Bradford – 16 mock drafts (randomly selected)

[Toronto Sooner]

1) draftempire.com (updated Dec. 24/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #17 (Arizona)
*Gerald McCoy #24 (Miami)
http://www.draftempire.com/nfl_mock_draft

2) draftking.com (Dec. 29/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.draftking.com/nfl/2009/mockdraft.shtml

3) draft365.com (Dec. 24/08)

*Sam #10 (San Fran)
*Gresham #18 (Eagles)
*Duke #22 (Detroit)
*Loadholt #23 (Vikings)
http://draft365.com/view.asp?ID={A08A189E-B4DA-4E1C-B785-F20171F87FEA}

4) draftinfo.wordpress.com (Dec. 29/08)

*Sam #11 (San Fran)
*Gresham #23 (Vikings)
*Duke #28 (Panthers)
http://draftinfo.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/2009-nfl-mock-draft-version-30/

5) fftoolbox.com (Dec. 29/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
*Loadholt #4, Round 2 (Seattle)
*Gresham #24, Round 2 (New England)
*Juaquin #31, Round 2 (Giants)
http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/index.cfm

6) footballsfuture.com (Dec. 30/08)

*Sam #10 (San Fran)
*Gresham #22 (Eagles)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2009/nflmockdraft.html

7) mynfldraft.com (Dec. 23/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #23 (Tampa)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.mynfldraft.com/NFL-Mock-Draft

8) http://newnfldraft.com (Dec. 28/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
*Juaquin #17, Round 2 (Miami)
*Loadholt #21, Round 2 (Arizona)
*Gresham #25, Round 2 (Atlanta)
*Auston English #32, Round 2 (Giants)
*Nic Harris #32, Round 3 (Giants)
*Brandon Walker #14, Round 5 (Jets)
http://newnfldraft.com/

9) nfldraftblitz.com (Dec. 27/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #18 (Eagles)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/mockdrafts.htm

10) nflmockdraftaces.com (Dec. 29/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #26 (Eagles)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.nflmockdraftaces.com/

11) nflweeklyreport.blogspot.com (Dec. 20/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Duke #32 (Pittsburg)
http://nflweeklyreport.blogspot.com/2008/12/nfl-mock-draft-2.html

12) profootball.scout.com (Dec. 5/08 – a bit old)

*Sam #3 (KC)
*Duke #25 (Atlanta)
*Gresham #29 (Eagles)
http://profootball.scout.com/2/818542.html

13) qisports.com (Dec. 19/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #11 (Buffalo)
*Gerald McCoy #21 (Atlanta)
*Loadholt #26 (Vikings)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
*Juaquin #32 (Titans)
http://qisports.com/nfldraft.html

14) saturdays2sundays.com (Dec. 26/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #11 (Buffalo)
*Duke #14 (Redskins)
*Gerald McCoy #21 (Tampa)
http://saturdays2sundays.com/?page_id=3

15) sportscity.com (Dec. 23/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Gresham #23 (Tampa)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://www.sportscity.com/2009-NFL-Mock-Draft/

16) thefootballexpert.com (Dec. 29/08)

*Sam #3 (KC)
*Gresham #25 (Atlanta)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
http://thefootballexpert.com/mockdraft.html

[OKC-SLC]

If the prospect of being picked by Detroit isn't enough to dissuade him from leaving early, there's nothing that will.

What is it with Detroit always drafting high profile Sooners. At least it seems that way historically.

[cheezyq]

If the prospect of being picked by Detroit isn't enough to dissuade him from leaving early, there's nothing that will.

What is it with Detroit always drafting high profile Sooners. At least it seems that way historically.

...cuz they're always picking near the top of the first round?

[TXBOOMER]

Sam #1 and Gerald McCoy #9 across the ESPN scroll mock draft. They only show 10 and two are OU underclassmen.

[delhalew]

#13 shows Loadholt going to the Vikings. Maybe then AD wouldn't have to kill himself to get a hundred yards a game.

[SoonerTerry]

If Sam goes to Detroit I will cry tears of unfathomable sadness...

It wouldn't break my heart to see him go to SF, I like Mike as a coach.. next year

[Pieces Hit]

You'll take my Sam Bradford when you pry him from my cold, dead fingers.




Ok,that didn't come out right.

