2. Malcolm Jenkins, CB
Out of Ohio State like Laurinaitis, Jenkins has a chance to be a lockdown cornerback on the NFL level. He’s easily the best cornerback prospect right now.

3. Michael Oher, OT
Oher is a big, strong lineman who could be sturdy piece to build upon in the NFL. Oher is also the type of player who already has an NFL work ethic.

4. Percy Harvin, WR
Harvin doesn’t have great size for wide receiver, however he’s a great talent with loads of natural ability.

5. Curtis Painter, QB
Painter is the best quarterback prospect at this point when looking ahead to the 2009 NFL Draft. He has franchise level ability and he’s already a good leader.

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1. Miami Dolphins
Jake Long

2. St. Louis Rams
Glenn Dorsey

3. Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan

4. Oakland Raiders
Vernon Gholston

5. Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Long

6. New York Jets
Darren McFadden

7. New England Patriots
Sedrick Ellis

8. Baltimore Ravens
Branden Albert

9. Cincinnati Bengals
Rashard Mendenhall

10. New Orleans Saints
Keith Rivers

11. Buffalo Bills
Devin Thomas

12. Denver Broncos
Derrick Harvey

13. Carolina Panthers
Ryan Clady

14. Chicago Bears
Chris Williams

15. Detroit Lions
Jeff Otah

NFL Mock Draft Video:

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-At three, the Atlanta Falcons reportedly want either Glenn Dorsey or Matt Ryan. If Dorsey isn’t taken by the Rams, expect the Falcons to pick him. Ryan, a franchise quarterback who could possibly replace Michael Vick, would be the other option.

-The Oakland Raiders are tough to figure, as usual. The three players most linked to the Raiders are Chris Long, Darren McFadden and Vernon Gholston. Right now, Gholston appears to be in the lead, but that could change at any point.

-At five, the Kansas City Chiefs supposedly like either Vernon Gholston, Chris Long or Branden Albert. Long is believed to be the preferred pick.

-The Cincinnati Bengals, with the ninth overall pick, may surprise draft experts and go with Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall, a running back, would add even more power to Cincinnati’s offense.

-The Miami Dolphins are reportedly shopping Jason Taylor. In return, the Dolphins are said to want a first round draft pick.

-The Dallas Cowboys continue to look at scenarios in which they trade down. With two first round draft picks, the Cowboys may trade one of the picks for multiple picks lower in the draft.

Who will pick Darren McFadden? See what he says:

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While a lot of other players appeared to be in the mix about a month ago, Long had become the team’s first option in the last few weeks. After agreeing to a deal, the suspense was over.

Long will help the team’s offense immensely. He’ll start right away and he’s already regarded as an above average left tackle. Look for Miami’s offense to improve and for running backs to find space on his side of the line.

How will the rest of the 2008 NFL Draft shape up? First of all, the St. Louis Rams, who have the second pick, don’t like this news. Long would have been their choice if he were available at number two. The Rams will no look for a defensive player, quite possibly Glenn Dorsey.

With the third pick, the Atlanta Falcons will be tempted to take the top quarterback (Matt Ryan). However, a defensive player such as Chris Long also makes a lot of sense. At four, the Oakland Raiders will likely draft Chris Long (son of Raider legend Howie Long) or go with Darren McFadden.

You can watch the 2008 NFL Draft beginning on Saturday, April 26th on ESPN.

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While Tennessee has a few needs, their biggest need is wide receiver. Quarterback Vince Young regressed in his second season in the NFL, largely due to not having quality wide receiving options. If the Titans can get wide out help, their offense will be able to move the ball without always having to rely on the run.

With the 24th pick the draft, the Titans actually have a good chance of landing a quality wide receiver. There aren’t many high quality wide receivers in the draft, however there are a lot of borderline first round wide receivers that have good potential.

Wide receivers the Titans could target include Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly, James Hardy, DeSean Jackson, Limas Sweed and Mario Manningham. Most draft experts consider Thomas and Kelly to be the two best wide receivers in this draft. If either one of them is available, they’d make a quality pick for the Titans.

Of the rest of the wide receivers, Sweed makes a lot of sense. He played with Young at the University of Texas and the two players had a very good rapport. Sweed would give the Titans a big receiver who could be a playmaker, especially in the endzone.

Check out this video of Vince Young hooking up with Limas Sweed while at UT:

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In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Texans have the 18th pick in the first round. While their roster on the whole is strong, there is one major weakness – running back. Ahman Green was brought in last year but he didn’t solve the problem. Ron Dayne isn’t the long-term answer.

At running back, the best player in the 2008 draft is no doubt Darren McFadden, however he’ll long be off the board for the Texans. Rashard Mendenhall is the next best running back and there’s not a very good chance he’ll be there at 18. If he is, he’d be a no-brainer pick for the Texans.

Two players that will likely be on the board and should tempt the Texans are running backs Jonathan Stewart and Felix Jones. Stewart is a bit bigger and a tougher runner, while Jones has better speed and is more explosive. Either player would see plenty of action in 2008 for Houston.

