Make no mistake about it. Those picks are done. However, the “made-for-television” aspect of the ceremonies dictates that there be time for talking and rumor, conjecture and speculation paired with a countdown clock. That element is heightened in 2012 with the new rules in place for the broadcast partners, forcing the action to be unveiled on the big stage by Roger Goodell. Of course, you’ll need to turn off your Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and hide from the radio to make the league’s plan work.

(You should be listening to Petros Papadakis and Lincoln Kennedy break it down on FOX Sports Radio during the NFL Draft.)

The intrigue begins at the No. 3 slot with Minnesota.

• Do they add a protector for Christian Ponder in Matt Kalil?
• Do they try to slow the downfield threats of Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson and Greg Jennings by selecting Morris Claiborne from LSU?
• Do they snag Ponder help in the receiving corps with Justin Blackmon out of Oklahoma State?

It’s hard not to grab a lineman that you can set in at tackle and leave there for a decade. There have been whispers down the stretch about run-blocking and the lack of a “mean” streak, but Kalil proved his ability at USC. Given the selection point of Ponder last season (12th overall pick), the big investment has been made at the QB position. To truly determine whether Ponder can become a consistent option under center, they’ve got to protect him. Ponder absorbed 30 sacks in 11 appearances last season and the Minnesota tackles were charted last in the NFL.

That second point among the bullets above remains the mystery point. Six games against Cutler, Stafford and Rodgers leave defensive coordinators nervous.

Costanzo is only the second OL drafted in the first round during the Bill Polian era. He stands 6-foot-7 and weighs over 300 pounds. He demonstrates superior technique and has the versatility to play several positions. There was some talk about defensive help, but it’s all about protecting #18 – demonstrating the commitment to that proposition with contract talks looming.

Next up: Philadelphia

The Patriots have a ton of picks, as you well know, so they’ll go back and fill other needs along the way (RB, WR, etc.).

Next up: San Diego

Next up: Minnesota

Next up: Cleveland has reportedly dealt the pick to Atlanta.

A.J. Green was selected almost immediately to bolster the receiving corps. He’s a big body who can stretch the field and leap over defenders in the red zone. I love it. Now … who’s flinging it to him?

Perhaps we’ll get an answer to that this weekend when business opens around the league.

Next up: Arizona

Dareus has a variety of techniques and will be a force immediately. Anyone who has read my football work knows my love of the defensive line, particularly the big fellas who work in the interior. The porous run defense has its stopper.

Cincinnati is next.

Roger Goodell was roundly booed as he strode out onto the stage. He smiled and said “let’s get back to football,” and at least got some of the crowd back in his corner.

–
New coach Ron Rivera snags an athletic, albeit raw, quarterback to build his squad around. He comes out of the spread offense and will need to leave the “run-first” thoughts in his rearview mirror. Newton’s athleticism and arm strength cannot be denied.

Newton has already experienced his share of adversity and negativity. He weathered the storm and went on to a national title and a Heisman Trophy. So, we know that he can focus with an eye on the prize. Newton’s “want” to succeed has been questioned. I’m not buying that.

The crowd in attendance at Radio City Music Hall didn’t like it. Get over it.

Newton can get his playbook tomorrow and get to work.

Denver is on the clock.

It’s only appropriate in these final hours that I present my mock draft. There will be a number of trades to blow this up, without a doubt. The Bears will trade down. The Patriots will most certainly make a move with their multiple selections. I have to forgo trying to predict those occurrences and play it straight, but I do expect to see some movement.

So, without further ado, I’m going to jump right into it. I believe I’d look at one of the three top-notch defenders if I were in the Carolina war room, but I suspect that Ron Rivera snags his franchise quarterback.

Let’s get it started.

1. Carolina – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

2. Denver – Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

3. Buffalo –  Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

4. Cincinnati – A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

5. Arizona – Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

6. Cleveland – Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

7. San Francisco – Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

8. Tennessee – Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

9. Dallas – Tyron Smith, OT, USC

10. Washington – Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

11. Houston – Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

12. Minnesota – Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

13. Detroit – Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

14. St. Louis – Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

15. Miami – Anthony Castonzo, OL, Boston College

16. Jacksonville – J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

17. New England – Cameron Jordan, DE, California

18. San Diego – Phil Taylor, DL, Baylor

19. New York Giants – Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

20. Tampa Bay – Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

21. Kansas City – Marvin Austin, DL, North Carolina

22. Indianapolis – Nate Solder, OL, Colorado

23. Philadelphia – Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

24. New Orleans – Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple

25. Seattle – Jake Locker, QB, Washington

26. Baltimore – Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

27. Atlanta – Adrian Clayborn, DL, Iowa

28. New England – Derrek Sherrod, OL, Mississippi State

29. Chicago – Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia

30. New York Jets – Justin Houston, LB, Georgia

31. Pittsburgh – Aaron Williams, DB, Texas

32. Green Bay – Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

Fans will sit and criticize or laud the efforts of their respective GMs. Shrines will be built to the expected “saviors” of a franchise. You don’t think that more than a few sites have been built to welcome Sam Bradford to St. Louis? “Sam 1 Am” See. Instead of the I, we use the number one for him being the first pick ….