[The_Red_Patriot]

No way my Patriots would take Gresham......it would be cool though.

[badger]

Detroit likes Heisman winners from the state of Oklahoma... or at least their schools.

As for these mock drafts, I reject them all until they predict at least one Sooner goes to Green Bay. :mad:

[BigRedJed]

I think losing most of his offensive starters, including the guys who kept his jersey clean and gave him about 5 minutes per play to go through his reads, is going to weigh more heavily on Sam's mind than going to the Lions. I hate to say it, but: bye, Sam.

Neg away...

[Toronto Sooner]

We know that the Lions are not even Forrest Gump smart. Nevertheless, let's just say they all of a sudden just got smart, out of the blue. If so, then below is what they should do.

They have 2 first round draft picks (1, and 23, or there abouts). They have the 1st pick in the 2nd round (33) and 2 picks in the 3rd round (65, and 87, or there abouts). Then they have the 1st pick in the 5th round (129).

They should go ahead and pick Sam with the first overall pick. The next priority has to be protecting him, with the very top priority being to protect is blind side (his left side). What better choice than to get the 2 nfl caliber players on the left side of his current line, Duke and Loadholt. They might have a good chance of getting Duke with the 23 pick and Loadholt with the 33 pick. They should then try to get Juaquin in order to give Sam a security blanket that already understands him very well. Juaquin and Calvin Johnson would make a lethal combination for Sam. However, it's unclear if Juaquin will last until the 65th pick (1st pick of the 3rd round). If not then they might have to trade up to ensure they get him - I think his stock is rising all the time, especially if he has a big final game. With either the 87th pick or the 129th pick the Lions should either select Jon Cooper or Brandon Walker. This would enable Sam's current starting o-line to stay 60% intact - they know him and he knows them, and they all have nfl type bodies and skills, so it will just be a matter of them all growing together in the nfl over the next couple of years.

This should enable them to address the core of their passing game, assuming they have a decent tight end or can get one through free agency, and of course assuming the new coach staffing puts a decent system in place - they should try to hire someone that has a system that will take advantage of Sam's abilities, otherwise it's a complete waste to pick Sam with the overall pick in the draft.

They can then turn their focus on addressing the running game and the defense through free agency. Of course, they can't address everything at once. If they are going to choose a quarterback with the first overall pick then the absolute top priority has to be to give him protection and give him the weapons, even if it means the defense taking longer to get rebuilt.

[badger]

I like Toronto's idea of just moving a bunch of Sooners to the Lions to make them better instantly. I might even have a new favorite team in the NFC North... for me telling you all to cheer for instead of the Vikings and Bears, that is. I still plan to cheer for the Packers even as Sam throws 300 yards on us.

I personally would like to see Sam go to a team with a good running game to minimize his pressure, so is there any chance of him going to Minnesota?

[All_Day_28]

that's not a good idea. all your doing is ruining a bunch of Sooner's pro careers sending them to Detroit like that.

[MI Sooner]

I like Toronto's idea of just moving a bunch of Sooners to the Lions to make them better instantly. I might even have a new favorite team in the NFC North... for me telling you all to cheer for instead of the Vikings and Bears, that is. I still plan to cheer for the Packers even as Sam throws 300 yards on us.

This hasn't worked out so well in the past. Lehman, McDougle, Romero...

[JLEW1818]

Todd McShay has Sam number 1 overall

[OUAlumni1990]

If Sammy wins us the NC, I'm afraid he is gone. His stock will skyrocket and will probably not be worth any more (see Matt Leinart) than right now. It hurts to see him go, but if he wins the NC, that will for sure ease the pain...

[yermom]

i'd take a rebuilding year after winning #8

no problem.

but please, please don't send him to Detriot

[badger]

Quite honestly, I'm not sure Detroit takes a QB in the first round. There are a billion quarterbacks projected to be in this year's draft, so they might as well wait until a later round to get a better deal.

In context:

Brian Brohm in 2006's draft: Millions in signing bonuses and salary for being a first rounder, but likely sitting out a few years to "learn" and stuff.
Brian Brohm in 2007's draft: A lot less and still playing third string.

I'm not saying Sam's Brian Brohm, but I think that they should focus on other positions where guys have a longer shelf life and more longterm potential, like the lines, both offense and defense. A lot of that team's problems stem from the fact that they're a revolving door for players and coaches. You're in, then you're out quickly. Eeeep. Get guys that can and will play there longer so you have at least a little bit of consistency.

[Scott D]

Brian Brohm is only comparable if Sam suffers the same kind of injury that Brohm did. I take a december mock draft listing or McShay/Kiper listing about as seriously as I do when they start that crap in September.

All it takes is one bad day at the NFL combine to make someone's draft stock plummet. And you never know what player out of the blue will majorly increase their stock with measurables. Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie come to mind from last year's draft.

And nobody up here believes the Lions will use a #1 pick on a Quarterback. Oh and newsflash, Millen got fired months ago. You think he would have been intelligent enough to fleece Jerry Jones for The Human Pass Dropping Machine Williams? Andre Smith will very likely be the #1 pick in the NFL draft.

[yermom]

if Detroit doesn't take someone like him, they are better off trading that #1 pick for more picks


Kitna isn't really that bad, is he?

[ouleaf]

I was surprised to see Juaquin rated so high in those drafts. A lot of 2nd and 3rd round projections. I think Juaquin will be a steal for whoever gets him, but I don't think he will be drafted until after the 3rd round most likely.

I don't think any team can go wrong that picks up Gresham or Duke. I think Phil will be interesting to watch. Have the feeling he might be taken a bit earlier than he really should be just b/c of his sheer size. Phil has been a solid college lineman, but I think he will take some time to adjust to the NFL game speed.

[Hella Sideburns]

8) http://newnfldraft.com (Dec. 28/08)

*Sam #1 (Detroit)
*Duke #30 (Pittsburg)
*Juaquin #17, Round 2 (Miami)
*Loadholt #21, Round 2 (Arizona)
*Gresham #25, Round 2 (Atlanta)
*Auston English #32, Round 2 (Giants)
*Nic Harris #32, Round 3 (Giants)
*Brandon Walker #14, Round 5 (Jets)
http://newnfldraft.com/

lol

[Scott D]

if Detroit doesn't take someone like him, they are better off trading that #1 pick for more picks


Kitna isn't really that bad, is he?

Personally I don't think Kitna is all that good of a decision maker. The only really good season he had in his career, the Bengals had rookie Carson Palmer waiting in the wings. Then again, for most of Kitna's career he's played behind questionable offensive lines. I think Orlovsky should have gotten more of a chance prior to this season, but he wasn't a Mike Martz type of QB. Which is why they reached when drafting Drew Stanton as early as they did. The real problem with drafting Sam if he chooses to opt for the draft is that he'll likely end up sitting that rookie season watching, and if Orlovsky shows any sort of progress then it could turn into a Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn type of situation.

I think Badger's usage of Brian Brohm is a pretty decent example with why draft projections this early are sketchy at best. At this time one year ago Brohm was a lock as not only the first QB taken, but a top 3 pick. Matt Ryan was likely to be a middle first round pick, and Joe Flacco wasn't on anyone's first round radar.

Fast forward 4 months Ryan's taken 3rd, Flacco in the top 15, and Brohm is a late first day pick. Something obviously happened between the end of December and the NFL draft in late April, and most of that was the NFL Combine.

I've also seen other alleged top mock sites have Sam at 9, Gresham 13, and Duke 30th. It's way too much speculation now, it'll take the combine to shake things out.

[Scott D]

I was surprised to see Juaquin rated so high in those drafts. A lot of 2nd and 3rd round projections. I think Juaquin will be a steal for whoever gets him, but I don't think he will be drafted until after the 3rd round most likely.

I don't think any team can go wrong that picks up Gresham or Duke. I think Phil will be interesting to watch. Have the feeling he might be taken a bit earlier than he really should be just b/c of his sheer size. Phil has been a solid college lineman, but I think he will take some time to adjust to the NFL game speed.

I'd compare him to Gosder Cherilus right now, if he wasn't 6'8" I'd say his NFL future is likely to be at guard.

[Sooner-by-Marriage]

if Detroit doesn't take someone like him, they are better off trading that #1 pick for more picks


Kitna isn't really that bad, is he?

Detroit was on the verge of releasing Kitna this year before they decided to relegate him to IR.

[pardon the interREDtion]

Wish Dallas would send Romo to the Lions for their #1 then take Sammy boy.

