The NFLDraftguys staff is going simulate playing the GM of each of the 31 teams picking in the first round and justify their picks. You can look forward to a new pick every other day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.
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Follow the progress of the On The Clock Draft Board, where you can see exactly how the first round would play out if the NFLDraftguys staff were making the calls in the war room.
<Sean Baca
With the 5th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals SHOULD select Alan Branch, DT, Michigan.
The Cardinals will more than likely look to bolster their defensive line, and Jamaal Anderson and Gaines Adams, should still be there. However with Chike Okeafor already there, it makes sense to sure up the interior now. Great bookends would be great as well, but the edges are not where contenders make their living.
Branch is a physical phenom who is always creating a new line of scrimmage, about two yards in the backfield. He flat out disrupts the offensive flow, better than anyone else in the draft. (aforementioned players included) He will demand attention in the middle and allow for more of a pass rush from the edges. If for some reason the edges still cannot get to the Q. B., than Branch has shown he is more than able to get there himself. Great anchors on both sides of the ball is key to success in football, and Branch is clearly that, a great anchor. With the offense properly loaded and the defensive edge in good hands, Branch would be a proper fit for the Cardinals, besides, you can't get a defensive end every year. Can you? <
Marc Faletti
With the 5th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals SHOULD select Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma.
According to most mocks, it'd be surprising for Peterson to fall this far, but with the Browns signing Jamal Lewis, he might slip. At any rate, if teams draft the way I believe they should, he'll be there.
We all know the kid's fast, but his burst isn't just about quickness -- it's also about power. Defenders bounce off him like he flicked the highlight stick on Madden, even when he's still changing directions. His health is a concern, but truth be told, no one has any idea whether he'll really be injury prone in the pros. And even if he plays as sporadically as Fred Taylor used to, it could be worth it.
That's especially true for the Cardinals, who threw Monty Burns money at Edge last year only to watch him run in 1st gear all season. Can you imagine uniting 2 of the 4 sickest college players of this century in Leinart and Peterson alongside Arizona's WR thoroughbreds? If AP's available at 5, the Cards could become the new Saints.
Cecil Lammey
With the 5th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals SHOULD select Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas.
The Arizona Cardinals enter yet another era, this time with head coach Ken Whisenhunt. With the offensive side of the ball set with playmakers at nearly every position, the Cardinals will look for a havoc-wreaking defensive end. Jamaal Anderson fits that role to a tee. Having a great size/strength combination, Anderson can stuff the run and rush the passer with uncanny ease. His technique is still raw, but he has a motor that goes non-stop. Energy abounds when Anderson lines up, and his versatility means that he could be used in a 3-4, or a 4-3 defense. Jamaal can help the Cardinals become a force on the defensive side of the ball, and that could lead to an increase in scoring opportunities for that high powered offense.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 5th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals SHOULD select Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas.
The Cards would probably be best served moving up to take Joe Thomas, or finding a dance partner that really wants a QB, and moving down to end up taking Levi Brown. If they stay home, the BPA is likely to be a defensive lineman. I really couldn't argue with Alan Branch here, but Anderson's upside is higher, and that's what makes him the pick. Need shouldn't play that heavily in the equation this high in the first, but the need based is still good, with Bert Berry on the wrong side of 30s and coming off consecutive seasons that ended with him on IR.
Anderson has a similar combination of outstanding athleticism and ideal size to Julius Peppers and Mario Williams. He's raw when it comes to pass rush technique, but it didn't stop him from dominating games this year. Anderson came on later in the season, peaking on New Year's Day vs. Wisconsin. Anderson will be a force in both run and pass defense.
