-Brandon Pettigrew (TE/Oklahoma St)

Brandon Pettigrew (NFL.com)

The Atlanta Falcons have been searching for a massive run-plugging defensive tackle to go alongside Jonathan Babineaux. But the only first round quality tackle is B.J. Raji. So, the Falcons probably will look to upgrade another serious hole on the other side of the ball. With no serious starter on the roster, GM Thomas Dimitroff wants to find a quality TE to help Matt Ryan’s progression. Although Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew isn’t incredibly fast, he fits well in Atlanta’s short-intermediate passing game. Besides Michael Clayton (6’4 215 lbs), Matt Ryan has no big targets. Pettigrew has ideal size (6’5 255 lbs) and excels in the short passing game. For this reason, I doubt the Falcons will pursue the likes of Jared Cook, who is used to lining up in the slot and is best suited for a vertical passing attack. As an added bonus, Pettigrew’s blocking ability would only bolster an already stellar run game featuring Michael Turner.

-Darius Butler (CB/Connecticut)

Darius Butler (NFL.com)

Losing #1 CB Dominque Foxsworth in free agency hurt the Falcons secondary. Chris Houston is a decent #2, but they still need to find another starting corner in this draft.  If Atlanta either passes on Pettigrew or he is already taken, then the next best value is to draft a cornerback.

The best cornerback  available is Connecticut’s coverage specialist Darius Butler. At the combine, he posted a 43 inch vertical leap, ran the fastest 40 yard dash (4.46 sec) of any defensive back, and showed by far the best footwork of any corner in the draft. He possesses adequate height and weight (5’10 183 lbs), but has good enough instincts to play in either man or zone coverage schemes. In his final season of college, teams stopped throwing to him because of his shutdown coverage ability.

-Robert Ayers (DE/Tennessee)

Robert Ayers (NFL.com)

LE Jamaal Anderson has been disappointing for a 1st round selection after producing a measly 2 sacks over his two seasons in the NFL. Some people have proposed drafting Larry English as a viable alternative. Yet, that would require him to play LE, a position he is ill-suited to play at 255 lbs. The only possibility I can think of for the Falcons if they want to upgrade their edge pass rush in round 1 is Robert Ayers. The Lions might pass on him, in which case Atlanta would have the chance to select him. Ayers is an up-and-coming defensive end, who has loads of upside. However, his 1 year of starting experience makes him a risky pick in the first round. Nevertheless, he is the most formidable end prospect available to the Falcons in round 1 (I’m not a fan of workout warrior Michael Johnson).

John Abraham is perfect at RE, so I don’t see him moving anywhere. Paul Kruger might be an option in round 2 or 3 as a LE candidate.

Next on the clock: Miami Dolphins

See entire Hybrid Mock Draft here

Related posts:

1. Mock Draft (Detroit Lions)
2. Hybrid Mock Draft Results

Andre Smith (NFL.com)

21. Philadelphia Eagles

-Andre Smith (OT/Alabama)

A month ago, the possibility of Andre Smith falling out of the top 5 would have been quite an absurd notion. Well, proceeding his pro day work out and failure to perform at the Combine, his stock has taken a hit comparable to his immense weight. Smith is still a skilled lineman, but there are so many unanswered questions about his character and fitness that I feel many teams won’t be willing to take the risk.

Currently, the Eagles must fill their LT spot since Tra Thomas was signed by the Jaguars, and RT Jon Runyan (age 35) is no spring chicken. Couple this with Andy Reid’s taste for XXXXL linemen such as  Shawn Andrews (6’4 335 lbs), Jamaal Jackson (6’4 330 lbs), Todd Heremans (6’6 321 lbs), Tra Thomas (6’7 335 lbs), Jon Runyan (6’7 330 lbs), and backup Winston Justice (6’6 320 lbs).

At 6’4 332 lbs, Andre Smith fits the mauling run-blocker physique of other Eagle linemen. It will be interesting to see whether Andy Reid wants to risk making the same mistake with Smith that he did with Winston Justice. Both players may be natural RT. Yet, the Eagles are in most need of a LT.

-Brandon Pettigrew (TE/Oklahoma St)

Brandon Pettigrew (NFL.com)

The failure of L.J. Smith to develop into a reliable pass-catching tight ends led Philadelphia to release him recently. Naturally, the Eagles are looking for a solid replacement for him, and may strike the jackpot by selecting the mammoth from Oklahoma St. Brandon Pettigrew.

As I’ve said before, Pettigrew is a fantastic blocker and a huge target in the red zone. Last season, Donovan McNabb lacked a physical receiver.  Ever since Terrell Owens left the team, McNabb  has been throwing to either undersized or unreliable. Pettigrew is neither of the above.

