Mocking The Draft

Updated 09 Mock Draft

BlueVol03 — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:20:30 -0000

Pick #	Team	Wins	Player Name	Position	School
R1
1	49ers	3	Michael Oher	OT	Ole Miss
2	Ravens	4	Rey Maualuga	LB	USC
3	Bears	4	Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech
4	Dolphins	4	Malcolm Jenkins	CB	Ohio State
5	Falcons	5	Fili Moala	DT	USC
6	Eagles (Car)	10 (5)	Michael Johnson	DE	Georgia Tech
7	Raiders	5	Tyson Jackson	DE	LSU
8	Jets	5	Chris Wells	RB	Ohio State
9	Redskins	5	James Laurainitis	LB	Ohio State
10	Lions	6	Knowshon Moreno	RB	Georgia
11	Titans	6	Percy Harvin	WR	Florida
12	Chiefs	7	Eugene Monroe	OT	Virginia
13	Buccaneers	7	Brian Cushing	LB	USC
14	Vikings	7	Duke Robinson	OG	Oklahoma
15	Bengals	8	George Selvie	DE	South Florida
16	Jaguars	8	Al Woods	DT	LSU
17	Seahawks	8	Andre Smith	OT	Alabama
18	Browns	8	LeSean McCoy	RB	Pittsburgh
19	Broncos	9	Taylor Mays	S	USC
20	Rams	9	Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	Maryland
21	Steelers	9	Ciron Black	OT	LSU
22	Eagles	10	Myron Rolle	S	Florida State
23	Bills	10	Greg Hardy	DE	Ole Miss
24	Texans	10	Vontae Davis	CB	Illinois
25	Cardinals	10	William Moore	S	Missouri
26	Giants	11	Greg Middleton	DE	Indiana
27	Packers	11	Victor Harris	CB	Virginia Tech
28	Patriots	13	Nic Harris	S	Oklahoma
29	Chargers	11	Arian Foster	RB	Tennessee
30	Saints	12	Alex Mack	C	California
31	Cowboys	12	Jeremy Maclin	WR	Missouri
32	Colts	14	Jeff Owens	DT	Georgia
R2
33	49ers	3	Brandon Spikes	LB	Florida
34	Ravens	4	Jeremy Perry	OG	Oregon State
35	Bears	4	Herman Johnson	OG	LSU
36	Dolphins	4	Oderick Turner	WR	Pittsburgh
37	Falcons	5	Sen'Derrick Marks	DT	Auburn
38	Panthers	5	DeMarcus Granger	DT	Oklahoma
39	Raiders	5	Phil Loadholt	OT	Oklahoma
40	Jets	5	Joe Burnett	CB	Central Florida
41	Redskins	5	Vince Oghobaase	DT	Duke
42	Lions	6	Terrance Taylor	DT	Michigan
43	Titans	6	Demonte Bolden	DT	Tennessee
44	Chiefs	7	Cullen Harper	QB	Clemson
45	Buccaneers	7	Mike Mickens	CB	Cincinatti
46	Vikings	7	Peria Jerry	DT	Ole Miss
47	Bengals	8	Alex Boone	OT	Ohio State
48	Jaguars	8	Patrick Chung	S	Oregon
49	Seahawks	8	Curtis Painter	QB	Purdue
50	Browns	8	Demetrius Brown	WR	LSU
51	Broncos	9	Darry Beckwith	LB	LSU
52	Rams	9	Max Unger	OT	Oregon
53	Steelers	9	Alphonso Smith	CB	Wake Forest
54	Eagles	10	Dace Richardson	OT	Iowa
55	Bills	10	Michael Hamlin	S	Clemson
56	Texans	10	Greg Carr	WR	Florida State
57	Cardinals	10	James Davis	RB	Clemson
58	Giants	11	Marcus Freeman	LB	Ohio State
59	Packers	11	Brian Orakpo	DE	Texas
60	Patriots	13	Maurice Evans	DE/OLB	Penn State
61	Patriots (SD)	13 (11)	Marlon Lucky	RB	Nebraska
62	Saints	12	Chase Coffman	TE	Missouri
63	Cowboys	12	Derek Pegues	S	Mississippi State
64	Colts	14	Brian Robiskie	WR	Ohio State

2009 Mock? Sure, Why Not.

ejruiz — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:20:04 -0000

I'll be using the 2008 draft order so as to avoid any confusion and debate regarding that aspect of this experiment, but I seriously don't believe we'll experience that level of deja vu! First round, no trades allowed (other than the ones already made, of course), no underclassmen and the obvious caveat that it's way too early for this to be anything more than silly fun. Without further ado...

