2010 NFL Draft Preview - Secondary

Well loyal readers, the last installment of my 2010 NFL Draft Preview Series is upon us and we conclude with the secondary. There is sure to be some gems to be found when teams are looking to upgrade their secondary so let us find out who is the cream of the crop. Let's Get
It On!

1. Eric Berry (Tenn)

Eric Berry is the best defensive player in this year's draft next to Ndamukong Suh. He was explosive and a playmaker for Lane Kiffin's Vol defense in 2009. He was all over the SEC gridiron making tackles, deflecting passes and picking off
passes. Berry has the allure of a great safety and may become the highest picked safety since one of my personal favorite Cleveland Browns, Eric Turner (2nd overall) and should produce for the lucky team (fingers crossed for the Browns).
Berry has been known to be reckless on the field and may have injury troubles but that wouldn't shy me away a bit from taking him. Berry is a can't miss, diamond, blue chip prospect.

Projection: Top 5

2. Joe Haden (UF)

Haden is the most complete cornerback and is the closest thing to a shut-down corner in this class. He was a ball-hawk at Florida and showed great reaction time when defending receivers. His moves were smooth and he was very polished in his technique so the transition to a pro-style defense shouldn't be too big of an impairment. His 40-time however (4.50 + at the combine) is going to take some teams out of the running for fear he won't be able to keep up with speedy receivers in the NFL. I've never been a big fan of the 40 yard dash and wouldn't be angry with Haden for my Brownies (see a trend here with who I'd want to see in Orange and Brown).

Projection: 7-15 overall

3. Earl Thomas (Texas)

Some pundits have Thomas ranked ahead of Berry at the Safety position but not me. Thomas is versatile and showed at Texas he had the instincts to dissect plays at the line. Thomas played the ball in the air like a cornerback and was able to take on receivers one-on-one, unlike many safeties. Thomas could be converted to cornerback he is so good. However, looking at game film Thomas had trouble back against Michael Crabtree as well as Alabama in the National Title Game. That may make some teams cautious but shouldn't hurt his stock that much.

Projection: Top 25

4. Taylor Mays (USC)

Mays is ranked 4th for me but he could just as well be 2nd in my Top 5. Mays is a unique combination of size (6'3" and 230+lbs) and speed (40-time reported as low as 4.3) and is going to make some coaches drool at his potential. Mays was a great player for Carroll and his great defensive schemes and should translate well to the NFL. There is some concern in his ability to be in position. Mays took bad angles sometimes at plays and was only really reliable when the play was right in front of him. He is going to have to look at was of improving his ball playing abilities to excel in the NFL.

Projection: Top 15-30

5. Devin McCourty (Rutgers)

McCourty could be the most cerebral CB in this year's draft. He is able to read plays before they are ran and decide how to best attack the play to make the stop. His athletic ability allowed him to stand out against the offenses of the Big East and round out my rankings. McCourty will have to work on his focus and ability to play proper distancing from receivers to keep them in front of him to pounce.

Projection: Middle 2nd

Sleeper: Myron Rolle (FSU)

A Rhodes Scholer, Rolle left his last year at FSU to go study at Oxford. Rolle was thought to have lost some of his ability but when he worked out at the Combine he did quite well and ensured his chances of being drafted. Although he won't get his name called until around the 4th round he has a great chance to play well for any NFL team.

Well folks, it has been a pleasure to divulge my top NFL prospects heading toward the April 22 draft. No matter what the pundits want you to believe remember what I have told thee and you will not be misled. Be careful out there!!

Yoders' Ones To Watch

Larry Asante (S) - Nebraska

-Asante is a 3 year starter for the Cornhuskers, and along with Ndamukong Suh, he was a major driving force behind the rebirth of the blackshirts. He ran a disappointing 40 time at the combine, but got into the 4.5 range at Nebraska's Pro Day. He might be able to play either safety position in the NFL, but might fit at SS the best. If Asante is available for the first pick of Da Bears in Round 3, he could follow Mike Brown as another great Bears safety from Nebraska and solve one of their biggest problems.

Kurt Coleman (S) - Ohio St.

-Living in BuckNut land, Kurt Coleman was always one of the guys that caused the most discussion and debate for the Rose Bowl Champs. The hard hitting SS played on the edge (including being suspended for one game earlier this year), and seemed to give up the big play as frequently as he made the big play. His role as the passionate leader of one of the best defenses in the country can't be underestimated though. I'm not the biggest fan of Coleman's game - he's a little too aggressive from his safety position and misses some tackles. But, as a late round pick, if he can get on a team with a good defense around him, he can become a solid pro.

We hope you've enjoyed our NFL positional rankings. We'll be back as April rolls around with our first ever RSS Mock Draft! Bye for now...