It's exactly two weeks until the NFL's Annual Selection Meeting. . .keep an eye out for word on another live mock draft coming sometime soon. . .but I haven't put out a site mock draft yet like I have in past seasons. Well, it's about time that I change that, don't you suppose?
The mock draft is brought to you by the good folks at Comcast. And you'll find it right after the jump there.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | St. Louis Rams | Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
| Is Sam Bradford the best player available in the 2010 NFL Draft? Nope. Is he Top 5? Possibly. But the Rams released long-time starter Marc Bulger earlier this week. Their options at quarterback, as it stands right now, are Kyle Boller, Keith Null, and Mike Reilly. Yeah, they're taking a quarterback. |
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| 2 | Detroit Lions | Ndamakong Suh |
Defensive Tackle |
Nebraska |
| The Lions got their quarterback of the future last season with Matthew Stafford, so now they have the luxury of taking the best player available. With the Rams taking Bradford, they get the opportunity to land the best player in the entire draft. Suh is a beast, and should team with the newly-acquired Kyle Vandenbosch and Corey Williams to give Detroit a fairly formidable front four. | ||||
| 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Gerald McCoy |
Defensive Tackle |
Oklahoma |
| The Bucs could potentially take a long look at Eric Berry here, but I don't think that they can go with a safety when a difference-maker like McCoy is right there staring at them. In any other year, McCoy might be the best player in the draft. . .but in this one, he's second best at his position. The Bucs will be happy to scoop him up regardless. | ||||
| 4 | Washington Redskins | Russel Okung | Offensive Tackle |
Oklahoma State |
| A few days ago, I might have had Jimmy Claussen going in this spot, but the Redskins solved their quarterback "problem," such as it was, with that whole Donovan McNabb thing. With that out of the way, along with the retirement of Chris Samuels, they need somebody to protect McNabb's blind side, and the best offensive tackle in the draft is just the ticket for them here. | ||||
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | Eric Berry | Safety |
Tennessee |
| The first four picks are almost set in stone at this point, barring any crazy trades, so this is where things finally start to get interesting. The Chiefs could take an offensive lineman here and upgrade several positions along that front, but this pick could be Berry, Berry good for the Chiefs. (Yes, a Chico Escuela reference. What?) Berry is one of those few safeties that deserves to be taken in the Top 5 of the draft, and would be a nice pick for the Chiefs in this spot. | ||||
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | C.J. Spiller | Running Back | Clemson |
| The Seahawks find themselves in a bit of a precarious position. They have two first round picks in this year's draft, and they like C.J. Spiller, but there are a lot of other spots they need help at. The difficulty lies in the fact that if they don't take Spiller here, there's a very good chance that he won't be there at #14 when their turn comes up again, since the Niners in particular seem to like Spiller a lot. So, I think they take the best running back available here, and worry about finding someone to block for him later on. | ||||
| 7 | Cleveland Browns | Joe Haden | Cornerback | Florida |
| I've seen a lot of stuff out there that seems to indicate Haden falling out of the Top 10 of this draft. I really, really have a hard time believing that. In a league where so many teams need cornerbacks, Haden is clearly the top guy at the position in this year's class, and the Browns would love to have him here. You could make a solid case for Jimmy Claussen in this spot, but the last Notre Dame quarterback the Browns took a risk on. . .well, that didn't work out so well. They might be a bit gun-shy. | ||||
| 8 | Oakland Raiders | Trent Williams | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma |
| Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. The annual "How will Al Davis cause Gonzo's jaw to hit the floor this year" derby is officially underway! Trent Williams is the sensible pick here, because the Raider offensive line really isn't good, whether it's Bruce Gradkowski or JaMarcus |
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| 9 | Buffalo Bills | Jimmy Claussen | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
| The Bills could go a couple of different ways with this pick, be it a quarterback or an offensive tackle. With the team perpetually being the subject of rumored moves to Toronto or somewhere else, they need an actual face of the franchise. . .and, with all due respect to Trent Edwards, he isn't it. Claussen is probably the most pro-ready quarterback in this class, thanks in large part to the system he played in at Notre Dame, and would probably be the guy in Buffalo from day one. | ||||
| 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Earl Thomas | Safety | Texas |
| Earl Thomas is a guy that is rocketing up draft boards everywhere, and has surpassed Taylor Mays in the eyes of many as the second-best safety prospect in this year's class. While there might be some questions about Thomas' size and ability to hold up at the pro level, it can't be denied that he's the sort of playmaker the Jaguars' secondary needs. Of course, when you mention Jacksonville, the name Tim Tebow is going to come up, but #10 overall is way, WAY too early for his name to be called. | ||||
| 11 | Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears) | Dez Bryant | Wide Receiver | Oklahoma State |
