by: Mike Parker
CBSSports.com's Rob Rang has posted what will likely be his final 2009 mock draft today. He identifies the fact that there haven't been this many glaring question marks in a draft in recent memory, which really adds a dense layer of intrigue regarding what will happen this weekend.
But Rang, who's had a history of being very accurate in pre-draft predictions, disagrees with the slew of analysts jumping on the Seahawks-Sanchez bandwagon as of late. He predicts the team will take LB Aaron Curry at No.4 overall:
GM Tim Ruskell informed local media Friday that the team had narrowed its options to four players, though the front office hasn't yet agreed to their order. Those players are likely to include Curry, QB Mark Sanchez and WR Michael Crabtree. Ruskell's tendency toward high character seniors makes Curry the most logical fit, especially considering this year's high risk, low reward class.And thinking about Rang's assertions, the pick makes sense. Way more sense than Sanchez, anyway. I can't see Ruskell wanting to draft a "project" QB with the fourth overall pick, pay him a ridiculous salary this year to stay on the bench and learn the playbook, and in doing so pass up on other talents like Curry and Crabtree.
Ruskell, Mora, and a few others have gone on record many times saying that Hasselbeck is still in his prime, and Hass himself has said he's got three or four more solid years left in the tank. Now, that could easily be a smokescreen, and anyone should take that into consideration upon hearing statements like that before draft day. Plus, with rumors escalating about the Redskins being high on Sanchez and looking to dump Jason Campbell like a bad prom date, even the draft order itself is a question mark.
And finally, to deviate a bit from typical discussion, Rang takes a look at who the Hawks might be keeping their eye on with their second-round selection. His pick? Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers:
T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a nice PR signing, but the soon to be 32-year old isn't enough for a receiving corps with medical concerns Deion Branch and Nate Burleson.Britt is a name that hasn't come up in many conversations at this point. This could be a sign that we're in for some definite surprises in the next five days. -END-
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