vikings re-sign DT Jimmy Kennedy

Vikings sign CB Benny Sapp

Vikings sign K Rhys Lloyd

Vikings tender QB Tarvaris Jackson

Vikings tender FB Naufahu Tahi

Vikings tender DE Ray Edwards