Over the next eight plus weeks you will see more than your share of mock NFL drafts. You might not even want to find them, but they will find you. Nearly every football related website will have some form of a mock draft that for all intents and purposes is a mockery of the draft.
They are usually so wrong and irrelevant it’s comical and that’s just considering round one. These sites that provide 7 round mocks aren’t much more accurate than instructing some random chimpanzee to pin names on a board while blindfolded.
That said many of us still pay attention. The combines, free agency, the draft, the mini-camps all help to fill the void between the Pro Bowl and training camp. Yet these mocks are amusing. Many fans will take a look and get all bent out of shape when the 29th pick in the draft (the Ravens pick this season) isn’t what they expect it to be.
The bottom line is that it’s just too difficult to project particularly now and to think that any of these mocks are relevant is about as logical as expecting Jessica Simpson to come busting through your front door with a tray of Pizza Hut Cheesy Bites.
But just for kicks, I picked a respected national NFL media member, Pete Prisco and compared his April 7, 2006 NFL mock draft to the actual draft in 2006 which took place 3 weeks later. Prisco did ok with his top 10, getting 50% right (although two of those picks were gimmies.) After that, he correctly selected only 18% with the succeeding 22 picks.
Take a look and then join me in mocking the mocks…
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2006 NFL Mock Draft
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1. Houston Texans
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Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State: He’ll be a good player, but that’s not the point. You don’t pass up Bush. ACTUAL PICK: MARIO WILLIAMS
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2. New Orleans Saints
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Reggie Bush, RB, USC: The Saints will gladly take Bush and watch him become a star in their city. They can’t believe he falls to them. ACTUAL PICK: REGGIE BUSH (Not bad but keep in mind this was posted on April 7, 2006 after the Texans announced that Williams was their pick.)
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3. Tennessee Titans
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Vince Young, QB, Texas: The owner and the general manager want Young, while the coaches want Matt Leinart. I would pick Leinart. They pick Young. ACTUAL PICK: VINCE YOUNG
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4. N.Y. Jets
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Matt Leinart, QB, USC: I just don’t buy all the talk that they aren’t sold on Leinart. They need a franchise quarterback and he will be a star in New York, owning the town like Joe Namath once did. ACTUAL PICK: D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON
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5. Green Bay Packers
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A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State: This is the right spot for him. He will become one of those favored sons in Green Bay. They also consider tight end Vernon Davis, but the defense needs help more. ACTUAL PICK: A.J. HAWK
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6. San Francisco 49ers
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Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland: This pick is what the 49ers want. They’ve turned down trade offers for this spot with an eye on taking Davis. They need a weapon for Alex Smith. ACTUAL PICK VERNON DAVIS…HMM, IMPRESSIVE SO FAR.
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7. Oakland Raiders
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Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon: They need a wide body in he middle of their line and Ngata can provide that. He takes over for Ted Washington. ACTUAL PICK: MICHAEL HUFF…PETE’S MOCK IS ABOUT TO FALL APART…
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8. Buffalo Bills
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D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T, Virginia: They consider Jay Cutler, but they can’t believe this kid is still on the board. They need a left tackle, and he is it. ACTUAL PICK: DONTE WHITNER
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9. Detroit Lions
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Michael Huff, CB-S, Texas: The Lions will consider FSU linebacker Ernie Sims here, but Huff is a guy they think can bring toughness to their secondary. ACTUAL PICK: ERNIE SIMS
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10. Arizona Cardinals
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Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State: There is some concern about his concussions, but they love this kid. He joins Karlos Dansby to give them a special group of outside linebackers. ACTUAL PICK: MATT LEINART
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11. St. Louis Rams
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Tye Hill, CB, Clemson: They will consider Jay Cutler in this spot, but they need help on defense. Marc Bulger is fine for now at quarterback. ACTUAL PICK: DENVER FROM ST. LOUIS JAY CUTLER
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12. Cleveland Browns
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Kamerion Wimbley, DE-OLB, Florida State: He will be a stand-up rusher in their 3-4 defense, a position he can play with his athletic ability. ACTUAL PICK: BALTIMORE FROM CLEVELAND HALOTI NGATA
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13. Baltimore Ravens
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Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State: He isn’t a power player, but he can play tackle or end in their defense. They wouldn’t mind Ngata, but since he’s gone they take Bunkley. ACTUAL PICK: CLEVELAND FROM BALTIMORE KAMERION WIMBLEY (HAVE TO GIVE HIM THIS ONE)
