And here you thought we were just a fantasy football blog. No, FO projections plans to bring you a variety of different opinions on various topics spanning across many different aspects of football and other sports. One of the staples of this site will be draft analysis over the course of this college football season- in part to give you an advanced understanding of the future football stars which will one day be on your fantasy rosters; but mostly because it simply interests us.
This mock draft, of course, is extremely preliminary and many of the players mentioned on this list will see their stock fluctuate over the course of the college season. However, it is never to early to size up the prospects and team needs and this is FO projections preseason stab at addressing those issues. So without further ado, let me introduce FO projections first mock draft.
(Disclaimer: team draft position is merely based off of last year's draft order and is not a reflection of where FO Projections feels a certain team will rank by season's end. If that were the case, the Cleveland Browns would probably would probably be the early favorites for the top spot in next year's draft)
This mock draft, of course, is extremely preliminary and many of the players mentioned on this list will see their stock fluctuate over the course of the college season. However, it is never to early to size up the prospects and team needs and this is FO projections preseason stab at addressing those issues. So without further ado, let me introduce FO projections first mock draft.
(Disclaimer: team draft position is merely based off of last year's draft order and is not a reflection of where FO Projections feels a certain team will rank by season's end. If that were the case, the Cleveland Browns would probably would probably be the early favorites for the top spot in next year's draft)
* Denotes Junior
**Denotes draft-eligible sophomore
1. Detroit Lions- Russell Okung OT Oklahoma State
If Stafford proves to be the QB of the future, the Lions could be in a position to put together a prolific offense for years to come with the likes of Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith and Brandon Pettigrew. Still an athletic left tackle who can keep Stafford upright for the next 8-10 years is essential. Jeff Backus is not getting any younger and may need to be moved to RT as early as this season. Okung, who is a very similar prospect to last year's number 2 overall pick Jason Smith, fits the bill and will likely be a top 5 pick in the 2010 draft.
2. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford* QB Oklahoma
1. Detroit Lions- Russell Okung OT Oklahoma State
If Stafford proves to be the QB of the future, the Lions could be in a position to put together a prolific offense for years to come with the likes of Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith and Brandon Pettigrew. Still an athletic left tackle who can keep Stafford upright for the next 8-10 years is essential. Jeff Backus is not getting any younger and may need to be moved to RT as early as this season. Okung, who is a very similar prospect to last year's number 2 overall pick Jason Smith, fits the bill and will likely be a top 5 pick in the 2010 draft.
2. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford* QB Oklahoma
Marc Bulger is past his prime and the Rams could use a prolific passer to provide their offense with the kind of firepower needed to become relevant again. Sam Bradford has all the ability and intangibles you look for in a top 5 overall pick at the QB position. As well, I am a firm believer that he, and not Stafford, would have been the number 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft had he elected to come out early. We will see if the move to return to college pays off, but as it stands right now; he is arguably the number 1 talent heading into the 2010 draft.
3. Kansas City Chiefs- Eric Berry* S Tennessee
Eric Berry may just be the next Ed Reed. He is a true difference maker in the secondary and someone who would single-handedly dictate how offenses try to attack the Chiefs defense. The Chiefs are starting to put together a legitimate offense and need a couple of playmakers infused to their secondary in order to make that side of the ball relevant too. They currently have some competent safeties, but you don't pass on a talent like Berry.
4. Seattle Seahawks- Jevan Snead* QB Ole Miss
Hasselback may have 1 or more good years left in him. But for a new coach, like Mora, who plans on putting together a team that is legitimate beyond Hasselback's short window of effectiveness, Snead is the exact type of player who could help to secure Mora's job for the next 8-10 years. Snead is an exciting QB to watch, out of Ole Miss, and is a legitimate threat to Bradford as the first QB off the board in next year's draft.
5. Cleveland Browns- Arelious Benn* WR Illinios
Braylon Edwards went from being one of the best young receivers in the league to a highly overrated receiver, who drops to many balls, in the blink of an eye. As well, he is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Cleveland may try to trade him. Even if he returns to pro bowl form and signs an extension with the Browns, the team desperately needs a second receiver to offset the loss of Kellen Winslow and provide instant production from the number 2 slot at WR. Benn, a 6'2 224 freak of nature in the mold of Andre Johnson, will receive heavy consideration as a top 10 overall pick in next years draft- if he elects to come out early.
