The top 5 picks of my draft is holding steady for now but have major shake-ups happening through out the remaining of the draft.  The funny thing with any draft is that there is always someone who falls and often it is just a matter of one or two teams passing on a player to see him tumble.  In this mock draft that player is Andre Smith who could still go as high as #6 to the Bengals but if they pass along with a few other teams then look out.  How far will can he fall, well check out my most updated mock to find out.

1) Detroit (0-16) Jason Smith, OT, Baylor - (#72 LT in the AthletixNation video) I will admit that I am very close to making the switch to Matthew Stafford here.  Stafford has done enough in private workouts to justify being the first player taken by a team who needs a QB.  However taking a quarterback is not the only option as the Dolphins showed last year when passed on Matt Ryan, selecting a franchise left tackle and then looking for a veteran QB off the free agent market.  Coach Schwartz seems to be from the school of thought as Bill Parcels which stresses building a team from the trenches.

2) St. Louis (2-14) Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia The Rams have long had there eyes set on Monroe and with the release of Orlando Pace only makes this pick that much more likely.  Michael Crabtree was the other possible pick here but without running the 40 is just too much of a risk at #2.

3) Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest - The Chiefs are no longer in the market for a QB with the trade for Matt Cassell which allows them to select the top defensive player in the draft with is Curry.  I am starting to get this feeling in my stomach that the Chiefs will not select Curry but at this point it is hard to imagine the Chiefs going with anyone else here unless they want to add another weapon for Cassell with Crabtree.

4) Seattle (4-12) Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia - This pick may surprise people but the Seahawks came close to cutting ties with Matt Hasselback this offseason as his salary and bad back makes him an unreliable long-term option.  The signing of TJ Houshmandzadeh ensures that Seattle will be committed to the passing game and allows Stafford to spend a year learning on the sidelines.  If Seattle chooses to pass on Stafford then it seems that Crabtree is the only other option as their other needs are a bit of a reach at #4.

5) Cleveland (4-12) Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech- The Browns need help in many areas but with the top two offensive tackles and Curry off the board, the Browns must take the best value at the #5 spot.  That pick is Crabtree, who will be able to come in and immediately help Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards be successful.  A pass rushing DE or a CB is a need but would be a reach here.  Rarely do you see teams reaching with a Top 5 pick.

6) Cincinnati (4-11-1) Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas- The Bengals would of preferred to take B.J. Raji here but his off-the-field issues are a real concern that a franchise like Cincinnati can not afford to deal with.  Andre Smith is a real option as he attempts to repair his value and would fill the biggest need.

7) Oakland (5-11) B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College- Raji has some serious character concerns that would cause a lot of teams to go running however the Raiders are not one of those teams.  There are certainly some draft trends that suggest that Raji is the type of player Al Davis would draft but these are the same draft trends that said he would never draft JaMarcus Russell.  Raji is too much of a talent to pass up considering their other needs would be reaches at #8

8) Jacksonville (5-11) Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois- The signing of Tra Thomas means the Jags don’t have to reach for a tackle here.  They would love to snag Crabtree could swap picks with Seattle who would still be able to grab Stafford at 8 since Cleveland , Cincinnati and Oakland won’t take him.  However if the draft goes as this mock goes then look for the Jags to address their cornerback position with Vonte Davis or Malcolm Jenkins.  As it stands currently it Davis is viewed as the top corner.

9) Green Bay (6-10) Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State- Maybin had a fantastic pro day which solidified him as a Top 10 talent.  The NFL loves upside and few defensive players possess more upside who has the size and speed to be a dominant player.  The Packers will almost certainly go DE at this pick meaning Everett Brown and Michael Johnson are also in play.

10) San Francisco (7-9) Mark Sanchez, QB, USC- Sanchez has seen his stock take off in the last few weeks and has a legitimate shot at being the first QB off the board.  The 49′ers front office is still in search for their guy at the QB position and Sanchez at the #10 spot is a great spot to grab one.  If the 49′ers decide to pass on Sanchez then I fully expect them to trade out of this spot to a team like the Broncos or Jets looking to nab Sanchez here.

11) Buffalo (7-9) Everett Brown DE/OLB, FSU- Brown is dropping slightly in the draft because of his size but is just too quick for the Bills to overlook as they need a pure pass rusher.

12) Denver (8-8) Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU- The Jay Cutler is a ‘big whining baby’ drama is over and now the Broncos can move forward.  If Sanchez were to be available here I would expect the Broncos to give it heavy consideration despite the fact I think they are content with Chris Simms and Kyle Orton.  Jackson hasn’t had the most impressive off-season but he fits the Broncos needs perfectly.  Selecting a LB is also an option but with several expected to be available at #18 grabbing Jackson first makes more sense.

13) Washington (8-8) Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech- The Redskins need an offensive lineman but that is just not a flashy enough pick.  Jason Taylor is gone and the team will need to protect their 100million player in Haynesworth making the freakish Johnson a logically pick.

14) New Orleans (8-8) Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State – The Saints will be tempted to take Clay Matthews but in the end the chance to address their secondary with a player who some view as still a Top 10 pick is too much to pass up.  It is funny how people take a fact and then run with it and next thing you know the Saints are a lock to take a RB with the #14 pick.  The truth is that the Saints will look to add another back in the fold but the likelihood of them reaching with their first pick seems highly unlikely.

15) Houston (8-8) Clay Matthews, OLB, USC- Matthews has gone from a back-up at the start of the season for USC to being the first Trojan linebacker selected in the draft.  Matthews has the pedigree, the toughness and the versatility that makes him a solid pick at #15.

16) San Diego (8-8) Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss – NFL puts a premium on offensive tackles and Oher who could go much higher is too good of a value for the Chargers to pass on.  Rey Maualuga poises an interesting dilemma as his injury doesn’t appear too serious but regardless in the end Oher is the better value.

17) New York Jets (9-7) Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri- The Jets need another weapon on offense to help whichever of their young quarterbacks is the starters and Maclin is just that type of player.  His 40times were a tad bit disappointing but like Felix Jones last year he is just someone that plays faster than their 40.  Maclin will also be able to help in the return game as the Jets hope to increase the offensive load of Leon Washington.  A lot of people are speculating a RB with this pick but the Jets are not in a rebuilding mode so selecting a back with the 17^th pick when they have Thomas Jones and Leon Washington already on the roster doesn’t make a lot of sense.

18) Denver – from Chicago (8-8) Ray Maualuga, MLB, USC- The Broncos continue to rebuild the defense and select an intense smart linebacker to help transition to the 3-4.  Fellow USC linebacker Brian Cushing is an option here but his stock is falling a bit and doesn’t have the intangibles like Maualuga who can come in and be the leader of the defense.

19) Tampa Bay (9-7) Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State- The Bucs could select a receiver here as my previous two mocks had but new front offices almost always mean selecting ‘their’ quarterback.  The Bucs have been reported to prefer Freeman over Sanchez so seeing their guy sitting at #19 is a perfect scenario.

20) Detroit – from Dallas (9-7) Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss- The Lions were hoping that Sanchez would drop into the teens in order to have a chance to slide up and grab him but that didn’t happen.  Depending on how their view Freeman they could look to jump the Bucs but from what I can tell there hasn’t been a strong link to Freeman.  That leaves addressing the other side of the line with the top defensive tackle on the board who is Jerry.  NFL teams place a high draft value on this position making him a nice pick here at 20.

21) Philadelphia (9-6-1) Andre Smith, OT, Alabama- I have Smith free-falling in this mock draft not because I think he should but because there are only a few teams after the Bengals that is looking for a OT.  The 49′ers, Redskins and Chargers are really the only three teams that seem like a possible destination and if they pass then bam the Eagles are poised to grab a Top 5 talent with a questionable head on his shoulders with the 21^st pick.  If the draft goes just slightly different then you can see Smith going as high as 10.

22) Minnesota (10-6) Eben Britton, OT, Arizona- It would be interesting to see if the Vikings would trade up a few spots to snag Smith if he were to fall towards the 20s as he is the ultimate run blocking mauler.  With Britton being the last of that top tier OT, the Vikes will grab him and address the WR and CB in the later rounds.

23) New England (11-5) Brian Cushing, OLB, USC- The Patriots seem destined to select one of the big 3 USC linebackers and with Matthews and Maualuga off the board that means Cushing is the lucky winner.  Don’t rule out a RB being selected here as the Patriots could be intrigued with the top backs still on the board as a ‘value’ pick.

24) Atlanta (11-5) Evander Hood, DT, Missouri- The Falcons have two areas that they would like to address with the TE position and DT.  The TE position looks quite deep in the next few rounds so look for them to eye a DT with this pick.  Jerry is the player they hope fall but won’t complain about settling for Hood.

25) Miami (11-5) Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina- The Dolphins would love to see one of the OLB fall to them but with them all off the board look for them to address the receiver position with a polished ready to play wide receiver in Nicks.  Dolphins GM said if the season started today that Greg Camarillo would start opposite Ted Ginn which is just another reason why I can see them going WR here.

26) Baltimore (11-5) Sean Smith, CB/S, Utah - Smith is a big physical defensive back that answered the question of whether he was fast enough to play CB in the NFL.  However his size will allow the Ravens to use him in the nickel/dime coverages out the gate as he eases into the starting role at CB.

27) Indianapolis (12-4) Darius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland- This day and age the NFL is about picking a side and doing it better than anyone else whether it is defense or offense.  The Colts are on the offensive side and must surround Peyton Manning with plenty of weapons in order to be successful.  A running back is an option as the Colts love to select the best player available in the first round but Heyward-Bey is too exciting to pass on.

28) Philadelphia – from Carolina (12-4) Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia- The Eagles could go TE with this pick but with the surging TE class it now seems likely that they could address the position with a later pick.    It is hard to predict if the Eagles go with Moreno or Chris Wells here as Moreno is a long-term answer whereas Wells complements Brian Westbrook currently.  At this point I am going to say they look long-term and select Moreno .

29) New York Giants (12-4) Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers- Plax has his legal problems and Amani Toomer is gone making the receiver position something that needs to be addressed in the draft.  Britt being a local star brings very good speed for his size and would be able to help Eli and the offense this season.

30)Tennessee (13-3) Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee- The Titans don’t select WRs in the first round and seems like a perfect landing spot for Torry Holt.  The defensive line needed help even before losing Haynesworth and know becomes almost a must take even though Coach Fisher rarely reaches to fill a need.  Ayers is versatile enough to play inside in certain schemes who I have seen as high 13^th to the Redskins represents a great value here at 30.

31) Arizona (9-7) Max Unger, C, Oregon – The Cardinals need a pass rusher and help with the interior of their line.  The biggest knock with Unger is with his run blocking but since the Cards don’t need to run the ball they will look at him as perfect fit who can play a multiple of positions.

32) Pittsburgh (12-4) 32) Pittsburgh (12-4) The Steelers need help in the interior of the offensive line and the secondary.  With Butler still on the board the Steelers will jump all over him and look to grab some guards and centers in the next few rounds.

Related posts:

1. NFL Draft Mock 3.23
2. NFL Mock Draft 4.17 – a new #1 on Drew’s board
3. Mock NFL Draft 3.04
4. Mock NFL Draft 2.20
5. Drew’s NFL Mock Draft: It went to hell after 10

Tags: NFL Draft