2010 NFL Mock Draft, Version 2.0

We've seen lots of things change since my last mock over a month ago. Players' stocks have been drastically altered by performances at the NFL Combine, and teams have addressed needs through free agency and trades that I initially had them filling in the draft. With a few tendered players and free agents still available, the scope of the draft could be changed once again, and I'll come out with a third version of this to adapt to that.

So, here we go, Version 2.0 of the Mock:

1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Somehow Sam Bradford impressed people at the NFL Combine, despite the fact that he didn’t participate in any game-relevant drills, you know, like throwing. Apparently, people were happy with his weigh-in (he was bulkier than expected), and his interviews went well. He claimed his shoulder was about 80% at the Combine, so if he gets anywhere near 100% he should really shine at his Pro Day. I still think Jimmy Clausen is the right pick here, but Bradford seems to have assumed the lead in the QB race.

Also, an interesting thing to keep in mind, as reported by Don Banks, is what Rams GM Billy Devaney said: “The defensive tackles are difference-makers and we have them graded extremely high. But I have a feeling at the end of the day, the quarterbacks are going to be, if not right there, they’re going to be within striking distance so that you have to think about taking them because (of the value issue).” That seems as though he’s indicating that as long as either QB displays any signs of being a franchise QB, he might get the nod.

Previous Selection: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

The Lions could use a tackle of Okung’s ability to help keep Matthew Stafford clean and healthy, but Ndamukong Suh is such a dominant force that I doubt they can pass him up. Also, it’s not as though defensive tackle isn’t a position of need for the seemingly hopeless Lions (who have actually made some nice off-season moves that will make them better in the long run).

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

The Bucs really don’t want to see the Rams take one of the big defensive tackles, as the Lions would pluck the other one and Tampa Bay would miss out on one of the two most prized prospects. While I doubt it happens, rumors swirled about the Buccaneers expressing interest in moving up to the #1 spot, meaning they are really, really high on either Suh or McCoy. If neither guy is on the board, look for one of two things to happen:

First, they draft a defensive end or Eric Berry in this spot. Both are positions of need, but the money they’d have to shell out probably wouldn’t be worth the production they’d get in return.

Second, they trade the pick to someone looking to leapfrog the Redskins and take Sam Bradford (Seattle, most likely). They could move back and get more picks to help build the team.

However, if the Rams do go with a quarterback, this selection is easy, as Tampa Bay will take whichever DT the Lions pass on.

4. Washington Redskins: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

I struggled with this pick. I know that new regimes generally tend to bring on new QBs, but it looks like Jason Campbell might still be in Washington next year. I think he’s gotten a raw deal (he’s had so many different offensive coordinators since college that he can’t possibly know a playbook) and can excel if there’s some constants in the offense he’s running. If Mike Shanahan and Co. think they’re going to roll the dice with Campbell, then Russell Okung is a no-brainer pick here, as the offensive line is horrendous.

That being said, I don’t think Campbell is Shanahan’s QB of the future, and he’ll use his first ever pick to take that guy, who is Jimmy Clausen, who I believe is the best QB in this class. He has the moxie to lead his team to a victory, even if his defense is awful, which definitely isn’t the case in Washington. I can see the Redskins being a playoff team again in a year or two.

Previous Selection: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Okung didn’t do anything to hurt his draft stock at the Combine and is still the premier left tackle in this class. Scott Pioli paid Matt Cassel quite a bit of money, and, as I said last time, Branden Albert isn’t suited to be a LT in the NFL, and could either move to the right side or shift inside to the left guard spot and give the Chiefs a dominant left side of the line for many, many years.

6. Seattle Seahawks: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

I think Pete Carroll wants to get himself a quarterback in this draft, and he wants to do it early. Unfortunately for Pete, the only two guys worthy of being taken in the first round are already off the board. That means he needs to fill the gaping hole left by Walter Jones on the left side of the line. He has quite a few choices with only Okung being taken so far, but I think Bulaga is the pick. One of the huge knocks against him was the fact that he has short arms, but he measured in with longer arms than expected in the Combine. He has a very low center of gravity and great footwork and should be a great anchor for years to come.

Previous Selection: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

7. Cleveland Browns: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

Berry is probably the highest rated player on many people’s draft boards, so Cleveland gets a major steal here. He only further cemented himself as the best defensive back at the Combine, but due to teams drafting for positional need and some potential loose cannons (Shanahan and Carroll) drafting in front of Cleveland, I think Berry falls and he goes into a division with two of the most electrifying safeties in the league, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed.

Previous Selection: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

8. Oakland Raiders: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

No offense to Raiders fans, but was there any doubt that Bruce Campbell would get scooped up by Al Davis after that Combine showing? His 40-time was better than lots of quarterbacks, he is absolutely shredded at 316, and he had great vertical jump and bench press performances. He certainly fits a position of need for the Raiders, but he certainly comes with injury concerns, as he missed three games during the 2009 season. If he’s healthy and gets the right tutelage, he could evolve into a dependable player for years to come, protecting someone hopefully not named Jamarcus Russell’s blindside.

Previous Selection: Taylor Mays, S, Southern California

9. Buffalo Bills: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

“With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select Jake Locker.”

Get ready to hear that statement in thirteen months. This team is in disarray. They have no quarterback, no offensive line, no dependable wide receivers (although Lee Evans has been admirable in staying there), a lousy tight end, and no defensive tackle, yet they’re switching to a 3-4 this year. I guess they could take Dan Williams here since he’d be the best fit in the middle, but I don’t think he’s worthy of a Top 10 selection. Anthony Davis was disappointing at the Combine, but he is still a raw talent with great upside. Since the health of whoever plays QB in 2010 for Buffalo isn’t of the utmost concern to their future plans, they ought to take their franchise LT now and let him grow before he really needs to protect someone.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

I read this in an Adam Schefter article, but he said Chris Mortensen told him that at least one NFL team is willing to take Time Tebow in the first round. It would make plenty of sense for that team to be Jacksonville, since he could sell a ton of tickets down there immediately due to his cult hero status in the state of Florida. However, I think he’s still two or three years away from being a successful NFL quarterback. He has all of the intangibles to be the star QB at the next level and I think he will be willing to put in as much work as he needs to excel in the NFL, but since I don’t think that time is in the foreseeable future, the Jaguars need a player who will help them win now, which is the other way of increasing ticket sales. They had a paltry fourteen sacks in 2009, and Morgan is the best pass rusher in this class, and would find comfort in playing his natural 4-3 defensive end spot.

Previous Selection: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

11. Denver Broncos: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

That first-round tender on Brandon Marshall is screaming for him to be moved. For some teams that could use a pass catcher, trading away a first-rounder you might have spent on an unproven pass catcher on a truly elite receiver seems like a no-brainer, even with Marshall’s rather puerile character off the field. If that happens and Denver picks up a second first-rounder, they can afford to use this pick on the best wide receiver in the draft to pick up the slack that Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney won’t.

12. Miami Dolphins: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

I truly think that Miami will deal this pick to Pittsburgh, who will want to move up and get Rolando McClain. However, since predicting trades in a mock is useless because it throws the entire thing off, I’ll give Miami a DT who plugs a gap in their 3-4. Another option would be Sergio Kindle or whatever rush linebacker Miami has highest on its board, since Jason Taylor is rapidly declining and Joey Porter is gone.

