Mock Draft 2006

1.     Houston Texans

Reggie Bush

-Running Back

-USC

-There is no way any one can pass up on Bush. He is obviously the most explosive person in the draft. Even though running back is not a huge need for the Texans, Bush is a must pick at #1. Bush is said to be the next Barry Sanders, and any team would just be plain stupid to pass up on a man of this caliber. Bush can score anywhere on the field at any time.

2.     New Orleans Saints

D’Brickashaw Ferguson

-Offensive Tackle

-Virginia

-The Saints lost their best offensive linemen over the off-season in LeCharles Bentley. If they want their new quarter back Drew Brees to be as successful as he was in San Diego, they will need to improve on their offensive line, and Ferguson is the obvious top offensive linemen in the draft.

3.     Tennessee Titans

Matt Leinart

-Quarter Back

-USC

-By not letting Quarter back Steve McNair into practice facilities, this was a huge clue that the Titans were searching for a new quarterback in the draft. This is the right choice since McNair has lived out his career, and is just too old to take the Titans any further. Leinart is the best Quarter back in this years draft and is an excellent choice for the Titans with the 3^rd pick.

4.     New York Jets

Mario Williams

- Defensive End

-N.C State

-The Jets really should take a quarter back at this spot, but Mario Williams is just way to good to pass up at the #4 spot. Williams rushes the passer extremely well and his stock is rising every day, and he also is the most anticipated defensive end to come out of college since Julius Peppers. This will plug in the hole of defensive end after the loss of John Abraham.

5.     Green Bay Packers

A.J Hawk

-Outside Line Backer

-Ohio State

-Even though the Packers finished #5 in defense last year, Hawk is to good of a player to pass up just like Williams. Hawk is considered one of the best defensive players in the draft and could bolster the Pack’s defense for the 2006 season. With Nick Barnett in the middle, the Packers could have one of the best line backing cores in the NFC.

6.     San Francisco 49ers

Vernon Davis

-Tight End

-Maryland

-Alex Smith in his rookie season had a miserable 11 interceptions and only 1 touchdown. This off-season the 49ers traded away their biggest threat Brandon Lloyd to the Redskins. Alex Smith will need a tall larger who is very reliable, and that is where Davis comes in. Vernon Davis is a Tight End in a Wide Receivers body and may be the best Tight End to come out of the draft in many years.

7.     Oakland Raiders

Vince Young

-Quarter Back

-Texas

-Aaron Brooks is not the future of the Raiders organization…period. The Raiders must draft a quarter back of the future or go defense, and since Vince Young is the top player left the Raiders should draft Young. Young single handily beat the Trojans in the Rose Bowl last year and could be a huge lift for the Raiders offense. He also would have the benefit of throwing to Randy Moss.

8. Buffalo Bills

Brodick Bunkley 

-Defensive Tackle

-Florida State 

 -The Bills finished among the worst in stopping the run last season, and became even worse when the loss defensive tackle Sam Adams to free agency. The Bills have two choices here at the defensive line position. Brodick Bunkely, or Haloti Ngata, and since Buckley’s stock is rising, and seems to work well within the Bills system, he seems like a perfect choice to stuff the run and make their defense return to its dominate image it once had.                                                                                                                                                                                 

 9. Detroit Lions

Michael Huff

-Safety

-Texas

-The Lions secondary has been brutal over the years, not allowing its defense to get off the field at key points in the game. This is where Huff comes in. Huff will fill a huge need at the free safety position that the Lions desperately need. Huff is a playmaker and will help the Lions offense get more show time. The defense needs more play makers and Huff is exactly what they need in this draft.

10. Arizona Cardinals

Winston Justice

-Offensive Tackle

-USC

-Sure the Cardinals made a big splash in the off season when the grabbed Edgerin James off Free Agency, but what has been really been haunting the Cardinals every year is the lack off talent at the offensive line. Edge will have no success on the Cardinals if he doesn’t have an offensive line to help him out, and that is exactly what Justice can bring to the team. He is the second best offensive linemen in the draft and could add more balance to the Cards offense if he plays to his potential. He had a very good workout and has great athleticism that could really boost the lines overall talent level.

