| 32. Miami — DE Phillip Merling, Clemson |
| Merling's groin injury cost him a spot in the first round. He needs to spend more time in the weight room and get stronger, but he plays big and should be able to hold the line and improve the Dolphins' run defense. With Merling having played the second half of the season through his injury, his toughness had to resonate with Bill Parcells. |
| 33. St. Louis — WR Donnie Avery, Houston |
| The Rams needed to get younger and faster at the WR position with Torry Holt entering his 10th season and battling knee problems and Isaac Bruce departed, but they could have a big project on their hands trying to get Avery to become a more consistent catcher. He is one of the fastest players in the draft and works incredibly hard, but his inability to catch the ball could be a hindrance throughout his pro career. He's also going to need to learn how to run a full route tree and become a more crafty receiver. |
| 34. Washington (from Oakland through Atlanta) — WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State |
| Thomas received a lot of attention after lighting up the Combine, but obvious shy-aways and lack of toughness in the middle of the field were concerning to evaluators. He has the size and run-after-the-catch ability to become a playmaker in Jim Zorn's West Coast offense if he can absorb the playbook. Decision makers often are scared to pull the trigger in the first round on one-year wonders like Thomas. |
| 35. Kansas City — CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech |
| Hand Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards the mop. Through 35 picks, they have already found three starters and two potential impact players on each line. Flowers brings the toughness and instincts so highly desired in a predominantly zone scheme. He is the most physical corner in the draft and will bring a lot of attitude to Gunther Cunningham's defense. |
| 36. Green Bay (from New York Jets) — WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State |
| Nelson fits the Packers' West Coast offense well and should provide another reliable target underneath for Aaron Rodgers. Nelson is big, smart and has good run-after-the-catch ability. |
| 37. Atlanta — LB Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma |
| The Falcons need to get bigger, strong and more physical on defense, and Lofton should bring all of the above. He's a Day One starter who warranted first-round consideration from a number of teams and may have been drafted higher if not for concerns about his sickle-cell-trait disease, which he has shown can be controlled. |
| 38. Seattle (from Baltimore) — TE John Carlson, Notre Dame |
| Carlson is a classic Tim Ruskell selection — he's a very smart, disciplined, solid, all-around player who should develop into a complete tight end. He does not have elite physical traits, but he does everything well. |
| 39. San Francisco — OG Chilo Rachal, USC |
| The Niners clearly have placed an emphasis on improving in the trenches and took another chance on a big, strong, powerful lineman with some questions about his emotional stability. With a fiery O-line coach like George Warhop, Rachal could develop. |
| 40. New Orleans — CB Tracy Porter, Indiana |
| Continued to improve their defense, after having moved up to select Sedrick Ellis in the first round, by landing a solid man cover corner. Porter is not physical, but he is very fluid and naturally athletic and should be able to start immediately and contribute as a punt returner. |
| 41. Buffalo — WR James Hardy, Indiana |
| After landing the draft's top corner in the first round, the Bills were able to find another big receiver other than Devin Thomas to take some attention away from WR Lee Evans and open up the offense for Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. Hardy would have been a Steeler and the first receiver drafted had Rashard Mendenhall been off the board when Pittsburgh selected in Round One. Hardy could be a dominant red-zone player and create mismatches with his tremendous size. |
| 42. Denver — WR Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech |
| Royal could become a solid slot receiver with Brandon Stokley having been injury-prone. Royal is a dynamic return man, and his return ability helped justify his early selection. |
| 43. Minnesota (from Carolina through Philadelphia) — FS Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State |
| Johnson skyrocketed up draft boards after a sensational Combine performance, but that is not to belittle his tape, which was overlooked by many in the fall. Johnson is a solid run defender and very secure tackler who could be groomed to take over for the aging Darren Sharper. |
| 44. Chicago — RB Matt Forté, Tulane |
| Forté fits the Bears' hard-charging, get-off-the-bus running style and should be able to fight for a starting job immediately, with Cedric Benson coming off a career-threatening foot injury. |
| 45. Detroit — LB Jordon Dizon, Colorado |
| Dizon is a highly energetic, run-to-the-ball, instinctive 'backer who could immediately unseat Paris Lenon for a starting job. He is a Rod Marinelli type of player who should add an element of toughness to the middle of the defense. |
| 46. Cincinnati — WR Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina |
| Simpson was a surprise early selection, but the Bengals have had a very good track record of evaluating talent at the WR position. Simpson has excellent size, hands and catching radius and has the swagger needed to win one-on-one matchups. He may have been drafted earlier than expected, but he would not have escaped the third round. |
| 47. Philadelphia (from Minnesota) — DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame |
| Laws is a great fit for the Eagles' interior and brings added bulk to defend the run at a position where the Eagles would like to stay fresher. He should factor into a rotation with Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley right away and provide much-needed depth. |
| 48. Washington (from Houston through Atlanta) — TE Fred Davis, USC |
| Jim Zorn likes to use a lot of multiple-TE looks in his West Coast offense, and Davis gives the Redskins another pass-catching target to complement Chris Cooley and stretch the field. Davis lacks toughness and focus and has bust potential. |
| 49. Philadelphia — WR DeSean Jackson, California |
