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.

From: Peter Nguyen
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 13, 2006 9:28 AM
Subject: regarding ur mock draft

I am a broncos fan and saw your mock draft. I can't see the broncos taking tamba hali with the 15th pick. I dont know if his stock had droped or not, but according to scouts and the combine his stock is dropping. Tamba Hali is a premier pass rusher, but his pro day workouts were very disappointing only to bench 17 reps of 225 for a de is very poor. I actually see the broncos taking chad jackson at 15 and maybe donte winter at 22 or darnell bing.

Lou: I've read about Tamba Hali's poor combine showing... and maybe #15 is high for him, but the Broncos need a defensive end. Denver could go WR at #15 with Santonio Holmes (or Jackson, as you mentioned); I currently have Donte Whitner penciled in for Denver at #22, so I'm with you on that. I like Darnell Bing, but most indications are that he won't be off the board until round number two. Hali was a dominant player at Penn State and received credit for much of the team's defensive success in 2005. Going into the off-season, some people said he was the most "polished" DE prospect in the draft, above even Mario Williams (I doubt that anyone is saying that now... but Hali had some major hype following the 2005 season.) And though his bench press reps were low at the combine, Hali's work ethic is high, which makes him all the more attractive as a prospect.

The thought could be that Denver would hope for him to slip to #22, but there has been speculation that the Chiefs might take him at #20 if he's still on the board. The Broncos could probably trade down a few spots from #15 and still get Hali (particularly with teams like the Chargers potentially wanting a chance to move up to get WR help in Holmes or Jackson in this WR-weak draft.) Denver may not want to trade with its intra-divisional rival, but if it can procure an extra draft pick or two and still get the player it wants, it's something that might happen. With two picks, Denver has all sorts of options to wheel and deal.

From: Robert Wheeler
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 13, 2006 4:10 PM
Subject: Chargers draft

I enjoy reading your site. Anyway, could you give me your thoughts on Antonio Cromartie? Sounds like his pro-day numbers verify that he is healed and ready to go. I think he'd be a nice pick for my Chargers. Since the recent trade of Sammy Davis for Rashaun Woods, the Bolts have only 2 corners on the roster, and quite a few wide receivers. I think for sure a CB will be targeted on the first day, and I don't think WR is as much of a priority as it was before the trade, considering we also drafted Vincent Jackson in the 2nd last year.

Lou: It's looking much more possible that the Chargers will go CB. They may look to trade down a few spots if Cromartie is their man, though he is moving up many draft boards... so perhaps San Diego will maintain its position and opt to take him at the #19 spot. The Chargers were #1 against the run last year... but #28 against the pass.

You're right about the Chargers having drafted Vincent Jackson in the second round last year, and with Rashaun Woods joining the staff, suddenly things are looking much better on the wide receiver scene. Jackson, at 6'5", is someone who the Chargers will be looking to for production in 2006 (an achilles injury sidelined him for much of the 2005 season), regardless of what San Diego does in the 2006 Draft.

From: Aric Bibbs
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 13, 2006 5:25 PM
Subject: mock draft

I wanna know one thing, how and the heck do you have the Cowboys taking a WR with the 18th pick when evry other mock draft and the Cowboys them self say they will not take one because of the bigger need they have at DT,OLB and FS?and oh yeah they signed T.O.

Lou: I've answered this question a few times. Let me delegate to my friend Brook, who is a longtime Cowboys fan and who has an educated opinion on the matter:

I don't think they will go for a secondary player since they have so much money tied up there already with [Anthony] Henry's 10M bonus, and [Roy] Williams and [Terrence] Newman soon if not already commanding high salaries. They need to go offense in my book - especially a guy who can double as a punt-returner - i.e. Santonio Holmes. If they don't do that i think they'd take an OT or a DT to replace Glover. All in all, this just seems to me to be a year they trade down out of the first. I hope not. But that's my feeling.

The problem with DT is that there's not much depth at the position, beyond the top tier. The fact that I have Gabe Watson going to Philly is already seen as a stretch by some, but it's a thin crop at defensive tackle.

From: Sam Danner
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 13, 2006 7:24 PM
Subject: Vikes will NOT take RB 1st Round c'mon

With what you have left they'll take Greenway, Tye Hill, or even Manny Lawson!

Lou: You can make an argument for CB Tye Hill; I don't see them going OLB though, not after acquiring Ben Leber in the off-season. I know that the Vikings lost CB Brian Williams in the off-season, which was a blow to the Minnesota secondary, since he played well enough to take Fred Smoot's starting job away. But with Michael Bennett out and Onterrio Smith as good as gone, I don't know that the Vikings will be willing to risk their running game on just Chester Taylor -- not with the quality of RB that should be on the board at the #17 spot. Also, don't discount the possibility of Minnesota going with the "best player available" (whomever that might be, in their opinion), if they don't make a move to trade up to get one of the "Big Three" QBs.

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