Team Needs Mock Draft (Part 2)
It’s a little early to be predicting the first round of the NFL Draft, yet people love to speculate what teams will do (Mel Kiper 9.0 by March). Every year Gridiron Experts refuses to post a Mock Draft too early, so instead we’re posting a 3 part team needs mock draft, giving an educated guess to what teams might be thinking.
Not every position that is lacking on a NFL squad has to be filled with a first round pick. There are still a ton of free agents that are about to hit the open market, and second year players that can step in now that they have a year under them, and the first few weeks of March should completely change the draft. So here is a look at the NFL Draft based on how teams are sitting at the moment.
Read the First Article: Team Needs Mock Draft (Part 1)
11) Denver Broncos Team Needs: DT | DE | WR | QB
Strange to see Denver this high on the board considering the fast start to the season with new coach Josh McDaniel’s. The Broncos completely fell apart in the final month of the season, losing 4 games in a row, including losses to the Chiefs and Raiders.
The Broncos will likely try to improve their running defense through free agency and could target an offensive playmaker with pick 10. The Brandon Marshall trade rumors have started to fire up, causing many mock draft experts to target the top wide receiver landing in Denver.
Demaryius Thomas is high in our books, but a broken foot could hurt his stock value, making Dez Bryant a strong favorite. There is also a chance that if a top QB is available at 10 the Broncos could fill the shoes left by Jay Cutler. Either way the Broncos are sitting strong at pick 10 to take the best player available without the huge rookie money at the top of the draft.
12) Miami Dolphins Team Needs: WR | LB | SS
The Dolphins had injuries to key players in ‘09, but did an amazing job filling position spots. Players stepped up week after week to fill roles unlike any other team. The Dolphins are a diamond in the rough; if they can stay healthy and add a couple playmakers, this team could challenge for the AFC East division title.
This young team is a year older and wiser now, and will try to grow on the accomplishments of the ‘09 season. Personally Gridiron Experts would like to see this pick used on the offensive side of the ball, and we’re sure fans would agree. Adding a WR that can stretch the field would be ideal for this running attack, yet the team has enough rookies, and leadership would be nice as well.
We think trading this pick to a team like Arizona for a smart, tough WR like Anquan Boldin would be a great move. At 29 the trade wouldn’t be pick for player, but if a mid round pick came with Boldin, the Dolphins would walk away happy. Gridiron Experts sees pick 12 the first traded away pick of the draft, either down to gain more picks, or to another team for a veteran leader. The Dolphins are already a young team and need to add talent and wisdom now.
13) San Francisco 49er’s Team Needs: OT | WR | SS | KR
The only thing the 49er’s need to do this offseason is cut Takeo Spikes. Why? Because the veteran linebacker is a playoff curse. In the 12 years that Takeo Spikes has been in the NFL he has never been a part of a team that has made the playoffs…wow!
The 49er’s don’t really have any massive needs on the team, despite what some may say about QB Alex Smith.
Alex Smith was solid down the stretch and should have done just enough to have earned another opportunity to start for the 49er’s next season. There is a chance that Smith could succeed and lead this team into the post season if a smart offensive system can be installed that this young club can get behind. Keep in mind we’re being optimistic, as newly hired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye II doesn’t come with an impressive resume. Raye has never run an offense that has ranked high in any category that mattered, and his hiring makes no sense in the direction the
Atlanta Falcons
hardest parts for Bill Parcells must have been trying to figure out what to do with all of these young players that were drafted in the last couple years that didn’t fit into his system. Trades and cuts were made, but keeping most of this team intact and 
molding it into a cohesive unit is a feat that Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, and the rest of the coaching staff may not get credit for. Chad Pennington had a great season, capping it off by beating his old team to clinch the AFC East title and a playoff berth. Pennington’s numbers were among his personal best, while his leadership skills were what this team looked up to the most. Who could forget the Wildcat formation, a college type hybrid play that the entire league tried out at least once or twice after a couple of huge wins over the Patriots and Chargers early in the Dolphins season. Of course, nobody could run it better than Ronnie Brown and his army of speedy receivers.
calling the shots. Free agency and the draft couldn’t have gone better for this rebuilding team. Matt Ryan stepped in from day one, looking calm and cool making all the throws. Ryan’s first pass was a bomb touchdown, opening eyes around the league. Of course signing Michael Turner was brilliant, even he couldn’t have predicted how well his first season would turn out. There are many players on the Falcons that had great seasons, but two that stood out to us were Curtis Lofton, the rookie from Oklahoma, and John Abraham. Linebacker Curtis Lofton was a 2nd round pick who made plays all season, racking up 94 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Lofton was a steal for Atlanta, and he is a potential pro bowler in a few seasons. Then there’s the defensive stud John Abraham, who was somehow snubbed from the Pro Bowl with his 16.5 sacks (career high) and four forced fumbles. Abraham is banged up heading into this weekend’s game; the Falcons will be in trouble if he can’t produce against the Cardinals.
