1 St. Louis Rams: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
If the Rams hold on to the No. 1 pick, there's going to be a heated debate until they agree to terms with Jimmy Clausen a few days before the 2010 NFL Draft: Should St. Louis go with Clausen or Ndamukong Suh?
It's deja vu all over again. Two years ago, people argued Glenn Dorsey over Matt Ryan. Last year, many believed that the Lions would choose Aaron Curry or Jason Smith over Matthew Stafford. Ultimately, the Falcons and Lions made the right decision.
This is pretty much a no-brainer. Unless the Rams acquire Jason Campbell or someone else via free agency, there's no way they can pass up on a franchise quarterback. New regimes mean new quarterbacks. Last year Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney flirted with the possibility of taking Mark Sanchez, but ultimately couldn't because of Mark Bulger's contract. However, this season they can get rid of Bulger and finally obtain "their guy."
Jimmy Clausen is unquestionably the top quarterback prospect in this draft. He threw for 28 touchdowns and only four picks on an 8.8 YPA and a 68.0 completion percentage this year. He's superior to Sam Bradford because he has a bigger arm and has spent three years in a West Coast offense. Bradford, on the other hand, is coming out of a shotgun spread offense and just had shoulder surgery. His arm strength is also very questionable. Clausen is a much better fit for St. Louis' offense than Bradford is.
For more, check out why Jimmy Clausen the best NFL-ready junior quarterback in NFL Draft history.
2 Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
I still say this pick should be Russell Okung - even over Ndamukong Suh. To win in this league, you need to (in order): have a quarterback, protect your quarterback and get to the other quarterback. Detroit cannot do the second thing on that list. Last year, I berated the Lions for not drafting Michael Oher or William Beatty, so I can't say I'm surprised that Matthew Stafford suffered an injury. Beatty has shown some promise with the Giants, while Oher has been prolific at both left and right tackle this year.
Unfortunately for Detroit fans, the team still likes Jeff Backus, even though he has allowed eight sacks this year. Offensive line coach George Yarno recently praised Backus:
"I think he's at the very top of his game right now. He's obviously got a lot of experience. He really does a good job of knowing what he can and can't do and what (defenses) are going to try to do to him. He has done a tremendous job for us this year. I think he's very comparable to some of the upper-echelon tackles in this league."
It's always been painfully obvious that the Lions are clueless, but this quote pretty much cements it. Apparently, Backus will remain Matthew Stafford's blindside "protector" for at least another year.
Suh is a great consolation prize and will help Detroit's woeful defense, but Stafford will continue to get banged around until the Lions find a legitimate left tackle.
3 Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
When the Chiefs selected Tyson Jackson over Aaron Curry in the 2009 NFL Draft, it showed me that Scott Pioli favors positional value over talent. If he follows this principle again, he'll take Russell Okung over Eric Berry if both options are available to him.
Left tackle is a huge need because Pioli must protect his $63 million investment in Matt Cassel. In 13 games, Branden Albert has surrendered nine sacks and has been whistled for 10 penalties. Pioli didn't draft Albert, and the Chiefs organization doesn't have that much money invested into him (about $3 million over the next four years).
Pioli can afford to draft a franchise left tackle and move Albert around in an effort to give Matt Cassel more time in the pocket. He needs to protect his investment - no matter how bad it may be.
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Man, the Buccaneers must not want to draft a talented player. You can play the Seahawks and Saints close, but at least lose at the end so you can get a chance at Ndamukong Suh. Fail.
Though Suh is off the board, the Buccaneers still go defensive tackle. Gerald McCoy isn't as great of a fit for Tampa Bay's defense as Suh would have been, but he would still be an enormous upgrade for their pedestrian defensive line.
By the way, if you're a Bucs fan, make sure you check out Pewter Report.com. It's the ultimate source for inside news on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including all of the draft prospects they're targeting.
5 Washington Redskins: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
A couple of weeks ago, it appeared as though Daniel Snyder would have a tough choice to make regarding Jason Campbell, who played out of his mind against the likes of New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas (the first time). However, everything has quickly unraveled in the past two weeks.
If a new CBA isn't reached, Campbell will