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 day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.

Don't forget to go over to The 1.28 OTC Thread at The Shark Pool, where the authors and the best football community anywhere are discussing this question. The Shark Pool is part of Footballguys, the only place to get your fantasy football advice and analysis. If you haven't already done it, sign up for the footballguys email update, they scour the offseason news so you don't have to!

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 28th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the new England Patriots SHOULD take Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee

Here is the problem, I write that the Patriots need WR help and then they go and sign every free agent receiver they can! The fact is they should probably go with a safety like Ross but if Meachem somehow slips to them, they wouldn't have to reach for talent.

Brady needs weapons and even though the need for a safety is great as well, I believe that the recent troubles with the offense needs to be addressed and Meachem is one heck of a weapon for the Pats.

Meachem might very well be the most fluid receiver in this draft. He flattens crossing routes and square in perfectly, being fast to the break, then quick and clean out of it. His speed and strength make him a great vertical threat which will only help enhance the passing game of the Pats both deep and underneath helping Stallworth (if healthy) stretch the field

Marc Faletti

With the 28th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots SHOULD select David Harris, ILB, Michigan.

If a team drafts Harris to play MLB in a 4-3 defense, they'll probably regret it. His biggest weakness is his sideline-to-sideline mobility; the guy just isn't going to track someone down from the other side of the field.

However, as an inside player in the 3-4, Harris will be extremely effective. He plays with toughness and rarely reads a play incorrectly. As long as he gets to patrol between the tackles, he'll rack up the stops with tenacity and sound technique. He isn't a pretty player, but he'll make your isnside running game look even uglier.

Will he be available in the second? Probably. But seeing as how any of 40 players could go anywhere from the bottom of the first to the top of the third, none of the guys left are certain to slip. The Pats should take Harris and feel good about shoring up their ILB position.

Cecil Lammey

With the 28th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots SHOULD take Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami Hurricanes.

Having already secured a young LB in Lawrence Timmons, the Patriots turn their attention to the secondary. Rodney Harrsion isn't the player that he used to be. Age and injuries have finally caught up with this headhunter. The Patriots realize this, and also realize that he could make an excellent mentor to a young safety.

Brandon Meriweather is a true cover Safety, a position that is a rare find. Brandon is a ballhawk himself, always finding his way to the football. He has good hands and concentration, making the impossible interception possible. While not as violent as Rodney Harrison, Brandon is a sure open field tackler that can come up effectively in run support. I still feel the Patriots will move up, but if they stand pat Meriweather is a great pick.

Sigmund Bloom

With the 28th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots SHOULD take Brian Leonard, RB, Rutgers.

Most of the players that make sense here will likely be available into the early-mid 2nd, including Leonard and Weddle. Both just seem like Patriots guys, born winners who elevate the level of play of their teammates. Both fit in positions with short and long term need.

If I was running the Pats war room at this point, I would probably flip a coin, they are that equal. In the end, the call for Leonard goes out because RB is a more immediate need. Laurence Maroney's shoulder has been surgically repaired, and behind him is merely competent Sammy Morris. Leonard can play RB, FB, and H-back. He and Tom Brady are similar heady, gutsy players who should hit it off if the Pats select Leonard.