2010 NFL Mock Draft: 1.0

Written by Daniel Evans on 18 December 2009

The 2010 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. The argument has already started for determining the best player in the 2010 draft class, although many believe the lead candidate is a “Suh In” to go number one overall.

Ndamukong Suh could be the top pick in this year’s draft.

That’s right, Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska. The guy might end up being a defensive tackle that makes his team go from awful to elite in the span of a short period of time.

But as always the main argument surrounds quarterbacks. How many will go in round one? Which is the best prospect? And, the main question of all, is where will Tim Tebow go!?

Our mock draft has four quarterbacks going in round one: Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Ryan Mallett. Mallett still has the option to go back to school since he’s only a redshirt sophomore. Jake Locker, one of the top quarterback prospects, elected to go back to Washington earlier this week and in turn change mock drafts everywhere.

Check out our entire mock draft below:

Pick	Team	Record	Player	Pos.	School
1	St. Louis Rams	1-12	Ndamukong Suh	DT	Nebraska
Suh is the best player in this draft, by far. While the Rams could certainly use a starting quarterback, St. Louis would have a hard time passing on the best player in the draft. Some general managers are referring to Suh as a lineman that comes around once a decade.
2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-12	Eric Berry	S	Tennessee
Berry would be an automatic upgrade for a Tampa Bay secondary that has struggled to defend the pass this year. While the Bucs also need help on offense, it’s hard to pass up a ball hawk like Eric Berry. This guy makes plays and always seems to be in the right position on defense.
3	Cleveland Browns	2-11	Jimmy Clausen	QB	Notre Dame
Clausen has a strong arm and looks to be the top available quarterback after Washington QB Jake Locker elected to stay in school. Clausen would replace Brady Quinn, another former Notre Dame quarterback, as the starter for the Browns. Oh, the irony.
4	Detroit Lions	2-11	Gerald McCoy	DT	Oklahoma
The Lions have to be bummed with this pick. Why? There’s no receiver prospect that should go this high. There’s nothing to be bummed about though. McCoy is the second best DT in the draft behind Suh and would be a great addition to a Detroit defense in need of playmakers.
5	Kansas City Chiefs	3-10	Russell Okung	OT	Oklahoma State
The Chiefs have their franchise quarterback in Matt Cassell, but need to get him some help on the offensive side of the ball. With this pick expect KC to try to protect Cassell. Okung is the best O-lineman in this draft.
6	Oakland Raiders	4-9	Bruce Campbell	OT	Maryland
Al Davis never surprises us with his awful drafting decisions (like Derrius Heyward Bey too early last season), so expect this pick prediction to change a lot before the draft. Campbell would actually be a smart choice, because he’d help cement the Raiders offensive line.
7	Washington Redskins	4-9	Sam Bradford	QB	Oklahoma
Washington is set to take a QB in this year’s draft–a move that would clearly make the Jason Campbell experiment a failure–and may end up with the highest rated player in Bradford. If Bradford’s shoulder injury checks out he could even go #1 overall.
8	Buffalo Bills	5-8	Derrick Morgan	DE	Georgia Tech
Many “experts” have Morgan going in the top five, but in this mock he slides to #8. The Bills rank mid pack in sacks and could get great value by taking Morgan here. Premier pass rushers do not slide past the top five very often anymore.
9	Seattle Seahawks	5-8	Anthony Davis	OT	Rutgers
Davis is an offensive tackle that is quickly climbing draft boards and will likely wind up being a top ten selection in the draft. Seattle’s offensive line has allowed 34 sacks this season, which ranks among the bottom ten teams in the league.
10	San Francisco 49ers (from CAR)	6-7	Joe Haden	CB	Florida
Haden is the top cornerback in this draft and should go somewhere in the top 15. Mike Singletary, with his defensive mindset, would love to add a cornerback to his secondary.
11	Denver Broncos (from CHI)	8-5	Rolando McClain	LB	Alabama
McClain was the best linebacker in college football this season and could instantly become the leader on any defense. He can read an offense and uses his great athleticism to make plays in both the running and passing games.
12	Tennessee Titans	6-7	Carlos Dunlap	DE	Florida
Dunlap hurt his image by getting suspended for his actions before the SEC Championship game, but is still an elite talent in this draft. He’s got a huge body and is very quick off the line. Tennessee, like every other NFL team, loves players that can get after the quarterback.
13	Houston Texans	6-7	Earl Thomas	S	Texas
Houston has many needs on defense and wouldn’t be able to pass up on the second best safety in this draft. Thomas would immediately fill a hole and could be a starter from day one in Houston.
14	Pittsburgh Steelers	6-7	Taylor Mays	S	USC
Is it just me or does Mays seem like the perfect fit for the Steelers? Pittsburgh could place Troy Polamalu across the field from a safety with the size of a linebacker. Mays has fallen behind Berry and Thomas on draft boards, but with Ryan Clark becoming a free agent after the year he could go here.
15	San Francisco 49ers	6-7	Everson Griffen	DE	USC
