2010 NFL Draft Team-by-Team Reviews: Rams, Lions, Bucs, Redskins
After having a few months to absorb everything from the 2010 NFL Draft and look ahead to the 2010 NFL season, the time has finally come for my team-by-team reviews of the 2010 NFL Draft. It may be late, but as any draft expert knows, it is never too late to look back at the merits of a Draft.
These reviews will be presented in volumes of four teams at a time, based upon the original draft order: hence, the reviews start with the St. Louis Rams. This edition also includes the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins.
The Rams hope Bradford can be their quarterback of the future.
St. Louis Rams
Round 1 – Pick 1: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma -
This was an obvious selection for the St. Louis Rams. The Rams desperately needed a quarterback, and Sam Bradford has the ability to become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
While Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is the best prospect out of the 2010 NFL Draft class, a team in need of a franchise quarterback should always take one at the top of the draft when he is available, and that is exactly what the Rams got in Bradford.
Bradford is one of the best quarterback prospects to come out of college in recent years, and was the perfect choice for a franchise quarterback for the Rams to build around, which they desperately needed.
The Rams have a long road to become a contender after three consecutive seasons in the NFL’s bottom two, but they took a great step in the right direction by drafting the player whom will help them most for the long term in Sam Bradford.
Round 2 – Pick 33: Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana -
Given that the Rams used the second overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft to draft Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, it was puzzling that the Rams would select another offensive tackle in the second round of this year’s Draft.
However, the Rams could use an upgrade over Alex Barron, and although Saffold was the fifth offensive tackle selected in this year’s Draft, he could turn out to be the best of the class. Saffold does not have the upside of the offensive tackles whom were selected before him, but he is more well-rounded and NFL-ready than any of them.
Saffold has the athleticism and strength to succeed at either tackle position, and along with Smith will provide a great bookend tackle to protect the Rams’ $50 million investment in Bradford for many years to come.
So given that Saffold was great value at his position in the second round, and will be key to protect Bradford and open up holes for Steven Jackson, this selection did make alot of sense for the St. Louis Rams at the start of the second round.
Round 3 – Pick 65: Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida -
Jerome Murphy would have been a reach at the end of the third round, let alone as the first pick of the third round. While cornerback remains a weakness for the St. Louis Rams, they should have waited on drafting Murphy.
They could have gone for a better value in Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey, whom was taking with the next selection, but what they really should have done was passed on the cornerback position altogether here, and addressed their needs on the defensive line by drafting one of the best values on the board in Arkansas State defensive end Alex Carrington.
Instead they selected Murphy, who is a skilled defensive back whom is physical and plays well against the run, but is raw and very inconsistent in pass coverage. Murphy is an intriguing prospect, and may have been worth a shot in the fourth round, but was simply taken too high here.
Round 4 – Pick 99: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati -
The St. Louis Rams certainly needed to add another weapon to the passing game for Sam Bradford, and got a great steal in the fourth round in Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard. Questions about Gilyard’s maturity and a very poor Combine showing really hurt Gilyard’s stock, but it still came as a surprise that he was still available on Day 3.
He was expected to be one of the first players off of the board heading into that Saturday, and the Rams made sure of it by taking him right off the bat, which was a fantastic choice as he was among the best players available.
While Gilyard was very unimpressive at the NFL Scouting Combine, he proved during his years at Cincinnati that he is a dynamic offensive weapon whom can really help out the Rams as a slot receiver and kick returner. With the first pick of Day 3, the Rams may have grabbed one of the day’s gems.
Round 5 – Pick 132: Michael Hoomanawanui, TE, Illinois -
While the tight end position has evolved to a point where the majority of NFL tight ends are basically large receivers, there is still a calling for pure blocking tight ends, which is why Michael Hoomanawanui was selected with the first pick of the fifth round.
This came as a bit of a surprise that he was selected that early, as he is not much of a receiving threat at all, but he is certainly a large tight end whom plays like a third offensive tackle when he is in the game. For a team that really needed to upgrade its blocking, Hoomanawanui may not have been such a bad selection, even though he will likely only play in short-yardage and goal-line situations as an extra run blocker.
Round 5 – Pick 149: Hall Davis, DE, Louisiana-Lafayette – The St. Louis Rams finally
addressed their needs on the defensive line with this pick, ironically one of the picks that the Rams ended up with from trading away defensive tackle Adam Carriker (whom certainly turned out to be a major draft bust for the Rams after being the 13th overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft).But while the Rams addressed the right need here, they certainly could have done better than Hall Davis, who was a surprise to even be drafted.
