4TH ROUND MOCK DRAFT

Miami Dolphins: Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego
While I said Bill Parcells won't draft Matt Ryan because he won't be around long enough to see him fully develop, I do believe he'll take a rookie signal caller in the middle rounds to compete with the seemingly pedestrian John Beck.


St. Louis Rams: Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
The Rams need to keep upgrading their pathetic offensive line.


New York Jets: Oniel Cousins, OT, UTEP
Yeah, so this Jonathan Vilma trade is giving me a George Minkowski-like brain aneurysm. There's blood coming out of my nose as I'm typing this. First, I thought the deal was for a 2009 pick. Then, I gave the Saints two fourth-rounders. Now, I think I finally got it right. At least I hope so.

Just a hunch, but I don't think the Jets brought in Damien Woody to start for very long. Woody couldn't even be a full-time tackle on Detroit's offensive front - a unit that surrendered 54 sacks last year.


Atlanta Falcons: Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt
With Keith Brooking moving to weakside linebacker, Jonathan Goff could instantly get a look in the middle of Atlanta's defense.


Oakland Raiders: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami
Wow - could Calais Campbell really fall this far? I think so. He showed up overweight and sluggish at his Pro Day. If he can't get motivated to stay in shape before even making it to the NFL, what's going to happen once he receives his first paycheck? I think teams shy away from Campbell until the Raiders are on the clock. Because Al Davis doesn't really know what's going on, he'll assume he's getting a steal.

Take away Derrick Burgess' eight sacks, and the Raiders had just 19. Pathetic. Oakland must acquire a pass rusher across from Burgess.




Kansas City Chiefs: William Franklin, WR, Missouri
The Chiefs have nothing at receiver after Dwayne Bowe. As a rookie, Bowe recorded 995 yards. Ranking in at No. 2 was Jeff Webb, 313 yards. Yeeesh.


Baltimore Ravens: Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
Derrick Mason is coming off an incredible season, cathching 103 passes for 1,087 yards. However, he just turned 34, so he's not going to be around much longer. I'm also not sure if Mark Clayton's the answer.


San Francisco 49ers: Drew Radovich, G, USC
Justin Smiley just signed with Miami, leaving the 49ers pretty thin at guard. They take care of that here.


Denver Broncos: Beau Bell, MLB, UNLV
Beau Bell will be able to play in the middle of Denver's defense, allowing D.J. Williams to move back outside to his natural position.


Carolina Panthers: Tavares Gooden, OLB/MLB, Miami
Dan Morgan has finally been cut, so I'd like to see the Panthers add some depth to the linebacker position.


Chicago Bears: Keenan Burton, WR, Kentucky
Muhsin Muhammad, as expected, was cut. Bernard Berrian, meanwhile, just signed with the Vikings. The Bears will need a new receiver or two in the mix.


Detroit Lions: DeJuan Tribble, CB, Boston College
It's a yearly tradition - eating turkey, falling asleep afterward and watching the Lions give up 40 points before the whole feast starts. Detroit's defense sucks, and it's time for a change.

Despite trading for Leigh Bodden and signing Brian Kelly, the Lions still need depth at cornerback.


Cincinnati Bengals: Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri
The Bengals have needed a solid tight end to go over the middle for ages now. They finally remedy that position here.





New York Jets: Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville
One of the reasons New York's offense looked so bland throughout the 2007 season was the team's lack of receiving options beyond Jerricho Cotchery. Laveranues Coles was inconsistent, while Justin McCareins sabotaged a few games with key drops. Kellen Clemens needs another option at wide out.


Buffalo Bills: Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
The Bills could use an upgrade at fullback, and Owen Schmitt is a player their fans would fall in love with.


Philadelphia Eagles: Craig Steltz, SS, LSU
The Eagles upgraded their cornerbacks by adding Asante Samuel to the roster. However, there's still some work to be done at the safety position. Philadelphia needs to bring in an upgrade over Sean Considine.


Arizona Cardinals: David Roach, FS, TCU
One of the few reasons the Cardinals couldn't contain Matt Hasselbeck or Drew Brees late in the season was their gaping hole at free safety.


Minnesota Vikings: Marcus Griffin, FS, Texas
Minnesota was in need of help at free safety even before it cut Dwight Smith. Madieu Williams has the potential to be a solid player for the Vikings, but his problem is that he's really injury-prone. The odds are stacked against him going through a whole season without spending time on the injury report. Minnesota needs depth here anyway.


Houston Texans: Shawn Crable, OLB, Michigan
More defense to help stop the Colts. Both of Houston's strongside linebackers, Danny Clark and Charlie Anderson, are free agents this offseason (Anderson just signed with Miami).


Denver Broncos: Kirk Barton, OT, Ohio State
In the wake of Matt Lepsis' retirement, Denver has Ryan Harris and Erik Pears at the two positions, which could really be hazardous to Jay Cutler's health, should either guy struggle in pass protection.

Kirk Barton expelled all concerns about a lingering knee injury by looking very impressive in the drills at his Pro Day. He also ran a 4.95 and benched 225 pounds 34 times.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
I'll change this pick if the Buccaneers get D.J. Hackett. If not, they'll need a possession receiver to pair with DeSean Jackson once Joey Galloway retires.


Seattle Seahawks: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Deion Branch tore his ACL against the Packers and may not play in 2008. Bobby Engram, the team's top receiver in 2007, just turned 35. D.J. Hackett, meanwhile, is a free agent. The Seahawks need a receiver, and they can get a former first-round prospect who absolutely bombed his combine, running slowly and interviewing poorly. Still, he's decent value in Round 4.





Cleveland Browns: Jason Jones, DE/OLB, Eastern Michigan
This is Cleveland's first draft pick, as the team dealt all of its choices away. It actually did a great job filling most of its needs. One thing it didn't address, however, is the rush linebacker position.


Pittsburgh Steelers: Simeon Castille, FS/CB
I think we can all pretty much confirm that Anthony Smith isn't very good. Drafting Simeon Castille couldn't hurt Pittsburgh's secondary.


Tennessee Titans: Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida
I'd rather see a receiver here than a running back - seriously, what are the Titans thinking with Eric Moulds and Brandon Jones - but Kevin Smith is too intriguing a prospect to pass up. Let's just hope LenDale White doesn't accidentally eat him.


Jacksonville Jaguars: Jonathan Hefney, FS, Tennessee
When the two teams you can't beat throwing the ball non-stop, you need as many defensive backs as possible to defend their talented receivers, right?


Dallas Cowboys: Tyrell Johnson, SS, Arkansas State
As I mentioned in my Cowboys 2008 Offseason page, there's a good chance Roy Williams could be released or traded, per the Dallas Morning News. Dallas needs an upgrade at strong safety.


Indianapolis Colts: Eric Young, G, Tennessee
The cap-strapped Colts just watched one of their starting tackles, Jake Scott, sign with rival Tennessee.


Green Bay Packers: Chris Harrington, DE, Texas A&M
Because the Packers don't have many needs, I'm looking at Best Player Available at this point. Chris Harrington is considered a third-round prospect, so getting him at the bottom of the fourth isn't a bad deal. Besides, I don't expect Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (31 in September) to be around much longer, as his contract expires after the 2009 season. It never hurts to have a lot of depth on the defensive line.


New England Patriots: Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
The Patriots could be looking for a speed-burner in the middle of the draft, as they just lost Donte' Stallworth to the Browns. Jerome Simpson ran a 4.37 at the combine.


New York Giants: Jamar Adams, SS, Michigan
The Giants signed Sammy Knight as temporary solution at strong safety. They need something long term. Jamar Adams will compete with Michael Johnson to be that guy.