Lou Pickney's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

National Football League
Draft King Mailbag

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

From: arteaga2@cox.net
Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 1:17 AM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: chargers needs

What up man, I've checked out your mock drafts for some time now and i was just wondering, You really think we need a LB in the 1st round? SD that is. I really think we can use either (WR, OT, or DB) Are you thinkin Greenway because he might be the best possible player available?

Lou: The Chargers are in a tough spot, since there are teams in front of them that are targeting their three biggest need positions: WR, OLB and OT. DB is a need as well, but with Quentin Jammer having that top five draft pick contract, I don't think that San Diego will spring for another first round corner. At least not in this draft...

The Chargers losing Reche Caldwell to the Patriots is one of the biggest yet underpublicized happenings of the off-season, if that makes any sense. In other words, relative to the publicity it has received, it was huge. The Patriots front office made another smart move in snagging Caldwell.

San Diego lost LB Ben Leber to the Vikings, and LB Matt Wilhelm is unsigned as of yet. The Chargers should have a good shot at getting Chad Jackson, but the question is: would the Chargers take Jackson over one of the many solid OLBs in the draft? I personally think that San Diego will land a free agent WR before the draft to replace Caldwell and end up going OLB in round one and WR in round two. But if Santonio Holmes falls to them, that changes everything, as I think they'd snag Holmes if he's on the boards there. Of course, I logic that all out, and they'll end up taking OT Marcus McNeil or something. But that's the draft for you...

From: Joseph Patterson
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 4, 2006 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: mock draft

Thanks for taking the time for the response. Keep up the good work. Do you think there is any way Bunkley drops to Eagles?

Lou: I think there's a very good chance that Brodrick Bunkley will be on the board when the Eagles pick at #14. The teams potentially looking at DT above (i.e. Oakland, Buffalo) run a 3-4, and Philly with its 4-3 would be better suited for a guy like Bunkley.

From: Nwscraper@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 4, 2006 9:59 PM
Subject: Draft Pick

Ive read that Houston will trade their coveted number one pick to Oakland for Barry Sims and Oaklands number 7 pick. I read Sims is already flying out to Houston for a physical and the ink has dried on this deal leaving Bush to be selected by Oakland at the top spot. With Lamont Jordan rushing for 1000+ yards in 05', supposing Oakland gets the number one pick, would it be wasted on Bush or is this the best of all scenarios in Oaklnad.

Lou: OG Barry Sims has started all 16 games the past three years for the Raiders, and has only missed two starts in the past five seasons. But there's no way a 31-year-old OG will make up the difference between the #1 and the #7 pick. Fans in Houston should be outraged if that happens. If you use the "pick value chart", the #1 pick is worth 3,000 points, while the #7 pick is worth 1,500. Oakland would realistically need to throw in something like a second or third this year and a first rounder in 2007 to make this happen. But it is possible that Sims will be traded to Houston. We'll see what plays out there...

From: Stephen Broussard
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 5, 2006 11:36 AM
Subject: Cowboys

I know you have been asked a lot about how the cowboys are going to address their needs in the first and second round, but I just had [to write.]

The way I see it, if they can get a starting safety and a playmaking LOLB, they could be a complete team on paper. Incase they decide not to draft a receiver the first two rounds, how do you see the 'Boys going about drafting a starting safety and a solid LOLB? I bet they might have to trade to get the right kind of players they need for either position in the second round. Do you see any scenarios that could play out in the second round for this to happen?

Lou: If the belief is that Dallas really needs to go OLB and S, then I think the smart plan of action is to go OLB in the first round and then S in round two. I'm not so sure that Parcells and company will go that route, particularly at OLB, particularly since the Cowboys spent a first rounder on an OLB just last year (DeMarcus Ware), though OLB is a need spot for depth. Dallas lost OLB Scott Fujita to the New Orleans Saints (making me think that when I redo the mock draft tomorrow, I'll bump OLB A.J. Hawk from that #2 spot), and while free agent signee LB Akin Ayodele played OLB for Jacksonville last year, he's expected to move to ILB with Dallas' 3-4 defense opposite Bradie James.

But the talk I hear out of Dallas is that they expect Kevin Burnett to return from his ACL injury and they're hoping for Al Singleton to bounce back from the broken clavacle that prematurely ended his 2005 season. Kalen Thornton is also coming back from injury, and if both Burnett and Thornton are healthy (and if Singleton is unable to bounce back from injury), the word is that Singleton might not make the roster.

So what's the point with all of this? I see the Cowboys looking to add depth at OLB (opposite Ware), but not in rounds one or two. Maybe in round three they'll go for a OLB. With so many excellent OLB prospects in the draft, there should be someone of the Terna Nande, Roger McIntosh, Spencer Havner ilk on the OLB board that would be on the board when Dallas picks at #80 overall in the third round. That's how I see it playing out for them.

And for the record, I don't mind answering several e-mails about the same team. If there's high interest about one team, I'd like to address that interest. As a wise man once said, "Please the fans or they won't come back."

Draft King NFL Mock Draft

NFL Draft Prospect Profiles

Draft King is owned and operated by Lou Pickney. Copyright © 2003-2025, all rights reserved. Information on this website should not be used for any gambling purposes, nor does it constitute any sort of advice, financial or otherwise.