(WGR 550) -- As the NFL Draft goes, so does WGR. I'll be here all afternoon and evening updating and critiquing picks as they happen. If you're online, this is the place to be.

Email me as the day goes with any thoughts, and I'll include them: nick@wgr550.com

9:57 p.m. So that's it for the day. If I had to grade the day on how I feel, the Bills were between a C+ and a B. The B would be for who they added to the team, the C-plus for what they could've done, given the players left on the board at each choice.

Buffalo will choose next Sunday at No. 121 after giving up a third and fourth-rounder for the Levitre pick.

64. Denver Broncos (from Pittsburgh) -- Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina
-- Perhaps getting ready to unload a certain Tony Scheffler? Maybe not, but the Bills still have their "trade bait" of Chris Kelsay, Ko Simpson and Roscoe Parrish.
63. Arizona Cardinals - Cody Brown, DE, Connecticut
62. Tennessee Titans - Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
--- After being underwhelmed for much of the second round, I like three picks in a row. Marks isn't huge (6'2", 306) --- well, for an American football player. He's a big human being.
61. Miami Dolphins (from Indy) - Sean Smith, CB, Utah
--- At 6'4", 214, Smith may be better suited for safety, but a report out of Ann Arbor had him going as early as No. 33. I like this pick for Miami. Former receiver still learning the secondary, and said to need work on tackling.
60. New York Giants - William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
--- Nice value at sixty for the Giants. Could be a boom or bust scenario, but a better chance at boom.

59. Carolina Panthers- Sherrod Martin, S, Troy
58. New England Patriots - Sebastian Vollmer, OL, Houston
57. Baltimore Ravens - Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
56. Indianapolis Colts (from Miami) -- Fili Moala, DT, Southern Cal
55. Atlanta Falcons - William Moore, S, Missouri
54. Minnesota Vikings - Phil Loadholt, OL, Oklahoma
53. Philadelphia Eagles - LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt
52. Cleveland Browns - David Veikune, DE, Hawaii

9:02 p.m. The Bills have made a move for another offensive lineman, and this one may slide Kirk Chambers back into a back-up role.

51. Buffalo Bills - Andy Levitre, OL, Oregon State

A very good pick-up for Buffalo, Levitre is the first player in the history of my draft podcasts to end up heading to Orchard Park. He can play guard or tackle, but my hunch is he's No. 1 over Kirk Chambers before too long, and I like Chambers as your No. 3 tackle. Big-time pick-up.

8:55 p.m. Nice pick-up for the Browns:

50. Cleveland Browns - Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia

8:48 p.m. Alright, I've had corn on the cob and a couple fake sausages with horseradish mustard. More importantly, I've had time to think about the Byrd pick. Paul Hamilton is speculating that this may be more of a safety move, and it better be. I'd like to stress, like I did with the Wood pick, that I only have a problem with the position. Byrd is a solid prospect who lead the PAC-10 in interceptions this year.

Let's get you caught up with the second round, which includes another MAC player who was off most everyone's boards:

49. Seattle Seahawks - Max Unger, OL, Oregon
48. Denver Broncos- Darcel McBath, CB, Texas Tech
47. Oakland Raiders- Michael Mitchell, S, Ohio
46. Houston Texans- Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
45. New York Giants- Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia
44. Miami Dolphins- Pat White, QB, West Virginia
43. Carolina Panthers- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State

i've seen Mitchell play with the Bobcats, but most "experts" haven't. On ESPN, Kiper said he'd expect him as an undrafted free agent signing at the earliest. Wow, Raiders.

8:14 p.m. And here comes Buffalo. Here's hoping for Brown or Barwin, who both spoke with The Howard Simon Show earlier this week, and as I noted in the recap of their interviews, were A-plus game-talkers.

42. Buffalo Bills- Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon

I disapprove. I'm going to go home to blog the rest of the second round.

8:09 p.m. Oakland may run a 12-wide receiver set next year, but instead they'll trade a deal to New England. Now the Pats can totally take two guys Buffalo could use. Huzzah!

41. New England Patriots (from Green Bay) - Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
40. New England Patriots (from Oakland) - Ron Brace, DT, Boston College

First off, Brace. Raji's running mate poses an intriguing question. The Patriots draft pretty well, and doesn't this make you doubt Raji a little bit. Most "experts" do think Brace benefitted more from Raji than vice versa, but let's face facts: you could not run on BC this Fall. I'm unsure about Butler, but that's the sort of territory you get to at pick No. 41.

