CK’s Mock Draft (v1.0)

by Chris Kouffman

Before we get started I would like to note that this will be the first of three mock drafts for me.  I try to limit myself to just three of them, so as not to keep updating them over and over again every time I get a new idea in my head.  If you do about 15 different mock drafts then eventually you get to claim to have been right about everything that does end up happening.  I do three, and I intentionally try and do my first one both before the Combine and before free agency.

The Huddle Report does a mock draft scoring every year in order to keep track of the best mock drafters.  Out of 99 mock drafts, my final mock here at Universal Draft scored 46 points under their scoring method, just below Michael Band of Draft Ace, Michael Abramowitz of The Football Expert, and Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which would have left me tied in 4th place with Todd McShay.

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1). Ndamukong Suh – DT – Nebraska

The NFL Draft process as the public knows it, from the months of January through the end of April, has become a business. A cottage industry has been built around what was originally a simple process, because fan interest in NFL off season doings is at an all time high and growing every year. When the public looks to real events for entertainment, the reality portions of it inevitably cheapen into theatrics and artificial intrigue (see: election coverage). What does this have to do with “The House of Spears”? Most have known for some time now that Ndamukong Suh is not only the best player in this NFL Draft, but one of the best defensive players to be seen in years. Yet, due to a subliminal need for intrigue, we as a public play party to these paper controversies about whether a guy like Gerald McCoy is better, or about whether a team’s need for a certain other position will take priority. Those are real questions that should be asked, but I see them as extra roller coaster loops that still see us through to the same inevitable finish. Suh will be taken #1 overall, be it by the Rams, Lions or Buccaneers. My mind has not changed on that in months, and I do not imagine it changing by draft day.

2). Gerald McCoy - DT – Oklahoma

This move is just too simple to ignore.  Sometimes you just have to go for the obvious and try not to fool yourself.  Jim Schwartz, a fellow Georgetown alum, was the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans when Albert Haynesworth was playing one-man wrecking crew on offensive lines.  The defensive line formed the base for Schwartz’ defense, and he can’t like the players that he’s been given to work with so far in Detroit.  In the first year, he took to the defensive unit with a torch cutter and sledge hammer, but the team spent its best resources on the offensive side of the ball.  Now is the time to start getting together some good materials to take the place of space-fillers on the defense like Grady Jackson.  A penetrating tackle like McCoy makes your edge rushers more effective by compressing the pocket from the inside and inducing the quarterback to panic.

3). Russell Okung - OT – Oklahoma State

To say that the Buccaneers are cost-conscious would be an understatement.  Their owners are cash-strapped due to enormous debt from their acquisition of Manchester United, and the economic environment’s making it difficult to manage such high debt.  The emphasis is on cash inflows and outflows, rather than salary cap accounting, and the team has been conserving cash for a number of years.  What this means for off season strategy is a stinginess when it comes to cash outlays.  One of the reasons the Miami Dolphins took Jake Long at the top of the 2008 NFL Draft was because of the enormous cash investment required in a top pick.  The idea being, even if Jake Long did not end up a premium left tackle, he could still be a valuable right tackle and those players cost a lot of money on the free agent market as well.  In that way, taking a premium tackle is a “safer” pick, because as long as your staff can verify that he is not another Tony Mandarich or Mike Williams, the money paid to him is unlikely to end up exponentially exceeding his value as a player.  I have never particularly valued Russell this highly in the draft.  I don’t think he compares favorably with premium tackles taken in other years.  But the Buccaneers will not spend this much money on a safety prospect no matter how good Eric Berry is, especially when they have Tanard Jackson making a ton of plays for them.  I was very tempted to plug Derrick Morgan in for the Buccaneers due to their weakness at defensive end, the position’s value being high, and Derrick’s being the premier defensive end in this draft.  However, in the end, I think the bust factor is a little higher on a defensive end, and the Buccaneers will care about such things.

