BY JIM LANG
sportsnet.ca

Right now, National Football League general managers, coaches and scouts from all 32 teams are held up in their respective "war rooms" and getting ready for the opening round to the 75th edition of the NFL draft.

Every team is hoping to pull off the mythical Steelers draft from 1974. That was the year the Steelers took four Hall of Famers Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann, Mike Webster and John Stallworth, thus laying the foundation for four Super Bowl titles the rest of the decade.

With all that being said, here is how I think the first round of the draft will go down Thursday night. Now, other than the first three picks, all bets are off this year.

1. St. Louis Rams -- Sam Bradford (QB - University of Oklahoma) Even the most cynical NFL scouts were left drooling after Bradford’s performance during his pro day workout. The Rams are desperate to turn the franchise around, and they're gambling that Bradford is the right man to make this team a winner again.

2. Detroit Lions -- Ndamukong Suh (DT - Nebraska) The Lions can not pass up what is arguably the best athlete in the draft. Suh is capable of starting right now in the NFL and instantly being an effective interior defensive lineman.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Gerald McCoy (DT - University of Oklahoma) With Suh gone, the Bucs will take Gerald McCoy. If Suh is the No. 1 interior defensive lineman in the draft, than McCoy is No. 1A.

4. Washington Redskins -- Russell Okung (OT - Oklahoma State) With the acquisition of Donovan McNabb, logic would dictate that the Redskins will take an offensive tackle to replace the recently-retired Chris Samuels. However, Mike Shanahan is not above going against the grain and taking a young quarterback like Jimmy Clausen. I'm going to assume that common sense will prevail and the Skins will draft Okung.

5. Kansas City Chiefs -- Eric Berry (S - Tennessee) The Chiefs greatly covet a big, stud offensive tackle. After getting sacked 42 times last year, so does Matt Cassell. However, Berry is a tantalizing prospect for Scott Pioli. Pioli admitted in his pre-draft media session that he is not a risk taker. No risk means the Chiefs take Berry and make Romeo Crennell a happy man.

6. Seattle Seahawks -- Trent Williams (OT - University of Oklahoma) Pete Carroll is the wild card in the draft because the Seahawks have two picks in the first round. With Walter Jones on the verge of retirement, Carroll will do the smart thing at this pick and take Williams.

7. Cleveland Browns -- Earl Thomas (S - Texas) Mike Holmgren is running the show in Cleveland now. The Browns are looking hard at taking a player that can help them in the secondary. With Berry off the board, the Browns take a great second option in Thomas.

8. Oakland Raiders -- Bruce Campbell (OT - Maryland) Only Al Davis truly knows what Al Davis is going to do. Tom Cable would like the boss to take someone who can help the Raiders right away. Davis doesn't always think that way (remember Darrius Heyward-Bey?). After watching the 315-pound Campbell run a stunning 4.85 in the 40 at the combine, Davis has already made up his mind.

9. Buffalo Bills -- Brian Bulaga (OT - Iowa) Forget about the Jimmy Clausen hype machine. GM Buddy Nix made it clear last week that the player the Bills select in the first round needs to start right away. So that means the Bills will do the right thing by taking Bulaga and hope Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is still available by the second round.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Derrick Morgan (DE - Georgia Tech) Jack Del Rio was able to save his job, now he will be attempting to save his defence. After finishing dead last in the NFL in 2009 with 14 sacks, Del Rio and the Jags will take Morgan.

11. Denver Broncos -- Dez Bryant (WR - Oklahoma State) With Josh McDaniels venom for Brandon Marshall still seething deep inside him, he has no choice but to go after a receiver and select possibly the most intriguing talent on the board in Bryant.

12. Miami Dolphins -- Dan Williams (DT - Tennessee) Tony Sparano likes them big and tough so it makes perfect sense if the Dolphins select Williams. Besides, Jason Ferguson will miss the first 8 games of the season as a result of a suspension.

13. San Francisco 49ers -- Jimmy Clausen (QB - Notre Dame) Like Seattle, the 49ers have two picks in the first round. Clausen will still be on the board at No. 13 so the 49ers take the golden boy from Notre Dame now, then draft for a specific need at No. 17.

14. Seattle Seahawks -- CJ Spiller (RB - Clemson) In Pete Carroll's world, speed is the key to life and no other running back in this draft can match the kind of raw, all-out speed of Spiller.

15. New York Giants -- Rolando McClain (LB - Alabama) Linebacker is a priority with the Giants and GM Jerry Reese makes the right call by going with McClain.

