crzyjournalist03
04-20-2010, 04:38 PM
The experts seem to all have their opinions about what will go down in the NFL's first round on Thursday, but ultimately it's mostly a guessing game. So for your viewing pleasure, I present my official 2010 NFL mock draft with commentary on the players. Feel free to print it out and compare it to all the "experts' on Thursday night.
I'd like to know what you guys think of my predictions for your favorite teams!
Pick 1: St. Louis Rams
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Bradford seems to be the consensus #1 pick at this time. The only question is whether St. Louis trades the pick to someone else who wants Bradford
Pick 2: Detroit Lions
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
The Lions get a dominant defensive force to plug up the defensive line. Suh is the type of player that Detroit thought they got in Shaun Rogers nearly a decade ago.
Pick 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Bucs defense isn't what it used to be, and the head coach is a defense guy. It's going to be either McCoy or Suh for Tampa. Whichever one the Lions leave, the Bucs will be more than happy to take.
Pick 4: Washington Redskins
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Mike Shanahan loves versatile linemen, and Donovan McNabb isn't nearly as mobile as he used to be. Okung is the best offensive lineman in the draft, so he's the most logical pick here.
Pick 5: Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
This pick is the most difficult for me to make in the entire first round. I really think the Chiefs should go with Eric Berry here, but it seems that a lot of people "in the know" think Scott Pioli wants Bulaga due to his reliability. This pick is the domino that could alter the rest of the first round. If Berry is the pick, Bulaga could literally go anywhere in the first round from 7 to 30.
Pick 6: Seattle Seahawks
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Seattle needs a replacement for Walter Jones. Jimmy Clausen or C.J. Spiller will get a lot of attention, but with another pick in the first half of the round, I'm betting they see if either of those players fall into their lap later on.
Pick 7: Cleveland Browns
Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee
Mike Holmgren gets his quarterback -- for the defensive side of the ball. Berry is arguably the most athletic player in the draft, and Cleveland has few areas where it doesn't need help.
Pick 8: Oakland Raiders
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Raiders are going to do something a little crazy on draft day, but nobody's quite sure what. Last year, Al Davis showed an affection for players with hyphenated last names and good workouts. Why wouldn't he go that route again?
Pick 9: Buffalo Bills
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Marshawn Lynch's future is on shaky ground at best, and Fred Jackson didn't exactly rip the reins away from Lynch last year either. I could also very well see Buffalo trading down from this pick while a team like Miami or Seattle trades up to grab Spiller here.
Pick 10: Jacksonville Jaguars
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
I think the Jags would like to take Pierre-Paul, but Oakland already grabbed him. I don't buy into the rumor that swirled a couple of months ago that they might take Tebow in the first round to sell tickets. If Jacksonville wants to sell tickets, they need to win games. Morgan is a pass rusher who could help them do that, and Tebow could still be there on Day 2 if Jacksonville really wants to go that route.
Pick 11: Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears)
Earl Thomas, SS, Texas
The Broncos traded Brandon Marshall, so this is where a lot of people think Dez Bryant is going to go. My question is, why would the team have dealt a proven talent in Marshall if they intended to pursue an unproven talent with similar question marks off the field? In a division that appears to be heading more and more toward vertical passing games, Thomas is a pick that would make sense.
Pick 12: Miami Dolphins
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
This is a Bill Parcells pick. Williams fits both a team need and the player mold that Parcells likes. If C.J. Spiller is on the board, maybe Miami goes that route, but I wouldn't be surprised if Williams were the pick even in that scenario.
Pick 13: San Francisco 49ers
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Another frequently mentioned potential destination for Clausen, San Fransisco has bigger issues than quarterback. Alex Smith finally showed signs of being the potential answer last year, so why would they mess with bringing in another quarterback this year? I think it's a year too early for the 49ers to make their final judgment on Smith. That's why I think they'll end up taking a guy to protect their quarterback rather than to put pressure on him.
Pick 14: Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos)
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
The free-fall finally stops for Clausen as the Seahawks get one of the two players they were hoping was still available here. Clausen gets a year as an understudy for a guy who used to be an understudy for Brett Favre, who I hear is pretty good, so at least he's got that going for him.
Pick 15: New York Giants
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Giants defense was awful last year. Antonio Pierce is gone, and the Giants need a guy who can step in and fill a leadership role on the defense. McClain is the best linebacker in the draft, and the Giants would be thrilled to get him.
Pick 16: Tennessee Titans
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
The Titans play four games a year against Peyton Manning/Reggie Wayne and Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson. Joe Haden is the best corner in the draft. Seems simple enough.
