2. Arizona –Gerald Warren DT Florida
Sorry Justin Smith fans, but the Cardinals are in much less of a need at DE than most of you realize. Simeon Rice was franchised, and with that, the Cardinals would either gain draft compensation, or keep the man who has finished with huge sack totals the past 2 seasons. The Cardinals outside pass rush, while unspectacular, has lots of potential. It will go only as far as Andre Wadsworth, former 3rd overall pick, can take it. But the Cardinals downfall came with the loss of Eric Swann, the stud on the Cardinal defensive line. Swann had the insensity and desire of the entire Cardinal defense. He was the leader, and he was one of the strongest inside run defenders in the NFL. Well, the Cardinals are set to draft Gerald Warren, who is thought to be the next Swann, only better. Says the head of the team scouting department Tom Jones, “Warren is one of those guys who doesn’t just make things happen for himself. He is so big, so powerful, he completely takes up the middle. Not only will he get off a double team and get the the QB, but the entire defense will easily fill any remaining gaps left.” Warren is not just an outstanding run defender at 320 LBS, but he is also an amazing athlete for a man his size. He has one of the best spin moves I have ever witnesed, and brings potential to be the kind of disrupter that makes a defense dominant. He’s somewhat like a combination of Warren Sapp and Cortez Kennedy. The Cardinals now will have at least added a dominant inside lineman, and can continue to build on what little they have, only now the process is much easier.

3. Cleveland-Deuce McAllister RB Mississippi
Cleveland management led by Carman Policy and Dwight Clark has promised to become a far more aggressive offense, as the Browns fans are getting impatient. They have drafted conservatively the past two seasons, taking the best available athlete, trying to build cornerstone players for their team. Both QBTim Couch and DECourtney Brown certainly have that look. The Browns are now trying to propel themselves to the Super Bowl, and what better way to do it than to add an all-around offensive machine in McAllister? Now, many mock drafts have McAllister falling far, even as far as out of the top 10. That won’t happen. Those mock drafts usually have Cleveland taking David Terrell, trying to upgrade their receiving corps. But the fact is this: Both Terrell and McAllister have injury questions. Whether or not the Browns add another receiver, their offense would still have problems moving the ball without a top notch runner. This is not to say that they will settle for Kevin Johnson as their only competent guy, and they will certainly look for a receiver in the 2nd and/or 3rd rounds, but they aren’t going to break their back over getting a compliment this time around. McAllister gives the Browns an all-around type runner, with the speed to bust plays wide open and take it all the way down the field and into the endzone-something that excites fans more than anything else, and the ability to catch the ball out in the flat and take it up field for big yardage and move the chains. That’s the type of guy this West Coast Offense that Policy and Clark are trying to bring over from San Francisco is all about.

4. Cincinnati-Justin Smith DE Missouri
The Bengals would love to add another playmaker on offense, preferably at wide receiver. But with the quarterback situation in jeopardy, that would likely go to waste for a while. Besides, Darnay Scott, who is known as a very capable receiver, is returning, giving the Bengals a formidable 1-2 punch at receiver with Peter Warrick, who could develop into a superstar (he certainly should with his abilities), and Scott alongside him. What becomes obvious is the Bengals defense needs upgrading. Their pass rush on the outside really needs to be bolstered, and there would be nobody better than Justin Smith. Smith plays with the kind of heart and intensity the coaches in Cinci are dying to see, and would set the tone for the rest of the defense to become great. The Bengals already feature Takeo Spikes, Brian Simmons, and a couple other very athletic linebackers on their very talented young defense. Artrell Hawkins, a very capable cover corner, is also returning. With their new head coach Dick LeBeau, the Bengals are finally enjoying what they do on the field, and a playoff run may be in store for them this coming season, assuming they get the Corey Dillion saga sorted out.

5. Atlanta-Leonard Davis OT Texas
O.K, you’re probably asking “Why would they take a left tackle like Davis when they have just re-signed their best offensive lineman, Bob Whitfield, who plays left tackle?” Well, the Falcons are ecstatic to have him back. But they aren’t going to leave him hanging on the offensive line. The Falcons will go out and find themselves an outstanding prospect at right tackle. This would not only help protect Chris “Chandelier” Chandler, or whoever the hell they have at QB, but would also give them someone who could become the ferocious drive run blocker they need on the right side. The Falcons offensive line has been, well, less than stellar in blocking for Jamal Anderson, who hopes to return to elite status. Leonard Davis is a huge guy, and his future probably lies at right tackle. And what will make him really great is the fact that he can move. He can pull, and he is an excellent pass blocker with incredible feet for a guy his size. His weight is just too high for a true left tackle in the NFL, and thus the Falcons will take a guy who could develop into the best right side bookend in the league, and along with Bob Whitfield, would provide them with the best duo of bookends in the NFL.

6. New England-Kenatta Walker OT Florida
The Patriots have absolutely nobody worth mentioning on their offensive line right now. They have some solid guys inside, but their pair of tackles right now is a joke. Bruce Armstrong is clearly one of the biggest jokes starting at left tackle in the history of this game. The 37-year-old can’t block a school schedule anymore. Armstrong has no athleticism, and he’s just plain not a factor. They need a factor, someone who will take the initiative to drive block, to give Bledsoe time in the pocket to throw. Walker, an impressive physical speciman, is not only a real big guy, but has amazing technical ability. Whether he plays on the left or right side, he will be an awesome offensive lineman. He is aggressive, he gets great drop in his hips on pass blocks, and he punches. Even the casual fan can tell the scouts love his technique by watching him play. His feet are there, his strength is there. He’ll need to have some patience, because he’ll have some problems going up against elite ends his first year in the league, as his feet aren’t as good as Davis’, and he’s not as strong, but he’s what you’re looking for down the road. A big, nasty OT.

7. Seattle (from Dallas)-Chad Johnson WR Oregon State
The defensive rebuilding period is over. They did absolutely all they could to completely revamp that team with proven stars. Inside, they now have Chad Eaton and John Randle, two more athletic guys, manning the middle. Randle’s presence should instantly be a pickup to a team that needs attitude. He should also help get Strahan back to the level he played at when he made the Pro Bowl in 1999, and the other endLamar King should emerge as a Pro Bowl caliber player. They added long-time Pro Bowler Levon Kirkland, who has been, in one word, ASWESOME at MLB. He’s a tackle machine, he’s got an uncanny knack for making the play, wherever it may be. They still have Chad Brown and Anthony Simmons, two every active LBs who can chance the game. And they have addressed their secondary need slightly by adding Marcus Robertson, who is an smart, instinctive free safety from Tennessee’s excellent defense. The Seahawks and Head Coach Mike Holmgren aren’t going to risk everything on Koren Robinson, who had emerged as the top receiver in the draft before running a poor forty time. Robinson also has a leg injury that is a conern, and thus Chad Johnson, who stands 6’2” and weighs 195 will be the guy. Johnson has shown the all-around ability at Oregon State that has caught Holmgren’s eye, and he wants to give Matt Hasselback a playmaker, right? So he’ll get him a guy with 4.45 speed and who is the brother of Bucs star Keyshawn Johnson rather than take a risk on Robinson.

8. Chicago-LaDanian Tomlinson RB TCU
Wow, this is going to come as a shocker to you, but it’s only logical. The Bears defense will probably rank #1 in the NFL starting next year. Brian Urlacher has completely shut down every team’s running game this past season, regardless of what he says the opposing FB did to him. Nobody is bigger than him, nobody is stronger than him, nobody is faster than him, and nobody is more intelligent and in-tune with the opposition than he is. He’s a future legend, and now the Bears have sufficiently supported his talent. They have signed Keith Traylor, a run stuffing extroardinare from the Denver Broncos. Traylor doesn’t just stuff double teams, he can run and make plays down the line. Isn’t Urlacher enough?!?!?! They don’t need another LB with this ferocious run defense. And if that’ s not enough, they just tried to make the NFL cry by signing former Buffalo Bill Ted Washington. Anyone who has ever seen him knows what I’m talking about. The 350-LB DT has been known as the NFL’s best in-line run stuffer for quite some time, and he has got to be the biggest man in the NFL. The secondary of Chicago is solid, with Mike Brown emerging as a real good safety, and Tony Parrish continuing to hammer ball carriers and receivers over the middle. R.W McQuarters is likely their star at corner, and the Bears have some real good depth in the secondary at every position, as Shawn Wooden, a former starting strong safety for the Miami Dolphins, returns to action. For what it’s worth, I believe the Bears and Cade McNown have a good enough passing game to win. But they have absolutely no ground game. James Allen was able to, after much kicking and screaming, gain 1,000 yards on the ground, but that’s not what the Bears consider the answer. The Bears’ scouting crew looked impressed with TCU’s Tomlinson, who shows something Allen doesn’t show. He showed that he would “never stop moving his feet”, and “never give up.” Tomlinson has shown that he is good enough at catching the ball, and in the Bears’ offense, that’s all they’ll need. Tomlinson provides them with that awesome speed and game-breaking ability at RB they crave.

9. San Francisco-**** TRADE DOWN
The 49ers have a system in place. They will trade down if both DEs Andre Carter and Jamal Reynolds are available by the time their pick comes up. They will hope that one of them will be available at their lower position. Acquiring another pick or two in later rounds, the 49ers trade with St. Louis and acquire STL’s #12 overall selection. St. Louis has this pick through K.C, who were forced to give up their 1st round choice for Trent Green once Aikman retired.

9. St. Louis-Richard Seymour DT/DE Georgia
Seymour is an impact tackle. He has outstanding speed, quickness, and strength. He can play both tackle and end, but the one thing he shows is the ability to dominate in both the run and pass game. The type of force he is would be perfect for the Rams, who now need two DTs after cutting D’Marco Farr, and re-signing Ray Agnew for a backup role. They want an impact lineman, and Seymour IS IT. After that, they don’t like their chances with Damione Lewis and Shaun Rodgers. This is a smart move for the Rams, as they could even move Seymour to end to replace the departed star Kevin Carter.

10. Seattle-Santana Moss WR Miami
Holmgren, pretty confident and cocky after completely rebuilding a once devastated franchise to the extent that they are now contenders in the AFC West, he selects a second receiver, looking for a potent offense. Not confident that Chad Johnson is the best playmaker, he steals Santana Moss at #10. Now they have two potential superstar receivers, and Shaun Alexander in their run game. Watch out for the Seahawks this year!

11. Carolina-Dan Morgan LB Miami
Seifert knows he has lots of needs. But he’ll be content to stay with Jeff Lewis as his new starting QB. He wants to upgrade a defense, that well, stinks. And what better a way to do that than with one of the greatest LBs in college football history? Dan Morgan has outstanding speed, strength, and instincts, and he is future Pro Bowl material. Seifert has said in the past he just wants a great player out of this draft, a guarentee. Says Seifert, “At least at my old age, I’ll be able to have a young player to count on when things are going wrong. I want someone to take charge of this team, someone who can make plays on his own, and turn the whole team around.” Well, he just described Morgan. The entire defense will be made better by his presence, but the Panthers have a LONG way to go.

12. San Francisco-Andre Carter DE Cal
Not helped by the fact that Reynolds and Carter are still available, the team makes its call. And they made the right one. They’ll take the guy who has been shafted by scouts for his lack of size and timed speed. They’ll take the guy who is an all-around player, a great leader, which they need more of, and has a father who was an excellent football player as well. While they know Jamal Reynolds would’ve been great value, some question whether he’s even a true DE at all. He has been compared to Simeon Rice and Peter Boulware. Personally, I think that’s all complete B.S, as the man is strong as an ox, and plays the run much better than anyone gives him credit for. But Carter is the type of person the 49ers need to just plug right into their defense. One thing we know-Carter will be a Pro Bowler. He has had to be double teamed every down at Cal, and yet he still registered 13 sacks. The Niners have lacked the great DE for the last several years of struggle on defense, but not anymore.

