How did this beast drop to the 13th pick?
Perhaps his workout numbers will change
minds in the next mock draft.
So the first round of the Interblog Mock Draft has come to an end, and in case you hadn’t noticed, there were quite a few surprises. The biggest shock came with the first overall pick, when the Detroit Lions representative took Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson.
However, don’t be too harsh on the Lions drafter. While it is near certain that Johnson won’t go number one, don’t be surprised to see him shoot up into the top 15 or even the top 10 of the draft. No other end in the draft has his combination of length and speed.
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Johnson finished the 2008 season with nine sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss, which are good numbers but not dominant like people expected of him. Still, he’s the only first round defensive end who’s sure to be able to stick to his natural position in a 4-3 defense. Basically, he isn’t a tweener like the others and has as much potential as any player in the draft.
The other big surprise came with the drafting of three linebackers in the top 10. Typically, linebacker isn’t considered one of the greater need positions. Even more surprising, was that teams looking for a 3-4 linebacker went with USC’s Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing over Florida State’s Everette Brown and Texas’ Brian Orakpo, the two best pass rushers in the draft, both possessing the ability to play linebacker in a 3-4.
With the high priority placed on linebacker, another position seemed to suffer, namely running back. The two best running backs in this draft, Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno both fell past the 25th pick, despite being projected as top 15 picks.
This actually isn’t too surprising. There are major question marks surrounding both players, Wells with injuries and Moreno with size and speed. Productive running backs can be had later in the draft, and it’s obviously not a position of major concern for teams at the top of the draft. Still, if one of them times high in the 40 at the combine or their pro day, expect them to move up big time.
The other big drop of this draft was USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. After his performance at the Rose Bowl, Sanchez has been ranked consistently in the top five by most draft prognosticators. At pick 22, that’s great value for the Vikings, especially considering he went behind Josh Freeman, who has all the physical tools but not quite the production to be a reasonable pick at 20.
In all, several highly rated players slipped out of their usual top 10 spot, and I expect that to change in the next go round. Unless he times horribly in the 40, Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins should move into the top 10, maybe top five, as he’s the best corner in the draft and a terrific talent.
Others I expect to move up are Baylor offensive lineman Jason Smith (he should put on a show at the combine as he’s the best athlete of the top tackles), Orakpo as he’s got all the production and physical talent you could ask for in a top 10 pick, and Sanchez.
In a couple weeks, the general managers of the Interblog Mock Draft will get something the real general managers never get: a second chance. A new first pick alone should be enough to shake up the rest of the picks.
Here’s a quick rundown of the picks:
1. Lions - Michael Johnson
2. Rams - Michael Crabtree
3. Chiefs - Matt Stafford
4. Seahawks - Andre Smith
5. Browns - Aaron Currey
6. Bengals - Michael Oher
7. Raiders - Rey Maualuga
8. Jaguars - Eugene Monroe
9. Packers - Brian Cushing
10. 49ers - BJ Raji
11. Bills - Everette Brown
12. Broncos - James Laurinaitis
13. Redskins - Brian Orakpo
14. Saints - Malcolm Jenkins
15. Texans - Aaron Maybin
16. Chargers - Jason Smith
17. Jets - Jeremy Maclin
18. Bears - Vontae Davis
19. Buccaneers - Peria Jerry
20. Lions - Josh Freeman
21. Eagles - Percy Harvin
22. Vikings - Mark Sanchez
23. Patriots - William Moore
24. Falcons - Brandon Pettigrew
25. Dolphins - Duke Robinson
26. Ravens - Sean Smith
27. Colts - Knowshon Moreno
28. Eagles - Eben Britton
29. Giants - Hakeem Hicks
30. Titans - DJ Moore
31. Cardinals - Chris Wells
32. Steelers - Alex Mack
