NFL Draft 101 Staff Seven Round 2009 Mock Draft
04-12-2009
The staff of NFLDraft101.com got together 2 weeks before the draft to conduct their 2nd Annual 7 round mock draft. Trades although considered were not included.
Round 1
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Lions | QB | Matthew Stafford | Georgia |
| After failing to acquire Jay Cutler, the Lions take another shot at a franchise QB with Stafford. He's got the tools but whether he has the makeup will ultimately determine whether he is a success or not. | ||||
| 2 | St. Louis Rams | OT | Jason Smith | Baylor |
| The debate comes down to J.Smith or Monroe. Monroe is the safer pick but Smith has the greater upside. Smith's pass blocking and Pro Bowl potential makes him the leader at this point. | ||||
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | OLB | Aaron Curry | Wake Forest |
| The Chiefs are revamping the defense and have two solid choices in Linebacker Aaron Curry or Nose Tackle BJ Raji. With the questions of BJ Raji drug test, Pioli takes the safe route and takes Curry. | ||||
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | OT | Eugene Monroe | Virginia |
| Sanchez, Crabtree and Monroe get consideration but in the end the opportunity to get a future LT to replace Walter Jones down the road is the best and safest pick. | ||||
| 5 | Cleveland Browns | DE | Brian Orakpo | Texas |
| Cleveland is looking to trade Braylon Edwards and if they can find a suitor could consider Michael Crabtree. However, they really want to upgrade the defensive line. The Browns have just given Rogers a big signing bonus but need to stil generate a pass rush. Ergo Brian Orakpo makes good sense. | ||||
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | OT | Andre Smith | Alabama |
| A classic boom-bust pick with the top 2 tackles off the board. If Ocho is traded Crabtree is a consideration. In the end offensive tackle is the team's biggest need and Andre Smith can play right tackle with Anthony Collins able to play right or left. It's a scary pick but there will not be a tackle in round 2. | ||||
| 7 | Oakland Raiders | DT | BJ Raji | Boston College |
| Al Davis may want a wide receiver, but Heyward-Bey has the size/speed combo that he loves, not Crabtree. The defense needs help, especially in stopping the run. BJ Raji falling this far gives Al Davis someone to stuff the run. | ||||
| 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR | Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech |
| Crabtree's stock is a little hard to read because he has not been able to workout but he is a great value at #8. The Jags need a WR and they are looking more for a route runner than a deep threat. | ||||
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | DE | Everette Brown | Florida State |
| Malcolm Jenkins and Brown were the top candidates and the team's need for a pass rusher for its 3-4 won out. Brown will need time to develop but he is the pass rush threat the defense needs. | ||||
| 10 | San Francisco 49ers | QB | Mark Sanchez | USC |
| New head coaches often mean a new quarterback. Mike Singletary made the best with the quarterback situation he had and if Sanchez falls to him (someone will likely trade up ahead of SanFran for Sanchez), he'll take him. If Sanchez is gone, look for Singletary to address the defensive side of the ball. | ||||
| 11 | Buffalo Bills | DE/34LB | Aaron Maybin | Penn State |
| Buffalo finds themselves in a tough spot with Everette Brown off the board. The debate is between reaching for Pettigrew or Maybin. Passing rushing DE is the top need and while Maybin will need time to develop he should be able to be a situational rusher right away. | ||||
| 12 | Denver Broncos | RB | Chris Wells | Ohio State |
| Denver must have someone to help support and protect their franchise quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton may not be a franchise quarterback, but unless the Broncos move up for Sanchez they'll be led either by Orton or Simms. With additional picks they can address their defense. | ||||
| 13 | Washington Redskins | OT | Michael Oher | Ole Miss |
| With the top pass rushers off the board, the 'Skins discuss Cushing and Oher. With the money spent on the defense in free agency the Redskins invest in a shaky offensive line with Oher. | ||||
| 14 | New Orleans Saints | CB | Malcolm Jenkins | Ohio State |
| Jenkins is the top corner and safety in the draft and the Saints need both. Either way Jenkins is a great value for a secondary in need of an upgrade. | ||||
| 15 | Houston Texans | 34LB/OLB | Brian Cushing | USC |
| The Texans are looking to take the best defensive player available aside from MLB which leads them to Cushing. Cushing is a physical presence who will bolster the strong side and support the pass rush. | ||||
| 16 | San Diego Chargers | DE | Tyson Jackson | LSU |
| San Diego looks to improve their defense with either a 3-4 defensive end or an upgrade at inside linebacker with Rey Maualuga. | ||||
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| 17 | New York Jets | WR | Jeremy Maclin | Missouri |
| Maclin slides to the Jets and is a great value for a team needing a vertical threat. He is the best skill position player available making for a relatively easy pick if he is on the board. | ||||
| 18 | Denver Broncos | ILB | Rey Maualuga | USC |
| The Broncos begin the defensive upgrade and look to inside linebacker Rey Maualuga to lead the young defense. Vontae Davis is also considered but linebacker is a greater need. | ||||
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | Percy Harvin | Florida |
| Tampa wants to upgrade its defense as they implement a new scheme but Harvin has Florida ties and is the type of playmaker that can open up an offense. The other top consideration was DT Peria Jerry. | ||||
| 20 | Detroit Lions | ILB | James Laurinaitis | Ohio State |
| Lions want to upgrade their offensive line and defense. Offensive tackle Eben Britton gets consideration, but the Lions really need to upgrade the interior line more which will be available at the beginning of round 2 where as James Laurinaitis, a defensive leader, will be gone. | ||||
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | OT | Eben Britton | Arizona |
| The receivers and running backs are tempting but with the top 4 tackles off the board, Philly can not afford to pass on Britton at this point. He may not be an elite LT prospect but he has the athleticism play on the left side and his grunt like style should suit Andy Reid's offense. | ||||
| 22 | Minnesota Vikings | DT | Evander Hood | Missouri |
| With Britton off the board, the Vikings consider wideouts, cornerbacks before deciding to take Hood. Hood has a good motor at DT and provides insurance for the Williams' pending suspensions and someone to groom behind Pat Williams. | ||||
| 23 | New England Patriots | RB | Knowshon Moreno | Georgia |
| The Patriots consider a variety of players but with 4 day one selections they decide to take a bit of a luxury pick by adding the versatile running back out of Georgia. His running and receiving skills are a natural fit for an already dangerous offense. | ||||
| 24 | Atlanta Falcons | DT | Peria Jerry | Ole Miss |
| The decision comes down to Pettigrew and Jerry and despite the temptation of Pettigrew, the team fill the bigger need at DT where there is a big drop off after the top 3 or 4 players. Don't forget Mike Smith built his defense around his DTs in Jacksonville. They should be able to get a quality TE in round 2. | ||||
| 25 | Miami Dolphins | CB | Vontae Davis | Illinois |
| The Dolphins are in a great position to take a WR, CB or OLB and elect to take Davis one of the few corners in the draft with size and speed. | ||||
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens | WR | Darrius Heyward-Bey | Maryland |
| For Joe Flacco to take the next step in his development the Ravens need to find a receiver who can take advantage of Flacco's strong arm. There is no better deep threat in the draft than Heyward-Bey. | ||||
| 27 | Indianapolis Colts | RB | Donald Brown | Connecticut |
| With the top defensive tackles off the board the Colts consider Britt, Nicks and Robiskie before remembering their offense has always worked best with two quality backs rather than one as Addai has not proven he can carry the load alone. Brown has rushing and receiving skills and should be a nice fit for the Colts offense. | ||||
| 28 | Philadelphia Eagles | TE | Brandon Pettigrew | Oklahoma State |
| Britt and Nicks are on the board but the Eagles think Pettigrew is too good of a talent to pass up. He may lack the speed down the seam but Pettigrew is a physical run blocker with the size to be the red zone target they need. | ||||
| 29 | New York Giants | WR | Kenny Britt | Rutgers |
| Barring a trade for a wide receiver, Britt is the best option on the board to replace Plaxico Burress. Remember he does not have to be the #1 receiver right away but his size provides a red zone option. | ||||
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | WR | Hakeem Nicks | North Carolina |
| As much as the Titans hate taking wide receivers early, they can not afford to pass up on Nicks. He is a good value and fills a major need even after the signing of Nate Washington. | ||||
| 31 | Arizona Cardinals | RB | Lesean McCoy | Pittsburgh |
| Despite its excellent passing attack, the Cardinals know an improved running game will make their offense even more dangerous. The considerations here were RB or C and after McCoy there is a big dropoff at RB while they will likely find a quality center in round 2. This is probably the earliest McCoy gets drafted. | ||||
| 32 | Pittsburgh Steelers | C | Max Unger | Oregon |
| With the top tackles off the board, the Steelers opt for Unger whose physical style is perfect for Steeler football. His versatility to play four positions is a plus for a line with multiple holes. | ||||
# Denotes Underclassman