Gonzo's Pre-Combine NFL Mock Draft

by Christopher Gates on Feb 14, 2009 6:00 AM CST in Draft

As promised, ladies and gentlemen, here it is. What actually happens on 28 and 29 April will probably be drastically different from this, but it's always fun to put together a first guess at this sort of stuff. So, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it opens up a bit of discussion on the draft front.

In the meantime, I hope that all of you out there and all of your significant others are having an outstanding Valentine's Day. . .and don't forget to celebrate National Half-Priced Heart-Shaped Candy Day tomorrow as well!

Player Power Rankings
Pick	Team	Selection	Commentary
1	Detroit Lions	Andre Smith, OT, Alabama	Man. . .the Lions could go just about anywhere with this pick, couldn't they? The prevailing logic is that they'll take Georgia QB Matthew Stafford here, but I think the Lions NEED a hit here, and no QB is going to be an immediate hit in Detroit unless they address the offensive line first. Smith is huge, and is the consensus best OT in the draft at this moment in time, so he goes here. We'll have to see what the draft holds for the Lions later as far as the QB situation.
2	St. Louis Rams	Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi	This draft is VERY top heavy at offensive tackle. . .which is a good thing for the Rams, because their offensive line was terrible in 2008. Marc Bulger got bounced around like a pinball, and what used to be the "Greatest Show on Turf" ground to a halt. They'd consider Michael Crabtree here, I think, but their offensive line has to be their top priority. I'm not sure how the OTs will shake out at this point, but I'm really rooting for Oher to go high. . .and if you've read Michael Lewis' The Blind Side, you are, too.
3	Kansas City Chiefs	Everette Brown, DE, Florida State	I believe the Matthew Stafford watch starts at this slot. Will new Chiefs' head coach Todd Haley be as sold on. . .ugh. . .former Viking Tyler Thigpen to pass on Stafford here? Given what Thigpen did last year, I actually think he will be. That means Kansas City will look to help their defense, and they could do much worse than Everette Brown. Brown had a monster season for the Seminoles in 2008 (13.5 sacks, 21.5 TFL). He's not the biggest guy, but he knows how to get to the quarterback. . .and, for a Chiefs' team that registered a total of 10 sacks last year, that's just what the doctor ordered.
4	Seattle Seahawks	Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech	You know who the Seahawks' leading receiver was in 2008? Rookie TE John Carlson, who led the team in receptions (55), yards (627), and touchdowns (5). Between that and the injuries to Matt Hasselbeck, the Seattle offense was a mess, averaging 18.4 points/game. Enter Crabtree, who (in my opinion) is the best overall football player in this year's draft. If the Seahawks can get the rest of their receivers healthy and keep Matt Hasselbeck upright, they could see a dramatic turnaround in 2009.
5	Cleveland Browns	Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas	One of the more disappointing teams of the 2008 season, the Browns main problem was the fact that their front seven got manhandled on a regular basis, despite a huge season from newcomer Shaun Rogers. I'm not sure whether the Browns will be playing a 3-4 or a 4-3 under new coach Eric Mangini, but Orakpo will be able to help them either way. Only the Chiefs had fewer sacks in 2008 than Cleveland's total of 17, and Orakpo could change that from either the DE spot in a 4-3 or the OLB spot in a 3-4.
6	Cincinnati Bengals	Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia	The Bengals are another team with a whole lot of needs, but you'd have to think they'd do something to try to boost the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL last season. Yeah, the injury to Carson Palmer was a big part of that, but their offensive line is a mess. Eugene Monroe is another of the extremely talented offensive tackles that will go early in this draft, and he'll do a lot to protect the blindside of Palmer or Ryan Fitzpatrick or Boomer Esiason or whoever else is going to end up at QB in Cincy. Given the likelihood of the Bengals losing T.J. Houshmanzadeh and the unpredictability of the Ocho Cinco circus, protection and stability will be at a premium in the Queen City.
7	Oakland Raiders	Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest	The good folks at Drafttek actually have Curry going #1 overall, so this would be a pretty good pick for the Raiders if they could get him here. Then again, with Al Davis at the helm, lord only knows where this pick is headed. Still, Curry is everything that Davis would love in a linebacker. . .he's big, he's fast, and he won the Butkus Award in 2008 as the top linebacker in college football. There are other spots the Raiders could look towards here. . .offensive tackle, inside linebacker, wide receiver (only if Crabtree falls, which is doubtful). . .but Curry would be about the safest pick the silver and black could make.
