2009 NFL Mock Draft – First Round
Here is DPD’s first NFL Mock Draft of 2009. As the playoffs end and the free agent signing period begins, there will certainly be changes, so keep checking back here for updates.
| # | Team | Pick | |
| 1 | Detroit Lions (0-16) | Matthew Stafford, QB – Georgia – Every team needs a franchise quarterback and the Lions do not have one. They could go the route of an offensive linemen, and I do believe they will later in the first round. | |
| 2 | St. Louis Rams (2-14) | Andre Smith, OT – Alabama –It is hard to pass up franchise linemen, and the Rams need to begin fixing their broken offense. | |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) | Aaron Curry, LB – Wake Forest – Tyler Thigpen has played well enough to warrant the Chiefs picking one of the best overall prospects in the draft. | |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks (4-12) | Michael Crabtree, WR – Texas Tech – The Seahawks are constantly hampered by injuries to this position, so they need a true #1. | |
| 5 | Cleveland Browns (4-12) | Malcolm Jenkins, CB – Ohio State –With Taylor Mays staying in school and Curry off the board, the Browns will look to provide depth to the secondary. Eric Wright is developing into a true starting corner, but Brandon McDonald was a nightmare for most of the season. | |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) | Michael Oher, OT – Mississippi – Oher is one of the elite tackles in the draft, and their once-potent offense has become putrid. | |
| 7 | Oakland Raiders (5-11) | Eugene Monroe, OT – Virginia – You have two franchise players in JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden. If they are going to develop properly, they will need a better O-line. | |
| 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) | Rey Maualuga, LB – USC –The Jags can go in a number of directions, but Maualuga’s skills are hard to pass up. | |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers (6-10) | Brian Orakpo, DE – Texas – With Orakpo, the Packers can improve on one of the worst pass rushing units in the league. | |
| 10 | San Francisco 49ers (7-9) | Mark Sanchez, QB – USC –The Alex Smith era is over, and the 49ers need a franchise quarterback. For their sake, let’s hope he doesn’t follow in the disappointing footsteps of other “one-year wonders.” | |
| 11 | Buffalo Bills (7-9) | Brandon Pettigrew, TE – Oklahoma State – Trent Edwards needs options on offense, and the Bills need a more reliable tight end. | |
| 12 | Denver Broncos (8-8) | James Laurinaitis, LB – Ohio State – Tons of needs on defense, but middle linebacker is an especially glaring one. | |
| 13 | Washington Redskins (8-8) | Everette Brown, DE – Florida State – The Redskins rank near the bottom of the league in sacks, but could also upgrade the offensive line. | |
| 14 | New Orleans Saints (8-8) | Vontae Davis, CB – Illinois – This is a huge area of concern for the Saints, and Davis will make a much-needed impact right away. | |
| 15 | Houston Texans (8-8) | Alphonso Smith, CB – Wake Forest – Taylor Mays would have been a perfect fit, but the secondary as a whole needs to be upgraded. | |
| *The order of the following teams could change based on the playoffs. | |||
| 16 | San Diego Chargers (8-8) | B. J. Raji, DT – Boston College – They could go linebacker, but the top three picks have been taken by this point, so the Chargers look to another area of concern. | |
| 17 | New York Jets (9-7) | Knowshon Moreno, RB – Georgia – So far, we don’t know if Brett Favre is returning, and the Jets could improve on their power running game, despite the years they got from Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. | |
| 18 | Chicago Bears (9-7) | Jeremy Maclin, WR – Missouri – The Bears still do not have a true #1 receiver, and it’s about time they got one. | |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) | Jason Smith, OT – Baylor – Again, a number of ways to go with this pick, but it’s never a bad idea to start with the offensive line. | |
| 20 | Detroit Lions (9-7, Pick via Cowboys) | Duke Robinson, OG – Oklahoma – The entire line is in shambles, and Robinson is the best guard in the draft. | |
| 21 | Arizona Cardinals (9-7) | Chris Wells, RB – Ohio State – This pick seems like a no-brainer, as the Cards had the worst running game in the league. However, they could opt to go with a defensive player. | |
| 22 | Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) | Jared Cook, TE – South Carolina – L.J. Smith is a free agent and doesn’t look to be returning, and Donovan McNabb could certainly use another weapon. | |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings (10-6) | William Moore, S – Missouri – There are a few ways the Vikings can go with this, but secondary depth is one of the larger areas of concern. | |
| 24 | New England Patriots (11-6) | D.J. Moore, CB – Vanderbilt – The secondary has not been the same the past two seasons, and no one knows what is going to happen to Rodney Harrison. | |
| 25 | Atlanta Falcons (11-5) | Peria Jerry, DT – Ole Miss –The Falcons will probably stay on the defensive side of the ball with their first pick. | |
| 26 | Miami Dolphins (11-5) | Brian Cushing, LB – USC –The Dolphins are in need of defensive playmakers, and Cushing will be an excellent fit in their 3-4 defense. | |
| 27 | Baltimore Ravens (11-5) | Clint Sintim, LB – Virginia –Believe it or not, this position could be a concern, with Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs becoming unrestricted free agents. | |
| 28 | Indianapolis Colts 12-4) | Evander Hood, DT – Missouri –The Colts were gutted by the run during the season, and need this kind of production upfront. | |
| 29 | Philadelphia Eagles (12-4; Pick via Panthers) | Eben Britton, OT – Arizona – The line isn’t getting any younger, so the Eagles will wisely spend this second pick on O-line depth. | |
| 30 | Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) | Max Unger, C/OT – Oregon –Ben Roethlisberger is getting tossed around like a ragdoll, so an offensive lineman is a definite need. | |
| 31 | New York Giants (12-4) | Darrius Heyward-Bay, WR – Maryland –There’s a good chance Plaxico Burress won’t be returning to the team, and Heyward-Bey will be an excellent insurance pick. | |
| 32 | Tennessee Titans(13-3) | Percy Harvin, WR – Florida –They need options on offense, and Harvin will be a versatile playmaker. |