12 beers a day

So today is it. Today is the day for the rest of the automatic bids into the NCAA tournament are clinched. Today is the day that teams who thought they had a chance to get in, get their bubble burst. Today is the day that the seedings and the brackets come out for all four regions. I love March Madness.

You know what else that means? That means that this coming up week, from Thursday thru Sunday, I won’t have a life. It means that gamblers from all over the world are going to be placing large amounts of bets, as next weekend is the most bet on weekend in sports. It means casinos, bookies, sports gambling websites, it means they are going to be making ALOT of moolah. It also means I am going to have to fight my urge to put money on the games.

IT ALSO MEANS I AM GOING TO HAVE A CONTEST!!!

CONTEST ALERT CONTEST ALERT CONTEST ALERT 

 I am going to have a NCAA tournament contest. The rules will be as follows: You must have signed up for my feedburner feed, using the handy email subscribe button located in the upper left column. I will have a private group at ESPN.com that I will give out the name and password for. You will go there and register for the group and fill out the bracket. Then come back to this site and leave a comment stating what your team name was, this way I will know who is who. The winner of the contest will get either $25-$50 bucks.

Also if your a girl, guy, E.T., who does not know jack about basketball, sign up anyways. It’s free. Costs nothing. I will also have my NCAA tourney analysis out sometime before Wednesday evening, so you can even use that as a guide. It will have my upset picks for the first round.

So go ahead and let me know if your interested, and what you feel like the prize amount should be.

Be there. Saturday. 9 p.m. Have your face painted if your a guy. Have your boobs out if your a girl.

For you non college basketball fans, Duke vs. North Carolina is probably the biggest rivalry in college ball. Especially this year with both being ranked in the top 5 this late in the season.

I don’t really care who wins, I’m still gonna pick the 12 seeds to upset the 4 in my bracket. And of course UNC to win it all vs UCLA in the final. Not to mention my criteria is this.

Who is hotter?

Duke Girls?

UNC Girls?

I gotta listen to little man this time. He never steers me wrong. Except for that hooker in Mexico. BAD CALL LITTLE MAN, BAD CALL!

And I have seen no Duke Videos dissing UNC, so UNC is again one-upping the blue devils.

Welcome to the 1st annual 12 beers a day NFL Mock Draft. Hopefully this is the 1st of many to come, and for all the female readers who enjoy this article please send your phone # and a Picture to chandler@12beersaday.com.

Before we get started I just want to list my top 5 players in this draft in order of how I think they rank.

1. Darren McFadden
2. Jake Long
3. Glenn Dorsey
4. Chris Long
5. Vernon Gholston

1. Miami Dolphins(AKA Worst team in football) - Chris Long/UVA DE - I don’t think any one particular player is going to help this Dolphins team improve to much, not even with the Tuna running the show. If at all possible the Dolphins would trade this pick for more draft picks, but that is highly unlikely. Long is a good fit for the Dolphins 3-4 defense which is very old and slow right now. I’ve even heard rumors that Howie Long is in negotiations to sign with the Dolphins. That was a joke. This pick is probably the hardest to predict because the Dolphins pretty much need players at every position. I would not be surprised if Jake Long or Matt Ryan go here instead of Chris Long.

2. St. Louis Rams - Jake Long/Michigan OT - The best offensive lineman in the Draft should be the heir apparent for Orlando Pace, whose career is about over. Long will help out an offensive line that was one of the League’s worst at keeping their QB of his tush. With all the Offensive weapons the Rams have, their biggest weakness is the O-line, and Long will make an immediate impact to improve that line.

3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan/Boston College QB - I am a Falcons fan and would love to see the Falcons either trade down for some more draft picks or pick Darren McFadden, the best overall player in the draft, with this pick. I don’t foresee either of those happening, and with the QB woes the Falcons had last year, I think they will be forced to take Ryan with this pick. I don’t really think Ryan is the best QB in this draft and feel like the Falcons could easily draft Woodson or Henne in the 2nd round and use this pick on either McFadden or Dorsey and still come out pretty good, but Ryan has the hype surrounding him right now, and sometimes that is all it takes. Redman and Harrington are not the answer, lets hope Ryan won’t be the question. Also the Falcons just signed Michael Turner from San Diego, so that makes the McFadden pick even less likely.

