Image of the Week

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This week's image depicts former University of Florida Gator Tim Tebow being introduced to Denver Broncos fans. Tebow, selected in the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft, has been under the microscope of talent evaluators for the last few months. Many question his throwing motion, but none question his work ethic and leadership abilities. Denver's head coach Josh McDaniels, former QB coach of New England (the man responsible for Matt Cassel and Tom Brady), saw enough promise in Tebow to make him the Bronco's first round pick.

After a marvelous career at Florida (one of the guru's favorite articles), Tebow entered the draft and has spent the last few months as one of the most scrutinized people in the world. The public has not been turned off by the obsession. In fact, Tebow's jersey has already sold more than any other draftee in NFL history. This comes as no surprise to those who know that over 1,500 people paid $160 for an autograph at his March 6th charity signing. Whether or not Tebow succeeds in the NFL (The guru thinks he will be a bona fide starter in 2012.), he will drastically stimulate the Denver economy.

NFL Mock Draft 2010 Round 1 Part II

After doing more analysis, the guru is back to finish off his mock draft. Enjoy the rest of the first round as you prepare for Thursday night.

17. SF - Earl Thomas S Texas

The guru is going out on a limb with this selection. He predicted San Francisco will take CB Joe Haden at #13, so this is the second defensive back the 49ers will pick in the first round. Some experts believe that Thomas is a better player than Tennessee safety Eric Berry. Guard Mike Iupati makes sens here too.

18. PIT - Mike Iupati G Idaho

After parting with WR Santonio Holmes because of his off-field issues, there is talk the Steelers will deal QB Ben Roethlisberger for the same reason. Most signs point to the contrary, but in that event, the Steelers may consider grabbing a quarterback or receiver with this pick. Are they the team that trades up and grabs Clausen? Or do they take a chance on Colt McCoy. Neither, they will grab the rugged interior lineman that will bring them back to their roots. Upgrading the line will help 2008 first-rounder Rashard Mendenhall shine. A cornerback wouldn't be out of the question either.

19. ATL - Jason Pierre-Paul DE South Florida

The Falcons will be the team that takes a chance on this supremely athletic prospect. There is a high chance Pierre-Paul will bust because of his inexperience, but Atlanta is willing to take that chance. The USF prospect will greatly upgrade the pass rush.

20. HOU - Kyle Wilson CB Boise State

Finally, the men of the blue turf are getting some respect. Once again, some scouts are saying that Wilson is actually the top-rated player at his position. He has a great combination of speed and physicality that will help him become a great player. After the loss of Dunta Robinson, the Texans' secondary needs a solid player like Wilson.

21. CIN - Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State

It is no secret that the Bengals are willing to gamble on players with character concerns. Bryant is on the edge of that category, which will likely cause him to fall. With all the talent Bryant has, this may be a steal. Coming into a receiver corps with Chad Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant, the prospect out of Oklahoma State will be placed in a good situation to learn the pro game.

22. NE - Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma

Here's a little-known fact that should not be a secret. The Patriots have nobody worthy of starting at tight end. The top two on last year's depth chart, including Benjamin Watson, have been lost in free agency. With Wes Welker likely to miss the beginning of the season, Tom Brady needs more targets. Gresham will help take the pressure off of Randy Moss.

23. GB - Charles Brown OT Southern California

As you may have heard, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers took a beating last year. The Green Bay offensive line let up a league worst 51 sacks in 2009. In order to keep their dynamic offense humming, they need to protect the quarterback. Rodger Saffold of Indiana might be the pick instead, or Green Bay might look at the secondary.

24. PHI - Taylor Mays S Southern California

Another player with tremendous measurables, Mays concerns scouts with his football sense. Some are critical of his tackling ability as well, but he gets the call in an attempt to fill the void left by Brian Dawkins' departure.

25. BAL - Jared Odrick DT Penn State

26. ARI - Brandon Graham DE/OLB Michigan

27. DAL - Bruce Campbell OT Maryland

28. SD - Terrence Cody DT Alabama

29. NYJ - Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech

30. MIN - Kareem Jackson CB Alabama

31. IND - Rodger Saffold OT Indiana

32. NO - Jerry Hughes LB Texas Christian

NFL Mock Draft 2010 Round 1 Part I

The NFL Draft, one of the guru's favorite events. After months of analyzing both college and pro football, he has come up with his predictions for Thursday's action. Here is the top half of Thursday's opening round.

