Final Arrowhead Addict 2010 Mock Draft
It’s important that we publish ours before Gosselin comes out with his third late tonight. Because after that comes out, no other mock matters.
Go Chiefs.
Pick | Team | Player Selected | Player’s Position | Player’s School | Analysis |
1. | Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma | It’s now entirely out of the question for the Rams to go DL at this point. The Rams have actually mismanaged this situation — they should have Bradford signed by now. At this point they were already being slated to pay a ridiculous sum of money. This all but guarantees that Bradford will have the largest contract in NFL history. | |
2. | Ndamukong Sug | Defensive Tackle | Nebraska | In my opinion, the Lions should seriously be considering offensive tackle, Okung especially. (And not just because I wasted an hour of my life earlier this offseason dissecting why.) But it seems the Lions have beefed up their offensive line just enough to enable them to take the consensus top talent in this draft. Good luck with those knees, Detroit. | |
3. | Gerald McCoy | Defensive Tackle | Oklahoma | Tampa Bay has made for some lousy theatrics this offseason. They have been perfectly content with taking whatever DT drops to them at #3. And here, they do. It’s perfect for them, which means it’s boring for us. | |
4. | Russell Okung | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma State | And with that, the great state of Oklahoma wins the 2010 NFL Draft. The third player taken from a college program there in the top four picks, Okung has been beastly all season and is often said to be the best offensive tackle prospect since Joe Thomas. Not sure if I buy that (meaning of course that I don’t), but this is a logical pick for a team looking to protect Donovan McNabb. |
5. | Trent Williams | Offensive Tackle | Oklahoma | Explanation here. I considered mocking Eric Berry because we recently charted him as the most popular option here at AA. But this is a mock draft — this is what’s probable, not what’s in our best wishes. | |
6. | Eric Berry | Safety | Tennessee | While Seattle needs better help in the trenches on both sides, Berry will cure what ails their pathetic secondary. This is an incredibly likely pick out west because the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals are all in the process of building powerful passing attacks. | |
7. | Joe Haden | Cornerback | Florida | The Browns don’t figure to be terribly interested in Clausen — either that or they’ve run an absolutely demonic smokescreen campaign that has everybody fooled. Instead, they go for the safe pick here since Berry’s not on the board. I should mention that I do not believe the Browns will attempt to trade into the #5 overall pick. It would require at least a 2nd round pick this year, and this draft is too deep to sacrifice gems like 2nd round picks. | |
8. | Bruce Campbell | Offensive Tackle | Maryland | This goes without saying, given Campbell’s athletic freakishness. First DHB last year, then Campbell this year. There’s something in the water in Maryland that creates these kinds of risky freaks… And something in Al Davis’ mind that’s convince they’re future Hall of Famers. | |
9. | Jimmy Clausen | Quaterback | Notre Dame | This is likely the #1 target of new head coach Chan Gailey. And it would be an absolute dream come true for a franchise that has needed something to spark interest in the rest of the country, and more importantly to spark hope in their fanbase. Clausen is a fantastic bet to eventually become a stud in this league. The Bills’ slow return to prominence starts now. | |
10. | Derrick Morgan | Defensive End | Georgia Tech | So far there have been zilch surprises in this mock. But it is what it is. The Jags have the league’s worst pass rush (hooray! it’s not us!). Morgan basically forces their hand — there are players of better value here at a variety of positions, including passrushers, but the complete lack of risk in Morgan is what seals the deal. The Jags cannot afford this pick to bust. Or they’ll become the Los Angeles Jaguars very soon. | |
11. | Rolando McClain | Inside Linebacker | Alabama | Surprise! Kinda. I guess this isn’t really that much of a surprise. The Broncos have plenty of holes but for the most part they feature a defense that has to rely on a washed up safety for leadership. McClain will also join Jamal Williams from preventing their defense from getting destroyed up the gut. Remember, this is a defense that will have to face Charles/Jones (Chiefs), McFadden/Bush (Raiders), and (spoiler alert) Matthews/Sproles (Chargers) six total times this year. | |
12. | Dan Williams | Defensive Tackle | Tennessee | If the Dolphins cannot trade down, there are a trio of players available here that Parcells is in love with, I’m sure: (1.) CB Joe Haden, whose awful workouts have dropped him to here, (2.) ILB Rolando McClain, a quarterback on the field that will make any defense his own, and (3.) NT Dan Williams, the highest rated “big ugly” on the board. Although honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Parcells goes with Terrance Cody, since Cody is much closer to Jason Ferguson than Williams is. But Williams’ upside is too high to pass on. | |
13. | Anthony Davis | Offensive Tackle | Rutgers | The ‘9ers pick here depends on what the Seahawks do with the #6 overall. They need offensive line help, but would prefer to go with a playmaker here and save offensive line for their next pick. But Seattle needs a tackle, too, so San Fran has to get their guy now. That man is Davis, who is a firetruck of an offensive tackle who did nothing but dominate on the field. | |
14. | (Den) | Bryan Bulaga | Offensive Tackle | Iowa | By going with Eric Berry with the first pick in this round, the Seahawks are married to offensive line with this pick. The remaining available options are Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga and Charles Brown. The Hawks need to get what they believe to be the best left tackle available, and Bulaga is as reliable a pick at this stage as anybody. Personally, I don’t see him projecting to the left side, but Seattle has a year to find out. |
15. | Sean Weatherspoon | Inside Linebacker | Missouri | The dirty secret of most draftniks is that Rolando McClain isn’t even the best linebacker prospect in this Draft — Weatherspoon is. Weatherspoon is another emotional leader who hits like a ton of bricks, but he combines that with amazing speed and instincts. Hard not to love this pick for the Jints. | |
16. | (CAR) | CJ Spiller | Running Back | Clemson | No secondary stud for the 49ers in the first round. Primarily because the second and third rounds are stuffed with premier talent at safety and at cornerback. You can get prospective starters in your secondary very deep into this draft. Lightning-bolts like Spiller are harder to come by. |
17. | Jason Pierre-Paul | Defensive End | South Florida | The Titans are desperate for pressure on the QB, especially after letting the already-underperforming Vanden Bosch leave. JPP would likely be a dream for them, although I think everybody is massively overstating his abilities. | |
18. | Maurkice Pouncey | Center | Florida | I’m getting on the bandwagon for this selection. It doesn’t seem to fit what the Steelers do too often but the center talent in this Draft is so incredibly thin, and the Steelers would love to transition a new stud in at center. I can’t take credit for coming up with this selection, but it makes a lot more sense when I think it over. The other pick would be cornerback, but the talent at that position in this Draft is deep enough to offer them somebody really good in the second. | |
19. | Brandon Graham | Defensive End | Michigan | The Falcons are one of many teams loving the passrushing depth in this draft. The fact that a stud like Graham can fall this far is music to their ears. I think Graham projects better than all other prospective passrushers in this deep Draft. His great size and speed compliments his ferocious pursuit of the ball. | |
20. | Earl Thomas | Safety | Texas | Another pretty conventional pick that everybody’s making. I think another likely pick is Ryan Matthews, simply because safety is so deep this year. The big difference is that Thomas is such a unique talent, that he actually may become a stud corner in this league as well. This gives the Texans too much flexibility to pass on. | |
21. | Dez Bryant | Wide Receiver | Oklahoma State | The Bengals, always in flux with headcases, need to get their wide receiver corps back to the top of the league. Bryant has some personal issues that would scare away most teams, but his great physical tools are the perfect match for Chad Ochocinco’s skillset.Bryant’s personality won’t scare the Bengals away, but his complete inexperience at route running will — but he simply offers too much ability to be passed on. | |
