cards fan in cleveland
02-17-2007, 03:18 PM
Mock draft: Anderson on the move
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Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago
We're a few days away from every die-hard football fan's favorite week. No, it's not the regular season's opening weekend. Nah, it's not NFL draft time. Nope, it's not even the start of training camp.
MOCK DRAFTS:
Latest: Anderson rises
Previously: 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0
PLAYER RANKINGS:
Scout.com prospect rankings
NFLDraftScout.com:
Overall:
1-100 | 101-200 | 201-300 | 301-400 | 401-500 Offense:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C Defense:
DT | DE | ILB | OLB | CB | FS | SS Special teams:
K | P | LS
BLOGS:
Czar: News and notes
Instead, it's the week all of your favorite college stars get paraded around Indianapolis like pieces of meat; the week hundreds of 60 year-old men with clipboards whisper and stare as they watch dozens of 21-year-olds run through cones and stand in their underwear. The week we treat Wonderlic tests like the Earth's orbit relies upon it, 40 meter dashes like the State of the Union Address, and a guy's vertical leap like it's his worth in gold. Yes, that week is here. The week guys like Mike Mamula pray for; the week men like Maurice Clarrett dread. The week Brian Urlacher and Vernon Davis go from second- or third-round picks to instant millionaires.
The NFL Draft combine is here. And next week, being aired from start to finish on the NFL Network, it will swallow countless hardcore football fans whole.
This year's NFL Draft should sort itself out a little better when the combine's all said in done. Who's going to be this year's Chad Jackson, soaring up the charts with a jaw-dropping 40 meter dash (my guess is UTEP's Johnny Lee Higgins)? Who's going to slip thirty spots because of a written test? Which small school player's going to raise eyebrows and rise to the top? We'll have to just wait and see.
That said — here's our latest mock draft. Some minor changes, but nothing too drastic from last week. By the time the next one's up, it may look nothing like it does now. Yep, the combine plays that big a role.
For the time being, however, here we go:
Our latest Mock Draft as of Feb. 16, 2007:
Previous mock drafts: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0
MOCK DRAFT: Round 1
Pick Team Player Pos. School Class Previous Rising/Falling High/Low
1. Raiders JaMarcus Russell QB LSU Junior 1st SAME 1st / 10th
Most talk of Brady Quinn here has quieted down. It's now between Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and the most likely pick — Mr. Russell. You know the deal by now — the 80 yard passes, the drills where he throws through the uprights from his knees…at midfield. Al Davis loves the long ball, and Lane Kiffin will be delighted to have Russell's athleticism to work with in his first year as Raiders head coach. Russell's the right pick.
2. Lions Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin Senior 2nd SAME 2nd / 5th
Another team may try to trade up in this spot to grab Calvin Johnson. Maybe Atlanta goes for the homegrown hero, offers everything but the kitchen sink, and ends up at number two. I think Matt Millen holds on to the pick, though, and plays it smart, going with the sure bet in Thomas. Jon Kitna wasn't terrible in 2006. He threw for over 4,000 yards. Yet, he was sacked a league-high 63 times. Thomas will be the core of the Lions offensive line for the next decade. A can't-miss NFL prospect, the 6-foot-7 giant is the right pick here.
**3. Browns Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma Junior 3rd SAME 3rd / 8th
How good is Adrian Peterson? When Bears DT and Oklahoma grad Dusty Dvoracek was asked whether he thought the Sooners running back will be a good pro player on media day, Dvoracek answered: "Adrian Peterson is going to be a Hall of Fame player. Mark it down in ink. He's going to be one of the best NFL running backs we've ever seen." With questions at both the quarterback and running back positions, Cleveland can do no wrong taking Peterson here. Hall of Fame or not.
**4. Buccaneers Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech Junior 4th SAME 2nd / 4th
A no-brainer at No. 4. Johnson's stellar career at Georgia Tech was capped off with an incredible Gator Bowl versus West Virginia. In a losing effort, Johnson caught nine balls for 186 yards and two touchdowns. On the year, Atlanta's second "Human Highlight Film" hauled in 76 balls for 1,202 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. All of that, of course, came with one of nation's most inconsistent quarterbacks throwing him the ball. Whether it's Chris Simms or Bruce Gradkowksi throwing him the rock next year — either will be a vast improvement over Reggie Ball.
5. Cardinals Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas Junior 7th (+2) 5th / NR
Anderson's soaring up everyone's draft charts faster than you can say Mario Williams. The Cardinals had the fourth worst defense in the league; Anderson is a hulking beast off the edge that can both attack the quarterback and stop the run. Together, it seems like the perfect match. Having notched 13.5 sacks as a junior in '06, Anderson could be the Cardinals' defensive line star of the future. You know ... like Andre Wadsworth.
