[CBFF] 2009 NFL Mock Draft

[mactbone]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Not Tebow. Glorified FB.
BTW, shows you what he thinks Chicago's record is going to be next year. Think if the Bears were around 6-10 next season anyone would get canned?
-Chris

----- Original Message ----
From: Jerry Madsen <jerrywm at gmail.com>
To: CBFF <post at chicagobearsfanforum.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:34:53 PM
Subject: [CBFF] 2009 NFL Mock Draft

Defenders earn four of top five spots in first 2009 mock draft
McShay

By Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
Insider

Updated: April 29, 2008

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The 2008 NFL draft is in the books, so now it's time to look ahead to 2009.

Another Early Look We're giving you the top pro prospects for next
season, but which teams will be the best in college football in 2008?
Glad you asked.
• Preseason top 25
Obviously, there are plenty of variables here, starting with the draft
order. Scouts Inc.'s NFL team looked at 2008 schedules, draft order
and personnel -- including 2008 draft classes and free-agent moves --
and put together its initial 2008 power rankings to determine the
order of this mock draft.

As for the prospects, the talent pool includes every draft-eligible
player. Yes, we know some of the top '08 juniors might not come out
early, but if they're technically eligible for the draft, they're
definitely eligible for the 2009 mock draft. An asterisk denotes
draft-eligible underclassmen, including those who redshirted or spent
a year in prep school.

So, with the first pick of the 2009 NFL Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. San Francisco 49ers -- Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
Oher, who possesses the size and athletic ability to develop into an
upper-echelon starting tackle in the NFL, would make an ideal bookend
opposite 2007 first-rounder Joe Staley.

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

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

11. Tennessee Titans -- Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas Tech
Do not pigeonhole Crabtree; he's not just a product of coach Mike
Leach's pass-crazy offense. The tall, long-armed receiver could be the
go-to-target QB Vince Young so desperately needs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20. Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin*, WR/RS, Florida
Staying healthy for a full season would all but guarantee Harvin a
spot in the first round of the NFL draft, either next year or in 2010.

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

22. Green Bay Packers -- Max Unger, OT, Oregon
Unger, who projects as a first-day pick in next year's draft, is the
type of versatile lineman the Packers typically covet.

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

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

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

26. New Orleans Saints -- Gerald McRath, OLB, Southern Miss
The Saints will be looking for an injection of youth and athleticism
at linebacker and the speedy, undersized McRath falls in line with
that objective.

27. New York Giants -- Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida
The Giants could use a quick and powerful tackling machine like Spikes
after failing to address that need early in the 2008 draft.

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

29. Indianapolis Colts -- Vance Walker, DT/DE, Georgia Tech
Walker has the right blend of tools to provide depth along the
interior of Indianapolis' quick-but-undersized defensive line.

30. San Diego Chiefs -- Auston English, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
English is an instinctive, high-motor player with very good speed and
fluid hips for a young defensive end. He already has experience
dropping into coverage on zone-blitz looks within Oklahoma's complex
defensive scheme.

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

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

Todd McShay is the director of college football scouting for Scouts
Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998.
Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench also contributed to this
report.

_______________________________________________
CBFF Homepage and Blog:
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