I will be honest. I hate Mock Drafts. I find them silly in a lot of ways, especially the ones that try to predict all seven rounds. Yet, everybody does them and you can get some information if you take them as a whole.
That said, 'CJ' posted his Mock Draft Tuesday. He did an excellent job, and you guys had some fun picking holes in it. Since I can't let CJ have all the fun, my own Mock Draft is after the jump. I don't claim to be an expert on other team's needs, so we will just have to see how this turns out.
1. St. Louis Rams -- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. This is the pick the Rams are almost assuredly going to make. And I have said it before -- it's a mistake that will end up getting Steve Spagnuolo fired. Bradford isn't the best player in this draft, and while I understand the need for a franchise QB it would surprise me if that is what Bradford becomes.
2. Detroit Lions -- Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. The Lions might be tempted by offensive tackle Russell Okung, but when you have a chance to take the best player in the draft you do it.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. Let the Warren Sapp comparisons begin.
4. Washington Redskins -- Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. If the Redskins stay here, grabbing the best offensive tackle in the draft is a no-brainer. They have to make sure they don't let newly-acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb get killed.
5. Kansas City Chiefs -- Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa. In all honesty, this is where the draft starts to get interesting. I think the first four picks are pretty much a certainty, unless Suh and McCoy switch places. With the Kansas City pick, though, things begin to get a little unpredictable. The Chiefs have holes everywhere, but they need multiple offensive linemen. Might as well start here.
6. Seattle Seahawks -- Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma. The Seahawks need to find a replacement for Walter Jones, the long-time fixture at left tackle. Williams could be the guy.
7. Cleveland Browns -- Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. The Giants are proof of how the safety position has been under-valued in the NFL in recent years. Want to build a good defense? You have to have good safeties. Mike Holmgren gets the best one in the draft right here.
8. Oakland Raiders -- Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama. I know, I know Giants' fans. You want to know what in the world I am thinking here. Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell has been the chalk here for so long that I have come to believe Al Davis has to do something else. And McClain would be unexpected, though I have increasingly heard his name connected to the Raiders lately.
9. Buffalo Bills -- Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. If this was just me being Buffalo's GM the pick would be Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen. The Bills still don't have a real NFL QB, and Clausen would give them a shot at having one. But, they don't seem inclined to go that way. So, the pick is Williams. The Bills are transitioning to the 3-4 defense, and Williams is the best nose tackle on the board. Nice place to start rebuilding a defense.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars -- C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. The Jaguars seem desperate to do something flashy to try and drum up some interest in their failing franchise. Local hero Tim Tebow would be flashy, but probably a very bad football selection at this point. So, picking Spiller is about the flashiest thing the Jaguars could do right here.
11. Denver Broncos -- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. Like with the Giants, McClain would pretty much be a no-brainer first selection. But, he's gone. So, having dealt away Brandon Marshall the Broncos go for the top wide receiver in this draft, and hope he doesn't turn out to be a Marshall-esque head case.
12. Miami Dolphins -- Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. Bill Parcells prides himself on knowing his linebackers. I don't love Kindle, but a pass-rushing linebacker is the likely pick for Miami, and he seems like the best one on the board. Some folks think the Dolphins could reach for TCU's Jerry Hughes.
13. San Francisco 49ers -- Joe Haden, CB, Florida. The 49ers need secondary help, and they get great value here with Haden. He is clearly the best corner in the draft.
14. Seattle Seahawks -- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame. I just don't see how Clausen gets past this spot. The Raiders might take him. The Browns might take him. The Bills absolutely SHOULD take him. If he is somehow still there at 14 i don't see how the Seahawks pass up the chance to grab him and groom him as Matt Hasselbeck's successor.
15. New York Giants -- Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech. I am sticking to my guns on this one. If McClain, Spiller and even Dan Williams are gone I think the Giants choose between Morgan, South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and Idaho guard Mike Iupati. That seems to be the consensus as of today. I prefer Morgan to JPP simply because I think he is a safer bet. And yes, if the Giants do this I believe they will listen to offers for Osi Umenyiora.
16. Tennessee Titans -- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida. Maybe the biggest boom or bust guy in the draft. Could be Jevon Kearse. Just as likely, could be Cedric Jones. If the Giants take him I will, of course, hope he turns into Kearse. I am just not sure I want to bank on it.
17. San Francisco 49ers -- Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers. The 49ers have a huge need at offensive tackle, and that means Davis -- the best of the offensive tackles left on the board -- has to be the pick. He could be a stud, if he works hard enough.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Mike Iupati, G, Idaho. The Steelers need offensive line help to protect Ben Roethlisberger from becoming a pinball machine for opposing defenses. Not sure what they can do about protecting Big Ben from himself, but they can at least do this.
19. Atlanta Falcons -- Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri. Basically, this is the chalk pick for a team that needs an outside linebacker. Especially since the last impact outside linebacker Atlanta had, Michael Boley, now plays for the Giants. Defensive end Brandon Graham is also a possibility here, but I'm going with Weatherspoon.
20. Houston Texans -- Earl Thomas, S, Texas. The Texans need a ton of help in the secondary. They would love for Haden to fall to them. In lieu of that happening, they take the best defensive back on the board. Thomas is a guy who should excel at safety, and could even be a good corner.
21. Cincinnati Bengals -- Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. The Bengals grab the best tight end in the draft to give Carson Palmer a middle of the field weapon he hasn't had.
22. New England Patriots -- Jared Odrick, DE, Penn State. The poor guy is sitting there in the draft room in New York, and somebody has to feel sorry for him. Actually, this is a solid pick for the Patriots. Bill Belicheck needs to rebuild his defensive front seven, and this is a good place to start.
23. Green Bay Packers -- Charles Brown, OT, USC. The Packers had a makeshift offensive line last season, and they need to make sure they get one of the big-time left tackle prospects to keep Aaron Rodgers in one piece. Brown is the guy here, even though you can also argue that the Packers need lots of defensive help.
24. Philadelphia Eagles -- Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. Most experts seem to want to give the Eagles a cornerback here. Most of the rankings I pay attention to say Wilson is the best one available here, so he is the pick.
25. Baltimore Ravens -- Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech. The Ravens have been short of explosive offensive weapons for years. With Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth and Thomas for Joe Flacco to throw to that won't be the case any longer.
26. Arizona Cardinals -- Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State. This is probably not how the Cardinals would like this draft to play out. They would probably love Weatherspoon to be here. But, the Arizona secondary is a mess. Robinson is the highest-rated defensive back on most boards here, so he is the pick.
27. Dallas Cowboys -- Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland. I could see the Cowboys going in a lot of directions here, but my man Dave over at Blogging The Boys says Dallas will go offensive line if a quality tackle is available. I did not ask him if he thought Campbell qualified, but he is the best tackle on the board. Thus, he is the pick.
28. San Diego Chargers -- Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State. With LaDainian Tomlinson in New York the Chargers need a guy who could carry the bulk of the rushing load. Darren Sproles is a good player, but he is not an every-down back. So, Mathews is the choice.
29. New York Jets -- Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU. The Jets are praying that a 3-4 edge rusher falls to them in this spot. Their prayers are answered with Hughes still on the board.
30. Minnesota Vikings -- Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. The Vikings creaky offensive line needs an infusion of talent to keep the creaky Brett Favre (yes, he will play) upright for one more year. Pouncey could slide right in at center or guard.
31. Indianapolis Colts -- Brian Price, DT, UCLA. The Colts would have been ecstatic if Mathews had been available. He would be a great fit to give a boost to the Colts' anemic running game. I really have no idea what Indianapolis will do if the draft unfolds this way as most of the guys the Colts would like are gone. Price provides pass-rush help inside, and pretty good value at this point.
32. New Orleans Saints -- Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan. The rich get richer. The Saints get a guy who most mocks have coming off the board several picks earlier, at a position where you can never have enough talent.
That's all I've got. Your thoughts?