Kirwan's final mock draft

Finally, the NFL draft is within days and all the evaluations are just about done. Most teams are locking up their draft boards, and the only thing that can change a grade will be a late rumor about an off-the-field problem or a medical issue.

The only thing that can change a team strategy is a potential draft-day trade. For weeks, teams have "inquired" about moving up or down in the draft with other franchises. Detroit should have options to move down in the draft if the Raiders don't select Calvin Johnson.

Tampa Bay (and possibly Atlanta) could be on the move up to Detroit's spot. Both teams have the extra Day 1 picks to pull off a trade. Washington has the No. 6 overall pick, however, as of now, that's its only Day 1 pick--- it needs to add at least one more.

Few people feel Brady Quinn will slide in this draft like Matt Leinart did last year, and if the Browns don't intend to take him, a team like Miami could consider a move up to get him.

Then, of course, there are still a few veteran players who could be moved via trade early on April 28. Chargers running back Michael Turner could change Tennessee's or Buffalo's draft plans. Talks involving Lance Briggs might heat up in the next few days, and a team like Denver could conclude that paying Briggs and giving away their first-round spot is better business than taking a rookie linebacker. Trent Green has more control of his destiny than most would assume. He should be a Dolphin by the night of April 28. Keep in mind, the Chiefs don't have a fourth-round pick, and it will make sense to the Chiefs to move him.

Randy Moss, Kris Jenkins and a few surprises are all possible draft-day trades that will make it an exciting weekend for the football fans.

Note: Changes from the eighth mock draft are marked with an asterisk.

1. Oakland: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU -- The longer you watch him on tape, the more he is the right pick for the Raiders. He is a rare athlete with a great arm and all the throws. He can make the line calls, escape pressure, and end the run of passing on quarterbacks -- which includes Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler. The plan sounds like getting a veteran like Josh McCown to start off the season and let Russell learn from the sideline for a year. The Raiders still have to fix their offensive line, and there's no reason to put Russell on the field until the supporting cast is in place.

2. Detroit: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson -- As soon as the Raiders pass on Calvin Johnson, this pick will increase in value for the Lions. They will entertain trade calls, most likely from Tampa Bay and Atlanta. Detroit could move down to No. 4 and still get Gaines Adams, or they could go to No. 8 and take Patrick Willis or Jamaal Anderson -- and still have pick Nos. 39 and 44 from Atlanta to go along with Nos. 39 and 66 to build up their roster. A QB like Trent Edwards would be a good fit in the second round, as well as a CB like Marcus McCauley and a safety.

3. Cleveland: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame -- The Browns could easily entertain calls for the spot to take Calvin Johnson if Detroit doesn't move out of the No. 2 slot. Could it be possible that Charlie Frye is good enough, especially if the Browns stay at this spot and take Calvin Johnson to team up with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow? Or take OT Joe Thomas and build up the protection? It might be time to take Quinn (95 touchdown passes at Notre Dame).

4. Tampa Bay: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech -- The Bucs should be so lucky that a player like Calvin Johnson falls to them. If Calvin is the top-rated player on most draft boards, then sitting still might not be the best plan, especially if the Falcons jump up to take him. Not only would the Bucs miss out on him, but they would have to defend against him twice a season. If that were to happen, then the Bucs would take Gaines Adams to (eventually) replace Simeon Rice.

5. Arizona: Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin -- The Cardinals usually don't like to spend the money the top picks require and could look to move down and take another offensive tackle named Levi Brown. The question: Does anyone want to move up to the No. 5 spot? The guess here is the Cardinals will stay where they are and select Big Joe.

6. Washington: Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville -- The Redskins need to move down and get at least a second-round pick, but if they stay put, thae Amobi Okoye would add some life to the defensive line. Okoye's skills have been compared to Warren Sapp's. He has great first-step quickness and excellent balance. Throw in the fact he's 19 years old and there is a lot to be excited about with this pick.

7. **Minnesota: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma -- The Vikings could take Quinn if he drops to them, but probably would not move up to get him. They could take a hard look at cornerbacks Leon Hall and Darrelle Revis, but in the end, Adrian Peterson is too good to pass up.

8. **Atlanta: LaRon Landry, S, LSU -- If the Falcons stay put, they will consider Levi Brown, but the player who can help the most right now and has the grade to be taken is LaRon Landry. He can match up with division opponent Reggie Bush and help stop the running game. Landry had 315 tackles to go along with 12 interceptions in his 48 collegiate starts.

9. Miami: Levi Brown, OT, Penn State -- Miami might make a move to get Brady Quinn, or it might trade for Trent Green and get the offensive tackle it hasn't had since Richmond Webb. New coach Cam Cameron needs big, powerful tackles like Brown to make his offense work.

10. **Houston: Leon Hall, CB, Michigan -- The Texans will look at the remaining defensive linemen with Round 1 grades and probably will be disappointed Levi Brown is off the board, which leaves one of the safest picks in the draft left on the board -- -- Leon Hall. Hall would up with Dunta Robinson to give Houston a pair of corners to help against division opponent Peyton Manning.

11. San Francisco: Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska -- It might be quite tempting to select Michigan nose tackle Alan Branch if he drops this far, because most 3-4 defenses are always looking for the wide body to force the double team and free up a linebacker. I still believe Carriker is Nolan's type of player and fits in perfectly as the left defensive end.