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14. Philadelphia Eagles
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Winston Justice, T, USC: The Eagles love to take offensive linemen and Justice fits the need. He can take over for right tackle for Jon Runyan next year. ACTUAL PICK: BRODRICK BUNKLEY (PHILLY WOULD LATER DRAFT JUSTICE IN ROUND 2)
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15. Denver Broncos (from Atlanta)
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Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State: They need a big-play receiver and Holmes can run. He’s small, but he can fly. ACTUAL PICK: ST. LOUIS FROM DENVER TYE HILL
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16. Miami Dolphins
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Manny Lawson, DE, North Carolina State: The word going around the league is that Nick Saban and his staff are really high on this player. He can get after the quarterback. ACTUAL PICK: JASON ALLEN
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17. Minnesota Vikings
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Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt: They need a quarterback for the future and Brad Childress would be thrilled if Cutler fell to him here. ACTUAL PICK: CHAD GREENWAY
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18. Dallas Cowboys
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Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State: They have to get somebody who can make plays from the outside linebacker spot. Carpenter is the son of former Giants running back Rob Carpenter. ACTUAL PICK: BOBBY CARPENTER
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19. San Diego Chargers
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Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida State: This is a team in need of corners and Cromartie is soaring up the boards. He missed last year with ACL injury, but he’s back to 100 percent. ACTUAL PICK: ANTONIO CROMARTIE
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20. Kansas City Chiefs
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Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State: HThey need speed in their secondary and this guy brings it. Some scouts think he can play the corner, too. ACTUAL PICK: TAMBA HALI
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21. New England Patriots
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DeAngelo Williams, RB, Memphis: They have to start thinking that Corey Dillon is coming to the end. Their running game wasn’t good last year. Williams can cure that. ACTUAL PICK: LAURENCE MARONEY
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22. San Francisco (from Washington through Denver)
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Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech: He would go a lot higher if not for his off-field worries. Williams can play both corner and safety. We hear the 49ers like him. ACTUAL PICK: MANNY LAWSON
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23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn: He has some back issues, but he’s a value in this spot. He can play the left side or the right side. ACTUAL PICK: DAVIN JOSEPH
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24. Cincinnati Bengals
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Jason Allen, CB-S, Tennessee: He has some issues with a hip, but he has showed well in his workouts. He can play corner or safety, which is a plus. ACTUAL PICK: JOHNATHAN JOSEPH
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25. N.Y. Giants
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Johnathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina: They have to get better against the pass and this is a way to do so. Sam Madison is just a one- or two-year plug. ACTUAL PICK: PITTSBURGH FROM NY GIANTS SANTONIO HOLMES
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26. Chicago Bears
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Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA: They haven’t had a tight end who was worth anything since Mike Ditka. Lewis can stretch a defense, even if his 40 times isn’t that great. ACTUAL PICK: BUFFALO FROM CHICAGO JOHN MCCARGO
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27. Carolina Panthers
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LenDale White, RB, USC: They need a big back and White can take over in that role. He has some baggage, but the Panthers are said to like him. ACTUAL PICK: DEANGELO WILLIAMS
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28. Jacksonville Jaguars
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Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa: They never thought he’d fall to them here, but they’re glad he did. He will start right away. ACTUAL PICK: MARCEDES LEWIS
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29. N.Y. Jets
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Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota: Curtis Martin can’t play forever and Maroney is a steal in this spot. ACTUAL PICK: NICK MANGOLD
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30. Indianapolis Colts
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Joseph Addai, RB, LSU: They have to get a replacement for Edgerrin James and Addai is perfect for what they want to do. He can run, catch and block. ACTUAL PICK JOSEPH ADDAI
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31. Seattle Seahawks
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Richard Marshall, CB, Fresno State: They need to fill a hole at corner with the loss of Andre Dyson, and Marshall is the guy to do that. Could go for a offensive lineman here as well. ACTUAL PICK: KELLY JENNINGS
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32. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Chad Jackson, WR, Florida: They can’t believe he fell to them here. He takes over for Antwaan Randle El. ACTUAL PICK: MATHIAS KIWANUKA
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