We don’t have the energy (or the desire) to do a final mock draft of our own, but we’ll probably throw one together at some point before 3:00 p.m. EDT today.
Until then, we’ll marvel at the final mock of Pat Kirwan of NFL.com. Not because it blows us away from a top-to-bottom standpoint, but because Kirwan projects a few trades that are very consistent with the rumblings that have been making the rounds of late.
First, Kirwan shows the Chiefs trading out of the No. 5 spot with the Patriots, allowing the Pats to come up to No. 5 and nab Vernon Gholston before the Jets can get him at No. 6. The Chiefs then would take Matt Ryan at No. 7.
This is precisely what we’ve heard could be happening. The Chiefs are in a position to yank the chains of the Pats and the Jets in an effort to get the Pats to come up and pick off the guy whom the Jets covet, or to persuade the Jets to move up a spot to block the Pats from getting there.
And once Ryan is off the board at No. 7, the Ravens can trade from No. 8 down to No. 10, allowing the Saints to jump in front of the Bengals for defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. Then, the Ravens take Branden Albert at No. 10.
We also (kind of) like the idea of the Lions moving up to No. 11 in a flip-flop with the Bills, so that Detroit can get Derrick Harvey and the Bills can get receiver Devin Thomas at No. 15. But that move might prevent the Bills from getting Thomas, if that Friday interview/workout of Thomas by the Bears was anything other than a ruse.
Our only real criticism is that the Kirwan final mock doesn’t show a team trading back into round one to get one of the quarterbacks. Good luck, however, figuring out which team will move back into the bottom of the round — and which quarterback they’ll target.
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April 26th, 2008 at 9:56 am
The Jets should be calling KC right now and telling them they are prepared to take Matt Ryan…just to scare them away from making that deal with New England.
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April 26th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I wonder if this a replay of 2003 where the Pats were rumored to trade up to get Dewayne Robertson to only let the Jets trade the farm to move up to #4 and almost get them to trade up to #2 to take Robertson.
Belichick and Pioli are already probably balking at the $18-20 million in guarantees that they would give up to the 7th pick. Are they really excited about trading up and paying even more? I still think they would rather trade down.
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April 26th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Besides, with both Gholston and McFadden off the board and Ryan sitting at their spot, why wouldn’t the Jets just trade with Baltimore or another team that is interested in Ryan?
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April 26th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Why wouldn’t the Jets just nab Ryan? Is Kellen Clemmons really their answer for QB?
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April 26th, 2008 at 11:47 am
The Patriots do NOT spend high picks on LBs. They spend high picks on DTs. They rarely trade up into the top of the draft. But they always trade down. Any rumors of moving up to get Gholston ain’t happenin’ That’s pure fodder to freak out the Jets.
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