13. Jacksonville-Marcus Stroud DT Georgia
The Jaguars are going to try and rebuild the interior of their defense, and Stroud is the type of big, strong tackle they need. Gary Walker, while at times is a fine player, is not the dominant tackle they have been looking for. They want a huge man to plug up the middle, and also to take up the double team so that Brackons can be freed up to explode off his upfield charge. Stroud will be groomed by Jacksonville coaches into playing at the best level he possibly can.

14. Buffalo-Steve Hutchinson OG Michigan
Buffalo’s run game has been ineffective the past 5 years or so, and the main problem has been the fact that Buffalo doesn’t have enough skilled blockers up front. Rueben Brown is a Pro Bowler, but that’s about it. While Buffalo can’t take a RB, they will need to add some muscle to the o-line, as well as much improvement over athleticism, because Jamie Nails and Joe Panos just aren’t the answers. Hutchinson has great size and strenght, and he plays like a veteran. He rarely gets beat in pass protection, and shows future Pro Bowl potential. This should give Buffalo, very shortly, the best duo of guards in the NFL.

15. Washington-Koren Robinson WR NC State
He has fallen this far, he has great potential, and as always, Washington will take a risk. Dan Snyder will fall in love with this guy, and envision him as the go-to guy for Jeff George. Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be like Young to Rice. LOL! But Washington at least gives themselves the possibility of a talented receiving corps.

16. Pittsburgh-Drew Brees QB Purdue
They aren’t going to rely on Kordell Stewart any longer, and a move to WR is more than likely. Stewart would become the go-to guy, as he has blazing speed and good hands, far better than Plaxico Burress and Troy Edwards. The Steelers must’ve learned their lesson about drafting receivers, and I get the feeling management is just plain fed up with Burress and Edwards. They’re going to have to play well, or Stewart and Hines Ward will make the “Slash duo”, or something. Remember, both played QB at one point in the football careers, if you didn’t get that. But Brees is the guy they will attempt to get this offense going. His warrior-like attitude and ability to throw on the run makes him ideal for the Steeler offense.

17. Green Bay-Jamal Reynolds DE Florida State
When does the falling stop for him? Well, it finally happened. Jamal got selected. At one point, you heard so much hype about Reynolds that you’d think he was this year’s Courtney Brown. The next, he’s falling faster than the stock market did after Bush took office. Reynolds is a great physical speciman, and weighs much more than Andre Carter, who was taken earlier. He’s by far the most explosive end off the corner in the draft. I compare him to Hugh Douglas in Philly, and Chris Doleman, former 49er and Viking. He is underrated against the run, and has the ability to rush from either the inside or outside line. But his lack of strength at the point of attack was able to scare some teams off of him, and thus Green Bay, if they use him right, has a major steal. The Pack are definitely my favorite to win the central next year.

18. Detroit-Jeff Backus OT Michigan
He’s a local guy, and they desperately need a left tackle to protect Charlie Batch. Stockar McDougle played out there last year, and he’s clearly better at right guard. The loss of Jeff Hartings should also influence this decision. Backus is a veteran type lineman, who has great feet, strength, and knows how to handle any type of rusher with knowledge of how to play the game. He stays square, and he engulfs. Really good left side run blocker, with hard nose and he keeps his feet moving.

19. New York Jets- Derek Gibson S Florida State
The Jets desperately need a starting free safety, and with Victor Green, the current free safety not getting any younger, the multi-talented Jets will select a potential future superstar. Gibson is both a great run support safety and is excellent in coverage. The Jets will develop him in their new system, which already has several real good players with the likes of OLB Mo Lewis and DE Shaun Ellis. The Jets’ secondary has the corners in Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman, but they need a great free safety to take their good secondary to the next level.