    1. Miami Dolphins: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
    2. St. Louis Rams: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
    3. Atlanta Falcons: Fili Moala, DT, USC
    4. Oakland Raiders: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
    5. Kansas City Chiefs: Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
    6. New York Jets: William Moore FS Missouri
    7. San Francisco 49ers: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
    8. Baltimore Ravens: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
    9. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
  10. New Orleans Saints: Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
  11. Buffalo Bills: Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin
  12. Denver Broncos: James Laurinaitis ILB Ohio State
  13. Philadelphia Eagles (from Panthers): Jeremy Perry, OG, Oregon State
  14. Chicago Bears: Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue
  15. Detroit Lions: Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech
  16. Arizona Cardinals: James Davis, RB, Clemson
  17. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
  18. Houston Texans: Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Max Unger, OT, Oregon
  21. Washington Redskins: Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson
  22. Cleveland Browns: Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Herman Johnson, OG, LSU
  24. Tennessee Titans: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
  25. Seattle Seahawks: Alex Boone, OT, Ohio State
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon
  27. San Diego Chargers: Nic Harris, FS, Oklahoma
  28. Dallas Cowboys: Aaron Kelly, WR, Clemson
  29. Indianapolis Colts: Darius Hill, TE, Ball State
  30. Green Bay Packers: Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee
  31.  New England Patriots: Marlon Lucky, RB, Nebraska
  32. New York Giants: Sean Lee, OLB, Penn State

My 2009 Mock Draft

BlueVol03 — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:28:32 -0000

1	Bears	Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech
2	Ravens	Michael Oher	OT	Ole Miss
3	49ers	Tyson Jackson	DE	LSU
4	Dolphins	Rey Maualuga	LB	USC
5	Falcons	Malcolm Jenkins	CB	Ohio State
6	Chiefs	Andre Smith	OT	Alabama
7	Jets	Chris Wells	RB	Ohio State
8	Titans	Michael Johnson	DE	Georgia Tech
9	Redskins	Fili Moala	DT	USC
10	Raiders	Al Woods	DT	LSU
11	Eagles (Car)	Taylor Mays	S	USC
12	Lions	Knowshon Moreno	RB	Georgia
13	Rams	Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	Maryland
14	Bengals	George Selvie	DE	USF
15	Broncos	Jame Laurainitis	LB	Ohio State
16	Buccaneers	Brian Cushing	LB	USC
17	Bills	Victor Harris	CB	Virginia Tech
18	Jaguars	William Moore	S	Missouri
19	Vikings	Duke Robinson	OG	Oklahoma
20	Eagles	Eugene Monroe	OT	Virginia
21	Texans	Vontae Davis	CB	Illinois
22	Cardinals	Myron Rolle	S	Florida State
23	Giants	Greg Hardy	DE	Ole Miss
24	Seahawks	Phil Loadholt	OT	Oklahoma
25	Browns	Lesean McCoy	RB	Pittsburgh
26	Steelers	Herman Johnson	OG	LSU
27	Packers	Greg Middleton	DE	Indiana
28	Saints	Alex Mack	C	California
29	Patriots	Nic Harris	S	Virginia Tech
30	Chargers	Arian Foster	RB	Tennessee
31	Cowboys	Percy Harvin	WR	Florida
32	Colts	Jeff Owens	DT	Georgia

