Now that all 32 NFL teams have begun training camp, the annual ritual of unsigned draft pick hold outs has begun. Every snap that these rookies miss is a detriment to their potential contributions in 2010. Let’s take a look at the remaining unsigned picks from this April’s draft:

2. Ndamukong Suh DT Lions- With Bradford signed, and the 4th pick Trent Williams signed, it should be fairly easy for the Lions and Suh to come to terms fairly quickly. Especially when Mcoy is signed

6.Russell Okung OT Seahawks- With Joe Haden also holding out, it will difficult for Seattle to get Okung to sign. He may not sign until he knows what the pick below him will get.

7.Joe Haden CB Browns- Reports indicate that Haden is nowhere to be found near the Browns training camp, and that he is not close to signing.

9.C.J. Spiller RB Bills- The pick with the biggest potential fantasy football impact is also thought to be the player most likely to remain unsigned the longest. A long holdout could increase the value of Fred Jackson and possibly even Marshawn Lynch.

10.Tyson Alualu DT Jaguars- Considering what a shock it was to most people that he went this high in the draft, it is surprising that he hasn’t come to terms yet. Rumors are that he and the Jags are “making progress” towards a deal

12. Ryan Mathews RB Chargers- As high as  Mathews ADP has been so far in 2010, this is the pick that most fantasy football owners are watching the closest. With the two picks around him are signed, it should be relatively easy for the Chargers to iron out a deal soon.

14. Earl Thomas FS Seahawks- The second of Seattle’s 2 first rounders unsigned is also the first of 2 remaining unsigned picks from the University of Texas.

15. Jason Pierre-Paul DE Giants- JPP is more  likely to wait and see what happens at 14 and 16 rather than “set the market” by taking a deal

16. Derrick Morgan DE Titans- With Damian Williams signing, Tennessee is expect to come to terms with Morgan Saturday.

21. Jermaine Gresham TE Bengals- After signing Terrell Owens, this is exactly what Cincinnati needs: another athletic pass catcher to stretch defenses.

22. Demaryius Thomas WR Broncos- Has big shoes to fill as he attempts to step in and make Broncos fans forget about Brandon Marshall. Talks between his agent and Denver ongoing.

26. Dan Williams DT Cardinals- All the picks near him have signed, and are already practicing. It should be easy for Arizona to get him onto the field soon.

29. Kyle Wilson CB Jets- Many considered Wilson the top corner in the 2010 NFL draft. Perhaps he’s holding out to get paid accordingly. Reports indicate a deal is in place, and is expected to be signed today.

31. Jerry Hughes DE Colts- Another issue where the picks around you have signed. No deal seems to be imminent as of yet.

43. Sergio Kindle OLB Ravens- The once mighty Ravens defense is reeling. Kindle was injured in a fall down two flights of stairs that resulting in him having a fractured skull. No word on when he might begin practicing with the team.

46. Linval Joseph DT Giants- New York must be fairly confident that the latest pick to holdout from the 2010 NFL draft will sign soon. They have already left a roster spot open for Joseph and  JPP.

Collegiate NFL Prospects

No genuine college football fan watches games on Saturdays worrying about the player’s chances for future Sundays. But still, much like anything with fantasy football, it adds another layer of appreciation to the college game, specifically for those of you who refuse to take it seriously because of its illogical post-season format and/or you’re from the northeast. Without further ado, here are seven almost randomly selected NFL prospects to keep your eye on for the 2011 and 2012 fantasy seasons, because you never want to be the last man to a party.

Ryan Mallett – I have to admit, my undying admiration for Ryan Mallett probably stems from his transferring out of Michigan when Rich Rodriguez came to town. For that alone, he will always hold a special place in my heart. But if you don’t believe me, take into consideration some of Arkansas performances last season (specifically Georgia, Florida, LSU and Auburn), then look at his numbers and take a gander at some of his teammates, and it’s increasingly difficult to believe he accomplished the latter with the former. With any other quarterback in the country starting for them, one could argue that Arkansas would have gone damn near winless in the SEC. In short at 6’7 with a rocket arm and laser precision, I can understand why Rich Rod thought he was expendable. If I’m a Browns fan, this 2010 season just became tank-worthy.

Mark Ingram – Quite possibly one of the more overrated players in the country, but you win the Heisman as a Sophomore running back and you’re the first Alabama player in school history to be awarded the coveted trophy, you make “future NFL Prospects” list. That’s just how it works. As we all know, for running backs (and really any skill position) performance is all circumstantial. The best chance he has at having an immediate fantasy impact is to be drafted late in the first round by a team that already has some pieces in place (think Chris Johnson), but that’s unlikely to happen.

If anything he will go top ten to a perennial bottom feeder, demonstrate his future worth in a few breakout games and put on a bunch of unnecessary miles for a four or five win team, all while risking injury in what amounts to meaningless regular season games. Running back is the one position where quantity of touches isn’t nearly as important as quality to the player, at least in terms of prolonging a successful career. For fantasy, quantity is necessary, but if a guy’s getting 2.5 yards every carry, he’s not going to have much of an impact and you’ll probably be kicking yourself for drafting him. His potential is there, but I worry about his big play ability being able to sustain his career in his first couple season’s in the league. There are very few Stephen Jackson’s in the world, and that’s essentially what he’ll have to be.

Julio Jones – This is actually my favorite NFL protege coming out of our current national champion (kill me now). For now, I’ll let this melodramatic highlight reel speak for itself. Seriously, he’s Tyrone Prothro without the torture-porn leg injury. For their sake, hopefully Jones will be available to one of the teams from this post in 2011’s draft.

A.J Green – At some point I swear we’ll highlight a non-SEC player, though if this entire article was exlusively players from the Southeastern conference, it would be an accurate reflection of the college football landscape. Anyhow, Green is out of Georgia, and man did he pick a bad time of the century to become a bulldog. No David Greene, DJ Shockley or Matt Stafford throwing to him for his sophomore or junior seasons. You could see the frustration on his face every time a play was botched last season. It was like watching LeBron James every time Mo Williams drove in the Boston series. As for Green, I actually prefer his skill-set over Julio Jones’, and will again let a highlight reel do the talking for me.

Matt Barkley – He isn’t eligible for the draft (or a bowl game) next season, but he kept an often erratic offense poised for much of 2009, and had one of the better freshman campaigns I can remember at quarterback. Everyone outside of SoCal and whichever team ends up drafting him will be rooting for his failure, and no respectable fantasy football player drafts a rookie quarterback for anything other reason than they waited too long to draft a backup QB, your league is too deep and/or they’re a complete moron and you need to make some new friends; but come his third or potentially even his second season with the Raiders (this is a guess, but not a very far-fetched one), Barkley will be a second or third round pick.

Noel Devine – Ahh, the last noteworthy vestige of Rich Rodriguez in West Virginia other than pending lawsuits. Mind you, this was one of the more dominant eras in Mountaineer history, and they couldn’t beat a sub-par Pitt team to go to the national title. Believe me, as an OSU fan, I would have much preferred playing them to LSU (though we probably still would have lost). Anyway, I think that’s enough Rich Rodriguez bashing for one post, let me say something positive about Morgantown: the one position they’ve always been predictably efficient at is running back, Since 1970 WVU has produced 23 NFL caliber running backs, and Noel is no different; even if his name would suggest a song-and-dance thespian on Broadway over a college football running back with blinding quickness. Remember what I said about the unfortunate likelihood of Mark Ingram being drafted to early? Devine doesn’t have any such concerns. He should go to a contender and immediately begin getting carries.

DeMarco Murray – Remember when this guy was the proverbial bee’s knees his freshman season? He’s kind of off the radar now after a Sooner season that was ruined by Sam Bradford’s shattered shoulder from a fairly standard collegiate football tackle (if you can’t tell, I’m highly skeptical of his NFL chances). Between Bradford’s Mr. Glass routine and the worst offensive line in Norman this decade, Murray didn’t stand much of a chance at accumulating numbers. Still, this doesn’t change the fact that his physical stats and impressive freshman campaign are reminiscent of virtually every other top-tier high profile tailback coming out of college. It wasn’t that long ago when people were asking if Murray was a better runner than Adrian Peterson, other than surroundings and time, I’m not sure what else has changed.

The 2010 draft is one which pundits continuously called “the deepest” in years. Whether or not it truly is, only time will tell. However, in this depth I noticed something interesting, that astonishingly five safeties were taken within the first two rounds (a position not usually so highly coveted in the draft). Tennessee’s Eric Berry, Texas’ Earl Thomas, South Florida’s Nate Allen, Oregon’s T.J. Ward, and USC’s Taylor Mays all bring unique skill sets with them to the NFL. Let’s take a look at what these specific skills are.

Eric Berry 6’0″ 211 lbs. Kansas City Chiefs. Round 1, Pick 5

In Berry the Chiefs have found themselves an elite player. It’s hard to find one thing not to like about Berry, he hits with incredible force, is vicious, has fantastic coverage skills and terrific instincts, and simply is a flat out playmaker. Many critics say Berryhas maxed out his frame, however within the last few weeks (from the combine on) Berry has shot from 195 lbs. to 211 lbs. so this criticism may not be a concern. Improvement could be made on the angles in which he takes to the ball carrier, but all in all Berry is a stud.

Earl Thomas 5’10″ 197 lbs. Seattle Seahawks. Round 1, Pick 14

Thomas was an incredible player at the collegiate level, last season he recorded one of the best seasons for a defensive back ever in Texas history with 77 tackles, 8 interceptions, 16 breakups on 24 passes defended and five tackles for a loss. Thomas is without a doubt a ballhawk, some have even said he has the skills to play CB at the NFL level.  Upper body strength may be an issue for Thomas; at 197 lbs he has average to below average weight for the position.

Nate Allen 6’0″ 207 lbs. Philadelphia Eagles. Round 2, Pick 5

Nate Allen being selected before USC’s Taylor Mays may have been a shock to some, although Allen is a highly underrated athlete. He has great height with adequate bulk, he is a physical tackler who has the ability to shut down plays easily, and has a fantastic ability to recognize offensive routes. Allen is however primarily a run stopping safety, he tends to get caught with his eyes in the backfield and must work more on his man coverage skills in order to succeed. He is a vocal team leader that just maybe has the ability to fill the void left by Brian Dawkins.

T.J. Ward 5’10″ 211 lbs. Cleveland Browns. Round 2, Pick 6

With Taylor Mays still waiting in the folds, Cleveland opted to pass up the opportunity to draft him in favor of T.J. Ward. Ward is a powerful tackler who rarely shies away from delivering the knock-out blow.  As a former cornerback Ward has a wealth of experience in pass coverage, but mainly excels in zone. Ward has the ability to play both FS and SS due to his strength. Though a key concern with Ward is his durability, he has already undergone two major knee surgeries.

