2010 View NFL Draft Report

A View from the Sideline presents...2010 NFL DRAFT REPORT

The Rams’ Dilemma: Who goes #1?

S u hBradford

McCoy

A V i e w f r o m t h e S i d e l i n e 2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t b r o u g h t t o y o u b y B u f f a l o e F l o o r C o v e r i n g a n d V e n o m E n e r g y D r i n k

Who will be a future

Houston Texan?

The Bryant

Question:Enigmatic

Talentor

Talented Engima?

S c o u t i n g Reports on prospective draft picks

LZ’s Final Mock Draft

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t

A V i e w f r o m t h e S i d e l i n e 2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t b r o u g h t t o y o u b y B u f f a l o e F l o o r C o v e r i n g a n d V e n o m E n e r g y D r i n k

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t sQ u a r t e r b a c k s P a g e 3R u n n i n g B a c k s P a g e 6W i d e R e c e i v e r s P a g e 9T i g h t E n d sO f f e n s i v e T a c k l e sC e n t e r s / G u a r d s

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D e f e n s i v e T a c k l e s P a g e 2 0P a g e 2 3P a g e 2 7P a g e 2 9

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P a g e 3 1O u t s i d e L i n e b a c k e r s

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I n s i d e L i n e b a c k e r s

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F r e e / S t r o n g S a f e t i e sC o r n e r b a c k s

A F C S o u t h T e a m N e e d s

LZ’s Mock Draft Version 5.0P a g e 3 5

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P a g e 5 4P a g e 5 8P a g e 6 2

P a g e 7 1P a g e 7 2P a g e 7 6

30 Year All-Time 1st Round P a g e 3 9

30 Yr. Best Draft - AFC South & North

P a g e 8 0“...What we said” - A Retrospective P a g e 8 1

T h i n k i n g L i k e a S c o u tP a g e 3 8

A F C N o r t h T e a m N e e d sP a g e 5 3

A F C W e s t T e a m N e e d sA F C E a s t T e a m N e e d s30 Yr. Best Draft - NFC West & East N F C S o u t h T e a m N e e d s

30 Yr. Best Draft - NFC South & North N F C N o r t h T e a m N e e d s

N F C W e s t T e a m N e e d sN F C E a s t T e a m N e e d s30 Yr. Best Draft - AFC West & East

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This newsletter has been a long time in coming. Johnny and I have been doing this for a good while, but this is the first time that we’ve put it in this form.

I h o p e i t ’ s a s i n f o r m a t i v e a n d entertaining as you’d expect from the two of us. Thanks for reading.

- Lance Zierlein

Not too bad for two Lamar Consol idated grads, huh?

It’s an absolute joy to bring this newsletter to you. I have long been thankful for the opportunity to talk, write and opine on the Draft, whether it’s on the Z Report Draft Show or through our newsletter.

Yo u g u y s , r o c k ! Thanks so much

- John Harris

Draft Order by Team P a g e 4 0

Z Report Draft Show Podcast Page P a g e 8 2

crosshairs , Bradford, an Oklahoma legend, even after only three years on campus, decided to return to Norman for a fourth season, his third as a starter.

Just short of two quarters into the first game of the season against BYU, that dream season was flushed down the tube as Bradford took a wicked hit and injured the AC joint in his shoulder. Although Bradford returned for the Baylor win, he was knocked out yet again the following week after a similar type hit against rival Texas. A season gone, but a “first-pick-in-the-draft” dream not - especially after Bradford’s strong pro day on campus on March 25th.

There’s no arguing with the measurables. 6’4”, 236 and filling out, similar to the way a former Tennessee quarterback filled out in his four

years - a guy named Manning. Accurate with a strong arm to make all the NFL throws, Bradford possesses a quick release. But, after he was injured, he showed more class and leadership than many thought he had.

I’m not sure where the knocks started on him from a leadership standpoint, but there are those who think he doesn’t have a good hand le on h i s hudd le . I d i sa gree wholeheartedly, but the one thing I wanted to see him do this year was exist behind a subpar line. He didn’t last. In 2007 and 2008, he threw when he wanted and where he wanted. That wasn’t going to happen in 2009, which was evident early in that first game. The adversity would’ve served him well.

Regardless, Bradford is the best package of smarts, skills and, after 2009, resiliency. The Rams need a QB, they pick 1st - seems like a fit.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tQ u a r t e r b a c k s

S a m B r a d f o r dThe Skinny on Bradford

OklahomaQB

6’4 1/4” 236 lb.Oklahoma City, OK

2008 Heisman Winner

Comp Att Yds TDs INT

2007 237 341 3121 36 8

2008 328 483 4720 50 8

2009 39 69 562 2 0

Entering the 2008 off-season, Sam Bradford was thought to be on the fast train to Detroit, instead o f Georg ia ’s Matt Stafford. But, with a BCS championship in his

Projection: Top 4


A V i e w f r om t h e S i de l i n e 2010 NF L D r af t R e p o r t S p o n s o rs


2007 138 245 1254 7 6

2008 268 440 3172 25 17

2009 289 425 3722 28 4

Jimmy Clausen6’2 5/8” 222 lb.3-year starter @ ND

Clausen is perhaps the most polarizing figure in this draft. Some feel he’s a bona fide top-10 pick and there are some who have given him a second round grade. There’s little question about the physical tools, but the critics can’t get the “Emu” picture out of their heads - you know the one...the one with the rings and the spiked do’? But, Clausen proved this year he’s as tough as any prospect in this draft. Physical abilities aren’t in question at all. He throws a tight ball that has plenty of revolutions and he has the confidence that he can “stick” it wherever he wants.

Comp Att Yds TDs INT2006 217 318 2570 29 7

2007 276 424 3303 22 18

2008 332 443 3859 34 8

2009 332 470 3521 27 12

Colt McCoy6’1 1/8” 216 lb.’09 O’Brien Award Winner

I love what McCoy can bring to an NFL team. Although he missed the BCS game with an injury, he showed at his Pro Day that his arm was unaffected and that he’s got a clean bill of health. He’s not the 6’5” statuesque, pocket passing quarterback, but then again the QB of the Super Bowl winning Saints is looking me in the eye (I’m 6’). His accuracy, from a “throwing into a certain window” status, was off in 2009, but in 2008, he was as accurate as any QB I saw. Teams with a need, and an interest, have other holes to fill in the 1st round, but will like what they see in the 2nd round.


2007 234 350 3286 32 6

2008 192 298 2746 30 4

2009 213 314 2895 21 5

Tim Tebow6’2 3/4” 236 lb.’07 Heisman Winner

Okay, if Clausen is polarizing then what the blazes is Tebow? Great question. What he is, as of going to press, is the most talked about prospect in the draft. Given the nature of his offense at Florida and his mechanical issues, he’s probably not quite ready to take over an NFL offense. But, he’ll try. Think back to his first year at Florida. He found a way to add something, anything, for his team - the Gators won a National Championship. The slow release notwithstanding, Tebow has a strong arm, but he’s got to learn how to harness it on deep digs, “hole” throws in cover 2 and seam throws down the middle of the field.

Q u a r t e r b a c k s


2007 11 20 91 1 3

2008 199 324 2407 19 11

2009 211 338 2520 29 6

Tony Pike6’5 3/4” 223 lb.Led UC to 2 straight BCS Bowls

During the 2008 season, Pike finally stepped into the role that former head coach Brian Kelly had marked for him all along. Pike just wasn’t ready for the spotlight before that, but after he took over, UC went to two straight BCS bowl games. Now, the question as to the health of his wrist is legitimate, as he missed 4 games in the 2009 season. But, when fully healthy, he’s a prototype gun slinger with accurate tendencies. He made a throw against Illinois - a seam route for a touchdown - with the perfect amount of zip and touch. Not many QBs can make that throw. Groom him and there’s a chance he could be a poor man’s Matt Schaub.

Projection: 2ndProjection: 1st

Projection: 1st/2nd Projection: 3rd




2007 355 543 3652 27 13

2008 251 376 2784 21 6

2009 318 456 3438 28 7

Dan LeFevour6’3 1/4” 230 lb.4-year starter @ CMU

During the draft season, I take a long hard look at whether a prospect’s assets are “made” for the next level. LeFevour was the prototype dual threat QB at CMU, but when you take away the consistent running threat, does he possess enough to attract 2nd/3rd round attention? Especially after going through the “change-the-throwing-motion” post graduate course? His tweaked his release during the off-season, but he already threw a ball with some nice touch on it. Like Tebow, it’s just getting the ball out of his hands quicker, a must in the NFL. Intangibles wise, off the charts, but will his arm translate? Great question.


2006 26 49 371 2 2

2008 184 327 2762 26 13

2009 191 351 2632 20 20

Jevan Snead6’3” 219 lb.Led Ole Miss to 2 Cotton Bowls

Snead had a much better opportunity of getting more 1st and 2nd round attention, if he had declared for the draft after the 2008 season. He was a hot prospect after a hot finish. He proved he could throw it deep. He threw with touch. More importantly, he had time to throw and make decisions. Those are things he didn’t have this year - a deep threat, composure and protection. Now, does one begat the other two? Perhaps, but Snead, even to his own admission, struggled. However, he threw exceptionally well at the combine, to a point where he put himself in 4th round contention.


2007 31 48 341 2 2

2008 22 30 114 1 1

2009 187 296 2144 11 9

Jarrett Brown6’2 7/8” 224 lb.4.54 40-yd. dash

Other than John Skelton from Fordham, Brown has perhaps the strongest arm of any QB in the 2010 draft class. And, in his one year as a starter, he showed that arm off, but not always in a good way. He proved he had the wheels to get out the pocket and make a play, but I worry that he’s been in an uncoventional offense that never put him under center. Furthermore, Brown has only one year experience as The Man in the huddle. He’s going to need seasoning, but at least there’s something there for teams to work with this pre-season, and perhaps next. Holding a clipboard for a year or two will do Brown a ton of good.

Q u a r t e r b a c k s

John Skelton, Fordham - Projection: 4th

Mike Ka%a, Northwestern - Projection: 5th

Thaddeus Lewis, Duke - Projection: 5th

Tim Hiller, Western Michigan - Projection: 5th

Levi Brown, Troy - Projection: 6th

Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State - Projection: 6th

Riley Skinner, Wake Forest - Projection: 6th/7th

Sean Canfield, Oregon State - Projection: 7th

Daryll Clark, Penn State - Projection: 7th

Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee - Projection: 7th

O t h e r Q u a r t e r b a c k s t o W a t c h

Projection: 4thProjection: 2nd/3rd

Projection: 4th

The old saying goes that there are fast guys who play football and there are football players who are fast. CJ Spiller falls into the latter category - he’s a football player who’s as fast as they come. A 100/200 meter HS state champion in the state of Florida, he’s a true burner, ala Tennessee Titan Chris Johnson

Perhaps no player in college football was as big a threat to take a run to the house. He’s slippery in space and will run behind his pads

more than you’d think.

Plus, he’s tough.

H e r a n f o r 2 3 3

yards and 4

TDs in the A C C

Championship game, all the while, taking a shot in his injured toe to numb the pain and stay in the game.

Quickness, burst and the ability to hit the home run every time he

touches the ball are his best assets. But, the overriding

concern will be whether Spiller can handle a full

load as Johnson has proven.


The Skinny on SpillerClemsonRB/KR

5’10 3/8” 196Lake Butler, FL

4.37 40-yd. Dash

Although there are some who want to believe that Ryan Mathews is some dreamt up “media selection”, he’s, perhaps, the complete back in the draft. Think of what you want from a back - power, durability, vision and balance. Mathews has those traits and was consistently impressive against the best defenses he faced.

A smooth, power runner if there ever was one. - he doesn’t dance, staying north & south, making himself the perfect candidate for the

ZBS. He’s a s u d d e n r unner w/ b u r s t . Where as he doesn’t have the home r u n

hitting ability of Spiller, he’s got five yard burst that runners dream about.

Although he didn’t catch the ball much in his career, he’s a good athlete who

can catch the ball out o f the backfield and is a threat anywhere

on the field. He’s got good vision and finds slivers of space on the backside of runs. If he falls into the Pats lap at #22, they could fire. If they pass, he won’t get

past the Chargers at #28.

Running Backs

C . J S p i l l e r

Ryan Mathe ws

Att Yds TDs Rec Yds TDs2006 129 938 10 19 210 2

2007 145 768 3 34 271 2

2008 116 629 7 34 436 3

2009 216 1212 12 36 503 4

Att Yds TDs Rec Yds TDs

2007 145 866 14 0 0 0

2008 113 606 6 8 146 2

2009 276 1808 19 11 122 0

Projection: Top 15

vs .

The Skinny on MathewsFresno State

RB5’11 5/8” 218Bakersfield, CA

’09 NCAA Leading Rusher

Projection: 1st





2007 29 221 2 13 74 1

2008 194 1580 15 27 246 1

2009 141 867 12 22 213 4

Jahvid Best5’10 1/8” 199 lb.4.35 40-yd. dash

Speed kills. Not literally, but you’ve seen the banner that hung at Oakland Alameda Coliseum for eons for Cliff Branch - Speed kills. That’s Best. He ran the fastest 40 time at the combine, which he needed to do to get attention, but what he won’t be able to do is show he’s completely over the concussions/lingering headaches that ended his 2009 season. More concerns are present given Best’s lack of being able to run inside the tackles, but teams know that Best can truly change the game with one carry or one reception. Some playoff team with a solid #1 back already in place will draft him as a luxury and it’ll paid off.


2007 82 436 9 2 17 0

2008 200 1395 12 8 209 1

2009 235 1395 14 5 37 0

Jonathan Dwyer5’11 1/4” 229 lb.4.59 40-yd. dash

Quarterbacks from spread offenses aren’t the only ones that are “hurt” by their college offense. Stand Dwyer up in a zone scheme or put him in the I formation and there’s little debate about how he “fits” at the next level. But, coming into the NFL as the B Back/fullback from the spread option attack at GT, he has no film that shows him running anything similar to what all 32 teams run. But, in that scheme, he made a type of zone read every play - not the same, but similar. Fortunately for him, he did it within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage, but he’ll have 7 yards of space to work with in the NFL. The speed of a hole closing is negated by his quick decision making.


2007 89 373 3 3 25 0

2008 76 271 6 4 24 0

2009 282 1345 13 25 302 1

Montario Hardesty5’11 3/4” 225 lb.4.40 40-yd. dash

Hardesty runs with power behind his pads and he’s tough. He doesn’t have a ton of tread on the tire. For much of last season Hardesty was the ONLY thing Tennessee had offensively. He’s not flashy at all, but over time, his consistent, tough running pays off. Last summer, I had a conversation with Tennessee safety Eric Berry. I asked him who was the toughest guy he faced. Expecting a different answer, he didn’t hesitate. “My teammate Montario Hardesty”. He went on further stating that Hardesty was the hardest working guy on the team. I love hearing that about a guy who pounds like Hardesty does.

Att Yds TDs Rec Yds TDs2006 54 392 3 2 -3 0

2007 202 903 8 16 144 0

2009 159 664 3 15 90 0

2009 263 1362 10 20 105 0

Ben Tate5’11” 220 lb.4.43 40-yd. dash

Toughness , b lend of power and speed, qu ickness , one cut ab i l i t y, burs t and explosiveness. Oh yeah, toughness. Did I say that already? Tate is a solid combination of all of the above, but others ranked above him do it just a tad better. He’s a little shorter, but can deliver some punishment when he turns the corner. I don’t think he’s got the explosiveness of Mathews, Spiller and Hardesty, but he’s a strong third and wonderful fourth round option. I’d love to see him sitting there in the fourth round, but my gut says he’s gone by the third.

Running Backs

Projection: 2ndProjection: 2nd

Projection: 2nd/3rd Projection: 3rd/4th




2007 94 540 3 23 203 1

2008 89 659 2 21 193 1

2009 164 1014 8 22 146 0

Dixon is as pure a downhill runner as any RB in this draft class. Dude aims to hurt someone in a different color jersey every time he touches the ball. Don’t believe me? Just check out the run Dixon has against the Houston Cougars when he basically carries the entire Cougar defense for a 50 yard run. He doesn’t dance. He doesn’t have one move other than “I’m going to punish you”. But, what he does have is fourth/fifth round baggage. And, that’s the rub for personnel people during draft month. Some team is going to want a poor man’s Brandon Jacobs; it’s just a matter of when the risk matches the reward expected. Probably 3rd or 4th round.


2007 287 1066 14 14 167 2

2008 197 869 7 20 117 2

2009 257 1391 12 18 123 0

Anthony Dixon6’0 3/4” 2334.65 40-yd. dash

Gerhart will be debated in a similar manner as Jonathan Dwyer. Now, Gerhart wasn’t a fullback, but a power running back in college nearly immediately gets tagged with “fullback at the next level”. Especially one that has dealt with knee injuries in the past. But, he’s a great athlete, one who excelled on the baseball diamond throughout his Stanford career. Yes, I said athlete. He’s got soft hands to catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s got tremendous balance and he runs through tacklers on a consistent basis. He’s not pretty when he has the ball in his hands but he puts a physical hurting on defenses.


2007 12 140 1 0 0 0

2008 210 1136 15 13 114 0

2009 343 1871 27 11 157 0

Toby Gerhart6’ 231 lb.4.53 40-yd. dash

There’s something about McKnight that I love. The versatility. The game-breaking abilities. The pedigree (John Curtis HS and USC). But, I don’t really like him as a true running back in the NFL, and that’s why he’s tagged for the third round. He ran more inside in 2009, which was to be expected with nearly twice as many attempts than in 2008. But, when he gets dinged up a bit, he doesn’t want any part of running between the tackles. Now, don’t think there isn’t a place for a smooth, talented guy like McKnight, but it won’t be early. A team with a need at “offensive game breaker” category will take a long hard look in the 2nd round, but likely pull the trigger in the 3rd.

Running Backs

Lonyae Miller, Fresno State - Projection: 4th/5th

James Starks, Buffalo - Projection: 4th/5th

LeGarrette Blount, Oregon - Projection: 4th/5th

Chris Brown, Oklahoma - Projection: 5th

Andre Dixon, Connecticut - Projection: 5th/6th

Javarris James, Miami - Projection: 5th/6th

Keith Toston, Oklahoma State - Projection: 7th

Stafon Johnson, USC - Projection: 6th

Keiland Williams, LSU - Projection: 7th

O t h e r R u n n i n g B a c k s t o W a t c h

Projection: 3rd/4thProjection: 2nd/3rd

Projection: 3rd

Joe McKnight5’11 3/8” 198 lb.4.47 40-yd. dash

Every year in the draft it seems, there’s a player who can’t get out of his own way. It typically is a prima donna receiver and in 2010, there’s no question that player is former OSU star Dez Bryant.

Most of the nation knows about the ba g ga ge - the 2009 sea son suspension, the relationship with Deion Sanders , ta rd iness for practice, meetings and even games and just outright flakiness that would make Britney Spears, circa 2007, blush. This has all been WELL documented. But...

...good gracious almighty, this kid is a specimen. He’s sculpted like a Greek god and is strong as an ox. You can’t press him at

the line of scrimmage and he’s got enough wiggle to get separation. He catches

the ball at its highest point. He can take a hit and get right back up.

My point is that he’s got as many assets, or more, to make up for his 6th round baggage. Does that make

him a sound investment? Depends. How close are you?

Are you one game breaker away? Then, Bryant is your guy. He can also be a dynamic punt returner at the next level, but if “matures” into a number one receiver, you won’t need him to do that.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tWide Receivers


Rec Yds TDs

2007 6 131 1

2008 58 1080 10

2009 93 1496 15

Golden Tate5’10 1/2” 199 lb.4.42 40-yd. dash

Throughout last off-season, I was convinced that Tate wasn’t even the best receiver on the Notre Dame campus. Then, Michael Floyd went down and Jimmy Clausen turned to Tate nearly every time the Irish needed a play. My thoughts on Tate changed instantly, as he did nothing but make plays the rest of the year. He lined up in the Wildcat as a RB and used his quickness and wiggle to pick up key first downs. He lined up on the perimeter and caught everything thrown his way. He caught short and ran long. He caught deep balls over DBs heads. He ran over 230 pound safeties on slant routes. He did it all and has the package that scouts love. But, that 5’10” thing? Tough to overcome and why he may not be a 1st rounder.

Rec Yds TDs

2007 35 558 3

2008 39 627 3

2009 46 1154 8

Demaryius Thomas

When you look above at Thomas’s numbers, they don’t jump off the page. Well, consider the fact that he played in a spread option attack and maybe you’ll come around on a big receiver who has basketball skills and athleticism. Then, check the yards per catch, especially last season. Over 25 yards per catch, which is phenomenal. He’s got great size and is as physical as any other receiver in this draft. He can go up and “get it” over a DB’s head. He’ll be one heck of a red zone option and once he refines his ability to be an intermediate route runner (outs and digs), he’ll be an absolute monster. His injury will raise questions, but once healthy, he’s got an NFL body, if not NFL “route running” experience.

6’3 1/4” 224 lb.4.35 40-yd. (INJ @ combine)

Rec Yds TDs

2007 43 622 6

2008 87 1480 19

2009 17 323 4

The Skinny on BryantOklahoma State

WR/PR6’2” 225 lb.Lufkin, TX

Suspended 2009 season

D e z B r y a n t

Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st/2nd Projection: 1st/2nd



Arrelious Benn6’1” 219 lb.

Benn is a physical beast. Just check the dimensions - 6’1”, 219 and can run a 4.48? As Hatchetman says “Are you kidding me???” Now, you can make some excuses for Benn and his lack of a true QB at Illinois, but his production didn’t match his physical potential. That’s a huge red flag for me. He’s not a strong route runner and I don’t know how natural a receiver he is at this point in his career. But, he’s a beast who can get off the jam at the l ine of scrimmage. The question is whether he’s a receiver who can transition to being an all-around threat or whether he’s just an athlete running around to get open.

Damian Williams6’0 5/8” 197 lb.

After transferring from his home state, Williams blossomed as the go-to receiver for Mark Sanchez/Matt Barkley. He’s a smooth route runner who has a knack for making plays on the sideline. However, I don’t see him transitioning into a guy who’ll be fearless running across the field - more of a poor man’s Marvin Harrison, if you ask me. He’s got great hands, the ability to adjust to the ball in the air and he’s adjusted to different quarterbacks in his career. He’s got adequate size, but now he’ll face corners who’ll get up and jam him in press coverage and he’s got to prove that he can handle it without throwing him off his route path. I want to be sold, but not in the 2nd.

Taylor Price6’ 204 lb.

It may ultimately be difficult to look back at Price’s college days to truly understand what kind of receiver he’s going to be at the next level. His quarterbacks were average at best, but ask Price and he’ll tell you. “Johnny Knox”. The speedy Chicago Bears receiver set the NFL on fire in his rookie season and did so with speed. Lots of it. Price has that speed, but how complete is his NFL bag of tricks? In other words, has his route running improved? Is he ready to handle the physical corners? Good questions all and probably why one of the fastest receivers in the draft is thought to be a third round selection.

Wide Receivers

Rec Yds TDs

2007 54 676 2

2008 67 1055 3

2009 38 490 2

Rec Yds TDs

2006 19 235 2

2008 58 869 9

2009 70 1010 6

4.53 40-yd. dash4.48 40-yd. dash

4.41 40-yd. dash

Projection: 2nd/3rdProjection: 2nd

Projection: 3rd

Eric Decker6’3” 217 lb.

Decker’s 2009 season ended prematurely after he tore ligaments in his foot. The shame was that he was having the best year of his career and was, again, carrying the Minnesota offense. And, that’s a key point when assessing Decker - the Minnesota offense died a slow death without #7 on the field. Seriously. In 2008, they couldn’t move the ball at all without him, but when he returned, the Gophers offense had a little punch and some life left. If he’s fully recovered, he’s a solid early round selection. He’s a brilliant route runner and he’s a lot bigger than he looks on TV. He’s going to be a major surprise and a solid #2 in the future.

Rec Yds TDs2006 26 378 3

2007 67 909 9

2008 84 1074 7

2009 50 758 5

Did not run @ Combine

Projection: 2nd/3rd

Rec Yds TDs2006 9 77 0

2007 33 464 4

2008 51 694 5

2009 56 784 5



Dexter McCluster5’8 3/4” 172 lb.

Whippet quick. Game Breaker. Small. Very small. Those three items are indisputable when discussing McCluster. The question, though, is whether he belongs on this list or with the running backs. Now, that can be an asset. Or, it can be a liability...in the wrong hands, err, coaching staff. But, in the right hands, he can be a gem, either at slot WR or in spot time at running back. He’ll run between the tackles, which separates him from other so-called RB/WR hybrids. However, his quickness in the slot is perhaps his best asset and the one that NFL coaches want to utilize most.

Wide Receivers

Rec Yds TDs2006 15 232 1

2007 27 326 2

2008 44 625 1

2009 44 520 3

4.58 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Carlton Mitchell6’3” 215 lb.

I’d like to think a 6’3”, 215 lb. ath-o-lete would draw a ton of attention. But, Mitchell is flying under the radar in a big way, which could be a good thing or it could be signaling the fact that Mitchell isn’t quite ready for “potential” to meet “productivity”. He wasn’t much more for USF other than a vertical threat. But, averaging nearly 18 yards per catch, he proved he can, at a minimum, be that guy. But, the question still exists as to whether he can mature into a solid #2 option in the future. He’s strong and can run, but consistency in route running and gaining separation are absolute musts for this big receiver.

4.49 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Rec Yds TDs

2007 37 537 4

2008 28 405 1

2009 40 706 4

The Gold Standard

L i s t e n L i v e 6 a m - 1 0 a m1 5 6 0 T h e G a m e

John Granato

Lance Zierlein&

John Granato on the Texans3 Best options at #20

1. Kyle Wilson, Boise State

2. Ryan Mathews, Fresno State

3. Maurkice Pouncey, Florida



Brandon LaFell6’2 1/2” 211 lb.

LaFell is still trying to live up to the potential that many felt he had after leaving high school. Big, strong and athletic, LaFell has had scouts scratching their heads for a while now. He’s got every attribute a great receiver has, except he’s not a tremendous receiver. And, I mean literally, he doesn’t catch the ball well. He lets the ball get into his body and his hands are highly questionable. Then once a season, he’ll make a one handed catch and tap the toes on the sideline. The point is that he’s got the “right mix of skills” to be a star, but the consistency to be in the CFL in four years.

Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas - Projection: 4thJacoby Ford, Clemson - Projection: 4thKerry Meier, Kansas - Projection: 4thBlair White, Mich. State - Projection: 4th/5thMarcus Easley, U Conn - Projection: 4th/5thChris Bell, Norfolk State - Projection: 5th/6thEmmanuel Sanders, SMU - Projection: 5thDavid Gettis, Baylor - Projection: 5th/6thDanario Alexander, Missouri - Projection: 6thJeremy Williams, Tulane - Projection: 6thRyan Wolfe, UNLV - Projection: 6th/7th

O t h e r W i d e R e c e i v e r s t o W a t c h

Wide Receivers

Rec Yds TDs2006 5 140 2

2007 50 656 4

2008 63 929 8

2009 57 792 11

4.59 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Mardy Gilyard5’11 7/8” 187 lb.

Gilyard is a wonderful player - the type of player who you wish was 6’2” and 215 pounds. There would be no discussion as to who the number one receiver in the draft would be. However, the Bearcat product is no bigger than a high school outside linebacker. And, that could honestly keep him on the outside looking in. Eventually, a team is going to find a solid #3 option with him. He’s tough and can be physical, but can he get off press coverage at the line of scrimmage? He was used in motion in college to get mismatches or allow him space to get loose. He’s quick and has good wiggle. Plus, he can make a ton of plays on special teams.

Rec Yds TDs

2007 36 536 3

2008 81 1276 11

2009 87 1191 11

4.56 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd/4th

Jordan Shipley5’11 1/4” 193 lb.

There’s a part of me that really wants a 45-year old receiver to make it, especially one who has been through what Jordan Shipley has been through. If Brett Favre can be a grandfather and play in the NFL, so can Shipley. In all seriousness, though, Shipley is a wonderful 4th round option for some team. He’s the rare receiver who plays at his 40 yd. dash time at all times. He can get separation and is a brilliant route runner, and he gets separation because he’s a brilliant route runner. But, against the best DBs he faced this year - Oklahoma, he struggled. He’s a demon in the return game and will pay dividends immediately with his punt return skills.

Rec Yds TDs2006 16 229 4

2007 27 417 5

2008 89 1060 11

2009 116 1485 13

4.57 40-yd. dash

Projection: 4th

Missing an entire season of college football wasn’t just something reserved for Oklahoma quarterbacks. All-Amer ican TE Jermaine Gresham sat out the season after he injured his knee in pre-season camp, effectively ending any shot OU had of being a double digit win team in 2009.

But, when he was last on the field, Gresham was a terror and perhaps the most impressive tight end in college football. He won’t maul anyone at

t h e

l ine of scr imma ge, but , honestly, he’s one of two true TE in this draft class, to t r u l y put h i s hat on a

defender.

But , i t ’s h i s s i ze and athleticism that make him a

disaster to cover downfield. In 2008, he caught the ball in

nearly every area of the field. He’s a smooth athlete who is too

big for safeties and too fast for linebackers...IF he’s healthy. Is he?

We’ll see.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tTight Ends


Jermaine GreshamThe Skinny on Gresham

OUTE

6’5 1/4” 261 lb.Ardmore, OK

Missed ’09 season w/knee inj.

Rec Yds TDs

2006 8 161 1

2007 37 518 11

2008 66 950 14

Projection: 1st/2nd

Rob Gronkowski6’6 1/4” 264 lb.

The closest thing to a complete tight end in this draft. He’s a bit better in-line blocker than Gresham, but then again, he’s not dominating the edge like a Keith Jackson. The biggest problem for Gronkowski is the back that knocked him out for the 2009 season. How bad that back is will determine whether the great people on ESPN and NFL Network pronounce Gron-kow-ski on Thursday or Friday night. He’s got a fairly complete package of assets - he’s a natural pass catcher, can make a play after the catch and is a play-making tight end. And, what’s key is he’s a TRUE tight end - one who’ll put his hand on the ground. But, he has the versatility/skill set to transition to a mobile H back spot at times in a game.

Rec Yds TDs

2007 28 525 6

2008 47 672 10

Injured , missed 2009 season

Projection: 1st/2nd

Dennis Pitta6’5” 245

I’m not totally sure when the traditional tight end morphed into a WR with size, but it did. An athletic 6’4”/6’5” 240-250 pounder, with the speed of a #2 wide receiver, is being used more in motion and in the slot, instead of with his hand on the ground. That type of position is tailor-made for BYU’s Pitta. Perhaps the most natural receiver of any tight end (and tight end is used loosely) Pitta is a wonderful route runner. He has slick, subtle moves that he uses to get open against nearly anyone. Safety or linebacker, it doesn’t matter. He’s not Dallas Clark, but has a similar type game and in a similar system can have an impact right away for a team’s passing game.

4.68 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Rec Yds TDs2004 17 176 2

2007 59 813 5

2008 83 1083 6

2009 62 829 8



Ed Dickson6’4 1/4” 249 lb.

Each of the past three years, I believed Dickson was on the verge of being the best tight end in the nation. But, after he’d have a strong game, he’d be a forgotten piece in the Oregon offense. Against Cal and Wash. State, he had 18 catches for 251 yards and four TDs. Then, the following week against UCLA, he had only 3 catches for 24 yards. That is due in large part to Oregon’s desire to run the ball more so than any negative about him. Regardless, he’s a tough match-up for safeties and he could be a strong asset down the seams. He’s a decent blocker, but it’s not one of his core assets. He’s got plenty of WR tendencies and could be used more at #3 WR position than anywhere else.

Tight Ends

Rec Yds TDs2006 4 45 0

2007 43 453 3

2008 35 508 3

2009 42 551 6

4.67 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Anthony McCoy6’5” 259 lb.

If you put on the Notre Dame game, you’d think you were watching the next coming of Antonio Gates. McCoy had five catches for 153 yards and the Irish had no clue how to stop him. It was really the only time all season that he had a significant impact. As with most of the players in this class of tight ends, he is a natural receiver. He can snatch the ball out of the air. He can fight for it in the air. He can stretch the defense down the seam and will be an absolute beast down the seam against Tampa two defenses. But, where’s his head? He was ineligible for the bowl game against BC and he tested positive for marijuana at the Combine. Uh oh, that 4th round grade is falling.

4.79 40-yd. dash

Projection: 4th

Jimmy Graham6’6” 262 lb.

Each and every year, there’s a player that get people’s attention that you didn’t see coming. Enter Jimmy Graham. Former power forward for the Hurricane hoops squad Jimmy Graham. He hadn’t played football for the Hurricanes until his basketball eligibility ran out and he made the most of his opportunity. His best asset is that his best football is well in front of him as he’s only played one year. It could also be his biggest liability. But, he’s a very good red zone threat, considering over 25% of his catches were for touchdowns. Athletically gifted, he still needs to learn the ins and outs of being a tight end, not to mention an NFL TE.

Rec Yds TDs

2009 17 213 5

4.56 40-yd. dash

Projection: 3rd

Aaron Hernandez6’2” 245 lb.4.58 40-yd. dash

Scouts haven’t fallen in love with Hernandez liked I truly thought they would. But, allow him the opportunity, in the “right” situation, and he could be a 70-75 catch per year demon. A number of “receptions” during his Florida career were shovel passes and option pitches. However, when he did get into routes downfield, he was exceptionally difficult to cover and even harder to get hands on. He runs well after the catch, which is vital at the next level for him. Why? He won’t block anyone, so even though he’ll give it the old college try. As such, his ability to “catch and run” is his best asset.

Rec Yds TDs

2007 9 151 2

2008 34 381 5

2009 68 850 5

Projection: 4th/5th

Rec Yds TDs

2007 2 18 1

2008 22 256 1

2009 22 457 1



Tight Ends

Rec Yds TDs

2007 1 5 0

2008 13 174 2

2009 49 529 10

Dorin Dickerson

When you see Dickerson, you NEVER think “tight end”. Ever. So, maybe his placement amongst this group is a bit out of place, but he’s not a true WR, either. But, no matter what position he’s projected to play at the next level, he’s FAST enough to play it. He ran a 4.40 40 at the Combine to get the attention he lacked when he was at Pitt. But, his “type” (meaning a hybrid TE/WR) is welcomed in this league. He can line up with his hand on the ground but you KNOW he isn’t blocking anyone. However, if he lines up off the ball, in the slot of as an H Back, he could be a solid asset.

6’4” 226 lb.4.40 40-yd. dash

Projection: 5th

Michael Hoowanamanui, Illinois - Projection: 5th

Nate Byham, Pitt - Projection: 5th

Dedrick Epps, Miami - Projection: 5th

Brody Eldridge, Oklahoma - Projection: 6th

Clay Harbor, Missouri State - Projection: 5th

O t h e r T i g h t E n d s t o W a t c h

Sean & John

L i s t e n L i v e 3 P M - 7 P M1 5 6 0 T h e G a m e

&

Sean “The Cablinasian” on the Texans Best options at #20

1. C.J Spiller, Clemson

2. Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

3. Kyle Wilson, Boise State

Sean Pendergast

John Harris

“Two guys trying not to suck

too much”

Best case given the Texans a gamebreaker to pair with Steve Slaton - worst case he’s insurance in case Slaton doesn’t make it back.

Isn’t the interior of the OL, at least, the 2nd biggest need on this team? Quick and athletic, he played some of his best ball in biggest games

With D. Robinson gone to Atlanta, CB is the Texans biggest need. Talented prospect with speed and confidence to match up with NFL WRs.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tTackles

In my War Room, I’d have Bulaga at the top of my list. I know I’m a little more risk aversive than most, but I love upside as much as anyone as well. I think Bulaga is the safest of the three picks, but still has room to improve. I see a lot of similarities to Joe Thomas of the Browns, instead of former Iowa great Robert Gallery. Bulaga is perhaps the best blend of pass protector and one-on-one mauler. He’ll get into the street fight with you for sure . But , h i s protection skills are solid. The

last game of his career, he faced Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan and held him in check. Bulaga can let defenders get up under his pads at times, but he’s so strong lower body wise that he doesn’t get moved. He slides we l l and punches wi th authority. He is a tad more mechanical than the other two, but still athletic enough to stay on the left side for 12 years.

People LOVE Okung. Or better put, people love the THOUGHT of what Okung can become at the next level. Quick and athletic, Okung has lived on an island for the past two years as the starter at left tackle in a spread attack. He

rarely, if ever, got any help on pa s s r ushers , no matter whether it was a linebacker or speedy defensive end. His technique needs a ton of work for Okung to be an annual Pro Bowl tackle. But, he’s got dancer’s feet, if nothing else. Projected to go as high as number two, he’s a nice blend of pass protector and run blocker. His ability to get to the second level quickly in the run game is attractive as well.

One of the best athletes at his position, Williams has been inconsistent, at times, in his career. He’s got tremendous feet and can move as well as the other two tackles featured here on this page. But, there have been plenty of t imes that Williams has been beaten, due in large part to being lazy or getting lazy in his technique. One of the things that I love about h im though i s h i s versatility. He’s a left tackle, no doubt, but he’s seen time at

nearly every position on the line, even at center where he had to make all the line calls for OU in the Sun Bowl. He wasn’t perfect in 2009, but don’t lump him in with the horrid OU line from last year. He’s the best athlete of this bunch and a solid top 12 pick.

The Skinny on WilliamsOklahoma

6’4 5/8” 315 lb.

The Skinny on OkungOklahoma State6’5 1/4” 307 lb.

The Skinny on BulagaIowa

6’5 3/8” 314 lb.


Tre n t Wi l l i ams

R u s s e l l O k u n g

B r y a n B u l a g aProjection: To

p 5

Projection: To

p 10

Projection: Top 10



Anthony Davis6’5” 323 lb.

There was a run on Anthony Davis love right after the season. Some had him going as high as 8 to the Raiders, considering the type of athlete that he is. And, there’s no questioning his athletic ability whatsoever. He’s fluid in run blocking and could grow into a solid pass protector, but to me, he’s still a huge question mark given his work ethic issues and sloppy technique. Some love his potential more than Charles Brown or Bruce Campbell, but he was demoted to 2nd team before the season because he was not giving the proper effort for Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

Charles Brown6’5 3/8” 303 lb.

I’ve gotten to really like Brown watching more after the season. He moves relatively well, but he’s not as fluid as the “Big 3” - Okung, Williams, Bulaga. He’s solid in run blocking, but not a road grader. He’s smooth and moves well with good technique, but he’s not as good with his technique as say Bulaga. But, add up his attributes and you’ll see why the Pac-10 coaches voted him the best OL in the league. He struggles with quick inside moves, but it’s something that he can work on with some fundamental work at the next level.

Rodger Saffold6’4” 316 lb.

I don’t know that there’s a tackle who climbed up the ladder, and continues to climb up the ladder, err, mock draft boards, more than Saffold. Although he had a solid career at IU, he wasn’t quite a household name for most of the analysts out there. But, Saffold is a solid pass protector (did a good job on Ole Miss DE Greg Hardy at East-West Shrine Game) and has the feet to protect the edge. There’s a thought that he can move to guard and he’s got that versatility that attracts him to teams. Ironically, the Colts could be in play for Saffold to replace Charlie Johnson or even play along side him.

Ed Wang, Virginia Tech - Projection: 3rd

Jason Fox, Miami - Projection: 4th

Selvish Capers, West Virginia - Projection: 4th/5th

Sam Young, Notre Dame - Projection: 5th

Tony Washington, Abilene Christian - Projection: 5th

Mike Tepper, Cal - Projection: 5th/6th

O t h e r Ta c k l e s t o W a t c h

Tackles

34” arm length 35 1/4” arm length

33 5/8” arm length

Bruce Campbell6’6 3/8” 314 lb.

Let me be as honest as possible about Campbell. His athleticism and performance don’t match up. At all. He’s a wonderfully blessed athlete who nearly ran a better time in the 40 than some running backs and receivers. Add that quickness to a 6’6” 314 pound body and he should be THE #1 pick in the draft. But, it’s not even close. His technique is highly suspect and I wonder if he can become an effective left tackle with his lack of ability to handle speed rushers off the edge. Oh, but the speed. Yeah, that speed does nothing for Campbell if he can’t move and punch effectively.

Jared Veldheer6’8 1/8” 312 lb.

What a physical specimen. A 6’8”, 312 pound tackle who can move. He’s more power forward than left tackle, but Veldheer is a guy who has unlimited potential and a solid mid-round opt ion . But , the “ s t rength o f competition” argument will exist for as long as Veldheer remains undrafted. He’s a former tight end who still has to tap into a tackle’s nastiness to truly become a starting tackle for a dozen years in the NFL. He’s got a chance to be special in a couple of years with some seasoning and some technique work.

4.85 40-yd. dash 33” arm length

Projection: 1st Projection: 2nd

Projection: 2nd Projection: 3rd

Projection: 1st/2nd

Alright, how many of you actually knew who Mike Iupati was BEFORE the 2009 season? Be honest. I’ll be honest - I’d heard of him, but didn’t know that he would attract as much 1st round attention, especially as a guard. Steve Hutchinson and Alan Faneca were the rare duo that got f i r s t round attent ion , but Iupati has gotten plenty during the 2009 season.

He’s strong as an ox. Watch any game from last year and it’s a guarantee that he’ll take someone and slam them on the ground with his sheer upper body strength. But, those were WAC defensive tackles/linebackers, who aren’t as big as NFL defensive backs. His feet are good, not great. But, he’s not just good, he’s exceptional at “combo-

ing” off blocks to get to the second level. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone do it

as well.

Regardless, I have questions about whether he’s ready to make the t rans i t ion immediately. Give him a few years and he’ll be solid.


The Skinny on IupatiIdaho

G6’6” 331 lb.Anaheim, CA

’09 Outland Award Finalist

M i k e I u p a t i2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tCenters/

Guards

vs .

I first saw Pouncey when he was at Lakeland HS, blocking with his twin brother for hotshot Gator recruit Chris Rainey. The future Gator RB went nuts that night, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Maurkice.

He started nearly every game he played at Florida and was the leader in the middle of the line for the Gators, making all of the line calls for the Gator OL.

But, what stands out even more so is his desire to “mix it up”. He’s tough and

physical a n d wi l l , n o

doubt, hit someone in the face. He doesn’t back down

from anyone.

I can’t remember anyone beat ing h im upf ie ld in one-on-one pass blocking. He’s more mau ler than re f ined technician, but

h e ’ s got room to g r o w. He pul ls from

the center position very well. He’ll transition to guard, where he

would ’ve p layed l a s t year had

F l o r i d a been able to find anyone to play center.

Maurkice Pouncey

The Skinny on PounceyFlorida

C/G6’4 1/2” 304 lb.

Lakeland, FL’09 Outland Award Finalist

Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st


Zane Beadles6’4 1/4” 310 lb.

A left tackle in college, he’s not athletic enough to stay out on the edge (just watch the TCU tape, you’ll know). But, he’s a solid offensive lineman who has the tools to succeed inside. He’s not exceptionally quick, but for a guard, he’ll be quick enough. He’s smart and tough and that’s makes him a good fit for the zone blocking scheme and great value in later rounds.

Jon Asamoah6’4” 305 lb.

Asamoah is a good athlete, smooth and fluid and an adequate fit for the zone blocking scheme, no matter whether that’s for Houston or some other ZBS organization. Although he’s not as good as Iupati combo blocking, he’s still effective getting a power shot on a defensive lineman, before moving up to linebacker level. He’s a intelligent young man and will be a great citizen for his NFL team, if not a 1st yr. starter.

Vladimir Ducasse6’5” 332 lb.

Now this young man is a different breed altogether. I’ve got him listed at guard because I feel like Ducasse doesn’t possess the feet to be a tackle, left or right. He’s got the wingspan, but he can’t handle the quickness on the perimeter. However, if he bumps inside, he can be a strong guard. He’ll project to be either a zone blocking interior linemen or a power linemen. He’s got an adequate future. Inside.

JD Walton, Baylor - Projection: 3rd/4thShaun Lauvao, Arizona State - Projection: 4th/5thMarshall Newhouse, TCU - Projection: 5th/6thCiron Black, LSU - Projection: 6th/7th

O t h e r C e n t e r s / G u a r d s t o W a t c h



John Jerry6’5 1/4” 328 lb.

He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, wonderlich-wise, but he may have something that not many on this list will have: versatility. He played out at tackle for some of his career and then moved inside for portions of his career. At his size and dimensions, he could be a 10-12 year star in a power scheme. He doesn’t move well enough to be in a zone scheme. He’s tough, but not ready to start right away.

Mike Johnson6’5” 312 lb.


Centers/Guard

s

Matt Tennant6’5” 300 lb.32 1/4” arm length

Johnson isn’t flashy. He’s not the most athletic player in the world. He doesn’t blow you away with his physical attributes. His technique isn’t perfect. But, Johnson is steady and consistent. He won’t become a dominant star, but he strikes me as a guy who’ll end up in Indianapolis for the next 8 years, playing right guard, protecting Peyton Manning. He won’t be a Pro Bowler, but he’ll start for a number of years.

This is a rough year for centers in this draft. Although Pouncey can play both, he might have a better future at guard. That pretty much leaves Tennant and JD Walton from Baylor. They’re almost twins in some sense. Similar body build. Decent feet. Adequate in space. Brawler. Good zone blocking fit. Tennant isn’t a masher and could get knocked back against stout 3-4 nose tackles. But, he’ll be good value in the 4th.

Projection: 4th/5th

Projection: 2nd

Projection: 3rd Projection: 3rd/4th

Projection: 2nd

Projection: 4th

Dominating. Scar y. Physica l l y overwhelming. What other adjectives can you think of for one of the most impressive defensive players we’ve seen in college football? Not really sure any of them can truly describe how good Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh actually is.

He’s downright other worldly and thought to be the best defensive tackle we’ve seen in quite some time. Those are strong words, but then again, when it comes to what Suh has done, perhaps not as much.

Getting a chance to meet and talk wi th h im dur ing our Rotar y Lombardi Award broadcasts, I was struck at how sleek he looked for a 300 pound young man. He has the body of a track athlete and the desire to destroy anything that gets in his way.

His strength i s

legendary, but it could be a minor liability, if there is one...and I’m digging. He’s so strong that he al lowed offensive l inemen to engage him, so he could stack and shed. College linemen? None of

them had a shot. NFL linemen? They ’ l l fo rce h im to use h i s

strength , and quickness to get loose.

Put him at the 3 technique for the next 12 years and watch the Pro

Bowls pile up. There’s no such thing as a lock in this sort of thing, but he’s as close as you’re going to get.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tDefensive Ta

ckles

The Skinny on SuhNebraska

DT6’3” 308 lb.Portland, OR

‘09 Lombardi & Outland Award

There are classy young men and then there ’s Gerald McCoy. I ’ ve met some good ones in my day, but he’s one of the best I’ve met.

It’s not how you thought th i s analysis of McCoy would go, I’m sure of that, but when you talk about him, you have to consider the full package. And, his character certainly defines

him .

What e l se ? His quickness. No other tackle is as quick on his first t h r e e steps as McCoy.

H i s abi l i ty to beat guards and centers with his first three steps wi l l keep h im

around the league for a good long t ime .

Furthermore, he’s the ultimate team player. Often t imes at Oklahoma, I saw him take two guys out of a play, so a DE could loop inside and get a free shot at a sack.

But, one-on-one, he’s so tough to get hands on and if you do, he’s got the stack-and-shed ability to free himself. I think his pass rush

needs a little work; he’s not quite there. Trust me, he’ll get there.

The Skinny on McCoyOklahoma

DT6’3” 298 lb.

Oklahoma City, OK’09 Lombardi Award Finalist

G e r a l d McC o y

Ndamukong Suh


vs .

Projection: Top 2

Projection: Top 5

W h o ’ l l B e N e x t ?

Coming Soon...December 2010

2009: Ndamukong Suh2008: Brian Orakpo2007: Glenn Dorsey2006: Lamarr Woodley2005: A.J. Hawk2004: David Pollack2003: Tommie Harris2002: Terrell Suggs2001: Julius Peppers2000: Jamal Reynolds

1999: Corey Moore1998: Dat Nguyen1997: Grant Wistrom1996: Orlando Pace1995: Orlando Pace1994: Warren Sapp1993: Aaron Taylor1992: Marvin Jones1991: Steve Emtman1990: Chris Zorich

1989: Percy Snow1988: Tracy Rocker1987: Chris Spielman1986: Cornelius Bennett1985: Tony Casillas1984: Tony Degrate1983: Dean Steinkuhler1982: Dave Rimington1981: Kenneth Sims1980: Hugh Green

1979: Brad Budde1978: Bruce Clark1977: Ross Browner1976: Wilson Whitley1975: Lee Roy Selmon1974: Randy White1973: John Hicks1972: Rich Glover1971: Walt Patulski1970: Jim Stillwagon

2010 ???



Dan Williams6’2” 329 lb.

Williams has a butt that blocks out the sun. Okay, so what does that mean? Well, pants are hard to find, but it also means, he’s strong as an ox and often wins leverage battles at the LOS. But, Williams is surprisingly quick in small spaces and very rarely gets “zoned” off by zone blocking OL. He rarely is knocked off the ball and, for an interior tackle, he actually pursues to the ball very well. I won’t put sideline-to-sideline on him, but Williams can make some plays. He’ll be a major factor as a 3-4 nose or a 4-3 “shade” nose

Brian Price6’2” 303 lb.

Relentless is the first word that comes to my mind when th ink ing about Pr ice . Unfortunately for some teams, “small” comes to mind. I’m not sure that 300+ pounders should ever be considered “small”, but it sort of boxes Price into being a 4-3 “3 tech”. Regardless, he’s a strong one gap option, a guy who penetrates well and isn’t just a guy who ties up blockers at the point of attack. He uses his hands exceptionally well and has a quick first step. But, as I mentioned above, he never stops his pursuit. One worry...he didn’t have the best pro day and that could cost him a little $ in the end.

Arthur Jones6’3” 302 lb.

Two words. Knee. Surgery. Jones’s injured knee cost him the last three games of his 2009 season and there’s a major concern whether the torn ACL will cost him $$ in the long run. Before the injury, he was exceptionally athletic, even to the point where he might project to a 3-4 defensive end. That versatility makes him an intriguing/interesting project and if a team can get him on board late in the fourth, they can get him in the building, if you will, and figure it out. I like his quickness, but what’s it like after the knee surgery? Great question.

Torell Troup, UCF - Projection: 4th

Kade Weston, Georgia - Projection: 4th/5th

Linval Joseph, East Carolina - Projection: 4th

D’Anthony Smith, La. Tech - Projection: 4th/5th

Al Woods, LSU - Projection: 6th

Ekom Udofia, Stanford - Projection: 6th/7th

O t h e r D e f e n s i v e Ta c k l e s t o Wa t c h

27 bench reps @ combine 34 bench reps @ combine


Cam Thomas6’4” 331 lb.

Thomas has been rising steadily since his performance at the Senior Bowl. What I hate, though, are guys who make an impression at the Senior Bowl but are average during the season. One week doth not make a draft prospect, but you can get snowed by a good Senior Bowl week. He’s stout and can play over the nose, similar to Terrence Cody and others. Perhaps, he’s better value later in the draft than Cody or others over the nose. He might be a better athlete, in general, than Cody, but he gets a little sloppy at times.

Terrence Cody6’4” 349 lb.

Cody is an interesting prospect. I love him in the Ted Washington/Sam Adams role over the nose in a 3-4. Love it. Don’t care about his weight, but what he’s done since the Senior Bowl is pretty impressive. He’s down 21 pounds since the Senior Bowl, showing that this does mean something to him. He does want that day in Hef ’s mansion (I’ll tell you some other time). If the loss of weight can help get him on the field for more than 25 plays per game, then he’s as important for some 3-4 team than any other player. He’s not a pass rush demon, but he dominates against the run.

34 3/4” arm length Rotary Lombardi Award Finalist

Defensive Tackles

Projection: 1st Projection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 3rd Projection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 4th

Penn State defensive linemen have been hit or miss in the past. For every Courtney Brown (read: bust) there has been a, well...a, well...okay, so I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head, but Odrick is ready to break the mold.

The 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is one heck o f an int r igu ing prospect. Quick and disruptive, he was a complete and total menace a t the Senior Bowl. No interior guys could slow him down and he was consistently beating them one-on-one.

