FOX SPORTS Mock

BasX · Feb 3, 2009

1. Detroit: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia, Junior

A sea of Stafford haters and doubters are already surfacing. That's fine. They're wrong. The guy's got the best arm in this draft, worked in a pro-style offense, and has all the makings of a big-time NFL quarterback. Don't blame him for Georgia's down year last season. Their defense was a joke. Stafford to the Lions. Put it in ink.

2. St. Louis: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama, Junior

The heir apparent to Orlando Pace at left tackle in St. Louis, this makes sense. Smith is 6-4, 330 pounds, and is great in both pass and run protection. GM Billy Devaney and new head coach Steve Spagnuolo may be thinking defense here, but they'll go with the mauling left tackle instead.

3. Kansas City: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas, Senior

I've got the versatile Orakpo (he could either play DE or outside linebacker) going MUCH earlier than some of the other pundits out there. I've seen him pegged as low as No. 20 on some sites. But Kansas City had the absolute worst pass rush in the league last season, and combined for the least sacks for a unit since the NFL started tracking the statistic in the early '80s. Add Orakpo alongside Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali, and the D-Line might actually resemble a formidable unit next season. Or throw him at outside linebacker and let him run wild. He can do either. Scott Pioli took the best defensive player on the board last year — Jerod Mayo — and did so several spots ahead of where the mock draft "experts" thought he'd go. It worked out fairly well. He was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. All those "problems" at quarterback? Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle are not the reasons the Chiefs stunk last year.

4. Seattle: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech, Sophomore

The Seahawks started Logan Payne and Courtney Taylor at wideout for a game last season. Branch and Engram, though still more than capable, are beyond their best years. There's no depth at the position. Larry Fitzgerald showed just how valuable a game-breaking wideout is in today's NFL. Crabtree's a perfect fit for Seattle.

5. Cleveland: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest, Senior

Compared to everyone from Derrick Brooks to Keith Bulluck, Curry is this year's Pat Willis/Jon Beason sure-thing pick at linebacker. Does he fit well in Eric Mangini's 3-4 scheme? We'll have to see. But based on what Cleveland has at linebacker now, he's a tremendous upgrade.

6. Cincinnati: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College, Senior

The Bengals wanted to land USC's Sedrick Ellis last year, but the Saints moved up and snagged him. Raji's no consolation prize. A beast at DT, he's the real deal and had a fantastic Senior Bowl week in Mobile. Cincinnati's D started to gel a bit toward the end of last season; throwing a run-stuffing clog in the middle will only help them in '09 and beyond.

7. Oakland: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia, Senior

Virginia's becoming an offensive lineman factory. D'Brickashaw Ferguson in '06, Brandon Albert in '07, and now the versatile Monroe in '08. The kid's a player. Don't laugh, but the Oakland offense started coming around toward the end of last year. Adding another piece — Oakland's third offensive first-round pick in a row — would go a long way for the future. Current starting left tackle Mario Henderson's probably not the long-term answer.

8. Jacksonville: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor, Senior

The big boy can move. Smith has what scouts are calling "great feet." Does Jessica Alba have great feet? I'm not sure what "great feet" even means, but the Jaguars sure can use some anchoring on their offensive line. A unit depleted by injuries last year, Smith could start right away for Jack Del Rio.

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9. Green Bay: Everette Brown, DE, Florida State, Junior

Again, a bit higher than where others have Brown slotted. As one of the top pass rushers, and this being a definite need in Green Bay's new 3-4, it's a good fit. A physical freak out of FSU, he'll have one of those stellar Combine performances that make him everybody's hot "upside" pick.

10. San Francisco: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss, Senior

Mr. "Blind Side" himself. Oher came back to school so he could play for a winning team and improve his draft stock. He played for the winning team (Ole Miss was the surprise squad of the year in the SEC), but did not necessarily bump his draft stock. That said, San Francisco surrendered the most sacks of any team in the NFL last season (granted, that's expected in Mike Martz's offense), and started three different players at right tackle. Joe Staley's solid at the LT; Oher could be a wonderful complement at the RT spot.

