And so the team who were the second-worst overall in 2008 are officially the worst in 2009 and that means they have the #1 pick in the 2010 draft. Rams fans are already clamouring for Ndamukong Suh but after drafting 2 defensive linemen in the last 3 years and with a Head Coach who believes in his ability to coach a defense, the Rams will look to address their biggest issue - the quarterback position. Jimmy Clausen has played in a pro style offense, has a good arm and will be a million times better than Marc Bulger.
At least the 2009 Lions weren't quite as futile as the 0-16 team of a year ago. They appear to have found a franchise quarterback and now they need to focus on building their defense. Ndamukong Suh is currently the consensus best player in the draft, proving his decision to go back to college was the right one. He would be a day one starter on the Lions defensive line and be welcomed with open arms by Jim Schwartz.
Despite missing out on Suh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still wind up drafting a defensive tackle in the form of Gerald McCoy. McCoy may not have been quite as dominant as Suh but the Bucs desperately need help on their defensive line.
With Jim Zorn gone and strong rumors that Mike Shanahan will be the new Head Coach, the Redskins will be seeing in a whole new era. Assuming it is Shanahan, he will see that this offense desperately needs a franchise left tackle. He had Matt Lepsis for years in Denver, and drafted Ryan Clady when he retired. Here he will draft Russell Okung to hold that position steady over the coming years of his tenure.
In the first year of the Scott Pioli regime in KC, despite what most experts thought, the Chiefs drafted Tyson Jackson with the 3rd overall pick - a move which turned out pretty well. This year, as they continue their transition to a 3-4 defense, they need to find themselves a true nose tackle. Though many have Terrence Cody rated lower than this, he's a great fit for their scheme and Pioli will take him regardless of what others think.
One of the Seahawks biggest problems in 2009 on offense is that they've been too one-dimensional. Neither Julius Jones nor Justin Forsett has proven to be a feature back so drafting Jahvid Best, the consensus best player at his position, would be a major boost to Seattle.
How on earth Eric Berry falls all the way to #7 is a little beyond me, but since he has the Browns will be absolutely delighted. Their secondary has been poor over the last couple of years but Berry would be the sort of leader and inspiration that could improve the players around him as well as being an instant upgrade himself.
This is the Raiders and Al Davis is in charge in the draft room, so all bets are off. Right now, the best guess anyone can have is Taylor Mays - he's got the triangle numbers that Al Davis loves and despite a poor senior year is still a top prospect.
After trading Jason Peters to the Eagles last offseason, the Bills failed to address their left tackle position. Whoever their new Head Coach might be, their first task will be finding a franchise tackle and Trent Williams is a guy who matches that description.
This pick comes to the Broncos from Chicago as part of the Jay Cutler trade. As they continue their overhaul and switch to a 3-4 defense the Broncos need to find more players on that side of the ball. Here they go for Rolando McClain who has led the Alabama defense all the way to the National Title game and is a future leader of an NFL defense.
Although they remained in playoff contention until the last week of the season, the Jaguars have been relying on MJD to carry their offense. When Maurice Sims-Walker is your number one receiver you know you have problems, so drafting Dez Bryant would add credibility to their receiving corps.
The Miami Dolphins were another team who remained in contention until their loss to the Steelers in week 17. Their starting outside linebackers Jason Taylor and Joey Porter are both past their prime and Derrick Morgan couldn't have 2 better mentors as he starts out as a rush linebacker in the NFL.
If the rumors of Nate Clements moving to free safety are true then cornerback becomes an even bigger need than it already is for the 49ers. Either way, Joe Haden has top 10 talent and would be a good choice at this point. His play in the Florida secondary this year has seen his stock rise and his decision to declare was unsurprising.
This pick comes to Seattle from the Denver Broncos and the Seahawks can use it to draft their replacement for Matt Hasselbeck. Sam Bradford, despite his injury, is still rated as a 1st round pick. He has an excellent arm, solid accuracy though his shotgun-spread background may mean it takes him a little while to get used to running a pro-style offense.
After being run all over in recent weeks, the Giants desperately need to fix their run defense. Syracuse's Arthur Jones appears to have established himself as the #3 defensive tackle in this draft and would be a good fit for the Giants as they look to return to the heights of 2008.
One of the reasons for the Titans slow start to the year was the lack of performance from the defensive line and in particular the pass rush. Greg Romeus has the perfect size for an elite pass rusher and would add some spark at defensive end.
