Sideline Scouting

The NFL Draft is just 38 days away and we are still fiddling with some extreme unknown’s when it comes to who the teams at the top will pick. While the murky picture is becoming clearer by the day, we will break down the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft with commentary for the first round.

Round One

1. Detroit Lions - QB Matt Stafford (Detroit)
This organization will bestow its bad fortune upon the shoulders of a strong-armed gunslinger who hails from the same high school as the last quarterback to take Detroit to an NFL championship, Bobby Layne. The argument remains that the Lions would get more reward than risk by drafting an offensive lineman.

2. St. Louis Rams - OT Jason Smith (Baylor)
As far as athleticism, Smith comes from the same variety as current Denver left tackle Ryan Clady. A smooth technique coupled with excellent athleticism, the departure of former first overall selection OT Orlando Pace only nails the coffin on the Rams drafting an offensive lineman first overall.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - OLB/ILB Aaron Curry (Wake Forest)
There is a certain mystique around Curry in which we like. He has the versatility to play either inside or outside in any defensive scheme. Scott Pioli, the new GM in Kansas City, would continue to get off to a hot start with the fans from Arrowhead Stadium with this pick.

4. Seattle Seahawks - OT Eugene Monroe (Virginia)
At 35 years of age, OT Walter Jones just underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Add in the fact that the offensive line in Seattle hasn’t been the same since they lost OG Steve Hutchinson in free agency a couple of years’ ago and we have the perfect solution for a franchise with a weak front line.

5. Cleveland Browns - OLB/DE Brian Orakpo (Texas)
The need for a legitimate pass rush in Cleveland is beyond mandatory. With the 3-4 in place, expect to see Orakpo moved to outside linebacker. Despite a nagging knee injury late in the 2008 season, Orakpo is one of the best pass rushing prospects to come out of college football in years. Just ask Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford.

6. Cincinnati Bengals - DT B.J. Raji (Boston College)
Although the Bengals have just signed DT Domata Peko to a five-year extension worth $29.3 million, they made it no secret last offseason that they were looking to refortify their defensive line while they pursued but missed on DTs Shaun Rogers, Kris Jenkins, and Corey Williams. The Bengals are in a position here to trade down, acquire more picks, and better position themselves for a highly-needed offensive tackle.

7. Oakland Raiders - WR Jeremy Maclin (Missouri)
Despite tweaking his knee at the combine, this former Mizzou Tiger would fill a large void for the Raiders organization. His style of play and athleticism fits the mold of what owner Al Davis usually pursues too.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - WR Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech)
The release of WR Matt Jones pushes the need to draft a wide-out to the top of the dry-erase board for head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars WR depth chart currently consists of Mike Walker, Troy Williamson, Nate Hughes, and D’Juan Woods. In a fair reaction, the addition of Crabtree would boldly enhance this corps of receivers.

9. Green Bay Packers - OLB/DE Everette Brown (Florida State)
We are willing to bet that former DE Aaron Kampman will struggle in his transition to outside linebacker. Add in the fact that the Packers are considerably weak at that position and the Cheesehead faithful may have a problem with the front office if the Packers do not draft the readily available Everette Brown.

10. San Francisco 49ers - QB Mark Sanchez (USC)
In all likelihood, someone would trade up to draft Mark Sanchez, especially if he is still lingering around at this point. Still, the 49ers are in a position where they must take the best player available at one of their needs, despite how shallow that need is. Neither Alex Smith nor Shaun Hill have shown to be a franchise quarterback.

11. Buffalo Bills - DE/OLB Aaron Maybin (Penn State)
We need to dismantle the talk of undersized defensive end’s not making it in the NFL. Last time we checked, Dwight Freeney has had a nice career, Robert Mathis has had a nice career, and Elvis Dumervil is off to the right start in his young career. Last year, only four teams had less sacks than Buffalo.

12. Denver Broncos - ILB Rey Maualuga (USC)
This may be a little too early for Maualuga but Denver will give him a long, long look, even with DE Tyson Jackson still on the board. Maualuga is a space eater. The Broncos defense is terribly bad right now, on paper. Maualuga may not be a highlight-reel star throughout his NFL career but he will have a Patrick Willis-like effectiveness that Denver fans will cherish for many years.

