The Seattle Seahawks, represented by longtime MHR Member WABronco, select....

BRIAN BROHM, QB - LOUISVILLE

G.M. - WABronco -- Seattle GM Tim Ruskell justifies this pick with the following:

a) Clear case of Best Player Available.  Brohm was a consensus top prospect last season and going into this season, and getting him at the end of the first makes a lot of sense.

b) Making this pick gives Seattle valuable depth behind the second of their two most important players, the first being Walter Jones.  This allows them to remain competitive for longer than their present, perceived window. Also, this gives Jim Mora Jr. a young QB to mold under once his tenure begins after the following season.

c) He's a good fit in the WCO.  Smart, extremely accurate pocket passer.

d) WR such as Devin Thomas and Desean Jackson, as well as DE's like Calais Campbell were strong considerations here but Brohm's value wins out.  Seattle has young players at both WR and DE, and they have proven especially adept at developing receivers from later in the draft (DJ Hackett, Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu).

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#19 - Kansas City Chiefs - OG Branden Albert, Virginia
#20 - Detroit Lions - RB Jonathon Stewart, Oregon
#21 - Washington Redskins - WR Limas Sweed, Texas
#22 - Dallas Cowboys - RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
#23 - Pittsburgh Steelers - OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
#24 - Tennessee Titans - WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
#25 - Seattle Seahawks - QB Brian Brohm, Louisville

The Rest of the 1st Round --

26. Jacksonville (11-5) -- Claaaaas
27. San Diego (11-5) -- Brian
28. Dallas (13-3) -- jlwyatt6767
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis) (13-3) -- braekneck
30. Green Bay (13-3) -- PoorBoyWilly
31. NO PICK -- BroncoDude793
32. New York Giants (10-6) -- Russ

The Tennessee Titans, being handled by Arctic Bronco, select...

MARIO MANNINGHAM, WR - MICHIGAN

G.M. - Arctic Bronco -- Mario Manningham, 6'0" 185 lb. speedster from the University of  Michigan will help the Titans as they build their team around their QB of the future, Vince Young.  He is described by Pro Football Weekly as a sleek, gliding, quick-twitch athlete.  Manningham is particularly suitable for VY as he was rated by the major draft publications as having excellent hands and the ability to reach out and pluck the ball out of the air due to his top notch body control.  His route running is also rated as excellent, that is a major need for a young QB and should also help limit the interceptions.  He definitely grades out as a potential #1 receiver.    

There have been concerns about his mouth and the possible impact in the locker room, but VY definitely has the leadership to keep Manningham or any other receiver from becoming a distraction.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#19 - Kansas City Chiefs - OG Branden Albert, Virginia
#20 - Detroit Lions - RB Jonathon Stewart, Oregon
#21 - Washington Redskins - WR Limas Sweed, Texas
#22 - Dallas Cowboys - RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
#23 - Pittsburgh Steelers - OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
#24 - Tennessee Titans - WR Mario Manningham, Michigan

The Rest of the 1st Round --

25. Seattle (10-6) -- WABronco
26. Jacksonville (11-5) -- Claaaaas
27. San Diego (11-5) -- Brian
28. Dallas (13-3) -- jlwyatt6767
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis) (13-3) -- braekneck
30. Green Bay (13-3) -- PoorBoyWilly
31. NO PICK -- BroncoDude793
32. New York Giants (10-6) -- Russ

The Pittsburgh Steelers, represented by PABroncoFan, select....

JEFF OTAH, OT - PITTSBURGH

G.M. - PABroncoFan -- Offensive Line is the Steeler's #1 need. I was thinking about Godser Cherilus here, but I realized that nobody took Otah. He has been generally rated higher than Cherilus, and has more of a chance in the future to play LT when Marvel Smith leaves or retires. I was looking at WR here, but when Sweed was picked, I turned to OT because Devin Thomas and DeSean Jackson are not the type of big 6'3' or taller guy Big Ben is looking for. James Hardy also was an option, but I am going to gamble that he is still there in the second round or possibly trade up or take a flyer on Adarius Bowman in the third or fourth.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#19 - Kansas City Chiefs - OG Branden Albert, Virginia
#20 - Detroit Lions - RB Jonathon Stewart, Oregon
#21 - Washington Redskins - WR Limas Sweed, Texas
#22 - Dallas Cowboys - RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
#23 - Pittsburgh Steelers - OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh

The Rest of the 1st Round --

24. Tennessee (10-6) -- Arctic Bronco
25. Seattle (10-6) -- WABronco
26. Jacksonville (11-5) -- Claaaaas
27. San Diego (11-5) -- Brian
28. Dallas (13-3) -- jlwyatt6767
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis) (13-3) -- braekneck
30. Green Bay (13-3) -- PoorBoyWilly
31. NO PICK -- BroncoDude793
32. New York Giants (10-6) -- Russ

The Washington Redskins, represented by CaptChaosSidekick select...