| As of now, the Broncos still employ Brandon Marshall at the wide receiver spot. It also just so happens that Brandon Marshall is a nutbar and probably isn't long for the Denver roster. I don't expect Marshall to be a Bronco for much longer, and they need someone to pair with Eddie Royal for Kyle Orton or Brady Quinn to throw to. Bryant, despite his off-field issues, is the best and most dynamic receiver in this year's draft, and the Broncos would be fortunate to have him fall into their laps here. | ||||
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | Dan Williams | Defensive Tackle | Tennessee |
| Miami would absolutely love to see Bryant fall to this spot, and they've been rumored to be one of Brandon Marshall's potential landing spots. However, with Bryant unavailable and no trades in this scenario, the Dolphins will grab a guy they can plug into the middle of their defense to be a disruptive force. They could also look at Taylor Mays at the safety spot, but I think this is a bit too high for him. | ||||
| 13 | San Francisco 49ers | Brian Bulaga |
Offensive Tackle | Iowa |
| With the Seahawks having thwarted their C.J. Spiller plans earlier on, the Niners will look to solidify their offensive line. The Niners have a bit of a quarterback carousel of their own going on at the moment, with Alex Smith on his twenty-third "second chance" and David Carr brought in as competition for him, but whoever is back there, they need somebody protecting their backside. Bulaga is the best tackle left at this point, and would start immediately for Mike Singletary and company. | ||||
| 14 | Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos) | Anthony Davis | Offensive Tackle | Rutgers |
| Remember earlier when I said that the Seahawks needed someone to block for C.J. Spiller? Well, here he is. Davis, for his character issues, has a chance to be a very good offensive tackle in the NFL, and the Seahawks need to replace future Hall of Famer Walter Jones at the left tackle spot. Again, Davis is a bit raw, but he'll be given the opportunity to sink or swim with the Seahawks and new coach Pete Carroll. | ||||
| 15 | New York Giants | Rolando McClain | Linebacker | Alabama |
| The Giants started out last season 5-0, and then pretty much fell apart, largely because their defense was absolutely atrocious. New York could use this pick on any position on the defensive side of the ball and not really be wrong, but grabbing the best player from the best defense in college football seems to be as good a start as any. Jason Pierre-Paul or Derrick Morgan wouldn't surprise me here, either, but I'm going with McClain. | ||||
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | Jason Pierre-Paul |
Defensive End | South Florida |
| Are the Titans down with JPP? Well, he is an absolutely freakish natural athlete, drawing more than passing comparisons to another "Freak" at the DE spot the Titans drafted some years ago. Will Pierre-Paul's athletic skills transfer as well to the actual gridiron as Jevon Kearse's did? Someone is going to take a shot at finding out, and since DE is probably Tennessee's biggest need, I think it would be them. | ||||
| 17 | San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers) | Kyle Wilson | Cornerback | Boise State |
| Having addressed their biggest need up at #13, the Niners can take a "best player available" approach to their second first-round selection. In my opinion, in this scenario, Kyle Wilson is that player. In addition to being an outstanding cornerback, a position the Niners have a significant need at, he's an outstanding return man as well. Wilson would be a good get for San Francisco at #17. | ||||
| 18 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Mike Iupati | Guard | Idaho |
| I can't think of a player and a team that go together in this draft quite as well as the Steelers and Iupati. The Steelers have long been known for smashmouth football, and they've gotten away from that a little bit in recent years. Iupati would give them an opportunity to start bringing Pittsburgh back to that. He's a beast, and would immediately step right in and give the Steelers' offensive line the nasty streak they've been lacking. | ||||
| 19 | Atlanta Falcons | Derrick Morgan | Defensive End | Georgia Tech |
| Jamaal Anderson has been an outright bust for the Falcons thus far in his career, and they really need a guy on the edge to help out their defense. Morgan, who wouldn't have to move very far to join the Falcons, is either the best or second-best defensive end in the draft, depending on who you ask, and would be a solid upgrade for the Falcons. | ||||
| 20 | Houston Texans | Ryan Mathews | Running Back | Fresno State |
| The Texans can throw the ball. Good lord, can they throw the ball. But their offense is incredibly one-dimensional, with rookie sensation Steve Slaton putting the ball on the ground at an alarming rate in his sophomore campaign. Mathews is a solid, all-around runner that could easily supplant Slaton on the Houston depth chart and give the Texans the extra dimension their offense needs to take the next step. | ||||
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Taylor Mays | Safety | Southern California |
| Taylor Mays was starting to fall off the map a bit until the NFL combine, where he put up some eye-popping numbers. Nobody has ever doubted Mays' physical abilities, but he really had a down year with the Trojans in 2009, and it remains to be seen whether or not he's leveled off as a player or whether he had a bad year on a fairly young USC defense. The Bengals would be willing to bet on the latter in order to upgrade their secondary. | ||||
| 22 | New England Patriots | Sergio Kindle | Linebacker | Texas |
| Kindle is one of those "tweeners" that seems to be a perfect fit for a 3-4 defense like the Patriots run. He's an outstanding pass rusher, and should be able to start wreaking havoc for the Patriots almost immediately. The Patriots could also take a long, hard look at Jermaine Gresham at this spot, too, but the need for a pass rusher would trump the need for a tight end, in my opinion. | ||||
| 23 | Green Bay Packers | Bruce Campbell | Offensive Tackle | Maryland |