12. Buffalo: Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi -- The Bills have a lot of needs, especially at running back. Marshawn Lynch will get consideration but the depth at RB suggests they can wait until the second round. Willis is a tackling machine with 4.4 speed at 242 pounds.

13. **St. Louis: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas -- The Rams still need a pass rusher opposite Leonard Little, and Anderson is the best on the board at this point. A cornerback like Revis could get the nod here, but the Rams have a better chance of getting a corner at No. 52 than they do of getting a DE.

14. Carolina: Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (Fla.) -- This might be a little high to take a tight end, but Olsen has pulled away from the other TEs with his vertical speed and size. Keep in mind, the Panthers third-down offense was one of the worst in the league. A good tight end will go a long way toward fixing it.

15. **Pittsburgh: Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh -- The Steelers are going to be tempted to take defensive lineman Justin Harrell at this spot. But in the end, they will go down the hall of their own building and take the Pittsburgh corner who is rated ahead of Leon Hall on a few draft boards.

16. **Green Bay: Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee -- The Pack need a running back. It is hard to pass on one here, but Harrell's latest workouts have put to rest the injury questions that surrounded the 314-pound DT who will keep the Green Bay defense moving forward against division opponent Chicago, which loves to run the ball.

17. Jacksonville: Reggie Nelson, S, Florida -- It's no secret the Jags need a safety now that Deon Grant is gone. A pass rusher like Jarvis Moss could fit with the two big tackles inside, but in the end, the safety will win out.

18. **Cincinnati: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan -- The Bengals need lots of help in the secondary, but a week ago no one figured Branch would fall this far. Overnight, the Cincinnati defense would be better against the run, which has been a problem. The secondary needs will get resolved at the No. 49 slot when a corner will be selected.

19. **Tennessee: Marshawn Lynch, RB, California -- A draft-day trade for Michael Turner obviously would change this pick, but for now, Lynch is the answer. There will be long talks about the wide receivers left on the board, as well as a pass rusher like Jarvis Moss.

20. **N.Y. Giants: Joe Staley, T, Central Michigan -- A month ago, there was little interest in Staley. The Giants seemed excited about outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons back then, but Staley would answer a long-term issue at left tackle for Eli Manning.

21. Denver: Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State -- There are a few rumors around that Denver will trade this pick to get Lance Briggs. There's no doubt Briggs is a better player than Timmons at this point in his career, and Mike Shanahan needs the strongest defense possible while Jay Cutler learns on the job. If Denver stays, it could come down to Timmons or Jon Beason. Two weeks ago, it looked like DE Jarvis Moss would wind up here, but his latest workout didn't help him.

22. **Dallas: Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU -- There certainly are a few good receivers left on the Dallas board, and it could be Ted Ginn or Dwayne Jarrett, but Bowe seems to be the consensus best wideout left on the board.

23. Kansas City: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State -- K.C. would like Joe Staley or Justin Harrell at this spot, but they should be gone, so they will turn to wide receiver. Ginn, who ran back eight kicks for touchdowns for the Buckeyes, would Dante Hall expendable.

24. New England: Aaron Ross, CB, Texas -- The Patriots need a corner, and with Asanti Samuel's contract situation becoming strained, it's time to grab the best CB left on the board. Ross recorded 205 tackles along with 10 interceptions and 33 passes defended.

25. N.Y. Jets: Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas -- Houston made a name for himself locking down on Dwayne Jarrett, but he has slipped a bit in recent weeks. The Jets could skip the corner until the next round and take a hybrid OLB/DE like Anthony Spencer here.

26. **Philadelphia: Anthony Spencer, LB/DE, Purdue -- If the Jets take Spencer, then the Eagles will take the corner. Spencer is one strong player with good speed. Anthony ran the 40 in 4.70 but his weight room numbers (490 bench, 650 squat, 370 power clean) are only outdone by his 21 sacks and 11 forced fumbles in college.

27. **New Orleans: Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee -- After watching the run on cornerbacks, the Saints will have to take a corner with a Round 2 grade or a wide receiver with a Round 1 grade.

28. New England: Ryan Kalil, C, USC -- All spring, I have said with two first-round picks and an excellent offseason of signing veterans, the Patriots can afford to look long term at this spot and draft the best center in the draft. He will be a 10-year starter.

29. **Baltimore: Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn -- An outside 'backer like Spencer or a conversion like Jarvis Moss would be considered if still available. but with the offensive line in flux and Jonathan Ogden's future uncertain, the Ravens could use a guard/tackle. Ben Grubbs will be compared to Justin Blaylock, and maybe Arron Sears, at this spot.

30. **San Diego: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC -- To think a wide receiver who scored a touchdown every five receptions is still on the board is to good to be true. Jarrett would be only the No. 3 receiving threat behind Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson, but Philip Rivers sees the whole field and the Chargers might become close to impossible to stop in the red zone.

31. Chicago: Jon Beason, OLB, Miami (Fla.) -- Whether the Bears move Briggs, they have to prepare for 2008, when Briggs should be gone for sure. The Bears are not interested in paying what Briggs believes he's worth on the open market. It could be Timmons instead of Beason, but it should be an OLB.

32. **Indianapolis: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State -- The Colts need to replace Cato June and a number of other defensive players. A safety like Brandon Meriweather is a consideration, but Posluszny brings 372 tackles, 35 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, and two interceptions with him from Penn State.