Round 1

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Analysis by ESPN Scouts Inc.
Round 1
PK(OVR)TEAMNAMEPOSSCHOOL
1(1)HoustonMario WilliamsDENorth Carolina State
 Houston took a lot of suspense out of this pick by agreeing to a contract with Williams on Friday night and electing not to take USC running back Reggie Bush with the first overall pick. Williams fills an important need, as Houston is switching its base defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 front and needs ends who can rush the passer.
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2(2)New OrleansReggie BushRBUSC
 The Saints certainly have greater needs than running back, and trading down appeared to be the right move. However, Bush is a good fit for the Saints. With Deuce McAllister on the roster, the undersized Bush won't have to carry a heavy workload, reducing the chances he could get hurt or wear down in his first 16-game season.
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3(3)TennesseeVince YoungQBTexas
 There is a lot to like about Young's arm strength, mobility and desire to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. However, taking Young here isn't the right move in our opinion. He needs to work on his release point and ability to read defenses, so it will be difficult for him to step into a starting role immediately, which he might have to do if the Titans release Steve McNair, as expected.
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4(4)NY JetsD'Brickashaw FergusonOTVirginia
 Despite talk of the Jets trying to trade up to nab Bush or one of the top quarterbacks, they elected to stay put and draft an anchor for their offensive line. Ferguson projects as the starter on the left side and immediately should improve the team's pass protection. He has excellent lateral mobility, great quickness and the long arms to ride edge rushers past the pocket.
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5(5)Green BayA.J. HawkLBOhio State
 Outside linebacker is among the Packers' most pressing needs, and Hawk is the best on the board. There are some questions about his hip fluidity and man-to-man cover skills, but he makes plays all over the field.
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6(6)San FranciscoVernon DavisTEMaryland
 The 49ers need major help at outside linebacker, but tight end is also a need, and with Ohio State OLB Hawk going to Green Bay, San Francisco is wise to fill the need here. Davis is a rare specimen. He has the speed to stretch the field, the burst to consistently separate from man coverage and the athletic ability to produce after the catch.
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7(7)OaklandMichael HuffDBTexas
 Huff doesn't have great size, and the Raiders won't want to line him up near the line too much, but he has the speed, power and athletic ability to push for immediate playing time. In addition, Huff can line up at corner, and that's important on a team with major question marks in its secondary.
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8(8)BuffaloDonte' WhitnerDBOhio State
 With Lawyer Milloy in Atlanta and Troy Vincent clearly on the downside of his career, Buffalo has qeustions at safety. However, it has far grater needs at offensive tackle and defensive tackle. Taking Whitner is a one of the biggest reaches we have seen.
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9(9)DetroitErnie SimsLBFlorida State
 Lions President and CEO Matt Millen certainly has taken his share of heat for past draft picks, but he is off to a strong start here. Detroit needed someone who can push and ideally replace Alex Lewis as the starter opposite Boss Bailey, making Sims an excellent fit.
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10(10)ArizonaMatt LeinartQBUSC
 Talk about getting the most bang for your buck. Few experts thought Leinart would slip this far, and although Arizona has more urgent needs, incumbent QB Kurt Warner has had problems staying healthy and isn't getting any younger. Improving the depth behind Warner and drafting an heir apparent makes sense.
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11(11)Denver (from St. Louis)Jay CutlerQBVanderbilt
 The quarterback talent in this draft drops off dramatically after the top three, so Denver traded up to ensure it could select an heir apparent to the aging and still somewhat inconsistent Jake Plummer.
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12(12)Baltimore (from Cleveland)Haloti NgataDTOregon
 Baltimore had to trade up to make sure it could get Ngata, but it didn't have to give up much, and he is an excellent addition to the roster. Ngata possesses excellent size and is capable of protecting linebackers by occupying multiple blockers at the line of scrimmage.
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13(13)Cleveland (from Baltimore)Kamerion WimbleyDEFlorida State
 Wembley lined up at defensive end in college, but he is an excellent fit at outside linebacker in the Browns' base 3-4 scheme. He has very good initial quickness, the lateral mobility to avoid blockers in the backfield and shows good closing speed.
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14(14)PhiladelphiaBrodrick BunkleyDTFlorida State
 Bunkley has good size and the powerful upper-body strength needed to hold his own against the run. More importantly, he has the quickness and motor to excel in Philadelphia's scheme, making him a candidate to push for playing time as a rookie.
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15(15)St. Louis (from Atlanta through Denver)Tye HillDBClemson
 Jerametrius Butler missed the entire 2005 season with a knee injury, 2005 second-round pick Ronald Bartell hasn't developed as quickly as hoped, and Travis Fisher can't stay healthy, so it comes as no surprise the Rams took a cornerback with their first pick.
