2010 NFL MOCK DRAFT
Let me preface my picks by saying that more than likely most of these won't happen, because unlike NFL GM's, Head Coaches, and Owners I'm going off of what each team actually NEEDS most for their team (as opposed to putting a bunch of names in a hat and randomly having a monkey pick one out, the apparent War Room strategy of multiple NFL teams...specifically the Raiders). Day by day all off-season I have updated my Madden 10 rosters as real life transactions have occurred and therefore I have a fairly accurate snap-shot of what each team's biggest glaring needs are heading into the draft. With that said, I present to you the 1st and Second Rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft, Sports Jerk style:
*NOTE: THE
DRAFT ORDER IS OFFICIAL AS OF 04/21/10, AND I'M PRETENDING THAT NO TEAMS WILL
TRADE ANY OF THEIR PICKS*
FIRST ROUND
PICK #1
TEAM: St. Louis Rams
SELECTION: Sam Bradford, QB (Oklahoma)
WHY: The Rams need a face for their franchise, and it all starts and ends with the QB in the NFL.
PICK #2
TEAM: Detroit Lions
SELECTION: Ndamukong Suh, DT (Nebraska)
WHY: Hands down the best player in this draft class, this is a no-brainer for the Lions and defensive-minded head coach Jim Schwartz.
PICK #3
TEAM: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SELECTION: Gerald McCoy, DT (Oklahoma)
WHY: They will think long and hard about Eric Berry, but a D-Tackle is simply a smarter investment for the guaranteed money this pick will garner.
PICK #4
TEAM: Washington Redskins
SELECTION: Russell Okung, OT (Oklahoma State)
WHY: With their QB situation taken care of courtesy of my (stupid) Eagles, the Skins can start rebuilding their O-line with Okung as the anchor.
PICK #5
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs
SELECTION: Dez Bryant, WR (Oklahoma State)
WHY: With Todd Haley an offensive head coach, new O-coordinator Charlie Weis in the fold, and all the money KC put into Matt Cassel last year, they desperately need a playmaker to pair with Dwayne Bowe and Bryant is hands down the best WR in the draft.
PICK #6
TEAM: Seattle Seahawks
SELECTION: Trent Williams, OT (Oklahoma)
WHY: Walter Jones' days are over, and Peter Carroll understands that with a shaky line, it doesn't matter who is playing QB for your team.
PICK #7
TEAM: Cleveland Browns
SELECTION: Eric Berry, S (Tennessee)
WHY: In a dream scenario for the Browns, the most dynamic player in the draft falls into their lap at pick #7, eliminating the debate over picking Clausen.
PICK #8
TEAM: Oakland Raiders
SELECTION: Anthony Davis, OT (Rutgers)
WHY: Al Davis wants to give JaMarcus Russell one more shot, and the only way he can hope to succeed is if he's protected. Anthony Davis has a lot of question marks, but the Raiders make a living on questionable draft picks. For what it's worth, he does at least have tremendous upside.
PICK #9
TEAM: Buffalo Bills
SELECTION: Bryan Bulaga, OT (Iowa)
WHY: Happy the Raiders chose Davis instead, the Bills will begin the reconstruction of their offensive line with Bulaga at Left Tackle. If Clausen pans out, there is potential for the Bills to be kicking themselves for years to come for passing on him in this spot.
PICK #10
TEAM: Jacksonville Jaguars
SELECTION: Rolando McClain, LB (Alabama)
WHY: They desperately want to trade down, but staying here and grabbing the best MLB in the draft allows LB Daryl Smith to move back outside.
PICK #11
TEAM: Denver Broncos
SELECTION: Earl Thomas, S (Texas)
WHY: If Dez Bryant is available they'd have to think long and hard about taking him, but with Dez already gone Denver can grab the 2nd best Safety in the draft and pair him with Brian Dawkins, while grooming him to eventually replace Dawk.
PICK #12
TEAM: Miami Dolphins
SELECTION: Dan Williams, DT (Tennessee)
WHY: Jason Ferguson is starting the year with a lengthy suspension, and their 3-4 defense is useless without a beast like Williams to clog up the middle.
PICK #13
TEAM: San Francisco 49ers
SELECTION: Joe Haden, CB (Florida)
WHY: Another dream scenario, San Fran desperately needs a cover corner and they will literally RUN to the podium and take the best CB in the draft.