Great w i th leverage and good

wi th h i s hands , Odr ick i s u l t ra -

difficult to move in the middle, although he only

tops the scales at 304 lbs.

As a 3 tech in a 4-3, Odrick could excel as a one gap penetrating, havoc creating tackle. I like him actually in either scheme.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t4-3 DT/ 3-4 DE

The Skinny on OdrickPenn State

DT/DE6’5” 304 lb.Lebanon, PA

’09 Big Ten Defensive POY


J a r e d O d r i c k

Lamarr Houston6’3” 305 lb.

Ask those around the Longhorn program who the defensive MVP was for the 2009 season and Houston’s name was often the first one brought up. He’s a former RB turned DE who fit perfectly for Will Muschamp’s defense. He’s a great option for the Texans, given how much chaos he can generate inside. He had moments of brilliance at the Senior Bowl and throughout the season, but he also got moved at the SB.

Geno Atkins6’1” 293 lb.

Perhaps the highest riser on this board, Atkins had a strong senior season at Georgia (although no one pa id any a t tent ion to the underachieving Dawgs). But, he whipped much bal lyhooed guard prospect Mike Iupati incessantly at the Senior Bowl. Considering the respect for Iupati, Atkins stock soared after the SB. Iupati, and others, couldn’t get cross face on Atkins and he killed them with his quicks.

4.85 40-yd./30 bench reps 34 bench reps

Earl Mitchell6’3” 294 lb.

I always thought more of Mitchell than others did, but I worry whether he can truly exist inside at DT in a 4-3. He’s strong and quick against college guards, but I don’t think that his game inside translates to that position at the next level. Move him outside to 3-4 DE and he can be a solid run stuffer and potentially provide a modicum of pass rush heat off the edge.

CJ Wilson, East Carolina - Projection: 4th/5th

Mike Neal, Purdue - Projection: 5th

Ricardo Mathews, Cincinnati - Projection: 6th

Malcolm Sheppard, Arkansas - Projection: 6th/7th

31 bench repsO t h e r 4 -3 D T/3 - 4 D E t o Wa t c h

Projection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 2nd Projection: 2nd/3rd

Projection: 4th/5th

Before the season, if you’d have said a USF Bull defensive end will be garnering first round attention, you’d have locked in George Selvie and not looked back.

However, throughout the 2009 season, Pierre-Paul showed how much more explosive off the edge he was, and is, than Selvie. And, Selvie is an OLB who was playing defensive end. Pierre-Paul i s the prototy ica l 4 -3 defensive end who gives offensive tackles absolute nightmares.

Long armed and quick off the snap, Pierre-Paul is the most disruptive pass r usher o f any other player at this position.

B u t , h e ’ s r a w , l e t ’ s

b e

honest. He’s got the longest way to go of any highly ranked pick in the first round. He can rush the QB, but so could Jarvis Moss out of F lor ida . Di f fe rent players and different skill sets, but if “raw” doesn’t translate into production, it spells B-

U-S-T.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t4-3 DE

The Skinny on Pierre-PaulUSFDE

6’5 1/2” 263 lb.Deerfield Beach, FL.

’09 Big East First Team DE


Jason Pierre-Paul

Derrick Morgan6’4” 272 lb.

I love Morgan’s ability to run in straight lines. Okay, that sounds strange in some sense, but he does. Most DE “arc” their rush to the QB, but Morgan, well, doesn’t. He’s so adept at whipping a tackle with an arm under move and then planting his outside foot and taking a direct line to the QB for the sack. All in all, he’s a fine player destined to be a first round pick (yes, I know, he’s more than just fine).

Everson Griffen6’3” 273 lb.

Give me a P. Give me an O. Give me a TENTIAL. The word will stay with Griffen until he taps into the immense ability that he has to change games from his DE position. He’s an unbelievable athlete. Okay, then why didn’t he dominate on the field against a bunch of college kids? And, scene. That’s the major question. He showed plenty of burst off the edge against Notre Dame, but was absent in plenty of other games. I love his ability, but until it translates into production, I’ll stay away.

4.72 40-yd. dash 4.66 40-yd. dash/32 bench reps

Brandon Lang6’4” 266 lb.

I thought Lang would have a much more impressive senior season at Troy, but the expectations were a bit much, I suppose. Now, that doesn’t mean he’s a bust waiting to happen, but I think he’s more project than anything else. He’s not going to be good against the run and I worry that he’s more Derrick Harvey than Jevon Kearse. Let me translate, he’s a true 4th round option in this draft class.

32 bench repsO t h e r 4 -3 D E t o Wa t c h

Projection: Top 15

Projection: Top 15 Projection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 4th

Jermaine Cunningham, Florida - Projection: 4thAusten Lane, Murray State - Projection: 4thDaniel Te’o Nesheim, Washington - Projection: 4thGreg Hardy, Ole Miss - Projection: 4th/5thLindsay Witten, U Conn - Projection: 5thAlex Daniels, Cincinnati - Projection: 6th

If all you know about Dunlap is the f ac t that he mis sed the most important Florida Gator game in recent history, well, that’s probably all that you need to know.

Not really, but there’s isn’t much that Dunlap can say or do to overcome one of the worst decisions in Florida football history. So, what happened? DUI in the wee hours during the week o f the SEC championsh ip game against Alabama cost Dunlap o n e game. That one. The one the Gators lost. They could really have used a 6’6” 293 pound stud coming off the edge to harass Alabama QB Greg McElroy, who had his best game

of the year.

That ’s the b a d ,

a n d

it’s real bad, but the guy is a freak of nature. He could probab l y mo ve to 4 -3 defensive end, but he’s the prototype 3-4 end. He’s strong against the run and

has surprising burst off the edge. With plenty more teams jumping

on board the 3-4 train, Dunlap has opportunity, so if you see him falling in this draft, you’ll know why. One bad DUI.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t3-4 DE

The Skinny on DunlapFlorida

DE6’6” 293 lb.

North Charleston, SC’09 SEC First Team DE


C a r l o s D u n l a p

Corey Wooton6’6” 270 lb.

Wooton had first round stamped on him prior to what should’ve been his final game in 2008. But, a knee injury against Missouri in that game sent him back to Northwestern to prove the injury was behind him. I don’t know that he proved that completely, but he’s fluid and athletic, moving like an outside linebacker. The only true question is the health and whether he’s ready to ratchet it up physically or not.

Tyson Alualu6’3” 295 lb.

Alualu has drummed up more mixed reviews than any other defensive end in this class. Some think he can only play 3 technique in a 4-3. Some think he spent four years at this position, so this is what he’s made to do. I’m somewhere in the middle, I’ve seen him do a fabulous job coming off the edge on the pass rush, but I’ve seen some tackles stone him. The inconsistency, though, forces a draftee to fall.

34 3/4” arm length 4.87 40-yd. dash

Alex Carrington6’5” 284 lb.

Carrington isn’t a household name, but he pops off the screen when you see him on tape. He’s quicker off the edge than you’d expect. He’s built more like a smallish 3 technique, but he manhandled tackles on the edge in the Senior Bowl on his pass rush. He’s reminds me a lot of Patriot DE Ty Warren and could be the first of these three to be drafted. Regardless, if a team runs a 4-3 defense, it be hard pressed to think he won’t be successful

4.89 40-yd. dash/26 bench repsO t h e r 3 - 4 D E t o Wa t c h

Projection: 1st/2ndProjection: 2nd/3rd Projection: 2nd/3rd

Projection: 2nd/3rd

Clifton Geathers, South Carolina - Projection: 5th

Lorenzo Washington, Alabama - Projection: 6th

John Russell, Wake Forest - Projection: 7th


Jerry Hughes6’1 1/2” 255 lb.

If you wonder whether Hughes will be able to transition into a 3-4 OLB, just keep in mind that he was once an All-State running back in high school. A former running back who turned into one of the nation’s best pass rushers. Hughes has burst, others on this list would desire, but he’ll have to prove he can play in space and learn to play from an up stance. Can he do it? I’d rather bet with him than against him, that’s for sure.

Ricky Sapp6’3 2/3” 252 lb.

Sapp has athletic ability oozing out of his pores. He can’t be ultra-successful playing with his hand on the ground, so it might seem a little out of place to put him in this class. But, at the 3-4 OLB position, he can be a three down difference maker. Will he be able to transition to playing up on every down, ala Joey Porter? With his ability to blow by tackles on single blocks, he’ll be able to do it, at least on throwing downs.

4.69 40-yd. dash/26 bench reps 4.70 40-yd. dash

Koa Misi6’2 1/2” 251 lb.

Misi can rush the passer. Period. That’s what he’s going to be brought to (insert name of NFL town) do. He’s quick off the edge and relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback. I’ve got a feeling that teams are going to turn on the film over the last few weeks before the draft and like him more and more. He is the prototype 3-4/4-3 “tweener”, but a finisher. Love his effort and explosiveness. Should be gone by the 3rd.

4.73 40-yd. dashOther “Tweener” 4-3 DE/3-4 OLB to Watch

The season has been over for a couple of months and Michigan’s Brandon Graham hasn’t set foot on a field since the Senior Bowl.

But , no p layer ha s t ak ing a s monumental a jump up the draft boards as much as the poor man’s Dwight Freeney - Graham.

I’m not sure what people missed back during the season, but the intensity, the quickness, the passion, the ability to beat a tackle on the pass rush, the productivity. It was all there in September, October and November, but as scouts take a longer, and closer look, they like what they see.

The other aspect that could really help Graham is his ability to play as a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 defensive end equally well. The versatility makes him a dangerous factor in

t h i s 2 0 1 0

draft.

Graham can eventually have as much impact in the 2010 season as any player in this draft. He

h a s shown he can ‘win’ w i t h speed or power, quickness or guile. You get the impression that he loves this game and would be lost without it. I wish there were more Brandon Grahams.

The Skinny on GrahamMichiganDE/OLB

6’1” 268 lb.Detroit, MI

’09 Big Ten First Team DE

Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech - Projection: 3rdGeorge Selvie, USF - Projection: 4th/5thCameron Sheffield, Troy - Projection: 5th/6thAntonio Coleman, Auburn - Projection: 6thO’Brien Schofield, Wisconsin - Projection: 6th/7th

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t“Tweener

” 4-3 DE/3-4 OLB

Brandon Graham

Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st/2nd Projection: 3rd

Projection: 3rd

Before the 2008 season, Texas de fens ive coord inator Wi l l Muschamp determined that Sergio Kindle was better ser ved by putting his hand on the ground as a true defensive end. Muschamp had done this before with plenty of DE/OLB hybrid ty pes at Auburn but Kindle was his first type experiment on the 40 Acres.

The move was pretty successful, but Muschamp continued to tweak in 2009, using Kindle as a chess piece, moving him all over the place, finding the most disruptive spot on the field. Although the numbers didn’t bear that out, Kindle was perhaps more havoc-inducing in 2009 in that role, a role that suits him best for the move to the next level. He has the burst of an NFL pass rusher.

B u t , t h e issues???

Luckily, he seems to be beyond the off-the-field problems that could’ve

sent him reeling in this draft. The ultimate key is whether he’s truly ready

a n d mature enough to handle the rigors, pressure and m o n e y inherent within the NFL. If the sixth round baggage stays in Austin, some team i s getting a whale of a football player.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tOutside

Linebackers


S e r g i o K i n d l e

Sean Weatherspoon6’1” 239 lb.

‘Spoon had a brilliant 2008 season, from a stats perspective, but fell off a bit in 2009. With a b i t l e s s protect ion and a s s i s tance , Weatherspoon had more trash at his feet and struggled a bit due to it. However, his ability to close on ball carriers is top-notch and he’s a thumper who’ll have an immediate impact for a defense in 2010.

Daryl Washington6’2” 230 lb.

Washington is thought to be more of an athlete who plays linebacker than a true football player who’s athletic. But, he showed me throughout the last half of 2009 that he’s starting to make that turn. He showed a quick burst to the football and rapid decision making skills - he was reading plays much better in 2009 than in previous years. Washington has a long term future with an NFL team.

4.68 40-yd. dash 4.66 40-yd. dash

Dekoda Watson6’1” 240 lb.

He’s a Florida State linebacker so that would guarantee success right? Right?!? Not so much in Watson’s case. He’s athletic as all get out, but he seems to lack the instincts to succeed playing in space at the next level. He’s a solid tackler and can run sideline to sideline, but left out in space, he appears to be lost and out of synch. But, he’s a whale of an athlete and that’ll have some teams drooling.

4.56 40-yd. dash

The Skinny on KindleTexasOLB

6’4” 250 lb.Dallas, TX

2.5 sacks in 2010 BCS game

Navorro Bowman6’1 1/2” 231 lb.4.58 40-yd. dash

Bowman seems to be falling fast in this draft and it’s a little baffling to me, in one sense, but not in the other. His baggage isn’t light, if you catch my drift, but he can play. He’s a little stiff in the hips and reminds a little of former Va. Tech OLB Xavier Adibi. But, Bowman is a better overall playmaker than Adibi and deciphers plays much better than Adibi ever did.

Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st/2nd Projection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 4th Projection: 2nd/3rd

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tOutside

Linebackers

Roddrick Muckelroy6’1 1/2” 246 lb.

I want to believe the hype; I truly do. I want to buy into the fact that Muckelroy is different and can be a major factor at the next level. He could be, but it’s going to take a good while. He’s not ready at this point to be successful. He’s not a physically dominant run stuffer, nor is he a pass rusher extraordinaire. He’s decent at both, but not to a point where a team is dying to get him early in this draft.

Kion Wilson6’ 239 lb.

A fire hydrant, spark plug who will blow ball carriers up when he arrives. Wilson isn’t a guy people know all that well, but he’s an impressive athlete who can do round off back handsprings like a teenage gymnast. Wilson doesn’t have a ton of speed and that could push him back inside. But, I believe he could play in space, but may only be able to do so where he can blitz and come off the edge in a Philadelphia Eagles-like scheme.

4.77 40-yd. dash 4.84 40-yd. dash

Stevenson Sylvester6’2” 231 lb.

I have had a serious man crush, linebacker style, on Sylvester for a while. I love his ability to run through ball carriers. Dude can absolutely blast people, and although he’s not the best in pass coverage, he’s the best option to stay with a TE/H Back hybrid of any one on this list. He didn’t run well at the combine and that 4.74 is sitting there staring teams in the face. But, he plays that fast all the time. Others don’t - great value.

4.74 40-yd. dash

Perry Riley, LSU - Projection: 3rd/4thAJ Edds, Iowa - Projection: 3rd/4th Rennie Curran, Georgia - Projection: 4th/5thKavell Conner, Clemson - Projection: 5th/6thSimoni Lawrence, Minnesota - Projection: 6thRico McCoy, Tennessee - Projection: 7thKeaton Kristick, Oregon St - Projection: 7th

Eric Norwood6’1” 246 lb.

I honestly thought Norwood would have a ton of “draft value” due to the fact that he’s played both outside linebacker and defensive end. He’s attractive as both, because he’s rushed the quarterback and he’s also dropped adequately in coverage. But, his overall athleticism is in question after average outings at Senior Bowl and the Combine. However, he has a versatility skill set others here would kill to have.

Thaddeus Gibson6’2 1/2” 245 lb.

Long and rangy with a boat ton of athletic ability, Gibson is sort of a man without a true position. He seems out of place playing in space as a true OLB, but he’s way too tiny to be a 4-3 defensive end. A transition to true outside linebacker, either in a 3-4 or 4-3, is going to take him a good while. He’ll contribute on nickel in pass rush situations and on teams, but that’s it early in his career.

4.70 40-yd. dash 4.75 40-yd. dash

Other Outside Linebackers to Watch

Projection: 3rd Projection: 3rd

Projection: 4h/5th Projection: 5th

Projection: 5th/6th

During the months of Januar y, February and March, any scout, draft guru or GM can find problems with just about anyone, at any time. I’m sure a scout would see Moses part the Red Sea and wonder aloud whether he could do that at the next level.

My point is that a number of people are shooting a ton of holes in A labama l inebacker Ro lando McClain. Oh, he doesn’t thump when he tackles. He’s more of a hit-and-drag type of guy. He didn’t give great effort at the end of the season (although he had a horrible hamstring injury). Yet, the captain and the leader of the national champion Crimson Tide? Yes sir, this guy.

Ask scouts what they want to see in a prospect - love of the game

and a solid football IQ. Check and check.

McClain is a smart football player who’ll take control of a defense very soon after arriving in his NFL city. He can be a factor on all three

downs and wi l l impact winning.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tInside

Linebackers


Sean Lee6’2” 236 lb.

There are so many questions for ILB in this draft. McClain isn’t a hitter, Spikes is slow. Lee? How about a major knee injury that killed his 2008 season? That’s a question, I’d suppose. At the combine, Lee showed that the knee wasn’t a hindrance, but his production was way down this season. That worries me a bit. But, he should be a solid 2 down player early and a complete player in a few years.

Donald Butler6’1” 245 lb.

Not many people have had a chance to see Butler play at Washington, which isn’t unusual given the fact that Washington hasn’t won many games in the past. But, had they watched him, they would’ve seen perhaps the best athlete of the bunch. In fact, Butler could stay inside or move outside, given the fact that he has that ability to play well in space. He’ll strike ball carriers and can make plays in coverage.

4.76 40-yd. dash 35 bench reps

Brandon Spikes6’2 7/8” 249 lb.

Had Spikes come out last year, he may have gone a lot higher than he will this year. But, then again, teams would’ve seen the BCS game against OU and fallen out of love with him. That game showed me how much he struggled getting off of blocks and making plays. At the Combine and his Pro Day, he ran horribly, due to a leg injury, which has scouts running away. However, he’s a three down player who can stay on the field and be effective throughout a series.

3-time All-American

Phillip Dillard6’ 1/4” 245 lb.4.72 40-yd. dash

Dillard is a heck of a physical specimen. I really like him on first and second down. He’s been protected exceptionally well the past two years with Big Suh in front of him, but he’s physical. He seeks out contact and can run to the ball. He won’t affect the game on 3rd down, but he’s enough of a poor man’s Jeremiah Trotter to be attractive for the two downs he will play. Decent later round value.

Rolando McClainThe Skinny on McClain

AlabamaILB

6’3” 258 lb.Decatur, AL

’09 Butkus Award Winner

Projection: 1st


Projection: 3rd/4th Projection: 4th

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tInside

Linebackers

Mike McLaughlin6’ 1/4” 242 lb.

McLaughlin is the prototypical 2 down player. Wow, he can thump, too. I love how physical he is, but he’s got to improve not getting too aggressive and running himself out of plays. He’s doesn’t fly to the ball, but he finds it and will make the tackle when he gets there. He’s been overshadowed by OLB Mark Herzlich and Luke Kuechly...and maybe there’s a reason for that, but he’s solid value in later rounds.

Nathan Triplett6’3” 250 lb.

One of the more intriguing prospects at this position, especially in later rounds. Triplett is a physical beast. He’ll hit you and you’ll feel it. He’s faster than former Minnesota teammate Lee Campbell and he can handle the chaos between the B gaps better than Campbell can. I don’t see him staying outside - he should transition inside. He can put his face mask on you and there’s value in that alone.

4.83 40-yd. dash 4.74 40-yd. dash

Jamar Chaney6’ 3/4” 242 lb.

Chaney is solid later round value, as well. He reads plays well and deciphers what an offense is doing. Plus, he’ll lay wood in the middle. I would be intrigued with his speed whether he could adapt to playing outside at the next level. From what I’ve seen from him at MSU, I think he could do it. But, he’s a good tackler who has a chance to start soon.

Pat Angerer6’ 1/4” 235 lb.

Perhaps the best tackler of all the middle linebackers, Angerer needs to be given he’s the smallest of the middle backers. Now, he must stay inside, as he’s a true middle linebacker in an outside backer ’s body. But, he reads exceptionally well and can be a tremendous B gap to B gap player. He was magnificent against the Georgia Tech option game and has built on that momentum this offseason.

4.54 40-yd. dash 4.70 40-yd. dash

Other Inside Linebackers to Watch

Lee Campbell, Minnesota - Projection: 7th

Clinton Snyder, Stanford - Projection: 7th

Projection: 3rd/4th Projection: 4th

Projection: 6th Projection: 6th

Safeties aren’t valued in the way left tackles, quarterbacks or pass rushers are. Well, that is, unless the safety has a complete package of instincts, tackling ability, cover skills and playmaking abilities.

Enter Eric Berry.

For the past three years, Berry has turned the SEC into h i s p l a y m a k i n g playground, racking up big plays like their Skittles. Quite frankly, the NFL has not had a safety prospect in its midst since the l a t e Sean Taylor entered the NFL in 2004.

Berr y i sn’t quite the phys ica l specimen Taylor was , but he has a better understanding of his role in the entire defense and

he ’s a m u c h

better overall

player than Taylor. And,

I loved Taylor. N o t a th le te , but player. How important was Berry? Opposing teams HAD to know where Berry was on the field at all times.

He reads the ball in the middle of the field as well as anyone and he can fill in the alley on inside runs with equal aplomb. But, he’s not huge, so can he last for 16 games? I think so.

The Skinny on BerryTennessee

FS5’11” 208 lb.Atlanta, GA

’09 Jim Thorpe Award Winner

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tSafeties

E r i c B e r r y

Earl Thomas5’10 1/4” 208 lb.

When Thomas arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine, he weighed in at 208 pounds, which was the tipping point for the Longhorn safety. And, in a good way. He has a cerebral game that he complements with playmaking skills in the middle of the field and physicality. His tackling leaves a bit to be questioned at times, especially when he’s fatigued, but he’ll impact winning in a hurry.

Nate Allen6’ 1/2” 207 lb.

Allen isn’t going to be a high first round selection in this draft, but he might be a perfect blend for teams at the back end of the first round or into the second round to snatch. He’s physical and fluid, but not as athletic as Berry or Thomas. He has the ability to float in the middle of the field and make tackles in the alley. He’s a consistent player who will find a home in the 28 - 38 range in the late 1st/2nd round.

4.49 40-yd. dash 16 bench reps

Taylor Mays6’3 1/8” 230 lb.

Mays has become a polarizing figure in this draft. The offspring of a former NFL player, Mays seemingly has had NFL written all over him from birth. His size is impressive and his straight line speed is just as much so for a large man, not to mention safety. But, he doesn’t read exceptionally well and is more of a hitter, than a tackler. Now, he’s one heck of a hitter, but has to be more consistent tackling to make a significant impact immediately.

4.43 40-yd. dash

Chad Jones6’2 1/8 221 lb.4.56 40-yd. dash

Better prospect - 92 mph lefty or physical specimen safety? I’ll take the safety, play-making safety at that, Chad Jones. The thing about Jones is that he does a little bit of everything, but he’s not as dynamic doing it as the safeties ranked above him. He can float the middle and then knock you out. But, he can be out of position and lost in coverage at times. Regardless, a team will get a starter in the 2nd round for sure with Jones.


Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st

Projection: 2nd

Projection: 2nd/3rd

Projection: Top 10



Morgan Burnett6’1 3/8” 209 lb.

During the 2008 season, I thought Burnett was in the same class as Berry, Thomas and Mays. After the 2009 season, I had to rethink that proposition. Burnett didn’t run well during the season - he seemed to be trailing in coverage often and didn’t make near as many plays in 2009 as he did in 2008. But, that being said, he’s probably the closest thing to an all-around safety, a sort of second tier guy after Berry and Thomas. He can play at each level on the field, but is best playing center field.

T.J Ward5’10 1/2” 211 lb.

Hit-ter. There isn’t a more impressive, pound for pound, physical hitter in this draft than Ward. He will crush you, but what separates Ward from other safeties that are known for laying lumber is that he’s a good tackler as well. I’m convinced that had he not gotten hurt against Boise State in the opener, a lot more people would’ve been aware of him during the season. He’s not a level three safety and will have to do much of his damage near the box. But, for a team that needs an enforcer from that position, he’s the guy.

Darian Stewart5’11” 213 lb.

Although he’s not been a guy on many people’s radar screens throughout the season, he’s solid at just about everything. He’s not spectacular at all and perhaps for that reason, he’s not thought of a little more by scouts. But, he makes plays - he had 56 tackles last year and racked up 16 tackles for a loss over the last two years. That’s a phenomenal number for a safety, free or strong. He was used in South Carolina’s scheme near the line of scrimmage and can blitz off of the edge as well. I love the later round value of Stewart

Larry Asante, Nebraska - Projection: 4thKam Chancellor, Va. Tech - Projection: 4thDarrell Stuckey, Kansas - Projection: 4thMyron Rolle, Fla. State - Projection: 4th/5thRobert Johnson, Utah - Projection: 5thCody Grimm, Va. Tech - Projection: 6thVan Eskridge, East Carolina - Projection: 6thJustin Woodall, Alabama - Projection: 7th

O t h e r S a f e t i e s t o Wa t c h

16 bench reps @ combine 4.55 40-yd. dash

4.51 40-yd. dash

Major Wright5’11” 206 lb.

Okay, what did I say about Ward? Maybe I was just kidding about him being the best hitter because Wright wants a claim to that title as well. I’ll still roll with Ward, but Wright is a major league striker. The difference in the two is that Wright is more adept playing in the middle of the field and filling in the alley from a free safety position. He has decent range and runs well. The question for Wright is just the fact that he’s fearless and is just over 200 lbs. He’s a good tackler, but had moments of missing tackles he should’ve made in the past.

Reshad Jones6’1” 214 lb.

Jones is a ruthless hitter, that much I know. He quietly put up a solid season for the Bulldogs, racking up 76 tackles and five picks. He’s a physical presence and might be the right blend of Burnett and Wright in the third round that teams will be extremely happy about. He’s smooth and fluid and has great hip turn, a great combination to have at his position. He’ll fill in the alley and bring some attitude with him when he determines its time to come make some tackles.

4.48 40-yd. dash 4.54 40-yd. dash

Safeties


Projection: 3rdProjection: 3rd

Projection: 5th

Most everyone knows that Joe Haden started for the Florida Gators for the past three years. We all know what k ind of player he’s been for Florida. But, what stands out for me, is the way that Haden ha s prospered a t Florida after he was stung by adversity very early in his true freshman year.

His g i r l f r iend and a c lose teammate were k i l l ed in a m o t o r c y c l e accident before the 2007 season started. Not only d id Haden bounce back from that tragedy, he flourished.

There ha s been so much made about h i s s low combine time and there are go ing to be scouts that ju s t s ay no because of it. Their loss. Dude can play.

