Steven's 09 Mock Draft

I'm not a big mock draft guy myself because everybody's boards look different so there's really no knowing of what's going to happen. But, since so many people seem to like them, I figure I'll make my own. I will only do picks 1-12 because after that it's pretty much a complete toss up. These picks are the picks which I feel will happen based on how NFL teams have their boards ranked, NOT how the media ranks them. It is important to note that from the end of the college season to now peoples names have skyrocketed and dropped, not because of their workouts, but rather because their agents do all they can to hype their players up draft boards in hopes to make more money. Inside war-rooms however actual coaches stay almost immune to all these media-reports, so as the media's boards change, their boards do not. Here are my first 12 picks for the 2009 draft.

1. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford, QB Georgia

The Detroit Lions are in desperate need for a lot of positions, however the most important is a franchise quarterback. Stafford is the best quarterback in this draft and has the best possibility of becoming a good professional quarterback. Plus, the Lions have many picks, including another first rounder where they can pick up some o-line help.

2. St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith, LT Baylor

The Rams dumped their long time anchor at left tackle Orlando Pace to clear way for the best available left tackle in the draft. Luckily Stafford was chosen first overall and they will be able to land a great talent in Jason Smith. I am however a little wary of the fact that Smith never played with his hand on the ground because of the spread system they run at Baylor.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - Aaron Curry, LB Wake Forest

Many consider Curry to be the best player in the draft. I must admit I disagree with that as I was very unimpressed with his tapes. However, it seems to be a consensus around the nation that he is a great talent. The Chiefs get a long time starter here with Curry.

4. Seattle Seahawks - Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech

I consider Crabtree to be the most talented player in this years draft. The Seahawks do have a need at QB, but that need is not immediate and with a chance to land a player like Crabtree, there is no chance they pass him up.

5. Cleveland Browns - Everette Brown, DE Florida State

Brown is an extremely talented pass-rusher. At times he was literally unstoppable. Recently, people have had Brown dropping down draft boards, however make no doubt about it Brown is a top 5 talent. The Browns will add a solid pass rusher to help out their defensive front here.

6. Cincinatti Bengals - Eugene Monroe, LT Virginia

The Bengals can use help protecting palmer and strengthening their run game. Eugene Monroe is the second best tackle in this draft and will be a great addition to the Bengals offensive line.

7. Oakland Raiders - Jeremy Maclin, WR Missouri

Al Davis has made it very clear that he will not be taking an o-lineman at this spot, nor will he trade it. With that said, Davis loves to draft players with speed and are in need of a WR. Look for the Raiders to draft Maclin even if Crabtree is still available as I believe MAclin is number 1 on their draft board.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Andre Smith, LT Alabama

After Smith's debacle at the scouting combine, a lot of people dropped him out of the top 10. However, make no mistake about it Andre Smith is an extremely talented LT and gave up only 1 sack last year in the vastly talented SEC. The Jaguars get a talented LT here who is a mauler and can also play RT given his size.

9. Green Bay Packers - Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB Texas

Orakpo is creeping up draft boards everywhere because of his ability to rush the passer. He is often compared to Demarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys. Orakpo goes high because of how hard it is to find good pass rushers in this league.

10. San Francisco 49ers - B.J. Raji, DT Boston College

The 49ers are finally able to land a great nose tackle for their 3-4 scheme. Raji has a big body, plays very physical, and will fit in well with the attitude Singletary is instilling in San Francisco. Additionaly, Raji has a great attitude and personality. Raji is impressive in the middle with 42 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Look for Raji to not make a huge impact his first year, but will develop into a great talent as he picks up the pro game.

11. Buffalo Bills - Michael Oher, LT Mississippi

Michael Oher is considered a top 10 draft prospect but I have him falling just outside of that. Here the Bills get a great player in Oher who has a great determination and skill-set. Oher is a great addition to protect the Bills young core so Edwards can get the ball to his dynamic receiving corps. 

12. Denver Broncos - Mark Sanchez, QB USC

There is no doubt that the Broncos need a new quarterback. Look for the 49ers at #10 to attempt to persuade the Broncos that they are interested in Sanchez to get the Broncos to trade up into their spot. At #12, the 49ers would probably be able to get their guy, and the Broncos would get the second rated QB in the draft.

Some Sleepers to Watch

This weekend marks the beginning of the draft process with the NFL scouting combine taking place in Indianapolis. Coverage of the workouts are Saturday-Tuesday, but they will be replayed I am sure all the way up until draft day. Here are a few not to well known names to watch.

1. Ramses Barden, Cal Poly. Projected as a 5th round draft pick has a load of athleticism and talent. Barden is 6 foot 6 inches tall and has excellent ball concentration. Barden can get up in the air and attack the ball at its highest point. This weekend will be very important for him to show his speed and size to the NFL scouts. Barden is playing in a small-school division but just absolutely dominates games. In 2007 against Weber State he had 9 catches for 219 yards and 4 TD's. A month later against Idaho State he had 10 grabs for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. The question for Barden is going to be whether or not he will have the speed to separate from better defenders at the next level. 

