DSA Player Rankings 3.0

In the latest DSA Player Rankings, the value of offensive lineman is becoming more pronounced. Bryan Bulaga has moved up past Joe Haden to the seventh slot, and Trent Williams moves up two slots to the #9 position. A number of drafts placing Bruce Campbell eighth overall to Oakland has him gaining a spot, while Russell Okung and Anthony Davis hold onto their positions. That is 5 of the top 18 players in the draft being offensive tackles. It is going to pay to be one of the big guys up front in the 2010 NFL Draft. Here are the DSA Player Rankings, Version 3.0:

1) Ndamukong Suh 1.90
2) Sam Bradford 2.27
3) Gerald McCoy 2.90
4) Russell Okung 4.2
5) Eric Berry 5.63
6) Jimmy Clausen 7.27
7) Bryan Bulaga 10.17
8) Joe Haden 10.73
9) Trent Williams 11.57
10) Rolando McClain 12.23
11) Derrick Morgan 12.77
12) Dez Bryant 13.47
13) C.J. Spiller 14.03
14) Anthony Davis 15.7
15) Dan Williams 16.57
16) Jason Pierre-Paul 17.07
17) Earl Thomas 17.90
18) Bruce Campbell 18.17
19) Sergio Kindle 21.83
20) T-Brandon Graham 22.20
20) T-Taylor Mays 22.20
22) Mike Iupati 22.87
23) Kyle Wilson 23.93
24) Carlos Dunlap 26.73
25) Jermaine Gresham 27.03
26) Brian Price 27.27
27) Everson Griffen 27.40
28) Maurkice Pouncey 27.63
29) Sean Weatherspoon 28.63
30) Ryan Mathews 29.30
31) Jerry Hughes 29.60
32) Jared Odrick 29.70
33) Golden Tate 30.00
34) Charles Brown 30.20
35) Demaryius Thomas 31.00
36) Arrelious Benn 32.27
37) Patrick Robinson 32.63
38) Devin McCourtey 33.17


After his Pro Day Workout, Sam Bradford is going to be the consensus 1st Overall selection. He still ranks #2 Behind Ndamukong Suh because early drafts had him going fourth or lower, while Suh has been consistently in the top 2 or 3. The next DSA Player Rankings will most likely have Bradford at the top. It will be interesting to see if there will be any more big moves up or down the board.

What a Difference a Pro Day Makes

Even with the NFL Scouting Combine, draft prospects seem to feel more at ease in the comfy confines of their college practice fields. College Pro Day workouts are structured to the point of being scripted. But no matter what players still have to perform, and two of the top prospects showed just that the last 2 days.

Sam Bradford had more to lose than anyone with his Oklahoma Pro Day. Coming off of a shoulder injury that required surgery and caused him to sit out most of the 2009 season, Bradford needed to impress and then some after not throwing or working out at the NFL Combine. He did just that. 63 passes. 62 completions. And many thought that ball could have been caught. His accuracy was considered his strength, and he showed just how pinpoint that accuracy can be. He has filled out physically, and he carries the extra weight well. He is a deceptive 235 pounds. He always looked skinny but now it looks like he is maturing in the manner he needs to in order to withstand the rigors of an NFL season. The St. Louis Rams have pretty much made up their minds about selecting Bradford, and the choice was cemented by his Pro Day workout. Look for Bradford to sign a contract equal to or better than the one Matthew Stafford signed with Detroit in 2009, and he can thank his workout performance for that.

The next day Dez Bryant held his Pro Day workout. After running the 40 in a slower than expected time, he got the same response as Joe Haden after the NFL Combine. That he looks faster on film. But Haden ran a bit faster in his Pro Day workout, and any doubts about his ability seems to have been put to rest. Bryant is a different story, and there is a recent draft pick that some will probably start to compare him to. Mike Williams from USC.

Williams was seen as the top receiveing prospect coming out of college, but he had to sit out a year due his unsuccessful challenge of the NFL Draft eligibility policy. The time off seemed to allow a lot of rust to settle and he never did live up to expectations. He was a bit taller and heavier than Bryant, but it is going to be tough not to comapre the two receivers. Bryant sat out the 2009 season at Oklahoma State, and now it looks like he isn't the reciever he was in college. Now Jerry Jones is looking to wine and dine Bryant. If he is still avaliable at the #27 slot for Dallas, he is going to lose a lot of money in signing bonus because of a slow 40 time at his Pro Day workout. Let's hope Bryant has a much more successful career than Mike Williams did.

All sorts of Quarterback news

Sam Bradford finally had his workout at the University of Oklahoma for NFL coaches, scouts and front office personnel. 63 passes later it looks like an Ivory Soap percentage that St. Louis will take him 1st overall-99 and 44/100%. The Rams have announced that they won't make up their mind until Bradford works out again for them 3 days before the draft.

