My 1st Mock Draft of the Year

Can't believe we're here already.  The Sporting News Fantasy Source experts drafted tonight for the annual draft guide that will come out in June.  Needless to say, what we all thought was right tonight likely won't hold up well over the next 3-4 months.

For what it's worth, here's what I did from the 7th position in a 12-man standard league (starting QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, K, DEF):

Pick 1.7: AJ Green, WR, Bengals -- I didn't like my RB options with the 5 "elite" RBs off the table at this point (Jamaal, Shady, AP, Forte and Marshawn).  Intrigued by Lacy, but he just felt like a reach.

Pick 2.6: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos -- Came close to taking him in the first round, so I couldn't believe he was still here.  With Lacy and Arian gone, I turned my sights on Giovanni Bernard as my lead RB.

Pick 3.7: Reggie Bush, RB, Lions -- Dangit.  Gio went in the pick right before me.  I'd like Bush better if this was a PPR league, but it's not.  The perils of drafting WR-WR...

Pick 4.6: Nick Foles, QB, Eagles -- My draft essentially hinges on this pick.  If Foles is what we saw last year (with Maclin instead of D-Jax), I'm golden.  Otherwise, I'm toast.

Pick 5.7: Chris Johnson, RB, Jets -- Yeah, hard to get excited about this, but as a RB2 in the 5th round, he sure seems like value.

Pick 6.6: Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys -- Wanted Jordan Cameron, but he was scooped up a couple picks ahead of me.  Also thought of waiting another round or two for Jordan Reed, but got gun shy about losing out on a top (albeit aging) TE.

Pick 7.7: Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants -- Now I have both of the new starting RBs in New York, for whatever that's worth.

Pick 8.6: Darren Sproles, RB, Eagles -- The only thing not to love about Sproles in Chip Kelly's offense is that guy Shady that's in his way.  Still, I love him as a RB4.

Pick 9.7: Hakeem Nicks, WR, Colts -- If he and Luck develop some rapport, he could be a bargain.  I certainly won't trust TY Hilton again.

Pick 10.6: Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals -- Not that I wanted him, but Johnny Football was taken at the top of the 9th round!  Ridiculous…  Dalton is a solid QB2.

Pick 11.7: Kenny Stills, WR, Saints -- Boom or bust pick here.  The 2nd-year wideout is #2 on the Saints WR depth chart, behind only the aging Colston.  Brees could make him a star.  Or he could be Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem all over again.

Pick 12.6: Markus Wheaton, WR, Steelers -- The rookie is expected to start alongside Antonio Brown. Plenty of upside here.

Pick 13.7: Rams defense/special teams -- They have a chance to be very special this year.  Or not.  One of the sites I trust most has them ranked #2, so I'll take their word for it.  Haven't really paid that much attention to the defenses yet.

Pick 14.6: Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings -- Come to think of it, I haven't really paid much attention to the offenses yet, either.

Pick 15.7: Heath Miller, TE, Steelers -- Kept thinking I should take Ladarius Green, but how good can he really be with Gates still in front of him?  Went with a safer backup plan instead.

Pick 16.6: Matt Prater, K, Broncos -- Grabbed the top kicker before most everyone else pulled the trigger.  I know who I want last anyway.

Pick 17.7: Bernard Pierce, RB, Ravens -- Think Ray Rice is going to have a big year?  Exactly. Pierce is the next man up.

There you have it.  Not crazy about my starting RBs, but I'm pretty comfortable with the backups.  My WRs are stellar, my QB could be elite and the rest of my roster is solid.

At least that's the way it all looks on May 19...