Trent Williams was the crown jewel of the 2010 NFL Draft: Still shining 15 years later, Williams is the highest-graded offensive tackle in the NFL since he was drafted, having finished 11 of his 14 seasons with at least an 80.0 PFF overall grade.
Rob Gronkowski heads to Detroit at No. 2: The second-round pick far outplayed his original draft slot, earning seven straight elite PFF overall grades with the Patriots.
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Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
The NFL draft is a crapshoot.
While NFL teams do their best to forecast which prospects will translate best to the next level, the reality is that franchises rarely get a pick exactly right.
But what would a draft look like if teams had the benefit of hindsight? PFF has world-class data for every player on every play in every NFL game, dating back to the 2006 season. Knowing what we know now, here is how the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft could have looked.
Any trades made during the original draft were reversed, while trades made before the draft were kept in place.
Looking for more NFL redrafts? Click for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
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1. St. Louis Rams: T Trent Williams, Oklahoma (Round 1, Pick 4)
Williams was well worth a top-five pick the first time around, and he moves up to the top overall selection in this redraft.
He is the highest-graded offensive tackle in the NFL since he was drafted, having finished 11 of his 14 seasons with at least an 80.0 PFF overall grade. Still active in San Francisco, Williams continues to dominate, posting an 85.6 PFF overall grade in his age-36 season. His bust in Canton will be waiting for him the moment he decides to retire.
2. Detroit Lions: TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona (Round 2, Pick 42)
Suh was a strong selection for the Lions, but imagine an offense with Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and Rob Gronkowski.
The Lions selected Brandon Pettigrew the year before, but with the full benefit of hindsight, we're not letting the greatest tight end of all time get past No. 2. Gronkowski earned seven straight 90.0-plus PFF overall grades from 2011 to 2017.
Rob Gronkowski's Career PFF Grades
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3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Antonio Brown, Central Michigan (Round 6, Pick 195)
Brown was one of the greatest draft steals of all time. He finished each of his 12 NFL seasons with at least a 79.0 PFF receiving grade, including an incredible run from 2013 to 2017 in which he posted a 94.5 PFF receiving grade, ranking second only to Julio Jones.
Brown’s chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh was magical. He ended his career by winning a Super Bowl with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay before an unceremonious exit in 2021, but Brown was certainly one of the most talented players of his generation.
4. Washington: S Earl Thomas III, Texas (Round 1, Pick 14)
It took Thomas a few years to really get going in the NFL, but he was truly an elite player from 2013 to 2019. He recorded a single-season PFF coverage grade below 86.0 only once in that span, with three elite seasons above 90.0 as the single-high free safety in Pete Carroll’s Legion of Boom secondary.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: DI Geno Atkins, Georgia (Round 4, Pick 120)
Atkins put together a dominant run from his rookie year in 2010 through 2019. During that time, he earned an elite 93.0 PFF overall grade. Equally elite in the run and pass games, he engineered eight straight seasons with at least a 70.0 PFF grade in both departments.
6. Seattle Seahawks: DI Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (Round 1, Pick 2)
Suh struggled a bit as a run defender in his first two seasons in Detroit, but he was a dominant force from 2012 to 2018. He recorded five 80.0-plus PFF overall grades in that span and notched a career-high 72 quarterback pressures in 2013.
7. Cleveland Browns: S Devin McCourty, Rutgers (Round 1, Pick 27)
A crucial part of three championship runs in New England, McCourty became one of the league’s most dominant free safeties after converting from cornerback early in his career.
From 2012 to 2019, he recorded an elite 95.0 PFF coverage grade while compiling 19 interceptions and 38 pass breakups, postseason included. He was also among the most durable players in the NFL, playing more than 1,000 snaps in 12 of his 13 seasons.
8. Oakland Raiders: WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State (Round 1, Pick 24)
Dez Bryant was one of the top wide receivers in the game from 2011 to 2014, headlined by an elite 90.0 PFF receiving grade with more than 1,400 receiving yards in 2014.
Unfortunately, he suffered foot and ankle injuries in the following years and never fully returned to form.
9. Buffalo Bills: WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech (Round 1, Pick 22)
Following in the footsteps of fellow Georgia Tech product Calvin Johnson, Thomas was one of the best vertical threats in the NFL during his time in Denver.
Thomas’ 90.5 PFF receiving grade from 2012 to 2016 ranked eighth among wide receivers. That dominant run included five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and a Super Bowl 50 victory at the end of the 2015 season.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: DI Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (Round 1, Pick 3)
Given the chance to redo this pick, the Jaguars certainly would have opted for McCoy, had he been available, over Alualu.
McCoy never turned into the player who anchored a defensive renaissance with Tampa Bay, but that certainly wasn’t all on him. His 2013 and 2014 campaigns were his best, featuring 90.0 and 91.1 PFF pass-rush grades. He logged 55.5 sacks in nine seasons with the Buccaneers.
Gerald McCoy's Career PFF Grades
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11. Denver Broncos: TE Jimmy Graham, Miami (FL) (Round 3, Pick 95)
Graham entered the NFL having made just 17 catches in college at Miami. Sean Payton and the Saints were brave enough to select him in the third round anyway. Knowing what he became, some team would have likely done so a lot sooner if given a second chance.
Graham’s 91.1 PFF receiving grade across his first seven seasons ranked third among all tight ends. Injuries caught up with him in his 30s, but his early-career dominance, particularly with Drew Brees throwing to him, won’t soon be forgotten.
12. Miami Dolphins: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (Round 1, Pick 1)
Bradford didn’t live up to the hype attached to being drafted No. 1 overall, but Miami desperately needed a quarterback in 2010, with Chad Henne as their best option.
Bradford started his career poorly but actually earned PFF passing grades between 72.0 and 77.0 in four consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2016 with three teams, excluding his lost 2014 campaign due to a torn ACL.
13. San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Brandon Graham, Michigan (Round 1, Pick 13)
Through a series of trades, Brandon Graham was eventually selected with this pick by the Eagles. He went on to have a quietly dominant 15-year run and was a crucial part of two Super Bowl victories.
Graham finished 10 of those seasons with at least an 80.0 PFF overall grade, including three with at least a 90.0 mark. He’ll live in eternity in Philadelphia for forcing the game-winning fumble in Super Bowl 52 as the Eagles defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots.
14. Seattle Seahawks: EDGE Carlos Dunlap, Florida (Round 2, Pick 54)
Dunlap had a long, steady career in which he was an impact player for the Bengals for 10 years. He earned a 72.4 PFF overall grade as a rookie and never dipped below that mark for the next 10 seasons.
In his full 13-year career, Dunlap recorded 100 sacks and, funnily enough, played for the Seahawks after his time in Cincinnati.
15. New York Giants: EDGE Jason Pierre-Paul, USF (Round 1, Pick 15)
New York was searching for one more pass rusher to pair with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck to repeat the magic that helped them beat New England in the Super Bowl just a few years earlier. They selected USF’s Jason Pierre-Paul as that player, and he didn’t disappoint.
Despite playing just one year of major college football, Pierre-Paul managed to record an 86.9 PFF overall grade across his first seven NFL seasons. He helped the Giants upset Tom Brady and the Patriots again in Super Bowl 46 before winning another with the Buccaneers nine years later.
16. Tennessee Titans: S Eric Berry, Tennessee (Round 1, Pick 5)
Berry entered the 2010 draft after two consecutive unanimous All-American seasons at Tennessee. In this redraft, he stays in Tennessee as a member of the Titans.
Berry was a three-time first-team All-Pro — in 2013, 2015 and 2016, his three highest-graded seasons. Major lower-body injuries and cancer derailed parts of his career, but he was declared cancer-free ahead of the 2015 season and went on to produce an elite 90.2 PFF overall grade across the next two years.
17. San Francisco 49ers: G Mike Iupati, Idaho (Round 1, Pick 17)
San Francisco sticks with the original selection of Idaho guard Mike Iupati. At the time, Jim Harbaugh was in search of dominant run blockers, and Iupati fit the bill. His 86.6 PFF run-blocking grade across his first five seasons ranked fifth among qualifying guards — behind Evan Mathis, Marshal Yanda, Logan Mankins and Brandon Brooks.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: T Russell Okung, Oklahoma State (Round 1, Pick 6)
Pouncey was a great pick for the Steelers, but Okung earned the better PFF grades throughout their careers. The Steelers also needed help at offensive tackle at the time.
In his 11-year career, Okung recorded a single-season PFF overall grade below 69.9 only once.
Russell Okung's Career PFF Grades
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19. Atlanta Falcons: LB Sean Lee, Penn State (Round 2, Pick 55)
The Falcons stick with the same position they selected the first time around but go with Sean Lee. He was a spectacular player for Dallas when he was healthy enough to suit up.
During his first eight years in the league, Lee compiled elite PFF grades in run defense (90.9) and coverage (91.4). He also carried an outstanding 7.8% missed tackle rate during that span.
20. Houston Texans: CB Joe Haden, Florida (Round 1, Pick 7)
Haden was a three-time Pro Bowler — in 2013, 2014 and 2019. He looked like a home-run draft pick, earning an 84.2 PFF coverage grade in his first NFL season. Although his PFF grades were relatively stable throughout his 12-year career, that number did end up being his career best.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Jerry Hughes, TCU (Round 1, Pick 31)
Hughes didn’t get to play much during his short time in Indianapolis, but his career really took off after he was traded to Buffalo. He spent nine seasons there and recorded a 90.2 PFF pass-rush grade. He is also the only Bills defensive lineman in PFF history to record a 90.0-plus single-season PFF pass-rush grade, having done so in 2018.
