The offensive line prospect list got a bit stronger this morning, after Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis made public his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the draft next spring.

Davis is an outstanding run blocker and likely projects as a right tackle in the NFL. He will have to put in a significant amount of work on his pass protection skills to guarantee a spot in round one, and a good showing at the scouting combine in February will also help in that regard.

His size is excellent as well, coming in at 6′6″ and 325 pounds, so a team may end up taking a flier on him earlier than projected based on his potential. Davis has been a starter from day one at Rutgers and earned a spot on the All Big East team this season.

Obviously, it’s still early on in the process, and the picks are definitely subject to change from week to week, but for now, here’s how I see things breaking down in round one.

Note – Draft order is based on NFL Mocks latest projection

Pick	Team	Player Selected	Player’s Position	Player’s School	Analysis
1.		Ndamukong Suh	Defensive Tackle	Nebraska	This is the no brainer pick of the draft, as Suh is by far the best player available and the Rams would be wise to take him regardless of need.
2.		Eric Berry	Safety	Tennessee	The Bucs would probably rather have Suh, but upgrading their secondary with a premier playmaker like Berry isn’t all that bad either.
3.		Jimmy Clausen	Quarterback	Notre Dame	The fans in Cleveland won’t like this pick, but it’s the only one that really makes sense here, as Quinn and Anderson have been universal disappointments thus far.
4.		Russell Okung	Offensive Tackle	Oklahoma State	The Lions could take Gerald McCoy here, but if they’re ever going to make it out of the cellar, improving their blocking up front will be a must.
5.		Terrance Cody	Defensive Tackle	Alabama	This pick will hinge on what the Chiefs do in free agency, as they could get a good nose tackle there instead of drafting one here. A tackle is a possibility as well.
6.		Sam Bradford	Quarterback	Oklahoma	Can’t say that I agree with Bradford’s value here, but given Dan Snyder’s stated intentions of getting another QB, this is probably the best option.
7.		Taylor Mays	Safety	USC	There’s little doubt that Al Davis will fall in love with Mays early on, given his measurables, and for once it wouldn’t be a bad pick based on the talent Mays brings to the table.
8.		Trent Williams	Offensive Tackle	Oklahoma	With Walter Jones set to retire, the Seahawks are going to be in a world of hurt if they don’t fix their O-line real quick. Williams takes care of that and then some.
9.	(CHI)	Dez Bryant	Wide Receiver	Oklahoma State	For some reason, I can’t believe Josh McDaniels would pass on taking a talent like Bryant here, especially if they can’t get an extension done with Brandon Marshall.
10.		Gerald McCoy	Defensive Tackle	Oklahoma	The Bills have other needs to fill, but they can’t ignore the value McCoy presents here, as he has top five talent. Upgrading their D-line can’t hurt either.
11.	(CAR)	Bryan Bulaga	Offensive Tackle	Iowa	Finding a solid tackle to pair with Joe Staley is going to be a big priority for the Niners this off-season and if Bulaga declares, he’ll be high on the list in San Fran’s war room.
12.		Earl Thomas	Safety	Texas	With Troy Polamalu out of action this season, the Steelers have been exposed big time in their secondary. Taking Thomas here would be a good way to fix that fairly quick.
13.		Joe Haden	Cornerback	Florida	Getting a legitimate shut down corner in Haden with this pick would be a real coup for the 49ers, as their defense would have the ability to blitz early and often.
14.		Derrick Morgan	Defensive End	Georgia Tech	The Falcons couldn’t ask for a better player than Morgan here, as he has the ability to consistently put pressure on opposing QBs.
15.		Reshad Jones	Safety	Georgia	Even with the addition of Bernard Pollard, the Texans secondary has been problematic this season, making it imperative that Houston finds a safety in this draft.
16.		Rolando McClain	Linebacker	Alabama	The Titans would have to be ecstatic if McClain’s still on the board when they pick, as he’s valued much, much higher. Plus, Keith Bulluck isn’t getting any younger, so McClain makes a ton of sense here.

