The college stars have made their decisions.  Whether they were good decisions or not, well that remains to be seen. As for our resident pickatologist, he goes for broke in his second mock draft in the national sensation, Draft.0

MIKE KAYE

Picks 1-16 / Picks 17-32 /  Round 2

I decided to update my mock draft since we now know of some coaching changes and draft declarations. Please note that that picks 24-32 have not been decided yet and that the order is reflected by 2010 records. Also know that these picks are made under the assumption of the current rosters and not potential free agency moves.

1.  Carolina (2-14) / Nick Fairley / Auburn /DT
Fairley had a monster National Championship game and Ron Rivera is the new head coach of the Panthers. Rivera is a defensive guy so he will look to sure-up a long-suffering weakness for Carolina blue with a DT. Fairley is also helped by the emergence and potential of Ndamukung Suh. The Auburn Tiger has shown flashes of Suh which will entice everyone in draft.

2) Denver (4-12) / Patrick Peterson / LSU / CB/FS
I am so sold on this pick that I might even bet my roommates and friends on it. They drafted Tebow last year in the first round so I think a QB here would be detrimental to the overall development of the team. The Broncos’ secondary is very old and for the most part on their way out so Peterson is insurance at both CB and FS.

3) Buffalo (4-12) / Marcel Dareus / Alabama / DE/DT
This team needs help in a lot of ways but I think Dareus is a special player and the Bills have proven to take a best player available mentality in the draft. Marcus Stroud is older and on the verge of retirement so I think Dareus can step in right away and take his job while improving the Bills’ front three.

4) Cincinnati (4-12) / AJ Green / Georgia / WR
Terrell Owens: GONE. Chad Ochocinco: GONE. This team needs help badly at wide-out and they will get it with the best WR prospect since Calvin Johnson. Green is a pick the Bengals need to make to help reassure the league and the team that Carson Palmer can win games.

5) Arizona (5-11) / Jake Locker / Washington / QB
This seems to be a logical and spiteful pick. The Seahawks have wanted Locker for ages and the Cardinals have an opportunity to take a potential elite QB and spurn a division rival with the number five pick in the draft. This pick could go a long way in keeping Larry Fitzgerald.

6) Cleveland (5-11) / Julio Jones / Alabama / WR
The Browns need a number one receiver for Colt McCoy. Massaqoui is a very talented number two and Brian Robiskie has been a bust so this is a need pick for Cleveland. Jones may be a bit of a stretch but it is important they get McCoy help sooner rather than later.

7) San Francisco (6-10) / Prince Amukamara / Nebraska / CB
How old is Nate Clements again? And how much is he getting paid? The Niners don’t really have a plethora of potential Alex Smith replacements in this draft so I feel they will trade for one and go corner in the first round. There are rumors that San Fran may switch to a 4-3 defense and this pick gives them the versatility whether they change or keep their current scheme.

8 ) Tennessee (6-10) / Da’Quan Bowers / Clemson / DE
This would be a huge steal and would give the Titans a replacement to KVB who left for Detroit last year. Jason Babin was extremely impressive this year but imagine how great he could be with Bowers across from him. While they drafted Derrick Morgan last year, I think the Titans will feel compelled to take the talented Bowers to form a scary three man rotation at DE.

9) Dallas (6-10) / Derek Sherrod / Mississippi St.  / OT
The Alex Barron/Doug Free experiment proved to fail and be a huge problem for Boys this season. Sherrod is in my opinion the best tackle in the draft and he is greatly needed in Dallas. Jason Garrett will do right by Romo and make this pick.

10) Washington (6-10) / Ryan Mallet / Arkansas / QB
Mallet apparently has character questions but that hasn’t stopped Shanny in the past (Maurice Clarett, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall). Mallet can get an angry and unenthused fanbase to calm down a bit. While Mallet cost Arkansas their bowl game, he is a good leader and is quite appealing due to his superior height and vision.

11) Houston (6-10) / Brandon Harris / Miami / CB
This is an easy pick. The Texans will become a 3-4 defense under Wade Phillips but the secondary needs the most change. Harris is very talented and can provide Kubiak and Co. a cover-guy to pair with Kareem Jackson.

12) Minnesota (6-10) / Blaine Gabbert / Missouri / QB
I think this a reasonable pick for Leslie Frazier to make. New coach normally equals new QB so Gabbert (Todd McShay’s golden boy) can become the answer to Favre and the oodles of QBs that have been considered by Minnesota. Gabbert played in a spread offense at Missouri so it may take him sometime to get adjusted but I think the Vikes are better off with him then the remaining QBs on the board.

13) Detroit (6-10) / Anthony Castonzo / Boston College / OT
Injury-prone Matt Stafford needs protection to produce. Castonzo is argued as one of the top offensive lineman in this class so Detroit has to decide if they want to reach for corner or take care of this need in the first round. The team won too many games to take Prince or Brandon Harris so the only solution is to handle other weaknesses.

14) St. Louis Rams (7-9) / Jonathan Baldwin / Pittsburgh / WR
The WRs on the Rams did a decent job this season but Baldwin can provide STL with a legit number one option at the receiver position. The draft isn’t extremely deep at WR after the first three prospects so the Rams will have to pounce early if they want to improve in that early.

15) Miami Dolphins (7-9) / Mark Ingram / Alabama / HB
All the good/decent QBs are off the board so the Fins have to replace Ronnie Brown with Ingram, the only possible home-run at running back in the draft. Ingram is a Heisman winner so he has the prestige and big name that owner Stephen Ross loves and I think this pick will also be good for the future QB of the franchise.

16) Jacksonville (8-8) / Richard Quinn / UNC / DE
In my opinion, this would be a huge steal. The Jags needs someone to partner or replace Aaron Kampman who is coming off his second straight season with an ACL tear. Quinn would have been a top five-ten pick had he not had problems at UNC but he has the potential to be a killer against opposing QBs.

Photo: Getty

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