The Top 10 College Football Draft Prospects; 2010 NFL Draft (Updated)
We here at Live FromThe Press Box.Com decided to take a look at The Top Ten College Football Draft Prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft(Which obviously takes place in 2011).
We then presented those results in an article published on January 20, 2011. Now after the Super Bowl has been played, things are a bit clearer in terms of Draft Order and many teams have settled on their draft board preferences, so we contacted our Own NFL Draft Expert once again and asked him to update the board for us based on how he thinks the up-coming NFL draft will play out.
2010 NFL Draft 1st Round Order – Updated After Superbowl.
Tiebreakers: Easiest Strength of Schedule picks first. If still tied, then worst division record picks first. If still tied, then worst conference record picks first. If still tied, (*)coin flip decides order.
Round 1
1. St. Louis (1-15)
2. Detroit (2-14)
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)
4. Washington (4-12)
5. Kansas City (4-12)
6. Seattle (5-11)
7. Cleveland (5-11)
8. Oakland (5-11)
9. Buffalo (6-10)
10/11. Chicago (7-9)* (Traded to DEN)
10/11. Jacksonville (7-9)*
12. Miami (7-9)
13. San Francisco (8-8)
14. Denver (8-8)(Traded to SEA)
15. New York Giants (8-8)
16/17. Carolina (8-8)* (Traded to SF)
16/17. Tennessee (8-8)*
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)
19/20. Atlanta (9-7)*
19/20. Houston (9-7)*
21. Cincinnati (10-6)
22. New England (10-6)
23. Green Bay (11-5)
24. Philadelphia (11-5)
25. Baltimore (9-7)
26. Arizona (10-6)
27. Dallas (11-5)
28. San Diego (13-3)
29. New York Jets (9-7)
30. Minnesota (12-4)
31. Indianapolis (14-2)
32. New Orleans (13-3)
Our Expert, a retired NFL player with current involvement in Scouting in the NFL made his initial selections based on what he saw back in January. After some time has now elapsed from when we ran this story first, and the picture is becoming a bit more clear (or not so clear in many cases), here is the updated draft order from our Expert. This time with what he believes are the top alternate choices on the board for each of the Top Ten teams in the Draft order along with his thoughts.
He mentions that Team Pro days, Individual workouts, and the NFL Combine, combined with the indecisiveness of several teams (and their past draft history), many players are still in play here. Not to mention that the very nature of the NFL draft is fluid, and one late trade move by any NFL team can and most likely will blow up the entire selection process, to quote him directly, “It is the nature of the Beast”.
So here we go;
Experts Pick(s) for the 2010 NFL Draft
1. St. Louis Rams – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Although they are still wrestling with Jimmy Clasuen, and to a lesser extent Sam Bradford as a possible choice, at the end of the day he believes “Suh is clearly the best player in the draft, and the Lions will shore up that defense with his selection.
Rumors are also swirling that The Rams are looking to deal for Michael Vick at Quarterback”.
Why has the bloom dropped off of Clausens Rose? He has heard from a couple sources that there are some teams and scouts that dislike Jimmy Clausen’s personality. “He might come off as a diva or arrogant, but comments similar were also made about about Philip Rivers, one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. ”
2. Detroit Lions – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
“Jim Schwartz and the Lions offensive line coach have raved about Jeff Backus’ play this season, and it seems that we can diminish the odds that Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung will be the pick here. Gerald McCoy is one of the top players in this class. He has elite athletic ability and is a consistent play maker in the mold of a Kevin Williams. The Lions need play makers desperately on the defensive line so it seems almost certain this pick will either be Suh (If Available) or McCoy.”
3. Tampa Bay Bucs – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
“This is the last thing the Bucs want to happen. Defensive tackle is their No. 1 need and it would kill them to see Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy already off the board. I am also not buying that Tampa will move up for Suh because they have too many needs and those second-round picks are pure gold.
Eric Berry is an elite talent and the No. 2 player on my board. His ability to make plays against the run is amazing and he will be reminiscent of John Lynch for many Tampa fans. In coverage he will give this team more versatility at safety because they can use he and Tanard Jackson in an interchangeable role, which seems to be a trend around the league.
Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan could also be in play here and barring Donald Penn’s contract situation, we can’t completely rule out Russell Okung, but I’m willing to bet Tampa’s board will be stacked Suh-McCoy-Berry up to this point.”
4. Washington Redskins – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
This selection has our expert confused a bit;”What this comes down to is Bradford’s shoulder. If he’s healthy…. and the Redskins have Dr. James Andrews working for them, so they’ll know better than anyone, Bradford will be the pick. If Andrews is pessimistic, Washington will take Russell Okung or Jimmy Clausen if he’s available”.
5. Kansas City Chiefs – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Our expert says that Okung is the “real deal”. “He could take the Chiefs’ offense to the next level if he is still available”. Other Options; “Eric Berry, S – Berry is the other major option here, but it would go against everything GM Scott Pioli believes in if he were to take a safety without having his Offensive and Defensive lines finished”.