4). Sam Bradford - QB – Oklahoma

I can’t shake this feeling that I have had for months now that Sam Bradford will end up a Washington Redskin.  I had heard long ago that Bradford does not make it beyond Washington’s pick, and I believe that the more NFL teams go digging around into Jimmy Clausen’s closet, the more skeletons they will find in the form of teammate and coach opinion, poor field demeanor, and other things that remind some folks too much of J.P. Losman.  Personally, I wonder if he might not be another Jeff George.  Coming off his freshman year, I thought Sam Bradford would follow up by walking on water or turning gatorade into wine.  I said then that if I were a team that foresaw a need arising at the quarterback position, I would start preparations to see that I could have a high pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, if I decide to pull the trigger on a trade.  The reason was Sam Bradford.  Since then, disaster has befallen him.  Some folks question his motivation to become a premium NFL passer.  Others look at the shoulder injury.  Yet more look at the offense.  When the best quarterback prospect in the draft is a guy that hardly played football in 2009, that says something about this draft.  However, schematically I believe Bradford fits better into what Shanahan likes to do.  He likes to stretch the exchange point between the quarterback and running back, using a quarterback’s quick feet to change the pocket dynamics.  I think that Bradford’s quicker feet help him breathe easier on the move, where Clausen is a guy that likes to sit in a clean pocket.  Bradford’s quicker release will also avail him in Shanahan’s eyes.  This pick could easily change as we go along, because Bradford and Clausen both have long journeys ahead of them and the Redskins could avoid both of them altogether.

5).Eric Berry – FS – Tennessee

The Chiefs may have resurrected value out of Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali.  The latter has become one of the better pass rushers in the league now that he has moved to the outside linebacker position.  The former showed some promise as a defensive end in the Chiefs’ 3-4 alignment.  They took Tyson Jackson a little high a year ago, and I don’t see a nose tackle claiming value this high.  They need help in the secondary and while I could imagine them taking a corner like Joe Haden, I do not imagine forsaking Eric Berry in order to do so.  Berry would make their current corners better.

6). Jimmy Clausen - QB – Notre Dame

What would Pete Carroll do?  That is a tough question to answer.  I have no doubt whatsoever that this pick will be Pete’s to decide.  He has infamously rejected NFL offers in the past because he wanted his return to the NFL to involve full control over the organization.  His “one voice” policy means that his finger is on the trigger on draft day.  How many folks remember the fierce recruiting battle that was once waged between Charlie Weis of Notre Dame and Pete Carroll of USC over the latest Clausen product?  Something tells me that Pete will want to have the last laugh, by returning to the NFL as a Head Coach where Charlie Weis is not welcome, stealing back the player that was stolen from him, and potentially having more success with him than Charlie was ever able to achieve.  Carroll also recruited C.J. Spiller, but not as hotly as Clausen.

7). C.J. Spiller - RB – Clemson

I have a hard time believing that the Browns showed their hand this early in the process with all of the interest in Joe Haden that we are hearing about from various sources.  Even accepting that they are the Cleveland Browns and there’s a history of ineptitude to be reckoned with, they are now run by Mike Holmgren and I just don’t believe he would show his hand in February.  The Browns already have assets on the offensive line, and they laid investments amongst the receivers unit a year ago.  They have not been happy with their quarterback situation but I do not see piling one Notre Dame prospect on top of another, even if they do have the opportunity.  Holmgren is no idiot and I am sure he realizes that the defensive front needs help.  That means that guys like Jared Odrick and Derrick Morgan are prime possibilities.  However, the way he built the Seattle Seahawks makes me think that he will want to shoot some electricity into the offense first.  Spiller can team up with James Davis just like the two did at Clemson.

8). Derrick Morgan - DE – Georgia Tech

It seems that this pick will become a favorite for mock drafters to stick in a player that they personally would not select, basically counting on Al Davis’ senility to be predictable.  Dementia is nothing if not unpredictable.  The most truly unpredictable thing that Al Davis could do is to actually make a smart pick.  Barring a disastrous Combine effort, Derrick Morgan should be regarded as the most complete defensive end prospect in the draft.  I realize that most would want to pencil in a bigger Combine superstar at the position for Al Davis to take here but I wonder if that perception is based on reality.  There is no doubt that Davis falls for speed at the receiver and defensive back positions, but a quick scan of his 1st through 3rd round picks at defensive end over the last twelve years pulls up names like Matt Shaughnessy (6’5″, 266 lbs, 4.86), Quentin Moses (6’5″, 261 lbs, 4.82), Tyler Brayton (6’6″, 277 lbs, 4.73), DeLawrence Grant (6’3″, 280 lbs, 4.77), and Tony Bryant (6’4″, 273 lbs, 4.85).  Then you look at the latest defensive end acquisitions in Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour, and I don’t know upon what basis we have to pencil Davis in for grabbing athletic ‘freaks’ like Jason Pierre-Paul, Everson Griffen or Carlos Dunlap.  If he were picking a defensive back, no doubt his eyes would be on Taylor Mays.  If he were picking a wide receiver, he would keenly investigate the reports that Demaryius Thomas is capable of running 4.38 in the 40 yard dash.  If he were picking a running back he would be all over C.J. Spiller, and if he were picking a linebacker he would be all over Sean Weatherspoon.  But when it comes to the guys that bang along the offensive and defensive lines, his emphasis is not really on Combine performance as much as people assume.

9). Bryan Bulaga - OT – Iowa

The Bills need offensive tackles so bad it’s not even a joke anymore.  It’s just sort of sad.  Brad Butler has suddenly decided to retire at the ripe age of 26 years old, and so now the team possesses no options at either right or left tackle.  I refuse to plug anything but an offensive tackle into their spot in the first round.  They could be players for Marshall Yanda via free agency, but even that would not relieve the problem.  They need a genuine tackle prospect and I have misgivings with Anthony Davis after sitting down to scour him for a few games.  If Bulaga were available, I would pencil him in for the Bills here.  I have recently got done watching a whole slew of USC tape, and I agree with Simon that Charles Brown is a real talent at offensive tackle, and a guy I would not be surprised to see rise significantly.  What will tip them in favor of Bulaga over Brown will be that Brown looks like a pass protector that could play left tackle at the next level while Bulaga looks more like an all-around guy who might play either spot, and the Bills could use help at either spot.

10). Dan Williams - DT – Tennessee

Taking all controversies and slap fights aside for a moment, I have a tough time believing that the Broncos will feel an absolute “need” to spend their first round pick on an offensive player when they’ve got quality assets on the offensive line in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris, they spent a first round pick on a running back a year ago, they got quality performance out of some of their other backs, they have a supposed offensive genius coaching the football team, and they have both Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall on roster.  They won’t give up Marshall cheaply and nobody in the league is anxious to trade for him after the way he has conducted himself.  Both sides could easily be stuck with one another.  When I was having lunch with a few fellow draftniks during Shrine week, we ran into the Broncos’ GM.  One of the people I was with, who works with a Denver television station covering the Broncos, spoke briefly with him about the draft.  The Broncos’ GM made it clear that they want to get tougher up front on the defense.  I believe that Dan Williams helps the team accomplish that.  Denver had a good experience drafting another Tennessee product a year ago, Robert Ayers.  They love what he brought to the table in 2009 as a rookie.  I believe the GM will look to use this pick to help turn the defensive line into a unit that brutalizes opponents.

11). Dez Bryant - WR – Oklahoma State

The Jaguars just released Torry Holt and the best receiver they have to play opposite Mike Sims-Walker is Mike Thomas, who has always looked like a speedy slot receiver and return man.  The team drafted Thomas and Jarett Dillard in the 4th and 5th rounds, respectively.  That is not an overly significant investment, it is an attempt to grab some warm bodies for a bare position.  If Dez Bryant makes it down to their pick I believe they will pair him with Mike Sims-Walker.  I expect Bryant to run between a 4.45 and a 4.51 at the NFL Combine, which will alleviate fears that he does not have enough speed.  The team has investments spread out on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as linebacker, secondary, tight end and running back.  They are not convinced that David Garrard is the best quarterback for them, but they also will not see one available for them to grab in the 1st round.

