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It's safe to say we have a fair estimate on where most of the players are graded out by now. I decided it was as good of time as any to make my final mock in my three-part series. I do have some trades that I could see happening on draft day, and I kept the value as even as possible.
2010 Mock Draft:
Draft Day Trades:
-Broncos trade the #11 pick to the New England Patriot for the #22 overall pick, and #44 overall pick.
--> Reason: The Broncos have a pick in which has a ton of value for teams with needs at ILB, WR, OLB, and OT. I don't see the Broncos envisioning themselves as ILB-needy with Haggan moving over and appearing to fit that role better than OLB, and although I love Dez Bryant, I am not sold on the idea that McD will take a player like Dez who isn't a bad guy, but isn't the most intelligent individual. It's not the goofy personality that turns him off to Dez, it's the fact that he has never excelled in academics, something that we all know McD cherishes in a prospect. It makes sense for the Patriots as they have a surplus of picks in the first 2 rounds (4), and they also have a huge need for an OLB to add some pressure. Brandon Graham fits exactly what the Patriots want in a pass-rusher, and the Dolphins are likely to be targeting Graham at the #12 pick. It makes sense for both teams on paper.
-Broncos trade Brandon Marshall to the St. Louis Rams for the #33 overall pick and the #132 (5th round) overall pick.
--> Reason: The Broncos in essence get a first-round pick. In this draft, the top 45-50 players are graded out at what is of first-round value. The Rams are going to select Sam Bradford, and they know they immediately need to accrue some talent around him to catch the footballs he's throwing. The Broncos have made it clear Marshall can be had for the right price, and the Broncos view this as the best case-scenario in which they can get rid of Marshall for quality value. The Rams have plenty of money to throw at Bradford and Marshall, so it financially makes sense.
Now for the Draft:
1st Round #22 (From Patriots) - Maurkice Pouncey C/G Florida:
--> The values much better here, and I do foresee him lasting the latest until 31 (Indianapolis). He offers us an immediate starter at Center, and at the very worst at Guard in his rookie season (depending on the staffs view of Olsen at Center). Our biggest need is addressed by a guy who is the best at his position, and by a longshot.
2nd Round #33 (From Rams) - Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech:
--> I understand, it's like trading Marshall for an unproven rookie and a 5th round pick. But, we all know if he's going to be traded there's going to be a rookie replacing him. Demaryius Thomas is a guy who won't make a huge impact his rookie year. He's got a lot to learn in terms of route-running. But, he is a physical specimen who is fantastic at high-pointing and catching the ball, and he is a beast to get down on the ground. At the very least, he will be on the field as a #2 WR on the outside this year, and he should be able to excel at that. I would consider his rookie year to parallel Hakeem Nicks' of the New York Giants. He's eventually going to be an All-Pro talent in the NFL. He has all the tools, he's a great person, and once he gets the technical aspects of the NFL WR down, he will be a huge threat in the passing game. Thomas is a fringe 1st round talent, and has been mocked anywhere between the 21st pick to the 45th pick, I split the margin and put him landing here with us after the trade of Marshall.
2nd Round #44 (From Patriots) - Jahvid Best RB California:
--> Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Moreno, and I am certain he's going to be a star RB in this league. This pick is more of a move to assure that we still have playmakers on the offensive side of the ball with the departure (in this mock) of Marshall. It would provide us with a fantastic option out of the backfield as a homerun threat, and with McD loving to call screen passes, the split backfield of Moreno and Best would really put D's in a tough place in trying to guess where the screen pass will be going. Best would only get about 8-10 carries a game, but he would provide us with a huge weapon to use in our offense.
2nd Round #45 - Vladimir Ducasse OG/OT UMass
--> Our OL has little to no depth across the entire line. We lack depth at Guard, and especially at tackle. We all saw the decline in play after Harris went down at RT, and with Hochstein suffering a serious injury, it's anyone's guess if he will be able to recover enough to effective at his age. Ducasse makes sense because he could come in and compete right away at Guard with Olsen, and he also would in the long run with provide us with depth at RT as long as he can transition to the NFL game at RT. If not, we will at least have a very nice Guard that is athletic and strong at the point going forward. Versatility is huge with McD, and Ducasse is the epitome of versatility.
