[CBFF] 2009 NFL Mock Draft

[Tom Shannon]

Well, that's it then.  Patriots win the SB.  Bears in 2009!

;)

Tom S.
--
Jerry Madsen wrote:
> Defenders earn four of top five spots in first 2009 mock draft
> McShay
>
> By Todd McShay
> Scouts Inc.
> (Archive)
> Insider
>
> Updated: April 29, 2008
>
>     * Comment
>     * Email
>
> 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.
>
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