4. Oakland Raiders - Glenn Dorsey/LSU DT - The best defensive player on the board. His stock has dropped a little bit due to injury concerns, but he played most of his senior year with injuries, and was still able to dominate most of his opponents like no other defensive player in the NCAA. He was in the HEISMAN RACE for Pete’s sake. Oakland may go the Al Davis route and draft McFadden, but after Justin Fargas proved down the stretch he could carry the ball, I think they will look to improve their defense and hope JaMarcus Russell was worth that Number 1 pick last year.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Ryan Clady/Boise State OT - The days of the Chiefs running the ball straight down your throat are far behind them. Even with Larry Johnson in the backfield the Chiefs still ranked in the bottom of the league when it came to running the ball. Their O-line is old and weak and needs some youthful legs to help them out. Clady is the 2nd best OT in the draft and the Cheifs will be forced to draft him due to their desperate need in that area. Drafting McFadden would not be a bad choice either though. A backfield consisting of Larry Johnson and Darren McFadden would be scary for every defense in the league, unless of course John Madden is blocking for them.

6. New York Jets - Darren McFadden/Arkansas RB - When you draft McFadden, not only are you getting the best player in college football, you are also getting a RB with a PIMP ride. The Jets will draft McFadden because he is the best player on the board, and he will help out an offense that has no QB, no OL, and no real threats on Offense period. Thomas Jones and Darren McFadden will make a formidable duo in the backfield for the Jets, and hopefully be able to take some pressure off whoever the Jets decide to put under center, whether it be Chad “Slingshot” Pennington or Kellen “I did nothing in college” Clemens. If McFadden can have half the impact that Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson had, it will help the Jets at least win 6 game next season.

7. New England Patriots - Leodis McKelvin/Troy State CB - With Asante Samuel leaving via free agency I think the Patriots will look to replace him through the draft. McKelvin is one of the top corner prospects in the draft and also a valuable return man. If Samuel would have stayed I could see Vernon Gholston going here since Belichick loves versatile players like Gholston, but I think the Pats are going to try and help out a DB group that pretty much cost them the Super Bowl and an undefeated season. Yet they are still drafting in the top 10, THANKS 49ERS!!!

8. Baltimore Ravens - Brian Brohm/Louisville QB - With Brian Billick, the offensive guru, finally booted out of Baltimore, expect the Ravens to look for their heir apparent at QB. I think if Brohm were a little more mobile he would easily be the top QB prospect in this draft. He is accurate and has a decent arm, and he has always put up great numbers at Louisville. With McNair and Boller the Ravens have one grandpa and one bust, with Brohm they will get a fresh start and maybe even some offense to help out that defense that dominated for years, but has now gotten older and a bit slower.

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Vernon Gholston/THE Ohio State University DE - What a steal for the Bengals at number 9. They get my 5th best overall player and Justin Smiths replacement at DE. Gholston will be able to play either DE or LB for the Bengals and hopefully now Marvin Lewis’ defense will actually be able to keep people out of the end zone. Alot could change with the whole Chad Johnson situation, but I see the Bengals working that out and keeping Chad in town for at least one more season. Gholston will bring some youth and excitement to the defense and fill an immediate need at DE, if that’s where they decide to keep him.

10. New Orleans Saints - Keith Rivers/Southern California LB - The Saints could go several ways with this pick, but I can guarantee you it will be a defensive player. Rivers has the size and speed to be an impact player in the NFL and the Saints have not had that at the LB position since Sam Mills was there in the 90’s. Don’t be surprised if Sedrick Ellis or a CB is taken here, as Ellis is the best defensive player remaining and the Saints need all the help they can get in the Secondary after the Jason David experiment and Mike McKenzie going down with a leg injury.

11. Buffalo Bills - Malcolm Kelly/Oklahoma WR - Buffalo was devastated by injuries last year and still put together a decent season. If they can decide on who is throwing the rock, either Losman or Edwards, they will still need someone besides Lee Evans to throw to. I have Kelly rated a little higher then Limas Sweed from UT because of the injuries Sweed suffered last year. Not to mention Kelly put together a great year with a freshman QB throwing to him all season. I can see Kelly becoming a play-maker in the NFL in the next three years, but don’t expect much out of him as a rookie. Most WRs don’t really blossom until their third year.

12. Denver Broncos - Sedrick Ellis/Southern California DT - Most mock drafts I have seen have Ellis going in the top 10, so if Denver is able to nab him here they will jump at the chance. Ellis has the power and speed of a Glen Dorsey, just without the BIG TIME resume that Dorsey had in college. Denver is in need on the D line and could use a dominant force like Ellis to help stop teams from running on that Defense. Also could go WR with the release of Javon Walker.

