National Football League
Draft King Analysis

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

From: Keith Waters
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 3:43 PM
Subject: Mock Draft correction

Sir,

Next season the Patriots are bringing back Tom Brady fresh off ACL surgery, and they have no running game to speak of, and have not had a RB threat since Corey Dillon retired. There is NO CHANCE the Patriots take anything other than a RB in the 1st round if Chris Wells or Javon Ringer is available. No Chance. So what if Harrison is not available. You can pick up a SS in free agency or in the second round, but you cannot find a starting RB scary enough to take the heat off Brady's knee in the 2nd round. Keep that in mind on your next mock draft. If Wells is available, he will be the starting RB for the Patriots next season.

Kevin Faulk is a shifty runner. (Icon SMI)

Lou: It would surprise me for the Patriots to take a running back in the first round of the 2009 Draft. Laurence Maroney was a first round pick in the 2006 Draft, and he's under contract through 2010 at a very reasonable rate ($600,000 base salary in 2009 and $825,000 in 2010). A shoulder injury derailed his season, but I anticipate Maroney making a strong return in 2009.

Moreover, New England has Kevin Faulk under contract through 2009, and don't discount the ability of rookie BenJarvus Green-Ellis to have long-term success. Green-Ellis, a product from Ole Miss who went undrafted in the 2008 RB-saturated draft, could end up being a long-term answer for at least some of the Patriots running game.

I think offensive line makes the most sense for the team's first round pick, as this is shaping up to be a great draft at that position as far as depth of quality goes. I concur that going safety in round one would be surprising, particularly since the Patriots used a first-round pick on safety Brandon Meriweather in 2007.

If not offensive line, perhaps an outside linebacker (or even a defensive end who projects to OLB in a 3-4) would make sense. With some defensive end prospects looking like potential OLB players in a 3-4 defense, the Patriots should have a wide variety of options in round one. I just don't see that scenario ending with the team taking a running back, though you might see them go in that direction perhaps in round three or four. It will all depend on the team's evaluation of its own needs and the abilities of the prospects on the board when they pick.

From: Matt Segerman
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Subject: raiders

ive been reading your page for a long time love to see who you think evryone takes and why.....anyways ive seen you have the raiders taking a de for quite some time and i see where your coming from that we need another pass rusher but i would like us to take rey maualuga or james laurinitus or even brian cushing and i no your thinking well you guys have kirk morrison but i think kirk would be better on the outside and having another solid lb would help out against the run alot and our lb core will be set for years to come and we drafted trevor scott last year and kalimba edwards has been decent this year

Lou: If the Raiders have a chance to draft Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson, I don't see how they could pass up on him. Ditto for USF DE George Selvie (if he comes out early). The team needs a top-notch player to bring pressure from the end, be it through the draft or free agency.

It would surprise me to see the Raiders go with an inside linebacker. Both Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis are impressive players who should be great professionals, but one of Oakland's bright spots has been its linebacker corps. Kirk Morrison has started all but one game in his four-game career, and he's had no less than 116 tackles every season so far. To move him from MLB would be a mistake, in my estimation.

Despite the lack of success from Robert Gallery, it also wouldn't surprise me if the Raiders drafted one of the top offensive linemen who may be on the board when they pick. Wouldn't the Raiders want Andre Smith or Eugene Monroe or Michael Oher?

From: Keith Izzo
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 2:47 PM
Subject: Go Bengals!

I enjoy your articles and I would like to know what you think the bengals should do in the 2009 draft..Yes they have needed defense for a long long time but they also need to sure up the offensive line. I would like to see them draft Andre Smith with their first pick and then follow up with a good d lineman or linebacker. What are your thoughts on this?

Lou: As I mentioned above, this is shaping up to be a strong draft for the offensive line. So, for the Bengals, it would be wise to give great consideration to taking one of those elite guys if they have that opportunity.

The numbers are bleak. Through their 0-7 start, the Bengals are #29 in passing yards and #31 in rushing yards. This is not good at all.

At the same time, Cincinnati might be best served by taking one of the two great inside linebackers, Rey Maualuga or James Laurinaitis, to bring a high-end talent to the all-important middle linebacker spot.

Ultimately, the Bengals have enough needs where they should have a wide variety of options in the 2009 Draft, including trades and filling need positions with top-quality talent. It will be easier to make a clearer judgment on this once the regular season ends and the order for the 2009 NFL Draft is determined.

Follow @DraftKing Follow @LouPickney

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.