Tuesday, April 20, 2010

2010 NFL Draft - Final Rankings - Top 10 By Position

Here are my final top 10 players at each position in this year’s draft. I expanded a few of the positions based on the high number of players I expect to be drafted fairly early at them. These rankings are intended to reflect my projections for the level of success each will attain in the pros, not the order in which I believe they will be selected.


Quarterback
1 – Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)
2 – Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)
3 – Tony Pike (Cincinnati)
4 – Jevan Snead (Mississippi)
5 – Colt McCoy (Texas)
6 – Jarrett Brown (West Virginia)
7 – Tim Tebow (Florida)
8 – John Skelton (Fordham)
9 – Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)
10 – Levi Brown (Troy)

Most likely to be a Buc – none
With the Bucs drafting Josh Freeman last year, it doesn’t appear that a QB will be high on the priority list this year. If we had picks to waste, I’d love to get Snead or Skelton in the middle rounds, but unfortunately we have too many other holes to fill.



Running Back
1 – CJ Spiller (Clemson)
2 – Jahvid Best (California)
3 – Ryan Mathews (Fresno State)
4 – Toby Gerhart (Stanford)
5 – Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)
6 – James Starks (Buffalo)
7 – Joe McKnight (USC)
8 – Montario Hardesty (Tennessee)
9 – Anthony Dixon (Mississippi State)
10 – Ben Tate (Auburn)

Most likely to be a Buc – Toby Gerhart
None of the backs stands out as a real obvious choice for the Bucs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs drafted Gerhart with one of the R2 picks in order to give Freeman a reliable ground game weapon with the futures of Cadillac, Ward, and Graham in question.



Wide Receiver
1 – Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)
2 – Arrelious Benn (Illinois)
3 – Golden Tate (Notre Dame)
4 – Taylor Price (Ohio)
5 – Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati)
6 – Damian Williams (USC)
7 – Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
8 – Brandon LaFell (LSU)
9 – Eric Decker (Minnesota)
10 – Mike Williams (Syracuse)
11 – Dexter McCluster (Mississippi)
12 – Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas)
13 – Jacoby Ford (Clemson)
14 – Jordan Shipley (Texas)
15 – Andre Roberts (The Citadel)
16 – Marcus Easley (Connecticut)
17 – Jeremy Williams (Tulane)
18 – Emmanuel Sanders (SMU)
19 – Danario Alexander (Missouri)
20 – Riley Cooper (Florida)

Most likely to be a Buc – Jordan Shipley
It’s not the route I’d go, but having learned from Pewter Report that Josh Freeman has the staff’s ear about Shipley, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took him. They need to surround Freeman with weapons, and they may go with his personal request when doing so.



Tight End
1 – Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma)
2 – Aaron Hernandez (Florida)
3 – Dennis Pitta (BYU)
4 – Rob Gronkowski (Arizona)
5 – Anthony McCoy (USC)
6 – Jimmy Graham (Miami)
7 – Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh)
8 – Tony Moeaki (Iowa)
9 – Ed Dickson (Oregon)
10 – Colin Peek (Alabama)

Most likely to be a Buc – Jeron Mastrud (Kansas State)
I question whether or not they’ll draft a TE with Winslow, Stevens, and Gilmore on board. I wouldn’t call Stevens and Gilmore locks, but is spending a pick on an upgrade here the best use of resources? Maybe they take Mastrud, a former target of Freeman’s, as an undrafted free agent. The two did have nice chemistry together during Freeman’s time at KSU, so it would make sense to pick him up after the draft.



Offensive Tackle
1 – Russell Okung (Oklahoma State)
2 – Bruce Campbell (Maryland)
3 – Anthony Davis (Rutgers)
4 – Trent Williams (Oklahoma)
5 – Bryan Bulaga (Iowa)
6 – Charles Brown (USC)
7 – Rodger Saffold (Indiana)
8 – Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)
9 – Kyle Calloway (Iowa)
10 – Jason Fox (Miami)

Most likely to be a Buc – Jason Fox
Like the RB position, I don’t see a tackle standing out as an obvious fit for the Bucs. I don’t see any in the top 5 being our choice at #3, and with all their other dire needs, I’m not sure that Saffold or Brown (unlikely to be there) should be the choice in R2. I pick Fox because he’s a guy likely to fall due to medical questions, and the Bucs haven’t shied away from that kind of player in the past (see Xavier Fulton, shoulder, last year).