33	Bears	Cullen Harper	QB	Clemson
34	Ravens	Jeremy Maclin	WR	Missouri
35	49ers	Ciron Black	OT	LSU
36	Dolphins	Chase Coffman	TE	Missouri
37	Falcons	Sen'Derrick Marks	DT	Auburn
38	Chiefs	Curtis Painter	QB	Purdue
39	Jets	Brandon Spikes	LB	Florida
40	Titans	Oderick Turner	WR	Pittsburgh
41	Redskins	Kam Chancellor	S	Virginia Tech
42	Raiders	Alex Boone	OT	Ohio State
43	Panthers	Joe Burnett	CB	Central Florida
44	Lions	DeMarcus Granger	DT	Oklahoma
45	Rams	Max Unger	OT	Oregon
46	Buccaneers	Darry Beckwith	LB	LSU
47	Broncos	Demonte Bolden	DT	Tennessee
48	Bengals	Dace Richardson	OT	Iowa
49	Bills	Vince Oghobaase	DT	Duke
50	Jaguars	Mike Mickens	CB	Cincinatti
51	Vikings	Peria Jerry	DT	Ole Miss
52	Eagles	Anthony Parker	OG	Tennessee
53	Texans	Jaison Williams	WR	Oregon
54	Cardinals	Marlon Lucky	RB	Nebraska
55	Giants	Gerald McRath	LB	Southern Miss
56	Seahawks	Jeremy Perry	OG	Oregon
57	Browns	Demetrius Byrd	WR	LSU
58	Steelers	Travard Lindley	CB	Kentucky
59	Packers	James Davis	RB	Clemson
60	Saints	Cornelius Ingram	TE	Florida
61	Patriots	Maurice Evans	DE/LB	Penn State
62	Patriots (SD)	Vidal Hazleton	WR	USC
63	Cowboys	Derek Pegues	S	Mississippi State
64	Colts	Brian Robiskie	WR	Ohio State

An idea

LiveinDCbutsteelerfanbyheart — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:57:23 -0000

Why dont we try to get all of the site coordinators from each team write a brief writeup about each teams hopes and outlooks on this years draft. I see that to many people are complaining that some people are commenting about their team when in reality they may or may not know as much about a certain team as those who are fans of a certain team. Because honestly i know alot more about the steelers than i do about any other team. Thus it would not be fair for me to make rational comments on other teams. Just a thought.

2008 NFL Post-Draft Yin and Yang: AFC and NFC South

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:59:14 -0000

We chug along with the 2008 Post Draft Yin and Yang. The AFC and NFC South teams are in the spotlight today. Did teams like the Texans or Falcons do enough to get better in their divisions? Did the Colts and Bucs do enough to remain on top? Cue the chanting:

Ommmmmmmmmmmm...

AFC South

Yin:

Indianapolis Colts

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go ahead and say it. The Colts blogger gives his favorite team props. Oh, who didn't see that coming. I'm sure some of you think that, but if you take the tin foil hat off for a sec you'll notice that many people thought the Colts did well with this draft. OG Mike Pollak, OC Steve Justice, and OL Jamey Richard give them excellent depth on the o-line. DE Marcus Howard will spell Freeney and Mathis as a pass rusher, and RB Mike Hart will help spell Joseph Addai. Colts addressed all their off-season needs in one draft. Solid, all around.

Yang:

Tennessee Titans

The Titans reached big time for RB Chris Johnson in the 1st round despite having significant holes in their secondary and at DE. Jason Jones helps but he is not enough to stem the loses of both Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy to free agency. They didn't draft a DB until round 7 despite having horrid safeties and an aging Nick Harper.

Yin:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Criticize the move t trade up and get DE Derrick Harvey at #8 all you want, but you're wrong if you do. Many rated Harvey higher than DE Vernon Gholston. It was not likely Harvey was going to make it out of the top 10. Jacksonville targeted the guy they wanted and they got him, addressing the one weakness that has plagued the Jags defense for years: Lack of pass rush. DE Quentin Groves adds more pass rushing depth to the line. CB Trae Williams was also a good pick-up.

Yang:

Houston Texans

The Texans had one of the worst drafts of 2008. Houston traded down in the first round, presumably thinking players like Sam Baker or Jeff Otah might be there. They weren't, and with no second round pick the Texans had to reach for OT Duane Brown, a guy who is a converted TE. Brown was also the only o-lineman Houston took even though their line has been horrible since their very creation as a franchise. Steve Slaton is a situational RB and not the full-time, carry the load RB the Texans sorely need.

Ommmmmmmmmmmm...

NFC South

Yin:

New Orleans Saints

they couldn't get the guy they wanted, DT Glenn Dorsey, but the did get a pretty damn good one in DT Sedrick Ellis. The interior of the d-line for the Saints was putrid in 2007, and management made it their mission to correct that problem. Taking Ellis, and then later drafting DT DeMario Pressley, should correct that issue. I'm not big on CB Tracy Porter because of his questionable character, but his talent is undeniable.

Yang:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs need playmakers on offense. Jeff Garcia is old, their WRs stink, and they have no legit receiving TE threat. Yet, despite these needs they take a CB, Aqib Talib, with their first round pick, passing on big potential play players like RB Rashard Mendenhall, TE Dustin Keller, or WR Limas Sweed. In the late 2nd round, they take WR Dexter Jackson who hadn't caught many passes in college, especially in comparison to players like Sweed. Jackson also drops a lot of balls, which is not good for Jon Gruden's West Coast-style offense.

Yin:

Atlanta Falcons

Taking QB Matt Ryan at #3 overall was smart. Ryan has all the tools, and it sends a clear signal to fans that the Michael Vick days are over. Ryan is now the face of the franchise. Getting WR Harry Douglas in round 3 is also a solid pick-up. They reached a bit taking OT Sam Baker late in round 1, but Atlanta is setting up a solid foundation for the future.

Yang:

Carolina Panthers

Carlina's d-line, LBs, secondary, and QB position all needed addressing, in particular QB. Jake Delhomme simply can't stay healthy, but the Panthers opted to go with a RB who also has injury concerns: Jonathan Stewart. Stewart was a reach at #13 overall, and players like OT Chris Williams or OG Branden Albert were better prospects even though they didn't fill needs. Carolina had to trade back into the 1st round again to get Jeff Otah, a move they wouldn't have needed to make had they just taken Williams and not reached for Stewart. LB Dan Connor in round 3 was a nice pick-up, and several of their day two selections were quite good. But, they did not do well on the first day, and Jake Delhomme is not going to take them back to the Super Bowl.

Next up: We wrap it all up with the NFC and AFC West teams!

Carl Nicks - Slowness because of former Nebraska Strength coach?

corn blight — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:36:52 -0000

There were some comments on the New Era profile about offensive tackle Carl Nicks from Nebraska with regards to his lack of speed.

Nebraska's former strength coach had a lot to do with that and I have to believe that Nicks will improve that problem in the NFL. If that and his character issues (which weren't an issue at Nebraska ) are the only problems, someone is going to get one helluva deal on the guy.

Draft Talk Tonight!

MattMiller — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:44:37 -0000

I will be on the radio tonight at 8pm EST with former New Era Scouting writer Chris Harring. We'll talk mostly about the AFC East, but will discuss various topics about the 2008 NFL Draft. We may even do a mock draft, who knows.

You can listen live at WRSU.org!

If any other SBNation bloggers have shows this week, please let us know so we can promote you and your site.

Good luck to everyone.

Jake Long will go #1 overall to the Dolphins

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:58:01 -0000

AOL Fanhouse reports it here:

The Miami Dolphins have agreed to a contract with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long and will sign him to a contract with $30 million guaranteed, multiple media outlets are reporting.
Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the contract is a five-year deal worth $57 million, which is less total and less guaranteed money than JaMarcus Russell got as the first pick of the Raiders last year, although Russell signed a six-year contract, meaning Long can become a free agent a year earlier.

Everyone re-arrange your mocks.

Welcome to the new Mocking The Draft and SB Nation

clockwerks — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:14:27 -0000

Hey Mocking The Draft,

Today is the big day. We've switched your community over to the new SB Nation sports blog platform. My name is Trei, and I'm here to help you get adjusted to the new home we've built for you. If you have questions or trouble with the new system, post a comment in this thread and myself or one of the team (lovitt, sixfoot6 or odacrem) will try to point you in the right direction.

Before we begin, I want to let you know we still consider this a beta platform, so don't be surprised if you find a few bugs or if everything isn't exactly right yet. We hope you'll take the time to report any problems you encounter at bugreport@sbnation.com. We'll be continuing to make changes and improving things.

