NFL draft: 2010 re-do
17. San Francisco 49ers
Sam Shields, CB, Miami
Actual pick: Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
Originally an undrafted free agent, Shields landed himself a shiny new contract in Green Bay. He’s a speedy cover corner who’ll stick to any receiver. He’s certainly an upgrade over any corner the ‘Niners have on the roster right now.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Actual pick: same
Believe it or not, Pouncey was instrumental in the Steelers’ Super Bowl run that year. Ben Roethlisberger didn’t fare too well in the Super Bowl itself when Pouncey was unable to play because of an ankle injury. Center isn’t a valued position, but it was certainly of value to Pittsburgh and it worked out, so I’m staying with the pick.
19. Atlanta Falcons
Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
Actual pick: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
The Falcons have a ton of holes on defense and inside and outside linebacker are both included. Lee, when healthy, is a very productive linebacker. He’s an upgrade over Sean Weatherspoon.
20. Houston Texans
Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan
Actual pick: Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
The Texans have lacked a good second receiver behind Andre Johnson until DeAndre Hopkins was drafted, but that was two years after this draft. Brown is a speedy receiver and was one of the best in the league in 2013. He and Andre Johnson form a great 1-2 punch which would be extremely tough for defenses to cover.
21. Cincinnati Bengals
Victor Cruz, WR, Massachusetts
Actual pick: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Gresham was good with Cincinnati, but it didn’t work out in the long term. Like the Texans and Andre Johnson until now, the Bengals haven’t exactly found a guy behind A.J. Green – they hope Mohamed Sanu or Marvin Jones could be that guy, but with Cruz sitting right here, I’m not passing on him.
22. Denver Broncos
Daryl Washington, LB, Texas
Actual pick: Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
Demaryius Thomas is long gone, so I’m going with the best player available. Washington has been an extremely underrated linebacker in Arizona, and the Broncos don’t necessarily have quality players on the inside like they do on the outside. Receiver could turn into a need because Thomas wouldn’t be on the team, but it wouldn’t be as big of a need with Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders currently on the roster.
23. Green Bay Packers
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
Actual pick: Bryan Baluga, OT, Iowa
The Packers have needed interior line help since after 2011. When healthy, Iupati is a solid offensive guard who helps greatly in pass protection and run blocking.
24. Dallas Cowboys
Greg Hardy, DE, Syracuse
Actual pick: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
The Cowboys’ defensive line rotation has been shaky for some time now. Taking Hardy would fix at least one side of those issues, as he’s established himself as a premier pass rusher as a defensive end. He’d fit in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 as an end, so team fit isn’t an issue when taking Hardy here for the Cowboys.