2010 Big Board: First Edition

So we are heading into conference championship weekend in college football, and with almost all regular season games finished, it's time to unveil The Anti-Sports Guy's first Big Board for the 2010 NFL Draft. The first edition will have 20 players, and will grow to 32 before the mock drafts start. I only include players who have the opportunity to go into next year's draft, along with some info and reasoning.

1. Ndamukong Suh: DT, Nebraska
Suh has been by far the most impressive player I have seen this season. Now I don't have game film from the Arkansas State game, or the Louisiana-Lafayette game, but I do know, I've watched him play 3 times, and all 3 times he dominated the line of scrimmage on every play. He's a player that must be accounted for on every snap, because not only can he stuff the run and pass rush, he can cover in zone and has 4 career INTs. Being versatile enough to play in 3-4 and 4-3, he very possibly could be the first overall selection.

2. Eric Berry: S, Tennessee
Berry, a junior, should declare after this season, even after having only 2 INTs this season, down from 7 last year. Defenses have left him alone for the most part, but he still impacts the running game. This time last year I would never have had Berry above Taylor Mays, but he's done nothing but impress me with his overall safety play. He is a hybrid cover/hitting safety, and can change the game at any point.

3. Sam Bradford: QB, Oklahoma
Yes, I understand that he's hurt, and that it's his shoulder, but technology has advanced, and he could be healthy in plenty of time. I think Bradford needs to sit a year or two, and throwing him into a bad offense (Browns, Rams, Raiders...) could really hinder his development. The concerns that he hasn't spent enough time under center are valid, and a main reason for the extra year of development. Still, he has the accuracy and poise that you can't teach. His leadership qualities aren't quantifiable, but important to his high ranking.

4. Rolando McClain: LB, Alabama
Plain and simple, McClain is a player. He always seems to be around the ball, and hits you in the mouth every chance he gets. I'm not sure how he will measure out at the combine, but the game film should be more than sufficient to give him a high draft spot. It's a big comparison, but I could see him playing in the same mold as Ray Lewis, maybe without the stabbing.

5. Russell Okung: OT, Oklahoma St.
Probably the best comparison I can think of is Ryan Clady. He needs to add about 20 pounds to his frame while keeping his speed, but at 6'8" (some sites have him around 6'5", but his ESPN profile is what I'm going by), he will be an imposing force. The offensive tackle class this year pales in comparison to the past few, but Okung will benefit from it.

6. Taylor Mays: S, USC
A favorite of mine for a few years, Mays has fallen off a bit, and really isn't much of a cover safety. However, he has recovery speed, and a ferocious hitting ability. Mays is made in the mold of the great safeties at USC like Ronnie Lott and Dennis Smith. He definitely won't go this high unless he dominates every phase of the combine, but I think in the perfect system he will develop into a top tier safety.

7. Dez Bryant: WR, Oklahoma St.
My 2nd Cowboy, and possibly a surprise to many, but as far as talent goes this guy could be top 3. Bryant is big, fast, strong, and has great hands. If not for an unfortunate incident with Deion Sanders, Bryant would be dominating the college football landscape, and might have helped save Zac Robinson from total humiliation at the hands of Oklahoma. His off the field problems will disappear if he shows up in shape and does well in Indy.

8. Gerald McCoy: DT, Oklahoma
Now my 2nd Sooner appears. McCoy is a player that I've seen be rated much higher, and I'm not exactly sure why. He isn't the best DT in his conference, Suh is, and he doesn't affect the game nearly as much as many other players. He's big, but not massive, and isn't a dominate inside pass rusher. All that said, he is a great player who will be very good in the NFL for years, just not worth a top 5 selection.

9. Joe Haden: CB, Florida
Florida's best player this year has been Tim Tebow, no doubt about that, but Tebow just doesn't translate to the NFL. Haden, however, has the speed and instincts that do translate well to the NFL. He's not quite 6' tall, but is big enough. I worry a little about open field tackling, but he probably will be a nickel back to start his career, so his tackling can develop while he continues to hone his coverage skills.

