# My FINAL 2002 NFL mock draft with explanations



## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

After thinking more about it, I deleted my first draft and decided to change a few things. 

My Final 2002 NFL Mock Draft. 

1. Houston- David Carr -QB 
The Texans have already announced that they're going with the franchise QB Carr. With a good offensive line already established through the expansion draft, offensive weapons will be picked in the later rounds. 

2. Carolina - Julius Peppers - DE 
This pick is almost as much of a lock as the first pick. Peppers is an explosive, once-in-a-lifetime talent at DE who will be successful in the NFL for years. 

3. Detroit - Quentin Jammer - DB 
Although the Lions are looking at Joey Harrington real good, secondary help is the biggest need and Detroit feels that Mike McMahon is their future. 

4. Buffalo - Bryant McKinnie - OT 
This is a no-brainer for the Bills, who pick the best offensive lineman in the draft in a long time. 

5. San Diego - Mike Williams - OT 
The ‘Bolts’ really like Williams after they found out his bum knee was okay. Truth is, the Chargers have publicly said they would take Williams over McKinnie. 

6. Dallas - Roy Williams - S 
The Cowboys shored up their defensive line and cornerbacks with La’Roi Glover and Bryant Westbrook through free agency, so they are able to take the biggest playmaker for their young and improving defense. 

7. Minnesota - Ryan Sims - DT 
Sims made a late push on draft boards to become the first DT taken in the draft. Minnesota can now put Sims and Chris Hovan together to make a pairing of two excellent, young DT’s. 

8. Kansas City - Joey Harrington - QB 
Plain and simple, Trent Green is not the answer. Johnnie Morton was acquired in the offseason, and Dick Vermeil would like to get a franchise QB. 

9. Jacksonville - Albert Haynesworth - DT 
The youngest, most immature, and the DT with the most upside potential goes to the cash-strapped Jaguars who lost two DT’s in Gary Walker and Seth Payne to the Houston Texans. 

10. Cincinnati - Phillip Buchanon - CB 
Buchanon is a perfect fit for the Bengals, who re-upped Arthrell Hawkins and added Jeff Burris to the secondary in free agency. Buchanon could step in and start about halfway through the year, while the Bengals improve the 9th rated defense in the draft. Other possibilities here are Mike and Roy Williams, Wendell Bryant, or Joey Harrington. 


11. Indianapolis - Wendell Bryant - DT 
Already with a great offense, the Colts and new head coach Tony Dungy grab a great defensive stud to help clog the middle. 

12. Arizona - Charles Grant - DE 
Every draft, one or two players go a lot higher then expected. Arizona, who had one of the worst pass rushes last year, helped out their secondary by snatching Duane Starks from the Ravens, and then grab Charles Grant, who goes a lot higher then most think. 

13. New Orleans - Donte Stallworth - WR 
Stallworth, who ran a 4.23 forty with a sprained ankle, elevated his stock from the second round to the first WR taken in the draft. New Orleans, who have been searching for a WR opposite Joe Horn for three years, finally gets one. 

14. Tennessee - Ashlie Lelie - WR 
Most expect the Titans to pick Toniu Funoti here, but Lelie is such a physical specimen at WR that I expect the Titans to not be able to pass up on him. The Titans, who have never really had a good WR, now gain a deep threat. 

15. New York N - Jeremy Shockey - TE 
Stevens, coming off a national championship with the Miami Hurricanes, knows how to get open. The Giants would love to add his pass-catching ability to an offense with little explosiveness. 

16. Cleveland - TJ Duckett - RB 
Duckett, a junior who entered the draft a year early, has a rare yet impressive combination of size, speed, and power. Cleveland, who isn’t spectacular at any position on offense, needs a workhorse RB to carry the offense, and grabs one here in the first round. 

17. Atlanta - Jabar Gaffney - WR 
Atlanta, who probably has the worst group of WR’s in the league, grabs a star in Gaffney to go with Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn, and Jamal Anderson. 

18. Washington - Patrick Ramsey - QB 
New Head Coach Steve Spurrier, who never ceases to go his own way, takes a chance on Patrick Ramsey to run his fun-n-gun offense that he used with the Gators. 

19. Denver - Ed Reed - S 
Denver, who lost Eric Brown to free agency, grabs the ball-hawking Ed Reed to fill the hole at FS. 

20. Seattle - Daniel Graham - TE 
Mike Holmgren finally gets his TE that has the total package. Graham, who lost to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, will be a pro-bowl type player for years to come. 

21. Oakland - John Henderson - DT 
The 6’7” Henderson, the last of the four great DT’s, slips 10 picks down the draft because of concerns of his bad back. The Raiders, who considered trading up into the top ten to grab Henderson, have a gift fall into their laps for the first of their two first round picks. 

22. New York A - Levi Jones - OT 
New York, who lost both their CB’s in the expansion draft, decide that a CB isn’t worth the pick here. Levi Jones, who graduated at Arizona State, can replace RT Ryan Young, who was also picked by Houston. 

23. Oakland - Napoleon Harris - OLB 
With the second of Oakland’s two first round picks, the Raiders grab Napoleon Harris of Northwestern to replace Elijah Alexander on the outside. 

24. Baltimore - William Green - RB 
Green, who didn’t show the speed at the Indianapolis Combine that everyone thought he would, slips in the first round but is taken by the Ravens in case Jamal Lewis, who has already had two major knee injuries in college and the NFL, can’t recover. 

25. New Orleans - Toniu Funoti - OG 
Funoti, who slipped 10 picks in the draft after the Titans go receiver in the first round, is snatched up by New Orleans to help solidify the offensive line after the loss of LT William Roaf. 

26. Philadelphia - Lito Sheppard - CB 
Philadelphia, who have two ageing CB’s, grab the athletic yet big Sheppard for insurance after finding out last year in the playoffs how hard it is to win without depth at CB’s. 

27. San Francisco - Antonio Bryant - WR 
Bryant, whose stock has slipped more then any other player in the draft, is stopped by the 49ers, who are still searching for a possession WR opposite Terrell Owens. 

28. Green Bay - Josh Reed - WR 
With the large possibility of Antonio Freeman being traded, Josh Reed is picked by the Packers to line up across from and take pressure off of Terry Glenn. Reed, who is small yet tough and hard to tackle, is a perfect fit for the cold weather of Wisconsin. 

29. Chicago - Dwight Freeney - DE 
Freeney, who ran a blistering time of 4.39 in the forty at the NFL combine, isn’t sure if he’ll be playing OLB or DE, but knows how to get to the passer, which is exactly what the Bears ordered. 

30. Pittsburgh - Andre Gurode - OG 
Pittsburgh, whose biggest need is at FS, shores up their interior offensive line with the stud Gurode. Another Colorado Buffalo alum, Gurode will be providing plenty of ‘pancake blocks’ for the bus, Jerome Bettis. 
31. St. Louis - Reche Caldwell - WR 
St Louis, who will have two WR’s under contract after next year, add a WR in the first to replace the departed Az-Zahir Hakim. The Rams, who don’t need any more offensive threats, add one here at the bottom of the first round. 

32. New England - Anthony Weaver – DT 
The defending Super Bowl champions grab Weaver, who has second round talent but first round potential. Weaver, who is the second DT taken in a row by New England after Richard Seymour was picked last year, also played DE in college, so his versatility is a wanted commodity for the Patriots.


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