Now that the Petes have been eliminated from the OHL Playoffs, the Blue Jays are officially mathematically eliminated from MLB post-season play and the New York Rangers are only another 127 million dollars U.S. away from ensuring an NHL post-season berth, it is time to begin thinking about the up-coming NFL season. A mere 3 weeks from now the 32 teams of the National Football League will be taking turns at the podium to announce their selections from the ranks of the U.S. colleges. Most of you have probably surfed the web in search of the multitude of mock drafts prepared by some of the top pigskin prognosticators in the land. What you have not come across, though, is any mock drafts which deal specifically with our own league, the mighty KLFFL.

Well, search no more! "Sportsguys Publications", a division of "Westridge Enterprises", has recently completed its exhaustive research into this season's up-coming draft and proudly presents the 1st Annual "Sportsguys Totally Unbelievable Draft Mock Up For Franchises In Need" (or "STUD MUFFIN", if you please). This in-depth analysis of the 10 franchises in our fine league will sure to be a hit with all of you who own teams in this most prestigious of organizations. What follows is the culmination of endless hours of study into the needs, draft tendancies, strengths and weaknesses of all 10 member franchises. We hope that you will enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed producing it. So sit back, relax and prepare yourself for a mock draft of this year's first 2 rounds. You should be both educated and entertained by its contents. And remember, don't delete this ever! It will be a valuable tool in your preparations for this August's festivities.

The Texans are currently in a building mode. They are a team that needs help everywhere. With no Franchise RBs available in this year's crop, the biggest impact player should be the number 1 priority. Youth should be a major consideration for the Texans, as they are likely a year or two away from contention. While there are a few wide-outs who are worthy of a look at this spot, Charles Rogers is the consensus #1 WR available. His leaping ability and magic hands make him a perfect fit and potential deadly weapon for QB David Carr. Could this be the next Montana to Rice combo in the KLFFL? We think so.

The Varsity Blues are among the strongest in the league at the QB position. Several years with high picks have paid off for owner Jon Barillari. The Blues could look to add depth at the WR position but with Rogers gone, the impact player they need might not be available. A depth-type player at RB is essential if the Blues wish to reach the next level. Zereoue fits the bill and should be able to spell off Mike Alstott between the 20's. His ability to both run and catch the ball will be a definite up-grade to the Blues playbook. With Bettis approaching the down-side of his illustrious career, Amos has the potential to become "Famous Amos" in the future.

The Dolphins are a very young up and coming squad. The depth at RB is among the best in the league. While WR is a concern, a more pressing need exists at the QB position. The opportunity to land a franchise quarterback does come along all the time. The WR problem can adequately be addressed later in the draft. With 4 of the first 18 picks, the Dolphins are a lock to take the #1 QB available, that being USC's Carson Palmer, The Trojan Stud. Even if Palmer does not start this coming Opening Day, he will prove to be a steal at pick 3.

The time for the Raiders is now. Under the ownership of Joe Barillari, these Raiders have been a perennial top 5 team. However, with age becoming a factor, they must take a run at the title this season. With last year's MVP Rich Gannon at the helm, look for the Raiders to gather weapons at other positions in this year's draft. Experience and speed will be major concerns which makes Garner the answer. Hopefully, Priest Holmes will fully recover from hip surgery this off-season and be able to lead what will be a strong RB contingent with the addition of Charlie Garner.

As noted above, the Texans need help at several spots. With having already grabbed the biggest impact player in the draft with the selection of Rogers at #1, depth will now be of the utmost priority. Several options are available to the Texans at this spot. STUD MUFFIN feels that the QB position should be the next concern. A handful of possibilities exist and we had to choose one of them. While Hasselbeck has had chances before, his fine finish to the 2002 season make him worth the gamble at Pick #5. The only concern here is that maybe he had success last year because the pressure was off. Only time will tell which player he really is. For the Texans sake, let's hope he is the leader of Nov/Dec of last year.

