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Round By Round Recap
By: T.J. Thomas
Recap: By Round | By Team

This is a 10-team, serpentine draft with 16 rounds to field a 1 QB/ 2 RB/ 3 WR/ 1 TE/ 1 K/ 1 DEF line up.

The Scoring System is standard.

When I was a young athlete growing up in the Midwest, coach after coach told me that in order to be as good as I wanted to be, I should practice, practice, practice. And practice I did, foregoing the immediate benefit of a social life to ensure my place in prep football and basketball greatness.

So it is with great shame that I come before my readers today to confess that while I did everything (and more) that my coaches ever asked me to do, my dedication did not pay immediate dividends on the gridiron or hardwood and left me in state of social ignorance and indifference (not really, but thanks for your concern). But is there ever an ounce of regret for trying hard and preparing my mind and body as best I could? No.

It is with that in mind that I turn this discussion over to fantasy football, a hobby (okay, obsession) that I treat with a similar vigor. And just like the real-world sport it takes its numbers from, much can be learned from practicing fantasy football well before training camps open. Two of the major reasons mock drafts are good for the fantasy owner are: they can readers take away where they should target certain players AND they allow us to practice different drafting strategies that have been sitting in the back of our minds since the end of last season.

So, without further delay, let me proudly present FF Today’s Staff Mock Draft a practice FF Today will revisit in July and once again in August to prepare our readers for their draft as much as possible.

 1st Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
1.01 1 RB Adrian Peterson (MIN) MIN Compiler Guy
1.02 2 RB LaDainian Tomlinson SD Coxsackie Virus
1.03 3 RB Steven Jackson STL The Prototype
1.04 4 RB Brian Westbrook PHI FF Librarian
1.05 5 RB Joseph Addai IND Mack 1
1.06 6 RB Marion Barber DAL Kilroy
1.07 7 RB Larry Johnson KC SPUFF
1.08 8 WR Randy Moss NE Team Marx
1.09 9 QB Tom Brady NE Husky Jerks
1.10 10 RB Ryan Grant GB Wildman

1st Round Summary: Not much to argue with here. Some people will say that Gore or McGahee should go before Grant, but I have no problem with Wildman's pick. Grant could easily pick up right where he left off last season (and may be relied on even further) with Brett Favre no longer under center. I was quite surprised that Moss and Brady went after Barber and Johnson, allowing Team Marx to land the game's best WR and Husky Jerks to land the QB that benefits from his presence.

Best Value: Tom Brady. History suggests there is zero chance Brady repeats last season's numbers, but with Moss and Welker still running routes, it is safe to say he'll be in the running again for fantasy's best player. And anytime an owner can pick someone like that near the end of the first round, that can't be a bad thing.

Biggest Reach: Larry Johnson. It's really a tough call, but I think Johnson possesses more uncertainty and reasons why he could struggle this season than anybody else in this top 10. He's coming off injury and supporting cast (especially his offensive line) doesn't figure to give him much more help than it did last season.

 2nd Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
2.01 11 RB Clinton Portis WAS Wildman
2.02 12 RB Marshawn Lynch BUF Husky Jerks
2.03 13 WR Reggie Wayne IND Team Marx
2.04 14 RB Frank Gore SF SPUFF
2.05 15 WR Terrell Owens DAL Kilroy
2.06 16 RB Willis McGahee BAL Mack 1
2.07 17 WR Braylon Edwards CLE FF Librarian
2.08 18 QB Peyton Manning IND The Prototype
2.09 19 WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh CIN Coxsackie Virus
2.10 20 WR Larry Fitzgerald ARI Compiler Guy
2nd Round Summary: Another solid round all the way through. Wayne going before Owens was a surprise, but certainly not unforgivable. It was a bit more of a surprise to see McGahee - a RB I have tabbed as the sixth-best at his position right now - fall to Mack 1 in the middle of this round. SPUFF gets the RB (Gore) I feel he should have considered earlier in this round, giving him a backfield with the potential to do great things regardless. However, just 20 picks in, his draft is the highest risk-reward so far. Seeing Manning fall to me was a complete shock, and a pick that was pretty easy for me to make even though I really wanted to load up on top WRs early.

