Thursday, March 06, 2008 by Michael Keller
1. Miami Dolphins
Miami needs players at lots of positions. Defensive line, linebacker, secondary, offensive line. You name it they need it. The only position they really don't need is running back, since Ronnie Brown was among the league leaders in rushing before getting hurt. The only player at the top of the draft that you can rule out with that is Darren McFadden. I would be shocked if they even think about him. The other position they may not need is quarterback. That depends on how Parcells and Sparano feel about John Beck, who was Miami's 2nd round pick last season. So, at least in my opinion, this pick comes down the 3 players. They are Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, and Matt Ryan. At this point, I think they are leaning towards Chris Long right now. If Matt Ryan excels at his pro day, that could push the balance back towards him. I think their is a 45/40/15 percent split between Long/Ryan/Dorsey.
Projected Pick: Chris Long - DE - Virginia
2. St. Louis Rams
If Chris Long is still on the board, then this is probably a no brainer. It's a great player who will be at a position they need players at. Their D Line is the thing holding them back the most, so if Long is gone, I think it will be Glenn Dorsey. They picked Carriker in the first round last year, but they run a 4-3 and could use Dorsey along side him. There isn't too much to say about this, it's going to be Chris Long if he isn't drafted by Miami, and Glenn Dorsey if he isn't.
Projected Pick: Glenn Dorsey - DT - LSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
Another situation where it's a little bit of a no brainer. If Matt Ryan is there, Atlanta absolutely has to take him. If he's not there, then they will draft Jake Long. It's just that simple. Atlanta needs someone to help fill the shoes of Michael Vick. Ryan is a high character guy, so it's doubtful he'll run into the trouble that Vick did. Ryan has clearly seperated himself from the other quarterbacks in the draft. So there shouldn't be much hesitation if he is around.
Projected Pick: Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College
4. Oakland Raiders
This is one of the harder picks to project. You never know what Al Davis is going to do. They don't really need a running back that much, especially after just resigning Justin Fargus, but McFadden could be one of the best running backs in the NFL for years to come. I think the idea of JaMarcus Russell handing the ball off too Darren McFadden for the next decade just excites Al Davis too much. He may even have a heart attack he's so excited. And you can't really blame him too much, on potential that has a chance to be one of the best tandems in the entire league, which would set Oakland up for a lot of success in the near future. The other possibility here is Jake Long, which would actually probably be smarter.
Projected Pick: Darren McFadden - RB - Arkansas
5. Kansas City Chiefs
If Jake Long falls to Kansas City, then this again is basically a no brainer. They need help along the offensive line big time, and Jake Long will be a mainstay in the NFL for years. He has big hands and shuffles his feet exceptionally well. He could have the same impact as Joe Thomas did in his rookie season with the Browns last year. Kansas City is lucky to have him. If Long is gone then I think they would pick the next best offensive lineman, which is Ryan Clady from Boise State. They just need help on the offensive line too much to take someone else.
Projected Pick: Jake Long - OT - Michigan
Check Back Soon for Picks 6 Through 10.
Michael Keller is the author of the highest rated, most viewed mock draft on MyMockDraft at the moment. He recently contributed his Five Most Overrated and Underrated Players in the 2008 NFL Draft.
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