| A solid value for his return ability, Jackson is very comparable to Roscoe Parrish and could have a very difficult time staying healthy at 169 pounds. Character questions pushed down his draft value and could keep him from realizing his potential, but Donovan McNabb should be excited about having a playmaker on offense. |
| 50. Arizona — DE Calais Campbell, Miami (Fla.) |
| The Cardinals lost Calvin Pace and needed to find more heat off the edges. Campbell really disappointed as a junior after DL coach John Palermo departed, and he slipped in the draft after showing up at the Combine very heavy and slow-footed. He would be best dropping weight and regaining his burst off the edge. |
| 51. Washington — WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma |
| Kelly was pulled off many draft boards because of his bad knees. Concerns about his work ethic and mental toughness were also concerns and helped push Kelly down the boards, as did his poor April workout. His tape was arguably as impressive as any receiver in the draft. He attacks the ball in the air and commands extra attention. He should help open up the Redskins' offense along with Devin Thomas and Fred Davis. Clearly, Jim Zorn was not happy with the poor receiving group he inherited. |
| 52. Jacksonville (from Tampa Bay) — DE Quentin Groves, Auburn |
| Groves has first-round physical traits, but he was plagued by injuries as a senior and has to overcome character questions that could keep him from reaching his potential. He is not a great run defender, but he should be able to bring heat off the edge for the Jaguars, who are clearly committing to upgrading their speed off the edges after moving up to draft Derrick Harvey in the first round. |
| 53. Pittsburgh — WR Limas Sweed, Texas |
| The Steelers passed on James Hardy in the first round and were fortunate to stumble upon a more naturally talented, big receiver in the second. Sweed may take a year or two to gain his confidence, but he works incredibly hard and has the big-play ability to develop into the best receiver from this draft class. Ben Roethlisberger has to be happy about the addition of a big receiver. |
| 54. Tennessee — DE-DT Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan |
| Jones could compete for time with Bryce Fisher at left end and kick inside on third downs to create mismatches with his quickness. He brings added versatility along the Titans' front for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be more flexible. |
| 55. Baltimore (from Seattle) — RB Ray Rice, Rutgers |
| The Ravens have little depth in their backfield behind Willis McGahee and now add a complementary power back to split the workload and help keep McGahee healthy. What Rice lacks in height he compensates for with toughness and run strength. The question Rice faces after the pounding he took the last three years is how long he will be able to withstand punishment at his size. |
| 56. Green Bay (from Cleveland) — QB Brian Brohm, Louisville |
| With Brett Favre out of the equation, the Packers now must turn the reins over to third-year QB Aaron Rodgers, who has had difficulty staying healthy despite seeing very minimal action. With Brohm, the Packers took a chance on a passer whom some teams considered damaged goods given his history of injuries. Brohm was in consideration by the Packers in the first round, but because the selection of a passer in the first round would have created a bigger threat for Rodgers, they were wise to wait until the second round, where they found a much better value. Brohm is very smart and experienced in the West Coast offense and should allow Mike McCarthy to sleep a little better at night. He could challenge Rodgers for playing time relatively quickly and prove to be a solid pro in the Packers' offense if he can stay healthy. |
| 57. Miami (from San Diego) — QB Chad Henne, Michigan |
| Toughness continues to be the main theme of the Dolphins' draft, as Henne gets to reunite with teammate Jake Long. Henne has a very strong arm and could really blossom with lesser expectations under QB coach David Lee. He is a big, strong pocket passer who comes from a program rich in producing NFL passers. In three years, he could be running the show, and he should benefit greatly from not being thrust into action for the first time in his career. |
| 58. Tampa Bay (from Jacksonville) — WR Dexter Jackson, Appalachian State |
| The Buccaneers love speed and found an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands in Jackson. He played in an unsophisticated offense and could take some time to grasp Jon Gruden's thick playbook, but if he is brought along slowly and developed, he could become a big-time receiver. |
| 59. Indianapolis — OT Mike Pollak, Arizona State |
| Pollak benefited from the fact that an NFL-record eight offensive linemen were chosen in the first round. He possesses the size, strength and quickness to warrant looks on the edge. The ability to play all three positions is a big plus. |
| 60. Green Bay — CB Patrick Lee, Auburn |
| The Packers addressed offense with their first two picks and found solid value here with Lee, who has good man cover skills and plays physical in press coverage. A great fit for the Packers' defense, Lee should contribute immediately as a gunner on special teams and be plugged in as a nickel back, where he excelled as a junior. |
| 61. Dallas — TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M |
| Bennett is a terrific athlete with natural athleticism that cannot be taught, but he is undisciplined and does not always play up to his potential. Jason Garrett should be able to find a way to use him, and if he commits to the game, he could be as good as any tight end in this draft. However, if he gets caught stargazing, he could disappoint. |
| 62. New England — CB Terrence Wheatley, Colorado |
| The Patriots addressed their two most glaring needs with their first two picks and really upgraded team speed with Jerod Mayo and Terrence Wheatley. Wheatley's wrist injury is a cause for concern, but he is a very natural cover corner and should compete readily for playing time. |
| 63. New York Giants — CB Terrell Thomas, USC |
| The Giants have been able to get away with an average, aging secondary because of their fierce pass rush, but they added a lot of youth to the group with Kenny Phillips and Terrell Thomas. Thomas has great size and cover instincts to match up with bigger receivers and will be an asset in a conference with Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress and the pair of giant rookie receivers the Redskins just added. |
