NFL MOCK DRAFT 2010 - PICKS 17 THRU 32
This is the second half of my first round mock draft, picks 17-32. I will offer up another two days before the draft.
17. San Francisco--Sergio Kindle OLB
I could see the Niners trading down here since taking a tackle now would be a reach, but if they stay put, Kindle could very well be their man. The Texas OLB/DE makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage, 16 sacks & 40 tackles for loss as a 2-year starter. Kind of a flake off the field but Mike Singletary could impose his will on Kindle & mold him into a high quality NFL player. He's an explosive hitter with excellent instincts & tough enough to play thru injuries. Very athletic prospect.
18. Pittsburgh--Mike Iupati G
The Steelers want a corner, a backup runner, another wide receiver & a couple of tough, physical offensive linemen. They don't come much more tough or physical than Iupati. He's huge at 6' 5" & 328. He has long, powerful arms & this Samoan mauler plays with an extreme mean streak, in other words he's perfect for Steeler football. One of my favorite players in this draft.
19. Atlanta--Brandon Graham DE
Many think he'll be more effective as a standup rush linebacker in a 3-4 defense. I don't, he played with his hand in the dirt at Michigan & he was a force. The Falcons need pass rush help to bookend with John Abraham & this is the guy. Graham had an astonishing 56 tackles for loss in 3 seasons coupled with 29.5 sacks. He has one of the top-5 motors in this draft, he goes past the whistle. Only 6' 1", Graham plays 'under' his opponents pads, exerting terrific leverage. At 268 pounds, he has a good anchor & is tough for blockers to move. Strong upper body & he has multiple pass rush moves, unusual for a college player. MVP in the Senior Bowl with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, a pass knocked down & a forced fumble.
20. Houston--Kyle Wilson CB
Tough pick here, the Texans need a CB to replace free agent Dunta Robinson who is in Atlanta now & a bigger running back to spell Steve Slaton. With Wilson & RB Ryan Mathews both on the board, it may be a tough decision for Texan management too. Wilson is a very tough, in-your-face press corner with excellent closing speed. Fine tackler & a scary punt returner as well. As a senior at Boise State, Wilson routinely shut down his side of the field with little or no deep help. He had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl & looked like a solid first round choice at the combine. Another of my favorite players in this class.
21. Cincinnati--Dez Bryant WR
The Bengals have made quite a home for diva wide receivers, why not one more? With Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant & Lavernanues Coles, they shouldn't be frightened of Bryant. He's a great talent but he will take some steady guidance to fulfill his potential. I could actually see the Patriots & their 4 picks in the first 2 rounds making a play to get Bryant one spot ahead of the Bengals.
22. New England--Jermaine Gresham TE
The Pats are without a legitimate tight end & the best prospect in this draft could be setting right there for the taking. Gresham blew out his knee before the season started last year. He still had a terrific career at Oklahoma with 111 catches for 1,629 yards & 26 touchdowns, amazing for a tight end. He has the size coaches love, 6' 5" & 260, Gresham has long arms & big, dependable hands. Not really a deep threat & his blocking is a work in progress, I honestly think if he hadn't missed the entire season last year, Gresham could have been a top-10 pick.
23. Green Bay--Devin McCourty CB
Pack needs offensive linemen & defensive backs. McCourty is a blazer with superior special teams production while at Rutgers. Seven blocked kicks, a kickoff return touchdown & a bunch of tackles. He has 4.40 speed & is solidly put together, 5' 10 3/4" & 196. Excellent in run support & a fine tackler in the open field.
24. Philadelphia--Everson Griffen DE
Eagles looking for a corner to replace the departed Sheldon Brown, a free safety, another RB & a pass rushing DE. Here he is, I think Griffin will be a better pro than he was a collegiate player. At the recent USC pro day, Griffen bowled everyone over with a 4.59 40-yard dash, at 268 pounds. He has a powerful upper body & has a quick twitch first step. This guy may become a monster player by year three of his pro career.
