Lou Pickney's 2024 NFL Mock Draft

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Draft King Mailbag

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

I moved from the outskirts of Birmingham to the Nashville area this past weekend -- my timing is impeccable, eh? The draft is almost here... get ready for some fireworks.

From: Rhett Schwartzkopf
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 22, 2007 11:39 PM
Subject: Cowboys draft scenario

First of all, I love your site! I saw another draft board the Cowboys taking DT Justin Harrell from Tennesee, and I thought that was very intriguing. I noticed that he isn't even on your top 32, in addition to many other mocks. The Cowboys can go anywhere in this draft, but I feel that a humongous NT will fill a need for their 3-4. I know you don't do trades, but do you feel that the Cowboys have this guy in their sights, and that they may trade down to get him? If not I like Dwayne Bowe WR LSU, or Chris Houston CB Ark in that order at # 22.

Has this been one of the hardest drafts for you to project from top to bottom? I get the feeling every team has their wish-list, but teams drafting before them will dictate who takes who.

Another trade down situation: Cowboys trading down to get the best FB in the draft, Brian Leonard Rutgers, this is another position that intrigues me along with DT Justin Harrell Tenn. The cowboys have all of these converted FB's, I think it's time they get a real one, one that looks like he can produce. Do you think Leonard is on their radar too?

Lou: The difficulty with this draft hasn't been the overall scope of it, but rather trying to figure out what the most likely decisions will be for the teams at the very top.

It's unique in that you have a team (Detroit) that reportedly wants to trade down before the draft, but which is likely a difficult time doing so. One rumor I do believe is the draft-and-trade idea of Detroit taking Calvin Johnson if he's there and then trading him almost immediately, Rivers/E. Manning style, to whichever team is willing to offer the most for him. If there's one group that seems harder to gauge than most, it's the wide receiver prospects. Calvin Johnson is in his own class, then there's Ted Ginn, Jr., Dwayne Jarrett, Dwayne Bowe, Robert Meacham, and Sidney Rice in a big mix. Ginn and Jarrett seem to be considered higher than Bowe/Meacham (and Rice slightly below), but individual team evaluations/needs will likely impact the WR pick order more than any sort of consensus of one receiver being better than another. I'm not sure that Dallas will target Brian Leonard, but I see Leonard being a potentially major force depending on where he ends up.

From: Justin Hansen
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 23, 2007 6:03 PM
Subject: Kansas City Shuffle

If the Chiefs trade Trent Green to Miami for a mid round pick, then Miami cuts Culpepper and the Raiders sign him and thus freeing up the chance to draft Calvin Johnson. Would that qualify as a Kansas City Shuffle? ( I hope you get the Lucky Number Slevin reference)

Lou: As yes, the Kansas City Shuffle. "When everyone else moves right, you move left." Is there an NFL equivalent -- when everyone else trades up, you trade down?

There will be a Kansas City Shuffle at the QB spot for the Chiefs. It's actually more of a Kansas City Stall -- hold off on trading Trent Green to Miami to, in turn, hold off on the Dolphins cutting Culpepper and allow the Raiders to sign him. My guess is that the Chiefs will wold out for a second round pick until as late as possible, then trade Green for a third rounder and hope that, by the time the whole process is complete (with physicals and league approval and all), that the Raiders will be in a pinch as far as signing Culpepper before the draft.

It would be interesting if Kansas City traded Green to the Dolphins with the "understanding" that Miami wouldn't cut Culpepper until Monday 4/30/07, sticking it to the Raiders in forcing them to address the QB position in the draft (making it that much more less likely that Oakland would take Calvin Johnson over JaMarcus Russell.)

From: Barry Irvin
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Apr 23, 2007 10:06 PM
Subject: cowboys

Lou I am hearing, believe or not that the cowboys are seriously considering BRANDON MERIWEATHER from miami at 22 because of his ability at safety and special teams.I can not believe they like him in the first round for two reasons: his charater issues and we need a cornerback more.I like MERIWEATHER in the 2nd round but too risky of a pick at 22. Lou please put ANTHONY SPENCER on your draft board as his will be this years stud like WIMBLEY was last year would went to Cleaveland.I can not see DALLAS in the first round going with another de/lb hybrid,that would make it three years in a row at same position,even though SPENCER will be a steal.

BUSTS this year:BOWE,MOSS,CHRIS HOUSTON
STUDS SPENCER,JOHNSON,WEDDLE AND WILLIS

Lou: I tend to doubt the Meriweather-to-Dallas talk for a number of reasons:

-The week before the draft is a total smoke-and-mirrors show. There are some good reporters who have connections with certain teams and get reliable information, but never underestimate a team's willingness to exploit that connection to intentionally put out misleading information.

-The Cowboys don't have a particularly strong need in the secondary, not compared with wide receiver, D-line, etc.

-The whole "character issue" thing is a BIG deal to the NFL. This is not a temporary, reactionary thing; even before the Pac-Man Jones in Vegas drama, the league had plans to beef up player behavior rules. To be fair to Brandon Meriweather, the whole "stomping! stomping!" incident vs. FIU was something that happened one time during a chaotic on-the-field situation, and I haven't heard any indication that there have been problems beyond that, but he does have the "character issue" rep because of the FIU brawl.

Interesting predictions on the busts/studs list. Chris Houston is coming on strong late, and I think he could be a good player in the NFL, but he could end up being a reach pick in a year when there aren't all that many truly elite CB prospects.

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