8	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jason Smith, OT, Baylor	I really, really wanted to put Matthew Stafford here, but I think the Jags will give David Garrard a chance to rebound in 2009 and don't want a high-profile youngster adding any pressure here. So, to that end, Jacksonville grabs another of this draft's big offensive tackles to keep Garrard upright. Jack Del Rio might take a long, hard look at LB Ray Malaluga, but if he wants any chance of keeping his job after 2009, he has to recognize that something needs to be done with the Jags' offense.
9	Green Bay Packers	Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State	The Packers are, inexplicably, making the transition to the 3-4 defense next season, and there really isn't anyone worth the 9th overall pick that can help them much in this scenario, so they'll look to fix a secondary that got torched with great regularity towards the end of the regular season. Jenkins has the size and physicality that the Packers look for in their corners, and this move will allow either Charles Woodson or Al Harris to move permanently to safety rather than shifting people around constantly.
10	San Francisco 49ers	Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia	If Stafford's drop doesn't end here, it could get to Aaron Rodgers levels of catastrophic. I know that quarterback might not be the most pressing need that the Niners have, but you're also not going to convince me that they're sold on the combination of Alex Smith, J.T. O'Sullivan, and Shaun Hill, either. After getting burned by Smith, it might be hard for the Niners to pull the trigger on a QB here, but I think Stafford would be an outstanding pick for them.
11	Buffalo Bills	Tyson Jackson, DE, Louisiana State	The Bills will likely address their defensive front seven with this selection. They could look at one of the two dynamic linebackers from Southern Cal. . .the aforementioned Malaluga and/or Brian Cushing. . .but I think that DE is a more pressing need for them, and Tyson Jackson is one of the more interesting players in this draft. He's a big defensive end, weighing in at 290 pounds, but he does a pretty good job of pressuring the opposing quarterback. Jackson is definitely someone to keep an eye on workout-wise in Indianapolis, and I think he'd be a good pick for the Bills here.
12	Denver Broncos	Rey Maualuga, LB, Southern California	Maualuga is a certified bad-ass, and is the kind of physical presence that the Broncos need in their front seven. With the Broncos also making the transition to the 3-4 next season, they need linebackers that can get out and make plays, and nobody in this class fits that description better than Maualuga. He's similar to E.J. Henderson in the sense that when he hits somebody, they stay hit. Has some character issues in his past, but he appears to be beyond those now, and would be a great addition to a Denver defense that really needs a shot in the arm.
13	Washington Redskins	Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi	The Redskins' defense had some trouble getting to the quarterback in 2008, and although they'd love for a defensive end to drop to them at this spot, nobody that's left in this scenario appears to be worth this pick as of now. Jerry managed to rack up 18 TFL and 7 sacks as a senior despite battling ankle problems all season, and really stood out at the Senior Bowl a couple of weeks back. Extremely high motor player, and would help the Redskins' defense immediately.
14	New Orleans Saints	James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State	The Saints could go pretty much anywhere on defense with this selection. . .their offense is about as good as it gets. . .and with Jonathan Vilma more than likely leaving the Crescent City, they have a hole in the middle of that defense that needs to be filled. Enter Laurinaitis, son of former wrestling star Road Warrior Animal, to do just that. He might not be quite at Maualuga's level as far as inside backers in this class go, but he's no slouch, either, and probably would have been a Top 10 selection in 2008 had he declared.
15	Houston Texans	Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois	The Texans, like the Saints, are pretty well set on offense, but have some holes to patch on their defense. And if Dunta Robinson leaves via free agency, one of those holes will turn into a crater. Davis is a junior that came out early for this year's draft after starting all 36 games of his career for the Fighting Illini. He's got all the physical tools to be an elite NFL corner, but scouts often wonder whether or not his head is in the right place all the time. There are other corners the Texans could look at here, but based solely on physical ability, Davis would be the choice here.
16	San Diego Chargers	B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College	The Chargers seem to be anticipating that Igor Olshansky will be leaving via the free agent route in a couple of weeks, and they'll need someone to replace him on their defensive line. At 6'1" and 325 pounds, Raji can generously be described as "friggin' huge," and had an equally huge senior year after missing 2007 for academic reasons. The usually stout Charger defense sputtered a bit in 2008, and if they could plug an in-shape and motivated Raji in there, they could return to prominence with the return of Shawne Merriman in 2009.
