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The Dolphins pick up a first-round talent with the selection of Phillip Merling. He gives them a versatile inside-outside player who is capable of filling multiple roles in their new 3-4 defense. This is another solid pick by the Dolphins' new brass.
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The Rams make a shocking move by picking Donnie Avery over several highly touted receiver prospects (Limas Sweed, Devin Thomas and DeSean Jackson). Though Avery adds speed to the lineup, he is considered nothing more than a slot receiver by several teams. The Rams struggled on offense a season ago, and the move to pick up a role player at this stage in the draft is very questionable.
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The Redskins strike it big by moving back and still picking up the dynamic receiver they coveted. Devin Thomas was considered the top receiver in the draft by several teams, and adding his explosive skills to the Redskins' lineup should improve their passing game. Thomas should compete for playing time immediately as the Redskins' third receiver, and could supplant Antwaan Randle-El as the split end in Jim Zorn's new offense.
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The Chiefs fill one of their most pressing needs with the selection of Brandon Flowers. The former Hokie is a tough-minded player with all of the tools that should help him develop into a standout "Cover-2" corner in the Chiefs' scheme. He may lack top-flight speed, but Flowers is an ideal fit the Chiefs' defense.
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The Packers surprisingly use their pick on another receiver. Although Jordy Nelson is a solid player, the Packers have a roster full of young, dynamic receivers and using the selection on a tight end or another need position would appear to be the better move. But general manager Ted Thompson has made all of the right moves in building the Packers' roster, so we will reserve judgment on this pick for a later date.
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The Falcons seek to fill the hole created by the departure of Demorrio Williams with the selection of Curtis Lofton. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is a naturally instinctive player with enough speed and quickness to be a factor against the run or pass. This is a solid pick that will help the Falcons' rebuild a defense that still has holes at multiple positions.
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The Seahawks address their tight end situation with the selection of John Carlson. The Fighting Irish standout was regarded by many as one of the more complete tight ends in the draft, but many teams were scared away by his poor performance at the NFL Combine. However, his hands and route running ability make him a nice fit in the Seahawks' offense. Some would argue that Fred Davis would be a better fit due to his receiving skills, but Carlson's combination of receiving and blocking ability may have made him the better choice in the Seahawks' minds.
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The 49ers upgrade their interior line with the selection of Chilo Rachal. The former Southern Cal standout brings toughness to the middle of the 49ers' line, and helps ease the departure of Justin Smiley.
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The Saints continue to fortify their secondary by picking up another corner in the second round. Tracey Porter, one of the fastest players in the draft, is a finesse corner with the cover skills to be a difference-maker. He will need to be more physical as a pro, but he helps the Saints immediately by filling a role as a nickel or dime corner.
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The Bills get their big receiver with the pick up of James Hardy. The former basketball player becomes an instant red zone threat for the Bills, and he should ease some of the pressure off Lee Evans in the passing game. The Bills have filled two of their biggest needs through the first two rounds without making aggressive trades.
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The Broncos add an explosive playmaker to the lineup with the addition of Eddie Royal. After watching the passing game hinge on one player (Brandon Marshall) a season ago, Mike Shannahan is committed to juicing up the offense, and Royal adds much needed speed on the outside. Also, Royal's return skills bring an added dimension to the Broncos.
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The Vikings continue to add pieces to their secondary with the selection of Tyrell Johnson. Despite picking up Madieu Williams and the presence of perennial Pro Bowler Darren Sharper, the Vikings bring in another young safety to develop. Though Johnson will not be counted on to be a major contributor, he will be a major factor on the Vikings' special teams as a rookie.
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The Bears bring in another physical runner to push disappointing Cedric Benson. Matt Forte, who rushed for over 2,000 yards as a senior at Tulane, is a smooth runner with deceptive power and pop. His crafty running style should mesh well with Ron Turner's power offense, and help the Bears improve a ground game that struggled to generate yards last season.
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The Lions opt for the undersized Jordon Dizon to fill their need at linebacker. Despite his diminutive stature, Dizon brings speed and quickness to a Lions' defense that has struggled against the run. Critics will argue that Dan Connor would be a great fit in the Lions' scheme, but the preference for speed or size may have prompted the decision to go with Dizon. This looks like another questionable decision by Lions.
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The Bengals make a baffling decision by selecting small school standout Jerome Simpson over Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson and others. Though Simpson brings outstanding speed and quickness, the Bengals passed on an opportunity to get a receiver with starting potential. With Chris Henry's release and Chad Johnson's pending holdout, the Bengals may regret passing on several big college stars.
