It is never too early to look forward to the most bloggerish off-season topic: the NFL Draft. Months and months of predictions, arguments and prognosticating from mainly uninformed people comes down to a few hours of totally uninspiring April television.
The 2008 NFL Draft takes place April 26-27 in New York. Your WASHINGTON REDSKINS pick #21. Lucky number.
There are more than a few sites dedicated to projecting the First Round picks. But no look at the NFL Draft can begin without checking out Mr. Draft himself, Mel Kiper.
According to Mel Kiper's Big Board, he has Texas WR Limus Sweed at #21. Which is funny, because fellow ESPNer Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. has the Skins picking Texas WR Limus Sweed at #21.
Moving away from the Global Mouse Ear Headquarters, there's the other big names. CBS Sportsline has Boston College CB DeJuan Tribble ranked at #21. Fox Sports has a few video previews up already, including one for Tribble.
Moving on still, we find a number of smaller, probably less-reliable websites that have their own mock drafts up already. About.com has the same needs listed as the ones above (while also including the ILB position, which baffles me) and has the Skins picking Vernon Gholston, DE from Ohio State. He has been identified from a number of readers (namely, BlackOps) as the main target in the very early stages of the off-season.
NFL Draft Countdown has the Skins taking DE Calais Campbell from the U at number 20... which is interesting in and of itself. But moving past that, Campbell (at 6-8, 280) is quite the monster and his size reminds me of Super Mario Williams of the Texans who had a breakout season.
Football's Future goes along with the DE theme by having the Skins picking Auburn DE Quentin Groves. It seems that the interwebosphereverse seems to think that the Redskins need a pass rushing DE. Fox has an interesting video preview of Groves.
NFL Draft Blitz has a full 7-round mock draft up. Which is funny, seeing as how the full draft order has yet to be finalized. But you can only see the first round without having to sign in, which they have the Skins taking T Jeff Otah from Pittsburgh.
Draft King has the Skins taking DE Derrick Harvey from Florida. So far, we have 4 DEs that have been slotted at #21. Interesting.
And then there's the Hail Redskins site that has a bunch of the mock drafts compiled into one site. Right now, only a few names but that list will grow. Just watch.
That's it for now... there's a bunch more sites but I'm going to stop with these few. What do you think? Are these names appealing? Who else would you consider? What position should the Skins draft at #21 in the First Round?