Madness. That’s what’s going on here, madness. The NCAA tournament has widdled its field down to four, the NBA is widdling their field down to 16, I’m sure that hockey is doing something but really, who cares? And most importantly, NFL GMs are widdling their fields down to a mere seven hundred and something. One, two, three….MOCK!

1. Oakland Raiders- Jamarcus Russell. QB. LSU.
Why not? They pass on Leinart and Cutler last season so they are hesitant to pass on this guy. Reportedly, Russell laid on his back and threw the football fifty yards at his pro day. That may be an important skill if he winds up in Oaktown.

2. Detroit Lions- Brady Quinn. QB. Notre Dame.
BQ must have had a tremendous workout. A few weeks ago, he was slipping and falling all the way down to 14 on some mocks (mine included) and now the Lions reportedly love him again. Either the Liedowns are being the Liedowns, or Quinn really is the real deal. With Detroit, it’s hard to tell.

3. Cleveland Browns- Adrian Peterson. RB. Oklahoma.
Not sure that this is the best pick, but I do think that it is the most likely. Peterson has all the tools to be a great NFL back which is something Cleveland hasn’t had for 50 years. Browns could go a number of directions here including WR, OT but they really need to sell tickets AND win football games.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Calvin Johnson. WR. Georgia Tech.
I was going to try to say something about CJ’s greatness that hasn’t been said only I couldn’t come up with anything. I was also going to try to compare him to someone, and I couldn’t do that either. Here is what I concluded: The man is a beast. CJ at four is a crime.

5. Arizona Cardinals- Joe Thomas. OT. Wisconsin.
Arizona has to do something about that awful line. Edge had over 1100 yards last season behind a bad line. Adding some help to that line, with a maturing Leinart, and a humongous TE should give Cards fans reason to be hopeful for the playoffs…for the fourth year in a row.

6. Washington Redskins- Alan Branch. DT. Michigan.
Washington’s defensive front was basically bad. They really need someone to help put some pressure on the passer and Branch will go a long way here. One of the big three DE s could be a possibility here as well.

7. Minnesota Vikings- Gaines Adams. DE. Clemson.
I am a huge fan of Adams. Some people think that his arms are too short. Some people also said that about Dwight Freeney and look how that turned out. Adams is the best pure pass rusher in this draft. With poor ends, Minnesota makes this pick quickly.

8. Atlanta Falcons- Ted Ginn. WR, KR. Ohio State.
I will continue to refer to Ted Ginn as mainly the last two positions I have him listed at. I do not see Ginn making an impact for an NFL team at receiver for a couple years. Having said that, I am wondering if going another direction perhaps a DE (Anderson maybe?) to replace Kerney (Seahawks), or a DB such as Landry would be better. Falcons make this pick though because Joe Horn is not young, and the young guys they do have are well, subpar. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to move up to no.3 to take CJ and Cleveland can snag an extra pick and Levi Brown. Levi may also get some looks as ATL’s pick as well.

9. Miami Dolphins- Levi Brown. OT. OG. Penn State.
Is he a guard or is he a tackle? One thing is for sure, he is the best lineman not named Joe Thomas in this draft. Whoever is behind center for the Fins, one certainty is that they need to keep him upright. Miami’s line has lacked a consistent franchise lineman for a long time and Big Levi will provide that.

10. Houston Texans- LaRon Landry. S. LSU.
Houston moved down in a move for Schaub that I think was completely insane (in a bad way) in hopes that Levi would still be around. He isn’t. They do okay here though and get one of the top defensive backs in the class. Landry is big and fast and helps in the run and the pass with equal proficiency.

11. San Francisco 49ers- Dwayne Jarrett. WR. USC.
While I am not completely sold on Jarrett, I do think that this is a great pick. Hall would be a possibility here, but with all the cash they gave Clements, I don’t see that happening.  Antonio Bryant is no longer with the team and Arnaz Battle is a nice receiver, but not a no.1 guy. Jarrett can be that guy and in the NFC with a young core, they can afford to wait a little bit. Eventually, with some good coaching, Jarrett will be a nice NFL player.

12. Buffalo Bills- Marshawn Lynch. RB. Cal.
Willis is gone. Anthony Thomas is what they are looking at as their starter. If that doesn’t explain this pick, I don’t know what will.

13. St. Louis Rams- Leon Hall. CB. Michigan.
Hall could go a lot higher than this after proving me and other experts wrong as far as his perceived lack of speed is concerned. Rams took Tye Hill last season and having Hall and Hill could be lethal in a year or two. Greg Olsen could be a possibility here as well.

14. Carolina Panthers- Greg Olsen. TE. Miami.
Moxie. Size. Speed. Power. Hands. Olsen is shooting up draft boards over the last month or so and with good reason. Had the best combine for TE prospects and changed my mind. I now believe he is the best TE prospect this year, supplanting incumbent no.1 TE, Zach Miller. Great pick here for The Panth.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jon Beason. LB. Miami.
Losing Porter hurts, but not as bad if they can land Beason. He will bring some Miami with him and that sort of attitude is perfect in Pittsburgh. Not as fast as Porter, but does do a better job against the run. Should be able to play inside, or outside in Tomlin’s alleged 3-4/4-3 defense. Plus, some Miami moxie will help fill Porter’s shoes as the emotional leader.

