King's Mock Draft 1.0

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While we are still but a month and a half until the 2010 NFL Draft, many mock drafts have already been revealed. From Mel Kiper to Todd McShay spewing their opinions out onto the market, I have begun to feel left out of the conversation. As one of the few who predicted every winner from the Conference Championships onward, I think it is time to wipe off the dust and continue the streak.


By Jimmy King


While the first pick might surprise you, what shouldn’t surprise you is Martin Mayhew’s determination to stay in the number two spot in the draft and not trade out of it. Even if I bust the first pick, Gerald McCoy could go number one in almost any other draft and is a great alternative. His talent is daunting and Detroit will take advantage of it. So, without further ado, the St. Louis Rams are now on the clock…


1. St. Louis Rams – QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma.
After feinting from the most talented player in the draft, the Rams have decided that their quarterback problem is far less sustainable than their defense. St. Louis has decided to go with the most talented quarterback instead of the best overall player.

2. Detroit Lions – DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
Lions fans will finally be proud of their front office for drafting the most talented player in the draft, a feat that has eluded them since Barry Sanders was drafted in 1989.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
Though the Bucs have all but signed Eric Berry, not even Raheem Morris can pass on a player of this caliber. For McCoy to slip this far, considering he’d be a top pick in almost any other recent NFL Draft, is quite the accomplishment for Tampa Bay.

4. Washington Redskins – OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
Okung is the top OT in the draft and would fit well in a Mike Shanahan system that has always had a thriving ground attack. Clinton Portis should be excited to get some help up front, especially with the retirement of 10-year starter and six-time Pro Bowler Chris Samuels.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – S Eric Berry, Tennessee
Scott Pioli will be getting someone who has been compared to Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins. In a pass-happy league, the Chiefs need to improve on a passing defense that ranked among the worst in the NFL.

6. Seattle Seahawks – QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
The Seahawks have pretty much given up on Matt Hasselbeck and his clingy constituency of injuries. Pete Carroll is ready to start fresh with a position he has always considered the most important in winning football games. Through Clausen, Carroll can blend his own style of offense that worked year after year in the NCAA.

7. Cleveland Browns – CB Joe Haden, Florida
Eric Mangini has always put defense before offense. Haden is a no-lose cornerback who will turn into a consistent starter within years of the draft, maybe as early as this season.

8. Oakland Raiders – OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
Anthony Davis is a real talent, but performed marginally at the 2010 NFL Combine. If Davis’ game tape at Rutgers is any indication of how he will play in the NFL, Oakland will get a real gem in the eight slot.

9. Buffalo Bills – OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
Campbell was by far the stand out tackle at the NFL Draft and should do a great job protecting the Bills quarterback, whoever that may be.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Jason Paul-Pierre, USF
Jacksonville was last in the NFL a year ago in sacks. The drafting of Paul-Pierre or Derrick Morgan will be the first step in fixing that. Don’t look for anything crazy coming out of this pick.

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago) – WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
Dolphins fans will have their heart broken after Scott McDaniels takes Bryant at the eleven slot. Josh McDaniels thrived in New England with a system that featured wide receivers who could outrun, outwork, and outplay their opponents. Dez Bryant provides that type of spark the Broncos will need after they lose Brandon Marshall later in the off-season.

12. Miami Dolphins – LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
McClain helped himself immensely in the National Championship game by being that impact player when it counted the most. Miami was eaten alive on crossing patterns by division rivals New England and New York especially. Without a real impact player at inside linebacker, McClain would be a good place to start.

13. San Francisco 49ers – OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
The Niners are lacking the tackle they need for Frank Gore to regain his status as an elite NFL running back. Trent Williams and his Big 12 experience makes him a a phenomenal choice, especially as the fourth offensive tackle taken in the first thirteen picks.

14. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver) – S Taylor Mays, USC
Don’t think for one second Pete Carroll is about to pass on the safety he bred at USC. This is a no-brainer for anybody who knows a thing about school loyalty in the NFL. All you have to do is look back to Carroll’s days as the head coach of New England.

15. New York Giants – DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
Morgan will be the surprise of the 2010 draft. With so many early teams having so many needs on the offensive line and linebacker positions, Morgan, despite his talent, will slip to New York because of this.

16. Tennessee Titans – DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
Don’t be surprised to see Tennessee draft defense here especially after losing Kyle Vanden Bosch to free agency. Dunlap is a good place to start in rebuilding a defense that has lost many of its pieces since their 13-3, 2008 season.

17. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina) – S Earl Thomas, Texas
Almost every mock draft has San Francisco going with an offensive lineman and a safety. I see no reason to diverge from the pack. Earl Thomas is the best available safety from a top university.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers – G Mike Iupati, Idaho
Pittsburgh has needs at safety and cornerback as well, but they will take the top player for their top need. This happens to be Mike Iupati. Pittsburgh will again have a boring first round draft pick, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

19. Atlanta Falcons – DE/OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
Though Atlanta had the fifth worst pass defense a year ago, the Falcons’ front office feels that the linebacker corps needs to be upgraded. Head coach Mike Smith will most likely take a player like Kindle over Brandon Graham purely based on scheme.

20. Houston Texans – OLB Sean Witherspoon, Missouri
Witherspoon took full advantage of Missouri’s Pro Day to solidify his spot as a first round linebacker. Houston will jump the gun based on the progress he’s made in conditioning himself to be an NFL impact linebacker.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – DT Brian Price, UCLA
Cincinnati does not have too many glaring problems. A lot of mock drafts say the Bengals need help in the secondary, but most of their secondary was out due to injury. With a recuperated secondary, Cincy will take one of the better DTs left in the draft.

22. New England Patriots – DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
Graham is the dream player for Bill Belichick’s 3-4 defensive scheme. Graham, who proved explosive in the Senior Bowl against the Miami Dolphins-coached South team, will fit in well playing opposite of Adalius Thomas in New England’s linebacker corps.

23. Green Bay Packers – OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Green Bay’s aging offensive line gives them the best chance to draft young right now, while they have the behemoth Midwestern tackle from Iowa that threw up a record-tying 45 reps at the NFL Scouting Combine available.

24. Philadelphia Eagles – RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
With the release of Brian Westbrook, this is the perfect opportunity for Philadelphia to pick up an impact running back that slipped into the twenties. Spiller is an explosive back that should and might go earlier, however I see too many holes defensively – and a lot of free agent running backs – that Spiller will have to be a pass.

25. Baltimore Ravens – TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
After picking up Anquon Boldin and Dante Stallworth on March 5, the Ravens will surely shore up a position where they need help in. Jermaine Gresham is the best tight end in the draft and should fit well in to Baltimore’s system.

26. Arizona Cardinals – DE Everson Griffen, USC
Everson Griffen is a solid defensive end that should help rejuvenate a Cardinals defense that will be losing a few starters to free agency this year, namely Karlos Dunlap.

27. Dallas Cowboys – DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
Plug this big guy in the middle of any defensive line and you will get there things: intensity, ferocity, and longevity. Dan Williams is a steal at number 27 for Jerry Jones’ Cowboys.

28. San Diego Chargers – RB Jonathon Dwyer, Georgia Tech
With the absence of Ladainien Tomlinson the Chargers are in desperate need for a new running back. While I expect San Diego to trade up for CJ Spiller, the Chargers might have to stand pat with Dwyer, the second best running back in a draft that lacks a ton of talent at that position.

29. New York Jets – WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
Braylon Edwards is liable for dropped passes, Jerricho Cotchery lacks legitimate talent for a division such as the AFC East, and the Jets are without a decent slot man. Golden Tate is perfect to fill the number two spot if Rex Ryan wants to move Cotchery to the slot. This pick is a real wild card; expect the Jets to potentially trade out of the first round.

30. Minnesota Vikings – QB Colt McCoy, Texas
Not too many mock drafts have Colt McCoy going in the first round, but let’s take a look at the situation in Minnesota. Brett Favre’s years are numbered, if not over. Tarvaris Jackson is a joke. Sage Rosenfels is brutal. Is there a more opportune chance to start fresh with some excellent young talent that might have to back up Brett Favre for a year?

31. Indianapolis Colts – CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
Though Marlin Jackson and Bob Sanders will be healthy for the start of next season, the Colts secondary is terribly inefficient as demonstrated in Super Bowl XLIV by the New Orleans Saints. Kyle Wilson is a step in the right direction for Bill Polian’s Indianapolis Colts.

32. New Orleans Saints – DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
Odrick, a first-team Big Ten tackle, will be great value at the last spot in the first round for the Saints. Odrick will help plug the holes which will be a stop-gap for the Saints seemingly only weakness last year.

Jimmy King is the host of The Guy Show on Eagle Radio, Eastern Michigan's student radio organization. You can listen online to The Guy Show on Tuesdays from 7-9 pm on EagleRadio.org. The Guy Show -- Sports, Politics, and Women: The Essentials of the Male Psychology. Shows will resume on March 9.