NFL Draft Recap 2010: Mardy Gilyard and the 10 Best Value Picks

Every year great players seem to slip further and further in the draft.

2010 was no exception.

With one of the deepest and youngest drafts of all time, many players who thought they were guaranteed to be drafted were not even picked up.

Also, many players who saw themselves as first or second round picks managed to slip to fourth, fifth, sixth, and even seventh rounds.

This list holds who I believe are the 10 best value picks in the entire draft. Value means that they were either projected to go higher, may start immediately, or have close ability to those who got picked earlier.

This is in no particular order. Please comment, and let me know what you think as always.

Enjoy!

Mardy Gilyard: 99th Overall to the St. Louis Rams

Gilyard was thought of as second round talent by most draft experts leading up to the draft.

Somehow Gilyard was able to slide all the way to the fourth round, and now he will give new quarterback Sam Bradford a good target along side Donnie Avery.

Gilyard runs crisp, precise routes, which is what Sam Bradford likes most. He is also a threat running the ball after the catch.

Gilyard can also give the Rams a threat on punt and kick returns too.

Dorin Dickerson: 227th to the Houston Texans

Dickerson was one of my biggest sleepers coming into the draft. I believe he has first round talent, stuck in seventh round body.

Apparently the body is more important than the player.

Dickerson was an all-everything athlete at Pitt. He played linebacker, fullback, running back, tight end, and receiver.

This versatility and athleticism will allow Dickerson to see the field early in Houston. Look for Dickerson to make a name for himself as a slot tight end.

Dekoda Watson: 217th to the Tampa Bay Bucs

Watson is a perfect fit for the Bucs.

He is quick, a hard-worker, and a great character player. I actually saw Tampa Bay selecting Watson in the fourth round, yet somehow they still managed to get him still in the seventh.

As far of a stretch this may be, Watson actually lines up very similarly with Tampa great, Derrick Brooks.

He is very undersized for a typical linebacker, but his great instincts and athleticism make up for it.

Watson should make a name for himself on special teams, and maybe down the road become a starter.

Cam Thomas: 146th Overall to the San Diego Chargers

With nose tackles Dan Williams, Terrence Cody, and Linvall Joseph all going in the first or second rounds, San Diego only had one more target on their list.

That target was Cam Thomas.

Thomas was thought of as the fourth best nose tackle in this draft, and many scouts saw him as high as a second round pick.

Still, San Diego was able to pick up the big Tar Heel in the fifth round. This allowed it to address many other needs while picking up a highly regarded player.

Do not be surprised to hear Thomas' name as a starter down the road.

Carlton Mitchell: 177th Overall to the Cleveland Browns

The Browns receivers last year were dreadful to say the least.

Losing targets Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. meant a nightmare for any quarterback to take the field for the Browns last season.

However, Carlton Mitchell should fill a needed hole.

The big, young target from South Florida should be a perfect compliment to second year player Mohamed Massaquoi,

Look for Mitchell to see the field early and possibly become a heavily used target as the season progresses.

Jonathan Dwyer: 188th Overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Jonathan Dwyer fills a huge hole for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That hole is a big, bruising goal-line back.

Dwyer saw his stock fall tremendously after an unimpressive combine and pro day performance. He looked extremely out of shape and unmotivated at both.

Still, Dwyer has a tremendous amount of talent, and to find him in the sixth round was incredible.

If he can work on catching the ball and pass blocking, Dwyer could become the future third down running back for the Steelers.

Ed Wang: 140th Overall to the Buffalo Bills

Surprisingly enough, Wang is the first full-blooded ethnic Chinese player ever drafted in the NFL.

Wang is a very athletic offensive linemen, who has the ability to play both left and right tackles.

He could make an immediate impact on the Bills because of their depleted offensive line.

Look for Wang to start immediately in Buffalo and open up holes for C.J. Spiller for many years to come.

Joe McKnight: 112th Overall to the New York Jets

Talent is unteachable, and Joe McKnight has a lot of it.

The former Trojan never lived up to all the hype in college, but he was always the focal point of most Pac-10 defenses.

McKnight will not see much playing time at first in New York, but whenever LT decides to retire that job should become his.

McKnight's explosiveness and raw athleticism should still earn him some special teams playing time, and if the Jets are up big, it will be his time to shine.

George Selvie: 226th Overall to the St. Louis Rams

The once highly sought after defensive end from South Florida managed to fall all the way to the seventh round, while his teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul, was selected in the first.

However, Selvie may have the last laugh.

Because of limited depth at defensive end, Selvie could realistically see a lot of playing time this season.

If so, look for Selvie to return to his sophomore form where he was able to grab 14.5 sacks.

Colt McCoy: 85th Overall to the Cleveland Browns

McCoy may find himself in one of the best possible situations.

First off, he will have the entire 2010 season to recover and get fully healthy from his terrible shoulder injury.

Secondly, McCoy will be in no hurry to see playing time. He should be able to get a couple of years on the bench absorbing the pro-style game.

Lastly, Mike Holmgren is one of the best quarterback coaches in the game. He will able to use McCoy's incredible accuracy and athleticism to his advantage and transform him into an NFL quarterback.

Look for McCoy to eventually become the starting quarterback for the Browns.