With all these talented wideouts coming into the NFL, teams will need the corners to match up. In the secondary, you always see cornerbacks elevated into the first or early second round because of need. With all these talented wideouts coming into the NFL, teams will need the corners to match up. Look for Ohio State's Nate Clements to surface as a first-round possibility. Sure, he was beaten on occasion in the Big Ten by Minnesota junior Ron Johnson and Terrell, but you have to like his physical ability and overall NFL potential.
Free agency affects team needs on a daily basis.
You saw it in Seattle where Mike Holmgren has addressed a major weakness along the defensive front by signing John Randle and Chad Eaton . That affects how they approach the first round of the draft. Now, they can think about wide receiver, middle linebacker or cornerback. The Baltimore Ravens signed RT Leon Searcy but lost center Jeff Mitchell to Carolina. The plan now is to shift guard Mike Flynn to center to fill that void, opening up a hole at guard.