Best Value: Peyton Manning. Year in and year out, Manning will finish among the top three scorers among fantasy QBs. Even without Marvin Harrison for most of 2007, No. 18 eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark and threw for more than 30 TDs. And since he never misses a game and is one of the few QBs available that could match Brady on any given week, getting Manning in the late second when he should have been off the board in the first round gives me a rock-solid signal-caller and a ton of points from my first two picks.

Biggest Reach: Reggie Wayne. Drafting a Colts WR is hardly ever a bad thing, and it is certainly not in this either. However, it is quite likely that Marvin Harrison returns from injury (and off-field troubles) to be a 1 and 1a tandem again for Manning. Owens and Edwards have no such concerns and probably represented better value picks with the #13 overall pick than did Wayne.

 3rd Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
3.01 21 RB Maurice Jones-Drew JAC Compiler Guy
3.02 22 QB Tony Romo DAL Coxsackie Virus
3.03 23 WR Marques Colston NO The Prototype
3.04 24 RB Ronnie Brown MIA FF Librarian
3.05 25 WR Andre Johnson HOU Mack 1
3.06 26 RB Brandon Jacobs NYG Kilroy
3.07 27 QB Drew Brees NO SPUFF
3.08 28 WR Steve Smith (CAR) CAR Team Marx
3.09 29 WR Brandon Marshall DEN Husky Jerks
3.10 30 WR Torry Holt STL Wildman
3rd Round Summary: Some strategies start to show themselves in this round. Compiler Guy gets both the best value pick and secures his backfield with Jones-Drew, right before Virus makes sure he gets the only other QB that has a decent chance of upstaging either Brady or Manning this season. Mack continues collecting potential injury risk (but high reward) players when he selects Johnson. Kilroy lands his second RB from a good team that figures to share the load a bit more than most fantasy owners would care for, but with few "great" options at RB left, Jacobs is far from a bad pick. SPUFF's choice of Brees brings some predictability to his backfield of LJ and Gore while Marshall and Holt both go to teams that found their starting RBs in the first two rounds.

Best Value: Steve Smith. Very few people are ever going to find fault with Smith, but it just seems like that things happen to him or key players around him that keep him from stringing together year after year of #1 WR numbers. Now, I'm not crazy about Jake Delhomme's ability to sling the ball all over the field following his "Tommy John" surgery, but I think between him and Carolina's new-and-improved running game, one of the two - if not both – will allow Smith to get the numbers he is capable of posting.

Biggest Reaches: Ronnie Brown and Brandon Marshall. History is littered with RBs who did not fare well the season after ACL surgery. Combine that with limited play-calling imagination of new OC Dan Henning, a possible committee backfield with Ricky Williams and there is potential for Brown to be benched in fantasy leagues just as many weeks as he is worth a start. Marshall's talent belongs in this round, but time will only tell if the injuries he suffered falling on a McDonald's bag while wrestling with his brother and putting his arm through a glass door of an entertainment center will plague him this season.

 4th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
4.01 31 WR Chad Johnson CIN Wildman
4.02 32 RB LenDale White TEN Husky Jerks
4.03 33 RB Laurence Maroney NE Team Marx
4.04 34 RB Willie Parker PIT SPUFF
4.05 35 WR Anquan Boldin ARI Kilroy
4.06 36 WR Plaxico Burress NYG Mack 1
4.07 37 WR Wes Welker NE FF Librarian
4.08 38 WR Roy Williams (WR) DET The Prototype
4.09 39 RB Matt Forte ® CHI Coxsackie Virus
4.10 40 RB Jamal Lewis CLE Compiler Guy
4th Round Summary: Perhaps the most well-picked round up to this point as it is really difficult to find much fault with any pick. Wildman continues to add solid, predictable players (at least on the field) and should have the best 1-2 WR combo outside of Team Marx. Husky Jerks gets his second RB in the fourth - and while the order could be argued - he nabs the RB most likely to score the most TDs between White, Parker and Maroney. Kilroy lands another physical marvel at WR to pair with TO while Mack selects another stud WR who is terrific when he's 100%, although owning Burress can sometimes be a mixed bag. Virus shows an incredible amount of faith in the all-around game of Forte - the first rookie selected - selecting him as his #2 RB ahead of Lewis, who lasts a bit longer than someone coming off the season he just had, although there are plenty of reasons not to expect a repeat from him.

