1st Round

1. Miami Dolphins

Jake Long OT Michigan

This one is already a done deal as the Dolphins have already signed the big OT from Michigan. It’s a good fit for the Dolphins with a young QB, and RB. Long is the kind of guy that will anchor that line for years.

2. St Louis Rams

Chris Long DL Virginia

While the Rams need some help on the offensive line, it’s looking more and more that they will take a defensive lineman. Besides, any OL besides Jake Long at this pick would be a reach. Chris Long is the most versatile DL in the draft, so this is a big pickup.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Darren McFadden RB Arkansas

QB is a big need but with Vick sitting in a prison cell, you have to fill the seats.  McFadden will create a buzz and fill the seats.  More importantly it sticks it to Jerry Jones for luring away Petrino to his alma mater Arkansas.

4. Oakland Raiders

Glenn Dorsey DT LSU

Warren Sapp’s career is done and the Raiders can replace him with a stud DT that’s a perfect fit for their defense.  Dorsey was hurt last season, but when healthy, he could be the most dominating player in the draft.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

Branden Albert OG Virginia

The Chiefs have a big need at OL so it’s between Ryan Clady and Branden Albert. The Chiefs traded away Jared Allen for the #17 pick and will go for a DE with that pick. Albert is the safer pick instead of Clady in my opinion.

6. New York Jets

Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State

Gholston is 6-4 264 with 4.6 speed.  Here comes the new “Freak” and if needed, he could see time at DT in the Jets 3-4 scheme. The Jets will be thrilled if Gholston drops to #6 for them.

7. New England Patriots (From the San Francisco 49ers)

Leodis McKelvin CB Troy

McKelvin played for a small school but really stood out during the Senior Bowl.  Some feel that the Pats will go linebacker here, but the Pats lost Gay and Samuel at CB, so this is a big need.

8. Baltimore Ravens

Matt Ryan QB Boston College

Steve McNair recently retired and Boller just isn’t the franchise QB they thought he would be.  Enter Matt Ryan, who is the best QB in the draft and the new signal caller for the Ravens.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

Sedrick Ellis DT USC

The Bengals had trouble stopping the run this past season.  Ellis makes a good fit for Zimmer’s 3-4 scheme and he comes from a winning program. Great value at the #9 pick!

10. New Orleans Saints

Keith Rivers LB USC

Back to back picks for the Trojans. The Saints need help at cornerback and linebacker. McKelvin is already off the board at cornerback, so Rivers is the best linebacker available.

11. Buffalo Bills

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State

The Bills have a variety of needs but a big one is finding a WR to compliment Lee Evans. The other need is cornerback and there isn’t really any receivers that are worth taking this high. Cromartie is a perfect fit at cornerback for the Bills.

12. Denver Broncos

Ryan Clady OT Boise State

The Broncos need immediate help at LT, and Clady has a lot of upside. The Broncos pride themselves on the run game and they need to protect Jay Cutler as well. This would be a good pickup for the Broncos.

13. Carolina Panthers

Derrick Harvey DE Florida

The Panthers need a dominant pass rusher on the other side of Julius Peppers. Harvey would give the Panthers a very talented defensive line and would free up Peppers to cause more havoc.

14. Chicago Bears

Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh

I could see the Bears taking a QB or RB here, but they need help at offensive line too. A rookie QB won’t make an immediate impact and a rookie RB would have to compete with Benson for carries. An OL can come in and contribute immediately.

15. Detroit Lions

Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois

This would be a tremendous pickup for the Lions. The Lions offense just needs a top notch RB to make it click on all cylinders. I could see the Lions going OL here with Chris Williams, but Mendenhall would be a nice pick.

16. Arizona Cardinals

Felix Jones RB Arkansas

While James has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons, he hasn’t been as impressive as most Cardinals fans had hoped.  The Cardinals need help at cornerback, but the draft is deep this year in that position that they can wait for the 2nd round. This pick comes down to Jones or Jonathan Stewart.

17. Kansas City Chiefs (From the Minnesota Vikings)

Phillip Merling DE Clemson

The Chiefs picked OL at #5 and now replace Allen with a rookie DE. The Chiefs were really hoping for Harvey to fall here, but Merling is the best available defensive end left in the draft. 

18. Houston Texans

Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon

The Texans need help at offensive line and cornerback, but they need a top notch running back. Stewart has been banged up during his college career, but he’s the best running back available and can make an immediate impact.

19. Philadelphia Eagles

Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt

The Eagles need help at OT and with Clady and Otah off the board; the next logical choice is Williams. The Eagles could also take a wide receiver here, but they need to protect Westbrook and McNabb even more.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

DeSean Jackson WR California

The Bucs have a top tier WR in Joey Galloway but the rest of the depth at WR is lackluster.  DeSean Jackson will provide Tampa with another weapon at WR for QB Jeff Garcia as well as a special teams dynamo.

21. Washington Redskins

Calais Campbell DE Miami

The Redskins need a WR but they also need a DE opposite of Andre Carter.  Campbell is a solid pro prospect that will give the Skins help on the other side of DE Andre Carter. If not Campbell, look for WR Devin Thomas.

22. Dallas Cowboys (from the Cleveland Browns)

Aqib Talib CB Kansas

With Julius Jones not resigned, the Cowboys will be looking for a RB to compliment Barber.  Since Jones is gone, this puts the Cowboys in a tight spot. There really aren’t any other running backs out there, so they will go cornerback despite trading for Pacman Jones.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College

The Steelers need help on the offensive line, especially now that Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca is gone.  Cherilus adds depth to the Steelers offensive line and he can help protect the Steelers long term investment….Big Ben.

24. Tennessee Titans

Devin Thomas WR Michigan State

The Titans would be thrilled if Thomas fell this far as many have pegged him as the best wide receiver in the draft. The Titans need all the weapons they can get their hands on for QB Vince Young. Thomas might be the best value in the draft at this pick.

25. Seattle Seahawks

Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina

The Seahawks filled their needs via free agency at running back. They could go wide receiver or tight end here, but Balmer is too tempting to pass up. Balmer gives them some quality depth on the defensive line.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence Jackson DE USC

It’s hard to imagine the Jags picking anyone on defense since they have one of the best in the NFL. Defensive end is a big need for the Jags and it’s between Jackson and Quentin Groves from Auburn. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Groves go here.

27. San Diego Chargers

Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech

The Chargers are hoping Balmer slides down this far for them. With Balmer off the board, Flowers would be a quality pickup for their needs at cornerback. Flowers adds some nice depth to the Chargers secondary.

28. Dallas Cowboys

Limas Sweed WR Texas

The Cowboys really want a running back with one of their two picks. With everyone off the board, it’s better to wait until later in the draft. The Cowboys are going to make a run at Chad Johnson, but maybe Sweed is either good trade bait or a good backup plan?

29. San Francisco 49ers (from the Indianapolis Colts)

Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee

The 49ers did pretty well with an SEC linebacker last draft, how about pairing him up with another SEC linebacker? Mayo would give the 49ers some tremendous young talent at linebacker and could be one of the best defenses in the NFL in a couple of years.

30. Green Bay Packers

Kenny Phillips S Miami (FL.)

The Packers have a talented CB duo and are pretty set in the defensive backfield.  With that said, a player with the caliber of Phillips is too good to pass up here.  However, with Favre retiring, they might go tight end to give QB Aaron Rodgers another weapon.

Pick Forfeited for violating league rules.

Dan Connor LB Penn State

The Giants lost some key players to the draft and need help at safety and linebacker. Connor brings a hard nosed mentality and is a perfect fit for the Giants defense. If Kenny Phillips is available, I could see the Giants taking him instead.