| 65. Oakland — DE Quentin Moses, Georgia |
| Some teams would consider this to be a big reach, but Moses could turn out to be a solid pick at this spot if he can get back in the shape he was as a junior and turn it loose. He underachieved on an underachieving defense as a senior, but he has some natural rush ability, can dip his shoulder and come off the edge and has ability to be groomed with more physical development. |
| 66. New Orleans (from Detroit) — CB Usama Young, Kent State |
| Young, the first player to be drafted this year who had not attended the Combine, really put himself on the map at his pro day when he blazed a sub-4.4 40, but Young's speed can be seen on tape. He is big and physical enough to line up at safety, and fast and instinctive enough to line up at cornerback. The Saints could turn out to get a very good and underrated talent at this spot. Sean Payton clearly understands the draft. |
| 67. Dallas (from Cleveland) — OT James Marten, Boston College |
| Marten fits the classic mold of a Cowboys offensive lineman. He runs well in a straight line, but he plays too stiff-legged, does not take great angles and gets beat too much in pass protection. In a lot of ways, he is similar to Cowboys OT Marc Colombo. |
| 68. Tampa Bay — OLB Quincy Black, New Mexico |
| Black, the fastest linebacker to run at the Combine, is a good fit for the Buccaneers' defense. He is naturally athletic and shows some ability to make plays when he sees it, but he does not have great instincts and he plays closer to 4.6 than 4.4. With a few years of development, he could be molded. |
| 69. Arizona — ILB Buster Davis, Florida State |
| Davis is a stocky fireplug who runs to the ball and plays with great natural leverage. He is very confident in his ability and can bring a swagger to the defense. That the Cardinals would draft a player of his size is somewhat surprising, given how the Cards had made it an emphasis to get bigger and more powerful up front in the previous two rounds. Yet Davis could develop into a Zach Thomas-type plugger if he can keep his weight under control and bury his nose in the playbook. |
| 70. Denver (from Washington) — OT Ryan Harris, Notre Dame |
| Harris may have been misevaluated playing with an injured back as a senior and brings a good value to the Broncos in the third round. He has the natural athleticism and foot quickness to hold down the OLT spot for the Broncos and could upgrade a position where the Broncos only have injury-prone, former undrafted free agents. |
| 71. Miami — RB Lorenzo Booker, Florida State |
| The Dolphins struggled to consistently move the ball on the ground last year when they put the workload on Ronnie Brown's shoulders, and he could really use a complementary, change-of-pace back who can spell him and keep defenses off balance. Booker has been a bit of an underachiever in college, but he is a great athlete with quick-cutting ability and nice hands to fit in a Leon Washington-type role. |
| 72. Minnesota — CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno State |
| McCauley landed in a good spot with a nurturing defensive coordinator (Leslie Frazier) who will patientially hone his technique and improve his confidence level. McCauley has the physical traits to be a very good pro but was distracted too easily and lost his focus as a senior. He will play the run hard and has the size to lock down bigger receivers, but he may never be great playing with his back to the ball and needs to show more awareness. If used in a lot of press coverage, McCauley could be a great value at this pick, but there is also bust potential, which is why he slipped this far in the draft. |
| 73. Houston — WR Jacoby Jones, Lane College (Tenn.) |
| The Texans needed to support Matt Schaub with some more weapons, and in Jones, they found a receiver with return ability who could combine with Jerome Mathis to scare opponents. Jones is a bit raw, coming from a small school, but he has risen to the occasion in postseason all-star competition and could line up alongside Andre Johnson in time and force teams to respect him. |
| 74. Baltimore (from Buffalo through Detroit) — WR Yamon Figurs, Kansas State |
| Figurs' special-teams ability is more impressive than his receiving skills. He is not a consistent catcher, but he was the fastest player to run in a straight line at the Combine and has the blazing speed to become a Pro Bowl-quality gunner covering kicks. His return ability is also a plus. He should be able to contribute readily. |
| 75. Atlanta — WR Laurent Robinson, Illinois State |
| Robinson posseses the deep speed that the Falcons love, but their track record drafting receivers has been very shaky. Although they only spent a third-round pick on Robinson, the selection is questionable. He played through a leg injury as a senior and may have been misevaluated during the fall. When he is healthy, he shows good speed, but he lacks polish, did not face great competition and did not really stand out at the Division I-AA level. |
| 76. San Francisco — WR Jason Hill, Washington State |
