With my first round in the books, I decided to spend some time in the second round. Enjoy!
33. Houston Texans β QB from Fresno State β Derek Carr β Passing on a quarterback in round one means one thing in round two and thatβs grab a quarterback. Derek Carr is on the board and could very well be a day one starter. If not, heβll learn from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Either way, Carrβs future looks a lot brighter than his brothers. The pressure is off.
34. Washington Redskins β SS from Northern Illinois β Jimmie Ward β Even though they brought back Brandon Meriweather and signed Ryan Clark, they need depth in their secondary. Clark is entering his 12th year and is on his last leg. Meriweather gets fined every time he makes a tackle and if heβs not doing that, heβs hurt. Ward is a great selection.
35. Cleveland Browns β QB from Pittsburgh β Tom Savage β Much like Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron, Savage is on the rise of my board for the quarterbacks. Heβs a tall quarterback with a cannon arm and reminds me very much of Rich Gannon or Joe Flacco. They took Sammy Watkins in the first round, they have Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron. The Brownβs offense is coming together nicely.
36. Oakland Raiders β DE from Oregon State β Scott Crichton β The Raiders passed on two quarterbacks in the first round while two quarterbacks go before this pick and now they have to hang tight. They do have Matt Schaub and are planning on letting go of Terrelle Pryor so quarterback is a need but they take care of the two biggest needs they lost in free agency within the first two rounds. OT and DE. Crichton is a sleeper of a talent and is going to be a solid defensive player for the Raiders. Who knows, they might trade this pick to get into the first round or trade it to Washington for Kirk Cousins.
37. Atlanta Falcons β OT from Virginia β Morgan Moses β The Falcons are in need of an offensive tackle and Morgan Moses would be a nice fit. Heβs got long arms and has an excellent first step. His 40 time isnβt great but he can still be a lock as a left tackle for the Falcons, except it will take him some time. Either way, they upgrade their offensive line.
38. Tampa Bay Buccaneers β CB from Ohio State β Bradley Roby β Much like Jonathan Banks last year, the Bucs open the second round with a cornerback. Banks fell into the second round as does Roby. The Bucs added a lot in free agency and donβt really have a pressing need but adding depth with a player such as Roby is a good start to their second pick of the draft.
39. Jacksonville Jaguars β WR from Penn State β Allen Robinson β I wouldnβt be surprised if the Jags go with an edge rusher here or even a cornerback but ultimately they need more weapons. I have them taking Bortles and Robinson could be this yearβs Keenan Allen and could very well be a sleeper.
40. Minnesota Vikings β DT from Notre Dame β Louis Nix III β Most players with this skill set donβt fall but his injuries have raised some concern. Nix could go earlier in this draft without question but here is where I see him with the best fit. Heβll replace Kevin Williams and be a great addition alongside Sharrif Floyd.
41. Buffalo Bills β OT from Alabama β Cyrus Koundajio β Comparable to Andre Smith from the 2009 NFL Draft, Cyrus seems a bit overweight and is slower on the clock than in the actual game. He still has excellent size and length but a pre-existing knee injury has raised the eyebrows of almost every general manager in the NFL. The Bills have a pressing need at OT and canβt pass him up. They take two Alabama talents in the first two rounds.
42. Tennessee Titans β RB from Ohio State β Carlos Hyde β Much like a former Buckeye, Titan fans hope that Hyde is like Eddie George. He has question marks off the field but overall heβs the top running back in the draft. Hyde has the ideal frame for a running back and can cut just as fast as he can run you over. Surely a premier talent coming out of Ohio State, the Titans are hoping to get the same with him in the next level.
43. New York Giants β OG from Nevada β Joel Bitonio β Adding help to their interior offensive line is a need and Bitonio is one of those players who looks like heβs going to bloom into a nice NFL pro. The Giants make the right selection with him.
44. St. Louis Rams β CB from Rice β Phillip Gaines β Another fast player that the Rams are going to love. Much like Tavon Austin, the Rams will like Gaines for his quickness. In the long run, Gaines is a value selection, adds depth and has the ability to be a starter one day. Three great selections from the Rams so far.
45. Detroit Lions β CB from Utah β Keith McGill β So many Lion fans want a WR and if itβs not Sammy Watkins in the first round, why bother? You added Golden Tate, you have Megatron, re-signed Kevin Ogeltree and still have Kris Durham and Ryan Broyles. I know thatβs not the best for a supporting cast but you do need players elsewhere. I have them getting Anthony Barr and now Roberson because heβs the best player on the board. He fits a need and has a lot of value. The Lions new coaches have stated they want a big, physical corner and McGill is the biggest one youβll find in the draft. He has issues with injuries so there are some red flags but when heβs healthy, he has the ability to be something special.
46. Pittsburgh Steelers β CB from Florida β Marcus Roberson β The odds of three cornerbacks going consecutively is odd but in 2009 there were 3 offensive tackles taken within the first 6 picks of the first round so you never know. Roberson has some durability and character concerns but heβs one of those players that finds the right team such as the Steelers and becomes great. He fits a need in an aging secondary and has value because he doesnβt need to start right away.
47. Dallas Cowboys β DE from Boise State β Demarcus Lawrence β Iβm not as high on this kid as other experts but I still think heβs a second rounder. Lawrence to me has a hard time with his initial burst off the ball which leads to him only having average balance. He tends to fall around but at times can still make the right plays at the right time. To me this is where he belongs and could be a nice fit for the Cowboys down the line.
