3/13/08 MOCK DRAFT CHANGES

MIA Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
The Dolphins need help everywhere. Their talent level is very low at this point. The defense is old and the offense is lethargic at best. There are many unknowns, but one is crystal clear: they need a QB. Miami gambled on John Beck, passing over a possible franchise QB in Brady Quinn. Now is the time to correct this mistake. Ryan is clearly the best QB prospect in this draft. He compares favorably to Philip Rivers or Eli Manning in his ability. Plus he is a proven winner on a talent-deficient team. Ryan possesses the mental toughness to take the abuse he will most certainly face if he is to start from day one, which the Dolphins probably will do.

STL Jake Long, OT, Michigan
With Miami grabbing Ryan, the door swings wide open for the Rams to select the best available athlete. Glenn Dorsey is an impact defensive player, an area the Rams desperately need help, but Jake Long will solidify a more pressing area: the offensive line. With Orlando Pace getting up in years and the other linemen being average at best, St. Louis will take the best OL available. Long has the talent and desire to one day dominate the entire line. The minute the Rams take him, he will become the team's future leader on the offensive line, taking that mantle from the venerable Pace.

ATL Chris Long, DE, Virginia
The Falcons were looking for help at QB, but with Ryan gone and Brian Brohm quickly slipping out of the first round, Atlanta will select Chris Long who is the best D-lineman prospect out of college in the last few years. Long's draft status shot up after a very impressive combine workout. Long will catapult an already good Falcon defense to an elite status. He should become a fixture in future Pro Bowls.

OAK Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Oakland would have loved to have Howie's son on its roster, but the super talented McFadden is a nice consolation prize. The Raiders have several good running backs, but no one is super in any area. McFadden will have a chance the minute he arrives at training camp. He demonstrated without any doubt in the combine that he is the best, not only RB, but available athlete in this draft. A true home run threat, the Arkansas' RB is a future star in the NFL. He has a very similar set of skills as of those Adrian Peterson brought to Minnesota last year.

KC Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.
The Chiefs were another team that was looking to draft an impact QB, but with both Brohm and Woodson sliding, they have shifted their draft strategy. Besides QB, both lines need a major infusion of talent. Of the two, the offensive line is the more pressing need. Clady, who projects as a left tackle in the NFL, is a great athlete who is more polished than one would expect from a small school. He is already an accomplished pass blocker. He will need to learn how to zone block better, but he has the drive and intensity to, not only pass block, but to open holes for Larry Johnson.

NYJ Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee St.
New York makes the draft's first big gamble. The Jets hoped to grab McFadden, but with that opportunity gone, they will shift to the defense side. There are other DBs with more experience, but none as talented as Rodgers-Cromartie who put on a show at the Senior Bowl practices. He will provide the Jets a shutdown cornerback they desperately need. Extremely talented, Rodgers-Cromartie will have time to develop and hone his skills, as he will probably sit behind the Jet's two veteran CBs. However, it would not be a complete surprise if he starts by the middle of the season.

NE Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
The rich get richer. With the recent signing of WR Randy Moss, the Patriots are set on offense for at least a couple of years. But the defense is another story. With age setting in and recent free-agent departures, it is imperative for New England to add an impact playmaker. Gholston is just that. The Ohio State star put on a display of athleticism and sheer power at the combine. He should feel at home playing for a perennial contender. His athletic ability will make the Patriot defense an impressive unit once again.

BAL Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Baltimore is in a coveted position. They will have an opportunity to grab the second best player in this draft: the massive and destructive Dorsey. A dream pick for them. Although Sedrick Ellis is moving up quickly in draft boards, Dorsey is the safe pick here. He has demonstrated the ability to consistently dominate the best offensive linemen in the nation, plus he is a great run stopper. A true two-gap player, he will add athleticism to an already improved front seven.

CIN Sedrick Ellis, DT USC
Defense and more defense. This is the cry out of Cincinnati every year. This draft fell directly to the Bengals' lap. Ellis, who had vaulted himself to the top of this year's DT class, will be a steal here. In any other draft, with the performance he put up at the Senior Bowl practices and later on, the game where he manhandled anyone in front of him, Ellis would have probably gone within the top three picks. He has demonstrated that his skill set is greater than anyone in this draft, even Dorsey's. He will give the Bengals' an inside destructive force which they had lacked in the past few years. He should start from day one and have the potential to become a Warren Sapp-type defensive lineman. He should dominate the Bengals' D-line for years.