Taylor Mays 6’3″ 230 lbs. San Francisco 49ers. Round 2, Pick 17

Taylor Mays is a creature in peak physical condition; if you haven’t seen game tape of him just yet, it’s about time to fire up some YouTube. Not only is he so large, he also has the ability to run a 4.3 40 yard dash, a speed terrifying for a safety. He is a violent hitter who will consistently punish players who dare to come across the middle of the field. Mays is however not fantastic in coverage, at USC he relied primarily on his size to make plays, something that surely won’t help him in the NFL. He lacks elite hip fluidity and change of direction which should make it difficult to keep up with most NFL WR’s in man to man coverage. Mays is often described as a “linebacker who plays 20-30 yards off the line of scrimmage”. It’s likely he continues to play safety, but considering his size, the transition is always an option if he cannot succeed.

This has been the week everyone compiles their “know it all”  NFL draft scores, and we’re all supposed to listen up.

I don’t know about you, but we’ve grown tired of the same old  A-B-C ‘s. Your favorite team gets an “A” with one guy and a “C+” with the next, so who’s right and who’s wrong? It’s all personal opinion.

Sure, there are some obvious reaches and steals, but Gridiron Experts is going to try to give you our insight using something you can relate to: relevant NFL terminology. Hopefully this tides you over until we kick off our NFL team off-season pages.

Seattle Seahawks
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Playaction Pass, Defense bites… Touchdown
Best Pick: OT Russell Okung-  Instant starter
Fantasy Watch: WR Golden Tate- Should have a big year in  Seattle
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Pete Carrol’s little happy dance  where he pretends to punch one of his coaches in the gut while he was on the phone. That and walking away with 3 first round grade players in our books.
Summary: It’s hard to go wrong with two first round picks, but Seattle made the most of every pick, gaining excellent value on each of the 3 days.

New England Patriots
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Brady Threads the Needle,  Easy Score
Best Pick: CB Devin McCourty- Will fit well into New England’s system
Fantasy Watch: TE Aaron Hernandez- Playmaker, better receiver than blocker
Reach: WR Taylor Price- Not a bad pick, but a little high.
Highlight of the Draft: Loading up on quality players this year, and extra picks for next year.
Summary: Nothing flashy, but a very solid underrated draft class. While big names make easy headlines, the Pat’s do what they do best, quietly re-build the powerhouse.

Oakland Raiders
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Smart, Patient, 2 Minute Drive to Win
Best Pick: LB Rolando McClain- Fills a huge need for the Silver & Black
Fantasy Watch: RB Darren McFadden- With 2 new OT’s the Raiders run game should improve
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Waiting until day 3 to select B. Campbell and J. Ford. Not splurging on the sexy pick in the 1st round and taking care of business.
Summary: We’re proud of the Raiders, they’re usually the most clumsy of all NFL clubs on draft day. But this year Oakland proved to everyone they did their homework. The trade for Jason Campbell is the cherry on top, probably the Raiders best draft in the last decade.

San Fransico 49er’s
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: 40 Yard Gash Up The Gut For Six
Best Pick: G Mike Iupati- The running game should be a defensive nightmare
Fantasy Watch: RB Frank Gore  should return to the spotlight.
Reach: LB Navorro Bowman- could have found better value in the 3rd round
Highlight of the Draft: It’s hard to screw up a draft with two first round players, but the 49er’s and Seahawks extended past day one into finding excellent value.
Summary: Both 1st round picks went to rebuilding the front line. Fans may be bummed about not grabbing any big name play makers, but the size and strength added by these power pigs will be a life saver throughout the season.

Detroit Lions
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: SUH-weet Pass Rush Forces Turnover For  Score
Best Pick: DT Ndamukong Suh- Future Pro Bowler
Fantasy Watch: RB  Jahvid Best- Risk vs. reward, but has the make-up to become a star.
Reach: none…maybe CB Amari Spievey, but he fits their system
Highlight of the Draft: Not being laughed at for taking a receiver in the first round.
Summary: To say the Lions couldn’t screw up the position they were in is ridiculous, its Detroit! But the Lions look to have finally broken the curse.

Baltimore Ravens
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Blitzing Defense Sacks QB For Safety Dance
Best Pick: DT Terrence Cody- They now have one of the biggest defensive lines in the NFL.
Fantasy Watch: TE Ed Dickson- Heap is always getting hurt, the Duck will fly as a Raven
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Trading down to acquire more picks, the Ravens scouted the core of this draft better than most.
Summary: The Ravens add a huge DT buddy to pair up with Haloti Ngata, while adding TE depth to pressure Heap to play up to his ability. The Ravens look to be near complete as far as a team on track to make a Super Bowl run, now can this “looks good on paper” roster translate into stardom on-field.

Green Bay Packers
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: 3rd & Long, Rodgers Has All Day To Throw….Easy First Down
Best Pick: OT Bryan Bulaga- Fills a huge need on the offense and starts right away.
Fantasy Watch: QB Aaron Rodger’s stock gets a boost in our opinion.
Reach: none.
Highlight of the Draft: Staying put at pick 23 and selecting an OT that we had ranked in the top 10.

Atlanta Falcons
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Falcons Execute Tough Play, Everyone Steps Up
Best Pick: LB Sean Weatherspoon- The Falcons went after all their needs
Fantasy Watch: None
Reach: Corey Peters- 3rd round pick went a little high, but Falcons got their guy
Summary: You’re only as strong as your weakest link; the Falcons repaired a few roster spots that had been holding them back last season.

