Round 1, Pick 2 - Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Ht: 6’ 3 7/8” Wt: 307

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  When you finish last in total defense and defensive scoring, picking the best player possible becomes necessary.  Many feel that Suh is the best player in this draft and with the Lions' off season additions to the defensive line, Suh could help change the defensive line to one of the Lions' strengths.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: Played square to the line of scrimmage and did not attack his reads in Bo Pelini’s defense, limiting his ability to get off the ball. Will never be a dominant inside rusher given his inability to unlock and use the power in his hips. Is extremely strong, athletic and versatile and showed the ability to dominate college football. Versatile and well-suited to thrive in any type of front. Has perennial Pro Bowl potential.

NFL projection: Top-five pick.

GM Jr’s scouting report:  Suh is a player that we felt was the #1 overall prospect entering the 2009 season and has moved himself back into that spot after starting off slowly with some inconsistent production the first few games of 2009.  Suh whose first name translates to “House of Spears” is often a wreaking ball who causes major problems for the opposing offenses between the tackles.  When you look at the DT’s taken in the 1^st round in the past 3 or 4 drafts, Suh is a step above those players and has the tools to be a highly productive starting DT in the FNL.  Not only is Suh a top athlete with excellent instincts and all around tools, but he was highly productive at Nebraska – In the games I evaluated he was involved in 1 play out of every 6.5 snaps which is outstanding for a DT.  Overall, while I believe Suh is best suited to playing DT in a 43 defense scheme, I have no doubt that he could also be highly productive as a DE in a 34 scheme.  Suh is a very similar player to Richard Seymour in terms of versatility, athleticism, size, and strength and should be that type of dominant DL in the NFL.

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  Scouts appreciate Suh’s bullish strength and height.  But his agility – at 300-plus pounds – separates him from other players.  Every team would find a way to use his talent.  A team using a 3-4 base defense could play him at defensive end, while 4-3 teams could see Suh starring at the 3-technique or on the nose.  Without picking nits, it is difficult to find faults in his game.  Suh is expected to be one of the first two players drafted in April.

Pro Football Weekly 2010 Draft Preview available @ http://www.pfwstore.com/detail.aspx?ID=695

GM Jr. 2010 Draft Guide available @ http://gmjrnfldraft.com/

Lindy’s Sports 2010 Draft Guide available @http://www.lindyssports.com/product.php?cn=332

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Redskins, Please!

Courtesy of UPI.com

Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Redskins are interested in a quarterback with the fourth overall pick.

You can't trust anything that comes out in the media the week before the draft, and I love every bit of it.

Does anybody really believe that the message they want to send to Donovan McNabb is, "Here's the guy who is going to take your job"?  Donovan has been there for two weeks and hasn't even taken a snap with the team.  If the source that let this little gem slip out doesn't have brown eyes.......

The Redskins have so many needs that a report like this becomes laughable.  I understand that teams must "play the game", and perception is - at times - more important than reality.  The Redskins are keeping their options open in hopes of attracting a trade partner who wants to move up and select a quarterback.  They can get in line behind St. Louis, Detroit, and a slew of other teams in the first round.

In my recent mock draft, I have Russell Okung going to the Redskins with the fourth overall pick.  Sam Bradford won't be available, and Jimmy Clausen doesn't hold value at that pick.  There is a chance that Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy could fall to them, or they could prefer Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams.  However, selecting a quarterback would be an unmitigated media disaster.  I don't think Washington has really forgotten all of the craziness that surrounded McNabb when the Eagles selected Kevin Kolb in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

In the words of Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, I can sum up this report in one simple phrase:  "Child, please!"






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Browns Equal Greens

The recent story has been about the Browns being interested in trading up to the number one overall pick and selecting Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. As Flavor Flav once said, "Don't believe the hype."

This is a classic case of the Browns conjuring up interest in their number seven pick. If another team below the Bills first round pick (number nine overall) believes that the Browns want to select a quarterback (at that point Jimmy Clausen), the interested team will have to give the Browns a king's ransom to trade up to Cleveland's selection to grab the last blue chip quarterback.

My personal belief is the Browns would like to trade down from the seventh pick, and use some of their fire power (five picks in the first 92 selections) to possibly move back up and select a second player in the first round. The Browns could have the best draft of any team - if all the pieces fall into place.

As for Bradford, the possibility that any other player will be taken with the first overall pick is over. Thanks to the Browns "sharing" interest in Bradford to the media, quarterback's agent has even more leverage in the negotiations.

The Rams using Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh as negotiation leverage would be disastrous. The media has hammered home the idea of St. Louis selecting Bradford for so long that perception would be that selecting one of the defensive tackles would be settling. Given the Rams quarterback situation that isn't a stretch. Expect Bradford's guaranteed money to be around $45 million.

The week before the draft is filled with misleading stories. I enjoy reading every single one of them.




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On The Marc

A series of roster moves have, in my mind's eye, solidified the top four picks in the NFL Draft later this month.


It started with the trade for Donovan McNabb yesterday that ended all talk of the Redskins selecting a quarterback at the fourth pick.


The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been widely reported as coveting one of the top two defensive tackles in the draft - Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy.


