2007 NFL Mock Draft: Version 2.0

This is a follow-up to 2007 NFL Mock Draft: First Look.

Based on the responses received after my first mock draft posting, it seems that many of you out there have some very realistic opinions about the upcoming NFL selection meeting. A few of the loyal readers out there frankly did not agree with my positioning in some regards, which is to be expected. However, much of the opposition to my insight came relative to the draft order that was laid out. There were also some readers curious about the omission of some very capable players from my first listing.

Hopefully, version 2.0 of this mock draft will alleviate some of those concerns as the regular season is now over, fleshing the draft order out a bit. More importantly, the list of collegiate players who have announced themselves as eligible has now been finalized and the college bowl results are now in, and all of those previously unavailable facts have been incorporated in this version.

For the purposes of this article, let's assume Tampa wins the coin flip for the third overall pick.

With those housekeeping items out of the way, let's get to the picks.

(*denotes eligibility-declared underclassmen)

1. Oakland Raiders: *JaMARCUS RUSSELL, QB (LSU) — Russell showed scouts what they had hoped to see during his team's impressive 41-14 Sugar Bowl trouncing of Notre Dame, displaying the pocket poise, accuracy, and solid decision-making skills that pro teams crave in their field-generals. His 28/8 TD-to-INT ratio against one of the tougher NCAA schedules is another strong resume-building factor and he figures a lock to have an impressive personal workout/combine performance with his size, arm strength, and improved decision-making. With Al Davis's love for the deep pass and a dearth of qualified QBs in his current stable, Russell makes sense for a team that needs tons of help on the offensive side of the ball.

2. Detroit Lions: *ALAN BRANCH, DT (Michigan) — Obviously, there is no football god, as Matt Millen will, in fact, be part of the Lions' 2007 management team. While that should keep WR Calvin Johnson on the edge of his seat, even Millen can't miss the potential of in-state defensive star Alan Branch. Branch is big (6-6, 330) and talented and would be a nice addition to an ever-evolving Lion defensive unit.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: * CALVIN JOHNSON, WR (Georgia Tech) — No player not named Bush or Young that I've watched over the past two college football campaigns has impressed me more than Johnson from a purely awe-inspiring potential standpoint. He's huge (6-4, 225), athletically gifted, and a model teammate. The Bucs will be giddy if they do wind up winning their coin toss with Cleveland for this pick. If Cleveland gets this pick, it is likely that they will trade down with a team looking to land the gifted Yellow Jacket underclassman, leaving Jon Gruden high-and-dry in his search for consistency from the receiver position.

4. Cleveland Browns: *ADRIAN PETERSON, RB (Oklahoma) — The Browns aren't far from being a really competitive team, and I'm not just saying that. If you look up and down their roster, you'll see that, if healthy, they are set at most every position, with a few notable exceptions at running back and in the defensive backfield. With no real eye-opening cornerback to be taken this early in the draft, the Browns may well snag the proven Sooner runner with their top pick. However, this mostly will depend on how Peterson looks in his workouts and how he interviews ... otherwise, look for Cleveland to work the phone lines for a trade scenario that will fill their cornerback need later in round one.

5. Arizona Cardinals: JOE THOMAS, OT (Wisconsin) — If this does wind up being the Cardinals' pick, a celebration will ensue from Edgerrin James's offseason Florida home. Thomas is a legit stud as a blocker ... he has ideal size (6-7, 313) and remarkable quickness for a man of his size. While the ex-Badger standout has suffered through some tough injuries, the Cards' need for a difference maker up front far outweighs any concerns they may have, especially if this two-time All-American left tackle is still available with the fifth pick.

6. Washington Redskins: *JAMAAL ANDERSON, DE (Arkansas) — While I personally like Gaines Adams more as a defensive end, Jamaal Anderson had such an electrifying 2006 season (SEC-leading 13.5 sacks and No. 2 in conference in TFL with 19.5), he likely will be the first of the two coming of the draft board. Anderson has good size (6-6, 275) and fits the mold of a top-tier NFL pass rusher better than the other DEs in this draft class, and Washington will undoubtedly look to grab a sack artist after totaling a league-low 19 in 2006.

7. Minnesota Vikings: BRADY QUINN, QB (Notre Dame) — If Quinn remains undrafted by this pick, his selection by the Vikings is the easiest call on this board. Brad Johnson has been an adequate starter throughout his career, but the sun is clearly setting on his playing days. Tavares Jackson is certainly not the future of Minnesota football and the no-nonsense style and down-to-earth toughness of Quinn makes all the sense in the world for the old-school grit of coach Brad Childress. Having tallied an almost ridiculously low 13 passing touchdowns in 2006, the Vikings players and fans will welcome the promising Quinn to town with open arms.