3rd Round #80 - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB IUP:
--> The situation in Denver would be absolutely perfect for Kwasi. He could really use a year to develop and learn the speed of the NFL coming out of the Division II ranks. His physical intangibles are very similar to Champ Bailey, and to learn under him would be hugely benefitial. He's got a ton of upside, and he could turn out to be one of the better CB prospects out of this draft when it's all said and done. I believe he has the potential to be the second-best CB in this draft behind Joe Haden looking back 2-3 years from now. The great thing about AOA is that he can come in and immediately be a force in the PR/KR game, as he was electric in college in that facet.
4th Round #114 - Arthur Jones DE/DT Syracuse:
--> I think the value makes sense here to go after a guy who was once considered a middle of the first round talent but saw a substantial slip due to his injury woes and scouts inability to see him whatsoever in the predraft process. What Jones would give us is a younger version of Jarvis Green. He's got the potential to be a DL in the 3-4 who can play the 5-tech, and also kick inside on obvious pass downs to give a push inside. He's got good upside, and he's a great person.
5th Round #132 - Antonio Brown WR - Central Michigan:
--> A well-rounded WR who brings value as a receiver and as a returner. He's widely regarded as a wonderful person, a true leader, and a humble guy. He runs crisp routes, has nice speed, and he can play on the outside effectively. His value as a WR and a kick returner make him a valuable selection with a bunch of upside.
#183 - George Selvie OLB USF:
--> Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Selvie, if he could have come out after his sophomore year would have been a sure-fire first round pick. But, after two years in which he saw countless protection schemes aimed at stopping him, he fell to the wayside as JPP took all the glory (and the sacks) while reaping the benefits. Selvie practiced as an OLB in drills during the Senior Bowl, and from all reports he looked very fluid. At this point, taking a chance on a guy who was once an unblockable force and having him as depth at OLB, it's a low risk high reward type deal.
#220 - Micah Johnson ILB Kentucky:
--> He was once a 4th round prospect with room to move upward. But, he was unable to really improve his stock and didn't show that he was healthy after his knee injury he suffered in Kentucky's bowl game (in the last 2 minutes no-less). When healthy, the guy is a tackling machine who is extremely aggressive in the hole. He doesn't wait back and allow the RB to close the gap on him, rather he closes the gap on the runners and delivers the blow. He's a big hitter, and he has shown the ability to be a nice playmaker. Taking a flier on him here is well worth it.
-----> With this draft, I met the major needs of the Broncos (C, G, CB, WR, CoP RB) with some very nice prospects who have the potential to contribute immediately. I added in quality depth at KR/PR, OLB, and ILB in the later rounds.
2010 Mock Draft:
Draft Day Trades:
-Broncos trade the #11 pick to the New England Patriot for the #22 overall pick, and #44 overall pick.
--> Reason: The Broncos have a pick in which has a ton of value for teams with needs at ILB, WR, OLB, and OT. I don't see the Broncos envisioning themselves as ILB-needy with Haggan moving over and appearing to fit that role better than OLB, and although I love Dez Bryant, I am not sold on the idea that McD will take a player like Dez who isn't a bad guy, but isn't the most intelligent individual. It's not the goofy personality that turns him off to Dez, it's the fact that he has never excelled in academics, something that we all know McD cherishes in a prospect. It makes sense for the Patriots as they have a surplus of picks in the first 2 rounds (4), and they also have a huge need for an OLB to add some pressure. Brandon Graham fits exactly what the Patriots want in a pass-rusher, and the Dolphins are likely to be targeting Graham at the #12 pick. It makes sense for both teams on paper.
-Broncos trade Brandon Marshall to the St. Louis Rams for the #33 overall pick and the #132 (5th round) overall pick.
--> Reason: The Broncos in essence get a first-round pick. In this draft, the top 45-50 players are graded out at what is of first-round value. The Rams are going to select Sam Bradford, and they know they immediately need to accrue some talent around him to catch the footballs he's throwing. The Broncos have made it clear Marshall can be had for the right price, and the Broncos view this as the best case-scenario in which they can get rid of Marshall for quality value. The Rams have plenty of money to throw at Bradford and Marshall, so it financially makes sense.
Now for the Draft:
1st Round #22 (From Patriots) - Maurkice Pouncey C/G Florida:
--> The values much better here, and I do foresee him lasting the latest until 31 (Indianapolis). He offers us an immediate starter at Center, and at the very worst at Guard in his rookie season (depending on the staffs view of Olsen at Center). Our biggest need is addressed by a guy who is the best at his position, and by a longshot.
