rexvol
The Minister of Defense
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- Apr 29, 2006
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In this Mock Draft from Blogspot
1. St. Louis Rams DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska ? In my eyes Suh is the slam-dunk #1 pick regardless of team or needs. I dont think Ive ever seen a more dominant defensive tackle at the collegiate level, and when you get a chance to draft a transcendent talent you have to take it. This is a no-brainer for St. Louis in my opinion, and any talk of Gerald McCoy going #1 is just a sad attempt to create controversy where, in reality, there is none.
2. Detroit Lions DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma ? In almost any other year McCoy would be the #1 DT available and possibly the #1 pick. In my eyes hes just as good as Glenn Dorsey, Tommie Harris, or any of the other top DTs of the decade; Suh just happens to be better. Still a great pick for Detroit.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida ? A lot of people are penciling Eric Berry in here, but I think #3 overall is a little high for a safety coming off a less-than-spectacular year. #3 is definitely a stretch for Pierre-Paul as well, but hes got a boatload of potential, hes a local product out of USF, and Tampa Bay is in dire need of a pass rusher. If he puts up the type of numbers hes capable of at the Combine I could easily see the Bucs rolling the dice with him here.
4. Washington Redskins QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame ? New Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan is going to want to put his stamp on the franchise immediately, and the best way to do that is to take a franchise QB (see: Mike Smith in Atlanta, Rex Ryan in New York, etc. etc.). It seems to be a tight race between the top two QBs in the draft, but I think the concerns over Sam Bradfords shoulder will ultimately elevate Clausen to the pole position among QBs.
5. Kansas City Chiefs OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State ? I imagine Kansas City would think long and hard about taking Eric Berry here, but ultimately the failure of the Branden Albert Experiment will force them to take Okung instead, since this pick would improve two positions on KCs awful OL by installing Okung at LT and allowing the Chiefs to move Albert to a position for which hes better suited.
6. Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma ? Matt Hasselbeck is old, bald, and he cant stay healthy. Seattle has a lot of needs, but this is a great chance for them to get a potential franchise guy and start the rebuilding process in earnest.
7. Cleveland Browns S Eric Berry, Tennessee ? The top two QBs are off the board, allowing the Browns to go the Best Player Available route. Fortunately for them, Berry ? the best safety prospect of the last couple years ? is still available. I cant imagine Cleveland passing on a talent like him at this spot.
8. Oakland Raiders DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech ? Oaklands starting defensive ends, Richard Seymour and Greg Ellis, are both expensive, aging, and will likely be gone before too long. Morgan is a prototypical 4-3 end who can step in and provide excellent short-term depth and then a great replacement when one of the current starters inevitably moves on.
9. Buffalo Bills OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers ? At the end of the 2009 season Buffalos starting OTs were Andre Ramsey and Kirk Chambers. Seriously. They didnt bother replacing Jason Peters after trading him to Philadelphia and shockingly it bit them in the ass. They need to get some young talent at the offensive tackle position asap and Davis, who played his college ball nearby, fits the bill nicely.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars CB Joe Haden, Florida ? We all know the Jags love to draft Florida players and theyve reached to do so in the past, but in this case I think Haden makes perfect sense opposite Rashean Mathis in the Jacksonville secondary. That pairing could give the Jags an elite CB duo for the next 5-6 years.
11. Denver Broncos ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama ? Denver made some progress rebuilding their defense in 09 but theres plenty of room for improvement and they still need more LBs to fill out their 3-4 front seven. McClain is clearly the top LB in this class and I think he would provide Denver with a great replacement for the aging Andra Davis. McClain and DJ Williams could be a killer combo in the middle of Denvers D.
12. Miami Dolphins WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State ? The Dolphins would have jumped all over McClain if he was here, but since hes not they move on to need #2: finding more weapons for Chad Henne. Miami needs a big-time weapon at WR and Ted Ginn Jr. has proven that hes not a #1; so the Fins take Bryant, who has the physical tools to be the dominant WR Miamis been missing for years.
13. San Francisco 49ers OL Bryan Bulaga, Iowa ? This feels a little high for a guy who will likely play RT but Bulagas been getting a lot of pre-Draft buzz and pairing him up with Joe Staley would give the Niners a great set of young bookend tackles to anchor their OL for years to come. Im sure theyd like a corner here but there isnt good value for this spot.
14. Seattle Seahawks (f/ Denver) DT Brian Price, UCLA ? After helping their terrible offense with their first pick Seattle can address its crappy defense with its second pick. Defenses are built from the inside out and Price had a great year manning the middle of UCLAs DL. They could also consider Dan Williams here but I think they go for the West Coast guy.
15. New York Giants OL Mike Iupati, Idaho ? The Giants OL was a major disappointment in 2009 and they clearly need to get younger and more athletic along their offensive front. Iupati dominated at the Senior Bowl and is a fast-riser who can step in and provide immediate help along the line, hopefully opening up a few more holes for Brandon Jacobs and Co.
16. San Francisco 49ers (f/ Carolina) S Earl Thomas, Texas ? Eric Berry is clearly the #1 safety in this class, but Thomas isnt all that far behind him as a player and he would provide an immediate boost to a San Francisco secondary that needs help everywhere.
17. Tennessee Titans DT Dan Williams, Tennessee ? Despite acquiring Jovan Haye and drafting SenDerrick Marks last year Tennessees defense never fully recovered from the loss of Albert Haynesworth. Williams has the talent to help fill the gap Big Al left behind, provided he keeps his weight under control.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers RB CJ Spiller, Clemson ? You need two running backs in the NFL these days, and Fast Willie Parker appears to be done in Pittsburgh. Fast definitely describes Spiller, whos speed and versatility could be a perfect compliment to Rashard Mendenhalls power in the Steelers backfield.
19. Atlanta Falcons DE Brandon Graham, Michigan ? I know there are concerns about Graham possessing enough size to play end in a 4-3 defense, but he was productive enough at Michigan and in the Senior Bowl (where he earned MVP honors) that I think he could step in opposite John Abraham and become the complimentary pass rusher the Falcons need so badly.
20. Houston Texans OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma ? The Texans reached for Duane Brown in the 2008 Draft and its bitten them a little bit as hes had his struggles at LT. Taking Williams would further shore up their OL and could allow Houston to move Brown over to the right side, provided Williams can establish himself on the left.
21. Cincinnati Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida ? A highly-talented defender with character issues? Sounds perfect for the Bengals, who also happen to need an insurance policy at DE should Robert Geathers knee injury prove to be a long-term problem.
22. New England Patriots DE/OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas ? After addressing the secondary and DL in last years draft New England needs to add some youth and speed to its LB corps and Kindle provides both.
23. Green Bay Packers CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State ? Wilson killed it at the Senior Bowl and seems to have assumed the mantle of #2 CB prospect in the Draft. Green Bay has good corners but theyre old, and anyone who watched Kurt Warner shred the Packers D knows they need secondary help. Plus Wilson should have no problem adjusting to Wisconsin winters after coming out of Boise. Seems like a perfect match to me.
24. Philadelphia Eagles FS Taylor Mays, Southern Cal ? Mays has been knocked down draft boards due a sub-par senior season and the perception that he struggles in coverage, but his physical gifts are unquestioned and the Eagles have struggled at the safety spot since letting Brian Dawkins go. Mays could provide the secondary with the physical presence theyve been missing for a couple years now.
25. Baltimore Ravens TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma ? 2009 was a nice bounce-back year for Todd Heap, but hes about to turn 30 and is no longer a premier tight end in the league. Gresham is the top TE prospect in the Draft and would give Baltimore a great pass/block combo at a position they value higher than most teams.
26. Arizona Cardinals CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama ? Arizonas defense completely collapsed in the playoffs and the promising Dominique Rogers-Cromartie desperately needs more help in the secondary. Jackson was a key part of Alabamas Championship defense and provides good size for the position. I could also see Arizona looking at a WR since Anquan Boldin will likely move on, but after getting ripped to shreds by Green Bay and New Orleans passing attacks I think the Cards have to go defense here.
27. Dallas Cowboys OT Bruce Campbell, UCLA ? The Cowboys have to be getting fed up with Flozell Adams, and Marc Columbo struggled at RT last year. They dont have a lot of immediate needs, but adding some young talent at offensive tackle should be at the top of their list.
28. San Diego Chargers WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame ? The Chargers have invested heavily in QB Philip Rivers, and after LTs rapid decline San Diego is clearly Rivers team. Vincent Jackson has established himself as Rivers #1 option, but Malcolm Floyd didnt produce and after him the Chargers WR corps looks awfully bleak. They need to add another receiving weapon opposite Jackson and I think Tate would be a perfect fit. He proved he has great hands and is capable of taking over games after Michael Floyd went down, and while he may never be a #1 in the NFL I think he could be a killer #2, which is just what San Diego needs.
29. New York Jets WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois ? The Jets could look at a CB like Patrick Robinson, Devin McCourty, or Perrish Cox here to hold down the spot opposite Derrelle Revis, but since the defense is already top-notch I think they continue to bolster the offense and give Mark Sanchez more weapons. Benn has drifted down draft boards due to a poor season but it wasnt all his fault. Physically he has everything you could ask for in an NFL WR and could provide a great understudy for Braylon Edwards and maybe a backup plan in case Edwards continues to drop balls left and right.
30. Minnesota Vikings DT Jared Odrick, Penn State ? Minnesota has enjoyed a pair of dominant DTs for years now, but Pat Williams is 37 years old and Minnesota would be wise to find his eventual replacement before it becomes an absolute necessity. Odrick was a force at Penn State and would provide immediate depth as well as long-term potential to take over once one or both of the Williamses moves on.
31. Indianapolis Colts OG/C Maurkice Pouncey ? The knock on Tim Tebow (besides his throwing motion, virginity, and general air of cheesiness) is that he racked up his TD totals on nothing but two yard dives. Well, one of the reasons he was so consistently successful on those dives was the gaping holes opened up by the Pouncey twins. A great blend of size, strength, character, and quickness; Pouncey could get his feet wet in the NFL at guard and then provide an eventual successor to the aging Jeff Saturday at center.
32. New Orleans Saints OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri ? As Super Bowl Champs the Saints are obviously stacked and dont have a lot of glaring needs. However, they could stand to build depth and prepare for the future on defense. Weatherspoon seems to be dropping on draft boards but every time I watched Missouri last year he stood out as a play-making linebacker and I think hes a bit underrated at this point. While he isnt huge I think he fits in nicely as a 4-3 OLB, where New Orleans could use an upgrade and eventually a replacement for 30-year-old Scott Shanle.