After long wait, I finally have my first mock draft of this offseason done. Much like when Axl Rose writes a song for a soon to be released album, I changed it and scrapped it several times. There are so many things that go into research for mock drafts. Team needs, player rankings and free agency. I never like to release a mock draft before free agency starts as I believe the first week of so of free agency can tell you a ton of what teams are thinking. I will likely have 2.0 out by April 1st and only suspect 4 versions at most. I do not have the want or do I think it is feasible to do a complete mock draft of all 7 rounds. It is ludicrous. I will however predict the Steelers picks by rounds as I did last year. I nailed 2 players last year in Mike Wallace and Ra'Shon Harris although I had the wrong round on Wallace.
OK, bitch away, here is 2010 NFL Mock Draft 1.0!
1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma - If I were the Rams, I draft Suh or trade down. I do not think Bradford is the real deal. The NFL is a quarterback driven league however and I suspect the Rams will do the wrong thing and draft Bradford.
2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska - Not even Matt Millen could screw up this pick. The Lions will get the best player in the draft at the number 2 spot. Suh is a man child and I am glad he will be in the NFC and not the AFC.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma - The Buccaneers have a ton of needs, but the 4-3 defense could really be boosted with a player like McCoy. The only temptation here would be Eric Berry.
4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State - Chris Samuels has now called it a career and the Redskins need a left tackle. Okung is solid and someone Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen can build around.
5. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa - Chiefs GM Scott Pioli is good friends with Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa head coach. Bulaga has quietly climbed up the ladder. Matt Cassel needs protection and Bulaga fits the bill with this pick.
6. Seattle Seahawks - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson - The Seahawks have two first rounders and Pete Carroll will not wait to see if Spiller last until the 14th pick to get him. Not many mocks have Spiller going this high, but he is worthy of the #6 overall selection.
7. Cleveland Browns - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama - The Browns picked up Scott Fujita in free agency and may move him inside. McClain can play both inside or outside and has a strong motor. Jimmy Clausen will be tempting here, but the sting of Brady Quinn still lingers.
8. Oakland Raiders - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame - Raiders owner Al Davis knows that JaMarcus Russell is a bust. He needs a quarterback and he needs one now.
9. Buffalo Bills - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers - The Bills need a ton of everything and selecting Davis is a great place to start. Some consider Davis the best tackle in the draft, so if he falls here, it could indeed be a steal.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Joe Haden, CB, Florida - The Jaguars have seen quite a bit of the Floridian to not get caught up with NFL combine 40 times. Haden is the perfect fit for this defense. It would not be too far of a stretch to see Haden fall here.
11. Denver Broncos - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee - Berry is a hard-hitting defensive back that can play almost anywhere in the secondary. Pairing him up with Brian Dawkins to learn from could pay dividends quickly for Josh McDaniels.
12. Miami Dolphins - Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas - The Dolphins need linebackers and Kindle is a type player Bill Parcells likes on his squad. Kindle is easily the second best linebacker in the draft. This is a great match.
13. San Francisco 49ers - Earl Thomas, S, Texas - Head coach Mike Singletary is slowly building an impressive defense. Thomas fits the bill for that defense
14. Seattle Seahawks - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma - Pete Carroll got his running back at #6 and now starts getting help on the offensive line.
15. New York Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida - Giants need to get back to putting consistent pressure on the opponents quarterback. Pierre-Paul can be brought along slowly and has shown the potential to be a dominant pass rusher in the NFL.
16. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech - Kyle Vanden Bosch is gone. Morgan fits everything that defense needs and 16th is the right place for Morgan.
17. San Francisco 49ers - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho - Iupati is a versatile lineman that can play just about anywhere on the line. His intensity matches that of head coach Mike Singletary.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Taylor Mays, S, USC - The last safety the Steelers drafted out of USC turned out pretty good. The Steelers need depth at the position and with Clark being resigned, Mays can be introduced slowly and also contribute on game days on special teams.
19. Atlanta Falcons - Brandon Graham, LB/DE, Michigan - Graham is a tweaner, but a pure athelete. He will help the Falcons defense immediately.
20. Houston Texans - Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State - The Texans lost one corner named Robinson via free agency. They get their replacement Robinson at #20 who very well could be the best corner in the draft.
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma - Gresham I think will go earlier than most think out of need. He is the best tight end in the draft and the Bengals desperately need one for Carson Palmer.
22. New England Patriots - Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri - Bill Belichick likes the type player that Weatherspoon is and will find a place for him. The kid has a high motor and an IQ to go along with it.
23. Green Bay Packers - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State - The Packers need a shut down corner and help in the secondary.
24. Philadelphia Eagles - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State - The Eagles need a pass rusher and will nit have to go far to find one. Odrick can play anywhere on the defensive line.
25. Baltimore Ravens - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame - Despite signing Anquan Boldin and resigning Derrick Mason, Tate will be groomed for the future. He can be brought along slowly.
26. Arizona Cardinals - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee - Cardinals veteran nose tackle Bryan Robinson will be 36 in June and Williams fits what the Cardinals are trying to do on defense.
27. Dallas Cowboys - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State - Jerry Jones loves playmakers and kids with 5 cent heads. Jones will have no problem taking a chance on making a Cowboy one of his Cowboys.
28. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State - LaDanian Tomlinson is gone and Sproles is not an every down back. Mathews will be drafted to handle the between the tackle type work.
29. New York Jets - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland - Campbell is considered a project and the Jets have time to bring him along. this is a case of the best player available on the board.
30. Minnesota Vikings - Brian Price, DT, UCLA - Pat Williams needs a breather every now and again and father time is ticking on him. Price is excellent inside and can help spell Williams on passing downs.
31. Indianapolis Colts - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida - Sooner or later Jeff Saturday will need to retire. Pouncey is the best center in the draft and can be groomed to replace Saturday on Sundays.
32. New Orleans Saints - Jerry Hughes, LB, TCU - Scott Fujita is gone. The Saints do not need much to stay competitive. Hughes is a play maker and will help ease the loss of Fujita later in the year.
Buffalo News writer, Allen Wilson, has his first mock draft of 2010 up and has the Steelers taking Mike Iupati from Idaho. If the Steelers do indeed draft offense with the first round pick, I can see Iupati being it right now. However, I am still thinking we draft defense first at this point in time.
Well, thanks to all of our readers of the blog, Twitter and Facebook, we have made it to the Final Four of the 2010 Pittsburgh Sports Blog contest. I do not think they are happy to have a #8 seed crash the party and they surely have the wrong info up on our post dates. Our blog page is set up to only show what I deem articles, not all blog post. If you would like to see us advance to the finals, then please vote for us here. If not, please vote for WHYGAVS instead. Once again, thanks to our true readers and fans for past votes.
Regina Leader-Post writer, Murray McCormick, did an interview with the newest Steelers special teams hopeful and former Saskatchewan Roughriders middle linebacker Renauld Williams.
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The new NFL Labor site has a great post up on the breakdown of the tender offer amounts for 2010 Restricted Free Agents.
From the night so cheery side, Former Steelers offensive lineman Carlton Haselrig has been jailed on a probation violation after being arrested Saturday evening on charges he assaulted a child. Let us hope none of this is true for all parties sakes.
Nose tackle Chris Hoke is the latest Steelers player to have his post-season interview posted up on Steelers.com. You can watch it below.
Always a few surprises and mine goes against the grain, but here his my first round mock draft.
1. LIONS: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
2. RAMS: OT Jason Smith, Baylor
3. CHIEFS: OLB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
4. SEAHAWKS: DT B.J. Raji, Boston College
5. BROWNS: DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
6. BENGALS: DE Aaron Maybin, Penn State
7. RAIDERS: WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
8. JAGUARS: OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia
9. PACKERS: DE Tyson Jackson, LSU
10. 49ERS: QB Mark Sanchez, USC
11. BILLS: OT Andre Smith, Alabama
12. BRONCOS: DE Everette Brown, Florida State
13. REDSKINS: OT Michael Oher, Mississippi
14. SAINTS: RB Chris Wells, Ohio State
15. TEXANS: CB Malcom Jenkins, Ohio State
16. CHARGERS:RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
17. JETS: OLB Clay Matthews, USC
18. BRONCOS: ILB Rey Maualuga, USC
19. BUCCANEERS: QB Josh Freeman, Kansas State
20. LIONS: WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
21. EAGLES: TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State
22. VIKINGS: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
23. PATRIOTS: OLB Brian Cushing, USC
24. FALCONS: CB Vontae Davis, Illinois
25. DOLPHINS: WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina
26. RAVENS: WR Percy Harvin, Florida
27. COLTS: DT Peria Jerry, Mississippi
28. BILLS: OLB Larry English, Northern Illinois
29. GIANTS: WR Kenny Britt, Rutgers
30. TITANS: CB Sean Smith, Utah
31. CARDINALS: RB Donald Brown, Connecticut
32. STEELERS: OT Eben Britton, Arizona
Below is my 2009 Steelers mock draft for the upcoming NFL draft on April 25th & 26th. Unless anything major happens in the next few days, I will be sticking with this mock draft as my official mock. Please feel free to comment below on why they will or will not draft the players below.
Round 1 - T Eben Britton - Arizona
Played both offensive tackle positions in college and has a great combination of speed, wingspan, strength and field smarts. Scouts compare him to Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. Quality character guy with good quickness for his size. Would provide great depth and could develop into a premier tackle at the NFL level.
Round 2 - DE Lawrence Sidbury - Richmond
Great tweener pass rusher and could be a good linebacker candidate in the Steelers 3-4 fire zone blitz defense. Can carry extra weight if he needs to bulk up a bit to stay a down lineman. Would provide well neded depth on the defensive line.
Round 3 - CB Victor Harris - Virginia Tech
Hard hitting defensive back that is very versatile and has played cornerback, free safety, running back, wide receiver and as a kick returner on both kickoffs and punts which the Steelers desperately need.
Round 4 - TE Richard Quinn - North Carolina
Great blocking tight end that proved he does have good hands at the NFL combine. Would be a great canidate to help save wear and tear on starting tight end Heath Miller.
Round 5 - G Louis Vasquez - Texas Tech
Good one on one pass protector and works well in space. Has shown he can get to second or third level to take on linebackers and safeties in the running game. Very strong, benching 225 pounds 39 times at the NFL combine.
Round 5 - WR Mike Wallace - Mississippi
Improved route runner that has also improved his pass catching ability. Can stretch defenses deep as an outside wide receiver
Round 6 - CB Donald Washington - Ohio State
Played opposite Michael Jenkins in college and has shown good straight-line speed. Good tackler and could see time in camp as a kick returner in order to make the opening day roster.
Round 7 - DT Ra'Shon Harris - Oregon
Projected as a nose tackle in the NFL. Holds up on double-team blocks. Can collapse the pocket and clog up passing lanes.
Round 7 - WR Brian Hartline - Ohio State
Project number two or three wide receiver at the NFL level with returner abilities and big-play threat characteristics.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, Jonathan Dekker, was acquitted yesterday on his charge of obstruction of justice in Jan. 24 incident.
Free agent back up quarterback, Byron Leftwich, is close to signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mike Wilkening of Pro football Weekly is claiming the Steelers are looking for versatile cornerback or wide receiver who can also help out in the kick return game. No surprise here.
This offseason free agent back up quarterback, Charlie Batch, took part in the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Batch attended classes at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning four and half credits towards an MBA.
Linebacker Patrick Bailey is interning at Orbital Engineering, a company located in downtown Pittsburgh.
Washington Observer beat writer, Dale Lolley, chimes in with his first round mock draft where he has the Steelers taking offensive lineman Eric Wood from Louisville
I recently took part in a cooperative mock draft at Next Season Sports with other NFL bloggers. The bloggers ranged from newspaper reporters to well established fan site writers. In the mock draft I selected center Alex Mack from the University of California. Below is the explanation of my pick.
Ah, it is good to be the king, especially when you are a king that likes not spending money on early draft picks. The 2009 draft class is not one of the better ones of recent, but is high in value talent to match the Steelers needs. The Steelers will go into the 2009 NFL draft with two glaring needs, offensive line help and defensive line help. It is no secret that the 2008 offensive line was patch worked together. The Steelers lost right guard Kendall Simmons to a torn Achilles and tackle Marvel Smith had back issues all year long. Smith is an unrestricted free agent and likely will not be brought back and tackle Max Starks, guard Chris Kemoeatu, tackle Willie Colon and tackle Trai Essex are also all free agents as well. The Steelers will do everything in their power to either tag Starks or sign him to a new deal before the February 27th deadline. Starting center Justin Hartwig is 30 years old and is an injury concern going forward. On the defensive line, all top five defensive linemen are all in their 30s with two of them — nose tackle Casey Hampton and defensive end Brett Keisel entering the final year of their contracts. The Steelers will not participate in the signing of any high priced free agents on either side of the line and will likely address both positions thoroughly throughout the draft.
With most of the defensive line talent already off the board, along with the top offensive tackles, the Steelers select center Alex Mack from the University of California with the 32nd pick of the 2009 NFL draft. Mack weighed in at the Senior Bowl at 312 pounds and stood 6 foot 4 and 1 eighth. Mack had a good Senior Bowl showing and was one of the few offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl to hold his own against Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji. Mack is the epitamy of what the Steelers look for in centers, tall, large biceps with a solid lower body. Mack can get to the second level of blocking with ease and is an effective trap blocker. Mack has also shown great early ability in screen blocking as well. Mack most resembles Minnesota Vikings long time center Matt Birk in his playing style and ability and could prove to anchor the offensive line for the Steelers for many years to come.
Some other players the Steelers would consider at this spot are defensive end Tyson Jackson from LSU, tackle Phil Loadholt from Oklahoma or cornerback Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest, but the lure of a 10 year pro in Mack makes him hard to pass up at this spot.
