Lou Pickney's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

National Football League
Draft King Analysis

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It's six days and counting before the release of NCAA Football 10. I know that some visitors to this site are indifferent to video games, but it can be a fun way to get up to speed on players and teams in advance of the start of the season. And, no, EA Sports didn't ask me to write that.

Ask and ye shall receive: in answer to my question from 7/5 on teams wearing white for every game on the season, thanks to Paul Lukas of UniWatchBlog.com (via help from Timothy Brulia), I've learned that there have been teams to have worn white jerseys for every game of the season, including the 1976 Buccaneers, the 1968-1970 Rams, and even the 1940 Bears. But, as far as I know, the 1998 Tennessee Oilers are the only team to have done that in a 16 game regular season (not to mention the four pre-season games).

It's worth noting that one player who had been in the 2010 first round discussion who is not there now is Boston College OLB Mark Herzlich, the ACC's 2008 Defensive Player of the Year. Sadly, Herzlich was diagnosed in May with having Ewing's sarcoma in his left leg. That is a malignant tumor that most often is found in either soft tissue or, as in Herzlich's case, in the bone. Doctors say that the cancer hasn't spread out of his leg, but this certainly has dashed Herzlich's hopes of being a day one NFL pick in 2010.

Herzlich is undergoing chemotherapy, and he is under the care of doctors who are evaluating what the best course of action is for his treatment. Hopefully he will be able to beat cancer, though what this means for his future on the gridiron is unclear at this point.

Continuing from yesterday, here is a player-by-player look at the second-half of the current Draft King 2010 NFL Mock Draft. Many of the top half of the round look very likely to be first round selections (barring injury or, for players with remaining eligibility, the decision to return to school for 2010), but it gets a bit less certain for many players in this portion of the mock. Of course, with this being early July and the 2010 Draft not taking place until late April, we have a very long way to go with this. As always, the mock draft experience is a work in progress.

17. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech * (6'0" 230 lbs.)
Dwyer may end up being the strongest RB prospect at this point, though there is no guarantee he'll turn pro after this season. He has all the skills to be a good pro, though, with above-average size for the position mixed with an estimated 4.4 40 speed. Last season Dwyer ran for 1,395 yards and scored 12 TDs on just 200 carries. Dwyer is a player who could make an immediate impact for an NFL team in 2010, particularly if he stays healthy and if his 40 time really is as fast as advertised.

18. Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida (6'3" 245 lbs.)
One of the best defensive prospects in the country, Spikes is a tremendous playmaker who opted to return to Gainesville rather than going pro early. That was probably a wise move given that there were two great inside linebackers in the 2009 Draft (James Laurinaitis and Rey Maualuga) who both slipped to the second round of the draft.

Spikes has a great ability at diagnosing plays as they unravel, a trait that helps him tremendously as an inside linebacker. Pass coverage is not his strong suit, but he makes up for that with an intensity that never quits and leadership that helps make his teammates better.

	Trevard Lindley has a knack for breaking up passes. (Icon SMI)

19. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois * (6'2" 210 lbs.)
Benn had a strong sophomore season for the Illini last fall (63 receptions for 1,055 yards) and he physically has the size to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses. With another productive season in 2009, Benn might opt for the NFL. Ron Zook is a good recruiter, but he doesn't have that Mack Brown type of ability to talk elite guys into coming back once they are eligible to enter the draft.

20. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky (6'0" 175 lbs.)
Lindley doesn't have blazing speed, but he possesses a tremendous ability to close on the ball and deflect passes. In just three seasons with the Wildcats, Lindley holds the school's all-time record with 34 career pass break-ups.

Lindley likely would have been a second round selection had he turned pro after last season. But he surprised Kentucky fans (in a good way) by deciding to return to Lexington, and particularly if he can turn some of those pass break-ups into interceptions in 2009, he could be right up there in the top of the cornerback mix for the 2010 NFL Draft.

21. Greg Hardy, DE/OLB, Ole Miss * (6'5" 255 lbs.)
It has been an up-and-down ride for Hardy during his tenure at Ole Miss, with a suspension for violation of team rules and a foot injury that kept him off the field for the first three games of 2008. He has struggled at times with consistent play.

But, when he's healthy and on his game, Hardy is as imposing of a physical presence on defense as arguably any other player in college football today. Last year his ability to reach, and sack, Florida QB Tim Tebow earned Hardy a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and also played a part in Ole Miss' 31-30 upset of the Gators in Gainesville.

If Hardy can show a consistent performance for the Rebels this fall, he could move up toward the top 10 or 15 spots of the draft. If he continues to be hit-or-miss, it could cost him an opportunity to be a first-round pick in 2010.

22. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU (6'5" 250 lbs.)
The story on Pitta is interesting. He is a solid receiver who had four 100+ yard receiving games in 2008, and on the season made 82 receptions for 1,072 yards and six TDs. His speed depends on what source you believe -- his 40 yard dash number varies wildly in published reports.

Pitta played as a freshman and then was out of football for two years while on a Mormon mission. He returned to play in 2007 and 2008, and with another strong showing in 2009, he could be the second tight end to go (right now Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham is in a class by himself).

As of this writing, I don't know how old Pitta is. Any help on this? I feel pretty confident that he's not 109 years old (despite what Rotoworld says), but his exact age has been elusive to find online. Cougar fans, send me some info, please.

23. Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn State * (6'1" 228 lbs.)
Bowman was a consensus all Big Ten selection in 2008, and he has tremendous athleticism and the ability to read plays and make tackles. He doesn't have crazy speed so he's more likely to be a 4-3 OLB in the NFL, but he has the ability to develop into a good pro.

There have been off-the-field problems for Bowman (a 2007 fight and, more recently, admitting in court to using marijuana). I hate writing that marijuana is a "problem" since I support its legalization, but it's a prohibited substance in both the NCAA and the NFL, and teams look down at players who have admitted to using it.

24. Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama * (6'4" 250 lbs.)
While he could return to the Crimson Tide in 2010, McClain has the capacity to be a day one pick in the NFL if he has a strong 2009 season. Huge, fast, and a competent playmaker, McClain is a great talent who started his first game for Alabama as a true freshman, something that *rarely* happens. I hear from plenty of Alabama fans and I know that they are excited to see what McClain will do this fall. Alabama's defense, between McClain and NT Terrence Cody and CB Javier Arenas, is going to be formidable again in 2009.

25. Rennie Curran, OLB, Georgia (5'11" 200 lbs.)
Curran is undersized by NFL linebacker standards, but he made 115 tackles in 2008. Particularly for teams playing the Tampa Two, a player like Curran could be a great addition.

26. George Selvie, DE, USF (6'4" 245 lbs.)
As a redshirt sophomore in 2007, Selvie collected an impressive 14.5 sacks. Last year Selvie suffered from injuries, which kept his stats way down. If Selvie can bounce back and stay healthy this fall, he has strong potential to be a day one pick and possibly a first round selection.

27. Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota (6'2" 215 lbs.)
Decker has nice size and he is coming off of a season where he lead the Big Ten in receptions per game (7.0) and receiving yards per game (89.5). It remains to be seen what Decker decides to do from a career standpoint, as he is a highly touted baseball talent, though for now it seems that Decker is leaning strongly toward a pro football career.

28. Sean Lee, ILB, Penn State (6'2" 235 lbs.)
Lee suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in April 2008, which prevented him from playing last fall. This year, playing alongside teammate Navorro Bowman, Lee will have a chance to show how his recovery has gone and if he has returned to his pre-injury form. If Lee comes back strong, he could manage to sneak his way into the bottom of round one in the 2010 NFL Draft.

	It's tough to contain Clemson RB C.J. Spiller. (Icon SMI)

29. Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama (5'9" 198 lbs.)
Arenas can run a sub 4.4 40, and while he is shorter than other cornerback prospects at just 5'9", the guy is a playmaker who could make a huge impact in the NFL as a kick returner. If he stays healthy, lookout for him being a strong possibility as a first round pick.

30. Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas (6'4" 240 lbs.)
While the NFL might have tempted Kindle last year, Mack Brown worked his magic yet again to keep Kindle around for his senior season. Kindle collected an impressive 10 sacks in 2008, and a similar output this fall could help Kindle work his way into being a day one NFL pick.

31. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson (5'11" 195 lbs.)
Spiller is insanely fast (with an estimated 4.35 40 time) and, with a productive senior year, he could be very tempting for a team wanting to add a speed rusher to go with a power running back.

32. Brandon Lang, DE/OLB, Troy (6'4" 252 lbs.)
It's impossible for any DE/OLB hybrid coming out of Troy to avoid being compared with school alumnus DeMarcus Ware. That's not fair for any player, but Lang is arguably the best hybrid prospect to come out of the school since Ware. Listed 40 yard dash times for him vary wildly, but if he has a good season and runs fast at the combine next year, he might end up sneaking in as a round one pick.

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