Previous Selection: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

13. San Francisco 49ers: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Haden’s draft stock took a huge hit when he ran a 4.57 and a 4.59 in his forty-yard dash. Teams will probably think that he lacks the elite foot speed to keep up with faster wide receivers in the NFL and will pass on him. Still, the 49ers luck out by nabbing the top cornerback in the draft, which also meets a huge area of need. He should come in and start from day one and help out San Francisco for years and years.

Previous Selection: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

14. Seattle Seahawks: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

The Seahawks ideal scenario would be getting a franchise QB and a franchise left tackle with their two first-rounders. However, with both quarterbacks off the board by the first pick, I already have them addressing the left tackle need, even if it is a bit of a reach. However, with Oakland, Buffalo, and San Francisco picking behind them, they can’t guarantee that they get a rock solid guy at the position, since all of those teams need tackles as well.

This pick then becomes sort of a luxury. There certainly are questions at running back, as Julius Jones is pretty terrible, and Justin Forsett is still unproven, despite some promising performances last season. I think Carroll wants to get himself a real playmaker, and Spiller is exactly that. He can line up at wide receiver or running back, and can definitely provide a boost in the return game.

Previous Selection: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

15. New York Giants: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

The Giants strike gold here at #15. After Antonio Pierce was let go and Karlos Dansby didn’t even meet with them before signing with Miami, the inside linebacker position needs to be addressed, and Rolando McClain falls to them in this mock. He is far and away the best prospect at the position, and will start from day one.

Previous Selection: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

16. Tennessee Titans: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

The Titans needed a pass rusher before Kyle VandenBosch departed for Detroit. Now, that need is imminent. Many consider Pierre-Paul a huge risk, as he only played one year of major college football, and didn’t even post the greatest numbers. However, his upside is supposed to be amongst the highest in the draft, and I think Jeff Fisher can keep his head on straight and turn him into a feared pass rusher at the next level.

Previous Selection: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

17. San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

If this scenario plays out for San Francisco, they’ll be extremely happy. They already got the best cover corner in the draft to fill on of their major needs, now they get a guy capable of playing either tackle positions who can start on the right side immediately. Trent Williams wowed everyone at the Combine with his athleticism and crazy quick 40 time (4.88 seconds) and should help as a mauler in opening up holes for Frank Gore.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Earl Thomas, S, Texas

As I said before, I think Pittsburgh moves up to that #12 spot and takes Rolando McClain. However, since I don’t know whether or not that happens, I’m giving them Earl Thomas here. Two major questions they had going into this off-season were the futures of Casey Hampton and Ryan Clark. Hampton has been re-signed, while it looks like Clark will be gone. That being said, they need a playmaker at safety to play opposite of Troy Polamalu. Thomas’ biggest knock is his size, and playing alongside Polamalu means he won’t have to be as big of a force in stopping the run and making big hits. He is phenomenal in coverage and can play a Cover 1 if needed.

Previous Selection: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

19. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan

Their biggest off-season need was a cornerback, and they just signed Dunta Robinson to a long-term deal, so I doubt they’ll go that route with this pick. Another option is to take a defensive end who can wreak havoc immediately, learn from John Abraham, and then eventually replace him when he retires. Brandon Graham has a relentless motor and was really the one bright spot on a dismal Michigan Wolverines team.

Previous Selection: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State

20. Houston Texans: Jahvid Best, RB, California

I really struggled with this pick. I think the Texans need to upgrade the defensive secondary, especially after losing Robinson to the Falcons yesterday. That leaves the option of a cornerback like Kyle Wilson or Devin McCourty, or maybe Taylor Mays. However, the Texans have gone defense five of the last six first rounds, and even though Steve Slaton exploded onto the scene in 2008, he took a monumental step backward in 2009, and none of Ryan Moats, Arian Foster, or Chris Brown is the answer either. I think Houston could use a solid back to complement the dominant passing game they have, and, with Spiller off the board, Best is the easy choice. He dazzled with his speed at the Combine, and, if he can stay healthy, should provide an immediate upgrade for an already efficient offense.

Previous Selection: Earl Thomas, S, Texas

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

Perhaps Chad Johnson will get his way and Terrell Owens will become a Bengal. Until that happens, Cincinnati still needs a second pass catching threat after the unfortunate passing of Chris Henry. Gresham didn’t play in 2009, but was impressive at the Combine with his strength and speed, plus he catches anything that comes his way. He’s a matchup nightmare and will make this offense better from the day he dons the black and orange.

22. New England Patriots: Sean Weatherspoon, DE/OLB, Missouri

I think Weatherspoon would move inside in the Pats 3-4 scheme. When Jerrod Mayo got hurt, the weakness that was the Patriots’ linebacking group was exposed. Weatherspoon is a phenomenal tackler and will provide some stress relief to Patriots fans wondering what the defense is going to do in 2010 with a disgruntled Vince Wilfork.

Previous Selection: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

23. Green Bay Packers: Charles Brown, OT, Southern California

They just re-signed Chad Clifton, but he’s not the long-term answer for protecting All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Charles Brown could solidify the line and become Rodgers’ best friend for many, many years.

24. Philadelphia Eagles: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

Andy Reid took Michael Vick in, so why not the troubled Carlos Dunlap? Most agree that he’s a Top 5 talent, but his off the field issues are troublesome, and he apparently didn’t do much as far as answering questions about his character at the Combine. All of that means that his stock will take a hit. Nonetheless, Dunlap fits a need for the Eagles, who don’t have anyone of note coming off the edge opposite of Trent Cole. If he behaves himself, this is an absolute steal.

Previous Selection: Everson Griffen, DE, Southern California

25. Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

My first mock had the Ravens taking a wide receiver here, but, since then, they’ve signed Donté Stallworth (I don’t even know if he’ll make the team) and a stud in Anquan Boldin, which surely made Joe Flacco smile. However, the glory days of the once vaunted Ravens defense are quickly fading, and the secondary needs major upgrades, especially if Ed Reed decides to retire. Kyle Wilson is the second best prospect in this class, and should be a great fit in Baltimore.

Previous Selection: Golden Tate

26. Arizona Cardinals: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas

This team is in big, big trouble in 2010. They lost their quarterback who made the offense click. They lost their free safety to the Giants, and their best linebacker to the Dolphins. Ordinarily that’s bad, but when two of your best defensive players leave from a team who surrendered ninety points in its final two games, it means that your already bad situation is much, much worse. Sergio Kindle can provide a pass rush for a team that only got seven sacks from linebackers all of last season.

27. Dallas Cowboys: Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho

I don’t think much has changed since last time I mocked. Iupati is still a huge mauler that can open up holes for the Cowboys three-headed running attack. He’ll start immediately and shore up an offensive line that was abused by the Vikings.

28. San Diego Chargers: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State

With LaDainian Tomlinson now officially gone and Darren Sproles maybe gone, the Chargers need a running back. Even if Sproles does return, he clearly isn’t capable of handling a full workload, so they need a first and second down, grind it out type of guy. Enter Ryan Mathews. I originally had Jonathan Dwyer here, but he was a disappointment at the Combine, as he was much slower than expected. Mathews showed good burst and was a great college player.

Previous Selection: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

29. New York Jets: Ricky Sapp, OLB, Clemson

The three biggest needs for this team entering free agency were: cornerback, rush linebacker, wide receiver. After trading for Antonio Cromartie, they can put a check mark next to one of those things. While some would argue that the defense is already strong and it’s the offense that needs the work, I don’t like any of the available wide receivers here. Ricky Sapp was hampered by an injury last season, but, if healthy, is probably the best rush linebacker in this class. The Jets got burned once by a guy in that position (Vernon Gholston), but drafting at #29 means a far lower investment in Sapp.

