| Published:
Apr 6, 2010 7:04 PM EST |
Untitled Document
|
2010
NFL Mock Draft by Matt Chase |
|
| This mock draft has a total score of
1246 from
243 users for an average of
5.1
|
| Picks 1-16
| 17-32
| 33-48
| 49-64
| 65-98
| 99-131
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| This one has been a done deal for some time, and makes the most sense. The cardinal rule in the NFL Draft is that Franchise QB trumps all when you don’t have one in place. The Rams have a myriad of needs, but the glaring one is at QB. With Marc Bulger’s release the Rams only have AJ Feely on the roster; meaning Sam Bradford is your #1 pick this year. This should not be surprising as had Bradford declared last year he would have challenged Matt Stafford to be #1 for the Lions. Bradford checks out in all the major grading areas for a QB. He has good height, was extremely productive in College, is smart, is a natural leader and is highly accurate. His best trait is his accuracy as he is one of the most accurate passers I have ever seen at the College level. The knocks on Bradford early in the scouting process where that he was frail, injury prone, not a Pro style QB and that he lacked elite arm strength. Bradford answered his critics resoundingly in the Scouting process and at his Pro Day. He checked in at a solid 235 lbs disproving that he is a lanky QB. The ill effects from his shoulder injury seem to be a thing of the past as he was zipping balls at ease on his Pro day, where he looked natural playing under Center. And most importantly he showed everyone he can make all the necessary NFL throws. Now he doesn’t have a Brett Favre or Matt Stafford arm, but he doesn’t have a water pistol either. Bottom line, St Louis has missed in the draft the last several years where they neglected to take Matt Ryan in 2008 and Mark Sanchez in 2009. If they ever want to be a competitive team they need to get a Franchise QB. Bradford is a slam dunk here and St Louis needs to pay him his money and build around him. |
|
|
|
|
| The Lions really have only 2 choices here; they could go with a L OT to protect Matt Stafford, or they could go with the best defender to help bolster what is arguably the worst Defense in the league. This means it is either Gerald McCoy/Ndamukong Suh or Russell Okung. I think they will go for Defense here, namely Gerald McCoy as he not only fills a big need, but he is also my second highest rated guy in the Draft. McCoy reminds me a lot of Tommie Harris and I think he can become a perennial Pro Bowl player in the NFL. He has tremendous explosion and quickness for a man his size, and also is stout against the run. What separates him from Suh is that I think McCoy is a better athlete and offers more value as a Pass rusher. DT’s that can get to the QB are very rare and McCoy has that ability. The Lions have added Corey Williams and Kyle Van Den Bosch, with McCoy also in the mix the Lions make their Defensive Line the strength of their team. This will make a Defensive minded coach like Jim Schwartz ecstatic as it will take a lot of pressure of the Detroit LB’s and also their Secondary which was absolutely abused last year. The debate is going to be Suh or McCoy, and you really can’t go wrong with either; but for my money I like McCoy a hair better. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| At #3 Tampa Bay is going to have the “consolation prize” of whoever Detroit doesn’t pick. Pretty nice consolation prize if you ask me as many think Ndamukong Suh is the best player in the country. At 6’4, 295, Suh is a load to handle. He has the ability to clog the run and also get in the backfield as his tackles for loss numbers are simply extraordinary. He is explosive, strong at the point of attack and I think he will dominate at the next level. Needless to say I think he will be special in the NFL and a Pro Bowl type player. DT is arguably the biggest need for Tampa Bay where they currently employ the ageless & face painted Chris Hovan & Ryan Sims. Suh immediately makes the DT rotation a force and will help that Defense immensely. Not since the days of Warren Sapp and Booger MacFarland have the Bucs had a solid DT, this allows them to strengthen their Defense which was often overmatched last year. I don’t know who Tampa has rated higher between Suh or McCoy, but as mentioned above it is really a 1a and 1b situation. They are both special, and if Detroit takes Suh, the Bucs would likely be equally thrilled to have McCoy here. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Another no-brainer here at #4, the Redskins added Donovan McNabb and finally have their Franchise QB. Add to it that they have Mike Shanahan and an already pretty good Defense; the only thing stopping them from competing at the highest level is their putrid Offensive Line. With the retirement of Chris Samuels the Redskins lack a quality L OT and if history has taught us anything it is that you cannot win in the NFL without a blind side protector. To add insult to injury the Redskins really don’t have a R OT either, so to call this position an area of need is really a gigantic understatement. With this being their only pick in the first 3 rounds they need to make it count, and so to me there is no question that they are going to take Russell Okung here. Okung is widely considered the best OT in this class as he has the prototypical size and skill set to play L OT. At 6’7, 300 lbs Okung has long arms with great feet and balance. He is a natural knee bender who is excellent in Pass Protection and also very good as a Run blocker as well. Plug him in at L OT and he will play in Pro Bowls and lock up that position for the next decade. The only other option available to Washington is to trade down, grab another pick and hope that one of the other OT’s slides to you. I would caution against this as none of the other OT’s are as good as Okung. They have a window of 3 years w/ McNabb to win; they should take advantage of it and grab a Blue Chipper like Okung. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Here is where the Draft begins! With the top 4 picks likely being Bradford, McCoy, Suh and Okung; the Chiefs are the first wildcard. To me the pick comes down to OT or Eric Berry. Knowing the philosophy of Scott Pioli I cannot see him drafting a Safety at #5. Pioli always drafts for positional value (Tyson Jackson is a prime example of this) and believes in fortifying the lines of scrimmage. With that thought process in play I think the pick is between Bryan Bulaga and Trent Williams. I give the nod to Bulaga here because I believe he is a sound technician (a product of Iowa) who plays physically with great feet. The knock on Bulaga is that he lacks ideal arm length, which at #5 is a very legitimate concern. However, I like him as a L OT better than I like Trent Williams which gives him the nod here. Grabbing an OT will serve the Chiefs well in protecting their $60M investment in Matt Cassell. Drafting Bulaga will allow the Chiefs to slide Branden Albert to OG (his natural position) or to R OT. This is imperative as their O Line is in need of 3 new starters if they want to compete at all next season. Worst case scenario is that Bulaga is more of a R OT than a L OT, if this is the case then they can keep Albert at L OT and still have two solid bookends. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| In trading for Charlie Whitehurst QB is no longer a need area for Seattle, which means Jimmy Clausen is not the option here. With that being the case the Hawks are in a similar spot to the Chiefs where they can go with the best player available in Eric Berry or they can shore up the L OT spot vacated by the retirement of Walter Jones. Once again, I think the positional value of OT trumps the value of Safety, so the pick is the best OT remaining in Trent Williams out of Oklahoma. Williams had a remarkable Combine and flashed athleticism I don’t know he had. He looked good in the drills and in the testing. From his days in College it was very apparent he was a tenacious blocker with good strength and balance. As a junior I thought he was a superior R OT, but thought he struggled against speed at L OT in his Senior season, which is why I have Bulaga rated above him. Regardless, he is hands down the best OT on the board and is a top 10 talent that fills a giant hole for Seattle. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Browns could go in a number of directions here, including trading down. ILB Rolando McClain, DE Jason Pierre-Paul & CB Joe Haden are all good options. However, Cleveland has such a lack of talent at soo many positions that I think they should just draft the best player. That player is easily Eric Berry. Berry is the best Safety to come out in quite some time and is a true Blue Chip impact prospect. He has blazing speed and fluid hips; ideal size and most importantly he is instinctual with loads of good tape to back up his high rating. He attacks the ball, is excellent in coverage and is also under-rated in run support. He could ultimately play CB if that was needed, but with the NFL being the pass happy leage that it is, it would be a shame to move this guy out of centerfield. Commonly referred to as an Ed Reed clone, Berry has a good chance of reaching such lofty expectations as he also has tremendous ball skills. I cannot say enough good things about Berry and I think he is special. The Safety position is not the most dire area of need for Cleveland, but it doesn’t matter as Berry will be an impact starter from Day One. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Raiders are always a wild card and this pick likely will be a surprising one (see: Darius Heyward-Bey). The Raiders seem to be locked onto JaMarcus Russell (which is absurd) and if they are going to have a chance they need to give him more time and will need to run the ball effectively. Anthony Davis is a beast of a man, who athletically is the most gifted O Lineman in this draft class not named Russell Okung. The names Mario Henderson and Cornell Green don’t provoke much confidence at L OT and an upgrade could be welcomed greatly. Anthony Davis’s stock has fallen very hard this off season as he has proven to be immature, careless and his work ethic is in serious question. Sounds familiar as Andre Smith had the same knocks on him a year ago and he still went top 10. Remember, this is the Raiders we are talking about; and the potential of Anthony Davis is going to over ride any character concerns. Many teams probably have Davis off of their board, but I seriously doubt Al Davis does. The other legitimate option here is Jason Pierre-Paul as his athleticism will be awfully enticing for Al Davis. However, I think the Raiders will look for O Line help early over DE help because they are poised to sign Richard Seymour to big money. Also, there is a chance that the Raiders take Bruce Campbell coming off of his Combine performance as well, which would not shock anyone. Ultimately though, Davis’s ceiling is the highest of all the OT’s, and potential more than anything else will get you drafted by Al Davis. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| I struggle with this pick. Clausen is a warm weather QB with questionable leadership skills. But, if you are rebuilding (and Buffalo certainly is) the best starting point is at QB in the NFL Draft. Jimmy Clausen gets the nod here as he is the only QB worth taking in the First Round outside of Bradford and the Bills need to find an answer at this position. It is not all negatives with Clausen as he has great pocket awareness, a nice (not great) arm and most importantly he is battle tested and NFL ready coming out of Notre Dame’s Pro Style Offense. I think he can make every NFL throw and his judgment is good as a QB. However, I do not think Jimmy Clausen is an elite QB as he has very questionable leadership ability. If you are Buffalo you have to really consider drafting him as you will not get a chance to in the 2nd round. I would rather have Clausen than Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow; and frankly over Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick. The rumor is that Bills are going to trade for Jason Campbell, if that happens this pick is definitely not Clausen and I can see Buffalo going for an OT (Bulaga or Williams if they fall) or Dan Williams, who could anchor their new 3-4 Defense at NT. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Dan Williams is going to rise up draft boards as he is one of the premiere DT’s in this very deep class. At 6’3, 325 lbs some have Williams pegged as a NT, and although I think he could be effective in that role, I think he will be equally as effective as a 1 gap run stuffing DT in the traditional 4-3 scheme. He has a great get-off and quickness for his size and will be very disruptive as a run stuffer. He is extremely strong at the point of attack and could very well command double teams at the next level. Jacksonville traded Marcus Stroud last year and never properly replaced him, making DT a position of high need. Opposite John Henderson, Williams will give Offensive Line fits helping the Jags control the line of scrimmage. The Jags are a bit of wild card as they could go in any different directions. If Clausen were to fall they would likely grab him. DE is an option, but with Kampman, Harvey and Heyward in the fold, that position is a bit redundant. Joe Haden at CB makes sense, as does Rolando McClain at ILB. However, I think Dan Williams at DT is the best bet as their DT rotation is in worse shape than their Secondary and LB corps. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Broncos are in good shape here at #10 as they are picking higher than their record because of the Jay Cutler trade. Although the Defense has played inspired football, the truth is they overachieved. I like Rolando McClain here as he is the safest pick for Defense and also has great value for the Broncos. McClain is very similar to Patrick Willis and will likely come off the board early as he is a very gifted ILB. He projects to be good in a 4-3 or 3-4, and is hands down the best LB prospect in this class. At 6’4, 260 lbs, McClain is a rare athlete who plays faster than his size should permit and has tremendous explosiveness. An instinctual tackling machine, I like him here to take over for the void left with Andra Davis departure and become a great compliment to DJ Williams for the Broncos. A wildcard here is Dez Bryant as Josh McDaniels and Brandon Marshall are back at it again. If Brandon Marshall is let go then Bryant makes a lot of sense, as WR will become a huge area of need. I don’t know if trading in one diva WR for another is a good vertical move and with Bryant’s stock falling I don’t think that will happen. The Broncos own Marshall’s rights and these two have patched it up before so McClain is likely the pick anyway. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Jason Pierre-Paul is a rare specimen who has an unlimited amount of upside. However, he has an equal amount of bust potential that warrant a lot of concern. At 6’6, 260 lbs he reportedly his agility and straight line speed is very impressive. His vertical and broad jump are off the charts and measurable wise he is the real deal. He has ridiculously long arms and the natural skill set that cannot be coached. However, JPP is a one year wonder from South Florida, starting in only 7 NCAA games. He is raw as 3-4 conversion guy and the reports from his Pro Day are that he had a difficult time dropping into coverage and moving laterally. Too many times we have been fooled into falling in love with these highly athletic DE’s without the consistent tape to back it up (see: Gholston, Vernon). And that type of history makes me a little hesitant with him. After letting Joey Porter mouth his way out of town and with Jason Taylor not getting any younger, a pass rush OLD/DE tweener is in big time need for Miami’s 3-4. Parcells loves drafting Defensive guys early and often and JPP’s value here is real nice. I can see the Fins taking a gamble on him, but he is really a high risk/high reward pick. If he is not high on Parcells board another option would be Dez Bryant (not likely as Parcells has an aversion to WR’s in Round 1) or more likely Earl Thomas. If McClain were to fall past Denver then that would be another good option. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| If Joe Haden is still on the board it will be Christmas early for the Niners. The CB play in San Francisco is real a cause for concern where Nate Clements has not lived up to his price tag and the quality of play opposite him being equally disappointing. Joe Haden is the consensus #1 CB in this class who has top 10 ability. The Junior from Florida has the height/strength/speed that you look for in a CB and has the game to back it up. An explosive athlete with fluid hips, what separates Haden from the rest of this CB class is that he is a physical CB who excels in Man coverage. A willing tackler with great closing speed, Haden can also play the run; but his true talent is tracking the ball down. The Niners do have other needs, but I doubt they waste any time if Haden is still on the board as their Secondary is in desperate need of quality starters. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Seahwaks could go in multiple directions with their second 1st round pick. CJ Spiller and a Safety like Earl Thomas and Taylor Mays will all be very attractive; however, I think the Hawks need help on their D Line, namely at DE. Morgan is well built at 6’4, 265 lbs and is in my opinion the best all around DE prospect in this class. He isn’t a one trick pony pass rusher, and also plays the run very well. A high motor player; he can bull rush, set the edge and has a plethora of moves to disengage and disrupt in the backfield. A top 15 talent, Morgan has the potential to play right away at a position of high importance. To me Morgan’s ceiling isn’t as high, as a Jason Pierre-Paul, but he is far less of a gamble and a complete DE. The Seahawks have Patrick Kerney and Lawrence Jackson as starters, but Kerney is playing against father time and could ultimately be replaced. As mentioned above don’t sleep on CJ Spiller here, as rumor has it Pete Carroll really likes him. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Giants may have been one of the most disappointing teams of 2009 as they took a major free-fall after their 5-0 start. The good portion of blame for this falls on their Defense where they have made it very clear that they are looking to re-tool on all levels. The G-Men have needs at both OLB and ILB, where they cut former starter Antonio Pierce and at OLB they currently employ journeymen who are frankly too slow for the NFL. Sean Weatherspoon is a player who will be very productive at the next level and will excel in the 4-3 scheme on the strong or weak side. A sideline to sideline player, he has good speed, is a tremendous tackler and can play both the run well and has the range to drop into coverage. A highly instinctual and intelligent football player, Weatherspoon’s best attribute may be his leadership skills, which would be welcomed in NY where the Defense played without passion down the stretch. Although pegged as an OLB, Weatherspoon is 6’2 240 lbs and has the ability to kick inside. Either way his versatility is big the for the Giants, as he would be an immediate starter at ILB or OLB. Admittedly, this is probably a little high for Weatherspoon, so if the likes of Derrick Morgan, Dan Williams, Rolando McClain or Jason Pierre-Paul were to fall, they might go ahead of him. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| The Titans will likely look to Defense in the 1st round with their eyes set on DE help. The need is so great at DE that I can see the Titans pushing up a player like Everson Griffen and drafting him a little higher than his grade would suggest. Griffen is physically a freak of nature, at 6’3, 270 lbs Griffen was rumored to have posted a 4.5 40 (likely closer to 4.6), but that is still very fast for a man of his size. An explosive athlete with great strength and burst, Griffen is an aggressive pass rusher. The drawback to Griffen is that he is questionable against the run, has short arms and at times plays below his natural ability. Maybe a bit of an underachiever, Griffen should have had better production than he did at USC. Tennessee is without Jevon Kearse and Kyle Van Den Bosch and needs to get younger and deeper at DE. Given that they don’t have a 2nd round pick they will need to grab a Pass Rusher in Round 1 and to me because of his promise, size and pass rush ability he gets the nod over the likes of Brandon Graham (size) and Carlos Dunlap (even more concerns on production). |
|
|
|
|
|
