Football - EFS
EFSNewswriters Mock NFL Draft-Round 2
By Thomas Cool
Apr 25, 2008, 12:08

EFSNews Lg3000 Mock Draft NFL Round 2

2.1 Miami Dolphins QB Brian Brohm Louisville

The Dolphins are going to try to get as many young QB's as possible on their roster to see if one will work out. Some scouts had Brohm ranked as high as Matt Ryan as recently as January so Bill Parcells sees good value in this pick. Brohm may end up being the best QB in the draft and Miami cannot pass on him.

2.2 St Louis Rams LB Dan Conner PennST

What the Rams really need is a stud DL, but the ones available dont warrant being picked here. Besides with a LB this talented on the board, they will scoop him up. They need more depth and talent to play alongside Witherspoon and Conner is the right guy.

2.3 Atlanta Falcons OT Duane Brown VaTech

Regardless of who is taking snaps for the Falcons in 2008, they definitely will have to try and upgrade their offensive line. Adding a player with the upside of Brown will go a long way towards accomplishing this. He will step right in at left tackle and if Ryan is selected in the first down, Brown will be protecting his blind side for the better part of the next decade.

2.4 Kansas City Chiefs CB Antoine Cason Ariz

Given the aging CB's on this team it makes sense to get a young guy to groom to replace them. Cason would be a good choice here to fit into that situation. Plus he offers some potential as a return guy.

2.5 New York Jets OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College.

The Jets get a gem in Cherilus if he is there in the second round. Projected to go in the mid to late first round, Cherilus would add a strong presence to a young Jets offensive line. After playing and excelling at right tackle for most of his career, Cherilus moved over to the left side in ‘07. There he proved to be just above average as he doesn’t have the agility or the proper footwork to be a true left tackle. Having drafted D’Brickashaw Ferguson in ‘06 to play the left side, Cherilus can move back to his more natural RT position where he should dominate at the pro level. At 6’7 318lbs, he is a beast of a man. He plays with a mean streak and is great in run blocking. Lacks technique in pass protection but is highly intelligent and easily coachable.
Other options….
Qb Joe Flacco, Delaware, WR’s Mario Manningham, Michigan, James Hardy, Indiana

2.6 Atlanta Falcons DT Pat Sims Auburn

DT Rod Coleman was released in offseason, so Falcons have big need to fill his shoes. Sims is the next best DT left on the board.

2.7 Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco, Delaware

With Steve McNair a shell of his former self and the Kyle Boller experiment a bust the Ravens would be more than happy to take Flacco here. Flacco is 6'6" and weighs 236 lbs. He has a big arm and better than average accuracy. Some scouts are even comparing him to Ben Roethlisberger without the mobility. He has been moving up the boards since the combine and more than a few teams have him as their second QB. He could very easily be taken late in the first round or early in the second if the Dolphins or Falcons pass on Matt Ryan.

Other options.....

OLB Dan Conner, Penn St., QB Chad Henne, Michigan

2.8 San Francisco 49ers DE Quentin Groves Fla

Groves is a quick pass rushing DE who may need to bulk up a bit to play DE full time in the NFL. He should provide a pass rush for the Niners defense, perhaps as a situational player during first half of season, with upside to be starter by end of season.

2.9 New Orleans Saints Reggie Smith DB OK

We figured there would still be talent at the CB position in the second round, and we were right. Our secondary took a beating last year. Reggie has good size for the position, is a good tackler, and plays physical. Him and a couple of other FA acquistions should improve as a whole at the position. Reggie has also played at the safety position, giving us the versatility we need. We envision him seeing action right away.

Possibles:

Brandon Flowers, DB with great instincts.

Curtis Lofton, ILB that's young and plays physical.

Xavier Adibi, OLB who has excellent sideline to sideline capability.


2.10 Buffalo Bills CB Brandon Flowers VaTech

Buffalo is quite pleased to find a starting caliber CB here in the 2nd rd. Flowers will probably be the nickel back to start but Buffalo will depend on him to develop quickly.

Other Possibilities:
TE Fred Davis USC
TE Dustin Keller


2.11 Denver Broncos LB Curtis Lofton OU

Broncos' Needs:
• Offensive Tackle
• Linebacker
• Defensive Tackle
• Safety
• Runningback
• Wide Receiver
Curtis Lofton

Upside: Sniffs out the run exrtemely well. Fills gaps fast with his down-hill style of play. Lofton is a compactly built player that will fit perfectly in the middle. Stays free and makes tackles on inside running plays as well as tracking down plays to the outside. Diagnoses coverages well, doesn't get fooled by play-action or mis-direction plays. Has a knack for breaking up passes when dropped into coverage.

Downside: He does not have elite range and speed. He's probably a much better football player than pure athlete. Lacks ideal height and is a marginal blitzer, who still doesn't use his hands properly.

Bottom Line: Lofton may have come out a year too early but he's still a top-50 NFL prospect. He more than makes up for his athletic defficiencies with amazing instincts and toughness. He makes a great fit for either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defensive set. One of the few polished LBs entering the draft who should be able to contribute readily in the pros.

Other Considerations:

DuJuan Morgan, FS -N.C. State

2.12 Carolina Panthers S DeJuan Morgan NC St

Morgan brings a nice combination of coverage skills and the ability to play the run. He also addresses a desperate need to upgrade at the safety position. He will start immediately.


2.13 Chicago Bears QB Chad Henne Mich

da Bears need another option other than Grossman and Orton.


2.14 Detroit Lions OT Sam Baker USC

Given the unsettled nature of their OL with Baker still available he will fit in nicely at RT.

2.15 Cincinnati Bengals DE Lawrence Jackson USC

Robert Geathers' play fell off significantly last season. While the Bengals need improvement at both linebacker and defensive end, they would gain more by selecting Jackson at this pick. The only linebacker that should be selected here is Xavier Adibi, but the Bengals likely have a rotation at SAM with Jeanty, Blackstock and Henderson with Jones on the opposite end. With the loss of Landon Johnson the Bengals need an inside linebacker. However, Adibi would probably not be able to play inside where run blockers would easily get on his body. With the selection of Glenn Dorsey in the first round to play the three technique and improve their pass and run defense. The Bengals could improve their pass rush more by selecting Jackson and giving Geathers and Odom some competition. A defensive line consisting of Peko, Dorsey, and a rotation of Jackson, Geathers, and Odom would put fear into opponents.

2.16 Minnesota Vikings OT Carl Nicks NEB

Once again one of our targets falls to us, although many were available. Nicks gives us versatility at the tackle position, having played both sides. With McKinnie's recent run-in with the law it's better to be safe than sorry, although we believed we needed depth at the position anyway. He's light on his feet for his size, and a road-grader. The tangibles that put him over the top for us. We know we can run to the left, but we want to increase our ability to run to the right also, giving opponents headaches on which direction the offense will be running.

Possiblities:

Oniel Cousins, OT with more boom or bust potential

Anthony Collins, OT with a better pass blocking set

Chad Henne, 2nd best QB?, if he falls that far

2.17 Atlanta Falcons TE Martellus Bennett Texas A&M

Martellus Bennett TE from Texas A&M. This guy is a monster at 6'6" and just under 260lbs and posseses excellent hands. With Hartsock on the roster, this guy will be allowed to develop along with Matt Ryan and become his security blanket. He is a solid blocker and will blend well with the Falcons power running game.

2.18 Philadelphia Eagles CB Justin King PennSt

Will look to fill in depth at CB, WR, DE or Address a need at Safety. Early Doucet is probably the best pure receiver left on the board however the Eagles can address depth and add a top quality return man in either Eddie Royal or CB Justin King. The Available Safety and DE prospects are worth waiting for so given this scenario Justin King CB From Penn State is the pick.

2.19 Arizona Cardinals RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina

Having addressed their biggest need at CB with Mike Jenkins in the 1st(thereby freeing up Rolle's move to safety), the Cardinals must find a new RB who can share some of the load with the rapidly aging Edgerrin James. Johnson is the best RB on the board, and should get 100-200 carries this year as a change-of-pace back.

Other possibilities: RB Jamaal Charles(Texas), RB Matt Forte(Tulane), ILB Jered Mayo(Tennessee)(possible replacement for Calvin Pace)


2.20 Washington Redskings CB Terrell Thomas USC

Defense was one of the areas which we knew that we needed to address going into the 2008 draft. In round two, we are glad to find several quality players left on the board. Of these, Terrell Thomas becomes our pick.

Thomas is an elite cornerback. Had his college career not been marred by a history of injuries, he would certainly have been a round one pick. He has nice size, good speed and superior athleticism. He reads and reacts quickly. Most importantly, he plays physical - having dislocated both of his shoulders during his college career by attacking the ball with reckless abandon. He will fit perfectly in the Greg Blache "attack" defense.

In 2007, after recovering from a 2005 knee injury and the aforementioned shoulder injuries, Thomas was a shut-down corner.

Fifty-seven passes were targeted to his area this season and he allowed 17 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown. With Carlos Rogers (CB) scheduled to start the season on the PUP, Thomas will play the nickel back spot early in the year. However, his physical play and ball skills will allow us to transisition Thomas to safety (a need area) once Rogers returns to the line-up.

Other players recieving consideration:

Early Doucet, WR LSU (6'0" 205 Lbs 4.59-40). It's a crime that Doucet, a top 5 reciever remains on the board. Had we gone any other way in round one, he would be the pick.

Beau Bell, ILB UNLV (6'1" 244 Lbs 4.90-40). A tackling machine, who would start at OLB and in a few years would replace aging MLB London Fletcher. He plays alot faster than the 4.90-40 combine speed!

Jordan Dizon, OLB Colorado (6'0" 225 Lbs 4.63-40). A side-line to side-line linebacker with great ball skills and playmaking ability. Led the nation in tackles in 2007.

2.21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Andre Caldwell Fla

Yeah, yeah, so they took a speedy WR with their first pick. So have you looked at the Bucs' WR corps lately? They need all the help they can get.

Despite other needs on the team, WR's seem to be available at this spot on the board, and the Bucs will go for homeboy Andre Caldwell of Florida.

Caldwell is a burner with 4.37 speed, good hands, excellent RAC skills, and is a good route runner. He's big enough at 6'0" and 200lbs.

He and Desean Jackson will make a frightening pair of scary-fast receivers when they're ready to take over for Joey Galloway and the various nobodies around him. And if Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall actually develop into something useful, so much the better.

Other possibilities at this slot include WR Earl Bennett, TE's Fred Davis and Dustin Keller, and maybe OB Xavier Adibi. The Bucs will definitely add depth at the CB and OB positions later in the draft, and will possibly take another TE, depending on what they do with Jerramy Stevens.

2.22 Pittsburgh Steelers WR Early Doucet LSU

In the off season just about every QB wishes to have the team add weapons. A few like Mcnabb and Big Ben (think they) are prominent enough to get away with publicly stating it. Through the miracle of Mock Drafts Early Doucet is available and Big Ben will personally pick him up and drive him to the complex to sign his rookie deal. It looks likes Pittsburgh is going to win every Draftniks Grading sheet by picking up a top 10 O line Prospect at 23 and a first round talent at the bottom of the 2nd round. Doucet could end up being the best receiver in this class.

2.23 Tennessee Titans WR Mario Manningham Mich

Manningham runs good routes and can really leap. Should be a starter for the Titans very soon. His speed is a little bit of an concern but the Titans believe he can make the jump to the NFL. Good value here in the draft.

2.24 Seattle Seahawks TE Fred Davis USC

This is a big need for the team this year as Putzier and Heller are the only guys on the depth chart.

Davis at USC got better every year and finished off his career with winning the Mackey award after a 55 reception campaign for 794 yards and 7 TD's.

He went to USC as a WR and has made a seamless transition to TE and is an outstanding athlete. He has been a very nice surpise in the blocking game as well. When he was behind D Byrd he worked on his chops at being the #2 TE in for blocking assignments.

2.25 Green Bay Packers TE John Carlson NotreDame

WIth only one TE on the roster it stands to reason that the Packers would look for a second TE that offers both pass catching and blocking prowess. Carlson is no speed merchant but all he has to do is be effective in the short zones and red zones.

Alternatives include an OT or OG but the run on OT occurred earlier this round.

2.26 Miami Dolphins CB Patrick Lee Auburn

Lee will need some development time, but he will get his chances early because the Dolphins need some athletes at the corner spots.

2.27 Jacksonville Jaguars LB Cliff Avrill Purdue

Looking to augment their pass rush, the Jags take LB Cliff Avrill who is not a big LB but is very quick and fast, in an attempt to bolster their pass rush. He will probably begin as a situational pass rush specialist.

2.28 Indianapolis Colts RB Kevin Smith UCF

Colts Needs:
• Runningback
• Offensive Tackle
• Wide Receiver/Tight End
• Defensive End
• Linebacker
Kevin Smith

Upside: Great vision to see the lanes and break long runs with good patience and running instincts. Has a knack for finding creases and can break away with his deceptive quickness. Is a strong competative pass blocker and has very natural hands for a back of his size. Protects the ball well and has a great work ethic.

Downside: He is not a burner and can be caught from behind. Has a thin lower body and might struggle to move the pile at the next level. Has run at times like he does not like to be hit at all. Smith had a ton of carries at the college level causing some scouts to have doubts about his durability. Most of his production came against sub-par Conference USA competition.

Bottom Line: Smith was an extremely productive college back who has all the tools to be an every-down runningback in the NFL. He is a fluid runner, that is more of a glider in the mold of a Marcus Allen, who scouts also said was "too slow for the pros". He also has good hands and is solid in pass protection. A very hard worker who should be a solid producer at the next level.

Other Possibilities:
Ray Rice, RB -Rutgers
Matt Forte, RB -Tulane
Tashard Choice, RB -Geargia Tech
Tony Hills, OT -Texas

2.29 Green Bay Packers OT Oneill Cousins UTEP

Given the age of their starting OT's a young developmental OT is needed and Cousins fits the bill. He is not as highly rated as some of the OT's taken this round, but he could be better than them. He is big, with quick feet and long arms. Whether he develops as a LT or RT remains to be seen....


2.30 Dallas Cowboys RB Jamaal Charles tu

The Boyz were hoping Kevin Smith would fall to them, but it was not to be. So, they turn to homeboy Jamaal Charles to fill their slasher/burner RB slot, teaming with Marian the Barbarian Barber to provide a fearsome duo.

Charles is very fast, clocking in at 4.34. He has decent size, good hands, but not much in the way of elusiveness or blocking skills. He'll have to work on the latter when he's playing with the big boys. He has also had some fumbling issues that will need to be corrected.

Other possibilities at this slot include WRs Earl Bennett of Vanderbilt and Donnie Avery of Houston. The Boyz still need to bring in some fresh faces at WR and in the defensive backfield, so look for them to add some prospects there later in the draft.

2.31 New England LB Beau Bell UNLV

With the other top corners off the board, the Patriots bring youth to thier linebacking corps. Beau Bell from UNLV has good size and speed, and has shown he can play both the inside and outside positions. With a quick burst he can rush the passer and make the sure tackle on running backs trying to break to the outside. Bell should get lots of playing time, as the youth movement on defense continues.

2.32 New York Giants OT Anthony Collins Kansas

The G-men missed out on the two OLBs they were targeting at this postion, so with both Cliff Arvil and Beau Bell off the board, they quickly switch gears and move to protect their franchise QB and select Anthony Collins from Kansas. At 6.6 and 310 LBS, Anthony is a mountain of a man with quick feet, athletic ability, and the capability to eventually play both the left or right side. Collins, will make Eli feel a little more comfortable in the pocket.

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