16. Green Bay Packers- Reggie Nelson. S. Florida.
Nelson is an absolute freak. He is EXACTLY the kind of guy I would love to build my team around on the defensive side of the ball. He is big, fast, hits hard, and has no problem if he gets matched up against a wide receiver one-on-one on the outside. Nelson is my favorite defender in this draft.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars- Quentin Moses. DE. Georgia.

DE is clearly one of the biggest needs on this team. Moses is a perfect value at this point in the round and should provide some spark on the outside as either a DE or a LB or both from the first day of camp. Good pick.

18. Cincinnati Bengals- Amobi Okoye. DT. Lousiville.
Cats lost a lineman to the Browns, and Sam Adams is no spring chicken. Okoye is young and impressionable and that may turn them off as they do not want anyone influenced by the culture they have set for themselves. Having said that, they are in a position to be able to wait for Okoye to turn into something special (and he should) and still compete. LB, DE, CB, and S, are also needs here, but youth and size cannot be taught, Coach Lewis knows that.

19. Tennessee Titans- Robert Meachem. WR. Tennessee.
Speed to burn and hands that make it matter. Meachem came on late and part of me worries that he is one of those guys who has one good season then is not heard from again. However, he does know how to use his body and he does get open well. I like him better than Ginn, but not as much as Jarrett or the next WR that will come off of my board.

20. New York Giants- Patrick Willis. LB. Ole Miss.
Mitchell is not the long term solution, Arrington stunk, and Antonio Pierce cannot do it all on his own. This is a perfect pick for the Giants to make. He may not be the fastest LB in the draft, but he is more than capable of closing gaps. I have some question about his effectiveness against the pass, but think that he will be fine.

21. Denver Broncos- Adam Carricker. DE. Nebraska.
Courtney Brown is out and if the Browns’ linemen were any good, Cleveland would not have released them to begin with. Carricker can play up or down and has nice speed to match good size and legth. Could be a monster in that system.

22. Dallas Cowboys- Dwayne Bowe. WR. LSU.
I love Dwayne Bowe. TG and TO are not getting any younger and lets not forget, TO is still TO. Bowe ran slow at the combine but the only reason that will matter is if somehow, he has to run 40 yards straight down the sideline and not have to worry about catching it, getting open, or running a route. OG Blalock could go here as well.

23. Kansas City Cheifs- Justin Blalock. OG. Texas.
Larry Johnson is great, but with nobody in front of him, the team won’t go anywhere. Roaf retired and there is no youth on that line, to me, this pick just makes sense.

24. New England Patriots- Jamal Anderson. DE. Arkansas.
Every year someone slides and it might be Anderson this year. He only really had one good season in college and there are whispers that teams are not sure about how strong he can be as a DE. Pats could stand him up and be safe as well. A luxury pick.

25. New York Jets-  Chris Houston. CB. Arkansas.
Jets addressed their need at RB with Thomas Jones and signed a ton of DE’s this offseason including this year’s nominee for the “Oh Yeah I Forgot About That Guy Award”, Andre Wadsworth. CB is the only glaring need on this team other than a bonafied tight end. Houston is climbing and would be a good fit at this point in round one. Zach Miller is possible as well, but is a reach I think.

26. Philadelphia Eagles- Jarvis Moss. DE/OLB. Florida.
Great pick here. They add Spikes in a trade but need some depth at DE and OLB because youth is not the specialty there. Moss could be an impact guy right away as a  rotation guy until someone gets injured (inevitable) and he steps in and creates havoc for opposing offensive lines.

27. New Orleans Saints- Darrelle Revis. CB. Pitt.
I don’t mean to pick on Fred Thomas but…Fred Thomas was a HUGE liability last season. The offense is good and really only looking at TE as a big need. They can get one of those later on though and jump at a sliding Darrelle Revis to relieve poor Fred.
28. New England Patriots- Michael Griffin. S. Texas.

Their best safety is Rodney Harrison. Enough said.
29. Baltimore Ravens- Lawrence Timmons. LB. Florida State.

Great fit here after losing Adalius Thomas to the Pats. A tad undersized at just under 240 pounds. Will provide good run stopping and should benefit from great ends. Could also slide back to play some safety or that “monster” position that Urlacher plays. And no, I am not comparing them.
30. San Diego Chargers- Sidney Rice. WR. South Carolina.

They have to get Rivers and LT another weapon and since McCardell is not getting younger, or faster, they go with youth and speed in Rice. Someone told me that rice was a good meal if you were hungry and wanted to eat a thousand of something. Rice is also a good option if you’re hungry and want someone to gain one thousand of something.
31. Chicago Bears- Paul Posluszny. LB. Penn State.

Teams may worry about that leg of his but losing Briggs means they have to do something. I think Pauly Alphabet has the speed and athleticism to move outside if needed as well. Solid pick, great value.

32. Indianapolis Colts- Justin Harell. DT. Tennessee.
Harrell is rising steadily and makes sense as the Colts line is much maligned. Harell is so strong that I think that he can impact that team right away and help Rob Morris return to for in 2007.