The Lions are building the “Unstoppable Ndamukong” or “Sweet Suh” or something of that ilk.

There are one million and one pitchmen in Denver trying to find the magical formula to get Tim Tebow onboard. I know it certainly sent the blogosphere and talk radio buzzing, and will captivate us through training camp as Tebow finds his role.

The Draftniks return to their basements to begin work on their 2011 masterpieces. Jake Locker, Andrew Luck and the other 2011 draft hopefuls are working on their games with anticipation of hearing their names called in primetime next year.

I’ll spend considerable time watching and analyzing the college game this fall on the Dome in addition to my usual vigilance on the NFL and MLB beats.

Over the next couple days, I’ll be breaking down the good, bad and ugly from the 2010 NFL Draft, including thoughts on the myriad trades that shook up the landscape.

Is the JaMarcus Russell era over in Oakland with Jason Campbell’s arrival (Campbell said flat-out that he expects to start)? Did Pete Carroll’s trade push the Seahawks back toward the top of the NFC West?

The time to break down our new heroes is at hand. Did your team do enough?

Look for new podcasts w/ special guests from around the league, Vlogs and a ton of blog posts to get you buzzing around the water cooler.

So, what do you think?
CJ Spiller as a Bill and Tim Tebow as a Bronco – do you love it, hate it? Are you surprised to see who’s still waiting to be selected and were you expecting to see Big Ben’s name come up?

Post your comments – we want to know what’s rolling around in your dome. I’ll be posting my thoughts along with the results of rounds 2 and 3 soon enough.
For now, the thoughts inside the dome belong to the fans! Dominate!

Still, I’m calling on you to start building a picture for 2010. It’s an ever-growing puzzle, and more than a few pieces will change shape before we complete things coming into September. We’ll roll through the playoffs and Super Bowl and into the NFL Draft evaluation period. Before you know it, we’ll be back in the draft rooms and getting ourselves prepared for another wild ride.

As such, it’s time to start marinating the term “sleeper” and some of those players who might just fit the tab for 2010. Some received extended runs in the national spotlight (like Matt Moore), while others never received the opportunity to shine. Michael Crabtree and LeSean McCoy are known quantities and don’t count in this analysis. Let’s dig a little deeper.

James Davis, RB, CLE

Jerome Harrison claimed the top spot in Cleveland following Jamal Lewis’ injury and clearly comes into 2010 as the presumed starter. Eric Mangini spoke of being impressed with the fourth-year tailback’s efforts down the stretch and will have the opportunity to coach the Browns in 2010. Still, I can’t help but put Davis (and to a lesser extent, Chris Jennings) on the radar. Harrison had been an afterthought in the Cleveland offense for years when he wasn’t injured. Davis appeared to be the heir apparent behind Lewis before sustaining a controversial shoulder injury. We’ll watch this situation closely during the summer.

Michael Bush, RB, OAK

The Raiders came into 2009 with a three-headed backfield. I don’t know that the contestants necessarily change for 2010, although I do suspect that Bush showed enough to warrant a bigger role. We know what Justin Fargas is all about. He runs hard, shows promise and gets hurt … every single year. Darren McFadden appears better suited to take on a Reggie Bush-like role and be pushed out wide as a receiver. But Michael Bush demonstrated great power and burst when given an opportunity to take on a bigger workload. He’s a darkhorse candidate for a breakthrough 2010.

Justin Forsett, RB, SEA

The Seahawks fired Jim Mora after one year as the head coach, and the new boss will inherit some huge question marks. Is Matt Hasselbeck the right quarterback? Which receivers will pair with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and John Carlson in the new world order? How much money will the Seahawks spend on offensive linemen in free agency, and how many new pieces will be drafted?

I could do this all day.

There’s also a question mark in the backfield, as Mora turned to veteran Julius Jones for a heavy workload down the stretch. As such, we’re not quite sure what to expect from Forsett. He’s clearly an explosive option if he gets to the edge (5.4 yards per carry) and demonstrated the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield (41 receptions). I don’t believe Forsett’s a 20-carry back for a full season, but he holds significant Fantasy value if he sees 10-12 touches per game.

