Gosselin's first mock

[CupidStunt]

The last time the Oakland Raiders held the first overall selection of a draft, they chose a quarterback. That was in 1962 when Oakland played in the AFL – but the Raiders lost out for the services of Roman Gabriel in a bidding war with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Raiders have the first pick of the 2007 draft and have as much need for a quarterback now as in 1962. Raiders owner Al Davis believes in the vertical stretch offense and loves big-armed quarterbacks like Gabriel. LSU's JaMarcus Russell has an even bigger arm than Gabriel.

The Raiders would consider Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson along with Russell. But wideouts historically don't go first overall – only two since the AFL and NFL merged drafts in 1967. Fifteen quarterbacks have gone first overall since then, including five in the last six years.

So give Russell to the Raiders in the first mock draft offering from The Dallas Morning News. Here's the rest of the draft:


Team Player Pos. School
1. Oakland JaMarcus Russell QB LSU
2. Detroit Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma
Matt Millen has struggled with top-10 picks in his stint as general manager of the Lions. Peterson would be a safe and popular choice. Detroit had success using first-round picks on Oklahoma runners Steve Owens (1970) and Billy Sims (1980).
3. Cleveland Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech
4. Tampa Bay Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame
5. Arizona Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin
6. Washington Gaines Adams DE Clemson
7. Minnesota LaRon Landry S LSU
8. Atlanta Leon Hall CB Michigan
9. Miami Alan Branch DT Michigan
10. Houston Amobi Okoye DT Louisville
11. San Francisco Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
12. Buffalo Marshawn Lynch RB California
13. St. Louis Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh
14. Carolina Patrick Willis LB Mississippi
15. Pittsburgh Adam Carriker DE Nebraska
Carriker is the prototypical defensive end for a 3-4 scheme. But his true value lies is his versatility. With his size (6-6, 296), he can line up at any of the four positions along the defensive line.
16. Green Bay Ted Ginn Jr. WR Ohio State
17. Jacksonville Jarvis Moss DE Florida
18. Cincinnati Reggie Nelson S Florida
19. Tennessee Robert Meachem WR Tennessee
20. N.Y. Giants Levi Brown OT Penn State
21. Denver Lawrence Timmons LB Florida State
22. Dallas Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
With two starting wide receivers in their 30s, the Cowboys need a young player to build a future downfield passing game for Tony Romo. Bowe is a physical receiver in the Michael Irvin mold.
23. Kansas City Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
24. New England Jon Beason LB Miami
25. N.Y. Jets Aaron Ross CB Texas
26. Philadelphia Chris Houston CB Arkansas
27. New Orleans Dwayne Jarrett WR Southern California
28. New England Michael Griffin S Texas
29. Baltimore Joe Staley OT Central Michigan
30. San Diego Anthony Gonzalez WR Ohio State
31. Chicago Paul Posluszny LB Penn State
32. Indianapolis Greg Olsen TE Miami

[PHOG]

If Brown falls that far, I would hope that we trade up.

[the Talking Can]

hmmm...don't know much about Harrell, hard to believe he is a better talent then Jarrett.....

[milkman]

I think there'd be a meltdown here if the Chiefs selected Harrell.

I'd be fine with it.

And I wouldn't trade up for a shot at Brown.

I don't think he's a guy that has the kind of value that would be worth giving up picks for.

[PHOG]

Originally Posted by milkman

I think there'd be a meltdown here if the Chiefs selected Harrell.

I'd be fine with it.

And I wouldn't trade up for a shot at Brown.

I don't think he's a guy that has the kind of value that would be worth giving up picks for.

Well, rethinking, we really don't have many scenarios where we could trade up, especially if we trade a pick for Jenkins. I would much rather have him than Harrell.

But this is by far the lowest I recall seeing Brown drafted.

[Coogs]

Here is the NFL.com profile for Harrell. It is long, but there is some good stuff. I highlighted one particular part that caught my eye...


Justin Harrell
Height: 6-4
Weight: 305
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Tennessee


Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange


OVERVIEW
Harrell, the team captain who wears his emotions on his sleeve, knew the veterans were needed to step up and take charge in 2006 after a disappointing 2005 season. He was primed for a banner senior year, but suffered a ruptured left biceps tendon in the second game.

The team doctors ruled Harrell lost for the season and scheduled surgery, but the gritty veteran postponed the procedure one more week. He had his arm heavily bandaged and stepped out on the field with the starting unit for a crucial match-up against Florida. The Vols fought valiantly and Harrell produced three tackles with a stop behind the line of scrimmage, but the Gators rallied for a 21-20 victory. Right after the game, the team lost its injured star for the rest of the year. He finally went under the knife, which brought his Tennessee career to a close.

