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.

Typically I answer e-mails individually, but today I'm approaching the e-mails in tandem form. I think you'll see why.

From: Barry Holland
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 11, 2006 10:43 AM
Subject: Mock Draft/Cowboys

I just don't believe the Cowboys will address a wide receiver in the 1st round. Historically, they usually pick up a receiver later in the draft, and they tend to do well. The last time they drafted a wide receiver as their first choice was the 1993 draft, and it was a 2nd round pick (Kevin Williams, Miami). He was pretty good, but not stellar. They did use a 1st round pick on Alvin Harper in 1991, one of 3 first round picks (first was Russell Maryland, third was Kelvin Pritchett). You have to go to 1988 (before the Jerry Jones era) and Tom Landry's final draft to find when they picked up a wide receiver with their first pick in the first round. A little known receiver out of Miami named Michael Irvin (11th pick overall). Before that, Mike Sherrard was chosen as the 18th overall pick in 1986. The only other 1st round receiver I could find they chose was way back in 1968. That year their first two picks were receivers (Dennis Homan, Alabama and Dave McDaniels, Mississippi Valley State). So I'd say, history is against them picking up a receiver in the first round. I'd love to see them pick up Martin Nance in the 4th or 5th round. He's big (between 6'4" and 6'5", around 215 lbs) and runs a respectable 40 (mid 4.5's).

As for the first round, personally I'd love to see them trade the farm to move up and grab Leinart (I know that's not going to happen), mainly because Pac-10 QBs seem to do well in Dallas, with a couple of exceptions (Steve Pelluer, Wash. and Ryan Leaf, Wash. St.). Aikman (UCLA), Danny White(Ariz.), Craig Morton (Cal), Bledsoe (Wash. State) come to mind. In fact, the only 2 successful QBs for Dallas that didn't come from the Pac 10 were Staubach(Navy) and Meredith(SMU). They need help at safety and LB, and I'd like to see them grab a good center. They probably (if they don't trade down) would grab a safety, perhaps Whitner, Allen, Simpson, or Bing if available. I can dream that Hawk or Huff would fall this far, but they won't. Maybe Carpenter or Greenway for the LB help. Many people also have them looking at more OT help, but with Flozell coming back, Fabini signed, and Petitti better, I expect them to wait on that (hopefully Whitworth from LSU).

Speaking of LSU (and being a huge fan of my alma mater), I'd love to see them find a way to draft Wroten, Kyle Williams, and trade with Cincinnati for Ben Wilkerson. If that happened, they'd have the majority of the offensive and defensive lines that led LSU to the 2003 National title (Spears, Wroten and Williams on defense, Peterman, Wilkerson, and Whitworth on offense). I'm just dreaming now.

Anyway, keep up the good work and let me know what you think.

From: Jarred Burk
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 11, 2006 5:13 PM
Subject: Dallas Cowboys

How sold are you that the Cowboys will take a receiver with there first round pick? Personally I dont think they will now that they have TO. More likely in my opinion is a OL or Defense in some way either a LB because Ngyuen is gone or a DB. I don't know who would be the best actual pick for sure but I think that is more likely the direction they will go.

Lou: I've been through the whole Cowboys WR or no WR thing before; they need youth at the position, and Santonio Holmes being the type of player who could potentially become the #3 WR by the end of training camp. Sure, they signed Terrell Owens, but they also cut Keyshawn Johnson.

As for the point in the first e-mail about trading the farm to get Leinart, I'm not sure that Dallas has enough bargaining chips to move up that far. You'd be talking about going from #17 to #2 (no way Tennessee is trading down, and to guarantee Leinart, you'd have to squeeze in front of the Titans.) Before the Saints traded Wayne Gandy for safety Bryan Scott (and change), you could've come up with safety Roy Williams, the #17, and another pick (whatever that may be) for the #2 as a "what if" possibility. I don't think there's any way Dallas would have done that, but that's about what it would have taken to pull off the trade. Moreover, the Cowboys have Drew Henson in the incubator (he has lead the Rhein Fire to a 4-0 start in NFL Europe), and that coupled with the fact that a QB won't help Parcells win this year makes me think no way on a trade to get Leinart. It's a nice thought, though.

From: schoenbc@notes.udayton.edu
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 11, 2006 3:29 PM
Subject: Midwest Guy - Lions and Bears Questions

Lou: Great site. Questions on both the Lions and Bears for you....

Lions: I really like the Huff pick as someone that roots for the Lions. Its fairly obvious that they go "D" this year because the offense will be either good enough (Martz helps ignite the potential) or hopeless(The QB situation is too much to overcome). I see the biggest need as DB(especially saftey). I am really hoping he is available a their pick. Do you think there are any other significant possabilities for them this year (if Huff is on board)? Backup plan if he is not?

Browns: I root for the Browns too, except when they play Detroit. Your Ernie Sims pick for them at 12 was interesting to me, has his stock risen for some reason? I see a big need for them at OT. If Winston Justice, who sounds like a freak, is there I really hope they nab him. OLB later the first day. L.J. Shelton is gone and they could use a tackle. Ferguson will be off the board obviously. What do you think?

From: jeffck@webtv.net
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 11, 2006 8:42 PM
Subject: Lions

Asuming Michael Huff is drafted ahead of the #9 pick, who else do you see the Lions going after...the best defensive player on the board, trade down, or maybe even take someone like OT Winston Justice or TE Vernon Davis? Also, just curious, why do you have Gabe Watson the DT out of Michigan rated so high? Most have him rated as a 2nd round pick. I'm a big Michigan fan and I've seen most of their games, and Watson is a solid, but not spectacuar defensive player in my opinion. I think Defensive Tackles are highly overatted in drafts in my opinion...hell, the Lions got Shaun Rogers in the 2nd round and Dan Wilkinson as a cut from Washington a few years back.

Lou: The Lions would seem to be in a position to draft defense, particularly at CB as was mentioned, since they lost CBs R.W. McQuarters and Andre Goodman to free agency. I have heard some talk about the team potentially taking one of the "Big Three" QBs (Matt Leinart, Vince Young, or Jay Cutler), since their long-term potential value for the franchise is so high, but after the Joey Harrington experience I wonder if Detroit might be a big gunshy about going with a Top 10 QB again so soon. Plus, how many years in a row will they go offense in the draft?

I did see one draft (I think on Sportsline) with them going LB, but I found that to be a rather unlikely scenario for them. But, with Matt Millen, you never know. If Huff is off the board, the question is, would the Lions go with a guy like Jimmy Williams... or would they look to trade down (with a "Big Three" QB still on the board) and potentially still get a guy like Williams at, say, the Ravens' spot at #13? Such a scenario is not inconceivable.

As for the Ernie Sims question, his stock has risen after a strong combine and an overall outstanding 2005 season. No less than Jaguars.com, within the past 24 hours, predicted that Ernie Sims will be the second linebacker to go in the draft. He's been compared to both Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks. That's a high billing to live up to, but Sims looks like he has the constitution to handle it.

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