Mock Draft in Stone: Bradford, Suh, McCoy Top 3
NFL Countdown | by Mike O'Hara | 04.21.2010/5:44AM
This is the Mock One and Only – my 2010 Mock Draft.
It predicts the Rams to start the draft shortly after 7:30 Thursday evening and do the right thing. They get their quarterback, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.
Up next, the Lions exhale over their good fortune after the Rams pick. They do the lucky thing and get their defensive tackle and box-office star, Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska.
And the draft rolls along on prime time TV for two nights – the first round on Thursday, rounds two and three on Friday. The final four rounds start Saturday morning.
That’s a long enough drum roll.
My 32 first-round picks, without projections for trades:
1. St. Louis Rams: The Cowboys did it with Troy Aikman in 1989. The Colts did it with Peyton Manning in 1998. Lions did it in with Matthew Stafford in 2009.
The Rams should do it in 2010. When you need everything, start with the most important position in team sports. There’s a clear need for the Rams.
Pick: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma.
2. Detroit Lions: GM Martin Mayhew has filled holes through trades and free-agent signings. This pick fills a big one – and no defensive rookie has ever been as popular with Lions fans as the N-Dominator.
Pick: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska.
3. Tampa Bay Bucs: The leftover is pretty tasty – the No. 2 defensive line prospect.
Pick: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma.
4. Washington Redskins: Trading for Donovan McNabb solved their QB problem. He needs a personal protector to replace Chris Samuels, who had to retire because of injuries.
Pick: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: It gets dicey here. Safety Eric Berry would be a great choice, and there’s an OT on the board who gets mixed reviews – from top of the first round to third round. The Chiefs see him as a top five pick. I don’t, but in this exercise, it’s not what I think that counts. It’s what I think the Chiefs think. Go ahead, guys. Make your mistake.
Pick: OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.
6. Seattle Seahawks: They have two picks on the first round. New head coach Pete Carroll is rebuilding the offensive line. The best tackle prospect still on the board is rated No. 1 at his position by many experts.
Pick: OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma.
(Note: three of the first six picks from Oklahoma? And Bob Stoops didn’t win the national championship?)
7. Cleveland Browns: If new Prez Mike Holmgren passes on Jimmy Clausen for his QB-needy offense, that’s a sign that Clausen could be in for a long skid. More to the point, it’s safety first – and a potentially great one in Cleveland.
Pick: S Eric Berry, Tennessee.
8. Oakland Raiders: Raiders boss Al Davis goes for speed and athleticism.
Pick: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, S. Florida.
9. Buffalo Bills: A possible landing spot for Jimmy Clausen? Yup. But the Bills need an offensive lineman and runner. With Trent Williams gone, the runner moves in.
Pick: RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson.
(Note – I think Ryan Matthews is a better back for the pro game.)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Without a second-round pick, they can’t fail with this pick. GM Gene Smith hopes someone trades up to take Clausen. So does Clausen. Standing on the 10-spot, the Jags plug in an immediate starter on defense.
Pick: LB Rolando McClain, Alabama.
11. Denver Broncos: Is there anybody left to trade off the offense? Cutler, gone. Marshall, gone. Scheffler, gone. They can deal down a few spots and get this guy, but they’ll still take an interior lineman here.
Pick: C/G Mike Iupati, Idaho.
12. Miami Dolphins: A pass-rusher takes precedence over NT Dan Williams and S Earl Thomas.
Pick: DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech.
13. San Francisco: They follow the script of 2007, when they upgraded the offensive line (Joe Staley) and defense (Patrick Willis) with two first-round picks.
Pick: CB Joe Haden, Florida.
14. Seattle Seahawks: They’re still searching to replace Shaun Alexander – going four years without a 1,000-yard rusher. By my reckoning, they get the best runner in the draft.
Pick: RB Ryan Matthews, Fresno St.
15. New York Giants: The front, no longer a strength, gets a young rush-man.
Pick: DE Brandon Graham, Michigan.
16. Tennessee Titans: Dan Williams is on the board, but Sergio Kindle is in the mold of Jevon Kearse.
Pick: DE Sergio Kindle, Texas.
17. San Francisco 49ers: You can make a strong case for Clausen landing here. But he won’t.
Pick: OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: They need a travel agent to ship people out of town and a behavioral therapist for Ben Roethlisberger. Oh, and the weakest part of the defense gets help.
Pick: CB Kyle Wilson, Boise St.
19. Atlanta Falcons: The defense ranked 28th, but they’ll add help for QB Matt Ryan – with a home-town player.
Pick: WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech.
20. Houston Texans: They’re a playoff contender and need help in the deep secondary to move up a notch and become a playoff team.
Pick: S Earl Thomas, Texas.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: The offense stalled out late last season. This gives it a boost.
Pick: TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma St
22. New England Patriots: With three second-round picks, they have the assets to move around in the draft. A trade up most likely will come in the next round.
Pick: DE Jared Odrick, Penn State.
23. Green Bay Packers: Dez Bryant might be the best player on the board, but the Packers will pass. Offensive tackles have been wiped out. They’re looking for a cornerback with strong man-to-man cover ability.
Pick: CB Patrick Robinson, Florida St.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: It’s Kevin Kolb’s team, with McNabb in Washington. The secondary is a primary concern, especially with Asante Samuel not performing to the level of his reputation or ego.
Pick: CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama.
25. Baltimore Ravens: GM Ozzie Newsome is one of the elite personnel men. He’ll follow his board and pick a quality athlete to split time with Todd Heap.
Pick: TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona.
26. Arizona Cardinals: They land the anchor for their 3-4 defense.
Pick: DT Dan Williams, Tennessee.
27. Dallas Cowboys: WR Roy Williams has been a disappointment, and OT Flozell Adams is gone. Take your pick – receiver or offensive lineman. Jerry Jones goes for the sizzle.
Pick: WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State.
28. San Diego Chargers: In 2007, they had LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner and Darren Sproules in the backfield. All that’s left now is Sproules. Still, they get a banger – with coverage liabilities – on defense.
Pick: S Taylor Mays, Southern Cal.
29. New York Jets: They’ve loaded up to win this year after making the AFC Championship a year ago. The best safeties and defensive linemen are gone.
Pick: LB Sean Witherspoon, Missouri.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Exhale, Jimmy Clausen. There’s no gold on the Metrodome, but you’ve found a home. (For the record, I prefer Colt McCoy.)
Pick: QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame.
31. Indianapolis Colts: There’s a tough guy for their offensive line.
Pick: C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida.
32. New Orleans Saints: Who cares? They won the Super Bowl.
Pick: DT Anthony Price, UCLA.
Comments [12] |
