** The OFFICIAL NFL Mock Draft Thread **

[Needle77]

Would it be a bad idea for the Raiders to take Thomas at #1 and take a shot at a player like Stanton or Tate, or any QB not named Quinn or Brohm?

[MacGuyV]

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Would it be a bad idea for the Raiders to take Thomas at #1 and take a shot at a player like Stanton or Tate, or any QB not named Quinn or Brohm?

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I don't think that's a bad idea, but they'd have to be willing to face a ton of crticism for taking another OLman after Gallery hasn't panned out.

[prohornblower]

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8) Houston - The Texans need a RB and would probably take Peterson if he fell this far. Marshawn Lynch is probably high on their board as well.

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Since they didn't take Reggie last year, I can't see them taking a RB this year. If they do, and I was a Texans fan, I would be very very angry.

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Dayne, Lundy, and Taylor have all shown signs of promise this season. And I guess Davis will be back next season. I don't think HOU picks an RB this year. I think they'll utilize a combo of Dayne/xxx next season.

[CharlieDontSurf]

Houston needs a qb

[mblax10]

A few guys you left out who will probably be top 20 picks (*=underclassmen):

*Reggie Nelson, S/CB, Florida-Top DB in the draft, may be moved to CB in the NFL because of his weight. Ballhawk, Good in coverage, great hitter.

*Jake Long, T, Michigan-Should be a top 10 pick if he comes out. Depending on how players fall, could go as high as TB or Cle.

*Jamarcus Russell, QB, LSU-He's flying up the charts, could go as high as #2 to Detroit. Personally, I have Quinn, Brohm and John Beck, BYU ranked higher.

*Frank Okam, DT, Texas-May stay in school, would probably go 10-20 if he comes out.

Justin Blalock, G, Texas-Can play guard or tackle. Will probably be an NFL guard and the first one drafted.

Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona-One of 6 CB's with similiar value (Hall; *Darelle Revis, Pitt; Simeon Castle, Alabama; Marcus McCaulley, Fresno St; Daymeion Hughes, Cal) who could go anywhere from #10-#40

Quinn Pitcock has probably fallen out of the first round.

[MacGuyV]

Where are Branch and Pitcock expected to go?

[mblax10]

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Where are Branch and Pitcock expected to go?

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Branch will probably go in the top 10. CLE, TB, WAS & MIA are all strong possibilities.

Pitcock has fallen to the mid to late second round.

[mblax10]

My top 15 Propsects with a quick scouting report/bio (*=Undeclared underclassmen):

1.Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin-Will be an All-Pro LT for many years. Thomas is huge, 6' 8" with long arms. Locks up defenders pass or run blocking. Great foot work, moves very well. Athletic enough that he played a few plays at TE and DT as a Freshman. Tore ACL during last year's Capital One Bowl. Recovered and played well in 2006.

2.*Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech-Incredible physical speciman. 6' 5" 235, reportedly has a 45" vertical and can run a sub 4.5 40. Great body control and route runner. Best WR in the country, had 26 TD's in 3 years despite the yellow jackets trouble at QB.

3.Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame-Most polished college QB since Peyton Manning. Can make every throw. Solid mechanics, arm strength and accuracy. Very smart, reads field well and has great pocket pressence. Is fast enough to scramble although he prefers not to. Playing under Charlie Weiss will not take him long to adjust to NFL offenses.

4.*Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma-Big strong back who has been a workhorse for Oklahoma. Very quick with good instincts. Can run between the tackles or on the outside. Has been injured twice in 3 college seasons. Was never utilitzed as a pass catcher at Oklahoma.

5.Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson-Great pass rusher, 14.5 sacks in '06 despite facing frequent double teams. Not just a speed rusher, has shown a variety of moves. Some concerns that he may be a tweener. Should be able to play OLB in the 3-4, but has never played standing up. Needs to add weight to play DE in the 4-3, has the build that should allow additional weight. Was not great stopping the run. Their are also some concenrs on his endurance as he was on the sideline in some key situations.