Previous Selection: Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

30. Minnesota Vikings: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

With an aging and injured secondary, the Vikings can get a great, fluid player in Devin McCourty at the tail end of the first round. They may have some problems on offense, as Chester Taylor is now gone, and Brett Favre is in off-season, pensive mode, but the defense wasn’t good enough to win the NFC Championship game. Another option would be an inside linebacker like Brandon Spikes, since medical people I’ve spoken to doubt that E.J. Henderson can ever come back from that horrific injury.

Previous Selection: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

31. Indianapolis Colts: Maurkice Pouncey, C/OG, Florida

The Colts line is getting older, and Pouncey has the ability to play multiple spots on the interior. He could ultimately take over for Jeff Saturday, but being able to learn under him and Peyton Manning for a few seasons is a huge boost to the Colts’ future.

Previous Selection: Brian Price, DT, UCLA

32. New Orleans Saints: Taylor Mays, S, Southern California

First off, this city could go another thirty some odd years without a Super Bowl appearance and still be happy. My girlfriend’s brother goes to Tulane, and we called him during the overturned two-point conversion and couldn’t hear anything except “WHO DAT?!?!” being screamed in the background.

Nonetheless, they still get a draft pick. Taylor Mays was impressive at the Combine, and I could easily see him going higher than this (Philadelphia, perhaps), but I think he’d benefit from learning the defense for a year and studying under Darren Sharper, who will most likely be back in the Big Easy for another season. If he learns how to read routes and gets over being a liability in coverage, we may have a future Pro Bowler here.

Previous Selection: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

This is the first time I have ever done a mock draft, and, I don't claim to be an expert. I am just a guy who loves college and pro football and may know a little bit more than the average fan. If you don't agree with where I have guys going, great, leave a reply saying where you think I screwed up. Also, if I get enough people who want me to make amendments to it leading up to the draft, I'll be more than happy.

When doing this, I tried to take into account three main things. First and foremost was team need, then player availability, and then finally GM drafting trends.

If you want a better mock draft, then please check out www.walterfootball.com, and here is a link to his mock draft. He knows far more than I do and I routinely look forward to his mock updates. Anyway, without further ado, here is Version 1.0 of my 2010 Mock Draft:

1) St. Louis Rams: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

It is no secret that you need a quarterback to win in the NFL. Marc Bulger isn’t the answer, which means the Rams need to address the position now. The 2011 draft will produce Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett, with a significant dropoff from Locker to Mallett, then from Mallett to everyone else. Thus, while the Rams will most likely be bad again in 2010, a 5-11 campaign might put them out of the running for one of these guys. They have the chance to take Clausen or Bradford now, and, with the recent successes of rookie QBs (Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, and Mark Sanchez), the Rams shouldn’t be too concerned with pulling the trigger on Clausen and letting him compete with Marc Bulger for the starting job in Week 1.

2) Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Hmm, not a bad consolation prize for Detroit. While the offensive line could use an upgrade, Suh is pretty unanimous in terms of being the best prospect in this draft amongst experts. The man is a 300-pound ballerina who sheds double-teams like it’s his job. He also lets the quarterback know he has gotten to him, as evidenced by his tossing Colt McCoy like a rag doll in the Big XII Championship game. He should anchor that defense in the middle for a long, long time.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

Has a prospect this good ever received so little hype? With everyone focused on Mr. Suh, Gerald McCoy continues to be a dominant force at defensive tackle. He’s either going to Detroit or Tampa Bay (depending on whether St. Louis goes with Clausen or Suh), and should be a key cog in turning either franchise around.

4) Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

New regimes mean new quarterbacks. That means Jason Campbell will be out (unjustly, I think, but that’s a whole different matter), and Mike Shanahan will want to bring in his own guy. While the injury to Chris Samuels could end his career and leave a gaping hole at left tackle, which would make Russell Okung enticing, I think they go with the team leader here. Also, Dr. James Andrews (those three words always lead to people listening to what will follow) performed the surgery on Bradford’s shoulder and is employed by the Redskins, so if Bradford is ready to go, they’ll know best.

5) Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Okung is the premier left tackle in this draft, which works out perfect for Kansas City, which just sunk a boatload of money into Matt Cassel. Being that recent draft choice Branden Albert couldn’t block anyone at the LT position last season (I believe he surrendered 10.5 sacks), Okung would kill two birds with one stone, as it would fill the void at LT and allow Albert to move elsewhere on the line and be more productive.

6) Seattle Seahawks: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

To me, Seattle’s biggest need is a left tackle. They probably wouldn’t mind snagging a QB for the future either, but nobody is even close to being worthy of the #6 pick that hasn’t been taken yet. Since they just missed out on Okung and have another pick later in the first round where they can address the need, this pick, while it addresses a need in the secondary, is sort of like hitting the jackpot. Eric Berry is dynamic from the safety position, as he can drop into a zone, come up and cover a running back or tight end, or be a disruptive force in the run game. Whenever you can grab a guy compared to Ed Reed, you know you’ve done something right.

7) Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Seeing how big of an impact a shutdown corner can have (Darrelle Revis, Nnamdi Asomugha, Champ Bailey) should let teams know that this is an important position to address. Cleveland needs help everywhere too, so it’s not like any draft choice is taken because “he was the best player available.” Look for Haden to come in and start immediately for a dismal Browns’ secondary.

8) Oakland Raiders: Taylor Mays, S, USC

Does he belong here? Hell no. However, due to the fact that Al Davis chooses his draftees based on what type of performance they turn in at the NFL Combine, I think that the only two players he could possibly choose here are Taylor Mays and Carlos Dunlap. He’ll probably do some cursory checks and find these two numbers: 37 (the number of sacks Oakland had this year, tied for 11^th in the league) and 8 (the number of interceptions they had, tied for dead last). Then he’ll determine that Carlos Dunlap gets sacks not interceptions, and despite the fact that he can’t cover anyone and has slow reaction time, Taylor Mays plays safety so he gets interceptions, which is where they need more help, and so Taylor Mays will be the pick. That reasoning is sad, but you have to wonder how far it is from the truth.

9) Buffalo Bills: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

This team certainly needs QB help, but, much like Seattle, won’t reach for a guy like Colt McCoy at this juncture. The Mike Williams trade last year left a pretty big hole (literally and figuratively) on the left side of their line, and they need to make sure that whichever quarterback they bring in next season doesn’t have to worry about getting clocked from behind.

10) Denver Broncos (from Chicago)*: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

As each day passes, it seems more and more likely that Brandon Marshall ends up somewhere not named Denver next season. If that happens, then the Broncos have a huge void at the position, one that Eddie Royal (was he alive last year?) and Jabar Gaffney can’t fill. Enter Dez Bryant, who, despite being suspended all year last season, is the premier wide receiver in this draft, has great hands and speed, and will go over the middle or stretch the field. He will be a great target for whoever is quarterbacking the Broncos in 2010.

11) Jacksonville Jaguars*: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

I have seen lots of mocks that have the Jaguars taking Tim Tebow here, but that, to me, is just asinine. I understand why Jacksonville would go that route, because the franchise needs to sell tickets to avoid moving to Los Angeles and Tebow, the local boy and cult hero could put people in the seats, but how long will they stay when the team is getting clobbered? Winning alone didn’t do it for the team, and with how awkward and awful Tebow looked at the Senior Bowl, will his iconic status alone be enough to keep filling the stands for a three-win team? I say not.

