2010 Mock NFL Draft 2.0: Round 1

Mock 2.0 has some movement in the first round that will shake up the second round some when I reveal that in a few weeks. The biggest movement involved Texas safety Earl Thomas and Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga.

Thomas, who I had as a top-10 talent in 1.0, had a stellar pro day, and moved up from No. 23 to the Packers into the Top 10 as the second defensive back taken overall.

Bulaga, on the other hand, fell from No. 6 to Seattle to outside the Top 20. Not really because he’s been doing poorly in workouts and interviews, but more that Trent Williams and Anthony Davis have stepped up the most.

A few new guys enter the first round with Maryland tackle Bruce Campbell and Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn.

Round 1

1. St. Louis Rams–Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma– If my reasons in 1.0 weren’t enough, head coach Steve Spagnuolo denied trade rumors surrounding the team and Donovan McNabb. If that doesn’t say who they plan on drafting, nothing except signing the deal will. ( 1.0: Sam Bradford)

2. Detroit Lions–Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska– Still not buying into Russell Okung here, no matter how many D-linemen the Lions add between now and Apr. 22. The fact is, Suh is a hard-worker and a leader by example. He and Kyle Vanden Bosch will set an example and display a  good work ethic. It also helps that Jim Schwartz had a successful defense with Albert Haynesworth clogging up the middle in Tennessee. Suh is that kind of impact player. ( 1.0: Ndamukong Suh)

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers–Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma– Still no change here. The Bucs want a defensive tackle and would end up the biggest losers if the Rams pull the rug out from under everyone and draft Suh or McCoy. McCoy is a physical force and will help put more pressure on the quarterback with a fierce inside pass rush. (1. 0: Gerald McCoy)

4. Washington Redskins–Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State– Still not high enough on Jimmy Clausen to take him here. As I said in 1.0, losing Chris Samuels leaves a bigger void than that at quarterback. Tendering Jason Campbell and signing Rex Grossman as competition doesn’t bode well for the ‘Skins having a top-flight passer, but they are signs of drafting an OT. (1 .0: Russell Okung)

5. Kansas City Chiefs–Eric Berry, S, Tennessee– Berry is still the best player in the draft this season. His physical specs, his workouts...everything was picture perfect. He’ll be an immediate impact player wherever he goes, even lonely Kansas City. (1 .0: Eric Berry)

6. Seattle Seahawks–Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma– Replacing Walter Jones should be atop the to-do list for Pete Carroll. Without a good left tackle, a new quarterback will suffer, especially one lacking in offensive weapons. Matt Hasselback should be good enough for one more year. (1.0: Bryan Bulaga)

7. Cleveland Browns–Earl Thomas, S, Texas– Thomas’ pro day was fantastic with a 4.3 40-yard dash. It really put Joe Haden’s 4.42 to shame. It was known all along that Thomas had top-10 potential, but now it’s oozing out. He’ll help out a depleted, depressing secondary. (1.0: Jimmy Clausen)

8. Oakland Raiders–Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida– No change here either as Pierre-Paul represents both a need and a trend in Al Davis drafts. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong, and the most athletic end available. The Raiders could also use an end, too. (1.0: Jason Pierre-Paul)

9. Buffalo Bills–Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame– One of the most glaring holes the Bills have had since Jim Kelly left has been quarterback. There seems to be a huge courting effort for Tim Tebow, but I have trouble seeing the Bills pass if Clausen gets down to here. Will he be a J.P. Losman or Trent Edwards? (1.0: Trent Williams)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars–Joe Haden, CB, Florida– Haden was about to go No. 7 to Cleveland until Thomas had a freak workout and surpassed him. Haden is a top seven talent but falls a bit due to need and the fact that Thomas proved himself as the second-best defensive back. (1.0: Haden)

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago)–Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech– For Denver, Dez Bryant may have fallen out of the top 11 picks here after a mediocre pro day. If they don’t choose to go the Bryant route, it may be a move of taking the best player available, and that’s Derrick Morgan. The best pure pass rusher in the draft and would compliment Elvis Dumervil nicely and allow Robert Ayers to move to outside backer. (1.0: Dez Bryant)

12. Miami Dolphins–Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- Also no change here, even with Dez Bryant on the board. I think Bill Parcells takes a more “quality” guy, although I don’t think Bryant’s attitude makes him fall. Williams will create a nice plug-in for the middle of that 3-4 defense. (1.0: Dan Williams)

13. San Francisco 49ers- Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers- Mike Singletary finally gets to add some depth to an offensive line that has been a huge problem in the past. Davis is No. 5 on the Scout’s Inc. draft board, but I think his weight issues early in college and poor workouts drop him here, though he is up five spots from before. (1.0: Derrick Morgan)

14. Seattle Seahawks–Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State– He didn’t fall far and realistically could not fall at all. Bryant has drawn comparisons in hype to Calvin Johnson and has been labeled as a better prospect than Michael Crabtree. He’s not a workout monster, but I think his on-field speed and physical specs are top-five. His hands are miles ahead of the other receivers in 2010. Don’t be surprised if Carroll makes a move for Bryant at No. 6. (1.0: C.J. Spiller)

15. New York Giants–Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama– A Tampa 2 defense could be entered into the mix in New York and McClain would represent a key piece as the middle linebacker. He’s not the prototype of a Tampa 2 middle backer like a Brian Urlacher, but is an upgrade from what the Giants have, and even from what they had in Antonio Pierce. (1.0: Rolando McClain)

16. Tennessee Titans–Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida– Now that the post-combine hype of Everson Griffen has settled, I think Carlos Dunlap takes his place back as the third defensive end in the draft. Dunlap hasn’t wowed in his workouts as I expected, while Griffen has boosted himself into a first-round talent. (1.0: Everson Griffen)

17. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina)–C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson– C.J. Spiller is flying up draft boards and the 49ers have been expressing a lot of interest in the all-purpose running back. Seeing the decline of LaDainian Tomlinson may be an eye-opener as to what lies ahead for Frank Gore, and Spiller is a character guy who can put up numbers and score from anywhere. (1.0: Mike Iupati)

18. Pittsburgh Steelers–Mike Iupati, OL, Idaho– Pittsburgh needs to amp up its run game and that starts up front with the offensive line. Iupati is a risky pick and may have issues translating into the tackle position from playing guard with the Vandals. He has a high bust potential because of that, but in the same respect, so does Anthony Davis for other reasons. (1.0: Anthony Davis)

19. Atlanta Falcons–Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- I still think Brandon Graham heads to Atlanta because of his striking resemblance on the field to John Abraham, who could teach Graham a thing or two. He’s a hybrid 4-3 end, 3-4 outside backer, but has elite pass-rushing skills and was a star of the Senior Bowl. (1.0: Brandon Graham)

20. Houston Texans–Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State- Kareem Jackson is on the rise, but Wilson adds another dimension with his return possibilities. He’s a good press corner that utilized his workouts very well to assure scouts that he could have made it at a higher-level conference in college. (1.0: Kyle Wilson)

21.  Cincinnati Bengals–Taylor Mays, S, USC- I have the Bengals switching directions here after hearing they were still interested in Pacman Jones, even after he failed to show up to a workout that he scheduled. If that’s not desperation for a safety, I don’t know what is. With Mays available, and all his physical “wow” factors, he would represent an immediate improvement at the position without the headache that could go along with Jones. (1.0: Jermaine Gresham)

22. New England Patriots–Everson Griffen, DE, USC- New England still has a gaping hole at right end and Griffen is, fortunately for them, the last first-round caliber end available. He was a fast riser and got hyped up a lot exiting the combine. The hype has settled and I think he takes his rightful spot toward the back-end of round 1. (1.0: Carlos Dunlap)

23. Green Bay Packers-Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa– Bulaga is the biggest faller in this version, but not really because he has dropped off. After the Steelers at No. 18, there is no immediate need for a tackle. I still think Bulaga has the lowest bust potential (high floor) but might, like Jimmy Clausen, have limited upside moving forward. Either way, the Packers improve their offensive line, which was ineffective and then depleted. You can sigh a little now, Aaron. (1.0: Earl Thomas)

24. Philadelphia Eagles–Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas– Even before trading Chris Gocong, the Eagles had a need at outside backer. Sergio Kindle fits perfectly into the old Jim Johnson system. He’s somewhat of a 3-4 outside backer type, but his blitzing ability fits the Eagles’ ‘D’ like a glove. (1.0: Sergio Kindle)

25. Baltimore Ravens–Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma– Like Carson Palmer, Joe Flacco would really benefit from a big 6′6″ tight end. Todd Heap is still productive, but not getting any younger, and you can never have too many tight ends with good hands. (1.0: Kareem Jackson)

26. Arizona Cardinals–Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU– Jerry Hughes has been one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft process. He played end at TCU, and like Northern Illinois’ Larry English last year, he’ll move to outside backer and rush the passer. He’ll be a nice replacement for Karlos Dansby once he develops. (1.0: Jerry Hughes)

27. Dallas Cowboys–Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland– Ken Hamlin is gone, but so are both Earl Thomas and Taylor Mays. Flozell Adams is also gone, so Doug Free will be starting, presumably, and Campbell will challenge him and add some depth to the line, which had injuries all over in 2009. (1.0: Taylor Mays)

28. San Diego Chargers–Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State– There’s a lot of talk of Washington or Cleveland trading up to grab Colt McCoy. This is the prime spot I think. San Diego can trade down to the fifth or sixth pick in Round Two and still be able to grab Mathews or Jahvid Best to replace LaDainian Tomlinson. Hard to tell if that will happen, but San Diego grabs a running back. (1.0: Ryan Mathews)

29. New York Jets–Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois– I really believe that unless a top end or outside backer are available, the Jets will give Mark Sanchez a shiny new target to throw to. Benn regained his stock as the second wide receiver, but not by a lot over Golden Tate and Demaryius Thomas. He’ll help in the return game and has decent hands. (1.0: Golden Tate)

30. Minnesota Vikings–Brian Price, DT, UCLA– The Williams Wall is breaking down, well, Pat mainly. Brian Price is arguably a top-15 talent, but fits better into a 4-3 set, which drops him on a needs basis. I think Price fits in well at Minnesota and keeps up the run-stuffing pace. (1.0: Brian Price)

31. Indianapolis Colts–Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida– There’s a need to protect Peyton Manning and boost the run game, and I think Pouncey fills a few holes on the offensive line. He can move to guard where Ryan Lilja played before getting released. He can also move back to his regular position of center when, or if, Jeff Saturday breaks down and retires. (1.0: Maurkice Pouncey)

32. New Orleans Saints–Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri– A rare hole in the Super Bowl champions is at outside backer. Weatherspoon is a good talent that will replace Scott Fujita and boost this defense up even more. (1.0: Sean Weatherspoon)

The first and second rounds will come in a few weeks on Sat., April 17, with the final mock coming on Wed., April 21, the day before the draft.