| The Niners addressed a considerable need at receiver with this pick. Hill has deep speed and can catch the ball well over his head. He did not have a lot of talent around him at Washington State, and his production dipped as a senior. He could challenge for playing time in the Niners' WR corps and has the type of speed to open up the short-passing game. |
| 77. Pittsburgh — TE Matt Spaeth, Minnesota |
| Spaeth drew a massive showing to his pro-day workout because he did not work out at the Combine while recovering from a shoulder injury. He is one of the best blockers in the draft and has the type of tough-minded, hard-nosed mentality to endear himself to the Pittsburgh brass. The Steelers, who like to use a lot of multiple-TE packages, landed a warrior. |
| 78. Green Bay — WR James Jones, San Jose State |
| Some teams were hoping to steal Jones late in the draft. He gained some momentum after a solid showing at postseason all-star competition. He gradually improved as a senior and could continue to develop, showing no signs of backing down vs. better competition. He has nice size, is physical and will fight for the ball, but he was drafted sooner than expected. |
| 79. Jacksonville — WR Mike Walker, Central Florida |
| Walker shocked scouts at the Combine when he clocked some sub-4.4 times in the 40 despite not being at full health. He has been incredibly productive, was more healthy as a junior than he was as a senior, and looked worthy of a third-round pick for any team that went back and evaluated his junior tape. He is a long-strider who plays more like a possession receiver than a blazer and fits the basketball forward-type mold that the Jaguars like. |
| 80. Tennessee — WR Paul Williams, Fresno State |
| Seven of the last eight picks have been wide receivers (the other was a tight end), and anyone who can run fast seems to be coming off the board fast. Williams battled through some low points as a senior on an underachieving team, but from a physical standpoint, he is very naturally gifted with tremendous straight-line speed and downfield ball skills. He has shown he can get a step on defensive backs and win footraces and could be a great down-the-field threat or decoy. If he can stay healthy and stay focused, he has upside. |
| 81. N.Y. Giants — DT Jay Alford, Penn State |
| The Giants reached for Alford at this spot. He is a fairly productive four-year starter in a Big Ten program, but the light did not come on until his senior year, and he projects as a rotational backup in the pros. He has shown he will work to improve, and the Giants likely took a chance on him because of his solid character. |
| 82. Kansas City (from St. Louis) — DT DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler, North Carolina State |
| Tyler is a chronic underachiever who lacks the drive and determination to stay motivated following a big payday and only played when he wanted to play in college. The Chiefs' track record of drafting defensive linemen is poor, and despite some teams who graded him as a first-round talent, Tyler will struggle to ever reach his potential. He is a one-trick pony who gives up if he cannot outmuscle lesser competition and shuts it down vs. better talent. |
| 83. Carolina — DE Charles Johnson, Georgia |
| Needing depth at the end position with Mike Rucker coming off an injury and perhaps not being ready for the season, Johnson upgrades the Panthers' pass rush. He is a country kid who only knows one gear and turns it loose every snap and plays hard. He could be a very productive pro because he tries so hard. |
| 84. St. Louis (from Kansas City) — CB Jonathan Wade, Tennessee |
| In Wade, the Rams are taking a gamble on greatness. He is loaded with upside and has terrific speed, fluid hips and fine transitional skills. However, he has never played with a lot of discipline and gets beat more than he should. With good coaching, he could turn out to be a solid pro, but he may never get it. |
| 85. Seattle — DT Brandon Mebane, California |
| The Seahawks have a knack for finding good scheme fits, and based on the Senior Bowl, it's understandable why they could draft him in this slot. However, he is undersized, and once he gets locked on, he struggles to escape. He does not have enough quickness to be effective as a penetrator, and he lacks the natural strength and girth to be a two-gapper. This pick appears to be a reach and makes the Seahawks smaller. |
| 86. Baltimore (from Denver through Jacksonville) — OG Marshall Yanda, Iowa |
| The Ravens have made their offensive line a focus in this draft, adding more depth inside to go along with first-rounder Ben Grubbs. Yanda is not very strong and played out of position at tackle as a senior, but he could be effective with help on both sides of him. |
| 87. Philadelphia (from Dallas) — OLB Stewart Bradley, Nebraska |
| With LB Dhani Jones on the trading block and the Eagles struggling with depth at linebacker the last few years, Bradley provides some much-needed size inside. He has the versatility to play inside or outside and is a good value in the third round. |
| 88. New Orleans — OG Andy Alleman, Akron |