Chad Henne, QB, MIA

Henne assumed the starting role following Chad Pennington’s injury and demonstrated a big arm in leading the Dolphins into the playoff chase. He averaged 205.6 passing yards in 14 appearances, including three 300-yard games in his final five starts. The running game remains front and center in Miami, but Henne certainly displayed an ability and willingness to air it out. He averaged 32.2 pass attempts per game while completing 60.8 percent of his attempts.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, BUF

Trent Edwards appeared on this list for 2009, but now he’ll need to battle for his job in 2010. Is Fitzpatrick necessarily a big-time weekly producer? No, I’m not going to say that by any stretch. However, he proved to be a solid plug-in contributor to fantasy lineups down the stretch. Like Henne above, Fitzpatrick exhibited a willingness to throw downfield to Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. He takes his chances, but that was the major strike against Edwards in many eyes. Edwards was famously tabbed “Captain Check Down” by a frequent caller on our FOX Fantasy Football show this season. There are obviously changes afoot in Buffalo, with a new coach set to be named and Owens possibly (likely?) skipping out of town.

Matt Moore, QB, CAR

Moore certainly put his best foot forward when Jake Delhomme was sidelined by an injury. It could be argued that he should’ve been inserted into the lineup earlier in the season to stop the turnover barrage, but that’s neither here nor there. Moore threw eight touchdowns with no interceptions in his final four appearances. He averaged 207.3 passing yards, completed 61.3 percent of his attempts and demonstrated a willingness to throw the ball downfield, connecting frequently with Steve Smith prior to his injury, but wasn’t reckless.

Devin Thomas, WR, WAS

Thomas had started to assume a larger role in the Washington offense down the stretch before sustaining an ankle injury that sidelined him for the final two games. The second-year receiver averaged 3.6 receptions and 50.8 yards in the five games prior to getting injured. New coach Mike Shanahan will evaluate all personnel and adjust the offense accordingly. It has to get better in 2010 by default, doesn’t it? Thomas, a former second-round pick, will likely assume a much more prevalent role in the new world order.

Brandon Gibson, WR, STL

Gibson came over to the Rams in the midseason trade that sent Will Witherspoon to the Eagles. Injuries moved him into the starting lineup quickly, and he performed quite well alongside Donnie Avery. He caught multiple passes in each of the final eight games of the year, including four games of at least five receptions. He was also learning on the fly after coming over from Philadelphia, and there were multiple opportunities where timing issues came into play (and a few dropped passes along the way). Those should get ironed out this offseason.

Obviously, there are numerous pieces in play for the St. Louis offense in 2010. The quarterback position is the biggest question mark, as the Rams will need to decide whether Kyle Boller or Keith Null can reasonably begin the year as the starter. Also, Gibson’s initial value depends on the availability of Laurent Robinson, who showed promise before sustaining a season-ending injury. Gibson’s last-round or waiver wire fodder to start, but depending on the changes in St. Louis, he could become a valued addition.

Devin Aromashodu, WR, CHI

Aromashodu performed well during the 2009 preseason, but an injury kept him from cracking the receiver rotation. He finally started to see the field in the second half of the year and flourished down the stretch, catching 22 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns in the final four games. Standing 6-foot-2 with an ability to stretch the field and willingness to fight for balls (a key ingredient to a Cutler-led offense), Aromashodu should challenge for a starting role in 2010.

Chaz Schilens, WR, OAK

Schilens impressed everyone during training camp and started to creep into the final “flier” rounds of drafts in 2009. A broken bone in his foot and the trials and tribulations of JaMarcus Russell made his midseason return an afterthought. He performed well following his return, though, averaging 3.6 receptions and 45.6 yards per game. He finished the season with a 99-yard effort against the Ravens in the Raiders’ near upset bid. The Oakland offense is certainly in flux, and the race to be the next starting quarterback has begun. Will Tom Cable, or whomever occupies the spot, be forced to start Russell, or will a new signal caller take over?

Zach Miller, TE, JAC

Marcedes Lewis was expected to become a big-time pass-catching receiver in the Jacksonville system and has appeared on this list in the past. Now Miller, a sixth-round pick in 2009, has risen up to challenge Lewis for the role. Miller caught 10 passes for 81 yards in the final two games of the season and scored twice in the disappointing season-ending loss to Cleveland. At 6-foot-4, he has the ability to become a red zone target at a minimum. Let’s face it, there’s not much in this receiving corps beyond Mike Sims-Walker in 2010.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE, DET

Pettigrew had started to assert himself and become a fixture in the Detroit offense when he sustained a season-ending knee injury. We’ll obviously monitor his progress and reports out of Detroit, but I remain enamored with the potential of this 6-foot-5 red zone monster. He’d caught multiple passes in eight of the 11 games in which he appeared while averaging 34.6 yards per game. He scored in two of his final four games before leaving the Thanksgiving Day game against Green Bay.