This is a definite case of the rich getting richer. The Saints are the class of the league and have no glaring holes to fill. With stardom and depth well in hand, youth may be the next priority. Although not at the level of Rogers, Johnson has a chance to be a very special player in the NFL. Look for the Saints to go with the "best player available" approach and take Johnson with this pick. Other options are possible here, but STUD MUFFIN thinks that past draft day performances suggest that owner Steve Collins is a sure bet to have his Johnson in hand on Aug. 3, 2003.

Hey-la, Hey-la, the Pack is Back. Team owner Dave Crowley has totally re-vamped this squad following the expansion draft. Shrewd acquisitions of several 1st Round Picks have been turned into proven quality players. We don't really agree with the selection of Driver here because we think that the WR position could be addressed with one of the 3 picks that the Packers have in the 20-27 range. Unfortuneately, Dave has a big heart-on for the green and gold of Lambeau Field. There is no denying the value of a Favre to Driver combo and the gutsy performance by a less than healthy Driver in last year's playoff game. STUD MUFFIN just thinks that the Westridge Packers could be even better if they were to let Driver slide and possibly pick up another RB.

With the Titans roster resembling a block of Swiss Cheese or Baghdad in April, Jake must address the QB spot immediately, if not sooner. Simply put, Mark Brunell cannot carry this team on his already wonky knees. Perhaps if he threw with his right hand, things might look better. STUD MUFFIN says that the 2002 recipient of the "Congratulations, You Don't Suck Anymore Award", Tommy Maddox, is a lock at pick #8. His impressive numbers on last season's playoff team will hopefully be enough to overcome his advanced age. Hopefully Maddox will be able to get Jake through to that magical time at the 2004 draft when we all hear those immortal words, "Jake Shaw is now on the clock".

Still not having filled any holes on his roster, owner Jake Shaw should look in another direction. A trade of this pick is certainly warranted. Moving down in the draft in order to acquire an additional pick would be quite prudent at this time (possibly to someone with a low 2nd and high 3rd, however asking for anything more than this would be downright ignorant). Assuming that Jake's head remains firmly up his arse, STUD MUFFIN sees a rookie RB going at this pick. While this will do absolutely nothing to improve the Titans' fortunes this season, maybe a miracle can happen somewhere down the road.

We see you, McKeown. You don't think we see you, but we do. With the first 9 picks now in the books, it will take several minutes to wipe the smile off of Scott's face when he realizes that possibly the #1 veteran receiver is still on the board. As stated earlier, the wide-out position is the weak point of the Dolphins' offense. Jerry Porter may prove to be the steal of the draft if he does in fact fall this far. His talent is undeniable and his numbers bode well for the future, especially with the re-signing of Rice and Brown. Porter's numbers should only get better. STUD MUFFIN says "you lucky, lucky bastard, McKeown".

This is ridiculous. The Saints come into the season as the favourite and now add another franchise-type QB to the roster. With their stiffest competition, the Hudson Yankees (Chad), still 49 picks away from announcing their first pick (Jack somebody), the Saints can now officially mail this one in. Plan the parade route and start spreadin' the news, the real battle in their division will now be for 2nd place. How sad is that???

The 49ers are without parallel when it comes to the RB position. Arguably, the top 4 RBs in the pool call 1324 Franklin Drive "home". The WR corps may be suspect, but that can wait. QB is the real concern here. Jeff Garcia is getting up there in age, Kurt Warner has had injury problems and Marc Bulger to contend with, and Brian Griese's best bet to be a starter is if the Betty Ford clinic is granted an NFL franchise. Ramsey's youth and considerable success last season make him the safest bet to stick in the league for years to come. STUD MUFFIN feels that the 49ers will be well covered with Ramsey.

Owner Jon should be very pleased to have the opportunity to add another quality RB to his stable. Forget what you hear about Emmitt Smith being the starter in Arizona. Common sense tells STUD MUFFIN that this is merely a courtesy to the once-great but now dilapidated former Cowboy. Shipp had his coming out last season on a woeful Cardinals team. However, with the addition of a proven starting QB in Jeff Blake, the Cardinals will be able to stretch opposing defenses, thus providing Shipp with the room necessary to build on his 9 TD's of 2002.