6. Cinncinati Bengals- Carlos Dunlap* DE Florida
Has the talent to be a consistent 10+ sack performer, at the defensive end, which is something that the Bengals are in desperate need of. Robert Geathers is a FA at the end of the season and drafting Dunlap would make it easier to avoid overpaying the inconsistent Geathers, in FA, in the event that he comes up with a big year.
5. Cleveland Browns- Arelious Benn* WR Illinios
Braylon Edwards went from being one of the best young receivers in the league to a highly overrated receiver, who drops to many balls, in the blink of an eye. As well, he is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Cleveland may try to trade him. Even if he returns to pro bowl form and signs an extension with the Browns, the team desperately needs a second receiver to offset the loss of Kellen Winslow and provide instant production from the number 2 slot at WR. Benn, a 6'2 224 freak of nature in the mold of Andre Johnson, will receive heavy consideration as a top 10 overall pick in next years draft- if he elects to come out early.
6. Cinncinati Bengals- Carlos Dunlap* DE Florida
Has the talent to be a consistent 10+ sack performer, at the defensive end, which is something that the Bengals are in desperate need of. Robert Geathers is a FA at the end of the season and drafting Dunlap would make it easier to avoid overpaying the inconsistent Geathers, in FA, in the event that he comes up with a big year.
7. Oakland Raiders- Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska
Probably the Raiders biggest deficiency as a team is their ability to stop the run. The overrated Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren do not have what it takes to plug up the middle and they need a true difference maker in order to be a top notch defense. McCoy, out of Oklahoma, is another name who should receive heavy consideration at this position come draft time. However, Suh is a more dominant run stuffer, at 6'4 305.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Gerald McCoy* DT Oklahoma
The Jaguars defense has simply not been as dominant since they traded Stroud to the bills last offseason. McCoy is the type of quick one gap penetrating tackle, who could combine with Henderson to reestablish the Jaguars defense as one of the best in the league.
9. Green Bay Packers- Brian Buluga* OT Iowa
Tackles are always highly sought after on draft day. Buluga a 6'6 305 left tackle who runs a sub 5.00 forty may remind some of another standout LT out of Iowa from a couple of years ago- Robert Gallery. Buluga hopes to have more success, than Gallery, manning the LT position in the NFL and Iowa has a nice track record of pumping out quality linemen. Green Bay needs an infusion of youth at the LT position after having Chad Clifton man the spot for the for the last decade or so and Buluga would represent just the kind of building block the Packers are looking for.
10. San Francisco 49ers- Taylor Mays S USC
He's a beast. Mays mirrors his game after the late Sean Taylor and also tries to emulate another former 49er great Ronnie Lott in how he punishes WR's and TE's coming over the middle. the 49ers have a pretty good ballhawking defense and secondary, but Mays would bring a different element of toughness and attitude that the 49ers lack at the safety position. Depending how the QB position shakes out this season they might be looking to draft Colt McCoy. But it is uncertain where McCoy will land when the draft is all said and done and Mays certainly represents a better value at the 10th pick.
He's a beast. Mays mirrors his game after the late Sean Taylor and also tries to emulate another former 49er great Ronnie Lott in how he punishes WR's and TE's coming over the middle. the 49ers have a pretty good ballhawking defense and secondary, but Mays would bring a different element of toughness and attitude that the 49ers lack at the safety position. Depending how the QB position shakes out this season they might be looking to draft Colt McCoy. But it is uncertain where McCoy will land when the draft is all said and done and Mays certainly represents a better value at the 10th pick.
11. Buffalo Bills- Trent Williams OT Oklahoma
Trent Williams is another stud LT which is something the Bills lack now that they shipped Jason Peters to Philadelphia prior to last draft. This will hurt the Bills, this season, and come next draft the Bills will be looking to further sure up their line by selecting a stud LT. The battle- between Okung, Buluga and Williams- will be a good one as each makes a case to be the number 1 tackle selected over the course of the college season. Regardless, Williams represents a great value at 11 and will help to fill a big need for the Bills.
