On Thursday, April 22, the first round of the NFL Draft comes for the first time to primetime. It’s a day where all the teams feel like winners, where they all feel that they have made some change that will change the future of their organization for the better. But it’s also a day of caution, as draft picks are huge investments that could set an organization back years. Just look at how long it took San Diego to recover from the Ryan Leaf debacle. And just look at Oakland too. But then again, it’s Oakland. It’s expected. Here’s a breakdown of the first round of the NFL Draft as it appears now.
1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
This pick is pretty much a foregone conclusion after the Rams released longtime quarterback Marc Bulger on April 5. Bradford impressed the team at his Pro Day at Oklahoma and looks fully recovered from a shoulder injury he suffered against BYU in September that ruined his senior season. Bradford looks like he can make all the throws needed to survive in the pros despite playing in a spread-style offense in college. While some could make a case for St. Louis to go defense here, the team has used its last two high picks on defensive end Chris Long and offensive tackle Jason Smith. While foundations of championship teams are built in the trenches, an organization has to address the skill positions at some point, which is right now for the Rams.
2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is a defensive-minded coach, bringing in defensive tackle Corey Williams from the Browns and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch from the Titans. Schwartz will want to solidify his defensive line with a defensive tackle. The question is whether Schwartz goes with Suh or Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy. Both are dominant, and both are regarded as the top two prospects in this year’s draft class. Detroit goes with Suh here because he seems to be more NFL ready and will make a more significant impact in less time. Detroit wasn’t 0-16 last year, but there are still numerous holes to fill. Filling in the defensive line will do wonders for the team.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Tampa Bay has needs a defensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback, and safety, not to mention an offensive line. It’s almost like the organization needs an entirely new defense. Defensive tackle seems like the most logical place to start, working from the inside out with McCoy. Helping Tampa Bay is the fact that four of the first 67 draft picks belong to the Buccaneers, giving the team time to address other needs later and allowing the front office to draft the most dominant player remaining on the draft board.
4. Washington Redskins: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
This is one of the most intriguing picks in the first round after the acquisition of Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles to replace Jason Campbell and the signing of Rex Grossman in the offseason. The Redskins will most likely get rid of Campbell through a trade, leaving Grossman to backup McNabb. McNabb is 33 years old and will turn 34 in November. Given injury problems during the last few seasons and durability concerns, McNabb appears to have at most two to three seasons left in him. That is the perfect amount of time for Clausen to sit on the bench and learn the game before taking over, much like the Green Bay Packers did with Aaron Rodgers sitting behind Brett Favre for the first years of his career. Clausen would be better for it and the Redskins’ future would be better for it, even though the trade for McNabb signifies that the team wants to win now.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Bulaga comes into the NFL as one of the most mentally ready offensive line prospects. The 2010 draft class lacks elite talent like Jason Smith in 2009, but Bulaga is exactly what the Chiefs are looking for to protect quarterback Matt Cassel’s blind side. Current left tackle Branden Albert could easily shift to the right tackle spot is the team were to take Bulaga, giving Kansas City two solid bookend tackles to protect Cassel and clear paths for Jamaal Charles. With Scott Pioli in the front office, Kansas City won’t take any high risk prospects, so look for a solid pick like Bulaga.
6. Seattle Seahawks: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
With future Hall of Fame left tackle Walter Jones’ future in limbo, the obvious pick for Seattle here is to go with Okung, the second best line prospect in the draft behind Bulaga. The Seahawks were not expecting to have two top six picks in a row, but injuries to Matt Hasselbeck in 2009 really set the team back. Protecting Hasselbeck is a top priority for Seattle and if the team were to lose Jones and not replace him, Hasselbeck and the Seahawks’ season would be at risk. Okung brings protection, and protection brings the potential for Hasselbeck to lead the Seahawks to a good season.
7. Cleveland Browns: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Cleveland has 12 choices in the first 186 picks of the draft, giving it a chance for a complete overhaul of a roster that needs help at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, corner, and safety. Berry provides instant playmaking at the safety position and eliminates a need immediately. The team would have the remaining 11 early draft picks to address the rest of those needs. Berry plays bigger than his appearance suggests, plus his athleticism gives him big upside. He would provide a cornerstone for Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert to build the Browns’ secondary around along with giving the Browns a hard-nosed, intimidating presence in the middle of the field.