Cincinnati Bengals 
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: One Handed Catch, Nice Grab
Best Pick: TE Jermaine Gresham
Fantasy Watch: Jermaine Gresham- should be a valuable TE option this year
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: selecting Geno Atkins, a much-needed DT in the 4th round

Houston Texans
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Texan CB Jumps The Route, Interception
Best Pick: CB Kareem Jackson- Instant starter
Fantasy Watch: RB Ben Tate- Good size and underrated skills should make him a summer buzz player
Reach: Kareem Jackson- Despite being a great addition, the Texans could have got him a little later. Better safe than sorry, we guess.
Highlight of the Draft: Drafting TE Garrett Graham, to be the Owen Daniels hold-out safety net.
Summary: The Texans were heavy favorites to select one of the two favored RB’s Spiller or Mathews, but after the Bills and Chargers snagged them early, the Texans game plan changed. Overall the Texans walked away with a solid draft class.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: QB buys time, Big Screen Play For 50 Yards
Best Pick: DE Gerald McCoy- Should make a huge difference for the Buc’s in 2010.
Fantasy Watch: WR Mike Williams- Heading into camp with low expectations
Reach: WR Arrelious Benn -Why?
Highlight of the Draft: McCoy’s emotion when selected by the Buc’s.
Summary: Up and down draft, but the end result was very good. Strange that not one pick was used on improving the offensive line though. 

Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Power Pigs Push Around Opponents All Day
Best Pick: LB Thaddeus Gibson- what a steal
Fantasy Watch: Jonathan Dwyer vs. R. Mendenhall- With the addition of Pouncey the running game might see a boost
Reach: WR Emmanuel Sanders, doesn’t fit the Steelers system in our opinion.
Highlight of the Draft: Good all around draft capped off by drafting for need, but also using a best player available mind-set to execute.

Tennessee Titans 
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Chris Johnson Slips, Doesn’t Go Down, Picks Up Good Yards
Best Pick: DE Derrick Morgan- Huge value pick
Fantasy Watch: none
Reach: WR Damian Williams- USC has a bad track record with WR’s going pro, Williams isn’t overly fast either, bad sign.
Highlight of the Draft: Drafting SS Myron Rolle in the 6th round. This Florida State stud slipped by teams and the Titans are the ones laughing to the bank.

Kansas City Chiefs
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Play Makers Step Up In Time Of Need
Best Pick: SS Eric Berry- Future defensive  leader and quarterback nightmare
Fantasy Watch: RB/WR Dexter McCluster- A Westbrook meets D. Sproles type weapon
Reach: none
Summary: The Chiefs have been lacking a playmaker for the fans to rally around, they got one on both sides of the field now.

Dallas Cowboys
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Flea Flicker: QB Looks Deep, Checks Down For Easy Yards.
Best Pick: WR Dez Bryant- Great player that will be humbled in a veteran locker room
Fantasy Watch: WR Dez Bryant- Won’t see as many balls thrown his way than if he was drafted by a team in the top 10 of this draft, but as a possible slot WR, the Cowboys  have added an excellent target.
Reach: LB Sean Lee- Knee injuries could prove to be an expensive pick
Highlight of the Draft: Stealing Byrant after his surprising free fall.

Indianapolis Colts
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Peyton Manning Lets Defense Win this One
Best Pick: DE Jerry Hughes- Age and injuries are taking a toll on the Colts pass rush, great pick
Fantasy Watch: none
Reach: LB Pat Angerer
Highlight of the Draft: Finding excellent value in almost every round despite having late round picks.

New Orleans Saints
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Draw Play Surprises Defense for a Good Run.
Best Pick: CB Patrick Robinson- Amazing late round pick.
Fantasy Watch: TE Jimmy Graham- Possibly a deep sleeper
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Being the least talked about team from their recent Super Bowl victory, yet finding huge depth for an already loaded squad.

San Diego Chargers
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: 3rd & 1 Chargers Throw Deep
Best Pick: RB Ryan Mathews- Aggressive move up to add the LT replacement.
Fantasy Watch: RB Ryan Mathews- Probably the most sought after fantasy rookie of the year.
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Watching the Chargers “no holds barred” attack on going after players they wanted, you don’t see that enough on draft day.

Summary: San Diego would’ve been in trouble leaving the 2010 Draft without a RB. Some may say the Chargers reached, but if you’re a yearly playoff contender, why bother wasting time? Get in, get what you need and get out. Well done.

St.Louis Rams
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Safe In The Pocket, Rams Find Rhythm
Best Pick: OT Rodger Saffold- Bradford is a given, drafting added strength is a smart pick
Fantasy Watch: WR Mardy Gilyard- Gridiron Experts really likes this guy, watch for him
Highlight of the Draft: The Rams taking care of business, adding great value and being smart with good character kids.

Cleveland Browns
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Constant 3 and Outs Forces Defense To Win The Game
Best Pick: CB Joe Haden, will start immediately.
Fantasy Watch: none.
Reach: RB Montario Hardesty,  no real need for an RB, so why burn a 2nd round pick.
Highlight of the Draft: Drafting Colt McCoy in the 3rd round.

Summary: The strategy was more or less “best player available” and it just so happened to fill a few needs. Overall great draft class, but more attention could have been spent on the offense.

Washington Redskins
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: One Big Play Enough To Call It A Win
Best Pick: OT Trent Williams- Great addition that helps both the run & passing game
Fantasy Watch: none
Reach: none
Highlight of the Draft: Not much to say here, the Redskins added a future Pro Bowl Left Tackle and called it a draft.

New York Giants
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Giant Rookie Pass Rush Surprises QB, Sacked!
Best Pick: DE Jason Pierre-Paul
Fantasy Watch: none
Reach: Of course some will say Pierre-Paul, but we think SS Chad Jones wins this prize
Highlight of the Draft: Adding youth to positions while sending a message to the rest of the team. The Giants are always very direct, and drafting a DE in the first round is a huge hint for the veterans to wake up.

Minnesota Vikings 
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Lured The Defense In For A Big  Strike
Best Pick: FB Toby Gerhart- The west coast offense uses the Fullback better than anyone.
Fantasy Watch: none.
Highlight of the Draft: Not having to hear the NFL Network crew go on and on about Brett Favre whenever the Vikings were on the clock.

