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Cameron Heyward Comes Off The Board To Close Out The First Round

If there is one thing the Packers have done better than a lot of teams in recent years, it is how they get through the draft.

The Green Bay Packers are facing a division that has the Lions and the Rams getting better with young quarterbacks at the helm. The Bears always are a threat and with a Lombardi Trophy this year, the Packers have a target on their backs.

Enter Cameron Heyward, who has fallen to the bottom of the first round in this mock. Heyward is insurance if the Packers lose Cullen Jenkins. He also becomes a great pass-rushing partner to Clay Matthews.

The Packers also could draft an offensive lineman or a corner at this slot and not go wrong. The beauty of having a general manager who knows what he is doing is that you get a year like this where your first round isn't dependant on getting one guy.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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Mike Pouncey Fills A Need And Gets Him Back With His Brother

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to think fast in April if they are going to get the guy they want.

The Steelers draft 31st this year, and the guy they will want the most, Mike Pouncey, probably won't last that long. I'm mocking Pouncey here because I believe the Steelers will trade up to get him.

The Steelers drafted his twin brother Maurkice last year and he has become the best player on the offensive line and one of the most popular players in the locker room.

Drafting his twin is the top priority for this team. Not only will it fill a position of need, but the chemistry between the two brothers already is there and there will be no questions about character. This is a "Can't miss" pick, and the Steelers will do what they have to do to get this guy on their squad.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Jets Will Take Phil Taylor, Worry About The Rest Of The Defense Later

Most of the Jets big issues this offseason deal with signing the 500 or so free agents the team seems to have this year. Labor relations aside, there never is a good year to have as many free agents as the Jets have

The New York Jets have a very good defense, but Phil Taylor will be the future anchor of the Jets defense. Taylor has a lot of talent, and if not for some marks against him from his time at Penn State, Taylor might have been considered a Top 10 pick.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan won't care about that one bit and will be happy to take Taylor with the 30th pick. With so many free agent questions, Taylor fits a need that doesn't involve a veteran waiting to sign a contract. Plus he will be a playmaker on the defense, which you can't have enough of when you play the Patriots twice a year.

The Jets could try and move up with this pick, but a lot depends on who is taken before the Jets come on the clock.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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Gabe Carimi A Very Good Choice For The Bears To Consider In The First Round

The Chicago Bears offensive line in 2010 left a lot to be desired. In short, it was awful.

The awfulness of the line was covered up somewhat by different schemes implemented as the season went on, but all that did was put a band-aid on the situation.

The first step toward rebuilding that line is by drafting Gabe Carimi. Carimi will help reduce the 60 sacks the line allowed in 2010. With Carimi, you stop talking about if Jay Cutler was healthy enough to come back in the game because Cutler isn't getting the crap kicked out of him.

If the Bears don't address their line at the top of the draft, it should be an offense worthy of termination for every person in that front office.

Cutler has to be given more time to throw and he has to be allowed to recover from the disaster that was the NFC Championship Game. Carimi can help with both problems.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

Tom Brady Will Get A Good Target In Torrey Smith In 2011

Torrey Smith is a great athlete with blazing speed and will be a perfect addition to Bill Belichick's offense.

Belichick probably smiles every time he thinks about the upcoming draft. The Patriots have the rare advantage of having two first-round picks thanks to a trade with the Oakland Raiders for Richard Seymour.

The Raiders recently signed Seymour to a new contract, so the trade has paid off for the Raiders. If Torrey Smith is as good as advertised at the pro level, the trade will pay off for the Patriots. Smith made some spectacular catches this past season, and the Patriots will hope Smith can develop good chemistry with Tom Brady early in the season to get the Patriots back to the Super Bowl.

Brady did well without a deep field threat, but it cost the team in the playoffs as the Jets were able to shut Brady down.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Falcons Have Offensive Weapons, Their Defense Demands A First-Round Pick

The Atlanta Falcons have a big choice in front of them on draft day. Roddy White is the only big threat they have at wide receiver, but they need another corner as well.

The Falcons could go either way with this pick, but I'm thinking they will go with the cornerback. There are a lot of good wide receivers between this pick and when they come up again, but the quality of the cornerbacks is going to start really dropping after the top of the second round, so they take Aaron Williams.

Williams automatically is better than most of the corners on the Falcons roster, and it will give them a better chance against Drew Brees and other big quarterbacks in the league. With A.J. Green and Julio Jones gone, the next group of wide receivers are pretty close in talent and the Falcons can wait.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Baltimore Ravens Use 26th Pick To Give Joe Flacco A Weapon

The Baltimore Ravens have a lot of ways they can go with this pick, but going with a wide receiver is the best move they can make at this point. I have mocked center Stefan Wisniewski here before, but now I think the Ravens will hold off.

Baldwin will help stretch the defenses in 2011. Flacco just didn't have a legitimate enough wide receiver downfield to keep defenses like the Steelers from creeping up on him.

The Ravens also need a new center to replace the aging Matt Birk, who will be 35 years old when the 2011 season begins. But everyone has said that for the last two years, so don't hold your breath. If the Ravens take a center, I'm now convinced they won't do it any earlier than the third round.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

The Seahawks Will Benefit From A Stronger Offensive Line, Take DeMarcus Love

The Seahawks have a lot of needs, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see them take a quarterback here. But right now I just don’t see that happening.

