Hunter, your my favorite guy to read in these forums, you have BALANCE. I really like Avril too, but would you still take Williams with Gholston still on the board? The only thing I would change would be to get Woodyard(S conversion) with the low 3rd and maybe a punter in the 7th.
No. If Gholston is on the board at 7, then take him and take best available CB or OT in the second.
Here's my Top 15 projection, full 3 Round draft is here:
http://www.199overall.com/?q=node/25
1. Miami - Chris Long DL/OLB Virginia -- Parcells has said that he doesn't know what kind of defense he's going to use this year, which means he's going to see what kind of personnel he can put together and then see what their suited for. Long here is the smart pick. He's a tough kid that's been around football all his life, loves the game, and knows how to act professionally. More importantly, he's versatile enough to be an immediate contributor in either the 4-3 or the 3-4.
2. St. Louis - Glenn Dorsey DL LSU -- I was tempted to go OT here, since the Rams OL was historically bad last year, but they also need help on the defensive interior, and there's a better chance that they can get a starting-caliber OT later than a starting-caliber DT. Plus Ochmed would metaphorically smack me upside the head if I didn't go defense here.
3. Atlanta - Matt Ryan QB Boston College -- Tom Dimitroff would probably prefer Jake Long or Sedric Ellis, but Arthur Blank is no dummy, and will likely nudge Dimitroff in Ryan's direction. The Falcons have had their worst year since their inception from a PR perspective (Vick, Open mutiny in the locker room, Petrino) and played several home non-sell outs, which is ridiculous for the NFL circa 2007. Darren McFadden looked to be this guy, until it came to light that he was chasing Travis Henry's fertility records. That's not what Atlanta needs right now.....especially with the high-class gentlemens' clubs in the area.
4. Oakland - Sedric Ellis DT USC -- With as great as Son of Huggy Bear ran last year, and with Michael Bush in the fold, and possibly Dominic Rhodes or some similarly-talented free agent on board, does it make sense for the Raiders to draft McFadden? Has anything Al Davis done lately made sense? The smart pick is Ellis, who can take over for Warren Sapp. Plus, taking a defensive player is probably the right move for pissing off Lane Kiffin....if he's still the Head Coach by draft-time.
5. Kansas City - Jake Long OT Michigan -- I don't think Brody Croyle is going to make Chiefs fans forget Len Dawson....or even the aging Joe Montana. However, I think he'll end up being good enough to win with...if they can get their protection straight. The days of the Chiefs being synonymous with great line play is long gone, and in fact, their line is a few clicks south of terrible. Long's the guy.
6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston LB Ohio St -- The Jets could clearly use McFadden, but unless Tannenbaum goes against Mangini's advice, he won't be the pick. Running backs this high aren't really good value, and I'm not sure anybody else is dying to trade up to get McFadden either. Denver is probably the only option, and Shanahan will likely sit at 12 and take either McFadden or Mendenhall, should he want to go the RB route. The question is fast becoming does Dallas or Houston really want McFadden.
7. New England - McFadden is on the board. Some highly-regarded OTs are on the board. All CBs are on the board. The soaring upwards Quentin Groves is on the board. A trade down is desired, but I don't think a trade down is happening unless the Jerry Jones crush on McFadden is as good as advertised. I'd love Jones to bail us out, but I don't think so. If he wanted McFadden badly enough, he likely would have traded to get in front of the Jets. Maybe a trade for a player? Assuming they keep the pick, it has to be Clady/Williams, Grove, or Belichick's favorite CB, depending on free agency, right? This is making my head hurt. Screw it, I'm penciling in Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt, who's given up exactly two sacks in the last two years vs. some speedy SEC edge rushers. I'm not thrilled with the pick though.
8. Baltimore - Leodis McKelvin CB Troy -- I feel rather confident the Ravens will go either DE or CB here. Ozzie Newsome doesn't appear to be one to draft RBs early, and they just signed McGahee to a shiny, new, expensive contract last year. And they're committing some serious money to Terrell Suggs. I guess they'll take whichever cornerback they prefer.
9. Cincinnati - Darren McFadden RB Arkansas -- Could McFadden actually last this long? Stranger things have happened. His combine workout was amazing, but injury concerns and character issues could lead to a slide, as well as teams becoming more reluctant to spend a lot of money on the RB position. Cincy has been looking for an excuse to cut Rudi Johnson for some cap savings, and here it is, on a golden platter.
10. New Orleans - Keith Rivers LB USC -- With Asante Samuel all but gone to New Orleans, we'll turn our attention to the unit that's started such luminaries as Mark Simoneau, Scott Shanle, and Scott Fujita in recent years.
11. Buffalo - Mike Jenkins CB South Florida -- Having lost out on the Asante sweepstakes, Buffalo has a large pool of CBs from which to choose their consolation prize.
12. Denver - Kenny Phillips S Miami -- Denver's weakness is up the middle. With John Lynch such an important part of the defense, and having lost a step or twelve, it's time to bring in the new blood. Phillips will remind the Broncos faithful of what it was like to have Steve Atwater patrolling the secondary.
13. Carolina - Quentin Groves DE Auburn -- It's starting to look like Julius Peppers could be out the door in Charlotte. Even if he stays another year, lack of pass rush killed the Panthers last year. After Groves proved at the combine that his toe problems were behind him, he vaults up into the top half of the round.
14. Chicago -- Ryan Clady OT Boise St -- Obviously, quarterback is a need for the Bears, but if they don't improve their protection (and get some wideouts) it doesn't matter if they trade for Peyton Manning. Clady should be a no-brainer in this scenario.
15. Detroit - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St -- Detroit clearly needs major help on the defensive interior, but it's just not there right now. Next item on the list is secondary. Dre Bly was overrated here, but he was never adequately replaced. Fernando Bryant has also left the building.
