The NFL draft has become an event unto itself. Sure, it’s not as big as the NFL regular season or playoffs, but give props to the league for turning football into a year-round sport. In the case of the draft, it gets bigger every year. And for the first time, the first round will be aired during prime-time on ESPN Thursday night.
Demaryius Thomas, Golden Tate and Eric Decker are top picks in the 2010 NFL draft.
One of the interesting aspects of the draft is to follow the predictions from the so-called “experts”, guys like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay. If you compare their first-round predictions, they’ll be lucky to have more than a handful of the same picks.
Which brings us to this year’s draft. About the only thing I see people agreeing on is that Ndamukong Suh and Sam Bradford will be the first two players selected in the draft. Besides that, it’s anyone’s guess. Where will Tim Tebow be selected? Who will take Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy? These are all questions that will be answered beginning Thursday night.
One of the positions that’s especially intriguing to me is wide receiver. Most people expect Dez Bryant to be selected in the first round with Demaryius Thomas, Golden Tate, Arrelious Benn and Eric Decker to follow. Let’s take a brief looks at three of them – Thomas, Tate and Decker.
Demaryius Thomas…A first-team All-ACC selection out of Georgia Tech, Thomas averaged 15.9, 16.1 and 25.1 yards per catch in three seasons despite the fact that Georgia Tech ran a run-oriented offense. One of the most physical wide receivers in the draft, he’s a strong downfield blocker, consistently finds open space on the field and is able to break tackles for extra yardage.
Golden Tate…He became the first Notre Dame offensive player to be named first team All-American in 16 years. He was also the recipient of the Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate receiver. Tate excelled in the pro-style offense that Charlie Weiss ran at Notre Dame, which will suit him well at the next level. He’s an excellent route runner and is one of those guys that makes plays even where they seemingly don’t exist.
Eric Decker…A second-team All-Big 10 pick even after missing the last part of the 2009 season with an injury, Decker still amassed 50 catches for 758 yards. He’s arguably the greatest wide receiver ever to play at the U. of Minnesota and set school records with 227 receptions for 3,119 yards and 24 touchdowns. He has the size, athleticism and hands to succeed at the next level.
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