Best Value: Chad Johnson. I thought long and hard about Lewis here, but I have a bad feeling about him this season. He'll be turning 29 before the start of the season and has already surpassed the 2,000-carry mark, about the time that most RBs seem to start breaking down. Instead, I'll opt for a player hasn't been shy in letting everyone know how miserable he has been living in the same state. Johnson, a media darling, is overhyped to a large degree, but for what Wildman needs him for (playing second-fiddle to Holt), Ocho Cinco makes for a worthy selection at this point.

Biggest Reach: Willie Parker. In perhaps the toughest call I have been required to make so far, Fast Willie gets downgraded. With someone of his talents, I normally wouldn't be all that scared off by a first-round RB in his rookie year (Rashard Mendenhall), but combine that with the loss of LG Alan Fanaca and I think the signs of another letdown season are there. I also believe that as long as OC Bruce Arians is calling the shots, the Steelers will lean more heavily on the pass than the run.

 5th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
5.01 41 RB Reggie Bush NO Compiler Guy
5.02 42 TE Antonio Gates SD Coxsackie Virus
5.03 43 RB Rudi Johnson CIN The Prototype
5.04 44 RB Michael Turner ATL FF Librarian
5.05 45 QB Carson Palmer CIN Mack 1
5.06 46 WR Calvin Johnson DET Kilroy
5.07 47 WR Greg Jennings GB SPUFF
5.08 48 RB Jonathan Stewart ® CAR Team Marx
5.09 49 RB Selvin Young DEN Husky Jerks
5.10 50 TE Kellen Winslow CLE Wildman
5th Round Summary: Compiler Guy holds true to his name, "compiling" RBs in an effort to secure possible trade chips and/or capably cover himself for bye weeks. Seeing Gates go this late is a bit eye-catching, but considering his toe injury and the influx of TEs that could challenge his throne as fantasy's best at the position, it shouldn't be considered all that surprising. I believe landing Rudi Johnson this late will look like a master stroke in few months, but Mack strikes gold again with Palmer, who certainly has the cast to give Romo, Brady and Manning a run for their money. Considering his WR corps (Moss, Wayne, Steve Smith, the selection of Stewart - this draft's second rookie runner - certainly appears to be a solid choice for Team Marx.

Best Values: Reggie Bush and Carson Palmer. Quick...name how many RBs go from a part-time role to a full-time role because of injury and see their stock fall four rounds the next season, even when the player he was sharing time with is far from a sure thing to return to the field? Like many other owners, I saw Bush get exposed as a full-time runner, but I believe his fall to the fifth round is a bit egregious considering that, as a part-time player, he was a first-rounder last season. Even in a part-time role, Bush is about as solid of a #2 RB as there is, so give Compiler Guy credit for landing him in this round as his #4 RB. Palmer is a player who fell a bit too far because of his team's misfortunes last season. Losing Chris Henry takes a big piece of his luster away from him, but I believe teams will start creeping up to play the run as Cincinnati focuses on the ground game. And teams will quickly realize with Ben Utecht in the fold, they will need to pull out of their Cover 2 schemes to stop the Bengals. Therefore, Palmer could push for another huge season in 2008.