PICK #14
TEAM: Seattle Seahawks
SELECTION: C.J. Spiller, RB (Clemson)
WHY: Taking their new franchise LT already, Seattle grabs the most explosive playmaker in the draft to run behind Trent Williams for years to come.
PICK #15
TEAM: New York Giants
SELECTION: Derrick Morgan, DE (Georgia Tech)
WHY: With McClain gone and no other quality MLB's worth this high of a pick, the Giants grab the best pash rushing D-End in a very deep class for them.
PICK #16
TEAM: Tennessee Titans
SELECTION: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (South Florida)
WHY: Losing both Kyle Vandenbosch and Jevon Kearse has opened up a gaping hole at Defensive End, and the Titans supposedly think very highly of JP-P.
PICK #17
TEAM: San Francisco 49ers
SELECTION: Jimmy Clausen, QB (Notre Dame)
WHY: Already filling their major need at Corner, San Fran simply cannot pass on Jimmy Clausen again, "faith in Alex Smith" be damned.
PICK #18
TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers
SELECTION: Mike Iupati, OG (Idaho)
WHY: Pittsburgh had trouble opening up holes in the middle last season, and Iupati should provide an immediate improvement and start from Day 1.
PICK #19
TEAM: Atlanta Falcons
SELECTION: Brandon Graham, DE (Michigan)
WHY: Atlanta might be weary of 1st round D-Ends (see: Anderson, Jamaal), but John Abraham is getting old fast and they need to improve their pass rush.
PICK #20
TEAM: Houston Texans
SELECTION: Kyle Wilson, CB (Boise State)
WHY: It's not a matter of IF the Texans are grabbing a Corner here, it's only a matter of WHICH ONE. Wilson is arguably the 2nd best corner in the draft.
PICK #21
TEAM: Cincinnati Bengals
SELECTION: Jermaine Gresham, TE (Oklahoma)
WHY: They signed Antonio Bryant and Matt Jones to help at WR, now Cincy finally gets Carson Palmer a stand out Tight End to work the middle of the field.
PICK #22
TEAM: New England Patriots
SELECTION: Sergio Kindle, LB (Texas)
WHY: With a ton of 2nd round picks, the Pats might move up or down. But selecting here, Kindle is the kind of OLB that Bill Belichick covets.
PICK #23
TEAM: Green Bay Packers
SELECTION: Charles Brown, OT (USC)
WHY: Green Bay will need to move up if they want one of the Top 4 O-Tackles, otherwise they can probably trade down and get Brown a little lower. One way or another though, they need to come out of this draft with a starting quality OT and Brown is the next best guy.
PICK #24
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles
SELECTION: Taylor Mays, S (USC)
WHY: Love him or hate him, the Eagles have a glaring hole at Safety and Taylor Mays has way too much potential for Philly to pass him over in this spot.
PICK #25
TEAM: Baltimore Ravens
SELECTION: Kareem Jackson, CB (Alabama)
WHY: With the trade for Anquan Bolden, the Ravens can focus more on re-upping their defense. Baltimore couldn't cover anybody at the end of last season and there wasn't much help available in free agency, so grabbing Jackson here makes a ton of sense.
PICK #26
TEAM: Arizona Cardinals
SELECTION: Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Missouri)
WHY: If Gresham was still on the board they'd probably grab him, but with him gone they fill a major hole created by the departure of Karlos Dansby.
PICK #27
TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
SELECTION: Arrelious Benn, WR (Illinois)
WHY: Jerry Jones was hoping Dez Bryant or Taylor Mays fell to Dallas here, but with both gone they take the next best WR in case Roy Williams stinks again.
PICK #28
TEAM: San Diego Chargers
SELECTION: Brian Price, DT (UCLA)
WHY: Having released Jamal Williams earlier in the off-season, San Diego has a gaping hole for the Nose Tackle. They'd probably consider Terrence Cody, but I think Price is the much safer pick and more NFL ready right now.
PICK #29
TEAM: New York Jets
SELECTION: Everson Griffen, DE (USC)
WHY: The Jets have gone all out this off-season and filled most of their voids with veteran players, allowing them to grab Shaun Ellis' eventual replacement.
PICK #30
TEAM: Minnesota Vikings
SELECTION: Devin McCourty, CB (Rutgers)
WHY: Word on the street is that the Vikings would consider Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow here, but they need a Corner too much to pass on McCourty.