12). Brandon Graham - LB – Michigan

There are needs, and then there are “must have” positions.  Right now, the Dolphins’ outside linebacker position has gone critical.  They are about to release Joey Porter as soon as the league allows them.  Jason Taylor is set to hit unrestricted free agency and there is no word on whether or not they intend on bringing him back.  They have expressed continued discomfort with Cameron Wake playing as a linebacker.  Quentin Moses only received a handful of snaps and now their most experienced and perhaps most solid outside linebacker is Charlie Anderson.  That is scary.  Rumors say that the interest between Karlos Dansby and the Dolphins is mutual.  I know that Bill Parcells has given Karlos the wink-nod treatment in the past, and with this free agency period so bare due to the non-negotiation of a new CBA, it would make sense if Miami squeezed a little extra juice into their offer for Dansby in order to make sure it gets done.  If it does go through, I believe Rolando McClain would be off the board.  Based on my viewing of the Denver defense under Nolan, I believe that he will want to make sure that Miami gets a player at this spot that can be a real, genuine linebacker, and not some defensive end convert that would rather be playing defensive end.  Even if Derrick Morgan makes it to the #12 spot, that fact alone gives me pause about projecting him to Miami.  From a pure talent standpoint, my preference at this spot would probably be Everson Griffen of USC.  Both Graham and Griffen were extremely high rated high school players.  Graham was a five-star recruit and one of the top 15 players in the country coming out of high school.  In only 7 games his senior year in high school he tallied 98 tackles, 47 for loss and 11 sacks.  However, Brandon Graham has a few things that Everson does not: experience, and a spotless work ethic.  Graham is a three-year starter for Michigan, two-time team MVP, and accumulated gaudy college statistics to go with the ridiculous high school ones.  The gaudy statistics are more a function of the position he played, previously manned by stat-magnet Shawn Crable, but Graham has genuine athleticism behind the production and he showed up at the Senior Bowl and dominated both the practices and the game.  When I watch how Nolan used Robert Ayers, who had experience in high school as a linebacker before he was moved to defensive end just like Brandon Graham, I see the Dolphins plugging the Michigan product into that role.  The Dolphins seem to have a soft spot for Michigan products under the current regime.

13). Joe Haden - CB – Florida

I believe the San Francisco 49ers could be the first team to take a bite out of the cornerback position in this draft.  Though I would argue that Kareem Jackson might well be the best corner in this draft, before we get through the Combine, Joe Haden rightfully holds position as the top corner.  Haden looks a bit small to me but he plays physical, is very fast, and has a gift for finding the ball.  Mike Singletary wants his secondary to be able to snag the ball out of the air.  Haden could be the best place to start getting that accomplished.

14). Charles Brown – OT – Southern California

Nobody knows better than Pete Carroll what kind of talent and potential Charles Brown has as a left tackle.  If Pete is able to finally poach Jimmy Clausen at the #6 spot, I would think that he would make sure to grab someone that could protect the franchise.  When it comes to a guy like Carroll taking some of the players that he knows and coached at his previous school, I would look for him to steer toward the guys that did not disappoint him, which is why I would not necessarily project a Taylor Mays or Everson Griffen to Pete at this spot.

15). Rolando McClain – ILB – Alabama

It seems like every year a plurality of mock drafts have a linebacker going to the Giants.  This time, I could really see it happening.  Having lost out on the bidding for Karlos Dansby as a free agent, I believe the Giants will begin steering toward taking Rolando McClain in the first round.  Antonio Pierce lost three steps and now he is on the street.  The Giants need someone to take his place.  Earl Johnson is a strong possibility at this selection, because the safety position ended up being a significant weakness in the defense, once Kenny Phillips went down with injury.  From what I hear, Phillips’ entire career could be in question due to the injury.  This safety class is very deep, but the inside linebacker class is not, and therefore I see the Giants taking McClain should he be available.