Center / Guard
1 – Maurkice Pouncey (Florida)
2 – Mike Iupati (Idaho)
3 – Vladimir Ducasse (Massachusetts)
4 – Jon Asamoah (Illinois)
5 – John Jerry (Mississippi)
6 – JD Walton (Baylor)
7 – Marshall Newhouse (TCU)
8 – Matt Tennant (Boston College)
9 – Mike Johnson (Alabama)
10 – Mitch Petrus (Arkansas)

Most likely to be a Buc – John Jerry
I don’t have him going to the Bucs in my mocks, but I think he’s a guy the Bucs will/should be looking at in the middle rounds as someone who can help you out on the right side of the line either at guard or tackle. Even though I have Jerry rated higher, I still prefer Newhouse because I think he’s a better value; can probably be had at least a full round later than Jerry.



Defensive End
1 – Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
2 – Brandon Graham (Michigan)
3 – Everson Griffen (USC)
4 – Jerry Hughes (TCU)
5 – Jason Pierre-Paul (USF)
6 – Corey Wootton (Connecticut)
7 – Carlos Dunlap (Florida)
8 – Austen Lane (Murray State)
9 – Jermaine Cunningham (Florida)
10 – Brandon Lang (Troy)
11 – CJ Wilson (ECU)
12 – Lindsey Witten (Connecticut)
13 – Greg Hardy (Mississippi)
14 – George Selvie (USF)
15 – Kevin Basped (Nevada)

Most likely to be a Buc – Jerry Hughes
I think they’ll have a shot at him with pick 2a, and given our need for a pass rusher combined with his ability to do just that at a high level, he’s a perfect match. I don’t think he’s too small and has a chance to follow in the footsteps of guys like Dwight Freeney and Elvis Dumervil as undersized edge rushers.



Defensive Tackle
1 – Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska)
2 – Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma)
3 – Brian Price (UCLA)
4 – Jared Odrick (Penn State)
5 – Tyson Alualu (California)
6 – Dan Williams (Tennessee)
7– Lamarr Houston (Texas)
8 – Geno Atkins (Georgia)
9 – Terrence Cody (Alabama)
10 – Linval Joseph (ECU)
11 – Al Woods (LSU)
12 – Cam Thomas (UNC)
13 – Corey Peters (Kentucky)
14 – Arthur Jones (Syracuse)
15 – Torrell Troup (UCF)

Most likely to be a Buc – Gerald McCoy
I think he’s our pick at #3 overall because Suh won’t be there.



Outside Linebacker
1 – Sergio Kindle (Texas)
2 – Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)
3 – Eric Norwood (South Carolina)
4 – Darryl Washington (TCU)
5 – Ricky Sapp (Clemson)
6 – Navorro Bowman (Penn State)
7 – Koa Misi (Utah)
8 – Jason Worilds (Virginia Tech)
9 – Dekoda Watson (FSU)
10 – Roddrick Muckelroy (Texas)
11 – O’Brien Schofield (Wisconsin)
12 – Thaddeus Gibson (Ohio State)
13 – Rennie Curran (Georgia)
14 – AJ Edds (Iowa)
15 – Keenan Clayton (Oklahoma)

Most likely to be a Buc – Sean Weatherspoon
I don’t see any of these players as future Buccaneers, but if I had to choose one, I’d say Weatherspoon. The Bucs would have to deal back up into R1 to get him (seemingly ahead of Atlanta at #19), but if the Bucs are in an aggressive mindset, I could see them trading up for Weatherspoon and possibly expediting Barrett Ruud’s departure.



Inside Linebacker
1 – Rolando McClain (Alabama)
2 – Sean Lee (Penn State)
3 – Brandon Spikes (Florida)
4 – Pat Angerer (Iowa)
5 – Micah Johnson (Kentucky)
6 – Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State)
7 – Reggie Carter (UCLA)
8 – Boris Lee (Troy)
9 – Kion Wilson (USF)
10 – Phillip Dillard (Nebraska)

Most likely to be a Buc – Pat Angerer
I expect that if the Bucs draft a LB that it will be someone to play the middle. Would they take Spikes if he was available in R3? What about Sean Lee? If they don’t spend a R6-R7 pick on someone like Johnson or Carter, Angerer makes a ton of sense in the R4-R5 range.



Cornerback
1 – Joe Haden (Florida)
2 – Patrick Robinson (FSU)
3 – Kareem Jackson (Alabama)
4 – Kyle Wilson (Boise State)
5 – Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
6 – Amari Spievey (Iowa)
7 – Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest)
8 – Chris Cook (Virginia)
9 – Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State)
10 – Walter Thurmond (Oregon)
11 – Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (Indiana PA)
12 – Dominique Franks (Oklahoma)
13 – Javier Arenas (Alabama)
14 – Alterraun Verner (UCLA)
15 – Syd’Quan Thompson (California)

Most likely to be a Buc – Patrick Robinson
I want to say Kareem Jackson here, but I think he’ll have trouble getting by Arizona at the bottom of R1. Robinson should be there, and Nole bias aside, I like his projection at the next level. I think he’d be a great pairing with Aqib Talib, and there’s a good chance that one of the Bucs’ R2 picks is spent on a corner.



