NFL Draft Preview: Picks 1-10

Editor’s note: The following article is not written by RotoScoop’s administrator, Dalton Del Don. It is written by Jeff Chudnofsky, who will be handling the NFL Draft coverage.
1. Houston Texans– Don’t buy into the recent hype of Houston selecting Mario Williams or Vince Young. As Saturday grows closer, expect more rumors to swirl regarding potential trades, but treat these rumors as pure posturing to negotiate the contract of one Reggie Bush. The “Chief Buy Me House” scandal may negate Bush’s collegiate accomplishments, but it will not affect his draft status. The Texans do not have a leg to stand on in regards to drafting Vince Young; they already extended the contract of QB David Carr. Texans coach Gary Kubiak is confident that his bootleg heavy system will help Carr stay on his feet, and with the addition of WR Eric Moulds, the Texans offense could be much improved. I believe Virginia T D’Brickashaw Ferguson would address their needs better, but I cannot see the Saints, Jets or Titans trading up for Bush. With the first pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select USC RB Reggie Bush. Major needs- OL, OLB, DE

2. New Orleans Saints– The Saints could go in many directions here. A trade down is a legitimate possibility, but not many teams have the firepower or motivation to trade two first round picks for this spot. Mario Williams has been a popular mock draft choice, but with Charles Grant and Will Smith anchoring the DE spot in Naw’lins, I believe they will draft Ferguson to be a cornerstone on their offensive line. UFA QB Drew Brees essentially signed a short-term deal, so QB Matt Leinart is a possibility, but I believe the brevity of Brees’ contract has less to do with drafting a QB and more to do with the evaluation on his injured shoulder. With the 2nd pick of the NFL draft, the Saints select Virginia T D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Major needs- LB, S, OL

3. Tennessee Titans– Now or later? Steady or exciting? Ivory or Ebony? Leinart or Young. A case can be made for both, and the Titans are likely to pick a QB. Leinart has the obvious USC ties to former o-coordinator Norman Chow and USC alum Jeff Fisher, but Titans owner Bud Adams is reportedly smitten with Texas QB Vince Young. Come draft day, the pro-ready Leinart will be the 3rd overall selection based on the approval of Chow and Fisher. The question remains…how many games before Leinart ditches the NFL to star in Scary Movie 5, The Real World, or host TRL? Major needs-QB, WR, OL, OLB

4. New York Jets– This pick is very contingent upon the Saints at #2. NYJ gets the sloppy seconds of the Mario Williams/Ferguson choice. In this case, DE Mario Williams fills both need and value for the Jets and their rookie Head Coach Eric Mangina, oops, Mangini. A disciple of the raved Belichick coaching tree, Mangini will no doubt employ a version of the 3-4, where Williams thrives at rushing the passer and dropping into coverage ala Willie McGinest. With the 4th pick the Jets select NCST DE Mario Williams. A QB selection is an option, but Mangini will lean on newly acquired Patrick Ramsey instead of a rookie coach grooming a rookie QB. Major needs- RB, DE, OLB, QB

5. Green Bay Packers– In hindsight, maybe that Aaron Rodgers pick was a bit premature, but someone cannot make up his damn mind. Instead of drafting Leinart or Young, the Packers will address the defensive side of the ball and select A.J. Hawk, OLB from THE Ohio State University. This seems to be a no-brainer. Major needs-OLB, CB, S, G, WR

6. San Francisco 49ers– The Niners recently traded their 2nd and 3rd RD picks to Denver (37th and 68th) for the 22nd pick in the first round. This gives SF freedom to address their offense with the 6th overall pick, giving prepubescent QB Alex Smith a safety valve in Vernon Davis, the freakishly gifted TE out of Maryland. Safety Michael Huff from Texas is a possibility, but the 22nd overall pick will probably be used on defense. Niners go with Davis here. Major needs-WR, TE, CB, T, RB

7. Oakland Raiders– As much as I’d like to see Oakland win now, Owner Al Davis will draft Vince Young if available. Huff, or Oregon DT Haloti Ngata fill immediate needs on defense, but Young is too talented to pass up. Young will sit behind Aaron Brooks for at least one season before throwing bombs to Randy Moss. The Raiders are likely to address their strong-side LB in the 2nd round and will acquire another DB and DT in the draft as well. After acquiring New England DB’s Tyrone Poole and Duane Starks, the Oakland secondary is no longer a major need. With the selection of Young, I probably won’t lose at Madden ever again. Major needs-QB, SLB, S, G, DT

8. Buffalo Bills– The departure of Sam Adams leaves a gaping hole in Buffalo’s defensive trenches. Haloti Ngata makes a lot of sense here, as aging MLB London Fletcher and OLB Takeo Spikes (recovering from a torn Achilles) need a big body in front of them to allow them to sweep the field. Michael Huff is arguably the best player on the board at this spot, but the Buffalo secondary is in better shape than their defensive line. Florida State DT Broderick Bunkley is climbing up draft boards, but Ngata is a blue chip talent that has raised comparisons to Jacksonville DT John Henderson. Major needs-DT, T, G, DE

9. Detroit Lions– Head Coach Rod Marinelli, previously Tampa Bay’s DL coach, would love to have a body like Ngata anchoring his front seven, but Michael Huff is the likely choice here. Versatile enough to play corner and both safety positions, Huff will provide hard hits, intelligent coverage decisions and an immediate impact in the Detroit secondary, modeled after the Tampa Cover 2 system. Huff has Pro Bowl written all over him. Major needs-DT, S, OLB, MLB

10. Arizona Cardinals– New stadium. New running back. New expectations. The Cardinals offense was explosive last year despite offensive line woes and a stagnant running game. Look for USC OT Winston Justice to open up holes for Edgerrin James while keeping aging QB Kurt Warner upright. Many prognosticators call for Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler here, but Denny Green is not exactly patient with young quarterbacks. The Cards go for Justice and will look to chip away at Seattle’s lead in a very weak NFC West. Major needs- OL, OL, OL, DB


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One response to “NFL Draft Preview: Picks 1-10”

  1. Jeff Chudnofsky Avatar
    Jeff Chudnofsky

    The Titans appear to be more interested in Young than Leinart at this point. According to profootballtalk.com, Leinart might have to wait a little bit longer than initially expected. If no trades happen in the top 10, the first round landscape could change dramatically.

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