Griffen gets the nod here because the 49ers could use more pass rushers on defense. For those thinking offense here, remember this is a team that has a young QB (A. Smith), a young RB (F. Gore), and a young WR (M. Crabtree).
16	Atlanta Falcons	6-7	Sergio Kindle	DE	Texas
The Falcons take Kindle here as a value pick. He’s very quick and can rush the passer when needed, while playing outside linebacker in other situations. He’s too good to pass over if he falls into your lap at #16.
17	New York Jets	7-6	Juan Pierre-Paul	DE	South Florida
While offensive tackle is a possible option here, it’s hard to imagine Rex Ryan passing up a defensive player that could make an instant impact for the Jets. Pierre-Paul has all the tools needed to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
18	Baltimore Ravens	7-6	Dez Bryant	WR	Oklahoma State
Bryant was ruled ineligible by the NCAA due to lying about a meeting with Deion Sanders and that in turn has hurt his draft stock some. Don’t fall for it though. This kid is one of the best players available in this draft and would be a star in Baltimore at wide receiver paired with a developing Joe Flacco.
19	New York Giants	7-6	Patrick Robinson	CB	Florida State
Robinson is the second best cornerback in this draft behind Joe Haden from Florida and is slowly climbing draft boards. The lack of great corners in this class could allow Robinson to sneak even higher in the first round.
20	Jacksonville Jaguars	7-6	Tim Tebow	QB	Florida
The Jaguars need to sell tickets and are in the market for a new starting quarterback. Tebow fits both of those needs all in one. By already being a legend in the Sunshine State, Tebow would sell tons of tickets and has intangibles that come around once a millennium. This kid will play anywhere he can.
21	Miami Dolphins	7-6	Dan Williams	DT	Tennessee
Williams would add depth inside for the Dolphins defensive line. Another option here would be Golden Tate, the second best receiver prospect behind Dez Bryant.
22	Dallas Cowboys	8-5	Navarro Bowman	LB	Penn State
Dallas has talent all over the field, but just can’t win in December. Bowman is another “value” pick because it’s hard to match the value you can get for Bowman here over any “need” Dallas has on its roster.
23	New England Patriots	8-5	Jerry Hughes	DE	TCU
Hughes seems like a Patriots kind of guy, if that makes any sense. He’s led TCU to two excellent seasons in a row and is one of the premier pass rushers at the collegiate level. New England ranks among the worst in the NFL in sacks, so drafting Hughes would make a lot of sense.
24	Arizona Cardinals	8-5	Trent Williams	OT	Oklahoma
Some have Williams going in the top ten, but for this mock he falls to #24. Arizona has to protect Kurt Warner (or whoever the future is at the QB position for the longterm) and selecting Williams would help that a lot. Warner has been hit the eighth most (75 times) of any NFL QB this year.
25	Seattle Seahawks (from DEN)	8-5	Ryan Mallett	QB	Arkansas
It would be tough for Seattle to pass up their potential quarterback of the future with him still on the board all the way at 25. Mallett has a monster arm and could wait a few years behind Matt Hasselbeck before taking over full time as the starter. After all, it worked out for Aaron Rodgers.
26	Green Bay Packers	9-4	Bryan Bulaga	OT	Iowa
The Packers haven’t been able to protect Aaron Rodgers all year. Even through the constant pressure he’s been under, Rodgers has become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. That means protecting him has to be the key this offseason. Bulaga would be a steal at 26 and a smart addition.
27	Philadelphia Eagles	9-4	Brandon Spikes	LB	Florida
The Eagles seem to always grab a few lineman in the draft, but drafting Spikes would break that mold. While adding a linebacker isn’t necessarily a need for Philadelphia, Spikes is a guy that excelled in rushing the passer during passing situations at Florida.
28	Cincinnati Bengals	9-4	Golden Tate	WR	Notre Dame
Chris Henry’s death came as a surprise to everyone (and all of us here at CFS wish his family well), and has left a void at wide receiver for the longterm in Cincinnati. Tate is the second best receiver available and could be a option across from Chad Ochocinco.
29	San Diego Chargers	10-3	Brian Price	DT	UCLA
Price could take over for an aging Jamal Williams at DT. Some “experts”, like Mel Kiper, believe he’s one of the best ten prospects available in this draft. Other options here include Terrance Cody, the massive DT from Alabama.
30	Minnesota Vikings	11-2	Marvin Austin	DT	North Carolina
Adding Marvin Austin in Minnesota would allow the “Williams Wall” to get some breaks during games and allow him to develop behind those guys for a few seasons. He’s a good run stopper that can fill gaps and make plays.
31	New Orleans Saints	13-0	Ricky Sapp	DE	Clemson
Sapp may be the top player available at this point and when a team is as loaded as New Orleans is, well it’s hard to pinpoint a weakness large enough that it needs immediate filling. Sapp provides something every team could use: another pass rusher to get after the quarterback.
32	Indianapolis Colts	13-0	Greg Hardy	DE	Mississippi
This feels like a broken record. Just like their undefeated counterparts in New Orleans, Indianapolis doesn’t have very many weaknesses. In that case we give Indy the best player available and in that case another defensive end, Greg Hardy from Mississippi, is the choice.