13. Carolina Panthers - Phillip Merling/Clemson DE - Carolina could go several ways, needing a DB, LB, and Defensive line help. Merling would complement Julius Peppers on the edge and also be able to learn his 1st year behind veteran Mike Rucker. The Panthers D-line is a shell of it former shelf and Merling would help give them some youthful energy on pass rushing downs.

14. Chicago Bears - Rashard Mendenhall/Illinois RB - The Bears have given up on Cedric Benson. The former first round bust could not handle being the workhorse back for the Bears, and Mendenhall has the size and power to be an every down back in the NFL. The Bears may look to draft an O-lineman, but Mendenhall is too good a prospect to pass up in this spot.

15. Detroit Lions - Aqib Talib/Kansas DB - The Lions would easily grab Mendenhall if he fell to this spot, they may even look to Jonathan Stewart to help fill a need at RB. Also, watch out for the annual Matt Millen selection, a WR. Hopefully Millen will sway away from his guy feeling and get the top play-maker on the board. Talib played out of his mind in Kansas’ bowl victory against VT, including a pick 6. Talib would be a physical presence in the Lions secondary, and also could return kicks and maybe even play receiver. That could influence Millen tremendously.

16. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Stewart/Oregon RB - With Edgerrin James not getting any younger, the Cardinals will draft his future replacement in Stewart. Stewart is a big physical runner, with good hands out of the backfield. He helped carry his Oregon team to a potential National Championship appearance till Dixon went down. Stewart and James will feed off each other in that backfield and help take some pressure of Linehart when he returns from injury.

17. Minnesota Vikings - Derrick Harvey/Florida DE - The Vikings could look at Sweed at WR with this pick, but they have some young talent waiting in the wings there, so I think they will address their defense. Harvey would be able to come in and fill in for Kenechi Udeze who will miss the 08 season battling Leukemia. Harvey put up great numbers at Florida and used his size and speed to pressure the QB every down. He would be a great addition on the other side to give Erasmus James some help.

18. Houston Texans - Mike Jenkins/South Florida DB - Houston would grab Stewart or Mendenhall if they were to fall this far, but I don’t foresee that happening. So Houston would take Jenkins who would help a secondary that has struggled since the Texans came back into the League. Having to play the Colts twice a year with a porous secondary, that pretty much guarantees 2 losses a year. Jenkins is one of the rated DBs in the draft and could play opposite Dunta Robinson, if he even plays in 08 after tearing his ACL and hamstring.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Limas Sweed/Texas WR - The Eagles signing of Asante Samuel means they won’t go after a DB in the 1st round, and with their lack of talent behind Reggie Brown at receiver, you would think they would give McNabb some help on his farewell tour. It was between Sweed and DeSean Jackson for me, but Sweed being 6′5 helped his case. Tall recievers with great hands and good speed are hard to come by. Sweed proved to be a play-maker when healthy at UT, and if he can produce for McNabb and Co. in his rookie year, Donovan may be back for another go round in 09.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DeSean Jackson/California WR - Knowing Jon Gruden he may go ahead and draft a QB here, combine star Joe Flacco, but I think Tampa Bay may try and get a playmaker here. There weren’t to many as good as Jackson in college. With Joey Galloway getting older and Michael Clayton not able to live up to his rookie numbers, Jackson looks like the sensible choice here. He has blazing speed and good hands and can also return punts. Jacksons size may scare some teams off at only 5′9, but his play-making abilities are hard to ignore.

21. Washington Redskins - Calais Campbell/Miami DE - Just for the record, I really wanted to put Kenny Phillips here, the Safety from the U, just to honor Sean Taylor. A Miami Safety to replace a Miami Safety. Phillips plays FS though, not SS, and the Redskins have a more glaring need on their D-line because they have NO ONE opposite Andre Carter. Campbell is huge for a DE at 6′8 and showed flashes of greatness in college. He did stink it up at the combine so his stock may drop some, but with Harvey and Merling off the board, he is the next best thing at DE. I don’t see Washington drafting a receiver as many mock drafts have them, at least not in the 1st round.

22. Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones/Arkansas RB - Jerry Jones is going to do everything in his power to try and trade up into the top 10 to draft Jones Backfield buddy McFadden, but if that is not possible Jones is not a bad parting gift. Jones showed play-making skills at Arkansas and would be able to fill the role of Julius Jones quite nicely. Marion Barber is going to get the bulk of the carries here, so Jones would be able sit and learn first. Dallas also has another 1st round pick so if they feel Jones may still be there at 28, they may draft their highest rated player if it isn’t Jones.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jeff Otah/Pittsburgh OT - With Big Ben recently signing a contract extension, the Pittsburgh front office would like to do everything in their power to keep him upright. Otah is a good looking prospect who could probably come in and play right away if asked to. Pitt. may also look at drafting a guard since Alan Faneca did not resign. Either way I expect Pitt. to draft an offensive lineman in this spot.

24. Tennessee Titans - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie/Tennessee State DB - This is me going out on a limb. Rodgers-Cromartie, or RC, is the small school pick of the first round. He has started every game since he was midway through his freshman year, and he has been getting rave reviews since the combine. With Pac-man Jones an afterthought, the Titans need a replacement at DB. RC fits the bill and he is huge for a DB at 6′2. Vince Young may be lobbying for some receiving help, but they did just sign Alge Crumpler for him, and they have a plethora of young receivers who I don’t think the front office will give up on just yet.

25. Seattle Seahawks - Branden Albert/Virginia OG - Let’s hope this guy is better then top 5 pick from Virginia D’Brickshaw Ferguson. Seattle’s running game has struggled ever since they let OG Steve Hutchinson sign with Minnesota. Albert can come in and hopefully finally replace Hutchinson at the guard spot. Seattle may also look to draft Shaun Alexander’s replacement, but all of the top running backs are off the board, so look for them to address that position later in the draft.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Quentin Groves/Auburn DE/LB - The Jaguars filled their needs at Wide Receiver by loading up with free agents, mainly Jerry Porter, so don’t expect a WR in this round, maybe not this draft. Groves is a versatile player, he can get on all 4 and play DE or he can use his speed at OLB. The Jags need some DE help, and Groves can play here on pass situations if they decide he is better used at OLB. He will be able to help out in a number of areas. They may also look to solid DE Lawrence Jackson out of USC, but if I was a GM, I would go with the guy who could fill two needs instead of one.

27. San Diego Chargers - Kenny Phillips/Miami Safety - San Diego needs a playmaker at Safety, Miami safeties are play-makers. Phillips stock has dropped a bit, but he is the best athlete at safety coming out of college. San Diego really doesn’t have that many holes to plug, and Phillips dropping this far to them is to good to pass up. They may try to trade out of the 1st round for some more draft picks and add some depth at other positions - WR, DL - but if that falls through, look for Phillips in Chargers blue.

28. Dallas Cowboys - Mario Manningham/Michigan WR - This is assuming that Dallas does not trade this pick to try and move up for McFadden. TO is still as dominant as ever, and Patrick Crayton has really come along as a wide-out, but beyond that the Cowboys have very little. Terry Glenn is an injury machine and they need to add some depth behind their starters. Manningham was a play-maker at Michigan and proved he could play well in the big games. He was the go-to receiver at Michigan and would be a great value pick in the bottom of the 1st round. He would add depth and size at the wide-out position for the Cowboys.

29. San Francisco 49ers - Kentwan Balmer/North Carolina - The 49ers should be drafting in the top 10, instead the Patriots are getting that pick. NICE MOVE GM. The 49ers need help at WR and on Defense. They were in the bottom half of the league when it came to stopping the run, and Balmer is big enough and strong enough to help plug some holes. With no big time receivers left this late, Balmer will help fill a need on the DL.

30. Green Bay Packers - Reggie Smith/Oklahoma DB - Green Bays secondary is OLD. So old they have looked into placing them in the nursing home, but Brett Favre wants some alone time. Smith is the best Corner left at this point in the draft, and Green Bay needs some youth at DB. Smith could also play safety, since he did play this position in college as well, so that would add a ton of depth in the defensive backfield. Green Bay just hopes that Aaron Rodgers scores them enough points that they won’t have to be to concerned with their defense. Let’s all wish Brett Favre a happy retirement, it’s been fun watching you. Stupid Falcons.

31. New York Giants - Dan Connor/Penn State LB - Big losers in free agency losing two LBs, the Super Bowl champs will look to fill that need with the last pick in the 1st round. Connor played both outside and inside LB at Penn State, so he has experience at both positions. If your going to draft a LB you might as well get a great one from LINEBACKER U, and Connor definitely lived up to that billing in college.

So there you have it. 12 beers a day 1st annual NFL Mock draft. Don’t you worry either, when I correctly predict every pick of the 1st round, I will be sure to rub my balls all over your face in excitement. Just don’t enjoy it, or I will have to kill you.