I didn’t see this, sorry. If you wanted Rice over Jones, let me know and that will be the pick. If you didn’t know Jones was still available and want him instead, that will be the pick. Just let me know.
Yeah, no way Rice goes before Jones comes off the board. Then again, same could be said of Charles.
BUT…if the Panthers and Jets really were so daft you can bet that with Flacco, Henne and Brohm all off the board the Bears would be absolutely kicking themselves for making the boneheaded move of taking Mendenhall now that Jones fell to them.
They dreamt of landing a QB with this pick, and might just be looking to trade up into the bottom of the second round (and maybe even trading back from that first pick if none of the OTs left are to their liking) to draft their favorite of the 2nd tier of those QBs IRL.
The position they are in with this pick is a terrible one and really illustrates why there is no way in hell that they draft an RB with their first round pick. They desperately need help on the offensive line and here there isn’t a guy worth the pick at either the Tackle or Guard position. The top talents left are at the TE, CB and RB positions where they simply don’t need the help. They might look at a WR if they feel that one of the guys still left have the potential to be a stud, and there are a few, but all the FA additions would make for a crowded huddle. Plus the 2nd tier of WRs is a deep one and they draft early in the third round. It’s hard to envision the Bears drafting another defensive lineman with the money already invested at that position and the confidence they have in Dvorcek. That leaves LB, S and QB.
- Chicago Bears
S - Kenny Phillips, Miami
Phillips is the top S available on many peoples boards and might be considered the BPA if Jones gone. Safety isn’t a weak position for the Bears but the guys we have are chronically injured so adding depth and an eventual permanent replacement is a pretty decent choice.
See, the Bears need a running back. They also need some help at the offensive line, bt I think there’s still value for them to pick at both positions in the first and second rounds. Mendenhall would work nicely for them, especially with their line as decent as it is (I say “decent” because I compare them to the Lions, who people are saying that Mendenhall is going to). Taking a guy that might be useful for running the ball isn’t a luxury that the Bears have, not with the piece of crap they have in the backfield now and not with this being the make-or-break season for Rex. I think they will take a back, and I think they will go with Mendenhall, if only to “properly” evaluate Rex and give him one last shot.
Decent? Decent? This line sucked so bad last year that they released their starting RT and LG without an adequate replacement at either position! Two positions that they simply have not addressed in free agency at all. Right now the Bears have a grand total of 3 Tackles on their roster, They have only 2 Guards and 2 Tackles that have ever playied in an NFL game. The offensive line situation is dire.
Here’s the current state of the draft in csv form:
Rd,#,Team,Pos,Player,QB,RB,WR,TE,OT,OG,OC,DE,DT,OLB,ILB,S,CB
1,1,Dolphins,OT,Jake Long,,,,,1,,,,,,,,