LIMAS SWEED, WR - TEXAS

G.M. - CaptChaosSidekick -- Comments to come....

The Detroit Lions, handled by tbell61, select....

JONATHON STEWART, RB - OREGON

G.M. - tbell61 -- The departure of Kevin Jones obviously opens up a spot at the position, and we feel Stewart was the best available back on the board.  A junior at Oregon, he's 5'11", 225, is strong, has good inside speed, and excellent receiving skills.  We feel he can be our feature back.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#19 - Kansas City Chiefs - OG Branden Albert, Virginia
#20 - Detroit Lions - RB Jonathon Stewart, Oregon

The Next 4 Picks --

#21 - Washington (9-7) -- (CptChaosSidekick)
#22 - Dallas (from Cleveland) (10-6) -- (jlwyatt6767)
#23 - Pittsburgh (10-6) -- (PABroncoFan)

The Kansas City Chiefs, managed by jonnyr44, select....

BRANDEN ALBERT, OG - VIRGINIA

G.M. - jonnyr44 -- A dream scenario for Kansas City has occurred. W/ no one available at #5 who they wanted to pay the money, trading down and picking up Lito Sheppard and an add'l 5th round pick was great. Had KC not traded down, I very well might have selected Albert at #5, only now we get to pay him like a late teen pick, and not top 5. Holy hell, this is how you work the draft people. Instead of getting one player at #5 and paying him boatloads of money, we'd get Lito Sheppard as CB and KR/PR, a 5th rounder, and Albert and it'll probably be cheaper to pay those 3 players than it would to pay Vernon Gholston, who was selected 5th in our mock draft.

Why Albert? He can play anywhere on the line. at 6'5'' 310 pounds, he played G in college but could project as a LT. His versatility makes him more desirable than Otah from Pitt. He'll either be a great G or a very good tackle, and KC just has tons of holes on the line. Instant starter, plug him in, I'll see ya'll again at the beginning of round 2.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas
#19 - Kansas City Chiefs - OG Branden Albert, Virginia

The Next 4 Picks --

#20 - Detroit Lions (7-9) -- (tbell61)
#21 - Washington (9-7) -- (CptChaosSidekick)
#22 - Dallas (from Cleveland) (10-6) -- (jlwyatt6767)
#23 - Pittsburgh (10-6) -- (PABroncoFan)

The Houston Texans, represented by Pro Football Hall of Famer Orangeman, select....

AQIB TALIB, CB - KANSAS

G.M. - Orangeman -- Talib has all the tools you look for in a corner. He can match up with the taller physically gifted NFL receivers. He has the makings of a shut down corner. Talib has good recovery speed if he makes a mistake and closes quickly on the ball. He can  also wins jump ball situations. Talib is versatile enough to play safety.

Ray Rhodes will coach Talib up like Alex Gibbs coaches up the O-line. Talib needs to improve his mechanics and footwork as well as his play reading skills. He is a boom or bust player who will thrive under Rhodes tutelage.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn
#17 - Denver Broncos - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
#18 - Houston Texans - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas

The Next 5 Picks --

#19 - Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) -- (jonnyr44)
#20 - Detroit Lions (7-9) -- (tbell61)
#21 - Washington (9-7) -- (CptChaosSidekick)
#22 - Dallas (from Cleveland) (10-6) -- (jlwyatt6767)
#23 - Pittsburgh (10-6) -- (PABroncoFan)

The Arizona Cardinals, represented by Broncofornia, select...

QUENTIN GROVES, DE/LB -- AUBURN

No explanation was given for the pick, though the Cards' need for a pass rush, especially after the loss of Calvin Pace, is crucial for the Cardinals.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers(via Trade w/ Detroit) - LB Keith Rivers, USC
#16 - Arizona Cardinals - DE/LB Quentin Groves, Auburn

The Next 4 Picks -

#17.  Denver (7-9) -- EJRuiz777
#18.  Houston (8-8) -- Orangeman
#19.  Kansas City (4-12) -- jonnyr44
#20.  Detroit (7-9) -- tbell61

WE HAVE A TRADE!!!

