High Caliber's First Ever NFL Mock Draft

Welcome to the first ever High Caliber NFL Mock Draft. This draft is based on the current NFL Draft order and is based on what a team’s greatest weakness is and the best talent available. So without further adieu I give you, Mock Draft 1.0

1. Detroit Lions, Matt Stafford, QB, UGA Bulldogs- The Detroit Lions are in a situation where any position that they draft can be an upgrade to what they currently have. The offensive line is just about as weak as the defensive line, which Matt Millen brilliantly deteriorated by trading mammoth nose tackle Shaun Rogers to Cleveland for Leigh Bodden, the same Leigh Bodden whom was released earlier in the off season. The lone bright spot on the team is linebacker Ernie Sims, but how much longer can an awful team hold on to star players for. What I am trying to say is that the Lions are just bad and that it is time to start over and how does a team start over your asking, it’s quite simple, by drafting their new franchise quarterback. Stafford is a pocket passer with a cannon where there should be an arm, as for his accuracy, it has been questioned but most NFL scouts believe that he has what it takes to make it at the next level. Barring a trade for Jay Cutler (which Josh McDaniels has now denied) Matt Stafford will be the number one draft choice.

2. St. Louis Rams, Jason Smith, Baylor Bears- The Rams are looking to start rebuilding their franchise from the ground up. The release of the oft injured Orlando Pace and the geriatric Torry Holt further proves the point. So who does St. Louis take to begin the rebuilding process? I still believe that Marc Bulger can be a good quarterback in the league, he just needs to stop getting sacked so often. Steven Jackson showed flashes of domination near the end of the season and there really is no great running back to take this early. With Michael Crabtree suffering a foot injury and not recording a 40 yard time he is seen as a liability at number two overall, add to the fact that there is pretty good depth at the receiver position and that Jake Long did not slip to them in last years draft this looks like it will be an offensive tackle. With Michael Oher not looking like a top ten prospect anymore, this choice is between Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe. Jason Smith tore it up at the combine and has the speed to get out in the open and block the run as well which fits the Rams scheme perfectly.

3. Kansas City Chiefs, Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest Demon Deacons- Well the Chiefs have their quarterback of the future, now they just need to fill in the holes around him. However, the huge news in KC is the transition to a 3-4 defence and we all know thanks to John Madden that the best offense is a great defense. Glenn Dorsey may not be a perfect fit at nose tackle but the Chiefs cannot give up on him after one year. As far as the secondary is concerned there is no one good enough to take at number three which leaves the linebackers and the defensive ends. If the Chiefs figure out that Tamba Hali wasn’t a good fit at RE and throw him back over to his natural LE position then linebacker is the way to go, and the one guy that everyone wants at linebacker is Aaron Curry. Curry is the defensive playmaker that KC needs and has needed for a while he can make an immediate impact on a struggling defense.

4. Seattle Seahawks, Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Cavaliers- The Seahawks signed TJ Houshmandzadeh (or however you spell his name) some what negating the need to risk the fourth overall draft pick on Michael Crabtree. This pick will either be used on a DT or an OT. The Seahawks need to focus on protecting their franchises quarterback which is why I can really only see this pick as an OT. With Jason Smith gone the only logical choice is Eugene Monroe.

5. Cleveland Browns, Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas Longhorns- Eric Mangini… Really…. Mr. Mediocre is coaching the underachieving Browns. Wow. Anyways, mock draft not my personal rifts. Mangini tried to build a team in New York through the secondary, and once again I will say it, there is no talent good enough to take this high. Brandon Pettigrew didn’t do enough at the combine to make himself a top ten selection and I just can’t see Crabtree going here because of the sheer brutality of the Browns defense. So which front seven man goes here. It comes down to between Everette Brown and Brian Orakpo and what it will come down to is the fact that Eric Mangini drafted Vernon Gholston last year and will probably be very cautious about drafting a hybrid player such as Everette Brown. Hence Brian Orakpo goes at number 5.

6. Cincinnati Bengals, BJ Raji, NT, Boston College Eagles- With the top two tackles off the board this becomes a very intriguing situation for the Bengals. What most people seem to be missing is the fact that the Bengals will be getting Keith Rivers back this year negating the need for an OLB and with no proven studs at MLB. The defensive line could stand for an upgrade so why not go with one of the biggest monsters in the draft. BJ Raji is a guy who can decimate the run and has the ability to bring a heavy pass rush, great fit for a team who couldn’t do any of that last year.

7. Oakland Raiders, Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech Red Raiders- I don’t even have to explain this pick but I will. Al Michaels loves flashy players and Jamarcus Russell needs a go to guy who can defend himself on the Las Vegas strip and actually make it to training camp, being able to get open and catch a ball would also help the passing attacks chances.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars, Jeremy Maclin, WR, Mizzou Tigers- With BJ Raji off the board the Jags will have to wait until a later round to find a replacement for Marcus Stroud. This is a very good thing as it turns out for Jack Del Rio and his offense because now they can go after a wide receiver to help David Garrard and the passing game. Now although it may be very early Jeremy Maclin may be the missing piece in the Jacksonville puzzle. He has great speed and good hands which is all Garrard will need to kick the offense into the next gear.

