Its draft time. I know its a little hard getting excited for it with the Cowboys only haveing one pick in the second round durring day one, but that's not going to stop the Sherpa of Camping, Tioga, from rocking his crazy indepth mock draft. So while i'm working on mine, you can take a gander at this peice of work, which is both more thought out, and way smarter than anything i'll put out in the next few weeks.well, here is my 2nd round... although way harder to predict, I feel pretty confident it'll come pretty close.
Most of the value in this draft comes in the top of the 2nd round and with WR, OL, and DE/OLB being somewhat deep this year several talented players can be had even towards the end of it. Since the 1st round carries a more significant price tag teams are more likely to draft the best player available, but in the 2nd teams are more apt to fill needs. This year since the 1st round talent seems to be more of a 2nd round quality it's hard to predict exactly where teams will go. With that in mind I factored in that the 1st round would be used to fill needs and that the 2nd would fill roster holes even more so. Therefore, several players that probably would be drafted in the 3rd in most drafts will come off the board in the 2nd this year... esp at CB and S where there is a real lack of talent, but high demand.
33) Det - CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest. New coach Jim Schwartz, the former D co-ordinator with the Titans will look to re-tool one of the worst defenses last year. Even though he's only 5'9, Smith is very instinctive with natural ball skills; he has good hands, and is a competive, confident, gamer.
34) NE - CB Darius Butler, Connecticut. The Patriots use the pick from the Cassell deal and select a CB whom may be the most athletic pure cover corner in this draft. NE worked him out and hope he is still available when they pick in order to re-vamp their secondary. The reason he should fall to them is that even though he's a great athlete (43 in vertical) is because he has a slight frame (183lbs) and becasue he plays a finese game. Had 0 interceptions his senior year.
35) SL - S Patrick Chung, Oregon. In a suprise pick, the Rams reach for Chung over Delmas. The reason for doing so is because they need an upgrade over SS Todd Johnson from last year and Delmas is more of a FS. Even so, Chung was a dynamic passionate playmaking S for Oregon last season who is compared to a poor mans Bob Sanders.
36) Cle - WR Percy Harvin, Florida. In a lucky break, the Browns may select a dynamic playmaker who fell from the 1st round. With Edwards possibly traded, and no #2 reciever to speak of; Harvin could make either Anderson or Quinn giddy come draft day.
37) Sea - DE Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech. With the signing of Houshmandzedah the Seahawks can opt to grab the last of the top 4-3 DE's instead of WR. Johnson is a pass rush speacialist who can play a part time role while learning how to hold up against the run. Has a 6'7 265 lb frame with freakish athletic ability but needs to toughen up and not be such a finese/soft player.
38) *NO* - S Louis Delmas, Western Michigan. The Saints traded down with Cincinati and still got the player they wanted plus a pick next year. Even though it could be said that CB may be a more pressing need, S is just as much an urgent need in the Big Easy as the Saints gave up more big plays than just about any other team. Delmas is an athletic aggressive defender who can be a centerfielder that would make big plays instead for NO.
39) JV - T Will Beatty, Connecticut. Even though they signed Tra Thomas (there's a reason the Eagles let him go), the Jaguars still need OL help and Beatty is one of the fastest rising prospects with some people giving him a later 1st round grade. He is an athletic LT type who may be a little too finesse for some teams; but there's no denying his potential to be a shut down pass blocker.
40) Oak - S William Moore, Missouri. The Raiders still need a T even though they signed Khalif Barnes as well as a DT to come in and hopefully beat out the underachieving Kelly and Warren; but when a freak athlete like Moore is on the board Al Davis wont hesitate to get him. Moore is big and fast at 6'2 220 4.5, but he tends to be more straight linish than fluid and even though he's well built, has been dinged up too often.
41) GB - NT Ron Brace, Boston College. Even though Ryan Simms is penciled in as the starting NT, it'd be hard to pass on Brace who is a pure NT type who played well at BC. With all the 3-4's now and with how hard it is to find a good Nose, the Packers would be happy with finding one in the 2nd.
42) Buf - C Alex Mack, California. In a division that has all 3-4 big NT's the Bills would be wise to draft a C with some size and strength to handle them. Lynch, Edwards, and TO should love this pick. If DE Johnson falls here then Buffalo would be ecstatic.
