Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Marino's Crystal Ball - 2008 Mock Draft

By Tom Marino
Scout.com
Posted May 1, 2007

From the "It's Never Too Early" Department, Scout.com's Tom Marino gazes into his crystal ball to give you a look at what could be post-draft day in 2008. Who goes No. 1? What might have been in Cleveland? Who's coming out early? Find out more in Tom Marino's 2008 Mock Draft.

1. Dallas Cowboys from Cleveland
Darren McFadden, RB, JR
Arkansas
New old coach in Cleveland Marty Schottenheimer thought Heisman winner McFadden, could be the second coming of LT after 2006 Free Agent signee Jamal Lewis was found to have little left in tank. Instead, it's the Dallas Cowboys that have a new man chasing down Emmitt's records.


2. Oakland Raiders
Jake Long OT
Michigan
Battered and beleaguered QB JaMarcus Russell gets much needed help up front.

3. Houston Texans
Xavier Adibi LB
Virginia Tech
Special rush skills and playing range are the trademark of this young playing assassin.

4. Washington Redskins
Sam Baker OT
USC
This high profile player blocks out the sun and gives new head coach Mike Martz an immediate starter at ROT and eventual LOT replacement.

5. Detroit Lions
Chad Henne QB
Michigan
Lions and new GM Floyd Reese hope QB from down the road can right the league's most inept franchise.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antoine Cason CB
Arizona
New coach Bobby April sees speedster Cason as replacement for veteran corner Barber in new defensive boss Bill Kollar's system.

7. St. Louis Rams
Glenn Dorsey DT
LSU A much needed run-stopper is a nobrainer for the beleaguered Rams defense.

8. Tennessee Titans
Dan Connor LB
Penn State
Connor is yet another in a long line of outstanding Lions backers to perform at the professional level.

9. Arizona Cardinals
Chris Ellis DE
Virginia Tech
Cat-quick defender with special pass rush skills doesn't last long on draft day.

10. New York Jets
Mario Manningham WR JR
Michigan
Biletnikoff winner Mannington has no other further challenges at the college level.

11. New York Giants
Chris Long DT
Virginia
A gifted athlete (and son of Hall of Fame DT Howie) who plays like his hair is on fire. New head coach Wilbert Montgomery likes what he does for his aging defense.

12. Green Bay Packers
Josh Barrett S
Arizona State
Has outstanding range and ball-hawking skills. New coach Rex Ryan feels Barrett is the perfect fit for his revamped defense.

13. Miami Dolphins
Sedrick Ellis DT JR
USC
Disruptive run-stopper on the inside with both quickness and power is a quick upgrade for Miami inside.

14. San Francisco 49ers
Early Doucet WR
LSU
A vertical threat who improved greatly since becoming the Tigers' go-to receiver in '07.

15. Atlanta Falcons
Dre Moore DT
Maryland
Disruptive inside player with strength and quickness. Signing league's second-best QB Marc Bulger and trading Vick to Seattle were interesting offseason moves.

16. Kansas City Chiefs
Ben Olson QB JR
UCLA
LDS mission temporarily slowed # 1 prep prospect's progress, but outstanding 2007 season has Chiefs thinking future pro star.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Will Arnold OG
LSU
Steelers hope LSU man-handler can be another in a long line of top NFL offensive linemen developed in Pittsburgh.

18. Buffalo Bills
Martin Rucker TE
Missouri
Bills hope Tigers' best TE since Winslow Sr. can jumpstart team's passing game.

19. Minnesota Vikings
Paul Oliver CB
Georgia
Big physical corner with cover skills and playing instincts gives Vikings options on defense to put more heat on the quarterback.


Paul Oliver
20. Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence Jackson DE
USC
Del Rio hopes fellow Trojans alumni Jackson can make his presence felt quickly to help team's inconsistent outside pass rush.

21. Carolina Panthers
Colt Brennan QB
Hawaii
Philip Rivers clone Brennan, an NCAA record-setting QB will be counted on to quickly restore new life to the team's now anemic offense.

22. New Orleans Saints
Brian Brohm QB
Louisville
Saints' brass see bright future from Louisville's record-setting signal caller.

23. Denver Broncos
Louis Holmes DE
Arizona
Holmes should see action quickly as a nickel rusher while developing his overall game.

24. Baltimore Ravens
Adarius Bowman WR
Oklahoma State
Ravens hope Bowman can help provide spark for lethargic 2007 offensive showing.

25. Philadelphia Eagles
Frank Okam DT
Texas
Disruptive inside run-stopper with size is counted upon to give Eagles a big lift on the inside.

26. Cincinnati Bengals
Alex Boone OT JR
Ohio State
Bengals offensive line showed it's age during playoff run and was addressed with the signing of giant tackle.

27. Seattle Seahawks
James Laurinaitis LB JR
Ohio State
The Buckeyes defensive leader and leading tackler in both 06 and 07.

28. Indianapolis Colts
Allan Patrick RB
Oklahoma
Outstanding natural run instincts and receiving skills makes this '07 standout a valuable backup to Addai.

29. Chicago Bears
Zachary Bowman S
Nebraska
Big athletic possible Tampa 2 corner and safety prospect who rebounded after missing the '06 season due to injury.

30. San Diego Chargers
Barry Richardson OT
Clemson
Big wide body to help create further opportunities for league's best running back.

31. Dallas Cowboys
Limas Sweed WR
Texas
NFC Champs hope "Red Zone Wizard" Sneed can provide inside help and offset the loss of suspended and now departed malcontent T.O.


32. New England Patriots
Tommy Zbikowski S
Notre Dame
Four-time Super Bowl winners hope Tommy Z can help address team's only major position concern.