-Chris Wells (HB/Ohio St)

Chris Wells (NFL.com)

Being from the state of Michigan, I am not at all a Chris Wells fan. I think he is too injury prone, and doesn’t use his power enough, in favor of running around opponents. Even with those shortcomings, he is a good running back, who would take the load off of Brian Westbrook, and bring some youth to the Eagles running game. I’ve seen plenty of mock drafts that have Donald Brown going to Philadelphia with the 28th pick. So, Andy Reid may wait until  or beyond to address the running back situation.  Frankly, this draft provides a lot of depth at running back and the Eagles may be better served to wait til the mid rounds to grab a HB.

If you vote “other,” please comment below on who you chose.

Next on the clock: Minnesota Vikings

See the rest of the hybrid mock draft here

Related posts:

1. Mock Draft (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Jason Peters traded to Eagles

-Robert Ayers (DE/Tennessee)

Robert Ayers (NFL.com)

I expect to see Detroit use this draft to build the trenches just like Bill Parcells did last year. This assumption may not be as far off base as you might expect. So, how about we look at the similarities between Mayhew and Parcells’ situations.

Last season the Dolphins had 3 of the first 33 draft choices. Parcells emphasized the need to draft their first player prior to the draft. This led to LT Jake Long being selected. With their other 1st round selection they chose a defensive end. With their first pick of the 2nd round, they selected the 3rd best quarterback available, then proceeded to use the rest of the draft to build the offensive and defensive lines. Sounding familiar?

Now, the Lions have 3 of the top 33 picks. Their GM made it clear as day that he wants to sign the #1 pick prior to the draft. He also emphasized building the trenches in the draft. Finally, Detroit has shown great interest in the top offensive tackles, and they were also one of about 5 teams in attendance at #3 QB candidate Josh Freeman’s pro day workout. So, what does this all mean?

If my hypothesis is correct, then you might see an offensive tackle selected #1, then a defensive lineman with the #20 pick. Finally, Josh Freeman would be targeted with their 33rd pick, if he is still available.

Mayhew is a smart guy, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see him imitate the master franchise builder, Bil Parcells.

Assuming Detroit follows the Parcells plan, they will look for another pass rusher to challenge Cliff Avril for playing time at RE. Detroit’s sack totals were a respectable 16th in the league (30 sacks). But by no means should this make them content. New defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham loves pressuring the quarterback, so adding another pass rusher makes sense, especially one coming from Tennessee’s illustrious program.

Robert Ayers is a great pass rusher who possesses the frame to get bigger. He had a tremendous Senior Bowl, but he carries some level of uncertainty. Ayers did a great job this season, absolutely dominating Andre Smith, but only broke into the starting line up this season. If he continues to blossom, he might become one of the best ends in this class.

-Brandon Pettigrew (TE/Oklahoma St)

Brandon Pettigrew (NFL.com)

If the Lions draft Matthew Stafford first, or if they want to address the offense in round 1, then there is no better player available than Brandon Pettigrew.  Former Lions TE Dan Campbell couldn’t manage to stay healthy, which left the Lions without a big target on underneath routes.

Make no mistake about it, Pettigrew would immediately impact the Lions offense in a handful of ways. He isn’t quite the flashy player that Jared Cook or Chase Coffman will be. However, he is a blocking extraordinaire, who became just about the only player to shut down Brian Orakpo this season. What Detroit gets from Pettigrew is a huge red zone target with massive hands, and an extra offensive tackle (he blocks about as well as some tackles). If you are looking for a comparison, think  Jason Witten.

Coach Schwartz learned the importance of a solid tight end in Tennessee. Bo Scaife was able to contribute to the run game, and he was one of Kerry Collins’ favorite targets.

Final note: I am assuming Michael Oher will have been chosen already. James Laurinaitis is a possibility here.

Next on the clock: Philadelphia Eagles

See the rest of this Hybrid Mock Draft here

If you voted “other,” please name the player in the comments section

Related posts:

1. Mock Draft 1.0 (Detroit Lions)
2. Mock Draft (Atlanta Falcons)

11. Buffalo Bills

-Everette Brown (DE/Florida St)

NFL.com

Buffalo really needs help getting pressure especially after Aaron Schobel went down with an injury. The secondary is quality- if only the linemen could get some pressure on the passer (produced only 24 sacks). Marcus Stroud had an outstanding season, but he needs aid from his fellow linemen. Drafting a high quality defensive end to replace Chris Kelsay (2 sacks) is a high priority for the Bills.