With players like Austen Lane and Arthur Jones still available, it is really puzzling to understand why they would pass those much more talented players up for Davis, whom was a productive player in the Sun Belt but lacks the size and athleticism to be an impact player in the National Football League. Davis will have to prove his mettle as a special teamer to make any impact for the Rams, and was not a good choice in the fifth round.
Round 6 – Pick 170: Fendi Onobun, TE, Houston –
For the second round in a row, the Rams made the first pick of the round a tight end, and after selecting a pure blocker in Hoomanawanui in the fifth round, they went for an athletic receiving tight end in Houston’s Fendi Onobun.
Onobun is an intriguing prospect; he started out at Houston as a basketball player before becoming a tight end on the football team, where he flourished in the Cougars’ high-octane passing game. However, he is very raw, and is certainly a developmental project for the Rams.
If the Rams have the patience to develop him for a couple of years, he may be able to make an impact in their passing game. The Rams could have gotten a better prospect here in Pittsbugh tight end Dorin Dickerson, whom is an even better athlete than Onobun and has both higher upside and is more NFL-ready, but Onobun may not turn out to be a bad selection.
Round 6 – Pick 189: Eugene Sims, DE, West Texas A&M –
The Rams also had this selection as a result of the Carriker trade, and they once again addressed their needs on the defensive line. And once again, they made a massive reach, by drafting a player whom was completely off of the radar in West Texas A&M defensive end Eugene Sims.
Sims was certainly not expected to be drafted, and there were plenty of defensive linemen whom were more than worthy of being sixth round selections, including East Carolina defensive end C.J. Wilson. The Rams struck out with this choice, leaving them 0-for-2 on defensive lineman selections.
Round 7 – Pick 211: Marquis Johnson, CB, Alabama -
The Rams also moved down three spots at the seventh round as a result of the Carriker trade, and used that selection on their second cornerback of the Draft in Alabama’s Marquis Johnson. There were certainly many fantastic prospects from the national champion Crimson Tide whom deserved to be drafted this year, but Marquis Johnson was not one of them. Johnson is an inconsistent cornerback whom lacks the size and athleticism to be an NFL cornerback.
There were many cornerbacks whom wound up not being drafted at all whom have the potential to make an impact in the NFL as a defensive back, but Marquis Johnson’s only shot of making an impact for the Rams will be on special teams. Not a player worth drafting.
Round 7 – Pick 226: George Selvie, DE, South Florida -
George Selvie came into the 2009 college football season as a likely first-round selection for the 2010 NFL Draft, but he battled injuries throughout his senior season, while Jason Pierre-Paul became the nation’s most explosive pass rusher in his only season with the South Florida Bulls.
This ravaged Selvie’s stock for the 2010 NFL Draft, so much that he fell all the way out of the first 225 picks of the class. Selvie certainly was not worthy of being a first-round selection as he once looked to be, but he was still worthy of being a middle rounds selection.
Selvie has shown the ability to be a very good defensive player, and is a hard-working, high-motor player whom may not be a dynamic pass rusher in the NFL, but is a well-rounded player who should be able to work his way into playing time at defensive end for the St. Louis Rams. Selvie is certainly the best of the three defensive ends whom they drafted, and selecting him with the final pick from the Carriker trade made up for the wasted selections of Davis and Sims.
Round 7 – Pick 254: Josh Hull, ILB, Penn State -
It came as a surprise that Penn State middle linebacker Josh Hull nearly went undrafted, but the St. Louis Rams were smart to select him with the second to last selection in the 2010 NFL Draft and prevent him from hitting the free agency pool. Hull may not be the same caliber of prospect as fellow Penn State linebackers Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman, but Hull is a tough, instinctive linebacker whom was very productive in the middle for the Nittany Lions as a senior, and should make a good backup middle linebacker and special teams player for the St. Louis Rams. Good pick at the end of the 2010 NFL Draft for the St. Louis Rams.
Overall Outlook: The St. Louis Rams needed a franchise quarterback to build around, and they found one with the first overall pick in Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford. They then proceeded to add two important pieces around him on offense, in offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, whom could play left or right tackle immediately, and slot receiver Mardy Gilyard, whom should add another dimension to the Rams’ offense and can also be a great kick returner.
The Rams did not as good of a job drafting defensively, with some very questionable picks including Jerome Murphy and Hall Davis, but they did make up for it with two great values in the seventh round in defensive end George Selvie and middle linebacker Josh Hull. All in all, the Rams came into this Draft with many holes, and did a great job of upgrading at many positions. They grade out with a A-.
