2008 Houston Texans Team Needs

Running back: Ahman Green didn’t exactly have a stellar 2007 campaign. However, if Green can stay healthy in 2008, he should get a significant amount of carries.  Ron Dayne has elected to test free agency, which means he is not likely to re-sign with the Texans.  Houston did sign Chris Brown, but much like Green, he is an injury waiting to happen.  Darius Walker spent much of 2007 on the practice squad.  Look for the Texans to draft a running back that has proven to be durable in college.

Offensive Tackle: The Texans desperately need to bolster their talent and depth at tackle.  It will be a high priority for the club to select some linemen that can help keep their quarterbacks upright.  Not to mention, they need to formulate a line that can create huge holes in the running game so their fiberglass running backs don’t get shattered.

Cornerback: Dunta Robinson is the only above average corner the Texans have on their roster.  Fred Bennett and newly signed Jacques Reeves have the potential to become solid cornerbacks in this league, but they both have a lot of improvements to make.  Houston would be wise to try and find a shut down corner via the draft.

Defensive End: Anthony at left end has not been much of a factor.  The same cannot be said about Mario Williams as he is destined to dominate the right side for several years to come.  If the Texans can find a heavy pass rushing end to lineup opposite Williams, their defense could become a very dangerous unit.

Draft Candidates: RB Felix Jones, Arkansas, RB Ray Rice Rutgers, OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt, OT Sam Baker, USC, CB Justin King, Penn State, CB Jack Williams, Kent State, DE Johnny Dingle, West Virginia, DE Chase Ortiz, Texas Christian

2008 Pittsburgh Steelers Team Needs

Offensive Tackle: Last season, the Steelers had numerous injury issues to their offensive line.  Pittsburgh made it a priority to extend the contract of Ben Roethlisberger, which means they will now take drastic measures to make sure he remains upright.  Look for them to devote multiple picks to help rebuild their offensive line.

Wide Receiver: Big Ben has made it clear that he wants a tall target to have at his disposal.  Furthermore, Hines Ward is an aging veteran, and his body has sustained a lot of damage the last few seasons.  Look for the Steelers to give Roethlisberger exactly what he requested via the draft.

Cornerback: Pittsburgh already has more than serviceable corners, but they didn’t always play well last year when the competition got stronger.  Coach Mike Tomlin will probably want to bring in some healthy competition at the position.  In other words, they have good cornerbacks, but the Steelers could afford to find even better talent in their secondary.

Defensive End: Aaron Smith is nearing the end of his career, which means it is time to find his eventual replacement.  Not to mention, you can never have enough rush ends in the 3-4 defense.

Draft Candidates: OT Sam Baker, USC, OT Anthony Collins, Kansas, WR James Hardy, Indiana, WR Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State, CB Justin King, Penn State, CB Trae Williams, South Florida, DE Kenny Iwebema, Iowa, DE Tommy Blake, Texas Christian

2008 Cleveland Browns Team Needs

Defensive End: The Browns need an impact 3-4 defensive end. Orpheus Roye and Robaire Smith are aging veterans that are nearing the end of their respective careers.  Look for Cleveland to address the need early in the draft.

Linebacker: Cleveland could use a left outside linebacker to complement the versitile Kamerion Wimbley.  The club did sign Kris Griffin and Shantee Orr, but considering they only inked one year deals, it is clear that the Browns don’t exactly expect them to be in their long terms plans. 

Wide Receiver: Braylon Edwards has become a star at wideout.  However, with Joe Jurevicius nearing the end of his career, the Browns could afford to bring in some younger talent at the position.  To Cleveland’s credit, they did sign Donte’ Stallworth, and if he can stay healthy, he will help Edwards stretch the field.  That being said, it might be a good idea for the Browns to draft some insurance at wideout.

Running back: Jamal Lewis has re-signed with the Browns for a few more seasons.  Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison add depth to the position, but none of the aforementioned trio appear to be a long term answer.  Cleveland doesn’t have to panic and select a running back early in the draft, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to look to add more athleticism to their backfield.