22. New England Patriots: LB NaVorro Bowman, Penn State (Round 3, Pick 91)
Bowan played only seven seasons in the NFL due to an Achilles injury that complicated his time with the 49ers, but that short stint still makes him a first-rounder in this redraft.
He was a four-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. From 2011 to 2013, he earned PFF overall grades of 84.8, 88.1 and 90.6.
23. Green Bay Packers: T Bryan Bulaga, Iowa (Round 1, Pick 23)
In desperate need of a right tackle, the Packers selected Bulaga to give them an immediate, consistent starter. For 10 years, he was just that.
From 2010 to 2019, Bulaga recorded a solid 80.7 PFF overall grade. After contributing to Green Bay’s Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2010 season, Bulaga delivered his best performance in 2011, when he earned a career-high 86.0 PFF run-blocking grade and allowed just one sack.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: S Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech (Round 5, Pick 133)
Brian Dawkins’ last season in Philadelphia was in 2008, so the Eagles saw the state of their secondary in 2009 without that enforcer on the back end.
Chancellor could have been Dawkins' replacement. As the most feared member of the Legion of Boom, Chancellor recorded a 78.0-plus single-season PFF overall grade in five of his eight seasons.
25. Baltimore Ravens: WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame (Round 2, Pick 60)
The Ravens were in the midst of rebuilding their receiving corps around Joe Flacco, and Golden Tate would have been an excellent candidate to help the cause.
Over his first eight NFL seasons, Tate earned an outstanding 89.1 PFF receiving grade that placed him just outside the top 20 wide receivers in the NFL. His 3,767 yards after the catch from 2010 to 2017, including postseason play, trailed only Antonio Brown for the NFL lead.
26. Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Everson Griffen, USC (Round 4, Pick 100)
Even with just one season where he graded out above 80.0 (2017), Griffen well outplayed his fourth-round selection. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and played 12 seasons in the NFL.
27. Dallas Cowboys: WR Emmanuel Sanders, SMU (Round 3, Pick 82)
Dallas desperately needed another receiver to pair with Miles Austin and Jason Witten, hence their original trade for Dez Bryant. They don’t get Bryant here, but they end up with a solid alternative in Emmanuel Sanders.
Sanders became a reliable target in Pittsburgh and Denver. From 2010 to 2018, he recorded an excellent 89.4 PFF receiving grade. He was also the leading receiver in Super Bowl 50, tallying six catches and 83 yards in Peyton Manning’s final game.
Emmanuel Sanders' 2014 Season by Target Depth
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28. San Diego Chargers: T Alejandro Villanueva, Army (Undrafted)
Villanueva, who played tight end, wide receiver, defensive lineman and offensive lineman throughout his college career, went undrafted in 2010 but became a key member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line, starting 107 of his 113 career games.
In his seven-year career, he recorded a single-season PFF pass-blocking grade below 79.0 just once, with three seasons above 80.0.
29. New York Jets: S Reshad Jones, Georgia (Round 5, Pick 163)
Safety quickly became a weakness for the Jets after Kerry Rhodes’ departure in the 2010 offseason. One player who could have alleviated that was former Dolphin Reshad Jones.
Across his 10-year career, Jones tallied an elite 90.1 PFF overall grade, supported heavily by his 94.5 PFF run-defense grade. His best season was in 2012, when he posted a 91.0 PFF overall grade to rank third among safeties, behind Jairus Byrd and Eric Weddle.
30. Minnesota Vikings: DI Linval Joseph, East Carolina (Round 2, Pick 46)
There was a seven-year stretch where Joseph was one of the best nose tackles in the game. From 2011 to 2018, he didn’t have a single season in which his PFF overall grade dipped below 70.0. And in 2015 and 2017, he earned elite single-season PFF grades of 91.0 and 90.4.
31. Indianapolis Colts: S Kareem Jackson, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 20)
The Colts were in a position to select the best defensive player available in this draft after failing to beat the Saints in Super Bowl 44. In this case, that’s safety Kareem Jackson, who originally went 20th overall.
Jackson took a year or two to find his footing in the NFL, but from 2012 through 2020, he recorded an 87.3 PFF overall grade and an elite 90.0 PFF coverage grade with Houston and Denver.
32. New Orleans Saints: C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida (Round 1, Pick 18)
Pouncey’s PFF overall grades were slightly lower than expected, plus there is the positional value argument for centers, hence why he is selected later here than he was originally in 2010.
But from 2014 to 2018, Pouncey played more than 1,100 snaps in every season with an average PFF pass-blocking grade of 81.2. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time second-team All-Pro.