12. Denver Broncos- Colt McCoy QB Texas
Regardless of whether Orton can be an adequate fill in for the next year or two; McDaniels will be looking for his QB of the future in next year's draft or FA. McCoy does not possess as strong of an arm as Bradford or Snead, but he is extremely accurate and is a great athlete who can create plays with his legs. He might be a great QB for the kind of offense McDaniels hopes to implement. This season will have a strong barring on whether McCoy locks up a spot as a top 15 pick or slides into the second round.
13. Washington Redskins- Ciron Black OT LSU
Samuels and Jansen have been strong bookend tackles for Washington for the past decade. However, they are both past their prime and Washington will make it a point to draft tackles who can replace them in the coming years. I am not particularly high on Ciron Black and think he might be too slow to be a top not left tackle. Still, he clearly represents the next best tackle, to this point, and teams have a propensity for reaching for tackles on draft day.
14. New Orleans Saints- Joe Haden* CB Florida
Last year the Saints began to address their subpar secondary with the selection of Malcolm Jenkins. However, it is unclear whether his best position may ultimately be cornerback or safety. Joe Haden, a pure cornerback, represents someone who could fill in as the number 1 or 2 cornerback depending on what the Saints decide to do with Jenkins.
15. Houston Texans- Trevard Lindley CB Kentucky
The Texans have a very strong front 7 but need to infuse talent into the secondary. The holdout of Dunta Robinson only further highlighted the need as the Texans would be without a true starting CB, this season, in the event that Robinson did not play. Lindley is a talented CB, at 6'0, out of Kentucky and another 6 pick effort this season could help him to lock up a spot in the top 15 picks in next year's draft.
16. San Diego Chargers- Damien Williams* WR USC
Vincent Jackson has emerged as the number 1 wide receiver in an offense that is setting up to feature one of the best passing games in the NFL. Still, the Chargers lack a true deep threat at wide receiver in order to stretch the field and give possession receivers like Jackson and Gates more room to operate in the middle. Enter Damien Williams, a speedster out of USC, who in his first year, after transferring from Arkansas, caught 58 balls for 869 yards and 4 scores- including a 10 catch for 169 yards and 1 score Rose Bowl game against an otherwise impressive Penn State defense.
17. New York Jets- Dez Bryant* WR Oklahoma State
I am a big fan of Dez Bryant who may slip some on draft day if he fails to run a strong forty time. At 6'2 210, I would lump him in the same category as players like Anquan Boldin and Hakeem Nicks who did not run fast forty times, and dropped in the draft, but will prove- or already have proven (Boldin)- that they can be top notch receivers in the NFL. You can chalk up his sophomore campaign- which included 87 catches for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns- as the result of a spread offense and subpar defenses in the big ten. But don't overlook the talent- his hands, strength, and route running skills. He is a big time player and will continue to be so in the NFL.
18. Seattle Seahawks- Jonathan Dwyer* RB Georgia State
Thanks to a moronic trade by the Broncos, the Seahawks get another first round pick this year. After selecting their QB of the future, they get their RB of the future in Dwyer. This pick is made simple by the fact that there are no good values at the OT position. Dwyer, at 6'0 226, had a very successful sophomore season rushing for 1,395 yards for 12 scores with a YPC average of 7.0. He will be a junior, this season, and could very well springboard into the top ten with a similar performance, as last year, and by running a sub 4.5 forty before the draft. Regardless of his forty time, he will be a quality 3 down back that many teams will covet in the first round on draft day.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Brandon Spikes MLB Florida
Spikes is a beast, at 6'3 244, and someone who a team can plug at inside or outside linebacker depending on that team's needs. The Bucs, who have a capable MLB in Rudd, would likely place Spikes at strongside LB. New coach Raheem Morris is a defensive guy at heart, and after picking a project (Freeman) in the first round of the 2009 draft; he will want a defensive player who can come in and make an immediate impact in the 2010 draft. Spikes represents just that.