25. Baltimore--Demaryius Thomas WR
With Gresham & the top-3 corners gone, the Ravens still need a wideout, a big one if possible. Thomas fills that need at 6' 3" & 224. He played in the Georgia Tech triple-option offense, so he didn't run a full route tree & was often single covered because of the run threat the Yellowjacket offense presented. In three years as a starter, this junior caught 120 passes for an amazing 2,339 yards & 15 touchdowns. Plus, coming from that offense, he is a great blocker outside the hash marks. Even tho they got Anquan Boldin, a big receiver is a good choice here.
26. Arizona--Sean Weatherspoon LB
The Cardinals need a tackler & 'Spoon is definitely a tackler, in his 3 seasons as a starter for Mizzou, he made 406 of them. He also recorded 43.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks & took 3 interceptions to the house. With the departure of Karlos Dansby in free agency, the Cards need an inside backer, 'Spoon showed at the Senior Bowl he could play all 3 spots in a 4-3 scheme or either inside spot in a 3-4. He gets excellent pass drops & plays the ball well. Never stops talking, he will become a solid locker room leader in time.
27. Dallas--Charles Brown OT
Dallas just released Flozell Adams & put out a help wanted sign at left tackle. Third year pro Doug Free is listed #1 on the depth chart, but I don't see him being the long term answer protecting Tony Romo's blindside. Brown might need a year tho, he needs upper body strength & a meaner attitude. This former tight end just plays a little too passively for my taste, but the Cowboys need a tackle & he's the best prospect at this point. Bruce Campbell of Maryland is a possibility, but currently Brown is more advanced than Campbell.
28. San Diego--Ryan Mathews RB
A lot of folks have the Chargers going nose tackle here with Terrence Cody. Two things wrong with that thinking, Cody isn't a first round talent & the Chargers need a starting running back. No matter what they say about Darren Sproles, he isn't a 25-carry a game back. Mathews is, leaving Sproles his 10-12 touches & the punt returns. I really like Mathews, he led the nation in rushing as a junior last year with 1,808 yards & a 6.6 yard average. He finished his career at Fresno State with 39 touchdowns & he broke an NCAA record last year in the Boise State game when he had three touchdown runs of over 70-yards each. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as well.
29. New York Jets--Jerry Hughes OLB
Rex Ryan wants a pass rusher in the worst way & Hughes could fill the bill. He was ultra-productive for TCU with 28.5 sacks, 40.5 tackles for loss & 8 forced fumbles. Hughes is quick, very tough, has a superior work ethic & a non-stop motor, playing to the whistle on every play. The former defensive end should make the transition to outside rush linebacker fairly quickly, easily one of my favorite players in this draft.
30. Minnesota--Taylor Mays S
I'm not a fan of this guy, he's quite an athlete, but I'm not too impressed with his on-field production. A 4-year starter with only 5 interceptions & 1 forced fumble. He misses a lot of tackles in the open field going for the kill-shot. He's slow to react & he takes poor angles toward the sideline. He does move downhill toward the line in rapid fashion, he can cover a lot of ground straight ahead. Freakish size-speed ratio, 6' 3" 230 pounds with sub-4.40 clockings at the combine. The Vikings might be better served by picking Alabama CB Kareem Jackson, but Mays might be too tough to pass on this late in the 1st round.
31. Indianapolis--Markice Pouncey C-G
The Colts want to get bigger & tougher on both lines. Pouncey is the 2nd best interior lineman in this draft & he can play all 3 spots. He is a tough-as-nails mauler who has played against superior competition week after week at Florida. Smart, intense & a team leader, he's the best center prospect in years. Jeff Saturday isn't ready to retire, but Pouncey could start at either guard spot in the meantime.
32. New Orleans--Jared Odrick DT
The Saints need a lot of defensive help, safety, outside linebacker & interior defensive linemen. With the best safeties gone, OLB's too, the Saints look to shore up their run defense. Odrick is unspectacular but solid in every phase of the game. He is quick off the ball & can slant thru a crease to blow up plays in the backfield. His stats at Penn State were somewhat deceptive as many times his teammates got a sack or tackle because of a play Odrick made. Very smart but he needs weight room work, many of his moves won't work at the next level.