17	New York Jets	Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California	There's no way the Jets are sold on Kellen Clemens. None. If they were, they wouldn't have felt compelled to bring the Brett Favre circus to town last season. Now, Favre has officially retired from the game, and Clemens is all the Jets have left at the QB spot. Enter Mark Sanchez to compete for and, in all likelihood, win the quarterback job in 2009. He may have only started a handful of games at USC, but he's got a lot of talent and should be able to step into the Jets' offense straight away.
18	Chicago Bears	Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri	This would be a dream for Bears' fans, as Maclin would give them what they used to have in Devin Hester. . .an immediate threat on special teams, as well as someone that could gradually work his way into the offense as a receiver. Hester was decent as a receiver last year, but completely fell off the map in the return game Adding Maclin would allow Hester to concentrate on either one role or the other, and would give the Bears an immediate upgrade at two spots. They could also be looking safety here, but if Maclin falls to this spot, I don't see any way the Bears pass him up.
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Percy Harvin, WR, Florida	With Antonio Bryant a candidate to leave this off-season. . .and even if he stays in town. . .the Bucs need another wide receiver. Joey Galloway was basically non-existent in 2008, and the Bucs didn't have the deep threat their offense needs. While Harvin might not be a great wide receiver right away, he is a dynamic player and would make some impact in the offense, as well as on special teams. The Bucs would also probably love for Sanchez to fall to this spot since Jeff Garcia is more than likely not coming back, but they appear to like Josh Johnson, who they drafted last season.
20	Detroit Lions (from Dallas)	Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California	This might seem a bit low for Cushing, but I can't see anywhere before this spot that he's going to go, to be honest. Cushing has been outstanding for the Trojans the past couple of seasons, and would likely be an immediate starter for the Lions. The biggest knock on him is his durability, as he had a lot of injury woes early on in his college career. He hasn't had them the past couple of years, though, and if he can stay healthy, he'll be quite the steal for Detroit at this spot.
21	Philadelphia Eagles	Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia	Yes, we all know that Brian Westbrook is one of the NFL's great backs. It also seems like he's injured every week. . .not bad enough to sit out most games, mind you, but it has to bring a bit of instability to the Eagles' offense. While Correll Buckhalter is a decent back, Moreno has the talent and the ability to be something special. He's similar to Westbrook in that he's not the biggest guy out there, but he's got great instincts and vision. With two first-round picks, the Eagles can afford to take a guy like Moreno here. . or with their second pick, if he's still available.
22	Minnesota Vikings	Alex Mack, C, California	I'm not going to lie to you, folks. . .I agonized over this pick. I really did. I really, REALLY wanted to pull the trigger on Josh Freeman here, and while it would have been a glamour pick that made a big splash, the reality is that it won't matter who's at quarterback for the Vikings next year if we don't fix the offensive line. So, I make this pick based on the assumption that Matt Birk is not going to be around. . .and, from all appearances, Mack is Matt Birk v2.0. He's got size and, more importantly, he's got smarts. He was the winner of the Draddy Award this past season, which is known as the "academic Heisman" and is given to college football's best scholar-athlete. He's a hard worker, a great leader. . .basically, he's everything you'd look for in a guy you'd want to anchor the offensive line for the next decade. Yeah, not the most glamorous pick the Beloved Purple could make, but it's one that I think we'll be reaping the benefits of for a long time.
23	New England Patriots	Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest	While the Patriots have always managed to put together a pretty decent front seven, their secondary is basically held together by duct tape and chicken wire. Smith reminds some people of Antoine Winfield. . .he's not the biggest guy on the field (he's only 5'9"), but he's not afraid to stick his nose into the play and get physical against the run despite his size limitations. He also has the added dimension of being an outstanding return man.
