NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0 Part Two (#16-32)

In my last column regarding the NFL draft which you can read here , I took a look at the top 15 picks. Quite frankly, those are much easier to gauge than picks 16-32.

Most of the teams that will be drafting in the top 15 are teams with obvious holes that need to be filled. In the rest of the first round, most of the teams were playoff teams that are generally "all set" at most positions. Some teams in this area will trade out of the first round to gain financial value and get "their guy" in the second round for cheaper.

The top fifteen players in the draft are not always the best NFL players though. There are reaches that turn out to be busts and there are "locks" that turn out to be average. The reason teams like the Colts, Patriots and Steelers are perennial playoff teams are because they make the most of these picks at the lower end of the first round. It is important to pay as much attention to these picks as it is for the first 15. On the clock at 16 is the Tennessee Titans..

16. Tennessee Titans -- DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
While Carlos Dunlap isn't a sleeper in the sense that he went to Florida, where he was one of the more highly profiled players in the country, a lot of people are counting on him as one of the top players in this draft. Dunlap has the chance to be one of the top five to ten players in this draft class at the NFL level and would be a steal at 16 if he pans out. At Florida he played most of the interior positions and has the size, speed and athleticism to succeed at all of them. He is a pass rushing defensive end in the mold of Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour at 6-6, 290 lbs. The Titans need a defensive end like Dunlap with veterans Javon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch likely on their way out this offseason.

17. San Francisco 49ers -- OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
The San Francisco 49ers have a chance to get the best offensive guard in the draft at 17. Iupati was one of the most dominant interior lineman this past season. He could step in right away and make an immediate impact on the 49ers offensive line. They could look at a wide receiver but they would be better off waiting until the second round with a premium talent like Iupati on the board here.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers -- S Earl Thomas, Texas
The Steelers last year were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL. After winning the Super Bowl in 2009, they were expected to repeat with so much talent coming back. After Troy Polamalu went down with an injury that riddled him the entire season, Pittsburgh started playing like one of the worst teams in the league. Despite Troy Polamalu being one of the best safeties in the NFL, the Steelers have absolutely nothing else at the position. Thomas was among the best defensive backs in the nation last season. He also is extremely versatile and can play cornerback. This would be very useful for the Steelers.

19. Atlanta Falcons -- CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
The Falcons are in a tough spot. Their biggest needs are at the interior offensive line positions and there are no linemen available here who would be worthy of the 19th overall pick. They are all set with Sam Baker at left tackle, so taking an offensive tackle here isn't really necessary. They could use an upgrade at cornerback. This would make Kyle Wilson the perfect pick. The Falcons need to find a reliable starting cornerback. They are nearly empty at the position and Wilson has the ability to be a team's number one corner. He is very fast and has a ton of versatility as a defensive back. He was a standout special teams player with Boise State as well.

20. Houston Texans -- DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
The Houston Texans were one of the surprise teams of 2009 and came close to making the playoffs for the first time in their brief history. They have holes to address if they want to finally make the playoffs and become a legitimate contender though. They run a 4-3 defense and Amobi Okoye needs somebody to play inside with him and clog up the middle. Dan Williams is a big body at 6-3, 325. While he would ideally be in a 3-4 system, he has shown the ability to succeed in a 4-3 defense, given he has time to develop.

21. Cincinnatti Bengals -- TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
The Bengals were a good team in 2009, but they're going to need to be a little better. They were very thin at the tight end position and a lot of the time Carson Palmer was left forcing the ball to Chad Ochocinco because there was no "easy cop out" option at tight end. Gresham is a playmaker and the Bengals desperately need a help at tight end. They have some decent blockers but nobody that defenses have to focus on. Gresham will open the field up for others.

22. New England Patriots -- OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
The New England Patriots need to make some changes to their defense and add a pass rusher. After trading Richard Seymour, their pass rush was atrocious in 2009. Adalius Thomas is likely on his way out and the team is going to need a player that can come in immediately and take some snaps. Kindle is extremely quick off the edge and would be a good outside linebacker for the Patriots. They already have some solid young potential talent at linebacker, but without a doubt need to make this their top priority in the 2010 draft. Kindle is better then any other players on the roster for the most part at pass rushing.

23. Green Bay Packers -- OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
Last season, the Packers had a lot of problems with protecting the quarterback. Aaron Rodgers somehow had a 4,000 yard season while being sacked 50 times. Rodgers is a fantastic quarterback and with some better protection along the offensive line could be among the top three or four quarterbacks in the league. Bringing Bruce Campbell aboard would be a great start. He's a monster at 6-6, 312 and could play left tackle snaps as early as Week one. He may take a bit of time to develop but he could also end up starting for the Pack right away.