Put on a Florida game film and find a time when he’s not around the ball. You can’t. Whether it’s in zone or man, he has an innate ability to know where to be, when to break and how to make a play on the ball. He doesn’t have tremendous recovery speed, but he’s rarely out of position, so it won’t be a huge negative. He’ll come up and strike you and can play press/cover 2 equally well, although he’s better in zone. I don’t see him falling as far as some think, but if he does, he’s great value.


The Skinny on HadenFlorida

CB5’11” 195 lb.

West Palm Beach, FL’09 Thorpe Award Finalist

Before the season, I thought that Wilson would make a significant mark for the Boise State Broncos, as I put him on my pre-season All-America team at corner opposite Joe Haden. I didn’t do it out of pity or that I thought he was a nice little story - I thought the guy could play. In fact, I looked at him like a mini-Dunta Robinson. Now, some people, read SEC fans, weren’t ready to handle the truth that a corner from Boise State could be an All-American CB and a top 20 draft pick. But, when Wilson traveled to the south for the Senior Bowl and showed them up close and personal, they believed as well.

His game is reminiscent of R o b i n s o n , c i rca 2004 . Physical with his jams and in cover two situation, he’s

a guy who comes up and puts hats o n ball carriers. But, what he

proved at the Senior Bowl was that he could stay with

rece ivers in man coverage. In fact, he ate them alive in man

coverage.

T h a t d u a l

ability has many thinking he can be a top 20 player for sure in this deep draft.

The Skinny on WilsonBoise State

CB5’10” 200 lb.

Piscataway, NJ2nd team All-American

vs .

Cornerbacks

J o e H a d e n

K y l e W i l s o n


Projection: 1st

Projection: 1st



Devin McCourty5’11” 185 lb.

Playing at Rutgers, McCourty doesn’t get the notoriety of guys like Haden, Patrick Robinson or Kareem Jackson, but this young man can play. He’s physical and he’s ready to put his hat on just about anyone that gets in his way. But, he matches cuts pretty well in man coverage. I love his length - he’s a rangier corner. Although he’s only 5’11”, he has the ability to use that length to disrupt receivers and eat up the distance between he and the receivers is fairly impressive. He can play both man and zone and should be a major factor on special teams.

Patrick Robinson5’11” 194 lb.

One heck of an athlete, Robinson is exactly what you want from a corner in the NFL. He’s fast. He’s got tremendous ball skills. He’s willing to come up and hit. Well, then what’s the problem? It doesn’t happen all the time. In fact, he’s only consistent in that he’s horribly inconsistent. Throughout the season, he’d make a brilliant play, followed by a questionable play. With his skill set, he should be shutting down one half of the field and that didn’t happen when he was at Florida State.

Brandon Ghee6’ 190 lb.

Ghee, a lot like Robinson, is one of the most gifted athletes at this position. He has perhaps the best combination of size, speed and pure athleticism of anyone noted above. But, he hasn’t been as good over the past couple years of his career. However, he’s still not as natural in pass coverage, zone or man, as you’d want a first or second round corner to be. He’ll label a ball carrier and won’t be afraid one bit to come up and make a tackle. But, he’ll get paid to shut receivers down and that’ll take some time and some hard work.

Chris Cook, Virginia - Projection: 3rd

Dominique Franks, OU - Projection: 3rd

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, IUP - Projection: 3rd

Perrish Cox, Ok. State - Projection: 3rd

Jerome Murphy, USF - Projection: 4th

Donovan Warren, Michigan - Projection: 4th

Javier Arenas, Alabama - Projection: 4th

O t h e r C o r n e r b a c k s t o Wa t c h

4.48 40-yd. dash 4.42 40-yd. dash

4.45 40-yd. dash

Kareem Jackson5’11” 192 lb.

When asked what makes Jackson a potential 1st rounder, it’s tough to come up with an answer. What does he do well? Well, he doesn’t do anything poorly. He competes like a beast in man coverage. He’ll be extremely physical with receivers with his press coverage. He tackles well enough to succeed on the perimeter. He’s faced the best competition possible in college football, playing in the SEC. That all being said, he’s just a solid football player who you trust out on the edge. He’ll get beat, they all do, but he’ll compete and make the next play.

Amari Spievey5’11” 195 lb.

It’s easy to pigeonhole Spievey into the “well, he’s a zone corner” because that’s nearly all he played at Iowa. But, he’s the type of athlete who could transition into playing more man coverage or man/zone mix. His technique needs a little work, given the fact that he only played two years of D1A football after coming from junior college. He has long arms and gets his hands on receivers well at the line of scrimmage. He’s not a well known corner, but he’s a “value” 3rd or 4th round option.

4.48 40-yd. dash 4.47 40-yd. dash

Projection: 1st Projection: 2nd

Projection: 3rdProjection: 1st/2nd

Projection: 3rd

Cornerbacks

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tT h i n k i n g L i k e a S c o u t

Short arms and weak core: BadNasty streak and quick feet: Good

It is critical to know what NFL teams consider important and what they consider less important when evaluating NFL tackles. For example, don't get too caught up in how much a tackle bench presses at the combine. I'm not saying it isn't important but NFL people will tell you that good feet are much more important. Strength is a bigger concern at guard than it is a tackle. If a tackle has good "core strength" and can hold off bull rushers, then that is all that matters. Functional strength is more important than bench press numbers and teams can usually see if a tackle has functional strength by watching the tackle game film at a postseason game like the Shrine Bowl or Senior Bowl or in individual workouts. If a player can't hold off a bull-rusher then he has a problem. Of greater importance are a tackle's feet. Strength can be improved, but a tackle will either have NFL caliber foot quickness or he won't. Quick feet allow a tackle to handle edge rushers and that includes not only speed off the edge but also an ability to handle spin moves and other moves back inside. Robert Gallery had good feet too, but he never readjusted to inside moves...and it added up to a #2 pick BUST.

NFL scouts and coaches concern themselves a great deal with short armed tackles. If you've ever watched a boxing match where one fighter has a substantial reach advantage over another fighter, you understand how devastating that can be. Defensive line play is all about getting your hands on your opponent before he gets his hands on you and if a tackle has short arms then a DE will be able to get his hands on the tackle first which can help the DE get the leverage he needs to turn the corner in pass rushing situations. Coaches also love nasty streaks. In fact, I think coaches put a greater emphasis on nasty streaks for tackles (and all offensive linemen) then scouts do. Too often you hear of tackles who don't "finish" their blocks, but tackles with a nasty streak will not only finish a block, they'll bury their beaten opponent into the turn and keep them there.

Nasty streaks are also necessary because it functions to a small degree as somewhat of an equalizer for tackles who are limited physically.

What is a "value pick"?

Value is one of the first principles that you have to understand about the draft process before you can really understand what is happening on draft day. "Value" is any pick that has the ability to play beyond where he is drafted. For example, if a player is drafted in the 5th round but a team sees him as a potential NFL starter, then the team would consider him a good value pick. If a player is drafted 12th but a team has him on the top five player on their board then he can be considered a value pick. In a general sense, most value picks take place after the first round. Teams typically isolate which positions are the deepest and which are the weakest in each draft and that gives them an idea of which positions they will have to look for early and which ones they can wait on until later in the draft. Positions that offer up some of the best "value" on a yearly basis include wide receiver, safety, linebacker and guard.

Wide Receivers are a dime a dozen

This phrase may seem a little harsh, but many scouts and coaches in the NFL believe that too much of a big deal is made out of wide receivers in the first round of the draft. It is nice to have the next Jerry Rice, but statistics show that finding a great wide receiver in the first round is very difficult to do.

Another thing to keep in mind is that teams don't have to have a top 10 draft pick at WR for the passing game to work. The passing game can only work if the QB is able to get the ball to the WR. A good QB like Peyton Manning or Drew Brees can make average WRs look more than capable. If WRs don't have QBs who can get them the ball, then they become window dressing for an offense.

Because 40 times and size have become so scrutinized over the years, many good WRs who are deficient in one of those areas will fall in the draft. The good scouts, coaches and GMs understand this and will try and isolate a few good WRs outside of the first round who they see as tough or quick (helps neutralize size issue) or who play faster during the game than their 40 times would indicate (neutralizes speed issue) and they draft these WRs under the assumption that they will be good "value" picks.

b y L a n c e Z i e r l e i n


2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tT h i n k i n g L i k e a S c o u t ( C o n t ’ d ) Man-to-man CBs vs. the dreaded "cover 2" CBs

The worst thing that an agent can hear is that his CB client is considered a "cover 2" CB. For most CBs that means that they aren't very fast and what that means to the agent is that his client is going to go lower than he wants. Cover 2 CBs aren't asked to be man-to-man lockdown CBs. They typically lack speed but are decent in zone coverage and have good instincts and need to be decent tacklers since they play closer to the line of scrimmage than a man-to-man CB will. A pure cover corner needs to have good speed and teams also look for how quickly the player locates the ball when it is in the air. There are CBs with great measurables who have a hard time finding the ball when it is in the air while there are smaller CB who are good at locating the ball and making plays on it.

First round CBs need to be 5'10 at a minimum, need to have good speed, need to be able to play man to man and need to have a solid vertical leap (prevent jump balls near redzone). With teams blitzing so much these days, having a CB who is able to play man without help from a safety becomes invaluable to a defense which is why a good CB gets top priority. Back in 2004, Denver was willing to trade Clinton Portis, who had two tremendous seasons in their system, straight up for CB Champ Bailey. That said everything. Cover corners are looked at within the first two rounds while cover 2 CBs aren't usually looked at until the 3rd round at the earliest. Some CBs are considered “cover 2 corners” because of poor 40 times and in turn could possibly fall in the draft.

Good evaluators want "high NFL character"

"High NFL character" is a cross between a high football IQ, extreme competitiveness and an overall love for football. There are way too many players out there who use football and its hefty paycheck as a means to an end. In other words, they wouldn't be playing football if the paychecks weren't as high as they are. Finding players who love to play football is what all evaluators strive for in a perfect world and many times it is what separates the great middle round selections from the bad middle round picks. Sure some guys may fall in the draft thanks to their size or speed (as we talked about), but if a guy loves

football, he is likely to have great work ethic as well and that can he lp make up for the other deficiencies.

The phrase "highly competitive nature" has been mentioned frequently by football and basketball people I speak with. Players who are highly competitive will always have an advantage over other players. That's just common sense, but certain teams make a player's "highly competitive nature" a priority. A high football IQ is also something that is preferable... especially for certain positions. Players who can pick things up quickly make a coach's job much easier and guys who have a high football IQ can turn into coaches out on the field as well. Over the past few decades, there have been a ton of players with a low Wonderlic score but a relatively high football IQ.

Middle Linebacker/Linebacker

The MLB position is a position that has dropped significantly in terms of first round priority over the past decade. Why? Well more and more teams have gone to three WR sets and not just on third downs which means more MLBs are asked to do more in coverage. In the past, many MLBs were run-stuffers but were somewhat limited in pass coverage. Now, teams are just taking their weakest pass coverage LB out (sometimes MLB) and going nickel when the offensive personnel dictates it. So now teams have to determine whether a LB is "2 down" (meaning he comes out on 3rd downs) or a "3 down" (meaning he is good in pass coverage). With LBs playing less of a role in pass coverage and with the league going to more pass-oriented offenses, the value of LBs in the first two rounds, in general, has gone down somewhat.

The importance of the second day

If there is one thing that will separate an average NFL scout from a good NFL scout it will be his ability to isolate talent that is available on the second day of the draft. One of the things that has amazed me while speaking with NFL talent evaluators is how excited they get about guys in the 4th and 5th rounds. Teams will have differences of opinion on how to slot players within their top 100, but there isn't a wild deviation from one team's board to the next in terms of the top 80 to 90 players. The deviation comes on the second day of


2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tT h i n k i n g L i k e a S c o u t ( C o n t ’ d )the draft which is one of the reasons scouts and position coaches will get excited about players they view as potential starters who will be drafted in the 4th, 5th or sometimes 6th round. They love finding hints while watching film about a player they think might be a steal.

Second day draft picks who become solid to good starters in the NFL is what can separate a team from being a playoff team and not being a playoff team since many teams fail to get good value out of those picks. It also can help a team's cap situation since second day picks are more cap friendly unless a team gives the player a new deal early on.

The difference between guards

Let's talk about the difference between two different types of guards that are out there. We hear a lot of talk about zone blocking, but many teams have elements in their offense. However, teams that use it primarily need to have the right personnel up front. The key for a zone guard is foot quickness and technique. These guards aren't asked to fire off on guys and push them around. Instead, they are asked to move their feet quickly and beat players to a spot while using leverage and technique. Foot quickness is also important because many times they have to chip on a defensive lineman and then get to the next level and put a helmet on a LB or even cut block a LB. The traditional guards are known as "in-line blockers". They need to be stronger in order to battle heads-up on DTs but their foot quickness isn't always as important as their overall strength.

Teams who prefer to run between the tackles typically like having these kinds of guards. However, when you can get a guard like Alan Faneca in New York or former Chief Will Shields, who have strength and good feet, then you can mix it up with smash mouth football between the tackles while also pulling your guards on counters and power plays.

Guards don't get top 25 grades most of the time, but a good guard is coveted by the late first round all the way to the late third. Guards who are very good fits in a zone scheme can typically be found in the middle rounds and beyond because good feet are one of their strengths while overall strength isn't. In-line blockers are generally drafted a little earlier while guards who can do it both sneak into the first round.

Different strokes for different folks

When you are going to try and come up with a mock draft the first thing you have to do is rank all of the players within their position. From there, the next thing you need to do is put together a "big board" where you rank all of the players against each other since this is what NFL teams do. Now here comes the difference between our "big board" and an NFL team's. When we, as fans do it, we are ranking several players at each and every position and then taking those rankings and transposing it to our own big board. NFL teams will do a couple of things differently. First of all, they find out during the college season which guys are fits with their systems and which guys aren't and they will start crossing some guys off the list by as early as their junior season. Once a team knocks out guys they know won't fit with them, they will rank players at each position based upon talent and overall fit into their system. Once they get their positions ratings tweaked, they will move those ratings over to their own big board, but some teams will readjust their big boards with players at certain need positions getting a priority ranking over players at a position that is already strong.

RBs need to do more than run

Most fans only pay attention to what they see of running backs when the ball is in their hands but NFL scouts pay attention too much more than that. As one scout told me, "the days of just toting the ball is over for most running backs." Teams are looking more and more at how good a running back's hands are so he can be involved in the passing game. Furthermore, they want to make sure that they are at least competent is pass protection as well so they won't get their QB killed. It is getting tough and tougher for offenses to excel if they are too predictable so teams want to be able to throw it on any down, not just 3rd down.

Having a RB who can catch passes and protect the QB means that an offense doesn't have as many limitations. And here is another bonus bit of info on how to judge RBs. Teams are always looking for backs who have "wiggle" (and ability to make people miss) and who can get yards after contact. In other words, teams want backs to be able to get more than just what the OL can get for them. If you are deficient in one aspect, you need to be strong in the other.


2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tQB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma1

DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska2

DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma3

LT Russell Okung, Ok. State4

LT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa5

LT Anthony Davis, Rutgers

6

CB Joe Haden, Florida

7OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma

8

WR Dez Bryant, Ok. State

9DE Jason Pierre-Paul, USF

ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama

LB Sergio Kindle, Texas

FS Eric Berry, Tennessee

DE Derrick Morgan, Ga. Tech

NT Dan Williams, Tennessee

CB/FS Earl Thomas, Texas

QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame

G/T Mike Iupati, Idaho

LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State

CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers

DT/DE Jared Odrick, Penn St.

RB/KR C.J Spiller, Clemson

OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana

CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama

FS Taylor Mays, USC

DE/OLB Jerry Hughes, TCU

C/G Maurkice Pouncey, Fla.

DE Brandon Graham, Michigan

RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno St.

WR Demaryius Thomas, Ga. Tech

DE Everson Griffen, USC

Mock Draft

5.0

10

11

12

1314

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

3031

32A V i e w f r om t h e S i de l i n e 2010 NF L D r af t R e p o r t S p o n s o rs

The four spot is a two man battle between HOFer Derrick Thomas and longtime LT Ogden. The UCLA grad will be a Hall of Famer, so I take that out of consideration. I don’t know that there’s a definitive winner, but I think Ogden is the right fit for “value” at this spot. Peterson fell to the Vikes at #7 in the 2007 draft so it was somewhat a no-brainer, considering the Troy Williamson draft of two years prior. Either way, Champ Bailey and Sterling Sharpe were in the three man team picture, but Peterson “projects” best at #7

Okay, you pick from Marcus Allen, Rod Woodson and Jerome Bettis at 10. Way too tough to do as each of them made a mark for multiple teams, but as far as impact and value in this draft spot, I’m going to go with Woodson, one of the NFL’s 75 best players as voted on while he was still playing in 1994.Tough spot at #20. No Hall of Famers in the last thirty years have been drafted in this spot and only a handful of Pro Bowlers (May, Mike Quick, Will Wolford, Steve Atwater). May is the probably the best option at this spot...and he has rings, unlike everyone else.

The Ravens, under Ozzie Newsome “found” the two cornerstones of their defense at #24 and #26? Really? Ed Reed and Ray Lewis “fell” this far? Where’s Kirby? Yeah, the man who says “What do you expect at #26?” Well, uh, Lewis? That wasn’t bad, huh?

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t3 0 Y e a r A l l - T i m e D r a f t

T h e G r e a tPos. Player Team School Year

1 John Elway Baltimore Colts Stanford 19832 Lawrence Taylor New York Giants UNC 19813 Anthony Munoz Cincinnati Bengals USC 19804 Jonathan Ogden Baltimore Ravens UCLA 19965 LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers TCU 20016 Tim Brown Oakland Raiders Notre Dame 19887 Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings Oklahoma 20078 Ronnie Lott San Francisco 49ers USC 19819 Bruce Matthews Houston Oilers USC 1983

10 Rod Woodson Pittsburgh Steelers Purdue 198711 Michael Irvin Dallas Cowboys Miami 198812 Warren Sapp Tampa Bay Bucs Miami 199513 Tony Gonzalez Kansas City Chiefs Cal 199714 Jim Kelly Buffalo Bills Miami 198315 Dennis Smith Denver Broncos USC 198116 Jerry Rice San Francisco 49ers Miss. Valley St. 198517 Emmitt Smith Dallas Cowboys Florida 199018 Art Monk Washington Redskins Syracuse 198119 Marvin Harrison Indianapolis Colts Syracuse 199620 Mark May Washington Redskins Pitt 198121 Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings Marshall 199822 Andre Rison Indianapolis Colts Mich. State 198923 Ty Law New England Patriots Michigan 199524 Ed Reed Baltimore Ravens Miami 200225 Ted Washington San Francisco 49ers Louisville 199126 Ray Lewis Baltimore Ravens Miami 199627 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins Pitt 198328 Derrick Brooks Tampa Bay Bucs Florida State 199529 Chris Spielman Detroit Lions Ohio State 198830 Reggie Wayne Indianapolis Colts Miami 200131 Nnamdi Asomugha Oakland Raiders Cal 200332 Drew Brees San Diego Chargers Purdue 2001

T h e T r a g i cWow, a three man race between former Nebraska CB Bruce Pickens, Congressman and former Redskins bust Heath Shuler and Smith. The Bengals had fired on so many bad QBs to that point to replace Boomer Esiason and Smith was supposed to FINALLY be the one. Nope. One year college wonder didn’t pan out.This one isn’t really Overstreet’s fault as he passed tragically in a swimming accident in 1984, three years after he was drafted. But, he went to the CFL for two years after being drafted and spent only one year in the league, dying tragically the following off-season.

Smith is the answer to a trivia question. This pick originally belonged to the Green Bay Packers; they traded the pick to Atlanta for some guy named Favre. He ended up being pretty good. Smith? He ran for 329 yards in his rookie year...and that was it. Advantage: Packers.When Gregory arrived in Denver, head coach Dan Reeves remarked that he was taller than Gregory. Yes, that’s right, the Broncos had never seen Gregory before they drafted him in the first round. This bust forced the Broncos to start bringing in prospects for interviews.

Carruth conspired to k i l l his pregnant girlfriend after a semi-solid start to his career in Carolina. That’s enough to put him on the Tragic Draft list, huh?


Pos. Player Team School Year1 Aundray Bruce Atlanta Falcons Auburn 19882 Ryan Leaf San Diego Chargers Wash. State 19983 Akili Smith Cincinnati Bengals Oregon 19994 Art Schlichter Baltimore Colts Ohio State 19825 Curtis Enis Chicago Bears Penn State 19986 Lawrence Phillips St. Louis Rams Nebraska 19967 Brian Jozwiak Kansas City Chiefs UVA 19868 Leonard Coleman Indianapolis Colts Vanderbilt 19849 Reggie Williams Jacksonville Jaguars Washington 2004

10 Mike Williams Detroit Lions USC 200511 Anthony Hancock Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee 198212 Cade McNown Chicago Bears UCLA 199913 David Overstreet Miami Dolphins Oklahoma 198114 Bernard Williams Philadelphia Eagles Georgia 199415 John Clay Los Angeles Raiders Missouri 198716 Pete Koch Cincinnati Bengals Maryland 198417 Jarvis Moss Denver Broncos Florida 200718 Erasmus James Minnesota Vikings Wisconsin 200519 Tony Smith Atlanta Falcons So. Miss 199220 David Lewis Detroit Lions Cal 198421 Clifford Charlton Cleveland Browns Florida 198822 Alonzo Spellman Chicago Bears Ohio State 199223 Curt Marsh Oakland Raiders Washington 198124 Bob Buczkowski Los Angeles Raiders Pitt 198625 Terrence Flagler San Francisco 49ers Clemson 198726 Ted Gregory Denver Broncos Syracuse 198827 Rae Carruth Carolina Panthers Colorado 199728 Booker Moore Buffalo Bills Penn State 198129 John Avery Miami Dolphins Ole Miss 199830 Sammy Davis San Diego Chargers Texas A&M 200331 Rashaun Woods San Francisco 49ers Ok. State 200432 Patrick Ramsey Washington Redskins Tulane 2002

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tD r a f t O r d e r - A F C

1st (9)2nd (41)3rd (72)

4th (107)5th (178)6th (192)7th (209)7th (218)

1st (12)3rd (73)

4th (110)5th (145)6th (173)6th (174)6th (179)7th (212)7th (219)7th (252)

1st (29)

2nd (61)

4th (124)

6th (198)

7th (236)

1st (22)2nd (44)2nd (47)2nd (53)4th (119)6th (190)6th (205)7th (229)7th (231)7th (247)7th (248)7th (250)

1st (8)2nd (39)3rd (69)

4th (106)5th (138)5th (158)7th (215)7th (251)

1st (11)2nd (43)2nd (45)3rd (80)

4th (114)5th (137)6th (183)

1st (28)2nd (40)3rd (91)

4th (126)5th (159)5th (168)7th (235)

1st (5)2nd (36)2nd (50)3rd (68)

4th (102)5th (136)5th (142)5th (144)

1st (7)2nd (38)3rd (71)3rd (85)3rd (92)

5th (134)5th (146)5th (160)6th (177)6th (186)

1st (21)2nd (54)3rd (84)3rd (96)

4th (120)4th (131)5th (152)6th (191)7th (228)

1st (18)2nd (52)3rd (82)

4th (118)5th (151)5th (155)5th (164)5th (166)6th (188)7th (225)7th (242)

1st (25)

2nd (57)

5th (156)

5th (157)

6th (194)

1st (20)2nd (51)3rd (81)

4th (118)5th (150)6th (187)6th (197)7th (227)

1st (16)3rd (77)3rd (97)

4th (111)5th (148)6th (185)6th (207)7th (222)7th (241)

1st (31)2nd (63)3rd (94)

4th (129)5th (162)7th (238)7th (240)7th (246)

1st (10)

3rd (74)

4th (108)

5th (143)

6th (180)

6th (203)

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tD r a f t O r d e r - N F C

1st (27)

2nd (59)

3rd (90)

4th (125)

6th (196)

7th (234)

1st (24)2nd (37)2nd (55)3rd (70)3rd (87)

4th (105)4th (121)6th (200)7th (243)7th (244)

1st (4)

4th (103)

5th (135)

7th (211)

1st (15)2nd (46)3rd (76)

4th (115)5th (147)6th (184)7th (221)

1st (1)2nd (33)3rd (65)4th (99)

5th (132)5th (163)6th (170)7th (208)7th (226)7th (254)

1st (13)1st (17)2nd (49)3rd (79)

4th (113)6th (182)6th (206)7th (224)

1st (26)2nd (58)3rd (88)3rd (89)

4th (123)6th (195)7th (233)

1st (6)1st (14)2nd (60)

4th (104)4th (127)5th (133)5th (139)6th (176)7th (245)

1st (2)2nd (34)3rd (66)

4th (100)7th (213)7th (214)7th (220)7th (255)

1st (23)2nd (56)3rd (86)

4th (122)5th (154)5th (169)6th (193)7th (230)

1st (30)2nd (62)3rd (93)

4th (128)5th (161)6th (199)7th (237)

3rd (75)

4th (109)

5th (141)

6th (181)

7th (218)

2nd (48)3rd (78)

4th (112)6th (175)6th (202)6th (204)7th (223)7th (249)

1st (32)

2nd (64)

3rd (95)

4th (130)

6th (201)

7th (239)

1st (19)3rd (83)3rd (98)

4th (117)5th (149)5th (165)6th (171)6th (189)

1st (3)2nd (35)2nd (42)3rd (67)

4th (101)5th (153)6th (172)7th (210)7th (217)7th (232)7th (253)

Pos Player

QB Matt Schaub

RB Steve Slaton

FB Vonta Leach

WR Andre Johnson

WR Kevin Walter

TE Owen Daniels

LT Duane Brown

LG K. Studdard/W. Smith

C C. Myers/A. Caldwell

RG Mike Brisiel

RT Eric Winston


The Texans climbed another rung on the NFL ladder, winning nine games for the first time in history. In the hunt for a playoff spot until the very last tick was off the clock in the regular season, the Texans fell short. Again. However, they only had themselves to blame after giving away leads, failing to score from the one yard line and missing key last second fie ld goals in multiple games.

But, head coach Gary Kubiak was given a 3-year extension for his efforts. The offensive staff added OC Rick Dennison from Denver to replace Kyle Shanahan, but there should be little change on offense.