43) SF - S Rashad Johnson, Alabama. FS Roman Harper has made a play since the Clinton administration it seems so the 49ers would welcome Johnson who managed to make several big plays for 'Bama this past season.
44) Mia - S/CB Jarius Byrd, Oregon. Byrd, son of a former NFL CB, player corner for the Ducks last season but lacks the speed to stay there in the pros. He's a very smart and instinctive player who plays faster than he times. He is the type of player Parcells likes and gives the 'Fins versitility.
45) NYG - DE/OLB Larry English, N. Illinois. Even though the Giants could go with OL here, English is an intriguing prospect. An athletic DE that has been a long time producer in college, some scouts have him rated as a 1st round prospect. Has experience dropping into zones, but his motor and quickness make him great at playing forward. NY needs OLB and English should prove a better project then Kiwanuka experiment a couple of years ago... if nothing else then he is yet one more rotational pass rusher.
46) Hou - S Chip Vaugh, Wake Forest. Should be the 3rd player drafted from this basketball school, Vaugh is a good athlete with size. His numbers (6'1 220 4.45) suggest low 1st/high 2nd round, but his lack of instincts and production put him in the 3rd or 4th. A converted WR who is still learning the position, his upside is tempting. The Texans are still looking to draft their 1st quality safety after all these years, and are willing to gamble that within a couple of years Vaugh could become a game changer.
47) NE - CB/S Sean Smith, Utah. The Patriots continue to re-stock their secondary even though OL and DL should be considered here. With a lack of DB talent but several OL and DL prospects to be had later Smith gets the nod. A former WR turned CB for the BCS Utah team, at 6'3 214 4.5, Smith has the tools to be appealing to Belicheck... if nothing else as a special package DB in the Red Zone.
48) Den - DE Fili Moaula, USC. Even though Thomas and Robertson "might" be able to convert to DE, the Broncos hedge their bet with the productive Moaula who was a playmaking athletic DT for the Trojans.
49) Chi - WR Brian Robinski, Ohio St. Son of former WR and current coach Terry Robinski, Brian should be tempting to the Bears with their 1st pick. The team traded for Cutler and then signed Pace. Unless they go for either Holt or Harrison, Chicago needs to get a WR to go with their new look Offense. Robinski is a possesion WR who shows good hands, routes, and passion to be a good compliment to Hester.
50) Cle - C/G Max Unger, Oregon. Even though DB, esp S, is a big need; the Browns select one of the top lineman to replace C Hank Fraley. Some drafts have Unger as a late 1st round talent so he offers good value here to go along with need. A former T with 6'4 309 size, Unger is versitle and with added strength could help against the big NT in Pit and Bal.
51) Dal - S Darcel McBath, Texas Tech. Poor Dallas has to watch a run on S's before they go on the clock and settle for reaching on McBath. A former CB who moved to FS, Darcel is a centerfielder who consitently made big plays in college. A bit skinny and tends to shy from contact; his great athleticism for the position and ball skills should offset his lack of physicalness. Shows the feet and hips to possibly move back to CB.
52) *GB* - CB Donald Washington, Ohio St. The Packers are getting old at CB and need to initiate a youth movement... unfortunatly this is a bad year to shop for a CB. Washington has good size and was labeled the best athlete on the Buckeyes. He may have maturity/character issues after getting in trouble and being demoted to NB at OSU, but could turn out to be a good value pick here if his issues are behind him. GB could also go T here with the pick they got from the Jets.
53) Phi - RB Donald Brown, Connecticut. The Eagles need a TE but with several pass catching ones available this year they can afford to wait til later. Instead they look to draft Westbrooks new caddy and land the drafts 3rd best RB. Brown could be an everydown back incase needed to fill in for injury and shows good run instincts and pass catching ability.
54) Min - WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia. The Vickings need a #2 WR to pair opposite deep threat Berrian and even though it's a reach, Massaquoi could be that player. A quality WR would help Peterson and who ever wins the QB battle between Jackson and Rosenfells. Some scouts have Mohamed as a 2nd round guy due to his fluidness, size, and good route running; that and his competitivness, down field blocking, and clutch catches. What lowers him in others view are his drops and lack of production (played with the #1 pick at QB.) Either way should be able to beat out Sidney Rice.