After having a few months to absorb everything from the 2010 NFL Draft and look ahead to the 2010 NFL season, the time has finally come for my team-by-team reviews of the 2010 NFL Draft. It may be late, but as any draft expert knows, it is never too late to look back at the merits of a Draft.
These reviews will be presented in volumes of four teams at a time, based upon the original draft order: hence, the reviews start with the St. Louis Rams. This edition also includes the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins.
The Rams hope Bradford can be their quarterback of the future.
St. Louis Rams
Round 1 – Pick 1: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma -
This was an obvious selection for the St. Louis Rams. The Rams desperately needed a quarterback, and Sam Bradford has the ability to become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
While Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is the best prospect out of the 2010 NFL Draft class, a team in need of a franchise quarterback should always take one at the top of the draft when he is available, and that is exactly what the Rams got in Bradford.
Bradford is one of the best quarterback prospects to come out of college in recent years, and was the perfect choice for a franchise quarterback for the Rams to build around, which they desperately needed.
The Rams have a long road to become a contender after three consecutive seasons in the NFL’s bottom two, but they took a great step in the right direction by drafting the player whom will help them most for the long term in Sam Bradford.
Round 2 – Pick 33: Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana -
Given that the Rams used the second overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft to draft Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, it was puzzling that the Rams would select another offensive tackle in the second round of this year’s Draft.
However, the Rams could use an upgrade over Alex Barron, and although Saffold was the fifth offensive tackle selected in this year’s Draft, he could turn out to be the best of the class. Saffold does not have the upside of the offensive tackles whom were selected before him, but he is more well-rounded and NFL-ready than any of them.
Saffold has the athleticism and strength to succeed at either tackle position, and along with Smith will provide a great bookend tackle to protect the Rams’ $50 million investment in Bradford for many years to come.
So given that Saffold was great value at his position in the second round, and will be key to protect Bradford and open up holes for Steven Jackson, this selection did make alot of sense for the St. Louis Rams at the start of the second round.
Round 3 – Pick 65: Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida -
Jerome Murphy would have been a reach at the end of the third round, let alone as the first pick of the third round. While cornerback remains a weakness for the St. Louis Rams, they should have waited on drafting Murphy.
They could have gone for a better value in Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey, whom was taking with the next selection, but what they really should have done was passed on the cornerback position altogether here, and addressed their needs on the defensive line by drafting one of the best values on the board in Arkansas State defensive end Alex Carrington.
Instead they selected Murphy, who is a skilled defensive back whom is physical and plays well against the run, but is raw and very inconsistent in pass coverage. Murphy is an intriguing prospect, and may have been worth a shot in the fourth round, but was simply taken too high here.
Round 4 – Pick 99: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati -
The St. Louis Rams certainly needed to add another weapon to the passing game for Sam Bradford, and got a great steal in the fourth round in Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard. Questions about Gilyard’s maturity and a very poor Combine showing really hurt Gilyard’s stock, but it still came as a surprise that he was still available on Day 3.
He was expected to be one of the first players off of the board heading into that Saturday, and the Rams made sure of it by taking him right off the bat, which was a fantastic choice as he was among the best players available.
While Gilyard was very unimpressive at the NFL Scouting Combine, he proved during his years at Cincinnati that he is a dynamic offensive weapon whom can really help out the Rams as a slot receiver and kick returner. With the first pick of Day 3, the Rams may have grabbed one of the day’s gems.
Round 5 – Pick 132: Michael Hoomanawanui, TE, Illinois -
While the tight end position has evolved to a point where the majority of NFL tight ends are basically large receivers, there is still a calling for pure blocking tight ends, which is why Michael Hoomanawanui was selected with the first pick of the fifth round.
This came as a bit of a surprise that he was selected that early, as he is not much of a receiving threat at all, but he is certainly a large tight end whom plays like a third offensive tackle when he is in the game. For a team that really needed to upgrade its blocking, Hoomanawanui may not have been such a bad selection, even though he will likely only play in short-yardage and goal-line situations as an extra run blocker.
Round 5 – Pick 149: Hall Davis, DE, Louisiana-Lafayette – The St. Louis Rams finally
addressed their needs on the defensive line with this pick, ironically one of the picks that the Rams ended up with from trading away defensive tackle Adam Carriker (whom certainly turned out to be a major draft bust for the Rams after being the 13th overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft).But while the Rams addressed the right need here, they certainly could have done better than Hall Davis, who was a surprise to even be drafted.
With players like Austen Lane and Arthur Jones still available, it is really puzzling to understand why they would pass those much more talented players up for Davis, whom was a productive player in the Sun Belt but lacks the size and athleticism to be an impact player in the National Football League. Davis will have to prove his mettle as a special teamer to make any impact for the Rams, and was not a good choice in the fifth round.
Round 6 – Pick 170: Fendi Onobun, TE, Houston –
For the second round in a row, the Rams made the first pick of the round a tight end, and after selecting a pure blocker in Hoomanawanui in the fifth round, they went for an athletic receiving tight end in Houston’s Fendi Onobun.
Onobun is an intriguing prospect; he started out at Houston as a basketball player before becoming a tight end on the football team, where he flourished in the Cougars’ high-octane passing game. However, he is very raw, and is certainly a developmental project for the Rams.
If the Rams have the patience to develop him for a couple of years, he may be able to make an impact in their passing game. The Rams could have gotten a better prospect here in Pittsbugh tight end Dorin Dickerson, whom is an even better athlete than Onobun and has both higher upside and is more NFL-ready, but Onobun may not turn out to be a bad selection.
Round 6 – Pick 189: Eugene Sims, DE, West Texas A&M –
The Rams also had this selection as a result of the Carriker trade, and they once again addressed their needs on the defensive line. And once again, they made a massive reach, by drafting a player whom was completely off of the radar in West Texas A&M defensive end Eugene Sims.
Sims was certainly not expected to be drafted, and there were plenty of defensive linemen whom were more than worthy of being sixth round selections, including East Carolina defensive end C.J. Wilson. The Rams struck out with this choice, leaving them 0-for-2 on defensive lineman selections.
Round 7 – Pick 211: Marquis Johnson, CB, Alabama -
The Rams also moved down three spots at the seventh round as a result of the Carriker trade, and used that selection on their second cornerback of the Draft in Alabama’s Marquis Johnson. There were certainly many fantastic prospects from the national champion Crimson Tide whom deserved to be drafted this year, but Marquis Johnson was not one of them. Johnson is an inconsistent cornerback whom lacks the size and athleticism to be an NFL cornerback.
There were many cornerbacks whom wound up not being drafted at all whom have the potential to make an impact in the NFL as a defensive back, but Marquis Johnson’s only shot of making an impact for the Rams will be on special teams. Not a player worth drafting.
Round 7 – Pick 226: George Selvie, DE, South Florida -
George Selvie came into the 2009 college football season as a likely first-round selection for the 2010 NFL Draft, but he battled injuries throughout his senior season, while Jason Pierre-Paul became the nation’s most explosive pass rusher in his only season with the South Florida Bulls.
This ravaged Selvie’s stock for the 2010 NFL Draft, so much that he fell all the way out of the first 225 picks of the class. Selvie certainly was not worthy of being a first-round selection as he once looked to be, but he was still worthy of being a middle rounds selection.
Selvie has shown the ability to be a very good defensive player, and is a hard-working, high-motor player whom may not be a dynamic pass rusher in the NFL, but is a well-rounded player who should be able to work his way into playing time at defensive end for the St. Louis Rams. Selvie is certainly the best of the three defensive ends whom they drafted, and selecting him with the final pick from the Carriker trade made up for the wasted selections of Davis and Sims.
Round 7 – Pick 254: Josh Hull, ILB, Penn State -
It came as a surprise that Penn State middle linebacker Josh Hull nearly went undrafted, but the St. Louis Rams were smart to select him with the second to last selection in the 2010 NFL Draft and prevent him from hitting the free agency pool. Hull may not be the same caliber of prospect as fellow Penn State linebackers Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman, but Hull is a tough, instinctive linebacker whom was very productive in the middle for the Nittany Lions as a senior, and should make a good backup middle linebacker and special teams player for the St. Louis Rams. Good pick at the end of the 2010 NFL Draft for the St. Louis Rams.
Overall Outlook: The St. Louis Rams needed a franchise quarterback to build around, and they found one with the first overall pick in Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford. They then proceeded to add two important pieces around him on offense, in offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, whom could play left or right tackle immediately, and slot receiver Mardy Gilyard, whom should add another dimension to the Rams’ offense and can also be a great kick returner.
The Rams did not as good of a job drafting defensively, with some very questionable picks including Jerome Murphy and Hall Davis, but they did make up for it with two great values in the seventh round in defensive end George Selvie and middle linebacker Josh Hull. All in all, the Rams came into this Draft with many holes, and did a great job of upgrading at many positions. They grade out with a A-.
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