GM Rick Smith flirted with CB Leigh Bodden but lost out to New England, but kept WR Kevin Walter signing him to a multi-year contract.

Pos Player

DT Amobi Okoye

DT Shaun Cody

DE Mario Williams

DE Antonio Smith

OLB Brian Cushing

MLB Demeco Ryans

OLB Zac Diles

CB Glover Quin

SS Bernard Pollard

FS Eugene Wilson

CB Jacques Reaves

H o u s t o n ’ s D r a f t N e e d sCornerback Running Back Defensive Tackle

Wilson Robinson

Haden Murphy

Mathews Hardesty

Dwyer Tate

HoustonWilliams

Atkins Troup

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Brian Cushing, LB, USC2nd: Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati3rd: Antoine Caldwell, C/G, Alabama4th: Anthony Hill, TE, NC State4th: Glover Quin, DB, New Mexico5th: James Casey, TE, Rice6th: Brice McCain, CB, Utah7th: Troy Nolan, S, Arizona State

S o u t hProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Free Agents SignedP Matt Turk (HOU)WR Kevin Walter (HOU)C/G Wade Smith (KC)K Neil Rackers (AZ)

Free Agents - unsignedLS Bryan PittmanDT Jeff ZgoninaRB Chris BrownLB Chaun Thompson

FA Lost/Players CutCB Dunta RobinsonQB Rex GrossmanS John Busing



O f f e n s i v e B r e a k d o w n


QB

C TEG T

RB

GTWRWR

This position will probably be addressed at some point in the draft, if for no other reason than trying to strike it rich with a developmental QB they can groom. I don't see QB being a consideration any earlier than the 4th round.

Despite having a couple of good games down the stretch, it is highly unlikely that the Texans are ready to trust their rushing at tack to Ar ian Fos te r who has a reputation for immaturity and injuries. Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats are both backs with burst, but the Texans have a chance to add a primary running back within the first two rounds.

The Texans have Antoine Caldwell playing guard and they are getting Mike Brisiel back at that position as well. Wade Smith was signed to compete for a starting job at either guard or center. While the Texans might be able to find a combination that can work this year, the interior OL still needs an infusion of more talent and I fully expect the Texans to take an interior OL at some point in even though it is not a strong year

The Texans are probably set at their top two WR positions and they’re happy with David Anderson and Jacoby Jones right now. However, I do think the Texans will look to add a 5th WR who can also provide help in the return game and the Texans will likely start considering those types of WRs beginning in the 4th round.

Tackle will not be much of a priority in this year's draft, but there are some intriguing prospects in the middle and late rounds that might catch the Texans eye.

I c a n ' t s e e a n y scenario where the Texans would draft a TE unless they are consider ing le t t ing Owen Danie ls walk after the year is over.

DT

CB

DE

CB

FS

DT

SS

LB LB

DED e f e n s i v e B r e a k d o w n

LB

The Texans addressed DE last year when they took Connor Barwin from Cincinnati in the 2nd round. Mario Williams took a step back last year in terms of his pass rush and Barwin looked like a rookie, but I'm sure the Texans are hoping that both Mario and Barwin bring more to the table in pass rush while they have to be happy with Antonio Smith last year. Don't look for them to do anything at this position in the draft.

While the pass rush improved when Antonio Smith bumped down inside on 3rd downs, the DT play still needs to get better on a down-by-down basis. The Texans still need a true NT, and I would be very surprised if management isn't considering the possibility of adding another 3-technique to work into the d-line rotation and potentially challenge Amobi Okoye for the starting spot. This position is solid for the first three rounds but trails way off after that.

This was a huge need last year, but it will fall way down the priority list this year after the Texans took All-Pro rookie LB Brian Cushing and after DeMeco Ryans stepped his game back up. While the Texans can get better than Adibi and Zac Diles at the weak-side LB spot, it isn't a pressing priority right now.

The Texans look for fast CBs with length and they happen to have a huge need at CB which makes it a top two round priority. This is a very good draft for CBs and they can legitimately go three rounds deep and potentially find a starter this year even though I expect them to look within the first two rounds. Don't rule out the possibility of the Texans taking CB twice within the first four rounds.

While the Texans could use a full-time free safety with great instincts, I'm not sure they are going to view that position as an early priority unless a player like Earl Thomas were to fall to them. This is a good free safety draft at the front end and good values at the back end, but the middle rounds are just okay for the free safety position. As for strong safety, they’ll roll with Bernard Pollard so they won't be looking in that direction.



Offensive Mock Draft Board by Round

First RoundRBC.J. Spiller (Clemson)*Ryan Mathews (Fresno State)*WRDez Bryant (Oklahoma State)C/GMaurkice Pouncey (Florida)*Mike Iupati (Idaho)*

QB/TE/T - NONE

There is an outside chance that Iupati or Pouncey could fall to the Texans and if that happened it would be interesting to see if the Texans would jump on them, consider ing that they’re the best interior linemen, a big area of concern for the Texans. Mathews is the perfect fit for the Texans offense, but Spiller is the big play threat that might be too hard to pass up if he falls.

Second/Third RoundRBJonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)*Montario Hardesty (Tennessee)*Toby Gerhart (Stanford)Ben Tate (Auburn)*WRCarlton Mitchell (South Florida)Brandon LaFell (LSU)C/GJon Asamoah (Illinois)

QB/TE/T - NONEThe 2nd round might be a little earlier than they want to consider a guard, but Asamoah would be a nice addition if they decided to look here and then address CB or RB in the 3rd round. If they don't take a RB in the 1st, look for them to add one of the above RBs in one of these two rounds. WR would be a a bit of a luxury in either the 2nd or 3rd, but Mitchell and LaFell could be considerations if they wanted to look there.

Fourth/Fifth RoundQBDan LeFevour (C. Michigan)*John Skelton (Fordham)Jevan Snead (Ole Miss)

RBAnthony Dixon (Miss. State)Lonyae Miller (Fresno State) *James Starks (Buffalo)

WRJacoby Ford (Clemson)*Andre Roberts (Citadel)*Riley Cooper (Florida)Emmanuel Sanders (SMU)*

TEd Wang (Virginia Tech)Selvish Capers (W. Virginia)

C/GZane Beadles (Utah)*Shaun Lauvao (Arizona State)*

I think there is the potential to find a developmental QB in either round 4 or 5 which is why I have three of them listed above. The 4th round also seems like the perfect spot to find a WR who can affect the return game as well. Andre Roberts is a terrific special teams player who played a ton of positions for The Citadel while Jacoby Ford has e lect r ic speed. Anthony Dixon has fallen on draft boards for character issues and a lack of speed which could hurt him with the Texans, but Lonyae Miller h a s t e r r i fi c u p s i d e b u t w a s unfortunate enough to have to back up Ryan Mathews. Beadles can play almost any position on the field but probably needs to be inside at guard or center while Lauvao is a great fit for what the Texans like to do and he can play guard or right tackle.

QBMike Kafka (Northwestern)*Matt Nichols (E. Washington)*Noah Shepard (S. Dakota)*

RBDeji Karim (Southern Illinois)Javarris James (Miami)Alfonso Smith (Kentucky)

WRKyle Williams (Arizona State)*David Reed (Utah)Scott Long (Louisville)

TRamone Harewood (Morehouse)*Dennis Landolt (Penn State)Cole Pemberton (Colorado State)

C/G -Shelly Smith (Colorado State)*Jeff Byers (USC)*Ted Larsen (N.Carolina State - C)Alex Parsons (USC)Joe Hawley (UNLV - C)

If the Texans don't take QB in the 4th or 5th round, I do expect them to look for one in the later rounds in hopes of striking gold. I'm a fan of Kafka, but he might not be there in the 6th. I doubt the Texans look for a RB in the 6th or 7th, but Karim has intriguing speed and can return punts as well. Kyle Williams has the type of deep speed and return potential that could put Andre Davis out of a job so keep an eye on him at WR. Ramone Harewood is a massive tackle who has only played football for 3 years but has terrific feet despite being over 345 pounds so he could be a developmental pick at tackle. Colorado State guard Shelly Smith has terrific athleticism that has surely made the Texans notice, while Byers is a tough guy in the mold of Kasey Studdard and he can play guard or tackle.

Players are ranked in order at their position. * - denotes player who could be priority within order of draft

Sixth/Seventh Round



Defensive Mock Draft Board by RoundFirst Round

DTDan Williams (Tennessee)*Jared Odrick (Penn State)Brian Price (UCLA)

LBSean Weatherspoon (Missouri)

CBJoe Haden (Florida)*Kyle Wilson (Boise State)*Devin McCourty (Rutgers)*Kareem Jackson (Alabama)

SEarl Thomas (Texas)*Taylor Mays

There should be at least one of the top three cornerbacks available when the Texans choose at #20 while Earl Thomas is a wild-card since he is a safety who might be able to play corner. Weatherspoon would be a "best available" selection, but many te ams are higher on him than Rolando McClain; however, the Texans have pressing needs and LB isn't one of them. If Dan Williams were to fall, I would have to think that the Texans would be thinking hard about taking him since he is the type of physical DT that they have needed since Gary Kubiak has been head coach.

Second/Third RoundDERicky Sapp (Clemson)Corey Wootton (Northwestern)Austen Lane (Murray State)

DTLamarr Houston (Texas)*Torrell Troup (South Florida)*Al Woods (LSU)

LBDaryl Washington (TCU)

CBPatrick Robinson (Florida State)*Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest)*Jerome Murphy (South Florida)Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (Indiana, PA)

SNate Allen (South Florida)*Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech)*Reshad Jones (Georgia)Major Wright (Florida)

If a RB is taken in the first round, then there is a very good chance that CB will be the position drafted in the 2nd round with the 3rd round being a good spot for DT. All four of the cornerbacks listed are possibilities either in the 2nd or 3rd rounds and both Owusu-Ansah and Murphy could transition to free safety. Both Nate Allen and Morgan Burnett could be off the board in the 2nd round, but if not, either would be a good fit. Reshad Jones could be a safety to keep your eyes on in the 3rd round even though I'm not sure he would be a priority. Daryl Washington is more of a luxury than a likely pick and he probably won't slip to #50 anyway. Lamarr Houston is a good fit with what the Texans like to do on defense at their 3-technique while Troup would fit the role of NT that the Texans have needed to fill for years.

Fourth/Fifth RoundDEJermaine Cunningham (Florida)Lindsey Witten (UConn)

DTGeno Atkins (Georgia)*D'Anthony Smith (La. Tech)*Mike Neal (Purdue)*C.J. Wilson (East Carolina)Jeff Owens (Georgia)Corey Peters (Kentucky)

LBPerry Riley (LSU)

CBKevin Thomas (USC)*Amari Spievey (Iowa)*Dominique Franks (Oklahoma)Alterraun Verner (UCLA)*Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt)Walter McFadden (Auburn)

SKurt Coleman (Ohio State)*Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)Donovan Warren (Michigan)Robert Johnson (Utah)

While DE is still not a high priority this year, finding a good 3rd down pass rusher in these two rounds migh t make some se nse . Bo th Cunningham and Witten have the edge speed that the Texans could use at some point. These rounds are a great example of how the DT position has depth in the middle of the draft. Atkins and Smith showed flashes of quickness off the snap at the Senior Bowl which is what defensive line coach Bill Kollar wants. C.J. Wilson might be a better 3-4 DE, but I could see him gaining weight and sliding inside. Jeff Owens is very strong at the point of attack and would be a fit at NT. Even if the Texans look at CB within the first two rounds, the CBs available in these rounds should be good values including Spievey, Thomas and Verner. Myron Lewis has the athle t icism but isn't much of a tackler.

DERahim Alem (LSU)*Kevin Basped (Nevada)George Selvie (South Florida)

DTBrandon Deaderick (Alabama)*Earl Mitchell (Arizona)*Jay Ross (East Carolina)

LBSimoni Lawrence (Minnesota)*Kavell Conner (Clemson)Keenan Clayton (Oklahoma)

CBDavid Pender (Purdue)*Ben Burney (Colorado)A.J. Jefferson (Fresno State)

SJamar Wall (Texas Tech)Jeromy Miles (UMass)

Linebacker isn't a big need for the Texans, but if you find athletes late in the draft who can also shine on special teams, they tend to get drafted and Lawrence, Conner and Clayton all fit that bill. Jamar Wall can move from CB to FS since he has play-making ability and he's a big hitter. I'm not too crazy about the CBs in this group, but I do like DTs Deaderick and Mitchell as value selections.

Players are ranked in order at their position. * - denotes player who could be priority within order of draft

Sixth/Seventh Round

Pos Player

QB David Garrard

RB Mo Jones-Drew

FB Greg Jones

WR Mike Sims-Walker

WR Mike Thomas

TE Marcedes Lewis

LT Eugene Monroe

LG Vince Manuwai

C Brad Meester

RG Uche Nwaneri

RT Eben Britton


When you look at the Jaguars 2009 season, you see a bunch of Pro Bowl tags on the offensive side of the page, but little on the defensive side. Uh, that’s being nice...there are none on the defensive side of the page.

That dearth of defensive playmakers forced GM Gene Smith to go out and s ign former Packers DE Aaron Kampman, who had become a fish out of water in the Packers’ 3-4 defense.

As such, don’t be surprised if the Jaguars continue their search for defensive assistance in this draft.

The good news for the Jaguars, though, is that the 2009 Draft was extremely fruitful for the Jags. The first four picks all became starters - Monroe, Britton, Knighton and Cox - providing a strong foundation for the 2010 season and beyond.

Pos Player

DT Terrance Knighton

DT John Henderson

DE Derrick Harvey

DE Aaron Kampman

OLB Daryl Smith

MLB Justin Durant

OLB Clint Ingram

CB Derek Cox

SS Gerald Alexander

FS Reggie Nelson

CB Rashean Mathis

J a c k s o n v i l l e ’s D r a f t N e e d sDef. Back - S or CB Linebacker Offensive Line

Berry Haden

Thomas Owusu-Ansah

Tennant Johnson

Newhouse Larsen

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Eugene Monroe, T, UVA2nd: Eben Britton, T, Arizona3rd: Terrance Knighton, DT, Temple3rd: Derek Cox, CB, William & Mary4th: Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona5th: Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice6th: Zach Miller, TE, Nebraska-Omaha7th: Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty7th: Tiquan Underwood, WR, Rutgers


Lee

BowmanGibson

McClain

Free Agents SignedDE Aaron Kampman (GB)WR Kassim Osgood (SD)DT Atiyyah Ellison (JAX)G Kynan Forney (JAX)DT Montavious Stanley (JAX)WR Troy Williamson (JAX)TE Ernest Wilford (JAX)DE Reggie Hayward (JAX)S Courtney Greene (JAX)

Free Agents - unsignedCB Kennard Cox

FA Lost/Players CutWR Torry HoltDT Rob MeierT Tra ThomasDE Greg Peterson


Pos Player

QB Peyton Manning

RB Joe Addai

WR Reggie Wayne

WR Austin Collie

WR Anthony Gonzalez

TE Dallas Clark

LT Charlie Johnson

LG Andy Alleman

C Jeff Saturday

RG Kyle DeVan

RT Ryan Diem


Another season for the Colts and another run at 16-0 stifled by Colts management. This time, though, the Super Bowl title fell through the hands of Peyton Manning and company in a crushing 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Health has become a major concern for the Colts defense. The run defense was lacking last season, dealing with the loss of All-Pro safety Bob Sanders for the season. If he can come back healthy and Antoine Bethea re-ups with the club, the safety spots should be set for a while. CB could be a spot for the Colts...if the right value pick is there.

The Colts cut starting guard Ryan Lilja, so expect them to look real hard at every offensive line position on the board. LT Charlie Johnson is adequate, but could be upgraded.

Pos Player

DT Daniel Muir

DT Antonio Johnson

DE Dwight Freeney

DE Robert Mathis

OLB Clint Session

MLB Gary Brackett

OLB Philip Wheeler

CB Kelvin Hayden

SS Bob Sanders

FS Antoine Bethea

CB Jerraud Powers

I n d y ’ s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Line Cornerback Defensive End

Saffold Brown

Jerry Beadles

Griffen Cunningham

Wootton Lane

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Donald Brown, RB, U Conn2nd: Fili Moala, DT, USC3rd: Jerraud Powers, CB, Auburn4th: Austin Collie, WR, BYU4th: Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan6th: Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue7th: Pat McAfee, P, West Virginia7th: Jaimie Thomas, OT, Maryland


Cook

Ghee

Jackson

Free Agents SignedLB Gary Brackett (IND)G Andy Alleman (KC)T Adam Terry (BAL)

Free Agents - unsignedNONE

FA Lost/Players CutG Ryan LiljaQB Jim SorgiDE Raheem BrockCB Marlin JacksonWR Hank BaskettK Matt StoverLB Tyjuan HaglerS Aaron FranciscoLB Freddy KeiahoT Dan FederkeilCB Tim Jennings

Owusu-Ansah


Pos Player

QB Vince Young

RB Chris Johnson

FB Ahmard Hall

WR Justin Gage

WR N. Washington/K. Britt

TE Bo Scaife

LT Michael Roos

LG Eugene Amano

C Leroy Harris

RG Jake Scott

RT David Stewart


Going into the 2010 season, there are now two things we know for sure about this team: Vince Young is the unquestioned starter and Chris Johnson is the sickest running back in the league.

Johnson ran for over 2,000 yards last year, blazing his way to one of the great seasons of all-time. But, Young’s return may ultimately have been more important. After an 0-6 start, the Titans bounced back, behind Young and Johnson, with eight wins in the final ten games. It didn’t get them into the playoffs, but it did set them up nicely for 2010.

However, the off-season wasn’t as kind to them, similar to last year. DT Albert Haynesworth left in ‘09 and now Pro Bowl DE Kyle Vanden Bosch leaves in ‘10. The Titans DL was already average at best. And now?

Pos Player

DT Tony Brown

DT Jovan Haye

DE William Hayes

DE Jacob Ford

OLB David Thornton

MLB Stephen Tulloch

OLB Will Witherspoon

CB Jason McCourty

SS Chris Hope

FS Michael Griffin

CB Cortland Finnegan

Te n n e s s e e ’ s D r a f t N e e d sQuarterback Cornerback Defensive End

Pike LeFevour

Brown Snead

Graham Kindle

Morgan Witten

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers2nd: Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn3rd: Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina3rd: Ryan Mouton, CB, Hawaii4th: Gerald McRath, LB, So. Miss.4th: Troy Kropog, T, Tulane5th: Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State6th: Jason McCourty, CB, Rutgers6th: Dominique Edison, WR, SFA7th: Ryan Durand, G, Syracuse7th: Nick Schommer, S N. Dakota State


Spievey

Free Agents SignedLB Will Witherspoon (PHI)LB Pago Togafau (AZ)S Donnie Nickey (TEN)CB Tye Hill (STL)DE Jason Babin (PHI)LB Dave Ball (TEN)TE Bo Scaife (TEN)QB Chris Simms (DEN)

Free Agents - unsignedDE Jevon KearseLB Keith BulluckC Kevin MawaeCB Rod HoodS Kevin KaesviharnCB Nick Harper

FA Lost/Players CutP Craig Hentrich (Ret.)DE Kyle Vanden BoschTE Alge Crumpler

Ghee

Haden Wilson


Pos Player

QB Ben Roethlisberger

RB Rashard Mendenhall

FB Frank Summers

WR Hines Ward

WR Mike Wallace

TE Heath Miller

LT Max Starks

LG Chris Kemoeatu

C Justin Hartwig

RG Trai Essex

RT Willie Colon


What a difference a year made for the Pittsburgh Steelers. One year af t e r w i n n i n g a S u p e r B o w l championship, the Steelers couldn’t beat most of the bottom feeders on its schedule (Oak, KC, Cle). That’ll keep you out of the playoff hunt for sure.

Well, 2010 hasn’t gotten off to the b e s t s t a r t f o r t h e St e e l e r s e ither...of f the fie ld. Af ter a coach ing s taf f purge , QB Be n Roe thl isbe rge r was accused of assaulting a young lady in a Georgia n igh t c l ub - t h e s e c ond s uch allegation in about a year. He’s been c l e a re d , b u t t h e re m ay b e a suspension in the works which could hurt. Badly. Also, former SB MVP Santonio Holmes was sent to the New York Jets after his assortment of issues off the field.

On paper, the team looks similar, so help is needed definitely on the OL and now at the WR position.

Pos Player

NT Casey Hampton

DE Brett Keisel

DE Aaron Smith

OLB Lamarr Woodley

ILB James Farrior

ILB Lawrence Timmons

OLB James Harrison

CB Ike Taylor

SS Troy Polamalu

FS Will Allen/Ryan Clark

CB William Gay

P i t t s b u r g h ’s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Line Cornerback Wide Receiver

Walton Veldheer

N o r t hProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Cook

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Ziggy Hood, DE, Missouri2nd: Kraig Urbik, G, Wisconsin3rd: Mike Wallace, WR, Ole Miss3rd: Keenan Lewis, CB, Oregon State5th: Joe Burnett, CB, UCF5th: Frank Summers, RB, UNLV6th: Sunny Harris, DE, Oregon7th: A.Q Shipley, C, Penn State7th: David Johnson, TE, Arkansas State

Free Agents SignedNT Casey Hampton (PIT)K Jeff Reed (PIT-FP)S Will Allen (TB)WR A. Randle-El (WAS)T Jonathan Scott (BUF)WR Arnaz Battle (SF)S Ryan Clark (PIT)QB Charlie Batch (PIT)LB Larry Foote (DET)

Free Agents - unsignedRB Carey DavisC Darnell StapletonDE Travis KirschkeCB Deshea TownsendDE Nick EasonLB Rocky BoimanWR Joey Galloway

FA Lost/Players CutRB Willie ParkerS Tyrone CarterWR S. Holmes (TR - NYJ)

Wilson

Haden Ghee

Iupati Pouncey


ThomasBryant

Decker Mitchell


Pos Player

NT Kelly Gregg

DT Haloti Ngata

DE Trevor Pryce

OLB Jaret Johnson

ILB Ray Lewis

ILB Tavares Gooden

OLB Terrell Suggs

CB Fabian Washington

SS Dawan Landry

FS Ed Reed

CB Dominique Foxworth

B a l t i m o r e ’ s D r a f t N e e d sDefensive End Tight End Def. Back - CB or S

Odrick

Carrington Wilson

Mays

Allen

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Michael Oher, T, Ole Miss2nd: Paul Kruger, OLB/DE, Utah3rd: Ladarius Webb, CB, Nicholls State5th: Jason Phillips, LB, TCU5th: Davon Drew, TE, East Carolina6th: Cedric Peerman, RB, UVA


McCoy

HernandezPitta

Gresham

Pos Player

QB Joe Flacco

RB Ray Rice

FB LeRon McClain

WR Mark Clayton

WR Anquan Boldin

TE Todd Heap

LT Jared Gaither

LG Ben Grubbs

C Matt Birk

RG Marshal Yanda

RT Michael Oher

Free Agents SignedWR Anquan Boldin (TR - AZ)DT Lamar Divens (BAL)WR Donte’ StallworthDT Cory Redding (SEA)TE Edgar Jones (BAL)S Marcus Paschal (BAL)WR Derrick Mason (BAL)

Free Agents - unsignedCB Corey IvyWR Derrick MasonWR Kelley WashingtonC Greg RyanTE L.J. SmithDB Frank Walker

FA Lost/Players CutDT Justin BannanTE Quinn SypniewskiT Adam TerryDT Dwan Edwards

Watching the Ravens in 2009, I was perplexed. When this team was at its peak, there weren’t a whole lot of teams better. Don’t agree? Just ask the New England Patriots, a Ravens’ victim in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

But, by the time the next week arrived, it was evident that the Ravens were totally, and completely, v o id o f any we ap o n s o n t h e perimeter. QB Joe Flacco has been consistently solid, if not spectacular, but the Colts gave him nothing in the passing game...and it ended the Ravens season.

Enter Anquan Boldin. A trade with the Cardinals brought in one of the top 10 receivers in the league. It’s just a matter of whether ‘Quan is still in that class or whether he’s fallen into the “just a guy” category.

Dunlap Wilson

Robinson



Pos Player

DT Tank Johnson

DT Domata Peko

DE Robert Geathers

DE Antwan Odom

OLB Rey Maualuga

MLB Dhani Jones

OLB Keith Rivers

CB Johnathan Joseph

SS Roy Williams

FS Chris Crocker

CB Leon Hall

C i n c i n n a t i ’ s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Line Safety Tight End

Pouncey Iupati Gronkowski

Dickerson

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Andre Smith, T, Alabama2nd: Rey Maualuga, LB, USC3rd: Michael Johnson, DE, Ga. Tech3rd: Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri4th: Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas5th: Kevin Huber, P, Cincinnati6th: Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan6th: Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Chr.7th: Fui Vakapuna, RB, BYU7th: Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis7th: Freddie Brown, WR, Utah


Wright

Pos Player

QB Carson Palmer

RB Cedric Benson

FB Fui Vakapuna

WR Chad Ochocinco

WR Antonio Bryant

TE Chase Coffman

LT Andrew Whitworth

LG Nate Livings

C Kyle Cook

RG Evan Mathis

RT Andre Smith

Free Agents SignedDT Tank Johnson (CIN)WR Antonio Bryant (TB)TE Daniel Coats (CIN)S Roy Williams (CIN)DE Frostee Rucker (CIN)G Bobbie Williams (CIN)

Free Agents - unsignedTE Reggie KellyTE J.P FoschiK Shayne GrahamRB Jeremi Johnson

FA Lost/Players CutWR Laveranues ColesDT Shaun SmithRB Larry Johnson

When HBO determined that the Bengals would be featured on the reality show Hard Knocks, you had to figure it was the last time you were going to really ‘see’ the Bengals in 2009.

But, thanks in large part to a strong ‘team’ defensive performance and the emergence of RB Ced Benson, the surprising Bengals won the AFC South with a 10-6 record.

However, the Wild Card loss to the Jets exposed the holes within the Bengals offense, especially at the #2 re c e i v e r/TE p o s i t i o n . C h a d Ochocinco was a Pro Bowler, but no other threat emerged. As such, the Bengals went out and got mercurial WR Antonio Bryant from Tampa Bay. If they can add a true intermediate threat at TE, perhaps, QB Carson Palmer would be set.

JerryJohnson Burnett

MaysThomas Gresham

McCoy



Pos Player

NT Shaun Rogers

DE Kenyon Coleman

DE Robaire Smith

OLB Eric Barton

ILB Scott Fujita

ILB D’Qwell Jackson

OLB Matt Roth

CB Eric Wright

SS Abram Elam

FS Mike Adams

CB Sheldon Brown

C l e v e l a n d ’ s D r a f t N e e d sSafety Cornerback Offensive Line

Burnett Jones

Petrus

Ducasse

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Alex Mack, C, Cal2nd: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State2nd: Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, UGA2nd: David Veikune, LB, Hawai’i4th: Kaluka Maiava, LB, USC6th: Don Carey, CB, Norfolk State6th: Coye Francis, CB, San Jose State6th: James Davis, RB, Clemson


Franks

Pos Player

QB J. Delhomme/S. Wallace

RB Jerome Harrison

FB Lawrence Vickers

WR Josh Cribbs

WR Mohamed Massaquoi

TE Benjamin Watson

LT Joe Thomas

LG Eric Steinbach

C Alex Mack

RG Pork Chop Womack

RT Tony Pashos

Free Agents SignedWR Josh Cribbs (CLE)T Tony Pashos (SF)LB Scott Fujita (NO)QB Seneca Wallace (TR - SEA)S Ray Ventrone (CLE)RB Peyton Hillis (TR - DEN)QB Jake Delhomme (CAR)CB Sheldon Brown (TR - PHI)LB Eric Barton (TR - OAK)

Free Agents - unsignedWR Mike FurreyTE Michael GainesCB Hank Poteat

FA Lost/Players CutQB Derek AndersonG Ryan Tucker (Ret.)C Hank FraleyRB Jamal LewisQB Brady Quinn (TR - DEN)LB Alex Hall (TR - PHI)WR Donte StallworthDT Corey Williams (TR - DET)RB Jamal LewisS Brodney PoolG Rex HadnotLB K. Wimbley (TR - OAK)

For much of the 2009 season, the Browns were an absolute disaster. GM George Kokinis was fired after getting through a few months of the season. Yes, a few months. The players didn’t care for new head coach Eric Mangini’s...well, for lack of better word, style. Disaster may not do the first 12 games justice.

But, riding the back of WR/KR Josh Cribbs and RB Jerome Harrison, the Browns won the team’s last four games to finish the season at 5-11. And, after a four game winning streak, optimism abounds.

Ne w Prez Mike Ho lmgre n has discarded Derek Anderson, traded Brady Quinn for a bag of balls but has a boat load of draf t picks accumulated to do some damage on draft day (11 picks over three days). The Browns need as many as possible

AllenBerry WilsonHaden

Jackson Jerry

Johnson


2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t30 Ye ar Al l-Time Draf t by Te am

Overall first pick Mario Williams was universally panned as most of the nation expected the Texans to select former USC star Reggie Bush. But, Williams has been to two Pro Bowls in four years. Second rounder DeMeco Ryans was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and two time Pro Bowler. Tackle Eric Winston went in the 3rd and should’ve been a Pro Bowler in 2008. TE Owen Daniels was a monster in 2008 and was even better before being hurt in 2009. WR David Anderson has become a strong 3rd option and they got him in the 7th.

I loved Dallas Clark coming out of college and I thought that the Colts had a future Pro Bowler when they took him at #24 in the 1st. Safety Mike Doss was on track to have a strong career before injuries derailed him in a big way. But, the two other defensive selections later were outstanding. DE Robert Mathis was taken in the fifth round and has been solid opposite Dwight Freeney since. OLB Cato June was taken in the sixth and made a Pro Bowl as a Colt.

Houston Texans - 2006AFC Sou th

Indianapolis Colts - 2003

Out of principle, I can’t go back to the Houston Oilers, so I have a smaller window to work with for the Titans. However, Vince Young became a Titan in the famous 2006 draft. Although he’s had some issues, he’s been to two Pro Bowls and the other two QBs drafted in that same draft - Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler - have been to none and haven’t started a playoff game. But, the selection of Cortland Finnegan in the seventh round may have been the steal of the draft. Finnegan has become one of the best young DBs in the NFL.

The Jaguars haven’t been stellar in the draft in its history. 2002 was a solid year with John Henderson and David Garrard in the fourth. But, last year’s crop yielded four starters in the first four picks. Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton will be starters for 10-12 years on the offensive line. But, the two unknown picks in the third and fourth rounds - Terrance Knighton, DT from Temple and Derek Cox, CB from William & Mary locked in the 2008 class as the Jags’ best in their history.

Tennessee Titans - 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars - 2008

Now, remember this analysis goes back 30 years, so every draft in Pittsburgh history pales in comparison to the one in 1974. But, 1987 was a solid class. CB/S Rod Woodson is one of the all-time greats in NFL history. S Thomas Everett was a good selection as was Hardy Nickerson - more so for other teams. But, OLB Greg Lloyd and FB Merril Hoge were outstanding selections in the 7th and 10th rounds, respectively. Those two epitomize value in a draft.

I scoured the Bengals list of draft picks over the past 30 years and it’s sketchy at best. More busts than the Playboy mansion. But, there was only one Hall of Famer - Anthony Munoz. The Bengals took him in 1980 when there was a cloud of injury suspicion. He’d sat out most of 1979 with a knee injury, so there was no guarantee of success, even at the #3 position. But, Munoz panned out in a big way. Considering the dearth of successful picks, I went with the one draft with the most successful PICK. Munoz. 1980.

Pittsburgh Steelers - 1987

AFC NorthCincinnati Bengals - 1980

I’m using the supplementary pick loophole to come up with the best draft for the Browns in the last 30 years. In the 1985 supplementary draft, the Browns took Miami’s Bernie Kosar, which was essentially their first round pick in the 1986 draft. Then later in the 1986 draft, the Browns took a solid receiver, not flashy, but productive - Webster Slaughter in the second round out of San Diego State. There wasn’t much there in the rest of the draft, but then again, there hasn’t been much to bark, err, crow about from Browns drafts in the past 30 years.

This one is a slam dunk and the easiest decision on the list and that’s not meant to discredit how well the Ravens have drafted over the years. But, drafting a Hall of Famer isn’t easy - the Ravens got two of them in the first round. The four pick was UCLA’s Jonathan Odgen and the 26th pick in the first was Miami’s Ray Lewis. On that day, the two were handed a Pro Bowl Frequent Visitors card and a key to the Hall of Fame. Hard to think any other draft by any other team in the last 30 years has been as key to a team’s success.

Cleveland Browns - 1986 Baltimore Ravens - 1996



Pos Player

NT Ogemdi Nwagbuo

DE Luis Castillo

DE Jacque Cesaire

OLB Shaun Phillips

ILB Stephen Cooper

ILB Brandon Siler

OLB Shawne Merriman

CB Quentin Jammer

SS Kevin Ellison

FS Eric Weddle

CB Antoine Cason

S a n D i e g o ’ s D r a f t N e e d sCornerback Running Back Defensive Line

Thomas

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Larry English, LB, Northern Illinois3rd: Louis Vasquez, G, Texas Tech4th: Vaughn Martin, DE, Western Ont.4th: Tyronne Green, G, Auburn4th; Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado St.5th: Brandon Hughes, CB, Oregon St.6th: Kevin Ellison, S, USC7th: Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU

W e s tProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Best

Cox Gerhart

Robinson

Pos Player

QB Philip Rivers

RB Darren Sproles

FB Jacob Hester

WR Vincent Jackson

WR Malcolm Floyd

TE Antonio Gates

LT Marcus McNeill

LG Kris Dielman

C Nick Hardwick

RG Louis Vasquez

RT Jeromey Clary

Free Agents SignedDE Alfonso Boone (SD)DT Antonio Garay (SD)TE Kris Wilson (SD)RB Marcus Mason (WSH)CB Donald Strickland (NYJ)CB Nathan Vasher (CHI)RB Mike Tolbert (SD)DT Ian Scott (SD)

Free Agents - unsignedC Dennis NormanT Jon Runyan

FA Lost/Players CutRB LaDainian TomlinsonCB Antonio Cromartie (Trade)NT Jamal WilliamsRB Michael BennettWR Kassim OsgoodTE Brandon ManumaleunaWR Demetrius ByrdC Eric GhiaciucLB Dontarrious ThomasLB Marques Harris

2010 will be the first season since 2000 that the Chargers will be without the services of perhaps the g re a te s t C h a rg e r o f a l l - t i me LaDainian Tomlinson. After another three yard and a cloud of dust season, Tomlinson was re leased, sending a clear message that this team had to get younger at key positions. NT Jamal Williams was released as well and it won’t be surprising to see other aging vets get cut in camp.

The Chargers are clear ly Phi lip R i ve rs’ te am and that me ans keeping him healthy and upright. A solid right tackle to go along with M a r c u s M c N e i l l w o u l d h e l p immensely. As would a running back to pair with Darren Sproles. On the defensi ve side of the bal l , the Chargers must get help over the nose to compete with Ogemdi Nwagbuo.

McCourty

Dixon

Odrick

CarringtonJackson

Mathews Cody



Pos Player

NT Jamal Williams

DE Jarvis Green

DE Justin Bannan

OLB Elvis Dumervil

ILB Wesley Woodyard

ILB DJ Williams

OLB Mario Haggan

CB Champ Bailey

SS Renaldo Hill

FS Brian Dawkins

CB Andre Goodman

D e n v e r ’ s D r a f t N e e d sGuard/Center Wide Receiver Inside Linebacker

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia1st: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee2nd: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest2nd: Darcel McBath, S, Texas Tech2nd: Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina4th: David Bruton, S, Notre Dame4th: Seth Olsen, G, Iowa5th: Kenny McKinley, WR, S. Carolina6th: Tom Brandstater, QB, Fresno State7th: Blake Schlueter, C, TCU


Pos Player

QB Kyle Orton

RB Knowshon Moreno

WR Brandon Stokley

WR Jabar Gaffney

WR Eddie Royal

TE Daniel Graham

LT Ryan Clady

LG Russ Hochstein

C Dustin Fry

RG Chris Kuper

RT Ryan Harris

Free Agents SignedDE Jarvis Green (NE)NT Jamal Williams (SD)CB Nathan Jones (MIA)DT Justin Bannan (BAL)G Russ Hochstein (DEN)WR Brandon Lloyd (DEN)RB JJ Arrington (DEN)QB Brady Quinn (TR - CLE)

Free Agents - unsignedP Mitch BergerDE Vonnie HollidayCB Ty LawLB Nick GreisenS Vernon FoxDT LeKevin SmithT Brandon GorinC Ben Hamilton

FA Lost/Players CutRB Lamont JordanC Casey WiegmannB. Marshall (TR - MIA)DE Kenny PetersonLB Andra DavisQB Chris SimmsRB Peyton Hillis (TR - CLE)TE T. Scheffler (TR - DET)

The Rise and Fall during the 2009 Broncos season was perhaps more drastic than any other NFL team. Okay, what now? Well, here’s what I mean - the Broncos couldn’t find a way to lose ball games earlier in the season, starting the season 6-0. The solid start put the Broncos atop the AFC West. But, after losing eight of the next ten, the Broncos, yet again, imploded, on and off the field, leaving them out of the playoff hunt.

The arrival of Josh McDaniels as head coach changed the complexion of this team completely and the overhaul continues into the 2010 off-season. Three major DL FA’s were picked up in a week to help OLB Elvis Dumervil. And, the coup de grace was the trade of Pro Bowl WR, and total headache, Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins. What does it mean?? I don’t know but I want to watch and see.

Butler

McClain WeatherspoonBryantAsamoah

LaFell

Thomas

PetrusWalton

Tennant

Price Chaney



Pos Player

NT Ron Edwards

DE Tyson Jackson

DE Glenn Dorsey

OLB Mike Vrabel

ILB Demorrio Williams

ILB Corey Mays

OLB Tamba Hali

CB Brandon Flowers

SS DaJuan Morgan

FS Jarrad Page

CB Brandon Carr

K a n s a s C i t y ’s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Tackle Safety Linebacker

Brown

Williams

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU3rd: Alex Magee, DE, Purdue4th: Donald Washington, CB, Ohio State5th: Colin Brown, T, Missouri6th: Quinten Lawrence, WR, McNeese7th: Javarris Williams, RB, Tenn. State7th: Jake O’Connell, TE, Miami, OH7th: Ryan Succop, K, South Carolina


Pos Player

QB Matt Cassel

RB Jamaal Charles

FB Mike Cox

WR Dwayne Bowe

WR Chris Chambers

TE Leonard Pope

LT Branden Albert

LG Brian Waters

C Rudy Niswanger

RG Ryan Lilja

RT Ryan O’Callaghan

Free Agents SignedRB Thomas Jones (NYJ)WR Chris Chambers (KC)LB Mike Vrabel (KC)WR Terrance Cooper (KC)QB Tyler Palko (PIT)DT Shaun Smith (CIN)RB Kolby Smith (KC)WR Jerheme Urban (AZ)G Casey Wiegmann (CHI)

Free Agents - unsignedWR Bobby WadeS Mike Brown

FA Lost/Players CutG Andy AllemanC Wade SmithRB Dantrell SavageWR Devard DarlingG Mike GoffTE Sean Ryan

If you need a program with player bios to figure out who these Chiefs are, you’re not alone. But, the building process is on-going under GM Scott Pioli. Now, it would help the Chiefs GM if the high draft picks (Jackson, Dorsey, Albert) would start to produce. Actually, names you know.

Pioli has found some nice pieces in later rounds, such as RB Jamaal Charles who starred over the last portion of the 2009 season. Add in former Jet RB Thomas Jones and the Chiefs may have the best running game in the AFC West (yes, think about it for a second and you might agree). The key, though, is to continue to bolster the offensive line and perhaps the secondary. The two Brandons at corner will be solid, but some help at safety (Eric Berry, perhaps) could help a young back 4.

Saffold Allen

Berry Thomas

Burnett Butler

McClain Lee

Spikes

Bulaga



Pos Player

DT Tommy Kelly

DT Gerard Warren

DE Richard Seymour

DE Matt Shaughnessy

OLB Trevor Scott

ILB Kirk Morrison

OLB Kamerion Wimbley

CB Nnamdi Asomugha

SS Tyvon Branch

FS Hiram Eugene

CB Chris Johnson

O a k l a n d ’ s D r a f t N e e d sLeft Tackle Linebacker Defensive Back

Campbell Brown

Williams Veldheer

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Md.2nd: Mike Mitchell, S, Ohio3rd: Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin4th: Louis Murphy, WR, Florida4th: Slade Norris, LB, Oregon State6th: Stryker Sulak, LB, Missouri6th: Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa


Pos Player

QB B. Gradkowski/J. Russell

RB M. Bush/D. McFadden

FB Oren O’Neal

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

WR Chaz Schilens

TE Zach Miller

LT Mario Henderson

LG Robert Gallery

C Samson Satele

RG Cooper Carlisle

RT Erik Pears

Free Agents SignedDE Richard Seymour (OAK - FP)K Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)T Khalif Barnes (OAK)K. Wimbley (TR - CLE)

Free Agents - unsignedT John Wade

FA Lost/Players CutDE Greg EllisWR Javon WalkerRB Justin FargasT Cornell GreenLB Jon AlstonDT Gerard WarrenRB Gary RussellQB J.P Losman

Let’s be clear about this right off the bat: JaMarcus Russell isn’t the guy. The Raiders haven’t flirted often with success since the 2002 season, but any flicker of hope is dying with Russell under center...in his current condition. Maybe he’s just a bust waiting to happen anyway, but he doe sn’t appe ar to want to do anything to get better.

Is he the reason the Raiders can’t get over the top? Not entirely, but he’s THE major reason. The Raiders can’t give up on him completely, I suppose, but they’ve got to see some progress going forward.

The defense had some moments last year, but outside of Pro Bowl CB Nnamdi Asomugha, the secondary n e e d s s o m e s e r i o u s h e l p . Furthermore, on offense, drafting a tackle is a necessity in 2010.

Cook

BerryButlerMcClain Mays

Owusu-AnsahWashington Watson



Pos Player

NT Vince Wilfork

DE Ty Warren

DE Mike Wright

OLB Adalius Thomas

ILB Jerod Mayo

ILB Gary Guyton

OLB Tully Banta-Cain

CB Shawn Springs

SS Brandon Meriweather

FS James Sanders

CB Leigh Bodden

N e w E n g l a n d ’s D r a f t N e e d sWide Receiver Running Back Offensive Line

Bryant Tate

Williams LaFell Asamoah

2009 NFL Draft Results2nd: Patrick Chung, S, Oregon2nd: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College2nd: Darius Butler, CB, U Conn2nd: Sebastian Vollmer, T, Houston3rd: Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina3rd: Tyrone McKenzie, LB, USF4th: Rich Ohrnberger, C/G, Penn State5th: George Bussey, T, Louisville6th: Jake Ingram, LS, Hawai’i6th: Myron Pryor, DT, Kentucky7th: Julian Edleman, WR, Kent State7th: Darryl Richard, DT, Georgia Tech

E a s tProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Spiller

Pos Player

QB Tom Brady

RB L. Maroney/F. Taylor

FB Sammy Morris

WR Randy Moss

WR Wes Welker

TE Alge Crumpler

LT Matt Light

LG Logan Mankins

C Dan Koppen

RG Dan Connolly

RT Nick Kaczur

Free Agents SignedNT Vince Wilfork (NE)CB Leigh Bodden (NE)G Stephen Neal (NE)LB Marques Murrell (NYJ)LB Tully Banta-Cain (NE)WR David Patten (NO)RB Kevin Faulk (NE)DT Damione Lewis (CAR)

Free Agents - unsignedP Chris HansonDE Derrick BurgessLB Junior Seau

FA Lost/Players CutDE Jarvis GreenTE Chris BakerTE Benjamin WatsonRB Chris Taylor

The New England Patriots’ seasons aren’t supposed to end this way. Right? The Patriots, I know, finish the season in the Super Bowl or AFC Championship games. There’s a world order, right? Um, well, then what ‘movie’ was I watching?

Not only did the Pats get knocked out of the playoffs on Wild Card weekend - the first time that had happened under Bill Belichick - the Pats go t thro t t led by v is i t ing Baltimore 33-14. The only thing worse was what appeared to be a total lack of effort and desire throughout the entire Patriots 45 man roster.

QB Tom Brady returned in 2009, but the lack of a consistent running game has truly hurt this offense, especially after Pro Bowl WR Wes Welker tore his ACL late in the year.

Mathews

Hardesty Tate Jerry

Saffold Ducasse



Pos Player

NT Kris Jenkins

DE Shaun Ellis

DE Mike Devito

OLB Bryan Thomas

ILB Bart Scott

ILB David Harris

OLB Calvin Pace

CB Darrelle Revis

SS Jim Leonhard

FS Eric Smith

CB Antonio Cromartie

N e w Y o r k ’ s D r a f t N e e d sOutside Linebacker Safety Defensive End

Neal

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC3rd: Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa6th: Matt Slauson, G, Nebraska


Pos Player

QB Mark Sanchez

RB Shonn Greene

WR Santonio Holmes

WR Jerricho Cotchery

WR Braylon Edwards

TE Dustin Keller

LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson

LG Alan Faneca

C Nick Mangold

RG Brandon Moore

RT Damien Woody

Free Agents SignedCB A. Cromartie (TR - SD)TE Ben Hartsock (NYJ)WR S. Holmes (TR - PIT)

Free Agents - unsignedLB Ryan FowlerTE James DearthDE Marques DouglasLB Larry Izzo

FA Lost/Players CutWR Wallace WrightRB Thomas JonesCB Donald StricklandCB Lito SheppardLB Marques MurrellK Jay FeelyS Kerry Rhodes (TR - AZ)DT Howard Green

A braggadocio head coach. A rookie quarterback. A spotlight a million miles wide. That’s not typically a combination that “works”, but for the Jets, it worked all the way until the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game.

Now, Rex Ryan may be confident, but he’s also very good at his job. Similar to the way players responded to his father Buddy, the Jets responded in kind to Rex. He never shied away from the spotlight and, in some cases, shielded his team from it. In part icular, his rookie QB Mark Sanchez. He’ll understand the game so much better after starting 19 games as a rookie, but in big spots, Sanchez was effective. In the AFC C h am p i o n s h i p g ame , h e wa s spectacular. But the secondary struggled; hence, the trade for mercurial CB Antonio Cromartie.

Kindle Hughes

Sapp Misi

Mays Allen

Jones Wright Carrington

AlualuOdrick



Pos Player

NT Kyle Williams

DE Marcus Stroud

DE Dwan Edwards

OLB Chris Kelsay

ILB Kawika Mitchell

ILB Paul Posluszny

OLB Aaron Schobel

CB Terrence McGee

SS Bryan Scott

FS Jairus Byrd

CB Leodis McKelvin

B u f f a l o ’ s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Tackle “Edge Rusher” Defensive Line

T. Williams Davis

Bulaga Saffold

D. Williams Cody

Alualu Carrington

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State1st: Eric Wood, G, Louisville2nd: Jairus Byrd, S, Oregon2nd: Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State4th: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss.5th: Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma6th: Cary Harris, S, USC7th: Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia


Kindle

SappHughes

Pierre-Paul

Pos Player

QB Trent Edwards

RB Marshawn Lynch

FB Corey McIntyre

WR James Hardy

WR Lee Evans

TE Derek Schouman

LT Demetrius Bell

LG Andy Levitre

C Geoff Hangartner

RG Eric Wood

RT Cornell Green

Free Agents SignedLB Jon Corto (BUF)T Cornell Green (OAK)DT Marlon Favorite (NO)S Bryan Scott (BUF)LB Andra Davis (DEN)DE Dwan Edwards (BAL)

Free Agents - unsignedWR Terrell OwensWR Josh ReedG Seth McKinneyLB Josh StamerLB Chris DraftG Kendall SimmonsDE Ryan DenneyS Todd Johnson

FA Lost/Players CutT Brad Butler (Ret.)T Jonathan ScottQB Gibran HamdanG Richie IncognitoWR Justin Jenkins

Another year, another disappointing season for the Bills and the Buffalo faithful. It’s now been ten years since the Bills made the playoffs and they may be further away than they were last year at this time.

The 6-10 record cost head coach Dick Jauron and a slew of others their jobs as the Bills restart, yet again, as the new decade begins. Chan Gailey takes over in Buffalo, a recycled former head man at Georgia Tech in co l lege and Dal las in the NFL . Neither situation was successful for Gailey, so one has to wonder whether the Bills will be head coach hunting a few years down the road.

But, no matter who is sitting in the head coach’s chair, he’s got to find a quality QB, or decide that the injury prone Trent Edwards is capable of being a quality NFL starter.



Pos Player

NT Paul Soliai

DE Kendall Langford

DE Randy Starks

OLB Charlie Anderson

ILB Channing Crowder

ILB Karlos Dansby

OLB Cameron Wake

CB Vontae Davis

SS Yeremiah Bell

FS Tyrone Culver

CB Sean Smith

M i a m i ’ s D r a f t N e e d s“Edge Rusher” Nose Tackle Safety

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois2nd: Pat White, QB/RB, West Virginia2nd: Sean Smith, CB, Utah3rd: Patrick Turner, WR, USC4th: Brian Hartline, WR, Ohio State5th: John Nalbone, TE, Monmouth5th: Chris Clemons, S, Clemson6th: Andrew Gardner, T, Georgia Tech7th: J.D. Folsom, LB, Weber State


Thomas

Pos Player

QB Chad Henne

RB Ronnie Brown

FB Lousaka Polite

WR Brandon Marshall

WR Brian Hartline

TE Anthony Fasano

LT Jake Long

LG Justin Smiley

C Joe Berger

RG Nate Garner

RT Vernon Carey

Free Agents SignedDT Jason Ferguson (MIA)LB Karlos Dansby (AZ)QB Chad Pennington (MIA)WR B. Marshall (TR - DEN)

Free Agents - unsignedLB Jason TaylorLB Akin Ayodele

FA Lost/Players CutS Gibril WilsonLB Joey PorterCB Nathan Jones

There’s one thing you can say about the Dolphins. Win or lose, these guys are exciting to watch. You never know what you’re going to see. But, no matter the excitement that’s generated by the eclectic group in Miami , the fact is that Tony Sparano’s bunch missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record and 3rd place in the AFC East.

However, the season may not have been a total loss, especially with the emergence of QB Chad Henne. And,, the Dolphins traded for Denver’s Pro Bowl WR Brandon Marshal l , a marquee pass catcher Miami hasn’t had.

The question marks, though, are on ‘D’. Joey Porter was released and there’s no true pass rusher to strike fear into the hearts of Tom Brady and Mark Sanchez.

Graham

SappPierre-Paul

Kindle Dan Williams Cody

Troup

A V i e w f r om t h e S i de l i n e 2010 NF L D r af t R e p o r t S p o n s o rsA V i e w f r om t h e S i de l i n e 2010 NF L D r af t R e p o r t S p o n s o rs

Wright

Berry Thomas

Murphy


It’s hard to imagine the best Patriots draft in the last 30 years came after a Super Bowl win, but that’s what happened in New England. With the last pick in the 1st round, the Patriots took tackle Logan Mankins, transitioned him to guard and watched him turn into a Pro Bowler. Ellis Hobbs was a solid third rounder and Nick Kaczur became a starter in the same round. James Sanders was a starting safety who they drafted in the fourth round. But, the coup de grace was selecting Matt Cassel in the seventh round. He saved the 2008 season after Tom Brady went down, that’s all.

The Jets had a decision to make in 2006 - take the flashy USC QB Matt Leinart or the cornerstone LT from UVA D’Brickashaw Ferguson. They took a USC QB...in 2009. Ferguson has started since day one, alongside fellow first rounder C Nick Mangold. The two were both Pro Bowlers in 2009. Eric Smith in the 3rd and Brad Smith in the 4th have contributed in unique ways over the past few years for the Jets. But, the best value pick that year for the Jets was 4th round RB Leon Washington. We’ll see what he’s got after being injured in 2009.

New England Patriots - 2005

AFC We s t

New York Jets - 2006

The 1983 Draft is known for being the QB draft. Six QBs taken in the first round and, arguably, the best one was taken at #27 Pitt’s Dan Marino. All he did was break every passing record in the book, even though he didn’t win a championship. 6th round selection Iowa P Reggie Roby was so good as a punter that he is up for Hall of Fame consideration. But, the best value pick of the 1983 draft may have been Louisville WR Mark Clayton...in the 8th round, a round that doesn’t even exist these days. “Marino to Clayton” gave AFC East teams nightmares for years.

