Mock draft 3.0

I'm switching a few things up from the mock draft that's up at the website. Two main catalysts for the changes: Minnesota gave their first-rounder to KC in the Jared Allen trade, and intelligence that Al Davis and Howie Long do not remotely get along.

This'll probably never make it up to the site because it's a LOT of work.

(Mock draft 3.1: Whoops! Let's try this again and not leave Sedrick Ellis completely out of the draft this time. Now THERE would be some draft news.)

Mock draft 4/23
1. Miami, Jake Long, T, Michigan.
2. RAMS, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU.
3. Atlanta, Matt Ryan, QB, BC.
4. Oakland, Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas.
5. Kansas City, Chris Long, DE, Virginia. Perfect young substitute for Allen.
6. NY Jets, Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State. Will not pass on elite edge rusher with McFadden gone.
7. New England, Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy. Back to DB.
8. Baltimore, Ryan Clady, T, Boise State.
9. Cincinnati, Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC.
10. New Orleans, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State. Coin-flip for top DB.
11. Buffalo, Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State.
12. Denver, Chris Williams, T, Vanderbilt.
13. Carolina, Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon.
14. Chicago, Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois.
15. Detroit, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida.
16. Big Dead, Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida. Jenkins gets a boost; best DB or RB on the board.
17. Kansas City (from Minnesota), Jeff Otah, T, Pitt. Chiefs get their o-lineman, too.
18. Houston - Keith Rivers, LB, USC.
19. Philadelphia - Branden Albert, OL, Virginia.
20. Tampa Bay - Limas Sweed, WR, Texas.
21. Washington - James Hardy, WR, Indiana.
22. Dallas (from Cleveland) - Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas.
23. Pittsburgh - Gosder Cherilus, T, BC.
24. Tennessee - Philip Merling, DE, Clemson.
25. Seattle - Kenny Phillips, S, Miami.
26. Jacksonville - Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina.
27. San Diego - Reggie Smith, DB, Oklahoma.
28. Dallas - Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma.
29. Whiners - DeSean Jackson, WR, California.
30. GB - Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas.
31. NYG - Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee.

Second Round
32. Miami - Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn.
33. RAMS - ANTOINE CASON, CB, Arizona. I would make Lawrence Jackson the pick here. Sam Baker would also be great. But I'll have to determine if either has visited Rams Park. All of Linehan's 1st and 2nd-rounders to date had visits here prior to being drafted. If a guy didn't come here, he's not high on the Rams' board. I know Cason's been here; I know the Rams don't trust Unca Fakhir to keep his nose clean; I know they're disappointed in Jonathan Wade's early returns, and Ron Bartell is in his walk year. They brought in a lot of WRs and I think they're expecting to take a WR here, but this mock paints a scenario that doesn't mesh with that.
34. Atlanta (from Oakland) - Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida. I can't take Bubba for the Rams because I can't understand why they went and signed his brother.
35. Kansas City - Sam Baker, T, USC. (Could move inside to guard.)
36. NYJ - Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas. Need explosive offensive players and running game is wretched.
37. Atlanta - Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue.
38. Baltimore - Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville.
39. Whiners - Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue.
40. New Orleans - Dan Connor, LB, Penn State.
41. Buffalo - Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M.
42. Denver - Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame.
43. Carolina - Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC.
44. Chicago - Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware.
45. Detroit - Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina.
46. Cincinnati - DaJuan Morgan, FS, North Carolina State.
47. Minnesota - Early Doucet, WR, LSU.
48. Atlanta (from Houston) - Anthony Collins, T, Kansas.
49. Philadelphia - Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt. Big boost for a WR they're known to like.
50. Big Dead - Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan. Stock has been climbing (my way of saying I've been mistakenly overlooking a player to date.)
51. Washington - Calais Campbell, DE, Miami.
52. Tampa Bay - Justin King, CB, Penn State.
53. Pittsburgh - Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina.
54. Tennessee - Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State.
55. Seattle - Dre Moore, DT, Maryland.
56. Green Bay (from Cleveland) - Chad Henne, QB, Michigan.
57. Miami (from San Diego) - Curtis Lofton, LB, Oklahoma. Better value as Zach Thomas' replacement than previous projected pick of Pat Sims.
58. Jacksonville - Carl Nicks, T, Nebraska.
59. Indy - Xavier Adibi, OLB, Va Tech.
60. GB - Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers.
61. Dallas - Brandon Flowers, CB, Va Tech.
62. NE - Tyrell Johnson, SS, Arkansas State.
63. NYG - Kendall Langford, DE, Hampton.

64. Miami - Pat Sims, DT, Auburn. Especially if Miami can select Sims here anyway.
65. RAMS - Will Franklin, WR, Missouri. Yeah, I know, no DE, no o-line depth. But they didn't invite that many DEs in in the first place, and my 2.0 mock has them waiting till the 4th for o-line anyway. I agree I'd like the Rams' mock a lot better if they got Jackson in round 2.

The Jared Allen trade is GREAT for Minnesota, who should come away from this draft with one of the top WR prospects as well as one of the league's best pass rushers. It's also GREAT for KC, who got very good value for a player they would have lost for nothing, a second first-round pick that really lets them rebuild their o-line while also replacing Allen somewhat adequately with Long (or Gholston) with their original pick.