2010 NFL Draft Order and Mock Draft Overview:
17. San Francisco 49ers - Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers
As a Seahawk fan, this is a tough call to make. Davis has a lot of up-side potential, but his game film concerns me. The more I watch the less I'm convinced he'll be a starting LT in the NFL. To meet the potential seen by many of the draft experts, he'd need to trim down, get a little quicker, and work on those young feet of his. If that happens, Davis could end up being one of the best LTs to come out of this draft. More likely... he will be the next sure-thing that ends up busting. Seattle fans will be hoping for the latter, and expect to see Davis playing guard at the next level.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland
Yet another talented OT off the board, this one to a Pittsburgh team that is reeling from inconsistency. While their O Line play wasn't the main problem in '09, it could be without help this off-season. This is near the end of the top-end talent at tackle; the Steelers won't let him slide and will address their defensive & WR issues later. They will be very tempted to get some help for Mendenhall with Spiller still on the board, but that is a luxury they can't afford. Yes, many draft boards have Campbell going much earlier, but his performance will give the real experts... NFL scouts and GMs... reason for pause.
19. Atlanta Falcons - Sean Weatherspoon, OLB Missouri
Atlanta needed to address the LB and CB positions, and Warren would have been tempting for them. However, Atlanta addressed CB in free agency and is wearing down at the weakside backer position. Weatherspoon's performance and leadership in the Sr. Bowl has moved him up 10 positions on my draft board.
20. Houston Texans - CJ Spiller, RB Clemson
I'm sure Spiller fans will be disgusted to see him still onthe board here, and I'd expect someone to trade up to a higher position to grab him (San Diego may look to trade with the Seahawks to snare him). But - I still see Spiller as a bit of a luxury for a lot of teams that have already drafted. There are also concerns with his durability given his size. However, Houston will be most pleased if he falls to them. They may have a larger back in mind, but Spiller's explosiveness will be too much for them to pass up.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma
Cincinnati needs receiving help. They were already in need of a TE, and then the unfortunate loss of Henry puts the Bengals in the position of needing to find targets for Palmer. They have added a little help at WR, and Golden Tate will be most tempting here. However, Jermaine Gresham will be too much to pass up. He fills their biggest need and is a solid value at this spot.
22. New England Patriots - Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame
The Patriots will have a tough decision here between Tate, Dwyer and Best. However, New England has questions at the WR position, and Tom Brady showed in their playoff game that he could use another receiver.
23. Green Bay Packers - Rodger Saffold, OL, Indiana
While the best OTs are off the board (some may argue Iupati, but he didn't exactly impress outside of the guard position), the Packers still need to address their biggest position of need. Saffold offers a lot of versatility, combining size, speed and agility,
24. Philadelphia Eagles - Jahvid Best, RB California
It will be interesting to see what style of back the Eagles will take to fill a hole that will likely be left by Westbrook. They have McCoy, and Weaver gives you rushing options from the FB position. Look for them to lean towards Best to replace the speed of Westbrook and give the offense some needed pop. Injury concerns loom, and is why he will drop this far. Best has about the best speed in the draft, and he can change direction like his hips are on a swivel. I see him as the best speed back in this draft - yes, I would take him instead of Spiller, but my career isn't on the line by making that decision. The combination with Weaver in Philadelphia's backfield will be brutal for opposing defenses.
25. Baltimore Ravens - Jared Odrick, DT Penn State
If you see a mock draft, and it doesn't have the Ravens taking a WR, you should 1) Close down NFL.com, and 2) write down the name of the author and never read that source again. Their top 4 players at WR were free agents and Stallworth is having off-field issues. Oh, they signed them? And they got Boldin? So - that is what it is like when a team fills major holes in FA instead of waiting for the draft...
Baltimore used to off-season to turn their biggest hole into a strength. Now they get to fill another need issue - the defensive line. They will take the best player on the board here that plays DE or DT, and I see that person as Odrick. There are a few teams that could allow him to crack the first round, but Baltimore is his best opportunity.
26. Arizona Cardinals - Sergio Kindle, OLB Texas
How quickly this team could fall... their franchise QB has retired, they have lost several free agents, and will need to prove that Boldin was expendable. If Leinart is going to be able to take the team and run with it, he will need a little help on the O Line. The Cardinals may want to start here, and work on the defense in the second round. And third. And fourth. And fifth. And... oh, wait. But with the most attractive line talent off the board, O Line will need to come later. Arizona needs to put some pressure on the QB, and Joey Porter isn't enough of a presence to get the job done.
27. Dallas Cowboys - Taylor Mays, CB USC
A few weeks into '09, Big D looked like they had a lot of issues to respond to… particularly in the passing game. Amazingly, they just had to look a few Miles down the road at Austin and the offense has flourished. So… could Jerry Jones be in a position of taking the best available? Perhaps, but the departure of Adams and Hamlin create openings on the offensive line and defensive backfield. Enter a fast beast that will provide excellent run support and strike fear in receivers coming across the middle of the field.
The problem is, while Mayes has great size and blistering speed and hits like a wrecking ball, he is becoming suspect in coverage. It could just be a lack of discipline, but more likely Mayes is having trouble deciphering offenses and making quick reads. This concern will make most teams steer clear of Mayes, as his athleticism won't be enough to compensate in the NFL. Thus, he has seen his stock fall from Top 10 to bottom 10 of the first round.
28. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Mathews, RB Fresno State
Hard to believe that the RB the Chargers likely covet, and that should fit right into their offensive scheme, could fall to them at 28. They may look to trade up a few spots to be safe, but with LT going the way of Shaun Alexander, look for the Chargers to add an every down back to try to help them get over the hump and make it to the Super Bowl.
29. New York Jets - Damien Williams, WR USC
Rex Ryan likes rushing the ball and he likes defense. Based on their performance in '09, I would say both of those parts are on a good plane. However, the potential departure of an off and on Edwards may force the Jets to look to someone that can catch the ball and spread the field. They will continue to try and shore up the WR position before the draft (Boldin is helping elsewhere but Marshall still needs a change of scenery, and there are still a few free agents out there). If they are successful, look for Jared Odrick to crack the 1st round or maybe Sergio Kindle to add versatility.
30. Minnesota Vikings - Colt McCoy, QB Texas
The Vikings entered training camp in '09 with one major question mark… who was going to lead the team? Some newcomer by the name of Brett took care of that issue for now... but who knows how long that will last (certainly Brett doesn't). Aside from the QB position, the Vikings looked to enter 2010 with few glaring issues. Griffen's injury now leaves a question mark at CB, and they could use an upgrade in the safety positions, too.
So… do they gamble on Jackson taking over for Favre, or draft a young QB and hope that Brett can take on a new role and mentor him at least a little? The question on Jackson has been answered, so expect the Vikings to try to build a succession plan for Favre. McCoy is the kind of QB that will fit in well in Minnesota. He can move around, and will keep the defense honest so they can't overload on Peterson. I know this seems a bit early for McCoy, but I don't see how the Vikings pass on the opportunity to see if Colt can be a great NFL QB. He won't likely be there much longer, and better drafting him a little high than missing out on the most accurate passer in the draft. If they are wrong they haven't really hurt the team, but if they are right... the purple machine could continue to be scary good for quite some time...
31. Indianapolis Colts - Brandon Graham, DE Michigan
Making this team any better is a bad, bad idea. Unless, of course, you are a Colts fan. In that case, your only mission should be to keep what you have and add on to the Defensive Line. OK, and maybe a WR in the 2nd round. And... well - the good stay good because they never stop trying to improve.
Indy has made a few efforts at nose tackle and defensive end. With the way Brian Price came on at the end of the year, he will be hard to pass on at this point, and if Dunlap falls this far he'll be tough to ignore - some boards had shown Dunlap going as high as #6 to Seattle. And that was after his drunk driving arrest. For those of you that think cabs are expensive, not calling one could very well cost Carlos about $25M, as he is at risk to drop out of the first round. The Colts could afford to take a risk on him turning things around, but why with Graham still on the board? He's looked at as the 2nd or 3rd best DE in this draft, and if he lives up to expectations, the Colts will just keep getting better.
32. New Orleans Saints - Everson Griffen, DE/OLB, USC
It is hard to say a team like the Saints have weaknesses... they did win the Super Bowl after all. But any team out there will at least have a weak-ish link. With the Saints, I think it is fair (easy) to say that is with their weakside LB. Look for them to upgrade at that position this year. Griffen will add versatility and improve the defense immediately.
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