My First MiniMock of 09

15 Donald Brown RB UConn Time to Create the two headed monster
46 Ron Brace DT Boston College
77 Zach Follett OLB Cal
108 Matt Shaughnessy DE Wisconsin
139 Eric Wood OC Louisville
170 Tyrell Sutton RB Northwestern
202 Curtis Painter QB Purdue

I know this doesn't happen because of no DBs, have to have some new blood for the ST

Our boy had one hell of a Bowl game tonight. Im officially on the trade down and get Donald Brown bandwagon.

After I finished this mock, I thought about it, and your right trade down grab another 3rd + something and then grab Brown, IMO he draftable around #23 or above.

Add some guys like to my mock:

3rd round Courtney Greene S Rutgers

5th round Sean Smith CB Utah

I was thinking a trade down with Detroit

20 B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
33 Alex Mack, C, California
46 Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
77 Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
thats a nice first three rounds.

Nice one solid picks all. Just remember Chris Johnson was considered a 3rd rounder at this time last year. IMO Brown should be around the 3rd back taken, unless he runs slower than thought, and I doubt it.

My draft gives us 3 backs that are similar and they should push each other to greater heights. And we where lucky this with the injury bug, might not be so lucky in the future, so stockpile solid backs, they make the OL look better than it really is.

I don't know guys, call me unconvinced. Is it just me or does this guy sound like a huge douche. Quoting his article "...I’m going to make myself available to the NFL...", not I am going to enter the NFL draft, but rather I am going to grace them with the opportunity to take me; "...but I did it to protect my team. They mean the world to me, so I’m willing to put my neck on the line for them...", really who talks like that.

I bet he refers to himself in the third person. The Donald Brown is going to allow an NFL team to pay him millions.

And I am not going to advocate for drafting a RB in the first, although I would be alright with it in the second or third.

I don't think he has first round talent anyway. Certainly not in this draft which could have upwards of 80 underclassmen declaring. If all the underclassmen backs that are likely to make the jump, actually declare... he probably grades out somewhere in the range of the 6th-10th best back in this class.... at best.

For me, I would rate these backs ahead of him:

Beanie Wells
Knowshon Moreno
LeSean McCoy
Shonn Greene
CJ Spiller

He was interviewed after the bowl game and eh seemed like a very pleasent and intellligent person to me. In fact he gave all the credit to his offensive line for his record breaking performance. They also interviewed his mother and she seemed like a really sweet lady. So i doubt he is like what you are thinking.


As far as how talented he is and where he ranks among RB's. I have watched all the top rated backs and IMO he should be the third back taken behind Moreno and Wells. Mcoy isnt coming out or I would have him dead even with him. He is perfect for our ZB scheme. He hits the hole quick and has the vision to make one cut and go. He runs with power and doesnt come down on first contact. (squats 600 lbs) He is the Matt Forte of this draft. If he were available in the second round he would be a perfect complinement to Slaton and a well spent pick IMO.

I only showed my first 3 rounds. This is the rest.

20 B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
33 Alex Mack, C, California
46 Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
77 Clay Matthews, OLB,DE, USC
108 Phillip Hunt, DE, Houston
139 Josh Mauga, ILB, Nevada
170 Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
202 Curtis Painter QB Purdue

Throw in
Leonard Pope, UFA, Arizona Cardinals
Nnamdi Asomugha, UFA, Oakland Raiders
In FA along with our FA's and I believe every weekness we have has been addressed with the exception of a ball hawking Safety.

Pope is depth at TE. Imagine if Daniels gets hurt.

My MiniMock


1. CB D. J. Moore – Vanderbilt.
2. OLB Sean Weatherspoon – Missouri.
3. OLB Cody Brown – Connecticut.
4. FS Rashad Johnson – Alabama
5. DE Robert Ayers – Tennessee or Derek Walker – Illinois
6. RB Herb Donaldson – Western Illinois
7. QB David Johnson - Tulsa

All nice picks guys. I am going on record here to say no 1st round RB. We have bigger fish to fry on the defensive side of the ball, if we want to make the playoffs this year.

