Thursday, January 20, 2011
Mock Draft (1-20-2010)
10:11 AM | 
Posted by
Eric
1. Carolina Panthers- Nick Fairley,DT,Auburn
Carolina loses out with Andrew Luck going back to school. Fairley is the top player on the board and can be a game changer at DT with the penetration he gets. He was unblockable this season at Auburn and dominated the biggest game of the year the National Championship Game.
2. Denver Broncos- DaQuan Bowers,DE,Clemson
John Fox is now the head coach in Denver, he had Julius Peppers for years in Carolina and while Bowers isn't quite on the level of Peppers, he is a top notch pass rusher and will form an elite pass rushing duo with Elvis Dumervil.
3. Buffalo Bills- Robert Quinn,DE/OLB,North Carolina
The Bills are trying to convert to a 3-4 and Aaron Maybin is not a good fit for that system and has basically been a bust. Quinn missed the entire 2010 season due to suspension, but he has all the tools to be an elite pass rusher from the OLB position and his workouts should boost his stock despite missing the season.
4. Cincinnati Bengals- AJ Green,WR,Georgia
Carson Palmer played his best football in a couple years with Chad and TO out of the lineup. Maybe that was due to the fact the WR's actually went to where they were supposed to be and Palmer put the ball on the money. It's amazing what happened when the WR's weren't just out there doing their own thing and they played according to the playbook.
AJ Green is my top WR prospect since Calvin Johnson and I have him right up there at the same level of Johnson. The guy is an absolute beast on the football field and was a man amongst boys in the SEC. He has all the tools to be an elite NFL WR. His size and speed combination is as good as you're going to find. For as little experience as he has his route running is very good. He has excellent hands. He can make the acrobatic catch, he made a one handed catch this past season that was one of the best i've ever seen college or pro. He has the ability to stretch the field. He's basically the total package.
If you add Green to the Bengals you would have a WR group of Green, Simpson who came on strong the last few games and has all the athletic tools to be a top notch WR as well, Shipley who looks like he may be one of the top slot WR's in the NFL very soon, and Gresham who is going to be a mis match all the time against a LB or Safety. That will be a young group of receivers that will be among the best in the NFL and Palmer will finally be able to be the leader with young players that will actually listen to him and not just argue with him and run their mouths all the time. Now you just get the line upgraded a bit and you have the makings of one of the top offenses in the NFL.
5. Arizona Cardinals- Blaine Gabbert,QB,Missouri
Arizona doesn't have any viable QB's on their current roster. As of now they haven't signed any veteran FA's so I have them taking Gabbert the top QB on the board. If they don't upgrade at QB they should trade Fitzgerald because that would be a waste of one of the top WR's in the NFL with no one to get him the ball.
6. Cleveland Browns- Marcell Dareus,DT/DE,Alabama
The Browns biggest need is WR, but I don't see Holmgren taking one if Green isn't available here. Dareus is a fit in any kind of defensive system and one of the safer picks in this draft class.
7. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Peterson,CB,LSU
There's two ways to win in the NFL. Either having an elite QB or having a good running game and a dominant defense. The Niners don't have the QB and there isn't one worth taking here. They do have have a good defense though and getting a shut down CB like Peterson could vault them into that dominant defense and they have Frank Gore for the running game.
8. Tennessee Titans- Stephen Paea,DT,Oregon State
The Titans need to find that stud on the interior D line that they lost when they lost Haynesworth to the Redskins in free agency. Paea is a physical freak with how strong he is and is going to command some double teams, which should free up last year's 1st round pick Jason Pierre-Paul.
9. Dallas Cowboys- Gabe Carimi,OT,Wisconsin
The Cowboys offensive line was not very good in 2010. It started in week one when their game winning TD got called back because of a hold. Carimi is one of the safer picks in this draft and projects to be a very good RT.
10. Washington Redskins- Julio Jones,WR,Alabama
The Redskins need some playmakers at WR big time. The best they have is Santana Moss and that's not saying much. Jones is a big strong physical WR and that is what they will need if Rex Grossman is going to be their starter.
11. Houston Texans- Prince Amukamara,CB,Nebraska
For the Texans this draft should be easy in the early rounds. They need to take the best defensive player on the board that fits their new system that Wade Phillips is going to run. Here that is Amukamara, one of two elite CB's in this draft class. The Texans secondary was awful last year and this pick should be a no brainer if Amukamara is still there.
12. Minnesota Vikings- Cam Newton,QB,Auburn
Brett Favre is not coming back in 2011. Newton is the only QB left worth taking this high and even though he's going to take a couple years to develop he was a winner at Auburn and the Vikings have a good enough defense that he may be able to do enough early on for them to still be competitive and win some games.
13. Detroit Lions- Tyron Smith,OT,USC
Smith may be the most athletic OT in this draft class. The Lions biggest need is probably CB, but they need to upgrade the O line and try to keep Stafford healthy. He's making all that money, was the number 1 overall pick, and is the face of the franchise.
14. St. Louis Rams- Jonathon Baldwin,WR,Pittsburgh
This may be a bit high for Baldwin, but the Rams need to get a legit number 1 WR for Sam Bradford. Baldwin has all the tools to do that with good size and speed combination. He had a down year this year at Pitt, but the QB play was terrible.
15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram,RB,Alabama
Ronnie Brown likely will not be back in Miami and Ricky Williams is old. Ingram is probably the only RB that will go in the 1st round and he can carry an entire load.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Adrian Clayborn,DE,Iowa
Last off season the Jags signed Aaron Kampman and he blew out his knee. They still need a pass rusher, especially with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub in their division. The best way to stop the pass is to get pressure on the QB.
17. New England Patriots- Cameron Heyward,DE/DT,Ohio State (from Oakland)
Heyward is a perfect fit at DE in the Patriots 3-4. They've needed an upgrade there since they traded Richard Seymour for this pick.
18. San Diego Chargers- Von Miller,OLB,Texas A&M
The Chargers have needed an elite pass rusher since Shawn Merriman had to quit taking steroids. Miller is the total package for a 3-4 OLB, he can rush the passer, stop the run, and plays well in pass coverage.
19. New York Giants- Akeem Ayers,OLB,UCLA
The Giants weakest position group is Linebacker. Ayers is one of the best pure OLB's in this draft class.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- JJ Watt,DE,Wisconsin
I love what the Bucs did last year taking McCoy and Price in the first two rounds of the draft. Adding Watt would give them an up and coming line that could dominate like the defense that won them a Super Bowl several years ago.
21. Kansas City Chiefs- Ryan Kerrigan,DE/OLB,Purdue
Kerrigan would be a good fit in the Chiefs 3-4 at OLB and would give them another pass rushing threat across from Tamba Hali. Chiefs fans should be excited about all the young talent they have on defense, especially if they add another good pass rusher.
22. Indianapolis Colts- Nate Solder,OT,Colorado
The Colts offensive line was terrible this year. I don't know how they let that happen in Indy. If I was GM there I'd spend picks on O line early in about every draft. If you give Peyton Manning a good O line he'll win you Super Bowls.
23. Philadelphia Eagles- Anthony Costanzo,OT,Boston College
The Eagles gave up a ton of sacks this past season which is suprising since they have the most illusive QB in NFL history. If you get Vick a good athletic offensive line the offense in Philly could be scary good.
24. New Orleans Saints- Aldon Smith,DE,Missouri
The Saints gave up 41 points to Seattle in the playoffs, they scored 36 which should have been good enough to win. The defense could use someone across from Will Smith to get after the QB, especially since they score a bunch of points and play with the lead often forcing teams to throw the ball.
25. Seattle Seahawks- Jake Locker,QB,Washington
I think if Locker is there he will be the pick in Seattle. He'd be an instant fan favorite and he still has the physical tools to be a good NFL QB. He had a down year in Washington and will need some development and to get his confidence back.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Cameron Jordan,DE/DT,California
Ozzie Newsome likes to take the best player on the board. That would be Jordan in this case and he would be a good fit at DE in the Ravens system. The Ravens have focused so much on offense the past few years they've neglected the defense and they haven't been quite as good as they used to be.
27. Atlanta Falcons- Allen Bailey,DE,Miami
Atlanta could use some help with their pass rush. We all saw what happened to them in the playoffs against GB. They were wore out in the 2nd half.
28. New England Patriots- Justin Houston,DE/OLB,Georgia
The Pats have two picks in each of the first three rounds, I'd expect them to try to upgrade some positions on their defense. Houston will give them someone to get after the passer as they didn't generate very much pass rush this past season.
29. Chicago Bears- Benjamin Ijalana,OT/OG,Villanova
The Bears offensive line play has been inconsistent all year. Some games Forte had nowhere to run and some games Jay Cutler got flattened. Ijalana is the most versatile O lineman in this draft and can play both Tackle and Guard.
30. New York Jets- Muhammad Wilkerson,DE/DT,Temple
The Jets are getting old on the defensive line and could use some youth and depth up front. Wilkerson would be a perfect fit at DE in the Jets 3-4.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Mike Pouncey,OC/OG,Florida
The Steelers offensive line has been decimated by injury this year and they basically haven't been very good the past few years. They could take Mike Pouncey to play next to his brother at Guard and give them a formidable interior of the O line.
32. Green Bay Packers- Rodney Hudson,OC/OG,Florida State
The Packers went OT last year in the first but could still use some help up front. Plus it's never a bad idea to use a 1st round pick on the line when you have Aaron Rodgers as your QB.
2nd Round
33. New England Patriots- Demarcus Love,OT,Arkansas (from Carolina)
The Pats are getting a little long in the tooth along the offensive line. Plus they gave up a ton of pressure to the Jets in the playoffs. Look for them to add an O lineman with one of their three picks in the first 33 picks of the draft.
34. Buffalo Bills- Ryan Mallett,QB,Arkansas
The Bills said that Fitzpatrick is their QB for next season and he deserves to be he played well this past season. That being said I don't think of him as a franchise QB and Mallett could be developed into one.
35. Cincinnati Bengals- Rahim Moore,FS,UCLA
Moore is the top rated Safety in this draft class and is a huge need for the Bengals. Having that centerfielder type of Safety in coverage is something they've been missing for a long time. Having someone that can play the pass like Moore back there will give Zimmer flexibility to do a lot more with the play calling as far as blitzing and mixing up coverages. It will also allow the CB's to play more agressive on the outside knowing he will be back there to get there backs as far as getting beat deep.
I know that neither line has been addressed by the Bengals yet and I'm in full belief you win consistently by building the lines, but if Moore is sitting there when the Bengals have this pick I think they have to pull the trigger. He's the player on defense they've been missing that can vault them into the top 5 again.
Carolina loses out with Andrew Luck going back to school. Fairley is the top player on the board and can be a game changer at DT with the penetration he gets. He was unblockable this season at Auburn and dominated the biggest game of the year the National Championship Game.
2. Denver Broncos- DaQuan Bowers,DE,Clemson
John Fox is now the head coach in Denver, he had Julius Peppers for years in Carolina and while Bowers isn't quite on the level of Peppers, he is a top notch pass rusher and will form an elite pass rushing duo with Elvis Dumervil.
3. Buffalo Bills- Robert Quinn,DE/OLB,North Carolina
The Bills are trying to convert to a 3-4 and Aaron Maybin is not a good fit for that system and has basically been a bust. Quinn missed the entire 2010 season due to suspension, but he has all the tools to be an elite pass rusher from the OLB position and his workouts should boost his stock despite missing the season.
4. Cincinnati Bengals- AJ Green,WR,Georgia
Carson Palmer played his best football in a couple years with Chad and TO out of the lineup. Maybe that was due to the fact the WR's actually went to where they were supposed to be and Palmer put the ball on the money. It's amazing what happened when the WR's weren't just out there doing their own thing and they played according to the playbook.
AJ Green is my top WR prospect since Calvin Johnson and I have him right up there at the same level of Johnson. The guy is an absolute beast on the football field and was a man amongst boys in the SEC. He has all the tools to be an elite NFL WR. His size and speed combination is as good as you're going to find. For as little experience as he has his route running is very good. He has excellent hands. He can make the acrobatic catch, he made a one handed catch this past season that was one of the best i've ever seen college or pro. He has the ability to stretch the field. He's basically the total package.
If you add Green to the Bengals you would have a WR group of Green, Simpson who came on strong the last few games and has all the athletic tools to be a top notch WR as well, Shipley who looks like he may be one of the top slot WR's in the NFL very soon, and Gresham who is going to be a mis match all the time against a LB or Safety. That will be a young group of receivers that will be among the best in the NFL and Palmer will finally be able to be the leader with young players that will actually listen to him and not just argue with him and run their mouths all the time. Now you just get the line upgraded a bit and you have the makings of one of the top offenses in the NFL.
5. Arizona Cardinals- Blaine Gabbert,QB,Missouri
Arizona doesn't have any viable QB's on their current roster. As of now they haven't signed any veteran FA's so I have them taking Gabbert the top QB on the board. If they don't upgrade at QB they should trade Fitzgerald because that would be a waste of one of the top WR's in the NFL with no one to get him the ball.
6. Cleveland Browns- Marcell Dareus,DT/DE,Alabama
The Browns biggest need is WR, but I don't see Holmgren taking one if Green isn't available here. Dareus is a fit in any kind of defensive system and one of the safer picks in this draft class.
7. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Peterson,CB,LSU
There's two ways to win in the NFL. Either having an elite QB or having a good running game and a dominant defense. The Niners don't have the QB and there isn't one worth taking here. They do have have a good defense though and getting a shut down CB like Peterson could vault them into that dominant defense and they have Frank Gore for the running game.
8. Tennessee Titans- Stephen Paea,DT,Oregon State
The Titans need to find that stud on the interior D line that they lost when they lost Haynesworth to the Redskins in free agency. Paea is a physical freak with how strong he is and is going to command some double teams, which should free up last year's 1st round pick Jason Pierre-Paul.
9. Dallas Cowboys- Gabe Carimi,OT,Wisconsin
The Cowboys offensive line was not very good in 2010. It started in week one when their game winning TD got called back because of a hold. Carimi is one of the safer picks in this draft and projects to be a very good RT.
10. Washington Redskins- Julio Jones,WR,Alabama
The Redskins need some playmakers at WR big time. The best they have is Santana Moss and that's not saying much. Jones is a big strong physical WR and that is what they will need if Rex Grossman is going to be their starter.
11. Houston Texans- Prince Amukamara,CB,Nebraska
For the Texans this draft should be easy in the early rounds. They need to take the best defensive player on the board that fits their new system that Wade Phillips is going to run. Here that is Amukamara, one of two elite CB's in this draft class. The Texans secondary was awful last year and this pick should be a no brainer if Amukamara is still there.
12. Minnesota Vikings- Cam Newton,QB,Auburn
Brett Favre is not coming back in 2011. Newton is the only QB left worth taking this high and even though he's going to take a couple years to develop he was a winner at Auburn and the Vikings have a good enough defense that he may be able to do enough early on for them to still be competitive and win some games.
13. Detroit Lions- Tyron Smith,OT,USC
Smith may be the most athletic OT in this draft class. The Lions biggest need is probably CB, but they need to upgrade the O line and try to keep Stafford healthy. He's making all that money, was the number 1 overall pick, and is the face of the franchise.
14. St. Louis Rams- Jonathon Baldwin,WR,Pittsburgh
This may be a bit high for Baldwin, but the Rams need to get a legit number 1 WR for Sam Bradford. Baldwin has all the tools to do that with good size and speed combination. He had a down year this year at Pitt, but the QB play was terrible.
15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram,RB,Alabama
Ronnie Brown likely will not be back in Miami and Ricky Williams is old. Ingram is probably the only RB that will go in the 1st round and he can carry an entire load.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Adrian Clayborn,DE,Iowa
Last off season the Jags signed Aaron Kampman and he blew out his knee. They still need a pass rusher, especially with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub in their division. The best way to stop the pass is to get pressure on the QB.
17. New England Patriots- Cameron Heyward,DE/DT,Ohio State (from Oakland)
Heyward is a perfect fit at DE in the Patriots 3-4. They've needed an upgrade there since they traded Richard Seymour for this pick.
18. San Diego Chargers- Von Miller,OLB,Texas A&M
The Chargers have needed an elite pass rusher since Shawn Merriman had to quit taking steroids. Miller is the total package for a 3-4 OLB, he can rush the passer, stop the run, and plays well in pass coverage.
19. New York Giants- Akeem Ayers,OLB,UCLA
The Giants weakest position group is Linebacker. Ayers is one of the best pure OLB's in this draft class.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- JJ Watt,DE,Wisconsin
I love what the Bucs did last year taking McCoy and Price in the first two rounds of the draft. Adding Watt would give them an up and coming line that could dominate like the defense that won them a Super Bowl several years ago.
21. Kansas City Chiefs- Ryan Kerrigan,DE/OLB,Purdue
Kerrigan would be a good fit in the Chiefs 3-4 at OLB and would give them another pass rushing threat across from Tamba Hali. Chiefs fans should be excited about all the young talent they have on defense, especially if they add another good pass rusher.
22. Indianapolis Colts- Nate Solder,OT,Colorado
The Colts offensive line was terrible this year. I don't know how they let that happen in Indy. If I was GM there I'd spend picks on O line early in about every draft. If you give Peyton Manning a good O line he'll win you Super Bowls.
23. Philadelphia Eagles- Anthony Costanzo,OT,Boston College
The Eagles gave up a ton of sacks this past season which is suprising since they have the most illusive QB in NFL history. If you get Vick a good athletic offensive line the offense in Philly could be scary good.
24. New Orleans Saints- Aldon Smith,DE,Missouri
The Saints gave up 41 points to Seattle in the playoffs, they scored 36 which should have been good enough to win. The defense could use someone across from Will Smith to get after the QB, especially since they score a bunch of points and play with the lead often forcing teams to throw the ball.
25. Seattle Seahawks- Jake Locker,QB,Washington
I think if Locker is there he will be the pick in Seattle. He'd be an instant fan favorite and he still has the physical tools to be a good NFL QB. He had a down year in Washington and will need some development and to get his confidence back.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Cameron Jordan,DE/DT,California
Ozzie Newsome likes to take the best player on the board. That would be Jordan in this case and he would be a good fit at DE in the Ravens system. The Ravens have focused so much on offense the past few years they've neglected the defense and they haven't been quite as good as they used to be.
27. Atlanta Falcons- Allen Bailey,DE,Miami
Atlanta could use some help with their pass rush. We all saw what happened to them in the playoffs against GB. They were wore out in the 2nd half.
28. New England Patriots- Justin Houston,DE/OLB,Georgia
The Pats have two picks in each of the first three rounds, I'd expect them to try to upgrade some positions on their defense. Houston will give them someone to get after the passer as they didn't generate very much pass rush this past season.
29. Chicago Bears- Benjamin Ijalana,OT/OG,Villanova
The Bears offensive line play has been inconsistent all year. Some games Forte had nowhere to run and some games Jay Cutler got flattened. Ijalana is the most versatile O lineman in this draft and can play both Tackle and Guard.
30. New York Jets- Muhammad Wilkerson,DE/DT,Temple
The Jets are getting old on the defensive line and could use some youth and depth up front. Wilkerson would be a perfect fit at DE in the Jets 3-4.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Mike Pouncey,OC/OG,Florida
The Steelers offensive line has been decimated by injury this year and they basically haven't been very good the past few years. They could take Mike Pouncey to play next to his brother at Guard and give them a formidable interior of the O line.
32. Green Bay Packers- Rodney Hudson,OC/OG,Florida State
The Packers went OT last year in the first but could still use some help up front. Plus it's never a bad idea to use a 1st round pick on the line when you have Aaron Rodgers as your QB.
2nd Round
33. New England Patriots- Demarcus Love,OT,Arkansas (from Carolina)
The Pats are getting a little long in the tooth along the offensive line. Plus they gave up a ton of pressure to the Jets in the playoffs. Look for them to add an O lineman with one of their three picks in the first 33 picks of the draft.
34. Buffalo Bills- Ryan Mallett,QB,Arkansas
The Bills said that Fitzpatrick is their QB for next season and he deserves to be he played well this past season. That being said I don't think of him as a franchise QB and Mallett could be developed into one.
35. Cincinnati Bengals- Rahim Moore,FS,UCLA
Moore is the top rated Safety in this draft class and is a huge need for the Bengals. Having that centerfielder type of Safety in coverage is something they've been missing for a long time. Having someone that can play the pass like Moore back there will give Zimmer flexibility to do a lot more with the play calling as far as blitzing and mixing up coverages. It will also allow the CB's to play more agressive on the outside knowing he will be back there to get there backs as far as getting beat deep.
I know that neither line has been addressed by the Bengals yet and I'm in full belief you win consistently by building the lines, but if Moore is sitting there when the Bengals have this pick I think they have to pull the trigger. He's the player on defense they've been missing that can vault them into the top 5 again.
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