The Seahawks probably hope Mike Pouncey is on the board with the 25th pick, and according to this mock, he is. That being said, I think the Steelers trade ahead of the Seahawks and pick up Pouncey before them. It's the only trade I'm going to predict because I just think it's going to happen.

Instead, the Seahawks will grab DeMarcus Love to start rebuilding an offensive line that couldn't stop much of anything in 2010. Matt Hasselbeck got beat up pretty good and Charlie Whitehurst didn't have an easy time filling in while Hasselbeck healed.

The Seahawks could go defense here and nobody would be upset. That team has a lot of holes to fill.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

The Saints Take Corey Liuget As They Retool For Another Playoff Run

The Saints need to acquire better run defenders was made quite obvious by Marshawn Lynch in the playoffs. The Saints have to shore up their line, and Corey Liuget becomes a steal at this pick.

Liuget also is a good pass rusher, so the Saints get double the value out of this pick. Liuget has great hands and can beat blockers who are a step too slow. Liuget is big and strong and will be a great addition to the Saints line.

The Saints might look to the end of their line if someone like Ryan Kerrigan falls to this slot. The Saints line needs some work. It isn't terrible, but there is a reason the Seahawks beat them in the Wildcard game.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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Protecting Michael Vick Becomes Driving Force Behind Eagles First-Round Pick

Michael Vick was injured two times in the 2010 season and Kevin Kolb once. The Eagles have to do a better job of protecting the quarterback in 2011, and that starts with drafting Derek Sherrod.

The Eagles will be putting the franchise in the hands of Vick, who will be signing a fat new contract very soon. 

That is just how good Vick is, and it shows why the Eagles have to everything they can to protect Vick in 2011.

Sherrod is the kind of raw offensive line talent Andy Reid can plug right in and have him start in Week 1. Sherrod is big and athletic and should be able to make the transition to the pros in short order. The Eagles gave up 52 sacks last year, so Sherrod's job will be to reduce that number significantly.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Colts Have No Choice But To Go Offense In First Round Of April's Draft

The Colts did not have that great of a team in 2010 because of injuries and some questionable offseason moves concerning the offensive line.

The Indianapolis Colts did not do a good job of protecting Peyton Manning in 2010. Manning will sign a huge new contract at some point before the 2011 season started and he isn't getting any younger.

Manning has been very resistant to injury throughout his career, but how long can that last? Age catches up with everyone eventually, and Manning can not keep taking the kind of beatings he took in 2010 and expect to finish his career strong.

Colts fans hope he'll be as healthy as ever, but a lot of that depends on protection. The Colts changed up the offensive line last year and it didn't work, so it's back to the drawing board and the Colts will welcome Anthony Castonzo into the fold.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Chiefs Will Draft For Defense With Their First-Round Pick In April

The Kansas City Chiefs went from drafting ahead of the Cleveland Browns in 2010 to the playoffs. The Chiefs opened a lot of eyes in 2010, but they did have a relatively easy schedule.

The Broncos and Chargers were competing against each other to see who could torpedo their season faster and the Raiders just are not a playoff team yet. So the Chiefs had enough talent and enough good coaches on the sideline to bring the 2010 season together.

In 2011, Justin Houston gives the Chiefs a great option in their pass-rushing schemes and is one of the best players available. The Chiefs could go to other positions on the defensive line, but I'm going with Houston at the moment.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Buccaneers Have Their Eye On The Postseason With 20th Pick

With Akeem Ayers, Ryan Kerrigan and Adrian Clayborn off the Board, Aldon Smith becomes the target of the Buccaneers.

The Bucs had no pass rush against the Falcons at the end of the season, and they're not going to go far in the NFC South against the Falcons and Saints if they can't get to the quarterback. The Bucs saw all their flaws exposed down the stretch, so this is their best opportunity to plug those holes.

With Matt Ryan and Drew Brees in the division, it's the same problem the Jags and the Texans face. If you have dominant quarterbacks in your division, you have to build a defense that can put pressure on the quarterbacks and take them out of their game.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Giants Need To Put More Pressure on Opposing QBs, Take Ayers

The Giants have two needs they could address in the first round, an offensive lineman or an outside linebacker.

With Nate Solder and Tyron Smith off the board, the Giants will move in and take Akeem Ayers. Ayers is an extremely talented linebacker who can be moved around if the Giants need him to. Ayers is a playmaker and will fit right in to the New York mentality.

Ayers is a physical player who loves hitting people. He also has good pass rushing skills and will be great addition to the Giants.

The Giants are one of the teams I think may either trade up to get a player like Nate Solder, or trade down because there are a ton of good pass rushers and linebackers in this draft.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.

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The Chargers Draft Smart With 18th Pick, Take Tyron Smith

With a lot of other teams going defense, the Chargers will see an opportunity to get an elite offensive lineman in Tyron Smith.

Smith is very athletic and will make a great raw talent for the Chargers to develop. He has the skills to step in and be productive his rookie year, and the Chargers can draft him without feeling like they are missing out on a better prospect.

Smith has the size to be as effective in pass protection as he can as a run blocker.

The Chargers also could go defense with this pick, but taking Smith makes the most sense with the 18th pick given what is available.

For a deeper look at the draft, check out our Complete Three-Round Draft.