8. Oakland Raiders: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Al Davis likes his athletes, and Joe Haden fits this profile perfectly. A shutdown corner in Gainesville, Haden is a ballhawk with decent size that would get plenty of experience playing opposite of Nnamdi Asomugha in Oakland’s defense. Corner is a need for the Raiders so this pick would be Davis actually making a smart pick. The team still has question marks at quarterback, offensive line, and defensive line, but an addition in the secondary would not stunt the growth of the team and give the defense a boost.
9. Buffalo Bills: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The third Sooner to go in the Top 10, Williams will be the anchor of the future for the Bills offensive line that was shredded by injuries and inconsistency in 2009. After trading Jason Peters to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bills had no solid anchor on the line and were forced to use multiple offensive line combinations which had a ripple effect on bad quarterback play and running game struggles at times. Williams has great strength as a run blocker, something that running backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson will be salivating over. A great run game will help open the pass game for whomever is playing quarterback, helping to revamp the struggling Bills.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
The big question: do the Jaguars draft Tim Tebow? The hometown hero would do wonders to reinvigorate a stagnant Jacksonville fan base, but at No. 10 with David Garrard already in place, Tebow is too much of a reach. The Jaguars could trade down a few spots for a shot at Tebow because the team lacks a second-round pick, but if the team does pick at No. 10, it will be Morgan. Morgan would team with the newly-acquired Aaron Kampman to give the Jags two defensive ends with non-stop motors. Kampman underperformed in Green Bay’s 3-4 defense last year before suffering a major knee injury, so drafting Morgan would take some pressure of him in his recovery, allowing the Jaguars’ defense to develop.
11. Denver Broncos: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Broncos under second-year coach Josh McDaniels revamped their defensive line during the offseason, but the linebackers remain a weaker area of the defense. The team does have sack machine Elvis Dumervil on the outside, but the addition of McClain, who is young and fast and can hit hard, would greatly improve the defense. The Broncos, with the impending trade of wide receiver Brandon Marshall, also need to look for a wide receiver. Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant could be a possibility here, but most likely the team will go defense because defense wins championships.
12. Miami Dolphins: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
The Dolphins need a playmaker. Ted Ginn, Jr. was supposed to be that playmaker a few years ago, but he has only shown flashes of brilliance in the kicking game. Bryant gives the Dolphins a big body with magnets for hands. While there are questions about his character and certain off the field issues after he was suspended for all of 2009 for lying about working out with Deion Sanders, Bryant shows up to play every game.
13. San Francisco 49ers: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Mike Singletary has signaled that Alex Smith is San Francisco’s quarterback right now, so it would make sense for the 49ers to protect him. Smith has been maddeningly inconsistent since being the first overall pick in the 2005 draft but turned in his best season in 2009, passing for a career high 18 touchdowns. Drafting Davis not only protects Smith, but also opens holes on the line for running back Frank Gore. Gore is arguably the offense’s best player, so it would be logical for the 49ers to cater to his strengths, and drafting a big offensive tackle does exactly that.
14. Seattle Seahawks: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
With their first pick of the first round, the Seahawks look to find Walter Jones’ successor on the offensive line, leaving the team some breathing room at No. 14. The team has some flexibility, and Spiller would be a great pick for the team. The top running back prospect in the draft, Spiller was one of the best all-around running backs in the country last year for Clemson. The Seahawks currently have Julius Jones and Justin Forsett at running back, but neither has the all-around skill set of Spiller, who would be an ideal weapon for a team with a struggling offense.
15. New York Giants: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
The Giants have put big money into the defensive line and the secondary the last two years, but not into a struggling linebacker corps. Great linebacker play is the key to winning in the NFC East, as all the teams in the division have good running games that can easily reach the second level of a defense. Currently, the Giants have Jonathon Goff, Clint Sintim, and Kenny Ingram in the middle and Chase Blackburn, Michael Boley, and Bryan Kehl on the outside. The offense of the Giants behind Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss is good enough to get back to the playoffs. But the defense is key to whether or not the Giants make that return.
