The Schottey Six: Top Prospects for 2010 NFL Draft

Welcome back to everyone's favorite list—The Schottey Six!

Today, we will take a look at the 2010 NFL Draft and six of its top prospects. This article (as with all of my draft related articles) is done in conjunction with DraftTek.com.

The DraftTek big board lists the top six players as: Taylor Mays, Russel Okung, Ndamukong Suh, Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams.

The Schottey Six will provide a dissenting view and hopefully all of you will chime in with your own opinions.

6) Brandon Spikes (LB-Florida)

In a way, it's sad that John Madden has retired.

If there is one player who would befit his constant yelling of "Boom!" it would be Florida's hitman, Brandon Spikes.

Barring injury, Spikes will enter the 2010 draft with well over 300 tackles, each of them with varying registries on the Richter Scale. Still, even Spikes is not beyond the fault-finding mission that is the Drafting process.

With only one career interception, three sacks and four forced fumbles, it is questioned if he is a "game changing" player, or just a high volume tackler.

If Spikes want to be drafted top five, he will need to showcase a little more disruptive behavior. Otherwise, he will be pigeon-holed as a 3-4 ILB and probably fall down draft boards.

5) Taylor Mays (S-USC)

Taylor Mays was a top five pick in the 2009 NFL Draft before deciding to chase a championship one more time with Pete Carroll. However, he could find himself the second safety taken in 2010.

Mays is a freakish athlete. 6'3", 230lbs with 4.45 speed.

Yet, team scouts who watch Mays question his natural playmaking ability. Many of the same questions we discussed with Spikes creep up against Mays as well.

For much of the 2009 draft process, scouts questioned if Mays could play deep safety in the NFL and wondered if he had the instincts possessed by all great NFL safeties.

Mays will be a top pick because of his athleticism but will need to grab some INTs if he wants to truly impress.

4) Eric Berry (S-Tennessee)

If anyone makes Taylor Mays seem pedestrian, it could be Eric Berry.

Although he is smaller (5'11", 203), Berry possesses better straight line speed (4.40) and much better lateral movement and change of direction.

Most impressively, Berry is a true ball hawk. When the ball is in the air, no one is quicker to it. With 12 INTs in two years, some feel he has the ability to enter the 2010 Draft with 20+.

If he does, Berry could be a top three player.

Furthermore, his stock will rise because teams feel he could play every backfield position, being able to match up with even the fastest wide receivers.

3) Bryan Bulaga (OT-Iowa)

At 6'6', 312lbs. Bulaga is currently the top ranked tackle in the 2011 draft.

Why wait?

Scouts salivate over his lateral movement and powerful first punch. His frame is ideal for the blind side tackle position and he is an A+ pass protector.

If he declares early, he should make a Jason Smith like jump over the currently top ranked tackles. As of right now, many of the top 2010 tackles are better fits at RT or OG in the NFL.

However, as of right now, I don't know if he's a top five pick.

Bulaga will need a dominant season and dominant work outs to warrant early entry. Yet, physically, he's a great prospect.

2) Carlos Dunlap (DE-Florida)

Dunlap is, physically, a carbon copy of All-Pro defensive end Kevin Carter.

His skill set, however, is right out of the Julius Peppers playbook.

Carlos Dunlap is physically strong enough (and big enough) to be a strong side defensive end and play primarily against the run. However, he is fast enough (rumored to have run in the low 4.7's) to be a weak side pass rush specialist.

Even more intriguing is the possibility of a team drafting him in a zone scheme to play defensive tackle in the Reggie White-mold.

Dunlap is talented enough to be disruptive in his rookie season and will be a lock for the top five with any type of decent play this season. If he wins another championship and posts double digit sacks, he could be the top pick.

1) Gerald McCoy (DT-Oklahoma)

Didn't see this one coming eh? Well, I made ya'll a promise a while back that you could expect to see more "non-glamor" players hyped in my pieces.

Note: I am NOT suggesting that Gerald McCoy will be drafted first overall.

I am suggesting that whatever team drafts him will have the best prospect in the draft.

McCoy is a prototypical under tackle and should be able to get his 40-time under five seconds during workouts.

He already has his "spotlight moment," picking off Tim Tebow in the championship game.

Best of the Rest

Ndamukong Suh: "Suh-perstar" is a more electrifying player than any defensive lineman in a while. Knee concerns will plague him during the drafting process, keeping him off the official list. If he stays healthy this year and repeats last year's performance, he'll rocket to the top.

The Quarterbacks: I don't think any of the 2010 QBs are "great" prospects. Tebow, McCoy, and Bradford will all face questions coming from spread offenses. The most physically talented, Snead, plays in the gimmicky offense at Ole Miss. If this year was any indication, Snead will rise to the top with his prototypical statue and talent set.

Trent Williams: He can be a good tackle in the NFL, but some feel he could be a Hall of Fame guard. Time will tell where he ends up.

Jermaine Gresham: Could have been the first TE in 2009. If he shows he can be effective as an in-line blocker, he could go Top-10.