20. Dallas Cowboys- Terrence Cody DT Alabama
The cowboys have talented players among their front 3- but no true nose tackle. Terrence Cody could be a top 10 pick or fall out of the first round depending on where teams think he is at health wise and how likely it is that he can keep his health down. Cody has reportedly lost weight, bringing him down to around 365, but the prospect of him ballooning to 400+ and being rendered unusable may give some teams pause. Still, with his weight, to this point, in check; he represents a great value pick for the Cowboys.
21. Philadelphia Eagles- Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma
In the 2009 draft, the Eagles drafted Cornelius Ingram in the 5th round who slipped due to injury concerns but was considered, when healthy, one of the best pass catching tight ends in the draft. Well, he quickly got a season ending injury, in training camp. In the 2010 draft, the Eagles address this issue for good and draft one of the best pure pass catching tight ends to come along in the draft in the past couple of years. Gresham doesn't really do much of that whole blocking thing. Regardless, the Eagles lack a top notch redzone receiving threat and that is one of Gresham's specialties as he found the endzone 12 times last season.
22. Minnesota Vikings- Tim Tebow QB Florida
I had to throw one shocking pick in there. No, I do not, at heart, feel Tim Tebow is a first round pick nor do I believe he will develop into a starting QB at the next level. Still, head coaches, like Childress, live to find intriguing pieces who they can use to design intricate offensive formations that give headaches for opposing defenses. Your telling me, that in the age of the wildcat, he can't find a way to give defensive coordinators chronic migraines by them having to account for all the possible plays that could manifest themselves from some combination of Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow at QB, RB and WR. The Vikings' only major need is a long term QB and in my opinion there is none available at this spot. And hey Tim "what would Jesus do" Tebow might just surprise everyone and be able to play NFL QB a bit.
23. New England Patriots- Sergio Kindle DE/OLB Texas
Just another ultra-athletic piece they can pug in at OLB who can terrorize the opposing QB. Kindle is a 6'4 254 DE/OLB and these types of players seem to be more and more in demand each year. Last year, he notched 10 sacks and those numbers should be a floor for the numbers he could potentially put up this season.
24. Atlanta Falcons- Rolando McClain* LB Alabama
Another quality LB who, at 6'4 248, can play inside or outside LB depending on team needs. Atlanta, who has a quality MLB (Lofton) and an emerging WLB (Nicholas) can plug McClain at SLB to form potentially one of the best young trios of LB's in the NFL. The Falcons have the makings of a superbowl quality offense. Nabbing McClain would be a strong step towards crafting a superbowl quality defense.
25. Miami Dolphins- Brandon LaFell WR LSU
The dolphins lack a big receiver to compliment the smaller, but effective tandem, of Ted Ginn and Davone Bess. Drafting LaFell, a 6'3 209 WR, would eventually allow Bess to move to the slot receiver position where he would be much more effective given his skillset.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Rob Gronkowski* TE Arizona
Rob-G! Man Ive heard some stories bout this guy. Mostly, because one of my good buddies is friends, and grew up, with Rob Gronkowski. But anyways, I am not just putting his name here because I know a guy who knows him. Rob-G, who caught 47 balls for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns, is a prototypical TE- at 6-6 260- and someone who will give Gresham a serious run for the John Mackey award as the best TE in the country. It is unknown whether he will leave early, as a junior, next year. But without the prospect of winning a National Championship at Arizona, what reason would he have to stay.
27. Indianapolis Colts- Charles Brown OT USC
Part of the reason Indianapolis was so ineffective running the ball last season was because they had recently drafted 7th round picks like Charles Johnson playing LT. Charles Brown is an athletic tackle who can be plugged in anywhere on the line- other than center- and will help to ensure that the Colts are not deficient along the offensive line for the rest of Peyton Manning's years as a Colt.
