Day two is officially in the books. As there was yesterday, there was many surprising selections. Each year, folks try to guess where players will be selected and each year the draft proves to be one of the most unpredictable events in pro sports.
Today featured several strange picks. This draft is turning out to be one of the strangest drafts in draft history.
During the draft, the NFL announced that we are now back in a lockout. Shortly after, Roger Goodell disappeared.
In any case, we as fans, have only a few more hours of things feeling somewhat normal. Come Monday, it's back to feeling hopeless and lost without the possibility of football.
In any case, below the jump we'll look at the picks and some commentary by yours truly.
ROUND 2
33. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - RAS I-DOWLING | CORNERBACK | VIRGINIA: Not very surprising here. The large, physical corner would have been a first rounder easily; probably in the top two had it not been for an injury. He is very athletic and very instinctual.. He will be a good fit for what New England does.
34. BUFFALO BILLS - AARON WILLIAMS | CORNERBACK | TEXAS: It's no secret that the Bills secondary could have stood to get stronger at the cornerback position. Williams has a few flaws in his game but he has some solid safeties to help him out in transitioning to the NFL with over the top help.
35. CINCINNATI BENGALS - ANDY DALTON | QUARTERBACK | TCU: With Palmer on the verge of retirement or being traded, the Bengals had to get a quarterback. In grabbing A.J. Green in the first round, Dalton will have targets right away as a Bengal with Green and Ochocinco (should he return). He will have to make the adjustment from a spread offense to a pro offense. The good news is that the Bengals run a lot of forms of the spread.
36. DENVER BRONCOS (TRADE) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS - COLIN KAEPERNICK | QUARTERBACK | NEVADA: The Niners had to make a move up to get their quarterback. In doing so, they land one of the better quarterbacks in college football last year. 10,000+ yards in the air in three years is impressive at any level. Harbaugh has a very talented quarterback that he will have to prepare relatively fast. The Niners get their quarterback.
37. CLEVELAND BROWNS - JABAAL SHEARD | DEFENSIVE LINE | PITTSBURGH: It seems as thought the Browns are striving hard to put together a solid defensive front. They now need to go hard after some linebackers to back get those guys backs. It would be wise for them to start thinking about offense here pretty soon.
38. ARIZONA CARDINALS - RYAN WILLIAMS | RUNNING BACK | VIRGINIA TECH: This was a pretty big surprise considering that they just drafted Beanie Wells in 2009. It will be interesting to see how much the Cards will run the ball now with three fairly high drafted running backs.
39. TENNESSEE TITANS - AKEEM AYERS | LINEBACKER | UCLA: Tennessee has been running thin at the linebacker position for a long while now. Ayers is not the best in coming up to help on the run because he tends to get locked up at the line of scrimmage. However, he has great ability to falll back and cover the Dallas Clark's of the league. He will need to be taught technique in how to shed blockers more efficiently though.
40. DALLAS COWBOYS - BRUCE CARTER | LINEBACKER | NORTH CAROLINA: The Cowboys are aging at the linebacker position... well, at least Keith Brooking. Carter could wind up being on of the better linebackers under this class. Particularly under new defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan.
41. WASHINGTON REDSKINS - JARVIS JENKINS | DEFENSIVE LINE | CLEMSON: Wow. Definitely a surprise here. In a bit of a reach, Jenkins passes up former Clemson teammate, Da;Quan Bowers, who at one point was considered as the consensus number one overall pick. Jenkins is a good fit though in a 3-4 defense. He may not be start-ready though. I see him as more of a developmental player.
42. HOUSTON TEXANS - BROOKS REED | OUTSIDE LINEBACKER | ARIZONA: Wade Phillips is the new defensive coordinator in Houston and is going to implement the 3-4 defense. He is now trying to stock the roster with guys who can get after the quarterback. Reed is a great candidate to do just that. His long hair gives him the appearance of Clay Matthews Jr. and now he will live up to the reputation expected of long-haired players; either that, or he will have to cut it off.
