My NFL Mock Draft Part 6 Of 6, Picks # 5- # 1

This mock draft that I have been working on now for nearly a month, is almost at an end. I will be revealing my final five picks in just a moment. Before I do, however, allow me to recap the past five parts of the series which have given us the final twenty seven picks of the first round.

#32 Saints-Sean Lee (LB)
#31 Colts-Dan Williams (DT)
#30 Vikings-Patrick Robinson (CB)
#29 Jets-Taylor Mays (FS)
#28 Chargers-Joe Haden (CB)
#27 Cowboys-Earl Thomas (FS)
#26 Cardinals - Sergio Kindle (LB)
#25 Ravens - Cam Thomas (DT)
#24 Eagles - Brandon Graham (DE)
#23 Packers - Carlos Dunlap (DE)
#22 Patriots - Arrelius Benn (WR)
#21 Bengals - Golden Tate (WR)
#20 Texans - C.J. Spiller (RB)
#19 Falcons - Bruce Campbell (OT)
#18 Steelers - Maurkice Pouncey (C)
#17 49ers - Vladimir Ducasse (OT)
#16 Titans - Jared Odrick (DT).
#15 New York Giants -Rolando McClain (MLB)
#14 Seahawks - Mike Iupati (OG).
#13 49ers - Derrick Morgan (DE).
#12 Dolphins - Anthony Davis (OT).
#11 Broncos - Eric Berry (FS).
#10 Jaguars - Trent Williams (OT)
# 9 Bills -Sean Weatherspoon (OLB)
# 8 Raiders -Russell Okung (OT)
# 7 Browns -Dez Bryant (WR)
# 6 Seahawks -Jason Pierre-Paul (DE)

With that done, let the first five overall picks, and final part of this series, commence.

#5 Kansas City Chiefs, OT -Bryan Bulaga (Iowa). The Chiefs, with a 4-12 record, and their fans had a hard 2009 to endure. The season started with some promise as the team signed their franchise QB in Matt Cassel. This was after his '08 season, nearly taking the Patriots to the playoffs while filling in for Tom Brady.

The team ended their relationship with controversial and ultra successful running back Larry Johnson in midseason. The void that was left by Johnson was ultimately filled by Jamaal Charles. They had a solid year from the receiver core led by the up and coming Dwayne Bowe. The defense has some questions even after resigning Mike Vrabel.

They can't get to the opposing QB, so they may give up big plays as a result. This is a way they could go. By this pick, the defensive players they may be looking into, may be gone. There will still be decent pass rushers available by their next pick in round two. They have another equally important need.

The offensive line can't stop an oncoming pass rush and therefore, Matt Cassel spent too much time on his back and making avoidable mistakes. They need to protect him or they will suffer injuries and ineffective execution. Due to the players they want being off of the board, they will go with a offensive lineman.

Bulaga may be the best in the draft. He has the size (6'5"), weight (315 lbs) and strength to be an anchor on the blind side for years to come. He is a solid blocker in both phases of offense and has good mobility with strong hands. His biggest problem is speed coming off of the snap. This is workable with time and training. If the Chiefs choose him, they will not regret it. They will have a key component that will be the strength of their line for years.

#4 Washington Redskins, QB -Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame). The Redskins had a very interesting past season which resulted in drastic changes. Those changes will continue to trickle down into the draft. The team finished 4-12 last season. A record that resulted in the search for a new head coach.

Enter Mike Shanahan, the multiple Super Bowl winning, QB guru. It is a good hiring for the franchise, but a sign of change to come. First the team cut ties with numerous players including Fred Smoot, Antoine Randle El, and Cornelius Griffin.

It also meant the addition of some new faces like Rex Grossman and the previously mentioned Larry Johnson. The signing of Grossman is an interesting one. It may mean that the new regime isn't sold on Jason Campbell. Never mind that they don't have a good line to protect him, his inability to make the needed plays may not only cause the team to draft a potential replacement, but could cost him his immediate job.

Grossman may very well be a transitional move for the team until whoever Shanahan drafts is ready to take the reigns. A new coach almost always takes his own franchise QB, unless they have one already. Rarely will a team have a new coach unless they have struggled. The Colts are one of those exceptions. They are not the norm, however, the Redskins are.

Shanahan takes over the rebuild and will start with a QB that he feels will make the smoothest transition. That whoever is Jimmy Clausen. He has the arm strength to make most throws in the NFL and the experience in a pro-style system at Notre Dame which should all help in the transition to next level. He sees the field well and can fake out defenders well also. He makes good decisions and has the heart of a leader.

His only questions are locker room presence and pocket presence. He must develop and use that head clock that all QB's must possess. He still needs to mature some and develop his personality to be less brash. Otherwise, he could be a good fit if he can slow the game down at the next level. Overall, he has the potential to be an excellent choice.

#3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DT -Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska). The Buccaneers had a bad season (3-13) and have fallen a long way from the Super Bowl season and playoff expectations just a few years back. They have several questions. Most importantly is at QB.

Josh Freeman has emerged in the latter part of last season to become the starter. They may give him the job to begin this season and evaluate the position if he falters. It is because of that mentality, that they will not take a QB. They need another wide receiver despite trading for Reggie Brown. They need another LB to go with Ruud.

Even more, they need to have another pass rusher. They currently have Chris Hovan and Stylez White who combined for 7 sacks. They need depth and youth at that defensive middle to pair with Hovan. The other players they may have on their radar could be gone by this pick. They may also be pleasantly surprised that one of the top draft prospects will fall to them here.

That prospect is Suh. He is 6'3", 295 lbs. He has the size, strength, balance and agility to be a force in the interior defensive line for any team that takes him. He is still growing into his frame and will be even stronger as the years progress. His lack of foot speed (5.0 dash) is made up for by his instincts and his intellect on the field. His only downside is that he doesn't consistently maintain his gap assignments.

He can fix this with the right training and experienced players around him to teach him to properly adjust the the next level. He is projected by many to be a perennial pro bowl selection in the years to come. In the right system and the right veterans around him, he will be. This is the team that he can most effectively make an impact with from his first day.

#2 Detroit Lions, DT -Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma). The lovable and laughable Lions had another bad year (2-14) in a string of many consecutive bad years (combined 2-30 in last two years). They drafted a franchise QB in Matt Stafford, who played well but had an injury. He'll bounce back and will be a good player for this team in the years ahead.

They also have a talented WR in Calvin Johnson who is a future pro bowl selection just waiting to happen. They have a decent run game led by Kevin Smith, that could always use some more help, but that is not their biggest hole. The defense is. They don't have an effective pass rush or a solid secondary. The secondary had a few established players on it, but without a pass rush to force the opposition into hurrying the ball, those established players were ineffective.

The pass rush is paramount for this defense and this team for them to have any chance to climb out of the deep and desperate hole they've dug for themselves over the years. McCoy is a step in the right direction. He could go first overall to the Rams, but they have many more pressing questions. He will most likely drop to the # 2 pick.

He is strong and has a consistent motor. He has the size (6'3", 300 lbs) to adjust to the NFL and the instincts to excel in it. He is versatile, playing both end positions and tackle. He possesses good balance and techniques to shed blocks. His experiences on the big stage will help him bring instant leadership and credibility to a young, struggling team.

His weaknesses are few, but the one that stands out is his lack of effectiveness against double teams. He will need help on the front line to avoid repeating this trend, but with an aggressive playcaller in Gunther Cunningham, he should excel here.

He is the best defensive player in the draft, possibly the best overall considering the class. He is the best player on the best position group in the class. For, Detroit, he is a no brainer and an immediate attitude adjustment for a team that needs one.

#1 St Louis Rams, QB -Sam Bradford (Oklahoma). The Rams are the very first pick in this years draft for one simple reason. They didn't trade to get it, they didn't benefit from another team signing one of their own. They were the worst team in the entire league (2-14 record) and there are may reasons why. There are just as many questions.

Steve Spagnuolo is a defensive minded coach. He has had success at this level as a coordinator but is still looking for that success at the helm of a franchise. With that in mind, he was able to add a few former players in Fred Robbins and Kevin Dockery to help that defensive line and the secondary and Darcy Johnson at TE to help block and open up the passing attack.

The rushing attack is fine, led by Steven Jackson, but it is that passing attack that is the key. It doesn't have a clear leader. Therefore, the team does not have a clear leader. They need to find their franchise QB and the ones they currently have are not it. Bradford could be though.

He is a leader with big game experience. He has the height (6'4") to see the field and the accuracy to exploit mismatches. He has a quick release and calmness in the pocket that helps him stay in control. His poise is a major reason to his success at the college level and his competitiveness made him an instant leader on the field.

These are all characteristics that are essential to the pro level. He can use these to become an elite passer in the NFL. He needs to make a few small adjustments however. He has had shoulder injuries in his collegiate career, therefore must prove himself healthy and stay that way. He must feel the pass rush better as a result.

He must make the proper adjustments to dropping back to pass rather than passing out of the shot gun spread formation. If he can make these adjustments, he could be a solid choice for them. He has the most upside of any of the players for this position in the draft. He can arise from this mid talent draft class as the best immediate impact player for his new team.

Let's recap the entire first round then,
#32 Saints-Sean Lee (LB)
#31 Colts-Dan Williams (DT)
#30 Vikings-Patrick Robinson (CB)
#29 Jets-Taylor Mays (FS)
#28 Chargers-Joe Haden (CB)
#27 Cowboys-Earl Thomas (FS)
#26 Cardinals - Sergio Kindle (LB)
#25 Ravens - Cam Thomas (DT)
#24 Eagles - Brandon Graham (DE)
#23 Packers - Carlos Dunlap (DE)
#22 Patriots - Arrelius Benn (WR)
#21 Bengals - Golden Tate (WR)
#20 Texans - C.J. Spiller (RB)
#19 Falcons - Bruce Campbell (OT)
#18 Steelers - Maurkice Pouncey (C)
#17 49ers - Vladimir Ducasse (OT)
#16 Titans - Jared Odrick (DT).
#15 New York Giants -Rolando McClain (MLB)
#14 Seahawks - Mike Iupati (OG).
#13 49ers - Derrick Morgan (DE).
#12 Dolphins - Anthony Davis (OT).
#11 Broncos - Eric Berry (FS).
#10 Jaguars - Trent Williams (OT)
# 9 Bills -Sean Weatherspoon (OLB)
# 8 Raiders -Russell Okung (OT)
# 7 Browns -Dez Bryant (WR)
# 6 Seahawks -Jason Pierre-Paul (DE)
# 5 Chiefs -Bryan Bulaga (OT)
# 4 Redskins -Jimmy Clausen (QB)
# 3 Buccaneers -Ndamukong Suh (DT)
# 2 Lions -Gerald McCoy (DT)
# 1 Rams -Sam Bradford (QB)

There you have it. My opinions on how the draft will shake out. I began this series a few weeks ago. People were calling me crazy for some of my picks. I had this order from day one. People have said I'm nuts for having the Rams take Bradford, especially with Clausen available and the combines and free agency factoring into the equation.

The hoopla of the combines has passed and now the dust is starting to settle. The teams are starting to become a little more predictable. I wrote this order when they were not so predictable. I may be right on many, or wrong on many.

Either way, I will be right on some, just like the so called 'experts' who always make multiple mock drafts. I've made only one. Let the debate begin and we will all see who is closest in April.