It's a beautiful time for football fans, late April. In the midst of the wasteland, the vast gulf between January and August, the NFL Draft comes like a refreshing spring shower. Or, in Boston's case, a blizzard.

Today, every team and every fan is filled with hope. The future of the franchise may hang in the balance as team officials in New York talk to the coaches and general managers barricaded in the "war-rooms" back home.

The coaches come out to talk to ESPN reporters then duck back hurriedly like frightened rats. They don't want to miss a single trade offer. Even worse, another team might be totally screwing up their mock draft at that moment by picking someone they hoped would be there later.

If you're like me, you have to take this week not only to get ready but also to work out. Because I'm going to do what I do every year--sit down in front of a TV and watch the first round. All seven hours. Not only do you have to flatten your derriere (I recommend "Buns of Steel") so you can sit for extended periods of time, you'll also be eating seven hours worth of junk food.

But like so many bags of chips, the time will all fly by, because you know these teams are determining the future of the world (football) for the next few years.

So if you've been studying for trivialities like midterms, writing papers, or just plain not paying attention, here's a guide which should get you through the first round of the draft. I added some trades which I thought could happen just to spice things up.

1. St. Louis Rams (from New York Jets): Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State (pictured to the right). Bill Parcells lets new Rams coach Dick Vermeil get the best player in the draft because Parcells needs a lot of picks this year. Vermeil loves Pace.

Who blames him? He's big, quick and strong. He'll be protecting QB Tony Banks's backside for a number of years and be opening holes as long as RB Lawrence Phillips keeps getting weekend furloughs.

2. Detroit Lions (from Oakland Raiders): Shawn Springs, CB, Ohio State. The Lions fill a major need with this great cover corner. He ran 4.4 flat at the combine and can jump over 40 inches. I don't like him as much as Bryant Westbrook because he can't bring a load against the run like Westbrook.

3. Seattle Seahawks: Darrell Russell, DT, USC. He's a better value here than he would have been as the number one overall pick, which he would have been if the Jets had taken him. He can really collapse a pocket but can also disappear with alarming frequency. He'll be another very high defensive lineman pick who never lives up to expectations. The club of Sean Gilbert, Dan Wilkinson, and Eric Swann gets a new member here.

4. Miami Dolphins (from Baltimore Ravens): Peter Boulware, DE, Florida State. Jimmy Johnson makes the major move up because he gets a Florida player who has great speed--and we all know JJ has a speed fetish. He helps a poor defensive line with his unbelievable quickness and athleticism. A bit small at 6'4", 254, but it hasn't mattered on the field to date.

5. Oakland Raiders (from Detroit Lions): Walter Jones, OT, Florida State. Al Davis wanted Pace but wasn't willing to trade up with Parcells to get him. The only problem with Jones is that he only played real college football for a year, and he's not really worth the number two pick. But Davis is satisfied with this pick because Jones ran in the 4.75 range at the combine and has good power. Personally, I think Congress needs to pass legislation outlawing big men who can move that fast.

6. Houston Oilers (from St. Louis Rams, New York Jets): Bryant Westbrook, CB, Texas. Westbrook may end up being a better NFL player than Springs because of his size, fluidity and unbelievable hitting ability. As Keith Jackson would say, "Whoa, Nellie, will this boy hitchee!"

7. New York Giants: Dwayne Rudd, LB, Alabama. The G-men need a play-maker at linebacker. They have a bunch of solid guys, but no one who will turn a game around a la Lawrence Taylor. Rudd can cover, blitz, play the run, and knows how to play off blocks.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yatil Green, WR, Miami (Fla.). They need a big-play threat since Alvin Harper was more of a double-agent than a free-agent. Green runs a 4.38, vertical jumps over 40 inches, and has good size at 6'3", 200. He needs to stay healthy, however.