8:04 p.m. Time for teal.

39. Jacksonville Jaguars - Eben Britton, OT, Arizona

Two-in-a-row go against the Bills, setting up the Pats to really chafe me. Britton is going to be a very good NFLer. I may be setting myself for a Paul Hamilton/Brian Holzinger comment here, but Britton strikes me as a Pro Bowl talent, but there's a big question here. Why would the Jags sign Tra Thomas and then draft two book-end tackles?

7:56 p.m. The Bengals choose Akili Smith and Ki-Jana Carter.

38. Cincinnati Bengals - Rey Mauluga, LB, Cincinnati Bengals

Known for "grinding" on Erin Andrews during a USC telecast, Maualuga is much better at football than dancing. I would've loved to see him last to No. 42, but c'est la vie. That's a French cuss word.

7:50 p.m. Seattle deals its pick to Denver. The Seahawks get a 2010 first round pick for their troubles. This pick has to be Maualuga or Brown.... and it isn't.

37. Denver Broncos (from Seattle) - Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

Look at the Chiefs, Browns, Patriots and Broncos... all the "Belichick Family Tree," and apparently the rule is to avoid the obvious choice. Belichick, Mangini, Scott Pioli and Josh McDaniels. Throw in Crennel and Weis' Notre Dame mess, and you've got a great football league.

I already hate Josh McDaniels, but hey, there are four guys I want the Bills to take at No. 42, and only five picks left. Do we have any of the above offenders in the interim? New England at nine! Yes!

7:48 p.m. Email: "At Least We Got T.O."


"These morons are making it impossible to be a Bills fan. Two picks in the first round, so much excitement, so many great players available and they are making a mess of this draft. I think they should all be fired and just hire Mel Kiper, he knows more then all those idiots together. Where is Trev Alberts when you need him?"

Tom from Lewiston"

Plus, it's raining!


7:45 p.m. It's a run on Buckeyes. Still no Wolverines. Thanks, Rich-Rod!

36. Cleveland Browns - Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State

He's big, but I'm unsure about Robiskie. Dan Hager has spoken of him as a latter-day Don Meredith, without using the name Don Meredith.

7:42 p.m. Rams choose.

35. St. Louis Rams - James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State

The Rams will love this pick for years and years. Brian Koziol, an Ohio State buff, says Laurinaitis is better than A.J. Hawk, who has adjusted very well to the NFL game at Green Bay after being chosen No. 5 overall. Plus, his dad was in the Legion of Doom (the wrestling tandem, not Lindros/Leclair/Renberg).

7:38 p.m. Another email: "2009 Draft"

"Maybin = E. flowers - not enough to go on...10 starts. J. Peters traded for E. Wood, what do you think? I say take another upfield rusher, ie., E. Brown or M. Johnson. Not really liken the day so far."

I hope this Erik Flowers thing doesn't catch on. Flowers didn't even care to play football, he just wanted pro football money. Maybin was advised at the combine to gain 20 pounds. He gained 25, and his 40-time went down. Doesn't really seem like an automatic bust. As for "Peters for Wood," that is hardly the case. Buffalo got rid of a malcontent, and has proven with the re-signings of Lee Evans and Marcus Stroud that they will re-ink guys who ask for better deals and continue to play hard. Brown and Maualuga -- as well as your mention of Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson -- are still available.

I'm also hesitant to grade this draft until at least the second round and at most 2015.

7:35 p.m. Email subject: "I Want to Punch Jeremy White in the Face"

"Seriously? "Maybe they want to move Maybin to OLB as a project?" That's a fantastic idea for the 11th overall pick. (Sarcasm) How is that supposed to make me feel better about the pick? Any way, I don't hate the pick, I just don't agree using the 11th for him. Seems like a reach."

That was from a friend of mine. He seems displeased.

7:33 p.m. Two second round picks

34. New England Patriots - Patrick Chung, S, Oregon

Considered a "ball-hawk," but I haven't seen a ton of Chung in action.

33. Detroit Lions - Louis Delmons, S, Western Michigan

Another MAC selection. Take that, other conferences!