I assumed that Mays wouldn't be available when we picked in the 1st round. The 2nd round is when we can get a good value, possibly Alex Mack. I just thought I'd get a player like Aaron Curry in the 2nd round. Xavier Adibi hasn't sold me that he's the difference maker to take over for Morlon Greenwood. The third round I wanted a pass-rusher who may be able to play the SAM. Players like Cushing, Hughes, Sintim, and the like probably won't be available and Follett is probably too small for the next level to put his hand in the dirt. I simply can't wait any longer for a FS, so I pulled the trigger in the 4th round. If Johnson is off the board, I could take a good look at Courtney Greene. Still the other DE on 1st and 2nd down could be played by a player like Ayers or Walker. While giving some pass rush, they also can play against the run. They are simply good value for the 5th round and may make Weaver expendable. The 6th round is when I took a look for a "big back" to convert short yardage and goal line runs. Herb Donaldson played for a small school, but at 5' 10" 222lbs, he's hard to bring down. He should run about a 4.54 or better in the 40, he finished 3rd in the Walter Payton Award voting, he rushed for 1,784 yards, and scored 21 TDs. Lastly, I'm taking a QB to replace Sage Rosenfels. Johnson completed 66% of his attempts, threw for 3,671 yards with 42 TDs vs. 13 Ints. He can also pooch punt for those odd occasions when called upon to do so.

Is this the "perfect" draft? No, because I want a big DT, a run-blocking RG, and a C. Perhaps I could bring in some FAs for that?

DT Louis Ellis - Shaw {6' 2" 312lbs 5.10 - 40}
OC John Cooper - Oklahoma {6' 2" 292lbs 5.14 - 40}
OG/OT Robert Brewster - Ball State {6' 4" 312lbs 4.98 - 40}

Just watched Wiss vs Fl St. So my new revised mock is

20 B.J. Raji, NT, Boston College
33 Alex Mack, C, California Max Unger (#60, 6-4, 305)
46 Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
77 Clay Matthews, OLB,DE, USC CB Darius Butler (#1, 5-10, 181)
108 DE Matt Shaughnessy (#92, 6-5, 255)
139 MLB Tyrone McKenzie (#27, 6-2, 235)
170 RB Gartrell Johnson (#5, 5-11, 235) P.J. Hill (#39, 5-10, 230)
202 P/PK Graham Gano (#43, 6-1, 200).


UFA
OT Ryan Stanchek (#62,6-4, 300)
Greg Isdaner (#79, 6-3, 315)


Throw in
Leonard Pope, UFA, Arizona Cardinals
Nnamdi Asomugha, UFA, Oakland Raiders
In FA along with our FA's and I believe every weekness we have has been addressed with the exception of a ball hawking Safety.

I agree with you there, Graham Cano was as dominant as a special teamer could be in that game, it was truly an unbelievable performance. I don't think he will be available in the 7th though.

Gartell Johnson could be a really good late round selection, a poor man's Steven Jackson. I am kinda hoping that everybody just kinda forgets about him because he played in an early bowl.

Shaunessy is an impressive all around prospect that could be available in teh third or fourth.

Assuming those picks I would probably go OLB in the first, maybe move Laurnitis or grab Cushing, if Mays was gone. I like Alex Mack over Max Unger he just seems to have better feet.

I would take William Moore, who has slipped becuase of a bit of a down season, with the 46th pick.

And James Davis with the 77 pick to provide more of a power fall forward back.

So I guess mine would look like this:

20 James Laurnitis, LB, OSU
33 Alex Mack, C, California
46 William Moore, S, Missouri
77 Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin or Victor Harris, CB, VT
108 DE Matt Shaughnessy (#92, 6-5, 255)
139 P/PK Graham Cano
170 RB Gartrell Johnson (#5, 5-11, 235)
202 CB DeAndre Wright, New Mexico

speaking of free agent pickups, just on a personal note I would love to see us pick up Chris Ogobonoya out of Texas as a UDFA. Great receiver out of the backfield, great blocker in both the run and pass game, good in ST coverage, and a mediocre runner. Plus he's the type that does whatever the coaches ask. Recruited as a WR he switched to RB after his redshirt year, then they told him to put on 20 lbs and moved him to FB, then had him drop the weight and go back to tailback after charles left unexpectedly. And he filled every role they gave him just like they asked. He just does so many things well I think he is the type of multi-pupose guy who could stick on a roster.

(And I coached him at Strake Jesuit just a bit so I'd love to see it).

Not a bad thought, he might get drafted.

I did not know you coached at Strake, I am a ST. Thomas alum, had a lot of friends go to Strake.

Unger has better feat than Mac from what I have seen. I cant wait for the combine.

Thats a sweet mock. I like every player. It would great to get a 2way kicker (punts and kicks) with Canos ability. Next year Browns contract is up. If Canos proved worthy we could let Turk and Brown go and save some cap money.

I only coached there 3 years before moving on. Ogobonaya was a QB and then WR on the varsity during our 2 overlapping years, while I was a freshman coach and DBs assistant so its not like I really had anything to do with coaching him. Honestly at that point my biggest varsity responsibility was being the "get back" coach.

And I will point out that none of the games with St. Thomas was very close :).

Was that way also when I was there. :(