East of Boston

Abdullah's Mock Draft

Abdullah and Elle have a bet going on who can predict the NFL Draft better... someone involved in Bookmaking, or a teenage nanny who has never watched a college game.

Here's a professional's version... Don Banks of Sports Illustrated... Don Banks: NFL Mock Draft, Version 6.0, Picks 1-10 - Don Banks - SI.com

Here's about 10000 more, at one of my favorite websites: 2008 NFL Mock Draft Database

Abdullah has spotted Elle one week, and here's his view of how it will go down:

1) Miami... With the exception of the running back to be mentioned a few picks down, there is no clear-cut number one pick in this draft. Therefore, look for Miami to either A) trade the pick or B) draft whoever will sign cheapest before the draft takes place - thus eliminating the lengthy holdout.

I'll give them Vernon Gholston, the frightening linebacker out of Ohio State. You can get offensive guards and cornerbacks later. It's not every day that you get a shot at a blue-chip linebacker

2) St Louis.... Another team that doesn't need the best player in the draft, as they have a great running back.

They need guys on the defensive line, so why not give them Glen Dorsey from LSU? He's big, mean, and defensive linemen always go high in drafts.

Dorsey is about 310 pounds, and has performed at a high level all through college. He broke a leg once, but that seems to have healed.

3) Atlanta... These guys are rumored to be after BC quarterback Matt Ryan, but I'll give them Sedrick Ellis, another 310 pound defensive tackle. Vick will be out of jail soon...

4) Oakland... Oakland has a few B level running backs, but they'd be foolish to pass on Darren McFadden. DMC is a 220 pound guy who runs a 4.3 or so, and those guys don't grow on trees.

5) Kansas City.... will most likely end up taking Michigan behemoth Jake Long, a chimney of a man who goes 6'7", 330 lbs. He's an offensive tackle who can throw a grizzly bear around

6) New York Jets... Matt Ryan can go here, and the chumps they currently have at QB can man the helm for a year while NY assembles a team around the young QB.

7) New England... A likely trade option, depending on who wants who badly enough. I have no idea who is offering what, so I'll assume that New England keeps the pick and uses it on Leodis McKelvin, a lightning-quick cornerback out of Troy.

I wonder if they'd take McFadden if he were available?

8) Baltimore... They also need defensive backs, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a small school kid who has a great bloodline. He may be better than McKelvin, but we have no idea because DRC played at Nowhere State.

9) Cincinatti...  Cincy just needs someone who can stay out of jail. Chris Long is Howie's son, and is only being mentioned near the top of most mock drafts because football types don't want big, block-headed Howie coming up to them at events and being like "Why'd you rank my son tenth?"

10) New Orleans... Keith Rivers, USC linebacker. who looks like a steal at this point. He could end up on the Patriots.

11) Buffalo... Devin Thomas, WR... they have 2 young QBs who need someone to throw to.

12) Denver... Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt... one of those 6'6", 320 kids.

13) Carolina... Malcolm Kelly WR, Oklahoma... they need someone next to Steve Smith.

14) Chicago... They wasted a top pick on Cedric Benson, and now have to waste another one to replace him with Rashard Mendenhall.

15) Detroit... Cutting a Kevin Jones to draft a Felix Jones sounds like a very Matt Millen-like thing to do. A wide receiver is always a possibility here.

16) Arizona... They get torched a lot, so give them Mike Jenkins, cornerback.

17) Minnesota.... Another team that gets beat deep a lot... so we'll assign them CB Aqib Talib.

18) Houston.... They stink running the ball, so give them Branden Albert to block people.

19) Philadelphia.... BC's own Gosder Cherlius can block for Philtydelphia.

20) Tampa Bay... Linas Sweed will be Tampa's security blanket at WR.

21) Washington.... Phillip Merling, although the possibility of a team that just lost Joe Gibbs doing something stupid is always strong.

22) Dallas... They have 2 picks... let's use one of them on Brandon Flowers, a cornerback from VT

23) Pittsburgh... Give them OT Jeff Otah, as their QB can't afford too many hits after putting himself off a car on his motorcycle.

24) Tennessee... DeSean Jackson, WR gives Vince Young someone to throw to.

25) Seattle... Dustin Keller could be the tight end they need.

26) Jacksonville... Derrick Harvey is a good guy to have chasing the ball carrier.

27) San Diego... This team is stocked, so we'll give them Kenny Phillips to play safety.

28) Dallas.... They need a second runner, so give them Johnathan Stewart.

29) San Francisco... Dan Connor, Linebacker U graduate.

30) Green Bay... Jerod (Hold The) Mayo. LB

31) FORFEITED

32) New York Giants... I hope whoever they draft stinks.