1. St. Louis Rams 1-15
I have said it all along that this pick would and should be a quarterback, but I think I had the wrong quarterback. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford showed up to the combine needing to prove his shoulder strength after two separations and a surgery last season. His shoulder not only passed with flying colors, but he put on 15-20 pounds of muscle, a major sign of his strong wrong ethic. Two major concerns of his were arm strength and shoulder health and he put both of those concerns to rest at the Combine.
I still say Clausen is the better quarterback, but, at The Combine, a former NFL GM anonymously polled about 12, maybe more, current NFL GMs, about who they preferred, Clausen or Bradford, and every one of them said Bradford. Even if the Rams’ GM was not asked, which I find unlikely, it is still a very good sign for Bradford that he has this many supporters around the league. His strong Pro Day only makes it more likely that he goes #1.
Many will argue Ndamukong Suh here, but, as dominant of a prospect he is, he doesn’t have the positional value here. History has shown, if a team needs a left tackle or quarterback early in the draft, they will take that above all else, even the consensus top prospect. Remember Glenn Dorsey? How about Aaron Curry? Here’s some facts. Since 1998, 36 players have gone in the top three overall. 15 have been quarterbacks, 6 have been offensive tackles, and 6 have been defensive ends. That’s only 25% that aren’t quarterbacks, offensive tackles, or defensive ends. When you look closer, all 12 #1 overall picks since 1998 have been quarterback, offensive tackles, or defensive end. Those positions just have so much more positional value than any other. For more facts on the top 3 picks, click here.
The Rams don’t need an offensive tackle or defensive end, so it’ll be quarterback here. Recently, other mock drafters have been shifting heavily towards Bradford. For more information check out our NFL Mock Draft Database.
2. Detroit Lions 2-14
The Lions draft strictly from the draft board, going best available with every pick. That is why I have been alternating between Eric Berry and Ndamukong Suh here in recent weeks (Berry more over the past few weeks because defensive tackle is no longer a huge need). However, after Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung went to Detroit for a workout and the results were extremely positive, he will probably be atop their draft board, despite all the praise they have given Jeff Backus.
Besides, this is not the same old panel of drafters in Detroit where they are completely opposed to drafting guys with high positional value. After all, they did take a quarterback #1 last year before so called “safer prospects” like Aaron Curry and Jason Smith. Okung will allow Backus to move to left guard and, if the Lions can shore up their pass defense in the later rounds, they could be a huge sleeper next year, even in the stacked NFC North.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-13
I’ve had the Buccaneers trading down to 6, with Seattle who moves up to get Jimmy Clausen, in recent weeks, but after the Charlie Whitehurst trade, the Seahawks no longer have the quarterback need nor the picks to get the job done. The Buccaneers may sadly, still trade down in hopes of getting still getting Gerald McCoy, but that would be a huge risk that could give their fans a synchronized heart attack. I would not be totally surprised if they moved down to 7, with Cleveland moving up to get Clausen, but I am not going to mock that here. The Buccaneers will just go with the overall top prospect at a huge position of need, defensive tackle, taking Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh in hopes of fixing their 32nd ranked run defense.
4. Washington Redskins 4-12
The writing is on the wall for Jason Campbell. There’s a new head coach and a new GM in town. The guys who drafted him are gone, most of them long gone. He just happened to have his 2 worst games of his career in the last 3 weeks of this season. He was resigned on a one year deal, but he’s probably only back on a one year deal to be a stop gap while a young quarterback waits to take over in 2011, a smart idea. This pick will be a quarterback and which quarterback it will be depends on what St. Louis does at 1. In this mock, St. Louis takes Bradford, so the Redskins will take Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen.
Don’t listen to Todd McShay when he says Clausen isn’t very good and that he isn’t a good leader. His teammates voted him team captain for a reason and his teammates are even defending him publicly against the public’s criticism. Would they be doing that if he wasn’t a good leader? Rumors out there are that McShay has an undisclosed personal reason for hating Clausen and therefore his opinion on Clausen should be completely discredited. For more on why McShay is an idiot, click here.
Even if Clausen did have a “personality issue” and lack leadership skills, he would be drafted here. Mike Shanahan took Jay Cutler 11th overall in 2006 and stuck by him as his quarterback even though Cutler really lacked emotional toughness and leadership skills.
5. Kansas City Chiefs 4-12
Brandan Albert was one of the worst starting left tackles in the league this year and he’s movable, either by trade or more likely to a different position, for many reasons. He doesn’t have a large contract. The regime that drafted him is no longer in town. He has versatility position wise and can also play right tackle or left guard in addition to left tackle. There’s a very good chance that Albert isn’t their left tackle next year.
Scott Pioli comes from the Bill Belicheck school of positional value, as shown by his passing up on Aaron Curry, the superior prospect, for Tyson Jackson, who played a more valuable position, last year with the 3rd pick. He has his “franchise quarterback.” Now he needs to protect him and Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga is the best available left tackle with Anthony Davis’ stock slipping after the combine.
6. Seattle Seahawks 5-11
The Seahawks have quite a tough choice here between Gerald McCoy and Eric Berry. It is very tough for me to mock this pick because I don’t know what kind of drafters their new regime will be, so I’ll just go with what I would do and take the prospect with the higher positional value. That would be Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy who would breathe new life into their run defense as well as their pass rush.
7. Cleveland Browns 5-11
The Browns would love to be able to move up for a quarterback and I won’t completely rule that out. Detroit might want to move down here to take either Eric Berry or Trent Williams and get multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks out of it, but I would bet against it because teams rarely trade up into the top 3. The Browns will have to just wait until the later rounds to take a quarterback and go with by far the best overall player, Tennessee S Eric Berry.
8. Oakland Raiders 5-11
Maryland OT Bruce Campbell ran a 4.85 at 6-6 314 at the Combine. He also benched 34 reps of 225 pounds and had 36 ¼ inch arms. This makes him the greatest offensive lineman of all time in Al Davis’ mind, even greater than Robert Gallery. If Davis thought he was getting a good deal with Gallery at 2 in 2004 (over guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Phillip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger), then imagine how thrilled he’ll be when he sees Campbell still available at 8.
9. Buffalo Bills 6-10
The Bills are switching to a 3-4, which is a brilliant idea because they don’t have any of the personnel for it (besides Aaron Maybin). I don’t get why teams that don’t have the personnel to make the switch are making the switch, but I guess it’s just a trend. The Bills were 31st in the league in stopping the run last year and with no true nose tackle on the roster, they might actually be worse next year, especially when you consider that the Bucs have added Suh.
This nose tackle class is fairly average, but with so many teams without the necessary nose tackle switching to a 3-4, there will be a bunch of nose tackles that are reached for this year in the 2nd-4th round range. The Bills have an opportunity to actually get one without making a huge reach here by taking Tennessee NT Dan Williams. The Bills need a quarterback and a left tackle and those have more positional value, but I think they will be turned off by Anthony Davis’ work ethic and there are no franchise quarterbacks available here and I can’t see them moving up to 2 or 3 to get one.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9
The Jaguars will try to trade down here in an attempt to get a 2nd rounder and draft Tim Tebow, but with the Steelers resigning Larry Foote, I can’t see anyone wanting to move up that badly. Instead, the Jaguars will probably try to trade up into the 2nd and go defense here. After Aaron Kampman trade they aren’t tied to the defensive end position here. Florida CB Joe Haden would kill two birds with one stone. He would fill their need at cornerback and be a huge upside guy in their zone scheme and he would also help sell tickets being local from the University of Florida.
11. Denver Broncos 8-8 (via CHI)
Remember week 6 when the Broncos were 6-0 and had a 3.5 game lead on the division and they were giving up 3.3 YPC. Those days are long gone. The Broncos finished 8-8 and 5 games behind in the division and gave up 4.5 YPC for the season, a number that would be a lot higher if you took out their somewhat fluky run stopping days of weeks 1-6. It makes sense that they can’t stop the run. They couldn’t last year and all new coach Josh McDaniels did to fix that is change to a more complicated defensive system and make a front 7 out of 2 starters from last year’s miserable run stopping bunch, a 2009 1st round pick playing out of position, and cast offs from the Niners and Browns.
