twas the night before...

The NFL Draft is my favorite sports event of the year. I love it for many reasons: it's the intersection of college and professional football; it offers hours of in-depth analysis; and it's the unique event in which all 32 teams have a chance to win, yet very few actually do. In short, it's great. And this year I plan to immerse myself in it like never before.

At first I was not a supporter of the Draft's move to primetime, and I still lament that it takes away from the essence of "Draft Day." However, because it's being broadcast live on Thursday and Friday nights, I should be able to watch every single pick from the first 3 rounds, in high definition of course. I'm highly excited and plan to capture the experience pick-by-pick keeping a running diary with my own reactions to each team's decision.

And in one of my final acts of preparation for the draft - the other will be cooking dinner early tomorrow night so I don't have to multitask once it starts - I'm going to join thousands of others, both qualified and not, and put out my own mock draft. Here goes:

1. STL - Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

2. DET - N. Suh, DL Nebraska

3. TB - Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma

4. WAS - Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma St. (Skins won't get what they want in a trade)

5. KC - Eric Berry, S Tennessee

6. SEA - Trent Williams, OT Oklahoma

7. CLE - Earl Thomas, S Texas

8. OAK - J. Pierre-Paul, DE South Florida

9. BUF - Bryan Bulaga, OT Iowa

10. JAX - C.J. Spiller, Clemson (don't think Jags take him but some team trades to get him here)

11. DEN - Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma St.

12. MIA - Dan Williams, NT Tennessee

13. SF - Joe Haden, CB Florida

14. SEA - Derrick Morgan, DE Georgia Tech

15. NYG - Brandon Graham, DE Michigan

16. TEN - Rolando McClain, LB Alabama

17. SF - Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers

18. PIT - Mike Iupati, G Iowa

19. ATL - Maurice Pouncey, C Florida

20. HOU - Kareem Jackson, CB Alabama

21. CIN - Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma

22. NE - Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame (Pats aren't taking him, but a trade to pick him up seems likely here)

23. GB - Charles Brown, OT USC

24. PHI - Sergio Kindle, LB Texas

25. BAL - Rob Gronkowski, TE Arizona (I like the Ravens to take this player, but maybe not at this spot)

26. ARI - Jerry Hughes, LB TCU

27. DAL - Everson Griffen, DE USC

28. SD - Kris Wilson, CB Boise St.

29. NYJ - Jared Odrick, DT Penn St.

30. MIN - Colt McCoy, QB Texas

31. IND - Roger Safford, OT Indiana

32. NO - Sean Weatherspoon, LB Missouri