Draft Candidates: DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, DE Calais Campbell, Miami, LB Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest, LB Darrell Robertson, Georgia Tech, WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina, WR Will Franklin, Missouri, RB Steve Slaton, West Virginia, RB Cory Boyd, South Carolina

2008 Cincinnati Bengals Team Needs

Defensive End: Justin Smith bolted for free agency over to San Francisco, which means the Bengals need to find a rush end to lineup opposite Robert Geathers.  Geathers is real strong and athletic, but he will not win any sack titles anytime soon.  The Bengals have not generated a strong pass rush in several years, and under coach Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati does not like to resort to blitzing to compensate for a lack of heat on the quarterback. Therefore, they will look to the draft to bring in some players that can consistently pressure the pocket.

Wide Receiver: The Bengals just cut Chis Henry for his off-the-field issues.  Meanwhile, Chad Johnson seems to have issues about remaining in Cincinnati.  Coach Lewis insists that they will not trade Johnson.  T.J. Houshmandzadeh is an emerging talent in this league, but a big part of his success is due to the attention that Johnson demands.  Even though the Bengals don’t seem to make a habit of drafting wideouts, this year it would not be a bad idea to bring in some young character receivers.

Defensive Tackle: The Bengals’ run defense has been virtually non-existent for the last decade.  Consequently, Cincinnati must find some legitimate playmakers to anchor their defensive line.  Domata Peko is a rising star, but the Bengals clearly lack depth and talent at the position.

Center: Eric Ghiaciuc is undersized and has struggled to stay healthy.  The Bengals have a potent offense, but they have had difficulty establishing success running up the middle.  Look for Cincinnati to select a big body at center via the draft.

Draft Candidates: DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, DE Darrell Robertson, Georgia Tech, WR Donnie Avery, Houston, WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State, DT Marcus Harrison, Arkansas, DT DeMario Pressley, C Mike Pollak, Arizona State, C Steve Justice, Wake Forest

2008 Baltimore Ravens Team Needs

Quarterback: This is clearly the most glaring need for the Ravens.  Steve McNair is an injury waiting to happen now at this stage of his career.   Kyle Boller has never lived up to his potential, and he appears to be a career backup.  Troy Smith is not exactly the long term solution at the quarterback position either, which means Baltimore will look to the draft to try and find their signal caller of the future.

Offensive line: Jonathan Ogden has all but retired, and it appears that the Ravens front office will not be able to talk him in to returning for another NFL season.  Baltimore did draft Marshal Yanda last season, and he played good in spurts.  Look for the Ravens to bring in even more young offensive linemen into camp to give them some much needed depth.

Cornerback: Last season, the Ravens played the majority of the year without Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle.  The secondary suffered when the aforementioned duo were not in the lineup.  David Pittman and Derrick Martin did not play like they were capable of being starters in this league, and opposing teams often picked on Corey Ivy when he was in the game.  The Ravens will likely start rebuilding the cornerback position via the draft.

Linebacker: Ray Lewis and Bart Scott are entering the final years of their contracts.  In 2007, the linebackers underachieved as a unit for Baltimore.  The major reason was the absence of Adalius Thomas, who left for New England via free agency. Speaking of free agency, Baltimore did sign Brandon Ayanbadejo away from the Chicago Bears.  Ayanbadejo should help steer the unit back in the right direction.  However, the Ravens figure to still look to address the need at linebacker by bringing in some much needed competition at the position as well as preparing for the future that could be without Scott and/or Lewis.

Draft Candidates: QB Matt Ryan, Boston College, QB Chad Henne, Michigan, OT Anthony Collins, Kansas, OT Kirk Barton, Ohio State, CB Trae Williams, South Florida, CB Antoine Cason, Arizona, LB Tavares Gooden, Miami, LB Vince Hall, Virginia Tech