8. Houston Texans: GAINES ADAMS, DE (Clemson) — Let me preface this by saying the following: the Texans' front office made one of the most egregious mistakes in recent draft-day history by neglecting to select either Reggie Bush or Vince Young last season. There, I said it. Now, on to this year's pick ... with Adrian Peterson off the board, the dynamic Adams, a ferocious pass rusher with tons of athleticism, is the best potential fit to what the Texans are looking for in this year's draft. Picking Adams solidifies the Texans for years to come at a historically weak position, giving them bookend pass rushers with youth, athleticism, and power.

9. Miami Dolphins: PATRICK WILLIS, LB (Ole Miss) — While Ted Ginn, Jr. may tempt the offensive-minded Cam Cameron, nobody will question that Miami's defense is beginning to show signs of age. The team needs some help in the secondary and some youth in the front-seven. Smart money says Miami makes a strong push for Asante Samuel should he become available in free agency, filling the former of those two needs, which leaves the latter as the most pressing concern. Willis is a consistent and strong-willed leader, making him a great long-term solution to compliment and eventually succeed Zach Thomas as the linebacking anchor of the Dolphin "D".

10. Atlanta Falcons: *TED GINN, JR., WR (Ohio State) — This is what we call in the biz a "no brainer." Atlanta is desperate for some more offensive weapons. Warrick Dunn is no longer a spring chicken, and the talent of their current corps of receivers can be categorized as being somewhere between terribly ineffective and non-existent. It is true that they could use some help on their D-line, but that particular area is so deep in this draft that they can wait for round two to start addressing that need. Ginn is the all-around weapon with blazing speed and jaw-dropping potential that Vick needs to occupy those defensive backs if he wants to have a shot at becoming a serviceable passer in this league. While USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett may also be an option here, Ginn's speed makes him hard to pass up.

11. San Francisco 49ers: *CHARLES JOHNSON, DE (Georgia) — Johnson figures to benefit from a huge bump in terms of his value once the workouts are complete. He can rush the passer with power, but he is surprisingly quick and strong for his stature, which are measurables that will translate into a high rating once the numbers are all crunched. His speed allows him to play the edge in a 3-4 scheme even with the 280 pounds that he is currently carrying on his 6-foot-2 inch frame, and his power make him a decent fit as a down lineman, as well. This flexibility should pique the interest of the defensive-minded Mike Nolan as they look to shore up a pass rush that was less than stellar in '06.

12. Buffalo Bills: LEON HALL, CB (Michigan) — The Michigan standout is a solid cover-first corner with great instincts and safety-like tackling ability. With the impending departure of Nate Clements becoming more and more likely, the Bills will be looking to find a replacement, and Hall fits that bill very nicely. Though Hall's stock dropped a bit following a disappointing week of Senior Bowl practices, he is still clearly the best corner in this year's draft and could step in and play immediately in Buffalo.

13. St. Louis Rams: AMOBI OKOYE, DT (Louisville) — Not unlike Hall, Okoye's stock was clearly impacted by his Senior Bowl performance. Unlike Hall, however, the surprisingly svelte (287 pound) Louisville defensive tackle actually did himself some good with his explosion off the line of scrimmage and aggressive play. While his eventual pro team may ask him to bulk up some after draft day, even as an undersized prospect he clearly warrants a top-15 draft grade and makes good sense for a Rams team that was routinely blown off the defensive line in 2006.

14. Carolina Panthers: LaRON LANDRY, S (LSU) — Landry has been a consistent collegiate performer. He has excellent instincts as a safety and is a hard-hitter who demonstrates great technique, a combination that translates well to the Panthers' defensive style of attacking the opposition's offensive line with their front-seven. He will provide a safety valve in the defensive secondary that craves the reliability and play-making ability that Landry has consistently brought to the table.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: *DWAYNE JARRETT, WR (USC) — The Steelers are badly needing some components to help their passing game and Jarrett's superior route running and favorable size make him a likely pick for a team that could use a compliment to the productive Hines Ward. While Pittsburgh's front office would certainly prefer a more dynamic wideout like Ted Ginn to fall in their lap here, landing Jarrett is by no means a disappointing scenario and he may well end up as the more productive of the two.