NO Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami
The Saints missed the playoffs last year because they could not stop anyone. They have a chance here to improve their porous defense and free safety is one of the areas of biggest concern. Phillips did not have the type of combine scouts ere looking for, but nevertheless, his sheer talent level and instant game changing ability will convince New Orleans to take him here. Phillips is the latest on a long and distinguished line of Hurricane safeties to enter the NFL. Most of them are or were impact players, expect Phillips to continue that tradition. Of all of the DBs in this year's draft class, he is the one that possesses all the skills to become a regular performer at the Pro Bowl.

BUF Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
The Bills are blessed with a young and improving defense. It was their offensive inconsistency, especially in the red zone, that cost the team a playoff berth last season. Kelly is the most NFL-ready wide receiver in this year's draft. Pair him with the ultra quick Lee Evans and a reliable Roscoe Parrish, and Buffalo will have three of the most physically gifted receivers in the league. Kelly's size and leaping ability will make him an instant threat in the red zone and provide quarterback Trent Edwards with regular inside and outlet targets.

DEN Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
The Broncos need help on defense, mostly in the slow linebacker corps and also on the offensive line. Their current unit is not depleted of talent, but they need a star to anchor the line. With Long and Clady gone, Williams offers the best value here. Although he is not as well known as the other prospects, he is as talented as any of them. He is very polished and mechanically sound. He also had an impressive combine effort that solidified his spot as the third best O-lineman on the board. He will give the Broncos' line an infusion of new blood and talent. He is strong, intelligent and flexible enough to grasp and function very well in Denver's complicated blocking scheme. He could eventually become a fixture on the Broncos' line.

CAR Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
The Panthers were set to draft a QB here, most likely Woodson of Kentucky. But with his astonishing decline, Carolina will look elsewhere with this pick. They need help on defense, where their once touted unit has slipped to the middle of the pack and on the offensive line where the unit had been unable to establish running lanes consistently. Keith Rivers would be a nice addition, but the offensive line is where the need is greatest. With Long, Williams and Clady gone, they will choose the up and coming Cherilus. The big Boston College O-lineman brings with him a level of intensity and attitude that this unit needs badly. He will need time and better coaching, but if he work hard, he should have a solid career. A solid and safe pick here.

CHI Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Don't pay attention to the rumors that the Bears' domination on defense is over. Remember, just one year ago pundits were placing that same Chicago defense with the likes of the 1985 team. Offensive playmakers are what the Bears need. They settled their QB situation, for at least a year, with the signing of Grossman; now they will look at RB. The RB inconsistency led to too many come from behind efforts for a team not built to do it. A good and strong running game will ease the pressure on the inconsistent Grossman. Illinois RB Mendenhall seems like a logical choice, but Stewart is a more impressive player. He not only runs in the low 4.40s (remember, he is 225 pounds of muscle), but he can also catch the ball better than some receivers out of the backfield. Plus, he gives the team a real playmaker, which they badly need.

DET Keith Rivers, LB USC
Detroit is in dire need of defensive help. A speedy cover cornerback and more speed to rush the passer are their primary areas of need. With the signing of CB Leigh Bodden away from Cleveland, the Lions will look at a speed rusher here. There are several interesting prospects still on the board, such as Derrick Harvey and Questin Groves, but neither merits a number 15th pick. Enter Rivers, he is the type of athlete that will inject big playmaking ability back into a declining unit. A fluid and versatile LB, the USC product should find a permanent home on the outside where he can display his impressive cover skills as well as his still developing, but equally impressive, rushing ability.

ARI Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Believe it or not, the Cardinals are just a couple of impact defensive players away from being a real good football team. For years, the Arizona front office had stockpiled young and versatile offensive players, now it is time for the defense to catch-up. The selection of Harvey makes the most sense here. The Florida product is as talented as any DE on this year's board; the only knock on him is his lack of consistency. With better coaching he could become a destructive force. His speed and athleticism will make Arizona's D-line a more respected unit and ultimately, a unit that might be talented enough to give the Cardinals that long awaited playoff run.