2009 NFL Mock Draft: Mark Sanchez to The Rams at No. 2

The 2009 NFL Draft is only hours away. The excitement is building in the hearts of all NFL fans.

Without further ado, let's get it started.


1. Detroit Lions—Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
This pick could not be anymore obvious right now. The Lions need a face to the franchise, and Matthew Stafford might not be a Pro Bowler in the future, but he is much better than Daunte Culpepper at this point in time.

2. St. Louis Rams—Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
The reports are telling us that the Rams have purchased a plane ticket for Mark Sanchez to fly out to Missouri on Sunday. This likely means that they will bring him in for a press-conference after they draft him.

3. Kansas City Chiefs—Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
The Chiefs need another offensive lineman that can anchor the line. Brandon Albert was a great pick last year for Kansas City, and Jason Smith is the best offensive tackle in the draft. He will be a great fit for the Chiefs.

4. Seattle Seahawks—Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
Perhaps not the biggest need for the Seahawks, but definitely the best player available at this point for Seattle. Aaron Curry will be a great defensive player for his entire career. Seattle will be getting an extremely talented player from the get-go.

5. Cleveland Browns—Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas
The Browns have a very difficult pick right here. They have many great options that they can take a serious look at. This pick should come down to Michael Crabtree, B.J. Raji, or Brian Orakpo.

6. Cincinnati Bengals—Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
The best player available here for the Bengals. They desperately need offensive line help for next year. If they want to invest in Cedric Benson, the line must be fixed instantly.

7. Oakland Raiders- Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
Despite the fact that Michael Crabtree seems very intriguing, I doubt the Raiders make the move to draft him. The Raiders need to upgrade one of their two offensive tackle positions. Andre Smith will be the perfect fit to do so.

8. Philadelphia Eagles from Jacksonville—Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
The Jacksonville Jaguars trade their eighth overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles from their 21st overall pick and Sheldon Brown
I can definitely see the Eagles trading up from their 21st overall selection to solidify the drafting of Knowshon Moreno. Philadelphia needs a running back who can take some of the carries away from the often-injured Brian Westbrook.

9. Green Bay Packers—B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
This pick will likely come down to Tyson Jackson or B.J. Raji. In my opinion, Raji is too good to pass up on at this point. The marijuana claims that were made against him have been reported as false accusations.

10. San Francisco 49ers—Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
I can see the 49ers possibly pulling the trigger on Michael Oher, but they can wait for an offensive tackle until round two or three. Aaron Maybin is too good to pass up. He will be an immediate force on a weak defense.

11. New York Jets from Buffalo Bills- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
The Buffalo Bills trade their 11th overall pick to the New York Jets for their 17th overall pick and their 76th overall pick in the third round
The Jets need a receiver that can step in right away to replace Laveranues Coles, who went to the Bengals. Crabtree is without a doubt the best wide receiver in the draft. He does not deserve to fall any further than this in the draft.

12. Denver Broncos—Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
Denver needs a pass-rushing defensive end for their new 3-4 scheme. Tyson Jackson is a 6"4, 295 pound monster who is known for being a sack-machine. The Broncos should feel blessed to have such a great talent at pick No. 12.

13. Washington Redskins—Everette Brown, DE/OLB, Florida State
Can you name either one of the Redskins' current starting defensive ends? If you had no answer to that, I don't blame you. Washington needs a good pass-rushing hybrid defensive player.

14. New Orleans Saints—Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
The Saints lost former safety Josh Bullocks to the Chicago Bears this offseason. Although he's not much of a threat, he provided good depth. New Orleans must focus on defensive in this year's draft.

15. Houston Texans—Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
The Texans play in a 4-3 scheme, which is perfect for a player like Brian Cushing. He's the very strong and athletic linebacker that Houston needs for next season. He might not get that much playing time right off the bat, but in time he will be a force.