55) Atl - S Michael Hamlin, Clemson. Needing a SS to come in and start right away with the departure of 35 year old Lawyer Miloy, the Falcons reach a little to tab Hamlin, the last of the quality S prospects. Decent athlete with good size; even though he lacks top end speed, Hamlin's instincs, ball skills, and physicalness should make him a decent starter.
56) Mia - WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly. In what would be the biggest reach of the draft, hopefully Parcells would trade down to select the type of WR he covets. The assets that will intrigue the Tuna are Barden's size, his hands, and did I mention his size? At 6'6 230 he would be an instant Red Zone threat, something the speedy yet small Ginn, and spare's Camarillo and Bess aren't. In Barden, Big Bill will finally land his Keyshawn/T O Owens type WR and if he doesn't reach for him here then someone else will soon there after. Worse case scenerio he becomes a TE/HB.
57) Bal - CB/S Sherrod Martin, Troy. Even though ILB Jasper Brinkley is still on the board, the Ravens instead look to improve at CB. Martin played S in college but shows the natural movement skills and athleticism to play CB. A bit of a project but thanks to the success of other Troy players before him should be drafted sooner rather than later.
58) NE - DE Jarron Gilbert, San Jose St. A freakish athlete, very intriguing 3-4 DE prospect. Is 6'5 288 and runs a 4.8 and even has the frame to get bigger... extremly athletic and agile. Is very raw still and didn't dominate as he should have in college; with all 3 Patriot DE's set to become free agents next year, Gilbert could develop behind them and then come out of nowhere to blow up next year. A very Belicheck/Parcells kind of pick.
59) Car - DE Paul Kruger, Utah. Finally getting to pick, the Panthers reach on a DE purely out of need. Even if they don't lose Peppers, they still need a DE and Kruger is the last of the 4-3 DE with any pass rush ability. An overaged work out warrior type with injury history, Kruger is still raw and with seasoning and added size could become solid in a year or two.
60) NYG - DT Sen'Derrick Marks, Auburn. The Giants don't have many areas of need and opt to go fof Marks who is a quality DT that is a penetrater with the frame to get bigger. A 2nd/3rd round talent, the Giants get value here and can afford to bring him along slowly to eventualy replace one of their current starters who are getting a little long in the tooth.
61) Ind - WR Derrick Williams, Penn St. The Colts could go several ways here with a DT if they go WR in the 1st, or with C Eric Wood to caddy for Jeff Saturday. If they go with Hood in the 1st then Williams would be a good consilation prize here this late in the 2nd. Productive versitle player with decent size, (5'11 194), who plays quick; Williams could help ease the loss of Harrison.
62) Ten - CB/S Coye Francies, San Jose St. With Harper becoming a FA at the end of the season, the Titans could opt to draft his replacement before the season starts. Fluid, physical, hard worker with good size and ball skills who plays faster than he times. Has the potential to play as a press CB or even move over to FS if that doesn't work.
63) Arizona - DE/OLB Lawrence Sidbury, Richmond. The Cardinals could go with C Eric Wood, but they need to get better at rushing the passer and when they pick again most if not all of the pass rushers should be gone. A bit of a reach, Sidbury is an intriguing small school prospect with freakish athletic ability. At 6'2 266 4.54 has the measurables to develop into a top pass rusher, but he is still very raw at thsi point. Even though his tapes don't warrant it, he shouldn't last much further past this point in the draft.
64) Pit - T Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma. Even though the Steelers drafted a T earlier, they need both a LT and RT prospect with only Max Starks and Tony Hills on the roster. Loadholt carries a mid 2nd round grade so getting him here would be a steal; plus at 6'8 332 he is a monster that plays the physical mauling style of ball that the Steelers incorporate. May lack the leverage to move inside due to his height.
And that as Paul Harvey says is the rest of the story. I'm not even going to try to guess at the crap shoot that's going to be the 3rd round but I can guarantee that there will be several athletic pass catching TE's, several OG/RT players, and quite a few DE/DT type tweeners go off the board as there are several 3-4 teams looking for that type of D-Lineman. There are still a handfull of good WR prospects, a NT or two, and quite a few athletic WLB type players left also. The last of the decent CB's and pass rushers ought to move in the 3rd, but pretty much all that's left at S are big, in the box, types.
That’s an honest-to-God crowd shot from last night
Eric Hood – Center - Louisville
