Mock Draft 1.0- Second Round

Let’s get right into the second round!

33. Detroit Lions- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
DT and DE are big needs for this team, and Johnson has the physical tools of a mid first rounder. The problem is his motor is that of a third rounder. I just don’t see how anyone passes on him at this point though as the reward far outweighs the reward. In fact, I could easily see Johnson going as high as pick 18 to the Bears, where they will assume that Rod Marinelli can turn him into an elite pass rushing presence. In Detroit, Johnson will have as many chances as he can get to make an impact due to the simple lack of players at this position.

34. New England Patriots- Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
I have read an article on Butler from a source I really trust (former head of player personnel for the Jets) and he loves Butler. He stated that Butler has great football intelligence and knew defensive coverages and technique for things he didn’t even run in college. Having watched Butler over the past two years, what I’m impressed with is his physical style of play. He’s a bigger corner and he plays the man in front of him. He can jam at the line well and he can flip his hips and run with the receiver. Even with a few off-season veteran acquisitions by New England, I don’t think they will pass on a player like Butler. He fits the profile well of what the Patriots draft for.

35. St. Louis Rams- Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
I really like Robiskie, and I think he’s worthy of a first round grade. He’s just too polished of a product and he has such low bust potential that I think he’s going to surprise some people with how high he goes on draft day. If he is available here, it’s a home run for the Rams. He can immediately step into the starting line up as a younger version of the recently released Tory Holt. With speedster second year Donnie Avery on the other side, the Rams have an impressive young duo of wide receivers. If the OL holds up, the greatest show on turf v2 might be on its way.

36. Cleveland Browns- Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
The Browns are in desperate need of a running back, and Brown is a fantastic pick in the second round. He’s similar to Jamal Brown in that he’s a north/south runner who isn’t afraid to bang it up the middle. That’s where the comparisons end as he’s not nearly as big as Lewis, but he’s much faster. He will share carries with Lewis, but by the time the season rolls around, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brown is getting the majority of the carries with Lewis getting goal line touches. If Shaun Rogers is traded, then this pick is almost a lock for Ron Brace of Boston College.

37. Seattle Seahawks- Sean Smith, CB, Utah
I think this pick comes down to one of the top corners left (Smith or DJ Moore) or possibly nearby standout Patrick Chung of Oregon. I really like Smith’s versatility. He’s a very big corner at 6’3”, but he has the speed to stay at this position. He did play some free safety in college, and he could play this position as well. So in my book, you can’t miss with taking him here. If he can’t stick with receivers on the boundary, you move him over to FS where he can be an impact player at that position. With the bigger and more physical WRs in the NFC West (Larry Fitz, Boldin, Housh), Smith makes the most sense as a physical presence who can bang with those guys as well.

38. Cincinnati Bengals- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
Some crazy mock drafts have Pettigrew going as high as #11 to the Bills in the first round. I just don’t buy that whatsoever. I like Pettigrew because he’s a tough, throwback kind of TE. But you don’t spend first round picks on guys like this. It’s just reality that the NFL is ruled by speedy TE’s who can exploit defensive match-ups and not block, and Pettigrew is not this kind of player. But he fits very well in the Bengals offense, as he provides a physical presence that can help out an injury depleted OL with chip blocks and also provides a safety valve on the underneath routes for Carson Palmer. In fact, Pettigrew would be the best TE the Bengals have had in as long as I can remember.

39. Jacksonville Jaguars- William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
If this is me picking, I think this is too high for Beatty. But for a team like the Jaguars who have a veteran LT in place (recently signed Tra Thomas), Beatty makes sense as he’s a true LT. He needs work on his technique and time to develop, and he can be afforded this in this situation. He can learn from a veteran LT while getting used to the speed of the game, and he provides valuable depth at either RT or LT for his first two years. Once Tra Thomas retires or is cut, Beatty is ready to step in as your starting LT of the future. I personally like Jamon Meredith of South Carolina more, but he’s more of a RT or OG, which isn’t as big of a need. You’re drafting Beatty for his potential, not his ability to play right away. If not Beatty, than a DT like Ziggy Hood would fit very nicely in this DT rotation as well.

40. Oakland Raiders- Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood, DT, Missouri
Yes, the Raiders could really use some help along the offensive line, but Hood is too good to pass up at this point in the draft. The Raiders desperately need help at DT and DE and Hood presents the best value for either position at this point in the draft. Hood is a quick, penetrating, disruptive interior player who I think is being undervalued right now. If I’m in need of DT help near the end of the first round, I’m not afraid to pull the trigger on Hood. He had an outstanding combine to go with a good season on tape, so I’m pretty confident in his ability to come right in and make an impact. The only problem with this is that it seems almost too logical of a pick for Al Davis to make. Knowing him, he’d do something crazy and draft a flashy TE like Jared Cook of South Carolina.

41. Green Bay Packers- Ron Brace, NT, Boston College
I think Brace is being over valued right now due to the position he plays. Brace is a true NT who can play in the 4-3, but would ideally fit in the 3-4. With the proliferation of 3-4 defenses, it’s not surprising to see his name popping up in the first round of many other mock drafts. But looking strictly at his value, I just don’t think he should be drafted higher than this. The Packers need to make sure they have the NT spot secured if they truly want to run a 3-4. Both their current ILB’s are smaller (Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk), so they need some beef over the center to take on blockers. Ryan Pickett is the proposed starter, but Brace is the future. If not Brace, then this has to be a 3-4 defensive prospect like Connor Barwin or Larry English. The Packers have to seriously consider spending their remaining draft picks on building the future of this proposed defense. If not, it’s going to be a long season for most Wisconsinites.

42. Buffalo Bills- Max Unger, OC, Oregon
I think the Bills would have to shout for joy if the draft fell to them this way. Unger is definitely behind Alex Mack as the best center in this draft, but he’s still a top notch, Pro Bowl caliber center. The Bills are in desperate need for some interior offensive line help, and Unger can be their starting center for the next ten years. I doubt he lasts this long, but if he does, this is an ideal fit.

43. San Francisco 49ers- Connor Barwin, OLB, Cincinnati
In the first two rounds the 49ers have to go rush OLB and RT without question. It’s just a matter if they are happier with Oher and Barwin, or something like Everette Brown and Jamon Meredith. I think either makes sense, but to me, getting two Oher and Barwin is a great deal. Barwin still needs some time and coaching on how to play this position, as it will be his third in three years, but he’s just the type of guy to be able to pick things up quickly and excel. I really loved what I have seen of Barwin, when playing TE at the Senior Bowl at practices, to his reps as a DE. He is a high motor, quick, athletic guy who will not quit on a play. He’s going to definitely need work on his pass drops and how to play in coverage, but it’s worth sacrificing this for his ability to get after the passer. The only other player I could see fitting is Larry English. He’s a lot like Barwin, and I like English an awful lot as well, but I think Barwin is a better fit here.

44. Miami Dolphins- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
I’m a bit less sold on Britt than other people seem to be. I just have a problem with his lack of concentration at times, and the fact that he lets far too many balls get into his frame and he catches them with his body instead of his hands. Britt does have all of the physical tools though to be a very good WR in the NFL. With a solid coaching staff in place in Miami, Britt just may be the right compliment to former first rounder Ted Ginn Jr. I think Parcells and his crew are hoping and praying that Brian Robiskie falls to them here. If both Britt and Robiskie are off the board by this point, some youth at OLB like Larry English would fit perfectly.

45. New York Giants- D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
I think this will be a tough decision between Patrick Chung and Moore or whatever other corner is available still. The Giants have the luxury to take the best player available regardless of position. They’ve filled their other pressing needs along the DL and at LB through free agency, and they re-signed Jacobs. So they have the freedom to grab the eventual replacement for Plax, some DB help, and some OL depth. Jamon Meredith would be hard to pass up as well, but Moore has first round cover skills with the 40 time of a second rounder.

46. Houston Texans- Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon
I think the Texans have to be jumping for joy that Chung is still available. Safety is one of their biggest needs, and I think Chung is the best SS (and second overall safety) in this draft, so getting him in the second round is a steal. A big run stuffing DT would be tempting, as would a center if Unger fell, but I don’t think the Texans pass on additional help in their secondary.

47. New England Patriots- Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
While I think Southern Mississippi’s Shawn Nelson might be a better overall TE prospect, Cook is an unreal athlete in the passing game. He blew the combine up and looked very good in the positional workouts. Yes, from what I saw of him on tape, he didn’t make a huge impact in the few games I saw. But he suffered from poor QB and not much else around him as far as offensive talent. What sticks out is that his average yards per catch was over 15, which is outstanding for a WR, let alone a TE. That fits well into the New England offense that loves its pass catching option. Ben Watson hasn’t panned out well so far, and I would classify Cook as a more explosive and faster version of Watson. Hopefully he pans out better for the Patriots than Watson did. LeSean McCoy could work here as well, but I’d see the Pats taking a RB later than this.

48. Denver Broncos- Fili Moala, DE/DT, USC
I do think this is a reach, but the Broncos are in desperate need of 3-4 DL. They have some ends who might be able to move to stand up rush OLB (like Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Elvis Dumervil) so Larry English doesn’t make much sense if he were available. I would guess the Broncos will do what they can to make a run at Ron Brace as a NT is a dire need, but I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. Moala is a solid 3-4 DE prospect though, and it’s not a terrible reach. The best player left just may be RB LeSean McCoy, but I doubt the Broncos spend a second rounder on a RB after picking JJ Arrington and Corell Buckhalter in the off-season.

49. Chicago Bears- Jamon Meredith, OT/OG, South Carolina
As a selfish Bear’s fan, I hope this actually happens. Meredith would make an excellent book-end RT with last year’s first rounder Chris Williams. If for some reason they resign John St. Clair and want him to start for a veteran presence, then Meredith can push subpar starter Roberto Garza for playing time at RG. Anyone who even thinks about mentioning Alabama FS Rashad Johnson in this spot gets a one way ticket to roundhouse kick town. The Bears already have a SS that doesn’t know how to wrap up on tackles, so they don’t need a FS with the same dysfunction.

50. Cleveland Browns- Rashad Johnson, FS, Alabama
Yes, Larry English IS still available and would fit well here, but they already have two first round rush OLBs in Kameron Wimbley and now Brian Orakpo. While I’m not a big fan of Johnson because his lack of tackling skills, he still has four years of starting experience in the SEC. He’s a smart and instinctive player in coverage, which is what the Browns need. A WR would be an upgrade, but no one stands out other than potential Juaquin Iglesias, but that’s a reach. An ILB like Gerald McRath of Southern Miss would be a great pick as well, but I think depth and talent at the safety position is a bigger need with the value of Johnson at this point.

51. Dallas Cowboys- William Moore, SS, Missouri
The Cowboys need a long term replacement for Roy Williams the safety, and Moore is an excellent pick. I really like Moore last year, but he looked plain bad at times this year. I think that this is still a good value for Moore as he’s best fit stuffing the run and he’s a much better coverage safety than Williams ever was. Drafting Williams also allows the Cowboys to move Ken Hamlin to FS, which improves two positions at once. Most will think Dallas should go after a WR with the cutting of T.O., but I think there is enough talent in the stable to allow them to look elsewhere. If Moore isn’t the pick, then I could see them going after Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson to help solidify the left side of the line.

52. New York Jets- LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
I’m not a huge fan of McCoy, but he is a good running back that should have gone higher than this. But history has shown as of late that RB’s and WR’s can slip come draft day since a lot of teams feel they can get better value at this position later in the draft. There is no way the Jets pass on McCoy here, as a long term replacement for Thomas Jones needs too be identified in this draft. Yes, I liked Leon Washington before he was drafted, but even I admitted that he was never going to be an every down back. So if Jones is done after this season, you still have McCoy and Washington to split the carries (and you have insurance this year in case of injuries). The only other option I could see would be Oklahoma WR Juaquin Iglesias or OG Duke Robinson. New York has done a good job in the free agency of grabbing players that filled their biggest need areas. So it’s the luxury of drafting for need here, but getting a great value as well.

53. Philadelphia Eagles- Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Mississippi
If the first two rounds actually panned out this way for the Eagles, they would have to consider this a home run first day. Britton, Wells, and Nelson fits their three biggest needs with three of the upper echelon players at their position. Nelson is the ideal fit for this offense. He’s a phenomenal athlete that is great in the passing game, but has the ability to be a solid blocker. He’s got the size, speed, and body control you look for in an ideal prospect at this position and I think he’ll make a HUGE impact in this offense. That is if things magically go the right way and the picks just happen to work out for them. If Nelson isn’t available, one of the top three to four TE’s will be and I think that is definitely where the Eagles look to go here.

54. Minnesota Vikings- Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon
I hate the fact that the Vikings have very few needs overall as a team. What makes it all better is that they have no QB to speak of. Drafting Byrd does help fill a need, and I’m a big fan of Byrd. He’s very much like a young Antoine Winfield, who can help show him the ropes. He can gamble a bit on picks, but that’s acceptable to me as he comes down with a good number of them. He has very good ball skills, and he’s good at press man coverage. This is as good of a fit as Byrd could hope for, and the Vikings get a solid player for the value.

55. Atlanta Falcons- Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
I will preface this by saying that English should and will go much higher than this. When completing this mock draft though, it was hard to force him in to teams that I don’t think he fit well with. I do think English is a better fit at rush OLB in a 3-4, but the Falcons have had success last year with undersized DE’s like English. The Flacons pass rush was not good other than John Abraham, and I would liken English to a young Abraham. If it did shake down this way, I can’t say I’d disagree. It would fit English and allow him to spend his first year in the league playing a position he’s familiar with.

56. Miami Dolphins- Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia
The Dolphins are going to have a tough choice between an OLB like Sintim and a top notch OC like Antoine Caldwell of Alabama or Eric Wood of Louisville. I think the choice is Sintim here due to Parcells’ ties to Virginia head coach Al Groh. And yes, I know Jeff Ireland is the GM, not Bill Parcells. But you have to be crazy to think Parcells isn’t heavily influencing the personnel decisions in their draft room. Sintim will be familiar with the type of defense the Dolphins run and he’ll bring youth and pass rush ability to the OLB position. He needs work on his coverage ability, but he’s not going to be asked to start right away. That means center can wait until the third round.

57. Baltimore Ravens- Antoine Caldwell, OC, Alabama
The Ravens could go in several directions, especially WR since it’s their biggest need still, but a value like Caldwell is hard to pass up. Some people like Eric Wood better, but I think Caldwell is a step above, and he’s bigger. He plays a lot like their previous center, Jason Brown, who left for the Rams in free agency. He can come right in and start at OC or OG, and it’s a good value. If not Caldwell, then maybe Robinson and they move Chris Chester into the lineup at starting center. Either way you slice it, it’s a good move for the Ravens.

58. New England Patriots- Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa
The Patriots can choose between Glenn Coffee and Greene here, as both are your typical tough inside runner. I like Greene a bit better even though he doesn’t have the outside speed of Coffee. He is a better short yardage runner, and he still has good mileage left on his legs. He fits the mode well of what the Patriots look for in a RB. Tough, plays hard, good team player, loves the game. Plus his college head coach (Kurt Ferentz) is a former coaching colleague of big Bill, so it just lines up perfectly.

59. Carolina Panthers- Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
Even if Julius Peppers stays for this year, I doubt he stays long term, so the Panthers need to draft with an eye to the future. Kruger is a bit of a ‘tweener end/OLB, but I think he’s better fit as a down DE. Kruger has good pass rush ability, and he will fit nicely into this rotation in his first year. An upgrade at TE like Florida’s Cornelius Ingram, James Casey of Rice, or Chase Coffman of Missouri would be a great fit as well but Kruger is a better value.

60. New York Giants- Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
The Giants don’t have many needs, and Robinson is the best OG in this draft. So when you have that luxury, you take advantage of it. Robinson doesn’t need to start right away, but I think he’s good enough that he will find his way on to the field. One of the top TE’s would be a good pick as well, but the guys that are left all have some injury concerns, so getting Robinson is a much better value.

61. Indianapolis Colts- Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
Marks is not the bigger DT that the Colts have recently said they’d like to find, but he’s the best talent for this position as well. He present good value for the pick, and it’s a huge need for this team. I think when it’s all said and done the Colts will realize that the players they have in place fit well into a Cover-2 style, so the quicker but undersized Marks will fit right in. He’s a disruptive inside presence that should see several man up blocks due to their talented ends being doubled.

62. Tennessee Titans- Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
This is strictly based on value for the position. I like Coffman better, but I think Ingram may move up higher in the draft due to excellent workouts. Scouts can only go on last year’s tape as he was out all year with a knee injury, but he checked out OK at the combine and did very well overall there. Alge Crumpler wasn’t great last year, and this makes him expendable. The Titans love two-TE sets, so this makes good sense.

63. Arizona Cardinals- Lawrence Sidbury, OLB, Richmond
Sidbury needs some time to develop as an OLB after playing DE in college, but the Cardinals got a good one from Richmond last year in Tim Hightower. Sidbury is the kind of edge athlete this defense is missing for a pass rush presence, so this is a good fit all around.

64. Pittsburgh Steelers- Eric Wood, OC, Louisville
After missing out on Alex Mack in the first round, the Steelers get a very good fall back with Wood in the second round. He’s an instant upgrade over Justin Hartwig, and he’s the type of guy Steelers fans will love instantly. He’s a tough, hard nosed, run blocking, effort guy who brings it every time.