11. St. Louis Rams

Jimmy Williams

-Corner Back

-Virginia Tech

-Could the Rams defense get any worse last year? They ranked low in almost every category and could only get better this season. They upgraded the line backer (Will Witherspoon), defensive line (La’Roi Glover) and safety position, now its time for their worst area at corner back. Williams is a very physical corner, and brings everything to the table and would be a huge upgrade to the Rams defense, which they need to keep up with their strong offense.

12. Cleveland Browns

Kamerion Wimbley

-Defensive End/Outside Line Backer

-Florida State

-Coach Romeo Crennel is a defensive minded coach and linebackers are the key to his defense, so Wimbley would be a perfect fit. Kamerion Wimbleys stock has risen all throughout the off-season and will only help what Cleveland has started this off season, and that is improve their weak defense. With the addition of Willie McGinest, the always-solid Andra Davis, and the young talent in Wimbley coach Crenell can finally have his linebackers he’s wanted ever since he entered the Browns organization.

13. Baltimore Ravens

Haloti Ngata

-Defensive Tackle

-Oregon

-The Ravens have a tough choice here to either take a wide receiver, take new youth to the offensive line, take another quarter back of the future, or take the best player on the board in Ngata. Since they took a wide receiver first round last year (Mark Clayton), there is no top offensive linemen to take at pick #13, and Kyle Boller showed signs of greatness at the end of last season, Ozzie Newsome goes defense again as he goes into his strategy of taking quality linemen, and Ngata is a great choice on account of his great size and athletic ability to stop the run as well as rush the passer.

14. Philadelphia Eagles

Chad Jackson

-Wide Receiver

-Florida

-After the loss of Terrell Owens, the Eagles had no real threat at wide out in 2005. They drafted Reggie Brown, and he may be good as time goes on, but him and Todd Pinkston as of not do not scare any defenses. Chad Jackson is arguably the best wide out coming out of college and could add a deep threat for Donovan McNabb to look to. Jackson has amazing speed and stretches the field, and has shown to be the class of the wide receivers in this year’s draft (which has shown not to have much depth). Jackson can help make the Eagles offense more balanced in their attack, and leave less attention off Brian Westbrook.

15. Denver Broncos (from Atlanta)

Santonio Holmes

-Wide Receiver

-Ohio State

-It is about time Denver looked for a new wide out. Rod Smith is still productive, but is not getting any younger. Ashley Lelie has shown signs of being the Broncos #2 wide out, but has not nearly been consistent enough. Holmes would enter Denver as probably the #3 receiver on the team and make his way up the depth charts surpassing Lelie and Smith with his exceptional talent. Don’t rule out seeing Jackson fall here instead of Holmes. It is a toss up of who is the better of the two, and what ever one is not taken in the first 14 picks or at not taken at all, look for Denver to take the last one remaining, as well as make a last minute decision on who to take.

16. Miami Dolphins

Antonio Cromartie

-Corner Back

-Florida State

-The Dolphins defense has been slipping through the years, only ranking 17^th in 2005. Cromartie's stock has risen extremely over the past weeks and is now being said to be the top corner in the draft. Cromartie is a very physical corner and can bring some much-needed youth to the Dolphins defense, which has been aging through the years. After losing Sam Madison to the Giants, the corner back position must be addressed to help in defending in the pass. Cromartie would be lined up across from free agent acquisition Will Allen.

17. Minnesota Vikings

Jay Cutler

-Quarter Back

-Vanderbilt

-Minnesota’s main need is at the line backer and quarter back position, and since Cutler is surprisingly still available after being a projected top 10 pick, he is a must take at the #17 spot, with a glaring need at the quarterback position. Brad Johnson can get the job done, but cannot take a team to the next level. He was surrounded by the 2002 Buccaneers defense, and unlike the Vikings defense, they could carry the team. Cutler has been said to have a very good work out, and his stock has been rising ever since the combine. With the teams above him without a need for another quarter back, this is a great selection for the Vikings, even though linebackers are their #1 need at this time.

18. Dallas Cowboys

Manny Lawson

-Defensive End

-N.C State

-Lawson can play both defensive end and linebacker positions, making him a perfect fit for the Cowboys defense. After selecting Demarcus Ware, and Marcus Spears in the first round of last year’s draft, being both defensive ends, it wont be a surprise if Lawson play linebacker for the Cowboys. Since Kamerion Wimbley was taken earlier in the draft, Lawson is just as good, if not a better defensive end/line backer. Coach Parcells loves players like Manny that can rotate at defensive positions, and will be very excited that Lawson has fell to them. Lawson has great size and ability to help the young and upcoming Dallas Cowboys defense for years to come. 