2. Jamon Meredith, South Carolina. Jamon Meredith has outstanding speed and talent as a tackle and can down right block people. Meredith is considered a 3rd round pick or later but a team getting him that low could be getting a real steal. Meredith needs to perform this weekend in the benchpress. Scouts know about Meredith's great ability to kick-step and keep up with those fast defensive ends but needs to prove that he can dominate people up front. His bulk is definitely a question weighing in at 6'5"  and 304 punds so he needs to show off his strength this weekend.

3. Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State. Bomar is by far the most talented sleeper pick on my board. Out of high-school, Bomar was highly recruited out of Grand Prairie High School, considered the top QB prospect in the 2004 recruiting class. Bomar went to Oklahoma where he redshirted his first year and in the 2005 season was MVP of the Holiday Bowl where the Sooners defeated the Oregon Ducks. In 2006 Bomar was dismissed from Oklahoma for taking pay for unpaid work at a car dealership which violated NCAA rules. This incident has greatly raised eyebrows about Bomar's character. For Bomar to be considered for a first day daft pick he must have some good explanations as to what happened with that incident. Bomar transferred to Sam Houston State where he had outstanding numbers despite being on a bad team. In 2007 in 9 games Bomar threw for 2209 yards and had a completion percentage of 59.1%, and a QB rating of 130.90. In 2008 Bomar threw for 3355 yards with a completion percentage of 56.2 and a QB rating of 135.30. Bomar needs to make a great impression on scouts in interviews this weekend but if he goes late first day come draft time, some team is getting a steal.

Teams in a Pickle

With the football season just ending, the offseason is pushing into full swing with the free agency period just around the corner. There are a few teams out there who could find themselves not improving in the offseason, but actually getting worse. Here are the top 3 teams in the worst position this offseason.

1. The Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens ended last year with the second best defense in the NFL. Only behind the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. However, this offseason is sure to not be pretty. 3 of the Ravens top defenders are set to be unrestricted free agents, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott. And the Ravens surely do not have the money to re-sign all of them, in fact, they will be lucky to secure a long term contract with one of them. The leader of the big 3 in Baltimore is none other than Ray Lewis. Lewis has been constantly touted by team-mates as not only the leader of the defense, but the vocal leader of the entire team. However, Lewis is getting old, setting to turn 34 in May. The Ravens must have some concern about how much longer he can play at such a high level. While on the other hand you have the 2 young and talented linebackers, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. Suggs has came out and said that he would take a pay-cut in order to keep their defense in tact, however Lewis said the opposite. Lewis is not in favor of a home town discount saying "I don't play less, so they shouldn't pay less". The Ravens have recently came out and said that they will pay whatever it takes to keep Lewis in Baltimore, so that could mean bye-bye for Suggs or Scott, or quite possibly both.

2. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are projected to be the 25th out of 32 teams as far as 2009 cap room. The problem with that is, they have 2 pro-bowl starters that need to be re-signed. One anchor on each side of the ball, Defensive End Julius Peppers, and Left Tackle Jordan Gross. The Panthers can only put the franchise tag on one of these great players, so one will be leaving with no return for the team unless they can soon reach a long term deal. Peppers has recently expressed his will to leave Carolina for a team that runs a 3/4 so that he can stand up and play Outside Linebacker. Given that, chances are the Panthers will tag Gross, who is considered possibly the best tackle in the NFL, pay him a huge salary and let Peppers walk out the door. If that scenario happens, that would make 2 talented defensive linemen free agents this year with both him and Albert Haynesworth most likely to be available.

3. The Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are just coming off one of the most successful seasons in the history of their franchise, losing in Super Bowl 43. But the question that now remains is will their success have any continuity? Well the Cardinals are set to have a number of key components of their Super Bowl team become Unrestricted Free Agents. To start off, their quarterback Kurt Warner is not only a Free Agent, but also considering retirement. On the offensive side of the ball they are also losing Running Back J.J. Arrington and blocking back Terrelle Smith. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals may lose some real talent. The Unrestricted Free Agents on defense include Bertrand Berry, Antonio Smith, Karlos Dansby, and Clark Haggans. To top off all these people leaving, Pro-Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin has been very public in the past about wanting to leave Arizona even though he has one year left on his contract. 

This years off season should be a very entertaining one and keep checking in on my blog to stay posted. Also don't be scared to leave some comments if you have an opinion.

From the Year of the QB to --- the Year of the LB

The value being placed on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL now is higher than perhaps ever before. With the top 3 defenses all playing in the conference championships and the number 1 defense (the Pittsburgh Steelers) winning the Super Bowl, the statement "Defense wins championships" has never proven more true. There is so much need to beef up defenses around the league, and look no farther than this years NFL Draft.

At the end of the 08-09 college football season, the draft boards looked sure to be quarterback heavy, with 2 Heisman trophy winner's sure to be declaring for the draft. Most people assumed that the top 3 quarterbacks would surely be declaring for the NFL Draft. I mean after all, Sam Bradford was voted AP player of the year, won the Heisman Trophy, and the Davey O'brien award.

And then there's Tim Tebow, the first Sophmore to ever win the Heisman trophy. Just after winning the National Championship, it was nearly a sure bet that Tebow would enter the Draft, having accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in College Football. To top it all off, there is Colt McCoy. Many thought Colt McCoy was the 2nd best Quarterback to be entering the draft, only behind Bradford. McCoy finished second in the 2008 Heisman balloting again behind only Bradford. He also led his Texas team to a Fiesta Bowl championship over powerful Ohio State. 

So with these 3 talents all being eligible for the 2009 NFL draft, surely it would be a quarterback draft class that could rival that of the recent Manning - Rivers - Roethlisberger class. However, all 3 prospects decided to stay in school at least another year. So with so much talent not entering the Draft, what position will now be the heaviest?

The answer comes from the incredible talent of this years Linebacker Draft Class. Teams around the NFL this year are going to be able to get their hands on some very talented Linebackers. 

The leader of this incredible linebacker pack in my opinion is the fierce linebacker out of USC, Ray Maualuga. Maualuga plays with extreme emotion and is one of the hardest hitting linebacker's in college football. He was the 2008 Chuck Bednarik award winner given to the best Defensive player in the Nation. Maualuga lost his father due to brain cancer two days before the 2005 BCS National Championship game. He is often seen wearing "RIP, DAD" on his eye black stickers. Maualuga is often compared to playing like the fierce Troy Polamalu. I think he play's much more like the Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis in that he is a vocal leader and knows how to make the people around him play better. 

Right behind Maualuga is the extremely talented James Laurinaitis out of Ohio State. James is a 3 time All American and the 2007 Butkus Award winner given to the nations top college linebacker. Laurinaitis is often forgot about in this draft class but is surely one of the top players available. The style of Laurinaitis's play greatly resembles that of the young linebacker Patrick Willis. Laurinaitis plays extremely smart, fast and has phenomenal tackling technique.

At the Outside Linebacker position there is also a handful of players with a lot of talent. One of the most valuable I think is Brian Orakpo. Orakpo is an Outside Linebacker who has extreme talents in rushing the passer. Orakpo has the speed to get around tackles, and the power to split the gaurd tackle gap. Another player with a similar style to Orakpo is the Outside Linebacker out of FLorida State, Everette Brown. Brown also has great pass rushing ability and both are players who can come in and be 12 sack players in their rookie years. To add to their draft value, both have the ability to play OLB in a 3/4 and DE in a 4/3. 

Some other OLB that are suited to stand up in both a 3/4 or a 4/3 are 2 players by the name's of Aaron Curry and Brian Cushing. Curry is a fast and powerful outside linebacker out of Wake Forest who by many is considered the top OLB in the country. Cushing, like the previously mentioned Maualuga is also out of USC. Both players can play sideline to sideline and get after the passer when needed. 

Come draft day, all these players are names to watch as I feel all 6 could be starters come September. In my opinion, Maualuga and Laurinaitis will be dueling it out for the Defensive Rookie of the Year prize. Teams in need of some defensive help only have to look to this years draft to find some real talent.

Don't forget if you like what you read to donate to my college fund. That's why I have this blog.

www.collegedegreefund.com/stevenmcmurray

NFL Offseason Important Dates

So I know everybody is always wondering what's going on in the NFL in the offseason so I figure to keep everybody up to date I would list this calender. The most important dates before the draft that lead to the most excitement are probably going to be the first day of free agency which is Feb. 27th. Be sure to keep checking in for more good info. Also, don't forget why I have this blog, to help pay for college. Donate to my college fund here.

www.collegedegreefund.com/stevenmcmurray

Feb. 18-24: NFL Scouting Combine Indianapolis (Coverage on NFL Network)

Feb. 19: Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.

Feb. 26: Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired.

Feb. 27: Veteran Free Agency Period Begins. (Also Trading Period Begins)

April 17: Signing period ends for restricted free agents.

April 25-26 NFL Draft

Mid-July: Training Camps Open

Aug. 9: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

Aug. 13- 17: First Full Weekend of Exhibition Games

Sept. 1: Roster Cutdown From 80-75 Players.

Sept. 5: Roster Cutdown From 75-53 Players

Sept. 10-14: First week of NFL Regular Season Games.

Welcome

So since this is my first blog post I figure I should tell you why I set this up. The reason I started this blog is to help gain support in paying for my college schooling. Please if you like to read my blog feel free to make a donation to help me out. Check out the link below. There is a profile attached to tell you a little bit more about my college goals. Plenty of good football info. to come soon. Thanks.

collegedegreefund.com/stevenmcmurray