[BigRedJed]

You can wish in one hand and crap in the other, but guess which hand fills up first?

[BigRedJed]

Sorry. I've been laying in wait to use that one.

[Novamanxl]

Has Sam decided to enter the draft and just waiting on for the official date to declare, or is he still undecided? I'd hate to see him go, I don't know who we could have to fill his shoes for the next season. Texas and Oklahoma State are looking very promising with the returns of Colt McCoy and Zack Robinson and I feel that we will need to be "hitting on all cylinders" to beat them both next year.

[soonerboomer93]

Sorry. I've been laying in wait to use that one.

you probably should have continued to wait

[BigRedJed]

Good call.

[SoonerJack]

Wish Dallas would send Romo to the Lions for their #1 then take Sammy boy.

Why do you hate Sam?

I wouldn't wish Dallas/Jerry Jones on my worst enemy.

The Forty Niners getting Sam would be fine with me. Detroit? Not so much.

[Toronto Sooner]

Only 4 of these 16 mock drafts have been updated since the Florida game. Sam was previous listed #1 pick overall on all 4 of those mock drafts. With the updates, the results are now mixed. On 2 of the 4 drafts, Sam is still listed as #1 overall. However, he has fallen to #17 (Jets) on one draft and #23 (Vikings) on the other draft.

This is clearly an indication that some people are now thinking (after the Florida game) that he can use another year of development in college prior to being the #1 overall choice, or even a top 15 choice for that matter.

My personal feeling is he does need to stay in school, not just for general development but also to develop his body (there are some serious hitters in the NFL). I am convinced he needs more college time (based on the NC game) - if a college D co-ordinator can game plan to minimize his impact like that, just imagine what an NFL co-ordinator will do to him.

Sam is a really smart guy, and a grounded one too. I think he will fully understand the situation. It is impossible to know what decision he will make, but I'm leaning towards him staying in college for 1 more year.

[westcoast_sooner]

Toronto's idea of just taking a bunch of Sooners who graduate/leave is just plain naive. O-Linemen usually take a couple of years to learn how to play in the NFL, just like it takes 5-star kids out of high school to learn the college game.

QBs on the other hand are much more hit-and-miss. They can take 3, 4, 5 years to grow into a system and for the game to slow down. Sam has shown an incredible ability to do what he's been asked to do for the Sooners, and he's been given some incredible tools to work with and support him.

However, if he's running for his life from day one, he's not going to be effective. If some poor team with no line, and no weapons puts their entire franchise of a rookie's shoulders, that's just plain silly, IMO. Give a guy like Sam the tools with which to succeed and things get a lot more interesting.

I'd rather he end up with SF (I'll be a new season ticket fan :D) or some team that gives him the opportunity to grow rather than simply to a place he gets tossed to the wolves.

[KingDavid]

You'll take my Sam Bradford when you pry him from my cold, dead fingers, from my kung-fu grip.




Ok,that didn't come out right.

there, that's better . . .

[sooner13f]

If Sam goes. I like 12. I would love to see him letting it rip at KC. For me that would a dream.

[FaninAma]

My personal feeling is he does need to stay in school, not just for general development but also to develop his body (there are some serious hitters in the NFL). I am convinced he needs more college time (based on the NC game) - if a college D co-ordinator can game plan to minimize his impact like that, just imagine what an NFL co-ordinator will do to him.

Sam is a really smart guy, and a grounded one too. I think he will fully understand the situation. It is impossible to know what decision he will make, but I'm leaning towards him staying in college for 1 more year.

Actually, the BCS title game was more a conviction of OU's offensive coaching staff than it was of any of the players. It showed once again that OU is a great frontrunner but in a nip and tuck game our coaches are slow to make decisive adjustments.

[Scott D]

Gee, I wonder if someone posted in this thread that early December draft rankings were a bunch of crap that would fluctuate all the way up until the draft?

[StanberryWasIn]

Actually, the BCS title game was more a conviction of OU's offensive coaching staff than it was of any of the players. It showed once again that OU is a great frontrunner but in a nip and tuck game our coaches are slow to make decisive adjustments.

Was thinking the same thing. I think 9 out of 10 times Wilson calls a pretty good game, but when someone can get him off his plan (as Florida did) he seems to seize up.