16. Green Bay Packers: *LAWRENCE TIMMONS, LB (Florida State) — Timmons has ideal size (6-3, 233) and an adequate motor to be a real hell-raiser in the linebacking corps. He plays a consistent and all-out style of football that makes him standout in workouts and on film, and for good reason. His presence would give the Packers a truly formidable group of linebackers, which in my book is one of the most often overlooked components to a successful NFL team.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: *REGGIE NELSON, DB (Florida) — In my opinion, Nelson falling to the Jags here represents a coup for Jacksonville. He has perhaps the most appealing upside for all non-pass rushing defensive players in this draft with his versatility, speed, play-making ability and willingness to contribute on special teams. He can play any of the defensive backfield positions and play them well and he tackled consistently in college. In short, he is all you could ask for as a contributor in the secondary and would be a great fit for Jaguars team coveting some consistent defensive production, especially in pass coverage.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: MICHAEL GRIFFIN, DB (Texas) — Griffin, like Nelson, is versatile and has been asked to play both corner and safety during his collegiate career. Also like Nelson, the UT standout has never looked overmatched or intimidated regardless of the competition, traits that historically translate well into pro success, particularly for defensive backs. Griffin is, however, much less outspoken than Nelson and generally has let his play do the talking ... a novel idea in Cincinnati, but one that would play well in a locker room full of windbags and braggarts.

19. Tennessee Titans: DWAYNE BOWE, WR (LSU) — Year one of the Vince Young era was a rousing success by any measure considering the dearth of talent in and around Music City. For year two to match or exceed the expectations this success has brought, the Titans will require some more offensive firepower, especially at the receiver position. As any of you that pay attention to this sort of thing will undoubtedly know by now that no player created more of a stir with his Senior Bowl performance than did the 6-foot 2-inch, 222-pound LSU receiver. His showcasing of toughness, precision in his routes, confident hands, and, most-importantly, his surprising size-to-speed ratio all catapulted Bowe from a potential late first round sleeper to a mid-round steal and Tennessee would not bat an eyelash en route to the podium should he still remain available once their selection came up.

20. New York Giants: *MARSHAWN LYNCH, RB (Cal) — Clearly, the G-Men will need to fill the void left by the retirement of Tiki Barber. Brandon Jacobs will be the de facto starter and will likely succeed in that role, but he is far too vanilla to be the only option for the Giants going into the season (I'd like to add just for posterity's sake that I wouldn't be shocked to see the Giants make a play for Miami RB/holistic healer Ricky Williams should he be granted re-instatement into the league for '07 ... stay tuned). With Lynch's recent run-in with the law (he has been accused of sexual assault among some other potential charges) clearly drops him out of consideration in the top 10, anything short of a prison sentence and he'll remain on first round radar screens. The Giants will happily take the chance on him if he is still on the board as his upside is too attractive to ignore entirely.

21. Denver Broncos: DAYMEION HUGHES, CB (Cal) — Tragedy in sport is like tragedy in all other walks of life; it is unexpected, painful, and thoroughly difficult to recover from. The untimely and unfortunate loss of Darrent Williams creates a void in friends and family members that can never truly be filled. But the sad truth of the matter is that the Broncos as a football team must try and fill the void they now have as a result of the Williams atrocity. Hughes makes sense for that reason, and I'll leave it at that.

22. Dallas Cowboys: QUENTIN MOSES, DE/OLB (Georgia) — While this pick will remain hard to figure until the Cowboys settle on a new coaching staff (still up in the air as of writing of this article), Quentin Moses is an intriguing potential selection for the Cowboys. While he was once rated at the top of a talented defensive end class, Moses has seen his stock fall precipitously as a DE prospect. However, at 6-5 and 245, he projects well to the edge of a 3-4 defense, and this could keep him in or near the top 20 picks. Dallas may look safety here, or even inside linebacker, but Moses is a decent value pick and fits their scheme nicely.

23. Kansas City Chiefs: LEVI BROWN, OT (Penn State) — Brown has slipped a bit since my first mock draft, but KC still makes a good landing spot for the 6-5, 325 tackle. With needs at both tackle spots, Brown's increasingly obvious weakness with his footwork won't necessarily turn them off — they'll just project him to the right side rather than their QB's blind side.

24. New England Patriots (via Seattle): PAUL POSLUSZNY, LB (Penn State) — My distaste for the Patriots aside, this is a franchise that seemingly makes all the right moves. For this reason, I would not be shocked to see the New England brass make a bold move and deal their two first round picks for a shot at a Ted Ginn type of impact offensive weapon. That said, I've already precluded myself from consideration of trades, so the other likely scenario nets the Patriots either Georgia's DE/OLB hybrid Quentin Moses or Posluszny, and the Penn State linebacker is a better fit considering the varying condition of Tedy Bruschi.

