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: Chris Spousta
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Feb 28, 2007 11:56 AM
Subject: Steve Smith

Hey Lou love the fact that you update you draft site so frequently and intelligently. I am a huge fan of USC, Steve Smith and the Chiefs. I can not see the chiefs taking Steve Smith in the fist round, mainly because Sidney Rice, Dwayne Jarrett, and Dwayne Bowe at WR still on the Board. My view has been, Steve Smith is an Eddie Kennsion type WR who is deceptively faster than he appears but the Chiefs already have that in Benny Sapp and Dante hall as well as the aforementioned Kennison. Just wondering why you have him going so high? Now I am not campaigning for Jarrett but I am starting to think all this WR talk from the Chiefs is a smoke screen and they will go OT or DT in the first round. I would not be surprised if they went with Adam Carriker even if Robert Meacham, Sidney Rice, Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, and Dwayne Bowe are still on the Board, not saying it’s the right thing do

Lou: I re-evaluated the Steve Smith situation and now think that he is probably not going to be a first round pick.

You make a good point about Steve Smith perhaps not being the best fit for the Chiefs. It's hardly a guarantee that Kansas City will go WR in round one; sometimes teams seem to have a need position for several years (like the Colts at CB near the beginning of the decade) yet don't address it. What the masses think of the Chiefs WR corps is immaterial; it's what the Chiefs organization thinks of its wideouts that is important. I now have Dwayne Jarrett slotted to Kansas City, which might actually be a really good fit.

From: Krobot53@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Feb 28, 2007 11:30 PM
Subject: Hypothetical Draft Questions

I have a couple of "What If" Draft Question for you. "What If" the Raiders did pick Calvin Johnson #1 and the Lions picked one of the two quarterbacks at the 2 spot... do you think Cleveland still goes AP or do they swing for Joe Thomas or even Alan Branch (both will anchor their lines for many years to come)? My other has to do with the Bills at the 12 spot... "What If" they do get rid of Willis McGahee... do they take Marshawn Lynch there? I know the draft could go so many different ways but these just ran through my head when the guys and I were talking about the draft today... Thanks as always... GREAT SITE LOU.

Lou: As I type this I just found out that the Browns signed Bengals free agent OG Eric Steinbach to a seven-year, $49.5 million contract. Things are moving fast, and while I thought earlier today that Joe Thomas would still be a possibility, I don't think so now. At the moment Adrian Peterson looks like the most logical projection to Cleveland, but at the frenetic rate that things are moving, it's very hard to say.

From: Justin Hansen
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 1, 2007 1:21 PM
Subject: Depth at WR

I think everyone can agree that Calvin Johnson is the best player in this draft but does the depth a WR make some teams back off and wait to the top of round two to take a receiver. There could be 6-7 WRs taken in the first round, CJ, Bowe, Rice, Ginn, Jarrett, Smith, Meacham. One or two will most likely fall out of the first round… probably Bowe or Rice, but the drop off isn’t that great. Which teams could pass in round one and take a WR in the second?

Lou: Oakland could potentially go QB at #1 and then WR at #33, adding youth at two key offensive positions. Minnesota may opt to go that route as well, particularly if the lack of a breakout number two WR prospect (behind Calvin Johnson) makes going with a WR at #7 something that is not appealing (particularly if Gaines Adams and/or Jamaal Anderson are on the board.)

San Francisco could go that route as well, depending on how deep the WR pool goes. If the 49ers decide internally that a particular WR prospect best fits their needs, then going wideout at #11 might make the most sense, but otherwise there are needs on their defense that could easily (and effectively) be filled at that spot as well.

From: Mikegrossoaks@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 1, 2007 5:41 PM
Subject: Dre Bly trade

Big trade today for Lions getting rid of Dre Bly for George Foster and Tatum Bell. I think the Lions got fair value for Dre Bly. They answered two of their needs with one trade. I think that the Lions will be trading the #2 overall pick. Two of the college prospects, Thomas and Peterson, are now unlikely candidates unless there is a trade involved. I am wondering if you think the Lions may look at Brady Quinn now that two needs have been filled. I would try to acquire more draft picks if it were my choice. What do you think?

Lou: Perhaps Brady Quinn will be considered for the #2 spot, but my guess is that the Lions are looking hard at trading down, particularly if such a tempting player as Calvin Johnson is on the board. With unpredictable Oakland sitting at #1, it's not a lock for any team looking to get CJ, but Detroit filled its OT and RB needs and at the same time unloaded a player who didn't fit its system. Well done, Matt Millen and company.

Detroit could have also come to the realization that, no matter what, they could end up with either JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn and decided to proceed accordingly. I know that a franchise QB is not going to necessarily fit the Mike Martz mold, but it could end up being too tempting for the Lions to pass up.

From: Matt Smith
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 2, 2007 2:04 PM
Subject: The detroit lions

Since im a "Michigan Man" i wonder about your thought on the tatum bell and George foster trade for dre' Bly It seems to me that this would lessen the possibility of taking joe tomas though he is such a great talent i wouldnt blame them if they did and traded backus though that would seem very unlikely

the need would now obviously be at corner but the only way for them to take an elite corner would be to trade down which is very difficult from the top five, besides they can address cornerback in free agency

i see either brady quinn and his 25 reps, gaines adams, or calvin johnson going to detroit with tomas still a valid possiblity, what do you think i know johnson is another wide reciever but he is a freak, the only way to describe him

great site, if you didnt have the site i might actually get some work done

Lou: While trading into (or out of) the top five is a tricky thing, the more difficult side of it is on the team moving up, as rookie salary cap ramifications can be a nightmare. For Detroit, moving down should be alright.

Detroit doesn't have to delve into the spending spree of free agency, and instead it can let teams fight it out for players... and then offer that #2 pick as a mighty tempting possibility for the franchises that missed out on getting a high impact pickup.

One addendum: Arizona may be very interested in trading up to #2 to secure Joe Thomas. That way Detroit and Arizona both stay in the top five, Arizona fills a huge need, and the Lions can land additional picks (and possibly trade down again.) At this point, that seems as likely a scenario as any, though if Oakland signs a player ahead of the draft at the #1 spot, Detroit would be in a position to negotiate with 100% certainty that any given player (besides the one taken by Oakland) will be there. It will be fun to watch it play out.

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