16). Earl Thomas - CB – Texas

The Tennessee Titans have traditionally been a pressure defense that manufactures pass rush.  Though pass rush would look to be an issue on the defensive line, they are very high on Jason Jones, who was not healthy for much of 2009, they drafted Sen’Derrick Marks in the 2nd round a year ago, and they have Kyle Vanden Bosch whom they believe to be one of the better pass rushers in the league.  What they did not get away with for much of 2009, was a cornerback position that lacked depth.  Earl Thomas is a safety at Texas but he looks a little small, and is not the human missile that a similar small safety Bob Sanders could claim coming out of Iowa.  Earl is a young player and many would say that he can definitely get bigger, and with time I agree that he might.  Time is not on a high draft pick’s side, however, and if a player wants to play right away, teams have to find the ability to put the player on the field as he stands.  The quickest way for Earl to get on the field is as a corner, and I know there will be teams that look at his size, his great speed, his man coverage ability and experience, ball skills and the fact that physicality is not his biggest weapon, and decide that his best position will be at corner.  If he fills out, he could eventually move back to safety for the Titans.  After all, Michael Griffin is not exactly impressing anyone.  Taking Earl is a good way to put a guy in waiting while the team gives Griffin one last shot as its starting safety, while also helping a cornerback position which lacked depth.

17). Mike Iupati - OG – Idaho

The 49ers could go a number of different ways here.  There will be a lot of focus on an inadequate secondary, but I could see someone like Joe Haden or Earl Thomas falling prey to their picking up at the #13 spot.  Would they continue drafting secondary?  That is a very strong possibility, especially if they could team an Earl Thomas pick with another cornerback like Kareem Jackson.  I do believe they could use some offensive line help and they could make the decision to go with a mauler like Iupati, who could play either guard or right tackle for the 49ers.  He could help the team turn around a poor run blocking unit, so long as he learns to use his hands and arms to punch opponents rather than holding them all the time.

18). Kareem Jackson - CB – Alabama

The Steelers could use someone to bolster the offensive line especially on the interior, but with this league becoming increasingly pass first, they found out that you can’t get away with a thin cornerback position, especially if you don’t have a healthy Polamalu backing everyone up.  Even the team’s best corner, Ike Taylor, let up a whole lot of receptions for a whole lot of yards.  I would think about chalking Jared Odrick to them at this spot, but when there is someone as gifted in man coverage and as physical as Kareem Jackson is available to you, it is hard to pass up the way this league is currently trending.

19). Kyle Wilson - CB – Boise State

This is a copycat league.  The Saints just won the Super Bowl.  How did they do it?  They had a high flying offense led by a premium quarterback, but they also built the defense to rush the passer and cover receivers.  They spent high draft picks over the years on the likes of Tracy Porter, Malcolm Jenkins, Usama Young and Roman Harper.  They hoarded safeties and corners, also adding the likes of Jabari Greer, Darren Sharper and Randall Gay.  The Falcons can’t continue to get away with the likes of Brent Grimes, Chris Houston and Chevis Jackson at the cornerback position.  Kyle Wilson is a guy that plays a little small for me at times but the Falcons take no issue with that, judging by their current lot of defensive backs.

20). Patrick Robinson - CB – Florida State

Everyone figures that a run on cornerbacks will happen somewhere in the first round, and I see no reason for it not to continue here.  Everything I wrote about the Falcons is also true for the Texans.  The offense has plenty of firepower, though the line could use help.  They have assets along the defensive line and in the linebackers.  They need people who can be relied upon to cover.  Dunta Robinson has had an up and down career and yet he is by far their best cover man.  It is time to add some more help at the corner position.

21). Jason Pierre-Paul - DE – South Florida

Time and again the Bengals have shown that they do not care about potential character issues in their draft prospects, and I don’t expect them to start caring now.  The team’s pass rush is in need of help, and concerns about Jason Pierre-Paul’s overall intelligence level, work ethic and leadership ability will not concern Cincinnati like it will concern a lot of other teams  He reminds me of a Simeon Rice.  I don’t believe he will make the transition out to a linebacker position, but I don’t think the Bengals would ask him to make that transition, either.

