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Vince Young hits Rhino
Vince Young nailed Rhino with a stiff trash can shot. (Lee South/TNAWrestling.com)

National Football League
Draft King Analysis

January 2, 2010
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com

Reader feedback is always welcomed here. Send your thoughts to Draft King at LouPickney@gmail.com.


When I crafted the latest 2010 NFL Mock Draft for this site on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I did so knowing that I would soon have to rearrange the order, in some cases in a striking "Chutes and Ladders" kind of way, particularly because of there being so many teams log-jammed at either 7-8 or 8-7. So, when looking over the latest mock, keep in mind that those teams hovering near .500 could end up drafting several spots above or below their current position.

This next part a bit off-topic, but bear with me -- I've been meaning to write about this for some time. In November 2009 I attended a TNA Wrestling show in Nashville, which was a fundraiser event being held by Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. It was a fun time, with a great main event (A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe) and plenty of cameos by Titans players. Plus, most importantly, the show raised more than $130,000 for charity.

The highlight of the involvement by the Titans might have been when Tennessee QB Vince Young hit Rhino over the head with a trash can. It took me a bit by surprise to see Young get involved to that level in a match, though it's not like he had to take any bumps in the ring or put himself in a position to get injured.

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In regards to Young's involvement, my brother quipped to me via text message, "Was he accurate with his placement?" Yes, he was. But there is truth in humor, and that question applies to the NFL as well. Young still peppers his gameplay with inaccurate passes and bad reads, though not as much as he did in 2007. Young also shows flashes of brilliance, running the ball out of the pocket and leading his team on impressive drives.

I'll say this: it's always an adventure when Young is involved. But he managed to lead the Titans from their 0-6 start under Kerry Collins to a potential 6-2 finish to end the year at 8-8, which would be the first time in NFL history that any team has done that.

As for TNA, I have some friends (and friends of friends) who work in and/or in association with the company to one degree or another, and I look forward to seeing what they do going live head-to-head against WWE this Monday night (9 ET/8 CT) on Spike TV. They are all being very tight-lipped about what is going to happen, but I anticipate some good things. At the very least, it'll be something worth flipping over to during breaks in the Boise State/TCU Fiesta Bowl game.

With this site I do a great deal of evaluating, and it's interesting when I find myself on the other side of an evaluation. I ran across this article from April 2009 which talked about me and my work here on Draft King. My favorite line: "Give Pickney credit for not yet pretending to be a know-it-all analyst." I appreciate Larry O'Rourke recognizing that aspect. I certainly don't know it all; I just analyze things to the best of my ability.

Let's head now to the Draft King mailbag...


From: CAR********@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Thu, Dec 31, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Subject: In your opinion.

What do you think the chances are of the Bucs drafting Eric Berry? I hope they do.

Lou: Eric Berry would be a great fit for the Bucs -- but, then again, he'd be a great fit for almost any team in the NFL.

Berry had remained coy about his plans for beyond this season, saying that he will announce his intentions after the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. But, with that game now over, Berry has announced that he plans to go pro, and he will likely be a top five (or top ten) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Berry is a tremendous strong safety, a heavy hitter with amazing instincts and a remarkable ability to read quarterbacks and make interceptions. He had a fantastic season in 2008 as a true sophomore, and he built on that with another strong season this year for the Volunteers.

The Buccaneers haven't have a standout at either safety spot since John Lynch played strong safety for the team, but Berry has the chance to live up to that legacy... and then some.

As for Tampa Bay drafting him, I suspect the team would take Ndamukong Suh if they can get him. If Suh is gone when the Bucs go on the clock (which is very likely), there is a chance that Tampa Bay might select Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy ahead of Berry, but that will come down to the team's evaluation of the two players respective to the team's needs. I personally would draft Berry ahead of McCoy since he's such a special player, but that will depend in large part on the team's determination of what will serve it best.


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