Before I start my mock NFL draft, which is approximately the 304th mock draft written for this year, I'd like to make something clear:  I have no idea how exactly it will turn out.  Neither do you and neither do the hundreds of "experts" who follow the draft and pretend that they have nailed down how this year's edition will play out.  No one knows who has impressed a team during interviews or who a team may draft because of future moves they plan on making.  The best I can do is look at what position a team needs to upgrade in order to get better.  Still, it is always fun to try and guess what will happen in the NFL draft and I am happy to add my two football cents into the draft equation.

I have decided to look at the draft two separate ways.  First, I've written who I think a team should take in the draft.  Then I've added which player the team will probably take because they have a need at another position or the player that would help them most has a chance to be drafted by another team before.  Frankly, I am only hoping to have a more accurate draft than I did last year.  That shouldn't be hard since I missed the first pick the draft when the Houston Texans surprised us all by taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush.

So begins my 2007 mock draft…

Pick 1- Oakland Raiders

Who they should pick:  Calvin Johnson WR/ Georgia Tech
Johnson is the overwhelming pick for the best player in this year's draft.  He s a big receiver who blew scouts away with his speed at the combine.  Mix in his consistent game production in college and you have a game changing receiver without the character problems that the current Raider pass-catchers have.  Imagine a Randy Moss who actually gives some effort.

Who they will probably pick:  JaMarcus Russell QB/ LSU
Calvin Johnson is the best player, but who would throw him the ball?  The Raiders need to get the QB position under control before they start adding other pieces to the team puzzle.  Aaron Brooks was a car wreck of a signing last year (gee, who saw that coming?), and unless Andrew Walter is making some significant strides this off-season, there is no decent quarterback on the roster.


Pick 2- Detroit Lions

Who they should pick:  Brady Quinn QB/ Notre Dame
Let's see, this is a team with a high profile offensive coordinator (Mike Martz) whose system relies on smart, quick decisions by the quarterback.  Quinn is known as a smart, detail-oriented quarterback who learned under a top offensive mind in college (Charlie Weiss).  The only knocks on Quinn are that he's not a great scrambler and that his arm isn't great.  Martz turned cement-footed Kurt Warner into an MVP quarterback while in St. Louis and the Lions play in a dome, so Quinn will be throwing the ball in a controlled environment.  It's a match made in heaven.  Last year the Lions let Matt Leinart slip through their fingers to the Arizona Cardinals.  Now the Cardinals look like an up-and-coming team while Detroit looks like…well, Detroit.

Who they will probably pick:  Joe Thomas OT/ Wisconsin
One truth that Lions fans have grown accustomed to:their team will probably make a stupid first round selection in the NFL draft.  It boggles my mind that general manager Matt Millen still has a job after spending the last five years making this franchise a complete NFL joke.  I don't have any problems with Thomas, but even the "safe" offensive line picks are risks.  The Lions desperately need team leadership and Quinn is the guy to provide it.  Thomas isn't a bad pick, but he isn't the best one either.