That means that Jacksonville should address its true needs, which start with getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. They ranked dead last in the NFL last year in sacks (14 of them). Pierre-Paul, while relatively inexperienced, was a force at South Florida this past season and should show well at the Combine. He is a raw talent and could be a tough guy to block at the next level.

12) Miami Dolphins: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

Bill Parcells likes to draft linebackers, the Miami Dolphins need help at linebacker, and Rolando McClain is the best linebacker in the draft. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Also, I don’t think Parcells will use a first-rounder on a wide receiver (which the Dolphins also need), as the only guy he might consider would be Dez Bryant who I have gone already, plus there are lots of good guys out there in free agency that they can add.

13) San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

The 49ers have two big needs. The first is the secondary, and the second is the right tackle position. Luckily for them, they have to two first round picks with which to address those needs. Ideally Joe Haden would fall for them, and they may trade up to get him (I don’t think they will, but it’s not out of the picture), but, if they don’t I think Kyle Wilson is the pick here. He was apparently very impressive at the Senior Bowl, moving very fluidly and not getting beat. Additionally, he provides a threat in the return game.

14) Seattle Seahawks: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

As I said before, Seattle needs to solve the offensive line problems, and they do that here with their second first-round selection. Bryan Bulaga should be able to come in immediately and start for them, thus allowing Matt Hasselbeck to not worry about his blindside and hopefully keep him healthy for the first time in a while. He still has something left, and this Bulaga selection will make him smile on draft day.

15) New York Giants: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

The Giants love to bolster their defensive line, stockpiling talent and constantly subbing in pass rushers to keep guys fresh and give the defense different looks. Their pass rush wasn’t as effective as it has been in the past last season, which exposed the secondary. Bringing in Dunlap would give them the ability to get to the QB faster and impose their will on defenses late in games again. The major red flag here is Dunlap’s off-the-field issues, and being in New York probably won’t do as much to quell them, but his talent is undeniable and can’t go overlooked.

16) Tennessee Titans*: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

Kyle Vanden Bosch may be the hardest worker in the NFL from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, but he isn’t getting any younger, so a guy to follow in his footsteps and line up on the other side is a must for this team to address. Morgan is an explosive rusher off the edge and will help Tennessee in defending the pass game, an area where they struggled mightily last year.

17) San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina)*: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

They filled the secondary need with their first pick, so here the 49ers address the right tackle need by taking the best prospect at that position in the draft. Trent Williams should help bolster the passing game and open up holes for Frank Gore to run through. With these two picks, the flashes of brilliance they showed last year, and Kurt Warner’s retirement, I think the 49ers have a very good shot at winning the NFC West in 2010.

18) Pittsburgh Steelers: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

I know they have Max Starks at LT, but this offensive line still needs upgrading, and passing on a guy like Bruce Campbell here seems foolish to me. It’s very possible that he doesn’t slide down this far, but, if he does, expect Pittsburgh to pounce, as they try to reestablish their power running game next season.

19) Atlanta Falcons*: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State

Abysmal. That’s what Atlanta’s pass defense was last year, and it has to be their number one area of concern this off-season. With Haden and Wilson off the board, Patrick Robinson, who also had a good Senior Bowl of his own, should be the pick to come in and help Atlanta shore up its secondary.

20) Houston Texans*: Earl Thomas, S, Texas

I really considered mocking C.J. Spiller here due to the debacle that is the Texans’ backfield, but, at the end of the day, when you play in a division with Peyton Manning, you need to make sure that he doesn’t beat you consistently. Thus, the Texans address the secondary and take the best remaining safety available, Earl Thomas.

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

This is a run-first team, but Carson Palmer needs somebody besides Chad Johnson (Revis shut him down, so that’s his name now) to throw the ball to after Chris Henry’s unfortunate death. Jermaine Gresham can do it all, run block, catch passes, and presents matchup nightmares because he’s too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties. If he’s around, Cincinnati should pounce.

22) New England Patriots: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

Oh, what I didn’t want to happen. I think Bill Bellichick will finally realize that quality trumps quantity in his backfield, and address the need by taking the most explosive player in the draft (he’s supposed to be the next Chris Johnson, which all Patriots fans would take). He can run, catch, and return, so he would fit very well into the Patriots four-wide sets and pose a dangerous threat to run or catch the ball out of the backfield. I hate this as a Jets fan and hope someone else takes him before the Patriots pick.

23) Green Bay Packers: Charles Brown, OT, USC

I think most of us who follow the NFL know how porous the Packers’ offensive line was for most of the 2009 season, and even though Chad Clifton’s play got better as the year went on, an additional guy to compete for the job is a good idea, and Brown should be able to start at one of the tackle positions in 2010.

24) Philadelphia Eagles: Everson Griffen, DE, USC

Much like the Titans, the Eagles’ best pass rusher, Trent Cole, could use some help on the other side. Darren Howard is getting up there in years, and Everson Griffen could provide a spark to the team’s pass rush.

25) Baltimore Ravens: Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

Derrick Mason already retired and unretired once, and I don’t sense that he’s Brett Favre, so I think he might be done this off-season. If that’s the case, then the Ravens’ only consistent threat in the passing game that isn’t Ray Rice needs to be replaced. I think the Ravens are hoping Gresham falls to them, and Anthony McCoy from USC is also an option, but, at the end of the day, I think Baltimore takes the big play threat receiver in Golden Tate.

26) Arizona Cardinals: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas

This defense got abused in two straight games in the playoffs, and a dual threat in the passing and running game in Sergio Kindle could help them out. I could also see them taking a nose tackle here (one of the two at the bottom of this first round), but I think the defense thrives on being pressure-oriented, and Kindle plays right into that mentality.

27) Dallas Cowboys: Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho

After watching Minnesota dominate their offensive line in the playoffs, the Cowboys need to upgrade that unit. Granted the tackles struggled the most, but apparently the Cowboys were in absolute awe over this mountain of a man at the Senior Bowl, even though he didn’t impress me much during the game (got beaten a few times, despite the fact that only four guys could rush), it’s not my pick to make.

28) San Diego Chargers: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

LaDainian Tomlinson clearly has nothing left in the tank, and Darren Sproles proved early in 2009 when LDT was hurt that he can’t shoulder a full workload, so the Chargers need the physical presence in their backfield. Enter Jonathan Dwyer, who will complement Sproles’ quickness and shiftiness very nicely and keep the dual threat alive (or maybe revitalizing it) in the Chargers’ backfield.

29) New York Jets: Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

For all the credit the Jets get for their crazy blitz schemes, they didn’t result in many sacks (32 on the season, tied for 18^th in the NFL). Vernon Gholston has amassed a whopping zero sacks since being taken sixth overall in 2008, and will probably be let go this off-season. Seeing how effective rush linebackers can be a huge asset (DeMarcus Ware, Elvis Dumervil, Clay Matthews), the Jets need to upgrade that position, and Graham, despite playing for a terrible Wolverines team, was one of the few bright spots on that defense.

30) Minnesota Vikings: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

Pat Williams is considering retirement, which would tear down the vaunted Williams Wall, which is okay because I am here to build it again. Following in another Volunteers’ DT’s footsteps (Albert Haynesworth), Williams will come in and be effective in a pretty solid defense, especially if Pat Williams sticks around and he can learn from both guys.