Unless they trade Brandon Marshall, which, as of this posting has not yet happened, they will take the best 3-4 front 7 player available here, even though they have added guys like Jamal Williams and Jarvis Green this offseason. That would be Alabama MLB Rolando McClain who is one of the best pure 3-4 middle linebackers prospects of the last ten years. The release of Andra Davis makes this pick make even more sense.
12. Miami Dolphins 7-9
I have no doubt in my mind this pick will be a rush linebacker. Joey Porter is gone. Matt Roth was cut during the season. Jason Taylor turns 37 before the start of the season. Those guys were their 3 leading pass rushers last year. Bill Parcells love to take linebacker and he knows the importance of having a strong pass rush. However, which one he picks is a bit of a mystery. Jason Pierre Paul has the DeMarcus Ware upside that could interest him, but he’s extremely unproven and would be a huge risk here.
There have been rumors in recent days that the Dolphins love Georgia RLB Derrick Morgan. Morgan is the most proven pass rusher in the draft class, but he’s not a natural fit for a 3-4. However, the Dolphins appear to think he is. Brandon Graham will be in consideration as well, but he also isn’t a great fit for a 3-4 and he’s not as good of a pass rusher as Morgan.
13. San Francisco 49ers 8-8
Joe Staley is supposed to be the left tackle, but he’s hurt. Even when he’s healthy, he’s a liability against the pass and belongs at right tackle where the Niners currently have a load of crap. The Niners have 2 picks in this first round and can use one of the two, with no other huge needs that they can fill with the players left on the board, on an elite left tackle. Oklahoma OT Trent Williams had a great Combine and, though he may not be an elite left tackle, he can play both left and right and allow the Niners to mix and match him and Staley on the line in the way they see best fit.
14. Seattle Seahawks 5-11 (via DEN)
Denver could soon be getting this pick back as the Seahawks could sign Brandon Marshall and give the Broncos this pick. Until that day, I will still mock for the Seahawks here. CJ Spiller makes some sense, but I have to think that if Pete Carroll keeps both of his first rounder, especially if he trades his 2nd rounder to move up to get Clausen, he’s going to want to walk out of the first rounder with a left tackle. Their left tackle position is a mess. Walter Jones could be done for his career and Sean Locklear, even when healthy, is more of a right tackle than a left.
If they take a good zone blocking left tackle here like USC OT Charles Brown, who excelled in Carroll’s system last year at USC, they can have a very strong young offensive line. Having Bulaga and Locklear together on the offensive line would allow them to move Ray Willis from tackle to guard, where he belongs, and give them a very good offensive line for the future, with Locklear and Campbell at tackle and Willis and promising rookie, and 2009 2nd round pick, Max Unger at guard. Rob Sims could also be in the mix if he isn’t traded, but he doesn’t fit what offensive line coach Alex Gibbs looks for in an offensive lineman.
15. New York Giants 8-8
The Giants always draft best available, straight from the draft board, but it’s still anyone’s guess what that draft board looks like. They always are looking to upgrade their defensive line and it sure needs it this year, but it’s not in their nature to reach for a guy like Brian Price, or to take a huge gamble on a guy like Jason Pierre Paul. Middle linebacker is another huge area of need after they cut Antonio Pierce and Missouri MLB Sean Weatherspoon is well within the draft range. He’ll be an instant contributor on that defense and he’d be a perfect fit for the Tampa 2 defense new coordinator Perry Fewell wants to install. He would be favorite for Rookie of the Year if he were to go to New York.
16. Tennessee Titans 8-8
This pick is going to be defense. The Titans had so many holes on their defense last year and, given how good they have been on defense for a long time, they have to be ashamed by that. They could look for a replacement for Albert Haynesworth with a guy like Brian Price here. They could look cornerback with a guy like Kyle Wilson or Devin McCourty to play opposite Cortland Finnegan. However, with Kyle Vanden Bosch leaving for Detroit, defensive end becomes, by far, their biggest need. South Florida DE Jason Pierre Paul has the physical upside the Titans look for in a draft pick. Their draft philosophy is to take a guy with good measurables and athletic upside, especially if he’s a defensive guy, and then try to coach the upside out of him. Think guys like Chris Johnson, Vince Young, and Michael Griffin.
17. San Francisco 49ers 8-8 (via CAR)
The Niners really need cornerback help, but they aren’t likely to really reach for one, because it’s just not in their nature. Mike Singletary really likes USC S Taylor Mays. He’s got huge upside and Singletary thinks very highly of his ability to bring the best out of a player. He would will a need in the secondary at strong safety, where Michael Lewis is a solid, but not great and often injured strong safety. He probably wouldn’t play much right away, and wouldn’t need to, but he’s a good investment for the future.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7
It’s painfully obvious that the Steelers need offensive line help after giving up 20 sacks to the Browns, Packers, Ravens, and Dolphins in the last 4 weeks of the season. However, they’ve needed offensive line help for years and haven’t done anything about it. Plus, its also painfully obvious that Mike Tomlin doesn’t trust his defense, even more painfully obvious than their offensive line is bad. Mike Tomlin tried an onside kick with a 2 point LEAD in a game late in the season against the Packers because he didn’t trust his defense to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Packers would recover and score and if it weren’t for late game heroics from Big Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin would have been the laughing stock of the NFL. That is how far this defense has fallen since being one of the best in history last year.
The biggest reason for their defensive struggles has been Troy Polamalu’s injuries. In the 5 games in which he has played, the Steelers were 4-1 and allowed 13.8 points per game. In the games he missed, they gave up 23.2 and were consequently 5-6. Their lack of a good safety opposite him is obvious. Texas FS Earl Thomas is probably the best player available and the Steelers have shown in recent years that they are fans of the best player available strategy drafting guys like Rashard Mendenhall and Evander Hood in the first round even when they weren’t their biggest needs.
19. Atlanta Falcons 9-7
I’ve had Spiller here in recent weeks, but I think it’s against their philosophy to draft a luxury player when they still have holes at important positions such as defensive end. Mike Smith has only had 3 first round picks in his time in Atlanta, but he spent 2 of those on either a quarterback or a left tackle. With a hole at the important defensive end position, I think that will be the focus this year in the first if a player Mike Smith likes is available. Smith likes players with good work ethics and strong motors and Michigan DE Brandon Graham fits that hold. After 2.5 sacks in 3 years, it’s safe for the Falcons to write Jamaal Anderson, a former 8th overall pick, off as a bust.
20. Houston Texans 9-7
The Texans have been pretty open about their needs this offseason and they have said that they are looking to draft a running back. They have some decent backs, Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats, Arian Foster, but no one like Clemson RB CJ Spiller, so even with more pressing needs at cornerback and safety, I think the Texans won’t let Spiller slip past them. He has the breakaway speed all of their backs lack and can take this dynamic offense to another level.
21. Cincinnati Bengals 10-7
The Bengals proved by signing Matt Jones that they are not done taking chances on guys with character problems, even though the team played well last year. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, Cedric Benson looked like the MVP of the league before he got hurt and Larry Johnson helped the Bengals late last year when Benson was hurt and 2009 2nd round pick Rey Maualuga who dropped for character reasons was in the running for defensive player of the year this season.
Florida DE Carlos Dunlap has an awful work ethic and recently was arrested for drunk driving, but those things are like turn ons to whoever if drafting for the Bengals. Antawn Odom is talented when healthy, but he rarely is so, assuming Michael Johnson doesn’t pan out, the Bengals still need a right end of the future and Dunlap, who has athleticism, 6-6 280 4.6, could be that guy if he straightens himself out. The signings of Matt Jones and Antonio Bryant make their need for a wide receiver lesser so I doubt they reach for one here.
22. New England Patriots 10-7
Randy Moss has one more year and, probably rightfully so, believes he won’t be brought back. It’s not in the Patriots’ nature to sign guys in their mid 30s to longterm deals, which Moss will almost certainly be after. Wes Welker had a nasty knee injury week 17 last year and could miss the beginning of next season and might never be the same. Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant is the best available player.
