2010 NFL Mock Draft: Version 1.0 (Feb. 17)

This year's draft is sure to be as unpredictable and exciting as any in recent years.

The following is my initial mock draft heading into the NFL combine.

I have incorporated potential trades, most notably the Buccaneers trading up in this year's draft to the No. 1 spot.

A few highlights of this draft also include the Bills moving up to grab Sam Bradford, Jason Pierre-Paul moving all the way up to the No. 3 pick, and Jimmy Clausen falling right into the Vikings' lap at the end of the first round.

1. Buccaneers (TRADE WITH RAMS): Ndamukong Suh

The Buccaneers have to regain support from their slowly diminishing fanbase. Recent moves in both the player and coaching departments have left the city's residents scratching their heads. The ownership can make a strong statement to their fans that they are once again committed to putting a quality product on the field. Look for the Buccaneers to relish Suh as the next Warren Sapp.

2. Lions: Gerald McCoy

No surprise here as the Lions are in the best position in the whole draft. They need a defensive tackle more than anyone in the league and can simply take whichever of the top two falls to them.

If the Lions are gutsy, they will trade away their 2010 and 2011 second round picks to the chiefs for Glenn Dorsey. In one month they can go from having the worst defensive line in football to having arguably the league's best.

3. Rams: Jason Pierre-Paul

This pick is based on my assumption that Pierre-Paul is going to absolutely destroy the combine in March. This guy is a physical “freak” that will be even more productive playing on the fast track in St. Louis. The Rams have lacked playmakers on both sides of the ball for years, and I think Pierre-Paul can provide that spark off the edge similar to what Steve Spagnuolo had in NY with Justin Tuck.

4. Redskins: Russell Okung

I am not convinced that Sam Bradford can be an elite NFL quarterback; he is small, fragile, and coming off a major injury. I don’t have the benefit of seeing him perform at the combine yet, so this could change.

I believe they go for Okung here over Anthony Davis because of Okung's size. He is a leaner, more agile tackle who provides a better fit in the zone blocking schemes of Mike Shanahan. Whether or not he believes in Jason Campbell remains to be seen, but I don’t believe they can invest in a franchise quarterback before addressing the major needs of their offensive line.

5. Chiefs: Anthony Davis

The Chiefs' main focus this season is going to be Matt Cassel. They will have to make a decision at the end of this season as to whether he can truly be the answer. His contract becomes too hefty for a player that is unproven past next season.

The Chiefs offense last year struggled mightily to keep Cassel upright. I think Davis will grade out pretty close to the top of this year's offensive tackle list. He would allow Branden Albert to move back to his true right tackle position and would provide the Chiefs with two top-flight bookend tackles.

6. Bills (TRADE WITH SEATTLE): Sam Bradford

The Bills desperately need a face for their franchise. I think at this point in the draft those inside the Bills camp would feel they owe it to their fans not to pass on the No. 1-rated quarterback.

Bradford can wait a year or two while the Bills upgrade their offensive tackle positions, but they have a good nucleus of offensive talent to build with into the future. They have two solid offensive guards in Andy Levitre and Eric Wood, they have two solid running backs in Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, and they have a talented wide receiver and tight end duo in Shawn Nelson and Lee Evans.

If the Bills could grab a tackle in free agency and add one in the mid portion of this year's draft, they have on paper a fairly dynamic offense for the future.

7. Browns: Eric Berry

The Browns are the real wild card in all of this. I think they could go a few different directions here, but ultimately I feel this is the convergence of both the highest-rated player on their board available as well as one of the team’s key needs.

8. Raiders: Joe Haden

It’s always anyone's guess when the Raiders are drafting, but I feel Al Davis can't resist the opportunity to put Joe Haden on the opposite side of Nnamdi Asomugha. At this point in the draft Haden would be a decent value and would give the Raiders the best duo of corners in the NFL.

9. Seahawks: C.J. Spiller

Pete Carroll loves playmakers on offense, and Spiller is a game-changer. I think they are content with going into this season with Matt Hasselbeck as their starting quarterback. Adding Spiller would take some of the pressure off Hasselbeck and hopefully prevent any further back injuries.

Spiller is a touchdown waiting to happen on every snap and would further enhance players on offense like T.J. Houshmandzadeh and John Carlson. Carroll could have the Seahawks offense soaring again in no time.

10. Jaguars: Dez Bryant

I have only one reason for the Jaguars making this move: I think they need to create a buzz around this team. I think the best way to create a buzz is by putting a dynamic offense on the field. The Jaguars need to make a splash, and they need a flashy name in the first round of this year’s draft.

Dez Bryant can bring attitude and swagger to an otherwise boring locker room. Dez Bryant WILL put people in the stands.

11. Broncos: Derrick Morgan

A relative bargain here, he could be regarded as the top defensive end prospect in many drafting circles. Morgan has the versatility to play with his hands down as well as drop back into coverage; he can step in right away and provide an upgrade to a defense that showed signs of improvement last year. He can stop the run and has the ability to get after the quarterback.

12. Dolphins: Rolando McClain

I think McClain can thrive in a 3-4 defense, and he brings the kind of football smarts and intangibles that Bill Parcels covets in a player. McClain will take over immediately as a team leader and brings an awesome physical skill set. While there will never be another Patrick Willis in the league, this guy is the closest thing to come out of college since him.

13. 49ers: Bryan Bulaga

Bulaga is a perfect Mike Singletary-type lineman; this guy looks the part and plays with a mean streak. He can provide some of the nastiness that Singletary is looking for from his guys in the trenches. If the 49ers are going to continue to wing it down the field with Alex Smith, they have to address the offensive line.

14. Seahawks: Taylor Mays

A bit of a stretch at this point in the draft, but we all know Mays is going to have the most impressive combine workout of any singe player maybe outside of Pierre-Paul.

The Seahawks for consecutive years have had a glaring need at safety and opted not to address this need. Carroll would love to grab his four-year starter from USC to anchor the secondary of the Seahawks. It is a homer pick for Carroll, but Mays’ computer numbers from the combine will provide a fairly substantial amount of backing for this pick.

It remains to be seen if Mays has the instincts to play in the NFL, but I don’t see Carroll drafting another safety over his guy in this year's draft.

15. Giants: Earl Thomas

I think the Giants luck out a bit with Carroll reaching for Mays over Thomas. The injury to Kenny Phillips has left the Giants depleted at the safety position. The future of Phillips is very much up in the air. The secondary for the Giants was horrendous against the pass last year, and Thomas would be a solid force that they can count on for the future.

16. 49ers: Brandon Graham

The standout performer from the Senior Bowl practices, Graham should have gained plenty of momentum heading into the draft. He has the skill set to fill the outside linebacker position that the 49ers need.

Graham showed in the Senior Bowl that he can be a force on the outside, and the 49ers have been looking for a hard-nosed outside linebacker that can get after the quarterback. He will be an immediate upgrade over their current outside linebackers.

17. Titans: Carlos Dunlap

In 1999, with the 16th pick in the NFL draft, the Titans introduced “The Freak” Jevon Kearse to the NFL. Well, in 2010, with the 17th pick in the NFL draft, the same Titans can introduce to the NFL “The Freak 2.0.”

With Kyle Vanden Bosch on his way out and an aging Kearse on the roster, the Titans are in desperate need of a pass-rushing defensive end. Dunlap can provide the spark the Titans need along the defensive line that will allow the secondary to reemerge as one of the best in the league.

18. Steelers: Trent Williams

This will allow Max Starks to move back to his more fluid position of right tackle, and Willie Colon can move back to his more natural position of right guard. Williams grades out as an exceptional talent and will help the Steelers transition back into a power football team.

19. Falcons: Kyle Wilson

Another standout from the Senior Bowl practices, he has arguably made the biggest climb up draft boards of any one in this draft. He has experience playing both press and zone coverage at Boise State, and I think the momentum is only going to continue with an impressive showing at the combine.

20. Texans: Jonathan Dwyer

The Texans' biggest problem this past season was not having a reliable running back that they could count on late in games to pound away at the defense and eat some clock. Steve Slaton proved this year that he is better suited to play a complementary role.

With Dwyer you get the much-needed thunder to Slaton’s lighting, and you give the Texans coaching staff a player they can count on late in the game to put teams away. Dwyer provides the inside running and power the Texans have never possessed. He is also a downhill, one-cut runner that will excel in the Texans' zone blocking schemes.

21. Bengals: Mike Iupati

A massive mountain of a guard, he is a super blue-chip prospect. The Bengals really found a nice groove with the running game this past season, and I would expect them to again lean heavily on Cedric Benson. Iupati can help open even more holes and really solidify the interior of the Bengals' offensive line.

22. Patriots: Sergio Kindle

The Patriots need to generate a better pass rush from their outside linebackers, and with Adalius Thomas falling out of favor with the Patriots' coaching staff, they need to move quickly to fill the role. Kindle has a lot of raw talent that I think the Patriots will be excited to work with.

23. Packers: Bruce Campbell

A glaring need for an up-and-coming offense, the tackle position was a real weakness for the Packers this season and one of the main reasons they failed to meet most people's raised expectations. Campbell is the best available tackle and should be drafted right in this part of the draft, where most scouts would probably rate him. A no-brainer for the Packers.

24. Eagles: Kareem Jackson

The Eagles have an elite talent in Asante Samuel and another solid starting corner in Sheldon Brown. However, Brown is 30 years old and was bothered by injuries to end the season, and behind these two, the Eagles have nothing.

Jackson is a physically gifted corner who could contribute right away at nickel and provide some insurance behind Brown. With Shanahan joining the Redskins, the NFC East is full of powerful offensive passing attacks. The Eagles need to counter this and shore up their depth at corner.

25. Ravens: Jermaine Gresham

The Ravens seem to be content with letting the aging Todd Heap walk this offseason, which would leave L.J. Smith as the starter. Smith is an average No. 2 tight end and won’t stretch any defenses down the middle of the field. In order for this offense to take the next step, they need to find a playmaker that Joe Flacco can rely on.

Remember what Cam Cameron was working with in San Diego—he had Antonio Gates to utilize. I think this offense wants to get the ball to the tight end, but they have not had anyone to this point be able to step up. Gresham is an elite TE talent.

I also think they can either sign a wide receiver in the offseason or wait till the second round to get a stud like Demaryius Thomas.

26. Cardinals: Brandon Spikes

The Cardinals need to address the inside linebacker position with the impending release of Karlos Dansby. Spikes will be an instant team leader and plays every down with a chip on his shoulder. At the end of the day, the Cardinals will come out the winner of this if they are able to replace Dansby with Spikes.

27. Cowboys: Brian Price

An absolute steal if he lasts this long. The Cowboys have their Pro Bowl starter in Jay Ratliff but have nothing worth noting behind him. Price can provide some relief throughout the game for Ratliff while also learning the position and provide the Cowboys with some much-needed depth.

Price should be the highest-rated player on the Cowboys' board at this point. With no glaring needs on either side of the ball, the Cowboys have the luxury to simply take the best player available.

28. Chargers: Jahvid Best

The Chargers are going to have to make a tough call with Darren Sproles this offseason because he is due over $7 million next season. Working in Sproles' favor is the fact that it is going to be an uncapped year. However, that is still a hefty number for a scatback who only touched the ball 150 times last year. Best possesses many of the same skills and would cost significantly less.

Either way, I think Best is a smart pick, whether it's as a feature back this season or to provide insurance for Sproles.

29. Jets: Dan Williams

The Jets had success with fill-in Sione Pouha, but he is a fifth-year NFL journeyman who probably benefited mostly from a solid supporting cast. Kris Jenkins is getting up in age and coming back from a season-ending injury. I would think they need to address this position to add both depth and insurance in case Jenkins cannot come back to his full strength.

Even if Jenkins does come back full strength, you have to wonder how many years he has left in the tank, and do the Jets really want to go into the future with Pouha at nose tackle? Williams is a great value at this point.

30. Vikings: Jimmy Clausen

Clausen has spent the last three-and-a-half years getting versed in a West Coast NFL offense. He comes to the Vikings highly polished and probably a bit underrated at this point in the draft.

This pick has no impact on what Brett Favre decides to do. I think at this point both sides would agree that Favre has maybe one more year in him; I find it highly unlikely that he would return for two more seasons. This allows Clausen at least one year to sit and learn behind Favre but also leaves the Vikings in a pretty good position if Favre chooses not to come back.

With a fairly young group of skilled position players around him, I would expect Clausen to perform very well with the Vikings. I don’t think this would in any way deter Favre from coming back. Even he would understand that this is his team for as long as he wants. Clausen can sit and wait until Favre is ready to hang it up.

31. Colts: Navorro Bowman

The Colts used a rotation at linebacker this year, and none of them will wow you over with their overall skill sets. Each player they have is good and not great.

Bowman very much fits the profile of the Colts linebackers; he is a bit undersized but is very quick from sideline to sideline. I think he can come in and battle Phillip Wheeler for a starting job. At the very least he can provide some more depth and work his way into a situational role initially. Overall I feel Bowman would be an upgrade over Wheeler.

32. Saints: Sean Weatherspoon

Another Senior Bowl riser, Weatherspoon has great athletic ability and would be a decent value at this point in the draft. A lot of New Orleans beat writers are pumped at the chance to add Weatherspoon. He is a sure tackler and runs very well sideline to sideline.