31) New Orleans Saints: Brian Price, DT, UCLA

Sedrick Ellis has been good, but not great, since being drafted two years ago, but missed six games this season with an injury, and the Saints can shore up that run defense. In a defensive tackle-rich draft, Brian Price is somewhat forgotten and would be a big boost to Gregg Williams’ unit.

32) Indianapolis Colts: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

This defense is fast, and Weatherspoon would be a luxury. He looked unbelievably good at the Senior Bowl, and adding him would only make this defense that much faster and better. While I feel the offensive line could use a ton of help (they can’t run the ball), Peyton Manning makes things click on offense, so making it even more difficult for opposing offenses to score points would work just fine with the Colts.

Note: Asterisks indicate that there will be a coin flip to decide draft position between the two teams drafting one after the other. I used a little Coin Flip app on my iPhone, assigned "Heads" to the team that was first alphabetically by city location, and then moved on from there.

Everyone's a Winner!

Now we all enjoy supporting our favorite NFL teams, and somehow find ways to talk ourselves in how the team we root for each and every Sunday can pull off a victory on that hallowed first day of the week, regardless of the opponent. Hell, even I convinced myself that the 3-10 Jets could beat the then 13-0 juggernaut New England Patriots in 2007 (it didn't happen, although the Jets covered the 22-point spread). Anyway, for fans of the Rams, Lions, and Buccaneers, do not fear that the draft is the only thing you have to look forward to. In fact, had a few bounces gone your way earlier this year, you might still have a game left to play this year!

Let us all think back to our pre-algebra days when we learned about a little something called the transitive property, which so nicely states that if A=B, and B=C, then A=C. We also learned that this applies to inequalities as well, so if A>B, and B>C, then A>C. This is key to remember as we move forward, because I am going to tell you why your teams were but a few bounces away from being participants in Super Bowl XLIV (I cannot tell you how excited I am for Super Bowl L, because it will look paltry in comparison to the previous thirty-nine Super Bowls due to a single roman numeral representing its number). Without further ado, let me tell you why the Rams are better than the Colts (some of the time):

The Rams beat the Lions, who beat the Redskins, who beat the Buccaneers, who beat the Seahawks, who beat the Jaguars, who beat the Chiefs, who beat the Raiders, who beat the Broncos, who beat the Chargers, who beat the Titans, who beat the Texans, who beat the Bills, who beat the Panthers, who beat the Cardinals, who beat the Giants, who beat the Cowboys, who beat the Saints, who beat the Eagles, who beat the Falcons, who beat the 49ers, who beat the Bears, who beat the Vikings, who beat the Bengals, who beat the Packers, who beat the Ravens, who beat the Browns, who beat the Steelers, who beat the Dolphins, who beat the Patriots, who beat the Jets, who beat the Colts, who beat the Rams.

So see, it really is true that any team can win it all. You can start this metric with any team you'd like and end it, meaning that your team would go 31-0 if it played every other team. So everyone's team is best, and everyone is a winner.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

Sorry I haven't posted these yet, but it has been a crazy busy week for me. Let me start out by saying that this past weekend was the second of three consecutive Sundays that I have had to work, meaning I have only seen the Sunday and Monday night games over that span of time, so my analysis shouldn’t be as in depth as it can (and will) be later in the season. Sorry to not give a write-up for each team, but I didn't have the time to get them all done. Much like last week, it was very difficult to rank the teams in the middle of the pack, and those in the 12-20 spots can be moved up and down without much protest from me. I try to do these things so that both full season performance and recent outings are taken into consideration, but sometimes I feel as though one of those two factors is more indicative than the other, which is why you see some drastic movement this week. Like always, team record is in parentheses and last week’s ranking is bracketed. Onto the rankings:

32. St. Louis Rams (0-7) [32]

Note to the Rams: A 42-6 drubbing at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts isn’t your ticket out of the #32 spot. Aside from poor Steven Jackson, this team honestly does not belong on an NFL field. I’ve mentioned it a few times, but there are really only two seemingly winnable games on this schedule, the first of which comes at Detroit this week (the other is a matchup at Tennessee in Week 14). If they miss out there, it’ll be a very likely road that ends in an 0-16 season.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) [31]

Congratulations Buccaneers, you are now winless on two continents! On the bright side, Tampa Bay fans got their first glimpse of first-round draft pick Josh Freeman. He wasn’t out there long, going 2/4 for 16 yards and rushing once for five yards, but Derek Anderson led the Browns to a victory earlier this season going 2/17 for 23 yards and an interception, so maybe there is hope. If St. Louis only has two seemingly winnable games left, then Tampa Bay only has one, and it’s against a team it lost to earlier this season, Carolina. This is another team who can’t stop anybody on defense, which is a massive problem when your offense isn’t any good either.

30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [30]

I didn’t move any of the six teams on a bye this past week in my rankings, which is good news for Tennessee, because they couldn’t give me any more reasons to drop them further (not that there’s a whole lot further to go). The week didn’t pass without some news from Tennessee, as owner Bud Adams expressed his thoughts on who should be the starting quarterback, and head coach Jeff Fisher donned a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event, which didn’t go over so well with his players. Not only do I think this is the best winless team, but I also think they can win 3-5 games in the second half of the season, but let’s not kid each other, they’ll be choosing in the Top 10 in April’s draft.

29. Cleveland Browns (1-6) [28]

To be fair, Cleveland’s six losses all come against teams ranked inside my Top 9. However, aside from the game against Cincinnati, where the Bengals were due for a letdown after a huge emotional win over the Steelers, Cleveland hasn’t been too competitive in those losses. They continue to get killed by the opposition’s ground attack, and the quarterback problem continues to grow each week. As I said last week, Josh Cribbs ought to take every single snap, since Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson just aren’t NFL starters right now. Potential wins loom with the Lions, Chiefs, and Raiders on the schedule, but so do rematches with the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers, which can probably already be penciled in as losses.

28. Oakland Raiders (2-5) [27]

This was the reaction of one of the guys I play fantasy football with who is a Bay Area native, “YES! THE RAIDERS ARE FINALLY BENCHING JAMARCUS RUSSELL!” That doesn’t bode very well for your franchise, especially when the guy backing up Russell is Toldeo’s own Bruce Gradkowski, who doesn’t protect the ball very well either. I couldn’t find a clip of it, but JaMarcus Russell’s post-game interview only reaffirmed my belief that there is something worse than his performance on the football field, and that is his command of the English language. This should give you an idea of what him talking about “not everything being on him” sounded like. One more thing about Russell. This is his third year in the league, and he’s still so incredibly immature that it astounds me. Don’t use the media to call out your teammates, do that behind closed doors with the team itself. Take a lesson from a guy in his first year in the league and fifteen months your junior, Mark Sanchez, who took sole responsibility for the team’s loss to Buffalo. You have a lot of growing up to do if you want to be successful in this league. I think this stat is the most telling about the Raiders franchise as a whole over the past few drafts: 2009 receptions and games played: Darrius Heyward-Bey (4-7) and Michael Crabtree (5-1). Once again, it looks like Al Davis took the wrong guy.

27. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) [25]

Last week against the Chargers was a recipe for disaster. Kansas City was coming off what could be its only win all season, and San Diego was pissed after probably losing the division in Week 6 at home. That translates to Matt Cassel throwing for a whopping 97 yards and the Chiefs never really being competitive in falling to 0-4 at home on the season. So much for that supposed home field advantage Arrowhead provides. The other interesting note from this week was Larry Johnson taking out his frustrations about his own crappiness on Todd Haley. He slammed Haley, saying that his father had better credentials, including playing for the coach from “Remember the Titans.” A word of advice Larry, your 2.7 YPC leads me to believe that most NFL running backs, both past and present, have better NFL credentials than you do. Shut up, stop using gay slurs to criticize people, especially when your criticisms aren’t spurred on by someone else’s sexual orientation. Enjoy the suspension the NFL or the Chiefs will be slapping on you, and then riding the pine while Jamaal Charles actually rushes for 3+ yards per carry.