16. Tennessee Titans: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The drafting of Pierre-Paul is simply to replace the loss of longtime defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, whom the Titans lost in free agency to the Detroit Lions. Pierre-Paul is quick and has great size for Tennessee’s defense. He flew under the radar for most of last year, playing for South Florida, but has come up big in offseason workouts, boosting his draft stock.
17. San Francisco 49ers: Taylor Mays, S, USC
San Francisco, another team with two first round draft picks, looks to add a playmaker at No. 17 after making a safe pick at No. 13. San Francisco has Aubrayo Franklin on the defensive line and Patrick Willis at linebacker, but no playmaker in the secondary. Nate Clements is a highly paid corner, but has been picked on during his time in the Bay Area. Enter Taylor Mays. Mays is one of the most fascinating prospects in the draft, given his unique combination of size and speed. Questions about his technique and over-aggressiveness have caused his draft stock to drop, but the team that can pick him up and put him into the right system is getting a steal. Mays could anchor the centerfield for the 49ers, ranging every to make plays and disrupt the offense, something a team with playoff potential needs in the secondary.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
The Steelers are a solid team that just couldn’t seal the deal at the end of some of their losses last year and dealt with injuries throughout the season. The team could use depth on the offensive line, but Mike Tomlin and the staff should look to address the secondary first, where Ike Taylor, William Gay, and Deshea Townsend need help. Townsend is nearing the end of his road at age 34, and with the wide receiving corps in Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Steelers need to reload if the team wants to have a shot at the division in 2010. Wilson is regarded by some as the best corner prospect in the draft and could contribute immediately as the nickel back for Pittsburgh, while also returning kicks and punts, another dimension to his game. With the development of Baltimore and Cincinnati, Pittsburgh needs to make this pick to keep their defense in line with those teams’ offenses.
19. Atlanta Falcons: Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Atlanta is a very well put together team behind Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez on offense, and a solid defense. The team could use an outside pass rusher at defensive end of linebacker, but Pouncey could be the best player at a need position available, as current center Todd McClure is 33 years old. The rest of the offensive line is relatively young, and Pouncey could sit for a year or two behind McClure before making the youth movement on the offensive line complete.
20. Houston Texans: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
The Houston Texans have done almost everything they can on defense to try and stop Peyton Manning and the Colts. In the last few years, the team has drafted Brian Cushing, Amobi Okoye, DeMeco Ryans, and Mario Williams, but it hasn’t put the team over the edge yet. What could put a talented offense with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson over the edge is Mathews, who, at six-feet tall, would be the biggest running back on the Texans roster. The Texans have a stable of smaller backs like Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats, but these backs cannot carry the ball play after play and keep the opposing offense of the field. This is where Mathews comes in. Mathews would give the Texans a running back that could control the tempo of the game and allow the team to take some time off the clock instead of having the offense be quick-strike all of the time. Mathews could help take the Texans to the next level and to the promised land.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Cincinnati was a surprise playoff team in 2009, but needs upgrades if it wants to make a return trip in 2010. The Bengals have a good offense behind Carson Palmer, but the one position with which the offense struggled the most last season was tight end. Gresham is big and athletic with the ability to stretch the field. Gresham would give defenses another headache. Just look at the impact that a similar tight end, the Packers’ Jermichael Finley, had down the stretch for that team. Gresham could make a similar impact for Cincinnati.
22. New England Patriots: Jerry Hughes, DE/LB, TCU
Hughes seems like a great fit for a Patriots team trying to get younger. He’s quick off the edge and could play outside linebacker in New England’s 3-4 scheme. The main concern with Hughes is that he is widely regarded as too small to be a good defensive end but not fast enough to be a linebacker on the edge. However, Hughes does find a way to get to the quarterback and make plays in the backfield.
23. Green Bay Packers: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
The Packers re-signed offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher in the offseason, but both of those guys are old and banged up. The hope is that they will be stopgaps until the next wave of Packers offensive lineman can come up. Campbell has great size and athleticism for an offensive lineman, including great straight-line speed, given is 4.85 40-yard dash time at the combine. His main strength is pass protection, which is where the Packers struggled in 2009. The Packers need to give quarterback Aaron Rodgers more time to throw the ball. Campbell could be the key to making the offense even better in 2010.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
In a busy offseason that included releasing running back Brian Westbrook and offensive tackle Shawn Andrews while also trading long-time quarterback Donovan McNabb, the Eagles look to make a move to keep them in contention in the draft. Drafting Iupati would give the Eagles a big interior lineman to open holes for LeSean McCoy, who is now the feature back in Philly. Iupati is a bit of a project, but has the potential to be a long-term solution at guard for the Eagles. The McNabb trade gives the Eagles two second-round picks, meaning the team can address more needs later.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
The trade for Anquan Boldin and the signing of Donte’ Stallworth shores up the Ravens offense, meaning the team can concentrate on defense in the draft. Most Ravens fans would like the team to draft a corner here, but the prospects after Joe Haden and Kyle Haden drop off. The Ravens lost Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards off the defensive line, leaving them a little thin there. Dunlap has great size and could easily develop into a 3-4 defensive end for the Ravens, teaming with 2009 second-round draft pick Paul Krueger to form the future of the Ravens defensive line.
26. Arizona Cardinals: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
The Cardinals lost linebacker Karlos Dansby to the Miami Dolphins in free agency, so drafting Spikes to replace him makes perfect sense. Spikes was the heart of Florida’s defense last year and is a tough player that brings leadership to the linebacker position. He did have some off-the-field problems at Florida and can let his emotions get the best of him at times, but that emotion also brings leadership to the defense.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Most of Dallas’ roster from 2009 will return, meaning that Jerry Jones can draft a complementary player to help the roster even more. Drafting an in-state prospect in Thomas that has a great skill set at safety is a great pick for a team that had its safeties struggle at times in 2009. Thomas has great range and will make plays, something the Cowboys need if they expect to win anymore playoff games.
28. San Diego Chargers: Jonathon Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
The LaDainian Tomlinson era in San Diego is over. Darren Sproles is only signed for another year. The Chargers need another running back. Most of the highly rated backs in this year’s draft (C.J. Spiller, Jahvid Best, Dexter McCluster) are smaller change of pace backs, much like Sproles. The Chargers need a bigger back, and at 229 pounds, Dwyer provides the size to complement Sproles’ speed. San Diego has an offensive line that Dwyer can run behind and Norv Turner would get him his share of carries in game situations.
29. New York Jets: Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
The Jets’ best wide receiver, Braylon Edwards, is only signed for one more year after coming over from Cleveland in a trade last season while the Jets are also having difficulty signing running back and kick returner Leon Washington to a long-term deal. Both of these situations could already have backup plans if the Jets were to draft Benn. Benn has the skill set to be a slot receiver as a rookie and eventually work his way into the starting lineup if a hole were to open up while also returning kicks. If both Edwards and Washington walk, Benn can come in and pick up right where they left off.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Antoine Winfield is getting older with age while the division rivals are all boosting their wide receiving corps, making a cornerback a need for the Vikings. This is a need-based pick as McCourty is not on the same level as Joe Haden or Kyle Wilson. McCourty can be overmatched against bigger receivers, but is a solid defender and could easily be the nickel back in Minnesota as a rookie. With Green Bay’s wide receivers led by Greg Jennings, Detroit’s led by Calvin Johnson, and Chicago’s led by Devin Hester, Minnesota needs to make a pick for the future of their defense.
31. Indianapolis Colts: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
The Colts have a fast and strong linebacker corps with Clint Session, Gary Brackett, and Philip Wheeler, and a big body inside like Williams would do wonders to free those three up and allow them to make plays in space. Indianapolis has a solid squad right now on both sides of the ball, so the addition of Williams would be to shore up the defense a little bit more and make the unit less vulnerable to runs up the middle. Indy’s defense is good, and Williams just makes it better.
32. New Orleans Saints: Sergio Kindle, DE/LB, Texas
Kindle is another prospect that is shooting up draft boards. He has the potential to play both defensive end and outside linebacker in the NFL. New Orleans lost linebacker Scott Fujita in free agency but signed defensive end Alex Brown from Chicago. If the Saints want to make a return trip to the Super Bowl, the defense needs to step up, and Kindle’s ability to get to the quarterback does just that.
Daniel Gallen can be reached for comment at [email protected].