What if ... we let the players decide?

Matthew Stafford is up first, and he takes … the Minnesota Vikings! Stafford goes with the Vikings for several reasons. With the best running back in the league behind him and the best offensive line in front of him, he will be given plenty of time and protection to make good decisions and get the ball to wide receivers Bernard Berrian or Sidney Rice. While Tarvaris Jackson provides some competition for the quarterback job, Stafford’s young arm would win the quarterback battle, and he would be established as the leader of the best young football teams in the league.

Jason Smith, the offensive tackle out of Baylor, selects the Indianapolis Colts. As an offensive lineman whose weakness is drive blocking, he would fit best with an offense that throws the ball a lot and allows him to step back and create a pocket. Smith would absolutely love to protect future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and would have a tremendous role model in center Jeff Saturday.

Tyson Jackson — an LSU Tiger and a huge surprise at the No. 3 spot — chooses the New England Patriots. Jackson was a defensive end in college, but he has the potential to be a tremendous pass rusher out of a 3-4 defense. The Patriots run a 3-4 defense, and Jackson would like nothing more than to be on a set with linebackers Jerod Mayo, Adalius Thomas and Tedy Bruschi. Plus, quarterback Tom Brady is back. Smells like another Super Bowl run to me.

Aaron Curry, arguably the best player drafting, picks the New York Giants. Curry is a ferocious disrupter who can get into the backfield with ease and cover the entire field. He does not find tackles --- they find him. Curry would complete the Giants interior defensive game by adding another pro bowl linebacker to an already solid interior that features Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Antonio Pierce. Scary, right?

Mark Sanchez, hailing from sunny Southern California, goes with the Washington Redskins. There were several rumors floating around draft day about the Redskins moving up to take Sanchez, but the Jets beat them to it. Sanchez would offer the Redskins the franchise-making quarterback that they lack as compared to the other teams in their division. He would get tremendous help from running back Clinton Portis and wide receivers Santana Moss, Antoine Randle El and Chris Cooley. Plus, Sanchez cannot get enough of maroon and gold. Redskin nation would love this pick!

Andre Smith from Alabama has decided to block for the Carolina Panthers. Smith is primarily a run block specialist and would be a great fit for the Panthers’ running game. Can you imagine what running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would be able to accomplish this year with another force on the line blocking for them? Can you say a combined total of 2,500 rushing yards? Yikes!

The speedster out of Maryland, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, selects the Chicago Bears. The Bears have recently acquired the quarterback with possibly the greatest potential in the league, Jay Cutler. Cutler has an incredible arm with which he can loft the ball into the end zone, and Heyward-Bey would sprint down the field past any defensive back and pull it down every time. With Rasheed Davis and Devin Hester as his only competition for a starting spot, Heyward-Bey would immediately see the ball thrown to him. Chicago would be a tremendous offensive force if Heyward-Bey picked them and running back Matt Forte improves on his stellar rookie season.

The third offensive tackle on the clock, Eugene Monroe, picks the Pittsburgh Steelers. Monroe would join one of the premier offensive lines and could complete the line that is already annually regarded as the best in the league. Monroe is lucky to have the defending Super Bowl champions fall into his lap at No. 8, and he would love to get an opportunity to bring in their seventh Super Bowl ring.

With the ninth pick in the draft, defensive tackle BJ Raji selects the San Diego Chargers. Raji is a giant boy, weighing in at 337 pounds. More than that, Raji has impressive footwork and quickness and would clog up every hole up front, forcing runners to go outside and face linebacker Shawne Merriman. Raji would create trouble for any running team in the Chargers face. He would love the San Diego weather, and he is a perfect fit for the Charger’s 3-4 defense.

For the last pick of this list, wide receiver Michael Crabtree selects the San Francisco 49ers. (Just kidding, that happened in real life. Crabtree would never pick the 49ers, a team without a quarterback.) Crabtree instead chooses the Atlanta Falcons, completing their offense. The Falcons would have the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year in quarterback Matt Ryan, the speedy Michael Turner at running back and would have two deep threats in Crabtree and Roddy White. Crabtree would also get to wear the same colors as he did in college at Texas Tech.

Admittedly, in all of these scenarios the best teams would get better, and the bad teams would, well, get worse. The league would be extremely uneven, but the playoffs would be more entertaining and provide better football. And isn’t that what we all want anyway?