Favre Gone; Is Sanchez Next?

With yesterday's announcement that Brett Favre would be retiring, let the speculation begin: Who will be the next quarterback of the New York Jets?

The Jets have three QBs currently on their roster: Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge and Brett Ratliff. But they also have the No. 17 overall pick, and there is heavy speculation that USC QB Mark Sanchez could fall to New York. The Trojans gunslinger would be a welcome addition in NY. He is in the pro mold with an excellent arm and good smarts. He makes pretty good reads and can be effective in short-yardage and home run ball situations.

There is some question, however, as to whether or not Sanchez will be available at 17. There is widespread speculation that the Kansas City Chiefs (3rd overall) and San Francisco 49ers (10th overall) are interested in taking Sanchez, if he isn't drafted by the Detroit Lions with the first overall selection.

There is also the possibility of the Jets trading down in the first round and selecting Kansas State's Josh Freeman, although it is more likely that they will take one of the big two or no QB at all.

I think Sanchez will be available at 17, and it will be hard for the Jets to pass him up, given his skill level coming out of a pro system at USC. If you asked me to mock the draft today, Sanchez would be a Jet.

Mock Critique: McShay 1.0

Todd McShay released his first mock draft, and it is chock full of, well, different stuff. You've been seeing a lot of the same from many of the experts, but McShay is taking a different route.

He has plugged Baylor OT Jason Smith into the number two hole, although he acknowledges the St. Louis Rams have multiple options at the position. He finally listened to me (or so I'll say) in giving the Kansas City Chiefs an OLB at three, not a quarterback. Scott Pioli will go defense first, and that means Aaron Curry.

Which leaves the question: Where does Mark Sanchez go? The answer: The New York Jets at 17. I completely agree; if Sanchez manages to slip past the 49ers, he will fall all the way to 17, and the Jets can't pass him up. It's a no-brainer to make that selection.

I disagree, however, with his pick at 18. The Chicago Bears shouldn't take Florida WR Percy Harvin. They already have a big-time playmaker in Devin Hester, and with Hester playing on offense more and more, adding Harvin makes no sense.

The rest of his draft is pretty agreeable, although I don't think the Philadelphia Eagles will take TE Brandon Pettigrew if OT Michael Oher is still on the board.

One other note: McShay has the New England Patriots taking USC LB Clay Matthews at 23. What a story that would be. The former walk-on with a football pedigree becomes a first round pick.

If the Draft Happened Today...

If the draft happened today, how would the top five picks play out? Like this:

1. Detroit Lions: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
There's no denying Detroit needs a quarterback, and right now that is probably the Lions' most pressing need. Which signal-caller will it be? Stafford seems to get the slight edge on a majority of boards, and as of now, he gets the edge here.

2. St. Louis Rams: OT Andre Smith, Alabama
It's no secret that the Rams have needed a solid offensive tackle since Orlando Pace was in his prime, and Smith fits that need. He has the physical attributes and skill to be that type of tackle, and the intangibles to go with it.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia
The Chiefs don't need a QB - they need an anchor on the offensive line. Monroe provides that stability in the first round.

4. Seattle Seahawks: WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
The Seahawks haven't had a big-play wide receiver in quite some time, and Crabtree is an all-world talent. He is, at this point, the best player on the board (and might have been from the start) as well as the best player at a need position.

5. Cleveland Browns: OLB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
The Browns need help on defense, and Curry is the best player left on the board. He is an athletic linebacker who brings immediate ability to the table. He could start on day one, and Cleveland certainly needs that type of help.

Mock Critique: Kiper Version 1.0

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. released his first 2009 mock draft, which officially signals the start of the 2009 mocking season. Usually, anything done before that is simply attempts at grabbing the air. Nothing substantive occurs until the Duke of the Draft...ok, I'll stop putting Kiper on a pedestal.

But with the release of Kiper's first version (which, to no surprise, is only available in part to non-Insider subscribers [don't worry, I'll critique the second half of the first round too)], it provides us with some things to talk about.

There are a few picks I can't agree with. We'll start with my beloved New York Jets. There's just no way they can take Florida WR Percy Harvin with the 17th pick. There's no denying the Jets need a receiver to step up and be a big-play guy, but Harvin is not the answer. He's only about 5-10, and while he's an explosive weapon who can play multiple positions, he doesn't fit the type of receiver the team needs. They need a tall receiver - not another Santana Moss.

Backtracking for a moment, Kiper has the Kansas City Chiefs going with USC QB Mark Sanchez at No. 3. I'm not sold on this, at least for now. Tyler Thigpen showed considerable growth throughout the season, and I have to think there's some institutional confidence in him - perhaps enough to mean KC will not go QB in the first round.

A team that I do think will eventually take a quarterback is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, I don't think they will go that route in the first round. Kiper has the team grabbing Josh Freeman, the signal-caller from Kansas State, at 19. Freeman's stock has taken a jump in recent weeks, but I'm not sold on him. I think the team is more likely to use a late-round selection to draft a QB. To me, it makes sense to remain with Jeff Garcia at the helm, at least for the first year of the new coaching regime. I know the rookie coach-QB combo worked this year, but I wouldn't expect similar results.