Defenders earn four of top five spots in first 2009 mock draft
The 2008 NFL draft is in the books, so now it’s time to look ahead to 2009.
Another Early Look We’re giving you the top pro prospects for next season, but which teams will be the best in college football in 2008? Glad you asked.
• Preseason top 25
Obviously, there are plenty of variables here, starting with the draft order. Scouts Inc.’s NFL team looked at 2008 schedules, draft order and personnel — including 2008 draft classes and free-agent moves — and put together its initial 2008 power rankings to determine the order of this mock draft.
As for the prospects, the talent pool includes every draft-eligible player. Yes, we know some of the top ’08 juniors might not come out early, but if they’re technically eligible for the draft, they’re definitely eligible for the 2009 mock draft. An asterisk denotes draft-eligible underclassmen, including those who redshirted or spent a year in prep school.
So, with the first pick of the 2009 NFL Mock Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select …
1. Atlanta Falcons — Fili Moala, DT, USC
Atlanta finally gets its playmaking interior defensive lineman. Moala has flown under the radar to this point but he should emerge from the shadow of 2008 No. 7 overall pick Sedrick Ellis and become one of the elite defenders in college football this fall
espn.com
4/29/08
Magnolia Tribune
