Why Would I Do That?
by Jared Donnelly
NFL Draft Analyst
1/22/09
It was brought to my attention by not only a fellow writer on this site, but also a writer that I have a lot of respect for, that a few of my picks in my recent mock may seem a bit bold. Those of you that e-mail and read loyally know that I always have reasoning for my picks. On this writer’s recommendation, I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and give some further analysis to some of my “What?” or “Wow” picks. This is in no way shape or form me publicly arguing with him. As I said, this man is extraordinarily knowledgeable about the draft and someone who’s work I read with regularity. He simply brought up great points that he suggested I make sure to explain to my readers. Thanks to this gentleman for the suggestion.

Gregory Cox is his name and he does absolutely great work for the site. You will see his points in bold and my analysis (defense?) of them will follow. Enjoy.

#4 (Seattle Seahawks select Matt Stafford,QB, Georgia) I don't think Seattle is "desperate" for a future QB. If they did this it would mean basically cutting/trading Hasselbeck.

Great point. Any time that an NFL team has an aging quarterback, I feel like something needs to be done. The Seahawks are in a position to select Stafford, in my opinion, because if they can get and keep their WR healthy, along with Hasselbeck, they are not that far off from competing for or even winning that division. Having said that, they can afford to use a high pick on Stafford. Learning behind a healthy Hasselbeck for a year or so would give him an opportunity to learn behind a guy who arguably knows his specific system better than any other quarterback in the NFL. Seneca Wallace showed flashes, but I don’t think he is the answer there.  And past him? Charlie Frye, who is a free agent, looks in the mirror every morning and still sees Charlie Frye.

Greg also brought up the great point that it could be a financial nightmare (my words, not Greg’s). Cutting or trading Hasselbeck is something that I believe that they do not want to do and I have not heard any rumblings coming from the Great Northwest that that is something they are entertaining. This would create a situation in which they have a lot of money tied up in the QB position for only one of them to play. However, this is not a team that has a ton of money tied up in other skill positions and does not have a Dallas Cowboys type of roster full of high priced guys. Knowing that, I do not think it is unreasonable to spend a little extra money now, when it is a luxury to have the young QB to groom instead of waiting until it is a nightmare scenario and they are put in a position to HAVE to do something about the position. 

Now, having said that, I have Matt Stafford as my third QB in this draft. Keep in mind though, that when we do these mocks, we are not saying who we would take, rather who we feel the respective team could take based on needs, where we believe teams have guys ranked, and how they fit with that team.

#7 (In reference to a comment I made about Robert Gallery playing guard along side my projected pick Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss) Thank God someone else recognizes Gallery can play guard.

I could not agree with Greg’s sentiment more. How is it that this hasn’t been a story? Probably because the franchise is such a dumpster fire. Gallery did not pan out the way anyone thought he would as far as being an elite tackle, let alone an elite player. However, he has proven to be a very good guard. What’s more, the athleticism that we all loved about him coming out is shining in his new role.

Another underrated thing that Gallery has done is showing everyone that taking a tackle high is actually relatively low risk. For example, if you take a quarterback that high and he doesn’t work out as a quarterback, it’s a wasted pick. Same at RB. And nobody wants to take a wide receiver in the top five only to find out that his is simply a kick returner.


#10 (49ers select Mark Sanchez, QB, USC) Others are going QB for 49ers. I totally disagree. Yes, I do think Singletary goes defense. All he cares about at QB is not turning it over. He can train Hill to do that.

I think that a lot of experts have Sanchez here because that is the most glaring need on their roster right now outside of a big play making WR. I also think that this is a great possibility because of the fact that there were definitely some PR issues in SF this season and adding a hometown boy with a pretty face could go a long way in helping that. Not to mention sell a lot of jerseys and tickets. They need to lend some legitimacy to the offense that doesn’t start with “F” and end with “rank Gore”. Sanchez could make Vernon Davis more of a legitimate threat and stop guys from loading up the box.

Yes, some teams only need a QB to simply not turn the ball over. However, teams in history that have won that way have had dominant defenses. Baltimore won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and got very close this season with Joe Flacco using that model. Tennessee was a dominant team as well for most of the season using that model with Kerry Collins, but they also had a fantastic defense. One could also argue that the Giants and Steelers also win using this model more often than not. The difference in coaches asking those guys to simply not turn it over, and asking Shaun Hill to not turn it over, is that the 49ers’ defense is going to be on the field more often than those squads. That means more plays, and playing from behind. The more you are in those situations, the more your QB has to throw, the more chance there is for mistakes.


#11 (Bills select Brandon Pettigrew, TE, OK State) Wow. Bold move. I like Pettigrew and without Gresham he could very well get a bump.

This was, admittedly, a pick that I labored over. Bold? Yes. Did I do it simply for effect? No. I really believe that when it is all said and done, their need for a playmaking TE will take precedent over their need for a pass rusher.

Pettigrew runs extremely well and if he can demonstrate his strength (an underrated part of his game) then he should shoot up draft boards. I definitely had Gresham (Oklahoma) ranked higher than him going in and if he had stayed in the draft, he would have been the pick at 11. I do not however, think that there is much of a drop-off between Gresham and Pettigrew.

In order to help the development of Trent Edwards, they need to get him a safety valve. That, and Evans, Hardy, Lynch, and Pettigrew makes them extremely dangerous in the redzone.

I do agree that at this point, this seems like a reach, but I believe that when the smoke settles on the combine and pro days and the like, that Brandon will cement his status as a top 12-15 pick.


#21 (Eagles select Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia) I keep trying to force an RB on the Eagles, but the fact is they don't care. It's like they don't realize that every time they need 1 yard they can't get it. I'm not saying I disagree with the need, but I don't think Philly will do it.

Greg is on the money here. It does seem at times like they just don’t care or realize that they need that one yard here and there and cannot get it. This was evident in the Monday Night affair with Cleveland. Letting DeSean Jackson throw from inside the five? Throwing a fade to Kevin Curtis inside the five? Brutal. However, in the last few weeks of the season, Andy Reid seemed to finally realize that he was putting too much on Donovan and that alleviating that was the only way to save his job in Philly. What we saw was a Philly team that was far more balanced than we have seen them in years. We also saw them use Correll Buckhalter a bit more to give Westbrook some (much needed) relief. Based on this, I think that Reid will finally realize that Westy cannot do it all on his own, and neither can Donovan. Should Philly do it? Yes. Will they? If they have ever been ready to do so, this is the time. Than again, this is the same franchise that refuses to use a first rounder on a WR in order to help out those same problems that I mentioned above.

This type of situation is the most frustrating part for me in doing these mocks, as I am sure it is for a lot of people in our field. We do it every year with the Titans. We all also did it every year that the Browns ignored needs on the o-line and in the defensive backfield. At the same time however, that’s what makes this time of year so much fun.

Michael Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
Gregory Cox's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
Kyle Allen's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
Jared Donnelly's 2009 NFL Mock Draft