2008 NFL Mock Draft: Detailed If Not Accurate Three Months From Now

As Super Bowl Weekend is upon us, we all wait to see which team can make the final push to complete a storybook season.  In one corner lies a juggernaut: The New England Patriots. 

A well-documented saga stretching from "Bill's cameras" to "Brady's Boot."  From "Randy's Resurrection," to the infamous grey hoody. 

In the other corner stands the New York Giants.  The road warriors, riding the coattails of a coach and quarterback who very few thought could lead them to the promised land.

For the remaining 30 franchises, the offseason has already begun as teams plan ahead for a run at the big one in 2009.  In this installment I take my first stab at which collegiate stars you might expect to see donning your favorite team's colors come draft day.

This column does not take into account the unpredictability that is the first round of the NFL draft.  With rumors circulating every day, the biggest being Darren McFadden to the Dallas Cowboys with the first pick, we will take the current draft order; speculating based on team needs as well as overall talent to see which household names as well as future stars could end up where.

1. Miami Dolphins - Chris Long, DE - Virginia

Rumors are already running rampant about the Tuna trading down, with Bill Parcells at the helm you can trust the Dolphins will be looking to build a strong core for the future.  As appealing as a Darren McFadden or Matt Ryan will be, Miami should look to build around what the parts they already have in place.  This pick should come down to a toss-up between Long and LSU's Glenn Dorsey.  With Jason Taylor's time running short as well as seeing more looks at linebacker, Long figures to fit perfectly as an end in the Dolphins 3-4 scheme.

2. St. Louis Rams - Glenn Dorsey, DT - LSU

As age begins to catch up to the Rams, there are a wide number of holes being left in their personnel.  Although the interior line might not be the biggest need for St. Louis, the opportunity to secure the top talent on the defensive side of the ball could be too much of an opportunity to pass up.  Paired with Laroi Glover in the middle, this tandem could create fits for opposing fronts.  With the aging and oft-injured Orlando Pace a question mark at offensive tackle, the Rams could reach for Michigan standout Jake Long here.

3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan, QB - Boston College

The state of this franchise could not have turned any quicker, from Mike Vick to Bobby Petrino to the overall discontent in the Atlanta locker room throughout the season.  This franchise needs a star to become the face of a recovering franchise.  That being said the Falcons should give Jerious Norwood his shot to prove himself as opposed to using this pick on McFadden.  Ryan makes sense here as a safe pick as someone without off-the-chart physical talents, but the mind to control games in a cool, collected manner.  Despite expected initial struggles in his rookie season, he could develop into the star the Falcons need to turn them around.

4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden, RB - Arkansas

The top talent in this year's draft class comes off the board with the fourth overall pick.  Does anyone really think Al Davis will have a problem cutting ties with budding star Justin Fargas to bring in the physical specimen who could dominate games a la Adrian Peterson?  Back-to-back runner-up finishes in Heisman voting, while playing in the nation's toughest conference are notable achievements on McFadden's resume. His above average size to go along with 4.4 speed give McFadden the potential to give opposing coordinators headaches for years to come.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

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