By Daryl Breault1. Cleveland Browns: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- By far the best player in college football right now. Would they spend another high draft pick on a QB? It’s a possibility but not a certainty.
2. Oakland Raiders: *Eric Berry, S, Tennessee- With 11 tackles, 2 TFL and an INT against Florida and 14 tackles and 1 TFL against Auburn, Berry is on his way to another banner year and a high pick. Oakland is just a dysfunctional, bad, bad team once again.
3. St. Louis Rams: *Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma- Despite an injury that kept him on the bench for 5 weeks, Bradford has returned to form. The injury is worrisome because going into the season the question was how would he handle the rush this year and he gets walloped in the first game. Could he return for another year?
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama- The Bucs want size in the middle and are struggling on defence. Cody can be the elite run-stopper they are seeking. Just a beast.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida- Having a great year once again and is a big part of Florida allowing only one 100+-yard rushing game and under 4 yards/carry. The Chiefs lack a dominating LB right now and Spikes could be the guy.
6. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers): Ciron Black, OT, LSU- The 49ers want to be a running team and got burned with the Marvel Smith signing so drafting someone to solidify that RT spot will go a long way towards achieving Singletary’s vision.
7. Detroit Lions: Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State- Likely the top lineman in the draft, Okung comes along at the right time for the Lions. Stafford has shown flashes of being a great NFL QB but his development will go only as far as the Lions allow it to.
8. Seattle Seahawks: *Jonathon Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech- Could be looking for a QB here (as could San Fran) but there may not be another worthy of going this high. If they deem Dwyer a franchise back they will make things easier for the passing game as they pretty average right now.
9. Buffalo Bills: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati- Has been simply explosive this year, teaming with QB Tony Pike to easily lead the Bearcats to the top of the Big East in passing yardage (329.8/game).
10. Washington Redskins: *Jake Locker, QB, Washington- Has played his way into first round consideration thanks to his big win over USC, his fantastic athletic ability and great arm. Not a complete package but possesses all the elements.
11. Houston Texans: *Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida- The Texans are still looking to bump a pass rush that has 5 sacks in 4 games this year. Dunlap is still mostly potential but he gets extra attention on the field and has physical gifts like current Texan Mario Williams.
12. Miami Dolphins: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse- Can play in a 3-4 as a DE or could stay inside in a 4-3. Stats don’t reflect his impact as he’s still getting fully recovered from a torn pectoral but Syracuse has chopped their rush defence in half this year: 189 to 91 yards per game.
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU- This former RB is once again terrorizing the MWC with 6 sacks. Looks like an instant jolt on defense.
14. San Diego Chargers: Darrell Stuckey, SS, Kansas- One of the most reliable safeties in the game, Stuckey may not be a gamechanger but he still has star potential in the NFL. Hasn’t produced the stats he had last year but if he comes on during conference play he will be an early pick.
15. Tennessee Titans: *Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma- Tennessee has really fallen hard this year. While some will be calling for a change at QB, the Titans are too talented to start a major rebuilding project around another young arm. Look for them identify a vet that can manage the game and address other weak spots on the roster.
16. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears): Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas- The surprise darling of the young season, Denver will just be looking to continue stocking young talent at key positions. A tandem of Dumervil and Kindle could solidify the pass rush for many years.
17. Dallas Cowboys: Taylor Mays, FS, USC- A freak athlete, Mays may remind some in the organization a little too much of Roy Williams (the safety, not the receiver) but at this point they can afford to draft on potential.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars: Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, Cal- Don’t lay Cal’s problems at Thompson’s feet. He is still the best CB in college right now.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers: *Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa- Despite missing time with a thyroid condition, Bulaga is still a top pick as one of the nation’s most talented linemen. Pittsburgh is still looking to find a suitable group for the future and Bulaga is a centerpiece.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- I’m not a huge fan of Graham but his athletic ability and his play this year have him jumping boards. Still needs to prove he can be an every down end.
21. New England Patriots: Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina- A tweener but his pass rush ability is undeniable. No body gets more from guys like Norwood than the Pats.
22. Cincinnati Bengals: *Jahvid Best, RB, Cal- Would make a great compliment to Cedric Benson. Best is lightning in human form and would give Carson Palmer a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield.
23. Atlanta Falcons: Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota- WR is not a huge need, but how could you pass up a tough, physical receiver like Decker at this point? He has the size and speed to go with great hands. They can upgrade next to Roddy White and Decker could be perfect.
24. Green Bay Packers: Jason Fox, OT, Miami- A o-line in shambles right now needs some infusion of good prospects. Fox has really come on this year and looks simply fantastic in pass protection. A sleeper but should be well known come draft day. For the record, I turned Rob onto this guy.
25. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos): Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- Despite money invested in the position the Seahawks CB situation is far from perfect. Adding Ghee, who could play safety as well, will help this unit transition to the future.
26. San Francisco 49ers: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati- It’s unlikely Alex Smith gets another shot as the Niners QB and Shaun Hill has done nothing to prove he can lead the team for the long haul. Pike has been one of the most productive passers in college and has prototype size at 6’6” 226 lbs.
27. New York Jets: Ricky Sapp, DE/OLB, Clemson- A luxury pick. Rex Ryan will continually be looking to add talent on the defensive side of the ball. Possessing a great burst and change of direction, Sapp has LB written all over him.
28. New York Giants: Micah Johnson, LB, Kentucky- Playing pretty well on a bad team, Johnson is one of the best run stuffers available. Leads the Wildcats in tackles again as one of the few NFL caliber players on the team.
29. Minnesota Vikings: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- Sorry Gator fans but your God is not my God and Tim Tebow is not a 1st round pick. McCoy is simply a winner and for what the Vikings want to do, he’s the better fit.
30. Indianapolis Colts: Charles Brown, OT, USC- Tony Ugoh hasn’t come along as hoped and the Colts must address the o-line (though you’d never know it looking at Manning’s stats). Was quietly earning first round attention from pundits before the year and has confirmed the attention was warranted.
31. New Orleans Saints: Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU- 36 straight games with a catch signals Pitta’s ability to produce. The Saints are not afraid to draft and develop skill position talent. Offense will always be the biggest part of what they do.
32. Baltimore Ravens: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson- At some point they will need to establish a clear pecking order at RB with Ray Rice at the top. Rice can take over from Willis McGahee in short yardage situations while Spiller would give them a dimension they don’t have at the moment from this position.
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