Final NFL Mock Draft: USC's Brown Rising Fast (Part II)

In part two of my final mock draft series, I will take a look at picks 11-20. There will be a lot of surprises and a few no brainers here. The San Francisco 49ers have two picks, so they may be able to actually trade up into the top ten if they want. There are no quarterbacks expected to go in this range, but could an offensive lineman from USC? Find out now!

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
The Denver Broncos were one of the most active teams of the offseason. They traded disgruntled star receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins and acquired QB Brady Quinn from the Cleveland Browns. They also acquired Jamal Williams to play nose tackle. So, they are all set at that position. Unfortunately, Dez Bryant at this point is off the board and they are desperate for a wide receiver.

If Bryant is on the board, this is an easy pick. He's not though, so their hand is forced and they need to either address another need or trade down. The best move right here would be drafting a 3-4 outside linebacker who can rush the passer. With no linebackers available on paper, the Broncos could take defensive end Derrick Morgan from Georgia Tech and move him to linebacker. He is projected to be an outside linebacker at the NFL level and they need somebody who can compliment Elvis Dumervil in the 3-4.

12. Miami Dolphins: S Earl Thomas, Texas
Miami set themselves up for a very good season next year by acquiring the star wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos. It was their biggest void and they didn't believe Dez Bryant would fall to them at 12. The Dolphins are pretty much all set on offense with Marshall at WR, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams at HB and Chad Henne at QB. They could stand to add an offensive minded tight end, but it would be a reach at this point of the draft.

The Dolphins lost DE/OLB Joey Porter and added ILB Karlos Dansby. This creates a hole at outside linebacker, lumped onto an already significant hole in their secondary at free safety. There is a premium of talent at both positions in this draft and the Dolphins could go in multiple directions. One of the hottest players on the rise has been Earl Thomas, a safety from Texas. He is graded a 95 by Scout Inc and is considered one of the top ten prospects in this draft class. Thomas has speed, athleticism and size. He is extremely versatile and can play multiple positions in the secondary. The Dolphins already have a plethora of young talent at cornerback, they are just missing some pieces at safety. Thomas could step in and play some free safety to support cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith.

13. San Francisco 49ers: OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
The San Francisco 49ers are on the cusp of being a playoff team, but they still have plenty of holes to fill. In the offseason, they have not done much to address these problems. Outside of a minor trade for the ever inconsistent WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr and former draft bust David Carr at QB, they still have work to do if they want to be competitive.

While quarterback still remains a problem because of a lack of results, there is still optimist that Alex Smith could be the guy moving forward. There's no need to waste another draft pick on a QB. They need to focus on solidifying their offensive line. It is their most important hole to fill and they can't go wrong taking an offensive lineman here. With Joe Staley playing solid at left tackle, they will be looking to fill a void at right tackle. They currently have no reliable players there. Trent Williams of Oklahoma is a very strong run blocker and should be opening holes for Frank Gore in the future. He lacks the size of some of the other tackles in this class, but his toughness isn't in
question at all. He plays with a mean streak and should step in right away for the 49ers.

14. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): OT Charles Brown, USC
Now that they have secured their quarterback of the future, the Seahawks will be looking for a left tackle of the future who will eventually be able to replace Walter Jones. Jones recently announced his retirement and there will be a lot of playing time available for this draft pick. There is absolutely no question that Pete Carroll will be looking at taking an offensive tackle here. The only question is: who will it be?

With many of the elite offensive tackles already off the board, it becomes a game of picking and choosing who the best out of the next crop of players is. Carroll will be looking to ease the transition to the NFL on himself by taking a player he's familiar with. USC has a history of producing quality offensive linemen and Charles Brown is no exception. He is 6'5'', 303 lbs but as a converted tight end, Brown is extremely quick and has long arms that will make him a good player at the NFL level. Consider that he has played in Carroll's offense at USC, it will make the transition to the NFL extremely easy.

15. New York Giants: DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
Two years removed from one of the most astonishing Super Bowl victories in NFL history, the New York Giants fell fast in 2009. They started the season off 5-0 and things looked promising initially, however they finished the season 3-8 and a lot of questions have been raised. Jobs are on the line in 2010 and they have holes to fill via the draft. The team did not make much of a splash in free agency, with QB Dan Sorgi as well as safeties Antrel Rolle and Deion Grant their lone acquisitions.

The Giants are looking at holes at defensive tackle, middle linebacker and surprisingly defensive end. At defensive end and middle linebacker, many of the players are just ghosts of their former selves. Antonio Pierce and Osi Umenyiora are no longer effective enough to be playing as much as they did. The need for an effectie defensive tackle is much stronger though. Other then Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty, they have nobody there. Dan Williams out of Tennessee is the best tackle in the draft and as a projected 4-3 tackle, he would be perfect in the Giants system. Many scouts think Williams has the chance to be a monster in the 4-3, not so much in the 3-4. This is the best fit for Williams and the Giants.

