2008 New York Giants Team Needs

Cornerback: Aaron Ross appears to have a bright future in this league.  However, the Giants can’t expect to rely on Corey Webster and Sam Madison for very much longer as Madison is aging and Webster is inconsistent.  Kevin Dockery is their most reliable player in their secondary, which means it would makes sense for the G-Men to target some young talented corners in the draft.

Wide Receiver: Plaxico Burress had a tremendous 2007 campaign.  Amani Toomer continues to get it done despite skeptics suggesting he is past his prime.  If Steve Smith and/or Sinorice Moss can emerge onto the scene in 2008, then the Giants should be set at receiver.  However, considering Moss can’t seem to locate the field, look for the Giants to draft a wideout or two.

Defensive Tackle: William Joseph has left the team, and Michael Strahan has yet to make a decision if he will come back for another season.  Furthermore, Fred Robbins is nearing the end of his career.  Look for the Giants to add some depth on their defensive line via the draft

Safety: Gibril Wilson and Craig Dahl are gone.  James Butler and Michael Johnson are good against the run, but they are average at best in coverage.  The Giants did sign Sammy Knight, but they clearly need to add some depth and competition at the position.

Quarterback: Eli Manning had a memorable 2007 season.  However, his backups Anthony Wright and Jared Lorenzen were not quite as memorable.  Consequently, the Giants signed David Carr, but Carr has not lived up to his potential in the NFL.  Carr will likely be the second stringer, but the Giants could afford to bring in another young arm for insurance.

Draft Candidates: CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech, CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma, WR James Hardy, Indiana, WR Mario Manningham, Michigan, DT DeMario Pressley, North Carolina State, DT Dre Moore, Maryland, S Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State, S Marcus Griffin, Texas, QB Colt Brennan, Hawaii, QB Matt Flynn, LSU 

2008 Dallas Cowboys Team Needs

Running back: Marion Barber III is a fearless runner that refuses to be arm tackled.  Most coaches only dream of having players like Barber play for them.  With that being said, Barber is used to coming off the bench and having under 20 carries a game.  Therefore, it has yet to be determined how well he will perform when his production increases.  Also, Julius Jones has left town, which creates the opening for a running back to be drafted on the first day for Dallas.

Cornerback: Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry both had injury issues last season.  If there was an award for the best cornerback with the least amount of interceptions to show for it, Newman would win every year.  Henry looks like an all-pro one play, but then gets beat deep miserably the next.  Dallas is currently in trade talks with the Titans to acquire Pacman Jones, but irregardless if they get him or not, the Cowboys still need to select some young reliable corners to bring consistency to their secondary.

Wide receiver: Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn certainly are not getting any younger.  Before last season, most people probably hadn’t even heard of Patrick Crayton, let alone Sam Hurd. In other words, Dallas still does not have a clear No. 2 wideout going into camp. However, they do have some depth at wide receiver, but it would be wise for them to look for some insurance at the position, or even land a player that can step right in and start opposite T.O.

Safety: Ken Hamlin will likely end up getting a long term contract.  However, the Cowboys did lose Keith Davis to free agency.  Roy Williams has never been mistaken for a shut down cover guy, and Pat Watkins is still learning how to play at this level.  Look for Dallas to add some depth at safety, especially someone that can play special teams.

Quarterback: Tony Romo is clearly the future at quarterback for Dallas. Conversely, Brad Johnson is not the future.  Richard Bartel has shown signs that he can play, but it might not hurt for Dallas to bring in another arm or two into camp.

