Lou Pickney's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

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Draft King Mailbag

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

From: Jacob Ethridge
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Nov 20, 2006 1:52 PM
Subject: Nfl mock draft

I was just looing at your mock draft online. It looks pretty good,but.... No Marshawn Lynch? What's up with that? He's a sure first rounder!

Lou: If Marshawn Lynch comes out, he will be given consideration in the first round. He has had a strong career at Cal, proving to be a speedy rusher, a capable receiver, and a player who makes quick cuts and decisive moves at the line.

The reason for Lynch not being in the first round on my mock? I don't see there being great demand for the RB position in teams that will be drafting near the bottom of the first round, though trades could always happen. I think of Kevin Jones, looking so strong coming out of college but falling into the second round. Adrian Peterson will almost for sure be the first RB taken, and I see Kenny Irons being the second RB taken.

Michael Bush's recovery could impact Lynch's chances, as Bush was a solid first round prospect before he broke his leg early in the year. If the New York Giants end up losing Tiki Barber to retirement, Lynch could be an excellent replacement.

From: Brian D'Amato
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Nov 20, 2006 9:22 PM
Subject: 2007 Draft

Who are some small school prospects that fans should be aware of in regards to the draft?

Why dont more Tight Ends and Safeties go in the Top 10 ?

How come so many Heisman Trophy winners have struggled in the NFL?

Lou: This is not a year where many small school prospects are looking like they will have an impact in the draft. One small school prospect to watch is New Hampshire WR David Ball, who broke Jerry Rice's NCAA record for career touchdown receptions. He certainly isn't a track star (he is said to have run a 4.6 40 his sophomore year), and at 6'2" he doesn't have the height to stand out (Calvin Johnson and Dwayne Jarrett, for a comparison, are 6'5".) But a WR who knows how to get open and can hold onto the ball will draw the attention of NFL scouts.

Hampton corner Travarous Bain (a Miami transfer) looks like a possible day two pick, and his teammate Justin Durant (ILB) and Brown OLB Zak DeOssie (who projects to possibly play DE) are two others who will receive serious consideration in the later rounds.

Tight ends and safeties are generally not seen as franchise-changing positions in the NFL. They don't fall into the category of: QB, RB, WR, OT, DE, CB that you usually see in the top picks of a draft, elite players who play at "critical" positions which teams in those high spots usually need to fill.

6-10 is another story, though. Just this past year a TE, an LB, and two safeties went in that range. There have been a wave of tight ends with NFL wide receiver-caliber catching talents (or, in the case of Vernon Davis, elite speed) who have been snapped in the first round in recent years.

A blocking tight end, however, is seen as being too interchangable, or relatively unimportant relative to other teams needs, to go in the top ten, let alone the first round. If you need blocking, odds are that you'd go offensive tackle (to protect the QB's blind side) and if you need a WR (to have a receiving threat) you'd choose that over a tight end. But, as offenses develop and advance, that is changing, though only for elite athletes with the size, speed, and soft hands needed to be a receiving TE.

For safeties, they don't have the capacity (outside of unusual situations) to have the impact that a shut-down corner can provide, essentially taking away a WR. A speedy, aware CB like Champ Bailey is extremely valuable, as was evidenced by Denver parting with Clinton Portis to acquire him. But when a fast, aware, hard-hitting safety comes through, he can be taken high, and you see that sometimes, like Buffalo with Donte Whitner (Michael Huff with Oakland was a "DB" who could play safety or corner.)

As for Heisman Trophy winners, there are differences from the college to the pro level that can allow athletes without "prototypical" size, speed, strength etc. to excel. But more importantly, being on a successful team has been a prerequisite for consideration in modern times, and there are some situations where the system or the team helps boost winners more than might be obvious at a glance.

From: Gary Graham
To: loupickney@gmail.com
Date: Nov 20, 2006 9:54 PM
Subject: Raiders Draft Pick

I saw on your mock draft for Draft King that you have the Raiders taking Brady Quinn with the #1 overall pick. However keep in mind that Al Davis hates to draft QB's in the first round. He is still bitter about how Todd Marinovich turned out. The only successful QB the Raiders ever drafted in the first round was Kenny Stabler. Al prefers to bring in a journeyman veteran QB to perform the field general duties. He has been very successful in the past using free agents such as Jim Plunkett, Jeff Hostetler and of course Rich Gannon. I would be very very suprised if we took a QB in the first round. RB is a huge need for the Raiders and I think they would take Adrian Peterson with their first round pick. The O-Line will be rebuilt through free agency (the Raiders will have some cap room to work with this spring) and I think Peterson can be very successful running behind a revamped O-Line.

Lou: I've gone over the Oakland/Brady Quinn possibilities before. Remember that going into the 2004 Draft, some people doubted Pittsburgh would use a first rounder on a QB because it had been so long since the Steelers used a first round pick on a quarterback.

Of course, Oakland's situation is quite different, and the injury to Lamont Jordan certainly changes things. At it was, Jordan averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in his two seasons as the Raiders starting RB, so even if he had stayed healthy, it's entirely possible that the Raiders would be looking for another option at RB. The Raiders signed Jordan to a five-year, $27.5 million contract before the 2005 season, which included a $7 million signing bonus and $15.7 million in guarantees over the first three years of the contract. So, to that end, I expect that Jordan will return in 2007, though he will likely have some competition for that starting RB spot in next year's training camp.

A player like Peterson would be a nice addition for Oakland, though the Raiders have many needs and could go in a variety of directions.

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