16. Tennessee Titans: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
Last season, the Tennessee Titans started off 0-6 and they could have quit. However, the team fought through mediocrity and injuries and finished the season 8-8. They found an answer at QB with Vince Young and in the offseason added Will Witherspoon as their weakside linebacker. Witherspoon may not be the answer at weakside linebacker, but after losing Kyle Vanden Bosch, defensive end seems like a much stronger priority.

If the Titans want to succeed in 2010, they're going to need a pass rusher at defensive end. Last year, they were not able to get pressure on the quarterback and their average secondary was exposed. Jason Pierre-Paul of South Florida is extremely athletic and is a very good pass rusher. He demonstrated the ability to get to the quarterback and make plays at South Florida with 33 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PBU, 1 FF last season.

17. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina): RB CJ Spiller, Clemson
The 49ers filled their need for an offensive tackle at #13 and now they can move on and focus on their next issue. Frank Gore is a fantastic running back, but he doesn't have much versatility. He is just a strong north-south runner and is clearly not a threat to catch passes in the backfield or in the flats. Many successful teams have players who compliment their top back and keep the opposing defense off guard.

There are a lot of players that fit the bill in this draft, but one player stands above the rest. That is C.J. Spiller of Clemson. Spiller showed versatility in 2009 with 216 carries, 1,212 yards, 12 TD; 36 catches, 503 yards, 4 TD; 1 for 2 passing, 17 yards, 1 TD; 8 PR, 210 yards (26.3 avg.), 1 TD; 23 KOR, 755 yards (32.8), 4 TD. He set an NCAA record with 7 career kickoff return touchdowns. Spiller and Ted Ginn Jr. could be very scary on offense and on special teams. The only reason Spiller falls so low, despite his talent, is because running backs are considered a dime a dozen.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama
After a season of disappoint and an offseason of scandals and departures, the Steelers are ready to make some positive noise for their fans. Ben Roethlisberger is facing a possible suspension by the NFL and Santonio Holmes was traded to the New York Jets for a 5th round draft pick. As if the Steelers 2009 struggles weren't enough, they also lost running back Willie Parker.

In my last mock draft, I had the Steelers taking a safety but they have since assured that there will be somebody back there outside of Troy Polamalu. They brought Ryan Clark back and signed Will Allen. While it is still definitely an issue, it's not so pressing that they need to waste a first round pick on a depth player.

After an unfortunate offseason, something is finally going to go the Steelers' way. Despite signing Larry Foote, they could still use some help at inside linebacker. Luckily for them, Rolando McClain of Alabama is available and they would be foolish to pass on him. McClain was the leader of the best defense in the nation and he is the ideal size for an inside linebacker. He has experience calling plays and while he won't be expected to do that with Pittsburgh, he certainly would be able to if called upon.

19. Atlanta Falcons: DE Everson Griffen, USC
The Atlanta Falcons had lofty expectations after 2008, where they made the playoffs. Matt Ryan struggled at quarterback and the team never really took off. They had a solid season, but definitely did not meet any preseason goals. They had problems rushing the passer and could draft at any position along the defensive front. The production out of the defensive tackle, defensive end and outside linebacker positions were putrid to say the least.

If Everson Griffen is available, the Falcons are in good shape. He is the last of the elite defensive ends left on the board in the first round and is an extremely versatile player. Griffen played in the 4-3 as an end and a 3-4 as an outside linebacker. The Falcons may also think about taking Sean Witherspoon to play outside linebacker, but Griffen's versatility puts him over the top.  If he doesn't work out at one position, they could shuffle him around. Plus, the Falcons run a 4-3 and use their defensive ends to pressure the QB. This would be ideal for Griffen because he lacks consistency in the coverage game.

20. Houston Texans: DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
After arguably the most successful season in franchise history, the Texans will be picking much lower than usual at twenty. The team had a lot of great offensive numbers and various players such as Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson were among the league leaders in most passing and receiving statistics respectively. Mario Williams also proved himself worthy of the first overall selection in the 2006 draft with a 9 sack season at DE.

The Texans issues are more on the defensive side of the ball, as opposed to the offense. They didn't get much consistent play at either of the defensive tackle spots or the cornerback position. They will probably address cornerback early on in the draft, but their pass rushing ability gives their secondary a bit of lee way, making their interior problems more significant. Jared Odrick of Penn State wouldn't have to make many adjustments, as he played in a 4-3 system in college. Houston runs a 4-3 and putting Odrick next to Amobi Okoye could benefit Okoye and open up space for him.

     Tune in next time for Part III, the final part, of my 2010 mock draft! This is the final mock draft and there won't be any changes. The draft is Thursday, so stay on the lookout for the final part tomorrow or Wednesday! Part I can be read here.