6. Redskins Alan Branch DT Michigan
Story Tools:
Print Email Blog This Subscribe
Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago
We're a few days away from every die-hard football fan's favorite week. No, it's not the regular season's opening weekend. Nah, it's not NFL draft time. Nope, it's not even the start of training camp.
MOCK DRAFTS:
Latest: Anderson rises
Previously: 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0
PLAYER RANKINGS:
Scout.com prospect rankings
NFLDraftScout.com:
Overall:
1-100 | 101-200 | 201-300 | 301-400 | 401-500 Offense:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C Defense:
DT | DE | ILB | OLB | CB | FS | SS Special teams:
K | P | LS
BLOGS:
Czar: News and notes
Instead, it's the week all of your favorite college stars get paraded around Indianapolis like pieces of meat; the week hundreds of 60 year-old men with clipboards whisper and stare as they watch dozens of 21-year-olds run through cones and stand in their underwear. The week we treat Wonderlic tests like the Earth's orbit relies upon it, 40 meter dashes like the State of the Union Address, and a guy's vertical leap like it's his worth in gold. Yes, that week is here. The week guys like Mike Mamula pray for; the week men like Maurice Clarrett dread. The week Brian Urlacher and Vernon Davis go from second- or third-round picks to instant millionaires.
The NFL Draft combine is here. And next week, being aired from start to finish on the NFL Network, it will swallow countless hardcore football fans whole.
This year's NFL Draft should sort itself out a little better when the combine's all said in done. Who's going to be this year's Chad Jackson, soaring up the charts with a jaw-dropping 40 meter dash (my guess is UTEP's Johnny Lee Higgins)? Who's going to slip thirty spots because of a written test? Which small school player's going to raise eyebrows and rise to the top? We'll have to just wait and see.
That said — here's our latest mock draft. Some minor changes, but nothing too drastic from last week. By the time the next one's up, it may look nothing like it does now. Yep, the combine plays that big a role.
For the time being, however, here we go:
Our latest Mock Draft as of Feb. 16, 2007:
Previous mock drafts: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0
MOCK DRAFT: Round 1
Pick Team Player Pos. School Class Previous Rising/Falling High/Low
1. Raiders JaMarcus Russell QB LSU Junior 1st SAME 1st / 10th
Most talk of Brady Quinn here has quieted down. It's now between Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and the most likely pick — Mr. Russell. You know the deal by now — the 80 yard passes, the drills where he throws through the uprights from his knees…at midfield. Al Davis loves the long ball, and Lane Kiffin will be delighted to have Russell's athleticism to work with in his first year as Raiders head coach. Russell's the right pick.
2. Lions Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin Senior 2nd SAME 2nd / 5th
Another team may try to trade up in this spot to grab Calvin Johnson. Maybe Atlanta goes for the homegrown hero, offers everything but the kitchen sink, and ends up at number two. I think Matt Millen holds on to the pick, though, and plays it smart, going with the sure bet in Thomas. Jon Kitna wasn't terrible in 2006. He threw for over 4,000 yards. Yet, he was sacked a league-high 63 times. Thomas will be the core of the Lions offensive line for the next decade. A can't-miss NFL prospect, the 6-foot-7 giant is the right pick here.
**3. Browns Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma Junior 3rd SAME 3rd / 8th
How good is Adrian Peterson? When Bears DT and Oklahoma grad Dusty Dvoracek was asked whether he thought the Sooners running back will be a good pro player on media day, Dvoracek answered: "Adrian Peterson is going to be a Hall of Fame player. Mark it down in ink. He's going to be one of the best NFL running backs we've ever seen." With questions at both the quarterback and running back positions, Cleveland can do no wrong taking Peterson here. Hall of Fame or not.
**4. Buccaneers Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech Junior 4th SAME 2nd / 4th
A no-brainer at No. 4. Johnson's stellar career at Georgia Tech was capped off with an incredible Gator Bowl versus West Virginia. In a losing effort, Johnson caught nine balls for 186 yards and two touchdowns. On the year, Atlanta's second "Human Highlight Film" hauled in 76 balls for 1,202 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. All of that, of course, came with one of nation's most inconsistent quarterbacks throwing him the ball. Whether it's Chris Simms or Bruce Gradkowksi throwing him the rock next year — either will be a vast improvement over Reggie Ball.
5. Cardinals Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas Junior 7th (+2) 5th / NR
Anderson's soaring up everyone's draft charts faster than you can say Mario Williams. The Cardinals had the fourth worst defense in the league; Anderson is a hulking beast off the edge that can both attack the quarterback and stop the run. Together, it seems like the perfect match. Having notched 13.5 sacks as a junior in '06, Anderson could be the Cardinals' defensive line star of the future. You know ... like Andre Wadsworth.
6. Redskins Alan Branch DT Michigan