Pickett's Top 40
 

I don't claim to be Rick Dees or Casey Casem. However, I thought I'd bring you my weekly Top 40. These are the top 40 players in my estimation. I'm sure there will be other players who I've left out, but these are the top guys in my opinion. Later on, I'll reveal who I would have on my draft board, specifically for the Texans.

1 QB Matt Stafford Georgia
2 OT Michael Oher Mississippi
3 WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech
4 OT Eugene Monroe Virginia
5 WR Jeremy Maclin Missouri
6 CB Malcom Jenkins Ohio St
7 LB James Laurinaitis Ohio St
8 OT Andre Smith Alabama
9 S Taylor Mays USC
10 WR Percy Harvin Florida
11 S Myron Rolle Florida State
12 LB Aaron Curry Wake Forest
13 S William Moore Missouri
14 DE Greg Hardy Mississippi
15 DT Peria Jerry Mississippi
16 OT Jason Smith Baylor
17 LB Rey Maualuga USC
18 CB Vontae Davis Illinois
19 DT Sen'Derrick Marks Auburn
20 CB Alphonso Smith Wake Forest
21 RB Beannie Wells Ohio St
22 DE Brian Orakpo Texas
23 LB Brandon Spikes Florida
24 DE Michael Johnson Georgia Tech
25 LB Brian Cushing USC
26 LB Clint Sintim Virginia
27 DE George Selvie South Florida
28 OC Alex Mack California
29 S Patrick Chung Oregon
30 OT Phil Loadholt Oklahoma
31 RB James Davis Clemson
32 LB Marcus Freeman Ohio St
33 OG Duke Robinson Oklahoma
34 RB Knowshon Moreno Georgia
35 WR Derrick Williams Penn St
36 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Maryland
37 LB Darry Beckwith LSU
38 LB Dannell Ellerbe Georgia
39 CB Mike Mickens Cincinnati
40 WR Juaquin Iglesias Oklahoma

#3 Michael Crabtree has indicated he is returning to Texas Tech. I agree with your assesment. He would likely be a top 10 pick if he came out now. Reminds me a lot of Andre Johnson, don't you think?

Right now, I think, we hold the #12 pick in the Draft. That means OLB Curry according to your first Top 40. I could get comfortable with that.

Where's Everett Brown?

A couple other things that I would note....

I would put Brandon Spikes much higher near Aaron Curry.

Maclin seems a bit smallish when translating to the next level for me to rate him so high.

I personally think Eugene Monroe has better footwork than Michael Oher... thus I would have him higher.

Herman Johnson deserves to be in there somewhere.

And maybe its just me... but does anyone else have a bad feeling about Beannie Wells. He runs kind of soft for a bigger back.

I guess you're not too high on Sam Bradford.

If that last statement was put to me, I am very high on Sam Bradford. BUT we need defense in this draft.

No... I was referring to Roy. Just noticing that Bradford wasn't in his top 40.

My mistake. I was thinking he had another year at OU. Bradford will be in next week's top 40.

I also have to say the UNC WR Hakeem Nicks impressed me in his bowl game. He looked a little like Andre Johnson when he played at the U.

Speaking of Bowl games, California's Zack Follett convinced me that he might be the type of SAM LB that I'm looking for. Also, Cal's OC Alex Mack might be a good fit for our OL. This guy might be worth spending our 2nd round pick on if he's the top player on the board.

After watching the Central Michigan game, I'm hoping that Dan LeFevour returns for his senior year. He still needs some seasoning in terms of knowing when to throw and when to run. On the other hand, FAU's LB Frantz Joseph displayed some good tackling skills.

Mack might be a taken as high as 20th. He is good one and can play in any offense. My question is if he falls to pick #33 do you trade up and grab him?

And I agree with you Follett might be creeping himself out of the 3rd round grade I have been seeing on him. He looked solid. If I knew I could get him in round 3 then I could be happy with a Adibi Ryans Follett grouped together.

Day after Chicago game, I am glad we won to go 8-8, but now I am in the Texan Doldrums until the Combine in February. ;)

Not me, this is scouting time with college bowl games, and then the senior bowls. I love this time of year.

It's the time after the Combine before the draft that gets long to me, that and the time between OTAs and training camp, hate those times of year.

I'm a little bit skeptical with Follett. I wonder if his production is attributed to playing in that 34 defense that Cal is now running this year.

I was thinking the same thing and I only watched part of the game. I looked for him in some mocks and ranking and didn't see him so I didn't know if he was an underclassmen. I know WR is not really one of our needs but I think this kid is a sleeper... that one catch behind his back was pretty impressive!

Mack was impressive, but not 1st round impressive. I wouldn't trade up to grab him either. Kids from Oregon and Alabama aren't that far of a drop off.

Follett is hard for me to quantify. I was really high on Tim Shaw too and he didn't shoot up draft boards like I thought. Cliff Avril was a 3rd round pick too, if I recall.

Hakeem Nicks is a 2nd or possibly 1st round pick, so I wouldn't say he's a sleeper.

I think you are undervaluing Mack and Unger. I doubt either will be available with our 2nd pick. Caldwell didnt impress me as mucha s others.

Is it determined at this point that Mark Sanchez is returning to USC? Watching his mobility and accuracy makes me drool. He is under center and running a bootleg heavy offense that hits the TEs and WRs on crossing routes very similar to ours.

I really like schaub, but his mobility is a liability in our offense. I would not mind drafting his replacement before we needed him. Especially if it meant Sage could be shipped off for a mid-round pick.

So is sanchez considering coming out and would he be available mid 1st?

Say what ! You want to use our #15 overall to Draft a reserve QB ?

Yep. Absolutely. The broncos did it with Cutler and the chargers with Rivers. Both picked a QB earlier than needed and were not forced to rush them onto the field. Both are now set at the most important position in football for the next decade or so.

I love Schaub for where we're at, but does anyone think we win a superbowl with him?

I do. I agree Schaub could be a lot more effective if he were more athletic, but he's pretty damn effective NOW when he is healthy. And our defense needs to get a lot better before we can even begin thinking about superbowls, so any 1st round pick we have needs to go on that side of the ball.

Yeah, we need to keep our eyes on the Trees, and not get lost in the Forest. Defense with picks 1,2, & 3.

And Denver was having to replace their starting QB, like now. We can set back and afford to wait, maybe grab a QB in the 5th, or 6th round. We don't need to be in a panic.

I watched Nicks' bowl game for UNC and was very impressed but the ESPN sideline reporter said he had been graded a 2nd or 3rd rounder because his height is 6-1 (not the 6-3 to 6-5 that seems to be the ideal WR size for go-to receivers) and he does not time well in the 40 so he may have trouble breaking free of coverage at the next level.

But I was very impressed how he caught the ball with his hands away from his body and ran good routes. He may become a terrific #2 receiver, perhaps not the deep threat in an NFL offense but the type of Eric Moulds receiver who just has a knack of getting open and moving the chains.

You aren't remembering it clearly. The year before they drafted Cutler, Plummer was 61%, 3366 yards, 18 TD and 7 INT while leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record. The Broncos were fine at QB and had no "like now" need. They just knew they could get better at the most important position in football.

But most importantly, Does anyone think we are winning a superbowl with Matt Schaub (especially in our current bootleg heavy offense)?

All I'm saying is, If a guy we think is can't miss becomes available at the QB position, I am fine with pulling the trigger.

And there's a "can't miss" QB in this draft? I'm sorry. I must have missed that.

Is it that hard to believe that you might miss that? Even in an age of a million amateur internet draftniks, nothing you read on the internet is very effective in judging draft prospects.

So like I said. If our front office thinks their is one then pull the trigger.

I also remember that Denver had already traded Plummer to Atlanta, where he refused to report, instead deciding to retire.

wrong again. Cutler was drafted in 2005 after that very good season by Plummer. Then plummer started the entire 2006 season. Then you remember him veing traded (I think to TB not ATL) after that 2006 season. The trade was a full year after they drafted cutler.

You're both wrong. Plummer was traded to Tampa Bay, not Atlanta, and Cutler was drafted in 2006, not 2005. Plummer led the Broncos to the playoffs in 2005 but fell back to 9-7 in 2006 with Cutler taking over from Plummer late in the season.

I mispoke regarding the year in the last post, but the timeline is correct. The Broncos drafted Cutler immediately following a great season by Plummer, and a full year before Plummer was traded. They were in no need of a QB when they took him. They did so simply because they saw a chance to get better at QB.

You win the Cupie Doll Bob. You are most certainly correctamento.