| PICK | TEAM | PLAYER | ANALYSIS |
| 1.01 |  | MLB DeMeco Ryans | No surprises here. GM Daren Roberts has made it very apparent that he intends to take DeMeco Ryans with the first overall pick. It's quite rare to see a linebacker go this early, but Ryans is the type of player that is worth it. |
| 1.02 |  | CB Antonio Cromartie | The second worst kept secret of this draft is how much I like Antonio Cromartie. Truthfully, I do have Ryans ranked higher, but unless Daren decides to trade me the first overall pick, I'm guessing Cromartie ends up on my team tomorrow. |
| 1.03 |  | WR Brandon Marshall | In the words of one of our league's GMs to me when we met up recently, "It's absolutely insane that Marshall is going to drop to 1.03." Vikings win the offseason right here, by getting the haul for Randy Moss and then immediately getting his replacement. |
| 1.04 |  | DT Haloti Ngata | The rumors are that New York attempted to trade up multiple times, likely to get a stud like Marshall. They've fallen short and will have to take the BPA. I'm sure there will be a lot of conversations about who that is, but I think Ngata is the man. |
| 1.05 | | OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson | There has been chatter about this pick being Vince Young (Brooks Bollinger trade block). I could also see Pope being the pick, because Herr likes athletic tight ends. But at the end of the day, Ferguson is the best pick to protect Bollinger long term. |
| 1.06 |  | OLB Chad Greenway | This is the easiest decision I've seen in the draft. The Jets have a huge hole at linebacker and even if Greenway has a massive skew down, he's still going to be an overly effective player for many years to come. The Jets get their guy. |
| 1.07 |  | QB Vince Young | Cleveland and Oakland lament, as Young doesn't drop despite his "scrambler" status. Jacksonville has the time and hopefully the patience to develop him and he could end up being an All Pro within a couple of seasons with good development. |
| 1.08 | | OT Winston Justice | I think the Jets are hoping for the combo of Ferguson and Greenway, but the the "Brick" going off the board in the top 5, they'll have to pivot and look for the next best tackle. Some may think that is Brad Butler, but I think being one year younger and a bit stronger gets Justice the nod. |
| 1.09 |  | WR Greg Jennings | The big hesitation I have for this pick is that Greg Jennings is shorter than the typical build that GM Neal Wintermute likes. However, I do think his intangibles make a bit too much sense and he will pair nicely with Matt Jones. |
| 1.10 |  | DE Mario Williams | The Browns often draft for names and Mario Williams is one of the biggest names in this draft. I would imagine that Schobel or Courtney Brown get moved inside and Williams gets to play on the outside, but the Browns need everything as they have been 100% absent. |
| 1.11 |  | OT Brad Butler | Breck has been very vocal about the players that he likes in this class. At the end of everything, however, he needs to protect his now extended young quarterback. Brad Butler is the top OT left on the board and he becomes a new anchor on the San Diego OL. |
| 1.12 |  | DT Kyle Williams | This is about the range where I expect Kyle Williams to fall. He's a stud and fills an immediate need on the Bears roster that is still adjusting from growing pains. Devin Hester could be another option (wouldn't that look great), but I think Williams is better overall. |
| 1.13 | | TE Leonard Pope | I would not be surprised if this pick ended up being secondary (once again Devin Hester territory), but I doubt Jaguars GM Erik Terry-Haag would be able to pass up giving Vince Young an immediate target like Leonard Pope when he lands in Jacksonville. |
| 1.14 |  | DE Victor Adeyanju | Adeyanju is one of the most intriguing players in this draft. He could easily go Top 10, but he may slide into the 20s. I do think that with Pope coming off the board, Washington will elect to take the physical specimen out of Indiana. |
| 1.15 | | CB Devin Hester | It all works out for the Bears, who end up getting the cornerback they were considering at 1.12. Also, how crazy is it that Chicago gets the second best secondary player in the draft at 15th overall? It shows how wide spread the talent is, which is quite refreshing. |
| 1.16 | | TE Vernon Davis | And this is why the Redskins take Adeyanju first. They are comfortable that they can get a solid tight end two picks later and they're able to do so with Vernon Davis. He's not as athletic as Pope, but he's still going to be a matchup nightmare. |
