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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

3) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan was obviously the best quarterback in the 2008 draft. However, don’t expect much out of him in the 2008 fantasy football season. Rookie quarterbacks are usually slow to figure things out and on top of that, the Falcons don’t have many offensive weapons.

4) Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
Expect Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas to split carries early in the 2008 season. As the season progresses, McFadden could show the coaching staff that he should get the bigger load. Overall, this was a good place for McFadden to land in terms of his fantasy football projections. He should be drafted within the first three rounds in fantasy football.

13) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
With DeShaun Foster out of the picture, the Panthers drafted Jonathan Stewart to fill that role. In 2008, expect Stewart and DeAngelo Williams to split carries. While that’s good news for the Panthers, it will hurt the fantasy football projections of both players. This appears to be a running back by committee that should be avoided.

18) Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Like Ryan, Joe Flacco is a very good prospect. However, also like Ryan, don’t expect Flacco to do much of anything in his rookie season. The Ravens don’t have many offensive weapons and they will likely let Kyle Boller play quarterback for much of the season. Flacco is a long-term pick.

22) Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Exit Julius Jones. Enter Felix Jones. Felix Jones will team with Marion Barber to form a dynamic one-two punch. Jones is a speedster who will look to make big plays for the Cowboys. Since Barber will be the goal line back, Jones’ fantasy football projections won’t be too fantastic.

23) Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
With Willie Parker on the mend, the Steelers decided to bring in Rashard Mendenhall for insurance. It’ll be interesting to see how Parker and Mendenhall split carries in 2008. Parker should get more carries but Mendenhall could become the goal line back. If that’s the case, neither will be especially valuable in the 2008 fantasy football season.

24) Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Chris Johnson will likely team with LenDale White to form a thunder and lightning type backfield. White is the thunder who can gain the tough yards, while Johnson’s world class speed make him a big play candidate each time he touches the ball. Johnson, at least for his rookie season, should be viewed as White’s handcuff.

30) Dustin Keller, New York Jets
The Jets like to look at their tight ends near the endzone, so if Dustin Keller can win a starting job he could have a big season. He’s a bit of a raw prospect but he could be a good tight end for a long time. He’s definitely a receiving tight end who will look to use his speed to get open.

Get more information about the 2008 NFL Draft from Squib Kick and Every Morning Quarterback.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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:

Post from: Expert Fantasy

-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:

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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:

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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?).

Post from: Expert Fantasy

Allison Boyer of BCS Frenzy is doing her NFL Draft Countdown 12 Days of Christmas style. If you haven’t checked out her blog, head over to BCSFrenzy.com.

Allison does a great job blogging about college football, whether it’s in season or the offseason.

Check her NFL Draft Countdown. I particularly like the “10 past draft flops” but I’m looking forward to the “9 no-name sleepers” as well.

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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 …

Post from: Expert Fantasy

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.

Post from: Expert Fantasy