Was that a sigh of relief we heard coming from Carson Palmer? A lot of draft pundits had Steinbach going in the first round, but he slid to the top of the second because he's not quite a tackle, not quite a guard. But he's a great pick for the Bengals here, and should keep some heat off Palmer when he finally gets the snaps.
Whoops, there he is! Bailey gets the Slider of the Draft award, but the Lions benefit. There evidently were concerns about his knee injury, but Champ's little brother is an effort guy even though he's a bit undersized. The Lions have to feel they have two very good picks at the top of the draft.
Back to defense for the Bears with their third pick. They take a safety that also is good on special teams. He's the seventh DB taken in the first 35 picks.
Stinchcomb is not the biggest or strongest kid, which is why he wasn't a first-round pick. Still, he's good. And a good offensive lineman at the top of the second round is a good pick, no matter what your needs.
Everyone is focused on what Jerry Jones and Parcells will do to improve this once-proud franchise. They went with a CB in the first round, so they go with a center in the second round to protect … who?
We're telling you. You have to get defensive backs while there are defensive backs. The Jaguars went with QB Leftwich in the first round, and went with what they thought was the best DB available at this spot.
After the wildness of the first round, dropping from No. 7 to No. 9 by simply letting time run out, the Vikes continued to go defense, getting linebacker Henderson. Question with him is speed.
There were other, higher-rated tight ends on the board, namely Tennessee's Jason Witten. But the Texans like Joppru and are hell-bent on giving QB Carr some help.
Hey, the folks up in Seattle get it. Two picks, two defensive backs. This one is a hard-hitting guy who can help in run support. Has to stay out of trouble, though, which has been a problem.
A bit short, kind of light, but Tinoisamua is a guy who will help the Rams up front. After taking DT Kennedy in the first round, the Rams clearly feel they need that help on the defensive front.
Welcome to the party, Steve Spurrier. The Redskins coach uses his first pick of the draft on a speedy wideout from -- gee, here's a surprise -- Florida.
The Patriots, at least, aren't asleep. The most active team in the draft -- they've been trading picks left and right -- they used their first two selections on defense. They use their third one on one of the fastest players in the draft. He's a threat, and the Pats have a QB, so this could work out.
Well, now the Chargers have two cornerbacks. Florence is a Division II guy, so some may question him. But with Sammy Davis in the first round and Florence here, San Diego has done what it could to address its biggest weakness.
After finding that backup for RB Holmes in the first round -- or that replacement -- the Chiefs did what they had to in Round 2. They addressed their porous defense. Mitchell's a fine start, at least given this pick. He'll be a tackler, which is a good start for any defense.
Well, after that whim of a first-round pick, reaching on the injured RB McGahee, the Bills are getting back to the real meat of picking. This is a good choice -- many had DE Kelsay much higher -- and he'll fit in fine on a team that picked up LB stud Takeo Spikes in free agency.
Moore has had the dreaded "tweener" label stuck on him, but for the Dolphins, with their first pick of the draft, he's good enough. Injuries are a concern, along with his size.
The Panthers continue to stock their offensive line, which is always a good idea. They don't have a whole lot of talent behind it, but who knows? Someday, maybe.
This is where the best scouting departments separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With their second pick, the Broncos take a big, strong linebacker who could be a good complement to Al Wilson and company.
West Texas A&M? Thompson is one of those guys who showed well at the NFL's Combine, and the Browns evidently like him enough to take him over many others rated higher. The Browns went offense first round, defense here … hard to argue with that.
The Jets stayed defense, which they should have, this time going with a linebacker. Hobson has his faults, but after the first three or four players are taken at each position -- and Hobson is the seventh 'backer this round -- there are knocks on everyone.
Big and strong, Boldin will join the Cards' first pick, Bryant Johnson, as the new WRs on the block. It's something the Cards had to do, given everyone they lost, and something they said they'd do. So, good for them. Still, bypassing Sun Devil Suggs will be the big news in Phoenix.
The Falcons check in with their first pick and, after getting WR Peerless Price as a free agent, rightly go defense. They lost Ashley Ambrose in free agency, so they go with a tall DB who may be able to help a defense that was ranked 29th against the pass.
Sticking on the defensive line, the Giants go with a raw end who has a tremendous upside. He's athletic, and speedy, and with some coaching and time, he could turn into something special.
The 49ers lost longtime nose guy Dana Stubblefield in free agency, so new coach Dennis Erickson goes with Adams. He's undersized for the defensive line, but the 49ers have a great need there, and Adams is the best available.
The Colts flop to defense with their second rounder, and Tony Dungy likes the safety Doss, the defensive backfield signal caller on the national championship Buckeyes.
If a team has a plan and sticks to it -- and the Steelers clearly are thinking defense -- you can't rip them too much. Jackson is a rush guy who had only so-so success with the Seminoles, but the Steelers feel he has the tools to be a consistent threat rushing the QB.
Calico is a big target for Steve McNair, a guy who hopefully can out-jump some defenders on timing routes in the red zone and can out-muscle some of the smaller DBs. It takes heat off McNair and the running game, if he works out.
Rutgers is not a big football factory, but it's in Philly's back yard, and the Eagles saw enough of Smith to think that he'll be able to join Chad Lewis in two tight end sets.
With two cornerbacks and, now, a safety, it's clear to see what the Chargers are doing. After losing safety Rodney Harrison to New England in free agency, Kiel is a good pick at this point in the draft.
The Raiders have some aging wideouts, if you haven't heard. They didn't have to look too far to find a guy who could give them a breather. Johnson might be able to play some tight end, too, considering his size.
This is what happens when you win the Super Bowl. You get the dregs. At this point, the Bucs have withstood the dangers of the offseason and free agency fairly well. They go with a raw talent who they can afford to groom slowly and who could be a force, if things work out.