2nd Round #33 (From Rams) - Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech:
--> I understand, it's like trading Marshall for an unproven rookie and a 5th round pick. But, we all know if he's going to be traded there's going to be a rookie replacing him. Demaryius Thomas is a guy who won't make a huge impact his rookie year. He's got a lot to learn in terms of route-running. But, he is a physical specimen who is fantastic at high-pointing and catching the ball, and he is a beast to get down on the ground. At the very least, he will be on the field as a #2 WR on the outside this year, and he should be able to excel at that. I would consider his rookie year to parallel Hakeem Nicks' of the New York Giants. He's eventually going to be an All-Pro talent in the NFL. He has all the tools, he's a great person, and once he gets the technical aspects of the NFL WR down, he will be a huge threat in the passing game. Thomas is a fringe 1st round talent, and has been mocked anywhere between the 21st pick to the 45th pick, I split the margin and put him landing here with us after the trade of Marshall.
2nd Round #44 (From Patriots) - Jahvid Best RB California:
--> Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Moreno, and I am certain he's going to be a star RB in this league. This pick is more of a move to assure that we still have playmakers on the offensive side of the ball with the departure (in this mock) of Marshall. It would provide us with a fantastic option out of the backfield as a homerun threat, and with McD loving to call screen passes, the split backfield of Moreno and Best would really put D's in a tough place in trying to guess where the screen pass will be going. Best would only get about 8-10 carries a game, but he would provide us with a huge weapon to use in our offense.
2nd Round #45 - Vladimir Ducasse OG/OT UMass
--> Our OL has little to no depth across the entire line. We lack depth at Guard, and especially at tackle. We all saw the decline in play after Harris went down at RT, and with Hochstein suffering a serious injury, it's anyone's guess if he will be able to recover enough to effective at his age. Ducasse makes sense because he could come in and compete right away at Guard with Olsen, and he also would in the long run with provide us with depth at RT as long as he can transition to the NFL game at RT. If not, we will at least have a very nice Guard that is athletic and strong at the point going forward. Versatility is huge with McD, and Ducasse is the epitome of versatility.
3rd Round #80 - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB IUP:
--> The situation in Denver would be absolutely perfect for Kwasi. He could really use a year to develop and learn the speed of the NFL coming out of the Division II ranks. His physical intangibles are very similar to Champ Bailey, and to learn under him would be hugely benefitial. He's got a ton of upside, and he could turn out to be one of the better CB prospects out of this draft when it's all said and done. I believe he has the potential to be the second-best CB in this draft behind Joe Haden looking back 2-3 years from now. The great thing about AOA is that he can come in and immediately be a force in the PR/KR game, as he was electric in college in that facet.
4th Round #114 - Arthur Jones DE/DT Syracuse:
--> I think the value makes sense here to go after a guy who was once considered a middle of the first round talent but saw a substantial slip due to his injury woes and scouts inability to see him whatsoever in the predraft process. What Jones would give us is a younger version of Jarvis Green. He's got the potential to be a DL in the 3-4 who can play the 5-tech, and also kick inside on obvious pass downs to give a push inside. He's got good upside, and he's a great person.
5th Round #132 - Antonio Brown WR - Central Michigan:
--> A well-rounded WR who brings value as a receiver and as a returner. He's widely regarded as a wonderful person, a true leader, and a humble guy. He runs crisp routes, has nice speed, and he can play on the outside effectively. His value as a WR and a kick returner make him a valuable selection with a bunch of upside.
#183 - George Selvie OLB USF:
--> Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Selvie, if he could have come out after his sophomore year would have been a sure-fire first round pick. But, after two years in which he saw countless protection schemes aimed at stopping him, he fell to the wayside as JPP took all the glory (and the sacks) while reaping the benefits. Selvie practiced as an OLB in drills during the Senior Bowl, and from all reports he looked very fluid. At this point, taking a chance on a guy who was once an unblockable force and having him as depth at OLB, it's a low risk high reward type deal.
#220 - Micah Johnson ILB Kentucky:
--> He was once a 4th round prospect with room to move upward. But, he was unable to really improve his stock and didn't show that he was healthy after his knee injury he suffered in Kentucky's bowl game (in the last 2 minutes no-less). When healthy, the guy is a tackling machine who is extremely aggressive in the hole. He doesn't wait back and allow the RB to close the gap on him, rather he closes the gap on the runners and delivers the blow. He's a big hitter, and he has shown the ability to be a nice playmaker. Taking a flier on him here is well worth it.
-----> With this draft, I met the major needs of the Broncos (C, G, CB, WR, CoP RB) with some very nice prospects who have the potential to contribute immediately. I added in quality depth at KR/PR, OLB, and ILB in the later rounds.
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