7:31 p.m. I said a bunch of different hilarious things and then the computer crashed, so here's a quick recap before I drive home to blog the second round.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers - Evander "Ziggy" Hood, DT, Missouri

I like the name Evander almost as much as Ziggy

31. Arizona Cardinals - Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State

Great pick if he can stay healthy.

30. Tennesse Titans - Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

The latest of our WGR listeners' mock draft to be accurate.

7:11 p.m. Goodbye, Plaxico.

29. New York Giants - Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina

The Giants get a big wide-out who can play. I don't have much else to say because Giants fans rival Jets fans for being irritating, and I'm trying to regroup for the second round.

7:04 p.m. I don't like the Bills pick on account of the position.

28. Buffalo Bills - Eric Wood, C/G, Louisville

There are plenty of guards and centers available, and despite Wood's versatility, I think the Bills could've used another defensive player, and I've detailed who was around. That said, Wood is considered very much like a Jeff Saturday... an offensive line leader/gym-and-tape rat. He would fit at LG or C, depending what the Bills have in store for free agent signee Geoff Hangartner.

Depending on what the Bills do at No. 42, here's your line for 2009:

LT- Langston Walker
LG- Eric Wood
C- Geoff Hangartner
RG- Brad Butler
RT- Kirk Chambers/Demetrius Bell

7:03 p.m. And it's the Buffalo Bills on the clock. This pick almost has to be Everette Brown. Thirteen sacks for the Seminoles last season, and the junior-eligible is young. Then again, Buffalo passed on Orakpo. If they don't pick Brown, maybe they trade down.

6:58 p.m. Here come the Colts.

28. Indianapolis Colts -- Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

Joseph Addai is not amused, and this doesn't make a ton of sense to me, with good linebackers available to replace Freddy Keiaho. Brown ran all over the UB Bulls in the International Bowl, but it's a bit curious that Chris "Beanie" Wells remains available.

6:55 p.m. Green Bay does it right.

27. Green Bay Packers (from New England) -- Clay Matthews, Jr., LB, Southern California

Brilliant move for Green Bay, who pick up an animalistic linebacker in his dad's mold to go with Raji. They may have just snagged the best defensive tackle and linebacker in the entire draft. Matthews will pair with A.J. Hawk to have the most unruly hair-band hair in the world.

6:52 p.m. Somewhere Belichick and Mangini are cracking up, as the Pats deal down again, this time to Green Bay. Mangini is making a fan in me.

6:49 p.m. I'm going to lose my mind if the Bills don't take Everette Brown or Connor Barwin. They are clearly planning on using Maybin as a Joey Porter. This could turn from a "Why didn't they take Orakpo?" into a "How did they foresee Brown being left at 28?" Three picks left. Wow.

Also, they could take a linebacker and keep Maybin at end. Again, the two USC backers are left! This could be great.

ATTN: Bills --- DON'T BLOW IT.

6:45 p.m. If the NFL wants to win me back from college football, actually making picks in speedy fashion is a great start. I'm getting a little misty-eyed. Let's hope the Dolphins make a colossal screw-up:

25. Miami Dolphins - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois

How can I learn to hate someone who looks so happy to be rich? Davis a solid corner, and I'm happy for him.

Jonathan Koziol would like me to comment on how dumb it is that ESPN is ruining every pick by showing the player on the phone before the selection.

"They're paying a lot of engineers to put cameras all over the country!"

That's the cutting edge analysis you'll get from the brothers Koziol at 8 p.m., if the draft isn't over (and even if it is)

6:44 p.m. A stunning revelation after the Falcons' pick:

24. Atlanta Falcons - Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi

Here comes the honest train: Besides Raji, I did not study the DT class very hard, and I watched even less Ole Miss. I didn't even study Raji that hard. I just knew he was good. So... gooooooooooooo Falcons!

6:38 p.m. The Bills can still wind-up with Rey Maualuga, Everette Brown or Clay Matthews, Jr.

If this happens, I may claim victory regardless of how I wake up feeling about Maybin tomorrow. The Bills could also look at James Laurinaitis and Connor Barwin.

6:34 p.m. No Matthews pick for New England, who've swapped No. 23 with Baltimore, as Bill Belichick refuses to be out-Belichicked by Mangini.

23. Baltimore Ravens (from New England) - Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi

Love, love, love this pick for the Ravens. There is an entire book written on what a unique talent Oher is, but that book also details some struggles to fit in after a tough upbringing. Either way, read "Blind Side," by Michael Lewis, and root for this kid.

