First Annual Wahooze NFL Mock Draft -- Round 1

You already know I’m a uniform dork and a recruiting nerd, so it should come as no shock to you that I’m also a huge, pimply, sniveling, coke bottle glasses-wearing, pocket-protected NFL draft geek.

With the draft set to launch in prime time this Thursday night, I thought it would be fun to unleash my little mock draft upon the unsuspecting denizens of Wahooze Nation.

I’ve tried to keep the explanations brief, and have avoided simulating any trades, as I think that just muddles the effort. Enjoy.

(Special thanks to my friends Nathan and Paul for their input into this mock draft. Thanks guys! It is hotly appreciated!)


Pick #1, St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Despite the rumors of the Browns trading up, this pick has been locked in for weeks. The Rams are finally going to land their franchise QB. I have my doubts about Bradford as the face of a franchise, but he does throw a pretty, accurate ball.

#2, Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
The Lions probably need a left tackle a bit more than a DT, but Suh – the best player in the draft – is too hard to pass up. With the quality o-line depth in this draft, the Lions can afford to wait at that position.

#3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Another pick that has been telegraphed for weeks. Apparently, the Bucs think McCoy is Warren Sapp v 2.0, and it's hard to find any negative pub about the guy.

#4, Washington Redskins – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
The Skins must rebuild the o-line in order to protect their investment in Donovan McNabb. Okung is the best tackle in a draft class loaded at the position.

#5, Kansas City Chiefs – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
The Chiefs need o-line help, but the game-changing playmaking ability of Berry is impossible to refuse here. Making this pick is especially delightful for the Chiefs, knowing how many teams covet Berry.

#6, Seattle Seahawks – Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa
The Seahawks desperately need to replace Walter Jones. Bulaga is another in a long, distinguished line of NFL-ready Iowa linemen developed under Kirk Ferentz. Bulaga has been slipping a little bit on draft boards late in the pre-draft process due to his short(ish) arms and perceived weakness against NFL-ready pass rushing talent (Brandon Graham), but he's still a top-of-the-draft type of talent.

#7, Cleveland Browns – Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The Browns will mourn the Chiefs’ pick of Berry at #5, but Thomas is a very nice consolation prize, and is probably more of a true safety.

#8, Oakland Raiders – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
This pick is a bit of a shocker, but it makes a lot of sense for four main reasons: 1) Al Davis never cares about off-field baggage, 2) Bryant’s size is a perfect complement to Darrius Heyward-Bey’s speed, 3) Bryant is probably the draft’s most purely talented receiver since Calvin Johnson, and Davis loves talent, and 4) drafting Bryant here potentially screws the hated Broncos three picks later... and Al Davis loves that!

#9, Buffalo Bills – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
I think the Bills will wait to fill their gaping hole at QB. Jimmy Clausen is just too risky, and Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow lurk later in the draft. The Bills will have options at that position in this draft, and they know it. Trent Williams is a physical stud and fills another huge hole for this team, one that won't be so easy to fill later.

#10, Jacksonville Jaguars – Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Jags need to improve their pass rush, but they have recently been burned by drafting defensive ends early. McClain is a superstar, and fills another big need for this team, both as a starting MLB and as a defensive leader.

#11, Denver Broncos – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
With Bryant and McClain off the board, the Broncos have to scramble a bit. They could consider Maurkice Pouncey or entertain offers to trade down. If they're stuck making the pick, the massive (6-2, 330) Williams makes sense. He provides a great anchor at nose tackle for a team building a bonafide 3-4 D.

#12, Miami Dolphins – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Here’s a bit of a first round surprise. The Dolphins opt to go “best player available” (BPA) and choose the explosive Spiller. With questions lingering around Ronnie Brown’s health and Ricky Williams' advancing age, the pick makes some sense.

#13, San Francisco 49ers – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
This pick fills a big hole at right tackle for the Niners. Davis is a great player, but projects more to right tackle in the pros, which is why he slips out of the top ten.

#14, Seattle Seahawks – Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
After replacing Walter Jones with Bulaga at #6, the Seahawks effectively replace Patrick Kerney with Morgan here.

#15, New York Giants – Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
This is a nice marriage of need and value for the G-Men. Odrick is a bit of a milquetoast pick, but he's a versatile player. You know that the Giants value d-line talent, and will always look to actively restock when the time comes.

#16, Tennessee Titans – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
JPP is raw, but he is extremely dynamic and explosive. With this pick, the Titans begin repairing their once-dominant pass rush.

#17, San Francisco 49ers – Joe Haden, CB, Florida
It’s a gift from the heavens for the Niners. No way should Haden slide this far… but he does… and they pounce.

#18, Pittsburgh Steelers – Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
An obvious choice for the Steelers. Iupati is a powerful, dominant run blocker who excels on the pull.

#19, Atlanta Falcons – Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan
Graham adds a nice piece to the pass rush puzzle for an improving Falcons defense. His draft stock is soaring right now, and might not last 'til pick #19 as teams could aggressively look to trade up to get him.

#20, Houston Texans – Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
The most complete workhorse-type back in the draft, the Texans improve their offense and defense by upgrading their running game.

#21, Cincinnati Bengals – Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
The Bengals opt for Gresham over the unrefined, potentially positionless Taylor Mays at this pick. This pick puts pressure on the team to [finally] integrate the tight end into the offense and help take pressure off of Carson Palmer.

#22, New England Patriots – Sergio Kindle, OLB/DE, Texas
The Pats manage to upgrade their flagging pass rush with the last elite-level edge rusher in this draft. Kindle is like the Brandon Graham consolation prize.

#23, Green Bay Packers – Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
The Pack has a need at cornerback, with their starters in advanced ages. The team is reportedly in love with McCourty, even if the pick is a slight reach at this spot. (Patrick Robinson and Kyle Wilson are ranked ahead of McCourty, but stubborn ol' Ted Thompson doesn't always follow conventional wisdom.)

#24, Philadelphia Eagles – Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
The run on corners begins in earnest, as the Eagles move to replace the departed Sheldon Brown.

#25, Baltimore Ravens – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington are both coming off knee surgery, and Wilson is a well-rounded, tough, Ravens-type defensive player. It all fits.

#26, Arizona Cardinals – Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
BPA for the Cardinals, but Weatherspoon also fills a bit of a need as the team attempts to fill the hole left by Karlos Dansby.

#27, Dallas Cowboys – Taylor Mays, S, USC
Mays might be a project, but Jerry Jones will never shy away from his type of talent, especially at a position of need.

#28, San Diego Chargers – Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
The Chargers prepare for life without Vincent Jackson (a free agent in ’11) by drafting his clone. Thomas is another hulking receiver with great deep speed. (The Bolts will be hoping that Ryan Mathews falls to #28, but if he doesn't, they'll wait until later to find their power back to complement Darren Sproles. No use making a massive reach here.)

#29, New York Jets – Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
After acquiring Santonio Holmes, this might look like an unnecessary flood at the WR position for the Jets. But Holmes and Braylon Edwards are only signed through 2010, and the team could be looking for a more long-term solution and a high-upside receiver to pair with Mark Sanchez.

#30, Minnesota Vikings – Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Many mocks you’ll see will have Jimmy Clausen here, but I don’t buy it. This team is on the precipice of a championship… no way they sink this first round pick into anything other than a player who can contribute early. Pouncey has the goods to step right in at any of the three interior line spots.

#31, Indianapolis Colts – Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
The Colts are trying to get bigger and stronger (and younger) along the o-line. Campbell is big and strong.

#32, New Orleans Saints – Jerry Hughes, LB/DE, TCU
The Saints need to add a bit more juice to the pass rush, and Hughes is a versatile player who can give them a lift in that department.


If the first round of the draft plays out this way, you can expect plenty of offers to head to St. Louis as QB-needy teams attempt to trade up in order to land Jimmy Clausen. Then again, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow are still lurking on the board, too.


Part II (2nd and 3rd round) coming soon!