2010 NFL Draft: What to Watch for on Day One

It's finally here. The 2010 NFL Draft is upon us and I couldn't be more excited to hunker down for two nights and another day of coverage. With the new format, tonight will only cover the first round, bringing the drama of the top picks to primetime television. 

Here are some storylines to watch for as tonight unfolds:

Four first-round quarterbacks?

It could happen. We all assume Sam Bradford is going number one overall to the Rams, but even Bradford doesn't know what's going to happen. The real question mark at quarterback is Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. If you look at which teams have needs at QB, Clausen shouldn't make it out of the top ten. Other reports have him falling into the 20's and perhaps even to 30 for the Minnesota Vikings, who would be ecstatic. Seattle (picks 6 & 14), San Francisco (13 & 17), and Cleveland (7) are my likely destinations for Clausen.

Beyond the top two, we've heard Texas' Colt McCoy and Florida's Tim Tebow as second-round prospects. Now it seems likely that with the second round not starting until tomorrow, teams will trade back into the first round to ensure they take the QB they desire. Cleveland is being discussed as a player to move back up for McCoy while Tebow is being bandied all over the place. Tebow's agent told Pro Football Talk that they "pretty much know" where he'll end up. Denver is certainly in play for the Jesus of college football. 

 
Where does Tebow go?

Whatever happens, make sure you watch the end of the draft intently. The movement could be frantic.

Oakland Raiders: How will they screw up this year?

Raiders Owner/GM/Curmudgeon Al Davis always finds a way to reach on a pick or find a complete bust. They reached on Michael Huff at pick 7 in 2006, found the laziest quarterback ever in 2007 with JaMarcus Russell and the jury's still out on 2008's Darren McFadden thanks to a poor offensive line. Probably the worst of the bunch is from last year's draft when Davis used the 7th overall pick on wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (9 catches in 11 games in 2009) and not the top WR Michael Crabtree (48 catches in 11 games). 

Who takes Dez Bryant?

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Bryant is a young wide receiver with maturity issues. Those questions may push him out of the top ten despite being the undoubted best receiver in the draft. Denver head coach Josh McDaniels will probably pass him up at 11 despite his need at the position, but Seattle could make the move at 14 or even Tennessee at 16. If he falls to Pittsburgh at 18, Mike Tomlin would be hard-pressed to ignore his talent, but the Steelers' recent negative publicity could harm Bryant's draftability. (It's a word, I swear.)

Veterans on the move?

Albert Haynesworth and Ben Roethlisberger have been mentioned as possibly being dangled in trade offers. While extremely unlikely that deals are made, if they are they will involved picks in the top ten, so keep an early eye peeled. 

Holmgren's Show

Now that Mike Holmgren is the man in Cleveland, what will he do with his gut of picks (5 in the top 100)? A quarterback is extremely likely, but which one? Will he make an offer to take Sam Bradford? Will he skip on Clausen or make moves to take McCoy?

 
Can Holmgren turn the ship around?

What's up in Washington?

With new GM Bruce Allen on the job, you'd suspect the Redskins will draft a long-term left tackle with the fourth overall pick, with the obvious candidates being Russell Okung and Trent Williams. Still, despite trading for Donovan McNabb, rumors persist that the 'Skins could still take Clausen or make a move for Bradford. I'll just say taking Bradford is almost impossible, given that they would have to gut their first draft to do it.

With so many more stories to watch for, tonight's going to be full of drama and excitement! Keep an eye on my tweets (@JoeAnello) for updates! I'll be back when it's over for a full recap!