2010 NFL Draft First Round Review

The first round of the NFL Draft is now complete, and it had its share of surprises. My 2010 NFL Mock Draft didn't even come close to panning out as predicted. It doesn't take much when trades are made, but let's recap what happened on the first day.

1. St. Louis Rams select Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford
This was a no-brainer after all the signs pointed to the Rams selecting Bradford here.

2. Detroit Lions select Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
I had Suh going to the Lions, and they took the best player in my mind in this draft.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy
Knowing Suh was gone, McCoy was the obvious selection as he will be counted on to do what Warren Sapp did for them before.

4. Washington Redskins select Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams
I did have Russell Okung going here, but they do get a much needed tackle that will help a bad offensive line.

5. Kansas City Chiefs select Tennessee safety Eric Berry
I thought the Chiefs would go with a tackle at this spot, but the Chiefs addressed a need in their secondary here.

6. Seattle Seahawks select Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung
I had Trent Williams going here, and Okung fell to Seattle making him their selection as the Seahawks had to address the offensive line.

7. Cleveland Browns select Florida cornerback Joe Haden
This is a spot I had Eric Berry going at or quarterback Jimmy Clausen. But Haden is definitely worth the selection at this spot.

8. Oakland Raiders select Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain
Anything can happen with the Raiders, and McClain was a little bit of a surprise to me since I thought a tackle would be the selection here. McClain will be a solid linebacker in the league.

9. Buffalo Bills select Clemson running back C.J. Spiller
I thought they would go for Clausen here after Cleveland and Oakland passed on him. Spiller is a great talent and pick for Chan Gailey.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars California defensive tackle Tyson Alualu
This was definitely the shocker of the draft at this point. Like most, I didn't have Alualu going in the first round. Jacksonville doesn't pick again until the middle of Round 3, which is why I was shocked they reached here for Alualu.

11. San Francisco 49ers(pick from Denver) select Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis
Denver traded back, and the 49ers addressed the tackle position as expected with Davis. Davis has had character issues, but he can develop into a solid tackle in this league.

12. San Diego Chargers(pick from Miami) select Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews
The Chargers moved up and drafted Mathews here. I really think that Seattle would have likely taken Mathews at No. 14 since Spiller came off the board at No. 9.

13. Philadelphia Eagles(pick from Denver via San Francisco) select Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham
When I seen the Eagles move up, I immediately thought Earl Thomas was the selection. I did have Thomas being their selection at No. 24 where they came up from. I was a little shocked by the selection here.

14. Seattle Seahawks select Texas safety Earl Thomas
Thomas is such a versatile player in terms of coverage and run support, and he gives the Seahawks secondary a boost.

15. New York Giants select South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul
In my revised mock draft, this was the selection I had for the Giants. Pierre-Paul gives their defensive a big boost.

16. Tennessee Titans select Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan
This was another I picked right in my revised mock, and it makes sense for Tennessee since their defense declined in a big way in 2009.

17. San Francisco 49ers(pick from Denver) select Idaho guard Mike Iupati
In my original mock, Iupati was the pick for the 49ers. So San Francisco beefs up their offensive line with their two first round selections here.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers select Florida center Maurkice Pouncey
I was expecting the Steelers to address the secondary , but I really like the versatility of Pouncey since he has played guard before, too.

19. Atlanta Falcons select Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon
The Falcons needed help on their defensive line and linebacker group, and Weatherspoon makes sense. I had Brandon Graham going here, but he went earlier than I expected.

20. Houston Texans select Alabama defensive back Kareem Jackson
This comes as no surprise with Houston taking a cornerback considering they lost Daunte Robinson to Atlanta this off-season.

21. Cincinnati Bengals select Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham
Though the Bengals have needs on their defense, I thought a safety or defensive end would be their selection. Gresham does give Carson Palmer another weapon on offense.

22. Denver Broncos(pick from New England) select Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas
The actively trading Broncos get a wide receiver they wanted to replace Brandon Marshall. Thomas will have to adjust in this offense from the triple option they ran at Georgia Tech.

23. Green Bay Packers select Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga
I had the Packers taking a tackle, and never thought Bulaga would fall this far in the draft. The Packers get a solid value with Bulaga here.

24. Dallas Cowboys(pick from Philadelphia) select Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant
The Cowboys give Tony Romo another weapon, and a great value in Bryant who I think can contribute though it is rare for a rookie receiver.

25. Denver Broncos(pick from Baltimore) select Florida quarterback Tim Tebow
I thought the shocker was Jacksonville reaching for Alualu at No. 10, but this selection trumps that one. In fact, I think it might be safe to say that this draft will be remembered for this selection whether Tebow does well or not.

26. Arizona Cardinals select Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams
The Cardinals lost key players in the off-season, but Williams is another solid pick for them as he should contribute right away.

27. New England Patriots(pick from Dallas) select Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty
The Patriots had trouble in the secondary defending the pass last year, and that's why I like the McCourty pick.

28. Miami Dolphins(pick from San Diego) select Penn State defensive tackle Jason Oldrick
I had the Dolphins taking Williams at the No. 12 before the trade with the Chargers. Oldrick is a high effort defensive tackle which fits the mold of a Bill Parcells type of player.

29. New York Jets select Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson
This Jets defensive secondary is loaded with Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and now Wilson. Teams are going to have a tough time throwing the ball on this defense now. Their offense still needs help though.

30. Detroit Lions(pick from Minnesota) select California running back Jahvid Best
Best is great breakaway talent at running back despite his history of concussions. Still, the Lions get another weapon on their offense.

31. Indianapolis Colts select TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes
Hughes fits in very well for the Colts because of his strong pass rushing skills. Should Dwight Freeney stay healthy, this is a very nice 1-2 punch on the defensive front for the Colts.

32. New Orleans Saints select Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson
I had Robinson going to the Colts in my original mock draft. The Saints did give up yards in chunks last year, so this makes sense to address the secondary here.

The biggest shock of the day was without question when Tebow went to Denver at No. 25. The other shocker to me was quarterback Jimm Clausen not being drafted at all in day one considering most everyone expected him to go in the top 10. The Tebow selection and Clausen not being drafted in the first round will be talked about for quite sometime.

Sources: NFL.com Draft 2010, ESPN NFL Draft 2010