1. STL - Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

This pick has been decided for nearly a month. Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, has drawn comparisons to Troy Aikman. If the Rams want to compete any time in the next three years, they better grab their franchise quarterback now.

2. DET - Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

One of just four defensive tackles to be a Heisman Finalist since 1990, Suh is considered by many to be the top prospect in this draft. A dominant interior lineman with tremendous strength, Suh will complement the recent additions to Detroit's front seven, giving head coach Jim Schwartz a linchpin in the middle of his defense.

3. TB - Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

Many people around the league say that McCoy would be the top prospect in any other draft in the last five years. In fact, he received the highest grade from NFL.com out of any prospect in this draft. McCoy will help shore up a Tampa Bay defense that conceded a league worst 158.2 yards per game in 2009. The Buccaneers could surprise and grab Tennessee safety Eric Berry; Coach Raheem Morris was schooled by Berry's coach Monte Kiffin.

4. WAS - Russell Okung OT Oklahoma State

After the retirement of left tackle Chris Samuels, the already depleted line got even worse. The acquisition of Donovan McNabb will be washed out if they are unable to protect him. There has been talk of Oklahoma OT Trent Williams sneaking into this spot.

5. KC - Brian Bulaga OT Iowa

At this point, Tennessee safety Eric Berry is the best player available. But Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli has shown in the past that he is more concerned about filling areas of need than grabbing the biggest talent. (Remember Tyson Jack at #3 last year?) Pioli has been quoted as saying he doesn't believe safeties are worthy of a top five pick.

6. SEA - Eric Berry S Tennessee

For the second year in a row, the Seahawks have a top-rated player fall into their laps. Berry has been an absolute nightmare to SEC offensive coordinators over the last few years. Seattle can wait until their second pick (#14 from Denver) to grab an OT, assuming they don't trade back.

7. CLE - Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

To be completely honest, the guru doesn't see Cleveland making this pick. Expect them to trade back like they did last year and accumulate more picks. If the Browns are forced to stay here and make the pick, they may take Clausen or the electric CJ Spiller. Keep in mind, they have spent the offseason moving quarterbacks around.

8. OAK - Trent Williams OT Oklahoma

Everyone and their brother enjoys making fun of Raiders owner Al Davis for his drafting technique. I think this is the year that head coach Tom Cable, an offensive line man by trade, talks some sense into Davis. The Raiders will pass on Maryland OT combine freak Bruce Campbell and select Williams, considered by many the top tackle in this class. Another guy to watch out for is USF's Jason Pierre-Paul, who possesses ridiculous athleticism at defensive end.

9. BUF - Anthony Davis OT Rutgers

The Bills surrendered 46 sacks in 2009, tying them with Washington for fourth worst in the league. To fix the issue, they grab the fourth offensive tackle. This may be the team that trades up to get Clausen. Keep an eye out for Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant. Buffalo showed their willingness to bring in high-profile receivers after last year's Terrell Owens experiment. However, it may be telling that Owens is not back in a Bills uniform. Spiller might pop up here as well.

10. JAX - Rolando McClain LB Alabama

Odds are, the Jaguars will not make this selection. They have plenty of holes to fill, and without a second round selection they will have trouble doing so. Look for them to trade back and accumulate more picks. Teams will be looking to move up and grab Spiller if he is still available. Jacksonville may be the landing spot of hometown hero Tim Tebow. If the Jags stay put, McClain gives them a talented, exceptionally smart body to plug into their front seven. Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan may draw some attention from Jacksonville.

11. DEN - Maurkice Pouncey C Florida

This pick may confuse some followers, but look closer. Denver lost two centers during the offseason, leaving them with a gaping hole in the middle of their offensive line. Pouncey has scouts raving, and with the exception of Idaho G Mike Iupati, the Florida product is the only interior lineman worthy of going in the first two rounds. Coach Josh McDaniels is unconventional, to say the least. Analysts are saying Dez Bryant may go here, but Denver just shipped out one receiver (Brandon Marshall) with a questionable character. Keep in mind this defense has a lot of holes, even with the signing of nose tackle Jamal Williams. Sergio Kindle, maybe?

12. MIA - Sergio Kindle LB Texas

Some personnel experts say they liked Kindle even more than his former teammate Brian Orakpo, who shined as a rookie in 2009. Joey Porter and Jason Taylor have both moved on. Miami needs to upgrade its pass rush to help last year's first round choice, CB Vontae Davis. Bill Parcells has hit some home runs drafting outside linebackers in the past.

13. SF - Joe Haden CB Florida

With two first round picks, the 49ers are capable of moving up if they want to take a shot at Clausen or one of the top tackles. If they decide to stay put, Haden will help out a secondary that was abused in 2009. Although he ran slow at the Combine, the speed issue was attributed to minor back issues. Despite his physicality, there has been talk that Boise State CB Kyle Wilson may be the best cover man in this draft.

14. SEA - CJ Spiller RB Clemson

It's very likely that Spiller will be long gone by this point in time. It's also not a stretch to say that Seattle may not be picking at this spot. If Spiller falls and the Seahawks stay put, the dynamic playmaker could add a spark to the drab Seattle offense. After the retirement of Patrick Kerney, the defensive line could use an upgrade. Defensive ends Morgan and Pierre-Pal may draw some interest, as well as interior guys like Dan Williams of Tennessee or Jason Odrick of Penn State.

15. NYG - Dan Williams DT Tennessee

The Giants have seen their defense deteriorate very quickly. Holes exist all over the once dominant front seven. A big body like Williams can help plug gaps and revitalize the tenacious Giants defense. They are disappointed to see Spiller go ahead of them and may take a long look at Iupati or Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon.

16. TEN - Derrick Morgan DE Georgia Tech

After losing DT Albert Haynesworth, the Titans defense went downhill. This unit took another hit with the loss of Kyle Vanden Bosch. Morgan will help the pass rush in addition to being a responsible run stopper.

There you have it. Be sure to check back for the rest of the first round and possibly the second round.

NFL Mock Draft Challenge 2010

While the NHL playoffs may be bring the most exciting hockey of the year, the guru looks forward to April for another reason: the NFL Draft. From a managerial standpoint, there is no comparison. There are so many players to fill so many positions on so many teams that anyone with a knowledge of college and pro football can relate to. It's just a great time.

As before, the guru is looking for qualified competitors for his fantasy football expert league. Anyone who can handle the intricacies of the NFL is fully capable of competing in the guru's league. Now is your chance to prove yourself worthy.

Any individual with an email address is eligible to compete. To enter, simply send an email to FANTASYguru37@gmail.com with the following information: an alias/pen name (optional), your picks, and the tiebreaker (more on that later). List the picks in ascending order.

Only the first round will be scored. You will receive 10 points for correctly identifying which player will be taken in every draft slot. (Note that if teams trade picks, the player you choose for that pick will be the one that counts. For example, if you predicted that Mark Sanchez would go to Cleveland last year at #5, you would still get 10 points even though the Jets got him at #5.) You will receive 3 points for correctly identifying which position will be drafted. (For example, if you thought that Detroit would draft Sanchez at #1, you would get 3 points even though they picked Matthew Stafford.) Players will be classified as quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, defensive backs, and kickers (that crazy Al Davis). Tiebreaking procedures are as follows:

1. The pick that Tim Tebow will be taken at. This can be in any round.

2. The length of time the first round will take to complete. (Example: 8 hours, 43 minutes)

3. The color tie Roger Goodell is wearing.

There is no charge to enter the contest. Sending money will not increase your chances of winning. Only one entry per email address. In the case of multiple entries, only the first entry will be scored. All entries are due by 6:00 PM (1800 hours) on the evening of April 22, 2010.

The winner will receive a special invitation to compete against the guru himself in a highly competitive fantasy football league. Good luck to all challengers. Remember, only the best and brightest gain access to the FG37FFEC.