NFL Draft Preview

For most people, Christmas is on Dec. 25. Not for me. Christmas usually occurs around the last week of April every year for me. Yes, I am a draft junkie. I usually watch the entire NFL draft from beginning to end, all 15 hours of it. Good thing they're shortening the first round this year from 15 to 10 minutes.

This year's draft is especially deep in offensive linemen and running backs. That means the Dolphins, by locking up Jake Long as the first pick already, have gotten the best player at the deepest position in this draft. Here are my top players at each position this year (some of these rankings are drastically different than what the "experts" say):

Quarterbacks
1. Matt Ryan, Boston College
2. Chad Henne, Michigan
3. Joe Flacco, Delaware
4. Brian Brohm, Louisville

Sleeper/Best player you've never heard of: Josh Johnson, San Diego

Running backs
1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas - Will NOT drop below the 6th spot.
2. Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
3. Jonathan Stewart, Oregon - There's a big drop-off after Stewart.
4. Felix Jones, Arkansas - Can also return kicks
5. Chris Johnson, East Carolina - Fast son-of-a-gun
6. Kevin Smith, Central Florida - My sleeper pick for RBs
7. Ray Rice, Rutgers
8. Jamaal Charles, Texas - Waaay overrated. He's got speed and nothing else.

Wide Receivers
1. Devin Thomas, Michigan State
2. James Hardy, Indiana - The complete package
3. Desean Jackson, California - More useful as returner than receiver
4. Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma - I'd put him #3 if not for injury concerns.
5. Limas Sweed, Texas

Sleeper/Best player you've never heard of: Jordy Nelson, Kansas State

Tight Ends
Fred Davis (USC), Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M), Dustin Keller (Purdue), and John Carlson (Notre Dame) are all pretty much equal.

Offensive Line
1. Jake Long, Michigan
2. Branden Albert, Virginia
3. Ryan Clady, Boise State
4. Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
5. Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
6. Gosder Cherilus, Boston College - Protected Matt Ryan's blindside
7. Sam Baker, USC

Linebackers
1. Keith Rivers, USC
2. Jerod Mayo, Tennessee
3. Dan Conner, Penn State
4. Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks
1. Leodis McKelvin, Troy
2. Mike Jenkins, South Florida
3. Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie, Tennessee State - Antonio Cromartie's cousin; only has one kidney...
4. Aqib Talib, Kansas
5. Antoine Cason, Arizona - Underrated due to his size

Sleeper/Boom or Bust: Charles Godfrey, IOWA!

Safeties
1. Kenny Phillips, Miami
2. Um..that's it. Everybody else sucks.

Defensive Tackle
1. Glenn Dorsey, LSU
2. Sedrick Ellis, USC
3. Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina - Overrated. Just a workout warrior who will be drafted high because of his combine stats

Defensive End
1. Chris Long, Virginia - Safest prospect of the draft. He takes over games.
2. Vernon Gholston, THE Ohio State - Overrated. Tantalizing tangibles but disappears in big games.
3. Quentin Groves, Auburn - Can take over a game like Chris Long
4. Derrick Harvey, Florida
5. Philip Merling, Clemson

I guarantee that my rankings are more accurate than anything that Mel Kiper's hair spouts out.


Oh, and expect trades. Lots of them.