Draft day wants and needs

To those who might be thinking there just hasn't been enough weeks and months of pre-draft hoopla, we're sorry. The day for NFL teams to begin actually picking players has mercifully arrived amid a labor battle, courtroom maneuvering and the overall uncertainty of the league's future.

A record 56 underclassmen didn't let the possibility of no season or a rookie wage scale discourage them from jumping to the NFL, however. As many as seven of them are projected as top-10 picks, including Cam Newton, Auburn's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and the presumed No. 1 overall selection of the Carolina Panthers.

For the first time in the free-agency era, the draft will be the first opportunity teams have to fill needs. With eight of the first 12 teams selecting needing a quarterback, there is speculation that as many as seven quarterbacks will be taken at some point among the first 40 to 50 picks. Some of them might be perceived as a reach that normally wouldn't be taken if teams had been given access to trades and free agency.

"Every one of these [quarterbacks] has a strength and a weakness," said Rick Spielman, Vikings vice president of player personnel. "Each one has different issues. I don't know if there is a Sam Bradford per se. But even he had people questioning him about his durability" before the Rams selected him No. 1 overall last year.

Besides the absence of a franchise quarterback, teams near the top of the draft also share a weakness when it comes to rushing the passer. The top six teams and seven of the top 10 in this year's draft ranked in the bottom half of the league in sacks last season. That's not a good place to be when you consider last year's Super Bowl teams -- Pittsburgh and Green Bay -- were 1-2 in sacks, not to mention being set at quarterback for years to come.

There is good news, however. Defensive linemen and pass-rushing outside linebackers that fit the increasingly popular 3-4 defensive schemes are the strength of this year's draft.

"I think it's great for the league because for the longest time we had a dearth of D-linemen," Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "It's exciting having some very high-producing athletes along the front."

It's possible that 16 first-round selections -- half of the picks in the entire round -- could be spent on defensive linemen or 3-4 outside linebackers. That would top the 11 chosen during a 2003 draft.

"If you can't rush the passer in this league, you're going to struggle," Giants General Manager Jerry Reese said. "These quarterbacks are too good at this level. You've got to make them get out of their rhythm."

Also needed: OTs, WRs

Naturally, teams need offensive tackles to block all these premier pass rushers. In the past five drafts, nine offensive tackles have been picked among the top 10 players.

The Cowboys could add to that total Thursday night if, as expected, they select USC's Tyron Smith. It would be the first time Dallas has taken an offensive lineman in the first round since Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989.

Barring a surprise, this will be the first time since 2004 that a running back hasn't been among the top 13 picks. Alabama's former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram might be the only back taken in the first round. He could slide to Green Bay at No. 32 or even into the second round.

The safest picks in the draft -- if there are such things -- appear to be the two seniors projected as top-five picks. Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller could go No. 3 to Buffalo. Meanwhile, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson might be the best player in the draft, although there's never been a cornerback selected first or second overall.

The action starts at 7 p.m. Central time Thursday night with the first round. Rounds 2-3 begin at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by Rounds 4-7 at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Teams to watch

The team to keep an eye on Thursday and Friday is New England. Some savvy trading by coach Bill Belichick has landed the Patriots six of the top 92 picks. They have two in the first round (Nos. 17, 28), two in the second (Nos. 33, 60) and two in the third (Nos. 74, 92).

Washington, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Chicago and the Jets have only six picks apiece, although the Saints have two in the third round. The Redskins don't have picks in the third and fourth rounds, the latter pick surrendered in the Donovan McNabb trade. The Jets don't have a second-round pick, and the Raiders are the only team without a first-round pick.

With the Panthers on the clock, new coach Ron Rivera, a former defensive coordinator, is part of the braintrust considering whether to fortify on defense or pick Newton or possibly Missouri's Blaine Gabbert in hopes of joining the fortunate teams that have franchise quarterbacks. One of the reasons the Panthers are picking No. 1 overall is they play in an NFC South division that includes quarterbacks Drew Brees (New Orleans), Matt Ryan (Atlanta) and Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay).

"Look throughout the league and franchise quarterbacks are what's happening in this league," Rivera said. "I come from a place, having been in San Diego, where you've got Philip Rivers. We've got to find a situation like that."