24. Philadelphia Eagles -- DE Everson Griffen, USC
A lot of teams have the same problem the Eagles have. They have one elite pass rusher —in the Eagles case Trent Cole—and nobody to help him on the other side of the line. Everson Griffen was a versatile pass rusher at USC. He played in the 4-3 as an end and a 3-4 as an outside linebacker. His best fit may be in the 4-3 because he lacks consistency in the coverage game. This is perfect as the Eagles have a 4-3 defense in place and Griffen can step in and play as an end.

25. Baltimore Ravens -- WR Arrellious Benn, Illinois
The Ravens are in desperate need of a young wide receiver who can play for them right away and be a force in the future. They are very thin at WR and the only player under contract at the position is Justin Harper, who didn't even play in 2009. This draft is thin at the wide receiver position and it may be a stretch taking Benn this high, but the need is too great to ignore it. If they don't address this problem in the draft, they could be stuck filling their team with waiver wire receivers all season.

26. Arizona Cardinals -- DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
The Cardinals are basically set on the offensive side of the ball. For the past two years they have been among the most productive offenses in the NFL. Kurt Warner is retiring, leaving the keys to dive this offense with Matt Leinart. Arizona still will have Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston at WR. The offensive line is also very solid.

The ideal selection here would be a 3-4 defensive end but there are no players worthy of a first round pick here at that position. Defensive tackle is also an extremely high team need. Odrick is a good run stopper and has a great first step. Bryan Robinson who currently starts for the team is 34 years old and they could use an upgrade for the future.

27. Dallas Cowboys -- S Taylor Mays, USC
The Cowboys have built a solid core and with a bit more playoff experience they could be Super Bowl contenders. They came close last year, but were missing something. They were missing the athleticism and bone crushing hits in the secondary that Roy Williams provided in his prime. Taylor Mays is exactly that kind of player but faster.

Mays' stock has slipped because his skills in pass coverage were exposed recently but he still is a first round talent. The skills he has are things you can't teach. The skills he lacks are the things that you can teach. With the Cowboys needing a safety like Mays, it is almost a match made in heaven.

28. San Diego Chargers -- RB Jahvid Best, California
Jahvid Best is another speedy skill player out of California like DeSean Jackson. Best is a RB that runs a 4.3 40 and had an unreal 8.1 yards per carry in 2009 at Cal. LaDanian Tomlinson appears to be on his way out of San Diego and they are going to need another back to compliment Darren Sproles. The team almost gave LT too many carries last year. He would just run the ball and fall after gaining 1 or 2 yards. Their running game was not nearly as strong as it has been in years past. They don't have too many other glaring needs other than possibly defensive line, if Jamal Williams shows he can't stay healthy again.

29. New York Jets -- CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
A lot of people may look at this selection and be a bit outraged because of the reputation of Darrell Revis in New York. However, it should be acknowledged that the team was weak at cornerback outside of Revis, and Lito Sheppard never filled the role that they hoped he would. Jackson is a player with high football IQ. He has very good football speed and is great at jamming receivers at the line. He is aggressive and is one of the best players at reading routes. While they also need to look at a pass rushing defensive end, Jackson has more value at 29 then any of the remaining top defensive ends do.

30. Minnesota Vikings -- QB Colt McCoy, Texas
The Vikings are overall a very talented team. They don't have many holes and in almost every game they are in, every position is advantage Vikings. This is a good spot for them at looking for a quarterback of the future. The ideal situation would be Favre coming back for another year. Then Colt McCoy could take a year to learn the NFL, learn the Vikings system and take over in his sophomore year. However, this could be a very dangerous situation if Favre doesn't come back for another year. McCoy may take time to develop and throwing him into the fire may ruin his career. He would probably be fine because he would have one of the best players in the game as a crutch in Adrian Peterson. McCoy might be a reach this high but he's also the best quarterback available.

31. Indianapolis Colts -- DT Terrence Cody, Alabama
The Colts were the runners up for the 2010 Super Bowl but that doesn't mean they are perfect. With Peyton Manning under center, they will always be a playoff team. If they want to take themselves to the next level they need to take a defensive tackle here.  Their defense was solid in 2009 but it could certainly get better. Cody is 375 lbs and has the potential to be a top interior defensive lineman in this draft. His stock has dropped slightly because he has packed on pounds, but at 31 the Colts won't be expecting a franchise player to step in. If he loses weight and can continue to develop, this could be one of the most valuable picks of the draft. Cody could be a stud when it's all said and done.

32. New Orleans Saints --  C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
With the Saints offensive line getting up there in age, they may want to start looking at the draft as a way to get younger on the offensive line eventually. They are the reigning Super Bowl champs and it is quite honestly hard to critique their O-line when Brees was barely touched during the postseason. However, with a pick this low it is better look towards the future especially when their team is as good as they are now. Johnathan Goodwin is a solid center but nothing more then that. Drafting Maurkice Pouncey would be the best move here. He wouldn't have to play right away, but he may be able to play early if they ask him to. He's the best center in the draft and was the best center in the nation last year. He was also a first-team All-American and he should play at that level once he fully develops as an NFL player.