Teams in need of a solid blocker this off-season received good news earlier today. when Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell made it known that he would be entering the 2010 draft.

“I feel I can be something special and this is best for me. I have good size and I can protect the quarterbacks’ blind side. I played defensive line in high school so I can also think like a defensive player, which is an advantage.”

– Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell

Campbell is currently projected as a mid to late first round prospect with excellent size, strength, and is comfortable playing on the left side of the line, protecting his quarterback’s blindside. Depending on where he is selected though, Campbell could end up starting his career as a right tackle and then switch over at a later point.

Tomorrow is a huge day in St. Louis Rams franchise history. The Rams have the second overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Who will the Rams pick? Who do you want them to pick? Let me know. With the Lions locking up Matt Stafford there could be a mad dash for Mark Sanchez. The Rams are in the power position now. Seattle is looking hard at Sanchez, will they get him at #4? Will the Jets or Broncos try to move up? One thing is for sure the Rams phone should be ringing off the hook through the night.

NFL.com reports

One thing that could be legit or be a ploy (it is interesting, if nothing else): The Rams, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, have purchased a plane ticket for USC QB Mark Sanchez to fly from Los Angeles to St. Louis on Sunday, when the team plans to introduce its top selection.

This is a very interesting report. Either way Marc Bulger probably will not sleep well tonight. Could the Rams really make a power move like this, when they need help at so many positions? The Rams can now try to negotiate a deal with any possible player they are interested in. It is possible that the Rams could have someone selected and agreed to a deal prior to tomorrow morning. How crazy would that be. The Seattle Seahawks have to be shaking in their boots about the Rams possibly taking Sanchez. The Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos both have two picks in the first round. The Niners who pick at #10 also want Sanchez. Will the Rams play keep away from the Seahawks and Niners, and then come back and get a player like Eben Britton in the top of the second round? I am very excited about the possibilities. It will be an interesting day on Saturday that is for sure.

The Broncos three biggest priorities come in the form of defense. Many are expecting the Broncos to trade up in order to acquire quarterbacks Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez. However, the team has needs to fill because of Josh McDaniels’ desire to switch to a 3-4 alignment. The Broncos most important spots to fill come at defensive end, outside linebacker, and defensive tackle.

DE Tyson Jackson (LSU) is hot on the Broncos radar. He is a versatile five technique end that can stop the run. The Broncos ranked 26th in run defense last year. They cut big name defensive linemen, Dewayne Robertson and John Engelberger, at the end of the season for under performing. The AFC West now has some serious offensive horsepower, and the Broncos need someone to clog the middle.

At outside linebacker, Brian Orakpo (Texas) would be a perfect fit for the Broncos if he’s still available. He’s likely to be taken before the Broncos 12th pick, but he would be a welcomed addition to a squad that ranked 29th in sacks last season. In the 3-4 alignment, outside linebackers pressure the QB. So far, the players that have taken reps at OLB in minicamp include Elvis Dumervil, Darrell Reid, Tim Crowder, and Jarvis Moss. Orakpo has the ability to be the next Shawn Merriman or Joey Porter.

The defensive tackle may be the most needed spot to fill during the Broncos draft. The ideal guy to acquire would be B.J. Raji (Boston College), but he most likely won’t be available. However, Peria Jerry (Miss) is a great alternative to look at. Jerry has a quick reaction to the snap enabling him to get to the QB and stop the run effectively. Drafting any of the top tackles in the draft would be an improvement from last year.

Author: Dustin Staggers from The Pewter Plank

Defensive Tackle

This is the Buccaneers most pressing draft need.  The problem is at the 19 spot, we might have to reach for a DT who fits Jim Bates scheme if we truly want to select a pick based on need.  We only have one DT who is the kind of mauling run stopping type of player that Jim Bates prefers at the DT position, Ryan Sims. The two tackle positions generated 1 sack last year, which obviously is not going to cut it.  Gone is starting DT Jovan Haye to the Tennessee Titans and in his place will probably be the aforementioned Ryan Sims.  Last years’ starter Chris Hovan is not the greatest fit for our new defensive scheme but barring a selection in the draft that truly fits, Hovan will probably end up being the starter.