1,2,Rams,DT,Glenn Dorsey,,,,,,,,,1,,,,
1,3,Falcons,DE,Chris Long,,,,,,,,1,,,,,
1,4,Raiders,RB,Darren McFadden,,1,,,,,,,,,,,
1,5,Chiefs,QB,Matt Ryan,1,,,,,,,,,,,,
1,6,Jets,DE,Vernon Gholston,,,,,,,,2,,,,,
1,7,Patriots,DT,Sedrick Ellis,,,,,,,,,2,,,,
1,8,Ravens,CB,Leodis McKelvin,,,,,,,,,,,,,1
1,9,Bengals,OLB,Keith Rivers,,,,,,,,,,1,,,
1,10,Saints,CB,Dominique Rodgers Cromartie,,,,,,,,,,,,,2
1,11,Bills,WR,Limas Sweed,,,1,,,,,,,,,,
1,12,Broncos,OT,Ryan Clady,,,,,2,,,,,,,,
1,13,Panthers,OG,Branden Albert,,,,,,1,,,,,,,
1,14,Bears,RB,Rashard Mendenhall,,2,,,,,,,,,,,
1,15,Lions,OT,Jeff Otah,,,,,3,,,,,,,,
1,16,Cardinals,CB,Aquib Talib,,,,,,,,,,,,,3
1,17,Vikings,QB,Joe Flacco,2,,,,,,,,,,,,
1,18,Texans,CB,Mike Jenkins,,,,,,,,,,,,,4
1,19,Eagles,WR,DeSean Jackson,,,2,,,,,,,,,,
1,20,Bucs,ILB,Jerod Mayo,,,,,,,,,,,1,,
1,21,Redskins,WR,Devin Thomas,,,3,,,,,,,,,,
1,22,Cowboys,RB,Jonathon Stewart,,3,,,,,,,,,,,
1,23,Steelers,OT,Gosder Cherilus,,,,,4,,,,,,,,
1,24,Titans,DE,Derrick Harvey,,,,,,,,3,,,,,
1,25,Seahawks,QB,Brian Brohm,3,,,,,,,,,,,,
1,26,Jaguars,OT,Chris Williams,,,,,5,,,,,,,,
1,27,Chargers,DT,Kentwar Balmer,,,,,,,,,3,,,,
1,28,Cowboys,WR,James Hardy,,,4,,,,,,,,,,
1,29,49ers,ILB,Dan Connor,,,,,,,,,,,2,,
1,30,Packers,DE,Phillip Merling,,,,,,,,,,,,,
1,31,Giants,CB,Antoine Cason,,,,,,,,,,,,,5
2,1,Dolphins,DE,Calais Campbell,,,,,,,,4,,,,,
2,2,Rams,OT,Sam Baker,,,,,6,,,,,,,,
2,3,Falcons,TE,Dustin Keller,,,,1,,,,,,,,,
2,4,Chiefs,CB,Brandon Flowers,,,,,,,,,,,,,6
2,5,Jets,RB,Jamaal Charles,,4,,,,,,,,,,,
2,6,Falcons,QB,Chad Henne,4,,,,,,,,,,,,
2,7,Ravens,OLB,Xavier Adibi,,,,,,,,,,2,,,
2,8,49ers,WR,Malcolm Kelly,,,5,,,,,,,,,,
2,9,Saints,WR,Mario Manningham,,,6,,,,,,,,,,
2,10,Bills,CB,Reggie Smith,,,,,,,,,,,,,7
2,11,Broncos,ILB,Jonathan Goff,,,,,,,,,,,3,,
2,12,Panthers,RB,Felix Jones,,5,,,,,,,,,,,
2,13,Bears,S,Kenny Phillips,,,,,,,,,,,,1,
2,14,Lions
2,15,Bengals
2,16,Vikings
2,17,Falcons
2,18,Eagles
2,19,Cardinals
2,20,Redskins
2,21,Bucs
2,22,Steelers
2,23,Titans
2,24,Seahawks
2,25,Packers
2,26,Dolphins
2,27,Jaguars
2,28,Colts
2,29,Packers
2,30,Cowboys
2,31,Patriots
2,32,Giants
Doncha wish this MB would finally figure out how to preserve tabs?
As a Rutgers alum (go Knights!) I’ll hold on to Rice here. I’ve seen him play a lot and he is deceptively strong for his size.
Generally the point of a Mock Draft is to try and predict what will happen based on how players come off the board. Theoretically its not about who you are rooting for unless you make the argument why the team in question will be apt to agree with you. Why would the Panthers choose Rice over Jones?
I think to make this easier and more realistic, and because ReallyNATB agrees, I’m switching out Jamaal Charles for Felix Jones for the Jets 2nd round pick. It’s much more like the draft will go, and the issue of Rice v. Charles is nowhere near as clear. So the Jets get Jones, the Panters get Rice, and the Jamaal Charles is still available.
Detroit Lions
After getting their right tackle in the first round, the Lions are looking for a RB or a MLB here. After releasing Kevin Jones, the Lions only have Tatum Bell, Aveoin Cason, and Brian Calhoun left. And Paris Lenon isn’t working at MLB, he needs to slide out. They’d love a speedy LB to be a team leader at the MLB position.