PICK #31
TEAM: Indianapolis Colts
SELECTION: Maurkice Pouncey, C (Florida)
WHY: Having taken a skill-position player the last few years, the Colts will go back to basics and take the best Center in the draft. Pouncey will start and play at guard this season before eventually taking over for Jeff Saturday at Center sooner or later.
PICK #32
TEAM: New Orleans Saints
SELECTION: Navorro Bowman, LB (Penn State)
WHY: Scott Fujita wasn't great, but he got the job done and left the Superbowl Champs with a hole at OLB when he left. Bowman fills that hole nicely.
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SECOND ROUND
PICK #33
TEAM: St. Louis Rams
SELECTION: Bruce Campbell, OT (Maryland)
WHY: They took their franchise QB in Round 1, now they look to keeping him on his feet for the next decade by drafting the best available OT.
PICK #34
TEAM: Detroit Lions
SELECTION: Dexter McCluster, RB (Mississippi)
WHY: Injuries have derailed the promising career of RB Kevin Smith, so the Lions pick the 2nd most explosive runner in this draft as an insurance policy.
PICK #35
TEAM: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SELECTION: Nathaniel Allen, S (South Florida)
WHY: Having passed on Eric Berry in the 1st round, Tampa grabs Allen here and still gets a big upgrade over last year's starter Sabby Piscitelli.
PICK #36
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs
SELECTION: Terrence Cody, DT (Alabama)
WHY: The Chiefs have gone D-line early in the last 2 drafts, and they continue that trend by drafting a legit Nose Tackle for their 3-4 scheme.
PICK #37
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles (from Redskins)
SELECTION: Patrick Robinson, CB (Florida State)
WHY: Philly already filled their biggest need in Round 1, and now they fill their 2nd biggest need in Round 2 by taking the very talented Robinson.
PICK #38
TEAM: Cleveland Browns
SELECTION: Colt McCoy, QB (Texas)
WHY: If the Browns can come out of the first 2 rounds with one of the Top 3 players in the draft (Berry) and their potential Franchise QB (McCoy), someone will have to stop new football czar Mike Holmgren from attempting to do cartwheels in their war room.
PICK #39
TEAM: Oakland Raiders
SELECTION: Brandon Spikes, LB (Florida)
WHY: Starting MLB Kirk Morrison is unhappy and will probably be traded during or after the draft, so Oakland proactively picks his replacement in Spikes.
PICK #40
TEAM: San Diego Chargers (from Seahawks)
SELECTION: Ryan Mathews, RB (Fresno State)
WHY: No one thinks San Diego will head into next season with Darren Sproles as their starting RB, and Mathews is a brawler that can get all the tough yards.
PICK #41
TEAM: Buffalo Bills
SELECTION: Tim Tebow, QB (Florida)
WHY: New Head Coach Chan Gailey loves agile, scrambling QB's and Tim Tebow is a steal if he falls right into the Bills' lap at this pick.
PICK #42
TEAM: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Bears)
SELECTION: Demaryius Thomas, WR (Georgia Tech)
WHY: Needing some Targets for last year's #1 pick QB Josh Freeman to throw the ball to, some people think Thomas is the 2nd best WR in the draft.
PICK #43
TEAM: Denver Broncos (from Dolphins)
SELECTION: Golden Tate, WR (Notre Dame)
WHY: After shipping malcontent Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, Denver uses one of the picks they got back to acquire his replacement in Golden Tate.
PICK #44
TEAM: New England Patriots (from Jaguars)
SELECTION: Jared Odrick, DT (Penn State)
WHY: With most experts having him going late in the 1st round, Odrick is a steal and a great fit for the hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense the Patriots run.
PICK #45
TEAM: Denver Broncos
SELECTION: Sean Lee, LB (Penn State)
WHY: After being very active in free agency, Denver puts one of the final pieces in place for their 3-4 front seven by taking the drafts 2nd best MLB.
PICK #46
TEAM: New York Giants
SELECTION: Jahvid Best, RB (California)
WHY: Brandon Jacobs & Ahmad Bradshaw have both proven to be injury prone, and the Giants won the Superbowl when they had a 3-headed monster at RB.