13. Washington Redskins - OT Michael Oher (Ole Miss)
The issues on the offensive line have negatively impacted the offense as a whole. Jason Campbell’s growth has been stunted the last two years and his tenure in Washington is up in the air right now, but, he has not had a very good offensive line to protect him yet.

14. New Orleans Saints - OLB Brian Cushing (USC)
The Saints love for this scenario to play out on draft day. Their two priorities are upgrading the OLB position and improving the secondary. With Cushing and CB/S Malcolm Jenkins still on the board, the Saints must choose either. With Ed Orgeron walking around the sidelines for HC Sean Payton, expect to see the Saints do what they did last year and draft a former USC Trojan. Orgeron is one of the greatest college football recruiters ever and he helped HC Pete Carroll recruit Cushing to USC.

15. Houston Texans - CB/S Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio State)
The bottom line is that this former Buckeye has top-five talent but will slide due to need. Houston locked up its defensive line by signing DE Antonio Smith to team up with the great Mario Williams. The only thing lacking defensively for Houston is a stout secondary.

16. San Diego Chargers - DE Tyson Jackson (LSU)
With the 3-4 set in stone and the departure of DE Igor Olshansky, this pick makes too much sense. Jackson is a 3-4 DE, 4-3 DT. His tenacity at the point of attack only makes him that much more of a better prospect as we have come to think.

17. New York Jets - WR Percy Harvin (Florida)
In our minds, 17th overall is way too high for Harvin. Some argue that he is worthy of a top ten selection but his durability issues will cause him to slide. Regardless of what end of the spectrum you are on, the Jets make questionable picks on draft day. Their rush to filling defensive holes in free agency leads us to believe that they will look to replace WR Laveranues Coles early in the draft.

18. Chicago Bears - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (Maryland)
Like Jacksonville, the Bears WR depth chart is muddled with mediocrity. “DHB,” as he is known, can set the turf ablaze with his world-class speed but he is still raw in terms of running routes and blocking downfield. The Bears have the following wide receivers rostered: Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, Devin Aromashodu, John Broussard, Earl Bennett, and Brandon Rideau. It is time for the Bears to look for a true No. 1 at wide receiver.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - QB Josh Freeman (Kansas State)
The Buccaneers have been in hot pursuit of a passer since recycling their roster several weeks’ back. After failing to land Matt Cassel, this new coaching staff has been after Denver QB Jay Cutler. Still, if things go awry, look for Tampa to draft Josh Freeman. Freeman is, after all, drawing comparisons to Joe Flacco.

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas) - DT Peria Jerry (Ole Miss)
After letting loose of Shaun Rogers last year, the Lions defensive line was one of the worst in the league. Jerry is an underrated gap-filler who gets a good rush on the passer. With so many holes to fill, it only makes sense for Detroit to draft the best player available.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - RB Knowshon Moreno (Georgia)
Whispers are becoming to come out of the city of Brotherly Love that the Eagles may be up for a swapping of disgruntled quarterbacks. With that said, if the Eagles are willing to trade Donovan McNabb for Jay Cutler, this pick would more than likely be involved. If not, Andy Reid gets a running back to fit his system and relieve some pressure off of the aging and often injured RB Brian Westbrook.

22. Minnesota Vikings - OT Eben Britton (Arizona)
The most pressing need for Minnesota right now is at right tackle. The offensive line is the most critical component of this franchise. Right tackle Ryan Cook disappointed last year and journeyman Artis Hicks’ play has been unbearable to watch. Marcus Johnson, a backup, was lost to free agency as well.

23. New England Patriots - CB Vontae Davis (Illinois)
Rumors are swirling that the Patriots are working out a deal for Carolina DE Julius Peppers. If so, the Patriots have no other choice here but to draft Davis. If not, Clay Matthews (USC) or Clint Sintim (Virginia) are possibilities.

24. Atlanta Falcons - TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State)
Atlanta is in need of a pass-catching tight end. After bringing in L.J. Smith for talks, and failing to sign him, Atlanta has no other option than to draft Pettigrew, especially if he falls into their laps.

25. Miami Dolphins - OLB/DE Clay Matthews (USC)
A former walk-on, Clay Matthews embodies what Bill Parcells is all about. The fact of the matter is that he has great bloodlines as his father used to play linebacker for the Cleveland Browns. Matthews would contribute almost immediately and push last year’s second round pick Philip Merling for a starting job.

26. Baltimore Ravens - WR Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina)
It is plausible that the Ravens would look to replace Bart Scott, Chris McAlister, or any of the other pieces in which they lost to free agency but acquiring a readied receiver for young Joe Flacco makes the most sense. After all, Nicks can catch anything thrown his way.

27. Indianapolis Colts - DT Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State)
The Colts ranked 24th against the run last year. They were also decimated by bad news at DT as Quinn Pitcock unexpectedly retired and Ed Johnson was released after an off-the-field incident. Gilbert is a hit on YouTube and would be an improvement over any DT the Colts currently roster, including Raheem Brock, Keyunta Dawson, and Eric Foster.

28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina)- OLB/DE Larry English (Northern Illinois)
Just when you think you know what Andy Reid’s next move is, you don’t. Without exceptional value here for an offensive tackle, safety, or tight end, look for the Eagles to add a pass rusher to their defensive stable. English may be a bit undersized to play defensive end for Philadelphia but he would have a monstrous impact immediately.

29. New York Giants - DT Ron Brace (Boston College)
The Giants have a strong defensive unit but the interior of the line witnessed some setbacks last year. The quality of play could be given a boost and the man that may have made B.J. Raji at Boston College finally goes noticed and earns a decent paycheck.

30. Tennessee Titans - CB D.J. Moore (Vanderbilt)
With CB Nick Harper reaching the plateau of 35 years of age, and shaky depth at this position, the Titans will be forced to grab this local product. Moore also offers some versatility as he seen time at wide receiver.

31. Arizona Cardinals - RB Chris “Beanie” Wells (Ohio State)
The theory of running backs being overrated and overpaid has begun to take full stride in the NFL. Pundits think that the Cardinals will want to compliment RB Tim Hightower with more speed, but Beanie Wells brings more to the table than his big frame. He did run an eye-popping 4.38 forty at the Ohio State pro day.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers - CB Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest)
Pittsburgh’s depth at cornerback is becoming questionable. Smith is a smaller cornerback but he plays the game with great instincts. He brings swagger to the football field as well.

Round Two

33. Detroit Lions - OT William Beatty (Connecticut)
34. New England Patriots (from Kansas City) - S Louis Delmas (Western Michigan)
35. St. Louis Rams - WR Kenny Britt (Rutgers)
36. Cleveland Browns - RB Donald Brown (Connecticut)
37. Seattle Seahawks - DE Robert Ayers (Tennessee)

38. Cincinnati Bengals - OT Andre Smith (Alabama)
39. Jacksonville Jaguars - ILB James Laurinaitis (Ohio State)
40. Oakland Raiders - DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech)
41. Green Bay Packers - DT Evander Hood (Missouri)
42. Buffalo Bills - OC Alex Mack (California)

43. San Francisco 49ers - OT Phil Loadholt (Oklahoma)
44. Miami Dolphins (from Washington) - CB Darius Butler (Connecticut)
45. New York Giants (from New Orleans) - TE Jared Cook (South Carolina)
46. Houston Texans - WR Brian Robiskie (Ohio State)
47. New England Patriots (from San Diego) - OLB Clint Sintim (Virginia)

48. Denver Broncos - DT Sen’Derrick Marks (Auburn)
49. Chicago Bears - OG/OC/OT Max Unger (Oregon)
50. Cleveland Browns (from Tampa Bay) - CB/S Sean Smith (Utah)
51. Dallas Cowboys - S Rashad Johnson (Alabama)
52. New York Jets - RB LeSean McCoy (Pittsburgh)

53. Philadelphia Eagles - OT/OG Jamon Meredith (South Carolina)
54. Minnesota Vikings - TE Cornelius Ingram (Florida)
55. Atlanta Falcons - S Patrick Chung (Oregon)
56. Miami Dolphins - OG Duke Robinson (Oklahoma)
57. Baltimore Ravens - OLB/DE Connor Barwin (Cincinnati)

58. New England Patriots - TE Shawn Nelson (Southern Miss)
59. Carolina Panthers - DE Paul Kruger (Utah)
60. New York Giants - S William Moore (Missouri)
61. Indianapolis Colts - WR Derrick Williams (Penn State)
62. Tennessee Titans - DT Fili Moala (USC)

63. Arizona Cardinals - OC Eric Wood (Louisville)
64. Pittsburgh Steelers - DT/DE Alex Magee (Purdue)

Pete Dymeck is the senior writer for Sideline Scouting.