28. San Francisco 49ers- Greg Hardy DE/OLB Ole Miss
Manny Lawson has disappointed, and never has developed into the kind of pass rushing threat that the 49ers had hoped. If there is one thing Greg Hardy can do, it's terrorize the QB has he had 8.5 sacks in limited play last season. He has off the field issues and isn't stout enough to be an everydown DE. But a move to outside LB in a 3-4 should be just what he needs and he has the talent to put up double digits sacks in his first year in the league. The addition of Mays and Hardy to go along with Patrick Willis and an already strong secondary would make this defense potentially elite as a whole.
29. New York Giants- Travis Lewis** OLB Oklahoma
It appears that FA Michael Boley has failed to take hold of the starting WLB position as expected. Lewis would serve as an upgrade at the position and adress possibly the only minor weakness in the Giants defense. They simply don't have any major needs- other than WR, yes, but they hope that they have addressed that in the 2009 draft- and Travis Lewis is a highly athletic player would could immediately come in and start for the Giants.
30. Tennessee Titans- Brandom Graham DE Michegan
The Titans look to find other ways to create pressure from there front four in the absence of Albert Haynesworth. Graham, who had 10 sacks as a junior last year, could be the perfect player to plug opposite Vandenbosch to make up a menacing DE combo. They could also look at talented DT's like Syracuse's Arthur Rhodes or UCLA's Bryan Price. But Graham represents the better value and, therefore, is the more sensable pick.
31. Arizona Cardinals- Everson Griffen* DE USC
To this point Griffen has not lived up to his immense talent as he registered just 4.5 sacks last year. However, if he was to emerge, in his junior year, and put up double digits sacks, he may elect to enter the draft, in which case, many teams would be willing to commit a first round pick in hopes that he can develop into a double digit sack artist in the NFL.
32. Pittsburg Steelers- Jahvid Best* RB California
To this point C.J. Spiller is probably perceived to be slightly ahead of Best in draft rankings. However, I believe Best represents the more explosive and Dynamic pick, and if he runs in the low 4.3's or even the 4.2's he certainly will receive heavy first round consideration late in the draft like Chris Johnson did in the 08 draft. Pittsburg's RB situation is a bit of an unknown as "fast" Willie Parker no longer truly justifies his nickname and it is still undetermined what they have in Mendenhall. At worst, Best would come in and be a perfect compliment to Mendenhall's bruising style of running.
Regardless of whether Orton can be an adequate fill in for the next year or two; McDaniels will be looking for his QB of the future in next year's draft or FA. McCoy does not possess as strong of an arm as Bradford or Snead, but he is extremely accurate and is a great athlete who can create plays with his legs. He might be a great QB for the kind of offense McDaniels hopes to implement. This season will have a strong barring on whether McCoy locks up a spot as a top 15 pick or slides into the second round.
13. Washington Redskins- Ciron Black OT LSU
Samuels and Jansen have been strong bookend tackles for Washington for the past decade. However, they are both past their prime and Washington will make it a point to draft tackles who can replace them in the coming years. I am not particularly high on Ciron Black and think he might be too slow to be a top not left tackle. Still, he clearly represents the next best tackle, to this point, and teams have a propensity for reaching for tackles on draft day.
14. New Orleans Saints- Joe Haden* CB Florida
Last year the Saints began to address their subpar secondary with the selection of Malcolm Jenkins. However, it is unclear whether his best position may ultimately be cornerback or safety. Joe Haden, a pure cornerback, represents someone who could fill in as the number 1 or 2 cornerback depending on what the Saints decide to do with Jenkins.
15. Houston Texans- Trevard Lindley CB Kentucky
The Texans have a very strong front 7 but need to infuse talent into the secondary. The holdout of Dunta Robinson only further highlighted the need as the Texans would be without a true starting CB, this season, in the event that Robinson did not play. Lindley is a talented CB, at 6'0, out of Kentucky and another 6 pick effort this season could help him to lock up a spot in the top 15 picks in next year's draft.
16. San Diego Chargers- Damien Williams* WR USC
Vincent Jackson has emerged as the number 1 wide receiver in an offense that is setting up to feature one of the best passing games in the NFL. Still, the Chargers lack a true deep threat at wide receiver in order to stretch the field and give possession receivers like Jackson and Gates more room to operate in the middle. Enter Damien Williams, a speedster out of USC, who in his first year, after transferring from Arkansas, caught 58 balls for 869 yards and 4 scores- including a 10 catch for 169 yards and 1 score Rose Bowl game against an otherwise impressive Penn State defense.
