By Nolan Nawrocki
April 27, 2008

I don't think the Lions had to trade up to the top of the third round for UCF RB Kevin Smith. Serious character questions likely would have pushed him further down the board. He's not a physical runner and does not have the toughness that Rod Marinelli desired. I think the Lions will be disappointed with this selection in the long run. The Lions' first two rounds were promising, but their draft lost some momentum with this pick.

The Rams were not able to address the OT position in the first round like they desired after the Dolphins selected Jake Long. Toledo OT John Greco does not have great arm length, but he has been a consistent four-year starter and brings some versatility to play inside or outside. He likely will be plugged in at right tackle with Alex Barron struggling mightily last season.

Hampton DE Kendall Langford is a great fit for the Dolphins' defense. He adds size to the Dolphins' front and is very similar to Jason Hatcher, whom the Cowboys selected in the third round in 2006.

The Panthers need more help at safety than cornerback and I expect Iowa DB Charles Godfrey will wind up playing inside. He is big, fast and physical and brings immediate special teams value.

The Falcons needed to find help at cornerback after dealing DeAngelo Hall in recent months, and they landed a long-limbed, instinctive ballhawk in LSU's Chevis Jackson. He does not have great top-end speed, but he has been well-trained with great ball skills and should be able to compete for a starting job.

LSU RB Jacob Hester is not a great athlete, but he is an excellent football player with a passion for the game and will bring immediate value on special teams. He could take some hard carries away from LaDainian Tomlinson. It may have been a reach at this spot, but the Chargers' roster is so deep that they could afford to take some luxury picks with arguably the deepest roster in football.

Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett was very productive in the Southeastern Conference and should feel some comfort joining former teammate Chris Williams in Chicago, which I'm sure factored into the Bears' decision, but if pressed and asked to separate on his own, Bennett may struggle because of his lack of separation speed. He needs to be schemed properly as a "Z" receiver and used underneath to be effective.

Miami (Fla.) LB Tavares Gooden could not have landed in a better situation than with the Ravens, where he should learn more from Ray Lewis than he did from his coaches at Miami. Gooden has terrific physical ability, but he needs to retrain his eyes and play more instinctively, which should come more easily after Lewis takes him under his wing.

The Bills could benefit from an increased pass rush. Virginia Tech DE Chris Ellis has some natural pass-rush ability and could contribute situationally. He will bring a swagger to the Bills' defense. I am a little surprised, however, that the Bills took a chance on Ellis given his overall attitude. He could use some hard coaching and needs to realize he is not as good as he thinks he is.

Like the first two rounds, the Chiefs found solid value early in the third round with the selection of Texas RB Jamaal Charles. He has terrific speed and should complement Larry Johnson very well and provide a change of pace. He will need to learn to carry the ball high and tight and take better care of it, which is one of the big concerns that pushed him to the third round.

The Panthers found solid value in the third round with the selection of Penn State LB Dan Connor, as did the 49ers with the selection of Oklahoma CB Reggie Smith. Connor grew up in a football family and has a passion for the game. He has great instincts and should be able to bring immediate special-teams ability. Smith slipped to the third round because of his foot injury. He ran slower than expected at his pro day, clocking in the low 4.6s and many teams had concerns about where to play him. However, he does bring corner-safety versatility, could contribute as a punt returner and could fit well with the Niners, where he will be asked to press receivers and cover short areas.

Tennessee TE Brad Cottam missed most of his senior season and resurrected his draft status at the Senior Bowl, when he appeared very athletic and caught the ball well. With the Chiefs losing Kris Wilson to the Eagles in free agency, Cottam should give the Chiefs another target opposite Tony Gonzalez.

Auburn's Pat Sims is a lot like Sam Adams and if he could commit himself to the game and take it more seriously, he could develop into a very good pro. He will, however, need more than a kick in the butt to maximize his potential, which Bengals DL coach Jay Hayes excels at providing.

The Patriots have had good fortune of selecting talent from the University of Michigan, and Shawn Crable could not have landed in a better place to develop. He's big, strong, physical and has pass-rush ability and together with Jerod Mayo, provides the Patriots with much-needed youth at the LB position.

Some scouts were left scratching their head wondering how Eastern Kentucky CB Antwaun Molden fit into the third round, but the Texans were looking for speed and toughness and Molden's measurables really pushed him up draft boards. Houston has had a strong track record drafting cornerbacks and do a good job developing talent. Molden landed in a good place to develop.

McNeese State's slight-framed DE Bryan Smith really improved his draft status by bulking up without losing much speed. He will project to weak-side linebacker for the Eagles and brings the speed and athleticism desired in Jim Johnson's defense.

North Carolina State S DaJuan Morgan slipped in the draft because of questions concerning his intelligence, but he has a lot of upside and could develop into a very good pro. He works hard, takes the game very seriously and brings good value in the third round. The Chiefs have done a very good job of recognizing value throughout the draft and are on pace to reach their goal of finding 6-7 starters through this draft.

