Editor’s Note: Friend of M&A and creator of the all-important “Terriost Threat List”, TommieSmithJohnCarlos, wrote up a mock draft of how he thinks the 2010 NFL draft will shake out. This is the third round of three rounds previewed. Also, clearly these were written far before any of the rounds took place. You can tell because the first round features head-scratchers like Tebow’s selection, the Raiders not drafting Usain Bolt, Claussen still being on the board, and Jacksonville’s selection at #10. Insanity and stupidity are a hard thing to predict. Hopefully TSJC’s second and third round guesses are more in-line with the collective ‘tardation station approach the General Managers appeared to have went with in Round 1. He’ll nail a lot more picks that way. See TSJC’s 1st round picks here and second round picks here.

DE Corey Wooton, Northwestern

DT Gene Atkins, Georgia

WR Taylor Price, Ohio

Redskins pick foreited

ILB Sean Lee, Penn State

T Edwin Veldheer, Hillsdale

(from Seattle)

ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida

DE/OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson

QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati

DE/OLB Jason Worilds

G Zane Beadles, Utah

S Chad Jones, LSU

G John Jerry, Mississippi

CB Amari Spievey, Iowa

WR Eric Decker, Minnesota

S T.J. Ward, Oregon

OLB Navorro Bowman, Penn State

DT Al Woods, LSU

T Selvish Capers, West Virginia

DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State

S Reshad Jones, Georgia

(from New England via Oakland)

CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida

RB Ben Tate, Auburn

OLB Perry Riley, LSU

(from Baltimore)

WR Mike Williams, Syracuse

ILB Patrick Angerer, Iowa

S Larry Asante, Nebraska

CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma

(from New York Jets)

WR Brandon LaFell, LSU

QB Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan

G Mike Johnson, Alabama

CB Javier Arenas, Alabama

(compensatory selection)

RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford

(compensatory selection)

WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas

(compensatory selection)

OLB Jermaine Cunningham, Florida

Editor’s Note: Friend of M&A and creator of the all-important “Terriost Threat List”, TommieSmithJohnCarlos, wrote up a mock draft of how he thinks the 2010 NFL draft will shake out. This is the second round of three rounds previewed, which we’ll be running throughout the day. Also, clearly these were written far before any of the rounds took place. They were not edited Pearlman-style.  See TSJC’s 1st round picks here.

WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech

There are more pressing needs, but Thomas is a great physical specimen and probably should have gone 10 picks earlier. If he?s still there at #33, he?s the pick. Also, if he is there at #33, the Rams may offer the pick in trade with Thomas as the showcase.

RB Jahvid Best, California

Best is a gamebreaker, but slight. Even still, the Lions have been linked to Best for a while; he’s the smart pick. Kevin Smith is a question mark at this point.

CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers

McCourty has a low first round grade, but probably gets pushed out of the first due to team needs. If he’s gone, Taylor Mays may fit here.

WR Aurelius Benn, Illinois

Passing on an LT for Eric Berry in Round 1 was risky, as there may not be a good LT prospect left when the Chiefs came back on the clock. As it turns out, there isn’t one. The Chiefs have plenty of needs, though, and Benn was the #2 WR on the board before getting leapfrogged late by Thomas. He’s a better long term answer to stopgap Chris Chambers, and Todd Haley’s team doesn’t seem high on Dwayne Bowe.

(from Washington)

S Taylor Mays, USC

Mays isn’t really a “steal” anywhere, as the reason he’s possibly dropped back out of the first round is due to the significant bust potential. He just doesn’t measure up on the field like he does in the weight room or the speed track. Still, getting an upside play of Mays’s potential here is a great pick for a team that has multiple selections. If Mays can put it together, the Eagles will have a real star.

QB Colt McCoy, Texas

Two picks into my mock, and the Browns haven’t addressed the defense yet. But both picks are still solid gambles. Cleveland simply has to pick a long-term answer at QB, and McCoy is their man. He’s on the small side and real warts are there, but beggars can’t be choosers. There’s potential.

DT Tyson Alualu, California

Both lines in Oakland need a ton of work. Alualu is a workhorse inside, and a great partner for Richard Seymour.

