1. TAMPA BAY BUCS (12-4)
2003 OUTLOOK: Defending champs stay on top until someone knocks them down. Bucs covered free-agent losses well but still could use offensive upgrade or two. LB Dwayne Rudd is solid and came cheap.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 64. Dewayne White, DE, Louisville; 97. Chris Simms, QB, Texas.
EARLY LINE: If the Bucs go 12-4 again, is NFC title game at home or at Lambeau?
2. GREEN BAY PACKERS (12-4) 2003 OUTLOOK: Easy schedule, easy division and their only serious free-agent loss was DE Vonnie Holliday. The Packers face only four playoff teams from this season, making the Nov. 16 Bucs-Packers game at Raymond James a huge showdown.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 29. Nick Barnett, LB, Oregon State; 79. Kenny Peterson, DE, Ohio State.
EARLY LINE: Could start 8-0 easily. No team will put more pressure on Bucs.
3. TENNESSEE TITANS (11-5) 2003 OUTLOOK: Quiet offseason but didn't take as many hits as aging Oakland. With healthy Steve McNair and Eddie George, Titans could have homefield throughout AFC playoffs.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 28. Andre Woolfolk, CB, Oklahoma; 60. Tyrone Calico, WR, Middle Tenn. St.; 93. Chris Brown, RB, Colorado.
EARLY LINE: Jeff Fisher makes it four straight years with at least 10 wins.
4. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (12-4) 2003 OUTLOOK: Hugh Douglas was biggest of many free-agent losses, and Eagles traded up to get DE Jerome McDougle to step in. Getting healthy Correll Buckhalter is a boost, and the NFC East still is theirs for the taking.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 15. Jerome McDougle, DE, Miami; 61. L.J. Smith, TE, Rutgers; 95. Billy McMullen, WR, Virginia.
EARLY LINE: Season opener against Bucs, win or lose, will set the tone.
5. ATLANTA FALCONS (9-6-1) 2003 OUTLOOK: Another year in Michael Vick's maturation could include a breakout postseason, especially with a legit WR in Peerless Price. Falcons should stay in Bucs' rearview mirror, so division finale at Tampa could be NFC South title game.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 55. Bryan Scott, S, Penn State.
EARLY LINE: As in 2002, can go as far in playoffs as Vick will take them.
6. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-7) 2003 OUTLOOK: Major upgrades on defense with LB Rosevelt Colvin and S Rodney Harrison. Went into draft with 13 picks and used extras to trade up three times. With Jets lagging, AFC East looks to be a Patriots-Dolphins dogfight.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 13. Ty Warren, DT, Texas A&M; 36. Eugene Wilson, CB, Illinois; 45. Bethel Johnson, WR, Texas A&M.
EARLY LINE: Three cold AFC East games in December will be sink or swim.
7. MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-7) 2003 OUTLOOK: Getting Junior Seau could be the final piece, bolstering a defense of Pro Bowl players. A third-place schedule helps, as does having Ricky Williams make a run at 2,000 yards. Expect a breakout year from receiver Derrius Thompson.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 49. Eddie Moore, LB, Tennessee; 78. Wade Smith, OT, Memphis; 87. Taylor Whitley, G, Texas A&M.
EARLY LINE: Let's just say they'll make the playoffs.
8. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-5-1) 2003 OUTLOOK: Filled a major need by trading up to get Troy Polamalu, a safety in the Carnell Lake mold, to join rising defensive stars Joey Porter and Kendrell Bell. If Tommy Maddox can repeat his 2002 numbers, they'll win the AFC Central easily.SATURDAY'S PICKS: 16. Troy Polamalu, S, Southern Cal; 59. Alonzo Jackson, DE, Florida State.
EARLY LINE: Does promising Amos Zereoue take the reins from Jerome Bettis?