| Bruce Campbell, in addition to being awesome in Army of Darkness and Burn Notice, showed off his athletic ability at this year's combine. The Packers' offensive line woes are well-known. . .and much enjoyed. . .by us Viking fans. With Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher both getting up in years and the other human turnstiles the Packers have employed at the position showing little to no signs of life, the Packers need to upgrade on their front line, and Campbell gives them the best opportunity to do that. | ||||
| 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | Maurkice Pouncey | Center/Guard | Florida |
| Depending on who you ask, Pouncey is either the best center in the draft or the second-best guard. Regardless of what position the Eagles would want to start him at, they need to upgrade themselves up front to begin the post-Donovan McNabb era. Pouncey played in a pass-happy system at Florida, and would fit right in to Andy Reid's offense in Philadelphia. | ||||
| 25 | Baltimore Ravens | Jermaine Gresham | Tight End | Oklahoma |
| Had Gresham managed to stay healthy this past season with the Sooners, he likely would have gone much higher than this. Despite taking the Ravens to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons at the helm, Joe Flacco is still developing, and with Todd Heap's rapid deterioration, he needs a security blanket in the middle of the field he can turn to under duress. Gresham would be a great fit for the Baltimore offense, and would have an outstanding shot at an Offensive Rookie of the Year award if he wound up with the Ravens. | ||||
| 26 | Arizona Cardinals | Sean Weatherspoon | Linebacker | Missouri |
| The Cardinals, to put it mildly, have had a rough off-season. No more Anquan Boldin, no more Karlos Dansby, no more Antrel Rolle, and no more Kurt Warner. Getting a player of Weatherspoon's quality this late would be a great addition to a team that might find themselves in rebuilding mode sooner rather than later. | ||||
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Charles Brown |
Offensive Tackle |
Southern California |
| With Flozell Adams set to try to injure opposing players while wearing another uniform in 2010, the Cowboys have a sizable hole at the left tackle spot. Brown is a borderline first-round talent, but the drop-off between him and the next offensive tackle on the list (Indiana's Rodger Saffold) is a pretty good-sized one. The Cowboys have other needs as well. . .other names to potentially keep an eye on at this spot are Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas and Michigan linebacker Brandon Graham. | ||||
| 28 | San Diego Chargers | Terrence Cody |
Defensive Tackle | Alabama |
| "Mount Cody" is exactly the sort of player the Chargers need in the middle of their 3-4 defense, particularly since the Jamal Williams era is over. Cody, to put it mildly, is freaking huge, tipping the scales at over 350 pounds, and is the prototypical space eater that would allow the San Diego linebackers to flow more freely to the ball and to the quarterback. His stamina might be an issue, but that's one of those things that's correctable. The Chargers would love Cody to be available at #28. | ||||
| 29 | New York Jets | Brandon Graham | Outside Linebacker | Michigan |
| Graham is another one of those guys that played defensive end in college that would appear to be a perfect fit for a defensive scheme like Rex Ryan's. The Jets already have one of the top defenses in the NFL, having solidified it with the addition of Antonio Cromartie, and Graham would make them that much more formidable. | ||||
| 30 | Minnesota Vikings | Devin McCourty | Cornerback | Rutgers |
| There's been a lot of debate around here as to what the top need for the Beloved Purple is. It might be the interior of the offensive line, but I'm of the opinion that Anthony Herrera struggled last season due to being between two first-year starters in John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt. As those two players get better, Herrera will regain the form he showed in previous seasons. Safety might be a bigger need than corner, but I don't see any safeties with a first-round grade left after the "big three" at the position. And, of course, there's always the looming quarterback spectre. But when it's all said and done, given Antoine Winfield's age, Cedric Griffin's injury, Benny Sapp's inconsistency and Asher Allen's inexperience, I think that corner is the direction to go for Minnesota in this scenario. McCourty is an ideal fit for the Vikings' Cover-2 defense, having shown good awareness of where to be in zone coverage and showing the ability to come up and play the run with no fear. McCourty would, in all likelihood, be the nickel back almost immediately, and would have a chance to start right away depending on Griffin's status. | ||||
| 31 | Indianapolis Colts | John Jerry | Guard/Tackle | Mississippi |
| The Colts don't have a lot of holes on their roster, but their offensive line is starting to show some signs of weakness. For a team that relies as heavily on their quarterback staying upright as any other team in the league, that's something they seriously need to address. Jerry got dinged a bit for posting a pretty low score on the Wonderlic, but the fact of the matter is that he's a nasty offensive lineman, and that's exactly what the Colts need. . .not only to keep Peyton Manning upright, but to aid their anemic running game as well. | ||||
| 32 | New Orleans Saints | Carlos Dunlap |
Defensive End |
Florida |
| The Saints cut Charles Grant loose, and run the risk of possibly losing Will Smith to a suspension. Yes, they signed Chicago castoff Alex Brown, but despite what you may have seen from Chicago fans over the past few years, Brown really isn't anything more than decidedly average. Dunlap has outstanding physical ability, but he has been known for taking plays off from time to time. The Saints can take a risk on someone with Dunlap's physical talent, however. | ||||