The Detroit Lions acquired a left guard in Rob Sims, earlier today, solidifing the left side of their offensive line. In separate news, the rumored trade that would send DT Anthony Hargrove from the Saints to the Lions has apparently fallen through.


Then the most telling sign of the day:  the Rams have released starting QB Marc Bulger. 

I'm merely speculating, but if Washington got wind that they had no shot at drafting Bradford, and did not want to pay the price to move up to the top selection, that might have set in motion the McNabb trade. With the Rams losing what seemed to be their only reasonable trade partner in the Redskins and coveting Sam Bradford, it makes sense to release Bulger today.


So here it is: the first four picks in the draft have been set in stone. The Rams, having no starting quarterback, will select Sam Bradford with the first pick. The Lions have solidified the offensive line and still need a defensive lineman. They will select Ndamukong Suh. The Buccaneers will be thrilled that Gerald McCoy is still available and select him at the number three position. Lastly, the Redskins, no longer needing a quarterback will select offensive tackle Russell Okung.


Trust me. My predictions never fail. When I give my word on the NFL, it's as solid as oak.



 


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The Sims: Detroit Lions Style

Adam Shefter reported that guard Rob Sims has been traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Detroit Lions.

The move has a direct impact on the second overall pick in this month's NFL Draft. There has been much discussion in the media of the Lions using that pick to select Russell Okung, of Oklahoma State. That would allow them to insert Okung into the left tackle slot and move the current left tackle, Jeff Backus, to the left guard slot.

Sims natural position is left guard, so we can now assume that Backus will be left at his current position. This would all but eliminate the possibility of Okung being selected at that number two pick. The arrows seem to be pointing stronger in the direction of Ndamukong Suh being the Lions pick in that slot.





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Loaded Colt

Two days ago Sam Bradford had a praised workout that led to rampant specualation, including on my part, that Bradford would be the number one overall selection in this year's NFL Draft.

Today the Rams announced that they would be privately working out former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. Since McCoy is widely considered a second round prospect, this would send the message that they would consider selecting McCoy with the 33rd overall pick next month.

It also sends the message to Sam Bradford's agent that the Rams could still select Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy with the first overall pick.

The fact is the Rams are going to start negotiating a contract with Sam Bradford. If they can dangle the "we can draft Suh and Colt McCoy instead of you" scenario in front of Bradford's agent, they possibly could get Bradford to sign a more "club friendly" deal before the draft.

Just remember this about draft time: where there is smoke, there is more smoke.  I doubt McCoy's private workout has much of an impact on who is drafted where, but this move solidifies my opinion that the Rams are going to draft Bradford.






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Sam I am a St. Louis Ram

Gil Brandt is reporting that, in his opinion, Sam Bradford had the most impressive private workout "for a quarterback since Troy Aikman." We all know how that worked out.


Brandt stated in his blog, "Bradford threw more than 100 passes during the workout and, in my estimation, didn’t have one that was uncatchable. He moved around well, including throwing on the run out of the pocket, and went through the entire route tree. The scripted workout included three-, five- and seven-step drops, shotgun, and play-action plays, plus sprints and rollouts to both sides."


I hope that Rams' fans are excited. He is one of the most accurate college quarterbacks I have seen (at least up there with Troy Aikman and Drew Brees). There is nothing that makes a draft more juicy than having a quarterback at the top of it.


This positive media coverage is not going to make it easier to convince the Rams' fans that Ndamukong Suh should be the No. 1 pick. This is a quarterback driven league, and Sam Braford made himself and his family a lot of money today.






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The Real McCoy?

Pro Football Weekly recently joined Mike Mayock and Charley Casserly, two NFL Network draft “gurus” who are often maligned or celebrated in ranking DT Gerald McCoy ahead of the de facto best overall player DT Ndamukong Suh. I happen to respect all three sources, because they make their assumptions off their own observations and not because they think the draft is a popularity contest.

The fact that PFW added that they believed McCoy was “a special talent” and did not bestow the same observation on Suh was suprising. They also added that Suh has an “inability to unlock and use the power in his hips.” Ouch.

This all begs the question. Could we see McCoy selected ahead of Suh? Two months ago, I would have been taken out and executed by firing squad for even thinking it. I can't wait for April 22nd.

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Tim Tebowitis

I have noticed that the majority of comments from users about Tim Tebow on blogs and forums (where public opinion is really formed) are negative. With this draft lacking a healthy or participating skill player near the top, Tebow has become its focus and that has caused some backlash (or Cushlash if that is more appropriate).

From my prospective, Tim Tebow’s wide ranging draft stock, views on faith, and undeniable leadership and character is giving this draft what it needs:  a story that brings in extreme viewpoints. Few people will sit around and debate the pedigree or selection of Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy. What they will do is discuss Tim Tebow regardless of where he is selected in the NFL draft.

When you have a person who is a quarterback, religious figure, and an anointed head figure rolled up into one , the media has a gold mine. It’s like having Brett Favre, the Pope, and George W. Bush rolled up into one. Make no mistake, Tim Tebow will continue to use this media coverage to get his viewpoints across and the media will continue to eat it up until the real season kicks off.

So love them or hate them, figures like Tim Tebow will dominate the big time football media as long as we continue to love them or hate them.

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