Please take a few minutes to read about what's new below. But if you just can't wait to jump in, here are some quick things to check out:

Sign up for your SB Nation network account and claim your old blog accounts
Once you're logged in, press your Z key in any thread with new comments
Explore your dashboard and setup your profile
Read the guide to the new FanPost editor
Install the FanShot bookmarklet and post videos to Mocking The Draft from YouTube or images from Flickr
Click the "Rec" button on posts and comments to help other people find the good stuff.
Customize display options on your Edit Settings page

What Has Changed

SB Nation Network Accounts - the Big Change

Readers across all of our blogs told us they wanted one account to use on every SB Nation blog. To make this work, we're requiring that everyone create a new SB Nation network account. In most cases you should be able to keep your old username, but a few of you may have to choose something new, since every other community in SB Nation will be going through this same transition. We tried to be as fair as possible in deciding who gets to keep which name, using a formula that takes into account length of membership and frequency of activity.

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FanPosts (the Section Formerly Known as Diaries)

We changed their name. Why? Because we took this major upgrade as an opportunity to leave behind some vocabulary that never made much sense for a sports blog. SB Nation is the network of, by and for fans, and these are the blog posts we make. So we call them FanPosts. When you're at a bar telling someone to check out your online sports opinions, you don't have to suggest they read your diary.

FanPosts are displayed differently on the homepage - we include your avatar to give more credit for the time you spend writing great posts. The new post editor has a WYSIWYG view that provides easy formatting. It also auto-saves drafts so you don't have to worry about losing your work when you compose a post within the web browser. And you can now associate teams, players and games with your posts: these tools promote your FanPosts on our new team, player and game pages - across the entire network.

The new system does not work like the old diary editor. For example, in HTML mode the new editor doesn't auto-create a new paragraph from two line breaks. But it does offer a whole array of new features. Look for the blinking help button on the right side of the FanPost editor for quick tips, and take a look at our full guide to writing FanPosts on the new platform.

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Schedule, Scores, Stats and Roster

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There are plenty more small changes and additions we've made, so please take a careful look around and explore this new system. We appreciate your patience and hope you'll help us improve the new platform for this and all the other SB Nation blogs.

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Thanks for sucking... Malcolm Kelly

MattMiller — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:39:00 -0000

Malcolm Kelly ran a 4.7 in the 40 yard dash todayday at the Oklahoma Pro Day, pissing off his agent and causing said agent to be removed from the workout. Kelly was upset because the run was moved from Astroturf to Fieldturf.

Anyone think this is OU paying him back for leaving early? If that's not enough, Kelly will meet with Cincinnati and Washington this week.

The Bills were not impressed. Sorry, Brian.

I'm paying people to scout

MattMiller — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:56:00 -0000

If anyone is interested in scouting for the college football season (2008), email me at matt at newerascouting.com for details.

Who the hell will the Colts draft 2008: Howard DE Rudolph Hardie

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:57:46 -0000

This is yet another article in the Who the hell will they draft 2008 series we have going over at Stampede Blue. Enjoy.

Jack Williams might be the only corner Bill Polian drafts this year.

First of all, congrats to Kansas fans everywhere. I was rooting for them last night, and for their coach Bill Self. I remember a few years ago he got a highly ranked Kansas team into the tourney only to lose in the second round. Everyone wanted his head on a pike. Now, he's the Prince of Lawrence. Meanwhile, the incompetent John Calipari continues to show us how to lose games down the stretch. I have nothing against Memphis, but Calipari is a total boob and I had issue with him losing, again.

But basketball is not what we are here for. We're here for football, and the NFL Draft is two-and-a-half weeks away! OMG! I Can't wait to smell the sweet hair grease oozing from Mel Kiper's head. BTW, be sure to sign-up for the21eraser's NFL Mock Draft Contest. As we gear up for the draft, we'll continue doing profiles of players we think the Colts will pick. Today, we focus on Kent State CB Jack Williams.

I've included Jack Williams on a the last few mock drafts I've done, and people are starting to ask Who the hell is this guy? and Why the hell would the Colts draft ANOTHER cornerback? Well, to answer the second question, the conclusion I came to years ago is Bill Polian does not feel right about the draft unless he takes at least one CB or S for no damned reason whatsoever. For years, we've seen guys like Donald Strickland, Cory Bird, Indress Bashir, and Joseph Jefferson get drafted (usually in the third round) only to get cut a few years later. Last year, many scratched their heads at picking a safety (Brandon Condren) in round five when areas like DT were still a big concern. However, per usual, Polian made fools of us all. He signed a free agent rookie (Ed Johnson) and drafted Keyunta Dawson in the seventh round.