Carolina Panthers
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Fluke Tipped Pass Ends Up Becoming Big Play
Best Pick: QB Jimmy Clausen- Gift from the sky lands on the perfect team.
Fantasy Watch: Jimmy Clausen & maybe Brandon LaFell
Reach: none- On paper you’d think we’d say QB Armanti Edwards, but there are plans to convert him to a WR.
Highlight of the Draft: Watching and knowing that all Panther fans were screaming at the TV to move up and grab Clausen. Amazing patience.

Philadelphia Eagles
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: 10 Play Drive That Results In A Field Goal
Best Pick: SS Nate Allen- A huge need for the Eagles secondary
Fantasy Watch: none.
Reach: DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim- risky pick. He’ll have Boo Birds in his ear all summer to live up to the high pick.
Highlight of the Draft: Solid 3rd day selections. The Eagles didn’t have a great Thursday or Friday, but Philly cleaned up grabbing some excellent fallen talent on the third day.
Summary: The Eagles had one too many red bulls before each of the 3 draft days, they made too many trades that may have hurt the end result.

Denver Broncos
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Deep Pass For Great Yardage… but incomplete
Best Pick: WR Demaryius Thomas – After trading down twice the Broncos still landed their guy.
Fantasy Watch: WR- Demaryius Thomas
Reach: QB TimTebow, after gaining extra picks and their WR replacement, the Broncos moved back into the 1st round to grab Tebow?
Highlight of the Draft: The never-ending drama of the Denver Broncos.

Miami Dolphins
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Wildcat Option Stutters But Still Works
Best Pick: DT Jared Odrick- Fills a much-needed position.
Fantasy Watch: none
Reach: LB Koa Misi- Lacks lateral quickness to play in open field as a 3-4 outside linebacker
Highlight of the Draft: SS Reshad Jones, great project for Tony Sparano
Summary: Defense wins championships, and the Dolphins took all but one player on that side of the field.

New York Jets

NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Jets Receiving Core Hurts Momentum
Best Pick: RB Joe McKnight- We all know how the LT project is going to pan out, insert McKnight.
Fantasy Watch: Joe McKnight in deep keeper leagues
Summary: Gridiron Experts was not a fan of the first couple picks of this draft, and we wonder why the Jets would not select a sure handed target for Sanchez to throw to.

Chiacgo Bears
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Without The Regulars, Bears Still Prevail
Best Pick: SS Major Wright
Fantasy Watch: none
Summary: The Bears didn’t need to show up until the 3rd day of the draft with a major lack of picks. Grading on a curve, the Bears did alright, although with the overall depth of this years draft class and a real need for WR’s, the Bears should have tried to move up and add a receiver to their core of nobodies.

Arizona Cardinals
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Overly Aggressive Play Could Hurt Gameplan
Best Pick: DT Dan Williams- great pick, has a chance to step in right away.
Fantasy Watch: none
Summary: The Cardinals took a few risks this year, if it works out the depth will help the defense immediately. Although, all of their new rookies have either a “project” or “must-fix” tagline to them somewhere, while players like LB O’Brien Schofield come in with a history of injuries, only time will tell.

Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: What Were You Looking At? Interception
Best Pick: DT D’Anthony Smith- The Jag’s felt the defensive tackle position was their problem at getting a pass rush…we disagree.
Fantasy Watch: none
Highlight of the Draft: flipping to the back of our draft mag’s to figure out more about 1st round pick Tyson Alualu and what the Jag’s see in him.

Buffalo Bills

NFL Draft On Field Equivalent: Bad Hand Off, Fumble!
Best Pick: RB C.J. Spiller
Fantasy Watch: RB C.J. Spiller- The keeper leagues will buy into the Spiller hype, but until the backfield is a little less crowded and the Bills show us that their offensive line and quarterback problems are sorted out, we recommend avoiding the first RB selected in the draft.
Reach: This entire draft
Highlight of the Draft: Trying to guess the type of drugs the decision makers for the Bills were on. Pot, Crack…Glue?

There is a lot of negative commentary being made about the Denver Broncos acquisition of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.  Many feel the Broncos gave up way too much in order to move into the end of the first round in order to draft Tebow.  Personally, I was quite shocked when I saw that the Broncos had moved up to the 25th overall selection and the next thing to be seen on the screen was Tim Tebow on his cell phone.

In order get into position to draft Tebow the Broncos sent three picks to Baltimore, which included a 2nd rounder  (43rd overall), a 3rd rounder (70th overall), and a 4th rounder (114th overall).  Many experts skilled at player evaluations deemed Tebow unready and unlikely to become a starting quarterback in the NFL.  The main concern about Tebow was his overall mechanics, most notably his throwing motion.   In the weeks leading up to the draft Tebow made every effort to correct his mechanics and improve his draft stock.  He already had high marks on the intangible assets, which included things such as, hard worker, strong leader, and great locker room presence.   Apparently, all of Tebow’s hard work paid off as McDaniels took notice and was so impressed with Tebow that he just had to have him on his team.  Rumor has it that the Buffalo Bills were also positioning themselves to make a similar move for Tebow, but it is hard to know if these rumors are true or not.  The Bills now deny they wanted to move up in the draft to select Tebow.  Although, this was a much talked about move by the Broncos it is not the first time that McDaniels made a controversial move on draft day.  He also made one last year and another prior to the move up to the 25^th overall selection.

In last year’s draft Denver traded away their number one selection in this year’s draft to Seattle in order to move up into the top of the second round in the 2010 draft to select Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith.  The first rounder that was traded to Seattle in order to get Smith turned out to be the 2011 draft’s 14th overall selection and yielded the Seahawks safety Earl Thomas out of Texas.  Another scrutinized move by the Broncos was the decision to pass on Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant and go with the higher character selection of Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.  From all of the pre-draft talk it was apparent that Bryant was by far the most talented of all the wide receivers in this year’s draft class.  Unfortunately for Bryant character issues caused him to drop on draft day and also made him the second wide receiver selected as opposed to the first wide receiver.  As for the selections given up to select Tebow at #25 overall the Ravens used those picks to selected Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle at number 43 overall, Oregon tight end Ed Dickson at number 70 overall, and finally BYU tight end Dennis Pitta at number 114 overall.

Everyone is ready to tie Head Coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Brian Xanders careers in Denver to the success and development of quarterback Tim Tebow.  I on the other hand, would also like to tie the success of the other players mentioned in the paragraph above to the Head Coach and General Manager.  I realize other players could also be thrown into this discussion, particularly the two most high profile players that McDaniels sent packing:  Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.  However, for the purpose of this article the discussion and player analysis will remain on the draft day selections.

The best way to measure the success of the moves made in the prior two NFL drafts by the Broncos staff would be to compare the selected players’ careers to the players the Broncos could have had on their roster after the 2011 draft.  Therefore, the career of Alphonso Smith should be compared to the career of Earl Thomas in Seattle, the career of Demaryius Thomas should be compared to the career of Dez Bryant in Dallas, and finally the career of Tim Tebow should be compared to the careers of Kindle, Dickson, and Pitta in Baltimore.  By comparing these players’ careers to one another it would give us a good indication of how good the moves by Denver actually were and if the Broncos regime made the right decisions.  For the sake of the Broncos organization and the careers of several players and coaches let’s hope that these decisions work out for the best.

Cleveland Browns 2010 Draft: Looks Better On Paper

The NFL draft. There are few things more overhyped and underwhelming than that fateful event every April (I realize this is a minority position). Sure, we all have staunch, unwavering opinions that couldn’t possibly be wrong under any circumstances. But after the dust settles, all we’re left with is a collection of names that in some way impressed a franchise’s front office. In short, it isn’t an exact science.

Now obviously that isn’t to say teams aren’t significantly improved by the draft. To the contrary, given the NFL’s salary limitations, it is easily the pragmatist’s method of choice toward building a contender. So I understand the obsession with it and what’s at stake. But assessing each player five days after the draft ends, like there’s any sort of accurate barometer for how 95% of these guys will perform, is just as insane as it is unavoidably enjoyable.

There are the rare instances, however, when a team is undoubtedly improved by the draft and we can conclude as much the very next day. This anomaly is attributed mostly to the state of the team, and not the quality of players they selected. Like if the team can’t get any worse, for instance. I think you see where I’m going with this… Ladies and gentlemen, your broad brush description for the 2009 Cleveland Browns.

They didn’t go winless, but every facet of the Browns could have used a refurbishing going into the draft. There wasn’t one relevant unit or measurable statistic the Browns didn’t rank in the bottom 10% of the league in. Christ, you can’t even say that about the Rams (Steven Jackson is arguably the best running back in the league, quietly as kept), who won one game thanks to the good fortune of having the Lions on the schedule. Ever since returning to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have almost in arguably been the league’s worst franchise. Making the playoffs just once (snuck in on a 9-7 record) and managed to blow a 24-7 lead to rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Beyond that, they went 10-6 in 2007 and despite missing the playoffs, their obnoxious and patiently loyal fan base transformed from cynical to hopeful in a year’s time… Only for the team to implode the following year, leading to a mass exodus of the roster we’re still in the throes of witnessing.

No, the Browns went into this draft with nowhere to go but up. And despite the fact that newly minted team president Mike Holmgren has never excelled in the front office the same way he has as a head coach, Browns fans seem relatively ecstatic to have a non-Bill Belichick disciple with some authority over the future of their team, even if Mangini is still there (which is another point of bitterness for Browns fans, considering how incompetent Belichick was when in Cleveland).

So instead of offering some trite op-ed for why this player’s great and that player is terrible, we’ll pretend for a second that we don’t know anything. And attempt to understand the Browns rationale for taking the players they did. Enough exposition, let’s look at who they actually drafted:

Joe Haden CB   Round 1, pick #7 Florida

A lot of people seem down on this pick, that Cleveland should have traded down if they wanted Haden (or any corner, for that matter) and/or that they have more pressing issues at hand. Bottom line is: they got a highly touted cornerback who can potentially develop into a shutdown defender. I understand the opinion that they should have traded down, but the problem with penalizing them for failing to trade down is they have to find someone willing to trade up. These days, when everyone is looking for value and depth more so than overpaying for the pick of the litter, potential suitors looking to trade up in the draft are a rare breed.

T.J. Ward Safety   Round 2, pick #38 Oregon

I’m not going to pretend like I know this guy better than any Ducks fan who watched him play over the past few years, but everyone in Oregon’s secondary seemed to struggle with Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Improving your secondary is one of the most underrated ways to building and maintaining a formidable defense. I’ve been an Eagles fan for roughly the past decade, and essentially since 2004 they’ve had a Swiss cheese front seven, but they’ve always been regarded as defensively viable for two reasons: 1) Jim Johnson was a genius who left an undeniable mark on professional football. And 2) they’ve always sported a pro bowl caliber secondary. With today’s pass happy NFL, if you can keep opposing offenses guessing with just your secondary, you can load up on the run. Looking for other examples where this is true see:  Jets, New York; circa 2009.

Montario Hardesty RB    Round 2, pick #59 Tennessee

As the modern day adage goes: 2nd round picks are the same quality as 1st round picks for a fraction of the price. Therefore, having two of them is an enviable commodity rarely shared amongst your peers. Is Montario Hardesty the right pick in this position? Truth be told, your guess is as good as mine. Unless I’m an unbiased Volunteers fan (note: I’m not a fan nor am I unbiased), then I probably can’t give you an accurate assessment. I will say this, however, this is about the earliest you can draft a running back and still have me respect you. Also, I think Jerome Harrison and Peyton Hillis are sufficient enough where they could have waited until at least the fourth to address the running back situation. If the Browns had an offensive strength last season (they didn’t), it was the ground game.

Colt McCoy QB  Round 3, pick #85 Texas

Have we reached a point where it’s utterly predictable to determine roughly where a college quarterback will be drafted by the sixth week of their final season? I swear that Sam Bradford almost benefited from missing his entire junior year. That way, the hounds weren’t able to snuff him out and eat him alive. If you can’t tell, I like this pick. Not only for the perceived value (does anyone still think the Rams take Bradford first overall if they would have known Clausen and McCoy would still be available for their second pick in the first?), but also for the fact that the Browns obviously weren’t in love with any QB available this year, and had the good sense to hold off on panicking and over-drafting someone they knew that was wrong for them and/or didn’t have the necessary skill-set to thrive in the NFL.

Here, at a discounted rate, they get a winning quarterback from one of the best football schools in the country (i.e. pedigree), that before the national title game was considered by many a top twenty pick. And if he doesn’t work out, so be it. It’s their fourth pick in a strange draft and there isn’t any real financial l commitment. Regardless of how bad he might be, no one’s going to fault them for it (who doesn’t have a third round “bust” on their resume?), but there’s still the slimmest of chances they might have found a quarterback for the future.

Shawn Lauvao Guard   Round 3, pick #92 Arizona State

They probably needed to address the O-line before here, but as stated earlier: everything needed/needs addressing. Outside of Joe Thomas and Alex Mack (jury’s still out after the rookie season), the other three-fifths of that line is in need of an upgrade. Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis might as well have been trying to run through the Cloverfield monster last season.

Larry Asante Safety    Round 5, pick #160 Nebraska

Three out of eight picks designated for the secondary (plus acquiring Sheldon Brown from Philly). Either the Browns were taking who they thought was the best guy available or they saw and addressed a definitive need. Plus, he went to school in Lincoln, which means he won’t mind living in northeast Ohio.

Carlton Mitchell WR   Round 6, pick #177 South Florida

Between Stuckey, Massaquoi and (sorta) Cribbs, they have more talent at wide out than anywhere else on the field, but it’s a sixth round pick. To counter my flippancy, most people will be quick to tell you that Tom Brady was a sixth round pick, like getting a hall of famer in the sixth round is standard operating procedure. I ask you this, what happened to the other 39 players selected in the sixth round of the 2000 draft (there’s a few other notables in there)? Everything is grasping at straws here, despite what the diehards will tell you.

Clifton Geathers DE   Round 6, pick #186 South Carolina

I’m sure he’s more than qualified to be the 186^th person taken in the draft. Over-qualified, even.

There it is: your Cleveland Browns draft class of 2010. In my humble opinion, they hit the proper keynotes and as much as I know about the players they drafted (mostly McCoy and Haden), they picked the right guys at the right spots. But it doesn’t particularly matter. This franchise is so downtrodden and their fans so transparently depressed, that just by virtue of bringing in new blood with a lot of high draft picks the team made strides in the right direction to possibly, someday, allowing someone else to be the laughing stock.

With that said, what better way to prepare for the new season, than to assess the fresh meat the recent draft has laid out in front of us?

Here’s a look at the top 10 sleepers on offense coming out of the 2010 NFL Draft. To rid of any issues over what a “sleeper” qualifies as, this article will concentrate solely on players selected in the third round and beyond.

Colt McCoy, QB, Cleveland Browns (3rd Round)

Sure, McCoy was drafted as the potential future for Cleveland. And yes, Mike Holmgren says the Browns have no intentions of playing McCoy in his rookie year.

But can we all be real for a second? This team is riding into 2010 with Jake Dehomme as it’s starter under center, and the 5’11” Seneca Wallace as the top back-up.

Please, if there’s a better lock to see major playing time that’s not named Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen, please point me to him.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (6th Round)

Dwyer didn’t drop to the sixth round because he isn’t talented. The rumor going around is that many teams were scared off by some medical concerns.

While it remains to be seen if there was any validity to those rumors, were guessing 31 NFL teams were just chicken and missed out a on a big-time steal.

Rashard Mendenhall can’t and won’t do it all by himself, and you can bet the Steelers will put Dwyer’s solid speed and dynamic running style to good use. I mean, with Ben Roethlisberger out for the first six weeks, it’s not like the Steelers will be passing the ball every chance they get.

Charles Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (6th Round)

Scott is a bruiser with decent speed and athleticism, but he’s not a world-beater that will ever likely threaten to steal the show in Philly.

However, he’s definitely a level or two above Leonard Weaver, and is arguably just as tough in between the tackles.

Weaver will still have some sort of role in the offense, but the Eagles got a heck of a steal in the sixth round by landing Scott, and will likely do all they can to have him be LeSean McCoy’s hand-cuff entering 2010.

Eric Decker, WR, Denver Broncos (3rd Round)

Decker is a big, athletic receiver with excellent hands and great body control. He’s no burner, but he has the ball skills and athleticism needed to hang with elite corners, and he can go up and get just about any catch, just about anywhere on the field.

In other words, he’s exactly the kind of guy Josh McDaniels will push onto the field, and that could possibly mean a major role from day one. Eddie Royal regressed majorly in 2009, and with Brandon Marshall in Miami, there’s a starting slot (and maybe two) up for grabs.

