Best Day of the Year

The Draft!!!!!

Well, the first round anyway.

Here is how it's going to go --

1. St. Louis - Sam Bradford (QB). The Rams have been bad for a looooong time. What’s the easiest way to turn a terrible franchise around? Get a franchise quarterback.

2. Detroit - Ndamukong Suh (DT). The Lions got their franchise quarterback (or so they pray) last year. So this year they get the best player in this year’s entire draft. Suh could be great. And given that defensive tackle and offensive tackle are rather ‘safe’ high picks, this should be a no-brainer for the Lions.

3. Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy (DT). Arguably the second best player in the draft. The Bucs - who show some signs of live on offense - will get the second coming of Warren Sapp with McCoy.

4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung (OT). You just never know with the Redskins, especially with Mike Shannahan as coach. If they dump Haynesworth, and if one of those tackles falls, they’ll snatch him up. But really the ‘Skins have never recovered from losing Chirs Samuels and Jon Janson as their tackles.

5. Kansas City - Eric Berry (S). This kid was dominant. When he smoked Tebow in midseason, I thought he killed him. Berry hits like a linebacker and can cover like a corner. The Chiefs defense has holes galore, and this will help fill one. Their offense has potential. Time to shore up the other side of the ball.

6.Seattle Seahawks - CJ Spiller (RB). This is a bit of a surprise, but if you saw Spiller play in college (off the top of my head I think of the two Georgia Tech games and the game against Florida State), you saw a man who could score a TD any time he touched the ball. That’s a playmaker, and that’s what Seattle’s offense sorely needs.

7. Cleveland Browns - Derrick Morgan (DE). The Browns could go quarterback, but Holmgren likes to develop them. That means he usually brings in the guys he wants from former teams (like what he did with Senaca Wallace). And the Browns haven’t done much with recent quarterbacks (Derek Anderson and former first rounder Brady Quin). Morgan can rush the passer and the Browns don’t have much in that department after whiffing on Kamerion Wimley.

8. Da Raiders - Jimmy Clausen (QB). Surprise. But isn’t the Raiders’ pick always a surprise? Jarmarcus Russell is still a question mark. Next to speed, Al Davis loves strong armed quarterbacks.

9. Buffalo Bills - Dan Williams (DT). The draft is rich in defensive tackles. The Bills get a plugger here to help their defense.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (DE). Jason Pierre-Paul. The Jags have missed on some pass rushing threats in recent drafts and need to get better there. Pierre-Paul is a one year wonder out of South Florida, but his upside is huge. Could be the next Julius Peppers.

11. Denver Broncos - Dez Bryant (WR). Some see Bryant falling farther than this, but I don’t. He’s too talented and Denver lacks talent at the WR spot. Sure their defense let them limp to a 9-7 record (after a 6-0 start) in one of the worst collapses in NFL history. But it’s not like they generated a lot of points down the stretch either.

12. Miami Dolphins - Bryan Bulaga (OT). The Fins have shored up some troubles through free agency and trades. I see them taking an offensive lineman here to help keep their QB (whoever that turns out to be) upright and to help maintain the Parcells’ ground game.

13. San Francisco - Joe Haden (CB). Their offense played better the last half of the season (remember when the manhandled the Cards at home?) when Alex Smith got on the field. Singletary is a defensive guy, and he goes for the best corner in the draft.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Earl Thomas (S). They went offense with their first pick. Now it’s time for one of the best playmakers in the draft. Thomas could even play corner.

15. New York Giants - Roland McClain (ILB). The Giants defense was atrocious last year. McClain will help bring a new mentality to the middle of that defense.

16. Tennessee Titans - Trent Williams (OT). They too need defense, but the second best tackle is sitting there on the board for them. Offensive tackle is the safest pick to take in the first round and the Titans grab a good one here.

17. San Francisco - Brian Price (DT). I know this is a bit high for him, and the Niners could well trade out of this spot, but Price is from UCLA and is a human fireplug in the defensive line.

18. Pittsburgh - Mike Iupati (G). Pitt loves to draft guards in the first round (Allan Faneca). Though who knows if they’ll ship Big Ben and WR is a need after giving away Santonio Holmes. But the Steelers know they’ll be without Big Ben for at least four games. So they’ll likely have an inexperienced QB. What’s the best way to solve that problem? Get a great line together and pound the football.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Anthony Davis (OT). The Falcons get another falling OT who is a great value here.

20. Houston Texans - Brandon Graham (OLB/DE). The Texans need help on defense. Could you imagine Mario Williams on one side and Graham on the other?

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham (TE). I’d like to see them trade down. There isn’t a huge, glaring need on the Bengals (finally). If there was a higher rated DT or DE available, I could see them going that way. The other pick could be Taylor Mays. Either way they’ve only drafted one TE and one S in the first round in their history. But, then again, they had never drafted a CB in the firs round, and Lewis did that two years in a row to nab our starting corners. Gresham would be a sorely needed weapon for Carson.

22. New England Patriots - Sean Weatherspoon (OLB). The pats need help on their linebacking corps since they got so old there so quickly.

23. Green Bay Packers -Patrick Robinson (CB). Offensive line is a need, but they’ll grab one in the next round. The Packers love their man-to-man and Al Harris and Charles Woodson aren’t getting any younger. Robinson comes from FSU where it’s all man-to-man and he’d be a good fit for the NFC North.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Marukice Pouncey (C/G). They just released some lineman and traded McNabb. It’s Kolb’s turn and they better protect him. Pouncey is a great value here.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Taylor Mays (S). Ed Reed is old. Mays could be the center fielder they need.

26. Arizona Cardinals - Demaryius Thomas (WR). They lost Bolden, so they take his younger self here. Thomas is a monster. He needs some work, but they can afford to ease him in to their offense.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Sergio Kindle (OLB). The Texas product doesn’t have to move. The Cowboys could use some youth in this group judging from how MN lit them up in the playoffs. And they get the best defensive player available.

28. San Diego Chargers - Carlos Dunlap (DE). This kid is a monster. He could go here or the third round. He has the long arms and quick feet a pass rusher needs.

29. New York Jets - Toby Gerhart (RB). I love this pick. The Jets lost Thomas Jones. They have a young stud runner in Shon Greene, but they need another big back. Gerhart is just that. Anyone who watched this kid play knows he’s the real deal and not just another Touchdown Tommy Vardell. If Rex Ryan were to design an offensive player - this could would be it.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Tim Tebow (QB). I know. Shock the world. But I've got a feeling about this one. Favre isn't getting any younger. And after watching Gruden work with him, I'm hoping he lasts until the second or third round where the Bengals might take a flyer on him.

31. Indianalopis Colts - Arrelious Benn (WR). I know they have young receivers who stepped up. But they saw what the Saints did - hit you with so many weapons you don’t know what to do. This is another weapon.

32. New Orleans Saints - Sean Lee (LB). The Saints have really unsung heroes at the linebacker position, so they go for a potential star here.