Some late concerns arose regarding LSU WR Early Doucet that pushed him down to the third round, including a very average workout at his pro day. He does not have great speed, but he is a good, solid football player and reminded some coaches of Anquan Boldin, who he will now get a chance to learn from firsthand with the Cardinals. 

Rutgers ORT Jeremy Zuttah worked out exceptionally well at the Combine and really helped his draft status. He does not always transfer his terrific weight-room strength to the field, but he is versatile and can play any position on the line. Even though he never played center, he might be best there, although he won't get a chance after the Buccaneers made Jeff Faine the league's highest-paid center. His best chance to compete will likely come at guard.

What Louisville WR Harry Douglas lacks is size he makes up for in toughness. He was a very reliable target for Brian Brohm at Louisville, and he should help support the growth of Matt Ryan with the Falcons.

The Titans lost their blocking TE Ben Hartsock to the Falcons in free agency and were able to replace him with the draft's top blocking TE prospect, California's Craig Stevens. Cal spent a lot of time in practice working on blocking but not nearly enough on catching the football. Stevens could improve in that area, but he was clearly drafted for his value as a blocker.

The Ravens added a lot of toughness to their secondary with the selection of Notre Dame S Tom Zbikowski. He lacks great range and cover skills, but he is strong, physical and will bring a swagger to the back end. He has the type of football temperament that intrigues GM Ozzie Newsome.

The Lions reached for the second time in the third round with the selection of injury-prone DT Andre Fluellen. They needed to add some depth inside after shipping out Shaun Rogers, but Fluellen will struggle to ever be more than a rotational player. I do not like the next two picks at all. The Steelers reached mightily for UCLA DE Bruce Davis, who provides the same scheme versatility that LaMarr Woodley brought a year ago. With Dick LeBeau's 3-4 defense expected to be phased out for Mike Tomlin's preferred pressure Tampa-2 defense, Davis could help as a rush linebacker now and transition to defensive end in the new defense.

West Virginia RB Steve Slaton was off many draft boards for character concerns, but the Texans have shown they will take chances on troubled talent. Slaton lacks the girth and run strength to carry a full workload, but he fits well in Alex Gibbs' zone-running game, where he could make one cut and go.

Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison was off many draft boards completely for obvious character concerns and medical reasons, but Bears GM Jerry Angelo could not resist taking another bite of the apple after Tank Williams struggled to stay in line. Landing a first-round talent in the third round could bring some excitement, but if Harrison cannot stay healthy and out of trouble, which he struggled to do in Arkansas, he will not help. DL coach Brick Haley will need to read Harrison the riot act and hope he stays healthy and focused, which will be more difficult after a big payday.

Texas TE Jermichael Finley would have been best served staying in school, but with two kids to support, was forced to come out early. He has the speed to get up the seam and gives effort as a blocker. He should help open up the Packers' passing game for Aaron Rodgers.

The Lions filled their need inside with Jordon Dizon and found a potential starter on the strong side in the third round with OLB Cliff Avril. He disappeared too much at Purdue, but he is clearly very athletic and should match up well with tight ends.

The Patriots are a believer in the Ron Wolf philosophy of drafting a quarterback every year and trying to develop them. San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell has the size, athleticism and leadership traits that the Patriots desire. He's a four-year starter with great upside. Many of his flaws are correctable, and he should get great attention with Matt Cassel likely to draw interest on the open market soon.

The Giants received terrific value in the late third round with the selection of WR Mario Manningham. He is a first-round talent who slipped to this spot because of character concerns and immaturity. Manningham should benefit from the tough love of Tom Coughlin and could turn out to be a steal in the third round, much like Brandon Marshall has been for the Broncos, if he could become more focused.

The Redskins reached here on Northern Iowa OT Chad Rinehart, but they needed to find more depth at the tackle position with Chris Samuels aging and Jon Jonsen coming off injury. Rinehart is an experienced starter at left tackle, but he struggles with speed and will need a lot of chip help outside.

With the selection of two receivers in the first three rounds, the Bengals clearly appear worried about the disgruntled Chad Johnson, although depth at the position was a concern after parting ways with Chris Henry. Andre Caldwell left Florida as the school's leading receiver and has great burst and playmaking ability when he is healthy. He could prove to be a very solid value pick at the end of the third round.

Thomas Dimitroff has put together a very solid draft in his first year as Falcons general manager, continually finding solid value on both sides of the ball. California S Thomas DeCoud is a physical striker who supports the run hard and could compete for a starting job readily.

UTEP OT Oniel Cousins is at least a year away from contributing but has all the physical attributes needed to start in the NFL. It may take a year to absorb a playbook and learn protection schemes, but if the light comes on, he could turn out to be a steal for the Ravens at the back of the third round.  

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