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.

What round do you see former Arkansas QB Matt Jones going in and what team do you think could really use him? A guy that is 6'6 with great hands running a 4.37 can't be ignored for long.

Lou: Jones is the biggest enigma of the draft of any player who played for a BCS conference team in 2004. It's quite a caveat there, I know, but there are some mysteries out there between Maurice Clarett and Adrian McPherson and some of the small school guys.

Interestingly, earlier today my friend Scott Massey (who helped out with the running commentary on the 2004 Draft on this site last year) called me and brought up Matt Jones and wondered what would become of him in the NFL. I admitted to Scott that I didn't know and that much of it depended on where he ended up being taken in the draft.

Most people seem to think that Jones won't play QB in the NFL due to his mechanics not being up to snuff. At 6'6", he ran FOUR 40s at the combine that were sub-4.40. Add in there a 39½ inch vertical and a 10'6" long jump, and we're looking at quite an athlete. Add to that Jones' ability to catch the ball, which some have said is up there near Mike Williams' ability. That's a bold statement, as Williams is the best I've seen in years. But if he's even close, you have to really look at him as a wild card.

The question becomes: will he play WR or TE? Or even H-Back? I've heard that Jones is not inclined to go the TE route, believing that if he's good enough to play WR, why should be add all the extra weight and change himself to become a tight end? He seems a bit tall to be running the ball, but that's just my take. Instead, you could line up Jones wide in a 3-WR set (with the other two WRs running patterns away from him), have him go 15-20 yards, then turn around and jump for the ball. At 6'6", with that speed, leaping ability AND catching skills... he seems unstoppable. With defensive holding being penalized like crazy, trying to hold him downfield won't work out too well. Even bringing a safety over to help out might not work with his height, and with two other WRs on the field... well that's just dangerous to do that.

So why isn't Jones touted as a first rounder? He'll need to learn the little nuances of playing WR, especially on the NFL level. If guys who excelled on the college level usually take three years to "get it" in the pros, how long will it take for Jones to assimilate? That is an important question.

But you read 6'6" and 4.37 40 and you do a double-take, much like the results of Ronnie Brown's combine results. It just seems unreal. What the rest of the NFL has to fear is that a team that's already strong (think New England or Philly or Pittsburgh) will roll the dice on Jones and hope that he can produce. Could you imagine Matt Jones in a 4 WR spread with the Pats? What would a defensive coordinator do in that situation? And while I don't know much about his blocking skills, you'd think that a 6'6" 242 pounder could lay some vicious downfield hits to spring teammates for some really long plays. If he goes on day one, or even in the second round, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

From: Craig Rotz
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 9:15 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject : Breaking the No Trade Rule

I recommend using an asterisk by the trade so you don't get too much e-mail on it. As far as the trade, if they want Edwards they need to make the trade and I don't think anybody else could afford to make the move up to #3. If the Vikings are making the wholesale change to having a strong defense, then it would not surprise me to see them go with a top notch running back.

Minnesota could easily trade down from #18 and build up their draft picks which they would have given up to get to 3. Then they might still be able to get a DE, OG and Nugent.

Where do you think Matt Jones and Marion Barber will end up?

Craig Rotz

PS I like the fact that you are doing something daily.

Lou: Perhaps an asterisk would help, but as it is I think the explanation at the top makes sense. If people are going to complain, then so be it.

As for the Vikings going RB, I don't see it. I think they'll give Michael Bennett one more season to show that he can stay healthy. When he's not injured, Bennett has proven to be a strong RB. And what's more, the Vikings have some capable backups who shined when called upon in 2004.

I think the desire for Braylon Edwards and/or Mike Williams will lead Minnesota to trade up. The team dealt away Randy Moss, and when you look at how strong the Vikings defense looks now, before the draft, and when you factor in that it has two recent first round picks on its D-line (Kevin Williams '03 and Kenechi Udeze '04), the demand for a first round DE pick is neutralized a bit. As for the OG position, the team should be able to find depth there even in round three, assuming that the Vikings go with Nugent in round two. Trading up might cost Minnesota its 2006 first rounder, but the smart move might be to make that sacrifice, load up on talent now, and see how things play out from there. Remember, both Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James are franchise players, so if the RB situation doesn't work out in 2005, they could try to acquire one of those guys and use the money that a 2006 first rounder might've demanded to help pay for the hefty contract. But that's looking aways down the road.