He still has a foot injury to fully recover from, but Decker could be a nice surprise success-story by mid-season.

Mike Williams, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4th Round)

Williams is very arguably the best pure talent at receiver in this draft. He has an unbelievable combination of size, hands, ball skills, and athleticism.

He’s fairly weak and not an elite burner, but everything else, including Tampa Bay’s woeful receiving corps, says he could (or even should) have a solid rookie season.

Fellow rookie Arrelious Benn may work to steal the show, but with Michael Clayton possibly on his way out and Antonio Bryant already in Cincinnati, it probably won’t matter.

Mardy Gilyard, WR. St. Louis Rams (4th Round)

There aren’t many receivers from this draft class with Gilyard’s play-making ability. He still has some work to do, but comes into St. Louis as a tremendous value pick, and a very talented addition to a lackluster receiving corps.

Donnie Avery is arguably the only Rams receiver who is certain to start in 2010, leaving Gilyard with a solid chance at making an immediate impact.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Oakland Raiders (4th Round)

Ford is tiny, doesn’t run precise routes, and doesn’t have the most reliable hands in the world.

Translation: he’s a lot like Darius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.

This could mean he’s a waste of space for his entire rookie season, or that he could avoid the trend and be one of those few Al Davis “measureables” guys who pans out much quicker than expected.

He has blazing speed, elite athleticism, and exceptional play-making ability, so the sooner the technical aspects of his game catch-up, the better. With a better quarterback (Jason Campbell) in place, he’ll start his career out with an edge Murphy and Heyward-Bey never had.

Jameson Konz, WR/TE, Seattle Seahawks (7th Round)

Now this is what being a sleeper is all about.

There’s a solid argument that begs to differ whether or not this kid even should have ever been drafted. But one look at his size, strength, speed, and versatility, and he was the type of package that just couldn’t go undrafted.

With John Carlson at tight end and Anthony McCoy brought on to back-up, it’s unlikely Pete Carrol and co. force the speedy Konz to play tight end at the next level. If he’s allowed to trim down a bit and work on his speed, he can make a fine NFL receiver, anyways.

Well, according to potential.

Regardless, the Seahawks could use the help at receiver, so it’ll be interesting if Konz can leap-frog any of his competition early in training camp, as the Seattle coaches sure wouldn’t mind seeing what he can do in the open field.

Ed Dickson vs. Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens (3rd and 4th Round)

Dickson and Pitta both have good size, speed, and strength, and should have the leg-up over Todd Heap based simply on their draft status and the fact that they’re healthy.

If it stays that way throughout the summer, there’s an extremely good chance Heap is gone and one of these guys is leading a two-way race for the starting job. Dickson may be the more complete talent in the end, but Pitta is a natural receiver who can use his shifty body to make things happen in space.

He’s a poor man’s Dallas Clark, and he could have a solid rookie season if he can snag the starting gig. Either way, one of these guys should earn the top spot and be worth a late-round pick in your fantasy draft.

Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints (3rd Round)

It’s debatable whether or not Graham really sees the field in 2010, but what’s not debatable is his awesome blend of size and athleticism.

Graham is the total package at 6’6” and 260 lbs, while having great speed and play-making ability. He’s fairly raw and sitting behind two very capable tight ends, but he’s also an injury or two from being inserted into quite possibly the league’s most explosive offense.

Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas are both very solid tight ends, but neither is a stranger to injury or inconsistent play. It should be rather interesting if either were to go down for a significant amount of time.

The pretty cousin of the regular season – you know, the one you feel guilty about spending a whole day with? Well, now you get three days with it/her!

More is better, right?

Well, in some things and according the to TV ratings and TJ, more football is ALWAYS better.

With the new three day format, there’s without a doubt going to be MANY more trades involved, which at the very least makes the entire process more interesting to the average fan. Not to mention it gives the educated fan more time to figure out what their team is trying to do after using their first round pick on a third round prospect.

And, for us writers, whoa is it a savior or what? Now we actually have time to breathe during the draft. We can analyze, predict, etc. what the first round picks are going (or not going) to do. We have time to relax after the first round, grab something to eat, hang out with our friends and talk about it and not miss another round. That’s probably the best thing in this new format for myself, personally.

And think of people with abnormal work schedules who wouldn’t have been able to catch ANY of the draft if it hadn’t of been stretched over a full three days. They now at the very least get to personally see some of their team’s selections. The more fans you make happy, the better off you are as a business, it’s a simple marketing rule.

I truly don’t get why anyone would be opposed to this, literally the only complaint I’ve heard that wasn’t in favor of this was actually a complaint about ESPN’s presentation of it. Well, if you’re expecting anything better than bare minimum from ESPN, then you’ve been steered wrong my child.

Face it – the longer they make the draft process, the shorter the wait between the draft and training camp. The sooner training camp comes, the sooner the pre-season comes. And the sooner the pre-season comes the sooner the regular season comes. And I don’t know of one football fan out there that isn’t anticipating the regular season.

In my book, more football will ALWAYS be a winning solution.

For years Oakland has been reaching on combine buzz players too early…this year they were calm and cool waiting until the fourth round to select OT Bruce Campbell and WR Jacoby Ford.

• OT Bruce Campbell from Maryland was the talk of the combine and had a high draft grade. Campbell is a little raw with his technique, but his overall strength and size can’t be overlooked. The Raiders added a project player that has a chance to get onto the field early with the lack of depth to the offensive line.

• WR Jacoby Ford from Clemson had the fastest 40 time out of the receiver group at this years combine. Ford is a smaller pass catcher at 5’9, but has an explosive burst that can help add the vertical threat to the Raiders.