Polian is god, folks. Polian is god.

As for Who is this guy?, I'll simply state that Jack Williams is the proto-typical Cover 2 corner, and he would fit in perfectly with what Dungy and Polian like to do in the secondary. For example, look at these measurements:

Height: 5'9, Weight: 178

I could be talking about Donald Strickland, Jason David, or Tim Jennings when I list those measurements, but I'm not. I'm talking about Jack Williams. As with all corners Polian looks at late in the draft, Williams is short. But, like with most other positions, height at CB is over-rated, especially if the corner is tough and can jump. Jack Williams can do both. He had a strong showing at the NFL Combine, displaying both strength and speed. Here's what NFL.com has to say about him (via The Sports Xchange):

Track speed and exceptional jumping ability. ... Strong for his size, he's one of the few small corners with a decent bubble. ... Changes directions quickly and sticks to receivers. ... Reads the quarterback well and will come off his man to make a play. ... Will plant and drive to the ball -- and make the play (13 career interceptions). ... Good reaction to the tipped ball. ... A threat to take interceptions back to the end zone. ... Very aggressive cut blocker against the run (70 solo tackles in '07, five forced fumbles in ?06). ... Can also get off a receiver block to wrap up a ballcarrier in the open field. ... Typical Tampa-2 corner... Very good special teams coverage player.

13 career INTs. Wow! For comparison's sake, Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason (a projected first round pick) has 15 college career INTs.

Before I go further, I'd like to direct you to skywalker's write-up of Jack Williams, which includes links and clips from KentStateSports.com. What skywalker's diary tells us is Williams has a ton of experience at CB. He's not some converted WR or a CB in college who could only play S in the pros. Williams has started since his sophomore year, and his production has remained consistent year after year. The other thing you learn from skywalker's diary is Jack Williams is ALWAYs around the football. He recorded 4 recovered fumbles, 4 pass break-ups, 4 INTs, and 3 sacks his senior year. Williams also played a lot of special teams at Kent State, earning him the team's award for Defensive Back of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year. Williams' ability to play special teams would prove invaluable to him making the roster on a squad that, for the most part, has its secondary locked up. Marlin and Kelvin are the starters with Tim Jennings battling Dante Hughes, Keiwan Ratliff, and Michael Coe for nickel duty. I think Hughes will win the nickel job because he was really coming into his own before he got hurt last season.

Still, despite this heavy competition, Jack Williams could find his place on this roster, because when you look at his strengths, he is exactly the kind of dude you want smacking WRs on your defense:

A great athlete...Excellent speed and quickness...Outstanding leaper..Good hands and ball skills...Solid instincts and awareness..Reads and reacts well and he has a burst to close...Is very strong...Tough and physical...Gets a good jam at the line of scrimmage...Willing to come up and support the run..A hard worker...Team leader. The speed and quickness will suit him well on special teams, and his ability to close on the ball carrier or on a live football is likely why he always seems to generate turnovers. Tony Dungy LOVES these kinds of guys. Despite Williams 5'9 size, he is apparently very physical when jamming WRs at the line of scrimmage. His speed and quickness allow him to recover well, and the sentence I bolded above makes him ideal for the Cover 2. All Cover 2 corners must be willing to come up and stop the run. Williams also comes across in interviews as a smart guy with a good knowledge of football.

His weaknesses? Well, to start, he grew up a Cowboys fan. This means that Jack was 10 years old the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game. Poor, poor Jack. I guess nobody's perfect. Jack's other weaknesses are his hips, which aren't very fluid when he turns to run. Again, he has the speed and quickness to run with many WRs, but if your hips don't turn quick when re-acting to a move, an NFL-caliber WR will eat you alive. More negatives, via NFL.com:

Size can be a detriment against larger receivers. ... Missed time with shoulder injury caused by tackle (durability when bringing down pro backs and receivers will be questioned). ... Definitely not a press corner. ... Has only returned a few kickoffs, which could be a nice feather in his cap when trying to make a team. ... Used on blitzes, but lacks the size and strength to beat even an average blocker. ... Will gamble at times to make the big play. Williams has generated a lot of interest because when you compare his strengths with his weaknesses, he could turn into one helluva Tampa-2 style corner. He could go as high as round 3, but I think he should be there in round 4, and if he is the Colts (who have expressed interest in him) will take him. Unlike the Donald Stricklands of the past, this kid looks and sounds like someone who wants to make an impact. And he seems to have the tools to do just that.