Harrell was a standout defensive lineman at Westview High School. He was selected Tennessee's Class 2A "Mr. Football" in 2001, adding Prep Football Report and PrepStar All-American honors. He was named West Tennessee's Defensive Player of the Year by the Jackson Sun and earned Class 2A all-state accolades, as he helped the 2001 team to a 13-2 record and a state runner-up finish. After his final season, he played in the Georgia-Tennessee All-Star Game.

A three-year starter on both offense and defense, Harrell caught 18 passes for 354 yards and six touchdowns as a tight end and recorded 72 tackles as defensive lineman, including 19 for loss, four sacks and eight pass deflections as a senior. During his junior year, he caught 21 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 61 tackles, 12 for loss, and deflected four passes. He was also a three-year starter in basketball, as he scored 17 points per game his senior season.

Harrell enrolled at Tennessee in 2002, spending the season performing on the scout team. Hard luck with injuries limited him to eight games as a reserve defensive tackle in 2003. He missed more than half of spring drills after right leg surgery. In fall camp, he broke his ankle, sitting out the first five games. When he returned, he re-injured the ankle after only one snap against Miami and saw limited action the rest of the year. He finished with 10 tackles (5 solos), a stop for a loss and a quarterback pressure.

In 2004, Harrell started the team's first 11 games at right defensive tackle before an ankle injury against Kentucky would limit his play in the final two games. He registered 26 tackles (17 solos) with 11 pressures, 1½ sacks and 4½ stops for losses. He also batted down four passes and recovered a pair of fumbles.

Harrell started all 11 games in 2005, shifting to left tackle. He totaled 39 tackles (21 solos) with 2½ sacks and 7½ stops behind the line of scrimmage. He intercepted a pair of passes, returning one for a touchdown and was credited with eight pressures. He also caused one fumble and batted away three passes. For his performance, he earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors.

The defensive captain started the first three games of the 2006 season at left tackle before missing the rest of the season. He posted seven tackles (three solos) with a pressure and a stop for a loss. With Harrell in the lineup, the team rang up 2.33 sacks per game. With Harrell sidelined, the Vols had an average of one.

In 35 games, Harrell started 25 times. He registered 82 tackles (46 solos) with four sacks for minus-32 yards and 14 stops for losses of 57 yards. He collected 21 quarterback pressures, recovered two fumbles and caused four others. He knocked down eight passes and intercepted two for 36 yards in returns, including a touchdown.


ANALYSIS
Positives: Has thick upper-body mass with a firm chest, shoulders and good arm-muscle definition. … Has big hips, thick thighs and calves and room on his frame to add at least another 20 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness. … Quick and explosive off the snap; even though he was used mostly to occupy multiple blockers at the line of scrimmage, he does a good job of anchoring and clogging up the inside rush lanes. … Has outstanding weight-room strength and is starting to learn how to translate that to the football field (must keep his hands inside and active to get full value out of his punch). … Does an effective job of combining aggressiveness with strength to create an explosive surge off the snap. … Maintains a low center of gravity to fill the inside lanes. … Will make plays downfield and shows good urgency closing on the ball. … Lacks ideal instincts, but shows no hesitation getting to the ball once he locates it. … Leader-by-example type who proved his moxie by refusing surgery to play with a ruptured biceps vs. Florida in 2006. … Responsible, mature type who really embraced the leadership role thrust upon him as a senior. … Will duck his head at times coming off the ball, but has the leg drive and burst to gain advantage. … If he learns to anticipate the snap quicker, he has that natural burst needed to dominate at the line of scrimmage. … When he hunkers his pads down and drive his foot into the ground, he is very effective at containing inside run plays. … Has good change-of-direction agility and it is rare to see him exposed on the move. … If he learns to use his hands better to gain leverage, he could be very effective in attempts to stack and control. … Has the strength to split double teams, but must be conscious of using his hands. … Compensates for a lack of ideal timed speed by taking proper angles to gain position to make the tackle working down the line. … Difficult to handle in one-on-one situations; he will constantly battle until the whistle. … Delivers a punishing hand jolt as he slides down the line of scrimmage and has the balance to sidestep and slip past the blocker when bull rushing. … Still plays more on his raw ability, but shows quickness reacting to the running plays, where his lateral agility is shown while giving chase. … Not much of a pass rusher; he is used more in run containment, but shows effective rip and club moves in attempts to get penetration. … More of a push type of pass rusher, but has the strength to gain inside penetration and is decent trying to adjust on the move. … Won't get to the quarterback when taking a wide loop, but up the middle he closes quickly on the quarterback, showing the leg drive and burst to collapse the pocket (better getting to the passer from his inside alignment than on the edge). … When he extends his long arms, he does a nice job of keeping blockers off him (needs to do this with more consistency, though).