26. Washington Redskins (2-5) [29]

Believe me, they didn’t move up because of their offense, which has yet to eclipse the 17-point mark this season, despite playing against teams who are a combined 4-29 in Weeks 2-6. The defense looked very good last night, despite surrendering two big plays to Desean Jackson. The first was a bit fluky, while the second was a great route combined with poor judgment. I expect those to be shored up during the bye week. The big question is whether or not the offense can ever get on track. Sherman Lewis didn’t drop any jaws with his play calling in his first game. There were a lot of Clinton Portis runs that amounted to nothing. The ineptitude of this offense was highlighted by a fourth quarter shotgun snap on 4th down that center Casey Rabach hut himself in the ass with, resulting in a fumble that the Eagles recovered…ouch. Lastly, the Redskins lost their best offensive weapon, Chris Cooley, to a season-ending ankle injury on the first play of the second quarter. I’m no psychic, but when an offense averaging less than 14 points per game loses its best offensive player, I’m going to predict that that team will suck even worse than it did before.

25. Carolina Panthers (2-4) [23]

I proclaimed that it would be embarrassing when this team got to .500 after a win over Buffalo. Apparently I spoke too soon, or I forgot that Jake Delhomme was the Panthers’ quarterback. He has gotten so bad that John Fox didn’t publicly back him after this week’s performance, which could mean a new man under center next week. The only thing going for Carolina is its running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

24. Detroit Lions (1-5) [24]

Not much to speak of here. If their skill guys have gotten healthy over the bye week (that’s Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson), they could play a role in crowning the NFC North champion, as they could trip up the Vikings, Bears, or Packers in a shootout. Nonetheless, they should be a force in the coming years.

23. Buffalo Bills (3-4) [26]

It’s amazing how this team was coming off of an embarrassing home loss to Cleveland and staring at a 1-4 record just two weeks ago. Fast forward to the present and they’re suddenly 3-4 after surprise road wins at the Jets and Panthers. I’m still not a believer in the team, but, all of a sudden, 8-8 is a distinct possibility. I still think Fred Jackson needs to be used more, and I don’t believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the answer at quarterback (not that Trent Edwards is either), but they have certainly surprised me as of late.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) [22]

This still, to me, is the toughest team to figure out in the NFL. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them lose by twenty to the winless Titans when both teams come out of their bye weeks on Sunday. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them hang fifty on the Titans pitiful defense. Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the best players in the NFL and is going to be a force to be reckoned with for opposing defenses the rest of the way.

21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [21]
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) [14]
19. Chicago Bears (3-3) [10]
18. Miami Dolphins (2-4) [15]
17. Houston Texans (4-3) [19]
16. San Diego Chargers (3-3) [20]
15. New York Jets (4-3) [17]
14. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) [7]
13. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [16]
12. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) [18]
11. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) [13]
10. New York Giants (5-2) [6]
9. Green Bay Packers (4-2) [11]
8. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [8]
7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) [12]
6. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) [4]
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) [9]
4. New England Patriots (5-2) [5]
3. Denver Broncos (6-0) [3]
2. New Orleans Saints (6-0) [1]
1. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) [2]

NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

In the Week 7 installments of the Power Rankings, we’re going to actually see some movement. For just about the first time all season, there were some actual upsets, as well as some key injuries, which led to some crazy shifts. Each team’s record is in parentheses, and last week’s ranking is bracketed. Without further ado, I present the Week 7 NFL Power Rankings:

32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) [32]

The Rams showed some promise last week. While Jacksonville isn’t very good outside of Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Sims-Walker, St. Louis had a lead late in the game before succumbing in overtime. The problem is that, aside from Detroit in Week 8 (and maybe Tennessee in Week 14), there isn’t a seemingly winnable game on the schedule. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team go 0-16 just one year after the Lions became the first to have that dubious honor.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) [31]

The good news for the Buccaneers was that they didn’t get shredded through the air last week (only 55 yards allowed). The bad news was that they played Jake Delhomme, who sucks, and the Panthers ran the ball 48 times for 267 yards. Much like St. Louis, Tampa Bay played hard and was competitive, but next week might be a bloodbath. The only team with a worse secondary than Tennessee is Tampa Bay, and Tom Brady just threw for about 1000 yards and thirty touchdowns in the first half against Tennessee last weekend. Couple the fact that this game is in London, despite being a home game for the Bucs, and we are going to have an ugly game on our hands. If you are a bettor, take the Pats to cover, even if the spread hits twenty points.

30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [26]

The fact that a team who just got taken out back to the woodshed and is winless isn’t the worst team in the NFL speaks volumes about how bad the Rams and Buccaneers are. This team is getting shredded by opponents’ passing games (over 325 yards per game), with no help in sight. Cortland Finnegan just got hurt, downgrading the secondary from laughable to downright awful. It is truly remarkable to think that this team was the best in the league last year. Keep your heads up though Titans’ fans, the Vince Young era might start up again after its hiatus!

29. Washington Redskins (2-4) [25]

If they were the worst 2-3 team in the history of the NFL last week, they are certainly the worst 2-4 team ever. If you take out the Giants, the Redskins’ opponents have a combined record of 4-25. Three of those wins came against Washington, while Carolina also beat the lowly Buccaneers. Speaking of the Tampa Bay, they are one of two teams to fall victim to the mighty Redskins this season (the Rams are the other). The combined margin of victory from those two wins? Five points. Also, your players are asking for votes of confidence from management regarding the coach, who just lost his play-calling duties to a guy whose most recent employment was calling bingo at a retirement home. Since Tennessee can’t lose next week because it’s on a bye, expect Washington to fall again after they lose to Philadelphia on national television.

Interesting Note: Does anyone else besides me find it ironic that the last four teams in my power rankings are also last in an alphabetical list of NFL teams?

28. Cleveland Browns (1-5) [27]

Is it safe to say that Cleveland’s best quarterback option is Josh Cribbs? Sure he threw an interception last week, but so do Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, right? Why hasn’t Cleveland just lined Cribbs up thirty yards behind center and snapped it to him like a punt return? Their best offensive play is a Cribbs kick return. Also, Mangini has listed twenty-three players on this week’s injury report, which is most likely a record. On a side note, if you’re interested in real estate in the Cleveland area, I hear that Brady Quinn’s house is on the market, perhaps because he couldn’t afford it due to not playing?

27. Oakland Raiders (2-4) [30]

The first real WTF of the season. How in the hell does a team that would have been #32 in the rankings aside from an ugly win (until we saw Cleveland’s riveting 6-3 win over Buffalo) over Kansas beat my #5 team? I have no idea. I still don’t think that the Raiders are any good, especially JaMarcus Russell. Even though he was 17/28 last week for 224 yards, over one-third of those yards came on a twenty yard pass he completed to Zach Miller, who, in turn, took it eighty-six yards to the hizzy (props to Louis Murphy for throwing a block on three different Eagles on the play). They have a shot at three more wins (Kansas City, Washington, @Cleveland), but I think that’s the ceiling. Speaking of which, has anybody heard anything from Darrius Heyward-Bey? Michael Crabtree hasn’t even set foot on the field yet and he’s been in the news constantly.