24	Atlanta Falcons	Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State	Atlanta's three main tight ends had a combined total of 19 receptions in 2008. QB Matt Ryan had a great season, to be sure, and I can't imagine how much better he could be if he had a target like Pettigrew in the middle of the field. He's huge (6'6", 280) and is a very good blocker as well as a good pass receiver. He's had some character issues, and it might be too soon after the Vick incident to go after a guy like that in Atlanta, but if he's beyond those issues, Pettigrew would be a very good pick for the Falcons.
25	Miami Dolphins	Aaron Maybin, LB, Penn State	Maybin declared for this year's draft after only two seasons in Happy Valley. . .he was a redshirt sophomore. . .but he's coming off a big year for the Nittany Lions, having racked up 20 TFL and 12 sacks in 2008. He'd be a great fit as an outside linebacker in the Dolphins' 3-4 scheme. His one downside is the fact that he's not a big guy, weighing in at only about 235 pounds, and he's pretty raw, but the Dolphins would be getting a great talent if Maybin were to drop this far.
26	Baltimore Ravens	D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt	We know how great the Ravens' safeties are, but their cornerbacks (Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle) can't stay healthy. . .in fact, neither of their starters were available for this year's AFC Championship game. Both of those players are also getting a little long in the tooth, and it's getting time for them to be replaced. Moore is another smaller CB (5'10", 180), and isn't quite as physical as Alphonso Smith, who went a few picks earlier, but he's the best fit for the Ravens at this point in this scenario.
27	Indianapolis Colts	Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State	Surprised, are you? Well, I'm going to let you in on a bit of a secret. . .Joseph Addai? Not that good a running back. What the Colts really need more than anything is a defensive tackle (or two or three), but there's nobody here worth a first-round selection, so the Colts would be well-served to upgrade themselves at the running back spot here. Wells is a big back that could immediately start in the Colts' backfield. They could also look to the WR spot here, too, or even a corner, but if I were the Colts in this situation, Wells would be my pick.
28	Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina)	Max Unger, OL, Oregon	Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan aren't getting any younger, and Winston Justice is. . .well, just bad. . .the Eagles need to do something to upgrade their offensive line with their second first round selection. Unger is an extremely versatile lineman, and has been projected as both a center and a right tackle at the NFL level. With Runyan more than likely leaving Philly, Unger would probably step in at RT. Shame for the Panthers that they don't still have this pick. . .after Jake Delhomme's playoff performance, they sure could use Josh Freeman, couldn't they?
29	New York Giants	Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland	Amani Toomer has been told that he's not going to be back in 2009, and who the heck knows what's going on with Plaxico Burress from one day to the next? The Giants are going to need some help at the wide receiver position next season. . .as it stands now, their #1 guy is "Not That" Steve Smith. Heyward-Bey has great size and speed, and would be able to develop a decent rapport with Eli Manning in the Giants' offense. The Giants could look for outside linebacker help here, too, but they're be better off looking there in Round 2, I think.
30	Tennessee Titans	Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia	Another team that could use WR help, there's nobody here that fits the bill, unless they want to reach for someone like Kenny Britt or Hakeem Nicks. There's no real DT help at this point should Albert Haynesworth leave, either. So, the Titans appear to be in "best player available" mode, and at this point, Sintim is that guy. He's a prototype strong-side linebacker with good size and speed, and would be a big help to an already great Tennessee defense.
31	Arizona Cardinals	Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois	The Cardinals would love for either Moreno or Wells to fall here, but in this scenario that's not happening. With the hybrid 3-4 scheme that the Cardinals like to run, pass rushers are always a welcome addition, and English is one of the best out there. He racked up 32.5 sacks and 57 TFL over his career at NIU, and will have to shift to an outside linebacker position in the NFL. They have Bert Berry and Chike Okeafor, but English could be a big difference maker if he can transition from a smaller conference to the NFL.
32	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eben Britton, OT, Arizona	What do you get for the team that has everything? Well, three of the Steelers' main offensive line pieces are set to hit the open market in free agency this off-season, so the offensive line is probably a good place to start. While Britton isn't one of the "elite" tackle prospects, he's a solid player that could make an immediate contribution for the Steelers as they defend their World Championship in 2009. They could also look for corner help, too, if someone catches their eye in Indianapolis.

