Taz's Mock NFL Draft v1.0
Written by Jim Day Thursday, 28 January 2010 21:50
It’s really getting to be a fun time if you are a diehard fantasy footballer like I am. There is so much enjoyment for me personally in trying to decipher who will and who won’t make it at the next level. Trying to pick the winners of the NFL draft can be as tricky as trying to decipher what your wife means when she says that everything’s “fine”. But it is one of the most interesting aspects of the football season that I truly look forward to it every year.
This is the week of the Senior Bowl so I decided that now would be a good time to take my 1st shot at a mock draft. I know that some people will have issues with a few of my choices, but as I was sitting in each team’s hat (literally. I changed hats for every pick) I truly tried to decipher the player that would make the most sense for them. I did not try to include trades as that just tends to get out of hand quickly.
Ok enough of the babble, here now is my 2010 NFL Mock Draft version 1.0.
1. St Louis Rams: QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame- The Rams will have a hard time not selecting Suh here, but Clausen could be the franchise QB they have been looking for. There is a chance they trade for a starting QB, if they do, then Suh is definitely the pick here.
2. Detroit Lions: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska – The Lions will be ecstatic that Suh falls to them here. It will give them a much needed presence in the middle of their defensive line for years to come. Suh is going to dominant in the middle of this defensive line.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma – McCoy’s value has definitely shot up the charts with an impressive junior season at Oklahoma. He is just what the Bucs need to solidify the middle of their defense.
4. Washington Redskins: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State – The Redskins are in dire need of a standout offensive tackle and Okung is that player. He is the best tackle in the draft and will be able to start from day 1.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland – The Chiefs have the worst offensive line in football and I am sure they were hoping that Okung would fall to them here, but with him off the board Campbell gives them the next best option at OT. (I think if Okung is gone they try to move down here and still get Campbell or Anthony Davis)
6. Seattle Seahawks: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma – Seattle was hoping one of the 2 tackles listed above would fall to them, but with both gone I look for the Seahawks to take a gamble on a franchise QB. While I am not sold on Bradford, the QB class is not very strong this year.
7. Cleveland Browns: S Eric Berry, Tennessee – The Browns have a ton of needs, but there is no way they pass on this talented Safety. Berry will start for them from day 1 and become a solid playmaker in their defensive backfield.
8. Oakland Raiders: ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama – Both of the Raiders starting ILB’s, Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison, are free agents this season and the Raiders will be hard pressed to sign them both. Al Davis will surely like having the starting ILB from the National Champions on his roster.
9. Buffalo Bills: OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers – It is no surprise to anyone that Buffalo needs offensive line help. Davis is the type of player that can step in from day 1 and become a solid cornerstone for them for a long time.
10. Denver Broncos (From Chicago)*: WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State – With Marshall obviously being gone in 2010, the Broncos will need a big playmaking WR and Bryant fits that bill perfectly. At 6’2”, 210 lbs, Bryant will bring a good sized receiver with excellent hands who is not afraid to fight for the ball.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars*: DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech – A solid defensive end is a serious need of the Jaguars and Morgan has a motor that just doesn’t quit. His 12.5 sacks are even more impressive when you consider he really had no help on that D-line.
12. Miami Dolphins: OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas – The Dolphins need a solid young OLB as both Taylor and Porter are getting a little long in the tooth. Kindle gives them a versatile player with good size and speed.
13. San Francisco 49ers: CB Joe Haden, Florida – Dre’ Bly is a free agent and Nate Clements is due a lot of money for the 2010 season, so the 49ers need to address this position. Haden is the top CB in this draft and some think he could be a “shutdown” corner in the NFL.
14. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa – The Seahawks made the move to grab their QB, now they want to protect him. Walter Jones is just too old and brittle and Sean Locklear is a decent backup at best. Bulaga can jump right in and start from day 1 and he works well in both pass and rush blocking.
15. New York Giants: ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida – Antonio Pierce is no longer a dominant MLB and they need a new leader on defense. Spikes can be that guy. He fully understands the game of football and has good instincts. He works well against the pass and is a solid tackler.
16. Tennessee Titans**: OG Mike Iupati, Idaho – Iupati continues to move up draft boards with his excellent practices at the Senior Bowl and the Titans could surely use an OG that can be dominant. He should be able to supplant Eugene Amano from the beginning. He surely won’t hurt Chris Johnson’s chances of repeating…
17. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina) **: OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma – The 49ers need help at RT and Williams will fit that bill nicely. This move would give them two young solid tackles for a long time. Williams gives them a ton of versatility as he can play both tackles as well as slip inside to guard if needed.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: S Earl Thomas, Texas – The Steelers really wanted Williams to fall to them, but with him off the board then Thomas makes a solid pick for them. They obviously had a hole at safety when Polamalu went down, but Thomas can either play next to Polamalu or cover him if he goes down again.
19. Houston Texans***: CB Perrish Cox, OSU – Cox is making believers out of most scouts at the Senior Bowl and will continue to move up draft boards with a solid Senior Bowl and good Combine workout. It would have been good to see him in the Cotton Bowl, but he seems to be making up for it now.