Biggest Reach: Selvin Young. Here's the pattern I've noticed for Denver RBs. They start off the season huge and about four weeks into the season, either they get hurt or HC Mike Shanahan begins to realize how much he likes his backup, leading to a frustrating ride for a fantasy owner. With the Broncos saying rookie Ryan Torian reminds them of Terrell Davis, Young figures to be a headache to own.

 6th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
6.01 51 RB Kevin Smith ® DET Wildman
6.02 52 WR Dwayne Bowe KC Husky Jerks
6.03 53 RB Thomas Jones NYJ Team Marx
6.04 54 TE Jason Witten DAL SPUFF
6.05 55 RB Edgerrin James ARI Kilroy
6.06 56 RB Earnest Graham TB Mack 1
6.07 57 QB Jay Cutler DEN FF Librarian
6.08 58 WR Marvin Harrison IND The Prototype
6.09 59 WR Santonio Holmes PIT Coxsackie Virus
6.10 60 QB Ben Roethlisberger PIT Compiler Guy
6th Round Summary: This rounds starts off with a trio of solid selections that could all end up being solid #2 players at their position this season, solid value for Round 6. Witten getting drafted a full round after Gates has to bring a smile to SPUFF's face while James joins Jones as RBs that lasted about 1 1/2-2 rounds later than they should have. Graham remains as a bit of an unknown to me. While he certainly proved himself to HC Jon Gruden and fantasy owners alike, I have doubts what he will do against a non-creampuff run schedule. Last season, during my Inside the Matchup column, it seemed like Graham and the Bucs were getting matched up against a bottom 10 fantasy defense just about every week. I expect Cutler, with his mysterious weight loss now solved, to take the next step and be an every-week fantasy starter. As I'll get into a bit later, Harrison is both the best value and biggest reach of this round.

Best Value: Thomas Jones. Quite often in fantasy, when a RB disappoints with his new team, his stock nosedives to the point where he becomes a bargain the following season. As the public takes their frustration out on his stock, savvy owners know that a RB who was going in the second round last season probably isn't four rounds worse behind a better supporting cast. Such should be the case with Jones, who should perform well behind what should be the best line he has ever run behind.

Biggest Reach: Marvin Harrison. I believe when it is said and done, this will end up being the best value pick of the round (and the type of pick that would help me win a championship in this league if we played it out), but until we actually see Harrison him on the field and completely separated from the shooting in Philadelphia, his value will remain in limbo.

 7th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
7.01 61 WR Lee Evans BUF Compiler Guy
7.02 62 RB Rashard Mendenhall ® PIT Coxsackie Virus
7.03 63 RB Darren McFadden ® OAK The Prototype
7.04 64 WR Anthony Gonzalez IND FF Librarian
7.05 65 TE Dallas Clark IND Mack 1
7.06 66 TE Tony Gonzalez KC Kilroy
7.07 67 WR Roddy White ATL SPUFF
7.08 68 QB Derek Anderson CLE Team Marx
7.09 69 WR Hines Ward PIT Husky Jerks
7.10 70 QB Donovan McNabb PHI Wildman
7th Round Summary: Compiler Guy selects Evans as just his #2 WR - an oversight that can easily be corrected with his stable of RBs via trade. However, until such a trade is made, Evans is ideally a #3 WR - capable of big things, but not a player an owner wants to expect anything steady from week-to-week. Mendenhall – even as a #3 fantasy RB - scares me. The most I believe can be expected out of him is an even split of the carries with Willie Parker, something I don't see happening. What's worse is that Pittsburgh will likely throw more and its running backs will run behind a worse offensive line than they did in 2007. White makes for an interesting study: does he build on last season or was his production based on the passing philosophy of the previous staff? Will OC Mike Mularkey's conservative play-calling halt his development? Anderson and McNabb are solid value picks that show - at least at this point of the season - owners do not need to spend a high pick on a productive QB while Ward's selection gives Husky Jerks a rock-solid #3 WR.