Matt Jones was discussed above; Marion Barber looks to potentially be a 3rd or 4th round selection. He falls into a group of guys like Cal's J.J. Arrington, N.C. State's T.A. McLendon and Wisconsin's Anthony Davis of mid-level talents who will likely be drafted in the middle of the 2005 Draft and be backups as rookies.

From: cindie@rosevalleyinsurance.com
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 10:56 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: Vikings

In your trade what does Minnesota give up? I think they just need to give up there 2nd or a player, and if they do trade up to 7 to 3 could you see the Vikings trading down from 18 to 21-24 and pick up a 2nd or a 3rd

Lou: Let's be clear: I don't know what Cleveland would demand to move from #3 to #7. To move from #4 to #1 last year, the NY Giants gave up their 2004 3rd round pick (#65), their 2005 1st round pick, and their 2005 5th round pick. But it's a bit different when you're talking about moving four spots up when the destination is #1, not #3. Detroit extracted Cleveland's 2004 2nd round pick (#37) in moving from #6 to #7 last year. I'd think it would cost Minnesota their 2006 first rounder plus one or more 2005 picks, unless Cleveland wants to demand both of Minnesota's 2005 first rounders in compensation. To that end I feel a bit uncomfortable with including speculative trades, but this one is lining up as there's Cleveland at #3 wanting hard to trade down and Minnesota at #7 wanting hard to trade up. You have Miami (#2) and Arizona (#8) as mildly interested parties, but Arizona can simply do a deal to get Travis Henry and not having to worry about drafting an RB at #8 or the hassles of paying to trade up. Your idea of the Vikings moving down from #18 to the 21-24 range is interesting; last year the Vikings moved from #19 to #20 with Miami and landed the Dolphins' 4th rounder (#119) as a result.

From: Jason Garrick
Sent: Friday, April 1, 2005 1:25 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: Steelers pick

Hey Lou,

I enjoy your site, you offer alot of good information in regards to the draft. However, I was hoping you would change your pick for the Steelers. If Cowher is dumb enough to draft another wide receiver in the first round (which i believe he is) then he deserves to be fired. Although this will never happen with the Rooneys running the show. The last three times idiot Cowher has taken a receiver with the first round pick, they turned out to be busts! Three names, Charles Johnson, Troy Edwards, and Plaxico Burress. Although, I don't know how Burress will do in New York, you never know. I hope Cowher is smart enough to go after offensive linemen. I think David Bass would be a great pick. The Steelers have no depth on the o-line and I can't see Hartings playing another season with his two bad knees. I have read that David Bass could play the Center position as well as Guard. I think the Steelers could get receivers in the later rounds. All of their starting receivers now are not first round picks. I would like to see them solidify that offensive line with future starters to build around Roethlisberger. Then they can worry about the receivers. I can't say this for all Steeler fans, but I know I'm sick of Cowher. Five AFC Championship Games all at home, with one win! Unreal. Well thanks for letting me respond and vent some frustrations as well. Keep up the good work!

Lou: You raise an interesting point about the Steelers and their less-than-stellar track record with first round receivers. I'd say that the jury is still out on Plaxico, though you're right about Charles Johnson and Troy Edwards being busts. The Edwards situation in particular was disappointing since he was so good in college. But these things happen.

David Baas is one of the top OG prospects out there. He and Elton Brown (from Virginia) are the two players most likely to be the first offensive guard taken in the 2005 Draft. Baas is a Michigan guy, and Michigan is known for producing quality offensive linemen. Downfield blocking is about the only weakness is Baas' game, and he can be taught that on the pro level. He's projected as a guy who can start pretty soon into his career, if not right away, which should be tempting for any team in need of offensive guard help. And, yes, he could play either OG or C in the NFL, which makes him that much more valuable.

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