Ideal Pick – BJ Raji

Realistic Pick – Ron Brace

Wide Receiver

The Bucs franchised WR Antonio Bryant this offseason as well as resigning Michael Clayton to a multiyear contract, but even still, in my guestimation and apparently the front offices, the Bucs are still in need of another threat at the receiver position.  Michael Clayton has shown over the last few years to have suspect hands, and while I love what Antonio Bryant did last year, his production over the years has been up and down because of personal issues, and expecting him to repeat last years’ production shouldn’t be a given.  Even if he were to repeat last years’ numbers, he still will be a free agent at the end of the season barring a multi-year deal or another franchise tag (please no!).  After our top 2 guys, Maurice Stovall, Parris Warren and Dexter Jackson are the next 3 receivers on the depth chart, and none has produced at the NFL level.

Ideal Pick – Jeremy Maclin

Realistic Pick – Darrius Heyward-Bey

Defensive End

Starting DE’s Gaines Adams and Greg White generated 11.5 sacks last season, which is the total we should be getting from one of our starting DE’s.   I personally feel like the lack of pressure or push or any need to double team from the DT position is part of the reason we generated so few sacks, something still needs to be done.  I think Jimmy Wilkerson is the perfect 3rd DE/DT because of his versatility.  He had 23 tackles, 5 sacks, and 1 FF last in 2008.  The wearing down of our defensive line last season contributed to our 0-4 finish and catastrophic collapse.

Ideal Pick – Brian Orapko

Realistic Pick – Michael Johnson

Cornerback

This could be the spot the Bucs surprise most people and end up taking in the first round this weekend.   There is a plethora of good physical corners in this draft, and the Bucs will be in prime position to take one at the 19th pick in the first round.  If we end up trading down, I would guarantee this would be one of our first few selections.  Last years’ 1st round pick, Aqib Talib, is going to be a stud.  He is physical, fast and in his rookie season had 23 tackles and 4 INT as the nickel corner.  This year he moves into the number one corner spot on the team.  I’m not sure what Ronde Barbers’ role is going to be in this new defensive scheme.  Jim Bates prefers physical man corners, and Ronde Barber is simply just not that.  He seems more like a roaming nickel corner to me in this scheme.  Surprise special teams player Elbert Mack I would imagine is going to see a much more expanded role.   He is a physical tackler but it is yet to be seen if he has the coverage skills necessary to be on the field for 60 snaps a game.

Ideal Pick – Malcolm Jenkins

Realistic Pick – Vontae Davis

The next area in need of the most improvement for the Packers is the linebackers. With the switch to the 3-4, they need an athletic and physical edge rusher to complement Aaron Kampman who is moving to outside linebacker from the defensive line. However, Kampman will still line up in the three-point stance in numerous instances, giving the team more of a 4-3 look. This being said, the Packers do have talented linebackers. Nick Barnett, tweeting his way back from a severe knee injury, will be in the middle, but the question is who will start with him. A.J. Hawk, Brandon Chillar, and Brady Poppinga are all solid linebackers, but are all more suited for the 4-3 defense. I expect Capers and Mike McCarthy to rotate the linebackers in and out and really mix up the looks they will give the offense. Desmond Bishop, who filled in late last season for Barnett, is also expected to make a run at the job. With this surplus of linebackers, drafting one might seem superfluous, but it can only make the team better.

Everyone is talking about how much the Packers need help on defense, which is 100% true, but they also need help on the offensive line. The bookends for this decade, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, are old and banged up, with Tauscher currently unsigned (I believe) and coming off of a serious knee injury. Behind them are Allen Barbre, Breno Giacomini, and Tony Moll. Barbre reportedly has great potential and the Packers just drafted Giacomini in 2008. However, because of Clifton and Tauscher’s consistency, no one knows what they can do. If the Packers were to take a tackle high in the draft, Clifton or Tauscher could be a year or two-year stop-gap before that youngster is ready to takeover. The interior of the line changes frequently, as Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, and Scott Wells saw the majority of the playing time in 2008. The Packers drafted Josh Sitton in 2008 to hopefully compete for a starting job and they also signed Duke Preston in one of their free agent moves this offseason. It seems as if McCarthy and Ted Thompson are trying to breed competition to get the best starting lineup they can get.