16. Tennessee Titans -- Jason Pierre-Paul (DE - University of South Florida) If they pull off the rumoured deal to bring Albert Haynesworth back to Nashville, then the Titans could replace the departed Kyle Vanden Bosch by taking Pierre-Paul.

17. San Francisco 49ers -- Anthony Davis (OT - Rutgers) With the selection of Clausen at No. 13, the 49ers will draft for need and take Davis.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Golden Tate (WR - Notre Dame) Before the trade of Santonio Holmes, it was almost a done deal the Steelers were going to take an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. Now the Steelers have no choice but to take Tate.

19. Atlanta Falcons -- Maurkice Pouncey (C - Florida) GM Thomas Dimitroff has proven himself to be a very shrewd executive on draft day. Dimitroff and the Falcons will be thrilled to see Pouncey still on the board at No. 19.

20. Houston Texans -- Kareem Jackson (CB - Alabama) The Texans will have a number of interesting options by the time Roger Goodell announces that they're on the clock. Looking to find a replacement for the departed Dunta Robinson, the Texans do the right thing and take Jackson.

21. Cincinnati Bengals -- Jermaine Gresham (TE - University of Oklahoma) You know what Carson Palmer would love to see his team do? Palmer would love to see the Bengals take Gresham. And that's exactly what the Bengals will do as they provide Palmer with another weapon to work with.

22. New England Patriots -- Sergio Kindle (DE/LB - Texas) There's little debate that the Patriots will go defence in the first round and Kindle would help replace the loss of Richard Seymour. Don't be surprised if Bill Belichick takes Florida QB Tim Tebow with one of the three picks the Pats have in the second round.

23. Green Bay Packers -- Mike Iupati (G - Idaho) Now Aaron Rodgers was partly to blame for hanging on to the ball too long, but the Packers led the NFL by allowing 51 sacks. With that, the Packers take the street fighting guard, Iupati.

24. Philadelphia Eagles -- Kyle Wilson (CB - Boise State) Cornerback is a definite need position in the first round with the Eagles. That means the Eagles take Wilson.

25. Baltimore Ravens -- Jared Odrick (DT - Penn State) With the off-season acquisitions of receivers Anquan Boldon and Donte Stallworth, the Ravens can concentrate on defence. A great fit for the Ravens is Odrick.

26. Arizona Cardinals -- Jerry Hughes (LB - Texas Christian University) The Cardinals lost a number of key players in the off-season. Losing Karlos Dansby means the Cards will likely end up taking Hughes.

27. Dallas Cowboys -- Taylor Mays (S - University of Southern California) Something is brewing in Dallas. And I don't mean all the booze flowing down Jerry Jones' gullet! I mean it's way too quiet. I find it hard to believe that the Cowboys won't try to trade up and grab a more high-profile player. If they don't make a deal, the 'Boys will take hulking safety Mays.

28. San Diego Chargers -- Ryan Matthews (RB - Fresno State) With Chargers legend LT playing for the Jets now, the Chargers need a running back to complement Darren Sproles. The Chargers won't have to look far as they take Matthews.

29. New York Jets -- Everson Griffen (DE - University of Southern California) Easily the busiest NFL team in the off-season, the Jets will enjoy a relatively calm draft experience as they take Griffen.

30. Minnesota Vikings -- Jahvid Best (RB - California) Assuming Brett Favre makes up his mind some time this summer, the Vikings can concentrate on building the rest of the team. With Chester Taylor gone the Vikings do the right thing and take Best.

31. Indianapolis Colts -- Terrence Cody (DT - Alabama) The Colts could use more size and toughness along their front seven and Alabama's 350-pound Cody would be a good start.

32. New Orleans Saints -- Sean Weatherspoon (LB - Missouri) With the loss of Scott Fujita to the Browns via free agency, linebacker has to be a priority for Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton. The Saints won't be disappointed when they take Weatherspoon.

You can expect a lot of deals Thursday with some teams looking to trade up and others who are looking to move down in the draft. Teams trading up are making deals to ensure they grab a player they greatly covet, say Safety Eric Berry or receiver Dez Bryant. Teams trading down are looking to stock pile picks for the later rounds.

The Redskins still need to trade quarterback Jason Campbell and, despite what Mike Shanahan says, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth could be on the move as well. Because the draft doesn't resume until Friday night this year, don't be surprised to see a flurry of deals in the second round. After all, barring a shocking move in the first round, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy will still be on the board to start the second round.