2008 NFL Draft: Mock#1

Well, believe it or not, the 2008 NFL DRAFT is only one week away. Though I usually have about 4 or 5 mock drafts done by this time of year, I've been a little side tracked this spring and have only been able to do 2 of them. This is my 2nd projection, but it's the first that I have published on this blog. A lot has changed since my first mock (which you can enlarge and see below), and a lot will change up until posting my final mock on the eve of the draft. The only thing that does seem certain is that the Miami Dolphins will make Michigan OT Jake Long the #1 selection. The bottom line is that they just have too many holes on both lines, but they need to protect last year's 2nd round pick, QB John Beck, so that they can get a fair evaluation of him and his future. Jake Long can anchor their offensive line for the next 10-12 years, allowing them to address other needs next off-season. Good news for Trojans fans is that DT Sedrick Ellis and LB Keith Rivers have seen their stock rise recently and are shooting up the draft boards. Ellis and LSU's Glenn Dorsey are the by far the best DT's in the draft and will both be coveted by many teams. Expect someone to trade up into the top 6 because teams like the Ravens (#8), Bengals (#9), Saints (#10), and Broncos (#12) will not be able to sit and land Dorsey or Ellis at their current spots. As far as Keith Rivers goes, he is clearly the best LB in this year's class. Rivers is NFL ready, having played for Coach Carroll for 4 years, and would be an excellent fit with the New England Patriots at #7 overall. These are the only 2 players from USC that I see going in the 1st Round, but I expect a number of Trojans to go in rounds 2-4 (F. Davis, L. Jackson, S. Baker, C. Rachal, C. Washington, J.D. Booty, T. Williams). As for my lowly Atlanta Falcons, please don't draft QB Matt Ryan!! The Falcons are rebuilding and as bad as their current QB situation is, Matt Ryan (or any other rookie QB) will not be any better in his first year than Joey Harrington or Chris Redman. This team needs to solidify the offensive line and bolster the defensive front seven in this draft, and then make a push for next season's playoffs during the 2009 off-season. Draft fever has hit me, let the countdown begin!

Here is my projection, you can click on the image to enlarge...

This was my first projection of the year from late February, click on the image to blow it up...

Ellis and Krumrie: The Perfect Duo

Above: Ellis works with Tim Krumrie, the greatest position coach in NFL history, at USC's Pro Day. [Photo: courtesy of NFL.com]

Sedrick Ellis is on his way to being a top 10 pick in this year's NFL Draft. He was truly one of Troy's all-time greats and will have a very long, productive career in the pros. Whether it's been through his play on the field, his individual workouts or his interviews with NFL coaches and personnel, he is definitely one of the most valued and coveted prospects in this year's draft. Every team picking in the top 10 of the draft has enough of a need at defensive tackle to select Ellis, but the question remains, how high will he go? As much as I love my Atlanta Falcons and that I would just be overcome with joy if Ellis were to go #3 overall to the Falcons, I really want Big Sed to go to the Kansas City Chiefs at #5.

If he goes to Kansas City, Ellis will develop into the greatest DT ever under the guidance of the greatest defensive line coach ever, Tim Krumrie. For those of you that watched HBO's Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs series last August, you know exactly what I mean. If you missed the show, here's a little bit of what Krumrie is all about:


And finally, here's a video of Big Sed's Pro Day Workout, you'll see Krumrie working with him towards the end of the video:


As the draft approaches, Ellis' stock will only grow. I haven't really had a chance to analyze this year's draft and its prospects, but I'll get to that soon. School work and college basketball have taken away from my draft time, since I usually have about 7-8 mock drafts done by this time of year. I'll unveil my first mock next weekend.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 49 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now at 49. Rockin' the #49 jersey is BIG SED, Sedrick Ellis. The 6'1" 305 lbs senior nose tackle is entering his third season as a starter and we are expecting BIG things from him this season. Ellis is on the Watch Lists for the 2007 Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award and Lott Trophy.


Ellis will look to improve on his numbers from last season were he accumulated 34 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 4 pass deflections. The Trojans will enter the 2007 season with a lot of experience on the defensive line. Ellis will start alongside fellow senior Lawrence Jackson, and juniors Kyle Moore and Fili Moala. Incoming freshman Everson Griffen will add a tremendous amount of talent to an already impressive defensive unit whose only visible weakness (on paper) is a lack of depth.

With this talent group up front I don't picture Ellis getting doubled, at least not early on in the season. As a result, look for last seasons Morris Trophy winner to spend a lot of time in the backfield ballin', brushin' his shoulders, or helping opposing quarterbacks out of the ground.

FIGHT ON!