22). Everson Griffen - DE – Southern California

There is no doubt the New England Patriots need help at the outside linebacker position.  They may take a second run at Jason Taylor, if Miami doesn’t re-sign him to rotate with Cameron Wake.  Even so, guys like Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain are not even close to getting the job done.  When the Dolphins played the Patriots, they got away with consistently having a back block Tully Banta-Cain in the backfield.  As a 3-4 defense, you just can’t afford that.  Griffen’s best value will come as a player making the transition.  It is difficult to imagine him falling this far, but he does not have a lot of experience due to his being benched as a sophomore and his suffering a rash of injuries in the one year he did start.  Also, there could be some healthy skepticism about whether he has fully turned around the attitude that saw him benched in the first place.  The Patriots are also looking for a dynamic tailback option at this spot, so do not at all be surprised to see them go with Ryan Matthews or Jahvid Best here.

23). Trent Williams - OT – Oklahoma

The Packers definitely need help along the offensive line.  It was clear that Aaron Rodgers was getting murdered back there.  I don’t know how big a fan I am of Trent Williams, and I have heard there may be some things worth investigating from an attitude standpoint, but he is a talented tackle that could help out with the effort to protect Rodgers and allow him to continue running a high powered offense.  With Charles Woodson and Al Harris getting up in age, I would not be surprised to see the cornerback run continue at this spot.

24). Sean Weatherspoon - LB – Missouri

Dropping more resources onto the offensive line threatens to look like tossing money down a well after the acquisitions of Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews.  Hearing about issues with Shawn Andrews’ motivation to play another year is nothing new at this point.  I see Sean Weatherspoon being strong value at this pick and with the Eagles’ linebacking unit in somewhat of disarray with Chris Gocong potentially not long for Philadelphia, Jeremiah Trotter being dusted off and put back on the field, Will Witherspoon being the team’s most active linebacker and yet not being that great, I see an opportunity for the Eagles to add perhaps the most athletic true linebacker in the draft.  Do not be surprised if Weatherspoon runs in the low 4.5′s or even in the 4.4′s, and gets drafted higher than this.  For now, I will put him here.

25). Demaryius Thomas - WR – Georgia Tech

Demaryius Thomas and his agent claim that they have videotaped proof of Thomas running a 4.38 in training for the Combine.  I imagine that they advertised this among the scouts and General Managers very well, hence some cryptic hints we’ve been hearing from the likes of Mel Kiper about Thomas being underrated.  When I watch him play, I do not see a 4.38 guy.  I have tried to calibrate his speed and come up thinking he is more of a 4.55 kind of player.  But, if his problem was just inconsistency in running, then there is upside to be had.  What he is, is the most physically dominant receiver in the college game.  He is easily the best blocker, and he makes great physically contested catches on the high ball.  His routes are not consistent.  On one run you might see him take 4 yards and 7 steps to halt his momentum on a 15 yard out, yet on another 15 yard out you might see him halt within 2 yards and 4 steps.  With him coming from a system that focused so heavily on the triple option ground attack, not asking him to run a whole lot of different routes, I don’t see a reason for him not to be able to get better with more meaningful repetitions and training.  He is the only receiver in this draft that reminds me of Hakeem Nicks from a year ago.  If his broken foot heals quickly enough to have an 11th hour workout before the draft, and he is able to run in the 4.4′s even fresh off a broken foot, that should be all the scouts need to plug him into the 1st round.  Nobody will trust the videotape, with millions at stake.

26). Anthony Davis - OT - Rutgers

If the Cardinals are really committed to making things work with Matt Leinart at the helm, they might as well focus on making things easier for him by giving him some better protection than Jeremy Bridges and Levi Brown can offer at left tackle and right tackle, respectively.  I have my druthers about Anthony Davis, but he does have a lot of potential and he can help protect Leinart long enough to get the ball out to Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston.  We have heard no more mention about an Anquan Boldin trade, and we still do not know what happens with Antrel Rolle or Karlos Dansby, and so this pick is very much in the air.  They like Taylor Mays a lot and would consider him if they let Rolle walk and Taylor makes it to their pick.

