Mock Draft- 2nd round, picks 33-48

33. St. Louis Rams- Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas

The Rams have a very enviable place to be in here, as all teams will have the night to sit and propose trades to move up for the player that slipped from the first round. In fact, I think because of the new draft format, we will see an incredible amount of movement in the second round as far as trades. Before the trade last night of Adam Carriker to the Redskins, I had the Rams taking a corner here. The funny thing is, before I even started this I had a feeling Houston was the pick all along. I like Lamarr Houston more than most others do, and I think he will make a big impact on this defense. Steve Spagnuolo likes to win on defense by pressuring the QB up front. Houston is a classic three-technique that can penetrate quickly into the backfield and really wreck havoc. I think he’s a starter from day one and he makes an impact on the interior of this DL.

34. Detroit Lions- Jahvid Best, RB, California

The Lions really need a home run threat in the backfield to couple with Calvin Johnson, and Best is a great fit. Kevin Smith is not the workhorse back the Lions expected him to be, but he can make a fine between the tackles compliment to Best’s perimeter speed. I really like Best, but I’m definitely scared off by his injury history. I’m not too scared to take him in the second round though, and this is an excellent fit for value plus need. I could see the Lions taking a stab at Taylor Mays to play SS, but I just think Best is a better player overall.

35. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Taylor Mays, SS, USC

This is a lot later than most other mock drafts will have Mays going, but I’m very concerned with his ability to play in coverage. The Bucs can minimize this with by playing him closer to the line of scrimmage at the SS position. The Bucs already have a decent FS in Tenard Jackson, so getting Mays as an intimidating physical presence over the middle is a good fit. A playmaking WR like Arrelious Benn or Demaryius Thomas are tough to pass on, but the Bucs pick again in seven spots thanks to the Bears, so they can fill this spot or the DE spot then when the value is a bit better. A corner like Kareem Jackson could be Ronde Barber’s long term replacement, but again this is a spot that can be filled later this round or in the third.

36. Kansas City Chiefs- Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech

Thomas is player rising fast come draft time, and you will see plenty of mock drafts that have him going in the first round. I’m not quite as high on Thomas for several reasons. First off, the fact that he injured his foot and is coming off of surgery scares me. For skill position players, this is something that could really come back to haunt him throughout his career. Second, he played in an option style offense where he ran limited routes. Yes, he does show the speed and ability to hit the home run, but how much of that was based on the fact that teams were loading up to stuff the option rushing attack and how much was it Thomas’ abilities? He has the size/speed ratio you want in a starting NFL caliber receiver, but to me this is the perfect spot for him. The Chiefs need offensive weapons, and they are still rebuilding, so he doesn’t necessarily have to play right away. It’s a pick more for upside and potential three years down the road than it is for impact now. I could definitely see the Chiefs grabbing a LB or a TE like Rob Gronkowski as well, but the depth is better at those positions than it is at WR.

37. Philadelphia Eagles- Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

Jackson is the physical style of corner this team desperately needs right now. I’m not sure he will last this long, but if he does, the Eagles will not wait to run up to the podium and draft him. He’s a day one starter at a position of need for this team.

38. Cleveland Browns- Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

This pick makes too much sense as well, and I could realistically see the Browns trading some other picks to move up a bit to ensure they get McCoy. This team will eventually run a version of the West Coast offense with Mike Holmgren calling the shots in the front office, and McCoy is absolutely perfect for this style of offense. He’s a good leader, he’s accurate, and he can make plays on the run when needed. His size and arm strength are an issue, but not enough of an issue in the right style of offense. McCoy doesn’t have to start right away with Wallace and Delhomme there, which is probably the best thing overall. It’s a solid way to help this team build for the future since I think they are another year or so away from turning this thing around and rebuilding the roster.

39. Oakland Raiders- Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

As you will know from my player evals, I’m not a big fan of Dunlap, and I think he’s the biggest ‘boom or bust’ player in this draft. His physical skills and athleticism are unquestionable, but his effort and character are my big concerns. This is the team of all-star athletes though with Al Davis calling the shots, so this move makes so much sense on many levels. He will be given every chance to succeed here, so he can either prove me wrong or prove me right and join the other ‘all gym shorts team’ players that Al has drafted in the past few years.

