Lou Pickney's 2024 NFL Mock Draft

National Football League
Draft King Mailbag

Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.

Lou, I think this is the only mock I've seen without Cadillac in the first round. After the Senior Bowl and more recent combine I've heard everyone say he is a top 10 pick along with Ronnie Brown. Is there something I don't know.

Lou: You raise a valid point about Cadillac Williams. He's a personal favorite of mine, and at one point I projected him to go #2 overall to Miami.

So why isn't he in the first round at the moment? Unless Jon Gruden changes a career-long trend, it doesn't appear that there will be demand for RBs in the high part of the draft. Beyond Miami, I don't see a team with a pressing need for a RB until you reach the Jets (and even then it's to land an heir-apparent for Curtis Martin). At one point I had Cadillac slated for the Jets, but after Ronnie Brown's jaw-dropping performance at the combine (running a blistering 4.33 40), I moved him into that slot.

The reality of the situation is that there's very little chance of Cadillac slipping out of the first round. He (along with Brown and Cedric Benson) are the consensus "big three" RB crew of this draft. But Arizona looks primed to trade for Travis Henry, while the Bucs have needs that extend well beyond taking a RB at #5 overall to go into an RB-by-committee system (the Gruden style). But much like Kansas City taking Larry Johnson two years ago, and Cincinnati drafting Chris Perry last season, a team that doesn't need a RB will in all likelihood take one of them at some point in the first round. It's the time-honored tradition of the draft. For the RB who is stuck in that situation, the results are usually not very good. RB is one of the best positions for a rookie to step in and make an immediate impact. It's the easiest to learn (especially compared to QB or WR, where route-reading is such an important, yet difficult, part of the job).

So does that make my mock inaccurate? Well, I know someone will bite on Cadillac (or Brown or Benson if Miami doesn't take him), but the big question is who. What team will forego a gaping hole on the D-line or at wide receiver or in their secondary to instead take a RB when they already have a capable rusher on their team?

I'm going to redo my mock as soon as I finish this mailbag, and perhaps Cadillac will work his way back in. I could always put him with Philly as a cop-out, though that would bring on another wave of angry Eagles e-mails (and understandably so). If Oakland doesn't land LaMont Jordan (as expected), the Raiders might trade up out of round two to try and land one of them...

From: Scott Babcock
Sent: Wednesday, March 2, 2005 11:43 AM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: Lions draft picks

Hey, just a couple of questions. First, with the Lions taking offense in the first round the last five picks, what do you think about DE in the first round, specifically Marcus Spears? He's not the fastest guy in the draft, but with Shaun Rogers and Dan Wilkinson in the middle, it would be hard to double team him. In addition, James Hall could move to the right side and give the Lions one of the biggest D-lines in football.

Second, who in your opinion would be a better fit in Mariucci's West Coast Offense, Jason Campbell (Auburn) or Adrian McPherson (AFL)? Finally, what do you think about Larry Brackins, the JUCO wideout? I saw him in the NJCAA national championship game (vs. Butler C.C.) and he tore it up. How does he project in the NFL?

Lou: It's entirely possible that the Lions could take Marcus Spears at #10. Don't count it out. I think their best choice would be TE Heath Miller because of the aforementioned west coast offense, not to mention that there are DE free agents out there like Reggie Hayward (Broncos), Marques Douglas (Ravens), Derrick Burgess (Eagles), etc. But one interesting thing is that there hasn't been much chatter at all about the Lions making a run at any of them, so maybe they will look to the draft to fill their DE needs.

As for QBs, I think Jeff Garcia trumps either McPherson or Campbell as far as someone to either run or teach Harrington to properly execute the west coast offense. But if I had to choose, I'd go with Campbell. When in doubt, go with a winner. And any QB who can lead a team to an undefeated record through the SEC is the one I'll put bet my chips on, especially against someone with a past like McPherson has.

As for Larry Brackins, he is a major wild card even at this point. Read the January 22, 2005 mailbag for my detailed thoughts on him (which haven't changed much since then). He will need time to develop, much moreso than the average prospect. He ran between a 4.58 and a 4.63 at the combine, but the guy isn't known for his speed as much as for his size, his leaping ability, and his good blocking skills. I'm not quite as sure as I was in January that he will be a day one pick, but I don't see him going beyond the fourth round, if nothing else because of the huge upside potential that he has going for him.

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