Any comments or questions? Submit your comments at the end of any article or email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com.
17. San Francisco--Sergio Kindle OLB
I could see the Niners trading down here since taking a tackle now would be a reach, but if they stay put, Kindle could very well be their man. The Texas OLB/DE makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage, 16 sacks & 40 tackles for loss as a 2-year starter. Kind of a flake off the field but Mike Singletary could impose his will on Kindle & mold him into a high quality NFL player. He's an explosive hitter with excellent instincts & tough enough to play thru injuries. Very athletic prospect.
18. Pittsburgh--Mike Iupati G
The Steelers want a corner, a backup runner, another wide receiver & a couple of tough, physical offensive linemen. They don't come much more tough or physical than Iupati. He's huge at 6' 5" & 328. He has long, powerful arms & this Samoan mauler plays with an extreme mean streak, in other words he's perfect for Steeler football. One of my favorite players in this draft.
19. Atlanta--Brandon Graham DE
Many think he'll be more effective as a standup rush linebacker in a 3-4 defense. I don't, he played with his hand in the dirt at Michigan & he was a force. The Falcons need pass rush help to bookend with John Abraham & this is the guy. Graham had an astonishing 56 tackles for loss in 3 seasons coupled with 29.5 sacks. He has one of the top-5 motors in this draft, he goes past the whistle. Only 6' 1", Graham plays 'under' his opponents pads, exerting terrific leverage. At 268 pounds, he has a good anchor & is tough for blockers to move. Strong upper body & he has multiple pass rush moves, unusual for a college player. MVP in the Senior Bowl with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, a pass knocked down & a forced fumble.
20. Houston--Kyle Wilson CB
Tough pick here, the Texans need a CB to replace free agent Dunta Robinson who is in Atlanta now & a bigger running back to spell Steve Slaton. With Wilson & RB Ryan Mathews both on the board, it may be a tough decision for Texan management too. Wilson is a very tough, in-your-face press corner with excellent closing speed. Fine tackler & a scary punt returner as well. As a senior at Boise State, Wilson routinely shut down his side of the field with little or no deep help. He had a great week of practice at the Senior Bowl & looked like a solid first round choice at the combine. Another of my favorite players in this class.
21. Cincinnati--Dez Bryant WR
The Bengals have made quite a home for diva wide receivers, why not one more? With Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant & Lavernanues Coles, they shouldn't be frightened of Bryant. He's a great talent but he will take some steady guidance to fulfill his potential. I could actually see the Patriots & their 4 picks in the first 2 rounds making a play to get Bryant one spot ahead of the Bengals.
22. New England--Jermaine Gresham TE
The Pats are without a legitimate tight end & the best prospect in this draft could be setting right there for the taking. Gresham blew out his knee before the season started last year. He still had a terrific career at Oklahoma with 111 catches for 1,629 yards & 26 touchdowns, amazing for a tight end. He has the size coaches love, 6' 5" & 260, Gresham has long arms & big, dependable hands. Not really a deep threat & his blocking is a work in progress, I honestly think if he hadn't missed the entire season last year, Gresham could have been a top-10 pick.
23. Green Bay--Devin McCourty CB
Pack needs offensive linemen & defensive backs. McCourty is a blazer with superior special teams production while at Rutgers. Seven blocked kicks, a kickoff return touchdown & a bunch of tackles. He has 4.40 speed & is solidly put together, 5' 10 3/4" & 196. Excellent in run support & a fine tackler in the open field.
24. Philadelphia--Everson Griffen DE
Eagles looking for a corner to replace the departed Sheldon Brown, a free safety, another RB & a pass rushing DE. Here he is, I think Griffin will be a better pro than he was a collegiate player. At the recent USC pro day, Griffen bowled everyone over with a 4.59 40-yard dash, at 268 pounds. He has a powerful upper body & has a quick twitch first step. This guy may become a monster player by year three of his pro career.