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Comments

If Percy Harvin is on the board

I think the Vikes might go in that direction, assuming they address O-line and QB during free aganecy and still have a dirst round pick. Harvin seems to be a Devin Hester type, but is more than a one trick pony. He could bring the “Kick Ass” dimension to the KAO that has been sorely lacking.

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by Ted Glover on Feb 14, 2009 8:25 AM CST reply actions

O-Line

I agree that the top few spots will be occupied by Offensive lineman. Which disappoint me because I think Minnesota should look in that direction.
I feel the Vikes will take Unger over Mack, I believe they really like C John Sullivan and he has a season of tuturing from Birk under his belt.
The Bear fans would salivate at the thought of getting WR Maclin, I would prefer him even over an O-lineman if I thought we even had any chance to get him.

by DBQViking on Feb 14, 2009 8:54 AM CST reply actions

Centers..

Centers don’t usually get drafted in the first round. But I wouldn’t mind going in that direction. I don’t know anything about the guy though.

by PurplePeopleEaters on Feb 14, 2009 11:25 AM CST reply actions

Nice Name!

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Feb 14, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions

haha

I had mine first!

by PurplePeopleEaters on Feb 14, 2009 5:25 PM CST up reply actions

True

Centers rarely go in the first. Also, if they were going to draft a C I think they would take a Max Unger from Oregon; supposedly he has the best versitility of any offensive lineman in the draft. Another thing is they drafted the Sullivan kid late in last years draft and he was rated the number 1 center in a weak draft, but only the coaches know if he will be ready to step in for Birk. Either way this mock pick is pretty bad. I’d rather see the Vikes take the best available player.

by Spartan99 on Feb 15, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions

O-Line...

I think the Vikings will be satisfied going into the season with Sullivan and Cook battling it out in training camp. I think wither one of those two will do just as fine as birk did last year. I think the Vikings might take a look at RT in free agency. If Aaron Maybin is there at 22, I think the Vikings have to grab him. He would be the best player available, and cuold come in and immediately start over Leber. Did you know Leber made more money last year than Demarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman (I know he got hurt, but that didn’t affect his salary.), and Lofa Tatupu? IMO Leber is average at best, yet he’s getting paid a lot of money. I think the Vikings should look at getting a OLB in the draft.

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Feb 14, 2009 2:03 PM CST reply actions

Underated

I think you and many people underestimate Leber’s value. Maybin is a pass rush specialist, but is he a well rounded LB?? Leber is by far our best cover LB (yes better that Greenway), he is a great blitzer, a good playmaker and is disciplined in his gaps. No way Maybin would start over Leber. Didnt know he was making more then D. Ware. ha

by Spartan99 on Feb 15, 2009 12:37 PM CST up reply actions

Leber is good

But he is not worth the money he is making. He is an above average back-up at best. TE’s had their way with the Vikings last year, and it was usually up to Leber to cover them. So I disagree that he is the best LB in coverage.

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Feb 15, 2009 2:17 PM CST up reply actions

But...

Whether he is worth them money is a different argument. Also, Leber is not the only LB responsible for covering TEs, that is dependent on offensive alaignments and defensive assaignments. You should know that. Chad Greenway used to be the nickle LB but couldnt cover TEs so Leber took over last season. I believe he is solid and underated. However, I would like to see the Vikings address LB at somepoint in the draft, we neeed some youngetr depth at that position and the special teams could use a boost. I cant wait to get E.J. back in there.

by Spartan99 on Feb 16, 2009 10:55 AM CST up reply actions

Very well-researched mock

I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen actually. I’m not excited about drafting a center in the first either, but you’ve got a good point about needing to fix the line no matter who starts at QB next season. We’ve had a Pro-Bowl caliber center for the last what, 15 years? So I think we might be wise to try and keep that streak alive.