Draft Candidates: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas, RB Jamaal Charles, Texas, CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida, CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech, WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma, WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State, S D.J. Wolfe, Oklahoma, S Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame, QB Paul Smith, Tulsa, QB Alex Brink, Washington State

1st Round 

1. Miami Dolphins-OT Jake Long, Michigan
2. St. Louis Rams-DE Chris Long, Virginia
3. Atlanta Falcons-QB Matt Ryan, Boston College  
4. Oakland Raiders-RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas            
5. Kansas City Chiefs-OT Ryan Clady, Boise State                                    
6. New York Jets-DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State              
7. New England Patriots-DT Sederick Ellis, USC  
8. Baltimore Ravens-LB Keith Rivers, USC        
9. Cincinnati Bengals-DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU    
10. New Orleans Saints-CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee 
11. Buffalo Bills-WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State 
12. Denver Broncos-LB  Jerod Mayo, Tennessee      
13. Carolina Panthers-RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
14. Chicago Bears-OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh               
15. Detroit Lions-DE Derrick Harvey, Florida
16. Arizona Cardinals- CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy
17. Minnesota Vikings-DE Phillip Merling, Clemson 
18. Houston Texans-OT Branden Albert, Virginia             
19. Philadelphia Eagles-CB Aqib Talib, Kansas 
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina 
21. Washington Redskins-S Kenny Phillps, Miami
22. Dallas Cowboys-CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
23. Pittsburgh Steelers-OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
24. Tennessee Titans-WR Limas Sweed, Texas
25. Seattle Seahawks-TE Dustin Keller, Purdue          
26. Jacksonville Jaguars-DE Calais Campbell, Miami       
27. San Diego Chargers-OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College         
28. Dallas Cowboys-RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
29. San Francisco 49ers-DE Lawrence Jackson, USC        
30. Green Bay Packers-CB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma           
31. New York Giants-CB Brandon Flowers-Virginia Tech

2008 San Diego Chargers Team Needs

Safety: Eric Weddle is a playmaker and has a bright future. Clinton Hart and Marlon McCree are serviceable, but they tend to take poor tackling angles. Look for the Chargers to draft a safety to bring some much needed competition to the position.

Running back: Of course, the Chargers already have a solid backfield as they have LaDainian Tomlinson. However, they lost Michael Turner to free agency, and Darren Sproles hasn’t proven that he is able to handle a heavy work load.  In other words, if Tomlinson were to get hurt, San Diego needs a Plan B.  Plan B would be to draft a running back for some insurance, which would allow Sproles to remain in the return game.

Offensive Tackle: San Diego is pretty solid up front, but they could afford to draft a right tackle to improve their line.  However, they have the flexibility to wait until the later rounds to address that need.

Nose Tackle: Jamal Williams is an all-pro, but he has had some problems staying healthy.  Therefore, the Chargers will likely look to the draft to add depth at nose tackle.

Draft Candidates: S Simeon Castille, Alabama, S Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee, RB Jonathan Stewart, Oregon, RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia, OT Sam Baker, USC, OT Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa, DT Maurice Murray, New Mexico State, DT Jason Shirley, Fresno State

2008 Oakland Raiders Team Needs

Defensive Tackle: Last season, the run defense of the Raiders finished second to last in the entire NFL.  Terdell Sands appears to be a bust, and Warren Sapp has retired.  The Raiders did sign William Joseph, but look for them to bring in some young space eaters to improve their run defense.

Safety: Michael Huff so far hasn’t lived up to expectations.  Consequently, Oakland signed Gibril Wilson to add some experience to their secondary.  Look for the Raiders to draft a safety to add depth to the position.

Offensive Tackle: The major weakness for Oakland the last several years has been their offensive line.  It would not be a shock if the Raiders utilized multiple picks to improve their o-line.

Wide Receiver:  Jerry Porter left town, but Drew Carter and Javon Walker have joined the Raiders.  If Walker can stay healthy, Oakland has a legitimate No.1 receiver.  Carter is a nice deep threat, but he is probably more of a No. 3 receiver.  Therefore, they might try to draft a wideout that can start opposite Walker.

Draft Candidates: DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU, DT Sedrick Ellis, USC, RB Darren McFadden, S Marcus Griffin, Texas, S Thomas DeCoud, California, OT Oniel Cousins, UTEP, WR Lavelle Hawkins, California, WR Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech