You may recall that a few years ago, while with the Magic, Tracy McGrady thought, after winning Game 5, that the Magic had advanced in the playoffs past the first round, unaware that the format had been changed to a Best of 7 series. The Magic then lost the next two games.

I am recalling this gem because the Rockets won their 20th consecutive game last night. I know, I said they would lose, and it looked that way before the Hawks decided to stop scoring points in the final 3 minutes of the game. Look, 20 consecutive wins in any professional league doesn’t just happen. The Rockets have been playing a stretch of cupcakes of late. As I pointed out earlier this week, they have to play the Lakers, Celtics, and Hornets within the next few weeks.

Shelley Duncan was just playing hard and trying to knock the ball loose, apparently.

Okay, it’s mock draft time. Here’s the deal: This will be a combination of what the teams will do and what they should do. For the purposes of not getting too ahead of myself, I will not create trades between teams, just suggest them. I reserve the right to get bored with it and just end whenever I feel like.

1. Miami Dolphins
What They Need: QB, WR, OL, DL, CB, Replacement for Bill Parcells
What They Should Do: Trade this pick for value. However, no one wants to take this pick because there’s no clear cut number one choice, like last year with the great 300 LB JaMarcus Russell…There’s plenty of help up here for the ‘Fins if they can’t trade this pick.
THE PICK: OT Jake Long (Michigan)

2. St. Louis Rams
What They Need: DL, OL, WR
What They Should Do: Stay Put. The Rams aren’t really the second worst team in the NFL. If Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson can stay healthy, they should be okay. They’re a little thin at wideout, but there’s obviously no one here worth a second pick. This is an easy decision for the Rams. Take the available Long.
THE PICK: DL Chris Long (Virginia)

3. Atlanta Falcons
What They Need: A New Team. Also QB, DL, OL
What They Should Do: Stay Put.
THE PICK: QB Matt Ryan (Boston College)- I’m only going to comment when I feel the need to. With the previous two picks, I think you have no-brainers. With “Matty Ice” you have a guy who I don’t think will be a very good NFL quarterback. He has one thing that scouts love: size. That’s not a good thing. How did he do in big games last year? Don’t remember. Allow me to remind you: He struuuuuuuggggggled for 58 minutes against Virginia Tech before throwing a prayer across his body and then stunk up the joint against Florida State. I’m just saying.

4. Oakland Raiders
What They Need: Not Darren McFadden. They have running backs. They need everything else.
What They Should Do: Trade this pick immediately to the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones is enamored with Darren McFadden and the ‘Boys have two first round picks. I don’t frankly think that the Raiders can afford to pay Darren McFadden and they DO NOT NEED A RUNNING BACK. With that said:
THE PICK: DT Sedrick Ellis (Southern California)- This pick comes down to Glenn Dorsey vs. Ellis. I feel as though most scouts are split down the middle on these two. Frankly, I think Ellis will be the better pro, as he comes in in better shape than Dorsey, who could not stay healthy this past season at Louisiana State. But really, the difference is mostly negligible.

5. Kansas City Chiefs
What They Need: More than you’d think. They need a QB (I don’t think Brodie Croyle is the guy). Also, Wide Receiver, OL, LB, CB.
What They Should Do: Trade down to get an OL who isn’t valued this highly.
THE PICK: DL Vernon Gholston (Ohio State)- They don’t need defensive line help as much as other areas, like offensive lineman, but do they really want to draft a Ryan Clady this high? That’s the question. I take Gholston and make him an edge rusher, either off the d-line, or as a linebacker. He’ the most versatile of the first round Lineman and will help sure up a medicore defense.

6. New York Jets
What They Need: QB, RB, WR, TE (really, they need offensive help. Also, linebacker)
What They Should Do: Stay right where they are. They can do a lot with this pick.
THE PICK: RB Darren McFadden (Arkansas)- The Jets will be very happy to see this name available at the number 6 spot. I think the only team that would take him is the Raiders, so they may very well end up with Run DMc. I’m not high on him, however, for what the Jets need, he is the best available player. Picking up Kris Jenkins this offseason almost assures that they will not draft the falling Glenn Dorsey.

7. New England Patriots
What They Need: A new philosophy for doing business. CB and LB.
What They Should Do: Trade Down. They can get the same cornerback that they’ll draft here towards the end of the first round. Perhaps if the Jets don’t take Run DMC, the Dallas Cowboys would like to swap a pair of first round picks to get their running back. If that scenario is available, the Patriots should jump on that like Louis Anderson at the opening of a buffet.
THE PICK: OLB Keith Rivers (Southern California)-The Patriots aren’t going to just draft someone because the experts think they should. I would love to see Aqib Talib (CB/Kansas) here, but he’s not a top 7 pick (nor are Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Leodis McKelvin). Rivers gets them much younger at linebacker and can be matched up opposite of Adalius Thomas, giving the Pats two outstanding edge rushers.

8. Baltimore Ravens
What They Need: To get younger on defense. Wide Receivers, an insurance policy for Willis McGahee.
What They Should Do: I’m not going to kid you, I have no idea what they should do here. There are a million different roads they could go down to try to improve, but none that will be immediate helps. Trading down doesn’t make sense. But all of the defensive help that they need isn’t where they need it. They drafted a defensive tackle (Haloti Ngata) two years ago, so Dorsey don’t make any sense.
THE PICK: OT Ryan Clady (Boise State)- This pick makes the most sense. They need someone to replace the aging Jonathan Ogden when he decides to retire. I like Clady. I don’t love him, but there’s no better pick here. This team is not going to get any better immediately because of this draft, unless they really make some moves.

9. Cincinnati Bengals
What They Need: Defensive Help
What They Should Do: Draft Here.
THE PICK: DT Glenn Dorsey (Louisiana State)- No brainer. This is the easiest pick in the history of the NFL Draft if he’s available here.

10. New Orleans Saints
What They Need: CB, LB, DL (Their defense is what you would call “terrible.”) Also, WR depth, but they can get that later.
What They Should Do: Draft here.
THE PICK: CB Aqib Talib (Kansas)-Cornerback is sort of a no-brainer here. The Patriots took the best edge linebacker off the board and with Dorsey, Ellis, Long, and Gholston gone, there’s no “can’t miss” lineman here. This pick comes down to Mike Jenkins (South Florida) and Talib. I like Talib a lot, though he’s not my favorite cornerback in this draft (That nod goes to a guy I hope the Patriots have the sense to draft in the second round, Antoine Cason of Arizona). Whatever New Orleans does, they need to draft on defense here. Offense later.

11. Buffalo Bills
What They Need: WR, OL, DL, Defensive Secondary
What They Should Do: Stay Put
THE PICK: OL Chris Williams (Vanderbilt)- Look at their depth chart at OL. No brainer. Take the best available lineman.

12. Denver Broncos
What They Need: More botox for Mike Shannahan’s face. Also a running back and receivers for Jay Cutler to throw to.
What They Should Do: Stay Put
THE PICK: WR Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma)-Similar to the Bills, look at the Broncos depth chart at receiver. Kelly gives them the ability to throw the ball deep with his size and speed. This pick is a relative toss up between Kelly and his Red River counterpart Texas Wideout Limas Sweed.

13. Carolina Panthers
What They Need: A quarterback. Also, offensive line help and possibly defensive line help.
What They Should Do: I would consider trading up to get Clady or Williams, as I think there’s a drop off at the position after them. Or, I would trade down to get the second best quarterback in the draft (In the scout’s eyes. The scouts and I differ greatly).
THE PICK: OT Jeff Otah (Pittsburgh)-They need a tackle. He’s there. Feel the excitement in Charlotte? Me too!

14. Chicago Bears
What They Need: To cut their losses with Cedric Benson. 4 wide receivers and a quarterback to throw them the ball.
What They Should Do: Rejoice.
THE PICK: RB Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois)- If Mendenhall is still available at pick 14, I’d be quite happy if I was the Bears. They could go Wideout here too, but there’s more value at Running Back with Mendenhall.

15. Detroit Lions
What They Need: NOT A WIDE RECEIVER. Maybe some help on defense???
What They Should Do: Stay put and improve quickly
THE PICK: CB Mike Jenkins (South Florida)- I give the slight edge to Jenkins over Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie because he played in the Big East, a conference that does not feature Troy or Tennessee State. Really, anyone who knows the fundamentals of the cornerback position would work here.

16. Arizona Cardinals
What They Need: They currently only have 3 defensive lineman on their roster. You guess what they need.
What They Should Do: Draft the best available defensive lineman.
THE PICK: DE Phillip Merling (Clemson)-Merling gets the nod over Derrick Harvey of Florida because Florida’s defense was atrocious last year and I don’t really like drafting a defensive player in the first round who played on an awful defense in college. Merling and Harvey are both subpar against the run, but Harvey, who is faster, backs off of blocks rather than push through them. So Merling is the pick, though not a surefire star, and only by a slight margin over Harvey.

Don’t worry. I’m not done. I’m only halfway through and, frankly, I really enjoyed that. Tomorrow you will get the second half of the first round.

Game O’ The Day: The Pac-10 tournament. I know I’m a hypocrite now, but it’s the best conference in America, people. The best game in a slate of great games is the Cal/UCLA rematch. A must watch. Cal is on a mission after getting hosed Saturday. They win this game and pose an interesting argument for the tournament committee. Also see Washington State and Oregon, USC and Arizona State and Arizona and Stanford. Oh the Pac-10 and your awesomeness.

Also note if you will, that while I did say the Rockets would lose last night, I did correctly say that the Hornets would defeat the Spurs. They won by 25. So there.