A lot of teams are reportedly scared off by his “character issues,” which consist of being suspended for a year for eating lunch with Deion Sanders, forgetting to bring his shoes to his Pro Day, having a mother who went to jail, and hanging out with Pacman Jones from time to time, but the Patriots aren’t afraid of guys like that as long as they are 100% football when necessary. Bryant could make an instant impact if needed because New England and Oklahoma State run fairly similar offensive schemes.
23. Green Bay Packers 10-7
Everyone knows the Packers drafting strategy, draft the best available regardless of need. I actually think they fill out a draft board of their highest rated prospects and then put the thing on ESPN autodraft. That’s the only way to explain their drafting. The Packers biggest need, by a mile, is an offensive tackle. Both Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton are well up there in age and also injury prone and they have no depth, for the most part, behind either. However, after they resigned Clifton to a ridiculous 3 year 20 million dollar deal, they aren’t tied to the position here.
This doesn’t completely eliminate Anthony Davis, but Davis didn’t look good at the combine, lowering his stock in many teams’ eyes, especially those who run zone style blocking schemes, which the Packers do. To make things worse, Davis canceled on teams at his Pro Day, not even showing up. That hurts his stock even more and teams are now really starting to slap the lazy tag onto him. I can’t imagine he’ll be that high on their draft board.
It’s more likely that Boise State CB Kyle Wilson is. Charles Woodson is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s also 34 so I don’t know how much longer he can play at that level. Meanwhile, Al Harris is all but done and Tramon Williams is marginal at best with little depth behind him. Wilson helps in two ways, giving them cornerback depth and a future replacement for Woodson, and also giving them much needed help in the kick return game in the short term.
24. Philadelphia Eagles 11-6
After trading Sheldon Brown, the idea here is going to be to try to get a cornerback, but Kyle Wilson is gone and I don’t think they’ll reach for Devin McCourty, though they could. Texas OLB Sergio Kindle makes a lot of sense here based on what they’ve done in the past. They love freakishly athletic players who can create pressure on the quarterback. Kindle would be used in a similar way to the way Brian Orakpo was used in Washington this year. He would play linebacker on running downs, because he’s a good run stopper for a linebacker, but not for a defensive end, in the trenches at his size. On passing downs, he’d move up to the line and play end, using his ability to get to the quarterback and minimizing his weaknesses in coverage. The Eagles do have Darryl Tapp at the defensive end position right now, but he’s the perfect compliment to Kindle as he’s strong against the run, but not as a pass rusher.
I am not a huge fan of Kindle, despite his athleticism, because I think he’s too small to play the trenches and not a fluid enough athlete or adept enough in pass coverage to play rush linebacker, but I would love this pick for the Eagles. Kindle would be perfect in the role that Orakpo played in Washington last year and other 4-3 teams should take note. Guys like Ricky Sapp, Eric Norwood, and Jason Worilds would be extremely valuable in that role, as would any “tweener” rushers in the future.
25. Baltimore Ravens 10-8
The Ravens don’t have a ton of needs after signing Donte Stallworth, trading for Anquan Boldin, and resigning Derrick Mason. However, if they have the chance to take an elite over the middle target like Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham, they won’t be able to resist. They are huge fans of drafting best player available and that’s exactly what Gresham is at this point in the draft.
26. Arizona Cardinals 11-7
The Cardinals actually had a strong pass rush last year, in terms of number of sacks, but most that was from their defensive line. If they want to switch full time to a 3-4, which they should because their personnel fits it so much better, they need to get more pressure from their linebackers. All 3 of their leaders in sacks from the rush linebacker position, Bert Berry, Clark Haggans, and Chike Okeafor, are either retiring this offseason or over 33 years old. Even if 2009 2nd round pick Cody Brown, who missed all of 2009 with an injury, pans out, they’d still need one more rush linebacker for the future. That could very well be TCU RLB Jerry Hughes, the consensus top pure rush linebacker after 26 sacks over 2 years at 6-2 255.
27. Dallas Cowboys 12-6
The Cowboys really showed a lack of offensive line depth when mid game injuries struck against the Vikings in the playoffs and they gave up 6 sacks in a humiliating loss. Also, all 5 of their starters on the offensive line from last year are over 30 making it, fairly easily, the oldest offensive line in the NFL. Rutgers OT Anthony Davis is seeing his draft stock go south in a big way recently, from a possible top ten pick to a guy who could fall to the mid 20s. That’s what happens when you show up out of shape to the Combine and skip your Pro Day without telling anyone.
All that being said, the Cowboys are going to love his size, his upside, and his versatility at this stage in the draft. At the very least, he can be an upgrade over Kyle Kosier at left guard. After cutting Flozell Adams, the Cowboys are definitely going to be targeting left tackle prospects in the first.
28. San Diego Chargers 13-4
I’ve had Ryan Matthews here in recent weeks, but after the Charlie Whitehurst trade, in which they were able to move up to the 40th pick from the 60th, that looks less likely. They can still get Ryan Matthews at 40, or at least there’s a good chance they can, but Alabama NT Terrence Cody won’t be available there and they need him after releasing Jamal Williams. Even if Matthews is gone, they can take a guy like Ben Tate or Montario Hardesty in the 3rd and still get a fairly decent running back.
29. New York Jets 11-8
Trading for Mark Sanchez was the right longterm move for the franchise, especially given how little they had to give up to move up to get him. One player they did give up was Kenyon Coleman. He is a 3-4 defensive end, so he’s absence did not hurt them a ton, especially when you consider they got a franchise quarterback, but they still do need to replace him. Penn State 3-4 DE Jared Odrick plays defensive tackle in college, but would be a natural fit for this team at 3-4 defensive end, which is a big need where they have a major hole.
30. Minnesota Vikings 13-5
How is it that Adrian Peterson struggled late last season? Poor interior blocking had something to do with it. Idaho G Mike Iupati is one of the most hyped guard prospects of the decade and he would immediately upgrade their interior line. He has huge upside and is being compared, prematurely, to Larry Allen, who is, by far, the top guard of the last 20 years.
31. Indianapolis Colts 16-3
The Colts drafted Fili Moala in the 2nd round last year, but he didn’t show much promise. Even if he did pan out, they’d still need another defensive tackle to play next to him. UCLA DT Brian Price is a steal here. He drops because he lacks elite athleticism and upside, but he’s the type of high motor player the Colts love. He’ll upgrade their mediocre run defense and get them another pass rusher besides Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Those two guys are great pass rushers, but other than them, they aren’t getting much of a pass rush. They need to be able to attack the quarterback from all spots on the field.
32. New Orleans Saints 16-3
The Saints just cut Charles Grant, his large contract, and his larger gut. While it was the right move, it leaves them very thin on the left side of their defensive line opposite Will Smith, at end, and Sedrick Ellis, at tackle. I would be very surprised if two of their first 3 picks were focused on getting an upgrade at left defensive tackle and left defensive end. Here they take left defensive end because of who’s left on the board and go with USC DE Everson Griffen. Griffen has major upside, but also major downside, but the Saints can afford to take a risk after winning the Super Bowl and defensive genius coordinator Gary Williams will probably think he can bring the most out of him (and he’d probably be right).
33. St. Louis Rams- WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois)
Donnie Avery and Brandon Gibson are decent young receivers, but neither of them are really an elite #1 guy. Benn has #1 potential and more potential than any receiver left on the board, but he’s very raw.
34. Detroit Lions- CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
McCourty both is the best available, which the Lions love to take, and fills a huge need as the Lions really don’t have a lot of talent at the cornerback position. They coached him at the Senior Bowl so they should be very familiar with him.
35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- WR Golden Tate (Notre Dame)
Head Coach Raheem Morris said the Buccaneers were going to try to build around 2nd year quarterback Josh Freeman this offseason and that would require getting him someone to throw to because, if Antonio Bryant leaves, they will have nothing at the wide receiver position and they have already basically said they will not offer him a longterm deal. Tate is the best available wide receiver, but he will never be a #1 option on a good playoff team. However, he can still be a solid #2 of the future and a very NFL ready wide receiver who could lead all rookies in receiving yards in his rookie year. That will help Josh Freeman out a lot.
36. Kansas City Chiefs- C Maurkice Pouncey (Florida)
Scott Pioli is a big believer in the Patriot way, building through the trenches. The Chiefs have a variety of defensive positions they could target year, but Pioli is not one to make big reaches. I know they got Okung in the first, but they have enough picks to spend 2 on offensive linemen and still have picks left over for other needs like defense. Pouncey can play center for the Chiefs, as well as guard, where he has more value and is a better fit.
37. Washington Redskins- OT Roger Saffold (Indiana)
The Redskins need to add a true franchise left tackle to the roster and Saffold is one of the last of that kind remaining. I say he is overdrafted if he goes here, but because of how thin the left tackle class is, this makes a lot of sense. He could go as early as 31 if Indy falls in love with him.
38. Cleveland Browns- WR Damian Williams (USC)
The Browns swapped out all their crap quarterbacks for other crap quarterbacks, some spare change and a fullback. Now time to actually get their quarterbacks someone to throw to.
39. Oakland Raiders- DT Geno Atkins (Georgia)
Geno Atkins ran a 4.75 at 6-1 293 at the Combine. That makes him the greatest defensive tackle of all time. See, isn’t drafting easy. I’ve had cornerback here in recent weeks, but that was only because I felt they would trade Nmandi Ashmouga (something about being too talented). That no longer looks like it’s going to happen so I think they’ll, sadly, be fine with Ashmouga, Stanford Routt, and Chris Johnson at cornerback next year.
40. San Diego Chargers (via SEA)- RB Ryan Matthews (Fresno State)
The idea with the Chargers moving up to 40 from 60 is to get a feature back like Matthews without having to pass on a nose tackle like Terrence Cody in the first. Done and done.
41. Buffalo Bills- QB Tim Tebow (Florida)
This one is going to get me a lot of angry emails for Bills fans, but hear me out. The biggest icon in the city of Buffalo, Jim Kelly, is infatuated with him. Chan Gailey, their new head coach, also likes him. Buffalo is one of the few teams that will have a private workout with him. Chan Gailey runs a spread offense, which Tebow ran (with pretty good success I might add) at Florida for 4 years, so the learning curve won’t be as big. He’ll only have to learn to read NFL defenses, and given his commitment and work ethic, I am sure he will be able to, and learn to take the occasional snap from center, not hard, and fix that delivery, already in progress. The Bills want a franchise quarterback, which Tebow can be, but they don’t need one right away since they have Trent Edwards as a one year stopgap while Tebow gets ready to start in 2011. It’s not like the team is going anywhere before then no matter the pick here.
42. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via CHI)- CB Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest)
They need a defensive end, but there isn’t really one here that fits. They also need cornerback help and Ghee is the best cornerback available He is another guy who raised his stock at the Senior Bowl. He’s very raw, but he got great potential and head coach Raheem Morris, a former defensive backs coach, would love the opportunity to try to bring the most of out Ghee. He’s not likely to be available in a few picks.
43. Miami Dolphins- NT Cam Thomas (North Carolina)
Is Jason Ferguson?
A) Going to turn 36 next season
B) Coming off of a major injury
C) Facing an 8 game suspension for PEDs
D) All of the above
The answer is D so in a market where nose tackles are becoming more and more valuable to 3-4 teams, the Dolphins should know the value of getting someone like Thomas in the 2nd without having to make a huge reach.
44. New England Patriots (via JAC)- RB Jahvid Best (California)
As a Patriots fan, the Pats’ defense makes me cringe. They let Devery Henderson run straight down field for a touchdown without a guy within 10 yards of him against New Orleans and then missed 4 tackles as the Saints turned a loss on a screen play to a touchdown and they were only able to sack Brees once all game. Then Chad Henne came out and burned their defense again. However, Bill Belicheck will go value over need every time, especially with 3 picks in the 2ndround to work with. Best would help the Patriots become even more explosive on offensive by adding that explosive homerun hitting back that they lack right now. He would compliment Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk well, both of whom are over 30.
45. Denver Broncos- WR Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
Even if they don’t trade Brandon Marshall, the Broncos are going to take a wide receiver fairly early. Marshall’s days in Denver are looking pretty numbered for the longterm and Eddie Royal is not a great #2 opposite him either. Thomas has good size and a good history of success in a college style offense like the one Denver runs.
46. New York Giants- DT LaMarr Houston (Texas)
The Giants are always one to look to upgrade their pass rush and their defensive line. They can’t be happy about the extremely low amount of sacks they generated from the defensive tackle position, or their low ranking against the run. Houston had 7 sacks last year, more than all Giants’ defensive tackles combine, and he is good against the run as well.
47. New England Patriots- 3-4 DE Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)
Their trade of Richard Seymour for a first round pick was borderline burglary, but they do need to replace Seymour on the line, especially with Jarvis Green now in Denver. Carrington is a natural fit for the 3-4 defensive end position as he is a great pass rusher, but also has amazing size. He’s like a poor man’s version of Tyson Jackson, who went 3rd overall last year.
48. Carolina Panthers- WR Brandon LaFell (LSU)
Part of the reason for Jake Delhomme’s struggles last year was because he had no one to throw to except Steve Smith. Matt Moore appears to be the quarterback of the future for this team so they’ll need to get him someone to compliment Smith. LaFell would be perfect for the job because he’s a consistent possession receiver, whereas Smith is an inconsistent deep threat.
49. San Francisco 49ers- RB Dexter McCluster (Mississippi)
I’ve had cornerback here in recent weeks. I was sure the Niners had to take a corner in the first two rounds, but the Niners are a team that likes to pick best available. This also happens to be an extremely deep cornerback class. They can get a future starter at the cornerback position in the 3rd round. They can’t get a playmaker like McCluster. McCluster helps on special teams, in the receiver corps as a slot guy, and out of the backfield as a 3rd down back and a change of pace back.
50. Kansas City Chiefs (via ATL)- TE Aaron Hernandez (Florida)
The Chiefs got this pick from Atlanta for Tony Gonzalez. They might want to consider using it on a replacement tight end, because Matt Cassel needs more guys to throw to. Scott Pioli could be partial to Hernandez over guys like Dennis Pitta and Rob Gronkowski because he reminds people of Ben Watson, who he worked with in New England.
51. Houston Texans- CB Patrick Robinson (Florida State)
The Texans had 14 interceptions all year last year and 4 of those came from their linebackers and 9 from their safeties, including 4 from Bernard Pollard (hey, maybe the Chiefs shouldn’t have cut him). That leaves only 1 interception by any of their cornerbacks. Robinson had 7 in his career at Oklahoma State and he had a very good game in the Senior Bowl.
52. Pittsburgh Steelers- CB Donovan Warren (Michigan)
The Steelers really lack talent at the cornerback position and need a starter opposite Ike Taylor. Warren is slipping because of his lack of timed speed, but he’s still a very solid cornerback who would fit their scheme well. Hopefully, the Steelers realize that.
53. New England Patriots- RLB Jason Worilds (Virginia Tech)
Bill Belicheck seems hesitant to draft a rush linebacker, which is weird because he’s never hesitant to do anything. It must be because of how few of the defensive ends switching to rush linebacker actually pan out. For more on that, click here. However, he can’t hesitate anymore, the Pats only managed 31 sacks all last year and their pass defense suffered because of it. Worilds is a safe bet here because he has experience playing standing up at outside linebacker at Virginia Tech, in addition to playing defensive end, so he is going to be comfortable in coverage and blitzing from an outside, standing position. Again, for more on why drafting rush linebackers with experience at outside linebacker is important, click the link above.
54. Cincinnati Bengals- TE Rob Gronkowski (Arizona)
The Bengals needed major help at wide receiver this offseason, but after signing Matt Jones and signing Antonio Bryant, I doubt they’ll target a wideout early, even though I don’t think Bryant will pan out as a #2 in Cincy. This leaves them with very few needs, but they have needed a tight end for years and if one like Gronkowski slips to them in the 2nd, I could see them pulling the trigger. They like run blocking tight ends and Gronkowski is a good, big blocker in addition to being a solid target over the middle.
55. Philadelphia Eagles- OLB Daryl Washington (TCU)
One linebacker won’t be enough. After cutting Will Witherspoon, the Eagles need a weakside linebacker badly. Washington has the speed Andy Reid looks for in a linebacker.
