2008 Mock NFL Draft Updated

Bill Parcells shakes up the 2008 NFL Draft in a trade with his old friend Jerry Jones. Of course this trade is only a fantasy that I have laid out in the 2 January 2008 update to my 2008 NFL Mock Draft.

The trade does make a lot of sense to both teams though and Jerry Jones is known as a wheeler and dealer in the NFL Draft. The Dolphins desperately need more quality players and the Cowboys will be thin at running back after Julius Jones leaves via free agency. Jones has not been impressive and Marion Barber is more of a power back with marginal speed. So the question is what will it take to get the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft? Probably both first rounders and a 3rd either this year or next and maybe even a 4th or 5th draft pick thrown in somewhere to boot. I doubt Jerry Jones will want to give up any players, but if he did, a player like Special teams standout Keith Davis might be good trade bait.

So back to the updated Mock Draft. This NFL Draft order is getting close to being set so it's getting easier and easier to come up with an accurate mock draft, if there was such a thing. I took the liberty to include some of the top juniors that might enter the draft early. I included Darren McFadden, Malcolm Jenkins, Derrick Harvey, Vernon Gholston, Mario Manningham, James Laurinaitis, Ryan Clady, Kenny Phillips, Rey Maualuga and Reggie Smith. I left off Calais Campbell from Miami, I think he had a down year and might be well advised to return for his senior year.

Illiniois RB Rashard Mendenhall is another talented junior that I left off. He had an excellent performance in the Rose Bowl in a losing cause. The Illini got crushed by USC 49-17, but Mendenhall rushed 17 times for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. He had a 9.1 yards per carry average in the game. I think Mendenhall would be advised to stay in school for his senior year, he has nice size at 5' 11" 224 pounds, but if he comes out this year he will be competing against a deep group of running backs. If he waits until next year he could be the second running back selected behind Central Florida's 2008 Heisman Trophy Candidate Kevin Smith.

I also left off two top quarterbacks in Andre Woodson and Colt Brennan. I think the Bears might draft Woodson, if not he could slip into round two. I like Hawaii QB Colt Brennan, but he needed a big game against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Georgia destroyed the Rainbows 41-10. I am not blaming the loss entirely on Brennan, because his offensive line was thoroughly manhandled, but he will definitely need to adjust to a much faster game in the NFL than what he is used to playing. Given time to develop though Brennan could be a 2nd or 3rd round steal.

A few players that are working their way into the early rounds due to great post season performances are Purdue tight end Dustin Keller, Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery, Michigan QB Chad Henne, Oregon running back James Stewart, USC tight end Fred Davis, East Carolina RB Chris Johnson, and West Virgina safety and defensive end Eric Wicks and Johnny Dingle, respectively.