Beat Writers Mock: Thomas falls to the Falcons at 19

091205 - Tampa - GA Tech's Demaryius Thomas (8) tries to break away from Clemson's Crezdon Butler (18) in the first quarter during the ACC Championship game on Saturday, December 5, 2009 in Tampa, FL. (Johnny Crawford - jcrawford@ajc.com)

BIRDLAND – Falcons owner Arthur Blank loves his mock drafts.

So I wanted to share one of the most informed Mock Drafts compiled. This is the annual Beat Writer’s Mock draft and it is the last one I look at before completing my final mock draft. (I like ESPN’s Kiper too because he is good at setting values for players base on his film review. However, his mock is usually off because he seems to set his mock according to his evaluations, not how the teams have the players on their respective boards.)

Here’s why this Mock is so special. The beat writers from around the country have been on the case since the end of the Super Bowl. They’ve been talking to their general managers, coaches and sources to gather information. They all have special insights to their teams and the best sense of how the teams are leaning at this late hour.

History will show that the Beat Writer’s Mock it’s usually one of the best pre-draft mock out there in the flooded mock universe.

THE BEAT WRITER’S MOCK DELIGHT

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon celebrates after making a tackle against Bowling Green during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Columbia, Mo. (Associated Press)

1. St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (Jim Thomas, St. Louis Post Dispatch)

TEAM NEEDS: Literally everything. This team has lost 42 of its last 48

games and has only one game-changer on its roster in RB Steven Jackson.

2. Detroit Lions – Ndamkong Suh, DT, Nebraska (Mike O’Hara, Detroit Legend and formerly of the Detroit News. You can follow him here.)

TEAM NEEDS: DT, DE, RB, CB, OT and WR.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. (Ira Kaufmann, Tampa Tribune)

TEAM NEEDS: DT, DE, WR and LB.

4. Washington Redskins – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. (Dave Elfin, formerly of the Washington Times)

TEAM NEEDS: OTs, S, CB, RB (speed), WR and K.

Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa. (Randy Covity, Kansas City Star)

Needs: S, ILB, OLB (pass rusher in a 3-4), OT, WR, KR/PR.

6. Seattle Seahawks – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma. (Danny O’Neil, Seattle Times Sports)

TEAM NEEDS: LT, DE, S, RB, WR.

7. Cleveland Browns – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. (Tony Grossi, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Needs: S, CB, WR (speed), DE (3-4), RB (big), OL depth and QB.

8. Oakland Raiders – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland. (Nancy Gay, AOL Fanhouse)

TEAM NEEDS: OT, QB, WR, DL and RB.

9. Buffalo Bills – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson. (Mark Gaughan, Buffalo News)

TEAM NEEDS: LT, QB, WR, Pass rusher, NT.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama. (Vito Stellino, Florida Times-Union)

TEAM NEEDS: Pass rusher, MLB, S, G and C.

11. Denver Broncos – Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. (Jeff Legwold, Denver Post)

TEAM NEEDS: ILB (3-4); C; WR; G; NT

12. Miami Dolphins – Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech. (Armando Salguero, Miami Herald)

TEAM NEEDS: FS, SOLB, LG, and NT.

13. San Francisco 49ers – Joe Haden, CB, Florida. Nancy Gay (AOL Fanhouse)

TEAM NEEDS: OT, CB, OLB, NT and WR.

14. Seattle Seahawks – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida. (Dan O’Neill, Seattle Times Sports)

TEAM NEEDS: Left tackle, defensive end, safety, running back, receiver.

15. New York Giants – Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan. (Bob Glauber, Newsday)

TEAM NEEDS: LB, DE and OL.

16. Tennessee Titans – Sergio Kindle, DE/LB, Texas. (Jim Wyatt, Nashville Tennessean)

Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson comes up with an interception against Idaho at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow last November. (Joe Jaszewski/The Idaho Statesman)

TEAM NEEDS: DE, LB and CB.

17. San Francisco 49ers – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers — (Nancy Gay, AOL Fanhouse)

TEAM NEEDS: OT, CB, OLB, NT and WR.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. (Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

TEAM NEEDS: CB, DL and OL.

19. Atlanta Falcons – DeMaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech. (D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal Constitution)

TEAM NEEDS: LB, C/G, CB, WR and TE.

20. Houston Texans – Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State — (John McClain, Houston Chronicle)

TEAM NEEDS: RB, CB, DT, FS, C/G

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. (Joe Reedy, Cincinnati Enquirer)

TEAM NEEDS: TE, OG, LB, and DL pass rusher.

22. New England Patriots – Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State — (Ian Rapoport, Boston Herald)

TEAM NEEDS: DL, OLB, TE and WR.

23. Green Bay Packers – Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State — (Bob McGinn, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

TEAM NEEDS: OT, CB, LOLB (3-4), S, RB, TE AND P.

24. Philadelphia Eagles – Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama — (Paul Domowitch, Philadelphia Inquirer)

Ryan Mathews, Fresno State

TEAM NEEDS: C, CB, S, DE, RB, LB

25. Baltimore Ravens – Earl Thomas, S, Texas — (Jamison Hensley, Baltimore Sun)

TEAM NEEDS: TE, DT, CB, WR and S.

26. Arizona Cardinals – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee – (Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic)

TEAM NEEDS: NT, ILB, QB and OLB.

27: Dallas Cowboys – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State — (Charean Williams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

TEAM NEEDS: OL, WR and FS.

28: San Diego Chargers – Taylor Mays, S, USC — (Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune)

TEAM NEEDS: RB, NT, S, OT, TE, CB.

29: New York Jets – Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri — (Bob Glauber, Newsday)

TEAM NEEDS: S, DL, DT, LB and CB.

30. Minnesota Vikings – Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers — (Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star-Tribune).

TEAM NEEDS, CB, OL, LB, DT, RB and QB.

31. Indianapolis Colts – Jerry Hughes, DE, Texas Christian — (Mike Chappell, Indianapolis Star)

TEAM NEEDS: Pass-rushing DE, LT, CB, LB, DT.

32. New Orleans Saints – Everson Griffen, DE, Florida — (Mike Triplett, New Orleans Times-Picayune)

TEAM NEEDS: OLB, DE, DT, FS, TE.