56. Green Bay Packers- OT Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)
Even after resigning Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, the Packers’ biggest need this offseason is offensive tackle. Both Clifton and Tauscher are old and injury prone and, as we saw last year, this offensive line has no depth. In the 8 games Clifton and Tauscher both missed, they gave up 37 sacks, and consequently went 4-4 (as opposed to 7-1 in games in which both played). They didn’t take one in the first because they didn’t want to reach and Anthony Davis didn’t fit their scheme, but Veldheer is well in range here and has some major physical upside at 6-8 312 with 5.1 speed.
57. Baltimore Ravens- CB Kareem Jackson (Alabama)
After Lardarius Webb got hurt, the Ravens had to start kick returner Chris Carr at cornerback. I think its safe to say they need some cornerback depth and Jackson provides good depth and upside at the position.
58. Arizona Cardinals- OT Jason Fox (Miami)
Both of the Cardinals starting tackles gave up 9 sacks last year. Kurt Warner played well through it, but Matt Leinart is nowhere near as mentally tough, so they’ll definitely need tackle help.
59. Dallas Cowboys- WR Marshawn Gilyard (Cincinnati)
Not necessarily a huge need, but it’s a very predictable Cowboys pick. Gilyard is a big name. He would be an upgrade over Patrick Crayton at both wide receiver and punt returner. Plus, I think the Cowboys give Roy Williams only one more year to get his act together before the cut him and if that happens, Gilyard could also step into the starting lineup.
60. Seattle Seahawks (via SD)- RB Joe McKnight (USC)
Julius Jones is such a bad running back that every single Seahawks fan I have talked to is begging them to draft a replacement in the first two rounds. Pete Carroll and Joe McKnight worked well together at USC. Carroll probably wouldn’t mind giving him a try at the next level and he happens to be the best available running back.
61. New York Jets- RLB Ricky Sapp (Clemson)
With their holes in the secondary, corner and safety, filled up, it’s very likely that the Jets will look for pass rushers early in the NFL Draft. They got themselves a 3-4 down lineman rusher in the 1st, but they need help at rush linebacker too. Vernon Gholston has 0 sacks in 2 years and is on a very short leash. Sapp can be his future replacement when they cut him, most likely, next offseason. Calvin Pace is also on the wrong side of 30 and not what he used to be.
62. Minnesota Vikings- DT Mike Neal (Purdue)
Pat Williams says he’s 50-50 on retiring, but even if he doesn’t he’ll turn 38 next season and could retire soon. The defensive tackle position is, and has been, the strength of the Vikings for years, so, with no future replacement for Williams, they should draft Neal here and groom him to be the future replacement. Williams-Neal Wall doesn’t sound as good as Williams Wall, but it works.
63. Indianapolis Colts- OLB Navarro Bowman (Penn State)
The Colts always like to use the middle rounds to get outside linebacker help, but they need help there now so I wouldn’t be surprised if they took one earlier than normal. Bowman is a great fit for their cover 2 scheme.
64. New Orleans Saints- RB Toby Gerhart (Stanford)
The Saints like to use a two back scheme to keep their backs fresh late into games and late into the season. It definitely worked last year, but with Mike Bell gone, and Lynell Hamilton penciled into that #2 back role, it might not work as well this year. Enter Gerhart, who would serve as the power back compliment to Pierre Thomas. The two of them would wreak some serious havoc next year. Gerhart is much better than even Bell.
65. St. Louis Rams- OLB Dekoda Watson (Florida State)
They traded Will Witherspoon midseason and replaced him with Paris Lenon and, no surprised, afterwards, their defense really sucked. Lenon is a free agent anyway. The Rams have bigger needs like their defensive line, but Watson has good upside and looked great at The Combine.
66. Detroit Lions- RB Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)
Sticking with best player available, the Lions take Dwyer, who could have gone in the first round before laying an epic stink bomb at the Combine, showing up out of shape, and running a much slower 40 than expected. He still has upside though and the Lions have a need at the position because they don’t have much behind Kevin Smith and even he didn’t have a good year last year.
67. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- S Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech)
Raheem Morris is a defensive backs coach by nature, so, while they need major help on the defensive line, I’d be very surprised if they reached for a defensive end like Jermaine Cunningham or Austin Lane over taking a steal of a defensive back. Burnett is a victim an extremely strong safety class. He’s an early-mid 2ndrounder by talent, but falls here to the early 3rd because he’s not as talented of a prospect as Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, Earl Thomas, and he doesn’t play a particularly important position. The Buccaneers would still love to have him though.
68. Kansas City Chiefs- NT Linval Joseph (East Carolina)
The Chiefs are going to want to get a nose tackle before all the top 2 tier guys are gone and the class really drops off like a cliff. Joseph is the last of those top 2 tier guys and would fill a need for the Chiefs at nose tackle. The Chiefs love to draft in the trenches.
69. Oakland Raiders- QB Jarrett Brown (West Virginia)
Jarrett Brown ran a 4.54 40 at 6-3 224. This makes him a great quarterback in Al Davis’ eyes. He also has a cannon for an arm. He’s like JaMarcus Russell only less of a fat slob. The Raiders said they were sticking by Russell as their quarterback earlier this offseason, but after the recent rumors linking the Raiders to Donovan McNabb, that is no longer true. It probably has something to do with the fact that Russell weighed in at 290 at offseason workouts. If they can’t trade for McNabb, they’ll target a quarterback through the draft.
70. Philadelphia Eagles- S Nate Allen (South Florida)
Sean Jones failed in his first year in Philadelphia and won’t be back. Marlin Jackson was signed and he’s talented, but he’s no sure thing with his history of injuries. Allen is a steal here as he has 2nd round talent. With so many picks in this draft, and since the safety class is so strong, they’ll take a luxury safety fairly early.
71. Cleveland Browns- QB Colt McCoy (Texas)
Of all the quarterbacks available, McCoy would not be my choice, but there’s a very good chance he would be Mike Holmgren’s choice. Holmgren reportedly loves McCoy and might considering moving up into the late 1st round to take him, if he felt it necessary. I don’t believe he would do that, but I do believe that Holmgren does like McCoy as a quarterback prospect.
72. Buffalo Bills- OT Tony Washington (TCU)
In one of the most bizarre NFL draft stories in a long time, it was revealed that Washington once had consensual sex with his 15-year-old biological sister when he was 16 and had to register as a sex offender. Don’t you think if you were a registered sex offender, you might not want to be famous. Just a thought. Either way, as disgusting as that is, that has nothing to do with what kind of football player he will be and the left tackle starved Bills will reach for him here because the left tackle class is extremely thin this year and drops off right after him.
73. Miami Dolphins- WR Jeremy Williams (Tulane)
The Dolphins drafted Patrick Turner in the 3rd round last year, but I think Parcells knows that was a mistake. You can’t get them all right. They need a good receiver with true #1 abilities. Williams is a 2nd round prospect who they are fortunate is still available in the 3rd.
74. Jacksonville Jaguars- DE Jermaine Cunningham (Florida)
Signing Aaron Kampman was a great value move to add an elite pass rusher to their defense. However, unless Quentin Groves or Derrick Harvey stop underachieving and start living up to their potential, the Jaguars are going to need another pass rusher opposite him. Needing to make money, the Jaguars take a local kid in Cunningham.
75. Chicago Bears- S Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt)
Danieal Manning is a good kick returner, but they are kidding themselves trying to pass him off as a free safety. They need a true free safety. Lewis is a lot like Sean Smith, a defensive back prospect that can play both corner and safety, both of which the Bears need. Lewis is a better fit as a safety in the Bears’ scheme.
76. New York Giants- RB Montario Hardesty (Tennessee)
The Giants had Earth, Wind and Fire at the running back in 2008 and everything was great. Last year, Earth (Brandon Jacobs) turned to stone, Wind (Derrick Ward) blew out of town to take more money in Tampa Bay, and Fire (Ahmad Bradshaw) burnt out after two ankle injuries. There’s a chance that what they have at the running back position, currently, is enough for next year, but there’s also a chance that it isn’t and the Giants, always ones to look for best available, aren’t going to take that risk if Hardesty is still on the board. Hardesty has good hands and would fit the wind role well.