Safety
1 – Eric Berry (Tennessee)
2 – Earl Thomas (Texas)
3 – Chad Jones (LSU)
4 – Nate Allen (USF)
5 – Taylor Mays (USC)
6 – Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech)
7 – Reshad Jones (Georgia)
8 – Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)
9 – Barry Church (Toledo)
10 – Major Wright (Florida)
11 – Larry Asante (Nebraska)
12 – TJ Ward (Oregon)
13 – Terrell Skinner (Maryland)
14 – Myron Rolle (FSU)
15 – Quentin Scott (Northern Iowa)

Most likely to be a Buc – Larry Asante
With the signing of Sean Jones, I don’t think SS is high on the Bucs radar. It looks like he’ll compete with Sabby Piscitelli to start there next to Tanard Jackson. Speaking of TJ, he’s one strike away from a lengthy suspension, so maybe the Bucs do indeed bump this back up the list of needs. I’m not terribly high on him, but someone like Asante (or Reshad Jones if he fall far enough (R4)) would make sense in the R4-R5 range.

4 comments:

  1. Apparently there are five people that would put Jimmy Clausen ahead of Sam Bradford (who I think is going to be an outstanding player): Jimmy Clausen, Mr. and Mrs. Clausen, you, me, and Mel Kiper. If he's there for Buffalo, I can't fathom that they would pass him up. As I understand it, there are concerns about the young mans attitude in that his interview demeanor comes off as a little cocky and immature. Those aren't deal breakers for me; that will get beat out of him early by the league and by his veteran teammates. Evidently the Indigenous Peoples of the North American Continent coaching staff have some sort of ties to Bradford, so they might be willing to go up and get him, but if it comes down to Clausen or Okung, I wonder which way they go.

    My advance predictions, sure to be upset by a Day 1 trade:

    1. G. McCoy
    2a. Patrick Robinsion
    2b. C. Dunlap
    3. J. Shipley

    TPE

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  2. That puts us in good company then TPE. The fact that Todd McShay doesn't like Clausen makes me feel even better about my opinion.

    I don't think Clausen is Chan Gailey's type of QB, and I see them taking an offensive tackle. A guy I think would be pretty intriguing under Gailey is Jarrett Brown from West Virginia.

    Yeah, he came in with an attitude, but he's not the first 18 year old to be a little big for his britches. He also never had any issues in the locker room. That's what matters to me. I think he's going to be just fine in the NFL, and his experience in a pro style offense with an NFL coach is a huge plus. I think he'll acclimate quite well and end up being the best passer from this class.

    Regarding your picks, I don't like Dunlap. He's got more talent than he knows what to do with, but he's also sloppy, inconsistent, and unmotivated. Giving him $ isn't going to help.

    I don't mind Shipley but only in R4 if he's still there and if we've drafted an Arrelious Benn or Taylor Price already. I'll release my final thoughts tomorrow, but here's what I'm looking at:

    1 - Ndamukong Suh / Gerald McCoy
    2a - Jerry Hughes / Kareem Jackson / Golden Tate
    2b - Arrelious Benn / Patrick Robinson
    3 - Amari Spievey

    I'm excited for this thing to get here. I want to see who we pick, and I also want to quit looking at all this stuff! It's maddening I tell you!

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  3. Know what I think is hurting Clausen? He looks like a damn skateboard or surf punk.

    Can't argue with this: "I don't like Dunlap. He's got more talent than he knows what to do with, but he's also sloppy, inconsistent, and unmotivated." But the Bucs used the 17th pick in last years draft to get a player with what were thought to be similar issues. Dunlap does strike me as one of those prospects the draft experts always say 'he's a first round talent that dropped into the second because of character issues' and then ends up busting out because of those character issues. For the record I dont think it would be wise to take him, but I do not doubt RahDom would.

    I wont be unhappy if they get Hughes at 2a; particularly if they manage not to botch it up and end up with McCoy by the close of business tomorrow. I want them to stay the hell away from Pierre-Paul; frankly, he looked uncoordinated to me in his drills at the combine. He's quick, but it's not clear to me he's much of an athlete. It will probably be moot, because he is going to get taken Thursday night.

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  4. I don't think Dunlap is the kind of player Raheem is going to be looking for; too risky for a coach/regime that needs to start winning games.

    Hughes could go at the end of R1, but I think it plays out where he and Tate go through the first 32 picks unchosen.

    I'm not a big JPP fan either; not enough production for as high as he'll be chosen. You're right, he'll go Thursday night in the 6-16 range.

    ReplyDelete