10. Jake Locker: QB, Washington
Jake Locker will probably be the first QB taken in next year's draft if he opts to go. This guy will be a workout warrior at the combine, and will impress the scouts very much like Mark Sanchez (Steve Sarkisian is his coach, who was at USC last year). I worry that he will be asked to do too much too soon though. Of the QBs I've seen this year, I think Locker could have the most immediate impact, but if he isn't handled right, could turn into a punching bag in the way David Carr did. The greats rebound from that kind of abuse, but it's early to say that he will be great.

11. George Selvie: DE, South Florida
Before you tell me he's the 2nd best DE on his own team, remember that Selvie has been dominating college football since he was a freshman. He commands a double or triple team on every pass play, and can still disrupt the run. He has 61 TFL in his career, which speaks to his ability to make plays other than sacks. While I think he will be a tweener DE/OLB, I think his best role is at OLB as a pro in a 3-4, where he can rush the passer most downs, and work on his coverage as he matures.

12. Sergio Kindle: OLB/DE, Texas
The kind of player that can use a variety of moves to get to the QB. He's big enough to put a hand on the ground in pass rushing situations and go 1 on 1 against a tackle, and agile enough to move around in space. His past DUI will be a sticking point for some teams and probably hurt his stock. If he puts on a few more pounds I think he can move down permanently to DE, but at his current size a combo player is really his best situation.

13. Terrence Cody: DT, Alabama
This is a conditional placement here assuming that he actually plays up to his potential in the NFL. Cody is a mountain, and can clog up any hole. When he wants to be I truly believe he is the 2nd best player in this draft. However, he gets lazy at times and decides to not affect the game the way he can. He plays very much like Shaun Rogers. However, I see Cody as a late 1st round pick, or at best around 14-18, so he will likely be going to a better team than Rogers has ever played for. Hopefully he can get a good mentor in the pros to bring out his tremendous talent.

14. Trent Williams: OT, Oklahoma
The third of Oklahoma's big 4, he can move well and protect the QB as well as run block. There is a concern that he hasn't logged enough time at LT to be projected this high since Phil Loadholt played his entire career at OU at the LT spot. Still, Williams will impress scouts with his mobility and strength and should find himself at the top half of the first round.

15. Brandon Spikes: ILB, Florida
Spikes has seen his stock drop from a top 5 player to now 15th on the big board due to a less than stellar senior year. The eye gouge attempt on Washaun Ealey didn't help his cause either, labeling him as a dirty player. Still, he plays well in both phases, and truly excels in pursuit. He hits and wraps ball carriers and very rarely misses a tackle. He makes his presence know and moves well from sideline to sideline. I think playing ILB he may fall a la Rey Maualuga in the draft, but will be a great performer.

16. Carlos Dunlap: DE, Florida
Back to back Gators here, and Dunlap really should be higher. I'm keeping him back because I'm curious to see how missing the SEC championship game will affect him in the bowl game. He is an all around DE, and could play in a 4-3 or 3-4 at DE. In nickel/dime situations I could see him moving in to DT as well. He is big and strong and should translate well into any scheme. But again, something like this could be a mental block, and hopefully by the next big board he'll be in the top 10.

17. Golden Tate: WR, Notre Dame
I really don't like Notre Dame, but Tate is the best player on that team, and the best active WR in the FBS right now. He makes Jimmy Clausen look good, and that's an accomplishment in itself. His most underrated quality is his ability to come back to an underthrown ball and understand how to make the difficult catch in traffic. He will be an asset to any team that gets him.

18. Earl Thomas: S, Texas
Thomas has been a ball hawk all season, and seems to step up in the biggest games of the season with big plays. He had 4 games without an INT, and they were all against teams that were beaten by at least 32. That tells me that he shows up in the moments where his team needs him, and he takes the necessary risks. Thomas could be the best safety of the 3 in the top 20, but he's still young, and as a redshirt sophomore he might benefit from going back another year.