77. Tennessee Titans- CB Chris Cook (Virginia)
Nick Harper was so bad last year that he may have to retire this offseason, against his will, because no one is interested in the soon to be 36 year old free agent. I don’t see why the Titans didn’t just bench him, but he’s gone now so they’ll need to get someone for the future to start across from Cortland Finnegan. Cook has good upside and a ton of experience in a scheme similar to Tennessee’s at Virginia.
78. Carolina Panthers- DE Corey Wootton (Northwestern)
With Julius Peppers gone, the Panthers are going to struggle to create quarterback pressure unless 2009 2nd round pick Everette Brown has a huge breakout year. Take away Peppers’ 10.5 sacks and they had 20.5 sacks all last year. Even if Brown pans out, they’ll need a good left end opposite him. Wootton has a ton of upside as either a 3-4 right end or a 4-3 left.
79. San Francisco 49ers- CB Domonique Franks (Oklahoma)
Passing in their biggest need with their first 3 picks might have raised some eyebrows, but this cornerback class is extremely deep. Franks is a 2nd round prospect available in the 3rd. He has major upside and can be their future starter across from Shawntae Spencer.
80. Denver Broncos- RB Ben Tate (Auburn)
Correll Buckhalter isn’t a bad running back, but he’s 31 and injury prone and Tate is a great value here. He would do a very solid job backing up Knowshon Moreno.
81. Houston Texans- S Reshad Jones (Georgia)
The Texans added Patrick Robinson in the second, but they need more than one upgrade in the secondary. Jones could step in and make a different right away at safety as the Texans try to finally beat Peyton Manning and/or make the playoffs.
82. Pittsburgh Steelers- OT Kyle Calloway (Iowa)
More offensive line help for one of the worst offensive lines in the league last year, Calloway is strictly a right tackle, but he’s one of the best right tackles in the draft class. He fits what the Steelers look for in a tackle, good mauling size, and good work ethic.
83. Atlanta Falcons- OLB AJ Edds (Iowa)
After signing Dunta Robinson, the Falcons don’t have a lot of needs left. Outside linebacker though is one of them as they need a solid starter to replace Mike Peterson. Edds can play on the strong side moving Stephen Nicholas to the weak side, where he is a better fit. Edds is a very good natural strong side linebacker who could be a starter for this team sometime during year 1.
84. Cincinnati Bengals- G Vladimir Ducasse (Massachusetts)
Bobbie Williams is 33 and still has yet to be resigned this offseason by the Bengals. He doesn’t want to leave the Bengals, but they aren’t meeting his demands. He may retire rather than sign with another need. Even if he’s back, Ducasse is too much of a steal not to be drafted here. Williams won’t last forever and Ducasse can play right tackle as well for when the Bengals realize Andre Smith sucks.
85. Cleveland Browns- OT Ciron Black (LSU)
Joe Thomas is an amazing left tackle, but they really need to fix holes on the right side of their line, including right tackle. Black isn’t much of a pass blocker, but if he can get in shape, he could be a hell of a run blocker.
86. Green Bay Packers- S Chad Jones (LSU)
In the spirit of best available the Packers take Jones, by far the best available. Atari Bigby is a good strong safety, but gets hurt way too often.
87. Philadelphia Eagles- CB Amari Spievey (Iowa)
Tapping into the depth of this cornerback class, the Eagles get a talented future starter replacement for Sheldon Brown in the 3rd round. They’ll need to be sure to get someone like him in this draft because Ellis Hobbs is better at nickel than as a starter.
88. Arizona Cardinals (via BAL)- MLB Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State)
The Cardinals need a replacement for Karlos Dansby at the 3-4 middle linebacker positon and Chaney has the size to play their scheme. This is right in his draft range as well.
89. Arizona Cardinals- C JD Walton (Baylor)
Kurt Warner won’t be their quarterback next year. Instead, they will have either the mentally fragile Derek Anderson or the mentally fragile Matt Leinart. Whoever starts, they’ll probably want to get an upgrade at center. Lyle Sendlein steps on too many feet and isn’t a good run blocker either.
90. Dallas Cowboys- S Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)
The Cowboys cut Ken Hamlin at the same time they cut Flozell Adams. I guess they got tired of him blowing coverages. They’ll give Michael Hamlin, who they drafted last year in the 5th round, a shot at the starting job, but he’s no sure thing. They’d be best served tapping into the depth of this safety class and taking Stuckey.
91. San Diego Chargers- WR Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh)
Both Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd are free agents next offseason, as is Antonio Gates. Their receiving corps could really suck in 2011. Dickerson is a very complex prospect, but he’s a good pass catcher no matter where you stick him on the field and the Chargers, possibly needing guys to throw to in a big way in a year or so, should take him here and sort the rest out later.
92. Cleveland Browns- NT Torrell Troup (Central Florida)
Shaun Rogers is facing felony weapons charges for trying to smuggle a weapon onto an airplane. Though I think he’s not so much a terrorist as just an idiot, either way he probably will not be back with the team next year, either by suspension or the Browns just releasing him. With so many picks this year, even after the Sheldon Brown trade, the Browns should look at a nose tackle prospect like Troup.
93. Minnesota Vikings- QB Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)
Brett Favre could literally retire at any moment, and one of those timess he might stay actually retired. Unless they pull off a deal for Donovan McNabb, The Vikings would be smart to bring in a backup whose name isn’t Tarvaris Jackson through the draft.
94. Indianapolis Colts- DE Austen Lane (Murray State)
The Colts are likely to take some depth at the ever important defensive end position early because both of their starting ends are free agents in 2011.
95. New Orleans Saints- OLB Perry Riley (LSU)
Scott Fujita is gone, so the Saints take a local strongside linebacker prospect to play opposite Scott Shanle next year.
96. Cincinnati Bengals (comp)- WR Jacoby Ford (Clemson)
After signing Matt Jones and Antonio Bryant, wide receiver is no longer high on their draft list, but they lack a true speed burner like Ford in their receiving corps. His 4.28 speed can be used in many ways and will open the offense up in ways they just couldn’t do last year.
97. Tennessee Titans- DT Tyson Alualu (California)
Alualu is that pesky, high motor interior pass rusher that the Titans love. Anyone they play will you, they win by rotating out a bunch of talented one gap penetrators from the defensive tackle position.
98. Atlanta Falcons- CB Javier Arenas (Alabama)
After signing Dunta Robinson, cornerback is less of a need, but still a bit of a need. Arenas can also help on special teams in a big way.
99. St. Louis Rams- DT D’Anthony Smith (Louisiana Tech)
Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive coach who loves to build on the defensive line. He’ll try to find at least one defensive tackle in the mid rounds he can coach up because Fred Robbins is getting up there in age and Adam Carriker is no sure thing.
100. Detroit Lions- S Major Wright (Florida)
Their secondary was beyond awful last year. They need multiple upgrades in the secondary, including safety. Wright has 1st round upside and would go in the 3rd round most years so he could be a steal here if they can coach him up and bring out his natural athleticism.
101. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- OLB Roddrick Muckelroy (Texas)
The Buccaneers cut their two starting linebackers for 2008 last offseason and replaced them with the oft injured Angelo Crowell and a former safety. I wonder why they ranked dead last against the run last year.
102. Kansas City Chiefs- RLB Thaddeus Gibson (Ohio State)
The Chiefs more than doubled their sacks total from 2008 to 2009! That would be amazing if it wasn’t for the fact that they only had 10 sacks in 2008. 22 sacks in 2009 is nothing to brag about. Gibson fills the rush linebacker need opposite Tamba Hali.
103. Washington Redskins- G Mike Johnson (Alabama)
When you give up 43 sacks in a season, you need multiple offensive line upgrades in the offseason. Johnson is a perfect fit as a left guard in Mike Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme.
104. Seattle Seahawks- WR Andre Roberts (Citadel)
Nate Burleson is gone and I have my doubts about Deon Butler’s ability to be a starting wide receiver in this league and about Deion Branch’s ability to not get hurt. They’ll try to get Brandon Marshall this offseason, but if they can’t, getting Roberts in the 4th as a steal, will have to do for now.
105. Philadelphia Eagles- G John Jerry (Mississippi)
The release of Shawn Andrews also Andy Reid to take one of his trademark fat offensive lineman. Jerry weighs 330 and is a dominant run blocker, though he struggles against the pass rush.