The Blues would be well advised to snap up Finneran with this pick. His on-field rapport with QB Michael Vick was obvious last year. STUD MUFFIN feels that the addition of Peerless Price will be a tremendous boost to Finneran's numbers. Much like Alvin Harper's success in the late 80's when Michael Irvin was #1, opposing defenses will be hard pressed to contain Price, Vick and Finneran. With the attention that Price and Vick will garner, Finneran should be able to run around half-naked and still not be noticed. An excellent pick for the Varsity Blues.

In Chad Johnson, the Dolphins acquire another solid wide-out to go along with Jerry Porter. Johnson proved in 2002 that he is the real deal. Youth, soft hands and a nose for the endzone make him a quality addition to a Dolphins team on the brink of respectability. While other options are possible, STUD MUFFIN regards Chad Johnson as one of the true sleepers of this years draft. Well done, Scott.

Pennington to Chrebet just feels right. After a slow start in 2002, Chrebet went to the Jets coaching staff and demanded the ball. The results were extraordinary. He finished the year in fine form and has proven once again that small white guys can play in the NFL. With Laverneus Coles now out of the picture, Pennington now spells "Touchdown", C-H-R-E-B-E-T. Nice addition, Doc.

Smile Matt, two QB's who you never thought you would get just a few weeks ago. While STUD MUFFIN could see Marc Bulger going at this pick, the 49ers will be better served by adding another sure starter. Even if the Bengals use 1st pick overall to take one of the young stallion QB's, Kitna has been named starter for 2003. Assuming even a modest degree of success, Kitna will ensure a starting spot on some roster for years to come.

The biggest question mark for the Dolphins may very well be the QB situation in Cleveland. No definitive announcement has come out yet with respect to the starter for 2003. Tim Couch makes the big bucks but has has his problems in northern Ohio. On the other hand, the cheaper Holcombe had a tremendous playoff against the Steelers, throwing for an insane number of yards and TDs. Something would have to give here you would think. Taking Holcombe here would be a good idea for owner Scott. Since both played and contributed in 2002, having the pair would be good insurance. If one of them gets traded, then Scott would have 2 starters instead of 1. STUD MUFFIN gives 2 thumbs up to this wise selection. Go Dolphins Go!!

This is a case of the Richie getting Richier. The Lockyers are in desperate need of a QB, and one who can contribute immediately. There are other options here but none are as sure as the veteran Blake. His acquisition ensures a 2nd starter to Kordell Stewart in Chicago. Depending on the QBs taken in the NFL Draft and how the Dallas, Baltimore and Carolina situations pan out, owner Richie may find that there are other QBs worth a look here. However, at this time Jeff Blake seems to be the best option. Another alternative for Richie might be to try to trade down from this slot on draft day in the hopes of picking up an extra pick in a later round. This is never a bad idea if someone doesn't jump out at you. Alternatively, maybe he could package this pick with his 1st or 2nd in 2004 to move up in this draft. Only time will tell on this matter.

This proved to be the toughest prediction to make. So much hinges on the first 19 picks. If one of those players were to slip through to this spot, they would have to get a lot of consideration. Other players will be there as well. Depending upon the destinations of Lee Suggs, Onterrio Smith, Kyle Boller, Chris Simms and others, Willis McGahee could slide past here. Veterans such as Moe Williams, Marc Boerigter, Antonio Bryant and Marc Bulger could also garner some interest. But as things sit now, McGahee would be a nice addition to the Packers, they being one of the few teams who could sit on him until he regains his full 100% capabilities.

So there you have it, boys!! The 1st Annual Mock Draft of the KLFFL. As always, we encourage your comments about any of the crystal ball reading that we have shared with you. Please respond to this mock draft and make sure that everybody in the pool gets copied. This way we can all enjoy the thought processes of all of the GMs.