2007 Mock Draft version 3.0 (Part I)  

1. Oakland Raiders - Calvin Johnson, WR Georgia Tech

Walter: I'll admit it, I have no idea what the Raiders are going to do with this pick.....and frankly I don't think they have any idea yet. Jamarcus Russell has been the selection all along, but with David Carr currently on the market, and Daunte Culpepper probably to come, the Raiders may feel they can address QB via free agency and grab Johnson, the best player in the draft, with the top pick. The bottom line is that right now their are way too many permutations to accurately predict what the Raiders will do. Will they sign Carr? Will they trade Randy Moss? Will they do both and still look to trade out of the first spot?

Frazier Fan: Wait? What?! Ok, I'm confused. I mean, I know Johnson is great and everything, but isn't this putting the cart in front of the horse? Don't we need a quarterback? What about Randy Moss? If we could just get someone to work with Moss and Porter, I mean, wide receiver is actually our strongest position. I am beffudled.

2. Detroit Lions - Jamarcus Russell, QB LSU

Walter: The Lions have done a very nice job this offseason addressing most of their most glaring offensive needs. This puts them in the not so precarious position of being able to take a player like Russell and groom him for superstardom in Mike Martz's wide-open offensive system. Russell's physical tools are nearly perfect for the Mike Martz attack. Martz relies on attacking the middle of the field with post patterns and digs, two patterns that are virtually undefendable by zone against a QB with Russell's arm strength.

Frazier Fan: I am more than a little terrified. The last time we took a crack at a quarterback, well, it didn't exactly work out. That said, I think Russell has all the tools. And Kitna is not the answer long-term, so this might actually work out.

3. Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame

Walter: While I think Adrien Peterson is the proper pick for the Browns, I simply cannot believe that they would spend the kind of money they did on Jamal Lewis, only to spend the third pick in the draft on the best RB to come out of college in years. There is speculation that the Browns are in the market for a QB, as they should be with Charlie Frye atop the depth chart, and Quinn would represent appropriate value for such a high pick.

Frazier Fan: Well, it's him or Charlie Frye. I am still not thrilled though. I'm not sold on the Domer, and it makes me nervous that he was coached by Crennel's old running mate. Do we still have to pay Jamal Lewis?

4. Arizona Cardinals+ - Joe Thomas, OT Wisconsin

Walter: Sure it's only moving up one spot, but the Cards know that the Bucs want to move out of the #4 spot with Johnson, Russell and Quinn gone, and they simply cannot risk a team jumping over them and snatching up Thomas. While they may have to overpay to move up a single spot, Thomas is a franchise caliber left tackle, who will team with Leinart, Fitzgerald, and Boldin to form as formidable a young offensive nucleus as we've seen in a long while.

Frazier Fan: YES! WOOHOO!!!! Possibly the best pick ever. I mean EVER! This is the guy we should have been taking for the past several years. Oh my god, it just feels so, so good.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gaines Adams, DE Clemson

Walter: I'd expect the Bucs to look to trade down once again. But the consolation prize, in the event that they cannot, is the best defensive player in the draft, and perhaps the only immediate impact pass rusher. Adams is a terror off of the edge, and is exactly the type of lineman the Bucs covet for their cover-2 scheme. Adams would play alongside Simeon Rice for a year, before replacing him as the primary edge rusher in 2008.

Frazier Fan: I like it. We have enough quarterbacks, a good running back, and some decent receivers. So the offense is not a super-need, and we're about a million years old on defense. So let's continue rebuilding, and put the quarterback on his ass.

6. Washington Redskins - Jamaal Anderson, DE Arkansas

Walter: With Adams taken a spot earlier, the Redskins settle for the second DE on their board. Anderson is actually a more complete player than Adams with a higher ceiling, so it may be a blessing in disguise. Unlike Adams, Anderson won't be ready to dominate right away, but he should solidify the Skins defensive line for years to come.

Frazier Fan: Yes! A complete player against the run and the pass. Our line play was non-existent last year, and Anderson is a physical specimen. Perfect fit.

7. Minnesota Vikings - Adrien Peterson, RB Oklahoma

Walter: I've been laughed at for this pick, but after the Texans were crucified for passing on Reggie Bush last year because they were comfortable with Domanick Davis I don't see how the Vikings say to themselves, "we can afford to pass on Peterson because we have Chester Taylor and Mewelde Moore." Peterson is a once in a lifetime back, and while the Vikes need a quarterback more than they need a running back, there isn't a passer on the board worthy of this spot.

Frazier Fan: Our coach wants to turn us into a running team, and Chester Taylor is not a viable option. Also, we don't have a quarterback, at all really. So we'll need all the help we can get toting the rock. Still nervous about his durability, but we have a good line, and he's a good bargain for this spot.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Laron Landry, S LSU

Walter: At first this seems to make no sense. Why would the Falcons trade up two spots only to draft a player that would have been available, and cheaper, with their original #10 pick? While it's possible that perhaps the Falcons are now looking in another direction, the more likely scenario is that Landry is so good they don't want to risk him getting to the Dolphins.