106. Oakland Raiders- WR David Gettis (Baylor)
David Gettis ran a 4.39 at 6-3 216 at his Pro Day. Putting a ton of stock into Pro day 40 times isn’t a smart idea, but then again, neither is drafting purely on height and 40 times and Al Davis has been doing that for years.
107. Buffalo Bills- RLB Eric Norwood (South Carolina)
A rush linebacker is needed opposite Aaron Maybin. Norwood could be a steal here. I like him a lot more than most places.
108. Jacksonville Jaguars- WR Riley Cooper (Florida)
I know what you’re thinking. A 3rd Florida Gator in as many picks? It could happen. After all, the Jags need to sell tickets and Gainesville is about a 75 minute drive from Jacksonville so stacking a team with familiar players isn’t a bad idea, unless they were huge reaches which they haven’t been. Cooper will be a good wide receiver option for David Garrard.
109. Chicago Bears- G Jon Asamoah (Illinois)
Matt Forte was out of shape last year, but his awful season can’t be completely blamed on him. The Bears’ offensive line opened up a grand total of one hole for him all last year. Asamoah is a local kid who would be an immediate left guard upgrade.
110. Miami Dolphins- RB Anthony Dixon (Mississippi State)
Ricky Williams is probably living on borrowed time as a running back of his age still running well. Ronnie Brown suffers a devastating injury every single year like clockwork and he’s a free agent next offseason. They also aren’t too happy about his recent DUI. If a running back like Dixon is still there in the 4th, they’ll pull the trigger.
111. Tennessee Titans- OLB Donald Butler (Washington)
Will Witherspoon was a great signing as a weakside linebacker, but they still need help on the strong side. Butler can play there and also play some in the middle of their 4-3 which is also a bit of a need.
112. Carolina Panthers- TE Jimmy Graham (Miami)
The Panthers probably want to get Matt Moore more than one upgrade in his receiving corps. Graham is extremely raw after only one season playing football (he was also a forward on the Miami basketball team), but he is really amazing scouts with his upside and how quickly he has improved this offseason so he could wind up being a steal at this point.
113. San Francisco 49ers- MLB Brandon Spikes (Florida)
All 4-3 teams crossed Spikes off of their draft board after he ran a 5.0+ at Florida’s Pro Day, except for Al Davis because he’s dead and doesn’t have a draft board. No 4-3 linebacker is that slow. The Niners could have a steal, however, with him as a 3-4 middle linebacker in the middle of the 4th, assuming they can bring the most out of him. Mike Singletary thinks very highly of his ability to bring the most out of players, and rightfully so, which means Spikes makes a lot of sense here.
114. Denver Broncos- 3-4 DE Arthur Jones (Syracuse)
The Broncos seriously stank against the run last year in the 2nd half. Like seriously, I could smell it from here. Adding guys like Jamal Williams and Jarvis Green to their defensive front is a lot better than what they did last offseason (get random castoffs from the Niners and Browns), but they still need to focus on upgrading their defensive line through the draft. Unlike Robert Ayers, Jones is a natural fit at 3-4 defensive end and could be a huge steal if he beats the injuries and lives up to his potential.
115. New York Giants- CB Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State)
Cornerback isn’t a huge need, but neither is any position the Giants draft (for the most part). They go straight from the draft board. Cox is the best available and it’s not like the Giants couldn’t use another cornerback given how many teams are switching to the 3 receiver set as their base. Plus, if Aaron Ross gets hurt again, they’ll want depth.
116. Pittsburgh Steelers- 3-4 DE CJ Wilson (East Carolina)
Other than Evander Hood, an unproven 2009 1st round pick, every 3-4 defensive end on their roster is older than 33, including Aaron Smith, who, though he is the most underrated defensive player of the decade, is coming off of major surgery. Wilson adds some youth to the line.
117. Atlanta Falcons- WR Eric Decker (Minnesota)
I don’t hate Michael Jenkins. I don’t love him either. I’m sure Matt Ryan wouldn’t mind someone else to throw the ball to. Decker is a very good value here.
118. Houston Texans- DT Vince Oghobaase (Duke)
Travis Johnson wasn’t very good as a Texan, but he was never replaced when they traded him so the Texans should target a replacement next to Amobi Okoye through the draft this year. Oghobaase has major upside, but also major injury issues. He’s worth a shot here in the 4th.
119. New England Patriots- TE Dennis Pitta (BYU)
The Patriots now have one tight end on their roster after signing the washed up Alge Crumpler. Think they’ll be looking for one come draft day?
120. Cincinnati Bengals- CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (IUPUI)
Instead of signing the talentless and possibly dangerous Adam Jones, why not take AOA and his 5 special teams touchdowns in 2009. He can also play cornerback.
121. Philadelphia Eagles- WR Carlton Mitchell (South Florida)
The Eagles have a ton of picks this year after trading Sheldon Brown. I literally started running out of positions when I was putting this mock together. The Eagles could use a goal line type receiver like Mitchell, who has amazing physical upside.
122. Green Bay Packers- RLB Koa Misi (Utah)
Brad Jones was strong to end the year last year, but that’s not enough to give him the longterm starter’s job on. A good value like Misi, who fits the scheme well, will be brought in for competition.
123. Arizona Cardinals (via BAL)- QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi)
They signed Derek Anderson in free agency to go with Matt Leinart, but they wouldn’t be able to pass on Snead in the 4th. Plus, Anderson and Leinart aren’t exactly the most trustworthy guys. Between them, they have a combined 1 good season (Anderson, 2007).
124. New York Jets- S Myron Rolle (Florida State)
The Jets signed Brodney Pool from the Browns, but he is one concussion away from having to retire. The Jets can afford to take a high upside guy like Rolle here.
125. Dallas Cowboys- MLB Sean Lee (Penn State)
Keith Brooking is great, but also getting up there in age, so you never know how much longer he has in Dallas at his current price. They also lack much after him at the position so a high upside middle linebacker guy like Lee should be targeted here, even though he’s not a natural fit for the 3-4.
126. San Diego Chargers- S Larry Asante (Nebraska)
Kevin Ellison was thrown into the starting lineup midseason and struggled. He wasn’t supposed to be much more than a backup and a special teamer anyway because he struggles in coverage.
127. Seattle Seahawks- DE Greg Hardy (Mississippi)
The Seahawks got this pick after trading Darryl Tapp to the Eagles. They should probably use it to draft a replacement. Hardy is a risk, but a smart risk at this point because of his upside.
128. Minnesota Vikings- C Eric Olsen (Notre Dame)
John Sullivan really struggled to replace Matt Birk last year, especially as a run blocker, and Adrian Peterson struggled last as a result.
129. Indianapolis Colts- G Mitch Petrus (Arkansas)
Adding a dominant run blocker like Petrus to the mix will help their running game a lot in the future.
130. New Orleans Saints- DT Jeff Owens (Georgia)
The Saints are thin at defensive tackle and if Sedrick Ellis goes down again, they’ll majorly struggle to stop the run. Owens has a ton of physical upside and adds major muscle to the inside of their 4-3 defense.
131. Cincinnati Bengals- DT Earl Mitchell (Arizona)
Tank Johnson is decent, but could be upgraded. Mitchell is a great pass rusher, who, at the very least, can be a situational rusher.
132. St. Louis Rams- TE Ed Dickson (Oregon)
They need to get Sam Bradford someone else to work with in terms of receivers. Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive guy, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him spend this many picks on offense. We’ve seen it before, Tony Dungy, a defensive guy, being the best example. Coaches think they can more easily coach up players from their side of the ball than from the other side of the ball so they spend more of their resources on the other side. The Rams only took defensive players with 3 of their 7 picks last year, despite how bad their defense was the year before.
133. Detroit Lions- G Brandon Carter (Texas Tech)
The Lions didn’t just struggle to pass block last year. They struggled to run block. They need an upgrade at right guard badly.
134. Cleveland Browns- S Kurt Coleman (Ohio State)
Eric Berry is a great addition to the safety position for them, but they could afford to take one more because Abram Elam is only a borderline starter. Coleman adds valuable depth at the very least.