Negatives: Not that "field smart" and needs to make quicker reads, but shows good urgency to pursue when he locates the ball. … Must learn to keep his head up coming out of his stance; this causes him to lose sight of the ball, especially when working through a crowd. … Has a good short-area burst, but when he overpursues, he lacks sharp stop-and-go action to redirect suddenly (will gather some). … Is susceptible to angle blocks and traps (mostly when he keeps his head down or fails to maintain inside position with his hands). … Lacks ideal hand placement to prevent blockers from getting underneath to lock on and ride him out of the play (blockers get their hands into his chest too often). … Has to improve his hand usage; blockers know they can attack his feet without him countering (must learn to keep his hands active in attempts to separate).

Compares To: Johnny Jolly, Green Bay. … Jolly might not have played much in 2006, but Harrell has that same explosion off the snap that lets both occupy multiple blockers. Harrell plays with the strength needed to take up space, and while he lacks sustained speed, he does explode off the ball. He needs to develop a better feel for the ball and must be more active with his hands. His main job is clogging and constricting the inside rush lanes, but he must create better separation with his hands if he hopes to improve his pass rushing skills. For a team looking for a plugger in the middle, Harrell could be the answer, if he is recovered from his torn biceps.


INJURY REPORT
2003: Underwent right leg surgery (undisclosed injury) in March, missing more than half of spring drills. … Suffered a broken bone in his right ankle in August camp (8/08) that forced him to sit out the first five games of the season. … Re-injured the ankle after only one play in the Miami game upon his return.

2004: Left the Kentucky game and did not start the final two games due to a right ankle sprain.

2006: Suffered a torn left biceps tendon vs. Air Force (9/09). Played the next game vs. Florida, then missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.


AGILITY TESTS
Campus: 5.08 in the 40-yard dash. … 500-pound bench press. … 500-pound squat. … 315-pound power clean. … 30-inch vertical jump. … 33¼-inch arm length. … 10-inch hands.


HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Westview (Martin, Tenn.) High School, playing football for head coach Don Coady. … Standout defensive lineman who was selected Tennessee's Class 2A "Mr. Football" in 2001, adding Prep Football Report and PrepStar All-American honors. … Named West Tennessee's Defensive Player of the Year by the Jackson Sun and earned Class 2A All-State accolades, as he helped the 2001 team to a 13-2 record and a state runner-up finish. … After his final season, he played in the Georgia-Tennessee All-Star Game. … A three-year starter on both offense and defense, Harrell caught 18 passes for 354 yards and six touchdowns as a tight end and recorded 72 tackles as defensive lineman, including 19 for loss, four sacks and eight pass deflections as a senior. … During his junior year, he caught 21 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. … Defensively, he recorded 61 tackles, 12 for loss, and deflected four passes. … Three-year starter in basketball who scored 17 points per game his senior season.


PERSONAL
Sports Management major. … Born Justin Tyrell Harrell on 2/14/84. … Resides in Martin, Tenn.

[Coogs]

Cleveland would be an interesting team. Braylon Edwards and CJ at the wideouts and Winslow at the TE spot.

[CupidStunt]

I like Harrell but I like other guys more.

[the Talking Can]

sounds like a walking injury

[milkman]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

sounds like a walking injury

The broken ankle isn't one of those red flag type injuries that make you scratch your head and wonder about his durability.

The biceps could be, but given Harrell's demonstrated heart (playing through it in the first game after the injury), it becomes a smaller concern.

[Coogs]

I still think the overall team sacks with Harrell in the lineup anad Harrell out of the lineup is interesting. He had no sacks himself, but his teammates were able to make more with him in the lineup. Isn't that what our defense needs up front. Someone who can plug the middle on the run and free up Allen and Hali to do thier thing on passing downs?

[StcChief]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I still think the overall team sacks with Harrell in the lineup anad Harrell out of the lineup is interesting. He had no sacks himself, but his teammates were able to make more with him in the lineup. Isn't that what our defense needs up front. Someone who can plug the middle on the run and free up Allen and Hali to do thier thing on passing downs?

that's my take too....a mucn needed Run stuffer. And gets J.Allen/Tamba Wilkerson to the QB cuts down the inside game.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I still think the overall team sacks with Harrell in the lineup anad Harrell out of the lineup is interesting. He had no sacks himself, but his teammates were able to make more with him in the lineup. Isn't that what our defense needs up front. Someone who can plug the middle on the run and free up Allen and Hali to do thier thing on passing downs?

The thing is, Harrell has the initial quickness that, with good coaching, could also turn him into a pass rushing threat as well as a guy that plugs the middle.

It really comes down to whether he can stay healthy.

[Tribal Warfare]

I'd accept the Harrell pick only if KC trades down

[bdeg]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I still think the overall team sacks with Harrell in the lineup anad Harrell out of the lineup is interesting. He had no sacks himself, but his teammates were able to make more with him in the lineup. Isn't that what our defense needs up front. Someone who can plug the middle on the run and free up Allen and Hali to do thier thing on passing downs?

Whoa. You're right. I assumed since it was only 3 games it was mostly a fluke, probably against worse teams than they played the rest of the season. But they played Cal and Florida. Can't complain about that.