I think Gholston will be an NFL LB for exactly the reasons you said - he just doesn't look big enough YET. But he has decent speed to play OLB. Another reason why I'd love the Pats to get him. Seems unlikely now unless we trade up.

This is the first post season I can recall myself getting into the draft picks and all the build up that goes with it. I know it's all talk at the moment, so it will be good to get to the end of the month and see it all unfold.

Can anyone tell me of any good NFL sites that can give you the best lowdown of the draft and signings so far since the end of the season? :p

www.nfl.com

;)

Thanks saxon, :D I didn't know if there was any other site like the BBS as a good source of information ....

I visit www.rotoworld.com about 20 times a day.

http://www.footballsfuture.com/mocklinks.html

Lots of mocks on there, some good, some bad.

The Top 5 teams will not be trading their pick out of the Top 7 as no-one wants them IMHO.

The Patriots and Jets may trade up to get Gholston and that is about it.
I cannot see the Patriots staying at 7 at all. They will either be higher to get Gholston or lower to get a CB like Rodgers-Cromartie, Jenkins or McKelvin. It all comes down to whether the Pats want to take a risk on Gholston and spend some money on a probable future All-Pro. There is not one other player on this draft that stands out.

If Gholston is not on the board and the Pats are still at 7 then they will trade down to a team that wants McFadden, Ryan or Clady/Albert. I think Branden Albert may be a big shock as I think he will go in the top 10/11 picks. As I said before what the Patriots do this year may shape the draft. They may go to any place from 4-28 depending on their wishes and the wishes of the draftees.

Thanks people, I'll check those out. Have spent a lot of time on NFL.com though ....

McFadden will go to Oakland at 4. Ryan isn't a franchise QB although there may be a little interest in him. I've seen some drafts have him going to Baltimore but having taken Troy Smith last year, although low down, it would be a big hit to Smith's confidence if they use their first pick on a QB this year.

I still think the two Longs will be 1 and 2. I'm not sure about Atlanta - they could make a move for McFadden to get some leverage from Oakland. The Falcons are a bit of a mess and needs are pretty much everywhere. They need a QB too but there is no way they'd take Ryan at 3. I think there are some "decent" QBs they could pick up later. Dorsey looks pretty certain for them in this case.

KC at 5 is another one which could depend who has gone. If the two Longs and Dorsey have gone they could go for Ryan. More likely, they'll take Clady to strengthen the OL.

Gholston's stock has improved at the Combine and he could easily force his way up this list. I can't see him being lower than 6 though which would leave McKelvin or Rodgers-Cromartie for the Pats. I don't think they'd want to trade down as both of these will get snapped up top 15 and I don't think they'd be much worth trading up for.

From a depth point of view, I think the draft this year is very even - not too many exceptional standout players.

Ryan wont go at 3. I dont know who he will go to though. He obviously wont go to the Patriots as they have Brady and Gutierrez as well as Cassel who I think is still there.

No-one knows for sure yet but there is always a chance of the Patriots trading up. The Jets will take Gholston if he is there, I am almost certain of that.

The two Longs will be 1 and 2 IMHO. 3 will probably be Dorsey. 4/5/6 depend on Dorsey I think. 4,5,6 will be Clady, McFadden and Gholston but I dont know where.

The Falcons and Chiefs both need QBs but think they will trade down and still get Ryan is they wish, particularly in the Chiefs case as the Falcons need about 50 other players, too :D

The Pats could nick one of their places to beat the Jets to him.

I was looking at Carucci's mock draft 4.0 and apart from the two Longs and Matt Ryan, they are all black. I am not being racist but are QBs normally white as they are not as big and I have not seen as many white younger players. Has this always been a trend or am I imagining things as usual. This is the first year of the draft that I have taken a huge interest so this is why I have thought of this.

Yes, that is the trend in recent years. For instance, St Louis' Brian Leonard is the first white half back to play in the NFL for something like 15 years (and even he is a full back-half back hybrid). I believe the league is around 75% African-American now.

I stand corrected: it was four years, not 15. Good article here:

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs...An_NFL_Anamoly

Thanks for that, glad im not going mad. I mean looking at the Patriots, Bruschi, Brady, Vrabel and Gostkowski are 4 I can name off the top of my head before I put any effort in. If I put my mind to it I would get another few I am sure.

You forgot the best slant receiver in the game, too ;)

All 3 of our QBs are white. Light, Mankins, Koppen, Kaczur, Neal - basically the whole OL!

Plus Paxton the LS and Hanson, the punter.

Completely forgot about Welker, too much playing Madden I think where I got Hester instead of Welker at PR and KR and dont really use him as a WR amazingly.

Your right about that but we just signed another LB, from the Jets this time.

Dont know if this is anywhere but does anyone know if there is a list of which players have visited which teams at all. Because I want to find out who has visited the Pats before now. I know Gholston has but Im not sure who else. Im asking because NFL.com and maybe Total Access were saying that River, Dorsey, Talib/Qalib??, and Mckelvin are visiting in the next week.