6:29 p.m. Two picks, different reactions:

22. Minnesota Vikings - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

If you want me to say how I feel about Harvin, who I think is good, picture this as a Bills fan. Remember how you felt about the Bills picking Roscoe Parrish? Imagine that was their first round pick. The Vikings continue to try very hard to find a mate for Bernard Berrian.

21. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia) - Alex Mack, C, California

Loved his show on Nickelodeon. Didn't know about the gender change. Actually, "Alex Mack" was played by the later stunning Larisa Oleynik, while this center from Cal is being compared to gritty Vikings veteran Matt Birk. If he's half of that, Cleveland completed a great run of trading by getting what they wanted Lecharles Bentley to be.

And now the Pats will break my heart by choosing Clay Matthews, Jr.

6:18 p.m. This sounds a litle silly to say, but this pick is more important to Lions' fans perception of their draft than taking Stafford first overall.

20. Detroit Lions - Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State

The Lions have a ton of holes, but with Calvin Johnson and Pettigrew, they may be in alright shape. By alright shape, I mean they might win one or two games more than they did last year.

6:12 p.m. Browns trade again (I'm so smart) this time to Eagles.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri

So much for him going early to the Raiders. This move really helps those who wanted Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew to Buffalo, although the Browns can still select him two slots later, at No. 21. Eric Mangini is genuinely looking like, blech, a "Mangenius," and the Jets fans who were upset about Sanchez are wondering what they've gotten themselves into... which is great, since I think Jets fans are generally the most hilarious and annoying in the league.

6:10 p.m. Another email excerpt, this one from Jim:

"I have a feeling that this pick was another bad decision by the bills. Maybin is horrible when it comes to the run. Okay so this guy can pass rush, so can Julius Peppers, and he is proven. Could probably have traded that pick, and a third + kelsay, for peppers. I would have rather seen cushion or someone who is not lacking in an important area. an instant impact at 11 i think not. i hope they actually make a good pick at 28. i'm looking at a guy like pettigrew. i would also think they should try to trade up and nab alex mack with the 32nd position."

The Bills fans are out in full force, spelling included. I'm not trying to be mean, I just thought this was a good barometer of where Buffalo fans are. The Kelsay/Peppers trade would not work, and Peppers would need a lot of money. It would almost be like taking Carolina's Jason Peters.

6:06 p.m. Denver goes defense, and it explains the Moreno pick at No. 12.

18. Denver Broncos - Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

Here's what happened: The Broncos didn't get Ty Jackson from LSU, whom they coveted at No. 12. With Orakpo, Maybin, Ayers and several more nice-looking defensive ends still on the board, they took Moreno, who was obviously their No. 1 running back. It was a small risk, but they add Ayers, who is super solid against the run, and just learning to be a pass rusher. Consider him the opposite of Ayers.

6:02 p.m. Bucs go QB.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Cleveland through NY Jets) -- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

The Bucs only gave up a sixth-round pick to move up two spots. Freeman's numbers are outstanding, but he was totally under the radar at Kansas State with that QB-jam-packed Big 12. His numbers work out to 8,078 yards, 44 TD and 34 INT in three years as a starter. I'm not going to lie, KSU hasn't been the most relevant program, so I don't have much to say.

6 p.m. As predicted, Mangini has shipped No. 17 away for more picks. Tampa Bay is on the clock.

5:56 p.m. Email subject: "I KNEW THEY WOULD BLOW IT"


Excerpt: "Dont we need to get bigger on defense??? Dont go ahead and pick a guy that benches 500 lbs and squats 700+..Take the guy that has scouts concerned about how small he is.."

This is a solid summary of the emails pouring in to nick@wgr550.com after the Maybin pick. Folks wanted Orakpo and if they didn't, Everette Brown of Florida State seems to be favored son No. 2.

The Maybin pick, on the surface, seems less certain than Orakpo, and the Bills are taking a risk that the Nittany Lion just coming into his game has more upside. Maybin is a large, freak-like end, but he isn't a huge, strong "monster" like Orakpo. However, Maybin has a very versatile upside in that there's a shot he can be the "Joey Porter-esque" hybrid who can start at outside linebacker if the defensive end idea doesn't work.

5:52 p.m. The Chargers make a MAC-sized surprise pick.

