1) San Francisco 49ers – Aaron Rogers QB California. SF will be well served to draft Rogers, a hometown guy who will become a fan favorite. He’s a franchise caliber QB to build their team around.
2) Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown RB from Auburn. A no-brainer selection that obviously fills a huge need for Miami. Brown is considered the top RB in the draft and will be an instant starter for the RB depleted Dolphins.
3) Cleveland Browns – Derrick Johnson OLB from Texas. The Browns have a lot of options here, including selecting an offensive player or trading for a team in search of a WR. But if they stay put the selection of Johnson will give them an every down LB to build their defense around.
4) Chicago Bears – Cedric Benson RB Texas. The Bears picked up Thomas Jones in free agency last year, but the rumor is that GM Jerry Angelo is very high on Benson. The former Longhorn RB would provide a power running game and some teams have Benson as the #1 rated player on the draft board.
5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Williams WR from USC. It is known that Jon Gruden has been really high on Williams for a long time, and his private workout did nothing to change his opinion. Williams, a Tampa Bay native, would be an excellent compliment next to last year’s rookie of the year candidate Michael Clayton.
6) Tennessee Titans – Antrel Rolle CB Miami. Samari Rolle was released in a salary cap casualty, but he’ll be replaced by the top CB prospect in the draft. Antrel Rolle is a big, physical CB who’s equally effective versus the run and pass, and should be able to return punts also.
7) Minnesota Vikings – Braylon Edwards WR Michigan. The Vikings will be ecstatic if they are able to stay put and get Edwards, the top playmaker in the draft. Look for them to trade up (probably with Chicago) to assure they’ll be able to get their replacement for the recently traded Randy Moss.
8) Arizona Cardinals – Alex Smith QB Utah. Kurt Warner will not be pleased with this pick, but the Cardinals (much like the NY Giants last year) just can’t pass up the opportunity to select their future franchise caliber QB.
9) Washington Redskins – Shawne Merriman OLB/DE Maryland. The Skins need help rushing the passer and Merriman will help them there, whether that be from the RDE spot or OLB.
10) Detroit Lions – Marcus Spears DE from LSU. Another in a long line of teams needing pass rushing help and Spears is the most ready-to-play DE in the draft. The Lions will have quietly put together one the best D-lines in the league with Spears being added to James Hall, Shaun Rogers and Dan Wilkinson.
11) Dallas Cowboys – Alex Barron OT Florida State. Dallas has many holes to fill and could go a lot of different directions here, but Barron seems to be a Parcells type player who should start right away at RT. The addition of Barron, along with incumbent LT Flozell Adams, would give the Cowboys the biggest OT tandem in the league (both guys weigh-in at around 6’8” 330 pounds).
12) San Diego Chargers- Troy Williamson WR South Carolina. Williamson is a guy who has flown up most draft boards the last couple months thanks to his impressive workouts. Not very productive in Lou Holtz’s run first offense, but has the size, speed and soft hands the pro scouts are raving over.
13) Houston Texans – Adam Jones CB West Virginia. Jones is an excellent CB prospect with great all-around talent. He is a willing and eager tackler who will fit in perfect with the Texans, who already have a young future star in Dunta Robinson and an aging veteran in Aaron Glenn.
14) Carolina Panthers – Carnell Williams RB Auburn. The Panthers seem solid at RB, but both the top two guys on their depth chart (Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster) were injured last year and Williams is too good a value to pass up here.
15) Kansas City Chiefs – Carlos Rogers CB Auburn. The Chiefs need help all over their defense and Rogers will provide instant help in their secondary.
16) New Orleans Saints – Travis Johnson DT from FSU. Johnson, the best DT prospect in the draft, excels at stopping the run and he should immediately help the Saint inconsistent run defense.
