pakowitz

By Mel Kiper Jr.
Special to ESPN Insider
Archive

With the NFL draft two weeks away, the one hot spot in the first round remains with the New Orleans Saints and second overall pick. While I still have North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams going to New Orleans, the outlook of the first round could change significantly if the Saints trade the pick.

My first-round projections remain nearly the same, with the one newcomer being NC State defensive end Manny Lawson. Overshadowed by Williams at NC State, Lawson had a very good senior season then performed exceptionally well at the NFL scouting combine. Right now I am projecting the Jets will use their second first-round pick on Lawson, where he will be used as a pass-rushing defensive end/outside linebacker.

New this week are my projections for the second, third and fourth rounds. You will be surprised to see some players initially projected as first-round picks have slipped to the second round in recent weeks.



First-Round Projections
1. Houston Reggie Bush, RB USC
2. New Orleans Mario Williams, DE NC State
3. Tennessee Matt Leinart, QB USC
4. N.Y. Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson, T Virginia
5. Green Bay A.J. Hawk, LB Ohio St.
6. San Francisco Vernon Davis, TE Maryland
7. Oakland Vince Young, QB Texas
8. Buffalo Brodrick Bunkley, DT Florida St.
9. Detroit Michael Huff, DB Texas
10. Arizona Jay Cutler, QB Vanderbilt
11. St. Louis Chad Greenway, LB Iowa
12. Cleveland Kamerion Wimbley, DE/OLB Florida St.
13. Baltimore Haloti Ngata, DT Oregon
14. Philadelphia Winston Justice, T USC
15. Denver (from ATL) Chad Jackson, WR Florida
16. Miami Donte Whitner, S Ohio St.
17. Minnesota Ernie Sims, LB Florida St.
18. Dallas Jason Allen, S/CB Tennessee
19. San Diego Johnathan Joseph, CB South Carolina
20. Kansas City Tye Hill, CB Clemson
21. New England Santonio Holmes, WR Ohio St.
22. Denver (from WSH) DeAngelo Williams, RB Memphis
23. Tampa Bay Antonio Cromartie, CB Florida St.
24. Cincinnati Jimmy Williams, CB Virginia Tech
25. N.Y. Giants Kelly Jennings, CB Miami
26. Chicago Richard Marshall CB Fresno St.
27. Carolina LenDale White, RB USC
28. Jacksonville Marcedes Lewis, TE UCLA
29. N.Y. Jets (from DEN) Manny Lawson, DE/OLB NC State
30. Indianapolis Laurence Maroney, RB Minnesota
31. Seattle Ashton Youboty, CB Ohio St.
32. Pittsburgh Sinorice Moss, WR Miami




1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round

Second-Round Projections
33. Houston Eric Winston, T Miami
34. New Orleans Nick Mangold, C Ohio St.
35. N.Y. Jets Joseph Addai, RB LSU
36. Green Bay Tamba Hali, DE Penn St.
37. San Francisco Bobby Carpenter, LB Ohio St.
38. Oakland Gabe Watson, DT Michigan
39. Tennessee D'Qwell Jackson, LB Maryland
40. Detroit Davin Joseph, G Oklahoma
41. Arizona Leonard Pope, TE Georgia
42. Buffalo Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui, G USC
43. Cleveland Abdul Hodge, LB Iowa
44. Baltimore Brodie Croyle, QB Alabama
45. Philadelphia DeMeco Ryans, LB Alabama
46. St. Louis Orien Harris, DT Miami
47. Atlanta Cedric Griffin, CB Texas
48. Minnesota Kellen Clemens, QB Oregon
49. Dallas Marcus McNeill, T Auburn
50. San Diego Demetrius Williams, WR Oregon
51. Minnesota (from MIA) Chris Chester, OL Oklahoma
52. New England Brian Calhoun, RB Wisconsin
53. Washington Rocky McIntosh, LB Miami
54. Kansas City Darryl Tapp, DE Virginia Tech
55. Cincinnati Dominique Byrd, TE USC
56. N.Y. Giants Thomas Howard, LB UTEP
57. Chicago Greg Jennings, WR Western Michigan
58. Carolina Joe Klopfenstein, TE Colorado
59. Tampa Bay Andrew Whitworth, T LSU
60. Jacksonville Jason Spitz, C Louisville
61. Denver Mark Anderson, DE Alabama
62. Indianapolis Daniel Bullocks, DB Nebraska
63. Seattle Mathias Kiwanuka, DE Boston College
64. Pittsburgh Danieal Manning, DB Abilene Christian