16. San Diego Chargers—Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
San Diego's offensive tackle, Jeromey Clary, gave up 6.5 sacks last year. The Chargers often have very unpredictable draft days. I personally don't think Oher is the right pick, but it could potentially happen.

17. Buffalo Bills from New York Jets—Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
Robert Ayers is a very underrated pass-rushing defensive end. He emerged as a first-round pick after his impressive showing in the Volunteer's last few games.

18. Baltimore Ravens from Denver—Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Denver Broncos trade their 18th overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens for their 26th overall pick, 88th overall pick, and 123rd overall pick.
The Ravens are reportedly very interested in trading up to greater the chances of getting a wide receiver like Jeremy Maclin. This would be a great trade for Denver. They are looking to add even more picks.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Michael Johnson, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech
Michael Johnson is a phenomenal athlete, standing at 6"7, 260 pounds. Tampa Bay's defense has taken a turn for the worse since the end of last season. Michael Johnson is a great player who has drawn comparisons to Julius Peppers.

20. Detroit Lions from Dallas—Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
The Lions are pathetic at pretty much every position. They lost Shaun Rogers in an awful trade with the Browns, so Detroit must find a replacement for him right away.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars from Philadelphia—Rey Maualuga, MLB, USC
The Jaguars lost Mike Peterson to the Falcons this offseason, a move that was bitter sweet. Peterson was known for being a very vocal player in the locker room. Rey Maualuga is a steal this late in the draft.

22. Minnesota Vikings—Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
I had Minnesota taking a receiver for several weeks prior to this. I decided that the Vikings have a much bigger need at right tackle. Ryan Cook failed miserably, and Artis Hicks wasn't any better. Minnesota needs to find a stud at right tackle.

23. New England Patriots—Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
The Patriots have one of the older linebacking corps in the entire league. They traded away Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs this offseason, and New England needs to continue to find youth at linebacker.

24. Atlanta Falcons—Connor Barwin, DE/OLB, Cincinnati
The Falcons have lost both Keith Brooking and Michael Boley in free agency. Atlanta has a very weak defense that vastly needs to improve, so Connor Barwin is the perfect pick for Atlanta.

25. Miami Dolphins—Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
The Dolphins lost Andre' Goodman to the Denver Broncos through free agency. Miami's secondary has improved with the addition of Gibril Wilson at safety. With that said, Miami must draft Vontae Davis if he's available.

26. Denver Broncos from Baltimore—Evander Hood, DT, Missouri
The Denver Broncos will look to continue to add help on the defensive line. Evander Hood is, without a doubt, the best player available. He's 6"3, 302 pounds, and a perfect fit for the 3-4 defensive scheme.

27. Indianapolis Colts—Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
This pick may come surprising to some of you, but not to me. Joseph Addai has proven that he's not an every-down-runner. Also, Dominic Rhodes recently signed with Buffalo. The Colts need a physical and powerful running back.

28. Buffalo Bills from Philadelphia—William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
The Bills seem fully intent on having a pathetic offensive line. They traded away Jason Peters to the Eagles for this first-round pick and other picks. Buffalo must draft an offensive tackle in the first round.

29. New York Giants—Sean Smih, DB, Utah
Although Hakeem Nicks and D.H.B. are still on the board, I see the Giants taking a defensive back instead. Sean Smith will be able to play at either safety or cornerback if need be.

30. Tennessee Titans—Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
Nick Harper's contract expires after this season, and he is 34 years old. The Tennessee Titans need help on the defense for next year. Darius Butler is very underrated, but should be a first-round pick.

31. Arizona Cardinals—Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
Tim Hightower is not the every-down runner that the Cardinals need him to be. Also, Edgerrin James is on his way out of Arizona very soon. Donald Brown is a physical running back that Arizona can use right away.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers—Alex Mack, C, California
The Steelers' offensive line was utterly pathetic last season. Ben Roethlisberger spent most of his time on his back. Alex Mack is a great center prospect that will be a great fit for the Super Bowl champs.