17. New York Jets- Dez Bryant* WR Oklahoma State
I am a big fan of Dez Bryant who may slip some on draft day if he fails to run a strong forty time. At 6'2 210, I would lump him in the same category as players like Anquan Boldin and Hakeem Nicks who did not run fast forty times, and dropped in the draft, but will prove- or already have proven (Boldin)- that they can be top notch receivers in the NFL. You can chalk up his sophomore campaign- which included 87 catches for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns- as the result of a spread offense and subpar defenses in the big ten. But don't overlook the talent- his hands, strength, and route running skills. He is a big time player and will continue to be so in the NFL.
18. Seattle Seahawks- Jonathan Dwyer* RB Georgia State
Thanks to a moronic trade by the Broncos, the Seahawks get another first round pick this year. After selecting their QB of the future, they get their RB of the future in Dwyer. This pick is made simple by the fact that there are no good values at the OT position. Dwyer, at 6'0 226, had a very successful sophomore season rushing for 1,395 yards for 12 scores with a YPC average of 7.0. He will be a junior, this season, and could very well springboard into the top ten with a similar performance, as last year, and by running a sub 4.5 forty before the draft. Regardless of his forty time, he will be a quality 3 down back that many teams will covet in the first round on draft day.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Brandon Spikes MLB Florida
Spikes is a beast, at 6'3 244, and someone who a team can plug at inside or outside linebacker depending on that team's needs. The Bucs, who have a capable MLB in Rudd, would likely place Spikes at strongside LB. New coach Raheem Morris is a defensive guy at heart, and after picking a project (Freeman) in the first round of the 2009 draft; he will want a defensive player who can come in and make an immediate impact in the 2010 draft. Spikes represents just that.
20. Dallas Cowboys- Terrence Cody DT Alabama
The cowboys have talented players among their front 3- but no true nose tackle. Terrence Cody could be a top 10 pick or fall out of the first round depending on where teams think he is at health wise and how likely it is that he can keep his health down. Cody has reportedly lost weight, bringing him down to around 365, but the prospect of him ballooning to 400+ and being rendered unusable may give some teams pause. Still, with his weight, to this point, in check; he represents a great value pick for the Cowboys.
21. Philadelphia Eagles- Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma
In the 2009 draft, the Eagles drafted Cornelius Ingram in the 5th round who slipped due to injury concerns but was considered, when healthy, one of the best pass catching tight ends in the draft. Well, he quickly got a season ending injury, in training camp. In the 2010 draft, the Eagles address this issue for good and draft one of the best pure pass catching tight ends to come along in the draft in the past couple of years. Gresham doesn't really do much of that whole blocking thing. Regardless, the Eagles lack a top notch redzone receiving threat and that is one of Gresham's specialties as he found the endzone 12 times last season.
22. Minnesota Vikings- Tim Tebow QB Florida
I had to throw one shocking pick in there. No, I do not, at heart, feel Tim Tebow is a first round pick nor do I believe he will develop into a starting QB at the next level. Still, head coaches, like Childress, live to find intriguing pieces who they can use to design intricate offensive formations that give headaches for opposing defenses. Your telling me, that in the age of the wildcat, he can't find a way to give defensive coordinators chronic migraines by them having to account for all the possible plays that could manifest themselves from some combination of Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow at QB, RB and WR. The Vikings' only major need is a long term QB and in my opinion there is none available at this spot. And hey Tim "what would Jesus do" Tebow might just surprise everyone and be able to play NFL QB a bit.
23. New England Patriots- Sergio Kindle DE/OLB Texas
Just another ultra-athletic piece they can pug in at OLB who can terrorize the opposing QB. Kindle is a 6'4 254 DE/OLB and these types of players seem to be more and more in demand each year. Last year, he notched 10 sacks and those numbers should be a floor for the numbers he could potentially put up this season.
