The NFL draft is here

The 2008 NFL draft kicks off tomorrow at 3pm, it will aire on ESPN and this year the first day will only include the first and second rounds. Since we got the vital details out of the way, now we can focus on who will take who. The first pick is taken care of with the dolphins signing Jake Long to a monster deal on Wednesday. The mock draft is according to Rivals.com. The rams own the second pick, and are expected to draft Chris Long to shore up the front seven on defense. Other high possibilities are Glen Dorsey and Vernon Gholston. Next are the Falcons, where they need help anywhere they can get it. Matt Ryan is the expected pick here, but I believe if Dorsey is there they have to take him. Matt Ryan at this point is not much better then Flacco and Brohm. With the fourth pick the Raiders are expected to draft this guyNow I would be ecstatic if Dorsey was picked here. Someone needs to replace Sapp, yet if somehow Chris Long slips to the fourth pick they cannot pass on him. Rumors are that Vernon Gholston and Mcfadden are high possibilities that Al Davis may go with, due to there speed and gholstons size. Hopefully Al does not go with gholston or the "I want the guy who looks the best coming off the bus" way of thinking. This guy seems like a bust, he has not shown enough on the field to validate a top ten pick. The fifth pick is owned by the Chiefs, rivals has them going with Gholston.
Picks 6-32
6- Jets -Darren Mcfadden/Arkansas RB (steal if he lasts this long)
7- Pats -Keith Rivers/USC LB
8- Ravens -Ryan Clady/Boise State OT
9- Bengals -Sedrick Ellis/USC DT
10-Saints -Leodis McKelvin/Troy CB
11-Bills -Domique Rogers-Cromartie/Tenn ST. CB
12-Broncos -Branden Albert/UVA OG
13-Panthers -Derrick Harvey/Florida DE
14-Bears -Rashard Mendenhall/ Illinois RB (I really like this pick, platooning Benson and Mendenhall would be a killer duo)
15-Lions -Mike Jenkins/USF CB
16-Cardinals-Chris Williams/Vandy OT
17-Chiefs -Jeff Otah/Pitt OT
18-Texans -Jonathan Stewart/Oregon RB
19-Eagles -Jerod Mayo/Tennessee LB(do it all LB, will suprise people in the NFL)
20-Bucs -Kentwan Balmer/UNC DT
21-Redskins -Devin Thomas/Mich ST. WR(I see them actually drafting Phillip Merling/Clemson DE)
22-Cowboys -Limas Sweed/Texas WR
23-Steelers -Gosder Cherilius/Boston College OT
24-Titans -Desean Jackson/Cal WR
25-Seahawks -Felix Jones/Arkanas RB
26-Jags -Phillip Merling/Clemson DE
27-Chargers -DaJuan Morgan/NC State SS
28-Cowboys -Aqib Talib/ Kansas CB (I dont see him lasting this long, but he's a steal if he does)
29-49ers -Calais Cambell/ The U DE
30-Packers -Brandon Flowers/VT CB
31-Patriots -Pick Forfeited, should have been both there first round picks.
32-Giants -Kenny Phillips/The U FS (they have to replace gibril wilson who signed with the Raiders)

I don't know how close to reality this mock draft is, but noone has a clue what the guys in the various board rooms are going to do. Also on tap this weekend is the third game of the Lakers-Nuggets series, fourth game of the Wiz-Cavs series, and Cubs-Nats all weekend in the capital. Hopefully I will be at the game Sunday watching the Nats and Tim Redding get shelled by Ted Lilly and The Cubbies.

UPDATE: 1- Dolphins, Jake Long
2- Rams, Chris Long
3- Falcons, Matt Ryan
4- Raiders, Darren Mcfadden
5- Chiefs, Glen Dorsey
6- Jets, Vernon Gholston
So it seems that Rivals mock draft was fairly accurate, yet after the tenth pick they were nowhere close. Most noticeable was Devin Thomas falling into the second round, embarrasingly enough ESPN was there to capture this freefall live from his home. He was slotted as high as 11 and the Redskins lucked out and get him in the second.