With the 2008 NFL Draft just two weeks away, Biz of Football Editor of Content Bill Jordan has finalized his mock draft.

Team needs, individual performance during the player’s college career, the combine and their individual workout, as well as off the field issues were taken into consideration when creating the draft.

1. Miami Dolphins: Chris Long, Defensive End, University of Virginia.

Long is probably the best sure bet of the draft, and the Dolphins have so many needs after a 1-15 season that they cannot afford to do anything but take what’s guaranteed.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jake Long, Offensive Tackle, University of Michigan.

Another sure bet. The Rams need help protecting the quarterback and, this Long is as good as they get in this class. The Wolverine is rated almost as high as Cleveland Brown Joe Thomas was before last year’s draft.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Boston College.

Not many analysts (including this one) think that Ryan is going to be an outstanding quarterback. On the plus side, he does not make many mistakes, and sometimes that’s enough. The Falcons also need a franchise quarterback. Badly.

4. Oakland Raiders: Glenn Dorsey, Defensive Tackle, Louisiana State University.

Many thought Dorsey would vault to the top of the draft board, but questions about injuries have kept him from being a lock at the No. 1 pick. The Raiders have already spent a lot of money this off-season, but the addition of Dorsey will give their improved defense a boost.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Vernon Gholston, Defensive End, Ohio State University.

Head coach Herm Edwards seems to think that he has all of the right pieces on offense, but the Chiefs defense needs an addition like Gholston if they want to compete next season.

6. New York Jets: Darren McFadden, Running Back, Arkansas.

McFadden is perhaps the best pure athlete in the draft. The hope would be that he would not have to carry the entire load of a team, but could switch off with another talented back. The addition of McFadden to the Jets lineup makes them much more competitive.

7. New England Patriots (acquired from the San Francisco 49ers): Ryan Clady, Offensive Tackle, Boise State.

The Patriots have a good offensive line at this point, but if they go with the best player available it will most likely be Clady. There’s no telling how much their current line will be affected after letting Tom Brady get sacked five times during the Super Bowl.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Sedrick Ellis, Defensive Tackle, University of Southern California.

Ellis had a great college career and seems to be a lock to have a stable career in the NFL. The Ravens could use Ellis as their once dominant defense is aging.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Leodis McKelvin, Cornerback, Troy.

The Bengals’ offense has been clicking on all cylinders recently, but their defense has been keeping them from winning games. McKelvin will be an upgrade to their secondary and should be able to make an impact during his first season.

10. New Orleans Saints: Keith Rivers, Linebacker, University of Southern California.

The Saints were a disappointment last season. Their team seemed to have many holes, but their defense was the biggest problem.  Signing Rivers should help that.

11. Buffalo Bills: Mike Jenkins, Cornerback, University of Southern Florida.

The Bills need help in their secondary. Jenkins is the best available at that position when they select.

12. Denver Broncos: Phillip Merling, Defensive End, Clemson.

The Broncos historically have great drafts. Merling has the potential to be an All-Pro who could be overlooked by a lot of teams.

13. Carolina Panthers: Rashard Mendenhall, Running Back, Illinois.

The Panthers let DeShaun Foster go in the off season, and they may be looking for a replacement. Their offense was slow to get going last season. With the health of Jake Delhomme in doubt, they need all the firepower they can get on that side of the ball.

14. Chicago Bears: Chris Williams, Offensive Tackle, Vanderbilt.

This draft in unusually deep with talent at the offensive line as Williams has a definite shot to be a good pro. The Bears are in need of more protection for Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton or whoever their quarterback is in the future.

15. Detroit Lions: Derrick Harvey, Defensive End, Florida.

After trading Shaun Rogers to the Browns during the off-season, the Lions need some help on the defensive side of the ball. Harvey could provide this as he had a more than solid college campaign.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Stewart, Running Back, Oregon.

With the Edgerrin James project not working exactly as they thought it would, the addition of Stewart might stir things up in the backfield and create a successful two-back system.

17. Minnesota Vikings: Malcolm Kelly, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma.

The Vikings’ offense was very unproductive last season, and they still seem iffy on who will be their quarterback of the future. Adding a weapon like Kelly should help the quarterback stretch the field and keep his options open.

18. Houston Texans: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Cornerback, Tennessee State.

The Texans’ offense moved the ball last season, scored the most points, and led the team to the most wins in franchise history. Rogers-Cromartie would be a great addition to the other side of the ball, which seems much weaker at this point.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Limas Sweed, Wide Receiver, Texas.

Donavan McNabb has not had many accountable, Pro Bowl, offensive weapons over the past couple of seasons. Sweed could provide that.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver, California.

There have been knocks on Jackson’s weight, but he has a lot of speed and will probably put on some pounds once he is in an NFL conditioning program. He would be a great weapon for the Bucs’ offense.

21. Washington Redskins: Jeff Otah, Offensive Tackle, Pittsburgh.

Assuming Jason Campbell comes back to form after being injured, he will need some protection. Otah is yet another solid prospect in a draft filled with offensive linemen.

22. Dallas Cowboys (from the Cleveland Browns): Devin Thomas, Wide Receiver, Michigan State University.

Now that the Cowboys have Tony Romo tied up in a long-term deal, they should take Thomas so that he can learn under Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn for a few years before he becomes a feature.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Brandon Albert, Offensive Guard, University of Virginia.

With some uncertainty on the Steelers’ front line, Albert would be able to learn from the veterans in yellow and black before being counted on to guard Ben Roethlisberger full time.

24. Tennessee Titans: Dan Connor, Linebacker, Penn State.

Even though the Titans made the playoffs last season, they still have many holes to fill including the linebacker position. Connor would fit in nicely with the current members of the team and with the coach a mainstay, he would be assured of the consistency that he had in college.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Kenny Phillips, Safety, University of Miami.

The Seahawks already have a stellar defense. Phillips would be able to learn from some of the best before he had to be counted on as an every-down player.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kentwan Balmer, Defensive Tackle, University of North Carolina.

The Jags’ defense was tough enough to beat the Steelers at their own game during the post-season. The addition of Balmer would only make them more of a threat.

27. San Diego Chargers: Felix Jones, Running Back, Arkansas.

After losing LaDainian Tomlinson’s backfield mate during the off-season, the Chargers will look to add someone who can take some of the load off of LT’s shoulders.

28. Dallas Cowboys: Antoine Carson, Cornerback, Arizona.

Roy Williams and the other members of the Cowboys’ secondary aren’t going to be around forever, but there might not be a better person for Carson to learn from than the famed horse collar tackler.

29. San Francisco 49ers (from the Indianapolis Colts): Agib Talib, Cornerback, Kansas.

The 49ers need help almost everywhere. Talib may be the best athlete who has talent at his position available at this pick in the draft.

30. Green Bay Packers: Quentin Groves, Linebacker, Auburn.

With uncertainty offense with Aaron Rogers taking over for Brett Favre, the Packers will need their defense to be better than ever. Groves will be able to learn from A.J. Hawk and help the Packers’ defense become one of the best in the league.

31. New England Patriots

This pick was taken away from the Patriots by Commissioner Roger Goodell as part of the punishment for “spygate.”

32. New York Giants: James Hardy, Wide Receiver, Indiana.

Obviously the Giants have a lot of parts. Hardy would be just one more weapon that Eli Manning could use.

Other Possible First Round Selections

Early Doucet, Wide Receiver, Louisiana State University (Could go to the Titans at pick 24 or the Seahawks at pick 25.)

Mario Manningham, Wide Receiver, University of Michigan (Could go to the Jaguars at pick 26 or the 49ers at pick 29.)

Gosder Cherilus, Offensive Tackle, Boston College (Could go to the Chargers at pick 27.)

Calais Campbell, Defensive End, Miami (Could go to the Redskins at pick 21 or the Jaguars at pick 26.)

Anthony Collins, Tackle, Kansas (Could go to the Seahawks at pick 25 or the Giants at pick 32.)

Jamaal Charles, Running Back, Texas (Could go to the Cowboys at pick 28.)

Brian Brohm, Quarterback, Louisville (Could go to the Bears at pick 14, the Vikings at pick 17 or the Packers at pick 30.)

Joe Flacco, Quarterback, Delaware (Could go to the Bears at pick 14.)

Lawrence Jackson, Defensive End, University of Southern California (Could go to the Jaguars at pick 26.)

Curtis Lofton, Linebacker, Oklahoma (Could go to the Chargers at pick 27.)

Fred Davis, Tight End, University of Southern California. (Could go to the Packers at pick 30.)

Brandon Flowers, Cornerback, Virginia Tech (Could go to the Packers at pick 30.)

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