Mock Draft- 3rd round, picks 65-81

65. St. Louis Rams- Eric Decker, WR Minnesota

If Decker had not hurt his foot earlier in the season, I think he’s a high second rounder with some conversation that he slips into the end of the first. But he did hurt his foot, and that is an issue for a skill position player like a WR. Even considering the foot injury, I would jump all over Decker if he’s available here in the third. The Rams have some undersized WRs and Decker is a good compliment as a bigger outside receiver. If his foot is healed, I think Decker is one of those rare guys who will make an impact as a WR within the first three years of his career.

66. Detroit Lions- Sean Lee, LB, Penn State

I personally think that Lee is a better fit inside, but in Jim Schwartz’s defense, Lee can fit at the weakside LB position now that Ernie Sims has been traded. Lee might not be as fast as Sims was, but he doesn’t need to be, he’s bigger and stronger at the point. He should have a shot to start in his rookie year as well, and he’s a very good value here in the third round.

67. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson

Sapp might be a better fit as a 3-4 OLB, but with the Bucs getting back to their old Tampa-2 roots, Sapp is a good fit as quicker and smaller defensive end. Ricky Sapp can get after the passer, and that’s what this defense needs. With McCoy and Sapp, this defensive line is quickly moving back into relevance.

68. Kansas City Chiefs- Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida

I think you know by now that I’m not a big fan of pikes because I just don’t think he has the athleticism to hold up in the NFL. But if he is going to make it, being in a 3-4 will be his best option as he will have someone next to him to help cover up his lack of athleticism. What Spikes does bring is size and physical strength over the middle, which is something this defense actually could use.

69. Oakland Raiders- Zane Beadles, OT/OG, Utah

I’m a big fan of Beadles, although this season somewhat tempered my enthusiasm from last year. While I don’t think that Beadles can play LT, I do think he can play RT and OG. In this zone blocking style of offense, Beadles fits very well, and he should fight right away for the starting spot at right tackle or right guard. This is a great value pick.

70. Philadelphia Eagles- Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee

Hardesty is a late riser who had a very good Senior season after having some injury problems earlier in his college season. He’s an ideal compliment to LeSean McCoy, the Eagles second rounder from last year. Hardesty is a between the tackles runner that has enough speed to break long runs to the outside. He will be the finisher for this team late in the third and fourth quarters after McCoy has gotten them up on the scoreboard. A big WR like Brandon LaFell would also make good sense here, but I think RB is a better fit for value and need at this point.

71. Cleveland Browns- Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas State

This is a name not many will be familiar with, but if you watched the Senior Bowl game and practices, you will know who Carrington is. He’s a very big 4-3 DE who will fit right in as a five-technique in this defense. Carrington impressed me when he put Zane Beadles completely on his back with a power bull rush and shove. He will make his way into the starting lineup sooner than later, and I think he’s going to be a steal this late. It’s not a sexy pick like say TE Aaron Hernandez or OLB Thaddeus Gibson, but it’s a smart pick.

72. Buffalo Bills- Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida

Hernandez is not my favorite player because he’s strictly a receiving weapon, but it’s the right move for the Bills. Buffalo just lacks playmakers on offense, and Hernandez can help open up the passing game. I really liked the move they made last year for Shawn Nelson, but he’s the inline TE that can be used in tandem with Hernandez potentially split out. I could see a WR like Mardy Gilyard being a solid value pick as well, but I just think Hernandez is a bit more versatile.

73. Miami Dolphins- Linval Joseph, NT, East Carolina

Linval Joseph is now officially the hottest name over the past week. Someone apparently told Todd McShay and Mel Kiper that he’s the next great NT prospect. As I have said before, always be weary of the player that makes a giant move up mock drafts in the last week or so preceding the draft. It’s all smoke screens. Joseph has value and has played the 3-4 nose position in college, but this is where he belongs as far as his actual value. The Dolphins desperately need a future replacement for Jason Ferguson, and Joseph is the perfect fit.

