Chris Maier Three Round 2010 Mock Draft - Pre-Scouting Combine
02-21-2010
Last mock prior to the NFL Scouting Combine. Be sure to join NFLDraft101.com for a live chat Saturday February 27th - Tuesday March 2nd.
Round 1
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis Rams | DT | Ndamukong Suh | Nebraska |
| There is a lot of talk of the Rams taking a quarterback but Clausen and Bradford may have too many questions for a #1 overall pick. Coach Spagnuolo needs to play to his strength and rebuild his defense with an elite talent on the defensive line. | ||||
| 2 | Detroit Lions | DT | Gerald McCoy # | Oklahoma |
| Russell Okung should get a hard look to help keep Matthew Stafford healthy but early indications have the Lions focusing on the other side of the ball to slow down the pace of the game and give the offense a fighting chance. McCoy will command double teams, get after the quarterback and disrupt opposing ground attacks. | ||||
| 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | S | Eric Berry # | Tennessee |
| The Buccs would prefer McCoy or Suh slide to fill their need at DT but Berry is not a bad consolation prize. With comparisons to Ed Reed, Berry has the ability to be a playmaker in the secondary. | ||||
| 4 | Washington Redskins | OT | Russell Okung | Oklahoma State |
| Taking Clausen or Bradford is going to be real tempting for the Redskins but if they don't upgrade their line, it won't matter who the quarterback is. Okung is not as sexy of a pick but Shanahan learned from Ryan Clady what a difference having a good left tackle can mean to an offense. | ||||
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | WR | Dez Bryant # | Oklahoma State |
| A lot of the talk around the Chiefs thus far has had them taking an offensive lineman here but with Branden Albert's improvement in the 2nd half of 2009, the team should look to add a playmaker for Matt Cassell. Bryant is easily the best wide receiver in this year's draft and would provide coach Todd Haley the #1 receiver he needs to stretch defenses. | ||||
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | QB | Jimmy Clausen # | Notre Dame |
| With two first round picks the Seahawks are positioned to go a variety of directions as a result of an aging roster. With a new regime coming in the time is right to draft a new quarterback (and spin Matt Hasselbeck into more draft picks). Clausen gets the edge based on playing in a pro style offense and the fact Bradford is coming off shoulder surgery. Of course, if Clausen measures under 6'2 at the combine this could be the last mock in which Clausen breaks the top 10. | ||||
| 7 | Cleveland Browns | CB | Joe Haden # | Florida |
| With a defensive head coach, the odds are this will be a defensive selection coming down to ILB Rolando McClain and CB Joe Haden. Of the two positions cornerback is the bigger need and Haden has the potential to be an elite shutdown corner. | ||||
| 8 | Oakland Raiders | OT | Anthony Davis # | Rutgers |
| Carlos Dunlap and his rare measureables is tempting but while Davis tends to pick high upside raw talent, he does give some respect to need. With a former offensive line coach as his head man, Al finally relents and gives him a high upside but raw talent at offensive tackle. Fortunately, Davis has a nice last name and his weight and conditioning questions to fit the mold of a Raider. | ||||
| 9 | Buffalo Bills | OT | Bryan Bulaga # | Iowa |
| There is talk about drafting a quarterback but until the Bills upgrade the protection it will not matter who is throwing the football. Bulaga is fundamentally sound and would be able to start immediately at left tackle giving whomever the quarterback is a fighting change and making Lee Evans relevant again as a deep threat. | ||||
| 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DE | Derrick Morgan # | Georgia Tech |
| The dual selections of Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves has been a big bust and generating a pass rush is vital when playing against Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub 4 times a year. Morgan's ability to play the run in addition to rushing the passer should make Jack Del Rio happy. Taking Sam Bradford here would be a surprise but not out of the question. | ||||
| 11 | Denver Broncos | QB | Sam Bradford # | Oklahoma |
| Rolando McClain is a strong possibility as he would fill a need at inside linebacker and is an ideal scheme fit but Kyle Orton proved he is little more than a stop gap and Bradford is an ideal fit for Josh McDaniels scheme. | ||||
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | ILB | Rolando McClain # | Alabama |
| If McClain somehow makes it past Denver, the Dolphins will gladly scoop up McClain who was built to play in a 3-4 defense. He is also the coach on the field type that Bill Parcells loves to invest it. | ||||
| 13 | San Francisco 49ers | S | Earl Thomas # | Texas |
| Thomas is a centerfielder type safety with tremendous ball skills who would instantly upgrade a shaky 49er secondary. | ||||
| 14 | Seattle Seahawks | OT | Bruce Campbell # | Maryland |
| The top priority for the Seahawks with their pair of first rounders is to find a replacement for left tackle Walter Jones. Campbell still needs to improve his fundamentals and refine his technique but he has the physical tools and upside to become a top caliber left tackle and is worth the gamble at 14. | ||||
| 15 | New York Giants | ILB | Brandon Spikes | Florida |
| DT Brian Price might be the better value here but the Giants need a middle linebacker who can play right away and that player may not exist beyond Spikes whereas a defensive tackle could be found in a later round. | ||||
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | DE | Carlos Dunlap # | Florida |