Best Value: Darren McFadden. While I agree with Wildman (aka The Gut Check) on a great many things in fantasy football, I'm not quite as down on McFadden's prospects as he is. Much as Bush slipped to the fifth round, I believe McFadden - who I see taking on a Bush-like role in Oakland - is getting unfairly punished for being too explosive. And while McFadden is more Bush than Adrian Peterson, Bush is much more of a dancer than McFadden is. I tend to believe the rookie can take a hit; it is just that with the Razorbacks offense and Houston Nutt’s play-calling, there was very little reason for him to ever take on contact. That's rather amazing considering he played in the SEC, which is supposed to be the best league year in and year out in college football. While he is not the receiver Bush is, McFadden will probably haul in at least 50 catches and touch the ball about 200 times. Combine that with a zone-blocking scheme that (I feel) accentuates his propensity to hit the corner and I think he is in great position to thrive.

Biggest Reach: Anthony Gonzalez. I'll go with the younger Tony Gonzalez for now, until it is decided that Harrison can't play this season. In that case, Anthony Gonzalez becomes an extremely savvy pick. Either way, this pick depends almost entirely to what degree Harrison can play. If Harrison can go, Gonzalez will likely produce no better than a healthy Brandon Stokley, which isn't all that bad depending on what year you look at. On the other hand, if Harrison can't play, Gonzalez is worthy of consideration as a low-end #2 WR in fantasy.

 8th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
8.01 71 WR Kevin Curtis PHI Wildman
8.02 72 WR Laveranues Coles NYJ Husky Jerks
8.03 73 RB Fred Taylor JAC Team Marx
8.04 74 WR Chris Chambers SD SPUFF
8.05 75 QB Matt Hasselbeck SEA Kilroy
8.06 76 QB Eli Manning NYG Mack 1
8.07 77 QB David Garrard JAC FF Librarian
8.08 78 TE Chris Cooley WAS The Prototype
8.09 79 WR Ronald Curry OAK Coxsackie Virus
8.10 80 WR Joey Galloway TB Compiler Guy
8th Round Summary: Four solid picks to open the round. Curtis gives Wildman a steady #3 WR to pair with Ocho Cinco and Holt while Coles is the fourth #1 WR to find his way onto the Husky Jerks. Taylor doesn't figure to repeat last season's amazing finish, but to have him as a #4 fantasy RB provides a lot of peace of mind. I really like Chambers here, who will be working with the same QB in successive years for one of the first times in his career. I'm a bit worried about Manning's prospects for this season, but as a #2 fantasy QB, it is hard to go wrong with him. Garrard is an intriguing pick to back up Cutler. While he didn't turn out to be the greatest value on the board, I was pleased to land the last top-tier TE in Cooley this late.

Best Values: Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway. For an owner who didn't draft a RB until Round 4, landing Taylor as a #4 RB has to be considered a coup. I don't think there is much chance he repeats last season's numbers - especially his strong finish - but Taylor certainly will be a threat for at least another 1,000-yard, five-TD season - at least the same numbers Compiler Guy can expect from Galloway. No matter how small or large the league, getting the ageless Galloway as a #3 WR this late qualifies as solid value.

Biggest Reach: Ronald Curry. It's not a big reach by any stretch because he is a potential breakout candidate with Javon Walker a question mark, but picking Curry with more "sure-thing" WRs like Driver and Engram still on the board can be questioned. (Of course, he righted that wrong somewhat by stealing Driver a pick before mine in the next round.) Nevertheless, Virus could have nabbed Driver and Engram as his #3 and #4 WRs or Julius Jones to provide himself with some more RB insurance instead of hoping for a career season from Curry.