The legendary early ‘90s Bills were built in the mid-1980s drafts, starting in the 1985 draft. #1 overall selection DE Bruce Smith was one of the rare #1 picks who turned into a star. He was voted to the Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility. Although 3rd round QB Frank Reich wasn’t the star of the offense, playing behind Jim Kelly, he was a valued member of the team filling in when Kelly was injured. The selection of WR Andre Reed in the 4th round out of Kutztown didn’t generate much buzz at the time, but Reed caught 941 passes for Buffalo, first all-time for the Bills.

Miami Dolphins - 1983 Buffalo Bills - 1985

Although there were some serious questions, off the field (that have been revealed since), the Chargers took Shawne Merriman with the 12th pick in the draft. Injuries and off the field decisions have helped derail the #56 Lights Out Train, but the rest of the draft was fairly strong. Luis Castillo stepped into the starting lineup at defensive end and has been one of the better 3-4 ends in the league. Questions about small school competition forced Pro Bowl WR Vincent Jackson to fall into the second round. All the while, mighty mite RB Darren Sproles was there for San Diego in the 4th.

I don’t know if this actually can suffice as a draft pick, but it’s my rules/my game, so here it is. Elway. That’s it. The Broncos were stuck in a state of mediocrity in the late 1970s/early 1980s before the Broncos jumped in feet first and traded away, essentially Chris Hinton and a bag of chips to the Baltimore Colts for Elway, one of the greatest QBs of all-time. After being told Elway wouldn’t come play for them (smart move in hindsight), the Colts were forced to make a deal at some point. Denver made it and Elway made history for the Broncos

San Diego Chargers - 2005

AFC Eas t

Denver Broncos - 1983

The Chiefs haven’t had a glorious draft history over the past 30 years. But, there has been one Hall of Fame selection - the late Derrick Thomas - in the first round in the heralded 1989 draft. I think Thomas forced other teams to start thinking about speedy, fast edge rushers who could change the game the way DT was changing it in Kansas City. Now, if that draft were held today FB Todd McNair wouldn’t have been drafted, but in 1989, McNair was one of the best 8th round selections in history. Not much here, but two clear, strong picks.

It’s quite sad, in some sense, because in the 1960s and 1970s the Oakland Raiders had been one of the shrewdest drafting organizations in the NFL. But, over the past 30 years, not much has gone right for the Raiders. They’ve drafted potential 2 HOFers in that time. If there was anything around Tim Brown in 1988, I’d fire on that year. But, the 1982 draft - the Marcus Allen draft - at least provided 2nd round pick Jack Squirek (key pick six in SB XVIII) and 3rd rounder Vann McElroy. Plus, Allen fell to them at ten, so all in all...winner, winner 1982 chicken dinner.

Kansas City Chiefs - 1989 Oakland Raiders - 1982



Pos Player

NT Nick Hayden

DT Louis Leonard

DE Tyler Brayton

DE Everette Brown

OLB James Anderson

MLB Jon Beason

OLB Thomas Davis

CB Chris Gamble

SS Chris Harris

FS Charles Godfrey

CB Richard Marshall

C a r o l i n a ’ s D r a f t N e e d sWide Receiver Quarterback Defensive End

White

Dunlap

Hardy

2009 NFL Draft Results2nd: Everette Brown, DE, FSU2nd: Sherrod Martin, S, Troy3rd: Corvey Irvin, DT, Georgia4th: Mike Goodson, RB, Texas A&M4th: Tony Flammetta, FB, Syracuse5th: Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma7th: Captain Munnerlyn, CB, S. Carolina

Sou thProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

KafkaCrompton

Pos Player

QB Matt Moore

RB DeAngelo Williams

FB Tony Flammetta

WR Dwayne Jarrett

WR Steve Smith

TE Jeff King

LT Jordan Gross

LG Travelle Wharton

C Ryan Kalil

RG Mackenzy Bernadeau

RT Jeff Otah

Free Agents SignedWR Wallace Wright (NYJ)

Free Agents - unsignedWR Muhsin MuhammadDT Hollis ThomasG Keydrick VincentCB Dante WesleyQB Josh McCown

FA Lost/Players CutDE Julius PeppersFB Brad HooverQB Jake DelhommeLB Landon JohnsonDT Maake KemoeatuDT Damione LewisLB Na’il DiggsQB A.J. FeeleyT Rob Petitti

When the Jake Delhomme era ended in Carolina, there had to be hundreds of Panther fans rejoicing that it was finally over. Now, that’s not fair as Delhomme got the Panthers to their only Super Bowl. Yes, true, but that was in 2003! The last two years were brutal and it became time for the, well, the, hmm, the Matt Moore era to start? And, that’s where this team is right now: Matt Moore under center?

Not only that, GM Marty Hurney has to hope that Everette Brown eventually turns into Julius Peppers or the Panthers defense will have no one to rush the quarterback. They’ll have no QB and no one to rush the QB - the two things a team must have to succeed in this league.

Expect the Panthers to address both of those holes in this draft.


Williams Benn

Decker

Pike LeFevour Carrington

Te’o-Nesheim


Pos Player

DT Ryan Sims

DT Chris Hovan

DE Tim Crowder

DE Stylez White

OLB Quincy Black

MLB Barrett Ruud

OLB Geno Hayes

CB Aqib Talib

SS Sabby Piscitelli

FS Tanard Jackson

CB Ronde Barber

Ta m p a B a y ’s D r a f t N e e d sDefensive Tackle Wide Receiver Left Tackle

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State3rd: Roy Miller, DT, Texas4th: Kyle Moore, DE, USC5th: Xavier Fulton, OT, Illinois7th: E.J. Biggers, CB, Western Michigan7th: Sammie Stroughter, WR, Or. State


Pos Player

QB Josh Freeman

RB Cadillac Williams

FB Earnest Graham

WR Michael Clayton

WR Reggie Brown

TE Kellen Winslow II

LT Donald Penn

LG Jeremy Zuttah

C Jeff Faine

RG Davin Joseph

RT Jeremy Trueblood

Free Agents SignedWR Reggie Brown (TR - PHI)S Sean Jones (PHI)

Free Agents - unsignedDE Jimmy WilkersonRB Byron StorerLB Matt McCoyS Jermaine Phillips

FA Lost/Players CutWR Brian ClarkS Will AllenP Josh BidwellP Dirk JohnsonCB Torrie CoxLB Rod WilsonLB Angelo CrowellWR A. Bryant (TR - CIN)

The first edition of the Raheem Morris Buccaneers weren’t very successful. But, on the flip side, success wasn’t expected after the front office eliminated many of its experienced veterans in the 2009 off-season. In other words, the Buccaneers decided to go with some sort of youth movement. Even at the quarterback position.

The Bucs drafted QB Josh Freeman with its first round pick last April and turned over the reins to him by mid-season. The jury will be out on Freeman for a while, but he proved, at times, that he is more than capable of handling the rigors of being a quality NFL quarterback.

The rest of the roster? Eh. Not so much. So, with the third pick the Bucs can go any direction and find a player who’ll have immediate impact.


McCoy Suh

Alualu Houston

Thomas Benn

Mitchell Price

Okung Saffold

WangBrown


Pos Player

NT Thomas Johnson

DT Jonathan Babineaux

DE Jamaal Anderson

DE John Abraham

OLB Stephen Nicholas

MLB Curtis Lofton

OLB Mike Peterson

CB Dunta Robinson

SS Erik Coleman

FS Thomas Decoud

CB Brent Grimes

A t l a n t a ’ s D r a f t N e e d sLinebacker Center/Guard Wide Receiver

Gilyard Cooper


Pos Player

QB Matt Ryan

RB Michael Turner

FB Ovie Mughelli

WR Roddy White

WR Michael Jenkins

TE Tony Gonzalez

LT Sam Baker

LG Justin Blalock

C Todd McClure

RG Harvey Dahl

RT Tyson Clabo

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss2nd: William Moore, S, Missouri3rd: Christopher Owens, CB, San Jose St.4th: Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond5th: William Middleton, CB, Furman5th: Garrett Reynolds, OT, N. Carolina6th: Spencer Adkins, LB, Miami7th: Vance Walker, DT, Georgia Tech

Free Agents SignedCB Dunta Robinson (HOU)CB Brent Grimes (ATL)CB Brian Williams (ATL)WR Brian Finneran (ATL)TE Joe Zelenka (ATL)S Matt Giordano (GB)

Free Agents - unsignedWR Marty BookerLB Tony GilbertRB Verron HaynesRB Aaron Stecker

FA Lost/Players CutWR James SwintonC Mike Schneck (Ret.)CB C. Houston (TR - DET)S Antoine HarrisS Charlie PeprahS Jamaal FudgeCB Tye Hill

After a playoff visit in head coach Mike Smith’s first year, the Falcons fell back to the pack, going 8-8 in an up-and-down year.

But, the Falcons took an aggressive stance in free agency, signing free agent CB Dunta Robinson to the long-term deal he turned down in Houston in 2009. Robinson helps solve one side of the cornerback dilemma for the Falcons but it may not be enough. The Falcons may still look at that position in the draft, just not at #19.

QB Matt Ryan continues to make strides, although he did struggle a bit in his second season. He’s still the face of the franchise but has to have a much better season. The arrival of Tony Gonzalez was a godsend for Ryan, so the offensive side of the ball is relatively adequate. For now.


Weatherspoon

Butler Gibson

Lee Pouncey Iupati

Tennant Johnson

Thomas Price


Pos Player

NT Remi Ayodele

DT Sedrick Ellis

DE Alex Smith/Bobby McCray

DE Will Smith

OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar

MLB Jonathan Vilma

OLB Scott Shanle

CB Jabari Greer

SS Roman Harper

FS Usama Young

CB Tracy Porter

N e w O r l e a n s ’ D r a f t N e e d sDefensive End Defensive Tackle Linebacker

Muckelroy


Pos Player

QB Drew Brees

RB P. Thomas/R. Bush

FB Heath Evans

WR Marques Colston

WR Devery Henderson

TE Jeremy Shockey

LT Jammal Brown

LG Carl Nicks

C Jonathan Goodwin

RG Jahri Evans

RT Jon Stinchcomb

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Malcolm Jenkins, S/CB, Ohio State4th: Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest4th: Stanley Arnoux, ILB, Wake Forest5th: Thomas Morstead, P, SMU

Free Agents SignedCB Leigh Torrence (NO)C Nick Leckey (NO)DE Alex Brown (CHI)

Free Agents - unsignedQB Mark BrunellTE Dan CampbellS Darren SharperDT Kendrick ClancyDE Paul SpicerTE Billy Milner

FA Lost/Players CutG Jamar NesbitLB Scott FujitaDE Charles GrantLB Mark SimoneauRB Kyle EckelRB Mike Bell

At some point, hell is still thawing out after freezing over following the Saints win in the Super Bowl over the Colts. It took a while and there are some who thought that hell would freeze over before the Saints won a Super Bowl. But, it did happen and the city of New Orleans is probably still partying...if that’s possible.

This is a tough off-season for GM Mickey Loomis. He’s got a ton of free agents he has to deal with and h a s a l r e a d y l o s t s o m e k e y components of the 2009 team - Scott Fujita, in particular. FS Darren Sharper is another key cog who could be on his way out as well.

The Saints offense needs very little, while the defense could use a hell raising linebacker or more defensive line assistance.


Wootton

Griffen Hughes

Sapp

Price Cody

Troup Atkins

Riley

Edds

Bowman


Pos Player

NT Ryan Pickett

DE Johnny Jolly

DE Cullen Jenkins

OLB Brad Jones

ILB AJ Hawk

ILB Nick Barnett

OLB Clay Matthews

CB Charles Woodson

SS Atari Bigby

FS Nick Collins

CB Al Harris

G r e e n B a y ’ s D r a f t N e e d s“Edge Rusher” Offensive Tackle Cornerback

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: BJ Raji, NT, Boston College1st: Clay Matthews, LB, USC4th: TJ Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan5th: Quinn Johnson, FB, LSU5th: Jamon Meredith, OT, South Car.6th: Jarius Wynn, DE, Georgia6th: Brandon Underwood, CB, Cincinnati7th: Brad Jones, OLB, Colorado

NorthProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Veldheer

Campbell

Pos Player

QB Aaron Rodgers

RB Ryan Grant

FB John Kuhn

WR Donald Driver

WR Greg Jennings

TE Jermichael Finley

LT Chad Clifton

LG Jason Spitz

C Scott Wells

RG Josh Sitton

RT TJ Lang

Free Agents SignedS Nick Collins (GB)T Chad Clifton (GB)S Derrick Martin (GB)DT Ryan Pickett (GB-FP)

Free Agents - unsignedRB Ahman Green

FA Lost/Players CutS Matt GiordanoDE Mike MontgomeryDE Aaron KampmanP Jeremy KapinosRB DeShawn Wynn

GM Ted Thompson has done a whale of a job building this team in Green Bay. I know that most Packers fans will point the finger at him as the guy who let Brett Favre go. But, when you look at the 2008 Favre Circus, to get back to the playoffs, behind the leadership of QB Aaron Rodgers, a guy Thompson had the cajones to select in 2005, you have to give Thompson a ton of credit.

The challenge this year is to find OL help to keep Rodgers from an early decline. Early in 2009, Rodgers spent a ton of time on his back, but as his protection improved, so did his, and his team’s productivity.

Defensively, though, the Packers need to find a guy opposite Clay Matthews to disrupt the passer and a young corner who can eventually take over for Al Harris.


Kindle Hughes

Misi Capers

Saffold

Cunningham Ghee Cook

McCourtyWilson


Pos Player

NT Pat Williams

DT Kevin Williams

DE Ray Edwards

DE Jared Allen

OLB Chad Greenway

MLB EJ Henderson

OLB Ben Leber

CB Antoine Winfield

SS Tyrell Johnson

FS Madieu Williams

CB Cedric Griffin

M i n n e s o t a ’s D r a f t N e e d sCornerback Guard Running Back

Starks

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Percy Harvin, WR/KR, Florida2nd: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma3rd: Asher Allen, CB, Georgia5th: Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina7th: Jamarca Sanford, FS, Ole Miss


Pos Player

QB Brett Favre (we think)

RB Adrian Peterson

FB Naufahu Tahi

WR Bernard Berrian

WR Sidney Rice

TE Visanthe Shiancoe

LT Bryant McKinnie

LG Steve Hutchinson

C John Sullivan

RG Anthony Herrera

RT Phil Loadholt

Free Agents SignedK Rhys Lloyd (CAR)CB Benny Sapp (MIN)WR Greg Lewis (MIN)DE Mike Montgomery (GB)

Free Agents - unsignedNONE

FA Lost/Players CutT Artis HicksRB Chester TaylorCB Karl Paymah

One throw. One throw is all that stood between the Vikings and the opportunity to kick a game winning field in the NFC Championship game. However, that throw is the same one Brett Favre had made all season and has made his entire career. In 2009, he had one of his best years, so you can hardly fault him, for he got the Vikes to that game.

So, the question, in my mind, is not whether he’ll return for the 2009 season, but whether he can push the Vikes over the top and get them to Super Bowl XLV? Favre knows that the Vikings have as large a window of opportunity as possible and with him at the helm, the Vikes are scary.

The defense could use a little help at safety, but the Vikes, at #30, are in the “best player available” boat. Not many teams have that luxury.


McCourty Asamoah

BeadlesPetrus

JerryJackson

Murphy Franks Dixon

Best Tate


Pos Player

DT Sammie Hill

DT Corey Williams

DE Kyle Vanden Bosch

DE Cliff Avril

OLB Julian Peterson

MLB DeAndre Levy

OLB Landon Johnson

CB Eric King

SS Ko Simpson

FS Louis Delmas

CB Chris Houston

D e t r o i t ’ s D r a f t N e e d sCornerback Defensive Tackle Offensive Tackle

Williams

Brown

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia1st: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Ok. State2nd: Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan3rd: DeAndre Levy, OLB, Wisconsin4th: Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Stillman6th: Aaron Brown, RB, TCU7th: Lydon Murtha, OT, Nebraska7th: Zack Follett, OLB, Cal7th: Dan Gronkowski, TE, Maryland


Pos Player

QB Matt Stafford

RB Kevin Smith

FB Jerome Felton

WR Calvin Johnson

WR Nate Burleson

TE Brandon Pettigrew

LT Jeff Backus

LG Rob Sims

C Dominic Raiola

RG Stephen Peterman

RT Gosder Cherilus

Free Agents SignedWR Brian Clark (TB)CB Jonathan Wade (STL)CB Chris Houston (TR - ATL)DT Corey Williams (TR - CL)WR Nate Burleson (SEA)DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (TEN)T Jon Jansen (DET)LB Vinny Ciurciu (DET)CB Dante Wesley (CAR)QB Shaun Hill (TR - SF)

Free Agents - unsignedTE Casey FitzsimmonsS Marquand ManuelQB Patrick RamseyQB Daunte CulpepperT Damion CookRB Anthony Henry

FA Lost/Players CutDE Dwayne WhiteDT Grady JacksonCB Phillip BuchanonDE Jared DeVriesLB Ernie Sims (TR - PHI)LB Larry Foote

In contrast to other teams, the Lions are in the “any players available” boat. As in, if you can play, we’ll take you. Now, that does sound a little harsh and it’s not quite 100% accurate. GM Martin Mayhew did a fine job with the 2009 NFL Draft and brought in at least four players who should have long careers in Detroit, i n c l u d i ng f ra n ch i s e Q B M at t Stafford.

Then, in the off-season, Mayhew went to work again, adding four potential starters in free agency, including Pro Bowler DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. Now, some around the league think that Vanden Bosch’s best days are behind him, but head coach Jim Schwartz believes in him.

The 2nd pick in the draft can go in a number of directions - OT, DL or, ultimately, a move down the board.


Robinson McCoySuh

PriceGhee Spievey

Jackson

Atkins Saffold

Okung


Pos Player

NT Anthony Adams

DT Tommie Harris

DE Julius Peppers

DE Alex Brown

OLB Hunter Hillenmeyer

MLB Brian Urlacher

OLB Lance Briggs

CB Charles Tillman

SS Kevin Payne

FS Al Afalava

CB Zackary Bowman

C h i c a g o ’ s D r a f t N e e d sCornerback Offensive Line Wide Receiver

Thomas Lewis

Mitchell Decker

Easley

2009 NFL Draft Results3rd: Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State3rd: Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma4th: Henry Melton, DE, Texas4th: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt5th: Johnny Knox, WR, Abilene Chr.5th: Marcus Freeman, OLB, Ohio State6th: Al Afalava, S, Oregon State7th: Lance Louis, G, San Diego State7th: Derek Kinder, WR, Pitt


Welch

Pos Player

QB Jay Cutler

RB Matt Forte

FB Jason McKie

WR Earl Bennett

WR Devin Hester

TE Greg Olsen

LT Chris Williams

LG Frank Omiyale

C Olin Kreutz

RG Roberto Garza

RT Kevin Shaffer

Free Agents SignedDE Julius Peppers (CAR)RB Chester Taylor (MIN)TE Brandon Manumaleuna (SD)CB Tim Jennings (IND)

Free Agents - unsignedDE Adewale OgunleyeLB Darrell McCloverRB Adrian Peterson

FA Lost/Players CutDE Gaines Adams (deceased)T Orlando PaceRB Kevin JonesDE Alex Brown CB Nathan Vasher

Wi t h n o 1s t a n d 2n d r o u n d selections, the Bears needed to make a splash in the off-season and did it in free agency.

The Bears kicked off the first early morning of free agency by signing Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers to the prodigious deal he’d been seeking for a while. Then, the Bears added TE Brandon Manumaleuna and RB Chester Taylor to help give QB Jay Cutler some more weapons in the offensive arsenal.

The addit ions didn’t stop there . Offensive coordinator Mike Martz was hired to handle, we l l , the mercurial one - Cutler. And, Martz will have his work cut out for him as we know Cutler isn’t the easiest cat to coach. But, if Martz can cut through the Bama Bangs and “get” to him, it’ll be a strong marriage.


Owusu-Ansah Murphy

Walton

Wang Beadles

Shipley


The Panthers only have a half period history - in other words, they’ve only been drafting for 15 years, but the 2001 class rivals a few other classes out there. Although he was often injured, when #11 pick Dan Morgan was out on the field, he played exceptionally well. The second round pick was Kris Jenkins out of Maryland who was dominating inside. But, the best pick of the day, and the best value pick the Panthers ever made, 3rd rounder Steve Smith from Utah. The perennial Pro Bowler has been outstanding in his nine year career.

Wow, this one was really hard. There wasn’t a draft that had more than one solid starter/contributor for the Falcons in the last 30 years. Now, 2004 was fruitful, but the best pick was Matt Schaub, who did his damage for the Texans. In 2005, Roddy White was a strong back end of the first round pick. 2nd rounder DT Jonathan Babineaux nearly made the Pro Bowl in 2009. LB Michael Boley has contributed for other organizations. But, in the grand scheme of things, this is probably the best draft that the Falcons have had in the last 30 years.

Carolina Panthers - 2001NFC Sou th

Atlanta Falcons - 2005

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization did an “About Face!” on Draft Day 1995. After seeing Miami All-American DT Warren Sapp fall to their spot at #12, the Bucs ignored the supposed drug rumors to draft potential HOFer #1 in the first round. Then, 16 picks later with the third from last pick in the round, the Bucs found the cornerstone second level player it needed with FSU OLB Derrick Brooks. The two changed the attitude and direction of the team formerly known as the Yucks. Nothing else in the draft really, the Bucs had their two HOFers already. That’s enough.

When the draft occurred, nearly everyone thought the Saints “won” the draft because Houston had passed on Reggie Bush, allowing the Saints to pick the USC star. Although Bush has been solid, the rest of the draft was even stellar. S Roman Harper has been a starter since he was drafted. T Jahri Evans was a fourth rounder who moved over to guard and became an Pro Bowler. T Zach Strief has been a decent swing tackle, but the best value pick in this draft was WR Marques Colston in the 7th round. These 5 helped form the core of the 2009 Super Bowl winning team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1995 New Orleans Saints - 2006

The Packers have had some years with good value picks, but nothing consistently as good as 2006. LB A.J Hawk has been a good, not great, selection and the same goes for T Daryn Colledge from Boise State in the 2nd. But, WR Greg Jennings was a tremendous 2nd round selection, becoming one of the most dynamic receivers/game breakers in the NFC. 3rd rounder G/C Jason Spitz has been in the lineup since day one. DT Johnny Jolly took over from Corey Williams the last two years and has been adequate, if not, a solid interior player.

The heart of the Chicago offensive line and the heart of the Chicago defense for the vaunted 1985 Bears were found in the 1981 draft. With the 11th pick in the first round, the Bears took USC OT Keith Van Horne, who was magnificent for the Bears in 1985. But, a second rounder who makes the HOF is more than just good value. Baylor LB Mike Singletary was bypassed by all 28 teams in the first, allowing the Bears to snatch him up in the 2nd. He was pretty good (tongue in cheek, of course). 4th round selection DB Todd Bell was a solid player throughout his career.

Green Bay Packers - 2006

NFC NorthChicago Bears - 1981

The 1988 draft produced the only Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer in this period Randall McDaniel, but the rest of the draft was awful. So, for depth purposes, how about last year’s crop? WR Percy Harvin was offensive rookie of the year, after falling to pick #22. 2nd round pick OT Phil Loadholt started nearly every game at right tackle. CB Asher Allen was a major contributor for the NFC North champs, as was 5th rounder ILB Jasper Brinkley, who was starting in the middle by the end of the season. 80% of their picks played a huge role for the Vikes last season.

The third pick in the 1989 draft was a man named Barry Sanders. It’s easy to see today why he was selected, but coming out of Oklahoma State, he only started one season. Okay, I’m trying to give the Lions a little credit, but it was a no-brainer to take Sanders. But, it panned out, didn’t it? 2nd rounder CB Ray Crockett had a solid career for Detroit out of Baylor, while 6th round selection QB Rodney Peete wasn’t as flashy and productive as he was at USC, but he still had an acceptable career in Detroit, before bouncing around the league for a while.

Minnesota Vikings - 2009 Detroit Lions - 1989



Pos Player

DT Clifton Ryan

DT Adam Carriker

DE Chris Long

DE Victor Adeyanju

OLB David Vobora

MLB James Laurinaitis

OLB Na’il Diggs

CB Ronald Bartell

SS James Butler

FS Oshiomogho Atogwe

CB Justin King

S t . L o u i s ’ D r a f t N e e d sQuarterback Linebacker Wide Receiver

Bradford

Price

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Jason Smith, T, Baylor2nd: James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State3rd: Bradley Fletcher, DB, Iowa4th: Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson5th: Brooks Foster, WR, North Carolina6th: Keith Null, QB, West Texas A&M7th: Chris Ogbonnaya, RB, Texas

We s tProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Curran

Pos Player

QB A.J Feeley

RB Steven Jackson

FB Mike Karney

WR Donnie Avery

WR Keenan Burton

TE Billy Bajema

LT Alex Barron

LG Jacob Bell

C Jason Brown

RG Adam Goldberg

RT Jason Smith

Free Agents SignedDT Fred Robbins (NYG)S Craig Dahl (STL)QB A.J Feeley (CAR)CB Kevin Dockery (NYG)TE Darcy Johnson (NYG)

Free Agents - unsignedS Clinton HartDE Leonard LittleTE Randy McMichael

FA Lost/Players CutTE Derek FineDT Claude WrotenCB Jonathan WadeQB Marc BulgerWR Ruvell MartinQB Kyle BollerLB Paris LenonRB Samkon Gado

Let’s be honest about the St. Louis Rams. They’re not good. They’ve got holes throughout the roster. They’ve been drafting one or two in the NFL Draft for what seems like forever. They’ve got one true player - Steven Jackson. And, he’s shouldered so much of the load lately that you’ve got to wonder how much he’s got left in the tank.

But, no team plays as hard and gives as much effort for its head coach as this Rams bunch does. Steve Spanuolo’s squad plays its collective butt off and that sort of effort will eventually results in W’s, but it takes a few more players to make it happen. Like players at QB, WR, OT, G, DT, DE, OLB and CB.