Obviously RT is another huge hole but you can only pick one guy at a time. Britton could be a nice pick but rather than take what may be the fifth best OT, taking the best center might be a better idea.

by Bodysuit Man on Feb 14, 2009 4:53 PM CST reply actions

I’ve read The Blind Side and I too am enamored with Michael Oher but the scout buzz on him is that he’s falling. I can’t see him going in the Top 5 unless he blows up the combine.

by mjschaefer on Feb 14, 2009 5:04 PM CST reply actions

Center?

Great work Gonzo, but I just can’t see the Vikes taking a center in the first round. I think that Studwell and the draft team are pretty firm about value with every pick, and I think the way your mock played out the best talent is at CB at 22. I might wait and see if we could land Mack or Unger in the second round. Taking a center in the first, unless he’s one of those “once every ten years” guys is just bad policy. I say we look at DJ Moore, Alphonso Smith, and Vontae Davis, and pick the best one available. Of course Free Agency makes all the difference, and I really think both center and right OT will likely get filled by a FA, but we’ll see. I would love the Freeman pick if he lights up the combine and seems worth the investment.

by NYCVike on Feb 14, 2009 5:51 PM CST reply actions

Well, if the Lions want a for-sure hit on their number one overall pick, they would probably end up going Crabtree. It’d cue the Lion’s drafting a WR in the first round jokes, but since they traded away Roy Williams they’ve lost a pretty large part of their passing game. Part of the reason the Cardinals got as far as they did this last season was because they had two outstanding WRs.

Detroit could try to mimic that by drafting Crabtree, and then trading that later first round pick and another to New England for Matt Cassel (Or possibly even doing it before the draft). Cassel’s shown what he can do with good wide recievers, and Detroit would have as close to a Randy Moss/Wes Welker tandom at that point as they’d be likely to get. Sure, their offensive line would still need some work, but they’d have alot more firepower to that passing game, and this draft is supposed to be deep in good OL players anyhow.

by Frost on Feb 14, 2009 10:34 PM CST reply actions

Pettigrew

I did not know he had character issues because he would be a steal for us talent wise if he fell this far down. His run blocking fits right in with what we do and his pass catching would upgrade our passing offense which is badly needed. I think we are set at center with Sullivan and Cook battling it out. I feel we answer RT & QB in FA and grab a CB here or trade down and grab a WR. I like Nate Davis over Josh Freeman from a mental standpoint and we could get him later on in the draft.

by nmvikesfan on Feb 15, 2009 1:30 AM CST reply actions

Hmmm

Pettigrew would be an intriging pick. I would love a Jason Whitten type TE who could block and catch. The only problem is Visanthe Shainco, he was probably our second leading receiver in terms of yardage last season and our offense is already boring enough to be lining up in two TE sets all day.

by Spartan99 on Feb 15, 2009 12:42 PM CST up reply actions

Boring yes but

It would create mismatches when we run play action and keep defenses on their toes when they want to stuff the box. Opposing LBs would have help out in coverage and that would free up room for AD to do what he does best. If not then we trade down a few spots and get Hakeem Nicks or we take DJ Moore or Alfonso Smith.

by nmvikesfan on Feb 15, 2009 11:32 PM CST up reply actions

Nate Davis

He was what 9-28 (?) last game he played ? By getting a RT & QB in free agency, WR wld be glamour selection here, but CB would be smarter pick.

by WVVikings on Feb 15, 2009 1:56 AM CST reply actions

Don't like the Mack pick..

Picking a center in the first round just doesn’t do it for me. We can get somebody in the latter rounds if the Vikes don’t feel Sullivan is ready.

I’d roll with the play making corner Alphonso Smith in that spot. Griffin is solid, but he just doesn’t make very many big plays. Smith would do that

by illini23 on Feb 15, 2009 3:31 PM CST reply actions

freeman

i’m glad you didnt pull the trigger on freeman, fck him

by russie on Feb 15, 2009 4:19 PM CST reply actions

Agreed.

by Murlock on Feb 15, 2009 8:45 PM CST up reply actions

We should just trade Frerotte for Flacco.

Problem solved.

by Murlock on Feb 15, 2009 8:47 PM CST reply actions

Awesome!

