Arrowhead Addict 2010 Mock Draft: Version 4.0
I’ve always said nothing really sends you into the weekend like avid speculation.
There have been a few revelations I’ve had on certain players abilities (thank you Senior Bowl) and on what certain teams might be looking for (thank you Colts President Bill Polian). But mostly there are a few teams that are genuine wildcards in the first round this year. One of these weekends I’m going to do multiple rounds, but while it’s still young in the offseason, I’m sticking with the one round — as settled as many of these names are, there’s still too many question marks.
Unlike Paddy, I will not be forecasting any potential trades. Feel free to compare 4.0 to Paddy’s 3.0 and my own 2.0 to examine how things have shifted.
| Pick | Team | Player Selected | Player’s Position | Player’s School | Analysis |
| 1. | Ndamukong Suh | Defensive Tackle | Nebraska | The right pick here is Jimmy Clausen. But the Rams don’t want to flirt with what would likely be the largest rookie payday in NFL history (think Stafford’s contract plus inflation…), especially seeing how a rookie payscale is on the horizon. You don’t have to shell out QB money for a DT. And, oh yeah, Suh’s a #&$#ing amazing football player. | |
| 2. | Gerald McCoy | Defensive Tackle | Oklahoma | It’s possible that there’s just a contrarian spirit somewhere deep inside me, but I tend to like McCoy more than I like Suh. Suh’s career suggests that he is a burgeoning talent that may or may not take off. McCoy has had such a great career during his entire time at OU that he’s a slamdunk impact player. It’s too rare to go DT for the first two picks, but these two guys are worth it. | |
| 3. | Eric Berry | Safety | Tennessee | Yes, Chiefs fans. Start mapping out your Plan Bs and Cs. Lightning struck the first time when Dorsey fell to #5 in 2008. Lightning, as they say, isn’t likely to strike the same place twice. Berry is off the board. | |
| 4. | Jimmy Clausen | Quarterback | Notre Dame | New coaches mean new QBs. It would not at all surprise me if Shanahan’s first move in his first Draft would be to pick up a QB—Jimmy Clausen specifically. A QB who outplayed all others at a high-profile program in a pro-style offense? Where do I sign? |
| 5. | Russell Okung | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma State | That sound you hear is Arrowhead Addict screaming and vomiting. But Pioli is a value-phile–he drafts for value. And at this point, he sees more value in a key offensive position (LT), than he does in any linebacker or non-Eric Berry safety. Find me if this happens. I have been gathering pitchforks for the better part of a year just in case. | |
| 6. | Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma | New coaches usually mean new quarterbacks. I’m not sold on Bradford, but I do think that if he is given some clipboard time, he could develop into a good starter in the NFL. The Seahawks can afford to put him behind Hasselbeck for a year or two. | |
| 7. | Joe Haden | Cornerback | Florida | The best corner to come around in a couple years, Haden sports pretty good measurables but mostly he is just a damn good corner. And Browns fans, longing for the Browns to go defense with this pick, will love a great shutdown corner prospect. | |
| 8. | Taylor Mays | Safety | USC | Do I even need to explain this? | |
| 9. | Bryan Bulaga | Offensive Tackle | Iowa | Chan Gailey needs to be a lunchpail coach for awhile, because that is the only way this franchise is going to make sense again. Gailey needs to make the unsexy but necessary picks time after time to slowly build a core for this team. Bulaga is not an attractive pick, but his selection is the kind of longterm thinking that Gailey owes this franchise. | |
| 10. | Derrick Morgan | Defensive End | Georgia Tech | No, I don’t have Tebow going to Jax this time around for ticket-selling purposes. (Not in the first round, anyway.) Instead, the Jaguars have done nothing but swing and miss on passrushers since their inception as a team. That has to turn around in order for this franchise to essentially right this ship. | |
| 11. | (CHI) | Rolando McClain | ILB | Alabama | Denver has a fairly difficult pick ahead of themselves. Dez Bryant is attractive here because they’re likely going to lose Brandon Marshall. Earl Thomas is attractive because the Broncos need to fortify that secondary against Phillip Rivers. And Dan Williams is a reach. But McClain is where they go because that front seven has needed a reliable presence in the middle since Al Wilson. |
| 12. | Dan Williams | Defensive Tackle | Tennessee | While Denver would consider Dan Williams a reach just one pick before, the Tuna is all over this pick like flies on excrement. Parcells loves the big uglies on both sides of the trenches, and this team is in desperate need of a new NT. | |
| 13. | Anthony Davis | Offensive Tackle | Rutgers | Many draftniks lol’d at the 49ers drafting Joe Staley a couple years ago in the first round. Hell, he’s been unimpressive as a right tackle, and he can’t really be moved inside. Davis lasts this long to become a great candidate to finally lockdown the left side of their line. | |
| 14. | (Den) | Bruce Campbell | Offensive Tackle | Maryland | The Seahawks’ confidence in the OT depth of the first round pays off, as Campbell, yet another attractive LT prospect, finds a way to fall to their second first rounder. This is a nobrainer for the Birds. |
| 15. | Earl Thomas | Safety | Texas | The Giants saw their secondary fail them one too many times last year. By far the shakiest part of their team, and Thomas is solid middle-of-the-first value. This fits like a glove. | |
| 16. | Dez Bryant | Wide Receiver | Oklahoma State | I know the Titans have a ton of needs that are just as important (if not moreso) than wide receiver, but I am committed to giving Vince Young, my Comeback Player of the Year, more weapons. I watch Young and there is no question he is a QB you can go places with. But he needs some tools. | |
| 17. | (CAR) | Damian Williams | Wide Receiver | USC | This 49ers team is starting to look really scary. Crabtree, Williams, Davis! Oh my! |
| 18. | Brandon Graham | Outside Linebacker | Michigan | In a bizarre twist of events, the Steelers need to spend most of their draft it seems on defense. Little did we know that this is about an average defense without Troy Polamalu. I mean, wow. Passrushing is at a premium, and there’s plenty to choose from. It seems Graham is the best 3-4 OLB in this Draft, but that could change. | |
| 19. | Donovan Warren | Cornerback | Michigan | The Falcons take a long-overdue step necessary to update their downfield arsenal against Drew Brees. | |
| 20. | C.J. Spiller | Running Back | Clemson | I love Spiller here going to the Texans. I think he can have the same impact on their offense that Jamaal Charles had on the Chiefs. Spiller contains a dimension that would capitalize on defenses that are terrified of Andre Johnson, and all of a sudden you’re going to notice Matt Schaub getting a lot better awfully quickly. | |
| 21. | Jermaine Gresham | Tight End | Oklahoma | The Bengals are just hurting for some hands downfield. It’s clear now that without Chris Henry (RIP), and without TJ Whosyourmama, they have nobody to turn to when Chad Johnson is taken out of the game by a shutdown corner. Gresham fills a huge hole they have at tight end, but it shouldn’t be the only pick they make for receivers. | |
| 22. | Jared Odrick | Defensive End | Penn State | Belichek might have gone too far in dealing away Seymour. The Pats may have had a terrible secondary this year but it’s never been that outstanding. Taking Seymour away drastically increased what you could do against them. | |
| 23. | Charles Brown | Offensive Tackle | USC | The Packers have one major need, and are happy to spend a pick here to see how far they can take the talent they have on their offensive line. In my opinion, I think Brown will be a disappointment, but NFL scouts are high on the guy. That’s why they’re scouts, and I’m some guy with a blog. I guess. | |
| 24. | Everson Griffen | Defensive End | USC | I get the feeling that we have this same conversation every stinkin’ year when it comes to the Eagles Draft needs. No matter what happens, something that’s always on the list is “a passrusher to compliment Trent Cole.” Will they finally get one? Ever? Because this is starting to bore me. | |
| 25. | Brandon LaFell | Wide Reciever | LSU | The Ravens need as many weapons as possible. They’re actually pretty close to being Super Bowl competitive, but they desperately need to find a way to consistently get more hands downfield for Flacco. In particular, they’re needing a reliable possession guy. LaFell is a reach, but it’s a reach the Ravens are going to have to make in this receiver-thin Draft. | |
| 26. | Jason Pierre-Paul | Outside Linebacker | South Florida | The Cardinals 3-4 defense, when its on, can pummel a quarterback. But its bizarre, primary reliance on the defensive line for pressure creates consistency problems. The Cardinals struggle off the edges, and Pierre-Paul is an answered prayer if he makes it this far. “JPP” is a powerful edge rusher with great size, speed, and moves. I see him as a double-digit guy in the NFL. | |
| 27. | Mike Iupati | Offensive Guard | Idaho | Blah blah Jerry Jones blah blah big honkin’ lineman blah blah there you go. | |
| 28. | Terrance Cody | Defensive Tackle | Alabama | I just can’t see the Chargers passing on Cody. Jamaal Williams doesn’t have but a year or two let as an elite guy. Cody doesn’t have any of Williams’ athleticism but he is immovable against the run. The Chargers have been shopping for JW’s replacement for a while now. | |
| 29. | Sergio Kindle | Outside Linebacker | Texas | The Jets need a serious passrusher off the edges, and I guarantee you Rex Ryan is not scared off by a project with amazing measurables like Kindle. Kindle’s track record at Texas is spotty, and sometimes downright underwhelming, but with Rex running the show, the J-E-T-S are a great opportunity for any struggling potential to bloom. | |
| 30. | Brian Price | Defensive Tackle | UCLA | Not as crazy a pick as it may seem to non-Vikings fans. The Vikes are soon to be down one DT once Pat Williams retires – which he may this offseason. But even if he doesn’t, the Vikes would be smart to jump on this primo talent at the bottom of the first. | |
| 31. | Trent Williams | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma | This is a reach for the Colts, but when Bill Polian comes out and says your OL was the reason you lost the Super Bowl, than there you go. Williams is such a great athlete, but I don’t know if he’s a perennial LT. | |
| 32. | Sean Weatherspoon | Outside Linebacker | Missouri | The offense is set here; the defense could be punched up. I don’t like any DEs at this point, but I love a Fujita-Vilma-Weatherspoon lineup in the heart of their defense. |