20. Kansas City (from St. Louis)- Michael Bennett RB Wisconsin
The Chiefs have a huge need at runningback, and with the multi-talented Tony Richardson moving back to fullback, his best position, the Chiefs now will try to add confidence to their backfield with a top-notch runner. Bennett has the breakaway speed and power to run between the tackles the Chiefs crave. This will add the dimension to their offense they have missed for 3 or 4 years now, and with Derrick Alexander, 2nd year talent Sylvester Morris, and TE Tony Richardson. Dick Vermeil has got to feel good about himself after this draft, but he’s got to wonder about how his offensive line will produce.

21. Tampa Bay-Alge Crumpler TE North Carolina
This is the only real need remaining on the Bucs’ roster, after the signing of QB Brad Johnson from the Redskins. They would’ve taken a left tackle, had a good value one been available, but now they decide to get a far better tight end for their offense. Crumpler is the top-rated TE, and is a good receiver and blocker. Current TE Dave Moore simply isn’t a good enough weapon, and the Bucs feel this need has been put off for too long. Crumpler will give Johnson the big target over the middle he needs, when Keyshon Johnson and co. are covered.

22. Indianapolis-Jamar Fletcher CB Wisconsin
Indy needs a corner on its pathetic defense from last season most of all, and the best one in the draft is clearly Fletcher. Fletcher has the speed and all-around play making ability, to go along with athletic arrogance, and that’s the type of corner the Colts severely lack. This should be a no-brainer for them, however, they may have to battle it out with Denver and Minnasota, the other two teams strictly eyeing a corner.

23. New Orleans-Fred Smoot CB Mississppi
Aggressive all-around corner, who can also play safety. Fits the aggressive attitude of the New Orleans secondary like a glove. He’s got great understanding of how to play the position, and he is physical and a trash talker all game long. They are in love with him.

24. Denver-Gary Baxter S Baylor
The Broncos need a free safety, and they should have one in this young guy. Baxter is an aggressive, confident safety, and while Denver will be a little concerned about value, they will easily select him with their 1st round pick in search of bettering the talent in their secondary.

25. Philadelphia-Reggie Wayne WR Miami
Wayne has the best hands and big play ability of the remaining wideouts, and the Eagles desperately need some weapons for McNabb. Wayne’s leaping ability and powerful strides after the catch are ideal for McNabb’s go-to guy.

26. Miami-Freddie Mitchell WR UCLA
Miami’s top need is for a big-play WR, and Mitchell demonstrated that by torching Jamar Fletcher, the nation’s top corner. Mitchell has the speed and moves to flat out dominate, and the outstanding hands to simply pluck the ball out of the air like grapes off the vine. Should be a fine selection for a team in dier need of some offensive firepower.

27. Minnesota-Ken Lucas CB Mississippi
Unfortunately for Minnesota, they will add very little value in the late 1st round. But they must address corner, and Lucas would be the best available guy. He’s got the ideal size and speed, and man cover skills. Certainly an upgrade over what they had last year!

28. Oakland-Ken-Rambo WR Ohio State
The Raiders are in a window, and it is small. They have a couple of excellent chances to win the Super Bowl with MVP candidate Rich Gannon, and many other excellent veteran talents. But they still want another playmaker to help put them over the top offensively, and that man is Ken-Yon Rambo. The Oakland scouting department raves about his awesome speed and playmaking abilities, and would love have him replace James Jett, who has been ineffective the past 2 years. Rambo will help open things up with his speed for fellow WRs Tim Brown and Andre Rison.

29. Tennessee-Chad Ward OG Washington
With Bruce Matthews probably entering his final season, the Titans have a huge need to develop a young guard. Ward adds great strength and athleticism, two of Mathews’ desirable qualities. The Titans have other offensive needs, particularly at wideout, but they will hold off until the second round, rather than pass on the best available offensive lineman.

30. New York Giants-Nate Clements CB Ohio State
He fits them best, because of his aggressive play against the run, and outstanding punt return skills. Jason Seahorn has been waiting for some sufficient help, and now he will get it with the top prospect corner remaining. Clements also has the size the Giants love, standing at over 6’.