Todd McShay's 2009 Mock First Round

Be the first on your block to check out Todd McShay's 2009 Mock First Round taken straight from him after the 2008 Draft. #

Right after the 2008 NFL Draft, Todd McShay released his view of what the 2009 NFL Draft would look like. Here it is:

The 2008 NFL draft is in the books, so now it's time to look ahead to
2009.Obviously, there are plenty of variables here, starting with the draft
order. Scouts Inc.'s NFL team looked at 2008 schedules, draft order and
personnel -- including 2008 draft classes and free-agent moves -- and put
together its initial 2008 power rankings to determine the order of this mock
draft.As for the prospects, the talent pool includes every draft-eligible
player. Yes, we know some of the top '08 juniors might not come out early, but
if they're technically eligible for the draft, they're definitely eligible for
the 2009 mock draft.

An asterisk denotes draft-eligible underclassmen, including those who
redshirted or spent a year in prep school.So, with the first pick of the 2009
NFL Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select …




1. Atlanta Falcons -- Fili Moala, DT, USCAtlanta finally gets its
playmaking interior defensive lineman. Moala has flown under the radar to this
point but he should emerge from the shadow of 2008 No. 7 overall pick Sedrick
Ellis and become one of the elite defenders in college football this fall.





2. Detroit Lions -- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia TechCoach Rod
Marinelli's defense is predicated on speed up front, and Johnson is blessed with
plenty of that. Johnson was overlooked while playing in a rotation last season,
but it won't take long for the rangy edge-rusher to make his mark in 2008.





3. Kansas City Chiefs -- Matt Stafford*, QB, GeorgiaAnother
injury-plagued and disappointing season out of fragile QB Brodie Croyle will
force the Chiefs to address the position with this high draft pick in 2009. If
the supremely talented Stafford continues to progress as he did last fall, he
could easily emerge as a top-five pick next April.




4. Miami Dolphins -- Al Woods, DT, LSUAt 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, Woods is
a physically imposing defensive tackle with enough size and strength to anchor
the middle of a 3-4 defense.


5. Cincinnati Bengals -- Sen'Derrick Marks*, DT, AuburnThe Bengals got shut
out in their pursuit of an elite defensive tackle in this year's draft, but 2009
will be more kind. Marks is an undersized playmaker with the first-step
quickness to disrupt as a 3-technique tackle, which is exactly what Marvin
Lewis' defense needs along its front.


6. Oakland Raiders -- Andre Smith*, OT, AlabamaSmith stepped in immediately
as the Tide's starting left tackle and continues to improve with more coaching
and game experience. The Raiders could enlist a player with his kind of skills
to take care of their most recent first-round investments in QB JaMarcus Russell
and RB Darren McFadden.

7. Chicago Bears -- Tim Tebow*, QB, FloridaIt's almost certain that the
Bears will need a quarterback come next offseason. Unfortunately, next year's
crop of signal-callers does not look promising at this point. Bears fans won't
be thrilled if the team uses a high pick on another Gators quarterback following
the failed Rex Grossman experiment, but Tebow's unique blend of skills and rare
intangibles might be too good to pass up. Should Tebow elect to leave school
early, however, his uncommon skill set could make him the most difficult
prospect at any position to grade.




8. San Francisco 49ers -- Michael Oher, OT, MississippiOher, who possesses
the size and athletic ability to develop into an upper-echelon starting tackle
in the NFL, would make an ideal bookend opposite 2007 first-rounder Joe
Staley.

9. St. Louis Rams -- Rey Maualuga, ILB, USCMaualuga is the top senior
prospect on my 2009 draft board at this insanely early point in the process,
although he wouldn't be the first senior off the board. I've never seen a
defensive player take over a game the way Maualuga did versus Illinois in the
Rose Bowl, and his recognition skills are clearly catching up with his rare
physical tools.




10. New York Jets -- Knowshon Moreno*, RB, GeorgiaMoreno burst onto the
scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and he should build on that momentum as a
first-year starter behind a more mature offensive line during the upcoming
season. The Jets were not able to land McFadden in this year's draft but Moreno
would be worth the wait if he's available in 2009.




11. Tennessee Titans -- Michael Crabtree*, WR, Texas TechDo not pigeonhole
Crabtree; he's not just a product of coach Mike Leach's pass-crazy offense. The
tall, long-armed receiver could be the go-to-target QB Vince Young so
desperately needs.




12. Houston Texans -- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio StateJenkins made a wise
decision to return as a senior. He needs to improve his footwork and overall
man-to-man cover skills to prove to scouts he's capable of playing corner in any
scheme at the next level. Regardless, the Texans could use his ball-hawking
skills in their secondary, no matter whether it's at cornerback or safety.

