OK, no one likes Mayo more than I do. I think he’s a beast and would draft him over Keith Rivers. However, now everywhere I go there are media people saying the Patriots are targeting Mayo. You know what that tells me? New England has no plans on drafting Mayo. I haven’t learned a lot since coming here but there’s one thing I will bet my life on: No one -NO ONE - outside of the Patriots war room has any clue who the team will draft. So if one name keeps surfacing, you can pretty much guarantee it didn’t come from the Patriots, unless they wanted it out there for a specific reason.

I’m all for standing up to players but I’m not sure the Bengals are handling the Chad Johnson situation very well. I tend to mess up these well-known old sayings, but I think what Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis are doing is called cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Sorry, but if a team is willing to offer a first-round pick and a future pick that could be a first rounder for a player that doesn’t want to play for me anymore I have to pack my stubborn, teach-him-a-lesson feelings away and take the deal. That’s a lot, especially for a guy who seems hell bent on getting his way.

If the Bengals maintain their current stance, what’s the best that happens? Maybe Johnson is a man of his word and sits out. Maybe he plays, but isn’t happy. Either way, I don’t think he’ll be helping the Bengals become a better team. That ship has sailed (another good ol’ saying I think I got right!).

The Bengals need to take the picks, cut ties with Johnson and move on. He’s very good. He’ll be missed in the offense. It stinks for Bengals fans. But it’s the reality of the situation.

His arms are almost as big as those of a young Tom Casale:

Word coming out of New Orleans is the Saints offered the Rams LT Jammal Brown, their first round Pick (No. 10 overall) and a 4th round selection for the Rams No. 2 Pick. It’s no secret that the Saints are targeting LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. The only question I have is why didn’t the Rams jump at this offer? You still pick in the top 10, grab an extra selection in the fourth round, plus add Brown who can help improve St. Louis’ awful offensive line. If this is indeed the offer that was proposed, I would be shocked if the Rams didn’t accept it at some point.

If I get five right, I will be happy:

1. Miami: Jake Long, OT Michigan - I’m gonna go ahead and guarantee this one.

2. Atlanta: Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU - This is the only trade I’m projecting but I’m pretty sure the Falcons will move up and take Dorsey here. If not, they will select Matt Ryan at No. 3.

3. St. Louis: Chris Long, DE Virginia - The Rams trade down one spot and get the guy they wanted all along to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

4. Oakland: Sedrick Ellis, DT USC - This pick would make too much sense for Oakland, which means they probably won’t make it. I think Ellis is the best player in this draft regardless of position.

5. Kansas City: Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State - Gholston will help the Chiefs cushion the blow of losing Jared Allen.

6. NY Jets: Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas - The Jets are locked in on McFadden at this spot.

7. New England: Derrick Harvey, DE/OLB Florida - Here is where things get tricky. The Pats are in no-man’s land here with Gholston off the board. They will try hard to trade this pick but if they keep it, Harvey will help New England strengthen its pass rush. A possible shocker here: Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo.

8. Baltimore: Matt Ryan, QB Boston College - The Ravens will do backflips if Ryan falls to them at this spot.

9. Cincinnati: Branden Albert, OL Virginia - With Willie Anderson getting long in the tooth and Levi Jones constantly injured, Albert would help sure up what was a disappointing Bengals offensive front last season.

10.New Orleans: Keith Rivers, LB USC - The Saints will try to trade up and grab one of the blue-chip defensive tackles but if they are unable to do so, Rivers will be a solid consolation prize.

11. Buffalo: Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy - The Bills defense was torched by the pass last season and McKelvin is the top corner on most teams draft boards.

12. Denver: Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois - The Broncos running game isn’t what it once was and I’m told Mike Shanahan loves Mendenhall. He would be a heck of a pick for the Broncos at this spot.

13. Carolina: Ryan Clady, OT Boise State - The Panthers O-line was terrible last season, so this should be an easy pick if Clady is still on the board at this point.

14. Chicago: Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt - The people I talked to in Chicago said Mendenhall or an OT, so I’ll go with Williams here, the best offensive tackle still on the board.

15. Detroit: Phillip Merling, DE Clemson - The Lions really want Mendenhall but if they can’t get him, they will try to strengthen a defense that was much too generous in 2007.

16. Arizona: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee St. - With Antrel Rolle moving to safety, this pick will almost certainly be a cornerback. It’s just a matter of which player the Cardinals like best. I’ll go with Rodgers-Cromartie, who is a little raw but has the athleticism to be a future star.

17. Kansas City: Jeff Otah, OT Pittsburgh - After strengthening their defensive line with Gholston, the Chiefs use this pick they acquired from the Vikings to upgrade offensive tackle. This selection will be either Otah or Chris Williams, depending on who is still available.

18. Houston: Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon - The Texans could go defense here but Gary Kubiak is intrigued with Stewart and thinks he could be dynamite in the Texans zone-blocking scheme.

19. Philadelphia: Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida - Lito Sheppard will be gone by this point and Jenkins has all the tools the Eagles look for in a cornerback.

20. Tampa Bay: Devin Thomas, Michigan State - The Bucs need some speed at the receiver position and my people in Tampa tell me that Jon Gruden loves Thomas.

21. Washington: Quentin Groves, DE Auburn - The Redskins need someone who can get to the quarterback and the lightning-quick Groves can certainly do that. Groves had more sacks in college than both Vernon Gholston and Chris Long.

22. Dallas: Antoine Cason, CB Arizona - I have Cason rated as the top CB in this draft and he would instantly help a Cowboys secondary that was horrific last season. Even with the signing of Pacman Jones, Dallas still needs more quality corners to play in its nickel and dime packages.

23. Pittsburgh: Kentwan Balmer, DL North Carolina - Balmer reminds me a lot of Richard Seymour coming out of college. I think he would be a great fit for the Steelers as a 3-4 defensive end.

24. Tennessee: Limas Sweed, WR Texas - Most of the people I talk to believe Sweed is the best receiver in the draft and I agree. This would represent great value for the Titans and give Vince Young a much needed go-to guy at receiver.

25. Seattle: Sam Baker, USC - The Seahawks will go either RB or OT here and I’m told they really like Baker, who will help solidify a leaky offensive line.

26. Jacksonville: Calais Campbell, DE Miami - The Jags will take the best pass rusher available at this spot. It’s that simple.

27. San Diego: Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College - I’m told from my people in SD that Cherilus is the guy they are targeting with this pick. That’s good enough for me.

28. Dallas: Felix Jones, RB Arkansas - It’s not Darren McFadden but Jerry Jones gets his running back from Arkansas. Jones will boost the Cowboys return game and add a nice complement to the bruising Marion Barber.

29. San Francisco: DeSean Jackson, WR Cal - The 49ers get this pick from the Colts and will probably use it to draft a guy who can find the end zone. Jackson may not ever be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL but he’ll be dangerous coming out of the slot and returning kicks.

30. Green Bay: Kenny Phillips, S Miami - Green Bay is one of the hardest teams to project but Phillips would be great value in this spot and add youth and athleticism to an already strong secondary.

31. NY Giants: Jerod Mayo, Tennessee - There’s a good chance that Mayo will be long gone by now but if he’s still on the board this late, the Giants will jump all over the guy I believe to be one of the best defensive players in the draft.

Every year during the draft process I fall in love with some random prospect for some random reason. The list has included Oliver Hoyte (he simply jumped off the film), Deon Anderson (best gunner in college football baby) and some guy whose name I can’t even remember because he weighed like 340 pounds and could do a back flip. Some, like Hoyte and Anderson, actually get a cup of coffee in the league. Others, like the guy whose name I can’t remember, are long gone and hard to find before mini-camps even start.

This year my random love affair is with Andy Studebaker a DE/OLB out of tiny Wheaton (Ill.). He’s 6-3, 246. He was a very effective DE in college who obvioulsy would have to translate to OLB in a pro, 3-4 scheme. He had 30 sacks in the last three years, including  five in the five games he played in last fall. He missed the rest of the season and postseason all-star games with a torn ligament in his foot. He supposedly has the frame to add a good 20 pounds. He’s strong and pretty athletic.  I like him as either a seventh-round pick or free agent. I’m on the Studebaker bandwagon.

And anyone else who wants to see Studebaker, just Google his name and you can find all kinds of highlight videos. Watch them. Love them. I did. A diamond in the rough.