1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round

Third-Round Projections
65. Houston Ko Simpson, DB South Carolina
66. Houston (from NO) Gerris Wilkinson, LB Georgia Tech
67. Green Bay Max Jean-Gilles, G Georgia
68. San Francisco David Pittman, CB Northwestern St. (La.)
69. Oakland Maurice Drew, RB UCLA
70. Buffalo (from TEN) Ryan O'Callaghan, T California
71. N.Y. Jets Brandon Williams, WR Wisconsin
72. Arizona Jon Alston, LB Stanford
73. Buffalo Maurice Stovall, WR Notre Dame
74. Detroit Devin Hester, CB Miami
75. New England (from BAL) Chris Gocong, DE/LB Cal Poly-SLO
76. Philadelphia Claude Wroten, DT LSU
77. St. Louis David Thomas, TE Texas
78. Cleveland Charles Spencer, G Pittsburgh
79. Atlanta Calvin Lowery, DB Penn St.
80. Dallas Charlie Whitehurst, QB Clemson
81. San Diego Paul McQuistan, OL Weber St.
82. Miami Parys Haralson, DE Tennessee
83. Minnesota Will Blackmon, WR/CB Boston College
84. San Francisco (from WSH) Victor Adeyanju, DE Indiana
85. Kansas City Brandon Marshall, WR Central Florida
86. New England Montavious Stanley, DT Louisville
87. N.Y. Giants Kyle Williams, DT LSU
88. Chicago Anthony Fasano, TE Notre Dame
89. Carolina Darnell Bing, DB USC
90. Tampa Bay Willie Reid, WR Fresno St.
91. Cincinnati Stanley McClover, DE Auburn
92. Jacksonville Jerome Harrison, RB Washington St.
93. Atlanta (from DEN) Devin Aromashodu, WR Auburn
94. Indianapolis Dusty Dvoracek, DT Oklahoma
95. Minnesota (from SEA) Le Kevin Smith, DT Nebraska
96. Pittsburgh Brent Hawkins, DE/OLB Illinois St.

97. N.Y. Jets (comp. pick) Roman Harper, DB Alabama




1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round

Fourth-Round Projections
98. Houston James Wyche, DE Syracuse
99. New Orleans Demetrice Webb, CB Florida
100. San Francisco Lawrence Vickers, FB Colorado
101. Oakland Anthony Smith, DB Syracuse
102. Tennessee Leon Washington, RB Florida St.
103. N.Y. Jets Alan Zemaitis, CB Penn St.
104. Green Bay Derrick Martin, CB Wyoming
105. Buffalo Elvis Dumervil, DE Louisville
106. New England (from DET) Guy Whimper, T East Carolina
107. Arizona Fred Matua, G USC
108. Philadelphia David Kirtman, FB USC
109. St. Louis Kevin Boothe, OL Cornell
110. Cleveland DeMario Minter, CB Georgia
111. Baltimore Dion Byrum, CB Ohio
112. Cleveland (from ATL) Rodrique Wright, DT Texas
113. San Diego Babatunde Oshinowo, DT Stanford
114. Miami Zach Strief, T Northwestern
115. Minnesota Miles Austin, WR Monmouth
116. Philadelphia (from DAL) Tarvaris Jackson, QB Alabama St.
117. N.Y. Jets (from KC) Greg Eslinger, C Minnesota
118. New England Derek Hagan, WR Arizona St.
119. Denver (from WSH) Owen Daniels, TE Wisconsin
120. Chicago Freddie Keiaho, LB San Diego St.
121. Carolina Jonathan Scott, T Texas
122. Tampa Bay Brandon Johnson, LB Louisville
123. Cincinnati John McCargo, DT NC State
124. N.Y. Giants Jeremy Trueblood, T Boston College
125. Jacksonville James Anderson, LB Virginia Tech
126. Denver Bernard Pollard, DB Purdue
127. Philadelphia (from IND) Hank Baskett, WR New Mexico
128. Seattle John Torp, P Colorado
129. Pittsburgh Andre Hall, RB South Florida

130. Denver (comp. pick) Jeremy Bloom, WR Colorado

131. Pittsburgh (comp. pick) Daryn Colledge, T Boise St.

132. Baltimore (comp. pick) Rob Sims, G Ohio St.

133. Pittsburgh (comp. pick) Omar Jacobs, QB Bowling Green


http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft...t&lid=tab2pos1

I Live In Beastmode!

Dhatboi

I would like that mock me feelin the trade for Javon walker and trading down and taking Williams.Imagine SMith and Williams we have two of the proto type ends on the Defense thats a start of re-bulding.Try to Run a Sweep on those guys.............


Plus Grant wasnt very impressive last season howard was better

xan

We need another DE like we need AB starting for us. I'd rather get an O-Lineman than another DL at that pick, but better yet, get an impact skill player.

saintswhodi

AMEN!!!!! And Kiper has us taking 0 LBs. Trash that one.

Dhatboi

we dont need a lb in the top 10 i dun care what you say AJ HAWK ISNT THAT GOOD TO BE PICKED THAT HIGH

saintswhodi

Crack.......kills.

jrmllb

Kiper goes almost purely of talent I dont think he factors in need enough...He doesn't have baltimore taking a qb till the 3rd round I have the feeling that aint gonna happen, I think Baltimore is one of the teams that may try and move up to get a top qb or OL...I also think our biggest need is a MLB, I gues Kiper is figuring on Bock staying at MLB into the season and Fuji on the outside...Not sure...I say take Hawk in the first and MAN-O-GOLD in the second....hey I thought Niswanger was coming out from LSU he would be another good 3rd or 4th rounder...I hate that we dont have a 3rd round pick...If we trade down I think loomis will get one...

"When you see a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra

TheDeuce

What in the HELL are you smoking? Howard had like 30 tackles, Grant had 62 (which was also more than Will Smith), and he also had to deal with more double teams. Again, think before you speak.

FanNJ

I'll say it again..KIPER IS OUT OF HIS MIND

D-buck47

If we take Williams at 2. Then pass on carpenter in the second. I'll need counseling!!