11. Buffalo: Aaron Maybin, OLB/DE, Penn State, Junior

Buffalo's overall D was adequate last year, but the pass rush was abysmal. In a down year for defensive ends, Maybin may be a bit of a reach at 11. But the pick makes sense. Capable of playing either outside linebacker or the pass rushing defensive end spot, he can join fellow former Penn State star Paul Posluszny in the Bills front seven.

12. Denver: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC, Senior

Erin Andrews' dancing partner would be a solid addition to the Broncos' new defensive 3-4 scheme. A high-energy guy with range and speed, Maualuga might be the first step in bringing the Broncos defense back to respectability.

13. Washington: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State, Senior

For the second time in three years, the Redskins have four picks or less in the NFL Draft. Though the Redskins seem to have a lot of big names in that defensive backfield, they've got a lot of turbulence as well. Is DeAngelo Hall coming back? Shawn Springs? Fred Smoot? LaRon Landry and Chris Horton — draft picks the last two years — are sure things for the future. Jenkins could be the perfect shut down corner to join them.

14. New Orleans: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois, Junior

With cornerback likely their top need, the Saints would love for Jenkins to slip to them at 14. If he's gone, as he is here, look for Davis — Vernon's little brother — to be the next cornerback scooped up. Gregg Williams joins Sean Payton's staff, meaning the Saints defense may actually resemble an NFL unit next season.

15. Houston: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss, Senior

It's a shame. For all the first-round selections on the Texans defensive line, it's still the team's weakest area. NT Travis Johnson hasn't played like a first rounder and Amobi Okoye battled nagging injuries last year. If Jerry's on the board, and I think he will be at 15, look for Houston to plug him in that rotation of young DLs.

16. San Diego: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC, Senior

Talk about Tom Brady's injury all you want; losing Shawne Merriman seemed to hurt the Chargers defense last year a lot more than losing Brady hurt the Patriots' O. The Chargers went from 5th overall in the league in defense in 2007 to 16th in 2008. Sacks? They slipped from 5th to 22nd. Their run and pass D rankings plummeted as well. Cushing's going to be a solid pro and will make for a nice addition to the linebacking corps.

17. New York Jets: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt, Senior

Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin are tempting picks here and if Mark Sanchez is still on the board at 17, Jets fans will be going nuts at Radio City, but Rex Ryan's D needs another corner to pair with Mr. Revis. Maybe the best cover corner in this entire draft class, Moore also played several downs on offense for the Commodores during his time in Nashville. Dynamic, versatile, and downright nasty — this would be a steal for the Jets.

18. Chicago: Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois, Senior

Who?! Breathe easy, Bears fans, this kid can play. For the first time in years, it seemed as though the Bears offense carried the Bears defense in 2008. English is young, capable of playing either the rush DE or the OLB, and a good fit for Lovie Smith's D.

19. Tampa Bay: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC, Senior

I know, I know. Sanchez is going as high as No. 3 to Kansas City on some other mock drafts. And yes, it seems absurd that he'd slip all the way to 19. But I'm not crazy about him as an NFL quarterback, and I'm not so certain NFL draft experts are either. Tampa Bay's QB spot is a mystery, and they did draft Josh Johnson a year ago. At 19, this is a risk worth taking. As for the other mock drafts, remember — most had Aaron Rodgers going second overall in 2005 and Brady Quinn going as high as first.

The Lions are looking for a good LB, and Laurinaitis might be the guy they like. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

20. Detroit: James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State, Senior

Jim Schwartz had the pleasure of coaching Keith Bulluck for years in Tennessee. Now, that's a lot for Laurinaitis to live up to, but he has the goods to be a solid NFL linebacker.

