Now that the 2009 Indianapolis Combine is in the books, there has been a bit of movement in the overall rankings for those players looking to make it to the next level. Here now are my first round selections in the latest mock draft.
1. Detroit - Jason Smith, OT, Baylor - Safe pick but one with near certain productive longevity.
2. St. Louis - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest - Great way to re-boot your defense and Curry seems to be the top prospect of the current linebacking crop.
3. Kansas City - Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas - Too strong a presence to pass up and definitely worth a very slight reach. This guy was a man amongst boys at the combine and should start from day one.
4. Seattle - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St. - With plenty of wideouts available later, the Hawks get a guy who can play corner or fill the FS slot.
5. Cleveland - Brian Cushing, OLB, USC - A bit of a reach, but this guy is a monster and the Browns need monsters on a needy defense. Especially linebackers who can do well in space.
6. Cincinnati - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia -
Falling to number 6 is great news for the Bengals as their offensive line gets a much-needed shot in the arm.
7. Oakland - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech - It wasn't the question with the stress fracture, but rather playing the percentages with their respective ROI's (return on investment) for the previous six teams...thus leaving the Raiders with a great opportunity.
8. Jacksonville - B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College - Not good news for the rest of the AFC South as their running games will surely be tested with the addition of Raji.
9. Green Bay - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois - With both top DE's off the board, the Packers are left with little choice but to fill a big need at corner. Davis should evolve into a tremendous player with tutoring from Woodson.
10. San Francisco - Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi - If the Niners don't try and trade up to get Curry, look for them to go with Oher. They're fine with the two QB's they have at present.
11. Buffalo - Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC - The Bills need some help in the middle of their defense and Maualuga should help that along. If the Bills don't get a FA running back, they could tap Moreno here.
12. Denver - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia - With no DT ranked above Moreno here, the Broncos add this super talent to the backfield and electrify the Mile High fans.
13. Washington - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama - It might end up being the steal of the draft with the slipping Smith coming to D.C. There's no doubt he has the potential to anchor the left side if he can keep the focus.
14. New Orleans - D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt - It might be tempting at this point for the Saints to mull between Moore and Peria Jerry. The secondary needs the help more and it would be a fairly long reach for Jerry. Chris Wells is a possibility here too.
15. Houston - Aaron Maybin, OLB, Penn St. - It's a slight reach but the Texans really need to help strenghten the opposite side of the DLine and help out Mario Williams. Maybin's potential versatility makes it a near perfect fit.
16. San Diego - Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St. - It could be that the Chargers would rather reach past Wells and get Jerry at DT, but Wells is a powerful force that could help in short yardage running game.
17. NY Jets - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri - Great prospect that, if he actually falls this far, would be a great catch for the Jets. Maclin could help stretch defenses and open up the underneath for TE Keller or play-action to Jones and Washington. Could go Matt Stafford, James Laurinaitis or LeSean McCoy here as well.
18. Chicago - James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio St. - Typical Bears type player. Blue collar, hard hitting grunt that gets after people. I, personally, would snag LeSean McCoy here to team with Matt Forte.
19. Tampa Bay - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida - Local collegiate phenom plays in front of Florida fans for years to come and brings much needed boost to the Bucs passing (and return?) game. Bucs might opt to select Heyward-Bey instead of Harvin.
20. Detroit(from Dallas) - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU - His ability to switch back and forth between DE and DT might lead the Lions to go with Jackson over Peria Jerry, who is strictly a DT. OLB Clay Matthews is also a possibility here.
21. Philadelphia - Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St. - Coin flip here on whether Pettigrew will help or hinder the Eagles long-term. If he can put his off-field problems behind him then it will be a good selection, not to mention one of immense need for Philly. His zero TD catches in his Senior season has me a bit apprehensive.
22. Minnesota - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland - A speedy, good-sized wideout that could help the Vikes move the ball downfield quickly. That is, IF they have someone that can get him the ball...which means they could select Stafford or Sanchez here instead.
23. New England - LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt - With the amount of backs New England used in 2008, you'd think they would be fine at this position. But with the addition of this talented youngster, they now have veteran trade bait at the position.
24. Atlanta - Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi - The Falcons help bolster the middle of their defensive line with the nearby Mississippi collegiate prospect. They could opt to go with Alphonso Smith as Lawyer Milloy's days are done in Atlanta.
25. Miami - Alex Mack, C, California - Talented, smart and big for a center, this guy is definitely a Parcells prototype. The reach is very warranted here.
26. Baltimore - Clay Matthews, OLB, USC - The bloodline is there but when you're coming into Baltimore following the potential loss of Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, well....those are some big shoes to fill.
27. Indianapolis - Donald Brown, RB, UConn - Although there is no way to know for sure, the Colts wouldn't hesitate to target Alex Mack if Jeff Saturday is truly gone. Since Mack and Heyward-Beyboth are taken - and there are no DT's at this point - Donald Brown is the call. Could go with Alphonso Smith or Larry English here.
28. Philadelphia (from Carolina)- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest - Shoring up the defensive back position is a top priority and Smith provides the Eagles with a sure-minded (dare I say cocky?) corner willing (and able) to cover the fastest wideouts in the league. He may struggle early but is sure to be one of the best when all is said and done.
29. NY Giants - Larry English, OLB, Northern Illinois - Perfect place at the perfect time for English, as the Giants need a 3-4 OLB. The Giants might decide to reach for WR Brian Robiskie here or go with OT Eben Britton.
30. Tennessee - Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina - The Titans need wideout help badly and Nicks might be a good start in Tennessee. His size may not be what the Titans are looking for, but his speed, good hands and route discipline are what they need. A reach for Kenny Britt might be possible.
31. Arizona - Eben Britton, OT, Arizona - The fact that Britton is from an in-state college should make the transition to pro football that much easier. It's not the biggest need for the Cards, but Britton is the best available here.
32. Pittsburgh - Sean Smith, CB, Utah - Although the Steeler front line is a priority, the ability and potential of Smith is extremely tempting. At 6-3 and running near 4.5speed, he could compliment the Steeler secondary extremely well. And Pittsburgh still has plenty of chances at a solid OT, C or OG.
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