13. Denver Broncos -- James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State Laurinaitis surprised
many NFL scouts when he elected to return to Columbus for his senior season.
Assuming he continues to make progress in 2008, there's no reason to believe he
will fall out of the top 20 picks in next year's draft. The instinctive,
high-motor inside linebacker would be a nice addition to a Denver defense in
search of more stout defenders up the middle.

14. Baltimore Ravens -- Vontae Davis, CB, IllinoisThe Ravens need an
upgrade at corner and a young playmaker like Davis, who possesses rare
athleticism for his size, would be an ideal fit.




15. Philadelphia Eagles (from CAR) -- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, MarylandThe
Eagles failed to land a go-to-receiver in the 2008 draft (no, DeSean Jackson
does not qualify). Instead of going the free-agent route to land a weapon for
veteran QB Donovan McNabb, they might as well use one of two first-round picks
in '09 on a future primary target for future QB Kevin Kolb.




16. Arizona Cardinals -- LeSean McCoy*, RB, PittsburghAfter Arizona failed
to find a complement for Edgerrin James in this year's draft, the Cardinals'
need at running back will be far more pressing in the spring of '09. McCoy is a
supremely talented sophomore who is draft eligible after spending a year in prep
school, and he is reportedly already eyeing the 2009 draft.


17. Buffalo Bills -- Travis Beckum, TE, WisconsinBeckum could emerge as a
top-20 pick if he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame while maintaining his
big-play ability as a receiver during his senior season.




18. Philadelphia Eagles -- Phil Loadholt, OT, OklahomaAfter failing to land
one of the record-setting seven offensive tackles selected in the first round of
this year's draft, coach Andy Reid will be craving a big fella like Loadholt in
2009.




19. Washington Redskins -- Greg Hardy*, DE, MississippiHardy is flying
under the radar right now despite notching 10 solo sacks the past two seasons,
and the Redskins will be looking for a young pass-rushing threat after failing
to land one during the latest draft.

20. Minnesota Vikings -- Percy Harvin*, WR/RS, FloridaStaying healthy
for a full season would all but guarantee Harvin a spot in the first round of
the NFL draft, either next year or in 2010.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Ciron Black, OT, LSUThe Bucs will be looking to
enlist the services of a talented left tackle prospect such as Black, who
displays quick feet for a 6-5, 315-pounder.


22. Green Bay Packers -- Max Unger, OT, OregonUnger, who projects as a
first-day pick in next year's draft, is the type of versatile lineman the
Packers typically covet.


23. Cleveland Browns -- Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, ClemsonSapp is an up-and-coming
talent with outstanding speed and pass-rushing potential. He should fit
perfectly as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 scheme like the one employed in
Cleveland.


24. Seattle Seahawks -- Duke Robinson, G, OklahomaThe Seahawks are still
looking for a long-term solution at left guard, so why not use this pick on the
player who is at this point the top prospect at that position.




25. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSUJackson is among the elite
senior defensive prospects right now but that might not hold up for 12 full
months, as he's simply not a great fit for every team's defensive scheme. At 6-5
and 290, Jackson is best suited to play defensive end in a three-man front like
the one employed in Pittsburgh.

26. New Orleans Saints -- Gerald McRath, OLB, Southern MissThe Saints will
be looking for an injection of youth and athleticism at linebacker and the
speedy, undersized McRath falls in line with that objective.




27. New York Giants -- Brandon Spikes, ILB, FloridaThe Giants could use a
quick and powerful tackling machine like Spikes after failing to address that
need early in the 2008 draft.




28. Jacksonville Jaguars -- William Moore, S, MissouriMoore emerged as a
playmaking machine in 2007, when he notched 114 tackles and eight interceptions.
At 6-1 and 215 pounds he could be the versatile strong safety Jacksonville needs
opposite FS Reggie Nelson.

29. Indianapolis Colts -- Vance Walker, DT/DE, Georgia TechWalker has
the right blend of tools to provide depth along the interior of Indianapolis'
quick-but-undersized defensive line.




30. San Diego Chargers -- Auston English, DE/OLB, OklahomaEnglish is an
instinctive, high-motor player with very good speed and fluid hips for a young
defensive end. He already has experience dropping into coverage on zone-blitz
looks within Oklahoma's complex defensive scheme.

31. Dallas Cowboys -- Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSUWide receiver is the one
area Dallas did not address during an otherwise promising 2008 draft. Byrd has a
lot to prove as a senior but he certainly has the blend of size and deep speed
it takes to emerge as a first-round draft pick.

32. New England Patriots -- Brian Cushing, OLB, USCThe Patriots continue a
recent trend of drafting linebackers by using this selection on the versatile
Cushing. The 6-5, 248-pounder has experience on the strong side and as a rush
linebacker, which will be attractive to a New England coaching staff that likes
versatility in its linebackers.