1. Texans - D'Brickshaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia
The Texans have the talent to have a high powered offense, but David Carr does not have the time of day to throw the ball. He has been sacked over 100 times in the past two years. The problem is not Carr, Davis, or Johnson, but rather the offensive line and not giving Carr enough time to throw or enough room for Davis to run through.
2. Saints - Matt Leinart, QB, USC
Well Aaron Brooks was benched, and Todd Bouman is not a long term replacement, so what now? They need a quarterback, and why not start with one of the best college quarterbacks ever, Matt Leinart. He is a proven winner and has all the tools to step in and be great as a rookie. The Saints have plenty of weapons on offense that should help his development along nicely.
3. Titans - Reggie Bush, RB, USC
The most exciting player in college football: Reggie Bush. He is a perfect fit for the Titans, and he rejoins an old USC coach, Norm Chow. Bush is a once in a generation athlete who has skills that are superior to many runningbacks in the NFL. Another reason the Titans should draft Reggie Bush, besides he is the best player is college football, is because the Titans need a runningback. Travis Henry and Chris Brown have struggled with injuries and been inconsistent.
4. Jets – Vince Young, QB, Texas
With players griping and the Jets over the salary cap, Chad Pennington is more than likely going to be cut from the team. That leaves the quarterback position for them to fill, Vince Young showed he can be a leader and do it all in the Rose Bowl. He is fast and a deadly weapon and he should start from day one.
5. Packers - Mario Williams, DE, NC State
The Jamal Reynolds experiment is over, but their defense is young, inexperienced, and not very good. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is a solid DE, but Aaron Kampman is mediocre. Mario Williams brings a strong and powerful presence that the Packers defensive line lacks. The Packers have a lot of needs, but Williams at number five is too good to pass up.
6. Raiders - A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio St
The Raiders defense is atrocious. Their starting linebackers are Tyler Brayton, Danny Clack, and Kirk Morrison, possibly the worst in football. AJ Hawk is a rare specimen at linebacker. He brings the tenacity, leadership, and skills that all coaches want. AJ is a class act and has amazing speed (a 4.46 40 yard dash) and is arguably the best defensive player in the draft.
7. 49ers - Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
The 49ers have needs everywhere, but with Julian Peterson likely leaving, linebacker becomes the biggest positional need on defense. Greenway has great size and speed and plays great in coverage. He should step in as a rookie and start. He should lead the defense for years to come with his skills.
8. Bills – Winston Justice, OT, USC
Mike Gandy and Jason Peters are awful starting guards. The Bills are a very talented team, but the game of football starts at the offensive line, and the Bills need help with it. Winston Justice has recently shot up draft boards because of his Rose Bowl performance. Justice would start as a rookie for the Bills, not because Justice is bad, but because he is already that more talented than the OTs the Bills already have.
9. Lions – Jonathan Scott, OT, Texas
Jeff Backus is a great OT, but Kelly Butler is sub-par. Joey Harrington does not have the time of day to throw the football because blitzers are constantly beating Butler off the corner. Scott brings a more versatile and strong OT than Butler. Scott should step in as a rookie and start.
10. Cardinals - DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis
The JJ Arington experiment failed, and with the talent DeAngelo Williams have, there is no way the Cardinals can pass Williams up. The Cardinals have one of the top passing offenses, but defenses can shut them down. This will be no more if they have a running game, and Williams brings that aspect of the game, even as a rookie.
11. Rams - Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech
Cornerback has been a position of need since Aenias Williams retired two years ago; both their corners (Ronald Bartell and DeJuan Groce) are average. Williams is a fast and athletic corner who can play safety or cornerback, giving him versatility. Williams should step in as a rookie and play in nickel packages and compete for the starting job.
12. Browns – Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon
The Browns are a young and promising team, but their pass rush is awful. They have perhaps the worst defensive line in the NFL. Ngata has the perfect size, strength, and speed to play the nose tackle position in the Browns defense. He would start as a rookie. Ngata is the best defensive lineman in the draft.
13. Ravens – Tamba Hali, DE, Penn St
Hali has wrecked havoc on quarterbacks his entire college career and he should continue to do that for the Ravens in their 46 defense. He should replace Anothy Weaver as the starting RE. He and the Ravens’ left end, Terrell Suggs, would be a dangerous tandem for the Ravens’ defense.
14. Eagles - DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama
With a great season, DeMeco Ryans has boosted himself into the first round. The Eagles starting OLBs (Keith Adams and Dhani Jones) are mediocre and need replaced for this team to go to the next level. DeMeco has good speed and size, and should play special teams and compete for the starting job.
15. Falcons - Michael Huff, SS, Texas
Through indirectly talking to Jim Mora, he has made it known he wants a safety in the first round. It is lucky for him that the best safety is still available, Michael Huff. Huff has played solid defense throughout his career, his two biggest games being versus Ohio State and USC. Huff has the talent to start for almost any team, and should start for the Falcons.
16. Dolphins – Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt
Jay Cutler was the only thing worth watching at Vanderbilt, and now being the lone star on his team has paid off. The Dolphins have good talent on offense with Chris Chambers, Ronnie Brown, and Randy McMicheal, but they are lacking a leader, a quarterback. Jay Cutler is that leader they need; he may sit his rookie year though, learning behind Gus Ferotte.
17. Vikings – LenDale White, RB, USC
The Vikings have struggled with their running game for the past few years. This has been due to injuries and inconsistencies. LenDale White fixes all their problems because he is consistent and does not have injury problems. White is a big and powerful back who would brings a new offensive threat to the Vikings.
18. Cowboys - Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio St
Holmes is a deep threat who is elusive and fast. He has great hands is a great returner too. The Cowboys WRs (Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson) are getting old, slower, and less reliable. Holmes helps by bringing back what Glenn and Johnson had in their prime. Although Holmes lacks size, he makes up for it with his hands and speed
19. Chargers - Ko Simpson, FS, South Carolina
The Chargers weakness has been their secondary. Ko Simpson is a fast and athletic safety who already has the ability to play in the NFL and cover WRs and stop the run. Simpson would start for the Chargers because of how horrific their secondary is.
20. Chiefs – Demetrius Williams, WR, Oregon St
The Chiefs have had an explosive offense, but to make it complete they need a number one WR. Williams has the skills to be the Chiefs number one WR. Williams has good size, decent speed, and solid hands. After a year or two, Williams could take over as the Chiefs number one WR.
21. Patriots – Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
Carpenter has the best size to speed ratio for a LB in the draft. Because his size and speed are ideal for a 3-4 defensive scheme, it is logical for the Patriots to take him here. He played well in coverage and blitzed well, his only downsides are he was overshadowed by his teammates in college and his recent injury (a broken leg bone).
22. Broncos (from Wash) - Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
At pick 22, Mathias is a steal. He is big, fast, and strong. The Broncos had a top ten run defense last year, and with Mathias their run and pass defense should improve. As a rookie he would most likely play in special situations because there is no rush to get him in there to play. There is a lot of veteran leadership on the defensive line that can help Mathias become better faster.
23. Buccaneers – Eric Winston, OT, Miami (Florida)
Buccaneers struggled this past year with pass and run blocking. Winston is a steal at 23 because he has top ten talent, but because of how deep this class is on the offensive line, he falls to 23. Winston would start for the Buccaneers over mediocre OT Anthony Davis.
24. Bengals – Brodrick Bunkley, DT, FSU
The Bengals are just a few players away from being a Super Bowl caliber team. They first position they need to address is DT. The Bengals would be lucky to get Bunkley because he is the top DT in this draft and he has great amount of talent and potential. He would start his rookie year over John Thornton or Bryan Robinson.
25. Giants - Ernie Sims, LB, FSU
The Giants exceeded all expectations this year, and they made the playoffs. The Giants are close to becoming an elite team in the NFL, but they need to work on their defense, first, and mainly, their LBs. Ernie Sims had a troubled past at FSU, but he has the talent to be better than any other players in the draft, he just has to keep his attitude in check.
26. Bears - Tye Hill, CB, Clemson
The Bears have the best defense in the NFL already. The Bears’ biggest needs are on offense, but because there is no one here that would best fit the Bears situation, Tye Hill is the pick here. He brings depth at the corner position and would start in a few years opposite Nathan Vasher.
27. Panthers - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
The Panthers could go a number of different ways here, a RB or a DT possibly, but because Vernon Davis has top ten talent, the Panthers take him here. He would start immediately in place of Kris Mangum. Also, Davis would be a vital part of the passing game because the Panthers lack many other passing options other than Steve Smith.
28. Jaguars – Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
Fred Taylor, congratulations you had an amazing run, a great career, a legend forever for the Jaguars, but your age is a concern. Laurence Maroney is here to take over; he is fast, big, and strong. He does not have injury problems and he is young. Maroney is a great fit for the Jaguars future running game after Fred Taylor (it could be this year, next year, but some time soon).
29. Broncos - Max Jean-Giles, OG, Georgia
Giles is the best OG in the draft, and the Broncos would be fortunate to get him here. He would compete with Cooper Carlisle for the starting right OG spot. Giles is big and strong and would be a good fit in Denver’s zone blocking scheme.
30. Colts – Antonio Cromartie, CB, FSU
The Colts took CB Marlin Jackson last year in the first round, but he did not play as well as some hoped. Nick Harper and Jason David are only average CBs. Cromartie has top ten talent, but because of his injury he falls this far. The Colts take a risk on him because they do not have any other glaring need. If Edgerrin James leaves, look for the Colts to draft a RB here.
31. Seahawks – Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP
Leroy Hill and D.D. Lewis are not adequate LBs for a team. Howard boosted his draft stock because of a great senior bowl. He has good, size, and speed for a LB. He would compete for a starting job at an outside LB spot. If Shaun Alexander leaves, look for the Seahawks to draft a RB here.
32. Steelers – Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio St
Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend are solid cover CBs, but they cannot keep up with the faster WRs like Steve Smith and Randy Moss. Youboty is a rare prospect with good speed and size. He would be groomed to take over the starting job in a few years, he would play special teams and in nickel or dime packages.
I, for one, will NOT arguew with Houston getting D'Brick.
HOWEVER, I will argue with how we get him.
If tyhe Texans wanted him that bad, they could start a bidding war between SF and NYJ for the top pick (Even though SF is just a decoy), and let the winner take Bush. You take NYJ's pick and get D'Brick. If pick #4 is not available, Bush is the pick, as you can trade him for stable linemen.
But I like the guts to not have them taking Bush or Young.