135. Washington Redskins- RB Deji Karim (Southern Illinois)
Mike Shanahan has a knack for drafting running backs in the mid-late rounds. He won’t be satisfied with their combo of Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and Clinton Portis, and rightfully so.
136. Kansas City Chiefs- WR Jordan Shipley (Texas)
Even with Chris Chambers resigned on a multiyear deal, the Chiefs need receivers. Shipley can be a reliable slot guy who can catch all of Matt Cassel’s 5-10 yard passes. Scott Pioli will think he found the next Wes Welker with him.
137. Philadelphia Eagles- CB AJ Jefferson (Fresno State)
If the Eagles are being frugal next offseason, they’ll cut/trade Asante Samuel to save money. They should take some more depth at the position with one of their many draft picks this year.
138. Oakland Raiders- G Marshall Newhouse (TCU)
Newhouse ran a 5.00 at 6-4 322. This makes him a great player.
139. Seattle Seahawks- QB Tony Pike (Cincinnati)
They traded for and gave a large contract to Charlie Whitehurst, but counting on a former 3rd rounder who has never thrown an NFL pass to be your quarterback of the future is not a good idea. Tony Pike is a steal here and would be a good fit in Seattle’s West Coast scheme.
140. Buffalo Bills- WR Blair White (Michigan State)
James Hardy is a huge question mark as the wide receiver of the future across from Lee Evans after a rough rookie year and a nasty injury in his 2nd year. The Bills could use a pro style receiver like White just in case. Plus, depth at the receiver position is not a bad thing in this quarterback dominated league.
141. Chicago Bears- CB Jerome Murphy (South Florida)
Nathan Vasher is now a Chargers. He had huge upside early in his career, but never panned out. Time for the Bears to take another cornerback. Murphy is a steal here because of the strength of the cornerback class.
142. Kansas City Chiefs (via MIA)- CB Patrick Stoudamire (Western Illinois)
The Chiefs certainly have other needs, but cornerback is a pretty big one and they’ll need to get some late round depth. For my exclusive interview with Patrick Stoudamire, click here.
143. Jacksonville Jaguars- C Matt Tennant (Boston College)
Brad Meester used to be good, but injuries have really taken a toll on him recently and if the Jaguars get an opportunity to take a replacement center, they will and then they’ll cut Meester.
144. Kansas City Chiefs- S TJ Ward (Oregon)
Bernard Pollard was clearly too young and talented for the Chiefs defensive system so he was cut in favor of the veteran Mike Brown. However, Brown, predictably, struggled last season so the Chiefs could be looking for a replacement through the draft this year.
145. San Francisco 49ers- RLB Willie Young (NC State)
Manny Lawson looked great in the 2nd half of the season last year. However, one good half season doesn’t convince me he’s not a bust. They’ll need a backup plan in case Lawson reverts.
146. Cleveland Browns (via DET, via DEN)- TE Anthony McCoy (USC)
The Browns have so many picks this year that they can afford to use one on an upside pick like McCoy. He can be a decent run blocker opposite Ben Watson, but he could also step up and start if Watson gets hurt again or struggles.
147. New York Giants- DE Daniel Te’o-Neshiem (Washington)
Te’o-Neshiem can fill Osi Umenyiora’s role in their defensive end rotation and allow them to cut Umenyiora, or trade him if they can find a taker.
148. Tennessee Titans- QB John Skelton (Fordham)
The Titans might not be feeling too secure with just Vince Young at the quarterback position next year and Skelton is a good steal at this point.
149. Atlanta Falcons- C Jeff Byers (USC)
The Falcons will be looking for interior line depth and Byers can play all 3 interior line positions in their scheme.
150. Houston Texans- OLB Kavell Conner (Clemson)
Brian Cushing was a great pick by the Texans last year, but they needed multiple linebacker upgrades last year and only got too. Conner is a great fit for the scheme. He’s very raw and inexperienced, but you have to like his upside. He was great last year for Clemson after he took the starting job and ran with it.
151. Pittsburgh Steelers- RLB Antonio Coleman (Auburn)
James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley form the best 1-2 best pass rushing combo in the league, but Harrison is getting up there in age a bit, plus, they have zero depth behind either and if one were to get hurt, they’d be screwed. Coleman is unfortunately too small to play the trenches in the NFL because he’s a hell of a pass rusher. If he could make the transition to rush linebacker, he could be a starter in this league, but that transition could take a while. Given what he will be drafted to do, he will likely have plenty of time to make that transition.
152. Cincinnati Bengals- K Garrett Lindholm (Tarleton State)
The Bengals obviously don’t want Shayne Graham back or they would have resigned him. They’ll look for a kicker in the 5th round range and Lindholm is the best of this class as far as I’m concerned with his ability to nail 50 or even 60 footers with ease.
153. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via NE)- OT Sam Young (Notre Dame)
The Buccaneers lack depth at the offensive tackle position and Jeremy Trueblood struggled last year at right tackle.
154. Green Bay Packers- RB James Starks (Buffalo)
The Packers don’t have anything behind Ryan Grant and would be screwed if he got hurt. Starks can also be their Tim Hightower type 3rd down back.
155. St. Louis Rams (via PHI)- RB LeGarrette Blount (Oregon)
Even when they were 1-13 and Steven Jackson was having back spasms, they still rode him 25-30 times per game because they didn’t have anyone else behind him. Blount can change that.
156. Baltimore Ravens- 3-4 DE Corey Peters (Kentucky)
The Ravens, like the Steelers, need to focus on getting younger up front. Peters is a natural fit for a 3-4. He played there in college.
157. Baltimore Ravens- RLB Brandon Sharpe (Texas Tech)
Sharpe is a hell of a pass rusher with 15 sacks last year, but doesn’t bring much else to the table. He can push the once dangerous Terrell Suggs to get into shape and, at worst, he can be a situational pass rusher.
158. Oakland Raiders- S Matt Greco (Central Florida)
Matt Greco ran a 4.40 at 6-3 224. That makes him a great player.
159. San Diego Chargers- OT Zane Beadles (Utah)
Beadles provides depth at three positions the Chargers are weak at, left guard, right tackle, and right guard.
160. Cleveland Browns (via NYJ)- G Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)
Another upgrade for the right side of their line.
161. Minnesota Vikings- CB Walter Thurmond (Oregon)
They’ll need to add a cornerback to the mix in case Cedric Griffin can’t start next season after his injury.
162. Indianapolis Colts- OT Selvish Capers (West Virginia)
Charlie Johnson did a decent job at left tackle last year, but he’s a free agent in a year and Capers has huge upside as a zone blocking left tackle. He could also play some right tackle.
163. New York Jets- WR Marcus Easley (Connecticut)
The Jets should not have resigned Braylon Edwards. He had a decent year last year, but only caught 50% of his passes and didn’t seem to be trying much. They should draft a replacement wide receiver in the first, but in reality, they won’t. The most Jets fans can hope for his a guy like Marcus Easley in the 5th.
164. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp)- QB Bill Stull (Pittsburgh)
Sadly, Roger Goddell could slap a suspension on Big Ben without a conviction, which, needless to say, would be a huge hit to their team. Dennis Dixon isn’t necessarily the guy you want starting in his absence. Stull probably isn’t either, but if you combine the two, you have a better shot at finding a starter. Stull has experience in a Pro Style offense and is homegrown.
165. Atlanta Falcons- TE Scott Sicko (New Hampshire)
Tony Gonzalez has one year left on his deal. They better start looking for replacements in case he doesn’t come back. For my exclusive interview with Scott Sicko, click here.
166. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp)- MLB Micah Johnson (Kentucky)
Middle linebacker is no longer a huge need after they signed Larry Foote, but the Steelers like to bring in defensive depth and Johnson could be a steal here. He was a 3rd round prospect before hurting his knee.
167. Minnesota Vikings (comp)- RB Andre Anderson (Tulane)
Anderson could fill Chester Taylor’s old role behind Adrian Peterson.
168. San Diego Chargers- 3-4 DE Clifton Geathers (South Carolina)
They never did replace Igor Olshansky so taking a high upside guy like Geathers is a smart idea in the 5th.
169. Green Bay Packers (comp)- G Thomas Austin (Clemson)
Austin is another offensive linemen brought in to fix one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last year.
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