24. Atlanta Falcons- Rolando McClain* LB Alabama
Another quality LB who, at 6'4 248, can play inside or outside LB depending on team needs. Atlanta, who has a quality MLB (Lofton) and an emerging WLB (Nicholas) can plug McClain at SLB to form potentially one of the best young trios of LB's in the NFL. The Falcons have the makings of a superbowl quality offense. Nabbing McClain would be a strong step towards crafting a superbowl quality defense.
25. Miami Dolphins- Brandon LaFell WR LSU
The dolphins lack a big receiver to compliment the smaller, but effective tandem, of Ted Ginn and Davone Bess. Drafting LaFell, a 6'3 209 WR, would eventually allow Bess to move to the slot receiver position where he would be much more effective given his skillset.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Rob Gronkowski* TE Arizona
Rob-G! Man Ive heard some stories bout this guy. Mostly, because one of my good buddies is friends, and grew up, with Rob Gronkowski. But anyways, I am not just putting his name here because I know a guy who knows him. Rob-G, who caught 47 balls for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns, is a prototypical TE- at 6-6 260- and someone who will give Gresham a serious run for the John Mackey award as the best TE in the country. It is unknown whether he will leave early, as a junior, next year. But without the prospect of winning a National Championship at Arizona, what reason would he have to stay.
27. Indianapolis Colts- Charles Brown OT USC
Part of the reason Indianapolis was so ineffective running the ball last season was because they had recently drafted 7th round picks like Charles Johnson playing LT. Charles Brown is an athletic tackle who can be plugged in anywhere on the line- other than center- and will help to ensure that the Colts are not deficient along the offensive line for the rest of Peyton Manning's years as a Colt.
28. San Francisco 49ers- Greg Hardy DE/OLB Ole Miss
Manny Lawson has disappointed, and never has developed into the kind of pass rushing threat that the 49ers had hoped. If there is one thing Greg Hardy can do, it's terrorize the QB has he had 8.5 sacks in limited play last season. He has off the field issues and isn't stout enough to be an everydown DE. But a move to outside LB in a 3-4 should be just what he needs and he has the talent to put up double digits sacks in his first year in the league. The addition of Mays and Hardy to go along with Patrick Willis and an already strong secondary would make this defense potentially elite as a whole.
29. New York Giants- Travis Lewis** OLB Oklahoma
It appears that FA Michael Boley has failed to take hold of the starting WLB position as expected. Lewis would serve as an upgrade at the position and adress possibly the only minor weakness in the Giants defense. They simply don't have any major needs- other than WR, yes, but they hope that they have addressed that in the 2009 draft- and Travis Lewis is a highly athletic player would could immediately come in and start for the Giants.
30. Tennessee Titans- Brandom Graham DE Michegan
The Titans look to find other ways to create pressure from there front four in the absence of Albert Haynesworth. Graham, who had 10 sacks as a junior last year, could be the perfect player to plug opposite Vandenbosch to make up a menacing DE combo. They could also look at talented DT's like Syracuse's Arthur Rhodes or UCLA's Bryan Price. But Graham represents the better value and, therefore, is the more sensable pick.
31. Arizona Cardinals- Everson Griffen* DE USC
To this point Griffen has not lived up to his immense talent as he registered just 4.5 sacks last year. However, if he was to emerge, in his junior year, and put up double digits sacks, he may elect to enter the draft, in which case, many teams would be willing to commit a first round pick in hopes that he can develop into a double digit sack artist in the NFL.
32. Pittsburg Steelers- Jahvid Best* RB California
To this point C.J. Spiller is probably perceived to be slightly ahead of Best in draft rankings. However, I believe Best represents the more explosive and Dynamic pick, and if he runs in the low 4.3's or even the 4.2's he certainly will receive heavy first round consideration late in the draft like Chris Johnson did in the 08 draft. Pittsburg's RB situation is a bit of an unknown as "fast" Willie Parker no longer truly justifies his nickname and it is still undetermined what they have in Mendenhall. At worst, Best would come in and be a perfect compliment to Mendenhall's bruising style of running.
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