Just like last year's offseason spectacle, the 2009 NFL Draft is dependent on the underclassmen who decide to forego their collegiate careers and pursue the ultimate dream of playing in the National Football League. This mock draft projects 18 seniors and 14 underclassmen being selected in the first round.
With the future of underclassmen not officially determined at this time — besides Illinois CB Vontae Davis, who already declared — it's impossible to include every draft-eligible prospect. Some notable underclassmen that were left out of the projections were: Florida QB Tim Tebow, USC QB Mark Sanchez, Arizona OT Eben Britton, TCU DE Jerry Hughes, Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy, Pittsburgh RB LeSean McCoy, South Florida DE George Selvie, Ole Miss DE Greg Hardy and Auburn DT Sen'Derrick Marks.
With that said, the intrigue builds as to who the Detroit Lions will select with the first pick in the 2009 draft. The Lions are on the clock ...
1. Detroit Lions — *Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Lions are a team that has to rebuild with a new regime, and they will decide between an offensive tackle and a quarterback. It's a tough choice, but they select Bradford.
2. St. Louis Rams — Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
The Rams could use an upgrade in their secondary, but with two of the premier offensive tackles on the board, it comes down to Oher or Smith. The pick is Oher.