This time, it is a trade among friends, so to speak.  The Detroit Lions(TBell61) have agreed to a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(R8rH8r).  Of course, in reality, Lions HC Rod Marinelli coached under Monte Kiffin in Tampa so a trade like this could happen.  Below are the details --

Tampa Gets - #15 Overall
Detroit Gets - #20, #83, #178

The view of the G.M.'s --

Detroit(tbell61) -- For the Lions, a team with multiple needs, this is all about collecting extra picks, especially in light of not having a compensatory pick anywhere in the draft.  We believe we can get a player who can help us at # 20, and now we have two additional picks.

Tampa(R8rH8r) -- There are two driving factors behind this trade:  (1) Tampa Bay needs to reload at WLB and (2) Outside of Keith Rivers, the draft class is incredibly thin at the position.  To get this done, I was willing to invest multiple picks to move as high as pick #6.  After Rivers slipped past New Orleans, Detroit was the first team which I considered a strong candidate to grab the top linebacker.  I was unable to complete a deal with Chicago and settled on pick #15.   My failure to move higher in the draft was serendipitous considering that Rivers slipped to me at #15.

With the 15th Pick, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and R8rH8r select...

KEITH RIVERS, LB - USC

G.M. - R8rH8r -- With the unexpected emergence of DT Jovan Haye (2005 6th-round) and sack-leader DE Greg White (Texans 2002 7th-rounder), the Bucs boast one of the league's most formidable front sevens.   At age 35, Derrick Brooks enters his 14th season in the NFL.  After an illustrious--possibly Hall of Fame--career under legendary coordinator Monte Kiffin, Brooks is losing a step and will likely retire in the next two years.  In OLB Keith Rivers, Tampa Bay has reloaded at WLB for years to come.  Rivers is already a high-character, intelligent player with great athleticism.  Recently, he clocked under 4.6 seconds in the 40 yard dash and leaped an incredible 42 inches.  There is no question that Rivers has all the tools needed to be an elite player in the NFL for years to come.  With at least a year to learn from one of the all-time greats at his position, Rivers will be in great hands in Tampa.  Given the lack of depth at the linebacker position in this year's draft, a player of Rivers caliber is an absolute steal at #15 overall.

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.
#14 - Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
#15 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - LB Keith Rivers, USC

The Next 5 Picks -

#16.  Arizona (8-8) -- Broncofornia
#17.  Denver (7-9) -- EJRuiz777
#18.  Houston (8-8) -- Orangeman
#19.  Kansas City (4-12) -- jonnyr44
#20.  Detroit (7-9) -- tbell61

The Chicago Bears, proudly represented by Bears Blogger WCG, select....

RASHARD MENDENHALL, RB - ILLINOIS

G.M. - WCG -- I wanted this pick badly.  I knew the responsible thing to do would be to take an offensive linemen, but I just could not bear (pun intended) to see another potential superstar pass us by.  So I evaluated the linemen available and decided that only Ryan Clady would be enough to get me to give up Mendenhall.  For that I owe jaxon a thanks.

The Bears are a running team...period.  So as much as you'd like to talk about how bad our passing game was/is it means nothing.  Our offense starts and ends with the run, so if it isn't working nothing is.

Mendenhall is first on  some boards and third on others.  McFadden won't be available and the Bears cannot wait to see when Stewart will be available and what he has.  Mendenhalls has size and surprising speed for a guy his size.  He is just shy of 5' 11" and 225 lbs.  He clocked a 4.45 40 at the combine.  Chicago's line may or may not be good come next year, so we will need a guy who can run around people just as much as he can run through them.  He is an above average blocker and is quite good a catching the ball, so there will be less need to pull him out for situational play.   He has outstanding vision and field presence.

The Bears selecting a kid from the area to hopefully replace a guy whose attitude is wearing thin on fans is a great PR move as well.  Besides now the Lions can't have him and isn't that all that really counts?

The Draft So Far --

#1 - Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia
#2 - St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan
#3 - Atlanta Falcons - DT Glen Dorsey, LSU
#4 - Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
#5 - Philadelphia Eagles(via Trade w/ K.C. Chiefs) - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
#6 - New York Jets - DB Leodis McKelvin, Troy St.
#7 - New England Patriots - CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
#8 - Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College
#9 - Cincinnati Bengals - DT Sedrick Ellis, USC
#10 - New Orleans Saints - CB Mike Jenkins, USF
#11 - Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
#12 - Minnesota Vikings(via trade with Denver) - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
#13 - Carolina Panthers - OT Ryan Clady, Boise St.

The Next 5 Picks -

15.  Detroit (7-9) -- tbell61
    
16.  Arizona (8-8) -- Broncofornia
    
17.  Denver (7-9) -- EJRuiz777
    
18.  Houston (8-8) -- Orangeman
    
19.  Kansas City (4-12) -- jonnyr44