Despite my belief that Everette should be a rush linebacker, some teams may disagree with that assessment. To the Bills, Everette Brown could be a poor man’s version of Dwight Freeney. Buffalo might want Brown to be a pure pass rusher like Freeney. And they could be looking to shift Schobel to the left or to replace him altogether. But I seriously don’t think the Bills need another undersized defensive end on their line. Schobel is 240 lbs. and Kelsay weighs 260 lbs. Everette Brown is lighter than both (252 lbs). But hey, maybe the Bills fancy speed rushers on the end and massive tackles to occupy the other blockers.

Brown is a fun player to watch. He is like an animal hunting its prey. He explodes from a crouch, ducks and weaves, spins, and rips through obstacles to pounce on his prey (the ball carrier).

If Cleveland decides to pass on Everette Brown, then Buffalo would be the next probable candidate to draft him. But once again, can he play defensive end in the NFL?

-Brian Cushing (OLB/USC)

NFL.com

The Bills have been trying to restock the linebackers ever since they lost their star duo of Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher. The team found two promising player in Kawika Mitchell and Paul Posluszny. But Keith Ellison is only an adequate starter. Assuming all the top defensive ends are off the board, Buffalo might have to draft a quality linebacker and address the pass rush in round 2 or beyond.

-Brandon Pettigrew (TE/Oklahoma St)

Tight end is also a strong area of need. The career-ending injury involving Kevin Everett about two years ago ended a hopeful future at tight end. Robert Royal was serviceable as the replacement. But I definitely think Trent Edwards would love an athletic pass catcher to throw to in the red zone.

Brandon Pettigrew is molded like Jason Witten: doesn’t possess blazing speed, but has the knack for finding soft spots in coverage, and is a terrific blocker.  His 40 time at the combine wasn’t stellar (4.85 sec), but he is very strong (bench pressed 22 reps) and basically is another offensive tackle in the running game. If Bufffalo picks a tight end in round 1, expect to see Pettigrew called upon.

NFL.com

If Buffalo wants a player with more receiving ability, they might pass on Pettigrew in favor of the freakishly athletic Jared Cook in round 2.

Next team on the clock: Denver Broncos

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Related posts:

1. Mock Draft 1.0 (Cleveland Browns)
2. Mock Draft (Atlanta Falcons)

Jason Smith photo provided by NFL.com

I had fun watching the offensive linemen and tight ends compete in today’s drills. As promised, here are some of the top prospect stats for day 1.

Jason Smith –Baylor/OT

Bench press-33 reps

40 yard dash-5.22 sec

Jamon Meredith–South Carolina/OT

Bench press- 31 reps

40 yard dash-5.03 sec

Michael Oher–Ole Miss/OT

Bench press- 21 reps

40 yard dash- 5.19 sec

Eugene Monroe–Virgina/OT

Bench press- 23 reps

40 yard dash- 5.16 sec

Brandon Pettigrew–Oklahoma St/TE

Bench press- 22 reps

40 yard dash-4.85 sec

vertical leap- 33 in

Surprise performer:

Jared Cook–South Carolina/TE

Bench press- 23 reps

40 yard dash- 4.50 sec

vertical leap-41 in

(for reference, 225 lbs are the standard weight used for bench press drill)

Related posts:

1. NFL Combine: February 22
2. NFL Combine Results: February 23

Had Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma) declared for the draft, the Big 12 would have produced the best 3 tight end prospects of the year. Instead, Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma St.) and Chase Coffman (Missouri) are about all there is to talk about.

Pettigrew is a good all around football player: not flashy or super speedy, but an excellent blocker and good pass catcher. He won’t wow anyone at the combine like Dustin Keller (New York Jets) did last year, but his play on the field spoke for itself. Run heavy teams probably will take a close look at Pettigrew in the late first round or early second.

The other top prospect is Missouri’s 6’6 ft. Chase Coffman. He is very athletic; he likes to leapfrog opponents for fun, which makes him more of a receiving end than a classic blocker. Still, a lot of teams are looking for that large receiver who can cause mismatches against linebackers. And Coffman could be that guy.

Other than those two, the rest of the talent is rather lackluster. Travis Beckum had a great season last year, but was disappointing on a particularly underachieving Wisconsin team. Also, he is kind of small for that position (weighs only 235 lbs), but he still has good potential.

And this concludes my 2009 NFL Draft At A Glance Series.  I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for when I attempt to define the ideal football player at each position!

Related posts:

1. 2009 Draft At A Glance (Defensive Ends)
2. 2009 NFL Draft At A Glance (Interior Linemen)