2009 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.1

The Super Bowl is over and teams have almost completed hiring head coaches so the NFL Draft starts to come into a bigger focus. We already know some of the players who won’t be back with their 2008 team and know what each team needs in terms of players for next season.

Some things have changed since my last mock draft. The full listing of junior and eligible sophomore prospects has become available now and it’s a lot easier to determine who is coming out this year and who might go where in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at my latest mock draft for the week after the Super Bowl:

1. Detroit Lions-Matthew Stafford-QB-Georgia-With Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford out of the picture, Stafford becomes the number one quarterback in the draft and the Lion’s best choice to start rebuilding.

2. St. Louis Rams-Andre Smith-OT-Alabama-Smith would be the guy who could come in and start to replace aging and often injured Orlando Pace. He definitely has a ton of talent.

3. Kansas City Chiefs-Mark Sanchez-QB-USC-This might come as a surprise to some people but Sanchez has a lot of talent and a lot of opportunity. The Chief’s could really use someone like Sanchez as well.

4. Seattle Seahawks-Michael Crabtree-WR-Texas Tech-Seattle could go for a quarterback here but the need help at the wide receiver position more than they do a quarterback.

5. Cleveland Browns-Aaron Curry-ILB-Wake Forest-The Brows will need someone who can work well as a 3-4 outside linebacker and Curry would work nicely in Mangini’s defense.

6. Cincinnati Bengals-Michael Oher-OT-Ole Miss-Pass protection is key and keeping quarterback Carson Palmer healthy should be a top priority and adding Oher would help.

7. Oakland Raiders-Eugene Monroe-OT-Virginia-The Oakland offensive line is a mess so adding some help at the tackle position would be a step in the right direction.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars-Jason Smith-OT-Baylor-We saw just how bad the Jaguars offensive line was last season so getting help there is a must.

9. Green Bay Packers-Malcolm Jenkins-CB-Ohio State-The Packers had injury issues in the secondary last season and need to get some fresh blood in there. Jenkins is their type of guy.

10. San Francisco 49ers-Everette Brown-DE/OLB-Florida State-The 49ers need to generate a pass rush from their defensive line and Brown, who has excelled at rushing the passer, could be the one that helps them do that.

11. Buffalo Bills-Brian Orakpo-DE-Texas-Buffalo may look to get a wide receiver here but pass pressure is paramount and Orakpo can deliver.

12. Denver Broncos-Rey Maualuga-ILB-USC-The Broncos could use the help and Maualuga can deliver.

13. Washington Redskins-B.J. Raji-DT-Boston College-Getting some pressure on the opposing quarterback has been an issue in Washington. It’s finally time to take care of that by taking Raji here.

14. New Orleans Saints-James Laurinaitis-ILB-Ohio State-The Saints need either a good linebacker or a cornerback to help shore up some of their issues on defense. If Laurinaitis is available, they should take him without a second thought.

15. Houston Texans-Vontae Davis-CB-Illinois-The Texans could use a shut down corner to help out with their pass defense. Davis has potential and could fit in quite nicely.

16. San Diego Chargers-Chris Wells-RB-Ohio State-With LaDanlian Tomlinson’s future up in the air, it’s time the Chargers started looking ahead and with Wells their running game just might get better.

17. New York Jets-Knowshon Moreno-RB-Georgia-Thomas Jones isn’t getting any younger and a good one two back punch would really be beneficial here. However, the new head coach, defensive minded Rex Ryan, may look to add a defender here.

18. Chicago Bears-Jeremy Maclin-WR-Missouri-The Bears may go a couple different routes here but getting someone with Maclin’s ability and potential would really help their offense.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Eben Britton-OT-Arizona-With age a factor on the offensive line, getting Britton would be a huge help at the tackle position.

20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas)-Duke Robinson-OG-Oklahoma-The Lions need to protect their quarterback and get someone who can be a road grader in the running game. Robinson is their man.

21. Philadelphia Eagles-Brandon Pettigrew-TE-Oklahoma State-The Eagles need someone a little more reliable than Greg Lewis and Pettigrew is one of the best talents at the tight end position in the draft.

22. Minnesota Vikings-Josh Freeman-QB-Kansas State-Sure they have Tavaris Jackson but they might see a much bigger upside to Freeman and take him to build their future upon.

23. New England Patriots-D.J. Moore-CB-Vanderbilt-The departure of Asante Samuel didn’t do anything good for the Patriots so look for them to be in the market for a good cornerback in this draft.

24. Atlanta Falcons-Peria Jerry-DT-Ole Miss-The Falcons can run the ball well enough but they have a hard time stopping the run. Jerry would be an excellent fit for them.

25. Miami Dolphins-Michael Johnson-DE-Georgia Tech-The loss of Jason Taylor did hurt their pass rush so adding a pass rusher should be paramount.

26. Baltimore Ravens-Percy Harvin-WR-Florida-The Ravens desperately need help at the wide receiver position and Harvin should be around for them to pick.

27. Indianapolis Colts-Brian Cushing-OLB-USC-The Colts will look to beef up a bit on defense so look for them to try Cushing at outside linebacker and give their defense a boost.

28. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina)-Ciron Black-OT-LSU-The Eagles could use some help on the offensive line and Black is creeping up many draft boards.

29. New York Giants-Fili Moala-DT-USC-The Giants needed some help on the defensive line even before Osi Umenyiora went out for the season and Moala would be an interesting addition.

30. Tennessee Titans-Darius Heyward-Bey-WR-Maryland-If the Titans had a serious threat in the passing game that would give their offense yet another dimension that may push them over the top. Bey is the kind of player that can be a great game changer.

31. Arizona Cardinals-Shonn Greene-RB-Iowa-If Edgerrin James leaves the Cardinals need to get a good running back and could use a bruiser like Greene.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers-Alex Mack-C-California-The Steelers need to make some adjustments on their offensive line and Mack would be a step in the right direction.