Welcome to CJ’s 2010 NFL Mock Draft 1.0, I am sure a lot of Gator and Sooner fans are not going to like what I say in this mock but as usual this is based on logic and what I hear from friend in high places (not too high though). With the college football season winding down the mocks are heating up. I am assuming all players I talk about are going to enter the NFL draft although the deadline is in January. Tim Tebow will not be a good NFL QB so I am not putting him in my mock and Sam Bradford, while he will make a good NFL QB I don’t think a pick is going to be spent on a guy who gets knocked out by a hang nail. Without further hesitation:
1) Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT/Nebraska: This defensive line beast is heading from one rebuilding program to another, while I do think LT is a big need for the Lions but I believe with defensive minded head coach the Lions are going to continue the rebuilding process with Mr Suh. This is a hard pick because in this years draft there is no definite #1 pick. With the Lions playing the Browns this weekend look for the loser to hold the #1 selection in April (Browns).
2) Cleveland Browns – Jimmy Clausen, QB/Notre Dame: If Clausen enters the draft he will be the first quarterback taken, it is not his fault the ND defense cannot stop anyone again this season. The Browns are going to need WR depth and I am not sure yet if the season long suspension will impact Dez Bryant, while I think he will go top 5 I am not sure he will go this high. With trade rumors a flyin around the league about Brady Quinn heading to Denver (or anywhere that will take him) the Browns will be forced to spend another high pick on a QB. Don’t worry Browns fans if Randy Lerner can talk Holmgren out of retirement there is a chance you will not be picking top 10 in 2011 as well, Mangini just does not have the skills to be a team leader.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Russell Okung, OT/Oklahoma St: This pick was also tough because Okung is still raw and may not be a number one pick like some scouts think. I personally think with his size and athleticism he will end up going this high (or at least around the top 5 – 7), Offensive Tackles especially LT are always in high demand and if one can be found, even if he is a little raw, most GM’s will select the player to protect the million dollar investments at QB.
4) St. Louis Rams - Dez Bryant, WR/Oklahoma St: Dez is by far the best offensive playmaker coming out of the draft this year, he has exceptional ball skills and what is most impressive about Dez is his ability to take a hit and come back. He has little to no injury history and a highlight tape that can rival anyone entering the NFL now and through the past 10 years. While I think St Louis is going to be looking for a QB in this draft I think giving a young QB a large contract after throwing large amounts of money away on Bulger I think it will cause a lot of hesitation.
5) Oakland Raiders - Trent Williams, OT/Oklahoma: It's time for the Raiders to get some offensive line help, they picked the fastest player in the last 2 drafts (DHB and Run DMC). Oakland Cannot be scared off by the Robert Gallery pick they need to get an offensive tackle here. (2) players who have an excellent chance of going here (because of Al Davis’ want for the best athlete instead of best prospect) are Carlos Dunlap and Taylor Mays. Mays would help in a secondary that struggles when teams pick on everyone except Namdi. With the new 3-4 defense we could be seeing a Dunlap to play the 5 technique along with Seymour.
6) Kansas City Chiefs – C.J. Spiller, RB/Clemson: Spiller is electric with the ball in his hands and after releasing LJ the Chiefs are going to need a top flight RB to help Cassel grow. I think Bryant would have made an excellent choice here but the more you look at how KC has tried to attack teams this year Spiller just makes way more sense. Even though Jammal Charles will not be the change of pace big bruiser, he will need a compliment at least until Spiller takes the starting role from him.
7) Buffalo Bills - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma: Since there are few top 10 selectable LT prospects in this draft look for the Bills to continue building the defense by adding this monster defensive tackle to the lineup. If the Bills can get big Marcus Stroud and McCoy going at the same time and have Maybin start applying pressure from the defensive end spot the rest of the defense will be better off. There are a few offensive holes that need to be filled but this year looks to have a defensive heavy first round.
8) Seattle Seahawks – Eric Berry, S/Tennessee: Berry is a very talented young man who coach Monte Kiffin raves about, this young man will help a struggling defense which has had real problems in pass defense this year. A lot of people would assume a QB here but Hasselbeck has a few more years in him as long as he can stay healthy. Don’t worry Seattle has the Denver Bronco pick later in the draft, look for an offensive player there.