The first pick option is a fun one for the Rams - Bradfor, McCoy or Suh? They can’t miss, can they?


LeFevourMcCoy

Clausen Washington Gibson

Bowman

Tate Thomas

LaFell


Pos Player

DT Brandon Mebane

DT Colin Cole

DE Chris Clemons

DE Lawrence Jackson

OLB Leroy Hill

MLB Lofa Tatupu

OLB Aaron Curry

CB Marcus Trufant

SS Jamar Adams

FS Jordan Babineaux

CB Josh Wilson

S e a t t l e ’ s D r a f t N e e d sLeft Tackle Safety Defensive End

Williams

Capers

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest2nd: Max Unger, T, Oregon3rd: Deon Butler, WR, Penn State6th: Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers7th: Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers7th: Nick Reed, DE, Oregon7th: Cameron Morrah, TE, Cal


ChancellorWard

Pos Player

QB Matt Hasselbeck

RB Julius Jones

FB Owen Schmitt

WR TJ Houshmandzadeh

WR Deon Butler

TE John Carlson

LT Ray Willis/W. Jones

LG Mansfield Wrotto

C Max Unger

RG Chris Spencer

RT Sean Locklear

Free Agents SignedK Olindo Mare (SEA-FP)TE Chris Baker (NE)QB C. Whitehurst (TR - SD)WR Ruvell Martin (STL)WR Sean Morey (AZ)DE Robert Henderson (TR - DET)LB Matt McCoy (TB)DE C. Clemons (TR - PHI)

Free Agents - unsignedTE Jeff RobinsonT Damion McIntoshC Kevin HouserLB D.D LewisS Lawyer MilloyT Brandon FryeRB Justin Griffith

FA Lost/Players CutWR Nate BurlesonDE Patrick Kerney (RET)QB S. Wallace (TR - CLE)S Deon GrantLB Lance LauryDT Cory ReddingG Rob Sims (TR - DET)DE Darryl Tapp (TR - PHI)

Well, that didn’t take long. Head Coach Jim Mora became former head coach just one season after replacing legendary Mike Holmgren. Although t h e S e a h a w k s g o t o f f t o a respectable start, they finished with only three wins in the final eleven games.

Enter former USC head coach Pete Carroll . The former Jets and Patriots head coach decided it was time to move on back to the NFL after one of the best nine year stints in college football history. But, he’s taking over a team that has major question marks at a number of different positions, especially on the defensive line. The Seahawks have spent draft picks on defensive ends (Lawrence Jackson) and signed FA in the past (Patrick Kerney - now r e t i r e d ) , b u t t h e S e a h a w k s generated only 28 sacks.

Bulaga

Davis

Berry Thomas


Griffen

Morgan Pierre-Paul

Cunningham


Pos Player

NT Gabe Watson

DE Calais Campbell

DE Darnell Dockett

OLB Clark Haggans

ILB Gerald Hayes

ILB Paris Lenon

OLB Joey Porter

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

SS Adrian Wilson

FS Kerry Rhodes

CB Bryant McFadden

A r i z o n a ’ s D r a f t N e e d sLinebacker Quarterback Nose Tackle

Troup

Owens Woods

We stProjected Offensive Starters Projected Defensive Starters

Skelton

Pos Player

QB Matt Leinart

RB Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells

FB Nehemiah Broughton

WR Larry Fitzgerald

WR Steve Breaston

TE Ben Patrick

LT Levi Brown

LG Reggie Wells

C Lyle Sendlein

RG Deuce Lutui

RT Herman Johnson

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, RB, Ohio State2nd: Cody Brown, DE, U Conn3rd: Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama4th: Greg Toler, CB, St. Paul’s5th: Herman Johnson, OT, LSU6th: Will Davis, DE, Illinois7th: LaRod Stephens-Howling, RB, Pitt7th: Trevor Canfield, G, Cincinnati

Free Agents SignedS Kerry Rhodes (TR - NYJ)DT Keilen Dykes (AZ)S Matt Ware (AZ)

Free Agents - unsignedLB Chike OkeaforDT Bryan RobinsonTE Anthony BechtT Mike Gandy

FA Lost/Players CutQB Kurt Warner (Ret.)S Antrel RolleLB Karlos DansbyWR Anquan Boldin (Trade)LB Bertrand Berry (Ret.)K Neil RackersWR Jerheme UrbanWR Sean Morey

The off-season has not been kind to the Arizona Cardinals. First, QB Kurt Warner decided it was time to hang up the cleats and retire. Then, the Cardinals traded WR Anquan Boldin to the Ravens. OLB Karlos Dansby, who had the game winning TD in the playoff win over Green Bay, signed with Miami, while FS Antrel Rolle thought he looked better in New York Giant blue and white.

FS Kerry Rhodes filled one of those holes after the Jets completed a trade with the Cardinals, but the holes are still fairly vast. And, the quest ions wil l remain unt il the season starts in early September.

Will Matt Leinart be able to harken back to his ol’ USC days? Is Rhodes capable of filling Rolle’s shoes? Is Steve Breaston a true #2 WR? Are there too many questions? Perhaps.


Griffen Hughes

WorildsButler Pike

Tebow ThomasMcCoy


Pos Player

NT Aubrayo Franklin

DE Justin Smith

DE Isaac Sopoaga

OLB Manny Lawson

ILB Takeo Spikes

ILB Patrick Willis

OLB Parys Haralson

CB Nate Clements

SS Michael Lewis

FS Dashon Goldson

CB Shawntae Spencer

S a n F r a n c i s c o’s D r a f t Ne e d sOffensive Line Cornerback Offensive “Game Breaker”

Campbell

McCluster

Ford Shipley


Pos Player

QB Alex Smith

RB Frank Gore

FB Moran Norris

WR Michael Crabtree

WR Josh Morgan

TE Vernon Davis

LT Joe Staley

LG David Baas

C Eric Heitmann

RG Chilo Rachal

RT Adam Snyder

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech3rd: Glen Coffee, RB, Alabama5th: Scott McKillop, LB, Pitt5th: Nate Davis, QB, Ball State6th: Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno State7th: Curtis Taylor, FS, LSU7th: Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU

Free Agents SignedQB David Carr (NYG)LB Matt Wilhelm (SF)DT Aubrayo Franklin (SF - FP)WR Ted Ginn (TR - MIA)

Free Agents - unsignedCB Dre’ BlyCB Walt HarrisS Mark Roman

FA Lost/Players CutWR Arnaz BattleT Tony PashosQB Shaun Hill (TR - DET)S Marcus Hudson

Well, it’s been an exciting off-season in San Francisco. And, by exciting, I re a l l y me an, f u l l o f uphe ava l exciting. GM Scot McCloughan was granted a leave of absence six weeks before one of the most important drafts since Bill Walsh was running the organization back in the 1980s.

With two first round picks within the first 17 picks, the 49ers are sitting in great shape to fill two of the team’s most egregious needs. But, the quest ion will be what happens if one of the top ranked quarterbacks, in particular Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen, is sitting there for the 49ers at the 17th position. A major question that might be best avoided by taking an offensive linemen of their choosing.

This draft could signal the final tipping point to the playoffs for SF.


Thomas Haden

WilsonAsamoah

Iupati Spiller

Cook

Pouncey


Pos Player

NT Jay Ratliff

DE Marcus Spears

DE Igor Olshansky

OLB Anthony Spencer

ILB Bradie James

ILB Keith Brooking

OLB DeMarcus Ware

CB Terence Newman

SS Gerald Sensabaugh

FS Michael Hamlin

CB Mike Jenkins

D a l l a s ’ D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Tackle Safety Kicker

Campbell Brown

2009 NFL Draft Results3rd: Jason Williams, OLB, Western Ill.3rd: Robert Brewster, OT, Ball State4th: Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M4th: Victor Butler, DE, Oregon State5th: DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati5th: David Buehler, K, USC6th: Stephen Hodge, S, TCU6th: John Phillips, TE, UVA7th: Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati7th: Manuel Johnson, WR, Oklahoma


Pos Player

QB Tony Romo

RB M. Barber/F. Jones

FB Deon Anderson

WR Miles Austin

WR Roy Williams

TE Jason Witten

LT Doug Free

LG Kyle Kosier

C Andre Gurode

RG Leonard Davis

RT Marc Colombo

Free Agents SignedRB Cletis Gordon (DAL)

Free Agents - unsignedG Montrae Holland

FA Lost/Players CutLT Flozell AdamsS Ken HamlinK Shaun Suisham

Rewind. Hit play. Rewind. Hit play again. Wow, same song, different season. Here’s the song I hear...solid regular season, maybe even win the NFC East, as they did in 2009. Flame out in the playoffs. Another season under Wade Phillips? No different. G i ve him credi t, though - the Cowboys did win one playoff game this year. But, then again, any goodwill was wiped away after a 34-7 dismantling in Minnesota.

QB Tony Romo made the Pro Bowl, but he’s done that before. What he hasn’t done is lead his team to the NFC Championship game. And, not even close. In Minnesota, he looked shellshocked and timid, unlike the way he looked the night the Cowboys ended the perfect regular season of the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. Romo, though, is the least of the worries for this team.


Saffold Ducasse

Mays Allen

Burnett Jones Swenson Lawrence

PettreyTif f in


Pos Player

NT Barry Cofield

DT Jay Alford

DE Justin Tuck

DE Mathias Kiwanuka

OLB Clint Sintim

MLB Jonathan Goff

OLB Michael Boley

CB Corey Webster

SS Kenny Phillips

FS Antrel Rolle

CB Terrell Thomas

N e w Y o r k ’ s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Line Linebacker Defensive Tackle

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina2nd: Clint Sintim, LB, UVA2nd: William Beatty, OT, U Conn3rd: Ramses Barden, WR, Cal Poly3rd: Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin4th: Andre Brown, RB, NC State5th: Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston St.6th: DeAndre Wright, DB, New Mexico7th: Stoney Woodson, DB, S. Carolina


Pos Player

QB Eli Manning

RB Brandon Jacobs

FB Madison Hedgecock

WR Steve Smith

WR Hakeem Nicks

TE Kevin Boss

LT David Diehl

LG Rich Seubert

C Shaun O’Hara

RG Chris Snee

RT Kareem McKenzie

Free Agents SignedS Antrel Rolle (AZ)QB Jim Sorgi (IND)S Deon Grant (SEA)

Free Agents - unsignedDT Fred RobbinsLB Danny Clark

FA Lost/Players CutS Aaron RouseLB Antonio PierceQB David CarrS CC BrownTE Darcy Johnson

The 2009 season started well for the New York Giants, but, wow, it crumbled quickly, and thoroughly. After a 5-0 start, the Giants went 3-8 the rest of the way. Not only that, the defense gave up 40+ points in five of those losses. And, with the playoffs on the line, the Giants were outscored 85-16 in the final two games of the season.

Q B E l i M a n n i n g wa s n’t b a d , throwing for over 4,000 yards and 27 TDs, both career highs.

But, no one or nothing else was e f fe c t i ve , i nc l ud i ng ne w (and former) defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. It was a disaster from the word “go” and af ter one ye ar, Sheridan was canned. Injuries didn’t help matters, but help was needed. Former Cardinal S Antre l Rol le should provide some assistance.


Davis McClain Williams Alualu

WashingtonButlerDucasse

Tennant

AtkinsHoustonWang

Weatherspoon


Pos Player

DT Mike Patterson

DT Broderick Bunkley

DE Darryl Tapp

DE Trent Cole

OLB Ernie Sims

MLB Stewart Bradley

OLB Akeem Jordan

CB Asante Samuel

SS Quintin Mikell

FS Macho Harris

CB Ellis Hobbs

P h i l a d e l p h i a’s D r a f t N e e d sLinebacker Center Safety

Edds Warren

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Jeremy Maclin, WR/KR, Missouri2nd: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt5th: Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida5th: Victor ‘Macho’ Harris, CB, Va. Tech5th: Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon6th: Brandon Gibson, WR, Wash. State7th: Paul Fanaika, G, Arizona State7th: Moise Fokou, OLB, Maryland


Olsen

Pos Player

QB Kevin Kolb

RB LeSean McCoy

FB Leonard Weaver

WR Jeremy Maclin

WR DeSean Jackson

TE Brent Celek

LT Jason Peters

LG Todd Herremans

C Jamaal Jackson

RG Nick Cole

RT Winston Justice

Free Agents SignedCB Marlin Jackson (IND)RB Leonard Weaver (PHI)WR Jason Avant (PHI)C A.Q Shipley (PIT)WR Jordan Norwood (PHI)RB Mike Bell (NO)DE Darryl Tapp (TR - SEA)WR Hank Baskett (IND)LB Alex Hall (TR - CLE)

Free Agents - unsignedLB Tracy WhiteTE Alex SmithLB Jeremiah Trotter

FA Lost/Players CutLB Will WitherspoonRB Brian WestbrookQB D. McNabb (TR - WAS)LB Chris GocongWR R. Brown (TR - TB)CB S. Brown (TR - CLE)DE Jason BabinS Sean Jones

The Eagles’ 2009 season was one roller coaster ride. Long-time DC Jim Johnson died during the summer after a long bout with cancer. QB Michael Vick made sure Philly sports ta lk wave s s tayed busy af te r signing. But, in the end, two straight losses in Dallas gave the 2009 season a losing identity.

This team doesn’t lack for individual talent, especially on offense. But, the keys to the vehicle were turned over to Kevin Kolb, who could turn the car into a 1974 LeSabre or make it run like a Maserati.

The need at LB was fairly severe and the Eagles didn’t wait until the draft. Former Lion LB Ernie Sims came over in a trade. But, more help is necessary. ILB Jeremiah Trotter is done and Stewart Bradley is coming off of a season-ending knee injury.


Weatherspoon Bowman Pouncey Tennant Mays Burnett

WrightWaltonGibson


Pos Player

NT Albert Haynesworth

DE Phillip Daniels

DE Kedric Golston

OLB Brian Orakpo

ILB London Fletcher

ILB Rocky McIntosh

OLB Andre Carter

CB Carlos Rogers

SS Reed Doughty

FS LaRon Landry

CB DeAngelo Hall

Wa s h i n g t o n ’s D r a f t N e e d sOffensive Tackle “Edge Rusher” Quarterback

Williams

Brown

Clausen


WorildsNorwood

Pos Player

QB Donovan McNabb

RB Clinton Portis

FB Mike Sellers

WR Santana Moss

WR Devin Thomas

TE Chris Cooley

LT Stephon Heyer

LG Derrick Dockery

C Casey Rabach

RG Artis Hicks

RT Mike Williams

2009 NFL Draft Results1st: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas3rd: Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland5th: Cody Glenn, LB, Nebraska6th: Robert Henson, LB, TCU7th: Eddie Williams, TE, Idaho7th: Marko Mitchell, WR, Nevada

Free Agents - unsignedC Ethan AlbrightDE Renaldo WynnT Levi JonesTE Todd YoderP Hunter Smith

FA Lost/Players CutG Randy ThomasRB Rock CartwrightWR A. Randle-ElCB Fred SmootDT Cornelius GriffinT Chris Samuels (ret.)QB Todd CollinsRB Ladell Betts

Before the Redskins had played one game in the 2009 season, there were many who felt like this was a throwaway season. Why? Jim Zorn was still the head coach. Now, let’s just say the man was in over his head a little bit, but he’s still a good football coach/football guy. It’s just not what this organization needed.

Mike Sh an ah an i s wh at t h i s organization needed. And, Daniel Snyder’s pocketbook beckoned. The two-time Super Bowl champion has a monumental rebuilding job on his hands. But, his job was made a little easier, some think, after he traded for former Phi l l y QB Donovan McNabb. Say that 1000 times or until it sticks. Washington QB Donovan McNabb. Wow, that’s going to take some time. The trade ensures that the Redskins will draft a LT at #4 to protect McNabb.


Bulaga LeFevour

SappHughesOkung

Tebow

McCoy

Free Agents SignedT Artis Hicks (MIN)DE Phillip Daniels (WSH)T Mike Williams (WSH)C Casey Rabach (WSH)DT Maake Kemoeatu (CAR)QB D. McNabb (TR - PHI)CB Phillip Buchanon (DET)DE Greg Peterson (JAX)QB Rex Grossman (HOU)RB Willie Parker (PIT)RB Larry Johnson (CIN)


The best Cowboys drafts were 1988, 1989 and 1990. One HOFer in each year - Michael Irvin in ’88, Troy Aikman in ’89 and Emmitt Smith in ’90. The difference in 1989 were the complementary parts, so to speak. FB Moose Johnston, Smith’s escort for so many years, was an early 2nd rounder. C Mark Stepnoski went with the first pick in the third round. DE Tony Tolbert, who was a contributor on defense, went in the fourth round. And, just to show how good the class was, 2nd round pick Steve Wisniewski was traded to Oakland and became an 8-time Pro Bowler.

The 2007 NY Giants draft class is a good one, but with such a recent history to go off of, it’s tough to really put it on this list. But, the book has been written for the 1984 draft class and it had some sweet endings. LB Carl Banks was the #3 pick and when the light finally went on, he was fantastic. #27 pick in the first round T William Roberts was a fixture at tackle. QB Jeff Hostetler, who led the team to a win in SB XXV, went in the third round, while LB Gary Reasons was a fourth rounder. WR Lionel Manuel was great value in the 7th.

Dallas Cowboys - 1989

NFC We s t

New York Giants - 1984

A different loophole this time for the Eagles most outstanding draft...the 1984 draft produced, well, really nothing. But, that same year, the NFL had a USFL dispersal draft. With the fourth pick in that dispersal draft, the Eagles selected Memphis Showboat DE Reggie White. I think he was pretty good. He was the cornerstone of those great Buddy Ryan defenses in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The three names that went ahead of White in the same dispersal draft - Steve Young, Mike Rozier and Gary Zimmerman. 3 HOFers out of those 4 picks. Wow.

The linemen draft. The Redskins hung their hat on both their offensive and defensive line and a great majority of those “players” came out of this draft. T Mark May was taken in the first, while Pitt teammate C Russ Grimm was taken in the third. Those two were instrumental in the foundation of the Hogs. DE Dexter Manley, who was a terror off the edge in the ‘80s, was taken in the fifth, along with Rice product Darryl Grant, who was moved over to the defensive line, in the 9th round. For skill players sake, WR Charlie Brown, a member of the Smurfs, went in the 8th round.

Philadelphia Eagles - 1984 Washington Redskins - 1981

No, the Rams didn’t take one of the six famous QB in the first round of this draft. They decided on Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson from SMU with the 2nd pick of the draft. Adding offense to offense, they selected little known WR Henry Ellard from Fresno State in the 2nd round. Those two provided a majority of the offensive punch over the next four years for the Rams. The defensive side of the ball got some help later in the draft with the selection of DB Vince Newsome out of Washington in the fourth round.

Arguably the best receiver in the NFL is former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald, who went third in the 2004 draft. After Eli Manning and Robert Gallery, the Cardinals luck changed that day with the selection of Fitzgerald. But, it wasn’t over. LB Karlos Dansby, a key contributing starter for the past six years, went to the Cards with the first pick in the 2nd round. The defensive line, then got a huge boost, from additions Darnell Dockett, one of the best DTs in the league, in the 3rd and current Texan Antonio Smith in the 5th.

LA/St. Louis Rams - 1983

NFC Eas t

Arizona Cardinals - 2004

There isn’t a true Seahawks draft class that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The 2000 class led by Shaun Alexander of Alabama was good, but not great. The 1990 class isn’t deep nor does it have a Hall of Famer, but it did have two players forever linked to the Seattle Seahawks. The #3 pick in the draft was Miami’s Cortez Kennedy, who is a potential Hall of Famers. He’s the standout, but the value pick in that class was RB Chris Warren from tiny Ferrum College in the 4th round. It’s not a no-brainer class, but it is the best of the Seattle drafts over the past 30 years.

There have been good drafts and then there have been drafts to build dynasties. The 49ers continued their 1980s/1990s dynast y wi th one of the most impressive drafts in recent history. DE Larry Roberts in the 2nd. FB Tom Rathman in the 3rd. WR John Taylor in the 3rd. CB Tim McKyer in the 3rd. DE Charles Haley in the 4th. T Steve Wallace in the 4th. DT Kevin Fagan in the 4th. CB Don Griffin in the 6th. Other than Haley, no one will make the Hall of Fame, but eight key starters found in one draft? That’s amazing.

Seattle Seahawks - 1990 San Francisco 49ers - 1986


2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r t“...What We Said, a long t ime ago”

T h e G o o d . . .

The Bad (and Ugly)...Houston: A- = So you don’t like the pick of Ragone in the 3rd round? Big deal. What about Rogers, Joppru and Peak who will be starting for the team for years to come. Plus, Seth Wand is considering one of the steals of the draft on the offensive line.

- LZ’s Draft Grade for Houston Texans 2003

...but Charley Casserly knows what he’s doing and what he wants to do with his defensive fronts.

- JH’s responding to Texans drafting Travis Johnson in 2005 Draft Day Blog (Ouch. That one hurts.)

Ngata is a beast, but whether he plays that way 100% of the time is a major question. This kid has dealt with more issues – health and the loss of his two parents – that he's had to grow up awfully fast. For as big as he is, I still think that he's a one-gap tackle, but he does show at times that he could dominate over the nose in the 3-4. It's just hard to get a read on a guy who only played one full year due to injuries and setbacks, but when he turns it up, oh boy, he eats linemen for lunch. Yes, linemen, plural.

- JH’s Draft Assessment for Haloti Ngata, drafted by Baltimore Ravens in 2006Sleeper: David Anderson, Colorado State – Guys like Hines Ward and Ricky Proehl have made careers out of catching the ball, blocking defensive backs and being solid, strong team players. That's what you'll get out of Anderson. He's not a big guy at all, but he's quick in space and has tremendous hands.

- JH’s “Sleeper” Assessment for Wide Receivers in 2006.

1. George Foster - OT - Broncos: Drafted too high and people will expect too much from him. 2. William Joseph - DT - Giants: If he couldn't dominate on the Cane defense against Big East competition, then what now? 3. Pisa Tinoisamoa - LB - Rams: We'll see if he fits Rams system, but I think he could get manhandled too much. 4. Bethel Johnson - WR - Patriots: Teams are in love with his speed, but I would like to see more production on the field. 5. Calvin Pace - DE - Cardinals: I like Pace, but not that early in the first round. Def. linemen have faired poorly in Arizona.

- LZ’s Potential Busts after 2003 Draft. 5 Direct Hits!

Most of you know how much I love Reggie Bush, but I'm telling you right now NC State's Mario Williams may end up having more draft value than the 2005 Heisman winner or anyone else in the draft for that matter.

- JH’s Assessment of #1 DE prospect out of NC State Mario Williams in 2006

Nick Mango ld i s t h e be s t interior OL in this draft and he has the athletic ability to pull if you want to sweep, get to the second level and take care of LBs with zone schemes and he's got enough strength to hang in there against bull rushes.

- LZ’s Assessment of Ohio State center Nick Mangold in 2006

Frank Gore - Miami - RB: He didn't look very sharp last year, but no one ever does when he is coming off of an ACL injury. His knee injuries will scare teams away, but when he was healthy, he was as good as any back in this draft.

Jason Brown - North Carolina - C: You've read about him already in this newsletter, but I must reiterate that when you get a dominant run-blocking center, that can be a MAJOR factor in a possession running attack.

- LZ’s Diamonds in the rough for the 2005 draft. Both were fantastic third and fourth round finds


Barron reminds me a great deal of former Miami Hurricane Bryant McKinnie. Huge wingspan, good feet, tremendous athlete for a guy of any size. Heck, the guy has a 381/2 inch vertical jump. McKinnie had some of the best feet you’d ever seen in a college player, and that made him a quality pass protector. Barron is the quite the same way. But, as a pass protecting left tackle, he’s going to be a 12 year starter in the League.

- JH’s Assessment of former FSU OT Alex Barron (and I didn’t even like the guy back then, but you wouldn’t know it from this)

8. Rodrique Wright - UT - DT: Injuries impacted his play last year as he disappointed somewhat, but he has the tools to be a top 5 pick.

- LZ’s Overall Top Ten Prospects for 2006. Wright went seventh. Seventh Round.

2 0 1 0 N F L D r a f t R e p o r tZ Report Draf t Sh o w Podc as ts


http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/z-report-draft-show-pt-5-4-14-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/z-report-draft-show-pt-4-4-14-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/z-report-draft-show-pt-3-4-14-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/z-report-draft-show-pt-2-4-14-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/z-report-draft-show-pt-1-4-14-10/

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/07/z-report-draft-show-pt-4-4-7-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/07/z-report-draft-show-pt-3-4-7-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/07/z-report-draft-show-pt-2-4-7-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/07/z-report-draft-show-pt-1-4-7-10/

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-daft-show-pt-5-3-31-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-draft-show-pt-4-3-31-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-draft-show-pt-3-3-31-10/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-draft-show-pt-2-3-31-10/

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-draft-show-pt-1-3-31-10/




http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt4-dr-suess/http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt3/

Se an Pe nde rgas t, John Har r i s and L ance Zie r le i n make up t he Z Report Draf t Sh o w dur ing Draf t se ason . The se are t he p odc as t l i nk s to l i s te n . . . i f yo u mis se d i t. Obv io us l y, t he l i nk s on l y wor k w i th t he e le c t ron ic ve rs ion o f t he ne ws le t te r. . . i f yo u ne e d an e le c t ron ic c opy, se nd an ema i l t o s ide l i ne v ie w@gmai l . c om - ask LZ f or a c opy.

April 14th, 2010 Podcasts - Part 4 features Rob Rang from nfldraftscout.com and Part 2 features Doug Farrar from Footballoutsiders.com/Yahoo Sports

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt2-earl-thomas/

April 7th, 2010 Podcasts - Part 2 features Daniel Jeremiah, former NFL scout, from Movethesticks.com

March 31st, 2010 Podcasts - Part 3 features Mike Lombardi from National Football Post

March 24th, 2010 Podcasts - Part 2 features Rob Rang from nfldraftscout.com

March 17th, 2010 Podcasts - Part 2 features Texas Longhorns defensive back Earl Thomas



















http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-daft-show-pt-5-3-31-10/

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/31/z-report-daft-show-pt-5-3-31-10/















http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt4-dr-suess/




http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt3/

http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/03/17/sj-z-report-draft-show-3-17-10-pt3/

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