Well, it’s almost here. We have less than 2 days until the draft, which is a great time to roll out my latest mock draft. Now, unless there is some earth-shattering news, this will be my final mock draft. Usually, I’m happy getting 5 of these picks right. This year, I’ve raised the bar and hope to hit on 25% of the first round selections. So here I go:
1. Raiders – JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU: From the looks of things right now, I’d say the safest bet would be having Russell go #1, so that’s what I’m doing. But with Al Davis, you never know. Also, more rumors are circulating that the Raiders may trade Randy Moss to GB for Aaron Rodgers. If that occurred, then CJ would be the pick. But I don’t see that happening prior to noon on Saturday.
2. Lions – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech: We all know that the Lions love taking wide receivers. But CJ is the most talented player in the draft. So they might as well take the best player in the draft - even if he is yet another 1st round receiver for the Lions.
3. Browns – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame: With the recent news of Adrian Peterson being re-injured(which is something the teams have known about since the Combine), I think Cleveland will turn their attention to Ohio-native Quinn to be the face of the franchise for the next 10 years. He's going to be a great player and he's great in front of a camera and is a good choice to be the leader of a struggling franchise as they hope to turn it around.
4. Bucs – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson: The Bucs really like this kid. He’s got tremendous upside and will provide a force along their offensive line. I think this might be too high for Adams, but it does address a position of need.
5. Cardinals – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin: The Cardinals will look to address two issues in this draft: their OL and their D. With Gaines Adams gone and Thomas staring them in the face, it’s hard to imagine Arizona would pass on him. He’s got the talent to be a franchise LT for the next 10 to 15 years. With Ken Wisenhunt and Russ Grimm in Arizona now, they will certainly look to sure up that line. Thomas is a great start.
6. Redskins – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville: I still think that the Redskins will try to move down, and with Peterson still on the board, a team like Buffalo could look to move up. But it's too hard to say a team will definitely move up so, for now, I think Washington stays here and takes the 19 year old phenom to sure up their DL.
7. Vikings – LaRon Landry, S, LSU: Landry, in my opinion, is the top defensive player in the draft. He’s got the speed of a corner, the hands of a receiver, and he hits like a linebacker. There’s no reason why Landry can’t become a top 5 safety in his first year; he’s that good. If the Redskins don’t trade down, they may look at Landry as well. In the end, the Vikings, with Quinn and Peterson gone, will gladly go for the top player on the defensive side of the ball.
8. Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas: This is a tough pick to predict if Landry is gone already, like I think he will be. They clearly like Landry, but with him gone, will turn their attention to either the OL or DL. I could see them going Levi Brown here. But I think they have a more pressing need at DE. Anderson is a solid pass rusher who has a lot of upside.
9. Dolphins – Levi Brown, OT, Penn State: With Quinn gone, Brown is likely the choice. Some people feel that he doesn't deserve to go this high, but Arizona (with experienced OL coach Russ Grimm) think enough of him to give him a look at #5. Bottom line here is that Brown is a big-time player at a position the Dolphins desperately need taken care of. Look for them to go QB in round 2.
10. Texans – Adrien Peterson, RB, Oklahoma: Houston will be very pleased if this is how it plays out. They could look to entertain trade offers since they have no 2nd round pick, but in the end I think they make up for the Reggie Bush mistake last year by getting their franchise running back. And he's going to be a great one, in my opinion.
11. 49ers – Pat Willis, LB, Ole Miss
12. Bills – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
13. Rams – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
14. Panthers – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
15. Steelers – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
16. Packers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (FL)l
17. Jaguars – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
18. Bengals – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
19. Titans – Michael Griffin, S, Texas
20. Giants – Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
21. Broncos – Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida
22. Cowboys – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
23. Cheifs – Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State
24. Patriots – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pitt
25. Jets – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
26. Eagles – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
27. Saints – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
28. Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
29. Ravens – Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
30. Chargers – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
31. Bears – Jon Beason, LB, Miami (FL)
32. Colts – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
So there you have it. The Phinsider’s Mock Draft 4.0. And like I said, this will be the final mock draft, that is unless there’s some huge news or trade or rumor prior to the draft. Now, be sure to check back here on Friday when we give you a full 7 round mock draft for the Miami Dolphins.