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With the #21 pick in the 2010 MHR Community Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select....
G Mike Iupati, Idaho
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![]() Cincinnati Bengals Round 1, Pick #21 overall GM
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Details of the pick after the jump...
From GM ejruiz: Though our degree of need at this position will ultimately be determined by whether or not Bobbie Williams returns to the team in 2010, we could still use another quality guard to pair him up with and Iupati is plenty good enough to start right away. There are other positions we could have chosen to address with this pick, but Mike was the best combination of both need and value at this time. It comes as no surprise that our return to the playoffs was sparked by the resurgence of our offensive line, so we believe it would be prudent to continue to invest there so as to complete the unit and therefore maximize those returns.
Despite limited experience playing American football, Iupati quickly developed into one of the most dominant offensive linemen in all college football. He has the tools to play offensive tackle - perhaps even on the left side - but his time has been spent inside at guard, where he's maximized his effectiveness and should start for us right away. He's powerful (even in the context of his position), surprisingly athletic, incredibly aware and has a nasty demeanor. He is the complete package up front and his effort is quickly narrowing the gap between his already impressive performance and his truly amazing potential. We are pleased to welcome Mike to the team today and look forward to his contributions helping to finally bring the Lombardi Trophy to the great city of Cincinnati.
Commishes' Comments: Sayre: That's a very interesting pick by the Bengals. That makes their left side of the offensive line one of the biggest and meanest in all of football. Iupati has raw talent that gives him the ceiling and potential to be the best guard prospect to come along since Steve Hutchinson. But in order to have success in the NFL, he is going to need to have a much easier time holding on to blockers without actually holding. Still, an interesting pick for the Bengals. I like it.
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With the #22 pick in the 2010 MHR Community Mock Draft, the New England Patriots select....
DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
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![]() New England Patriots Round 1, Pick #22 overall GM Sayre |
From GM Sayre: This is a dream scenario. I was heading into the first round with two primary targets, and wouldn't you know one falls right into my lap. Brandon Graham is one of the most feared defenders in all of college football. We were in the bottom third of the NFL last season in terms of getting to the quarterback, so adding an elite pass rusher was a top priority for us this offseason.
Graham fits the prototype of what you look for in a 3-4 hybrid linebacker. He is strong and stout at the point of attack, and can stop the run with the best of them, and he is also relentless in terms of his pass rush skills. We love his upside, and we love the intensity he brings to the game.
Commish's Comments: Ernesto: Graham is exactly what the Patriots look out for on draft day: an extremely productive guy who gets the most out of his potential, leads his team and makes big plays without leaving himself vulnerable to mistakes. New England has focused their attention on the defensive secondary in recent drafts, but now it is the front seven that requires some attention. Brandon should go a long way to improving their anemic pass rush. I still view him as more of a 4-3 defensive end, but he has the capability to step out to outside linebacker in the 3-4 and excel. Good choice here by the Pats.
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With the #23 pick in the 2010 MHR Community Mock Draft the Green Bay Packers select...
OT Charles Brown, USC
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![]() Green Bay Packers Round 1, Pick #23 overall GM dwr |
From GM dwr: Looking at the roster of the Packers, I see relatively few glaring areas of need. Most mock drafts seem to have Green Bay investing either a cornerback, outside linebacker, or an offensive lineman and there are certainly good arguments for all three. To start, injecting youth into the cornerback position has to be a priority. Al Harris is 35 and coming off of a season ending ACL injury. Charles Woodson played phenomenally last season but is also getting older as he will be turning 34 this year. Tramon Williams certainly has played well as a nickel back but was exposed when he had to start in relief of Harris. Unfortunately, with Kyle Wilson and Joe Haden already taken I don’t think that there remains good value at this point in the draft.
Some experts believe that an outside linebacker would be the best choice here to replace the departed Aaron Kampman. Personally, I think that last year’s seventh round pick Brad Jones deserves to be given a shot as a starter since he played fairly well when Kampman was placed on injured reserve after week 11. The talents of Jerry Hughes are certainly tempting here, but I feel that there still exists a better option.
Last year, pass protection was a major weakness for the Packers. While performance did improve late in the season when both Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher were healthy, Aaron Rodgers was getting hit at a rate that bodes poorly for his long term health and also was detrimental to team success. Clifton and Tauscher are both in their thirties and have a recent history of injuries and nobody else on the roster has demonstrated the ability to keep Rodgers upright on a consistent basis, so finding talented young players at both tackle positions is a priority in this draft.
As such, I am absolutely ecstatic that there is a prospect available who the National Football Post’s Wes Bunting ranks as the third best tackle in this draft and who Matt McGuire calls "a great fit for teams like Green Bay, New England, and Oakland that use zone-blocking schemes" in his scouting report on WalterFootball.com (http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2010cbrown.php). In addition to protecting the franchise quarterback’s blindside for many years to come, he should also be able to help improve the run game. According to Football Outsiders, (http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol) Green Bay’s offensive line was ranked 8th in the NFL in adjusted line yards. However, they were ranked 30th in runs to left end and 24th in runs to left tackle indicating a probable deficiency in run blocking at the left tackle position. Since he represents a clear upgrade to the passing and rushing aspects of the offense and brings much needed youth to the tackle position, I am very happy to announce the selection of Charles Brown.
Commish's Comments: Ernesto: The Packers seem destined to pick up an offensive tackle in the first round and this would be a good one. Brown is a great athlete at the position and he's not losing that despite adding some much needed bulk. To highlight just how much I've come to appreciate his skills, I value him almost as highly as I do Trent Williams despite the fact that the latter is talked about in the top ten and the former is apparently destined for the bottom third of the round. Great pick for the Pack here! Sayre: Is CJ Spiller still on the board? Just checking...Charles Brown is an extremely athletic offensive tackle who will be a starter from day one for the Packers. I like this pick a lot for them, and I think it will pay huge dividends for the development of Aaron Rodgers, who is slowly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in this league.
ON THE CLOCK The Picks are already in, and will go up later today, with the j-man led Eagles coming up next.
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![]() Round 1, Pick #24 Overall GM j-man |
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Round One
- St,Louis Rams: QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
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Detroit Lions: OT Russell Okung. Oklahoma State
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
- Washington Redskins: OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
- Kansas City Chiefs: FS Eric Berry, Tennessee
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Seattle Seahawks: FS Earl Thomas, Texas
- Cleveland Browns: NT Dan Williams, Tennessee
- Oakland Raiders: OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
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Buffalo Bills: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
- Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
- Denver Broncos: ILB Rolando McClain
- Miami Dolphins: LB Sergio Kindle, Texas
- San Francisco 49ers: OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
- New York Giants: LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
- Tennessee Titans: DE/OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
- SanFrancisco 49ers: CB Joe Haden, Florida
- Pittsburgh Steelers: DE/OLB Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
- Atlanta Falcons: SS Taylor Mays, USC
- Houston Texans: CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
- Cincinnatti Bengals: G Mike Iupati, Idaho
- New England Patriots: DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
- Green Bay Packers: OT Charles Brown, USC
- Philadelphia Eagles:
- Baltimore Ravens:
- Arizona Cardinals:
- Dallas Cowboys:
- San Diego Chargers:
- New York Jets:
- Minnesota Vikings:
- Indianapolis Colts:
- New Orleans Saints: