Mel's Last Mock

WiscoKing13 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:23:54 GMT

Tyson Jackson moves to No. 3

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By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
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Whom will your favorite NFL team select in the first round of the upcoming draft? Where will your favorite college players land? Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have the answers in their updated mock drafts. To see them and all the best NFL draft coverage online, become an ESPN Insider.

Editor's note: Below is Mel Kiper's final pre-draft projection.

Well, we're closer to the draft, and while the top of it looks pretty set, with the Detroit Lions looking to wrap up the signing of Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, there still is quite a bit of intrigue in the first five picks.

The pivotal team will be the Kansas City Chiefs. Much has been made of new general manager Scott Pioli's penchant for trading because of his past with the New England Patriots. But I expect him to stay where he is for this draft (third overall) and turn the draft upside down by picking LSU DE Tyson Jackson. This kid is the best fit for the Chiefs' 3-4, and Pioli clearly knows the value of a good defense. In my previous mock draft, I had Jackson going to the Denver Broncos at No. 12, but Jackson fits perfectly with the Chiefs and Pioli isn't afraid to make a big play.

Another high riser in this draft is USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. He was criticized in some circles for not waiting a year and possibly being the overall No. 1 pick in 2010, but it looks like his gamble might pay off, as I have him going No. 4 to the Seattle Seahawks. Now, this could get interesting for Sanchez, because if Seattle doesn't take him, he could fall to No. 13 and the Washington Redskins or No. 17 and the New York Jets. If he's available after the Seahawks' pick and before the Redskins are up, don't be surprised to see the Jets move up to take him. They are very high on him.

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An inside look at quarterback Josh Freeman from Kansas St.

Kansas State's Josh Freeman is another quarterback who could go in the first round. If he doesn't go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 19, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone trade back into the first round to get him like the Cleveland Browns did to pick up Brady Quinn in 2007. Freeman has first-round talent, and it's going to be hard for a quarterback-needy team like the Jets, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers or Minnesota Vikings to let him pass by.

This also could be a year when we see a couple of trades with teams moving up to get their guys. The Philadelphia Eagles, the Jets, Tampa Bay and Denver's second first-rounder (18th pick) all are in places where those teams might not get the guys they want.

One of the hottest guys in this draft is wide receiver Kenny Britt. He has moved up quite a bit, and I have him going No. 22 to the Vikings. Many believe he is one of the best route runners in the draft and has tremendous upside. He has had some great individual workouts and has impressed. On the flip side, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has dropped due to his subpar workouts and might fall out of the first round.

With that in mind, here's my opinion on how the first round could unfold:

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

4. Seattle Seahawks: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC

5. Cleveland Browns: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

7. Oakland Raiders: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

9. Green Bay Packers: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

10. San Francisco 49ers: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

11. Buffalo Bills: Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas