2008 NFL Mock Draft Version 7.0

OK here is is. My final mock draft. I do not have any first round commentary on this one. We all know the team needs by now. A lot of things could change between now and Saturday at 3pm. I may not be able to do an update due to traveling this weekend (don't worry I am still watching the entire draft). If anything big happens before noon Friday I will hopefully issue a 7.5 update. No promises.

Below the three round mock are a few comments I make on my picks. This mock does not include trades, which are bound to throw a wrench into the works. If you have individual questions or comments leave them below. Hopefully I didn't forget anyone. Without further ado, here is my 2008 NFL Mock Draft, Version 7.0...

Pick	Team	Player, Position, School
1	Miami Dolphins	Chris Long, DE/OLB, Virginia
2	St. Louis Rams	Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
3	Atlanta Falcons	Jake Long, OT, Michigan
4	Oakland Raiders	Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State
5	Kansas City Chiefs	Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
6	New York Jets	Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
7	New England Patriots (from San Francisco)	Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
8	Baltimore Ravens	Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
10	New Orleans Saints	Keith Rivers, LB, USC
11	Buffalo Bills	Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
12	Denver Broncos	Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
13	Carolina Panthers	Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
14	Chicago Bears	Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh
15	Detroit Lions	Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
16	Arizona Cardinals	Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
17	Minnesota Vikings	Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
18	Houston Texans	Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
19	Philadelphia Eagles	Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State
20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
21	Washington Redskins	James Hardy, WR, Indiana
22	Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland)	Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
23	Pittsburgh Steelers	Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
24	Tennessee Titans	Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
25	Seattle Seahawks	Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
26	Jacksonville Jaguars	Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (FL)
27	San Diego Chargers	Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee
28	Dallas Cowboys	DeSean Jackson, WR, California
29	San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis)	Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami (FL)
30	Green Bay Packers	Sam Baker, OT, USC
31	New England Patriots	FORFEITED
32	New York Giants	Dan Connor, LB, Penn State
---	ROUND 2	-----
33	Miami Dolphins	Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
34	St. Louis Rams	Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
35	Atlanta Falcons (from Oakland)	Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
36	Kansas City Chiefs	Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
37	New York Jets	Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma
38	Atlanta Falcons	Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
39	Baltimore Ravens	Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma
40	San Francisco 49ers	Quentin Groves, DE/OLB, Auburn
41	New Orleans Saints	Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
42	Buffalo Bills	Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
43	Denver Broncos	Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
44	Carolina Panthers	Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
45	Chicago Bears	Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
46	Detroit Lions	Erin Henderson, LB, Maryland
47	Cincinnati Bengals	Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M
48	Minnesota Vikings	Earl Doucet, WR, LSU
49	Atlanta Falcons (from Houston)	Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
50	Philadelphia Eagles	DaJuan Morgan, FS, N.C. State
51	Arizona Cardinals	Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
52	Washington Redskins	Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
53	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
54	Pittsburgh Steelers	Dre Moore, DT, Maryland
55	Tennessee Titans	Chilo Rachal, OG, USC
56	Seattle Seahawks	Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
57	Green Bay Packers (from Cleveland)	Fred Davis, TE, USC
58	Miami Dolphins (from San Diego)	Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
59	Jacksonville Jaguars	Mike Pollak, OC, Arizona State
60	Indianapolis Colts	Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech
61	Green Bay Packers	Justin King, CB, Penn State
62	Dallas Cowboys	Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
63	New England Patriots	Cliff Avril, DE/OLB, Purdue
64	New York Giants	Tyrell Johnson, SS, Arkansas State
---	ROUND 3	-----
65	Miami Dolphins	Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
66	St. Louis Rams	Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech
67	Kansas City Chiefs	Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska
68	Carolina Panthers (from NY Jets)	John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
69	Atlanta Falcons	Tavares Gooden, LB, Miami (FL)
70	New England Patriots (from Oakland)	Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa
71	Chicago Bears (from San Francisco)	Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
72	Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore via Buffalo)	Josh Barrett, SS, Arizona State
73	Buffalo Bills	Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
74	Minnesota Vikings (from Denver)	Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
75	Carolina Panthers	Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
76	San Francisco 49ers (from Chicago)	Roy Schuening, OG, Oregon State
77	Detroit Lions	Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan
78	Cincinnati Bengals	Donnie Avery, WR, Houston
79	New Orleans Saints	Terrell Thomas, CB, USC
80	Houston Texans	Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina
81	Philadelphia Eagles	Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
82	Arizona Cardinals	Shawn Crable, DE/OLB, Michigan
83	Minnesota Vikings	Oniel Cousins, OT, UTEP
84	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
85	Washington Redskins	Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
86	Tennessee Titans	Ahtyba Rubin, DT, Iowa State
87	Seattle Seahawks	Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
88	Detroit Lions (from Cleveland)	Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
89	Pittsburgh Steelers	Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
90	Jacksonville Jaguars	John Greco, OT, Toledo
91	Chicago Bears (from San Diego)	Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
92	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida
93	Dallas Cowboys	Tyvon Branch, CB, Connecticut
94	Indianapolis Colts	Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State
95	New England Patriots	Marcus Harrison, NT, Arkansas
96	New York Giants	Geno Hayes, LB, Florida State
97	Washington Redskins (Compensatory)	Thomas DeCoud, FS, California
98	Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory)	Darrell Robertson, DE, Georgia Tech
99	Atlanta Falcons (Compensatory)	Ali Highsmith, LB, LSU
100	Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory)	Dexter Jackson, WR, Appalachian State

My comments:

1. Matt Ryan could easily fall out of the top 10. There are numerous scouts and team executives that believe the same thing I do: Ryan is overrated because of a weak class. If he were in the 2007 class he wouldn't have a shot of going before picks 25-35, at the earliest. Ryan won't drop past 17 but could make it there. Minnesota would love that if it fixed its other problem
2. That other problem (for Minnesota) is a pass rush. Despite spending a few first round picks on DEs, things haven't worked out for many reasons. If the Vikings acquire Jared Allen (or think they can after the draft) it will shake up the first round big time. If the Vikings get Allen prior to the draft then Minnesota will (most likely) have sent their 1st round and a 2nd or 3rd round pick to Kansas City. If they wait until after the draft to sign Allen, they will give up 1st round picks in 2009 and 2010. This would allow the Vikings, for example, to trade their 1st, 2nd, and 5th round picks this year to move up to draft a falling Matt Ryan (just one possibility).
3. I am fully aware that my team, the Dolphins, are in deep negotiations with Jake Long. That doesn't mean they will go with him. Maybe I am letting my personal feelings interfere here but I think Chris Long is the dominant player in this draft, more so than Darren McFadden (who is a little bit overrated in my opinion). Parcells and Co. need an OT, no doubt about that. But they need an RT, not an LT. If you take Long that means Vernon Carey will be moved back to RT. He is a free agent after this season. Since Carey proved he can play LT well he will be offered money to play LT somewhere else. The Dolphins can't afford to match LT money for a player they have at RT. SO we lose Carey in a year and are back to square one. Pass on Jake and take Gosder Cherilus or Sam Baker at 33 (technically 32, haha Patriots).
4. I have Chris Williams going to the Broncos over Ryan Clady and Jeff Otah because Williams is a better fit for the Broncos zone-blocking scheme. Clady, and possibly Otah, are considered slightly better prospects but don't fit into Denver's scheme as well.
5. If the Vikings get Jared Allen (or plan to sign him after the draft) then they won't take Merling. As I said before they could package some picks and move up to sneak ahead of the Ravens to take Ryan. The Jets or Patriots would love to trade down. My money would be on New England getting Minnesota's 1st, 2nd, and 5th round picks.
6. If the Falcons play their card right they will be the most improved team in this draft. There is no need to reach for Matt Ryan at 3. Take Dorsey or Jake Long (if available) or trade back (with Baltimore?). Doing that would give the Falcons even more picks in the first few rounds.
7. What will be the first team to reach for a player? Possibly Kansas City (for Albert or Clady) but I'll go with Cincinnati. Just think they could do something dumb. Not quite as dumb as taking Ted Ginn at #9 but pretty dumb.
8. Who won't pick in round one (besides Indianapolis and Cleveland)? San Diego. They want out of that spot and need a second or third round pick. They will trade out.
9. Most Overrated player in the draft: Matt Ryan or Darren McFadden.
10. Most Underrated player in the draft: Brian Brohm or Dan Connor.

That's it for me. I may be back with a minor update in a day or two. Remember, the draft is SATURDAY at 3pm on ESPN. Don't miss it!