9. Green Bay Packers, Everette Brown, DE/OLB, FSU Seminoles- The Packers need someone to get to the quarterback whose name is not Aaron Kampman. But if you’re a defensive coordinator wouldn’t you want to bring in a player who can play at end and at linebacker. Everette Brown is the best player at the position, he is fast, strong and knows how to get to the quarterback.

10. San Francisco 49ers, Mark Sanchez, QB, USC Trojans- Its time for the Niners and Mike Singletary to start thinking about who the next franchise quarterback will be. Mark Sanchez is the best bet at this selection. Sanchez may not have the strongest arm in the quarterback class but he is pretty accurate and has proven that he can produce in big game situations. Mark Sanchez may just be the prayer that SanFran fans may be looking for after the Alex Smith debacle.

11. Buffalo Bills, Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State Nittany Lions- Well for the second year in a row the Bills find themselves selecting at number 11. So who will they take this year? Brandon Pettigrew is still outside of his draft range and there are some very good tight ends available later in the draft. The major problems in Buffalo lie in the front seven on the defensive side of the ball. This is the same situation as Green Bay was in, so naturally I have them taking a similar player in Aaron Maybin. Maybin runs the risk of being a one year wonder, but the fact that a 253 pound man can run a sub 4.65 40 is worth that risk. He could take some pressure off of Aaron Schobel and Kawika Mitchell.

12. Denver Broncos, Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU Tigers- The only offensive position I could see being drafted here is running back, however with the way that Denver has been stocking up on running backs I doubt that this happens. Instead I can see Josh McDaniels trying to make Denver as much like New England as possible. Denver has a very small D line as compared to same of the more defensively gifted teams in the league. I never thought of Tyson Jackson as a very good defensive end because I always saw an end as someone who got to the quarterback, but Jackson adds a new dimension, he is a great run stopping end which is exactly what Denver a newly converted 3-4 team needs.

13. Washington Redskins, Michael Johnson, DE, GTech Yellow Jackets- The Redskins are a team that can be good but just needs a little bit of help. Mainly they need some help along the front seven as it seems most teams do in this draft. Michael Johnson is an athletic freak who can get to the quarterback which is something Washington could improve on. Adding a person of Johnson’s talent could help the Redskins in the tough NFC East.

14. New Orleans Saints, Malcolm Jenkins, FS/CB, Ohio State Buckeyes- The Saints should be good on the offensive side of the ball for the first round. Where the Saints are not good however is in the defensive secondary. Now despite all the downside surrounding Malcolm Jenkins I still believe he is the best bet for the Saints. He will most likely play free safety in the pros but could possibly play corner if the Saints need him too.

15. Houston Texans, Clay Matthews, OLB, USC Trojans- Offense, check, defense, not so much. If the Texans ever want to become contenders they need to be able to stop the pass, however with a lot of depth at the corner position the Texans should look to address the outside linebacker position. Clay Matthews is flying up draft boards after a good showing at the combine and looks to be the best player at the position.

16. San Diego Chargers, Rey Maualuga, MLB, USC Trojans- San Diego is good on offense, the secondary is alright, but once again it’s the front seven that could use some work. With Shawn Merriman returning this season the Chargers will probably target a MLB or a DT and with some depth at DT, Rey Maualuga is the best choice here for the Chargers. A great run stopper and a huge intimidator Maualuga can immediately make a difference for the bolts.

17. New York Jets- Brian Cushing, OLB, USC Trojans- The Jets have an interesting predicament here. There are a number of holes that need to be filled but some positions can be addressed in later rounds. The quarterback position is probably the most pressing position because of the departure (for now at least) of Brett Favre, Josh Freeman is available here but the Jets have invested time and money in Kellen Clemmens and Brett Ratliff, plus the Jets could take a chance and go for WR/QB threat Pat White in a later round. Running back could be a possible pick but there is a lot of depth in this draft. What needs to be taken into account is the hiring of Rex Ryan as the new Jets head coach and coming from a team known for its suffocating defence Ryan will probably try to make his new job just like his last job. So with that being said the position that most needs to be upgraded on the Jets D is the OLB position especially after the whole Vernon Gholston debacle last year, and Brian Cushing is the best backer available at this position.

18. Chicago Bears, Andre Smith, OT, Alabama Crimson Tide- The Bears defense played well enough last year that I don’t think they need to worry about drafting a defensive player here. There are some offensive positions that need addressing mainly wide receiver and offensive tackle. However with the retirement of John Tait, John St. Clair going to Cleveland and Lovie Smith putting his job on the line with Kyle Orton, the Bears will need to find another tackle to take in the first round. Andre Smith has shown that his attitude and drive may be detrimental factors but if there is one coach who can keep his pants on and motivate his team its Lovie Smith. Andre Smith can still be a great tackle in the league he just needs some help.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State Wildcats- First of all thank you Derrick Ward for making this a much tougher draft choice. Now that Ward has signed it comes down to two positions, quarterback and outside linebacker. The Bucs parted ways with Jeff Garcia and brought in Ryan Sims (thanks to Trevor for pointing out my mistake of originally citing Chris Sims) a quarterback who is yet to prove himself in the league. My apologies Mr. Ward this pick is actually very easy. The Bucs need to go with a new QB to usher in the new era in Tampa. Josh Freeman could quite possibly be a good starter in the NFL, there have been some questions about his accuracy but lets not forget that Rex Grossman started in the NFL as well as a Super Bowl. Point made? I think so.