9) Tennessee Titans – Arthur Jones, DT/Syracuse: I have heard some scouts call this young man a poor man’s Suh, well the Titans now see that more help is needed along the defensive line. Even though the offense is struggling we all know they are not going to pick up a WR here and CJ is enough to keep them from picking another RB so what is the next big need DT of course. Add Jones to an under achieving team and you could have one of the best picks in this draft.
10) Washington Redskins – Ciron Black, OT/LSU: One of the biggest problems for the Washington Redskins is the LT position. I know a lot of people attack Jason Campbell and want a new QB here but a rookie is not going to do any better. While I think a QB like Bradford would excel in the Redskins offensive system his injury history would lead right back to Jason Campbell and no offensive line help.
11) San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers) – Brandon Spikes, ILB/Florida: Spikes and Willis will make one of the best young inside linebacking duos in the NFL if not the best. The 49er offense has come alive as of late so I think all the focus goes towards the defense. Look for Spikes and a CB to be the 409er targets in the 2010 first round.
12) New York Jets – Carlos Dunlap, DE/Florida: Dunlap is a monster DE and in my opinion a little too big to be a 4-3 defensive end, but since 3-4 (5) techniques need to be around defensive tackle size Dunlap fits the bill. He has some good explosiveness which will be a nice asset during passing downs. At 290 lbs and a very little depth Dunlap fits very well at this spot.
13) Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears) – Terrance Cody, NT/Alabama: To make it simple the Denver defense has been the most surprising unit in the league so far, a unit that is very aggressive, look for Denver to ad mount Cody so the unit can become even more stout, if Kyle Orton gets hurt or starts making mistakes Denver is going to need the big bodies up front to give the offense the bal as many times as possible. Ask SD or NE, a quality big body at NT makes all the difference in the world.
14) San Francisco 49ers - Joe Haden, CB/Florida: The Niners are in a situation where the defense is becoming alive and the offense is moving the ball, however the one weakness I can see as an obvious need is cornerback. Haden is exceptional in man coverage and has the potential to be a lock down CB in the league sooner rather than later, with Singletary coaching him up I’d place my bet on sooner.
15) Miami Dolphins – Rolondo McClain, ILB/Alabama: McClain is a very talented ILB prospect and if I know the Tuna he is going to add depth and talent to a defense that could use help in the front 7. This pick could also go to Jerry Hughes since Joey Porter has been non-existent this year.
16) Houston Texans – Taylor Mays, S/USC: I think Mays athleticism is going to lead to a first round selection however as a USC fan myself I think he is way too inconsistent to go any higher. I have been looking at the Texans safety corp for years saying they need help, well picking up Pollard is a solid move but now they need a strong safety and one who looks like a LB and runs like a CB is definitely the S prospect they need to invest in, I mean they play Indy twice a year and I think it is about time they actually close a game out for once.
17) New York Giants - Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma: While the G-men have a talented TE in Kevin Boss I think adding Gresham to an already powerful offense only adds to the number of matchup problem they can create. Look for the G-men to go RB sometime in this draft and maybe some offensive linemen depth but this matchup nightmare is off to the big apple.
18) Baltimore Ravens - Arrelious Benn, WR/Illinois: Benn is a talented young man who is not going higher because of production and his production only suffered because his quarterback throws like Edward Scissorhands. Benn was a highly ranked recruit and he did not disappoint as he showed time and time again he can make plays against anyone. Baltimore is going to need a player to fill in should Mason not pull a Bret Favre in the future.
19) Green Bay Packers – Charles Brown, OT/USC: Brown is a player who can help the Packers pass happy offense and he fits into the Packers offensive style more than most others. Brown is not the biggest tackle but the way GB passes and runs the zone rushing attack he fits in as a potential 10 year starter on an offensive line that needs some talent to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and passing the ball.
20) Jacksonville Jaguars – Damien Williams, WR/USC: Williams is one of the most polished WR in this years draft. He has good height and a great combination of speed and route running, this will help whoever the Jags QB is next year and take some of the pressure off of (as Shannon Sharpe calls him) pocket Hercules. The Jags have some other holes to fill but none as glaring as the WR corp.