PICK #47
TEAM: New England Patriots (from Titans)
SELECTION: Rob Gronkowski, TE (Arizona)
WHY: Some people think Gronkowski is the best overall tight end in the entire draft, and the Patriots currently have a huge hole at the position.
PICK #48
TEAM: Carolina Panthers
SELECTION: Carlos Dunlap, DE (Florida)
WHY: Without a 1st round pick and not finding anyone suitable in free agency, Carolina takes a chance on Dunlap and hopes he can replace Julius Peppers.
PICK #49
TEAM: San Francisco 49ers
SELECTION: Jerry Hughes, DE/LB (TCU)
WHY: They got their Cornerback and their Quarterback, so now San Fran can focus on their other glaring need by taking an outside/edge rusher.
PICK #50
TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs (from Falcons)
SELECTION: Vlad Ducasse, OT (Massachusetts)
WHY: Ducasse is the last quality O-Tackle in this draft before a significant drop off, and the Chiefs would prefer to move Branden Albert to Right Tackle.
PICK #51
TEAM: Houston Texans
SELECTION: Jonathan Dwyer, RB (Georgia Tech)
WHY: Houston had one of the best passing attacks in the league last year, but their struggles on the ground cost them a playoff spot. Dwyer will help.
PICK #52
TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers
SELECTION: Dezmon Briscoe, WR (Kansas)
WHY: Casting off oft-in-trouble Santonio Holmes opened up a need at Wide Receiver, and Briscoe will fill that need nicely.
PICK #53
TEAM: New England Patriots
SELECTION: Eric Decker, WR (Minnesota)
WHY: New England has quietly become the destination of choice for quick, caucasian Wide Receivers who run solid routes, and Decker will get the chance to become Wes Welker 3.0 (with Julian Edelman already filling in as Wes Welker 2.0).
PICK #54
TEAM: Cincinnati Bengals
SELECTION: Mardy Gilyard, WR (Cincinnati)
WHY: Just in case Matt Jones doesn't work out or Antonio Bryant gets re-injured, Cincy drafts a young WR with a lot of upside.
PICK #55
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles
SELECTION: Jon Asamoah, OG (Illinois)
WHY: The Eagles entered the draft with 3 major needs, and taking Asamoah fills the 3rd of 3. Now Philly can focus on adding depth from here on out.
PICK #56
TEAM: Green Bay Packers
SELECTION: Daryl Washington, LB (TCU)
WHY: Injuries to their LB's last year slowed down an otherwise strong Packers defense; adding Washington will provide depth and a future starter.
PICK #57
TEAM: Baltimore Ravens
SELECTION: Lamarr Houston, DT (Texas)
WHY: With a scheme like the Ravens run, you can never have too many big bodies filling the middle of the D-line and protecting Ray Lewis.
PICK #58
TEAM: Arizona Cardinals
SELECTION: Damian Williams, WR (USC)
WHY: Trading Anquan Bolden to Baltimore created a need at WR for the Cardinals, and Williams is the best player left on the board here.
PICK #59
TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
SELECTION: Chad Jones, S (LSU)
WHY: Failing to get one of the big 3 safeties in Round 1, Dallas grabs one of the 2 remaining quality safeties left on the board.
PICK #60
TEAM: Seattle Seahawks (from Chargers)
SELECTION: Larry Asante, S (Nebraska)
WHY: And with Dallas taking Jones, they effectively hand Asante to the Seahawks who also have a need at the same position.
PICK #61
TEAM: New York Jets
SELECTION: Perrish Cox, CB (Oklahoma State)
WHY: The Jets are in good shape overall and have the luxury of grabbing the best available player here, with Cox being that guy.
PICK #62
TEAM: Minnesota Vikings
SELECTION: Cam Thomas, DT (North Carolina)
WHY: Unfortunately, the Williams Wall isn't getting any younger and Minnesota begins the process of grooming a successor with this pick.
PICK #63
TEAM: Indianapolis Colts
SELECTION: Ricky Sapp, DE (Clemson)
WHY: Indy let long-time defensive stalwart Raheem Brock go, creating a void behind starting D-Ends Freeney and Mathis. Sapp will fill in nicely.
PICK #64
TEAM: New Orleans Saints
SELECTION: Thaddeus Gibson, DE (Ohio State)
WHY: They signed Alex Brown after he was released by the Bears, but the Saints still have a need for a young defensive end like Gibson.