I think the obvious choice is Curtis Lofton of Oklahoma. He’s one of, if not the, best projected MLB in the draft, and he’s got the speed (it’s close) and size for the position. His production this year was great (157 total tackles, 1 sack, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4 ff, 2 int.). The concern with him, however is that he’s a tad raw, having only started for one full year and having played both SLB and ILB. He’ll need some good coaching and more experience, but I think he’ll make a nice pick for the Lions.
Detroit Lions select Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma.
Here’s where we are now:
ROUND ONE
1 (1) Miami Dolphins – Jake Long, OT, Michigan
2 (2) St. Louis Rams – Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
3 (3) Atlanta Falcons – Chris Long, DE, Virginia
4 (4) Oakland Raiders – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
5 (5) Kansas City Chiefs – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
6 (6) New York Jets – Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State
7 (7) New England Patriots (From 49ers) – Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
8 (8) Baltimore Ravens – Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
9 (9) Cincinnati Bengals – Keith Rivers, LB, USC
10 (10) New Orleans Saints – Dominique Rodgers Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St.
11 (11) Buffalo Bills – Limas, Sweed, WR, Texas
12 (12) Denver Broncos – Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.
13 (13) Carolina Panthers – Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
14 (14) Chicago Bears – Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
15 (15) Detroit Lions – Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt
16 (16) Arizona Cardinals – Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas
17 (17) Minnesota Vikings – Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
18 (18) Houston Texans – Mike Jenkins, CB, S. Florida
19 (19) Philadelphia Eagles – DeSean Jackson, WR, California
20 (20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jerod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee
21 (21) Washington Redskins – Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
22 (22) Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) – Jonathon Stewart, RB, Oregon
23 (23) Pittsburgh Steelers – Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
24 (24) Tennessee Titans – Derrick Harvery, DE, Florida
25 (25) Seattle Seahawks – Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
26 (26) Jacksonville Jaguars – Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
27 (27) San Diego Chargers – Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
28 (28) Dallas Cowboys – James Hardy, WR, Indiana
29 (29) San Francisco 49ers (From Colts) – Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
30 (30) Green Bay Packers – Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
31 (31) New York Giants – Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
ROUND 2
1 (32) Miami Dolphins – Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
2 (33) St. Louis Rams – Sam Baker, OT, USC
3 (34) Atlanta Falcons (From Raiders) – Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
4 (35) Kansas City Chiefs – Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
5 (36) New York Jets – Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
6 (37) Atlanta Falcons – Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
7 (38) Baltimore Ravens – Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
8 (39) San Francisco 49ers – Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma.
9 (40) New Orleans Saints – Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
10 (41) Buffalo Bills – Reggie Smith, CB/S, Oklahoma
11 (42) Denver Broncos – Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt
12 (43) Carolina Panthers – Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers.
13 (44) Chicago Bears – Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
14 (45) Detroit Lions – Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma.
15 (46) Cincinnati Bengals
16 (47) Minnesota Vikings
17 (48) Atlanta Falcons (From Texans)
18 (49) Philadelphia Eagles
19 (50) Arizona Cardinals
20 (51) Washington Redskins
21 (52) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22 (53) Pittsburgh Steelers
23 (54) Tennessee Titans
24 (55) Seattle Seahawks
25 (56) Green Bay Packers (From Browns)
26 (57) Miami Dolphins (From Chargers)
27 (58) Jacksonville Jaguars
28 (59) Indianapolis Colts
29 (60) Green Bay Packers
30 (61) Dallas Cowboys
31 (62) New England Patriots
32 (63) New York Giants
The Bengals need help at receiver, especially with Chad Johnson sticking his thumbs in his ears and going “I can’t hear you!” and Chris Henry having pulled another Chris Henry.
Andre Caldwell is a high-character guy, and is more polished than Early Doucet.
Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings, after a bit of a reach in the first round, get damn lucky to get a great player and fill a need. With the mighty Williamses stuffing the run, they need someone to bring some edge pressure, and they can afford to grab a bit of a tweener to do it. I think the two guys to look at here are Lawrence Jackson and Quentin Groves. Since I think the Vikes draft will completely change if they do get Jared Allen, it’s almost superflous, but here goes:
Minnesota Vikings select Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn.
Because I want to pick for the Eagles (and because I work in an hour 
), I’m bucking tradition and making the next two picks. Sorry folks, I waited patiently! Really, I did! 
**
2.17 (48) Atlanta Falcons**
With four picks in the first 48, the Falcons are on the clock a lot this draft. Having already drafted players to replace several of their biggest losses and address their current needs (QB, DE, TE), the Falcons are looking to replace yet another recent loss, CB DeAngelo Hall.
The Falcons’ CB situation seems pretty dire. They desperately need someone who can do a passable job on the opposing team’s #1. The two best CBs here seem to be Tracy Porter and Justin King, and of those two, Tracy Porter is significantly better in man to man coverages.
The Atlanta Falcons select Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana.
**
2.18 (49) Philadelphia Eagles** 
This pick is nigh impossible to project because of the team’s nebulous strategy. Two of their biggest needs, WR and CB, are both potentially affected on draft day by trades. Having already taken a WR, the Eagles look elsewhere. With Porter now off the board, the remaining CBs don’t fit the Eagles’ mold, so they have to look elsewhere.
The two most significant remaining needs are at LB, both Inside and Outside, and Safety. This is a tough choice. The Eagles definitely should look Linebacker here, with at least a couple possible playmakers left on the board, and a passable safety in Quintin Mikell.
The problem now is that of the Linebackers left, few have enough upside to warrant a second round pick. You have to hope for someone who can compete for a starting job right away here, and if not earn one, make headway into earning one in 2009. Of the remaining choices, it’s looking like Tavares Gooden is the most logical choice. He’s an outstanding athlete for the MLB position, and though he shows durability concerns and work ethic issues, all of his concerns coming into the draft are coachable. His upside is great here, especially considering that he has the ability to be an outstanding coverage MLB with the speed to rush from the inside. Coupled with Omar Gaither, an already excellent coverage LB, the Eagles are hoping to form a formidable coverage block over the middle of the field, forcing opponents to test their playmakers on the outside (a gamble the Eagles have in their favor).
The Philadelphia Eagles select Tavares Gooden, ILB, Miami (Fla.).
Very much so, though it doesn’t particularly matter in this case since I was simply posting the contents of csv files for easy use in Excel.
The Dolphins have reportedly agreed to contract terms with Long, so you’re batting 1.000.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cards have a fair amount of needs, but nothing drastic. RB, OL, LB, CB, S could all use an upgrade. So they should have the benefit of looking for the best players left. To me, that means Lawrence Jackson, Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson, or Chilo Rachal. I think Whisenhunt is convinced that the running back class is deep enough that he’ll be able to grab, in the later rounds, a good change of pace speed/elusive back to team with Edge. Which is why I think:
Arizona Cardinals select Lawrence Jackson, DE/OLB, USC. Jackson’s size and strength will make him a nice fit for a 3-4 because he can also stop the run. He needs to work on his motor, sometimes he just gives up if he’s double teamed. But I think he’s a good fit here, and the Cards will look for a second tier RB to fall to them in the third round.
Woo Hoo!!! I’m a super genius!
- Washington Redskins
WR - Jordy Nelson, Kansas State
The Redskins, after getting rejected in the Ocho Cinco trade, look to the WR position and take the big reliable guy from K-state. He’s a high character guy which the Redskins need and he has a great work ethic and hands making him the anti-Westbrook.
It also makes him the second WR in a row they’ve taken. While I’m not convinced Devin Thomas is a sure thing, I doubt they’d take a WR with both their first and second round picks.
Mulligan, perhaps?
I mean…come on…not even Matt Milen would do that.
Right?