Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

One of the greatest parts of the NFL off-season is the NFL Draft and this year was no exception. A lot of people labeled this as one of the deepest drafts ever and looking at all the first-round selections it’s hard to find one weak link in there. Of course there were tons of questions going into the draft. A lot of interest was on the quarterback position and where guys like Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow would go, as well as receivers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas and running backs C.J. Spiller and Ryan Mathews. Like every year, there were a few surprises, including seeing Jimmy Clausen not get drafted in Round 1 as well as seeing the Denver Broncos trade up to select Tebow. But enough discussion, let’s breakdown the first round of 2010 NFL Draft with a focus on the skill position players; however, we’ll also take a look at the key defensive players that should make an impact as a rookie.

For complete 2010 NFL Draft coverage and to share your thoughts and opinions on how the draft is playing out please visit us in our forum… Bruno Boys Nation! Weigh in on the 2010 NFL Draft

1. St. Louis Rams — Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Having won just six games the last three seasons the St. Louis Rams needed to hit a home run with their pick and they did just that by taking Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford has a great arm, is incredibly talented and is good at throwing touchdown passes. However, there are two big concerns for Bradford. First of all, the Rams have one of the worst receiving corps in the league. Secondly the Rams have major concerns along the offensive line. The Rams will need to protect Bradford in order for him to develop into the quarterback they think he can become.

2. Detroit Lions — Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

On paper, the Detroit Lions have a lot of needs; however, getting Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will help their rebuilding process tremendously. Suh, by a lot of accounts, was the best player in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was nearly unblockable in college, commanding double teams on most plays and will do an excellent job of helping the Lions horrid run defense.. Though he’ll help the defense there are still a lot of holes on that side of the ball for the Lions. Getting Suh was a good start, but there is still work that needs to be done if the Lions want to compete in the NFC North.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

Though Suh was considered the best player in the draft by many, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was right there behind him. McCoy is considered to be an all-around defensive tackle, a guy who can play the run and rush the passer with equal efficiency so this was a great pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Similar to the Lions though, the Buccaneers still have more work to do on the defensive side of the ball.

5. Kansas City Chiefs — Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

There is a thought around the NFL that you don’t take a safety or linebacker in the first five spots of the NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs decided to buck that trend by selecting safety Eric Berry out of Tennessee. Berry is considered to be one of the top safety prospects to come into the NFL in a long time and has drawn comparisons to former San Francisco 49er Ronnie Lott. For those of you not old enough to remember Lott, go watch some YouTube videos of him and you’ll see just how special of a player he was.

7. Cleveland Browns — Joe Haden, CB, Florida

The Cleveland Browns wanted to get Berry but after the Chiefs took him they settled for Florida cornerback Joe Haden. Haden is the cornerback prospect in the draft and projects to be a lockdown corner, something the Browns have needed for a long time. Haden’s stock took a hit after he ran a poor 40-yard dash time but that didn’t deter the Browns.

8. Oakland Raiders — Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

The Oakland Raiders are no strangers to picking who they want with their draft picks regardless of where the player is projected, and that was the case again when they selected Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain. McClain was a guy projected to be picked in the middle or lower part of the first round but the Raiders wanted to improve their linebacking corps and did just that. McClain was a stud at Alabama, the leader of a defense that helped win the Crimson Tide a national title.

9. Buffalo Bills — C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

It wasn’t much of a secret that the Buffalo Bills had grown tired of running back Marshawn Lynch, and the drafting of Clemson running back C.J. Spiller pretty much signals the end of the Lynch era. Spiller is an explosive running back in the same mold as Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson. They both have great speed, sure, but the explosiveness is what separates them from the rest. Spiller is a candidate to take the ball to the house any time he touches the ball, and should be a great addition to a Buffalo offense that needs some life.

12. San Diego Chargers — Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State

With the departure of LaDainian Tomlinson the San Diego Chargers needed to address the situation at running back and they accomplished that when they traded up to No.12 and selected Ryan Mathews out of Fresno State. Mathews led the nation in rushing last season and is considered to be a complete running back, able to run well inside the tackles as well as on the outside. It is likely he will split time with Darren Sproles this season, but expect Mathews to become the primary back for San Diego shortly after that.

13. Philadelphia Eagles — Brandon Graham, DE/LB, Michigan

For those of you who read our NFC East Three Burning Questions, you know just how much work needs to be done on the defensive side of the ball for the Philadelphia Eagles. In particular the Eagles needed to upgrade their front seven and Michigan defensive end/linebacker Brandon Graham is a great start for them. He can play either as an outside linebacker or a defensive end, he’s a great tackler and he’s great at rushing the passer. Trading up to get the player they wanted should help the Eagles immediately.

14. Seattle Seahawks — Earl Thomas, S, Texas

The Seahawks had a lot of gaps to fill and having two picks in the top-14 will help them starting filling those holes. The selection of Texas safety Earl Thomas was a good one and will help them solidify the secondary. Thomas may have been lost in the shadow a bit behind Berry but make no mistake, he is a playmaker, a ball-hawking safety that will go a long way towards improving the Seattle defense.

15. New York Giants — Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

The New York Giants were really hoping McClain would fall to them at No. 15. When he didn’t they decided to go with the best defensive player left on the board and that was South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul is a terrific pass rusher and has shown improvements in being a run-stopper. The selection of Pierre-Paul will allow the Giants more flexibility with their front seven, something they’ve needed since winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

16. Tennessee Titans — Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

The Tennessee Titans have been known for having a good defense but entering the 2010 season there were a lot of questions on that side of the ball. The Titans needed a defensive end following the departures of Jevon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch and Morgan is one terrific player to help that transition. Considered by many to be a top-10 selection in terms of talent Morgan will be able to fit in right away with the Titans defense.

21. Cincinnati Bengals — Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

The Cincinnati Bengals were going to go one of two ways with this pick — either they were going to select Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant or Oklahoma tight end Jermain Gresham. Though Bryant is a great talent, Gresham fills a big need for them. Gresham was a terrific playmaker at Oklahoma, he’s a big player with decent speed and good hands so he should be a good option for the Bengals in a passing game that has failed to utilize the tight end over the years.

22. Denver Broncos — Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech

Playing in an option offense at Georgia Tech didn’t prohibit Demaryius Thomas from becoming one of the best receivers in the draft this year. The Denver Broncos traded Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins so they needed to start restocking at receiver and Thomas is a great addition. At 6’3”, 224 pounds Thomas is a big target but he’s also got great speed. That’s all good and well but perhaps the best quality about Thomas is his ability to catch passes over the middle and in traffic.

24. Dallas Cowboys — Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

Character issues caused Oklahoma State wide out Dez Bryant to slip a bit in the draft but in the end it may have been the best thing to happen to him as he goes into a great situation with the Dallas Cowboys. Bryant is the complete package as a receiver. He’s got good size, good speed, good hands and can catch passes on the outside or over the middle. He won’t be asked to be the main guy either as Dallas still has Miles Austin as their top receiver. With quarterback Tony Romo, Bryant should be able to produce right away.

25. Denver Broncos — Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

Going into the draft one of the biggest questions was where was Florida quarterback Tim Tebow going to be drafted. The Broncos already had a starting quarterback in Kyle Orton, and they traded for Brady Quinn this off-season; however, they decided to to trade with the Baltimore Ravens and pounce on Tebow once they saw he was still available. With Orton entrenched as the starter for the upcoming season Tebow will get the opportunity to sit and learn the ropes instead of being thrown into the fire right away. Also, the Broncos might use Tebow in different roles as a rookie. Only time will tell if that will allow him to develop into a starting NFL quarterback.

30. Detroit Lions — Jahvid Best, RB, California

The Lions traded up to make this pick and made a huge upgrade to the offense with the selection of California running back Jahvid Best. Best is a speedster who can turn an ordinary 5-yard gain into a long touchdown. Detroit already has Kevin Smith but Smith is limited by his explosiveness and there were some injury concerns with him. Having Smith and Best means the Lions won’t have to rely on just one running back and now they get two players with different running styles coming out of the back field. So far it’s looking like a great draft for the Detroit Lions.

Past Rounds Recap:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7

For complete 2010 NFL Draft coverage and to share your thoughts and opinions on how the draft is played out please visit us in our forum… Bruno Boys Nation! Weigh in on the 2010 NFL Draft