According To Kurz...NFL Mock Draft

Here is my attempt at predicting what this year 2009 NFL Draft 1st round will look like, again I repeat: This is an attempt! I think there will be a lot of trades so the order may get mixed up, and I left some good players like Donald Brown, Larry English, Clint Singrim, and many others who may slip in the 1st round out of my mock draft. My hardest part was finding a spot for Aaron Curry surprisingly, because if he goes past 5, I don’t know where he will end up.


Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB Georgia
- Franchise quarterback with all the physical tools, but Detroit may ruin him before he can establish himself.

Rams: Jason Smith, OT Baylor
- With Orlando Pace gone and Alex Barron labeled a bust they need a tackle, and why not get a component to help your best player Stephen Jackson. Eugene Monroe could go here as well.

Chiefs: Aaron Curry. LB Wake Forest
- GM Scott Pioli is from New England so look for a trade, but he also likes to build with defense first. My surprise pick here would be Crabtree since new Head Coach Todd Haley just came from an offense with 2 superstar receivers.

Seahawks: Eugene Monroe, OT Virginia
- Really they could go with a lot of choices here, but I think they want to protect Matt Hassleback first and have a replacement for LT Walter Jones when he retires.

Browns: B.J Raji, DT Boston College
- A trade could happen with Braylon Edwards or either of their QB’s, but if nothing happens I think they will want to build that defensive front with a strong D linemen. Brian Orakpo could go here as well.

Bengals: Andre Smith, OT Alabama
- They need a lot of help but they lost some good offensive linemen this off-season and Smith could fit in right away and protect Carson Palmer.

Raiders: Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech
- I think Al Davis will realize this is the best WR in this years draft and have 3 young stars on offense with Crabtree, McFadden, and Russell. But Coach Cable has been rumored to really like Jeremy Maclin.

Jaguars: Jeremy Maclin, WR Missouri
- If Sanchez is still on the board here I think we will see a trade, but the Jaguars desperately need to upgrade their receiver position. Also, Maclin could learn from veteran WR Torry Holt.

Packers: Brian Orakpo, OLB/DE Texas
- They will go with the player they feel most valuable that is left, but Orakpo gives them an edge rusher they will need for that new 3-4 defense. To me he is a boom or bust pick that could be like Terrell Suggs or more like Vernon Gholston.

49’ers: Mark Sanchez, QB USC
- I don’t expect him to be here if a trade has happened earlier, but if he is there is no way San Francisco can pass on him. They need a QB and he already knows the West Coast Offense. If he isn’t there a DE or OT would make sense.

Bills: Michael Oher, OT Mississippi
- They just lost a pro bowl LT in Jason Peters so Oher could come fill that void, and protect Trent Edwards in what could be a very powerful offense.

Broncos: Tyson Jackson, DE LSU
- If Jackson is still here new coach Josh McDaniel’s must take him, he is a perfect five-technique for the 3-4 defense. Problem is Jackson has been rising on a lot of draft boards lately.

Redskins: Robert Ayers, DE Tennessee
- He is a little bit of a sleeper but he is a pure end in a 4-3 defense and could help rush the quarterback with DT Albert Haynsworth receiving a lot of double teams.

Saints: Brian Cushing, LB USC
- Sean Payton loves USC guys (last 2 1st round picks- Reggie Bush, Sedrick Ellis) and Cushing would fit right in at OLB with Scott Fujita on the other side and Jon Vilma in the middle. CB and S are also a concern, so maybe Vontae Davis or Malcolm Jenkins could go here.

Texans: Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S Ohio State
- A pass rusher would make sense as well but that secondary got torched last year and Jenkins could play either Safety or Corner depending on the teams need.

Chargers: Rey Mauluga, LB USC
- This guy would fit right into that LB corps of nasty and high energy players, and could play inside linebacker in the teams 3-4. If Jenkins is available he could be the pick, or a RB that could compliment Tomlinson and Sproles would make sense.

Jets: Percy Harvin, WR Florida
- They do need a QB so that wouldn’t be a surprise, but Harvin could also serve as an explosive punt returner and kick return guy. Since Rex Ryan will most likely try to win with a powerful defense a weapon on special teams would make sense.

Broncos: Aaron Maybin, OLB/DE Penn State
- They will continue to add help to the defense and Maybin would give them a nice edge rusher, but could use a year or two in the weight room.

Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB Kansas State
- I am not sure of he will make it this far but if available he would be the choice. He has a big arm and is compared to Joe Flacco a lot, but they also need help at LB and DT.

Lions: Ebon Britton, OT Arizona
- A lot of mock drafts have them tackle a defensive player here, but I think they will follow Atlanta’s blue print from last year and get a player to protect their new franchise QB.

Eagles: Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia
- Chris wells could make sense as well but I think they like Moreno more and he would make a nice rotation of backs with the often injured Brian Westbrook.

Vikings: Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers
- They need a receiver to take some load off of Adrian Peterson and free Bernard Berrien of double coverage’s. I think Darius Heywerd-Bey could go here but his questionable hands make Britt the choice.

Patriots: Vontae Davis, CB Illinois
- If this pick is right I will be surprised because no one can ever predict what they are going to do and they will take who ever they feel best fits their plans. But after looking at their roster they are very thin at the CB spot, but RB Donald Brown or OLB Clay Mathews could go here as well.

Falcons: Pierra Jerry, DT Mississippi
- A big space eater in the middle is what they need, and Jerry is exactly that but I am just not sure he will be available here. The falcons have a few spots to fill in their defense so an LB or a DB would also be a good pick.


Dolphins: Clay Mathews, OLB USC
- I think Parcells like his pedigree (see Bobby Carpenter when Parcells was in Dallas) and he is a great special teams player to go along with his pass rush abilities.

Ravens: Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma State
- The Ravens don’t have a lot of picks so they may trade out of this spot, but a weapon to help Joe Flacco would make sense. I am a huge fan of Pettigrew and to have him combined with Todd Heap would be dangerous.

Colts: Evander “Ziggy” Hood, DT Mississippi
- I think they will ask Peyton Manning if he wants any of the available WR or RB on the board and if he says no then Hood will be their guy. He is a good fit as a 1 technique in their cover 2 scheme, and takes some pressure of their DE’s.

Bills: Everette Brown, OLB/DE Florida State
- He would be a little bit of a project because he would need to learn the OLB in a 3-4 defense, but would provide speed of the edge. Larry English may go here as well; the Bills have a history of drafting “reach” players.

Giants: Darius Heyard-Bey, WR Maryland
- This gives them a big WR for Eli to throw to, but they may need to trade up if they want to get him because I am not sure he will fall this far.

Titans: Darius Butler, CB UConn
- They need a corner badly, but with Albert Haysworth gone they could use some D line help. Getting a Receiver in the first round would make sense as well, but they seem to refuse to do that.

Cardinals: Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB Ohio State
- If he falls this far they must take him, his potential is too good to pass up. They have an unproven RB in Tim Hightower and an aging on in Edge, so he makes perfect sense. If he isn’t here then a pass rusher would be their selection.

Steelers: Max Unger, C Oregon
- A corner would be a good pick as well, but they some how managed to win the title with a below average offensive line, and Unger is a 6’4 center that proved he is a 1st rounder at the senior bowl.