If the Texans don’t like the available running backs, look for them to go with a cornerback (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Leodis McKelvin?) or an offensive tackle (Gosder Cherilus, Jeff Otah?).

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The most pressing need is on defense. The Broncos were a very poor defensive team last year. They couldn’t stop the run and teams took advantage of that all year long. With that in mind, a defensive lineman or a linebacker would make sense for the Broncos.

The first option for the Broncos on draft night should be Sedrick Ellis. Ellis would solve a lot of their problems on the defensive side of the ball. The bad news is that Ellis is very unlikely to still be around at 12. After Ellis, the next best defensive tackle in the draft is Kentwan Balmer. And while Balmer is a good talent, 12 would likely be too high to draft him.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos could really use a young wide receiver. With Brandon Marshall’s arm injury and the fragility of Brandon Stokley, getting a young prospect in would really make sense. Malcolm Kelly is regarded as the best wide receiver in the draft and he could still be on the board at 12. If he is, he’d make a fine pick for the Broncos.

If both Ellis and Kelly are off the board, the Broncos will have a difficult decision. They could go with Balmer out of need, or they could go with a defensive end such as Derrick Harvey or a linebacker such as Keith Rivers.

Sedrick Ellis Highlights …

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Chris Long at the Combine …

2) Vernon Gholston, Ohio State
A quick riser up the draft charts, Vernon Gholston is an extremely versatile defensive back who also has the ability to play linebacker in the NFL. While he wasn’t a consistent force at the college level, many scouts believe he could be just that in the NFL.

3) Derrick Harvey, Florida
With prototypical size for a defensive end, Derrick Harvey is a sure first rounder. He has good size, a good wingspan and giant hands. He’s not overly fast but he should be able to get to the quarterback soon after entering the NFL.

4) Calais Campbell, Miami
At nearly 6-foot-8, Calais Campbell is a gigantic defensive end prospect. While his size may scare off a couple of teams, he could end up using his height to make himself a dominant player on the NFL level.

5) Phillip Merling, Clemson
While he doesn’t have great technique yet, he has the needed athleticism and size to be a very good defensive end. Phillip Merling has a good motor and that alone will likely cause a team to draft him at some point in the first round.

Read more 2008 NFL Draft information.

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Right now, that is a difficult question to answer. There’s a chance that the Miami Dolphins will select him with the first overall pick. The Dolphins need franchise quarterback and Ryan has a chance to be just that. Sound like the perfect fit, however Bill Parcells of the Dolphins values defense and is expected to take a defensive player with the first pick.

The next real possibility for Ryan is Atlanta at three. Since Michael Vick’s imprisonment, the Falcons have been desperate for a quarterback. Ryan, if he lives up to his billing, could make Falcons fans forget about the Vick disaster.

If Ryan is still on the board, the Kansas City Chiefs at five will take a long look at him. Brodie Croyle has been a disappointment at quarterback and the Chiefs would look at Ryan as the possible long-term fix at the position.

Last but not least, the Baltimore Ravens at eight would almost certainly pick Ryan if he were still on the board. The Ravens need a quarterback for the future and at eight, Ryan would be a steal of a pick.

To recap, expect Ryan to either go first to the Dolphins, third to the Falcons, fifth to the Chiefs or eighth to the Ravens. Right now, the most likely option appears to be the Falcons at three.

Image details: Champs Sports Bowl – Boston College v Michigan State served by picapp.com

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2) St. Louis Rams – Jake Long
The biggest problem for the Rams in 2007 was their offensive line. Jake Long can step right in and start right away for St. Louis in 2008.

3) Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan
The Atlanta Falcons need a quarterback and Matt Ryan is the best quarterback in the draft. While he won’t start right away, he has great potential down the line.

4) Oakland Raiders – Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is arguably the most talented player in the draft and the Oakland Raiders usually value talent as much as any team. He’d split carries with Justin Fargas.

5) Kansas City Chiefs – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Perhaps the player whose stock is rising quickest, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could be the Chiefs’ pick if both Long and Ryan are off the board.

6) New York Jets – Chris Long
The Jets desperately need to pressure the quarterback more in 2008 and Chris Long should help the team do just that.

7) New England Patriots – Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston looks like a perfect fit for the Patriots at the seventh pick. He can play linebacker in their defense and start as a rookie.

8) Baltimore Ravens – Leodis McKelvin
While the Ravens do need help at quarterback and wide receiver, there are no quality prospects at this point in the draft. Instead they’ll go with Leodis McKelvin.

9) Cincinnati Bengals – Sedrick Ellis
The Bengals desperately need some defensive line help and Sedrick Ellis should be able to provide just that. (And he has a cool last name.)

10) New Orleans Saints – Rashard Mendenhall
Reggie Bush needs a new partner in the backfield and Rashard Mendenhall is the best running back on the board at this point.

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