Woody's "What If" NFL Mock Draft 2008

I just got off the phone with my brother a few minutes ago and we were talking about the upcoming NFL draft and all the needs that teams needed to address. Of course we were debating as any siblings would, but then out of no where he said, "Man you should put out a mock draft since you write a lot. I would really enjoy that". My guess is he wanted to tear mine apart as I did his (okay not really tear I was exaggerating), but hey thats part of it right? Here ya go lil' bro, this ones for you!

However this is not your normal, boring, yada, yada, yada, everyone knows the top 10 list Mock Draft. No, this is the chaotic in your face, trade gallore, sign free agents, look at my team now (WHAT!) Mock Draft. I will however tell you who each team will probably pick with no explanation, well maybe I will who knows but I will give you a swift: It would be more fun if they did this.

1st pick-Miami Dolphins-Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU ~~What Should They Do? Okay John Beck had a horrible outing against Buffalo and Cleo Lemon has been named the starting Quarterback at home against Baltimore. So, most likely they'll be tooling around the free agency wire to find that the only quarterback worth looking at is Derek Anderson, but Cleveland will most likely want to keep him around as rumors are surfacing about possibly trading Brady Quinn after Anderson's stellar season. Since Cleveland will be looking for a runningback as Jamal Lewis is getting older "What If":

Miami trades RB Ronnie Brown and DE Matt Roth to Cleveland for QB Brady Quinn and the 53rd pick in the NFL Draft. Now with the 1st pick the Miami Dolphins select: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

2nd pick-New England Patriots- Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas~~What Should They Do? Take a vacation and skip this year's draft. How fair is it that they could go undefeated and still pick 2nd in the following year's draft. Look, its the New York Yankees of football and well they'll take McFadden simply because they don't want the Jets to get him at the #5 slot. However "What If":

Hoodie says the hell with runningbacks we want nothing but wide receivers! Even though he contemplates actually taking linebacker or corner its still too early and offense is a lot more fun. Especially if you get a guy that can run a possible 4.2 and look like Hester. With the 2nd pick the New England Patriots
select: Desean Jackson, WR, California

3rd pick-Atlanta Falcons-Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College~~What Should They Do? Well if Redman can prove he can throw touchdowns against good pass defenses keep him startin'. We'll find out when Atlanta plays Tampa Bay and their 4th ranked pass defense. I would like to see them move in the direction of sustaining a better run defense but hey, who am I! "What If": (This is for my buddy T.J.)

Thomas doesn't become the non-interim head coach, Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer are traded to the Falcons for the rights to QB #9458237 Michael Vick when he is able to come back around 2010 and solidify the all criminal team in Cincinnati along with CB DAngelo Hall.

Okay that was a little, I mean a lot farfetched so how about this: They realize that Warrick Dunn is old but can still run behind a handicapped offensive line. Then they wonder what if he had bigger holes to run through. I don't know who "they" is really because Petrino is gone. So with the 3rd pick the Atlanta Falcons select: Jake Long, OT, Michigan

4th pick-St. Louis Rams-Jake Long, OT, Michigan~~What Should They Do? Realize that 2007 would have been a lot better if not for significant injuries to Bulger, Pace, Bruce, Holt, and Steven Jackson. Definitely need more on the O-line, but with Bulger going in and out and the Frerotte/Berlin backup combo not looking even remotely good, they might slip in and get a quarterback. "What if":

The greatest show on turf came back from the dead and became a team fun to watch again in 2008. With the 4th pick the St. Louis Rams
select: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

5th pick-New York Jets- Chris Long, DE, Virginia~~What Should They Do? Exactly this, everyone and their mother will be placing Long with the Jets so you might as well. Fortunately for us we are here to have some fantasy draft fun. "What If":

Mangini gets pissed off because Hoodie steals McFadden without a need for him except to get at the Jets and "their" alleged cheating ways. So to get back at the Patriots the Jets.............do absolutely nothing because they can't. With the 5th pick the New York Jets
select: Chris Long, DE, Virginia

6th pick-Kansas City Chiefs-Calais Campbell, DE, Miami~~What Should They Do? Stand on a ladder to talk with Calais. He's 6'8" and like 282 a tree to some. With the pass defense 9th in the league and the against the run 25th they need to bolster the line and Campbell really is a top 5 pick but with major need at the position only with the Jets, Long is the definite #1 for DEs. "What If":

Edwards realizes that Huard and Croyle will not give him anything more than mediocre seasons. He wants and needs a quarterback to compliment Johnson or Smith. Who better than an accurate passer with 31 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions in 2007. They may look for a front linesman with later picks. With the 6th pick the Kansas City Chiefs

select: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky

7th pick-Oakland Raiders-Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC~~What Should They Do? Figure out how to stop the run for starters. All year everyone has talked about how bad the Denver Broncos run defense is yet Oakland's is worse. Ellis is not only explosive, but a good piece to their puzzle. He's the fastest DT in the draft after Maryland's Dre Moore. If the combine goes as expected this is most likely a no brainer. But "What If":

The Raiders say the hell with the defense and want to work around Russell for the 2008 season. He'll need a target that can change the outcome of the game in a flash. With the merry-go-round in the backfield and Fargas becoming the starter that may mean Rhodes and Jordan are expendable. Here comes a bunch of wide receivers in the off season! Doucet would be the obvious choice, but at 6'0 I think that hurts him. With the 7th pick the Oakland Raiders
select: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

8th pick-Baltimore Ravens-Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State~~What Should They Do? You can't deny that Rolle and McAllister showed they've lost a step or two in 2007. Lewis is getting up there himself so defense will be the main objective this draft. I know they need a quarterback, but don't be surprised if they hit the free agent market and see what options are out there. "What If":

Billick really does get to keep his job and realizes that although Jenkins is the best CB out there he wants more. He wants someone who can do it all (special teams, punt and kick returns, possible receiver). All I can say is WAKE UP BRIAN! With the 8th pick the Baltimore Ravens
select: Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma

9th pick-Cincinnati Bengals-James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State~~ What Should They Do? Well sounds like a dumb question, but some still think they'll get a runningback. With the 25th ranked passing defense in the league and the 22nd rush defense it sounds as if they need a core player to help in both areas. Plus Laurinaitis is a hometown boy which means more $$$ in the seats. But "What If":

They really do want to unload Rudi Johnson and let Dorsey and Watson platoon in the backfield. They could take a lot of that money and try to land Asante Samuel, but this is Cincinnati and they go after the leftover pick of the litter. Marcus Trufant is more realistic, maybe even Mike Doss. TE Ben Troupe would be a good addition for them on the free agent market as well. With this all happening their pick still stays the same. With the 9th pick the Cincinnati Bengals
select: James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State

10th pick-Carolina Panthers-Sam Baker, OT, USC~~What Should They Do? Get a wide receiver to compliment Steve Smith. With a healthy Delhomme and a feasible #2 they could become an extremely better team offensively. Injuries have plagued them all year. They could go out on a limb and try to get an actual runningback although I think Michael Turner will be in their sights in the off season. "What If":

They snagged Alan Faneca to compliment the O-line they could go after that #2 wide receiver. Who better than a spitting image of Smith. With the 10th pick the Carolina Panthers
select: Early Doucet, WR, LSU

11th pick-Philadelphia Eagles-Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State~~ What Should They Do? Get as many offensive lineman as possible! Well, definitely one wide receiver, but my man McNugget back there needs some protection (See 16-3 loss to Giants). "What If":

Philly goes out into the free agent poole to spruce up their aging offensive line. Trying to nail down either Alan Faneca (Steelers) or most likely the rival Flozell Adams (Cowboys). This might enable them to go after a taller wide receiver one they've been in need of since the loss of T.O. With the 11th pick the Philadelphia Eagles
select: James Hardy, WR, Indiana

12th pick-Chicago Bears-Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon~~ What Should They Do? Have every male and female interested in auditioning try out for the QB spot. The merry-go-round in Chicago is worse than the one in Miami, but still gives non-Bears fans a good laugh. This one was a tough choice for me because they need a QB but at this point the only one worth grabbing is Brohm this early, but I'm not sold on him. Remains to be seen if they have faith in Benson although I'm sure they wish they kept Jones now. Stewart is a pounder which is what Chicago needs to control the clock until they fix everything else at the quarterback position. "What If":

The Bears go after Donovan McNabb. HARD! Maybe even offering this pick for him. Its not likely but the imagination is running. This would give the Bears someone more mobile then anything they have now (or ever), their receivers might have good years for a change, and Philly can come back after snagging Hardy and get some offensive line. With the 12th pick the Chicago Bears
select: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State

13th pick-Detroit Lions-Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma~~ What Should They Do? NOT DRAFT ANYMORE WIDE RECEIVERS! Your pass defense is ridiculous giving up around 265 per game and you didn't get a corner last year after you let Bly go. All I can say is shame on you! "What If":

They let Dan Orlovsky take over the reigns in Detroit and give Jon Kitna the backup role. With a stronger arm by far Calvin Johnson will see huge numbers and their offense will thrive. So I can't really see them taking anything else, except defense with this pick. I'd put Smith here as well but since in the "What If" he went to Baltimore we'll have to look elsewhere. With the 13th pick the Detroit Lions
select: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

14th pick-Washington Redskins-Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona~~What Should They Do? Take the off season to recover from their loss of Taylor. Then work on
their offensive line through the free agency wire. Cason has moved up the ranks and will be interesting to see what he can do at the combine. "What If":

Gibbs thinks that his core of quarterbacks is not the future of Washington. While he looks back at the days with Joe Theisman and Doug Williams in Pig Heaven History, he gets caught up in the moment and drafts a quarterback. With the 14th pick the Washington Redskins
select: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

15th pick-New Orlean Saints- Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas~~What Should They Do? Take a step back and really look hard to figure out what the hell happened in 2007. Obviously McCallister was a big loss, then Bush made it really bad, but they still put up points and we know their pass defense is horrid ranked 29th. I really can't see anything else but maybe a safety although Kaesviharn is there to step in full time when Bellamy retires (14th season). With the 15th pick the New Orlean Saints
select: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

16th pick-Houston Texans-Pat Sims, DT, Auburn~~What Should They Do? Realize that if not for a crazy amount of injuries they possibly could have a lot more wins and most likely hit the playoffs. Whether Shaub or Rosenfels is in they are good and now that Darius Walker looks like he will be the future of the Texans running game with Dayne and Green growing old I had a hard time with this pick. They need to figure out how to stop the run. Sims weighing in at 316 and running around a 4.8 will help. But "What If":

Darius Walker is nothing more than a facade and they aren't sold on handing the ball to him 15-25 times a game. Stewart is already taken, but waiting in the wings is a runningback that will fit perfect into Houston's system. With the 16th pick the Houston Texans
select: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

17th pick-Denver Broncos-Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida~~What Should They Do? I don't know. Tinker with their defense maybe? Second to last in the league at this point only to Miami against the run says they need something done to the D-Line. With Ekuban a free agent and 6-6 Jarvis Moss waiting in the wings, what better way to create karma on a defense than to bring in Florida teammate Derrick Harvey. But "What If":

John Lynch retires, Bly gets moved to safety, the Broncos get rid of Henry, and then go out and sign Asante Samuel! Thats just for starters, or they could keep Bly at corner and go out and sign Mike Doss. Whatever they do they'll still want to draft for the line. They decide the 3 guys they already have on the DLine from Florida just isn't going so well for karma. They look elsewhere and get a steal. With the 17th pick the Denver Broncos
select: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

18th pick-Arizona Cardinals-Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami~~What Should They Do? Anything to help their pass defense (24th) and Phillips the top safety in the draft will be a big boost with 4.3 speed. But "What If":

They sit back and look at the potential of this offense and think that James has maybe 4 or 5 years, the wide recievers are set, Pope looks like the TE they've been looking for, but J.J. Arrington is not their future back. They want someone to fill that role and handle some punt or kick returns in the meantime for better field position. With the 18th pick the Arizona Cardinals
select: Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida

19th pick-Tennessee Titans-Desean Jackson, WR, California~~What Should They Do? Get a new receiving corp starting with Jackson who will also be able to run the kicks and punts back will fill a huge void for the Titans. But "What If":

Jackson is already taken (**rolling eyes at Patriots**)? Plus in my "What If" draft Doucet, Kelly, and Hardy are all gone as well. I still think they'll grab the best available. So with the 19th pick the Tennessee Titans
select: Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State

20th pick-Buffalo Bills-Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma~~What Should They Do? They definitely need a bigger presence on the other side of Lee Evans so grabbing a WR with this pick is a good one. However, anyone thinking that Trent Edwards is the next "Jim Kelly" like I saw a comment on ESPN the other day because he throws 4 touchdowns against the Dolphins is just a hopeful Bills fan. Its like rooting for the Cubs in baseball. The teams they beat (Jets twice, Dolphins twice, Bengals, Ravens, Redskins) is hardly saying anything. But "What If":

They go after Malcolm Floyd from San Diego who is 6'5" and 225 to play #2 in Buffalo. Then they could address another area like their pass defense ranking 28th. I would have taken Ikeguwuonu from Wisconsin or Jenkins from South Florida, but they are already looking like trouble makers. Maybe the Bengals will draft them later. With the 20th pick the Buffalo Bills select: DeJuan Tribble, CB, Boston College

21st-pick-Minnesota Vikings-James Hardy, WR, Indiana~~What Should They Do? Either grab someon for the WR position or go after defense which they will have to address eventually. But QB Tavaris Jackson needs a big bodied wide receiver to bail him out of trouble from time to time. Hardy is 6'6" so, WHAT! But "What If":

They still go after defense in the first round. Phillips is already gone and the next best safety isn't worth the first round pick. They'll try to re-sign Doss so lets look for the corner. With the 21st pick the Minnesota Vikings
select: Jack Ikegwuonu, CB, Wisconsin

22nd pick-San Diego Chargers-DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma~~ What Should They Do? Uhm, get rid of poo poo Turner. Nice offensive mind to take a 14-2 team and well lets face it, win your division by default because all the other teams stink. I know one thing, it must be nice to know that you have a solid RB, TE, and QB where you don't feel like the Bears during draft day. Man if Granger is still here when its the Chargers turn they'll get quite the steal considering their run defense cost them a few games this year (tied for 19th). But "What If":

Granger opts to stay for another year at Oklahoma? I can't find anywhere that says he's declaring so if thats the case. The Chargers can still stuff the run with another DT. Preferably one that is 6'5" and 320. With the 22nd pick the San Diego Chargers
select: Frank Okam, DT, Texas

23rd pick-Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State~~ What Should They Do? Stick to worrying about getting a big and quick receiver. Galloway and Hilliard are considered ancient in NFL standards and they'll need a new core of receivers coming in to compliment Gradkowski or Simms in the future. Doucet is still around, but at 6'0" I think all the big boys around pass him by in the draft. But "What If":

The Bucs don't want to pay big dollars for a wide receiver in the first round when they could get someone like 6'6" Greg Carr in the later rounds. Plus with the question marks surrounding Cadillac Williams and if he can return to form if at all will they possibly go with a runningback here? Maybe one that will compliment Graham as Pittman will be heading into his 11th year. With the 23rd pick the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
select: Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia

24th pick-Dallas Cowboys- Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida~~ What Should They Do? Re-sign WR Patrick Crayton would be a good start. This way they don't have to grab a wideout here even though Owens and Glenn will be heading into their 13th seasons. Jenkins is a stud, and playing on a good team that is respectable from the start may help his possible temper problems. Look how Dallas changed T.O. But "What If":

They can't re-sign Crayton? Glenn may not come back and they would be in loads of trouble at the WR position. Oh wait, Romo still has Owens, Witten, and I guess now Fasano to throw at during the year. Never mind then. Nah, just kidding if that happened they'd be all over the best receiver. Question is at this point who is it? With the 24th pick the Dallas Cowboys select: D.J. Hall, WR, Alabama

25th pick-Seattle Seahawks-Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College~~What Should They Do? Well Holmgren needs to remember earlier in the year when he threw his offensive line under the bus saying they weren't doing there job to open holes for Alexander. Regardless Shaun still has half a decade on his contract so don't expect anything but offensive line here if you were thinking runningback. They will look for a FB (Alstott) to sign in the free agent market I would imagine. But "What If":

They don't sign Marcus Trufant? They'll be thin at corner and might waste this pick on one. With the 25th pick the Seattle Seahawks
select: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

26th pick-New York Giants- Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan~~What Should They Do? Well in my opinion.....think about getting another quarterback! I don't know if the pressure of being Peyton's brother just makes Eli look that bad or what, but the so called messiah of the Giants is nothing of the sort. Burress needs someone a little quicker and younger to compensate his play in the #2 role. But "What If":

They can't sign Derrick Ward in the off season. That will leave Jacobs and Droughns to platoon in the backfield. I would love to see Eli get moved somewhere else other than New York. The kids way over his head there. Oh well, I guess either way they need a receiver so its still the same. (I would of taken Doucet here, but the "Manning to Manningham" combo sounded too funny. With the 26th pick the New York Giants
select: Mario Manningham, WR, Michgan

27th pick-Pittsburgh Steelers-Early Doucet, WR, LSU~~What Should They Do? Give some sticky glue to Nate Washington. If the guy could stop dropping passes they'd likely not look for a WR here but its probably not going to stop. Doucet has terrific hands, and with the Ward/Holmes duo set in place it would almost be like bringing back Randel El to the Steeler mix. "What If":

They can't bring back Faneca and need to replace him? They could possibly grab someone like Flazell Adams from the Cowboys to do the trick. I was thinking though, what if they had a bigger wide receiver like Chris Henry to compliment the other two? That sounds more fun. With the 27th pick the Pittsburgh Steelers select: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

28th pick-Jacksonville Jaguars- Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn~~What Should They Do? Get someone that helps them average more than 2 sacks a game. Thats one of the knocks on their defense and their peculiar ranking of 27th against the pass with a 9-4 record. Groves is quick and will definitely help the pass rush. But " What If":

They want to surround Garrard with better wide receivers. We already know that Jones-Drew can bail him out if need be, but what about that big target receiver? How does a 6'4" 243lbs. wide receiver sound? With the 28th pick the Jacksonville Jaguars
select: Jaison Williams, WR, Oregon

29th pick-Green Bay Packers-Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC~~What Should They Do? Well lets see, they've found their receiving corp., they've found their tight end of the future, they've found their full-time runningback, they ranked respectfully in both passing and rushing defense. uhm. The only thing that is certain is that Brett Favre won't be around much longer and Aaron Rodgers will be stepping in. The secondary is old so they could go a couple ways here I guess although at this point all the big names are gone.. Maualuga is a steal here. But "What If":

Favre retires after this season and they aren't comfortable with Rodgers. They may seek a quarterback here for kicks since the pick itself has given them nothing but a headache anyways. So take a chance. With the 29th pick the Green Bay Packers
select: Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon

30th pick-San Francisco 49ers-Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss~~What Should They Do? Paging David Klinger. Paging David Klinger. Then let him tell Smith the horror stories of being a quarterback without an offensive line. They need help here bad. Thought about Otah here, but Oher can play both guard and tackle which will give the 49ers some versatility. But "What If":

San Fran is really starting to wonder how durable Frank Gore is. If this happens the war room could become a negativity melee on the runningback. So I figure the 49er coaches forget why they are here. With the 30th pick the San Franciso 49ers
select (if he submits paperwork): Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas

31st pick-Dallas Cowboys-Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida~~What Should They Do? Probably continue to address the secondary, but if Barber looks elsewhere for the almighty dollar they could be back to Jones which obviously wasn't in their best interest. Smith is rock solid and if the Cowboys snag him here I feel sorry for the rest of the NFC teams who needed a RB and passed on him. He could possibly be the sleeper of this draft. But "What If":

They got Barber signed, Crayton signed, Glenn healthy and picked up D.J. Hall, WR, Alabama with pick 24, then what. Most teams would say take the best available player or one that has slipped through to this point like Smith. With the 30th pick of the draft the Dallas Cowboys
select: Dan Connor, OLB, Penn State

This concludes round one of Woody's What If NFL Mock Draft. If anything I hope you did have some fun reading this and I will update this after the bowl games are over.