Oh hell, who am I kidding....... I have no inside sources, but I have read about 1,000 articles and seen about 50 mock drafts by the so called "experts", who do have inside sources.
What I've come to realize is that other than a few picks here and there, it's pretty much a crapshoot as to which player a team will pick. One team makes a "surprise" pick (or a trade) and that changes what everyone behind them does because the player they were intending on drafting is now no longer there.
As of Friday morning it looks like a done deal for the Lions to draft Matthew Stafford. Supposedly they've exchanged contract numbers and are working on the final figures (length of contract and upfront bonus). Also a new rumor came out this morning by Peter King that the Patriots, with their cache of picks (6 in the top 100 and 11 overall), have contacted Jacksonville at 8 and Green Bay at 9, looking to move into the top 10. They've apparently targeted a specific player they like ( rumor has it LSU DE Tyson Jackson ) that won't be there when they make their current 1st round pick (pick 23). If a deal like this goes down, then the order of players could drastically change. Same holds true on a couple teams looking to move up should Mark Sanchez fall by Seattle at 4.
Anyway, with those thoughts in mind, here's my prediction for the 1st round tomorrow:
- Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia
- St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith - OT - Baylor
- KC Chiefs - Aaron Curry - LB - Wake Forest
- Seattle Seahawks - Mark Sanchez - QB - USC
- Cleveland Browns - BJ Raji - DT - Boston College
- Bengals - Brian Orapco - DE - Texas
- Raiders - Darius Heywood Bey - WR - Maryland
- Jaguars - Andre Smith - OT - Alabama
- Packers - Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU
- SF 49ers - Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech
- Buffalo - Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia
- Denver - Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee
- Redskins - Michael Other - OT - Mississippi
- NO Saints - Chris "Beanie" Wells - RB - The Ohio State
- Houston Texans - Brian Cushing - OLB - USC
- SD Chargers - Malcom Jenkins - CB - The Ohio State
- NY Jests - Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri
- Broncos - Peria Jerry - DT - Mississippi
- TB Buccanears - Clay Matthews - LB - USC
- Detroit Lions - Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma State
- Philly - Knowson Moreno - RB - Georgia
- Minn. Vikings - Eben Britton - OT - Arizona
- Patriots - Darius Butler - CB - Connecticut
- Atlanta - Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois
- Miami Dolfags - Evander Hood - DT - Missouri
- Ravens - Rey Maualuga - LB - USC
- Colts - Percy Harvin - WR - Florida
- Bills - Phil Loadholt - OT - Oklahoma
- G Men - Alphonso Smith - CB - Wake Forest
- Titans - Alex Mack - C - California
- Cardinals - Donald Brown - RB - Connecticut
- Steelers - Max Unger - C - Oregon
There you have it, my prediction for the 1st round. Since I started writing this I've heard a couple of impending deals that'll change somethings, but for the most part, this is my best guess. A couple players may not end up on the team I predicted, but they'll still get picked around that slot...
The draft starts Saturday at 1pm PT. If you're not around a tv tomorrow, when you come home, click on my link to take you to the official website of the draft for all the picks.
Bill
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