Here is my first mock draft of the year. I will probably have three more leading up to the draft.

1. Lions - Matthew Stafford, QB Georgia - If the Lions hold on to this pick I think they have to take a quarterback. Stafford has the strongest arm I've seen since David Klingler and he would be a major upgrade over anything the Lions currently have at quarterback. However, Stafford needs to work on staring down receivers or his NFL career will be a short one.

2. Rams - Andre Smith, OT Alabama - Smith is my highest rated player in this draft. He will be the next great NFL tackle and a fixture in the Pro Bowl. The Rams line was atrocious in 2008, so Smith will start from the day he signs.

3. Chiefs - Aaron Curry, OLB Wake Forest - Curry is shooting up draft boards and he would make a great addition to a young KC defense. He is a monster off the edge and a physical marvel. This is a little too high for him in my opinion but it's not a huge reach.

4. Seahawks - Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech - Seattle badly needs a gamebreaker at receiver and Crabtree possesses all the physical tools to be a future star. No one goes up and gets the football like Crabtree. Just ask Texas.

5. Browns - Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB Texas - The Browns pass rush was miserable last year and Orakpo is my top rated defensive player. He will instantly give new coach Eric Mangini a dangerous edge rusher to plug into his 3-4 defense. Although, why Mangini got another coaching job is a mystery to me.

6. Bengals - Eugene Monroe, OT Virginia - The Bengals have a lot of needs like always but if they want to keep Carson Palmer upright, they will invest in the offensive line. By the way, is Marvin Lewis still the coach of this team? If so, why?

7. Raiders - Jeremy Maclin, WR Missouri - This would be a terrible pick. No. 7 is way too high for Maclin in my opinion. If I were the Raiders GM, I would address the porous offensive line. But since Al Davis is the GM, you get another huge reach in the first round.

8. Jaguars - Michael Oher, OT Ole Miss - The Jags really need to upgrade their offensive line and Oher is a beast. I think this would be an excellent pick for Jacksonville. Is Jack Del Rio still the coach of this team? If so, why?

9. Packers - Everette Brown, DE/OLB Florida State - This is one of the easiest spots to predict. The Packers will take the best pass rusher available and in my mock, that guy is Brown.

10. 49ers - Mark Sanchez, QB USC - In my opinion, San Fran is a quarterback away from being a pretty good team. If Sanchez is still on the board here, it will be awfully hard for the 49ers to pass on him. However, I wouldn't touch Sanchez with a 10-foot pole.

11. Bills - Brandon Pettiigrew, TE Oklahoma State - I normally don't like taking tight ends this high but Pettigrew is a special talent. He will give young quarterback Trent Edwards a go-to receiver, something the Bills sorely need.

12. Broncos - B.J. Raji, DT Boston College - With the Broncos switching to the 3-4 defense, they need an anchor in the middle. When talking to NFL people, the hardest thing to find in a 3-4 is a dominant NT. Raji is a monster on the inside and should start for the Broncos from Day 1.

13. Redskins - Jason Smith, OT Baylor - As you can tell from my mock draft, OT is the top position available this year. The Redskins had all kinds of problems along their offensive line last year and Taylor would give them a young stud to groom.

14. Saints - Malcom Jenkins, CB Ohio State - New year, same story for the Saints. They need help at corner and selecting Jenkins may finally give them the ballhawking playmaker they have been looking for at that position.

15. Texans - Vontae Davis, CB Illinois - Any time you have Jacques Reeves starting at corner, you need a major upgrade. Teams passed all over the Texans last year. Davis was one of the best college football players I watched last year and he would make a great fit in Houston.

16. Chargers - Rey Maualuga, LB USC - This would be a steal here for the Chargers. I have Maualuga rated as a Top 5 talent. He's big, fast and plays with a mean streak that Dick Butkus would be proud of. The Chargers could use some help in the middle of their 3-4 defense and Maualuga would provide that help. Is Norv Turner still the coach of this team? If so, why?

17. Jets - James Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State - The Jets have a lot of weaknesses in my opinion so I'm plugging in a guy I think represents good value at 17. David Harris is solid but after him, the Jets have no one at ILB. Laurinaitis can come in and play right away for new coach Rex Ryan.

18. Bears - Darius Heyward-Bey, WR Maryland - Stop me if you've heard this before: The Bears need a receiver. I really like Heyward-Bey and he would finally give Chicago the vertical threat they've been lacking. If there was a faster player in CFB last year I didn't see him. And don't look at Heyward-Bey's college stats. He never played with a good quarterback at Maryland.

19. Bucs - Percy Harvin, WR Florida - New Bucs Head Coach Raheem Morris has vowed to open up Tampa's offense. To do that, he will need some weapons. Harvin is the ultimate boom or bust player. There are very few players who have Harvin's game-breaking physical skills but he gets hurt every other week. He would scare the hell out of me.

20. Lions - Peria Jerry, DT Ole Miss - Because the Cowboys like to give up first-round draft picks for useless receivers, the Lions pick for the second time in Round 1. Jerry would be a huge upgrade in the middle of Detroit's line. He's a very good player that could turn into a future Pro Bowler.

21. Eagles - Beanie Wells, RB Ohio State - I hate this pick but I could see the Eagles making it. I am not a huge fan of Wells. I prefer Knowshon Moreno and LeSean McCoy to him. I do believe the Eagles could look at a RB here but if it's Wells, that would be a mistake in my opinion.

22. Vikings - Josh Freeman, QB Kansas State - I'm going with Freeman here just so I can talk about how much he sucks. I don't get what people see in this guy. Every time I watch him play he's like 13-for-32 and the announcers are telling me how the NFL scouts are drooling over him because of his strong arm. The guy sucks. I have seen Freeman play 7-8 times and I wouldn't take him in the fifth round. I am stunned that people are talking about this guy as a first-round draft pick. I keep hearing that "Freeman has the most upside of any quarterback in the draft." Of course he does. When you suck as much as Freeman does, I guess you have upside.

23. Patriots - Clay Matthews, LB USC - A lot of people have Brian Cushing going here but I think Matthews is a better fit for the Patriots. New England came away with one of the best linebackers in the NFL last year when they selected Jerod Mayo. By adding an outside edge rusher like Matthews, New England would be set with two young studs at linebacker. For me, Matthews is more of a Bill Belichick-type player than Cushing. He's tough, mean and versatile. This would be yet another steal for the Patriots in Round 1.

24. Falcons - Larry English, DE Northern Illinois - Just like I predicted, Jamaal Anderson is a huge bust. There is some talk that the Falcons may even cut the former No. 8 overall pick. Atlanta needs someone to rush the passer and English fits the bill. English was named the MAC's Most Valuable Player in 2007 and 2008. He compiled 57.0 tackles for a loss and 32.5 sacks during his college career.

25. Dolphins - Brian Cushing, LB USC - I'm not quite as high on Cushing as some other people. I like Maualuga and Matthews much more. Still, Cushing has good intangibles and can play both inside and outside linebacker. The Dolphins need help at linebacker, so this would be a logical pick for them.

26. Ravens - Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia - This would be a steal for the Ravens here and since they are one of the NFL's best drafting teams, I can see them making the pick. Willis McGahee stinks and the Ravens lack a home run hitter in the backfield. Moreno will solve that problem.

27. Colts - D.J. Moore, CB Vanderbilt - The Colts can always use help on the defensive side of the ball but I like Moore here for another reason. The Colts return game is terrible and Moore would be an instant weapon as a kick and punt returner.

28. Eagles - Alphonso Thorpe, CB Wake Forest - Thorpe is one of my favorite players in this draft. He's always around the football making plays. He is really good at jumping a route, something the Eagles like their corners to do. Lito Sheppard was demoted to the fourth corner last year, so an upgrade in that area is needed. Thorpe would be a great pick for the Eagles late in Round 1.

29. Giants - Clint Sintim, OLB Virginia - Anyone who watched the Giants play last year knows how badly they need some new blood at the linebacker position. Danny Clark can't play and needs to be replaced at once. Sintim is a great pass rusher who also plays the run well. He would be a welcome addition to the Giants defense.

30. Titans - Hakeem Nicks, WR North Carolina - I love this guy. He's big and fast with huge hands that pluck the ball out of the air. We all the saw in the playoffs that the Titans need more playmakers on offense. Nicks would finally give Tennessee the go-to receiver they lack.

31. Cardinals - Tyson Jackson, DE LSU - The Cardinals had a heck of time putting pressure on the quarterback last year when they didn't blitz. Jackson is a quick edge rusher who can rotate in as a rookie and help Arizona improve on a poor pass defense.

32. Steelers - Max Unger, OL Oregon - The Steelers love stockpiling offensive linemen and to be honest, that's the weakest area of their team right now. Unger is a versatile guy who can play both guard and tackle. Plus, he has the nasty demeanor the Steelers like.

Note: My cousin Sal and I will be starting a weekly football show beginning on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:00. You will be able to listen to the show live or archived at www.RadioGrumblings.com. We will be delving into free agency and the draft with the in-your-face approach you have all become accustomed to from me. You will be able to call in and argue, so be sure to tune in. Here is the link to the show's page if you want to check it out:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Tom-Casale

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to e-mail me at tcasale@mail.com.