25. New York Jets: DeMARCUS "TANK" TYLER, DT (NC State) — Not much changed here since my last posting. Tyler is a great fit for the Jets and would allow them to get rid of Robertson, who has been a bit of a bust in New York. DE Adam Carriker is another player that might be on the Jets radar screen, but until further notice, I'm sticking with Tyler.

26. Philadelphia Eagles: MICHAEL BUSH, RB (Louisville) — Short of the Patriots, the Eagles are the only team in the league that has consistently shown the savvy to be a competitive force year in and year out, and much of this savvy is demonstrated through the draft. The Eagles are very unlikely, based on past experience, to remain in this position, but if they do select here, Bush is a great compliment to the dynamic Brian Westbrook in the Philly backfield.

27. New Orleans Saints: *DARRELLE REVIS, CB (Pittsburgh) — "Aint's" no more, the NFC runners-up cannot hide their weakness: they need to get faster on defense. Revis is all kinds of fast and was at one time considered the top corner prospect in the nation, though his ranking has slipped over the course of the season. He has solid cover skills on top of that speed, but does lack consistent tackling technique, which hurts his value. Still, snagging such a prospect this late in round one would be a bit more good fortune for the Saints as they continue their march away from their checkered history.

28. New England Patriots: *ROBERT MEACHAM, WR (Tennessee) — Having already disallowed my very likely trade scenario involving the Patriots, New England will be in the market for another receiver to throw into their stew. That sound you just heard was my head hitting my keyboard in frustration as I realized the likeliness of Mr. Meacham falling to the hated Beli-Bradys. Meacham falling this far was unthinkable just two short months ago, but with the announcement from Ginn that he'd be going pro combining with Dwayne Bowe's recent surge has left the acrobatic Vol receiver as the odd-man-out. If this scenario plays out, you're looking at the clear steal of the 2007 draft.

29. Baltimore Ravens: ADAM CARRIKER, DE (Nebraska) — Stocking an already overstocked defense may not make sense to many of you readers out there, but this is how sustained success is achieved in today's NFL and the Ravens have already had one bout with salary cap mismanagement (see 2004 season). Carriker is a fast-riser and has ideal size for a 3-4 end and surprising speed for his build (6-6, 292), which makes him a great Raven-style of defender. While there may be players that fill needs out there, I find it difficult to justify the Ravens passing on a value pick of Carriker's stature.

30. San Diego Chargers: *SIDNEY RICE, WR (South Carolina) — The Chargers would absolutely jump for joy if Rice fell to them. The South Carolina receiver is tall and lanky and has flypaper hands, making him an opportune get for a team starved for a possession receiver to compliment the unmatched talents of LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates on offense.

31. Chicago Bears: MARCUS McCAULEY, CB (Fresno State) — McCauley’s stock has leveled a bit of late, but he still finds himself near the top of his class at that position. That said, cornerbacks aren't a top priority for most teams around the league, as the "have nots" have many more pressing needs and the "haves" needn't waste picks for depth alone. This suits the Bears just fine, who would pick up an excellent player to solidify their pass coverage defense, which certainly took its lumps at times last season.

32. Indianapolis Colts: *BRANDON SILER, LB (Florida) — It is painfully clear that the Colts lack defensive fire, particularly against the run. Florida's defensive heart may have been safety Reggie Nelson, but its soul was Siler and that soul plays with a competitive fire that is hard to match. Siler's aggression, passion, and defensive leadership make him a hard player to pass on, especially when considering how other teams pushed the undersized Colts defense around throughout the regular season.

WATCH OUT FOR FALLING STOCK

The following players have taken a hit in their value over the past two months for one reason or another and have fallen out of my top round projection:

OT Tony Ugoh (Arkansas), RB Kenny Irons (Auburn), OG Ben Grubbs (Auburn), DE/OLB LaMarr Woodley (Michigan), QB Troy Smith (Ohio State), C Ryan Kalil (USC), DT Quinn Pitcock (Ohio State)

MAYBE NEXT TIME

The following players just missed top round billing and are considered rising talents:

LB Mike Okwo (Stanford), WR Craig Davis (LSU), OT Marshal Yanda (Iowa), OG Arron Sears (Tennessee), DE/OLB Anthony Spencer (Purdue), S Brandon Merriweather (Miami)

***

While this mock reflects a much more complete understanding of team needs, player values, and potential draft scenarios than did the first version, it is far from complete. Still unknown elements such as free agency losses/gains and the all-important NFL combine are upcoming in the very near future, so there will be a need for further fine-tuning in the weeks to come.

I hope to share at least one more (post-combine) edition of my mock drafts prior to my final pre-draft posting in mid-April (the intent is for my final mock posting will include the first three rounds and "likely" draft day trades, pending my editor's approval, of course).