Lou Pickney's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

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Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.

In most mock drafts I, see the redskins addressing the need of a pass rusher instead of a DB, why do you feel that they draft a DB first?

Lou: Make no mistake, the Redskins have a major need at the DE position. And with the likes of Erasmus James likely on the board at #9, it might seem like an odd move for the team to go DB.

But the reality is that with back-to-back offseasons in losing great CBs (Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot), the Redskins desperately need to revamp at that position. I've gone back and forth on what I anticipate will be the top need for Washington in the first round. The team did help out its secondary by drafting FS Sean Taylor last year, but the question seems to be this: would Washington pass up on either Pac-Man Jones or Antrel Rolle in order to take a highly touted DE? For the longest time I had Erasmus James slotted to Washington at #9, and when I next redo my draft I might put James back into the spot. I need to give it a bit more thought, and perhaps do a little more research into what the Redskins are looking for on the free agent market as far as finding a replacement for Fred Smoot.

I'm glad though that you didn't ask about the Redskins taking a WR at #9. That would be a very foolhearty move in my estimation, particularly in light of their defensive needs.

From: TheNatural54@aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 11:23 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: dallas cowboys

i'm a dallas fan, I'm hearing that dallas might switch to the 3-4 defemse. if that's the case will dallas draft shawne merrimane if he's available or will they draft a defensive linemen to help la roi glover ? I also think dallas should get a big rb to provide julius jones a rest between games, he's a great looking runner but at 5'9 205 pounds, he can't run 30 times a game. is eric shelton the rb from louisville a possibility in rounds 3 or 4? and finally at pick 20, do you see dallas taking a cb like carlos rogers if availbale or drafting troy williamson if available, is there also any truth to dallas getting darren sharper???

Lou: As you probably know by now, Darren Sharper has signed with the Minnesota Vikings, so scratch that from the list.

Shawne Merriman would be a better fit for a 3-4 defense, but as an OLB he should do fine in a 4-3, so either way he'd fit well with Dallas. He's a bit undersized to play DE in a traditional 4-3, but at LB he should be an excellent choice. If Dallas plans to switch to the 3-4, it seems like they would've started the ball rolling in that direction sooner, but maybe some things do stay secret in Big D moreso than we might think.

As for targeting a RB, as I've said before, if Dallas wanted a big RB, they had their chance to take 6'2" 231 pound Steven Jackson last year. With Eddie George as the backup, he can serve as a change of pace for Jones, but it might not be a bad idea to bring in another RB for depth purposes. Eric Shelton is an intriguing target as he is a big guy (nearly 6'2", 245, and an excellent blocker). Shelton could be an ideal third round RB, though he needs to work on his pass catching skills, even if his primary role would be as a blocker/bruiser. It would be interesting to see if Dallas would use a third round pick on him. If the Cowboys trade down from #20, they might be able to obtain another third rounder in the move, which could give them the chance to pick up a player like Shelton. That's a nice observation and something to keep an eye on as day one of the NFL draft winds down.

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