Just five more days until mock NFL drafts become something to re-examine and think, "How could I have thought he would be taken there?" Until then, though, there is no reason to not try.
The latest mock draft comes courtesy of the player rankings provided by NFL Draft Scout. One needn't go much further than the #7 selection of QB Matt Ryan by the New England Patriots to see that this list can provide some areas where possible draft trades may occur.
While that pick seems crazy, not Ryan at #7 but Ryan to the Pats, I do see a couple of players listed here which are moving up my sleeper lists - WR James Hardy of Indiana and DE Phillip Merling of Clemson. Either player would make me happy if they were avaiable at #32 when my Miami Dolphins pick.
While that may seem easy to envision for Hardy, don't discount Merling or Quentin Groves from falling. This ranking, along with the previous two I did - ESPN's Scouts Inc and The Sporting News' War Room - do not account for any run on QBs as is being rumored would happen towards the end of the 1st round.
| PICK | TEAM | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
| 1 | Miami | Chris Long | DE | Virginia |
| 2 | St. Louis | Glen Dorsey | DT | Lsu |
| 3 | Atlanta | Darren Mcfadden | RB | Arkansas |
| 4 | Oakland | Jake Long | OT | Michigan |
| 5 | Kansas City | Vernon Gholsten | DE | Ohio State |
| 6 | N.Y. Jets | Sedrick Ellis | DT | Usc |
| 7 | New England (from S.F.) | Matt Ryan | QB | Boston College |
| 8 | Baltimore | Ryan Clady | OT | Boise State |
| 9 | Cincinnati | Keith Rivers | OLB | Usc |
| 10 | New Orleans | Leodis Mcklevin | CB | Troy State |
| 11 | Buffalo | Rashard Mendelhall | RB | Illinois |
| 12 | Denver | Branden Albert | OT | Virginia |
| 13 | Carolina | Derrick Harvey | DE | Florida |
| 14 | Chicago | Devin Thomas | WR | Michigan State |
| 15 | Detroit | Mike Jenkins | CB | South Florida |
| 16 | Arizona | Chris Williams | OT | Vanderbilt |
| 17 | Minnesota | Dominique Rodgers Cromartie | CB | Tennessee State |
| 18 | Houston | Jonathan Stewart | RB | Oregon State |
| 19 | Philadelphia | Dan Connor | ILB | Penn State |
| 20 | Tampa Bay | Brian Brohm | QB | Louisville |
| 21 | Washington | Desean Jackson | WR | California |
| 22 | Dallas (from Cleveland) | Jeff Otah | OT | Pittsburgh |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | Phillip Merling | DE | Clemson |
| 24 | Tennessee | Jerod Mayo | ILB | Tennessee |
| 25 | Seattle | Limas Sweed | WR | Texas |
| 26 | Jacksonville | Kentwan Blamer | DT | North Carolina |
| 27 | San Diego | Antoine Cason | CB | Arizona |
| 28 | Dallas | Quentin Groves | OLB | Auburn |
| 29 | San Francisco (from Indianapolis) | James Hardy | WR | Indiana |
| 30 | Green Bay | Gosder Cherilus | OT | Boston College |
| 31 | N.Y. Giants | Kenny Phillips | FS | Miami |