9. NEW YORK GIANTS (10-6)2003 OUTLOOK: Signed RB Dorsey Levens and KR Brian Mitchell from the Eagles, but is that enough to challenge for the division crown? Draft helped the defensive line, but offensive line could use the same kind of attention.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 25. William Joseph, DT, Miami; 56. Osi Umenyiora, DE, Troy State; 91. Vishante Shiancoe, TE, Morgan State.EARLY LINE: Need to sweep the Eagles to be anything more than wild card.
10. OAKLAND RAIDERS (11-6)2003 OUTLOOK: An old team is older still - welcome DT Dana Stubblefield, 32 - and cap woes forced cuts and kept the Raiders from finding depth in free agency.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 31. Nnamdi Asomugha, S, California; 32. Tyler Brayton, DE, Colorado; 63. Teyo Johnson, WR, Stanford; 83. Sam Williams, LB, Fresno State; 96. Justin Fargas, RB, Southern Cal.
EARLY LINE: Like Rams in 2002, the year-after dropoff could be steep.
11. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-6)2003 OUTLOOK: Peyton Manning enters his sixth NFL season still seeking his first playoff victory. A full season with Edgerrin James healthy will help, as will draft pick Clark, who could catch 50 passes, but the defense will keep Indy from challenging the Titans.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 24. Dallas Clark, TE, Iowa; 58. Michael Doss, S, Ohio State; 90. Donald Strickland, CB, Colorado.
EARLY LINE: Tony Dungy returns to Tampa on Monday night, Oct. 6.
12. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-8)2003 OUTLOOK: Third-year LB Zeke Moreno takes over for Junior Seau and joins the top three picks on a young, emerging defense. WR David Boston could do for Drew Brees what Peerless Price will do for Michael Vick.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 30. Sammy Davis, CB, Texas A&M; 46. Drayton Florence, CB, Tuskegee; 62. Terrance Kiel, S, Texas A&M; 80. Courtney Van Buren, G, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
EARLY LINE: If San Diego beats Oakland on Dec. 28, it could win the AFC West.
13. ST. LOUIS RAMS (7-9)2003 OUTLOOK: An easy schedule puts the Rams back in shape to challenge the 49ers for the NFC West crown. T Kyle Turley and C Dave Wohlabaugh are upgrades on the offensive line, the better to protect Kurt Warner or is it Marc Bulger?
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 12. Jimmy Kennedy, DT, Penn State; 43. Pisa Tinoisamoa, LB, Hawaii; 74. Kevin Curtis, WR, Utah State.
EARLY LINE: Mike Martz is out to prove his 2002 collapse was a fluke.
14. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-6)2003 OUTLOOK: Dennis Erickson better hope to get more from his defensive backs than Steve Mariucci did in his last games. The 49ers are ill-equipped to handle a challenge from a rebounding Rams team.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 26. Kwame Harris, T, Stanford; 57. Anthony Adams, DT, Penn State; 89. Andrew Williams, DE, Miami.
EARLY LINE: Defenses will key on Terrell Owens even more. Who else to cover?
15. DENVER BRONCOS (9-7)2003 OUTLOOK: Jake Plummer's in, Brian Griese's out and Clinton Portis has the challenge of improving on a 1,500-yard, 15-touchdown rookie season. The AFC West will be like the East was last season: Two games could separate finishing first and missing the playoffs.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 20. George Foster, T, Georgia; 51. Terry Pierce, LB, Kansas State.
EARLY LINE: Seems odd, but no playoffs for Mike Shanahan three years in a row?
16. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-8)2003 OUTLOOK: Dick Vermeil quietly upgraded his defense all over in free agency, and in Johnson he'll have a backup tailback who rushed for 2,000 yards last season. It'll take repeat success from Priest Holmes for Kansas City to contend for a wild card.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 27. Larry Johnson, RB, Penn State; 47. Kawika Mitchell, LB, South Florida; 92. Julian Battle, CB, Tennessee.
EARLY LINE: If it doesn't click in 2003, is this it for Vermeil?
