Sunday, April 11, 1999
Geoff Hobson's mock draft
1. Cleveland — Akili Smith, QB, Oregon, 6-2, 227: If Tim Couch doesn't wow the Browns in today's workout, Smith already has with a cannon arm, hair-trigger release and running back moves.
2. Philadelphia — Donovan McNabb, QB, Syracuse, 6-2, 223: The mystery team. They like the most athletic quarterback of the bunch while saying little about Couch. Highest 'Cuse pick since Ernie Davis went No. 1 in '62 before Paul Brown traded for him.
3. Cincinnati — Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky, 6-4, 225: He sounds like David Klingler. Even looks a little like him. No. Can't be. Many in Bengaland would like Smith or McNabb. But coaches like Couch's productivity and reads against a big-time college schedule.
4. New Orleans (projected trade from Indianapolis) — Ricky Williams, RB, Texas, 5-10, 224: In this tale of “Ditka and Dreadlocks,” the Saints coach gets his man. It helps when Colts realize they get solid defender at 12.
5. Washington (from Carolina) — Champ Bailey, CB, Georgia, 5-11, 180: The Redskins can't believe he falls to them. He may be a bit slight and not super against the run, but he's more than an adequate successor to Hall-of-Famer Darrell Green.
6. St. Louis — Edgerrin James, RB, Miami (Fla.) 6-0, 216: A threat to go all the way every time he touches it for the next-to-worst rushing team in the NFL last season. How about 34 career TDs?
7. Chicago — Jevon Kearse, OLB, Florida, 6-4, 262: Bears want to trade out with McNabb gone. But if they stay, they get a sack artist for a defense that got to the QB a league-low 28 times.
8. Arizona (from San Diego) — David Boston, WR, Ohio State, 6-1, 215: Big receiver who plays big in big games (10 catches-217 yards vs. Michigan). QB Jake Plummer should have fun looking for wideouts Boston, Sanders and Moore.
9. Detroit — Chris Claiborne, ILB, USC, 6-2, 248: A 300 hitter as in 300 career tackles. He could move to the outside, but Lions would like his muscle inside to help a defense ranked 25th vs. the run.
10. Baltimore — Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida, 6-4, 225: Culpepper falls because he didn't play a big-time college schedule. But Scott Mitchell is only around for a year and Culpepper is big and tough and could be the Jim Kelly of next decade.
11. Minnesota (from Washington) — Chris McAlister, CB, Arizona, 6-1, 206: Vikings don't think he'll be here and might trade up to get him. A 4.3 40, along with great size, has him mentioned in same breath with Bailey.
12. Indianapolis (in projected trade with New Orleans) — Anthony McFarland, DT, LSU, 6-0, 299: Patience pays off. Colts get best tackle in draft for a defense that finished next-to-last in defense and vs. the run.
13. Pittsburgh — Torry Holt, WR, North Carolina State, 6-0, 192: How badly do the Steelers need this guy? In '98, Charles Johnson was their only wide receiver with more than one TD catch. Many think Holt is one of draft's top 5 guys.
14. Kansas City — John Tait, OT, BYU, 6-6, 310: At age 24, Tait can step right in at left tackle and make one of the NFL's best lines that much better. A former track and field guy, he'll overcome lack of size with good feet and balance.
15. Tampa Bay — L.J. Shelton, OT, Eastern Michigan, 6-5, 340: Bucs coach Tony Dungy takes 14 minutes and 30 seconds swallowing long and hard in passing up Cade McNown. He needs to find heir apparent for LT Paul Gruber, 34.
16. Tennessee — Andy Katzenmoyer, ILB, Ohio State, 6-2, 258: The Titans don't flunk this easy exam. They take a true, intense, sideline-to-sideline middle backer and move Joe Bowden outside with Eddie Robinson in a move that makes everyone better.
17. Seattle — Cade McNown, QB, UCLA, 6-0, 213: New Seahawks Coach/GM Mike Holmgren once worked magic with another 6-foot quarterback in the West Coast offense. Where have you gone, Joe Montana? Tell McNown to ditch the sidearm thing.
18. Oakland — Patrick Kerney, DE, Virginia, 6-5, 265: The Raiders need an outside guy to complement the blossoming Darrell Russell at defensive tackle. Kerney, a former lacrosse player for the Cavs, used 4.73 speed in the 40 to ring up 15 sacks in '98.
19. New York Giants — Aaron Gibson, G-T, Wisconsin, 6-6, 388: The Giants find their prototypical right tackle, an athletic marvel who played a little tight end for the Badgers. It's a game of inches. This guy with 20-inch neck jumps 31 inches vertically.
20. New England — Damien Woody, C-G, Boston College, 6-3, 328: The Pats may be moving to Hartford, but they stay home to take the replacement for Dave Wohlabaugh, one of the early free-agent defections to Cleveland.
21. Arizona — Matt Stinchcomb, OT, Georgia, 6-6, 306: LT Lomas Brown is gone and someone has to protect QB Jake Plummer's blindside. Stinchcomb's GPA of 3.96 is higher than Cards RB Adrian Murrell's 3.8 yards per carry.
22. Dallas — Troy Edwards, WR, Louisiana Tech, 5-9, 191: No, he's not big, tall Michael Irvin. But neither is a guy like 5-10 Joey Galloway, one of the NFL's most productive receivers. Edwards' long arms and 38-inch vertical leap negate some of the height problems.
23. Buffalo — Antoine Winfield, CB, Ohio State, 5-8, 176: Small? The Bengals think he's the best tackler in the draft. For all the big, glory names the Buckeyes had, Winfield was first DB in 1997 to be voted Buckeye MVP.
24. Miami — Cecil Collins, RB, McNeese State, 5-8, 209: Between Tony Martin and Collins, Jimmy Johnson needs a parole officer, not offensive coordinator. JJ could trade into second round and still get Collins. May trade up for McNown.
25. Green Bay — Antwan Edwards, CB-S, Clemson, 6-0, 210: Packers had rough years from safety Darren Sharper and corner Tyrone Williams. Edwards might be able to help them at either spot as a pure safety coming off a solid season at corner.
26. Jacksonville — Fernando Bryant, CB, Alabama, 5-10, 183: The Jags break the Bengals' heart by taking a 4.4 40 guy who made 42 straight starts for the Crimson Tide. Pedestrian corners have held the Jags back.
27. San Francisco — Solomon Page, OT, West Virginia, 6-4, 306: How long can Steve Young continue to get punished? There are questions about Page's intensity, but he has more than a pulse and the Niners have more than a need.
28. New England (from Jets) — Kevin Faulk, RB, LSU, 5-7, 205: The Robert Edwards Memorial Pick, named after the Patriots' impressive rookie runner who blew out his knee on a Hawaiian beach in the Rookie Beach Bowl. Too small? Faulk carried 61 times against Notre Dame and 'Bama.
29. Minnesota — Reggie McGrew, DT, Florida, 6-2, 307: The Vikes' powerful unit is going through a transition with the loss of nose tackle Jerry Ball and LE Derrick Alexander. There's no true NT, but McGrew's anchorability would help.
30. Atlanta — Peerless Price, WR, Tennessee, 5-11, 181: Former Bengals WR Tim McGee may have his first No. 1 pick as an agent. Price is right with Tony Martin gone and a Peerless track record in big games (hello Florida State).
31. Denver — Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, North Carolina, 6-3, 281: They need someone to replace Neil Smith, and they could move former Bengal Alfred Williams from RE to LE. But they like Williams in a tandem with Maa Tanuvasa on the right.
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