Andy Richardson

If we were doing a print magazine this year, we'd already have conducted the mock draft for it; the lead time in printing a preseason annual means we have to hold our experts draft in May. I did, however, participate in one for Lindy's last week.

And yeah, it's pretty early to have a draft, particularly with no idea where the players affected by free agency will end up. As just one example, Jonathan Stewart could be a top-10 back if DeAngelo Williams changes teams; if Williams stays put, Stewart's more of a mid-rounder. We're not supposed to spoil the entire draft -- check out Lindy's magazine in a couple of months for that -- but we can talk about our own team. I picked 2nd, and it's a non-PPR, 3-WR start league. Here were my 14 picks.

Arian Foster. I'd have considered Foster for No. 1 overall. The other options, Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, have far more uncertain situations given the new starters at quarterback this season.

Aaron Rodgers. Given the way quarterbacks went in this draft (not high), I could have probably gone with somebody else here. But next to Michael Vick, who went earlier, Rodgers is the only QB who can put up top passing numbers while also running for 5-6 TDs.

Steven Jackson. The Rams are getting better, and they still don't have any other running backs. I don't like Jackson in a keeper format, but as a third-round pick? Easy choice.

Percy Harvin. Maybe a little high at the end of the fourth round, but I think he's a franchise talent and seems least likely of the team's receivers to be hurt by poor quarterbacking (since he catches a lot of short stuff and will run endarounds and quick slants and whatnot). Sidney Rice might not even be back.

Dallas Clark. Wasn't liking the running backs or wide receivers available in the fifth, so I took Clark. Not much to say beyond there's no reason to think he won't be a top-3 player at his position this year. Jimmy Graham didn't go for another three rounds, so in retrospect I'd have passed on Clark here and taken Graham two rounds later.

Mario Manningham. Best of the wideouts left at the end of the sixth round. Steve Smith is coming off a significant surgery and Manningham should be New York's No. 2.

Cedric Benson. One of those uncertain picks given no free agency yet. I'm figuring Benson returns as the feature back in Cincinnati, so selecting him as a No. 3 in the seventh round of a non-PPR league made sense at the time. I do, however, sort of wish I'd taken Marshawn Lynch instead.

Jordy Nelson. I see him as a likely No. 2 in Green Bay, and even the No. 3 in Green Bay is better than any other wideout on the board at this point.

Josh Freeman. I like to have two good quarterbacks, so even though this was just a mock, I thought Freeman in the 9th, given his play over the second half of last season, was too good to pass up. I'll make a mock trade if Rodgers stays healthy.

Robert Meachem. Another young wideout that I thought fell a little too far, given the age and/or injury questions of the player ahead of him. Colston is coming off yet another knee surgery.

Kendall Hunter. Most of the interesting rookie runners were gone at this point. Hunter is a guy I like a lot more in a long-term format, but he could also be a Frank Gore injury away from starting.

Eagles Defense, Matt Bryant, Dustin Keller. You're required to draft a defense and kicker, so I took top-5 guys at both spots (on our early board), then grabbed a backup tight end with great potential. The Jets' wideout situation can best be described as in flux.

So that's my mock team, and as May drafts go, it turned out reasonably well. Although my strong recommendation is, wait. Cause it's way too early to be guessing how team depth charts shake down.

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