25. Baltimore--Demaryius Thomas WR
With Gresham & the top-3 corners gone, the Ravens still need a wideout, a big one if possible. Thomas fills that need at 6' 3" & 224. He played in the Georgia Tech triple-option offense, so he didn't run a full route tree & was often single covered because of the run threat the Yellowjacket offense presented. In three years as a starter, this junior caught 120 passes for an amazing 2,339 yards & 15 touchdowns. Plus, coming from that offense, he is a great blocker outside the hash marks. Even tho they got Anquan Boldin, a big receiver is a good choice here.
26. Arizona--Sean Weatherspoon LB
The Cardinals need a tackler & 'Spoon is definitely a tackler, in his 3 seasons as a starter for Mizzou, he made 406 of them. He also recorded 43.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks & took 3 interceptions to the house. With the departure of Karlos Dansby in free agency, the Cards need an inside backer, 'Spoon showed at the Senior Bowl he could play all 3 spots in a 4-3 scheme or either inside spot in a 3-4. He gets excellent pass drops & plays the ball well. Never stops talking, he will become a solid locker room leader in time.
27. Dallas--Charles Brown OT
Dallas just released Flozell Adams & put out a help wanted sign at left tackle. Third year pro Doug Free is listed #1 on the depth chart, but I don't see him being the long term answer protecting Tony Romo's blindside. Brown might need a year tho, he needs upper body strength & a meaner attitude. This former tight end just plays a little too passively for my taste, but the Cowboys need a tackle & he's the best prospect at this point. Bruce Campbell of Maryland is a possibility, but currently Brown is more advanced than Campbell.
28. San Diego--Ryan Mathews RB
A lot of folks have the Chargers going nose tackle here with Terrence Cody. Two things wrong with that thinking, Cody isn't a first round talent & the Chargers need a starting running back. No matter what they say about Darren Sproles, he isn't a 25-carry a game back. Mathews is, leaving Sproles his 10-12 touches & the punt returns. I really like Mathews, he led the nation in rushing as a junior last year with 1,808 yards & a 6.6 yard average. He finished his career at Fresno State with 39 touchdowns & he broke an NCAA record last year in the Boise State game when he had three touchdown runs of over 70-yards each. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as well.
29. New York Jets--Jerry Hughes OLB
Rex Ryan wants a pass rusher in the worst way & Hughes could fill the bill. He was ultra-productive for TCU with 28.5 sacks, 40.5 tackles for loss & 8 forced fumbles. Hughes is quick, very tough, has a superior work ethic & a non-stop motor, playing to the whistle on every play. The former defensive end should make the transition to outside rush linebacker fairly quickly, easily one of my favorite players in this draft.
30. Minnesota--Taylor Mays S
I'm not a fan of this guy, he's quite an athlete, but I'm not too impressed with his on-field production. A 4-year starter with only 5 interceptions & 1 forced fumble. He misses a lot of tackles in the open field going for the kill-shot. He's slow to react & he takes poor angles toward the sideline. He does move downhill toward the line in rapid fashion, he can cover a lot of ground straight ahead. Freakish size-speed ratio, 6' 3" 230 pounds with sub-4.40 clockings at the combine. The Vikings might be better served by picking Alabama CB Kareem Jackson, but Mays might be too tough to pass on this late in the 1st round.
31. Indianapolis--Markice Pouncey C-G
The Colts want to get bigger & tougher on both lines. Pouncey is the 2nd best interior lineman in this draft & he can play all 3 spots. He is a tough-as-nails mauler who has played against superior competition week after week at Florida. Smart, intense & a team leader, he's the best center prospect in years. Jeff Saturday isn't ready to retire, but Pouncey could start at either guard spot in the meantime.
32. New Orleans--Jared Odrick DT
The Saints need a lot of defensive help, safety, outside linebacker & interior defensive linemen. With the best safeties gone, OLB's too, the Saints look to shore up their run defense. Odrick is unspectacular but solid in every phase of the game. He is quick off the ball & can slant thru a crease to blow up plays in the backfield. His stats at Penn State were somewhat deceptive as many times his teammates got a sack or tackle because of a play Odrick made. Very smart but he needs weight room work, many of his moves won't work at the next level.
Any comments or questions? Submit your comments at the end of any article or email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com.
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