Mock Draft: Picks 5-8

To recap the first four selections, Oakland led off by selecting QB JaMarcus Russell of LSU as their "QB of the Future". Detroit followed suit at #2, taking Notre Dame gunslinger Brady Quinn. Cleveland found an explosive running back available and selected Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson. Tampa Bay faced a tough decision at #4, but ultimately settled on wideout Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech.

To view the analysis for picks 1-4, click here.

The Arizona Cardinals are now on the clock:

5. Arizona Cardinals (5-11): Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
- New head coach Ken Whisenhunt comes with a strong pedigree in the run game. He’s got a top-flight runner in Edgerrin James. The team also has a promising aerial attack led by young quarterback Matt Leinart. What the team does not have yet is an offensive line that will allow the offense to reach its true potential. Enter Joe Thomas (right). A truly gifted athlete, Thomas will not survive the Top 5 on the Cards’ watch – he is the perfect fit in Arizona. The team lost another former top pick, Leonard Davis, to Dallas this off-season, so the pressure is on for the team to find a franchise left tackle as quickly as possible. Thomas definitely fits that bill. He could be a prime target of the Lions, and is also a player a lot of teams may try to trade up for. If Thomas is chosen before this pick, look for Arizona to either trade down or focus on their defensive line. Linebacker help is not out of the question either, but only if the team trades down.

6. Washington Redskins (5-11): Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
- The Redskins are annually one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. The team seems to be turning their thought process around this off-season, however – the team has not spent nearly as much on high-priced free agents as they usually do, and are poised to have a productive draft. The team did not get the pass rush it desired when they spent millions on Andre Carter last off-season. Gaines Adams (left) is the draft’s most gifted pass rusher, and would immediately give the Redskins an explosive playmaker on defense.

7. Minnesota Vikings (6-10): Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
- The ideal choice for the Vikings here would be to select Brady Quinn. However, the team likes its young quarterbacks in Brooks Bollinger and Tarvaris Jackson, so the Vikes will look elsewhere. The team could use help at wide receiver, but the team has added Bobby Wade and will once again likely look elsewhere. Jamaal Anderson (right) is possibly the best player available here and would help the Vikings complete their defensive line, which is outstanding in the middle but lacks a pass-rushing punch. The team could move up for Adams. Anderson does not have the pass-rushing punch that Adams or many other lesser-known ends in the draft do, but he can get after the quarterback and also has the size and frame to be extremely effective against the run. That run-stuffing presence fits in nicely with the team's outstanding tackle tandem in Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. If the team looks for a wide receiver, Dwayne Jarrett is the most likely selection, with Ted Ginn a darkhorse. The team will only draft a wideout if it trades down, however.

8. Houston Texans (6-10): LaRon Landry, S, LSU
- If everything falls as it does in picks 1-7, the Texans will have two choices with this pick: LaRon Landry (left) or Alan Branch. Branch would give the team an impact lineman to pair with end Mario Williams. However, the team has a lot of money tied up in its line and may be close to signing free agent Jeff Zgonina anyways. Houston has never had an impact safety – in fact, they’ve never even had satisfactory play from the position. Landry is the prototypical athlete for the position and is just the type of ballhawk that this team needs defensively. Landry may just be the most explosive athlete in this draft outside of the top two wideouts, Calvin Johnson and Ted Ginn - he is thickly built (6'1", 213) with the speed of a top wideout (he ran a 4.35 in the 40 yard dash). He would immediately become a starter, likely at free safety, and would finally give the Texans a legitimate complement to Dunta Robinson in the defensive backfield.

Picks 9-12 come tomorrow - who will the Buffalo Bills take? Check back tomorrow morning for the answer.