21) Atlanta Falcons - Donovan Warren, CB/Michigan: I am an individual who believes that Warren is a great CB and he will work his way into the 1st round of the 2010 NFL draft. He doesn’t really have the needed production but that is because the front 7 of the Michigan defense does not help him out too much. Warren matches up well with many WR because of his size/speed combination. Mr Warren you off to a contender.
22) Philadelphia Eagles – Navorro Bowman, OLB/Penn St: Bowman is yet another LB who will be a force coming out of LB U. He has an uncanny ability to be in almost every play with 12 yards of the LOS. He has great range and his instincts have allow multiple scouts to notice, even though he is a little light I would look for Bowman to be selected here if not earlier.
23) New England Patriots – Sergio Kindle, OLD|DE/Texas: Kindle is a talented pass rusher, you add him to the Patriots exotic blitzing scheme and you could have a force in the NFL for quite a while. Kindle may fall out of the first round however if his character comes into question any more from now til the draft.
24) San Diego Chargers – Earl Thomas, Soph (eligible) Texas: Thomas is a ball hawk at FS which is exactly what SD needs. They cut Clinton Hart and Ellison, Weddle et al are not exact the playmaker of the year back there. Thomas will add better coverage skills to the S corp which only help the vaunted pass rush.
25) Arizona Cardinals – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/USF: Even though Ari runs a 3-4 hybrid JPP will fit. He is a pure pass rusher who can help the Cardinals defense put a lot more pressure on opposing QB’s. If the Cardinals can et the ball one or two more times a game from potential turnovers I don’t see them losing too often (who would have ever though someone would say that?)
26) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos) – Sam Bradford, QB/Oklahoma: Injuries. His injury history and questionable ability to stay healthy is what caused his drop this far, Bradford is by far one of the best players in this draft but if he is going to get knocked out of the game for every hit in which he gets taken to the ground the Seahawks are lucky to get him here where the price for a potential franchise QB is a lot lower.
27) Pittsburgh Steelers – Jahvid Best, RB/California: Best is a true playmaker and if fine form the Steelers are going to get another great player who can compliment Mendenhall in the backfield. Lets not forget Best is one of the fastest and most explosive players in the NCAA. Coupled with Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Heath Miller, Mendenhall, Hines Ward and of course Big Ben the Steelers are going to have a perennial Suber Bowl team not just a perennial Playoff team.
28) Dallas Cowboys – Greg Hardy, DE|OLB/Mississippi: Hardy is heading into a good situation, he is across from DeMarcus Ware. Although the Cowboys do have Spencer he is not exactly the pass rusher they though he would be. Lets not forget Hardy was considered a top 10 pick last year, due to injuries his production fell which allowed him to fall right into the open arms of the Cowboys.
29) Cincinnati Bengals – Nate Allen, S/USF: Lets be honest the Bengals are a surprise and they are playing extremely well. With risky picks paying off the only holes I see on this team are in the defensive secondary, the S corp to be more specific. Allen is a bigger safety who should fit in well with the way coach Lewis calls and runs his defense.
30) Minnesota Vikings – Patrick Robinson, CB/Florida St: When you hear FSU coaches comparing Robinson to ‘Prime Time’ Deon Sanders then he must be a phenomenal cover man. Yet he is this far down because the FSU defense is not exactly what it used to be (which is why coach Andrews is retiring). But Robinson is an immediate upgrade of Paymah (trust me he wasn’t that good with the Broncos either).
31) Indianapolis Colts – Marvin Austin, DT/North Carolina: Austin is a big body that Indianapolis could always use, sure they manage to find players to rotate in and get the job done but actually allowing a talent like Austin to team up with Mathis and Freeney is almost unfair.
32) New Orleans Saints – Bruce Carter, OLB/North Carolina: What can I say they have a great team but I am still not sold on the NO LB corp. They are not as good as they have been showing. I would look for Charles Scoot in the second round or as an alternate pick, he is a hard runner could definitely make the RB corp one of the best in the league.
By CJ