Pick 17: San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers)
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Somebody is going to want to trade up for Dez Bryant, and my guess is this is where it happens. It's a low enough pick that a team in the mid-20s can afford to make a move without sacrificing the rest of their draft. If it's the Niners making this pick, I'm not sure they'd take the risk considering what they went through with Michael Crabtree last year, but if they were willing, could you imagine the potential that they'd have at wide receiver?
Pick 18: Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
I don't know what it is about this guy, but he just seems like a Steeler waiting to happen to me. The Steelers could use more protection for whoever's under center next year. It's a tossup who they'll pick among the remaining tackles and guards, so I'm taking a flyer on Iupati.
Pick 19: Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
A lot of experts seem to feel that Graham is the guy that Atlanta has their eye on. For a team who's on the verge of being a yearly contender, a solid pass rusher is always a good option.
Pick 20: Houston Texans
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Houston could reach for a back here, but they also need secondary help. Wilson seems like the better value here. You can find starting running backs in later rounds, but talented cornerbacks are a little more rare.
Pick 21: Cincinnati Bengals
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
A healthy Carson Palmer turned the Bengals into a threat last year, despite a general lack of productivity from their pass catchers. Gresham would be an outstanding pick to help out the Bengals passing game.
Pick 22: New England Patriots
Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas
The Patriots need some youth on the defensive side of the ball, and they started the movement last year by dealing Richard Seymour. Kindle possesses the type of pash-rushing ability that New England craves.
Pick 23: Green Bay Packers
Charles Brown, OT, Southern California
Green Bay has to keep Aaron Rodgers upright. They had all kinds of offensive line issues last year, and their season ended when it failed them yet again. If Green Bay doesn't get an offensive lineman, Packer fans might revolt.
Pick 24: Philadelphia Eagles
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Here's a little secret that Eagles fans might not want to acknowledge: their quarterback wasn't nearly as bad as their offensive line during the two season-deciding games against Dallas. Pouncey has the versatility to help out at any of the interior line positions, and while he may not be as flashy as some of the Eagles recent early draft picks, he may be just as important.
Pick 25: Baltimore Ravens
Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
Baltimore filled their most glaring hole by acquiring Anquan Boldin for a mid-round pick. When in doubt as to the direction the Ravens will take, look to the defense. Jackson could be a big help to an aging secondary.
Pick 26: Arizona Cardinals
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
While Demaryius Thomas is a possibility here as Boldin's replacement, the Cardinals lost the heart of their defense with Karlos Dansby's departure. Joey Porter has been brought in to help, but at 34 this spring, he's not nearly the force that he was five years ago.
Pick 27: Dallas Cowboys
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
A couple of years ago, the talk leading up to the draft was how Jerry Jones would give anything to trade up to get Darren McFadden, yet the whole time, there were whispers that Felix Jones was really the guy that he wanted. Dallas ended up staying put, and Jones was the choice. Now, we're hearing the same rumors about Jerry loving Dez Bryant and wanting to trade up, but the whispers from the beginning were that the Cowboys had their eyes set on Bruce Campbell. I have a feeling that Campbell is far more likely to end up wearing a star on his helmet than Bryant.
Pick 28: San Diego Chargers
Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
The Chargers have to have somebody run with the football, and they're obviously not high enough on Darren Sproles to hand him the every-down load, as evidenced by their original decision to not tender him a contract. After Spiller, Matthews seems to be the consensus #2 back in this draft.
Pick 29: New York Jets
Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
The Jets already had a stout defense, and they've continued to add to it this offseason. Hughes, a relentless pass rusher, is just the type of player that their defense craves. If he slides this far, Rex Ryan might just go out and predict nationally that the Jets are the team to beat in 2010, if he hasn't done that already.
Pick 30: Minnesota Vikings
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Right now, I don't actually think that the Vikings are going to take McCoy, but as the draft winds down Thursday night, somebody is going to want to jump up into the late first round to grab a quarterback. There are going to be a lot of anxious teams with early round 2 picks that don't want to go into Day 2 worrying that someone will trade up ahead of them and grab their quarterback. My bet is that somebody gets anxious enough to trade into the first round to get one.
Pick 31: Indianapolis Colts
Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have done a terrific job holding down the defensive line for the Colts over the years, but both have had problems staying on the field in recent years. A young guy like Odrick could provide some much-needed stability for a team that is already very good.
Pick 32: New Orleans Saints
Everson Griffen, DE, Southern California
The Saints' rise to superiority last year can be traced in part to the team's vastly improved defense, but they were still 20th in the league in defensive scoring, and were in the bottom half in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. An outside rusher like Griffen could help the Saints' defensive prowess on both fronts.