 9th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
9.01 81 RB Julius Jones SEA Compiler Guy
9.02 82 WR Donald Driver GB Coxsackie Virus
9.03 83 WR Santana Moss WAS The Prototype
9.04 84 TE Todd Heap BAL FF Librarian
9.05 85 WR Vincent Jackson SD Mack 1
9.06 86 RB DeAngelo Williams CAR Kilroy
9.07 87 WR Deion Branch SEA SPUFF
9.08 88 QB Marc Bulger STL Team Marx
9.09 89 WR Bobby Engram SEA Husky Jerks
9.10 90 WR Reggie Williams JAC Wildman
9th Round Summary: I think as we move along this summer, Jones will find his way about three rounds higher, even in 10-team league drafts. Virus picked Driver just in front of me, leaving me without a best player on the board that I could quickly identify. If Mack gets the Vincent Jackson that turned it on during the playoffs all season long this year, he may have walked away with the best pick in this round. DeAngelo Williams isn't going to go down without a fight and a worthy pick here, but if the team were more enamored with him, they wouldn't have started a player (DeShaun Foster) ahead of him, only to cut the starter and use a first-round pick on another runner. Bulger represents good insurance for Derek Anderson for Team Marx, and behind a healthy offensive line in 2008 - as well as handing off to a healthy Steven Jackson - should keep him in one piece. As long as Engram doesn't take his contract situation too personally and gets to camp on time, he is a solid value pick here as well.

Best Value: Donald Driver. Considering he was the player I wanted with my pick to serve as Harrison's insurance policy, I'll go with Driver here. The former Alcorn St. standout didn't fall too far below his usual catch and yard numbers, but he had to be plenty frustrated by only scoring twice all season while Greg Jennings visited the end zone 12 times. I expect those numbers will even out somewhat, if only because Aaron Rodgers doesn't possess Brett Favre's arm strength. That should mean more short and intermediate catches for Driver.

Biggest Reaches: Deion Branch and Reggie Williams. A healthy Branch belongs about four rounds higher, but as we know, an ACL tear can wreck havoc on a player the next season. Seattle has enough depth at the WR position to not rush him back, but even if the Seahawks did, they may be too busy on trying to improve the running game. Engram and Nate Burleson figure to keep a healthy Branch's numbers down somewhat, so they should come close to matching his totals if he is running at less than 100%. Williams is bound to bust out and be a consistent receiver at some point. But in a run-based offense, he will have to battle Jerry Porter and Garrard's favorite WR, Dennis Northcutt, for touches - a prospect that I'm not all that envious about at this point. (Of course, Wildman backed up his best on Jaguar WRs a few rounds later when he selected Porter.)

 10th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
10.01 91 WR Bernard Berrian MIN Wildman
10.02 92 RB Ahmad Bradshaw NYG Husky Jerks
10.03 93 WR Derrick Mason BAL Team Marx
10.04 94 WR Jerricho Cotchery NYJ SPUFF
10.05 95 QB Matt Schaub HOU Kilroy
10.06 96 RB Felix Jones ® DAL Mack 1
10.07 97 RB Chester Taylor MIN FF Librarian
10.08 98 RB Justin Fargas OAK The Prototype
10.09 99 RB Deuce McAllister NO Coxsackie Virus
10.10 100 WR Isaac Bruce SF Compiler Guy
10th Round Summary: Risks abound as we start the downward descent in this draft. Berrian could really benefit from the best ground game he has played with or suffer because of QB Tavaris Jackson's inaccuracy. Just how much work will Bradshaw's impressive second half last season lead to this season? Can Schaub last a full season and will Felix Jones do what Julius Jones struggled to do - work hand-in-hand with Marion Barber? Does Taylor take on even more of a secondary role to Adrian Peterson and can Fargas and McAllister rebound from injuries? The answers to those questions could play a large role in determining what teams find themselves on top of the standings in this league and which ones do not.

Best Value: Justin Fargas. I was very happy to fall into Fargas and collect both important pieces to the Oakland running game. While not exactly the "hammer" that Deuce McAllister can be, Fargas runs very tough for his size and should make for a nice complement to McFadden, with either player benefiting greatly fantasy-wise from the other player's injury. Either way - to get a RB than ran for over 1,000 yards last season despite not taking over the full-time job until midseason - this late has to be considered a steal.

