2010 SB Nation Writers Mock Draft

Last year, during the 2009 SB Nation Writers Mock Draft, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez fell all the way down to the Colts #27 pick. At the time, my thought was "Wow! I franchise (or Sanchize) level QB just fell to me in the late first round, just like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in 2005." Following the tried and true policy of Bill Polian, I picked the best player available at #27. That player was clearly Mark Sanchez.

And you people ROASTED ME ALIVE for making that selection, passing up on the team's obvious pick, Evander Hood.

Here is what I wrote at the time of the Sanchez pick:

To start, the Colts have made it known in the past that if a franchise-caliber QB happens to fall to them, they’ll draft the guy. They told folks last year that if Delaware QB Joe Flacco fell to them in the second round, they’d draft him without hesitation. This off-season, Colts expressed an interest in Sanchez by conducting a private workout with him just before his Pro Day. And while [Rhett Bomar] and [Nate Davis] have some of the physical and mental tools necessary to dominant at the NFL level, they do not come close to Sanchez. He has it all.

Again, despite my obviously well-worded reasoning (ha!), you folks decided to fish-filleted my ass. I felt like Peter King reading Twitter after the NFCCG.

A few days after my pick, the real-life Chicago Bears traded all kinds of picks for Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. This last-minute trade necessitated re-doing the writers mock. Yeah, Dan at Mocking the Draft, who coordinated the entire event, was reeeeeeeal chipper about doing it all over again, let me tell you. During the re-draft, the Vikings decided to get smart and drafted Sanchez at #22. Again, this was all before Brett Favre returned to the NFL, again. I then used the #27 pick on Ziggy Hood.

In real life, the Jets traded up to get Sanchez at pick #3 pick #5. He led them to the AFCCG where they lost to our Colts despite a strong effort by Sanchez. Bill Polian passed on Ziggy Hood and selected Donald Brown, a RB out of UConn. Brown had an up-and-down season in 2009, but hood mostly had a down year, rotting on the Steelers bench despite numerous injuries to their d-line.

All that said, this year the Colts are picking at #31, and once again I will be making that selection. Dan at Mocking the Draft is coordinating the event (somebody buy this man a beer when this thing is finished!) and Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride is posting updates at SBNation.com.

Since our mock does not allow trades (because, if it did, we'd get the damn thing done at or around, say, June!), it is not allows an accurate reflection of what will happen on Draft Day. However, it does give you a good glimpse into what fans of others teams are thinking. Last year, Lions fans were simply petrified about drafting yet another franchise QB. The Lions brass ignored these fears, drafted Matt Stafford, and Stafford showed some great stuff in 2009. That Browns game, and how he helped win it, should go a long way for him.

After the jump, we have the first overall pick in the 2010 SB Nation Writers Draft, and I'll tell you right now that Turf Show Time writer VanRam does not agree with our own TouchdownColts, who selected Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen as the first overall pick in Stampede Blue's 2010 Community Mock Draft.

After the jump, check out who VanRam picked.

In Round One, Pick One in the 2010 SB Nation Writers Mock Draft, the St. Louis Rams select:

1. Sam Bradford | 6'4 1/4, 236 pounds | Oklahoma

There was arguably no better player in 2008 than Bradford. He possesses and easy, quick throwing motion. Knows how to put a really good touch on the ball letting receivers catch it in stride. Once he learns to throw the ball more using his lower body, he'll really be able to put a lot of strength on his passes. Known to have a high football IQ and can read defenses well. There are plenty of questions about his durability, and that could scare some teams off. -Scouting report-

VanRam explains the pick:

Re-building projects need cornerstones, both for ceremonial purposes and for the structure itself. When you've been tasked with re-building a franchise from mostly ashes, you have to get those vital cornerstones in place as you move forward.

Check out MtD for Dan's analysis of VanRam's pick, and reader reaction.