2008 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 1-10

It's that time of year again where NFL teams switch from the regular season mode to the off-season. Well, many teams were forced to make the switch at the end of week 17. However, it's just now starting to sink in for all of us fans that we won't see another meaningful football game again for almost 6 months. The good news is the NFL Draft is scheduled to take place April 26-27, meaning we've got at least one event to tide us over until then. Now let's conclude our breakdown of this year's NFL Draft with picks 1-10 below:

	#1 - Miami Dolphins DT Glenn Dorsey - LSU	In my opinion, I think the Miami Dolphins have so many holes that they should look to trade this slot down to get a couple more picks later. However, if the pick is to be made I think one of the safest selections in the draft is defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey is a load up front against the run, but he can also move pretty well for such a big guy. The presence of Dorsey on the Dolphins in Madden 09 won't really be felt though because defensive tackles have never really played a major role in the series.
	#2 - St. Louis Rams DE - Chris Long - Virginia	Chris Long is an easy selection for the Rams at pick #2. I guess I wouldn't be surprised to see St. Louis go with a tackle because of all the injuries to the offensive line last season. However, many draft boards have Long going #1 overall because his abilities are so great. Drafting Long for the Rams makes sense because the defensive line is definitely one of the weakest areas on this team. Long should enter Madden 09 with a solid overall rating, as well as decent speed (4.79 40-yard dash) and acceleration to provide the type of pass rush that Rams users are looking for.
	#3 - Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan - BC	It's clear that current Falcons' quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Joey Harrington are not the answers for this team under center. Instead, the Falcons will look to take Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan with the hopes that they will have found a clear-cut starter for years to come. Ryan has great intelligence and a good feel for the game. You can expect decent throwing power and good awareness from this rookie when he lands in Atlanta this season. Ryan will be an adequate starter in Madden, but this move certainly won't be big enough for every gamer to start using the Falcons once again.
	#4 - Oakland Raiders RB - Darren McFadden - Ark	Oakland got their quarterback last season when they drafted JeMarcus Russell. However, this season they'll be looking to get their running back. Last season's starters, LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas, proved to be effective for most of the season. However, I think the Raiders are looking to get a featured back that has big-time potential written all over him. Darren McFadden is the back that Oakland is hoping will fill that void. McFadden is 6'2, 210 lbs and runs a 4.42 40-yard dash. I think it's safe to say that even if McFadden isn't good for the Raiders, he'll certainly be good for Raiders' users next season with that combination of size and speed.
	#5 - Kansas City Chiefs OT - Jake Long - Michigan	Kansas City will select Jake Long with the fifth overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. The Chiefs allowed 55 sacks last season, clearly placing the need on improving the offensive line. Many places think that the Chiefs will go with a quarterback here, but rumor has it that they are willing to give current quarterback Brodie Croyle a little more time with a newly improved offensive line. Unfortunately, the selection of Long does almost nothing for Chiefs' users in Madden because the offensive lines simply do not play a big enough of a factor to make a consistent difference in games.
	#6 - New York Jets DE - Vernon Gholston - OSU	You can count on Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston causing a lot of trouble when he puts a New York Jets uniform in a couple of months. Gholston 40-yard dash time of 4.67 is decent, but many people believe he plays much quicker than that on the field. I think if that is truly the case, then we could see Gholston entering Madden 09 with a much higher acceleration rating than his speed rating. Jets' fans should still be excited with a higher acceleration rating because getting off the of the line of scrimmage quickly is all most users want in a good pass rusher. In the end, I think Gholston will be a solid player for the Jets on the field, as well as on the virtual gridiron.
	#7 - New England Patriots (from SF) CB - Mike Jenkins - South Florida	Superstar cornerback Asante Samuel is expected to jump ship from New England this off-season. The Patriots plan to move on from Samuel's departure by selecting South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins. At 6'0, 200 lbs, Jenkins has great size and speed (4.49 40-yard dash time) for his position. Patriots' users shouldn't expect much of Jenkins this season, but in years to come he could develop into one of the games best cornerbacks.
	#8 - Baltimore Ravens QB - Brian Brohm - Lousville	If the Falcons actually pass on Matt Ryan at #3, then you can expect the Ravens to select him at the #8 slot. However, in this scenario Baltimore ends up with Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. Brohm spent the last four seasons playing in an NFL type of offense that allowed him to showcase his passing abilities. Despite a down year at Louisville last season, Brohm is a smart player with a decent arm. In my opinion, both Brohm and Matt Ryan will have very similar attributes in Madden 09. Still, current Ravens' quarterback Troy Smith may be your best option when playing with the Ravens because of his running ability.
	#9 - Cincinnati Bengals DT - Sedrick Ellis - USC	Cincinnati was a fun offense to play with in Madden 08. However, their defensive line and linebackers were the reason that so many gamers shied away from consistently playing with the Bengals. Luckily, the Bengals have heard the cries of those gamers as they select defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis with the #9 overall pick. Ellis will be a great addition to Cincinnati in real life, but in Madden he will actually do very little simply because defensive tackles aren't consistently put into position to make plays. Still, at least the Bengals will now have an effective big body in the middle to help against the run.
	#10 - New Orleans Saints CB - Leodis McKelvin - Troy	The 5'11, 190 lb Leodis McKelvin has been flying up draft boards everywhere. The Saints desperately need speed at the cornerback position, so that's exactly what they'll get. McKelvin's 40-yard dash time of 4.44 should give New Orleans users the ability to now cover their opponent's fastest receiver with consistency. Expect McKelvin to make an immediate impact for the Saints on defense in Madden 09.