Biggest Reach: Derrick Mason. In a tough call to make, I'll go for the former Titan receiver. OC Cam Cameron's pro offenses have been all about the running back so far, and I don't expect his tenure with the Ravens to be any different. I believe Mark Clayton has a better chance to succeed, but both will likely play second fiddle to Todd Heap.

 11th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
11.01 101 TE Owen Daniels HOU Compiler Guy
11.02 102 RB Ladell Betts WAS Coxsackie Virus
11.03 103 WR Sidney Rice MIN The Prototype
11.04 104 WR Patrick Crayton DAL FF Librarian
11.05 105 WR Reggie Brown PHI Mack 1
11.06 106 WR Donte’ Stallworth CLE Kilroy
11.07 107 WR Javon Walker OAK SPUFF
11.08 108 TE Vernon Davis SF Team Marx
11.09 109 RB Ricky Williams MIA Husky Jerks
11.10 110 RB Warrick Dunn TB Wildman
11th, 12th, 13th-Round Summary: As one would expect, owners are filling out their rosters with underperformers or high-upside guys who could be primed for a breakout or players heading to greener pastures. Some of the best examples of these types of players are Vernon Davis, Ricky Williams, the "other" Steve Smith, Javon Walker and D.J. Hackett. We also see our first defenses come off the board as well and it is hard to argue with the logic of defenses that were selected. If I were a betting man, I would guess that Walker, Davis and Philip Rivers will all go 2-3 rounds higher than this as we move closer to the season

Best Values: Vernon Davis, Warrick Dunn, Philip Rivers, Jeremy Shockey and Jerry Porter. I believe the popular opinion is because Davis is a TE, OC Mike Martz will not call his number. Martz is an innovative play-caller (not always the best one, mind you) but he will get his best receivers the ball. Dunn may be getting older, but because so many of his years have been spent sharing carries, I'm not sure his tires are completely worn yet. ACL surgeries are troublesome for everybody, but Carson Palmer showed a few years ago that a pocket QB can recover quickly and be fantasy-relevant. While Shockey is unhappy, it would be mildly surprising not to see him take the field. More than anything, he is a hard-nosed football player. He'll play - he may be mad - but he'll play. Finally, Porter will benefit from one of the best QBs he has played with. I have Porter identified as one of my most underrated picks and as a player I would like to have to round out my WR corps this season.

Biggest Reaches: Owen Daniels and Ladell Betts. I think Daniels could have been had at least two rounds later and certainly after Shockey and Davis. As for Betts, I could understand if Virus had used an earlier pick on Portis to then use an earlier-than-usual pick on his handcuff, but for an owner like me who believes there is no such thing as an unimportant draft pick, the selection of Betts seems like a wasted one to me.

 12th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
12.01 111 QB Jon Kitna DET Wildman
12.02 112 TE Heath Miller PIT Husky Jerks
12.03 113 TE Tony Scheffler DEN Team Marx
12.04 114 QB Philip Rivers SD SPUFF
12.05 115 WR Nate Burleson SEA Kilroy
12.06 116 WR D.J. Hackett CAR Mack 1
12.07 117 WR James Jones GB FF Librarian
12.08 118 QB Aaron Rodgers GB The Prototype
12.09 119 QB Vince Young TEN Coxsackie Virus
12.10 120 DEF Minnesota Vikings Compiler Guy
 13th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
13.01 121 WR Steve Smith (NYG) NYG Compiler Guy
13.02 122 TE Jeremy Shockey NYG Coxsackie Virus
13.03 123 DEF San Diego Chargers The Prototype
13.04 124 RB Chris Brown HOU FF Librarian
13.05 125 DEF Pittsburgh Steelers Mack 1
13.06 126 TE L.J. Smith PHI Kilroy
13.07 127 DEF Chicago Bears SPUFF
13.08 128 DEF Green Bay Packers Team Marx
13.09 129 QB Matt Leinart ARI Husky Jerks
13.10 130 WR Jerry Porter JAC Wildman

 14th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
14.01 131 RB Ryan Torain ® DEN Wildman
14.02 132 WR Justin Gage TEN Husky Jerks
14.03 133 WR Roydell Williams TEN Team Marx
14.04 134 RB DeShaun Foster SF SPUFF
14.05 135 DEF Jacksonville Jaguars Kilroy
14.06 136 K Adam Vinatieri IND Mack 1
14.07 137 DEF Seattle Seahawks FF Librarian
14.08 138 RB Sammy Morris NE The Prototype
14.09 139 DEF Dallas Cowboys Coxsackie Virus
14.10 140 QB Jake Delhomme CAR Compiler Guy
14th, 15th, 16th-Round Summary: While Denver RBs seem to make lousy early-round picks, they sure fill out a roster nicely, something Wildman took to heart when he selected a RB the Broncos are touting as "Terrell Davis-like". Foster also makes for a smart pick here because he should be able to fill in adequately behind Gore should he miss a game or two, as he has been known to do. A trio of selections catches my eye in the 15th round where Wilford, Jackson and Hester all go. Wilford and Hester stand out as possible #1 WRs for their respective teams, so to get them this late is a bonus. On the other hand, I find it very hard to believe Jackson has fallen off so far so fast. I believe he showed at the end of last season in San Fran's feeble passing attack that he can still be productive. If Brandon Marshall can't make it all the way back in time, I think there is a real chance Jackson could post some of his old numbers. I was quite surprised to see Watson left for the taking in the final round. I think an argument could easily be made that he deserves to go at least 2-3 rounds higher. Otherwise, the final rounds of this draft are kicker- and defense-dominated as many owners feel those two positions are among the most volatile in fantasy football - and they would be right.

Best Values: Ryan Torain, Sammy Morris and the Ravens defense. Considering the Broncos' history, Torian, for the reasons listed above, deserves mention here. It's a virtual lock that he will start at least one game and it wouldn't be all that surprising if he takes over the starting job by season's end. Perhaps I remember last year too well, but I remember just how productive Morris was in September. I believe New England wants to share the load with its backfield, meaning Morris should be closer to Maroney's spot in the draft than he is to the end of it. The addition of CB Fabian Washington should go a long way in bringing the Ravens’ defense back up to snuff. One of the major reasons for their collapse last season was injuries to CBs Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle. Having a third CB the caliber of Washington should rectify that.

Biggest Reach: Marcedes Lewis. Hard to be critical of owners who are just rounding out their teams, but I'll go after SPUFF on this one. I think Lewis is a talent that needs to be featured more - no doubt about it - but if he was virtually ignored on a team that lacked consistent receivers last season, why will it change this time around when Jacksonville tried desperately to upgrade the WR position?

 15th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
15.01 141 WR Ernest Wilford MIA Compiler Guy
15.02 142 WR Darrell Jackson DEN Coxsackie Virus
15.03 143 K Mason Crosby GB The Prototype
15.04 144 WR Devin Hester CHI FF Librarian
15.05 145 RB Tatum Bell DET Mack 1
15.06 146 K Stephen Gostkowski NE Kilroy
15.07 147 TE Marcedes Lewis JAC SPUFF
15.08 148 K Nick Folk DAL Team Marx
15.09 149 DEF New England Patriots Husky Jerks
15.10 150 DEF Baltimore Ravens Wildman
 16th Round
Pick # Pos Player Team Mocker
16.01 K K Nate Kaeding SD Wildman
16.02 K K Shayne Graham CIN Husky Jerks
16.03 DEF DEF Oakland Raiders Team Marx
16.04 K K Josh Brown STL SPUFF
16.05 QB QB Trent Edwards BUF Kilroy
16.06 QB QB Jason Campbell WAS Mack 1
16.07 K K Josh Scobee JAC FF Librarian
16.08 TE TE Ben Watson NE The Prototype
16.09 K K Neil Rackers ARI Coxsackie Virus
16.10 K K Rob Bironas TEN Compiler Guy

Recap By Team