20. Atlanta Falcons***: CB Patrick Robinson FSU – Atlanta seriously needs help at corner and Robinson is the best one on the board at this point. He is extremely fast, has good cover skills and can support the run. There is a good chance he will be the starter in week 1.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma - Cincinnati has a few spots to fill in this draft, but they really need a solid pass catching TE to stabilize that offense and Gresham is going to be a special one. He needs to be strong at the combine and show the knee is healthy though. If he does, then with his 6’6” size and great hands, he would do for them what Chase Coffman could never seem to get started.
22. New England Patriots: RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson – Spiller won’t be an every down back, but he can be a great playmaker for them as a change of pace back. He has the chance to score from anywhere on the field on any play and I don’t think the Pats will pass on his talent. Kevin Faulk will be 34 and saw a decrease in stats across the board this year and Faulk is an unrestricted free agent anyway.
23. Green Bay Packers: RB Jahvid Best, California – Ryan Grant continues to be solid for the Pack, but they continue to have trouble finding that 3rd down/scat back. Best would make an excellent tandem with Grant. Best is extremely quick is one of the most elusive backs I have seen in a while. With 10-15 touches a game in this offense, he could make an immediate impact.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri – Last year lost two main components of their defense; a leader in Brian Dawkins when he went to Denver and a solid linebacker in Stewart Bradley when he was lost early in the season. Weatherspoon is a player that can take care of both those things. He is a vocal leader, as he is showcasing in this week’s Senior Bowl practices, and he is a playmaker that can play both outside and inside as needed.
25. New York Jets: WR Brandon Lafell, LSU – If the Jets could lock up Lafell, maybe they come to their senses and let that bum Braylon Edwards go. Lafell is a big receiver at 6’3” 206lbs, has very good speed and is able to move well with the ball. He would be able to form a nice bond with Sanchez over the next few years.
26. Baltimore Ravens: WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois – The Ravens may very well try to move up to get Lafell here, but if not they won’t be very disappointed if Benn is still there. Benn is a gifted athlete but he will have to work through some mental blocks he shows from time to time.
27. Arizona Cardinals: OT Charles Brown, USC – The Cardinals absolutely need to replace Mike Gandy at LT, especially if they need to protect Matt Leinart instead of Warner. Brown is a better pass blocker than run blocker now, but if he puts on a little weight he should have no problem establishing himself as a starting LT in this league.
28. Dallas Cowboys: DE Jared Odrick, Penn State – Odrick will need to bulk up a little for the NFL but he is a high motor guy who can get up the field and disrupt the backfield. He has good instincts and agility, but will need to work on his run stopping technique.
29. Minnesota Vikings: DT Brian Price, UCLA – There is a good chance that Pat Williams retires this offseason so DT would become a big need. Price could step right in and start right away. He is not very tall at 6’2”, but he makes up for it with a high motor.
30. San Diego Chargers: RB Jonathan Dwyer, GT – Dwyer is one of only a few that have a shot as an every down back in this draft but he will need to maintain his conditioning to do it. He is a solid inside runner, hits the hole quickly and doesn’t shy away from blocking. If he slips past the Chargers here he may slide into the middle of the second round.
31. Indianapolis Colts: CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest – Ghee has really been increasing his draft value with outstanding practices for the Senior Bowl, and I think he has done enough to vault into the first round. The Colts aren’t unhappy with Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers, but neither is a top cover corner, Ghee can be.
32. New Orleans Saints: DT Dan Williams, Tennessee – The Saints need help in a lot of defensive categories, but getting help up the middle against the run is a priority. Williams is a player that will sit in the middle and make it very hard for teams to run at him. He also has the ability to get to the QB.
* Denotes a coin flip between these two teams
** Denotes a coin flip between these two teams
*** Denotes a coin flip between these two teams
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02-03-2010 18:37:52 |64.29.236.xxx| Barkley - nice
i like it, Taz.
my boys getting the #1CB and a great OT is just what the Dr ordered.
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02-06-2010 17:01:21 |67.190.221.xxx| Tony - CJ SPILLER
If the Pats landed SPiller, I would have wood.
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02-07-2010 12:41:04 |99.64.120.xxx| Brian Kruper
While I disagree with some, awesome job with your first mock.
I'll have to wait and see where some shake out after the combine and pro days. Would love to my Steelers go O-Line then take a secondary guy 2nd round. Very deep in the secondary this yr. Mostly jr's though.Always enjoy reading your stuff Taz.
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02-26-2010 11:43:50 |99.135.78.xxx| Connie
Good job - not easy to think like the teams are thinking. Who might take someone that doesn't seem to be a need over someone else. I was surprised that you have Green Bay picking a RB. With Grant and Jackson and the help they need with O Line (of course all the good ones are gone by the time they pick) I think you are the only person I see having them pick a RB. It will be interesting to see the final result!
KFFL Hot Off The Wire
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Not sure I agree with you all the way down the board. But I like your work.
Now...if St. Louis trades for Michael Vick, I would suppose that would open the door for them to take Suh.....then Clausen could fall into the lap of the Seahawks....THAT is a scenario I can get behind :-)