I'd like to know what you guys think of my predictions for your favorite teams!
Pick 1: St. Louis Rams
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Bradford seems to be the consensus #1 pick at this time. The only question is whether St. Louis trades the pick to someone else who wants Bradford
Pick 2: Detroit Lions
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
The Lions get a dominant defensive force to plug up the defensive line. Suh is the type of player that Detroit thought they got in Shaun Rogers nearly a decade ago.
Pick 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Bucs defense isn't what it used to be, and the head coach is a defense guy. It's going to be either McCoy or Suh for Tampa. Whichever one the Lions leave, the Bucs will be more than happy to take.
Pick 4: Washington Redskins
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Mike Shanahan loves versatile linemen, and Donovan McNabb isn't nearly as mobile as he used to be. Okung is the best offensive lineman in the draft, so he's the most logical pick here.
Pick 5: Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
This pick is the most difficult for me to make in the entire first round. I really think the Chiefs should go with Eric Berry here, but it seems that a lot of people "in the know" think Scott Pioli wants Bulaga due to his reliability. This pick is the domino that could alter the rest of the first round. If Berry is the pick, Bulaga could literally go anywhere in the first round from 7 to 30.
Pick 6: Seattle Seahawks
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Seattle needs a replacement for Walter Jones. Jimmy Clausen or C.J. Spiller will get a lot of attention, but with another pick in the first half of the round, I'm betting they see if either of those players fall into their lap later on.
Pick 7: Cleveland Browns
Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee
Mike Holmgren gets his quarterback -- for the defensive side of the ball. Berry is arguably the most athletic player in the draft, and Cleveland has few areas where it doesn't need help.
Pick 8: Oakland Raiders
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Raiders are going to do something a little crazy on draft day, but nobody's quite sure what. Last year, Al Davis showed an affection for players with hyphenated last names and good workouts. Why wouldn't he go that route again?
Pick 9: Buffalo Bills
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Marshawn Lynch's future is on shaky ground at best, and Fred Jackson didn't exactly rip the reins away from Lynch last year either. I could also very well see Buffalo trading down from this pick while a team like Miami or Seattle trades up to grab Spiller here.
Pick 10: Jacksonville Jaguars
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
I think the Jags would like to take Pierre-Paul, but Oakland already grabbed him. I don't buy into the rumor that swirled a couple of months ago that they might take Tebow in the first round to sell tickets. If Jacksonville wants to sell tickets, they need to win games. Morgan is a pass rusher who could help them do that, and Tebow could still be there on Day 2 if Jacksonville really wants to go that route.
Pick 11: Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears)
Earl Thomas, SS, Texas
The Broncos traded Brandon Marshall, so this is where a lot of people think Dez Bryant is going to go. My question is, why would the team have dealt a proven talent in Marshall if they intended to pursue an unproven talent with similar question marks off the field? In a division that appears to be heading more and more toward vertical passing games, Thomas is a pick that would make sense.
Pick 12: Miami Dolphins
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
This is a Bill Parcells pick. Williams fits both a team need and the player mold that Parcells likes. If C.J. Spiller is on the board, maybe Miami goes that route, but I wouldn't be surprised if Williams were the pick even in that scenario.
Pick 13: San Francisco 49ers
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Another frequently mentioned potential destination for Clausen, San Fransisco has bigger issues than quarterback. Alex Smith finally showed signs of being the potential answer last year, so why would they mess with bringing in another quarterback this year? I think it's a year too early for the 49ers to make their final judgment on Smith. That's why I think they'll end up taking a guy to protect their quarterback rather than to put pressure on him.
Pick 14: Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos)
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
The free-fall finally stops for Clausen as the Seahawks get one of the two players they were hoping was still available here. Clausen gets a year as an understudy for a guy who used to be an understudy for Brett Favre, who I hear is pretty good, so at least he's got that going for him.
Pick 15: New York Giants
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Giants defense was awful last year. Antonio Pierce is gone, and the Giants need a guy who can step in and fill a leadership role on the defense. McClain is the best linebacker in the draft, and the Giants would be thrilled to get him.
Pick 16: Tennessee Titans
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
The Titans play four games a year against Peyton Manning/Reggie Wayne and Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson. Joe Haden is the best corner in the draft. Seems simple enough.