Now if this is the case it looks to be a long shot that he will be signed before the draft, unless there is a little cloak and dagger negotiations going on behind the scenes. I just wonder how much of an issue the signing bonus is going to play in all of this. St. Louis has been put in their own little version of Salary Cap Hell with the bonus money paid out to the #2 overall picks from 2008 and 2009, Chris Long and Jason Smith. Quarterbacks always demand, and get, the premium signing bonus payouts for their draft slots. Matthew Stafford got a nearly $42 million signing bonus as the 1st overall pick in 2009. With the addition of Bradford's contract look for the Rams to be a vocal proponent of a rookie salary cap during the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.

Even though Bradford does not look to start right away, considering his lack of experience taking snaps under center, what the Rams can't afford is a holdout. Which brings me to the other big quarterback news of the day. The Oakland Raiders has emerged as the front runner to trade for Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have stated they will take a pick in the top 42 for McNabb, and Oakland has the 39th overall selection. Now if this trade does occur, it begs the question: What will happen to JaMarcus Russell?

If there was ever a quarterback who might end up the poster child for First Overall Selection Busts, it looks to be Russell. Lengthy holdout. Rarely played in his rookie season. Then the Raiders discovered that his work ethic did not match his arm strength. After three seasons he still seems to have trouble grasping the pro game. On his side his biggest supporter is Al Davis. But when the Raiders start winning games with Bruce Gradkowski, and the rest of the team seems the journeyman backup as the real leader of the team, then you have to think that Russell's days are numbered.

Now Oakland is looking to acquire Donovan McNabb. Could it be that Russell could be released after just 3 seasons? It is possible. Oakland could sign McNabb to an extension, let go of Russell and just cut their losses. But I wonder: If Russell is released, who would sign him? I'm sure someone will, but I imagine his days as a starter in the NFL are numbered.

The Un-Sexy Draft

Every year the NFL Draft seems to be defined by what you might call The Sexy Picks. Or even The Pretty Boys. You know exactly who I am referring to-the offensive skill players. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. You can even put tight ends in this group, as they seem to have the diva streak running through them at times, but any coach and quarterback can attest to their value to an offense. But it looks more and more like that the 2010 NFL Draft will be defined by The Big Uglies. The big guys up front on the offensive and defensive lines.

Since 2000, the fewest number of first round picks that were used on quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers was in 2008, when there were 7 picks, as well as 1 tight end. A breakdown of each year, the number of QBs, RBs and WRs, and the number of TEs is as follows:

YEAR QB,RB,WR TE

2009 11 1
2008 7 1
2007 10 1
2006 8 2
2005 12 1
2004 14 2
2003 9 1
2002 8 3
2001 10 1
2000 11 2


My first TMG DraftZone Mock Draft has 6 QB/RB/WR, and 1 TE. Sam Bradford to St. Louis, Jimmy Clausen to Buffalo, Dez Bryant to Denver, C.J. Spiller to Seattle, Ryan Mathews to San Diego, Golden Tate to the New York Jets, and Jermaine Gresham to Cincinnati. The first 4 are pretty much a lock to go in the first round. After that it's pretty much a crap shoot. Many posts have Demaryius Thomas going in the first round, as well as Jahvid Best and Arrelious Benn. But this is the draft for the big guys. And when you think about it, the success or failure of the draft class will be determined by the success or failure of Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. You got to hand it to The Pretty Boys. They get all the spotlight, even if they are standing in the background.

Tampa Bay with the 3rd Overall Selection

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009 had an interesting year, to say the least. They started out by nearly making the playoffs in 2008, then fired their coach in Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen, the man in charge of the front office. They ushered in the Raheem Morris by moving up in the draft to select Josh Freeman, then fired the offensive coordinator before the season started. Hoping to have Freeman learn from the bench with a veteran leading the team on the field resulted in a 3 win season. All three wins were directed by Freeman, who was rushed onto the field but held his own under difficult circumstances.

Now if there is one team that is looking to reap the rewards of a draft heavy at the top and deep through the first 2 rounds, it is Tampa Bay. They own the 3rd overall selection, the 35th and and 42nd as well, the latter they picked up from Chicago in the deal for Gaines Adams. Adams, the fourth overall selection in 2007, was a bust in Tampa, then tragically passed away after the '09 season following the trade to Chicago.

Tampa Bay was last in rush defense in 2009. Needing a premier defensive tackle to stop the run. How about Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy? If St. Louis selects Sam Bradford with the first pick, then either one of these tackles will be there waiting for them. If the Rams pull a surprise and don't go with Bradford, then both Suh and McCoy will most likely be gone. Alternatives. How about Eric Berry, the dynamic, game changing safety or Russell Okung, the top rated tackle to protect their franchise quarterback in Freeman. With either scenario, they look to improve immediately.