Frazier Fan: We could use a lot of help. I don't love losing Kerney, and I don't love any aspect of our defense, really, or our receivers. And our quarterback makes me nervous. Other than that, we're all set. Still, I like the pick. Landry is a stud and we'll make us better against the run and the pass.

9. Miami Dolphins - Alan Branch, DT Michigan

Walter: I would be shocked if the Dolphins passed on Quinn if he were still available, but in this mock he isn't. #9 is a tough spot to draft at because most of the elite players are gone. This pick should come down to the space eating Branch, or the dynamic Landry (if the Falcons pass). With Landry gone, new head man Cam Cameron chooses Alan Branch who he views as the Jamal Williams type presence he had in San Diego.

Frazier Fan:Branch is a big, physical kind of space-eater. He is not going to be a very sexy player, and he'll never have big stats, but he is the kind of guy that makes a defense work. On the other hand, our defense wasn't exactly what we needed to work on.

10. Houston Texans - Levi Brown, OT Penn State

Walter: If the top 10 picks play out like this, the Matt Schaub trade will be even better for the Texans. The Texans need a left tackle (duh), and with Thomas probably out of their reach, Levi Brown is an excellent fallback. They would probably have been targeting him with the eight pick, and if he's still available at ten that means they get the same player for less money.

Frazier Fan: YES! After the Reggie Bush-Mario Williams-Vince Young-David Carr fiasco, it looks like we're finally figuring things out. We have needed an offensive line for five years now, and we finally address it, only shortly after finally getting a competent quarterback. It's a whole new Texans!

11. San Francisco 49ers - Adam Carriker, DE Nebraska

Walter: Head coach Mike Nolan can't seem to decide if he want to play the base 3-4 or 4-3, so he picks the one player who has shown he could succeed in either. Carriker is a physical specimen who definitely has the ability to take over a game, either inside in the 4-3 or outside in the 3-4. He is the type of versatile ends that NFL teams covet.

Frazier Fan: We've got a good amount of talent on the offensive side of things, and Carriker makes us better defensively. He's versatile, talented, and strong as an ox. I love it.

12. Buffalo Bills - Leon Hall, CB Michigan

Walter: The Bills signed three offensive lineman in free agency so solidify their biggest offensive weakness, and drafting Leon Hall to replace Nate Clements replaces the key missing piece on defense. Patrick Willis is another option here as the Bills have shown that they aren't afraid to reach early in the 1st round, but Hall's 4.4 speed makes him tough to pass up.

Frazier Fan: Replacing Clements is a good thing, I just wish we'd been smarter so we could have used the pick to get better somewhere else. Still, it's a good fit for us, although I did see Hall get completely exposed at the Rose Bowl. I'll be keeping my eye on him.

13. St. Louis Rams - Amobi Okoye, DT Louisville

Walter: Okoye would be outstanding value for the Rams at this point. After missing with DT picks like Damione Lewis and Jimmy Kennedy, the Rams desperately need a dynamic playmaker in the middle of their defensive line. Okoye has the raw potential of a young Warren Sapp, but without the baggage. This pick would represent the best value thus far.

Frazier Fan: Yes! Okoye is a great pick! Our defense needs to get tougher, and this kid is only 19! He's got a hell of a future in front of him, and will help immediately. Nice job!

14. Carolina Panthers - Patrick Willis, LB Ole Miss

Walter: An absolute gimme for the Panthers. Dan Morgan is a pro bowl caliber linebacker, but he is old and always injured. Plus, Willis showed that he is a good enough athlete at the combine, and his pro day, that he can play the outside for a year or two until the coaches are ready to hand him the reigns in the middle.

Frazier Fan: Willis is a great player, don't get me wrong, but explain to me how he is going to lighten the load on Steve Smith? We are a one-dimensional (one-player) offense, and Willis does nothing to address this.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Ryan Kalil, C USC

Walter: While this would have been considered a major reach a few weeks ago, Kalil has done everything to solidify himself as a potentially special NFL center. The Steelers just lost Jeff Hartings to retirement and have a long history of hall of fame caliber centers (Dermonti Dawson, Mike Webster). Kalil could be next in line.

Frazier Fan: A perfect fit. I just want to see this guy get down and dirty and put a thumb in someone's eye.

16. Green Bay Packers - Tedd Ginn Jr., WR Ohio State

Walter: The Pack desperately need some speed on the outside, as evidenced by their feeble attempts to trade for Randy Moss. While Ginn is not the overall prospect that Johnson is, he does have world class speed and his contributions to the vertical passing game and special teams all but guarantee that he will be an effective NFL player. Another option here is Marshawn Lynch, but his timed speed has been so bad that he would be a major reach here.

Frazier Fan: Ugh. Ginn seems to have "foot issues" which can become terminal (ask Kevin McHale). Also, he's not the best at anything other than being fast. And fucking Favre will still overthrow him. Also, we don't have a running back. This is a total disaster.