21. Philadelphia: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State, Junior

Wells has top-10 talent, but there are durability issues. All those fourth-and-1's that Andy Reid's Eagles came up short on last season? Wells gets those first downs. With two first-round picks, the Eagles have the luxury of taking a running back — not particularly a position of need — with this selection.

22. Minnesota: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri, Junior

The quarterback position remains an area of need, but there will be no first-round talent sitting around at 22 (I'm not convinced on Josh Freeman). Maclin is a game-breaker who can add an extra element to an improving Vikings offense. He can also offer substantial return abilities on special teams.

23. New England: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest, Senior

The Patriots allowed the second most passing touchdowns in the league last season, and featured a less than blue-chip rotation at cornerback. Smith is solid. Though only 5-9, his on-the-ball cover skills and quickness are first-round quality.

24. Atlanta: Tyson Jackson, DE/DT, LSU, Senior

The Falcons D was solid last season, but could still use some additional young pieces. Jackson has a bit of upside and was a team leader the past two seasons at LSU. Probably capable of playing either the DE or DT spots in that Falcons 4-3, the 6-4, 300 pounder would be a nice pickup at 24.

25. Miami: Clay Matthews, LB, USC, Senior

Three USC linebackers taken in the first round? Yes, sir. Joey Porter isn't getting any younger and Bill Parcells likes to build his team with defensive rocks leading the way. This may be a bit high for Matthews — I've read elsewhere that he's a late second/early third round pick — but with good lineage (father is Clay Matthews; uncle is Bruce), don't be shocked if he's scooped up at 25.

26. Baltimore: Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia, Senior

Yet another first-round pick out of Virginia. With Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs' futures up in the air, look for the Ravens to grab the best linebacker available. Sintim's got a bright future ahead of him.

27. Indianapolis: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia, Junior

Yes, they took Joseph Addai in the first round three years ago. And sure, they love what Mike Hart gave them when healthy last season. But if Moreno's still on the board at 27, he'll be hard to pass up. One of the best open field runners you'll ever see, Moreno's motor never stops. He could go top 10 ... or he could slip to the late 20s.

28. Philadelphia: Eben Britton, OT, Arizona, Junior

Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan had fantastic 2008 seasons, but neither are getting any younger. Though there's a stable of young offensive linemen already in play in Philly who can eventually replace the two 30-somethings, the 6-6 Britton is an All-Pac-10 performer who can be a future anchor of the Eagles offensive line.

29. New York Giants: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech, Senior

Wide receiver is a top concern for the Giants, but without a clear idea on how the Plaxico situation will turn out, or whether or not Amani Toomer will be back — it's hard to simply assume they'll take a wideout in the first round. New York has been known to take the best defensive athletes available in recent years, and Johnson is a workhorse at defensive end.

In last year's draft, the Titans snagged a gamebreaker for their backfield (Chris Johnson). How about Percy Harvin for the WR corps? (Marc Serota / Getty Images)

30. Tennessee: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida, Junior

Harvin's another guy who could go anywhere from top 15 to the second round. And although the Titans continue to pass on taking receivers with first-round picks, they may be willing to switch it up for a chance to take the Florida speedster. Put him and Chris Johnson on the same offense and you are two short of an elite Olympic relay team.

31. Arizona: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh, Junior

The Cardinals proved a lot of critics wrong on Sunday night. They showed that both a) they belong among the NFLʼs elite, and b) Clancy Pendergrastʼs riverboat gambler defense can hold its own. Arizonaʼs defense is young, fiery and deep. With the leagueʼs worst-ranked rushing offense in 2008, look for ʽZona to add depth to the running back spot with McCoy.

32. Pittsburgh: William Beatty, OT, UConn, Senior

Yes, Big Ben gave a nice shout out to the offensive line from the podium on Sunday night. And sure, they did the job. But thereʼs still room for improvement on an offensive line that gave up the fourth most sacks in the league last season. Beattyʼs a beast who opened up a lot of holes for Donald Brown, the NCAAʼs leading rusher, a year ago.
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