26. Buffalo Bills (2-4) [28]

Yeah, that was painful to watch as a Jets fan. I don’t think the Bills are any good, I just think that they were less bad than the Jets on Sunday. Aided by five Mark Sanchez (and one Steven Weatherford) interceptions, the Bills were able to squeak out a win in the Meadowlands. With Trent Edwards likely out for at least a week with a concussion, they’ll rely heavily on the running back tandem of Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, who should be getting a ton more work than he is. They certainly have winnable games in the future, but the anemic pass offense needs to get going, which I don’t think it will.

25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) [29]

Finally the Chiefs leave behind their winless brothers at the bottom of the rankings, and all it took was a visit from Washington. The Titans should be bummed that they don’t get a shot at the Redskins this season, because they’d have a legitimate shot at winning. Anyway, Matt Cassel has done some nice things with this offense, and Dwayne Bowe looks as dominant as he has in the past. While I don’t see Kansas City winning many games this season, they can take pride in the fact that they’re at least playing hard each week. I am also anxiously awaiting Todd Haley benching Larry Johnson for Jamaal Charles so that my late round flier on Charles in fantasy drafts becomes validated.

24. Detroit Lions (1-5) [24]

The three cogs of their offense, Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, and Calvin Johnson, are all banged up. The bye week is certainly coming at the right time, as they were simply overmatched by an above average Packers offense and a very stout defense last week. Another team that I think has limited win potential, but will only get better and probably be dangerous in the future.

23. Carolina Panthers (2-3) [23]

Beating hapless Tampa Bay on a last minute touchdown doesn’t impress me in the least. You, Carolina, are not a good team. Like I said last week, they’ll get to 3-3 after beating Buffalo this week, but then go on a losing streak of at least four, and most likely five. The one positive note for the Panthers is that DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart looked great, meaning that Jake Delhomme didn’t have to do much. I also don’t generally praise teams whose best offensive weapons publicly state that they are no longer an asset to the offense.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) [21]

This team is an enigma. They played Indianapolis to a two-point game in Week 1, but got crushed by Seattle before barely beating St. Louis last week. Maurice Jones-Drew is definitely the guy there, and got rewarded for the rant he went on that I discussed last week. I could see them going anywhere from 5-11 to 10-6 and I wouldn’t be surprised. Mike Sims-Walker has been great so far (excluding his suspension for going out before the Seattle game), and helps the offense click better. Only time will tell with this team.

21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [19]

Matt Hasselbeck claimed that whenever his mom was in attendance at Seahawks home games, they were undefeated. The number was somewhere in the teens I think, which should have gotten it one of those sections on SportsCenter where they talk about the best streaks of all time. On July 17, 1941, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak came to an end against the Cleveland Indians. That makes the Arizona Cardinals the Cleveland Indians of the NFL, as, on October 18, 2009, they ended Mama Hasselbeck’s streak. It’ll be tough for Seattle to make noise in the NFC West since it already trails San Francisco and the Cleveland Indians Arizona Cardinals by a game and a half, with a head to head loss to each, but the bye week should help them regroup. I’m not ready to write them off yet, so we’ll see about them in a few weeks.

20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) [18]

I posted these rankings on a message board on ESPN and was scoffed at by a diehard Chargers fan saying that they were too low. After seeing them lose the Monday night game (and, most likely, the AFC West), to Denver I can say that I disagree. The defense isn’t very good. In five games, it has only seven sacks and four interceptions, and doesn’t show any promise of getting better any time soon. LaDainian Tomlinson showed some burst for the first time all season, but I want to see him sustain it for a few weeks before I say he’s back. Philip Rivers doesn’t have enough time to throw, as the Broncos proved to us. He fumbled three times, including on the final drive because the line couldn’t block A Gap blitzes, which get to the quarterback the quickest. They’ve got two games against Kansas City and another with Oakland upcoming, so they can prove me wrong by dominating those outings.

19. Houston Texans (3-3) [22]

This is the only AFC South team without a loss to the Colts, who they play twice in the next six weeks. Sorry Houston, but I don’t see you beating Indy in either matchup. They are definitely a wild card candidate, but they’ll have to do some damage before tough season ending games at Miami and versus New England. Steve Slaton appears to be coming around, Matt Schaub is proving that he’s a top quarterback in this league when healthy, and Andre Johnson is still a man among boys.

18. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) [20]

I still think Arizona’s Achilles heel will be its inability to run the ball. With Kurt Warner slinging it again and Larry Fitzgerald dominating, they have no problem scoring. A healthy Anquan Boldin would make this team a much bigger threat, so I’ll keep an eye on his ailings. The defense has been surprisingly good, as it’s #1 against the run, and somewhat serviceable against the pass. Like I said earlier, the biggest problem lies in the fact that the team cannot run the ball to work the clock when it has a lead. If they don’t figure that out, I don’t think they will make too much noise.

17. New York Jets (3-3) [9]

Ouch. Tied for the biggest drop of the week, the Jets lost more than just the game on Sunday. Who I thought to be the most irreplaceable player on the team, Kris Jenkins, is now done for the season after tearing his ACL on a standard NFL play. I honestly believe that the Jets would have at least tied that game with Jenkins playing, despite Mark Sanchez’s debacle. The Bills were getting five or six yards per carry after he went out, which is a trend I fear might continue as the season progresses. Luckily they get the Raiders this week, which should allow them to get back above .500 before another tough test with Miami. As a fan I am happy that Mark Sanchez is being accountable for his horrific play, and I continue to think that he will be a successful NFL quarterback in the future.

16. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [17]

Teams 10-19 are all question marks to me, and I did the best to rank them as I could. Dallas, on paper, should be great. They’ve got three very good running backs, a seemingly talented quarterback, and a great tight end. Nobody seems to know what Roy Williams is as a player, but the general consensus is that he sucks. Too bad Jerry Jones overpaid for him and is essentially going to force him to be a part of the offense. Also, what happened to Demarcus Ware? He had twenty sacks last season, but only two so far this year. The defense needs to get going in order for this team to go anywhere this year.

15. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [16]

To me, this is the most dangerous team lurking in this middle pack. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams run the Wildcat flawlessly, and it’s damn near impossible to stop when those guys are reading defenses properly. Chad Henne is good. Period. He started four years at Michigan, and didn’t seem fazed in the least by the Jets’ blitzes two weeks ago. As long as the defense is able to stop opposing offenses so that the offense doesn’t have to hang thirty every week, they will win a bunch of ballgames. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them beat New Orleans this weekend and continue their march to a wild card berth.

14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [14]

The bye week came at a great time to the 49ers. After a heartbreaking loss to Minnesota, a bounceback game against the Rams, and a shellacking at the hands of Atlanta, San Francisco got a chance to regroup, get Frank Gore healthy, and get Michael Crabtree acclimated to the offense. I love hearing that Josh Morgan, who lost his starting spot to Crabtree, was still helping Crabtree learn the offense anyway. Those are the kind of team-first, character guys you build a squad around. I hope good things come for him in the future. If the offense gets going, Patrick Willis and the defense will take care of the rest and this team could easily roll to an NFC West crown.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) [5]

Bye bye Eliminator Challenge. A last-minute change of my pick from the Steelers to the Eagles was the wrong move, as the Eagles thought they were playing in Philadelphia last Sunday and didn’t show up to play in Oakland, so a combination of fifty-three men and women wearing Eagles jerseys who showed up for the game had a massive tailgate and then played the game against the Raiders, falling just short in a valiant effort, 13-9. Wait, that didn’t happen? Well, it sounds more plausible than what took place, at the very least. I still think Philadelphia is a good team and will be in the playoffs, but a loss to Oakland is inexcusable.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) [7]

The defense was the latest victim of Matt Schaub’s march through opposing secondaries, as they surrendered just under 400 yards to the Texans through the air. Cedric Benson cooled off a bit last week, only rushing for forty-four yards on sixteen carries. The loss of Antwan Odom for the year will be huge, so we’ll see how they replace him on the defensive line. After a tough game at home against Chicago and a bye, Cincinnati will show us what it’s made of with back-to-back games against Baltimore and at Pittsburgh.

11. Green Bay Packers (3-2) [15]

How good is Aaron Rodgers? He doesn’t have an offensive line and is still completing 65% of his passes for nearly 300 yards per game, with a 4:1 TD-to-interception ratio. Oh, if that wasn’t good enough, he also has a rushing touchdown. And he saves kids from burning buildings. To complement Rodgers, Ryan Grant has been consistent, albeit not great, and the defense is fresh off of a shutout, even if it was against a depleted Detroit Lions team. Still, tough divisional foes in Chicago and Minnesota make the road to the playoffs that much tougher.

10. Chicago Bears (3-2) [12]

I know that the Packers beat the Bears head-to-head and they have identical 3-2 records, yet I have Chicago ranked ahead of Green Bay. If, in your mind, that’s wrong, then switch them and mentally put Green Bay at ten and Chicago at eleven. I think Chicago has the more impressive win (over Pittsburgh), and that Jay Cutler has been infinitely better since his debacle in Week 1. The big question mark here is Matt Forte. Where is the guy we saw last year? Have opposing defenses learned how to stop him? Is he not as good as we thought? I have questions, but only Matt Forte and the Bears have answers. Much like Houston and Indianapolis, I also like the fact that Chicago still gets two cracks at Minnesota, in which they can get even in the loss column and take a head-to-head advantage.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) [13]

They are starting to resemble the team we thought they’d be. Mike Tomlin has wisely named Rashard Mendenhall his starter, which I think will benefit them in the long run. Ben Roethlisberger is slinging the ball all over the field, yet is completing 72.5% of his passes. Hines Ward is smiling, while on pace to catch over 100 balls, and the defense is still pretty solid, especially now that Hair Polamalu is back. Four out of the next five are very tough (Minnesota, BYE, @Denver on MNF, Cincinnati, @Kansas City, @Baltimore on Sunday night). If they get three or four of them, they will have come out of the schedule very well.

8. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [11]

Steven F-ing Hauscka is what the Ravens fans are probably saying to themselves (and each other) right now. A 44-yard field goal in a dome isn’t terribly difficult for a kicker, and I know that he was under pressure and the Metrodome is loud, but kickers are expected to make those kicks, and Hauschka will be the first one to tell you that. Anyway, despite three consecutive losses (to teams with a combined 14-4 record), I still think this is a playoff team. Ray Rice has emerged as an elite back in the NFL, Joe Flacco is amazing, and the defense, while not what it once was, can still make enough plays to win games.

7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) [8]

This is the one team that has a remote chance of challenging New Orleans in the NFC South. Matt Ryan is amazing, Roddy White confirmed that he is, in fact, out of his coma, Tony Gonzalez is a beast, and Michael Turner is running like he did last year again. I definitely think they’re a playoff bound team again, and am anxious to see how they perform on the road against Dallas this week before next week’s showdown with the Saints in the Superdome.

6. New York Giants (5-1) [2]

The drop wasn’t because I think they’re the sixth best team, but more due to the fact that New Orleans took it to them last week. Drew Brees threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns. Seven different Saints scored a touchdown, showing that the Giants can be beaten in a variety of ways. The nail in the coffin was Reggie Bush’s touchdown before halftime that made it a seventeen-point game again. I still don’t think that the team is in trouble as far as winning the NFC East or making the playoffs, but that showing was one they’ll want to forget.

5. New England Patriots (4-2) [10]

Say hello to your 2009 AFC East champions. I know that it was Tennessee who currently can’t stop the Little Giants’ connection of Junior to Hot Hands, but a fifty-nine-point victory over any NFL team is damn impressive. Tom Brady wasn’t overthrowing receivers, and Wes Welker was, for the first time, not on the injury report. They are going to continue to roll and piss me off, and I cannot even imagine what’s going to happen next time they play the Jets. I hate the Patriots…a lot.

4. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) [4]

I know they just beat my #8 team, but this is a team that could easily be 4-2. I understand that they made a play to beat San Francisco, so I give them credit for that. However, they should have lost last week’s game. Brad Childress was apparently neutered as a child, because he had no balls whatsoever in his playcalling at the end of the game. He played for a field goal to put his team up by two, even though that meant leaving Baltimore nearly two minutes to run out its offense (that Minnesota’s defense couldn’t stop in the entire second half) to get in field goal range. I still don’t trust Childress, even if he does have Adrian Peterson in his backfield.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0) [6]

What else does this team need to do to get attention? They’re good, end of story. Josh McDaniels has gotten them to play hard, and the defense is superb. Also, even though it doesn’t match the hideous AFL uniforms the Broncos wear, McDaniels’ pale blue hoodie is simply awesome and I kind of want one. Kyle Orton has been great, making McDaniels’ adamant claim that Orton was his guy going into the season make him seem even smarter. I’m pretty sure they already won the AFC West, so even a brutal second half schedule, including these games: @Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New York Giants, @Indianapolis, @Philadelphia can’t make up for games at Washington, versus Oakland, and a home-and-away with Kansas City. Say hello to your first guaranteed playoff team of 2009.

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) [1]

Obviously they didn’t do anything to deserve to drop one spot this week, it’s just that I think New Orleans did enough to take the #1 spot. No matter how much praise I give Peyton Manning, it’s never enough. This guy could make Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles Pro Bowlers. Not only does he make the right reads at the line of scrimmage, but his passes always seem to be the kind you couldn’t place any better. The return of Anthony Gonzalez isn’t as important now as it may have seemed in Week 1 after he went down, and Bob Sanders should be back soon, which vastly improves the Colts run defense. Another win probably gives this division to Indianapolis, who I think will end up being the #1 seed in the AFC.

1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) [3]

By far the most impressive performance of the week, and probably the entire season unfolded in New Orleans last Sunday. New Orleans embarrassed the Giants, getting touchdowns from: Mike Bell, Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and Heath Evans. Notice that list didn’t include their best running back (Pierre Thomas), which is scary. I don’t know if there is a team besides the Colts that can keep up with them on both sides of the ball, which would make them the Super Bowl favorites in the NFC right now. As I mentioned earlier, I think they could easily lose to Miami and the Wildcat on the road this weekend because I think that offense is so difficult to stop and the Dolphins might do to New Orleans what they did to Indianapolis earlier in the year, which is keep the Saints offense on the sidelines. I don’t know if I am ready to elevate Brees to Peyton Manning status just yet, which a quarterback reaches when he understands the time on the clock, the number of timeouts, and how best to position his team for a score, and then goes out and flawlessly executes that plan. If Brees does this, I think New Orleans gets to 6-0 to set up a HUGE game with Atlanta. Nonetheless, the Saints deserve to be atop the rankings this week.