Mocking the Draft: SB Nation's Mock Draft. At 23 The Steelers select Quentin Groves thanks!!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:55:41 -0000

It will be Groves or Gosder.

Groves is the pick.

Thanks for this opportunity.

Final draft for the Steelers.

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:44:56 -0000

Gosder Cherilus Boston College 6~7 314 - He can play LT in this league.

Jonathan Goff Vanderbilt 6-2 245 - Here is our MLB in our 4-3 systems.

Jeremy Thompson Wake Forest 6-5 264 - I like OLB's / DE's 6-4+ to destroy throwing lanes. Best Hybrid prospect in the draft I believe. Could be better than Vernon Gholston.

Nick Hayden Wisconsin 6-4 291 Measurables are just as good as 'early' Dliners. Great value. 3-4 End or NT in 4-3.

Chevis Jackson LSU 6-0 192 Probably a FS here. Good value again.

Mike Gibson California 6~4 305 OG / OC - Again measurables stack up. Can play C or G.

Tell us what you think. I like the Hybrid ability of all the players. Versatility is key.

My round 2 pick could be changed if people think that Timmons / Harrison could play MLB in a 4-3.
If they can in order: Change:

Bruising Half Back: Matt Forte.

Big WR - Jordy Nelson

CB / FS - Antwaun Molden Eastern Kentucky 6-1 198

Please respond and give me your impressions. Thanks!

Gosder Cherilus Boston College 6~7 314 - He can play LT in this league.

Jonathan Goff Vanderbilt 6-2 245 - Here is our MLB in our 4-3 systems.

Jeremy Thompson Wake Forest 6-5 264 - I like OLB's / DE's 6-4+ to destroy throwing lanes. Best Hybrid prospect in the draft I believe. Could be better than Vernon Gholston.

Nick Hayden Wisconsin 6-4 291 Measurables are just as good as 'early' Dliners. Great value. 3-4 End or NT in 4-3.

Chevis Jackson LSU 6-0 192 Probably a FS here. Good value again.

Mike Gibson California 6~4 305 OG / OC - Again measurables stack up. Can play C or G.

Tell us what you think. I like the Hybrid ability of all the players. Versatility is key.

My round 2 pick could be changed if people think that Timmons / Harrison could play MLB in a 4-3.
If they can in order: Change:

Bruising Half Back: Matt Forte.

Big WR - Jordy Nelson

CB / FS - Antwaun Molden Eastern Kentucky 6-1 198

Please respond and give me your impressions. Thanks!

Who is your team interested in?

MattMiller — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:29:30 -0000

We've got the info you need at New Era Scouting: www.newerascouting.com/category/nfl_draft/nfl_team_interest/

Who the hell will the Colts draft 2008: Richmond WR Arman Shields

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:44:23 -0000

From my Who the hell will they draft 2008 series over at Stampede Blue. Enjoy.

They are called the Richmond Spiders. If the Colts draft Richmond WR Arman Shields, I will call him Spider-Man. Consider this fair warning.

It's funny, but last night on ESPNews' Football Friday, analyst (and former Colts QB) Shaun King said that Tulane's Matt Forté would sneak into the first round and become 2008's Joseph Addai. I wonder if Shaun reads Stampede Blue, because I had only just hours before done a whole profile on Forté.

Maybe I'm just over-estimating my importance.

Anyway, like Matt Forté, another skill position players is slowly but surely rising up the draft boards. Since we've only profiled one WR to date (Louisville's Harry Douglas) we'll now add another WR to our list of Who the hell will they draft 2008: Richmond's Arman Shields.