| 1.17 |  | QB Jay Cutler | GM Tim Miller has to be nervous that Cleveland may take Cutler, but that doesn't happen here. The Raiders get the second best quarterback in the draft and this is definitely the range he should be going in. There is some "Top 10" chatter, but I think it's mostly smoke. |
| 1.18 |  | DE Jeremy Mincey | I'm pretty sure Seattle is going to hone in on a defensive end, but the question is who. There's a chance this is Tamba Hali, but I think Mincey is the third best in the draft and the type of player that GM Rock Hewko would have no problem drafting. |
| 1.19 |  | WR Marques Colston | Height gets people drafted in these leagues. I'm not high on Colston, primarily due to his age and awareness combo, however I do think someone will take a chance on him because of his 6'5" frame and that it will happen earlier in the draft than most think. |
| 1.20 | | HB DeAngelo Williams | Looking at my board, if this happens, DeAngelo Williams would likely be my pick. There are a couple of things that would worry me about him, but this is where the draft starts to dry up a little bit and I think he would be the best addition. |
| 1.21 |  | CB Johnathan Joseph | The Rams aren't rebuilding, but they do need another cornerback for their roster. Joseph probably shouldn't drop this far (and he won't if his PW skews up). He could start immediately for a St. Louis team who still feels like there are in their championship window. |
| 1.22 |  | WR Bennie Brazell | Personal preference (and possibly some luck in private workouts) will determine who gets picked from this point forward. I think Brazell has a likelihood to be a late firstg round pick, despite his age. He's fast enough and has good intangibles. |
| 1.23 |  | OT Marcus McNeill | This is hard. The Packers desperately need an offensive tackle, but all of the really good ones are gone. I'm making this pick with the assumption that McNeill has to have a really good skew up. With the low strength, he would have to play left tackle, but training camp and already improved blocking makes him plausible. |
| 1.24 |  | OT Guy Whimper | I've heard this guy mentioned a little bit too and we're in the foggy "pick your poison" area of the draft. The Colts will likely grab an offensive lineman for their young quarterback, but they were too good last year to get one of the massively elite linemen. |
| 1.25 |  | WR Derek Hagan | I'm sure I will get a lengthy description as to why this wouldn't be the smart pick for the Ravens, but the truth is no one is a smart pick at this point. Everyone comes with risks, but a 6'2" WR with good speed and acceleration may be worth it. |
| 1.26 |  | DT Gabe Watson | New England has to be one of the front-running favorites for next year's Super Bowl. At this juncture, they're going to want to fill holes and Gabe Watson might end up being a quality starter who makes a small difference for them against the run. |
| 1.27 | | MLB Gerris Wilkinson | Awareness is the reason why Wilkinson is going to drop this low, if he does. He's going to miss a couple tackles a game. Otherwise, he's going to be a great linebacker. The Chiefs get a potential steal at this point in the draft because they take another risk. |
| 1.28 | | CB Tim Jennings | Yes, yes, I know. He's 5'8". But he's fast and will be a great nickel/dime cornerback in this league. I'm not overly high on Jarrett Bush like some people are and think that a smart GM like Olivier will see that Jennings will succeed in his specific role. |
| 1.29 | | DT Johnny Jolly | The first name I'm putting here that I haven't heard anyone talk about. Jolly is a huge defensive tackle with good athletics and amazin strength. He's not a good tackler, but Jolly could turn out to be an amazing interior defensive lineman. |
| 1.30 |  | DE Tamba Hali | The well is drying up, but I think the potential strength and speed combo that Hali brings to the table is something that GM Anthony Fernandez may look at. Hopefully he skews up elsewhere, but he's a solid day one player, especially because of his awareness. |
| 1.31 | | DE Brent Hawkins | New England continues to bolster their defensive line, this time by pairing Brent Hawkins with the recently drafted Gabe Watson. Hawkins would benefit from a good skew, but some training camp makes him a quality player. |
| 1.32 | | SS Donte Whitner | I actually think Whitner would transition well to free safety, but I do think he'll go near the end of the first round. It's not a phenomenal safety class, but the Chiefs could use an upgrade, and after building up the rest of the roster, Whitner is a good way to end the round. |