| The Saints needed some help inside and were considering selecting Ben Grubbs in the first round, but there was more of a premium on receivers than guards. Alleman is a zone-blocking, converted defensive tackle with the lateral quickness to stick on blocks. He took some strides as a senior and could compete with Jamar Nesbit for playing time, but he seems a bit arrogant to fit into the culture Sean Payton has created and will need to be humbled. |
| 89. Green Bay (from N.Y. Jets) — SS Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech |
| Rouse is a LB-safety tweener who lacks the toughness and play strength to line up inside the box and the fluid hips and transitional skills to get in and out of his pedal and make plays on the ball. The game is important to him, and he could provide some depth and even challenge for a job after Marquand Manuel struggled in his first year with the Pack. |
| 90. Philadelphia — RB Tony Hunt, Penn State |
| Hunt gives the Eagles a big bruiser to pound the ball between the tackles, wear down defenses and keep Brian Westbrook healthy. His value dropped after he clocked above 4.7 in the 40 at his pro day, but he is still a good, versatile football player who can pick up yardage in chunks and move the chains. |
| 91. Oakland (from New England) — OT Mario Henderson, Florida State |
| Henderson is a solid developmental prospect cut in a similar mold as Alex Barron. He has good movement skills and can slide and shuffle and mirror, but he is not strong, powerful or very refined. He could serve as a solid backup and eventually get a chance to step in. |
| 92. Buffalo (from Baltimore) — QB Trent Edwards, Stanford |
| Drafting a quarterback every year is not a bad practice because of the value that promising backups could have in the trade market. As J.P. Losman continues to be groomed, it does not hurt to give him some competition, and if Edwards can stay healthy, he may turn out to have had a lot of value late in the third round. |
| 93. Chicago (from San Diego) — RB Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois |
| A big-time reach for the Bears, Wolfe is a good football player, but he is tiny, injury-prone and could struggle playing a big man's game. Maurice Jones-Drew has proven that a lack of size does not prevent a player from making an impact in the NFL, but Jones-Drew is a stocky, strong runner with great balance and return ability. Wolfe got hurt at the Senior Bowl and never got to show his return skills after leaving the event early. He is very tough, but his lack of size will limit his chances. |
| 94. Chicago — LB Michael Okwo, Stanford |
| Okwo was very productive and made a lot of plays on an average Stanford defense. He fits the Bears' scheme well and could be featured in the Bears' defense and allowed to roam and make plays. If Lance Briggs decides to sit out, Okwo could compete with Jamar Williams for a starting job as a rookie. |
| 95. Indianapolis — CB Daymeion Hughes, California |
| Hughes is an instinctive zone corner with great ball skills. He puts himself in a position to make plays and was very productive as a senior, but he needs to play in a scheme like the Colts' and be assigned to cover short areas in order to make it. |
| 96. San Diego (compensatory) — LB Anthony Waters, Clemson |
| The Chargers showed they are willing to take chances on players with injuries, as they did with Antonio Cromartie in the first round a year ago. Waters looked nearly fully recovered at his pro day and has good size and take-on ability to fit in the Chargers' odd front. He has overcome a lot in his life and is the type of player for whom teams want to root. If not for injury, he could have been taken a round sooner, and if he can stay healthy, the Chargers will get a solid player. |
| 97. San Francisco (compensatory) — DT Ray McDonald, Florida |
| Several teams said their doctors did not see an ACL in McDonald's injured knee, much like Roberto Garza out of Texas Tech when he went undrafted years ago. Yet, even with the injury, on which McDonald played his entire senior season, he proved to be a battle-tested warrior. The potential to land a great player makes it worth risking a pick on McDonald here. He has had the odds stacked against him and shown the mental toughness so highly desired in the pros. |
| 98. Indianapolis (compensatory) — DT Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State |
| Pitcock joins fellow Buckeye Anthony Gonzalez in Indy and has a similar type of makeup. He gets the most out of his ability and could be effective if he is used to slant and stunt and shoot gaps, but when he is asked to play off blocks, he really struggles and gets engulfed. Most of his competition has come vs. better competition, and when he has to play against the big boys in the pros, he may struggle to disengage. The chip he carries on his shoulder, however, could help him stick in the league. |
| 99. Oakland (compensatory) — WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP |
| Higgins had a back condition that was a concern to some teams and pushed him down draft boards despite his great production. An average Senior Bowl week did not help his cause, either. He can, however, return punts and adds an underneath target to the Raiders' repertoire of big receivers. He has the solid character that head coach Lane Kiffin is seeking. |