| Dunlap has had his share of off the field issues and a questionable motor but his talent is undeniable and Jeff Fisher the personality to get the most out of Dunlap's immense potential. You can not teach Dunlap's combination of size, speed and power. | ||||
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| 17 | San Francisco 49ers | OT | Trent Williams | Oklahoma |
| Trent Williams is not as good as the hype esp. in light of his struggles playing the left side this past season. That said, he was stellar as a right tackle as a junior and as long as team's fight the urge to play him on the left side he should be a solid. San Francisco would be a good fit as their need is on the right side. | ||||
| 18 | Pittsburgh Steelers | G | Mike Iupati | Idaho |
| The Steelers offensive line has slipped mightily in recent years and while the need is greater at tackle, Iupati is an old school mauler who would re-open the ground game and improve the interior protection. Overall, the choice comes down to taking the #1 guard or reach for left tackle Charles Brown and his potential. Nose tackle is also considered but the offensive line need wins out. | ||||
| 19 | Atlanta Falcons | OLB | Navorro Bowman # | Penn State |
| Atlanta needs to upgrade on the defensive side of the ball esp. on the perimeter (DE, OLB and CB). Pierre-Paul is intriquing at DE but Bowman is and athletic, playmaking linebacker who is more ready to contribute right away. | ||||
| 20 | Houston Texans | DT | Brian Price # | UCLA |
| Price is one of the quickest defensive tackles in the draft, can rush the passer and disrupt plays on the defensive interior. He would be another building block in the front seven for a defense that needs to step up in 2010. | ||||
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | WR | Golden Tate # | Notre Dame |
| Chad Ocho Cinco is not getting any younger and the Bengals have been unable to develop a young receiver to play alongside and eventually replace Ocho. Tate is not a true defense stretching deep threat but he is a tough, physical receiver with playmaking ability after the catch. | ||||
| 22 | New England Patriots | RB | C.J. Spiller | Clemson |
| The Patriots need to add a pass rusher but it would be as stunning to see the Patriots pass on Spiller considering their running back needs as it would be to see a player like Spiller slide to #22 (someone falls in every mock). Spiller would be a tremendous fit for the Patriots wide open offense. | ||||
| 23 | Green Bay Packers | OT | Charles Brown | USC |
| After watching a run on tackles in front of them the Packers would feel fortunate to grab the athletic Brown. He lacks ideal bulk and is not as physical as you would like but he has the potential to develop into a quality blindside protector and fill the Packs #1 need. It may feel like a slight reach but the upside is there to justify the pick (think Falcons in 2007 taking Sam Baker also from USC). | ||||
| 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | OLB | Sean Weatherspoon | Missouri |
| After spending last season upgrading the offense, the focus will shift to the defensive side of the ball in 2010. Based on the talent on the board the choice is between DE Pierre-Pual and OLB Sean Weatherspoon. Ultimately, Weatherspoon's combination of athleticism and size plus the versatility to play all three positions wins out. | ||||
| 25 | Baltimore Ravens | WR | Brandon LaFell | LSU |
| Even after signing Donte Stallworth, the Ravens still need to upgrade their receivers. LaFell has good size, hands and just enough speed to get deep. Has the potential to develop into the #1 receiver the Ravens need. | ||||
| 26 | Arizona Cardinals | 34LB/OLB | Sergio Kindle | Texas |
| Kindle is the pass rushing outside linebacker the Cardinals need to make their 3-4 defense work. His experience at both defensive end and linebacker should not only ease his transition to the 3-4 but also allow them to continue to run their hybrid schemes. | ||||
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | S | Taylor Mays | USC |
| Mays is a tremendous athlete for a safety with a high ceiling and the potential to be a game changer. He needs to improve his coverage skills but the Cowboys have tended towards athletic big hitters vs. center fielder types. | ||||
| 28 | San Diego Chargers | DT | Dan Williams | Tennessee |
| The Chargers consider the running backs on the board (esp. Ryan Mathews) but ultimately realize filling Jamal Willaims NT spot is a bigger need for a suddenly porous defense. | ||||
| 29 | New York Jets | DE/34LB | Jerry Hughes | TCU |
| Jerry Hughes lacks ideal measureables for a rush linebacker but is a dynamic pass rusher in the Elvis Dumervil mold who should be a good fit for Rex Ryan's scheme and fill the team's need for a young pass rusher. | ||||
| 30 | Minnesota Vikings | DT | Terrence Cody # | Alabama |
| Pat Williams is 38 and has considered retirement in recent years. Cody would fill Willaims' run stuffer role to a T. The ability to play with veterans such as the Williams Wall could also teach the nuances of the NFL (hint: need to stay in shape). The Vikings have had one of the league's top run defenses for the past several seasons and the addition of Cody could insure the stellar run defense continues. | ||||
| 31 | Indianapolis Colts | DE/34LB | Brandon Graham | Michigan |
| Dwight Freeney has been banged up the past couple of years and Robert Mathis' play slipped in 2010. Graham is undersized but has a tremendous motor and a good pass rusher and is strong against the run. | ||||
| 32 | New Orleans Saints | DE/34LB | Jason Pierre-Paul # | USF |
| Pierre-Paul is one of the fastest rising prospects and would fill the Saints need for another pass rusher opposite Will Smith. This may seem late to have Pierre-Paul selected but while he is a great athlete, he is also very raw and disappeared in too many games last season. | ||||
# Denotes Underclassman