74. Jacksonville Jaguars- Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati

I had a very hard time choosing between SS Larry Asante, Iowa CB Amari Spievey, and a WR like Gilyard or Brandon LaFell. While the defense does need more help, I think that passing on Gilyard would be a mistake, so I don’t let that happen. Gilayard gets away from the Jags recent love of tall, big, and fast perimeter receivers. He will be a starter in the slot for them and can make an immediate impact in the return game as well.

75. Chicago Bears- Amari Spievey, CB, Iowa

Boy, I was almost scared to make this pick as it was so long in the making. And I hope that doesn’t happen to Jerry and crew as they wait until late in the second day to finally make this move. To be honest, I would not be surprised to see them move down some and add more picks in either this round or the next. If they stay here, the choices left on the board have to be corner or safety, as the OL left just aren’t what the Bears need (trust me, it’s the one position I know well and I’d go DB here for sure). Spievey is a very good fit for this defense. He’s extremely aggressive and likes to play on the line and be physical with wideouts. He has the size you look for in an ideal Cover-2 corner as well, so I cannot argue with this pick. It also allows the luxury to move Peanut Tillman to FS if you really wanted to do so. I think that they should keep Tillman where he is and hope they can address the safety position later as well, so they build depth and add talent at both positions (which are probably the two biggest needs). If this is not exciting enough to all of my fellow Bears fan friends, I apologize, but I’m drafting with my brain and not my heart. I could see Larry Asante being the pick here as well, even though he’s a SS and we really need a FS. I wouldn’t argue with a FS like Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech or Kam Chancellor of Virginia Tech. If they go with a big WR like Brandon LaFell, I will scream and break things, even though he’d be a good fit with our otherwise midget crew of receivers.

76. New York Giants- Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse

The Giants defense revolves around pressure from the DL. Jones is a very good pass rushing interior player and is an outstanding athlete as well. Defensive tackle may not be the biggest need for this team, but this is a better value to me than reaching for a corner that might not fit this defense well (like Javier Arenas). I could definitely see Asante going here as insurance in case Kenny Phillips does not come back healthy

77. Tennessee Titans- Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama

I still question Arenas’ ability to cover solo on an island, but I think the Titans will use him as a nickel corner in the slot, which is where his strength is. The biggest reasont o take Arenas here is his ability to return punts. He can be an immediate contributor in this phase for the Titans, and I expect him to be a very good punt returner right away.

78. Carolina Panthers- Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU

As I said in the second round, the Panthers need DL and WR help, and they’ve addressed both in the past two rounds. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that LaFell would fall this far in the draft, I would have laughed at you. But as the season wore on and I saw LaFell play more, he seemed too big and a bit disinterested. I think if the Panthers can motivate him, he can be that secondary threat that this team has not had since Moose Mohammed was actually considered a Pro Bowl caliber player. Now, I don’t know if I would say LaFell can play at that high of a level, but he should make the compliment receiver that the Panthers have not had in years.

79. San Francisco 49ers- Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina

The 49ers have been missing the big play sack artist the past few years, ever since they moved to the 3-4 defense. I’m a bit surprised I had Norwood falling this far, but my concerns over his ability to cover are real, so this means he makes a spectacular value this late in the draft. He won’t be asked to cover, he’s going to turned loose and allowed to attack the passer and make plays. This is when Norwood is at his best, and I think that if used right, he could be a 10+ sack a year guy at this position.

80. Denver Broncos- Thaddeus Gibson, OLB, Ohio State

If you read the evals, I’m not a big fan of Gibson as a player ready to contribute. What he is though is a phenomenal athlete with a great size/speed/strength ratio. He will be best fit here in a 3-4 defense as a rush OLB, and he will be given a bit of time to develop as a situational pass rusher in his first few years. It’s easy to compare him to first round flop and former teammate Vernon Gholstan, but the difference is there are no expectations on busting when you are a third round pick. It’s a good fit for the Broncos and should give them some juice in the pass rush.

81. Houston Texans- Larry Asante, S, Nebraska

I know I have been saying Asante is best fit at SS, but I think the Texans will start him out as a FS. They already have a heavy hitting in-the-box safety in Bernard Pollard, so that’s why I think that Asante will be asked to play deep. Asante played FS at Nebraska, so it’s nothing new, but I just don’t know if he has the deep coverage skills. I think he can still start and be better than what the Texans already have at the position.