27). Bruce Campbell - OT – Maryland

This is not exactly a rocket science pick.  The biggest weakness on the Cowboys this year was pass protection.  Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo are starting to look old, slow and inadequate.  The NFL tends to take tackles pretty high.  In the last three drafts, between 5 and 7 tackles were taken in the top 40 picks.  Bruce Campbell has a lot of athleticism and he can potentially train for a little, rotating to get his feet wet, until he is ready to take over.  The Cowboys would give strong consideration to Taylor Mays if he fell this low.

28). Ryan Matthews – RB – Fresno State

With LaDainian Tomlinson now cut and Darren Sproles being a part time kind of player, the Chargers do not have much choice but to try and acquire a running back.  They have already made it known that they would trade Antonio Cromartie for a premium tailback, but I am not sure I see any takers out there.  I am sure Miami would consider a deal that would send Ronnie Brown to the Chargers in exchange for Vincent Jackson, but I doubt the Chargers are ready to rob Peter to pay Paul within the offensive unit by taking away their best receiver in order to fill a need at halfback.  That does not seem to be how A.J. Smith works.  If they are patient enough, they could get a crack at a pretty good tailback, though I think that Ryan Matthews could go to the Combine and run in the 4.3′s and go way higher than this.  For now, I have to project them where I project them based on the information on hand.

29). Jahvid Best - RB – California

This is another pick with simple rationale.  The Jets defense was on fire this year.  The offense was the only reason for them to lose games, and a big part of the problem was the loss of Leon Washington, whose career is now in jeopardy.  Leon was giving the team 76 all purpose yards a game before he went down.  Shonn Greene is the future power back on the offense, but I believe the Jets will want to provide a system operator like Mark Sanchez an outlet guy like Jahvid Best to provide some more spark and keep defensive linemen and linebackers thinking about something other than pass rushing Sanchez.  Rex Ryan tends to lobby for more cornerbacks but if Joe Haden, Kareem Jackson, Kyle Wilson and Patrick Robinson are all gone as I believe they will be, then they could look to offensive help.  Then again, I could definitely see this being the pick where Taylor Mays stops his slide, as the Jets have been unhappy with Kerry Rhodes.

30). Brian Price - DT – UCLA

Rick Spielman isn’t always an easy guy to forecast but one thing I can tell you for sure is he will absolutely insist on a player that was dominant in college.  The Vikings will be in the market for corner help but I don’t know if I see Rick being all about the available options.  If they had not gotten such good production out of Jasper Brinkley, I would toss Brandon Spikes into the mix here.  But Rick has to start thinking about the source of this defense’s dominance, and the fact that the two dominant players in the middle are getting older.  Spielman saw first hand in Miami how a defense can slowly decline when dominant players like Tim Bowens and Daryl Gardner begin to age and wear down, and get replaced by not so dominant players.  Pat Williams will be 38 years old.  Brian Price was extremely dominant in college, and could help ensure the unit’s strength.

31). Jared Odrick - DT – Penn State

I believe the Colts could pick up strong value at this pick if they just keep their options open.  The team has never settled into a comfort level with its defensive tackles and I believe Jared Odrick may be perfect for them.  He is disciplined enough to help the linebackers while also being disruptive.  Jeff Saturday may be old but he continues to play at a high level.  The Colts could use tackle help but they tend to be stingy about it unless a guy is truly worth it.  With Odrick still on the board down here, I don’t believe Bill Polian thinks twice about picking him down here.  Great fit for their defense.

32). Corey Wootton – DE – Northwestern

Despite winning the Super Bowl, the Saints’ defense was not all it was cracked up to be.  I don’t believe they will have a problem keeping hold of guys like Scott Fujita and Darren Sharper, despite their pending free agency.  Corey Wootton was a dominant player in 2008, but then his recovery from a hurt knee hampered his explosion in 2009.  He is a better all-around player than Carlos Dunlap, who can be healthy and still have entire games where he does absolutely nothing worth looking at.  I doubt the Saints would be in for Taylor Mays, either.  Going from Darren Sharper to Taylor Mays would be a shock that the defense and likely the entire team could not recover from in 2010.  Wootton really started to get his explosion back toward the end of 2009, notching sacks against Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.  I believe he will show he is back to form at the Combine, and rise back up the boards accordingly.  He is a good all-purpose defensive end.