19. San Diego Chargers

Tye Hill

-Corner back

-Clemson

-The Chargers main weakness on defense has obviously been against the pass, and must address the cornerback position. They have a tough choice between Clemson’s Tye hill, and South Carolinas Jonathan Joseph. Since Josephs stock has somewhat fallen over the last couple of days, and Tye Hill has been rumored to be the next shut down corner. Hill in his senior season came out bigger, stronger, and more confident then ever. This quickly opened up scout’s eyes and would be an excellent choice at the #19 spot. The Chargers need an above average secondary to go with one of the best front 7’s in the AFC. With a little help on defense, this will only make Phillip Rivers to be more successful, and that also leads to the Chargers being more competitive in the tough AFC conference.

20. Kansas City Chiefs

Jonathan Joseph

-Corner Back

-South Carolina

-Along with their division rival Chargers, the Chiefs also need help in the secondary, and since Tye Hill was taken the pick before, the Chiefs will gladly take Jonathan Joseph. Joseph caught some attention in his junior year after being injured for his whole sophomore year. He is considered one of the top corners in the draft and the Chiefs obviously will not be disappointed if they have to “settle” for Joseph. After Surtain was somewhat of a disappointment last year, and the loss of Eric Warfield, this is an obvious need for the Chiefs at this point and time.

21. New England Patriots

Bobby Carpenter

-Line Backer

-Ohio State

-The Patriots are known for taking highly classy guys, with lots of swagger and love for the game, and that is absolutely what you get with Carpenter. Along side of A.J Hawk, Ohio States linebackers got some serious attention, and Carpenter may have been over shadowed by the highly talented A.J Hawk. After the loss of Willie McGinest, the Pats are in desperate need of depth at the line backer position. You know exactly what you get with this guy. If the Patriots want some one with a nose for the ball and will leave it all on the field, the Carpenter is a great choice for the Pats at #21. He also has many connections to the Patriots, his father played for Bill Belichick, and Bobby speaks to linebacker Mike Vrabel on a regular basis.

22. San Francisco 49ers

Ernie Sims

-Outside Linebacker

-Florida State

-The 49ers will be extremely happy that Sims has fallen this far into the draft. Sims was to be considered a top 10 pick by many drafts scouts, and would be a tremendous steal at the #23 spot. The top out side linebacker out of Florida State may be the best coverage line backer in the draft; he also has tremendous speed, and power considering he is not very tall. The 49ers need someone to replace Julian Peterson after the Seahawks signed him off free agency, and here they might snag the top linebacker in the draft to help the needy 49ers defense. He may though have trouble with the defense his is playing in, because of the fact he plays perfect within the Cover 2, but the 49ers can just not give up the amount of talent Sims possesses. The only negative of Sims is his history of concussions, and if all avoided Simms can become a top player in the NFL throughout his career.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Marcus McNeil

-Offensive Tackle

-Auburn

-Offensive Tackle if the biggest need for the Buccaneers, and since there targeted player Sims went the pick before, they are still happy to “settle” for the phenomenal run blocker out of Auburn Marcus McNeal. McNeal punishes his opponents and has a nasty attitude, having a major intimidation factor in the process. HE is quite possibly the best run blocker in the draft, even better than Ferguson. It is very hard to get passes McNeal on account of his massive arms. He does though have trouble against speed rushers, especially the spin move, but if he can stay away from the Colts Dwight Freeney he’ll be fine.

24. Cincinnati Bengals

Marcedes Lewis

-Tight End

-UCLA

-The Bengals really have no go to tight end on the team, and since they see Lewis still on the board, they decide to make their offense even more difficult to get off the field. Lewis has amazing hands, catching anything that comes his way, and is an all round good player. He is very easy to coach, as he is very cooperative. The Bengals really should address defense here, but they would regret if they didn’t take the all-American this late in the first round.  Lewis has some blocking problems, but that only comes with his great athletic ability. With this addition, The Bengals can have the #1 offense in the NFL this season.

