And we have a humorous end to the second annual AP Mock Draft...

Eastern Michigan OT T.J. Lang

McWhirt33 with the pick...

With the 32nd and last pick of the first round the Steelers selected CB/S Sean Smith out of Utah. This further strengthened their already impressive defense; but now it's time to grab the best player available. With no question in mind the best player still on the board at this time is Jamaican born Usain Bolt.
 
Bolt holds the Olympic and world records or the 100 meters at 9.69 seconds, the 200 meters at 19:30 seconds, and along with his teammates, the 4x100 meters relay at 37.10 seconds. He became the first man to win all three events at a single Olympics since Carl Lewis. For his excellent achievements and relative ease at which he's accomplished them has earned him the name "Lightning Bolt".
 
With Hines Ward getting old, a duo with the speed of Santonio Holmes and "Lightning" would be utterly ridiculous. I mean I love Carr and Flowers as much as the next guy but imagine them trying to cover this duo.. Heck even put arguably the two fastest players in the league such as Deangelo Hall, and Devin Hester trying to hang with them. Impossible, And i didnt even mention his possibly best attribute yet, that of kick return. He could run circles around the opposing team's special teams unit.
 
Essentially Usain Bolt would be like Reggie Bush*8. Getting him at the 64th overall selection is a value pick like never seen before. The world has never seen a man with this kind of speed, just imagine what' he'll do in the NFL.

Real pick: Eastern Michigan OT T.J. Lang

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: C A.Q. Shipley

Read more: Scouting Report (NFL Draft Scout)

On the clock:  We are done!

Click over for the full second round results.

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Many thanks to everyone who participated in the second annual Arrowhead Pride Community Mock Draft! This year went as smoothly as it possibly could have.

We'll have more analysis on our mock draft after the real thing goes down this weekend. Thanks again! This was great.

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Penn. St. C A.Q. Shipley

THE_TRUTH with the pick...

Having acquired Knowshown Moreno in the first round to assist in the lackluster running game of last year, two more positions are in dire need for the Card’s this year. To recap, Arizona needs a Center as well as OLB’s (due to age).

Having tossed this around, there are some potential OLB picks that Arizona can grab in the mid-late rounds and the opportunity to grab a strong Center at this point is better then ever. Considering the availability of talent at the 63rd pick, the best player(s) on the board playing Center that haven’t already been acquired are Antoine Caldwell (Alabama) and AQ Shipley (Penn State).

The race between these two young men was closer then ever and each could produce very well as Centers for Arizona in my mind. You have Caldwell at 307 as well as Shhipley at 304 lbs. respectively. Caldwell is 6’4” and Shipley is 6’01”. The difference in the 40 at the combine was negligible -.04s.

After reviewing some tape of both players, both players played their positions very well and to make the decision even more difficult, I was impressed with their footwork on the line as well as the use of their hands. So the dilemma became apparent…flip a coin, or maybe not. Both players played very well for their teams and actually stood out on their respective lines. It was difficult to determine if they were even breaking a sweat, except when they had to run off the field ;)

I was presented with an interesting stat (thx. Lanier63) that gave me the answer I was looking for (since I couldn’t actually interview both players to determine whether their head is in the right place). The stat was Size/Speed ratio. It basically compares size with speed to give a good determination if you will, on how a players weight/speed matches compared to the rest of the field. The idea is that heavier players don't necessarily equate to better players unless they have speed as well.

It’s a stat that divides a player’s weight by his 40-yard dash time and takes the square root of the result.  One important note is that obviously you can only compare this stat with others who play the same position.

• A.Q. Shipley’s  ratio was 7.65
• Antoine Caldwell’s ratio was 7.66

So by the slimmest of margins, Arizona picks Center, A.Q. Shipley from Penn State as the 63rd pick in the draft.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: LB Cody Brown

Read more: Center Rankings (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock:  Pittsburgh Steelers (McWhirt33)

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Connecticut LB Cody Brown

Lvl.99 with the pick...

The Titans picked a freight train of a linebacker in the 2000 Draft by selecting Keith Bullock with their 1st round pick. My friends and I nicknamed him spinal tap because of the destructive hits he put on opposing players. Well spinal tap is getting up there in age and it looks as though he's lost a step. On a side note Bullock is coming into his contract year and based on Tennessee's willingness to part with aging veterans I don't see Bullock remaining a Titan longer than next year. These facts lead us into why the Titans will select Cody Brown/ LB Connecticut. The word on Cody Brown per WalterFootball.com is:
 
12/6/08: Cody Brown put up great numbers as a senior - 12.5 TFL, nine sacks and eight passes broken up.

5/16/08: A ton of bricks at linebacker (244 pounds) with a very nice 40 (4.65) to go along with his size. Cody Brown had 7.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 13 starts his junior year.
 
Brown will pick up where Bullock has left off making a seamless transition into an already dominating Titan Defense.
 
On a sidenote TN could have gone with Patrick Chung/SS, BPA according to profootballweekly.com which has him listed as the #41 ranked prospect in this coming draft, but the safety position isn't a need for the Titans. And I suppose an argument could have been made for Derrick Williams/WR, as Wide Receiver is a need for the Titans, but with them signing essentially the same role player in Nate Washington that argument doesn't hold water.
 
Happy Drafting Chiefs Fans, Cheers from Iraq.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: DT Fili Moala

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock:  Arizona Cardinals (THE_TRUTH) and Pittsburgh Steelers (McWhirt33).

Click over for the schedule and current draft results.

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USC DT Fili Moala

saskwatch with the pick...

Indianapolis has more needs to fill in the 2009 draft than one would expect for a playoff team. The Colts also have needs at linebacker and running back and they require upgrades along the defensive and offensive lines.  The departure of Harrison has left a need at WR.
 
The linebacker position was addressed in the first round with the selection James Laurinaitis. The Colts would have jumped all over Brian Robiskie had he fallen a few more spots. There is nobody left on the OL or at RB that gets me excited at this spot.

The Colts use their second round pick to address one of the biggest needs, DT. For the past several years they have struggled to stop the run and they are not excited about starting the season with Raheem Brock, Daniel Muir, Eric Foster, Keyunata Dawson, and Antonio Johnson as their tackles.
 
They need a big athletic body in the middle to keep the oppositions offensive linemen off their fast but undersized linebackers. There are two DT’s with close to the same grade, Fili Moala and Sen'Derrick Marks. Marks’ poor performance on the bench (16 reps) creates a concern that he lacks the strength to clog up the middle. Moala is a big body (6’4”, 300 lb) that is stout against the run. He was overshadowed at USC by all of the linebackers on defense, but his ability to clog up the middle and keep linemen off those players allowed them to run all over the field and make plays.

The addition of Moala and Laurinaitis in the first two rounds should really help improve the run defense of the Colts, putting teams in more 3rd and longs and allowing their great pass rushers to put the heat on opposing QB’s.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: OT Herman Johnson

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock:  Tennessee Titans (Lvl.99), Arizona Cardinals (THE_TRUTH) and Pittsburgh Steelers (McWhirt33).

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LSU OT Herman Johnson

Chiefsfan90s with the pick...

The New York Giants could use a franchise offensive tackle. So with their third pick in the first two rounds; the New York Giants choose LSU offensive lineman Herman Johnson. With a beast of an offensive lineman like Herman Johnson, who is 6 foot 7 inches, and weighs in at 386 pounds; the Giants could do two things once they select Herman Johnson. They could move David Deihl back to left guard, and move Herm from left guard to left tackle like the Kansas City Chiefs did with OL Branden Albert, last year. The other option is that they keep David Deihl, who has been solid, at left tackle, and keep the mammoth sized left guard at his original position; where he was considered one of the best in college, at LSU.

His strength, size, and aggressiveness is enough to get any defender shivering in their shoes, before the play. Once the play comes; he is off, and will be ready to flatten full defenses down, whenever they are dumb enough to try to go after Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs (He along is a force; imagine having this freak of mother nature in front of him.), and Ahmad Bradshaw.

For Herman Johnson to still be the board would excite any quarterback.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: OL Fenuki Topou

Read more: Scouting Report Mocking the Draft)

On the clock for tomorrow (Get your picks in ASAP!): Indianapolis Colts (saskwatch), Tennessee Titans (Lvl.99), Arizona Cardinals (THE_TRUTH) and Pittsburgh Steelers (McWhirt33).

Click over for the schedule and current draft results.

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Oregon OL Fenuki Tupou

808NaNz808 with the pick...

This will be the Panthers first selection of the draft this year, they have few holes on their roster after a very impressive season. However the way I see it, Carolina's needs shake out as (from most to least important) DE(pending on where Julius Peppers plays next year), DT, RG, QB, than CB.

Julius Peppers may very well be a Panther next year seeing that he has signed a franchise tender, the Panthers would be more than happy to see Peppers return, and because Peppers is less than a year away from 30, and a year separated from a 2.5 sack campaign his trade market may be too low for the Panthers to give up their premier pass rusher.

Next up is DT. Carolina's biggest problem on the interior defensive line was in Maake Kemoeatu's lackluster performances. However, Sen'Derrick Marks, the next highest rated player at this junction is too small, and didn't impress with both his combine and pro day results; he ranked near last amongst D-linemen in the 40, didn't bench at the combine, and only benched the 225 sixteen times. Which is good for last amongst Defensive linemen at the combine, heck that's good for fourth to last among running backs at the combine. Plus Carolina will hope to see Sammie Lee Hill drop to them in the third.

The Panther's next need is at RG. There wasn't a distinguished starter at RG all season in 2008, as an eight game starting streak escaped every player to man the position. In a deep offensive line class the Panthers are in position to draft a late first round talent toward the end of the second In Fenuki Tupou. Tupou may be just what the Panthers need at this point, he has all the right tools to play every position on the line and this may prove vital to the Panthers who are looking at a 29 year old Jordan Gross in 2009. With Tupou's versatility, Chris Williams is free to man the right end of the line with Tupou in the guard position next to him until Gross retires. When Gross does retire Williams can slide to LT, Tupou is kicked out to RT and Carolina finds bookends for a very long time. The Carolina O-Line outside of the RG position gave up 10.5 sacks (5 by Chris Williams) Tupou may be the missing link on this line, and for a team with so little holes they find a great BPA that fits a position of need.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: DL Jarron Gilbert

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock: New York Giants (ChiefsFan90s)

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San Jose St. DL Jarron Gilbert

connerman with the pick...

Up to this point, we've seen the Patriots get quite a haul in the 2009 (Mock) NFL Draft. Chris "Beanie" Wells is the new stud RB to learn from Fred Taylor and company. Then the Pats got defensive in the second round - taking premiere talents like DE Robert Ayers from Tennessee and DE/OLB Paul Kruger, who many of us like for our own Chiefs here, if possible. Now sitting for them like a prize all alone as easily the top player available is another D-line gem: Jarron Gilbert.

Gilbert is a man-beast out of San Jose State whose physical presence is dominating. He has the flexibility to play all positions on the defensive line and the instincts to move well even against sizable opponents. He posted 22 tackles for loss (!) last year and 9.5 sacks, displaying the ability to disrupt the backfield. And with fellow linemen like Richard Seymour and Ty Warren to learn from, Gilbert's raw techniques will find plenty to take on.

Secondary could be another option here, but it's hard to imagine ignoring the board here and not taking the best player available. And with these four in the first two rounds, the Patriots have completely enhanced their ball club in ways unexpected.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: WR Brian Robiskie

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock: Carolina Panthers (808NaNz808) and New York Giants (ChiefsFan90s)

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Ohio St. WR Brian Robiskie

Ben S with the pick...

There are a few places the Ravens could go with this pick, including offensive line, but I think it is about time the Ravens gave the quarterback a weapon to throw to. For the past few weeks there have been rumblings of the Ravens trying to trade for receiver Anquan Boldin, however I highly doubt that it will happen mostly due to financial reasons. Haloti Ngata is in the final year of his contract and the team was forced to franchise Terrell Suggs in the off season so the front office would probably have a hard time paying Boldin the type of money he is likely demanding.

Because of the Ravens inability to trade for Boldin, I think that this is a great pick in the second round not only because of Robiskies value at this point in the draft but the Ravens need for a receiver as well. Robiskie is a possession receiver with lots of height and fairly decent size, and reminds me a little bit of our own Dwayne Bowe. Robiskie will provide a nice option for Flacco to go to, and has a great set of hands that will provide useful with a quarterback entering only his second season. Although not exactly a number 1 receiver, Brian will be a playmaker for the Ravens for years down the road, and will more than likely find the highlight real a few times in his career.

Now that being said, I must admit that I was very tempted to draft myself with this pick as another cornerback, however I filled that need in the first so I do believe it wouldn't go over too well if they drafted two corners in round 1 and 2, so I decided I should leave me and my very mediocre 40 time in the draft pool.

Round 1 is here.

Previous pick: CB Jairus Byrd

Read more: Scouting Report (Mocking the Draft)

On the clock for tomorrow: New England Patriots (connerman), Carolina Panthers (808NaNz808) and New York Giants (ChiefsFan90s)

Click over for the schedule and current draft results.

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