2007 NFL Draft First Round Prediction

Well folks, here it finally is. I've officially stopped reading the rumours and inside information. I'm done looking at other mock drafts. I've made up my mind and I'm putting it out into cyberspace for all to see. A few people saw a preview of my top 20 earlier this week, so I can tell you than Len Pasquerelli, John Clayton, and Mel Kiper, Jr. are ripping me off. Apparently ESPN has been teaching mind reading.

I had originally planned to do two running mock drafts, a "should draft" and "will draft". I just haven't had the time to put two divergent drafts together. I realized that I didn't know if my first list was leaning towards the "should" or the "will", so I scrapped the idea for this year. Maybe next year.

Without further ado, I present my 2007 NFL Draft First Round Prediction:

1. Oakland - JaMarcus Russell, QB
The Raiders take the logical step towards righting the ship. Sure, Russell isn't the highest rated prospect on anyone's board, but he makes the most sense for the Raiders.

2. Detroit - *TRADE* with Tampa Bay - Calvin Johnson, WR
The Lions will probably select Johnson, the best prospect in the draft, and then work out the details of a trade with Tampa Bay.

3. Cleveland - Adrian Peterson, RB
The Browns should take Brady Quinn, but the coaching staff wants to win now, they don't care about the long-term plan. Peterson is considered an elite prospect, if not a durable one.

4. Tampa Bay - *TRADE* with Detroit - Gaines Adams, DE
Matt Millen takes the presumed safe route and avoids a fan riot in Detroit. He should select either Brady Quinn or keep Calvin Johnson.

5. Arizona - Joe Thomas, OT
The Cardinals (and Matt Leinart) will be thrilled if Thomas falls into their lap. They have a terrible O-line, just ask Edgerrin James.

6. Washington - *TRADE* with Miami - Brady Quinn, QB
Washington wants to trade down and Miami needs a quarterback. The Dolphins will pounce and take Quinn before he falls to the Vikings at pick number seven.

7. Minnesota - LaRon Landry, S
The Vikings don't have a pressing need for a safety, but they would be smart to take Landry, who is considered an immediate impact starter.

8. Atlanta - Amobi Okoye, DT
Unable to trade up for Calvin Johnson and with Landry off the board, Bobby Petrino drafts one of his own. Okoye will be the youngest player ever drafted at just 19-years-old.

9. Miami - *TRADE* with Washington - Leon Hall, CB
The Redskins would probably prefer Okoye, but they would happy to simple acquire the additional picks from the Dolphins for trading down three spots.

10. Houston - Levi Brown, OT
The Texans try to upgrade their offensive line by selecting Brown. Somewhere, David Carr sheds a tear.

11. San Francisco - Patrick Willis, LB
The 49's coaching staff loves Willis after getting to know him at the Senior Bowl. ILB may not be their most pressing need, but they would love to get Willis.

12. Buffalo - Darrelle Revis, CB
Buffalo needs help at ILB, CB, and RB desperately. Marshawn Lynch is a bit of reach for the Bills here and Willis is off the board. They take the second best cornerback prospect in the draft.

13. St. Louis - Jamaal Anderson, DE
I think the Rams will consider Anderson, Adam Carriker, and Alan Branch. My best guess is that they go with Anderson.

14. Carolina - Joe Staley, OT
The consensus has been that the Panthers will select TE Greg Olsen. I read recently that the Panthers have cooled on Olsen. I'm projecting that they opt to upgrade the offensive line here because a safety would be a bit of a reach.

15. Pittsburgh - Adam Carriker, DE
This is another pick that many folks seem to agree on. The consensus is OLB Lawrence Timmons. I think the Steelers would prefer Carriker, who can play inside and outside on the defensive line. His versatility will help as the Steelers transition their defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3.

16. Green Bay - Marshawn Lynch, RB
The Packers are desperate for play makers. They would draft me if they thought I could help put points on the board.

17. Jacksonville - Jarvis Moss, DE
Most DB options would be a reach for the Jaguars at 17. They will most likely take a defensive end instead.

18. Cincinnati - Alan Branch, DT
Cincinnati will get the steal of the draft if Alan Branch falls into their lap. He was once projected as a top five pick. His stock has been hurt by over analysis. He's going to be great.

19. Tennessee - Robert Meachem, WR
I think the Titans are more likely to take the local WR, Meachem, over Ted Ginn, Jr. Meachem is taller and almost as fast. I think he'll be a better target for Vince Young and the Titan's backup QB. (Vince is the Madden 08 cover boy and will go down at some point this year.)

20. New York Giants - Lawrence Timmons, LB
The Giants would probably like Joe Staley and could draft an offensive lineman here. They probably wish they never traded for Eli Manning.

21. Denver - Anthony Spencer, DE
Denver doesn't have many holes, but could use help on the defensive line, at wide receiver, and defensive back. Spencer would upgrade their weak pass rush.

22. Dallas - Reggie Nelson, S
The Cowboys need a compliment to Roy Williams. Nelson could be the ideal pairing. Nelson is a player that I wouldn't mind seeing the Patriots draft.

23. Kansas City - Ted Ginn, Jr.
I think Ginn, Jr. is overrated. He's fast yet injury prone. The Chiefs need a receiver and could use Ginn, Jr. in the return game to replace the just traded Dante Hall.

24. New England - Aaron Ross, CB
The Patriots are the hardest team in the league to predict. They seem to take 2nd or 3rd round prospects in the first round. I wouldn't be shocked to see them take Eric Weddle, Reggie Nelson, Jon Beason, or an offensive lineman here.

25. New York Jets - Greg Olsen, TE
Olsen falls into the Jets' lap in this scenario. He's an immediate upgrade for Mangina and Pennington.

26. Philadelphia - Michael Griffin, S
The Eagles could take a S, CB, or LB. They don't need to reach for anybody and could simply take the best available player.

27. New Orleans - Chris Houston, CB
The Saints were the feel good surprise in the NFL last year. With no good ILB prospects available, the Saints should look to upgrade their DBs.

28. New England - David Harris, LB
Harris is a prototypical Patriot player. He's versatile, hard working, and coachable. I decided on this pick on Wednesday night, before I had settled on the 24th pick. Today I see that Mel Kiper, Jr. confirms the Patriots' interest in Harris.

29. Baltimore - Jon Beason, LB
The Ravens draft Beason to help replace Adalius Thomas. With Jonathan Ogden returning they don't have the same pressing need to draft an offensive lineman that they did twenty-four hours ago.

30. San Diego - Dwayne Bowe, WR
The Chargers need receiving help. Antonio Gates has been their best receiving target for a few years. Bowe is a big receiver and would probably step right into the number one role in San Diego.

31. Chicago - Paul Posluszny, LB
The Bears will probably look to draft a linebacker or defensive lineman to counter the Lance Briggs drama. They would be elated if Brady Quinn fell to them. HA!

32. Indianapolis - Justin Harrell, DT
The Colts got lucky and won a single Super Bowl. So what? Call me when they've won three of four. Harrell will help them try to match the Patriots' feat.