This pick comes to San Francisco from Carolina and they use it to draft prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker Eric Norwood. Norwood has 29 career sacks playing in a 3-4 defense, so he also has the experience at the position that many others don't. Norwood alongside Patrick Willis - now there's something that ought to get 49ers fans salivating.
The defending Super Bowl Champions failed to make it as far as the playoffs this year and after Troy Polomalu went down with an injury their lack of quality at safety showed. Kam Chancellor may be a slight reach at this point but its a pick the Steelers desperately need to make.
When Brian Williams was sent to IR the Falcons secondary went to pieces. Sure, the lack of a real pass rush didn't help but the lack of quality at corner has been an issue for the Falcons for a while. Kentucky's Trevard Lindley is an excellent cover corner who could be the answer to Mike Smith's prayers.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Texans will be pleased at achieving the first winning season in franchise history. Enabling their solid offense to continue improving will be a key to their future so drafting DeMaryius Thomas here would give Matt Schaub another option, especially if Kevin Walter leaves this offseason.
The Jets have one young shutdown corner in the form of Darrelle Revis but my how they'd love a second. Lito Sheppard has been a bit of a disappointment since leaving the Eagles and Donovan Warren could well be the guy to form the solid secondary that the Jets were hoping for.
Brandon Spikes at #22 represents excellent value and would give the Ravens their ready-made successor for when Ray Lewis eventually decides to call it a career. Sure, the Ravens have other needs, but keeping together a solid defense has always been key for Baltimore and I don't see that changing here.
In 2009 the winner of the award for most sacked quarterback of the year went to Aaron Rodgers. Some complained it was due to the QB's slow release but in fact it was simply the fact that he had a shoddy offensive line in front of him that gave very little protection. Anthony Davis would be an upgrade at either tackle spot.
The Eagles suffered a lot at linebacker this season and if they don't target the position early in the draft I will be very surprised. Here they select Sergio Kindle who is very good at rushing the passer from the strong side position, a key skill in the Eagles blitz-heavy defense.
The Cardinals once again made it into the playoffs kind of by default and despite their offensive line looking shaky at best. Bryan Bulaga is another who could play either tackle position and would almost certainly do a better job at keeping Kurt Warner upright than either of the current starters the Cardinals have.
After the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the tragic passing of Chris Henry, the Bengals suddenly look a little light at wide receiver. Enter Brandon LaFell who had a solid senior year despite poor play from his quarterback. Imagine what he could do with Carson Palmer throwing him the ball.
The New England brain trust appear to have lost all confidence in Lawrence Maroney and so they once again look to the draft for a powerful running back. This time its Jonathan Dwyer who has all the ability to carry the load in the NFL.
Its becoming clearer by the day that Roy Williams is not the #1 receiver the Cowboys were hoping for when they sent the Lions a bagful of picks for him. Although Miles Austin deserves to win the award for biggest surprise of 2009 they still need someone to be a reliable target opposite him. Enter Kansas' Dezmon Briscoe who has the size and ability to succeed in the NFL.
It appears likely that Chester Taylor will be out of Minnesota this offseason and with that in mind the Vikings will be looking for a complementary back to work alongside AP. In C.J. Spiller they would be getting a nifty runner who has good hands and can be a threat on third down.
The Colts somehow always seem to get by without a star at cornerback and while SydQuan Thompson may also not be mentioned among the elite in this draft he would represent an upgrade over current starter Jerraud Powers.
The Saints made it to 13-3 despite missing their franchise left tackle Jamaal Brown for much of the year. Whether or not he is able to return, adding Ciron Black at this point would improve their offensive line as he has the ability to play either tackle position.
A.J. Smith is always a hard man to predict but I find it hard to believe that he could let a player of the talent of Carlos Dunlap slide past his team. Dunlap makes a lot of sense in a 3-4 defense and if anyone can deal with the character issues that seem to linger around him then its the Chargers.
Rams Pick:
Lions Pick:
Buccaneers Pick:
Redskins Pick:
Chiefs Pick:
Seahawks Pick:
Browns Pick:
Raiders Pick:
Bills Pick:
Broncos Pick:
Jaguars Pick:
Dolphins Pick:
49ers Pick:
Giants Pick:
Titans Pick:
Steelers Pick:
Falcons Pick:
Texans Pick:
Jets Pick:
Ravens Pick:
Packers Pick:
Eagles Pick:
Cardinals Pick:
Bengals Pick:
Patriots Pick:
Cowboys Pick:
Vikings Pick:
Colts Pick:
Saints Pick:
Chargers Pick: