NFC 2010 draft thoughts....

The NFL draft has come and gone so this blog is to welcome certain players to the League and look specifically at your favourite teams Division (this blog features NFC and there is also an AFC blog for this topic) and what future STUDS just entered your radar as far as a player you will see twice each year (Division foe) and hopefully someone will be mentioned from your fav team for you to throw your support behind......

*NFC SOUTH*

Jimmy Clausen - QB from Notre Dame drafted by the Carolina Panthers.....wow - at worst the 2nd best QB in the draft and likely a top-10 prospect in the entire draft falls to the Panthers at the #48 spot.....questions about the health of his toe surfaced, but much more alarming were the questions of his personality/attitude....for a Panthers team desperate for wins asap to save John Fox's job this was a particular lucky scenario for them to add Clausen who will compete immediately with Matt Moore for the starting job in Carolina


Gerald McCoy - Defensive Lineman out of Oklahoma drafted #3 overall by the Tampa Bay Bucs.....all smiles in Tampa with this pick....even if the Bucs had the #2 or #1 pick they would have been all-over McCoy as their pick.....this guy disrupts everything on every play.....he will be the main man for 2nd year coach Raheem Morris and the re-vamping of this once feared TB defense

*NFC EAST* Dez Bryant (pictured above) - WR out of Oklahoma State drafted by the Dallas Cowboys....has the looks of a stud WR.....2nd WR taken in the draft and if not for questions about his attitude he would have not slipped to #24 and the Cowboys.....he seemed thrilled to be drafted by the 'Boys and Tony Romo is surely already looking forward to utilizing this player


Jason Pierre-Paul - #15 overall to the New York Giants out of South Florida.....this is one of my fav picks any team made......when you watch the Super Bowl Giants from a couple of years ago and then compare it to last years squad the difference that stands out is the consistent pressure the DL put on QB's during their Super Bowl run vs the non-existent pass rush for this team last year.....Pierre-Paul gives the Giants a chance to quickly upgrade on the DL as they try to re-establish themselves in the TOUGH NFC East

Mike Kafta - QB out of Northwestern selected in the 4th round by the Eagles......Kafta was the consensus #5 QB in the draft but he has solid skills (which will need an upgrade for this League) but has good leadership skills and can be called on to lead a team.....Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick are both ahead of Kafta currently on the QB depth chart but with the trading of McNabb and the fact that (imo) Vick is not an NFL QB Kafta could surprise and climb the depth chart for this team......especially if the Eagles evaluation that Kolb is their QB going forward is wrong - which is certainly possible


Trent Williams - Left Tackle out of Oklahoma selected #4 overall by the Washington Redskins.....STUD - one of, if not the best OL in the draft.....a 'Skins offense that averaged around 17-18 points-per-game last year they add Donovan McNabb and they add Williams as a likely rookie-starter and surely a big future.....his intelligence and skill are outstanding as he can play all 5 OL positions



*NFC NORTH *

Corey Wootton - Defensive End from Northwestern drafted in the 4th round....the Bears had zero 1st/2nd round picks and took FLA Safety Major Wright in the 3rd round and got a potential steal in the 4th round with Wootton....in January of 2009 he underwent surgery to repair his ACL which he is still recovering from and that is why his draft stock dropped but if he can regain his Junior season form he will fit in nicely for a re-vamping Bears defense


Ndamukong Suh - #2 overall pick form Nebraska drafted by the Detroit Lions....the Lions last year draft Matthew Stafford to be their stud on offense going forward and now they have their stud on defense in Suh.....there is no need for an instant replay to show you the path Suh took to the ball-carrier, just follow the path of beaten bodies Suh leaves in his wake.....monster attacker with a great motor

Jahvid Best - RB out of Cal selected by the Detroit Lions.....to follow their pick of Suh the Lions used their 2nd 1st-round-pick to draft the speedy TD maker Best.....either the fastest or 2nd fastest RB in the draft (he and CJ Spiller were both around 4.37 in the 40-yard dash) the quick Best had 27 TD's in his 2 years as a starter at Cal


*NFC WEST*

Dan Williams - Nose Tackle drafted by the Arizona Cardinals out of Tennessee......as a Dolphins fan this is the guy I wanted but the Cards took him 2 spots before the 'Phins could draft him....this guy is physical and unmovable......likely does not have the closing speed required in the NFL to chase down QB's and rack-up sacks but on running plays he will not be moved and thus not allow interior holes for RB's to sneak through


Sam Bradford - #1 overall pick drafted by the St Louis Rams out of Oklahoma....injured for almost all of last year but he started the 2 previous years for the Sooners and his TD/INT comparison is stunning...86 TD's vs 16 INT's plus just under 8,000 yards (and those gaudy #'s are for just 2 seasons)....he and Tim Tebow have both won Heisman Trophy awards (Tebow 2007 and Bradford 2008) and with the current Rams QB depth chart listing Thaddeus Lewis (who?) Keith Nall (who? part II) and Mike Reilly (who? part III) listed as back-ups for AJ Feeley (long-time starter Marc Bulger was recently released) we see that Bradford will be given a shot very quickly to show his talent.....will he go down the path of the Manning's and Carson Palmer as recent #1 picks who were QB's and proved themselves to be elite NFL players, or will he follow the path of (gulp) JaMarcus Russell - Vick - Alex Smith - David Carr - Tim Couch as #1 overall picks who were QB's and who stunk....


Russell Okung (left) - OL drafted by the Seattle Seahawks #6 overall....many scouts had Okung ranked slightly higher then the #3 pick and fellow Offensive Lineman Trent Williams (drafted by Washington) and Okung will start immediately as he will replace the legendary Walter Jones...he was available for the Seahawks at #6 and they had similar "luck" a few spots later by having Safety Earl Thomas (right) out of Texas available at #14....the Seahawks also added Leon Washington and re-united former USC coach and newly named Seahawks coach Pete Carroll with his star USC running back LenDale White on draft day getting the Pete Carroll era in Seattle off to an amazing start

craig.ballard@hotmail.com