The SG 50 through four rounds:

1. Tom Brady, QB Patriots
2. Peyton Manning, QB Colts
3. Ben Roethlisberger, QB Steelers
4. Tony Romo, QB Cowboys
5. Carson Palmer, QB Bengals
6. Joe Thomas, OT Browns
7. Osi Umenyiora, DE Giants
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB Chargers
9. Kevin Williams, DT Vikings
10. Albert Haynesworth, DT Flaming Thumbtacks
11. Drew Brees, QB Saints
12. Marcus McNeill, OT Chargers

Sorry for the delay, folks, but things are getting really tough now. The elite players at the two most critical positions, left tackle and quarterback, are gone, leaving me to either take an LT/QB who is simply very good or snag a great player at a slightly less important position. After a long, drawn-out, agonizing debate with myself, I’ve decided to go for the second option and select…

DeMarcus Ware, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Ware’s not your average linebacker. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He often plays as a down lineman in pass-rush situations, and he’s quick enough to blow by just about any would-be blocker. He’s not as strong as, say, Osi Umenyiora is during a bull rush, but his strength is more than adequate and he can tangle with and disrupt a lot of offensive tackles around the league if need be. This blend of power and quickness also makes him very tough against the run — the Cowboys’ defense ranked 5th and 9th, respectively, in adjusted line yards per carry on runs at left end at left tackle, and Ware’s fearsome presence and freakish athletic abilities played a huge role in that. His instincts are second to none, and while he does occasionally misjudge snap counts and prematurely end up in the backfield like another excellent player who wore #94, more often than not his timing off the line is perfect and he has the quarterback eating turf in less than two seconds. That kind of disruptive force doesn’t often come in a 26-year-old package. You can keep your Shawne Merrimans and Julian Petersons — for my money, DeMarcus Ware is the best outside linebacker in the game today, hands-down.