2008 Niners Nation Mock Draft Con'd (#31 Overall Pick)

by David Fucillo on Mar 15, 2008 12:57 PM PDT

This new thread might make things a little cleaner as we round out the draft. First, the picks to date. Check out the previous diary for analysis:

Dolphins - Chris Long, DE, Virgina
Rams - Jake Long, OT, Michigan
Falcons - Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Raiders - Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Chiefs - Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Jets - Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Patriots - Keith Rivers, LB, USC
Ravens - Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State
Bengals - Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Saints - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
Bills - James Hardy, WR, Indiana
Broncos - Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Panthers - Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Bears - Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Lions - Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Cardinals - Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Vikings - Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma
Texans - Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Eagles - Philip Merling, DE, Clemson
Buccaneers - Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
Redskins - Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Cowboys - Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma
Steelers - Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

24. Tennessee Titans (jtoj)
With the 24th pick, the Tennessee Titans select DeSean Jackson, WR, California.
With Hardy, Kelly, and Sweed off the board, the Titans need a bad upgrade at the WR position. Another option used to be the DE, but after "The Freak" Javon Kearse signed with the Titans, it's not as bad of an issue. DeSean Jackson, while not having the speed, is the playmaker Vince Young needs to be successful on offense.

25. Seattle Seahawks (braekneck)
With the 25th pick, the Seattle Seahawks select Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina.

Seattle doesn't really have any glaring needs now that their RB situation is somewhat resolved. But their two biggest needs are probably at DT and TE, they could probably use another young DT to pair up with Mebane and with the potential of Dustin Keller being around for them in the 2nd Round they pass on Fred Davis. Balmer represents the best player available at their biggest need.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (fooch)
With the 26th pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars selection Calais Campbell, DE, Miami.

It sounds like defensive line is a big issue for the Jaguars and a guy like Campbell could work to shoring up the DL. Lawrence Jackson appears to be another option. Jackson is a very solid defensive end and he has the USC connection with head coach Jack Del Rio. Nonetheless Campbell seems to be a solid option for the Jaguars 4-3 defense. New Era Scouting goes so far as to say "...Campbell has one of the highest ceilings out of all the 2008 prospects."

27. San Diego Chargers (Hitchcock)
With the 27th pick, the San Diego Chargers select Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh.

The San Diego Chargers don’t have many needs and for that reason I would advocate trading down from this pick. If they had to pick someone I could see them targeting Jeff Otah, OT, out of Pittsburgh. The Chargers released starting right tackle Shane Olivea this year and Otah could come in right away to battle Jeromey Clary for the spot. Though considered very raw, Otah is a very imposing 6-6, 340 lbs, and plays very physically. For his size, he is surprisingly nimble and is said to have as much upside as any other tackle in the draft.

Others they might consider are Kenny Phillips, safety out of Miami, and Quentin Groves, OLB out of Auburn.

28. Dallas Cowboys (cheno)
With the 28th pick, the Dallas Cowboys select Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas.

With Julius Jones signing with the Seahawks, the Cowboys are left with virtually nothing behind Marion Barber III. It is never a good idea to enter a season with just one running back, so that position is a major need going into the draft. If you want a great backup running back, it makes sense that you would select Felix Jones. Despite losing all the glory and being slotted behind Darren McFadden, Jones excelled at Arkansas with almost nine yards per carry and eleven touchdowns in just 133 carries. He's extremely fast, and can catch the ball if the Cowboys want to split the backfield. His biggest weakness is that he's never had to carry the load, but he won't have to with Barber in the starting role.

29. San Francisco 49ers (fooch)
With the 29th pick, the San Francisco 49ers select Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College.

Put the pick and analysis on the front page.

30. Green Bay Packers (jfainsf49)
With the 30th pick, the Green Bay Packers select Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech.

By taking Flowers the Packers fill a team need and take one of the best players available. I had to talk myself out of drafting a quarterback with this pick. I thought they might draft Chad Henne, but then I just figured they would take the best athlete available and draft a quaterback later. I also considered drafting an offensive tackle with this pick. Since, however, the top 5 tackles are off the board, I decided to go with Flowers.

31. New York Giants (noava22)
With the 31st pick, the New York Giants select Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona.

Why: Guy's a stud, probably better than most other corners being drafted ahead of him. New York, even though they're the champs, aren't flawless. Lots of questions remain about their defense, mainly encircling whether or not Mike Strahan will hang 'em up once and for all. If Strahan stays, I see them addressing a rather thin secondary by taking Cason. If Strahan leaves, then I think you see them take Dan Connor from Penn St. or Lawrence Jackson from USC. Any way you slice it, though, these guys are all good picks that shouldn't be falling this far.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.

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