19. Jermaine Gresham: TE, Oklahoma
The final of Oklahoma's big 4. Gresham is hurt, which hurt him here as he falls down without the ability to see him play this year. This is a situation where he really hurt himself by coming back this season as opposed to coming out last year. He's still the first TE that will come off the board, and the most talented one in college football. I worry about his ability to stay in during running downs coming from the shotgun spread offense in OU, but I think his pass catching ability will hold him over until he improves there.

20. Jerry Hughes: DE, TCU
The 7th defensive lineman in the top 20 is a player who I thought would go high last year, and really hasn't disappointed me this season. He's had 26 sacks the past 2 years combined and has been by far the best player on an extraordinary defense. His only problem is that he doesn't get the opportunity to play the same competition as these other players, so he looks better than he may actually be. I still think Hughes can play well at the next level and will be a great value at any point past pick 15.

Notable exclusions:
Tim Tebow: He fits my mold for great QBs. If you win in college, then you'll win in the pros. The problem is, I don't believe he'll get the chance to play QB in the NFL, which lowers his status on the big board. As a TE, he's maybe 2nd or 3rd round material, but as a QB he's mid to late 1st round, but I'm in the minority there.

Colt McCoy: Again, perfect for my mold, but he's right now 21, and a 21 person big board just sounds stupid. He will be a very good player.

Jimmy Clausen: Can't throw under pressure as a result of his lack of dealing with it until 10th grade, as he played 7 on 7 ball before then. In the NFL he must process faster than he's ever had to, and he won't survive.

All RBs: C.J. Spiller, Jahvid Best, Toby Gerhart, and Anthony Dixon could all crack the top 32, or even the top 20, but as of right now, they just aren't as good as the other players here.

How the World Series Was Lost

So after having time to digest the happenings of the World Series, I can only blame one person for the Phillies loss to the Yankees: Charlie Manuel. It was Manuel's decision to pitch Pedro in both game 2 and 6 even though Cole Hamels was clearly the 2nd best pitcher on the team, whether he played the part or not. He left Pedro in too long in game 2, pulling his best Grady Little. He never should have thrown him out there with the series on the line in game 6. The most perplexing part is that Pedro started these games even though he was at best the 5th starting pitcher on the team. Where was J.A. Happ during this postseason? The bullpen is where Manuel decided his 12-4 pitcher (2.96 ERA in 166.0 IP) needed to be. Since his first start on May 23rd, Happ had only failed to go 5+ innings once, and that was on September 18 when he left for "precautionary reasons" after a strained oblique earlier in the season. His worst game of the season was a 5.2 inning outing in which he gave up 5 ER with 6 BB. That was in June against Boston, and most of his poor starts came earlier in the season. Once he got on track he was lights out. Pedro on the other hand was a shell of his former self. Depending on which birth certificate you believe, Pedro is at youngest 38, but more likely about 42. He has 34 regular season starts the past 3 years, and has played admirably for his age, but still not great. But the Pedro/Happ debate was not the only thing Manuel screwed up. He threw out an ice cold, unproven Ben Francisco 12 times, and got 1 walk, 0 hits, 2 Ks, and 1 GIDP. Matt Stairs went 1 for 10 with 2 walks, and along with Pedro proved that age does matter, and in the (hopefully) post-steroid era players have a natural regression during their mid-30s that shouldn't be ignored. Manuel seemed to ignore his other bench players who may have actually done something. In limited appearances Eric Bruntlett and Paul Bako had better BAs than Matt Stairs. Stairs' perceived value was his ability to hit home runs, but in 129 plate appearances this season, he hit 5. If Joe Girardi faced criticism for his over-managing of his team, Manuel needed the same criticism for under-managing his. Also, just for fun, will someone please tell Jimmy Rollins that his role as a leadoff hitter is to get on base, not to try and swing for the fences. You need a better OBP than .296, or you need to hit 2nd or 5th in the lineup and let Victorino move to leadoff. (By the way, of the Phillies regular starters, Rollins had the lowest OBP, lower than Carlos Ruiz, lower than Pedro Feliz, and that is pathetic)

One final note, Bob Sanders just makes my argument for the most overrated player in the NFL look much better. One game played this season and he goes on the IR. Thank you.