16. San Diego Chargers - Larry English, LB, Northern Illinois

As a UB grad, I love to see a Mid American Conference player go this early, and English a terror. He's one of those guys who -- pardon the cliche -- love playing football. He has terrific instincts and speed, and this sends a message to "Ol' Roidhead" Shawne Merriman to stop complaining and get to attacking.

5:47 p.m. Houston gets a Trojan stud, while the Saints take a safe corner.

15. Houston Texans - Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California

If you want an indication how much the Texans like Cushing, just think that fellow USC linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr., has an uncle in the Texans front office, long-time NFL offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. Cushing is a steal, but may be bad news for Bills fans, as the Patriots are thought to have designs on Matthews, Jr.

14. New Orleans Saints - Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State

The pace is frenzied, but a short bite on Jenkins would say he's the next in a long line of very good No.1 corners from Columbus.

5:34 p.m. This draft is flying and its beautiful, but the phone lines here at WGR are on fire. I'd say 80 percent of our callers hate the pick of Maybin.

13. Washington Redskins - Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
12. Denver Broncos - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

Two super easy picks, though the Broncos need a world of help on defense. The Redskins would be wise to make nice with Jason Campbell, who continues to progress. As our draft guy Joe Buscaglia said, perhaps Orakpo helps make up for the Jason Taylor fiasco.

5:25 p.m. The Bills hand their pick in in a hurry. My goodness gracious. ESPN is showing Aaron Maybin, defensive end out of Penn State, on the telephone, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. What does Chris Berman's cabbie have to say?

Choosing Maybin over Brian Orakpo will be disliked in Buffalo based on hype alone. If you watched almost every Penn State or Texas game this year, you are allowed to be disgusted.

11. Buffalo Bills - Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State

He was my initial pick a few weeks back if the Bills went defensive end, but I need a minute to digest this.

5:21 p.m. ESPN's "Streak for the Cash" is rigged.

10. San Francisco 49ers - Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

I don't want a tight end at No. 11. Buffalo has its choice of linebackers and defensive ends. I'd love one of the USC backers here, but Brian Orakpo may be too good to pass up, and I know the Bills love Florida State DE Everette Brown.

5:10 p.m. I'm typing this before we find out who Green Bay chooses, so let me just say that I think any Bills fans dreams of a Marcus Stroud/B.J. Raji combo end here.

9. Green Bay Packers - B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

The Packers are switching to a 3-4, so Raji makes a lot of sense. San Francisco may ruin my "Streak For the Cash" with Michael Crabtree still on the board. If in fact Crabtree is available at 11, the Bills would face a serious temptation. Who needs a tight end when Lee Evans, Terrell Owens, Michael Crabtree, Josh Reed and Stevie Johnson are your top-five. Roscoe Parrish and James Hardy would need to be traded. That said, they won't pick a wide receiver.

Back to the Sanchez deal, Eric Mangini made a really smart move for his Browns. He gains a starter for his secondary in Elam, while Brett Ratliff will help Brady Quinn and/or Derek Anderson understand his system. Coleman adds depth to the end position, and the Browns have picks Nos. 17, 36 and 52 instead of Nos. 5 and 36. Cleveland entered with four picks, and now they have five. I wouldn't be surprised to see them deal 17 for more picks.

For Rex Ryan, the deal isn't a loss either. Elam, Ratliff and Coleman were not his guys, and he gets his franchise quarterback. I'm surprised he couldn't get away with the three players and No. 17.

4:57 p.m. Jacksonville goes big.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

The big tackle was an easy pick, and the Jags grab Tra Thomas and a rookie to man the other side in one offseason. Nice job.

4:51 p.m. Oakland is awful.

7. Oakland Raiders - Derrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland

If you're a Raiders fan, you're thinking "James Jett." Heyward-Bey shot up the board almost as fast as his ridiculous 40-time. The pick could end up being smart, but Michael Crabtree was the consensus No. 1 wide-out for a reason.

4:47 p.m. Cincinnati is lucky.

6. Cincinnati Bengals - Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

Smith was the consensus No. 1 overall pick as recently as November. For the Bengals to get someone this athletic at No. 6 is a coup. Even if he doesn't work out, this was a risk absolutely worth taking.

4:45 p.m. What a bizarre 20 minutes. The Jets gave up three players and a pick to move up 12 spots, so Cleveland wins by trading the No. 5 pick to New York.

