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Raider Nation: The Blog 2008 Mock Draft

This mock draft was done with the help of a mostly impartial partner (Jags fan). We did it a while back, but it still seems to be fairly accurate. Neither of us did it based no our wants, but rather who we both thought the teams would take.


1 MIA Chris Long DE Played in a 3-4 in college, and is just the kind of hard worker Parcells needs to jumpstart this franchise

2 STL Jake Long OT Orlando Pace isn't getting any younger, and may just decide to spend the season playing catch with his kids (or raiding the fridge)

3 ATL Glenn Dorsey DT Well, they're not taking McFadden with Turner in the fold, and Ryan's just not worth a pick this high. Dorsey gets the edge over Ellis due to superior production and strength

4 OAK Darren McFadden RB Al Davis' favorite kind of football player: a freak athlete with great college production. Who is calling the shots, Mr. Kiffin?

5 KC Sedrick Ellis DT KC's roster is a shambles of what it used to be, and Herm Edwards takes the defensive player over the offensive player every time.

6 NYJ Vernon Gholston DE/OLB Gholston steps in as an OLB in the Jets' 3-4 scheme to provide a pass rush to (hopefully) get to Tom Brady

7 NE (from SF) Leodis McKelvin CB Probably a little early, but the Patriots lost two of their top three corners in free agency, and McKelvin's probably the best of the corners

8 BAL Matt Ryan QB Finally, a quarterback not named Kyle Boller! Baltimore rejoices in their good fortune and jumps on Ryan at 8

9 CIN Philip Merling DE Merling is big enough to move inside on passing downs, and gives the Bengals another pass-rushing threat. If only they could get themselves that elusive fat guy…

10 NO Aqib Talib CB The gambling Kansas corner isn't exactly a fit for a team with Jason David, but Randall Gay isn't exactly a #1 corner. Talib's got loads of athletic ability, and with the right coaching could become a very solid #1 guy

11 BUF Malcolm Kelly WR Buffalo's need for a big WR trumps their need for, well, a bunch of stuff. Kelly is a big, physical receiver with the speed to beat his man deep

12 DEN Ryan Clady OT Denver hits the jackpot with Clady, a perfect fit for the zone blocking scheme, and an instant starter to protect Jay Cutler's blind side

13 CAR Jonathan Stewart RB The release of DeShaun Foster signals a new era in Carolina, as the selection of Stewart returns the running game to the power running game they haven't had since Stephen Davis started filing for social security

14 CHI Rashard Mendenhall RB Finally giving up on Cedric Benson, the Bears jump on the local boy and hope he produces better than Benson, which is about as hard as getting adopted by Angelina Jolie

15 DET Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Detroit takes the athletic marvel, Antonio Cromartie's cousin, and pairs him with Leigh Bodden to take their secondary from the bad kind of scary to the good kind in just one offseason

16 ARI Keith Rivers LB The loss of Calvin Pace leaves only Karlos Dansby as a competent NFL linebacker. Rivers can play all three linebacker positions, and provides the Cardinals with a big hitter behind their pathetic defensive line

17 MIN Derrick Harvey DE Kenechi Udeze's battle with leukemia and Darrion Scott's free agent status leave Minnesota with only Erasmus James, a bust, and Brian Robison, a situational pass-rusher, at DE. Harvey provides a premier pass-rush threat for a team desperately needing one

18 HOU Chris Williams OT Williams provides Houston with the LT they've been looking for since they took Tony Boselli with the first pick in the expansion draft. Williams is a perfect fit for a zone blocking team like the Texans, and should be able to keep Matt Schaub off his back and help open holes for...uh...Darius Walker?

19 PHI Limas Sweed WR Philly hopes Sweed fills the hole left by Terrell Owens, and perfectly complements Kevin Curtis as a red zone threat for Donovan McNabb/Kevin Kolb

20 TB DeSean Jackson WR Tampa Bay hasn't had a return threat since, well, ever. With only one kickoff return touchdown in their history, and little to no receiving depth, the Bucs tab DeSean Jackson to help in both areas

21 WAS Kentwan Balmer DT Washington's aging/inexperienced/crappy defensive line needs help, so the 'Skins take the best D-lineman on the board

22 DAL (from CLE) Mike Jenkins CB Jenkins gives the 'Boys the flexibility to experiment with Anthony Henry at safety while also more than adequately replacing the departed Jacques Reeves

23 PIT Branden Albert OG The loss of Alan Faneca is neutralized somewhat by the pickup of Albert, a versatile, athletic guard who would probably start immediately for the Steelers

24 TEN Quentin Groves DE With both Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy leaving in free agency, the Titans need a new pass-rushing weapon. Enter the speedy Groves, who provides a speed-rush threat to counter the strength of Haynesworth inside

25 SEA Kenny Phillips S Gives the Seahawks a big hitter to pair with ballhawk Deon Grant to give them a formidable secondary

26 JAX Dan Connor LB The Jaguars don't exactly NEED a linebacker, but the playmaking Connor is easily the best player on the board, and a great fit for the Jaguars' defensive scheme

27 SD Reggie Smith CB/S Gives the Chargers another athletic playmaker in the secondary to replace the departed Drayton Florence and Marlon McCree. Smith is versatile enough to play both corner and safety

28 DAL Felix Jones RB Jerry Jones ends up with an Arkansas back after all, just not the one he wanted most. Still, Jones provides the lightning to Marion Barber's thunder, and gives the Cowboys a legitimate return threat

29 SF (from IND) Mario Manningham WR Manningham gives the 49ers a legit deep threat, and provides Alex Smith with another target. Manningham's time at the combine isn't indicative of his game speed; the guy is a burner (career 16.9 YPC)

30 GB Brandon Flowers CB Al Harris is getting older, and they really don't have anyone on the other side anyway. Flowers is a physical corner who keeps plays in front of him; good news for the Packers' rangy linebackers and big-hitting SS Atari Bigby

31 NE PICK FORFEITED

32 NYG Jeff Otah OT The Giants' line isn't getting any younger…Otah provides them with a project lineman who could turn into a great RT

There you have it, like it or love it, its just another mock draft. I'm sure yours is soooooo much better, :|

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