Pick 17: San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers)
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Somebody is going to want to trade up for Dez Bryant, and my guess is this is where it happens. It's a low enough pick that a team in the mid-20s can afford to make a move without sacrificing the rest of their draft. If it's the Niners making this pick, I'm not sure they'd take the risk considering what they went through with Michael Crabtree last year, but if they were willing, could you imagine the potential that they'd have at wide receiver?
Pick 18: Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
I don't know what it is about this guy, but he just seems like a Steeler waiting to happen to me. The Steelers could use more protection for whoever's under center next year. It's a tossup who they'll pick among the remaining tackles and guards, so I'm taking a flyer on Iupati.
Pick 19: Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
A lot of experts seem to feel that Graham is the guy that Atlanta has their eye on. For a team who's on the verge of being a yearly contender, a solid pass rusher is always a good option.
Pick 20: Houston Texans
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Houston could reach for a back here, but they also need secondary help. Wilson seems like the better value here. You can find starting running backs in later rounds, but talented cornerbacks are a little more rare.
Pick 21: Cincinnati Bengals
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
A healthy Carson Palmer turned the Bengals into a threat last year, despite a general lack of productivity from their pass catchers. Gresham would be an outstanding pick to help out the Bengals passing game.
Pick 22: New England Patriots
Sergio Kindle, DE, Texas
The Patriots need some youth on the defensive side of the ball, and they started the movement last year by dealing Richard Seymour. Kindle possesses the type of pash-rushing ability that New England craves.
Pick 23: Green Bay Packers
Charles Brown, OT, Southern California
Green Bay has to keep Aaron Rodgers upright. They had all kinds of offensive line issues last year, and their season ended when it failed them yet again. If Green Bay doesn't get an offensive lineman, Packer fans might revolt.
Pick 24: Philadelphia Eagles
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Here's a little secret that Eagles fans might not want to acknowledge: their quarterback wasn't nearly as bad as their offensive line during the two season-deciding games against Dallas. Pouncey has the versatility to help out at any of the interior line positions, and while he may not be as flashy as some of the Eagles recent early draft picks, he may be just as important.
Pick 25: Baltimore Ravens
Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
Baltimore filled their most glaring hole by acquiring Anquan Boldin for a mid-round pick. When in doubt as to the direction the Ravens will take, look to the defense. Jackson could be a big help to an aging secondary.
Pick 26: Arizona Cardinals
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
While Demaryius Thomas is a possibility here as Boldin's replacement, the Cardinals lost the heart of their defense with Karlos Dansby's departure. Joey Porter has been brought in to help, but at 34 this spring, he's not nearly the force that he was five years ago.
Pick 27: Dallas Cowboys
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
A couple of years ago, the talk leading up to the draft was how Jerry Jones would give anything to trade up to get Darren McFadden, yet the whole time, there were whispers that Felix Jones was really the guy that he wanted. Dallas ended up staying put, and Jones was the choice. Now, we're hearing the same rumors about Jerry loving Dez Bryant and wanting to trade up, but the whispers from the beginning were that the Cowboys had their eyes set on Bruce Campbell. I have a feeling that Campbell is far more likely to end up wearing a star on his helmet than Bryant.
Pick 28: San Diego Chargers
Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
The Chargers have to have somebody run with the football, and they're obviously not high enough on Darren Sproles to hand him the every-down load, as evidenced by their original decision to not tender him a contract. After Spiller, Matthews seems to be the consensus #2 back in this draft.
Pick 29: New York Jets
Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU
The Jets already had a stout defense, and they've continued to add to it this offseason. Hughes, a relentless pass rusher, is just the type of player that their defense craves. If he slides this far, Rex Ryan might just go out and predict nationally that the Jets are the team to beat in 2010, if he hasn't done that already.
Pick 30: Minnesota Vikings
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Right now, I don't actually think that the Vikings are going to take McCoy, but as the draft winds down Thursday night, somebody is going to want to jump up into the late first round to grab a quarterback. There are going to be a lot of anxious teams with early round 2 picks that don't want to go into Day 2 worrying that someone will trade up ahead of them and grab their quarterback. My bet is that somebody gets anxious enough to trade into the first round to get one.
Pick 31: Indianapolis Colts
Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have done a terrific job holding down the defensive line for the Colts over the years, but both have had problems staying on the field in recent years. A young guy like Odrick could provide some much-needed stability for a team that is already very good.
Pick 32: New Orleans Saints
Everson Griffen, DE, Southern California
The Saints' rise to superiority last year can be traced in part to the team's vastly improved defense, but they were still 20th in the league in defensive scoring, and were in the bottom half in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. An outside rusher like Griffen could help the Saints' defensive prowess on both fronts.