(from Seattle)

DT Terrence Cody, Alabama

#28 is too high for Mt. Cody, but #40 is just right. He’s a little sloppy and raw, but 350 pounds is still 350 pounds, and it takes a long time to get around him. That’s all you really need at the 3-4 fulcrum.

RB Dexter McCluster, Mississippi

Chan Gailey wants a sparkplug Darren Sproles clone to key his spread offense; McCluster is a perfect fit. Tim Tebow is possible here, but the bust potential is too high. Besides, they can always trade a 4th or 5th rounder for Jason Campbell.

(from Chicago)

DE Everson Griffen, USC

A bit on the small side and comes with som character/work ethic concerns, but a solid passrusher. Stylez G. White can’t do it all by himself, you know.

(from Miami)

WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame

If they don’t take Dez Bryant at #11, they’ll go WR in round 2 somewhere. Tate’s not an elite athlete, but he runs good routes and gets separation. A good consolation prize.

(from Jacksonville)

CB/S, Chris Cook, Virginia

The Pats pass defense has lost a lot of playmakers over the years. Cook has the versatility and physicality they love in the Bay State.

G Jon Asamoah, Illinois

Asamoah is an elite interior pass protector, and Denver’s interior line is way too soft to either open holes for Knowshon Moreno or keep Kyle Orton upright.

OLB Daryl Washington, TCU

Someone’s gotta fall in every mock; Washington falls in mine.  He’s too small to handle MLB in a 4-3, but his elite speed still fits in Big Blue’s defensive overhaul.

OLB Koa Misi, Utah

The passrush in New England has now been reduced to Tully Banta-Cain and nobody. Misi is a great 3-4 edge rusher; physical and fast on a straight line.

DT Lamarr Houston, Texas

The vaunted Panthers defensive line is now toothless. Houston is one of several second round tackles on Carolina’s mind.

CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State

The Niners would have loved Joe Haden in the first round; failing that, a CB in the second is highly likely. Robinson’s got some character issues, but is a very fast coverman.

(from Atlanta)

DT Linval Joseph, East Carolina

Finally, a defender. Joseph’s been rising as true nose tackles are rare commodities and get overvalued (like quarterbacks). He’ll anchor Romeo Crennel’s 3-4.

RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee

Steve Slaton was exposed as just a complimentary scatback last year; Houston’s ground game needs another thumper. Hardesty is a little lost in the mix, but he’s a solid runner.

TRADED TO

DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida

Aaron Kampman was a solid addition, but he’s not a cure-all, and they pulled the plug on the Quentin Groves experiment. Adding another DE is a must.

WR Marty Gilyard, Cincinnati

Possibly a bit of an overdraft, but the WR corps needs more talent in it, especially with Wes Welker’s uncertainty. Gilyard makes catches in traffic and adds value as a kick returner.

TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona

They probably need some defense soon, but Carson Palmer was at his best when surrounded with targets. TE is in desperate need of a target upgrade.

QB Tim Tebow, Florida

BOOOOOOOOM. Andy Reid loves offensive weapons, right? Well, they could use another in Philly. Tebow can run some wildcat, maybe line up at H-back, and develop behind Kevin Kolb. He’ll go somewhere, probably to a team with plenty of picks to gamble with. The Eagles are just such a team.

CB Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

Charles Woodson is still chugging along, but Al Harris is in fullblown decline mode. Fresh blood is needed badly. If a CB is taken in round one, Navorro Bowman or Eric Norwood makes sense here.

S Nate Allen, South Florida

Going DB-DB is unorthodox, but the Ravens secondary needs that much new talent. Allen is an upgrade over Dawan Landry at worst, and a replacement for Ed Reed at best. A TE is a possibility here as well, but there will be later options.

OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina

Sean Lee on the inside makes sense as well, but the Cardinals need more passrushers. Norwood gets after the quarterback, and is a fiery leader to boot.

WR Damian Williams, USC

They’d love Nate Allen, but he’s probably not there. Adding a partner for Miles Austin is another big priority.

(from San Diego)

RB Joe McKnight, USC

They need another ballcarrier in Seattle, and it’ll be hard for Carroll to resist one of his old favorites.

G Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts

Ducasse is a mauler who could even move out to RT, but wherever he lines up, he’ll instantly be the heir apparent to the aging Alan Faneca or Damien Woody.

S Major Wright, Florida

The Vikings don’t have many answers at safety. Wright gets lost in the shuffle of Florida defensive stars, but he’s a physical presence.

OLB/DE Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State

A classic tweener, he’s too small for DE but too big for OLB. They’ll find a spot for him in Indy, though, who needs more help for Dwight Freeney.

DT Cam Thomas, North Carolina

Thomas is big enough to handle a 3-4 NT role, but they’d love him in the Crescent City 4-3 anyway, as he’ll occupy blockers next to the smallish Sedrick Ellis.

Round Three should be up later today before the start of Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Check back at 6 pm.

Editor’s Note: Friend of M&A and creator of the all-important “Terriost Threat List”, TommieSmithJohnCarlos, wrote up a mock draft of how he thinks the 2010 NFL draft will shake out. This is the first round of three rounds previewed, which we’ll be running throughout the day.

QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Bradford is the solid #1 pick on the board, but is a far riskier selection than many people think.  There’s a real boom-bust potential there; he didn’t play in a pro-style offense or face elite competition (Big XII pass defenses are not as stout as often portrayed).  His adjustment curve to playing under center and reading NFL defenses is significant.  Still, Bradford has superior accuracy and an NFL arm and body.  Even though Suh or McCoy are far safer picks, Bradford’s great upside and the huge QB void in St. Louis makes him the selection.

DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Suh or McCoy?  It’s a good question.  McCoy is a bit more explosive and a better penetrator, but Suh is relentless and more stout at the point of attack.  It’s hard to go wrong with the two, but look for the Lions to prefer Suh’s physicality.  He’s also a little safer of the two.  There’s a big need at LT as well, so Okung is in play here, but he’s a distant third option behind the two defensive linemen.  Look for them to find line help further down the board.

DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

The Bucs are like the Lions; either top DT will work just fine.  I think they’d love McCoy a little more, though, as his game is very reminiscent of Warren Sapp’s classic 3-technique freight-train of interior chaos.  Either way, though, there’s a 99.99% chance that one (and only one) of those two DTs will still be on the board at #3, and a 99.99% chance that Tampa Bay takes the one that remains.

T Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

#4 is where things get interesting.  Now that the Skins have traded for Donovan McNabb, there’s no need to look Clausen here, but there are three different ways they could go with the pick:  Take an LT to replace Chris Samuels and protect their new investment; take Eric Berry to be the new defensive playmaker, or take C.J. Spiller to be the offensive spark plug (and Donovan’s new Brian Westbrook).  The need to upgrade the OL is the biggest one, so Okung is the pick.  However, with several other solid LT prospects on the board, trading down (and recouping some draft picks, which the Skins have a paucity of) is another real option.

S Eric Berry, Tennessee

The Chiefs are similar to the Redskins: they have their QB (more or less), have needs all over the roster on both sides of the ball, and should probably draft the best player available at the position of greatest impact.  Ed Reed ushered in the era of the playmaking centerfielder safety, and Eric Berry of the Vols has a similar skill set.  Berry would electrify the Chiefs defense and help the young KC cornerbacks.  An LT is a real possibility as well, like Bulaga, but ultimately Berry’s upside should be the tiebreaker.

T Bryan Bulaga, Iowa

Bulaga’s stock has risen and fallen all winter long, but oddly, not because of anything he’s done.  More directly, he’d been leapfrogged by more raw, developmental LT prospects like Anthony Davis and Bruce Campbell, but as the draft approached, the warts in their games (or more directly, technical skill and preparedness) moved to the forefront and they moved back behind Bulaga. What he’s been, start to finish, is a fundamentally sound, physically imposing blindside pass protector who would be a solid replacement for Walter Jones.  A must for Pete Carroll’s offensive overhaul.

RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson

The Browns are everywhere.  They’ve been linked to a DB forever, both Eric Berry (who may fall here, but probably doesn’t get past Seattle at #6) and Joe Haden (who keeps sliding due to sub-elite athleticism, despite having elite cover skills).  They need an edge rusher to replace Kamerion Wimbley  (and would have needed one even if Wimbley had been kept), so Derrick Morgan and Jason Pierre-Paul are possibilities.  Their twin QB acquisitions of Delhomme and Wallace are both stopgaps, so Clausen is a possibility, although Holmgren is more inclined to use a lower round pick on his QB of the future.  I see the Browns pulling a shocker, though, and taking Spiller, the premier offensive weapon in this draft class.  Pairing him with James Davis in the backfield would give the Browns offense a true home run threat.  Spiller’s drawn comparisons to Chris Johnson; while he’s not that good, he is good enough to be a better version of Steve Slaton or Leon Washington.

QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame

Surprise #2.  While Ol’ Man Davis still loves the ridiculous upside of Jamarcus Russell’s golden arm, the rest of the Raiders braintrust knows that the Silver and Black doesn’t have a real answer at the most important spot on the field, as evidenced by their pursuit of McNabb this off season.  In fact, the Raiders have two black holes at both of the two most important offensive spots (QB and LT), so a guy like Trent Williams or Anthony Davis would make a ton of sense, but the Raiders love making waves on draft day, and taking a QB of the future is something that Al Davis can be talked into.  Clausen doesn’t have a cannon like Russell did, but he’s very polished and already versed in under-center NFL offenses.  He’d be the best QB the organization had since Rich Gannon in his prime.

T Anthony Davis, Rutgers

Jason Peters hasn’t exactly set the world on fire as the Eagles LT, so you can kind of excuse the Bills for selling high on him, but his departure absolutely torpedoed any chance the Bills had of putting together a real offense last year.  Peters may not be a future Hall of Famer, but he played at a near Pro Bowl level.  The Bills #1 priority this draft must be plugging that LT void.  Luckily, there’s plenty of opportunity in this LT-deep draft pool.  Anthony Davis gets the edge over Trent Williams here as he’s a better fit on the left side; Williams is more in the Branden Albert mold (i.e., he’s elite on the right side, but just solid on the left side).  Davis has better footwork and athleticism. Davis slid on many boards due to character concerns, but he’s been solid in individual interviews and is rising again.

TRADED TO PITT BY JACKSONVILLE

CB Joe Haden, Florida

The Jags have been trying to sell this pick and move down to collect more ammunition seemingly forever; they’d love to take a safety but Berry will be gone by #10 and that’s too high for Thomas or Mays.  Ultimately, they may find a taker in a team that’s had a rough offseason and needs to make a good news splash on draft day.  The Steelers pick at #18 and have been linked to various interior OL prospects like Mike Iupati or Maurkice Pouncey, but their biggest draft need is at cornerback, where they’ve lacked an elite cover corner for most of the past decade.  Haden is the best CB in the class by far, and was initially a top 5 pick.  Getting him would be a coup for the Steelers, but they need to move up to get in front of the 49’ers to nab him.  There’s a decent trade potential here.  If the Jags stay put at #10, Derrick Morgan is probably the smart selection.

(From Chicago)

ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama

Dez Bryant makes a ton of sense here.  In fact, not taking him may be a big mistake; Josh McDaniels has seemingly gutted the Broncos offense by jettisoning first Jay Cutler and then Brandon Marshall.  Ultimately, though, if both Bryant and McClain are available at #11 (and they both should be), McClain is the likely selection.  The LB grouping in Denver is very thin; McClain is the point-of-attack tackler they need to shore up their putrid rush defense.  There will be decent WR prospects available in the second and third round; the same can’t be said about the ILB market.

DT Dan Williams, Tennessee

Trading two second rounders for Brandon Marshall was a win-win for the Miami Marine Mammals; first, they plugged the WR hole they’ve had since, um… forever; secondly, they got rid of two draft picks that they probably would have blown on horrible overdrafts anyway.  (I kid, I kid).  Eliminating the WR need allows the Fish to take the nose tackle they need; Jason Ferguson is on his last legs (and is suspended for half of the year anyway).  Williams is a man-mountain from Tennessee in the mold of Big John Henderson.  A perfect fit.  The only other likely option would be one of the two DE/OLB prospects (Morgan or Pierre-Paul) since the cupboard at edge rusher is pretty bare.

T Trent Williams, Oklahoma

The 49’ers would be ecstatic to see Trent Williams still on the board at #13, and I think that will happen.  Many mocks have Williams much higher, in front of guys like Bulaga and Davis, but Williams just can’t match their foot quickness and athleticism, which means an eventual move to RT is likely.  San Francisco wouldn’t complain about that at all; they already have Joe Staley on the left side and need an RT more than an LT anyway.  If either Joe Haden or C.J. Spiller are still there at #13, the Niners would gobble them up, but of those three targets, I think Williams is the most likely to slide down the board.  If all three guys (Williams, Haden, Spiller) are gone, Sergio Kindle would make sense.

(from Denver)

DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech

Another team thrilled to see a potential top-10 pick still available in the teens.  Dez Bryant would be a possibility with either of Seattle’s first rounders, as would C.J. Spiller, but I think the fans in the Northwest Coast would be very happy to get a stud LT and a stud DE in this draft to jumpstart both the offensive and defensive rebuilding projects.  If Seattle doesn’t go Bulaga (or some other LT) at #6, then Bruce Campbell would be a solid pick here at #14.

DE/OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida

The Giants need an ILB in the worst way, and would target Rolando McClain, but he just won’t be there at #15.  They may move up to take him, but need to leapfrog the Broncos, and that’s probably just too rich a price to pay for a team that has needs at multiple spots.  JPP is an elite passrusher and would form a solid bookend with Justin Tuck and free the team to trade the disgruntled Osi Umenyiora.  S Earl Thomas is also a very real possibility here, even though the team brought in Antrel Rolle, as Deon Grant is just a backup and Kenny Phillips is a medical question mark.  Mike Iupati or Maurkice Pouncey also make a lot of sense.

DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan

The Titans would be disappointed to see both of their top two DE targets off the board immediately before their pick, but Brandon Graham is a great consolation prize.  He’s smaller than Morgan and JPP, but has a better motor and is super-productive.  The Titans are basically locked into DE or CB, as none of the other team needs are pressing enough to justify reaching for.  Haden, Morgan, or Pierre-Paul would be preferred, but Graham isn’t a big drop below them.

(from Carolina)

OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas

Kindle is a solid value for the 49’ers at #17.  With their tackle hole plugged at #13 and no other super-pressing needs, San Fran can look for the best player available, and Kindle fits that bill.  He’s an elite passrusher who should be able to handle the move to 3-4 OLB with aplomb.  Kindle’s Texas teammate Earl Thomas would also be an excellent pick here, as his ability to be a QB for the defense would dramatically upgrade a lackluster SF safety corps.

TRADED TO BY PITT

S Earl Thomas, Texas

That worked out pretty well, didn’t it?  The Jags would love to end up with Earl Thomas, but doing it at #18 instead of #10 not only saves money, it adds draft picks as well.  Thomas is a very heady safety who plays the pass as well as the run; he’d mask some of Reggie Nelson’s flaws and solidify the Jags shaky pass defense.

G Mike Iupati, Idaho

The Falcons OL is still pretty lackluster, and Iupati brings a great mean streak and physicality to the middle of the line.  Just what Michael Turner needs to regain top form (and what Matt Ryan needs to remain upright).  Sean Weatherspoon is a possibility here, but it’s still a little high for him.

CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State

He’s everything that Dunta Robinson is (a great, physical cover corner who plays with a chip in his shoulder) and everything that Dunta Robinson isn’t (overpaid, disgruntled, and not quite as good as he thinks he is.)  Houston needs better DB’s to keep pace with the Peyton Manning show, and Wilson is the key move in that upgrade.

WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State

Seems like a dream scenario.  Bryant fits at probably any of the previous 10 picks, but more pressing team needs allows him to fall right to the Bengals, who still need more passing weapons.  Yes, they have Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant, and oodles of fringy guys behind them, but none of them are game-breakers in their prime.  Bryant is.  If he’s still there at #21, this pick is a lock.  If Bryant is gone, Earl Thomas, Taylor Mays, Sean Weatherspoon, and Jerry Hughes are solid options.

TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma

Maurkice Pouncey would be the smarter pick, IMO, but the Pats have enough picks to play around with that they can afford to gamble on the upside of Gresham.  If healthy, he’s a great vertical threat from the TE spot; he’s also sure handed enough to take the underneath dig routes that Wes Welker specialized in if Welker can’t make it all the way back.  The Pats TE cupboard is bare and the WR corps is aging rapidly; Gresham has the hybrid ability to play all over the passing tree and help both groups.  Jerry Hughes also makes sense here, but just like Pouncey, there will be similar guys available in the second and third rounds; there’s only one Gresham.

DE/OLB Jerry Hughes, TCU

Clay Matthews has been a revelation.  Unfortunately, Brady Poppinga on the other side… much less so.  If an LT fell here, the Pack would be interested (even after re-upping with Clifton and Tauscher), but since none of the Big 4 will slide to #23, Green Bay needs to add another playmaker to the front seven.  Hughes is explosive and productive, and a solid pick at #23.  Bruce Campbell or Taylor Mays are also solid possibilities, as is a cornerback like Kareem Jackson.

C/G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

Sean Weatherspoon is a very real possibility here, but the acquisition of Ernie Sims to play the weakside makes that priority a bit smaller.  Next on the Eagles checklist is probably DE, but there’s not much on the board there, so taking the best and most flexible interior line prospect is a no-brainer.  Pouncey was the key cog in Tim Tebow’s churning ground game at Florida, and the Eagles interior line has been a bit of a jumble recently.  Besides Pouncey (or Iupati if he’s there) and Witherspoon, Taylor Mays also makes sense.

CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama

The Ravens are candidates to trade down, but exactly what team would be trading up for what player is murkier.  Let’s leave Baltimore on the board at #25 and give them their biggest need in a top-flight cover corner.  Jackson came on nicely throughout the 2009 season and held his own against elite SEC wideouts.  Gresham is a possibility if he slides, and Demariyus Thomas would be a great developmental weapon for Joe Flacco, but the CB need is the biggest one.

T Bruce Campbell, Maryland

Campbell’s amazing combine performance was a balloon that was destined to burst eventually, but he’s still a very tantalizing LT prospect with far more upside than the second-level tackles like Charles Brown and Roger Saffold.  The Cardinals biggest needs are at both inside and outside linebacker, but there’s not many good prospects on the board at this point.  They’d love to see Jerry Hughes slide (which is a big possibility, as the Packers are a wildcard), but if he’s gone, upgrading the aging offensive line is a good fallback.

T Charles Brown, USC

The Boys make claims that the recent waivers of Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin don’t necessarily mean that the team is targeting their replacements in the draft, and they’re telling the truth… sort of.  Truth is, they were looking at LT and S upgrades whether they kept Adams and Hamlin or not.  Charles Brown is a technicially gifted LT prospect, and would allow them to move Doug Free back inside where he probably belongs anyway.  A 3-4 DE like Jared Odrick makes sense here, as does lanky WR Demariyus Thomas.

RB Ryan Matthews, Fresno State

Matthews has been plugged here for months, and with good reason.  He’s the clear-cut #2 RB in the class behind Spiller, but heads and shoulders above the third-level RB options.  He’s a fine heir to Tomlinson in Ron Burgundy’s favorite city.  The only other need as pressing as RB is NT, but Terrence Cody has far too much bust potential to go here.

DE/DT Jared Odrick, Penn State

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DT Brian Price, UCLA

The Vikings would probably love a CB here, but after Haden, Wilson, and Jackson are gone, there’s not really a CB worthy of the #30 pick.  The second priority of the Vikes is getting fresh blood at DT, where the Williams non-twins are getting up there in age (and in NFL StarCaps investigations, for that matter).  Price is a solid DT prospect who had been as high as top-15 in mocks before his Pro Day antics where he didn’t show up, but he’s quelled many teams’ fears and is a solid first rounder again.  Getting him at #30 is a great choice.

T Roger Saffold, Indiana

The Colts offensive line has deteriorated rapidly.  With Tarik Glenn’s departure, the team tried to upgrade on the cheap with developmental guys like Tony Ugoh and retreads like Charlie Johnson, but not much has worked.  Outside of aging Jeff Saturday, there’s not much talent left there.  Not a good recipe for a team that lives and dies with Peyton Manning, who isn’t the most mobile of quarterbacks.  Saffold would be the seventh tackle taken in the first round, but he’s a legit LT prospect with the footwork to stay there in the pros.  He’s a must.  Another possibility is Tyson Alualu.

OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

Weatherspoon has been projected as high as the mid-teens, but if he gets past the Eagles at #24 (which is likely now with the Ernie Sims acquisition), he’ll probably slide all the way down the board as a spate of 3-4 teams pass on him as an poor fit for their scheme.   Nothing would please the defending champs more than seeing his name on the board here.  If he’s gone, Daryl Washington of TCU is a nice fallback, as is whatever DB slides to the bottom of the round, like Devin McCourty or Taylor Mays.  Also, don’t discount another DL prospect like Everson Griffen, Tyson Alualu, or Carlos Dunlap.  Plenty of ways for the Saints to add a solid defensive player here.

Check back at the conclusion of tonight’s first round (7:30 on ESPN) to see how TSJC’s predictions hold up. Make sure to stick around to see his shot at the second and third rounds!

The fascination with Tim Tebow is simply amazing to follow, and it certainly won’t end when he is drafted sometime in next weeks NFL Draft.  I have gone back and forth on what kind of player Tebow will be in the pros, and would I want to see him on the Patriots.  I have no answer for #1, and yet I, for some reason, want the Pats to pick him up.

My reason for wanting Tebow comes down to one word: Belichick.  Now I don’t buy all of the hype and praise Belichick has been throwing his way, Belichick never says anything without a meaning behind it.  There are a ton of different conspiracy theories behind his praise of Tebow, none of which are probably true.  I have no idea if Belichick would even think of drafting Tebow, but if he does, I will embrace the pick fully.

In Bill I trust.  I know the Patriots have made their share of mistakes through the years in personnel, as all teams do.  Adalius Thomas, Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, just to name a few.  Ok, he’s not perfect.  Where Belichick has done great as a talent evaluator, and a coach, is with the draft reaches and projects he’s taken.  Who can forget Mel Kiper Jr. scoffing when the Pats selected Logan Mankins in the 1^st round, when everyone had him graded out as a 3^rd rounder?  Redraft today, and Mankins is a top 10 pick.  How about last years draft, when the Pats selected Sebastian Vollmer in the 2^nd round? While the Mankins pick probably quelled some of the criticism of the Vollmer pick, who the hell was Sebastian Vollmer?  He wasn’t even good enough to get invited to the NFL Combine, yet Belichick “reached” for this project, who once selected, everyone figured would take 2-3 years to possibly develop.  Of course Vollmer got a ton of time as a rookie, and is unquestionably the future left tackle of the Pats.  How about, in the same draft, taking QB Julian Edelman in the 7^th round?  Edelman was considered likely to be a rookie free agent, and the Pats scooped him up.  Lacking QB size and arm strength, the Patriots surely had their Wildcat QB to catch up with the rest of the league, right?  Wrong, they ran one trick play all year that involved Edelman. Instead they immersed him as a WR, and he quickly (and amazingly) developed from small school QB to legit NFL receiver as a rookie.  Another success of Belichick is Stephen Neal.  Neal didn’t play college football.  Neal was instead a championship wrestler.  He won the Dan Hodge award (wrestling’s Heisman) and beat future WWE and UFC star Brock Lesnar for the NCAA title.  Belichick figured he could turn him into a football player, and 78 games (and 73 starts) later, I’d say Belichick hit again.

What position will Tebow play?  I don’t know, and I don’t really care.  If Belichick thinks he can be a good football player, he’ll find a spot for him.  Unless someone jumps on the Tebow bandwagon and takes him in the top 20, the Pats are in a prime spot to land Tebow.  With 4 picks in the top 53, not only are they in position to get him, but they are in position to move up (or back) to get him if necessary.  I doubt the Pats are even considering Tebow, and I certainly won’t be upset if they pass on him, even if he’s there at #53.  For whatever reason however, I really want to see Tebow come to the Pats, not necessarily to see what Tebow can do in the NFL, but more to see what Belichick can do to turn Tebow into an NFL player.  Come Thursday or Friday, Tebow won’t be a Patriot, and I’ll only have to wonder what could have been.  But if the Pats take that plunge, expect the unexpected when it comes to Tim Tebow as an NFL player.