25. New York Giants

Chad Greenway

-Outside Linebacker

-Iowa

-Last season the Giants had no depth at line backer to help them advanced farter into the playoffs. Steve Smith just tore them up in a 23-0 Wild Card game. IF the Giants learn their lesson they’ll take the best linebacker left, even though they added free agent Lavar Arrington earlier in the month. Greenway is a top-notch tackler who rarely misses any where on the field. He is a true sideline-to-sideline player. He can also run with any tight end in the league. This would be a great addition for the Giants on account their defense let them down last year late in the season. Greenway is the type of player that wont let you down.

26. Chicago Bears

Sinorice Moss

-Wide Receiver

-Miami

-The Bears offense held them back last season, always relying on the defense to make big plays. Well this year they definably have to address offense in the draft, and that is exactly what they will do when they draft Sinorice Moss. Moss may have been the fastest player in college football, and shares several qualities to his brother Santana Moss, the #1 wide out in Washington. If he turns out to be like his older brother, this can be a very good pick to help quarter back Rex Grossman in the passing game. Sinorice has the break out speed dearly needed in the Bears offense to have the big play.

27. Carolina Panthers

DeAngelo Williams

-Running Back

-Memphis

-Finally another running back is taking after the great Reggie Bush. Williams is considered by many to be the 2^nd best running back in this draft and could be a huge steal at the #27 spot. The Panthers had a busy off-season filling in many needs, and have no glaring weakness. They would be taking the best player left in the draft. Even though the Panthers just re signed running back DeShaun Foster to a big contract, he has still not shown he can be the #1 in Carolina. Williams has incredible athleticism and will be a huge lift to the Panthers rushing game, which suffered last year from injuries.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas Howard

-Outside Linebacker

-UTEP
-Even though the Jaguars defense is very reliable, the lack a big play outside linebacker along side of middle linebacker Mike Peterson. Howard has great speed, the speed of your typical wide receiver. He is also a leader on the field and has the athleticism of any line backer taken ahead of him. He roams the field like a defensive back and is hungry for the big play, the perfect type for Jack Del-Rios physical defense. His instincts must improve though to take it to the next level of his play.

29. New York Jets

Eric Winston

-Offensive Tackle

-Miami

-The Jets are desperate for new youth at the offensive line position after losing center Kevin Mawae to the Titans, and releasing tackle Jason Fabini. Winston has great size and quick feet making him a very solid tackle. He uses his tall stature and great intelligence to play both the right and left tackle position. Winston is able to handle intense pressure from opposing defensive rush at any time making him one of the top linemen in the draft. The Jets would then have taken two linemen on both sides of the ball kicking of the Eric Mangini era in New York.

30. Indianapolis Colts

Laurence Maroney

-Running Back

-Minnesota

-The Indianapolis Colts looked absolutely perfect late into the regular season last year. They started 13-0 and looked unstoppable. Then the loss to the San Diego Chargers came and everything went down hill; losing in the playoffs a few weeks later 21-18 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They lost their star running back Edgerin James this off-season and are searching for the replacement. Maroney is an explosive running back with great vision, adding up with an amazing combination of power, speed, and size and will be a perfect replacement for James. It might take Maroney a year to learn the ropes, but he has the honor of having a great offense to help him adjust to the NFL.

31. Seattle Seahawks

Kelly Jennings

-Corner Back

-Miami

-After losing the Super Bowl to the Steelers, the Seahawks have the honor to deal with the Super Bowl loser curse that has been going on for 5 years straight, meaning they will supposedly not make the playoffs this year. They have no glaring needs at any position, except they can improve against the pass. The Seahawks are now taking the route of signing high character players (see Lofa Tatupu last year), and now see corner back Kelly Jennings on the board. Jennings is a ball-hawk type of corner and a hard worker always trying to improve his game, and that is exactly what the Seahawks are searching for. Corner back is their only major need after losing Andre Dyson to the Jets, meaning Kelly Jennings is the best choice out there at this point in time.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers

LenDale White

-Running Back

-USC

-LenDale was the back up to Reggie Bush on the USC squad, so he didn’t see much playing time during his college career as he would like, or get the attention he should deserve if he were indeed the starter. He played a huge role into the success of the potent rushing attack of the Trojans last season. White is an extremely powerful back; just plowing defenders over like its nothing. He has great balance with above average vision, and has a great mix of power and speed. He can also catch passes in the backfield, which many people seem to forget. He would be a perfect replacement for the recently retired Jerome Bettis, who he has very similar qualities to in his style of running the football.