I didn't even know Shields existed until I read BlueVol03's diary on WR's in Draft. I read up on some of the others, including Arkansas' Marcus Monk, but it was Shields that caught my attention. What's important to note here is the Colts look for very particular kinds of people to play receiver, because (in all honesty) Indy is not an easy place to catch passes. Oh sure, the Colts have the best QB in creation, but that just adds to the pressure receivers feel when they play in Indy. an example is last year's first round pick Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzo was interviewed recently and here's what he said about Peyton Manning last season:

Q: What did you find out about Peyton Manning that you didn't know before?

A: There's little about Peyton Manning that the general public doesn't know. But I will say, he's got a better sense of humor than you'd probably think. I mean, the Saturday Night Live skits opened people's eyes to it. Outside of football, he's a pretty funny guy.

...

Q: As for the football side, what did Manning expect of you?

A: I found out fairly easily, because I just asked him. There was a point in preseason where I said to him, 'I get the sense that I'm not doing what I have to do. What is it you're looking for me to do?' And he said, 'I need to know that you are going to get open every single time, and that you are going to catch everything I throw to you.'

Speed, leaping, size, cone drills, return ability, etc. are all great. If he can't run great routes and catch the f&*king football, go play for someone else. Indy don't wantcha. The Colts look for guys that work hard, run the routes exactly the way they were drawn up, and catch whatever The General throws at them.

A guy like Arman Shields fits the mold of a receiver Indy likes, and Shields might just be around in rounds 4-6. Shields attended Richmond, which is not a big school with a big-time program. However, at Richmond, he dominated. Small schools can produce great talents, such as Howard's own Antoine Bethea. What you look for in a receiver is speed, hands, and route running. Shields seems to fit the bill:

Nice size and bulk...Good timed speed and can get some separation..Decent route runner...Excellent hands...Good body control...Is tough and aggressive..Works the middle of the field....Adequate blocker...Consistent and productive...Return ability? Shields' stock is on the rise because of his outstanding performance at the NFL Combine. One thing TheSportsGuru and I always like to yack about over Skype is the importance of the NFL Combine. Guru, and I'm speaking generally here, thinks Combine numbers are over-rated. He prefers to see big-time players performing at big-time programs. If they can succeed in those environments, they can succeed in the pros. I take a different approach. The Combine can help players like Shields, who no one heard of until he blew away guys like Mario Manningham at the Combine. Shields needed a strong Combine performance because he missed all but one game in the 2007 season to a tough knee injury. If not for that injury, Shields would likely be a first day pick, because his positives are exactly what teams like the Colts look for: Lanky frame with room for additional growth. ... Has the straight-line speed to challenge deep and is able to generate consistent separation from defenders due to his burst out of his breaks and effective upper body fakes. ... Reliable receiver who catches the ball with his hands. ... Hard-worker who takes his role as a downfield blocker seriously. Gotta love that last part, which I highlighted. It's hard not to root for a kid who works his tail off at a small school, looking to get drafted by a NFL club looking for a diamond in the rough receiver.

Shields' negatives mostly involve his lack of a burst, or his ability to do much after the catch, according to NFL Draft Countdown. The NFL Combine noted that while he works hard, physical play can re-route him. Despite his lack of a burst, Shields is a definite deep threat. He did struggle a bit catching balls over his shoulder, but his willingness to work the middle makes me think Shields could be an excellent slot receiver. Slot receivers don't usually run fly routes, or the like. Slants are the bread and butter of slot receivers, and Shields excels at those routes.

As Shields develops his strength and works on beating physical play, the slot receiver area might be the best place for him to start. Colts receiver Reggie Wayne was known to lack burst when he was drafted in 2001, and spent two years playing slot receiver. Now, he's one of the top 5 receivers in football, and yes, I consider Reggie Wayne better than Chad Johnson (numbers are similar, and Reggie never threw a punch at a coach during a playoff game, thank you).

It will be interesting to see where Shields falls in the draft. Whatever happens, after reading his Combine results and seeing highlights of his play (see below), this kid has what it takes to play in the NFL. It would be nice to see the Colts take him. He's the kind of guy who could give Peyton what he demands: Always get open, and always catch everything I throw at you.

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Who the hell will the Colts draft 2008: Howard DE Rudolph Hardie

Mocking the Draft: SB Nation's Mock Draft. At 23 The Steelers select Quentin Groves thanks!!

Final draft for the Steelers.

Who is your team interested in?

Who the hell will the Colts draft 2008: Richmond WR Arman Shields