40. San Diego Chargers- Cam Thomas, NT, North Carolina

I’m a big fan of Thomas and I think he can make an immediate impact as the NT for this team. There are some good players that will be hard for AJ Smith to pass on, like Bruce Campbell and Devin McCourty, but NT is the single biggest need for this team and Thomas is tailor made for the position. If for some reason the Bolts go with Terrance Cody in the first round, then expect this pick to be a RB like Ben Tate or Montarrio Hardesty.

41. Buffalo Bills- Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

Campbell ideally needs some time on the bench to really learn some finer points of OL technique, but he won’t be afforded that luxury with the Bills. Buffalo has to come out of the first two rounds with an OT or they can enjoy another season of mediocrity. Campbell is a freak athlete who is already very good in the run game, but he just needs time to get consistent. He will learn on the job here, which for the long term success of this franchise may be their only option. If the Bills did manage to get a LT in the first round, then don’t be surprised to hear the name Linval Joseph called in the second. He’s a NT prospect on the rise.

42. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

This is a tough pick for me as I really like Devin McCourty and Benn, but I think the Bucs can get a better value at CB in the third than they can at WR. With a new DT and SS already added to a young and improving defense, Benn can be gleaned as the future go-to receiver for young franchise QB Josh Freeman. If Benn can stay healthy, I think he will have a better pro career than a college career due to the fact that he will at least get consistent play from the QB position.

43. Denver Broncos- Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

Tate is a very good fit in Josh McDaniels offense as a primary slot receiver. Yes, a big perimeter WR to replace the departed Brandon Marshall would be better, but Tate is the high character kind of player that McDaniels wants to start stocking his roster with. It doesn’t hurt that Tate played in an offense similar to this under Charlie Weis. Devin McCourty could very well be the long term replacement for Champ Bailey, but I think the offensive coach wants to continue to build up his weaponry. I would not be surprised to see Rob Gronkowski be the pick either, as Tony Scheffler was just traded to the Lions.

44. New England Patriots- Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona

It would not surprise me to see Gronkowski slip into the first round, but coming off of back surgery, I feel a lot better about his value in the early second. He’s the ideal fit for this team as well. He’s a solid character guy, he can block, and he’s an offensive weapon. He’s probably the most complete TE as he does everything well. To me, he’s a slight notch below Jermaine Gresham because Gresham is a better receiver. Gronkowski is NFL ready though, if fully healthy, and he will make an impact for this offense immediately.

45. Denver Broncos- Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

I have a hard time believing that McCourty will actually fall this low, but it happens in my mock draft. McCourty’s presence will allow the Broncos to play last year’s second round pick Alphonso Smith inside as a nickel corner, and make this defensive backfield very strong. This is simply a pick of the best player available, which happens to make sense as far as fit.

46. New York Giants- Roger Saffold, OT/OG, Indiana

This may not be the sexiest pick for Giants fans, but it fits the MO of Giants GM Jerry Reese. Saffold is a versatile offensive lineman who can start off as an OG or RT and eventually be the long term replacement for David Diehl at the LT spot. This team needs to continue to build young depth along the OL, so if it’s not Saffold here, I could see the pick being Illini guard Jon Asamoah.

47. New England Patriots- Jon Asamoah, OG, Illinois

Depth across the entire OL is very shallow in this year’s draft, so the Pats will strike early on a true NFL starting caliber guard. Asamoah might not need to start right away, but he could beat out Stephen Neal for the RG position. He also provides insurance should the Pats decide to let Pro Bowl LG Logan Mankins walk instead of offering him an expensive contract extension after this year. A LB like Navarro Bowman would be tempting to provide an athletic, young playmaker next to Jerod Mayo, but this is a position that can be filled later with a player how might actually fit the role better.

48. Carolina Panthers- Tyson Alualu, DE/DT, California

The Panthers desperately need DL and WR help, and they will have some fine players available to them here at both positions. I personally like Alualu better as a 3-4 DE, but I think he is very capable of sliding down to tackle and making an impact with his quickness and strength. It’s possible Carolina could make the move and grab Steve Smith a partner in crime in Damian Williams, but their luck with second round USC receivers has not been great so far. While I think Williams will be better than Dwayne Jarrett has been, I also think WR or TE can be addressed later. DL is a much bigger need, and Alualu will be a very solid addition