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The Eagles pick up a high-motor defensive tackle with the selection of Trevor Laws. Though he may be a little undersized by some standards, his quickness and relentless motor are a nice fit in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's blitz-heavy scheme.
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The Redskins land arguably the most complete tight end in the draft. Fred Davis was regarded by most scouts as the top tight end, and pairing him with Chris Cooley gives the Redskins a formidable tandem at the position. The Redskins have done a nice job of upgrading their passing game with their first few picks of the day.
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The Eagles give Donovan McNabb the playmaker he has coveted for years. The diminutive Jackson possesses outstanding speed, and his penchant for producing big plays in the return game will boost the Eagles' mediocre return game. Although he lacks the size to be an every down receiver initially, he gives Andy Reid another weapon to incorporate into the Eagles' game plan.
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The Cardinals scoop up a developmental prospect with the selection of Calais Campbell. The former Hurricane possesses the physical tools to become a solid pass rusher as a pro, but will need some time to develop as an edge rusher. He isn't a great fit as a 3-4 defensive end, so look for Campbell to play the role of a situational pass rusher as a rookie until they identify his ideal position in Arizona's defense.
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The Redskins continue their terrific draft by picking up another prospect that carried a first round grade for most of the season. Malcolm Kelly adds size, playmaking and toughness to the Redskins, and gives Jim Zorn all the ingredients to implement more four-receiver sets next season. Much has been made of Kelly's speed deficiencies, but he is an ideal slot receiver in the Redskins' zebra and eagle packages.
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The Jaguars continue to assemble a formidable pass rush by grabbing Quentin Groves in the second round. The former Tiger has the athleticism to be an effective pass rusher, and his natural burst will encourage defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to use him as a situational pass rusher in their nickel defense.
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The Steelers appease Ben Roethlisberger by adding a big receiver. Limas Sweed gives the Steelers a legitimate threat in the red zone. This will be viewed as one of the best sleeper picks in the draft in a few years.
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The Titans turn to Jason Jones to plug the holes created by the free agent defections of Travis LaBoy and Antwan Odom. Jones, who impressed scouts with his athleticism at the Senior Bowl, has enough burst to create pressure off the edge, and scouts have raved about his potential as a pass rusher. He will see considerable playing time as a situational rusher behind Javon Kearse at defensive end.
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The Ravens add a complementary back with the selection of Ray Rice. Though the former Scarlett Knight has logged a heavy workload in his three-year career, Rice has the speed and quickness to make an impact as a change of pace runner. He should be a nice fit as a backup to Willis McGahee.
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The Packers land the top-rated quarterback prospect heading into the season in the second round. Brian Brohm, who has been the victim of incessant nitpicking by scouts, will push Aaron Rodgers for the starting job if the veteran struggles under center this season. To pick up such a talented quarterback prospect without using a first-round pick is a major coup for the Packers.
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The Dolphins bring in quality competition for John Beck with the selection of Chad Henne. The former Wolverine has all of the qualities needed to be a solid starter in the league, and his experience as a collegiate starter (47) will give him a chance to be a successful player early in his career. Bill Parcells has quietly assembled a solid draft class without having to make a series of trades to pick up his targeted guys.
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The Bucs add speed and youth to their receiving corps with the addition of Dexter Jackson. The small school standout projects as an ideal slot receiver in Jon Gruden's offense, and his explosiveness should alleviate some of the pressure off Joey Galloway in the passing game.
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The Colts pick up a versatile offensive lineman in Mike Pollak. Though he projects as a guard for the Colts, Pollaks experience as a center makes him a valued commodity as a back up player. He will likely spend a year in a reserve role before pushing for playing time in his second season.
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The Packers add a solid player to their stable of corners with the addition of Patrick Lee. The former Tiger has the size and length to develop into a quality "bump-and-run" corner. With Charles Woodson and Al Harris geting up in years, the Packers wisely added a young corner in the early portion of the draft.
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The Cowboys pick up an underrated tight end prospect with the selection of Martellus Bennett. The former basketball player gives Tony Romo another big target over the middle, and allows Jason Garrett to continue to incorporate several multiple tight end sets into the gameplan.
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The Patriots find a savvy corner at the end of the second round. Though Wheatley didn't have an outstanding senior season, he is the type of player (smart, fast and physical) that fits perfectly in the Patriots' scheme.
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The Giants add a big, physical corner to their secondary. Terrell Thomas lacks elite speed, but his athleticism, intelligence and toughness give him a chance to successfully man the corner position. If he fails to cut it as a corner, a move to safety may be in the works.
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