Last updated: April 22, 2010.

Finally.

I usually get out the first NFL mock draft of the year by mid-January. So this has been a long time coming, but I feel more educated about this mock than most. After all, the NFL’s annual prospect analysis event (the combine) is over and free agency already has tipped the hands of a few teams.

No more words, just mock draft time. Feel free to scrutinize in the comments:

1. The St. Louis Rams select … Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma.

Hard to pass on the face-of-the-franchise when opportunity and need present themselves. Bradford is a smart, strong kid who might be perfect for high-scoring, indoor football. The Greatest Show on Turf still could be quite a few seasons away.

2. The Detroit Lions select … Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska.

A significant amount of focus has been placed on the defensive side of the ball already this offseason by the Lions, especially to the defensive line (Kyle Vanden Bosch, Corey Williams). It stands to reason that effort will be continued in the draft by taking arguably the best player of any available in 2010.

3. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma.

Lots of holes to fill on this team and the middle of the defensive line is not a bad place to start. McCoy should be able to supplant last year’s starter Ryan Sims by the time he signs his rookie contract.

4. The Washington Redskins select … Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State.

It’s a run on prospects who played college ball in Oklahoma! Now that the Redskins have Donovan McNabb, they probably do not need to take a quarterback here.  McNabb could use some protection from the O-line and Okung could help bolster that unit.

5. The Kansas City Chiefs select … Eric Berry, S, Tennessee.

Best player available and fills a need as well. Berry should help improve a pass defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season and clearly is the best at his position in this draft class.

6. The Seattle Seahawks select … C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson.

Seattle has two picks in the first round of this year’s draft, and it would not surprise me to see both picks to go toward improving the offensive side of the ball. Not that the defense was great last year, but in the NFC West you can get away with a lackluster defense right now. But you cannot win that division with an anemic offense.

7. The Cleveland Browns select … Joe Haden, CB, Florida.

If you really never can have enough cornerbacks, Haden could be the pick. Despite acquiring Sheldon Brown via trade this week, the Browns have been linked with Haden all spring.

8. The Oakland Raiders select … Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa.

And the Oakland Raiders shock everyone by (A) doing something normal and (B) not taking the fastest player at his position. A boring but safe pick may be what the doctor ordered in Oakland after years and years of anything-but-boring-or-safe picks.

9. The Buffalo Bills select … Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame.

Gone are Terrell Owens and Josh Reed. The Bills need offense in a bad way at several positions: Quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle. More than anything else, however, the Bills need a new start and a new face-of-the-franchise.

10. The Jacksonville Jaguars select … Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State.

No, the Jags are not going to take Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with the No. 10 overall selection. While he would sell tickets and they make take him later in the draft, Bryant is the highest profile offensive player left on the board and should account for some ticket sales, as well.

11. The Denver Broncos (From Chicago) select … Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama.

Not only was McClain a great player for the Crimson Tide, he also was a great leader on that National Championship defense. Should bring leadership, talent and youth to an ever-evolving Denver team.

12. The Miami Dolphins select … Brandon Graham, LB, Michigan.

The Bill Parcells re-building project is in full swing after the Brandon Marshall get. Graham could step right into a starting stop with Joey Porter out of the picture.

13. The San Francisco 49ers select … Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers.

49ers needed help desperately on the offensive line in 2009. Always a good idea to restock the big guys up front in the NFL Draft, which always seems to have a wealth of talent on the O-line.

14. The Seattle Seahawks (From Denver) select … Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma.

Another team that desperately needs to re-tool the offensive line. Seahawks could opt to trade for an offensive lineman (Jamaal Brown of the Saints?) or pick one here in the middle of the first round.

15. The New York Giants select … Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech.

You can never have enough good pass-rushing defensive ends. Case in point, the 2009 New York Giants. Once the strong suit of that defense, injuries decimated the unit.

16. The Tennessee Titans select … Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida.

And now for a run on defensive ends. Titans defense could use some new blood on the edge of the defensive line after Kyle Vanden Bosch left in free agency for Detroit.

17. The San Francisco 49ers (From Carolina) select … Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State.

Another area of need for the 49ers addressed here in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Not a bad haul for a team more than capable of winning the NFC West this season.

18. The Pittsburgh Steelers select … Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho.

Have to get some protection for Big Ben, no pun intended. The offensive line has been a problem for several seasons now and this generally is an area where Pittsburgh excels. Need some new blood.

19. The Atlanta Falcons select … Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida.

Red flags with Dunlap, but when you play in a division with Drew Brees you have to be able to rush the quarterback. The Falcons clearly need to improve the defense and Dunlap could have an instant impact.

20. The Houston Texans select … Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers.

Playing in the same division as Peyton Manning has always seemed to drive the Texans’ offseason agenda. No difference here.

21. The Cincinnati Bengals select … Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

22. The New England Patriots select … Jerry Hughes, OLB, Texas Christian

23. The Green Bay Packers select … Charles Brown, OT, Southern California

24. The Philadelphia Eagles select … Taylor Mays, S, Southern California

25. The Baltimore Ravens select … Brian Price, DT, UCLA

26. The Arizona Cardinals select … Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

27. The Dallas Cowboys select … Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

28. The San Diego Chargers select … Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State

29. The New York Jets select … Jared Odrick, DE/DT, Penn State

30. The Minnesota Vikings select … Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech

31. The Indianapolis Colts select … Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

32. The New Orleans Saints select … Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

If you would like to comment on this mock draft, please visit the original post. We always welcome feedback from fans of these NFL teams, who often can provide a unique perspective into each’s needs. Thanks!

Resources

Bone up on your NFL Draft knowledge by visiting this handy map provided by USA Today. Combining my two favorite things — maps and football — into a fantastic resource, USA Today has compiled a database of all the players drafted into the NFL since 1988 and organized them by state.

How does your state stack up against the 240 players taken from my home state of Louisiana? That number reminds me of a story I read a while back regarding Louisiana’s propensity for developing NFL-level football talent.

Mock Draft Info

The Archives

This is where old mock drafts come to die. If you are feeling a little nostalgic, check up on some of our mock drafts from previous seasons. Probably pretty amusing reading at this point.

2010 NFL mock drafts
 April 7, 2010 (#1 – 10)
April 15, 2010 (#11 -20)
April 22, 2010 (#21-32)

2009 NFL mock drafts
January 13, 2009 (#1 – 15)
January 20, 2009 (#1 – 15)
February 19, 2009 (#1 – 32)
March 3, 2009 (#1 – 32)
April 15, 2009 (#1 – 32)
April 20, 2009 (#1 – 32)
April 23, 2009 (#1 – 16)
April 25, 2009 (#17 – 32)

2008 TH NFL mock draft
April 21, 2008 (#1 – 5)
April 22, 2008 (#6 – 10)
April 23, 2008 (#11 – 15)
April 24, 2008 (#16 – 20)
April 25, 2008 (#21 – 25)
April 26, 2008 (#26 – 31)