| Pick-by-pick analysis: Round 2 |
| Pick |
Team |
Player |
Pos. |
Height |
Weight |
School |
| 32. |
Dolphins |
Phillip Merling |
DE |
6-4 |
282 |
Clemson |
Two words scared everyone about Merling: sports hernia. At Top 15? Not worth the risk. Here? An absolute steal. Parcells addresses O-Line and D-Line with Miami's first two picks. No shocks there.
|
| 33. |
Rams |
Donnie Avery |
WR |
5-11 |
186 |
Houston |
If you polled a hundred draft "experts" before the Draft and asked them who the first wideout off the board would be, absolutely none would have said Avery. He's a speedster, though, and can stretch the field for the Rams. DeSean Jackson keeps slip slidin' away.
|
| 34. |
Redskins |
Devin Thomas |
WR |
6-2 |
215 |
Michigan State |
Washington's patience pays off, trading back and getting the top wideout on most teams' boards at 34th overall. Thomas has size, a rarity for Redskins wideouts, and can likely play right away. At 6'2, he's a great target for Jason Campbell.
|
| 35. |
Chiefs |
Brandon Flowers |
CB |
5-10 |
189 |
Virginia Tech |
Brandon Flowers slips to 35, where the Chiefs scoop him up. A star at Virginia Tech, a few subpar workouts turned the cornerback into a second-round selection. DB is a need for K.C. and Flowers makes perfect sense.
|
| 36. |
Packers |
Jordy Nelson |
WR |
6-2 |
217 |
Kansas State |
I love this pick. Nelson, one of my "sleepers" all pre-draft season, is a giant target with hands of glue. The Kansas State kid caught 122 balls last season, saving his best for the Wildcats' biggest games. Another target for Aaron Rodgers to grow with in Green Bay.
|
| 37. |
Falcons |
Curtis Lofton |
LB |
6-0 |
238 |
Oklahoma |
The Falcons' linebacker corps are pretty solid: Boley, Brooking and now Lofton. The Big Twelve Defensive Player of the Year may be a bit short for the NFL, but he's a tackle machine. Solid pick here.
|
| 38. |
Seahawks |
John Carlson |
TE |
6-6 |
255 |
Notre Dame |
With Fred Davis and Martellus Bennett still on the board, I'm not sure I love the Carlson pick, here. But tight end is certainly a need in Seattle, and Holmgren and co. fill it.
|
| 39. |
49ers |
Chilo Rachal |
G |
6-5 |
315 |
USC |
With Joe Staley manning the right tackle position like a 10-year vet last season, there's hope for San Fran's line. Rachal can be the long-term replacement for Larry Allen at guard.
|
| 40. |
Saints |
Tracy Porter |
CB |
5-10 |
186 |
Indiana |
The Saints get a young corner to bolster their weakest position. Usama Young didn't deliver as a rookie last season and both Mike McKenzie and Jason David are not top tier corners. Perhaps Porter, a star at Indiana, is.
|
| 41. |
Bills |
James Hardy |
WR |
6-7 |
220 |
Indiana |
Patience pays off for a team in need of wide receiver again as the Bills hold off on grabbing a wideout with the eleventh pick and get the skyscraper Hardy at No. 41. Lining up alongside Lee Evans, Buffalo might actually have a passing game this season.
|
| 42. |
Broncos |
Eddie Royal |
WR |
5-10 |
180 |
Virginia Tech |
With DeSean Jackson still on the board, the Broncos go with Eddie Royal, another sub 6-foot speedster with hands. With Rod Smith retiring, Javon Walker off to Oakland, and Brandon Marshall coming off an injury — Royal could play next year. A lot.
|
| 43. |
Vikings |
Tyrell Johnson |
FS |
5-11 |
207 |
Arkansas State |
The Vikes have some solid talent at safety, but pick up some more depth in Johnson, the tackle machine out of Arkansas State. Played really well against Texas and Tennessee.
|
| 44. |
Bears |
Matt Forte |
RB |
6-1 |
224 |
Tulane |
Talk about a perfect match. Forte ran for 2,127 yards at Tulane last season, while the Benson/Peterson/Wolfe trio stunk it up in Chicago in '07. The addition of Forte's quickness and strength should help Chicago's offense immensely next year.
|
| 45. |
Lions |
Jordon Dizon |
LB |
6-0 |
225 |
Colorado |
Talk about a tackle machine. Ernie Sims gets some help at LB with Dizon, a kid who had 160 tackles last season. Critics will point to his speed and size. I point to the numbers. A producer.
|
| 46. |
Bengals |
Jerome Simpson |
WR |
6-1 |
190 |
Coastal Carolina |
Ah, Coastal Carolina's finest. Simpson didn't play as well in '07 as he did in '06, but that could be because of the departure of quarterback Tyler Thigpen. Cincy must really like him; there were other wideouts left on the board.
|
| 47. |
Eagles |
Trevor Laws |
DE |
6-1 |
295 |
Notre Dame |
Laws was ultra-productive on a really bad Notre Dame team last year. 112 tackles out of your DT? That's unheard of stuff. He'll be a fine pro. Philly traded back a bit here, and still got a very strong defensive tackle.
|
| 48. |
Redskins |
Fred Davis |
TE |
6-4 |
250 |
USC |
Fred Davis was actually my top-rated tight end, and will work with Chris Cooley at the TE spot in Washington. The Mackey Award winner led the Trojans in receptions last season.
|
| 49. |
Eagles |
DeSean Jackson |
WR |
5-11 |
178 |
California |
DeSean Jackson's GENEROUSLY listed at 5-11, but could be the next Devin Hester. A kick and punt return threat who has solid hands, he's worth the flier at 49. Philly fans have been clamoring for a solid return man since Brian Mitchell left town.
|
| 50. |
Cardinals |
Calais Campbell |
DE |
6-8 |
280 |
Miami (FL) |
Campbell was projected by some (me, included) to be a first-round pick, but after a subpar 2007 season he slips to 50. Arizona gets a guy who entering the college season was considered a potential top-5 guy.
|
| 51. |
Redskins |
Malcolm Kelly |
WR |
6-3 |
219 |
Oklahoma |
|
Another guy who slipped. Kelly had a curious Pro Day in early April, blaming the Oklahoma facilities for his mediocre performance. He can play, though, and some had him going at No. 11 to Buffalo prior to the draft. With Thomas, the tight end Davis, and Kelly, Jason Campbell picks up a bunch of targets.
|
| 52. |
Jaguars |
Quentin Groves |
DE |
6-3 |
254 |
Auburn |
As expected, the Jags pick up another defensive player, here. Groves can probably play outside LB, though he played DE in college. A star at Auburn, Jaguars fans are likely familiar with his work from SEC days.
|
| 53. |
Steelers |
Limas Sweed |
WR |
6-5 |
219 |
Texas |
Ben Roethlisberger got a highly productive running back in the first round and a fantastic wide receiver in the second. Sweed can flat-out play. Though he only played in six games for the Longhorns last season, he caught 12 touchdown passes in '06. He and Santonio Holmes played against each other in the Ohio State-Texas game back in '05. Sweed caught three passes and a touchdown that night.
|
| 54. |
Titans |
Jason Jones |
DE |
6-5 |
262 |
Eastern Michigan |
Played fantastic against Michigan this year, holding his own lining up against top pick Jake Long. Though they picked up Javon Kearse, the Titans lost Antwan Odom and Travis Laboy in the off-season. Jones can make a difference next season.
|
| 55. |
Ravens |
Ray Rice |
RB |
5-8 |
203 |
Rutgers |
Everyone said Ray Rice would go right smack in the middle of the second round, and that's exactly where he went. The Ravens pick up Rutgers' all-time leading rusher, who compiled 4,926 yards and 49 touchdowns in just three years in New Brunswick. Arguably the most accomplished Rutgers player ever, he makes the move south to Baltimore, where he'll likely spell Willis McGahee.
|
| 56. |
Packers |
Brian Brohm |
QB |
6-3 |
228 |
Louisville |
The Packers scoop up Brohm, a guy many predicted to go in the top 20, at 56th overall. Brohm was a Sports Illustrated cover boy in high school and a star since his freshman year in college. A topsy turvy senior season bumps him to the second round — but the guy can play. Aaron Rodgers has some competition up in Green Bay.
|
| 57. |
Dolphins |
Chad Henne |
|
QB |
6-2 |
226 |
Michigan |
Jake Long's college quarterback joins him down on South Beach as Henne falls all the way to 57th. Though he'll forever be known in Ann Arbor as the guy who never beat Ohio State, Henne has a pro build and one of the better arms in the draft. I wouldn't be shocked if Henne got significant playing time as soon as next season.
|
| 58. |
Buccaneers |
Dexter Jackson |
WR |
5-9 |
182 |
Appalachian State |
|
The Sports Illustrated cover boy after Appalachian State's upset of Michigan back in September is a flat-our burner. With Galloway and Hilliard getting up there in age and both Maurice Stovall and Michael Clayton not taking advantage of opportunities last year, Jackson could see some real action at wideout next season. Primarily, though, he'll be returning kicks and punts.
|
| 59. |
Colts |
Mike Pollak |
OT |
6-4 |
299 |
Arizona State |
The Colts had offensive line needs and addressed them in Pollak, the top center in this year's draft. He can likely play guard, too. Pollak started every game for the Sun Devils the past two seasons.
|
| 60. |
Packers |
Patrick Lee |
DB |
6-0 |
200 |
Auburn |
Woodson and Harris aren't getting any younger. Patrick Lee was a ball hawk at Auburn, intercepting four passes last season. Pretty good size and plenty of potential--a solid pick at DB.
|
| 61. |
Cowboys |
Martellus Bennett |
TE |
6-6 |
259 |
Texas A&M |
Some scratched their heads when Bennett left Texas A&M early, but the 6-6 junior had a very productive career as an Aggie. Not the fastest guy, but he's a massive target. With Anthony Fasano off to Miami, Bennett should get some playing time next season, working with Jason Witten at tight end.
|
| 62. |
Patriots |
Terrence Wheatley |
CB |
5-9 |
178 |
Colorado |
Asante Samuel and Randall Gay left this off-season, making cornerback a position of need. Wheatley had a fine career at Colorado and ran the sixth-fastest 40 time among corners at the combine.
|
63. |
Giants |
Terrell Thomas |
CB |
6-1 |
198 |
USC |
Thomas started every game the past two seasons for the Pac-10 champion Trojans. Though Aaron Ross and Corey Webster seem to be the 1-2 corners of the future, R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison aren't getting any younger. Thomas adds some depth. He can play.
|
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