Maybe we can get Larry Fitzgerald for Aundrae Allison, too, and we’d be completely set! (-:

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by Christopher Gates on Feb 15, 2009 10:08 PM CST up reply actions

Flacco to Fitz...Nice

That was funny!

I like the O-Line pick. We are going to need it. I really hope the Vikes do something to keep Birk. He still has a few good years left in him (plus he is really funny on the 93x morning show)…but if we do lose him, it would be great to get another stud Center. Of course a ton of things will change between now and the draft…but I still find myself looking at every freakin mock draft out there. I would love to see Stafford drop like that…maybe even drop further. The more he falls, the more Sanchez falls….not likely I know. Go Vikes…please GOD don’t go to LA.

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by Dustin B on Feb 16, 2009 10:49 AM CST up reply actions

I don't like Mack either

We would then have 3 centers under contract when we have other glaring needs: CB,WR, & possibly a DE to rotate in on the left side and push or replace Edwards. We also need a DT & LB as future replacements for phat PAT and Leber.

by nmvikesfan on Feb 15, 2009 11:21 PM CST reply actions

Unger

I have seen a few boards dropping Unger to the middle 2nd round. You mentioned he is versitile and could go center or tackle. That being said, I agree with NYC Vike and think if we could pull a move for Mack or Unger in the 2nd then go that route. Now, if there was some way to move the board with trades and grab both I would love it.
If Harvin falls to us it would be tough to pass on that. But then you must move up the ladder to get that tackle or center.
I am not one of those sold that Birk will be gone. Minn. is home to him. He has an injury history (tho not horrible) but along with age I wonder if he will get as much as his agent hope in FA. Look for a good offer to keep Matt for 2-3 more years. Then we can ocus on tackles.

by CitrusFLViking on Feb 16, 2009 4:58 PM CST reply actions

it's not Birk who wants to leave

Birk is not leaving because he thinks he can get more money in FA. Birk will be gone because the Vikings will not offer him a new contract. Birk has stated that he wants to return to Minnesota, and I’m sure he would take a pay cut. But I think his pay has slipped a lot in the past 2 years. The Vikings have Sullivan who they drafted in last years draft, and Cook, who was a center coming out of college to compete for the position. they don’t want Birk back IMO

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Feb 16, 2009 5:12 PM CST up reply actions

Not a Center

The Vikes aren’t hurting that badly at Center, if they were, they wouldn’t let Birk go, who’s still playing at Pro Bowl level. And they have a competent man behind Matty that they say they feel good enough about that they’re will to let Birk go.

This draft is supposed to be very heavy in good linemen, so why waste the first round on a Center? Maybe on a Guard or Tackle, if someone truly great falls down to 22, but having a Pro-Bowl Center hasn’t done that much for the Vikes in terms of protecting the QB or helping them to the Big Game. If Birk really made such a huge QB-protection difference in the line, then the rest of the guys must really suck, and I’m not drinking that Kool-Aid.

A lot depends on who is picked up in FA, also. If the Vikes fill the QB/WR needs in FA, then they can afford to be more conservative in the draft. That still doesn’t mean a Center in round 1, though.

by DCPurple on Feb 17, 2009 8:54 AM CST reply actions

Great stuff Gonzo

As a co-writer on this blog, when it comes to mock drafts, you make me feel like Billy Madison after Eric finishes his violin solo in the Academic Decathlon. I’ll just make one awful noise on my clarinet and sheepishly say “he’s good.” No way I could match this great mock draft analysis.

I found myself nodding along to just about every pick, especially the important one at #22.

by Eric J. Thompson on Feb 17, 2009 10:46 AM CST reply actions

Michael Oher...

Great kid, as far as The Blind Side tells us, and I hope he goes high, but I don’t think he’ll go in the top 10. Everything on the interwebs says his stock is falling, so if there’s any worth to it, I’d say he’s going between 10-15, or that area. If he fell to 22, I’d Jizz in my Pants if the Vikings drafted him.

He won’t fall that far, but hey, I can dream.

Visit:
http://www.vikingvigil.com

Skol Vikings!
Woot Woot!

by Manimal on Feb 17, 2009 11:01 AM CST reply actions