This brings us to the point of this. Who will the Packers draft? When will they draft? Thompson is a notorious mover on draft day, making unexpected trades (ie trading out of the first round in 2008) and making unexpected picks (Aaron Rodgers in 2005). That being said, there is no sure pick for the Packers at #9. I have said in some posts on Lombardi Ave that I want the Packers to get either Brian Orakpo or B.J. Raji at #9, or Malcolm Jenkins, the one everyone has the Packers picking, if Raji or Orakpo are gone. It seems logical that the Packers will go defense, given their personnel is ill-suited for a 3-4 defense currently. But Thompson could surprise. If Andre Smith or one of the other major tackle prospects falls down to them, Thompson could pounce and add some meet to his offensive line. If a skill player such as Jeremy Maclin or even Michael Crabtree falls down to #9, Thompson could go offense. Last season’s number one pick by the Packers was a wide receiver, in Jordy Nelson. The amount of elite offensive players drops off after the tackles, Maclin, and Crabtree, so defense seems as if it will reign. In the later rounds, I expect the Packers to pick multiple front-seven defensive players and offensive linemen, as that is where the biggest needs are. Don’t rule out a defensive back such as Gregory Toler out of St. Paul’s in the later rounds. As for skill positions, I expect the Packers to add a running back in the mid-rounds and possibly a tight end or wide receiver later. Over on Lombardi Ave, I’ll have a more comprehensive analysis up on what I think the Packers will do soon.

DJ – Lombardi Ave

It’s incredible that a guy like Freeman went from 6 TDs, 15 INTs in his freshman season in 2006 to a possible first round paycheck in the NFL. Last season he played well, throwing 20 TDs and 8 INTs. Does his upside and huge arm really skyrocket him that far?

NFL Teams are always looking for that under the radar guy. The next Tom Brady or the next Tony Romo. Freeman has the upside to fit that category.

The problem is that he’s a longterm project. In the NFL, longterm projects don’t usually pan out because they aren’t given the proper time to develop.

Yet in my latest mock draft I had Freeman going #19 overall to Tampa Bay. Why? Because the NFL is a copy cat league. Last season Baltimore traded back, traded back up, and took their quarterback of the future #18 overall. Now everyone is trying to project which team is going to do it this season.

Flacco played in an offense simplified so that he could succeed. Any NFL team that elects to take Freeman are going to have to be willing to do the same. With patience they might just end up with a pretty good quarterback for the future.

Freeman may go in the first round. He may also slide into round two. Either way he will be in the green room waiting to hear his name called.

I’m pretty sure that throughout his USC career the one thing Sanchez did have more than anything was confidence. In the Rose Bowl against USC it showed as his precision passes and pinpoint accuracy helped his NFL stock sky rocket into a potential top ten player.

When he announced he was leaving Southern California, even at the dislike of his head coach Pete Carroll, he sat at the podium with tons of confidence. Carroll told Sanchez he was making a mistake and that NFL teams needed more time to evaluate him before he went pro.

His young quarterback smiled and claimed he was ready.

Now I think Sanchez is hearing Carroll’s thoughts over and over as nightmares of a Aaron Rodgers type drop through the first round spirals through his head. On Monday he declined on the chance to go to New York for the draft. I have a feeling that his decision has a lot to do with his fear of falling out of the top ten and having to wait in the green room for hours while waiting to be selected.

He has publicly stated through his brother that he has elected to spend the day with friends and family. This may be the complete truth, but I know that if I was in Sanchez’s shoes I’d be worried about taking a free fall.

Nine players are going to New York, including Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman. Most mock drafts have Freeman going in round two, which makes his invite a little surprising. Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Curry, Jason Smith, Michael Oher, Eugene Monroe, and Michael Crabtree all are also going.