| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | School |
|---|
| 1 | Detroit Lions | QB | Matthew Stafford | Georgia |
| The Lions are able to sign Stafford before the draft which is a big plus. He has the talent to make an impact for Detroit and be the franchise QB they've been looking for if they protect him. |
| 2 | St. Louis Rams | OT | Jason Smith | Baylor |
| Rams take the smart pick and replace Orlando Pace with the premier left tackle draft. This solidifies the line and gives the Rams a left tackle who can play right away. |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | DE | Tyson Jackson | LSU |
| While the selection of Jackson feels like a reach, it is proof that trading down will be extremely difficult this year. It also shows Pioli will build the Chiefs in trenches first. From a talent standpoint, Jackson is a prototypical 3-4 DE with ideal size and an ability to occupy blockers and provide a pass rush. |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | OLB | Aaron Curry | Wake Forest |
| Aaron Curry is the top linebacker in the draft and should immediately upgrade both the run and pass defense. As tempting as the offensive tackle is, Curry should make more of an immediate impact. Passing on Mark Sanchez was smart because it would have been like waving the rebuilding flag. |
| 5 | New York Jets
(from Browns) | QB | Mark Sanchez | USC |
| Jets are the one team that could afford to trade up. They have a good offensive line and very few holes on defense. Sanchez has the personality to be able to handle the NY Media |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | OT | Andre Smith | Alabama |
| Picking Eugene Monroe would have been the safer pick but in the end, I think it came down to the tape and Andre Smith was the most dominant tackle in the draft on tape. The pick fills a major need for the Bengals but you have to be concerned about whether the Bengals coaching staff will be able to motivate Smith to reach his maximum potential. |
| 7 | Oakland Raiders | WR | Darrius Heyward-Bey | Maryland |
| I'm not shocked by this pick. The Raiders love speed and Heyward-Bey is the fastest receiver on the board. This team should have traded down if they wanted Heyward-Bey. |
| 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | OT | Eugene Monroe | Virginia |
| Great value pick by Jacksonville. I am surprised to see Monroe fall this far. He was the safest tackle pick in the draft, fills a big need and should be able to help Jacksonville become a good running team again. |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | DT | BJ Raji | Boston College |
| Having Raji fall in their laps will make the transition to a 3-4 defense a much easier one. The top 3-4 defense tend to have dominant nose tackles who can command double teams. |
| 10 | San Francisco 49ers | WR | Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech |
| Crabtree is a great value at #10 and fills a major need for their passing game. I also don't expect Crabtree's diva concerns to be an issue with Mike Singletary there to keep him in check. It is also interesting to see Crabtree get to play with Isaac Bruce a player whom I think Crabtree is very similar too. |
| 11 | Buffalo Bills | DE/34LB | Aaron Maybin | Penn State |
| Maybin may be the best pure pass rusher in the draft but will take a year or two to develop. Don't expect him to be anything more than a situational pass rusher in 2009. |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | RB | Knowshon Moreno | Georgia |
| By trading Cutler they needed to get a runner who could take the pressure off of Kyle Orton. Moreno is the top running back in the draft and a nice fit for McDaniels offense. |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | DE | Brian Orakpo | Texas |
| Orakpo is a great value pick for the Redskins. They needed to add a pass rusher and Orakpo fits the bill. I also think Orakpo fits a 4-3 defense better than a 3-4. |
| 14 | New Orleans Saints | CB | Malcolm Jenkins | Ohio State |
| Jenkins is the defensive back the Saints have needed for the past several years. He is instantly their best corner and an upgrade for the Saints defense. |
| 15 | Houston Texans | OLB/34LB | Brian Cushing | USC |
| Brian Cushing is an excellent fit for the Texans at SLB and will be a strong physical presence on the defense. The Texans are putting together a top defense with playmakers at every level. |
| 16 | San Diego Chargers | DE/34LB | Larry English | Northern Illinois |
| Larry English may be the best 3-4 LB in the draft, and obviously the Chargers think so. This selection calls in to question the status of Shawne Merriman's knee. |
| 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(from Browns) | QB | Josh Freeman | Kansas State |
| With Raheem Morris having Kansas St connections this is an ideal situation for Freeman. He has a lot of talent but will not be ready to play right away. Considering the army of quarterbacks on the roster the Bucs should not have to rush him. |
| 18 | Denver Broncos
(from Bears) | DE | Robert Ayers | Tennessee |
| Great at stopping the run, but does not generate much of a pass rush. Denver still has to address more needs on defense before they improve, but this is a start. |
| 19 | Philadelphia Eagles
(from Browns) | WR | Jeremy Maclin | Missouri |
| McNabb gets a much needed wide receivers talent to throw to. Maclin will take some time to develop but will provide a nice big target in the redzone and stretch opposing defenses. |
| 20 | Detroit Lions
(from Cowboys) | TE | Brandon Pettigrew | Oklahoma State |
| Pettigrew gives the Lions productivity at tight end and another blocker. He can provide an escape outlet for Stafford when he's not blocking. A bit of a surprise but Pettigrew is the top TE in the draft and should be a nice fit for their offense. |
| 21 | Cleveland Browns
(from Eagles) | C | Alex Mack | California |
| Cleveland keeps trading back, and gets their man. Alex Mack is an excellent center and helps solidify the offensive line. A very similar move to the one Mangine made his first year in New York when he drafted Nick Mangold in round 1. By passing on Beanie Wells they obviously they still believe in Jamal Lewis or they expect to get a running back in the next couple of rounds. |
| 22 | Minnesota Vikings | WR | Percy Harvin | Florida |
| He will give defenses another thing to be concerned about along with AP and Bernard Berrian. Compliments Berrian in the receiving game and could provide a wildcat option to the Vikings. Taking the character risk is a surprise by the Vikings though. |
| 23 | Baltimore Ravens
(from Patriots) | OT | Michael Oher | Ole Miss |
| Right tackle is the one weak spot on their offensive line and Michael Oher is a great fit. While he can play on the left side, right tackle is probably the best fit Oher long term |
| 24 | Atlanta Falcons | DT | Peria Jerry | Ole Miss |
| Jerry fills an immediate need at defensive tackle. Not as big as most a typical Mike Smith DT but still an effective pick. |
| 25 | Miami Dolphins | CB | Vontae Davis | Illinois |
| Davis is a physical player who fits the mold of a Parcells corner. May actually be a better fit at safety long-term. The Dolphins secondary needs work and Davis is a good first step. |
| 26 | Green Bay Packers
(from Patriots) | 34LB/OLB | Clay Matthews | USC |
| A bit of a surprise with Everette Brown still on the board. Matthews has 3-4 OLB skills but not the production. He would have been a better fit as a 4-3 OLB. |
| 27 | Indianapolis Colts | RB | Donald Brown | Connecticut |
| Not much of a surprise here. Joseph Addai has struggled to stay healthy and Donald Brown is not only a good runner but a good receiver as well. He should be an excellent fit in the Indy offense. |
| 28 | Buffalo Bills
(from Philadelphia)(from Panthers) | C | Eric Wood | Louisville |
| While the focus has been on the tackle spot after the trade of Jason Peters, the Bills need help across the offensive line and Wood should be able to come in and start right away at center or guard. |
| 29 | New York Giants | WR | Hakeem Nicks | North Carolina |
| After failing to trade for Braylon Edwards the Giants fill their need for a playmaking wide receiver with Nicks. He is tough physical receiver with great hands and a nose for the end zone. Compares favorably to Anquan Boldin. |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | WR | Kenny Britt | Rutgers |
| The type of big and physical receiver the Titans desperately need to keep defenses honest and improve their conversion rate in the red zone. |
| 31 | Arizona Cardinals | RB | Chris Wells | Ohio State |
| A great value pick. Wells is a Steelers style power back for a coaching staff that would love to bring a little more balance and toughness to an already potent Cardinals offense. |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DT | Evander Hood | Missouri |
| Hood was drafted to add depth to an aging defensive line. Hood in my opinion isn't an ideal fit in a 3-4 but the Steelers obviously think he will. |
