NFL Draft - Picks 1-10

This week is going to be dedicated to the NFL Draft...today Stiles Points looks over the first 10 picks of the draft which include predictions from ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and NFL Draft Scout's Rob Rang and Michael Lombardi...

1. Lions
Kiper - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia
McShay - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia
Rang - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia
Lombardi - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia
Stiles Points - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia - the Lions have many holes but they cannot afford to pass on a possible elite QB...one thing for sure, if Stafford misses, the Lions cannot get any worse...

2. Rams
Kiper - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor
McShay - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor
Rang - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor
Lombardi - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia (photo)
Stiles Points - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor - Smith is a no-brainer after letting Orlando Pace leave...

3. Chiefs
Kiper - Aaron Curry, lb, Wake Forest
McShay - Aaron Curry, lb, Wake Forest
Rang - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia
Lombardi - Aaron Curry, lb, Wake Forest
Stiles Points - Aaron Curry, lb, Wake Forest - I had a hard time deciding here...Curry is the safe pick, but I could see KC going with ot Monroe to help sure up that investment they made in Matt Cassel...also, I wouldn't be shocked if they took wr Crabtree to give Cassel another weapon to go with Dwayne Bowe...

4. Seahawks
Kiper - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia
McShay - Mark Sanchez, qb, Southern Cal
Rang - Mark Sanchez, qb, Southern Cal
Lombardi - Mark Sanchez, qb, Southern Cal
Stiles Points - Mark Sanchez, qb, Southern Cal - Hasselbeck has probably one good season left, which will give Sanchez time to develop to the NFL game...2 months ago I would have said Crabtree with this pick...I firmly believe it is going to be Sanchez...

5. Browns
Kiper - Michael Crabtree, wr, Texas Tech
McShay - Michael Crabtree, wr, Texas Tech
Rang - Michael Crabtree, wr, Texas Tech
Lombardi - Michael Crabtree, wr, Texas Tech
Stiles Points - Michael Crabtree, wr, Texas Tech - the Browns want Curry but don't expect him to slide...the key is Braylon Edwards...if Edwards is going to get traded, they must take Crabtree because some guy named Steptoe will be the Browns top returning receiver...

6. Bengals
Kiper - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama
McShay - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia
Rang - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama
Lombardi - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor
Stiles Points - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia - I almost wrote down rb Knowshon Moreno in this spot...Moreno would be a reach at #6, but Cincy needs running back help...

7. Raiders
Kiper - Jeremy Maclin, wr, Missouri
McShay - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama
Rang - Jeremy Maclin, wr, Missouri
Lombardi - Darrius Heyward-Bey, wr, Maryland
Stiles Points - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama - Oakland needs both a wr & ot...Smith is one of the best ot in the draft who has a lot more upside...Al Davis will battle with himself for passing on Maclin, a guy with speed...

8. Jaguars
Kiper - Brian Orakpo, de/lb, Texas
McShay - Jeremy Maclin, wr, Missouri
Rang - Aaron Curry, lb, Wake Forest
Lombardi - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama
Stiles Points - Robert Ayers, de, Tennessee - Ayers has been slowly moving up the charts each week...two months ago I would have said cb Malcolm Jenkins, but he has been sliding...Jags pass on Maclin because they are going to get Holt at wr...

9. Packers
Kiper - B.J. Raji, dt, Boston College (photo)
McShay - B.J. Raji, dt, Boston College
Rang - Tyson Jackson, de, LSU
Lombardi - Michael Oher, ot, Ole Miss
Stiles Points - B.J. Raji, dt, Boston College - Raji will anchor the middle in the Packers new 3-4 defense...

10. 49ers
Kiper - Aaron Maybin, de, Penn State
McShay - Brian Orakpo, de/lb, Texas
Rang - B.J. Raji, dt, Boston College
Lombardi - Josh Freeman, qb, Kansas State
Stiles Points - Brian Orakpo, de/lb, Texas - this would be a good spot for the Niners to trade...there is not that one player who can fill their need...but if they stay, they take Orakpo who dropped from being a top 5 player...

The art of breaking down mock drafts

Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star writes about the art of breaking down mock drafts... "Every year, no matter what the economy may look like, the mock draft industry grows. It began in the early 1980s when it seemed as if the only person on earth who would actually take the time to predict what every NFL team would do was was the illustrious draft guru Mel Kiper Jr." ...

Joe Posnanski

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes how the Rams cannot afford to have a bad pick at number 2... "Said Devaney: "This is everybody's worst nightmare: You turn the card in — no matter what round, really, but especially high in the first round — and you get calls, 'Didn't you guys realize the guy did this?' Or, 'Didn't you have this information?' ...

Bill Coats

Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes how Rutgers wide receiver may be the next Plaxico Burress - antics and all... "Britt is 6-3, 210 pounds. He has great speed for his size, having run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at Rutgers' Pro Day. And it's that tantalizing marriage of size and speed — one that's earned comparisons to top NFL wideouts like Owens and Broncos star Brandon Marshall — that is forcing scouts to look past his inflated personality." ...

Ebenezar Samuel

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes how drafting a quarterback with the first pick can be risky... "The problem is Detroit has so many areas of need -- including a defense that has been ranked last for the past two seasons -- that putting the weight of expectation on the shoulders of a rookie quarterback could push his confidence through a wood chipper." ...

Sam Farmer

Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press gives his mock draft...

Nicholas Cotsonika

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune gives his latest mock draft...

Kevin Acee

The Big Picture gets into tournament mode

Just in time with the NHL and NBA playoffs, Zach from The Big Picture will be starting his "Would you do . . . " tournament...so start scouting and get involved....