“It will be interesting to see whether it ends up being Okung, Anthony Davis or Bruce Campbell, as the battle for the No. 1 tackle spot is one of the best story-lines of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Okung was the most consistent lineman in the nation this year and he will test out on a very high level athletically. I see no reason as to why Anthony Davis can take this from him (more inconsistent – doesn’t have elite lateral movement or athleticism), but watch out for Campbell because an amazing Combine could really vault his draft stock.Other Choices; Eric Berry and Bruce Campbell if Available; While Campbell could definitely be the pick, there are two things that are swaying me toward Berry.
First, Berry is the far superior prospect. Campbell’s no slouch, but Berry is being hailed as the next Ed Reed. And second, Campbell has an extensive history of minor injuries that may deter some teams from taking him in the top 5-8. Recall what happened to Eugene Monroe last year.
And it’s not like Seattle couldn’t use Berry; the team was miserable against the pass this year, allowing seven of their final 10 opponents to compile at least 249 passing yards each game, with the three exceptions being two rookies and Vince Young.
If Berry and the top two quarterbacks are off the board, I believe the Seahawks will draft Campbell. ”
6. Seattle Seahawks: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
“Carroll will be looking for his own “guy” to play quarterback and a franchise left tackle to protect him. Jimmy Clausen is unquestionably the top quarterback prospect in this draft. He threw for 28 touchdowns and only four picks on an 8.8 YPA and a 68.0 completion percentage this year. He’s superior to Sam Bradford because he has a bigger arm and has spent three years in a West Coast offense. Bradford, on the other hand, is coming out of a shotgun spread offense and just had shoulder surgery. His arm strength is also very questionable.
If the Rams are genuinely interested in Clausen, don’t be shocked if Daniel Snyder tells Bruce Allen to make a trade up to secure the chance to draft him. With teams in the top 10 needing quarterbacks (St. Louis, Washington, Seattle, Cleveland, Buffalo), Mr. Clausen might be quite the commodity come late April. ”
7. Cleveland Browns – Joe Haden, CB, Florida
“Cleveland is clearly looking for a franchise Quarterback, while thier fan base keeps screaming for DEFENSE! Well, there is good news and bad news… The good news is that with Sam Bradford off the board, most Browns fans will be happy with this selection, assuming they take Eric Berry or Joe Haden. The bad news is that Cleveland is delaying its return to playoff contention for another year. To win in the NFL CONSISTENTLY, you need a franchise quarterback. The Browns are the only team in the AFC North without one, so it’s no coincidence that they contend for the postseason only once every five seasons.
Haden projects as a shutdown corner, the scouting report compares him to Leon Hall – but cornerbacks don’t lead teams to the Super Bowl. Franchise quarterbacks do. Just look at the last seven NFL champions if you don’t believe me.
Haden will provide a huge boost for Cleveland’s defense, but the Browns won’t be a consistent winner until they find a franchise signal-caller.”
Also on the board for the Browns; Inside linebacker is a big need for Cleveland, and Rolando McClain is the consensus No. 1 prospect at that position in this class.”
8. Oakland Raiders – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
“There are only four possibilities here: Taylor Mays, Carlos Dunlap, Bruce Campbell and Everson Griffen. That’s it. If you think otherwise, you really don’t realize how horrible of a drafter Al Davis is.”
9. Buffalo Bills – Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa
“Left tackle is a huge need for the Bills, and they really have to be kicking themselves for passing on Michael Oher last year.
After watching and talking with a couple sources in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, I’ve learned that tackle Anthony Davis out of Rutgers has some serious work ethic concerns. I’m not sure Buffalo wants to gamble on his upside when they can draft a player with just as much potential in Bryan Bulaga who battled a thyroid injury all season. He shut down Derrick Morgan in the Orange Bowl and it wouldn’t shock me if Bulaga went in the top 10 picks.”
10.* Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
“Jacksonville’s top need is selling tickets and drawing fan interest. The team’s No. 2 need is finding someone who can get to the quarterback. The Jaguars tried the 4-3 and the 3-4 in 2009, but nothing worked. Amazingly, the team finished with just 14 sacks, and no one had more than three.
Derrick Morgan is without a doubt the best player on the board at this point, and what we learned in the 2009 NFL Draft was Gene Smith is a huge fan of the Best Player Available theory. He will wreak havoc off the edge for Jacksonville as Smith continues to build his team on the line of scrimmage. The Jaguars need a pass rusher, and I think Morgan can be that guy.”
* Coin Flip
As you can see “Fluid” was an appropriate choice of words, let the debate begin on the 2010/2011 NFL Draft.
This Video is a bit dated, but interesting nonetheless;
Our Experts Number One Draft Choice; Ndamukong Suh