Mock Draft V3.0- Third round

Let’s get to it

65. Detroit Lions- Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn

Marks is not the typical DT that Jim Schwartz prefers (that being the big, stocky type), but he’s good enough to grab at the top of the third round. With the portly Gravy Jackson manning one of the DT spots, the upfield penetrating Marks is a great fit to disrupt plays in the backfield and rush the passer. If Marks stayed another year at Auburn, he might have moved into the second round. But the top of the third is close enough to the second round.

66. St. Louis Rams- Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma

Getting my favorite guard in the draft in the third round is a bona-fide steal for the Rams. I would not be surprised at all if Robinson goes in the second round as I think he has Pro Bowl potential. The Rams now have their left side of the future, which will not only help keep Mark Bulger upright, but also help Steven Jackson get the tough yards.

67. Kansas City Chiefs- Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia

Yes, the Chiefs picked up Mike Vrabel in the Matt Cassel trade but he has only a few more productive years in the league. So getting a long term solution at rush OLB is a big need, and Sintim fits the role very well. I worry about his ability to get off blocks in the run game, but it’s the third round and I’m willing to live with these short comings (especially since he can rush the passer well).

68. Seattle Seahawks- Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma

Injuries were the biggest issue with the Seahawks receivers last year, but young depth is still necessary. Iglesias has potential to develop into a solid number two or three receiver for Seattle.

69. Dallas Cowboys- Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon

An OT like Phil Loadholt might be the actual choice, especially at a position of need, but I think Byrd is a much better value. Byrd gets his hands on balls and is very physical in coverage, but he lacks deep speed. I think his best fit will be at nickel corner, which is more than likely where he will play right away.

70. Cincinnati Bengals- Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri

Other than Robinson, this may be the steal of the draft so far. I have loved Coffman since his Sophomore year, and the Bengals really need an offensive weapon at the TE position. Cincy already has blocking TE’s, so Coffman can be split wide and will help make up for the loss of Housh as a go-to receiver.

71. Oakland Raiders- Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma

I still don’t think Oakland will ever be a quality starter, but I guess it’s worth a shot here in the third round. He fits perfectly with the Raiders, who will draft size/speed over actual production on the field.

72. Jacksonville Jaguars- Victor ‘Macho’ Harris, CB, Virginia Tech

Corner is a major need for the Jags, and Harris is a quality player to get at this point of the draft. What hurts Harris’ stock is his lack of deep speed, but he makes up for this by being very strong on the line. With this fierce defensive line, Harris will fit in perfectly to hold up receivers at the line long enough for the pass rush to get to the QB.

73. Green Bay Packers- Sammie Lee Hill, NT, Stillman

Hill is a bit of an unknown, but he’s moved up due to his ability to play NT in the 3-4. The Packers think Ryan Pickett will be their current NT, but his in the last year of his contract and he’s never played the 3-4 nose before. So if the Packers are serious about making the 3-4 work, Hill is a must.

74. San Francisco 49ers- Cody Brown, OLB, Connecticut

Brown is another undersized DE moving to rush OLB. He’s going to go through some rough patches trying to figure out how to drop into coverage, but he’s a very good pass rush. He has good short area quickness and speed, and the 49ers really need some help with getting after the pass on the outside.

75. Buffalo Bills- Michael Bennett, DE, Texas A&M

Bennett isn’t an impact pass rushing DE, which the Bills could really use, but he is a better run stopper than the two current starting DE’s for Buffalo.

76. New York Jets- Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa

Greene is not going to run away from anyone, but he will run through plenty of people. Thomas Jones is getting up there in age, and Leon Washington is a change of pace guy, so Greene fits in nicely as a complimentary between the tackles bulldozer.

77. Houston Texans- Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan

Taylor is a one dimensional player: run stuffer only. The Texans though are in desperate need of a wide bodied DT to help occupy blockers and free up pass rush lanes for Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams. Some may say another pass rushing DE, but with the off-season acquisition of Antonio Smith from the Cardinals, I think a DT would make more sense. A guard like Andy Levitre is tough to pass on, but a guard can be found in round four.

78. San Diego Chargers- Sebastian Vollmer, OT, Houston

A 3-4 DE like Mitch King would be a great fit, but he may still be available in the fourth round. So making that assumption, the Chargers can go ahead and pick up their potential starting RT in the still raw Vollmer. As I mentioned in other entries, Vollmer has not been playing organized football as long as most players his age. He has the natural ability though, and I think that he has the nasty streak where he can jump right in and start from day one.

79. Denver Broncos- Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina

I think Brinkley is flying too far under the radar right now. He’s a great fit as an ILB in a 3-4, and if he went higher than that I would not argue. The Broncos have DJ Williams already on the inside, who is the quicker and more athletic pair to the bruising run stuffer in Brinkley. A NT is a huge missing piece here still, but there just isn’t a player left that is worth reaching for here to fill this position.

80. Washington Redskins- Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State

The Redskins are almost forced here to grab OL at any of the five positions. Levitre is the best available OL of any of the positions, so it make sense. A DT like Ricky Jean-Francois would be nice, this position can wait.

81. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma

Harris is a college SS who has shown in his workouts that he doesn’t have the speed to play the position in the NFL. But like previous former Sooner Thomas Davis, he will make a great fit as a WLB in the NFL. With Derrick Brooks being released, Harris can fight for the right to replace him.

82. Detroit Lions- Chip Vaughn, SS, Wake Forest

Vaughn is a very good pick up at this point, and he brings great flexibility to the Lions. He is better fit at SS, but he can play FS because of his speed. An OG like Tyronne Green of Auburn would be a solid pick up as well, but guards can be had in the rounds after this.

83. Green Bay Packers- Kyle Moore, DE, USC

Moore played as a 4-3 end at USC but he’s probably a bit too slow to stay at that position in the NFL. He’s strong enough at the point to hold his own as a 3-4 DE, and his versatility is what will attract Ted Thompson.

84. Denver Broncos- Asher Allen, CB, Georgia

Allen is an outstanding cover corner, but he’s lacking a bit physically. He’s on the short side, and he does not tackle well, but the Broncos need guys who can cover. The other DB’s on this team are good tacklers, so I’d be willing to look past this for his coverage skills.

85. Philadelphia Eagles- Louis Murphy, WR, Florida

The Eagles need another deep threat to compliment DeSean Jackson and the other slot or possession receivers on this team. This offense is starting to look stupid good now.

86. Minnesota Vikings- Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU

RJF is a classic boom or bust prospect. He’s got really long arms, he can knock down passes, he blocked several kicks on special teams, and he has good pass rush skills. The Vikings need depth, especially if the Williams Wall ends up getting a four game suspension for their failed drug tests last year for a banned diuretic. It’s worth the gamble here, even though Jean-Francois missed a lot of time due to disciplinary and academic issues.

87. Miami Dolphins- David Veikune, OLB, Hawaii

Veikune is another hybrid college DE, pro OLB. He has great pass rush skills, but will need some coaching on playing from a stand up position. He’s a great value though at this point, even if he’s nothing more than a situational pass rusher.

88. Baltimore Ravens- Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina

This may be a bit high for Tate after his positive test for marijuana at the combine, but his upside is worth a stab here. He has deep speed, and probably would have gone higher than this if not for the positive test and a season ending knee injury at the midway point of the 2008 season.

89. New England Patriots- Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU

The Patriots could use a corner here, or even an offensive lineman, but Beckwith is too good to pass up. He’ll be asked to stuff the run, which is what he’s good at. He’s not good in pass coverage, but he doesn’t need to. Jerod Mayo will take care of that.

90. Atlanta Falcons- Roy Miller, DT, Texas

Roy Miller is one of the most underrated DT’s in this draft, and this is a great pick up for the Falcons. He doesn’t play as big as his size, but he plays an awful lot faster than his size. He impacts the run game by penetrating into the backfield and disrupting running lanes, and he can definitely get to the passer from an interior line position.

91. New York Giants- Antoine Caldwell, OC, Alabama

Caldwell is a great value at this point because he’s flexible enough to play center and guard. The Giants need some depth at center after starter Shaun O’Hara, and it allows them to carry one less lineman on the active roster if Caldwell can play all three interior line positions.

92. Indianapolis Colts- Pat White, WR/QB, West Virginia

The Colts need a slot WR and a potential back up QB that is a step above Jim Sorgi. Even though I do not think Pat White will ever play QB on a consistent basis in the NFL, he’s a suitable emergency QB and slot receiver for this team.

93. Carolina Panthers- Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin

Had it not been for so many injuries in college, Travis Beckum may have been the top TE in this draft class. Even with those lingering concerns, he’s the best pass catching option at this position that the Panthers have had in some time.

94. Tennessee Titans- Scott McKillop, MLB, Pittsburgh

The Titans like big, stout, run stuffing inside LB’s. That’s McKillop to a tee. He’s not good against the pas, but that’s fine. He’s good enough against the run to take here, and he’s the size that the Titans lean to for their LB’s.

95. Arizona Cardinals- Glenn Coffee, RB, Alabama

Coffee is a great complimentary running back to Tim Hightower. Both are backs that run harder than their size indicates, and Coffee is an excellent pass receiver and blocker. He’ll fit the Edge mold very well, allowing them to release the aging RB.

96. Pittsburgh Steelers- Coye Francies, CB, San Jose State

Francies is a big corner who plays very physical and fits into the Steelers mold very well. He’s taking a big step up in competition at the NFL level, but he’s going to be a nickel back at best for his first couple of years in the league so he can learn on the job.

97. New England Patriots- Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State

Cadogan has the feet to play LT, although he might need some seasoning before he’s ready to start. He doesn’t need to play right away with Matt Light on the team right now, and he provides valuable depth at a position of need.

98. Cincinnati Bengals- Johnathan Luigs, OC, Arkansas

Sorry Danny, but I do think that the Bengals will draft a center for depth alone. You can beat him out, so don’t worry about it. Luigs fits well into a zone blocking scheme, and would be a nice back up to Danny Nucc.

99. Chicago Bears- Sherrod Martin, DB, Troy

I don’t know if Martin will fall this far, but he’s an outstanding value here. He has experience playing FS and CB, and I think he has the ability to play either position in the Bears defense. He was one of the few players that stood out at the combine when I watched this over again with very fluid hips and good hands.

100. New York Giants- John Phillips, TE, Virginia

I’m a fan of Phillips. He’s a solid two way TE who won’t kill you in the run game as a blocker, and he has great hands in the pass game.