Most draft analysts don’t inspire confidence, but Mike Mayock of NFL Network has consistently proven to be ahead of the competition. When he bangs his fist on the table for a player, we listen.
On Friday, he said that defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) and Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma) are the draft’s top two prospects. By a lot.
The names aren’t surprising, but Mayock’s belief in McCoy is noteworthy. He sees Suh and McCoy as equally valuable and doesn’t see a quarterback as a candidate for the top pick.
“I think it’s a big reach,’' Mayock said. “The logical guy is [Sam] Bradford. I’m not a big [Jimmy] Clausen fan. No way in the world in my mind; that’s today, I’ve still got a lot more work to do on Bradford. Those two players [Suh and McCoy] just dwarf the quarterback issue.’'
Mayock’s words were transcribed by MLive.com in Detroit, where the Lions hold the second pick. If Mayock is right, Jim Schwartz should be a very happy coach.