The Observer, April 22, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 26
Look for Browns to trade third pick in draft tomorrow
This week, the Smack Talkers provide a full prediction of the outcome of the first round of the 2005 NFL Mock Draft. Pinch-hitting for Todd Jacobs this week is guest columnist Vasanth Ananth. Shardule and Vasanth played general manager against each other and alternated picks throughout the round, with Shardule making the prediction for the first overall pick. (Denoted trades are proposed by Shardule and Vasanth and have not yet occurred.)
No. 1: QB Alex Smith, San Fran-cisco. Let's just put it this way: Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, David Carr, and Kyle Boller. Does the league need any more Jeff Tedford-coached quarterbacks?
No. 2: RB Ronnie Brown, Miami.
No. 3: WR Braylon Edwards, Tampa Bay (trade with Cleveland). It looks like the Buccaneers are going to sweep up Braylon Edwards from Cleveland. Jon Gruden will just have to live with his quarterback situation until another round and drool over his new duo of Michael Clayton and Braylon Edwards.
No. 4: WR Mike Williams, Chicago.
No. 5: QB Aaron Rodgers, Cleveland (trade with Tampa Bay). You guys didn't think Trent Dilfer was going to be your quarterback of the future, did you?
No. 6: CB Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, Tennessee.
No. 7: WR Troy Williamson, Min-nesota. This is the first real shocker of the draft. Minnesota really needs to retool its receiving corps after the loss of Randy Moss, and taking Williamson with the seventh pick may be a stretch, but after looking at his predraft videos, one is instantly mesmerized by his speed and hands.
No. 8: RB Cedric Benson, Arizona.
No. 9: WR Antrel Rolle, Washington.
No. 10: DE/LB Shawne Merriman, Detroit. The Lions need someone to help James Hall on the defensive line. A versatile player who can also play linebacker, Merriman would be a great asset to Steve Mariucci on the defensive side.
No. 11: DE Erasmus James, Dallas. Injury concerns aside, he could be the most complete defensive lineman in the draft. The Cowboys have another pick in this round, but James is a rare talent that they should grab at No. 11.
No. 12: DE Marcus Spears, San Diego.
No. 13: RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Carolina (trade with Houston).
No. 14: OT Alex Barron, Houston (trade with Carolina).
No. 15: S Thomas Davis, Kansas City.
No. 16: CB Carlos Rodgers, New Orleans.
No. 17: DT Travis Johnson, Cincinnati. The Bengals do not need much offensive help, but their defensive line is paper thin. Coming out of Florida State should help this athletic, yet sometimes unmotivated, talent.
No. 18: OT Jammal Brown, Minnesota.
No. 19: DE David Pollack, St. Louis. Can the Rams trade Mike Martz for a compensatory pick? Seems like a fair trade. In the meantime, Pollack is the type of overaggressive player that will get the large number of first and second round draft picks on the Rams' line motivated.
No. 20: DT Shaun Cody, Dallas.
No. 21: WR Mark Clayton, Jacksonville. Somehow, the Jaguars always manage to have a tough defense. Hey, maybe this year, with the addition of Mark Clayton, their offense might even score a touchdown or two.
No. 22: WR Roddy White, Baltimore. Todd Heap cannot be the only passing option. The acquisition of Derrick Mason will help, and Roddy White will provide him good support while learning from him.
No. 23: DT/DE DeMarcus Ware, Seattle.
No. 24: DE Dan Cody, Green Bay.
No. 25: CB Marlin Jackson, Atlanta (trade with Denver). He is a true talent who can play either safety or cornerback. The Falcons have a checkered secondary that could use a hard-hitter like Jackson.
No. 26: CB Fabian Washington, New York Jets. The fastest cornerback in the draft, he has also shown great leaping ability. His athleticism will greatly help a weak Jets secondary.
No. 27: S Brodney Pool, Green Bay.
No. 28: LB Derrick Johnson, San Diego. By some miracle, Johnson will fall to the Chargers at the 28th pick. Only two teams had fewer sacks than the Chargers, and Johnson will no doubt help that stat.
No. 29: OT Khalif Barnes, Indianapolis.
No. 30: QB/WR Matt Jones, Pittsburgh. With Plaxico Burress gone, Hines Ward needs some help, and this behemoth of a prospect (6' 6", 240 pounds) can also run the 40 in under 4.4 seconds. It will be interesting to see how he handles the transition.
No. 31: LB Channing Crowder, Phil-adelphia.
No. 32: CB Justin Miller, New England. While the Patriots secondary performed admirably in Super Bowl, they could use some help, and Justin Miller would fit nicely into the Belichick team scheme.
Ladies and gentleman, this concludes the 2005 NFL Mock Draft. Tune in next year as the Browns try to retool...again.