6.*Alan Branch, DT, Michigan-Huge body, 6' 6" 320 and athletic enough that he played running back in high school. Great combination of speed, size and strength. Should be able to play either position in the 3-4 or DT in the 4-3. Not the most explosive player but can get around blocks.

7.*Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC-Big athletic WR. Very good at going and getting the ball. Very good route runner, will go over the middle and make tough catches in traffic. Has played at a high level in a pro style offense for 3 years. Despite his size, is not the most physical reciever.

8.*Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville-Great arm, drafted by the Rockies as a pitcher out of high school. Great arm strength and accuracy. Throws darts all over the field. Good pocket presence can run if neccessary. Plays well under pressure, was on the cover of SI as a high schooler in 2002. Tore his ACL in 2005, broke his hand in 2006.

9.*Antone Cason, CB, Arizona-Started every game and has played every snap for 3 years at corner, did not redshirt. Was a shut down corner in a pass happy conference. Very good run stopper as well.

10.Mashawn Lynch, RB, California-Junior who has declared for the draft. Very talented do everything back. Fast enough to break long runs outside, strong enough to run between the tackles. Has very good pass catching ability. Has experience in pass protection in a pro offense.

11.*Ted Ginn JR, WR, Ohio State-May be the fastest player in the draft. Quickness and acceleration are phenomenal. Route running and hands have improved but still need some work. Is still inconsistent at WR. Great return man. Still on the small side at 6' 0". Recruited to Ohio St to play cornerback, probably could play that in the NFL. Great potential.

12.Paul Poslusnky, LB, Penn St-Being the all-time leading tackler at "Linebacker U" says a lot. Only the second player to win the Bednarik award twice. Great instincts, very good at following the play. Could teach a tackiling clinic. Excellent form and finishes hits. Above average in coverage, moves well in space. Is quicker than fast, not the most athletic linebacker you'll see. Would have been a first round pick last year but returned for his senior year after injuring his knee in the Orange Bowl.

13.*Reggie Nelson, S/CB, Florida-Ballhawk and a big hitter. Very fast and aggressive. Stock has soared the last few months as he's played great in the Florida secondary. Has shown great coverage ability may move from safety to CB in the NFL. Some concern that he may be too light to play safety in the NFL. Is very physical and plays much bigger than 190 lbs.

14.LaRon Landry, S, LSU-Very fundamentally sound and very athletic. Can do it all, great blitzer, big hitter, good instincts. Not as flashy as Reggie Nelson but is bigger and has made his fair share of big plays/hits, just ask Alabama.

15.Justin Blalock, G/T, Texas-Has played guard and tackle at Texas, will probably be an NFL guard. Run blocking ability and size will justify a guard being selected so high. Very good at using his hands and gaining leverage at the point of attack.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

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12.Paul Poslusnky, LB, Penn St-Being the all-time leading tackler at "Linebacker U" says a lot. Only the second player to win the Bednarik award twice. Great instincts, very good at following the play. Could teach a tackiling clinic. Excellent form and finishes hits. Above average in coverage, moves well in space. Is quicker than fast, not the most athletic linebacker you'll see. Would have been a first round pick last year but returned for his senior year after injuring his knee in the Orange Bowl.

13.*Reggie Nelson, S/CB, Florida-Ballhawk and a big hitter. Very fast and aggressive. Stock has soared the last few months as he's played great in the Florida secondary. Has shown great coverage ability may move from safety to CB in the NFL. Some concern that he may be too light to play safety in the NFL. Is very physical and plays much bigger than 190 lbs.

14.LaRon Landry, S, LSU-Very fundamentally sound and very athletic. Can do it all, great blitzer, big hitter, good instincts. Not as flashy as Reggie Nelson but is bigger and has made his fair share of big plays/hits, just ask Alabama.

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odds that one of these guys drops to 22?

[Assani Fisher]

All,

Al Davis has a long history of refusing to draft QBs and instead trying to find one through free agency. The most recent example was last year when he passed over Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler for Huff. In the free agency era, I don't think he has ever taken a QB early in the draft- EVER.