48. Baltimore Ravens β CB from Florida State β Lamarcus Joyner β Another kid Iβm not high on and I think itβs because heβs only 5β8 but he can still find a role on any team especially one like the Ravens who excel at finding the right players on defense. Joyner might make the jump to safety at the next level but a nickel back is a fine fit for him as well.
49. New York Jets β WR from Ole Miss β Donte Moncrief β Reminds me of Braylon Edwards in a sense because he doesnβt have great straight line speed and isnβt the best route runner but he finds ways to make plays. Next to Eric Decker, heβs going to be really good. They both will excel and thatβs what the Jets need at WR.
50. Miami Dolphins β TE from Washington β Austin Seferian-Jenkins β Hereβs a player who is hard to describe. Heβs had an off the field issue, heβs currently injured but is still getting a lot of attention from at least ten teams in the NFL because of his size and ability with the football. A team like Miami could use him and this could end up being one of those selections in five years where you just go βwow, where did this kid come from?β I really like what the Dolphins are doing.
51. Chicago Bears β SS from Washington State β Deone Bucannon β I really like this kid and I think heβs going to be a perfect fit for the Bears. They lost Major Wright to Tampa Bay which is a very underrated signing but Bucannon will fill the need Wright created. Bucannon isnβt as fluid youβd want most safeties but heβs still pretty good in coverage. What I love most about his ability is that he can make a big hit at anytime.
52. Arizona Cardinals β OLB from Gerogia Tech β Jeremiah Attachou β The best OLB is right here and the Cardinals will add him for the fact of his quickness and ability off the edge as a pass rusher. They need help at linebacker and this pick makes sense for all those reasons. Heβs not the best in coverage but thereβs always room to grow.
53. Green Bay Packers β OT from Tennessee β JaWuan James β After Marshal Newhouse signed with the Bengals, there is a huge need at RT for the Packers. By drafting James they get a natural fit at RT and an offensive tackle who can play right away. I see James as one of the more underrated OTβs in the draft and ending up in Green Bay means one thing, good things.
54. Philadelphia Eagles β DT from Minnesota β Rashede Hageman β Another player that falls a bit for me because teams take other needs is Hageman. I do like his ability to disrupt the assignments of offensive lineman but he doesnβt do it consistently. The Eagles could use some depth behind Bennie Logan but they could also use another left defensive end in their 3-4 and Hageman can fit that role.
55. Cincinnati Bengals β DT from Notre Dame β Stephon Tuitt β Outside of Peko the Bengals donβt have much at defensive tackle. Tuitt is without question the best player on the board and odds of him being here at 55th is slim. If he is, the Bengals select him without question. Injuries have slowed down his production but he has the size and strength to be a really good player.
56. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City) β WR from Fresno State β Davante Adams β Signing Brandon Lloyd is nice but who knows what youβre going to get out of him after he spent a year on the free agent market with nothing to do. Adams is a solid pick as he reminds me of Dwayne Bowe on film. He doesnβt have elite speed to separate from defenders but he has good hands and is a pretty good route runner. More of a value pick than a need.
57. San Diego Chargers β DE from North Carolina β Kareem Martin β Martin to me is the best player on my board and itβs a simple fix for the Chargers defense as they have Corey Liuget and Kendall Reyes at the ends. They would take Reyes and put him at the nose tackle position and plug-in Kareem Martin at their left defensive end position. Martin is 6β6 and reminds me of a slower version of Julius Peppers but is going to be a fine fit for the Chargersβ defense. I expect double-digit sack numbers in year one from him.
58. New Orleans Saints β C from Colorado State β Weston Richburg β The Saintβs lost Brian De La Puente their starting center and Richburg is the best on this draft. Itβs an instant upgrade in my eyes and is something thatβs necessary for this offensive line thatβs going to have some changes on it.
59. Indianapolis Colts β OG from Mississippi State β Gabe Jackson β In between the tackles the Colts arenβt that strong. Upgrading their interior is a must and to me this pick just makes sense.
60. Carolina Panthers β OT from Stanford β Cameron Fleming β Jordan Gross surprisingly retired from the NFL and now the Panthers need to upgrade at the tackle positions on offense. They add a receiver in the first round and now add Fleming who can play either LT or RT.
61. San Francisco 49ers β DT from Arizona State β Will Sutton β I was very high on Sutton and I wouldnβt be surprised if he goes much earlier in this draft but for now this is where he falls. Earlier this year he was a first rounder but I think itβs safe to say heβs a second round guy. Heβs not as big as you would like him at only 6β1 but he was very productive at Arizona State.
62. New England Patriots β DT from Florida β Dominique Easley β Slowly Iβve become a fan of this kid. Some have him as a top 5 DT in the draft but I just donβt see it yet. Heβs had some injury concerns and consistency is my biggest question. Finding a team where he can ease his way into a starting role seems best. The Patriots make the most sense here with Vince Wilfork aging.
63. Denver Broncos β CB from Clemson β Bashaud Breeland β They lost their two best cornerbacks and got a huge addition in Aqib Talib but that wonβt be enough. This is more so a value of insurance pick but Breeland has the size to be a starting cornerback one day.
64. Seattle Seahawks β OT from North Dakota State β Billy Turner β The Seahawks offensive line was terrible down the stretch and its one of the key reasons to why Russell Wilson rolls out so much. Billy Turner isnβt an instant starter as heβll have to adjust from playing against smaller sized D-II players to professional athletes who basically all played at the D-I level. I think he can fit well on the right side though, eventually.