5. New York Jets (from Cleveland) - Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California

Sanchez is a very good quarterback, but the Browns gain DE Kenyon Coleman, CB Abram Elam, QB Brett Ratliff and the 17th and 52nd picks. More analysis later.

4:33 p.m. For Curry to still be around should make Seattle's pick a lock. I'm not going to lie and tell you I've seen 100 Wake Forest games, but there seems to be no one willing to doubt Curry's lock as a Pro Bowler-in-waiting. Here's comes the pick.

4. Seattle Seahawks - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest

Jim Mora, Jr., is glowing.

4:23 p.m. Kansas City picks.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

I'm just not sure how in the world things like this happen. Jackson is certainly a talent, but has shot up as many as 21 projected draft spots in the last month alone. This lends Mel Kiper some new credibility, as he was the first to report this earlier this afternoon.

4:17 p.m. The hot rumour is that every single team is trying to get out of the Top Ten, but is every team trying to get out of the Top Eleven? I sincerely hope the Bills don't trade down. I understand a team looking to go from five to 15 or 20 and pick up extra picks, but the Bills need an immediate impact player, and No. 11 certainly provides a better look at that. I think No. 11 is perfect, and do not want them to trade up either. Getting at least three of the top 42 players available works for me.

4:14 p.m. The Rams select.

2. St. Louis Rams - Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

They needed to replace Orlando Pace, and St. Louis is hoping to snag another decade of pancake-making at the left tackle spot. I'm not sure he's better than Eugene Monroe, but he's definitely safer than Ole Miss' Michael Oher and Alabama's Andre Smith, the two-most talented tackles in the draft.

4:06 p.m. I'm having a horrible theory that contradicts much of what I spoke of on the radio this morning -- the Bills could justify going offensive tackle at 11 by saying they traded Jason Peters to save money on a left tackle, keep a first-round pick at 28, and snag an extra third round pick. I'm not saying it would make sense, but this is Buffalo.

4:00 p.m. It's officially official -- Matthew "Drew" Stafford is guaranteed to make $41.7 million in his life. That's almost half the Gross Domestic Product of Kiribati, an island nation of 105,000-plus people. So, with a little smart investing -- and lasting the entire six-year, $72 million deal -- Stafford can own a country.

God bless the Lions for announcing their pick so quickly. I take back everything negative I've said. We're on pace to finish the draft by 6:25 p.m. or so.

3:41 p.m. Bill Belichick told the NFL Network there's a "less than zero" chance the Patriots will be trading into the Top Ten. This only serves to reinforce the Michael Crabtree to New England rumours.

It's funny thinking both short- and long-term about the idea of the Jets trading up to No. 2 for Mark Sanchez. On one hand, I think he'll be an average pro at worst, and could become a true thorn in the Bills side for years. On the other, I love the idea of the Jets taking a double step back. Now, not only is Brett Favre not your quarterback, but a rookie learning the pro game is your starter.

I want to expand upon what I wrote about new GM or coach getting carried away running his team. The perfect example is Eric Mangini in Cleveland, who is rumoured to be shopping Braylon Edwards and Brady Quinn, and has already dealt away Kellen Winslow.

What Mangini has sacrificed, tough times in Ohio or not, is a top-flight -- but bone-headed -- tight end. He also could move Edwards and Quinn, who both have the talent to be superstars in the league. Drops aside, you could argue that Edwards already has that in his pocket.

3:22 p.m. I just finished hosting the Draft Explosion with Greg Bauch, and can finally make full comments on the reports that Detroit has inked their No. 1 pick.

1. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

Many not-so-solid NFL executives have an annoying habit of thinking every player they inherit is garbage, and I think Detroit is taking a big risk by ditching Jon Kitna, which forces them to address quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Kitna isn't a football god but, back issues aside, the first step to an adequate team is a good defense, and I think Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry was the play here, whether the report of him taking less-than-market money is true or not.

Stafford is a very good-looking prospect with a "live arm," but I'd also be a little more tempted by USC's Mark Sanchez if I were an NFL GM.

Stafford's stat line:
2008- 3,459 yards and 25 TD, 10 INT
Career- 7,731 yards and 51 TD, 33 INT

I'm just glad he's not headed for Buffalo. We've finally escaped the Andrew/Jason Peters fiasco... I'm not prepared for Matthew/Drew Stafford.

Email: nick@wgr550.com