17. CLEVELAND BROWNS (9-7)2003 OUTLOOK: Totally retooled linebackers but didn't necessarily improve. If William Green has a full season like the second half of his rookie year, it will matter less whether Kelly Holcomb or Tim Couch is at quarterback.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 21. Jeff Faine, C, Notre Dame; 52. Chaun Thompson, LB, West Texas A&M; 84. Chris Crocker, S, Marshall.
EARLY LINE: Missed '02 playoffs by a tossed helmet; still on the postseason bubble.
18. BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-9)2003 OUTLOOK: Great draft, getting a top-tier pass rusher, a future star quarterback and a great sleeper in Musa Smith. If tackle Orlando Brown can return to form and Jamal Lewis comes back healthy, the Ravens could sneak back into the playoffs as a wild card.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 10. Terrell Suggs, DE, Arizona State; 19. Kyle Boller, QB, California; 77. Smith, RB, Georgia.
EARLY LINE: Better, but still a long way from the Super Bowl champs of 2001.
19. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-10)2003 OUTLOOK: New coach Jack Del Rio can build a defense around DE Hugh Douglas and LB Mike Peterson. A healthy Fred Taylor is everything, especially since he has no proven backup. Drafting Byron Leftwich gives this team an exciting future as well.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 7. Leftwich, QB, Marshall; 39. Rashean Mathis, DB, Bethune-Cookman; 72. Vincent Manuwai, G, Hawaii.
EARLY LINE: How much longer will the Mark Brunell era last?
20. NEW YORK JETS (9-7)2003 OUTLOOK: They landed the NFL's toughest schedule, and they want 32-year-old Curtis Conway to make fans forget about Laveranues Coles? Dewayne Robertson needs to be an All-Pro, since he's all they have for Coles and their other first-round pick.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 4. Robertson, DT, Kentucky; 53. Victor Hobson, LB, Michigan; 85. B.J. Askew, LB, Michigan.
EARLY LINE: Could do first-to-worst in a super-close division.
21. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-9)2003 OUTLOOK: Busy offseason netted WR Laveranues Coles, sleeper RB Trung Canidate and free-agent guard Randy Thomas. Second-year coach Steve Spurrier will have fewer Gators and more talent to work with - how much better will Washington be?
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 44. Taylor Jacobs, WR, Florida; 81. Derrick Dockery, G, Texas.
EARLY LINE: Can Patrick Ramsey stay starter long enough to get Spurrier a wild card?
22. BUFFALO BILLS (8-8)2003 OUTLOOK: Willis McGahee has huge upside, but at a position where Bills already have young, talented players. LB Takeo Spikes is great addition, but offense will sorely miss Peerless Price's big-play presence next season.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 23. McGahee, RB, Miami; 48. Chris Kelsay, DE, Nebraska; 94. Angelo Crowell, LB, Virginia.
EARLY LINE: Just bad enough: this will be four years out of the playoffs.
23. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-7)2003 OUTLOOK: Twice, this team has shined early but folded down the stretch. New Orleans wasted a first-rounder to move up and reached at the draft's deepest position. The defense is too weak to challenge in division.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 6. Johnathan Sullivan, DT, Georgia; 37. Jon Stinchcomb, T, Georgia; 86. Willie "Cie" Grant, LB, Ohio State.
EARLY LINE: Relegated to battling Carolina for third in the NFC South.
24. CAROLINA PANTHERS (7-9)2003 OUTLOOK: Spent offseason helping offense with RB Stephen Davis, WR Kevin Dyson, G Doug Brzezinski. New QB Jake Delhomme could be a breakout star, but defense has been neglected.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 8. Jordan Gross, T, Utah; 50. Bruce Nelson, C, Iowa; 76. Mike Seidman, TE, UCLA; 82. Ricky Manning, CB, UCLA.
EARLY LINE: Still not a playoff team but a more dangerous one.
25. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-9)2003 OUTLOOK: Three solid, good-value draft picks for Mike Holmgren, but Seattle's run defense isn't any better than when it finished last in the league in 2002. RB Shaun Alexander still is the team's only truly exciting player.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 11. Marcus Trufant, CB, Washington State; 42. Ken Hamlin, S, Arkansas; 73. Wayne Hunter, T, Hawaii.
EARLY LINE: Little reason for Seattle to emerge from NFL mediocrity.
26. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-10)2003 OUTLOOK: Horrible clock management botched a deal to add two low picks. Getting LB Chris Claiborne is a huge help, but they need more Michael Bennett and fewer Daunte Culpepper interceptions after 23 in 2002.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 9. Kevin Williams, DL, Oklahoma State; 40. E.J. Henderson, LB, Maryland; 71. Nate Burleson, WR, Nevada-Reno.
EARLY LINE: How will Randy Moss take a third year without the playoffs?
27. HOUSTON TEXANS (4-12)2003 OUTLOOK: QB David Carr has a No. 1 receiver, but is RB Stacey Mack the answer to the running game? Improving the offensive line will help Carr immensely.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 3. Andre Johnson, WR, Miami; 41. Bennie Joppru, TE, Michigan; 67. Antwan Peek, LB, Cincinnati; 75. Seth Wand, OT, Northwest Missouri State; 88. Dave Ragone, QB, Louisville.
EARLY LINE: Hard to imagine them not picking in the top five next April.
28. CHICAGO BEARS (4-12)2003 OUTLOOK: Does Anthony Thomas revert to his rookie success? Does Kordell Stewart revert to his, um, 1997 success? Can the defense step up enough to make this team worth watching in rebuilt Soldier Field?
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 14. Michael Haynes, DE, Penn State; 22. Rex Grossman, QB, Florida; 35. Charles Tillman, S, Louisiana-Lafayette; 68. Lance Briggs, LB, Arizona.
EARLY LINE: Expect to see Grossman in December, if not sooner.
29. DALLAS COWBOYS (5-11)2003 OUTLOOK: Terence Newman helps immediately, but Bill Parcells still has uncertainty at quarterback and running back, the surest positions in the Cowboys' three '90s Super Bowl wins. A ridiculously difficult schedule makes six wins an accomplishment in 2003.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 5. Newman, CB, Kansas State; 38. Al Johnson, C, Wisconsin; 69. Jason Witten, TE, Tennessee.
EARLY LINE: Parcells can turn this team around, but not this season.
30. DETROIT LIONS (3-13)2003 OUTLOOK: New coach Steve Mariucci has a better defense with CB Dre' Bly and draft steal Boss Bailey at LB. Second-year QB Joey Harrington's development speeds up with top-tier receiver Charles Rogers, who could catch 10 TDs as a rookie.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 2. Rogers, WR, Michigan State; 34. Bailey, LB, Georgia; 66. Corey Redding, DE, Texas.
EARLY LINE: Slow progress could send Matt Millen back to the broadcast booth.
31. ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-11)2003 OUTLOOK: Botched its top pick, trading down and taking two questionable players. Despite ample salary-cap room, Arizona hasn't gained enough to offset getting nothing for losing Jake Plummer and David Boston.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 17. Bryant Johnson, WR, Penn State; 18. Calvin Pace, DE, Wake Forest; 54. Anquan Boldin, WR, Florida State; 70. Gerald Hayes, LB, Pittsburgh.
EARLY LINE: Emmitt Smith might be wishing he was retired by November.
32. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-14)2003 OUTLOOK: New coach in Marvin Lewis, new quarterback in Carson Palmer, but for this fall, five wins would be a reasonable goal. Lewis has anointed Jon Kitna his quarterback, but they should follow the Peyton Manning/David Carr primer and give Palmer the keys.
SATURDAY'S PICKS: 1. Palmer, QB, Southern Cal; 33. Eric Steinbach, OL, Iowa; 65. Kelley Washington, WR, Tennessee.
EARLY LINE: Come 2004, this could be a wild-card team. Really.