Category: NFL Draft (Page 43 of 102)

2010 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0

The full mock is finally completed!

I waited a lot longer than I normally do to compile my first mock draft of the year. Normally I whip up my first batch of mock draft right after the scouting combine, but this year I wanted to see what happened at the start of free agency before I even remotely considered whom teams would select in April.

I get as excited as any true draftnik about mock drafts, but how could anyone venture a guess at what player a team will select without knowing what big free agents signed where? It’s like taking a long road trip to a place you’ve never been before without your GPS. (Wow, have the times changed. A couple of years ago, I would have ended that sentence with “without your map” but that damn technology continues to track us down like a bear preying on an injured deer.)

Below is my first crack at predicting the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. As usual, feel free to argue my picks as much as you like but please, debate with some dignity. Don’t be the doucher that ruins the fun of mock drafts by spewing venom in the comments section of a sports blog. There may not be anything more pathetic.

1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
I have Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh rated as the unquestioned best player in this year’s draft. (Well, I don’t have an official ranking per se, but in my head he’s No. 1.) But that doesn’t mean I think the Rams will take him. Teams usually get funny about the No. 1 overall pick. They feel as though they have to match the contract with the position in order to justify the player they’re taking, which is completely backwards when you think about it. A team should be most concerned with taking the right player that matches their scheme. But I digress. Bradford is the top rated quarterback and the Rams have a major need at the position with Marc Bulger proving over the past two years that he’s better suited to run the scout team offense in practice and then the first unit on Sundays. The Rams feel as though they need to breathe some excitement into their dull franchise and taking Bradford should do the trick. Is he the right player? That’s debatable.

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Tebow receives mixed reviews on new throwing motion

Tim Tebow unveiled his new throwing motion at Florida’s Pro Day on Wednesday and some were impressed, while others felt as though he lacked arm strength.

ESPN’s Todd McShay was one who did come away impressed (fast forward to about the 2:40 mark to see what McShay said):

SI.com’s Tony Pauline wasn’t necessarily impressed, although noted that Tebow’s abilities have improved:

Scouts are walking away from the workout with a better feeling about Tim Tebow than they did two months ago at the Senior Bowl. His accuracy was better and he was completing passes, but receivers found it necessary to reach backwards or bend to the ground to grab his throws. He also under-threw a lot of passes. The general feeling is while Tebow improved he still needs a lot of work on his game.

Whether or not Tebow has progressed or regressed over the past month or so doesn’t really matter right now. If he wants to be a quarterback in the NFL, he still has a lot ahead of him because he didn’t play in a pro style offense in college and he also didn’t have to read defenses. His throwing motion is just one thing on a long list of factors that make him a raw prospect.

As of right now, I can’t see him going in the first round, although it’s note-worthy that he was invited to New York on draft day. The NFL doesn’t invite prospects to come to New York if they’re not expected to go somewhere in the first round.

Florida CB Haden runs 4.4 forty at Pro Day

After he ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.57-4.60 range at the scouting combine, Florida cornerback Joe Haden rebounded with a solid showing at his Pro Day, clocking a time in the mid-4.4 range according to TFY Draft Insider.

There were some pundits that thought Haden would slip in the first round after his showing at the combine, but he was dealing with a lower back sprain that no doubt factored into his slow forty time. But he apparently ran on sloppy conditions at his Pro Day and proved to scouts that he has more than enough speed to be a starting caliber corner at the next level.

In my Mock 1.0, I have Cleveland taking Haden with the No. 8 overall pick, but I think his draft status will inevitably be tied to Tennessee safety Eric Berry. The Browns have major secondary needs and if Berry falls to No. 8, I don’t think he’ll get past Cleveland. If that happens, then Haden will likely fall out of the top 10 but won’t get past the 49ers at No. 14.

If Berry is selected before then (I have him going No. 6 to the Seahawks), I believe the Browns will take Haden at No. 7 and pair him with Eric Wright, whom they believe can develop into a top 10 corner. Either way, I envision Cleveland investing their first round pick on its secondary this April.


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Report: Seahawks want Kolb, not McNabb

Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia is reporting that the Seahawks are interested in Eagles’ quarterback Kevin Kolb and not Donovan McNabb. This contradicts ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio’s report yesterday that the Seahawks have been calling the Eagles “non-stop” about the availability of both quarterbacks.

Good luck, Seattle. If (and it’s a big “if” at this point) the Eagles were going to part with either quarterback, it would be McNabb because of his age. Kolb is the future and while Andy Reid may be committed to McNabb now, he knows the veteran can’t play forever and at some point the team will have to make the transition to the younger QB.

The Seahawks own the No. 6 and No. 14 overall picks in the draft and I highly doubt they would be willing to give up either for Kolb or McNabb. If they found another team to trade with, they may be willing to drop down and then make a deal with Philly, but again, the Eagles seem reluctant to hang onto all three (Michael Vick being the third leg of the triangle) of their quarterbacks at this point.

This is an interesting development and one that is worth following leading up to the draft, but as it stands right now there is no deal to be had between these two teams. It’s also worth noting that the Seahawks have been linked to receiver Brandon Marshall, who would also have to be acquired via trade.


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Will the Lions’ trade for Williams affect the top of the draft?

A deal between the Browns and Lions for defensive tackle Corey Williams might not seem like headline news, but it’s a trade that could inevitably affect the top of the draft.

Williams is expected to return to his former defensive tackle position after playing end in Cleveland’s 3-4 scheme. With Grady Jackson (whom the Lions signed to a three-year, $8 million contract last year) occupying the defensive tackle position next to Williams, there’s a chance that Detroit will pass on a DT at No. 2 come April’s draft.

That said, Jackson is also 37 year’s old, so the Lions might view Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy as his eventual replacement for 2011. Plus, Jackson isn’t an effective pass-rusher, so he could be replaced on obvious passing downs in order to give Suh or McCoy playing time in their rookie season before they took over as a starter.

But it would be interesting to find out that the Lions made this deal for Williams in order to go in another direction on draft day. They also have a huge need at offensive tackle and might target Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung at No. 2 instead of a DT.


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