1. Miami Dolphins: Chris Long, DE, Virginia

The Miami Dolphins are an all around team that has had some serious struggles this year with both offense and defense alike.  I took Chris Long out of the first overall pick for a little while but I now have him back. The thing I love about Chris Long is that he is the best overall 2008 NFL Draft Defensive End. The other thing I love is that he is probably the best leader in this entire NFL Draft. Jake Long is a very viable player here as well. I think that the Dolphins can get a starter in the beginning of the second round with someone like Carl Nicks, Gosder Cherilus, Sam Baker, or Anthony Collins. So with this pick I go back to Chris Long for my 2008 NFL Mock Draft.

 

2. St. Louis Rams: Jake Long, OT, Michigan

The St. Louis Rams have a couple ways to go in this situation.  First of all they can go with an OT which is probably their biggest need because Pace is continually getting injured. Secondly they can improve the interior with Sedrick Ellis who has jumped to the top 5 in a lot of recent drafts.  However, I have them taking the best player available and selecting Jake Long.  Long can come in to the 2008 NFL Season right away and start. If Pace is healthy he can start on the right side and learn under Pace. With Long on the O Line they will be able to get Steven Jackson going and protect Bulger in the 2008 NFL Season. Look for Long to make an impact in 2008 no matter where he ends up.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

I previously have had the Falcons taking Darren McFadden in this situation to deal with their RB issues.  However, The Falcons took care of that need in the 2008 nfl Free Agency with Michael Turner.  So the Falcons other huge pressing need is QB.  The Falcons however could pick up Chad Henne, Joe Flacco or even maybe Brian Brohm in the second round. So I have the Falcons passing on the top rated 2008 NFL Draft QB and taking the best DT in the 2008 NFL Draft. Dorsey is a great player and will most likely start immediately for the Falcons in the 2008 NFL season.  However, I would not be surprised at all if the Falcons take Matt Ryan in the 2008 NFL Draft as well.

4. Oakland Raiders: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio St

The Raiders drafted their QB last year and Al Davis may have been looking to snag McFadden but he decides to pass on Darren.  McFadden has breakout speed but is being criticized for not being able to run between the tackles in the 2008 NFL Season.  So Al Davis goes with the Flashiest defensive player Vernon Gholston the top rated pass rusher in the 2008 NFL Draft.  Gholston will come in and help the secondary right away because of the pressure he will put on the QB immediately in the 2008 NFL season.  Gholston is not as good with the run but he gets up the field so fast he is known to get a tackle for a loss if they run his way.  I believe he will be a good immediate impact in the 2008 NFL Season and will be a top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

If Jake Long Falls to the Chiefs they will snag him as fast as possible.  As of now I have Jake Long going to the Dolphins in this 2008 nfl Mock Draft.  So the Chiefs could go a couple different ways with this pick.  They could either take an OT like Ryan Clady who is ranked as one of the top 2008 nfl Draft OT’s or go with the best player available QB replacement. I previously had them taking Glenn Dorsey the top rated 2008 NFL Draft DT. However, I now have him going earlier to the Falcons so the Chiefs take the top 2008 NFL Draft DT available Sedrick Ellis. Sedrick Ellis is a very good DT and will help the Chiefs immediately in 2008.

6. New York Jets: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

In the nfl Draft the Jets need to improve their team all in all.  I had previously said that QB would be the best move for the Jets in the nfl Draft but Kellen Clemens has come around and is a much better QB then Pennington.  I don’t think that he will be the long term solution for this team but he is a temporary replacement for the next couple years.  Even though the Jets recently acquired Thomas Jones he is getting older and isn’t a great running back.  However, Leon Washington is a playmaker.  But if McFadden drops to this slot like he did here the Jets will take him.  McFadden is a playmaker and will complement Thomas Jones very well in the 2008 NFL season. McFadden is ranked as the top player in many NFL Draft rankings but he falls all the way to 6 because of team needs.

7. New England Patriots(49ers): Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State

Asante Samuel is gone in 2008 so the Patriots look to replace him.  The Patriots take the one of the top rated CB in the draft and are happy about picking so high when they made it to the Super Bowl in 2008.  In this 2008 Mock Draft I have McKelvin going as the first CB in this pick.  The 2008 nfl Combine is going to play a huge role in who the first CB going overall is.  Other choices here are Aqib Talib, Mike Jenkins, or maybe Keith Rivers to help make the LB core younger in New England.  The Patriots look like they are going to have a strong 2008 season much like the 2007 one and this nfl Draft will only solidify that.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Ryan, QB, BC

The Ravens do not have a QB of the future unless you want to call Kyle Boller a QB. So the Ravens get lucky and Matt Ryan the top rated QB in the 2008 NFL Draft falls to them.  Ryan is a little raw still throwing lots of picks in college but a lot of people blame this on his poor receiving class in 2007.  The Ravens biggest need seems to be QB and then CB in this draft so they go with the best QB in the 2008 NFL Draft.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB

The Bengals Offense has some of the best personnel out of almost any other team in the league other than the Patriots probably.  However, their defense is a different story and they need to improve it greatly in 2008 off-season with both free agency and the 2008 nfl Draft.  The Bengals have to decide who will best complement the rest of their defense and who will best help.  Here I have them taking the best CB available in the draft.  Another probable pick here would be Keith Rivers or Philip Merling to help against pass and run at the defensive end position in 2008.  If they can put pressure on the QB then their secondary will have better chances to make plays on the ball. But for now in my Mock Draft I have the Bengals sticking with the best CB available Cromartie.  Cromartie could start in 2008 immediately with his speed and ability to defend.

10. New Orleans Saints: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

The New Orleans Saints picked up their offense in the latter part of the year making a run for the playoffs.  The part of their team that kept them out of the playoffs was not their offense but their defense.  The Saints defense has been horrendous at times and not able to cover receivers in the safety or corner positions.  The best selection for them here is the best CB available.  Mike Jenkins isn’t the biggest name in the 2008 Draft but he is a freak athlete who can immediately step in and start at CB for the New Orleans Saints. Some people even have Jenkins going as the first CB in the 2008 NFL Draft.  In this mock draft I see Jenkins going in the top 15 and the Saints are a very good fit for this athlete.

11. Buffalo Bills: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

The NFL Draft has not been the best for the Bills in past years because they continually draft short receivers.  I liked their draft last year and thought they made some good decisions to improve their offense and defense a like.  Look for the Bills to give their new QB Edwards another offensive weapon in Limas Sweed for 2008.  The key to this pick is having someone that can score in the red zone therefore they need to be over 5′10".  Another pick I like for the Bills most likely in the second round is Fred Davis out of USC or Dustin Keller out of Purdue who had a great 2008 NFL Combine.  Davis is the number one TE in the 2008 NFL Draft and if they can get him then they will have 2 Red Zone threats in Sweed and Davis (Are you happy everyone that was so paranoid about me having one wrong word).  Therefore I think they become an over 500 team and maybe even make the playoffs in 2008.  Furthermore, I think that these guys will also be a big help for Trent Edwards in being a starter in the 2008 NFL season.

12. Denver Broncos: Keith Rivers, OLB, USC

Denver lost it this year and did absolutely nothing to what they were projected to do.  Their defense and offense sucked and they need to improve a lot of different situations.  In this situation Ryan Clady a top ranked OT in the 2008 Draft could be a good pick to help continue their offensive lines success and their run game.  However, the Broncos go with Keith Rivers the best available defensive player in the 2008 NFL Draft that will be able to immediately help the Broncos Defense as a whole.  Rivers is a speedy LB that can put pressure on the QB and also help in passing situations.  Look for him to go early in the 2008 NFL Draft and make an early impact in the 2008 season.

13. Carolina Panthers: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.

The Panthers don’t really have a signal caller so a possible selection would be one of the best QB’s available.  In this situation I them taking Ryan Clady for two reasons.  In 2007 Jake Delhomme got injured so he needs a good OT to protect him in 2008.  Secondly they are a little light on RB’s because they let their RB go so they take Clady to help in 2008 with both the run and pass game.  Depending on team needs Clady is a top 10 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft because of his size and speed.

14. Chicago Bears: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

The Chicago Bears have struggled all year especially in the QB position.  They have one of the best weapons in the league if not the best with Devin Hester.  Secondly, the Bears also need some other offensive weapons such as O-Line, RB’s, and WR’s.  I see four possible selections here in either Chris Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, Jonathan Stewart, or Brian Brohm.  I have them taking the OT because their isn’t a QB worthy of going this high.  So they wait to get their QB in the 2nd round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

15. Detroit Lions: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

The Lions have addressed a lot of their DB needs.  They traded and have got multiple DB’s in the offseason through trades and signings.  They also just let go their starting RB Kevin Jones due to injury problems. I think that Mendenhall is a great athlete and he will be successful with the Lions.  The Lions don’t have Martz anymore so they will probably be throwing more in the 2008 season.  The Lions have the chance to get the best RB in 2008 NFL Draft so look for him to do well as a rookie.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon

The Cardinals struggled a lot on defense in 2007 and need to improve it in 2008.  Though I believe this I think Stewart is too good to pass up in this situation.  He is a 225 lb. RB that performed unbelievably well at the 2008 NFL Combine.  He ran unofficially under a 4.4 in the 40 yard dash and is just a freak athlete.  Look for them to take Stewart here and for him to learn under the Edge in 2008.  This will make the Cardinals one of the youngest offenses in 2008 so for the rest of their draft picks they need to address the defensive side of the ball.

Mock Draft Continued 17-32 >>>