Choppy's Draft Preview

OK, the Sox are still treading water just below .500. So, what better way to divert some of my attention on the Sox than to gear up for the NFL Draft in a few weeks. The draft is one of the best weekends of the year. I sit on my couch, open up ESPN, CBSSportsline, SI, NFL, Patriots.com and take in all of the glory of the draft. With our beloved Pats picking 7th, let's take a gander at who I think might be available.

Let me say that although I do study a lot of the players during the college football season (thanks to the ESPN Game Plan), watch many bowl games, and NFL Combine (yes, I Tivo every hour on the NFL Network, as well as all of their Senior Bowl coverage), I do also subscribe to a few scouting sites to gather information. I'd love to do this full-time, but I think that I may have to take a sizable pay cut.

Many believe (including me) that the "Long Brothers" will go Number 1 & 2 in the draft. It depends on who the Big Tuna wants to make his big splash with in Miami.

1. Miami - If a splash is what you want, then watch for the Tuna to take Ohio State DT Vernon Gholston. Did you see his combine numbers? Remember, this guy is 6'3", 266 lbs. At the combine he ran a 4.65 40 (1.53 10 yard split), 37 reps at 225 lbs. on the bench press, 10'5" broad jump, and 7.12 sec. at the 3 Cone Drill! He improved his reps at his pro day to 42! Rumor has it that his agent in in negotiations with the Dolphins, but we all that could be a smokescreen.
2. St. Louis - That would really shake things up at the top of the draft as the Rams will choose from Jake Long, Chris Long, and Glen Dorsey. Being an offensive minded team and given their needs, I think the Rams will take Jake Long with this pick.
3. Atlanta - The Falcons need a franchise QB, and Ryan could be their man. But, I think that they will stick with Chris Redman and Joey Harrington this year and choose Glen Dorsey.
4. Oakland - This could leave the Raiders with a difficult choice. Do they go with Darren McFadden or take Howie's kid? Chris Long would be a popular pick in Oakland, but the Raiders need DMac at RB. If they do choose Long, then DMac could fall a few spots.
5. Kansas City - Ryan is almost certain to go here as I've read that the Chiefs were well represented at Ryan's Pro Day (Head Coach, GM, Offensive Coordinator) and are heavily interested in the BC QB.
6. NY Jets - Here is where things really get interesting. If the Long Brothers go 1 & 2, then watch for Gholston to go here. If Gholston goes 1 and Chris Long does not go to Atlanta, the Jets will have to choose between him and DMac. How could they let DMac drop here? They won't, but they also don't want to give the Pats the opportunity to pick one of THE top defensive players in the draft.
7. NE - If all of the moons, suns, stars, and oceans align and Gholston drops to this spot, you'll see me make the 5 minute dash from Dot to Foxboro and make the pick for the Pats before Belichik and Co. have a chance to change their mind. I'd take Gholston over Long any day and twice on Sunday! Realistically, the Pats have options here. If Ryan is available, this is where teams will trade up to get him. This may help the Pats as a top DB this year is not worthy of this high of a pick. They could drop back and pick a Michael Jenkins or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie later in the 1st round. They could go with Keith Rivers (OLB USC). This would be a great start at getting younger at LB. If they do go with DB here, we're probably looking at Leodis McKelvin and I'll be happy. Look at his profile! http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/leodis-mckelvin?id=1298 Other possibilities are Derrick Harvey (DE, FLA) and Sedrick Ellis (DE, USC). By the way, I have a lot of respect for Mike Mayock but I can't believe that he has the Pats picking Brandon Albert (OG, UVA) with this pick!

I'm not sure that many people who will read this care much beyond this pick. If the Pats choose an LB or DE at 7, they will most certainly pick a DB in the 2nd round. At that point, we're looking at Terrell Thomas from USC, Tracy Porter from Indiana, or maybe even Brandon Flowers from VA Tech.

Well, that's about it for now. Until next time, "Let's be careful out there!"