At #35, they should be able to find a quality wide receiver for Freeman to target and to compliment Kellen Winslow, Jr. Golden Tate, Demaryius Thomas, and Arrelious Benn might all be available. Seven picks later, if the Bucs are looking for more offensive weapons, perhaps Jahvid Best could be waiting for them. But one pick I believe they might look at is Brandon Spikes, the middle linebacker from Florida. Once seen as a first rounder, he has fallen out of favor due to slow 40 times at the Florida Pro Day, but he has the football instincts you need from your middle linebacker, and putting him behind Suh or McCoy would shore up the run defense immensely.

The 2010 season for Tampa Bay depends on the development of Freeman, but with their selections in the first 2 rounds, and 10 picks overall, Tampa Bay looks to be able to pick up a number of building blocks to put together a winner once again.

DSA Player Rankings 2.0

The latest DSA Player Rankings are here, and it goes to show that some players pick up momentum and others fall out of favor. But the fallen are lead by the two players that seem to be dropping the fastest. Dez Bryant fell fro 8th to 13th, and Bruce Campbell went from 15th to 19th. The top of the DSA Rankings stayed the same for the first seven positions, and most mock drafts have those players going to the teams in the matching slots with the exception of Jimmy Clausen, who looks to be headed to Buffalo with the 9th over pick. But enough drafts have Clausen going to Washington at #4 to push his average higher. So here is the latest DSA Player Rankings:

1) Ndamukong Suh 1.77
2) Sam Bradford 2.73
3) Gerald McCoy 2.77
4) Russell Okung 4.14
5) Eric Berry 5.36
6) Jimmy Clausen 7.23
7) Joe Haden 10.32
8) Bryan Bulaga 10.77
9) Rolando McClain 12.00
10) Derrick Morgan 12.41
11) Trent Williams 12.68
12) C.J. Spiller 13.77
13) Dez Bryant 13.82
14) Anthony Davis 14.86
15) Dan Williams 16.82
16) Earl Thomas 17.32
17) Jason Pierre-Paul 18.41
18) Sergio Kindle 19.86
19) Bruce Campbell 20.77
20) Taylor Mays 21.95
21) Brandon Graham 22.95
22) Mike Iupati 23.18
23) Kyle Wilson 24.45
24) Brian Price 26.41
25) Carlos Dunlap 26.45
26) Everson Griffen 26.95
27) Jermaine Gresham 27.77
28) Maurkice Pouncey 27.86
29) Sean Weatherspoon 28.55
30) Jerry Hughes 28.95
31) Jared Odrick 29.32
32) Ryan Mathews 29.45
33) Golden Tate 29.64
34) Demaryius Thomas 29.82
35) Charles Brown 30.82
36) Arrelious Benn 31.91
37) Patrick Robinson 32.00
38) Devin McCourtey 33.18


Demayrius Thomas has worked onto the list as many see him moving up their boards, with Baltimore eyeing him at #25 to pair up with Anquan Boldin. One thing is certain though-there is a lot of depth in the draft at just about every position. Teams drafting late in the first round are going to get players who some people see as middle first rounders, and players looked at as late round picks are going to slide to the second round through no fault of their own. If a team is looking to draft the best player available they might not have enough time on the clock in Round 1 to make a decision.

Falling in and out of favor

Has there been a player in recent memory who shot up the boards and fell back as quickly as Bruce Campbell? Going into the combine he was seen as a raw talent with all the physical skills to play at the next level. A late first round or early second round pick. Then he worked out at the Combine.

After he finished working out you thought he was going to be the second coming of Jim Parker, Anthony Munoz and Johnathon Ogden all rolled into one. But what was interesting is that everyone saw the Raiders being the team that would take Campbell. It was the Darrius Heyward-Bey Effect all over again. Workout Wonder. Al Davis falls in love with the physical skills. The Raiders make a reach and take him in the Top 10. Then you find out that he can't catch the ball, and has a wasted rookie season. Looks to be a classic draft reach bust.

Campbell had the same look. Workout wonder. No problem. Al Davis loves the players who work out great. Make a reach for him in the top 10. No problem again. The Raiders select 8th, and they need to shore up the offensive line. One problem, though. Campbell isn't much of a blocker. And that is a big problem when you are trying to protect the blind side of JaMarcus Russell.

Campbell was a popular choice to go 8th overall after the Combine. That's where I have him going in the first TMG Draft Zone Mock Draft. I still think he will go at that slot. Why? I kept telling myself that the Raiders would take Michael Crabtree with the 7th Pick in 2009, and that Heyward-Bey would go late in the first round. Then the Raiders made the pick. I can still see the same thing happening this year. If Trent Williams, or even Bryan Bulaga are still available, Oakland would be smart to take either player in the eighth slot. But I keep getting that old sinking feeling with Bruce Campbell.

Even though Campbell has been falling out of favor in just about every mock draft out there, you just never know with the Raiders. I guess everyone will know for sure on April 22nd.