It's never too early for Phanatic's mock draft

By John Gottlieb

Now that the Colts have paraded around Indianapolis with the Vince Lombardi trophy there are a couple of things to look forward to: the NBA All-Star game, Daytona 500, countdown to pitchers and catchers (eight days, 19 hours), conference tournaments and March Madness. But why leave the gridiron so soon? No, I’m not going to waste all of our time writing about the Pro Bowl, which is about as useless as boobs on a nun, but it’s time to start looking at the NFL Draft, which takes place April 28 and 29.

This is the first of I’m sure many Mock Drafts from The Phanatic, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next season. A coin flip between Tampa Bay and Cleveland will determine who gets the third and fourth picks.

1) Oakland Raiders (2-14) – QB JaMarcus Russell – LSU - New head coach Lane Kiffin needs to rebuild the offense since the defense kept them in a game or two. Russell had a fantastic season and tore apart Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on a national stage. He’s got size (6-6, 260) and he can make plays with his legs. However, the arm strength is what has scouts salivating. He may not be the safest pick, but Aaron Brooks couldn’t stay on his feet long enough to get the ball to Calvin Johnson.

2) Detroit Lions (3-13) – QB – Brady Quinn – Notre Dame – While Jon Kitna may be good for the not too distant future the Lions are in desperate need for someone to lead their offense. Charlie Weis has Quinn ready for the NFL game, and he’s got the size and smarts to lead the Lions out of the dungeon.

3) Cleveland Browns (4-12)* – OT – Joe Thomas – Wisconsin – The Browns offensive line is aging they need to give Charlie Frye the time to throw the ball if Romeo Crennel wants to keep his job.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)* – WR – Calvin Johnson – Georgia Tech – Johnson is the most dynamic and explosive offensive player in the draft. The Bucs desperately need to get younger, as Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway are clearly in the twilight of their careers.

5) Arizona Cardinals (5-11) – DT – Alan Branch – Michigan – The Cardinals gave up 231 passing yards per game and can use help in the secondary but the defensive linemen are too good to pass up. Arizona will need to put more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks to force mistakes and get Matt Leinart and the offense on the field. They got very little in the middle of the line and Branch is a monster (6-5, 330)

6) Washington Redskins (5-11) – DE – Jamaal Anderson – Arkansas – The Redskins got to the quarterback a league and franchise-worst 19 times. Anderson had 13.5 sacks as a junior last season. Enough said.

7) Minnesota Vikings (6-10) – DE – Gaines Adams – Clemson – Minnesota didn’t do much better sacking the QB. Pat and Kevin Williams are Pro Bowl caliber run-stuffers but Kenchi Udeze started 15 games and didn’t register a sack.

8) Houston Texans (6-10) – RB – Adrian Peterson – Oklahoma – The Texans won’t make the same mistake twice. They passed on Reggie Bush and the need a playmaker in the backfield. The only question mark surrounding Peterson is the fact they he never made it through a full college season without missing time.

9) Miami Dolphins (6-10) – DT – Amobi Okoye – Louisville – He’s young (19), but there is tremendous upside as he hovers near 300 pounds. His Senior Bowl performance will have teams willing to take a chance.

10) Atlanta Falcons (7-9) – S – Reggie Nelson – Florida – He’s built in the mode of Rodney Harrison and Bob Sanders. He’s a big hitter that can be an eighth man in the box and has the speed to shore up the secondary.

11) San Francisco 49ers (7-9) – WR- Ted Ginn, Jr. – Ohio State – The 49ers need a difference maker in the wideout position. Imagine the seasons Frank Gore and Vernon Davis can have if they’ve got a big play receiver to ease the pressure.

12) Buffalo Bills (7-9) – CB – Leon Hall – Michigan – Cornerback Nate Clements is an unrestricted free agent, and without a strong cornerback class, Hall will benefit, as the Bills will have no choice but to take him.

13) St. Louis Rams (8-8) – LB – Lawrence Timmons – Florida State – Since the Colts went on to win the Super Bowl you can argue that the Rams had the worst running game in the NFL. They gave up 2,327 yards for 145 yards per game and 4.9 per carry. They need help in the front seven and Timmons, who had five sacks and 18 tackles for a loss in his junior season, can be a big name in a weak linebacking class.

14) Carolina Panthers (8-8) – OT – Levi Brown – Florida – He is the second best offensive lineman and will be a perfect compliment to Jordan Gross on the other side. The Panthers ranked 24th in the league with 103.7 rushing yards per game. Dan Morgan’s health should have the team worried but Carolina would need to trade down to take Patrick Willis.

15) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) – S – LaRon Landry – LSU – He is another excellent defender against the run and the pass. Alongside Troy Polamalu and behind Bryant McFadden and Deshea Townsend, Landry would have time to grow into the roll and make the Steelers defense formidable in every aspect.

16) Green Bay Packers (8-8) – RB – Marshawn Lynch – California – Ahman Green isn’t the same runner anymore and Brett Favre can’t just rely on his arm. Lynch can give the Green Bay running game stability after averaging just less than 104 yards per contest.

17) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) – WR – Dwayne Jarrett – USC – The Jaguars receivers can’t hold on to the ball and Jarrett can give Byron Leftwich someone reliable to throw the ball to. His speed isn’t great but he makes up for it with his hands.

18) Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) DE – Adam Carriker – Nebraska – He’s listed as a defensive end but he’s got the size (6-6, 298) to fit in the middle.

19) Tennessee Titans (8-8) – WR – Sidney Rice – South Carolina – The Titans need someone to pair with Vince Young to make the offense explosive. The two can become an awesome tandem under Norm Chow.

20) New York Giants (8-8) – CB – Darrelle Revis – Pittsburgh – The Giants secondary is weak and old, and all you need to do is look at the Philadelphia playoff loss to see that they need help. Sam Madison is past his prime and Revis would be a good choice to fix the 28th best pass defense.

21) Denver Broncos (9-7) – CB – Daymeion Hughes – California – With the unfortunate passing of Darrent Williams the Broncos are going to have to upgrade their defensive backs. He picked off eight passes last season, and if he can translate that into the NFL then Denver will have the one of the best defenses in the league.

22) Dallas Cowboys (9-7) – CB – Aaron Ross – Texas – While Roy Williams is a nasty hitter he’s not a good tackler. Rumors are swirling that Anthony Henry will be shifted to free safety, leaving an open position for Ross.

23) Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) – OT – Arron Sears – Tennessee – The Chiefs offensive line, which has always been stacked with big names like Will Shields and Willie Roaf, is getting older. It’s a weak year for offensive lineman so Sears will reap the benefits and be chosen earlier than normal.

24) New England Patriots (from Seattle) (9-7) – LB – Patrick Willis – Mississippi – Tedy Bruschi hinted that he may not come back, but either way the Pats linebacking crew is getting old. As of next season Bruschi will be 34, Rosevelt Colvin will be 30 and Mike Vrabel will be 32. The Pats have to start getting younger so they aren't hit with a defensive crisis.

25) New York Jets (10-6) – CB – Chris Houston – Arkansas – The Jets need a good cover man to ease out the aging Andre Dyson and Houston did a good job in a tough SEC conference.

26) Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) – DE – Charles Johnson – Georgia – The Eagles gave up 4.5 yards per carry and allowed 136 yards per game on the ground. Johnson had a big season, making 44 tackles, including 19 for a loss, and can also get to the quarterback with 9.5 sacks.

27) New Orleans Saints (10-6) – DE – Quentin Moses – Georgia – He’s coming off a subpar senior season, but can be a fit on the end or as an outside linebacker. Moss isn’t great against the run but can get into the backfield quickly on passing plays.

28) New England Patriots (12-4) – WR – Dwayne Bowe – LSU – The lack of a big-name receiver didn’t seem to hurt the Pats last season, as they used Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney, but that will be an area they look to upgrade. He’s a big receiver that found the end zone 12 times last season. His 6-3 frame will make him attractive to New England.

29) Baltimore Ravens (13-3) – DE – Anthony Spencer – His 10.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for a loss make this undersized end (6-3, 261) another guy who can fit in on the outside, especially for a team that may need to replace Adalius Thomas.

30) San Diego Chargers (14-2) – WR – Robert Meachem – Tennessee – The Chargers have got their franchise quarterback and the best player in football, now all they need is someone to throw the ball to. Meachem is a deep threat with a ton of speed. A solid receiver was probably the difference in the AFC Divisional Playoff.

31) Chicago Bears (13-3) – TE – Greg Olsen – Miami (FL) – Olsen is a good blocker and he’s got good hands. Desmond Clark isn’t a threat down the middle for the Bears. They’ve got the speedy receivers but Olsen can help Rex Grossman’s consistency with the short dink-and-dunk passes.

32) Indianapolis Colts (12-4) – DT –DeMarcus Tyler – North Carolina State – The Colts became the first team in history to finish the regular season with the worst run defense and then win the Super Bowl. Since they don’t have to worry about thier offense, the Colts can concentrate on the defense and clog up the middle with the 300-plus-pounder.