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16(16)MiamiJason AllenDBTennessee
 A season-ending hip injury caused Allen's draft stock to drop, but this will prove to be an excellent pick for the Dolphins if he can bounce back and stay healthy. Though Allen lacks ideal instincts, those will improve with experience, and he's talented enough to immediately push for playing time.
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17(17)MinnesotaChad GreenwayLBIowa
 The Vikings clearly needed a weak-side linebacker and are fortunate Greenway fell to them here. Greenway doesn't have great size, but he reads his keys quickly and has good quickness, so he frequently beats blockers to the point of attack.
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18(18)DallasBobby CarpenterLBOhio State
 Carpenter is a perfect fit for Dallas' 3-4 scheme. He does a good job of anticipating snap counts, takes the shortest path to the quarterback and shows good closing speed so he can effectively rush the passer.
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19(19)San DiegoAntonio CromartieDBFlorida State
 This pick fills a positional need, but there's no guarantee Cromartie will be the answer to the Chargers' problems in the secondary. Yes, he has great size, quick feet and the second gear to recover when he gets caught out of position, but he missed all of last season because of a knee injury. If he's unable to bounce back or he sustains another injury, San Diego is in trouble.
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20(20)Kansas CityTamba HaliDEPenn State
 Hali projected as a first-round pick, and he should push for immediate playing time, but this isn't a great pick for two reasons. First, the Chiefs have more pressing needs. Second, they are reaching by taking Hali this early in the first round.
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21(21)New EnglandLaurence MaroneyRBMinnesota
 Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk give the Patriots an excellent two-headed monster, but they have had problems staying healthy and are on the downside of their careers. Selecting Maroney allows the Patriots to groom him slowly so he's ready to step in when the time comes.
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22(22)San Francisco (from Washington through Denver)Manny LawsonDENorth Carolina State
 San Francisco needed to have a strong draft, and with a second excellent first-round choice is off to an incredible start. Lawson will move to outside linebacker in the 49ers' 3-4 scheme and should be an excellent fit.
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23(23)Tampa BayDavin JosephOGOklahoma
 This may have be the worst pick thus far, and that's not a knock on Joseph, who is quick, plays with great leverage and is relentless. The problem is that offensive tackle is a far greater need than guard, and though Joseph has some experience lining up at tackle, he is a far better fit at guard.
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24(24)CincinnatiJohnathan JosephDBSouth Carolina
 Tory James is on the downside of his career, and the team's depth at corner is just adequate. Joseph should immediately step into the nickel role and eventually replace James.
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25(25)Pittsburgh (from N.Y. Giants)Santonio HolmesWROhio State
 Pittsburgh might have given up too much to get it done, but the Super Bowl champions have filled one of their most pressing need by selecting arguably the best receiver in this year's draft.
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26(26)Buffalo (from Chicago)John McCargoDTNorth Carolina State
 Some picks are more difficult to explain than others. It's true that defensive tackle is one of the Bills' needs, but taking McCargo here is one of the biggest reaches we've seen in years.
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27(27)CarolinaDeAngelo WilliamsRBMemphis
 The Panthers drafted a running back in the second round last year, but the addition of a back of Williams' caliber is key to an offense that relies so heavily on the run game and found itself reduced to using a fourth-string back in the playoffs last season.
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28(28)JacksonvilleMarcedes LewisTEUCLA
 Jacksonville filled one of its greatest needs and added a playmaker in the process by drafting Lewis. He is an above-average route runner who has the second gear to stretch the seam and the elusiveness to create after the catch.
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29(29)NY Jets (from Denver through Atlanta)Nick MangoldOCOhio State
 With D'Brickashaw ferguson already on board, the Jets took one more step in building their offensive line of the future in selecting Mangold. He may not have great size or strength, but Mangold is a fundamentally sound drive blocker who plays with a mean streak and never stops working.
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30(30)IndianapolisJoseph AddaiRBLSU
 Addai has the unfortunate task of replacing Edgerrin James, who signed with Arizona as a free agent. However, the Colts did well to get Addai this late in the first round. He has the burst to turn the corner, shows good speed in the open field and can pick up yards after contact.
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31(31)SeattleKelly JenningsDBMiami (FL)
 The Seahawks need a corner who can start opposite Marcus Trufant, which makes this a great pick. Jennings has good closing speed and rarely gets caught out of position, so he is capable of pushing for immediate playing time.
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32(32)NY Giants (from Pittsburgh)Mathias KiwanukaDEBoston College
 Kiwanuka has the athletic ability to make an immediate impact as a situational pass rusher, and adding him to the roster gives the Giants the ability to create favorable matchups by moving one of their top three ends inside on downs with pass-heavy tendencies.
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