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: Matt Segerman
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Feb 1, 2007 12:51 PM
Subject: oakland raiders

since everyone thinks the raiders will be taking JaMarcus Russel in the first round with the 2nd round pic being just as important what do you think they would do if steve smith is still there from usc would you get him...would you trade your 2nd round pick for michael turner.......just wondering since i love your sight and your good at the mock stuff

Lou: Oakland trading the #33 pick for Michael Turner is an interesting idea. While only 5'10", Turner weights roughly 230 pounds, so he has size that some may not realize when they see him make so many speedy, shifty moves on the field.

I've heard it rumored that the Chargers and Jets are talking about a deal where San Diego would get the #25 pick and the Jets would get Turner, though some have speculated that Chargers GM A.J. Smith planted those rumors to pique the interest of teams in need of RB help.

The Chargers do seem set on trying to obtain a first rounder for Turner. If Oakland wants to land Turner for the #33 pick, they may have to play the waiting game.

Would I make that trade if I was the Oakland GM? Probably, depending on how well I thought he'd fit into Oakland's new offense. Turner turns 25 next month, so it's not like he's on the precipice of 30. He's untested to a degree in that he hasn't been asked to be a primary RB on the professional level (and the Raiders don't want a repeat of the LaMont Jordan disappointment), but you could say the same of all the rookie RBs in the draft. Would JaMarcus Russell and Michael Turner be an interesting change of pace for Oakland? Yes.

One thing to keep in mind: new Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is a strong proponent of the West Coast offense, so whoever ends up as the Raiders' main RB will likely need to have strong receiving skills. Turner wasn't particularly known for his ball-catching ability coming out of Northern Illinois, and he has had only 7 NFL receptions. That is the main reason why I'd say "probably" as opposed to "Yes!" on Oakland trading the #33 pick for Turner.

But, with his quickness, if Turner can prove himself to be capable at receiving (and remember that he's had three years to learn the art of RB receiving from LaDainian Tomlinson, who caught a ridiculous 100 passes in 2003), Turner could be a solid addition wherever he ends up. In the right offense he could really excel. It still baffles me that Turner fell to the 5th round; I was very high on him coming out of Northern Illinois, unlike how I feel about NIU's Garrett Wolfe's chances at being a primary RB in the NFL.

One other possibility is that the Raiders might try to move Jerry Porter in a trade with San Diego. I doubt that the Chargers would take Porter straight-up for Turner, and I don't know if Oakland could even handle the cap hit that such a move would cause (unless the trade is held off until after June 1), but it's something to keep in mind as an outside possibility.

Whatever the case, any deal to land Turner (a restricted free agent who San Diego will not let go on the cheap) would likely be predicated on the new team being able to work out a long-term contract with Turner, and it's possible that Turner would prefer to make his own way on the free agent market in another year instead of having to negotiate with just one team.

If the Chargers do manage to obtain a first round pick (in that 20-29 range) for Turner, I'd anticipate that they would use one of their first rounders on a wide receiver and the other possibly to the secondary, likely a safety. The Chargers with a blue chip young WR and a speedy, hard-hitting safety would be that much tougher and dangerous going into the 2007 season.

From: Danny Stone
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Feb 1, 2007 4:41 PM
Subject: Troy Smith to stay in Ohio?!?!

Hey Lou,
Big props on the site. Definately the most accurate mock draft site. So I caught wind the other day that Troy Smith has made public the fact he wants to put on an orange lid and suit up for the Brownies. But they don't really see it playing out that way. I think everybody has them taking Mr. Peterson at RB with the 3rd-4th pick overall. The Browns are in need of depth everywhere and are building around Charlie Frye. But can you see Smith possibly going to Cleveland if he is still around in the 3rd-4th round?

Lou: If Troy Smith goes to the Browns, it's much more likely to be in round two or beyond. Perhaps Smith will fall to round three, but I suspect that he might not be on the board by the time the Browns come up in the third round.

Smith going to Cleveland would be a nice match, but I don't understand the mentality of him speaking out about going to the Browns. I understand that he's a Browns fan and that the tenuous QB situation for Cleveland would make that team an ideal one to join from an opportunity standpoint, but what if the Ravens were planning to make a "surprise" pick of Troy Smith in the first round? The Browns/Ravens rivalry is well-documented, and I'd think the last thing a player would want to do is potentially alienate any new employers.

To be fair, I know how soundbytes work and how the media (particularly in this dead zone before the Super Bowl) is hustling to find stories, and it's not like Smith said anything derogatory about any teams. But it's not something that I'd want to have floating out there as a player with a declining draft status.

One thing I don't get about Troy Smith's drop is how much he was judged about one game where he only threw 14 passes. Did his great college career prior to that get washed out as a result, like a misguided "wager it all" bet at a roulette table? I like his potential, and I think that he has received a raw deal with the drastic drop in his ranking. Now, with this site, my goal is to project what teams will do more than give my opinion on who *should* go where, but in the case of Troy Smith I find it hard to bite my tongue.

Maybe he'll be an All-Pro QB; maybe he'll be a bust. But, for the most part, Troy Smith was a winner at Ohio State, and there's something to be said for that.

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