22. | Jared Odrick | Defensive End | Penn State | The Patriots, for the first time in years, face a Draft where their starting defensive line is not completed. I think they’ll return to the philosophy that got them this far and pick up a defensive end for their stout 3-4. Odrick offers great upside, and is essentially a Ty Warren clone. | |
23. | Charles Brown | Offensive Tackle | USC | The Pack’s biggest hole is addressed here, so that corner can be addressed next. But Brown offers pretty nice upside, and in a weak tackle year he’d go much deeper into the first. Count the Packers as yet another team thrilled with the depth in this first round. | |
24. | Devin McCourty | Cornerback | Rutgers | I think in terms of being a pure corner, McCourty might turn out to be even better than Joe Haden. It’s tough to tell with Haden. But McCourty is a desperately needed plug in a backfield that is getting tarred and feathered by Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and now their own Donovan McNabb. It’s possible that their blockbuster trade of McNabb forces this selection. | |
25. | Jermaine Gresham | Tight End | Oklahoma | QB Joe Flacco has already been the benefit of some great moves by the Ravens this offseason to load up his arsenal. As if the insanely tough and insanely athletic Anquan Boldin wasn’t enough on the outside, Gresham gives them a premier set of hands across the middle. | |
26. | Jerry Hughes | Outside Linebacker | Texas Christian | Hughes looks like a great fit for a Cardinals defense that could use some serious help off the edges. Hughes has damn good speed but it’s his power and efficient pass rushing moves that make him so intriguing. The Cards love the depth of passrushers dropping Hughes to this spot. That sound you hear in the background is Rex Ryan crying. | |
27. | Taylor Mays | Safety | USC | I’m moving off guard Mike Iupati for the first (and last) mock of this entire Draft season. Iupati simply does not look the part of a Can’t Miss prospect, which you have to be in order to be an interior lineman going in the first round. Instead, Jerry Jones opts for athletic freak Taylor Mays. Jones has shown patience for developmental projects and a good eye for value in the first round. Too much so for Iupati to be this pick, in my opinion. | |
28. | Ryan Matthews | Running Back | Fresno State | The two options here are clear: Matthews or Alabama NT Terrance Cody. The Chargers need to replace LaDanian Tomlinson and Jamal Williams in the same draft. Fortunately, they have a pick high in the second round, and they are 100% sure that either Cam Thomas or Linval Joseph will be there. (My guess is they’ll be targeting Joseph.) Hey it’s even possible that Cody falls to them there. On the flipside, the running back depth in this draft is really sorry. Matthews is a rare bright spot, a big back with truly amazing speed and great hands. | |
29. | Sergio Kindle | Outside Linebacker | Texas | Rex Ryan’s New York Jets are already Super Bowl contenders without the aid of the 2010 NFL Draft! Kindle is a project that Ryan will have no trouble gambling on as his margin for error is a lot wider at this point. Kindle does offer the kind of measurables that succeed at the next level, and working alongside Jason Taylor won’t hurt. | |
30. | Kyle Wilson | Cornerback | Boise State | The biggest hole on a team that has to face Matt Stafford, Jay Cutler, and Aaron Rodgers six times a year is in the secondary. The Vikings will need at least a couple NFL ready players to decorate their secondary. Wilson is a fast-twitch blanket cover with great return skills. If the Vikes believe Percy Harvin is too important to risk on kick returns, Wilson can get the nod. | |
31. | Rodger Saffold | Offensive Tackle | Indiana | A slight reach but a necessary one. A starting caliber left tackle simply wasn’t going to fall to them in round two. As a result, the Colts pass on any defensive line help they might need to solidify the left side of their line. Saffold is as NFL ready as any prospect, having started in a tough conference at left tackle for nearly four full years. | |
32. | Brian Price | Defensive Tackle | UCLA | The Saints’ choice here is between Price and Florida DE Carlos Dunlap. They need passrushing help far more than they need a penetrator next to Sedrick Ellis, but there are too many questions surrounding Dunlap about his questionable work ethic, so the Saints go interior line with this selection. It is, after all, a great Draft for passrushing depth. |