20. Detroit Lions, Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss Rebels- This is essentially a no brainer especially with a talent like Oher on the board. If the Lions do snag Matt Stafford at numero uno they need to draft their OT of the future here to protect him and Oher could very well be that guy.

21. Philadelphia Eagles, Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee Volunteers- The Eagles need to think about the front seven on both sides of the ball. However with this being their first of two picks in the first round for Big Reds boys and the teams in between the picks all being possible drafting grounds for D linemen, the Eagles will probably go for the best defensive linemen available. Robert Ayers is that guy that will be targeted and more than likely wont be available for pick number two.

22. Minnesota Vikings, Alex Mack, C, Cal Golden Bears- Now call me crazy but I like the Vikings secondary, so it’s tough for me to mock a DB here. The next position of need QB and it just so happens that there is no great talent available at this point. This leaves the interior offensive line. Duke Robinson could be a possibility but with his stock slipping quickly the Vikings will go with Alex Mack especially with Matt Birk not performing up to standards. Mack has great football sense and is a beast in the middle. He can also slip outside to guard if the Vikes decide to keep Matt Birk.

23. New England Patriots, Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois Fighting Illini- Secondary should be the theme here for Sweat Suit Billy and the crew. The signing of Fred Smoot is essentially useless, and the secondary showed weakness last year. Vontae Davis could be one of the next great Patriots, fast, good ball skills, he has been rumoured to have an attitude problem but if there is one team with veteran leaders who would straighten that out quick it would be the Pats.

24. Atlanta Falcons Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State Cowboys- The Atlanta Falcons have replaced Michael Vick, now all they need to do is replace Alge Crumpler. Brandon Pettigrew would be a great fit in Atlanta and could really be a go to guy in Atlanta once teams start doubling up on Roddy White.

25. Miami Dolphins Darius Butler, CB, UConn Huskies- Miami needs defense like Ricky Williams needs to pass his next drug test. James Laurinitis could be a great pick here but with Joey Porter putting up monster numbers the secondary could go for a first round upgrade. Cornerback is the most pressing need in the Dolphins current situation. Darius Butler has been on the rise on most draft charts and has the abilities that the Dolphins need to bring back their secondary.

26. Baltimore Ravens, Percy Harvin, WR, Florida Gators- Joe Flacco has surprised me; I didn’t think he would last ten snaps in the NFL, mostly because I didn’t think he would be able to see through that jungle of a unibrow. But now that he has proven that he can in fact see through it he is going to need a receiver to throw the ball to. Percy Harvin is a great wide receiver that can also bring an added dimension to the running game.

27. Indianapolis Colts, Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss Rebels- The Colts are a team that can beat any team in the NFL, as long as they don’t have to face a team with a good running game. Hence the selection of Peria Jerry. A lot of mocks have a wide receiver going here, but the wide receiver pool is a lot deeper than the defensive tackle pool and if Jerry does fall to 27 the Colts should not even hesitate to take him.

28. Philadelphia Eagles, Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Sooners- And now for the update on the offensive line. With Correll Buckhalter outskies in Philly and with Brian Westbrook battling injuries all over his body its time for Andy Reid to bring in a guard to help the run and keep Westbrook safe. That player is Duke Robinson a mountain of a guard who comes from Oklahoma, a school that knows a thing or two about protecting running backs.

29. New York Giants, Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland Terrapins - The Giants proved that their offense struggles when they don’t have Plaxico Burress in the line up. So if Plax is done in New York, Eli Manning is going to need a new wide out. Darrius Heyward-Bey may officially become the King of the Combine with the performance he turned in. There will not be a talent like DHB at the bottom of round 2 so the Giants need to grab him here.

30. Tennessee Titans, James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State Buckeyes- The Titans picked up Nate Washington in free agency negating the need for a wide receiver in round 1. One player that I think the Titans could reach for here as an upgrade is James Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis is a great talent who played amazing for Ohio State and could help out the Tennessee Titans defense.

31. Arizona Cardinals, Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State Buckeyes- The Cardinals must take Chris Wells here if by some chance he actually does fall this far, no questions asked. The Cards need a compliment runner to Tim Hightower and Wells could be that guy.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers, Max Unger, G/C, Oregon Ducks- The Steelers must protect Ben Roethlisberger. Max Unger is a player that can play all three positions along the interior line which can help the Steelers. With Max Starks resigning, this pick should be an interior lineman and Unger is the best one available.

If you the readers liked this mock and want some more, or if you think i'm totally brain dead, make sure to check out http://walterfootball.com/ for more, Walter has a four round draft with great information.