43. MINNESOTA VIKINGS - KYLE RUDOLPH | TIGHT END | NOTRE DAME: This is a bit of a surprise to me. They Vikings are losing the draft so far. Rudolph was not only out with a bad hamstring last year, but had nagging injuries before that as well. I suppose this means that the Vikings are going to try and run the tread off of Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart by running the ball out of a pseudo goaline offense.
44. DETROIT LIONS - TITUS YOUNG | WIDE RECEIVER | BOISE STATE: Calvin Johnson, Titus Young? Can we all say in unison.... "multiple touchdowns this year". They Lions just made Calvin Johnson fantasy owners very, very happy. Titus Young has been refered to as a "poor man's Desean Jackson". If that is anywhere near true, the Lions, and Matt Stafford are going to be rolling this year.
45. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (TRADE) DENVER BRONCOS - RAHIM MOORE | SAFETY | UCLA: Even though Moore did not do much last year, in his previous year, he had 10 interceptions. That is a lot. However, he tends to get treaded over in the run game. He won't be expected to come in and start right away. He will get to learn behind a great seasoned veteran in Brian Dawkins.
46. DENVER BRONCOS - ORLANDO FRANKLIN | OFFENSIVE LINE | MIAMI: He may have been drafted to play guard. Although he will be drafted as a tackle, he is better suited to play as a guard. I believe he has a lot of work to do though. He left Jacory Harris exposed and was inconsistent throughout last season. Franklin is sort of reach here and will take some time to develop.
47. ST. LOUIS RAMS - LANCE KENDRICKS | TIGHT END | WISCONSIN: I said at the beginning of the year that Kendricks is the closest thing to Vernon Davis in this years draft. He is an extremely good receiving tight end. Much like Davis, Kendricks will need to brush up on blocking at tight end once he gets to Rams camp. The Rams just gave Sam Bradford yet another dangerous target.
48. OAKLAND RAIDERS - STEFEN WISNIESKIW | CENTER | PENN STATE: The Raiders surprise everyone again this year in making another very nice selection. Their interior line was hurting last year with exception to the run game. Wisniewski provides stability in both run blocking but pass protection as well. He is very versatile and can play both guard and center. Smart pick by the Raiders.
49. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (TRADE) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - BEN IJALANA | GUARD | VILLANOVA: Another pick to keep Peyton Manning upright for the remainder of his career. He will not start immediately unless one of the current starters goes down with an injury. Some folks had him slotted a bit higher than this, so the Colts probably feel like they got the most bang for their buck.
50. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - MARCUS GILCHRIST | CORNERBACK | CLEMSON: I believe that Gilchrist will ultimately play safety. Right now, they have him pegged to play cornerback but his tangibles are better suited to play as a free safety. New defensive coordinator (former 49ers defensive coordinator) Greg Manusky is going all defense so far. And rightfully so... their offense rolled pretty good even without some key pieces.
51. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - DA'QUAN BOWERS | DEFENSIVE END | CLEMSON: Finally... I am sure that is a word that sums up how Bowers feels. Out of Clayborn and Bowers, surely one of them will pan out despite concerns with health. The Bucs defensive line is stacked now. They are youthful and fierce. Gerald McCoy is a happy camper so far in these first two days of the draft. And Bucs fans should be as well.
52. NEW YORK GIANTS - MARVIN AUSTIN | DEFENSIVE TACKLE | NORTH CAROLINA: The Giants defensive line just got a whole lot better tonight. He is going to be an immediate starter. I have a feeling he will have a strong camp and will be a force to help free up the defensive ends in Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. It's gonne be hard to stop that front four defensive line. Now they just need some help at linebacker; a position that the Giants were once upon a time very deep at.
53. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (TRADE) CHICAGO BEARS - STEPHEN PAEA | DEFENSIVE TACKLE | OREGON STATE: I am sure that this will help out Julius Peppers tremendously. I think the Bears still have a ling way to go. Defensive linemen sometimes take longer to develop. I think Paea will be one of those who takes some time to find his way in the NFL. He could wind up being someone who gets lost in the mix.
54. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - JAIQUAWN JARRETT | SAFETY | TEMPLE: I am surprised that Jarrett is taken before DeAndre McDaniel. McDaniel has some character concerns but he is one heck of a football player. Andy Reid taakes pride in turning guys around and getting their heads straight but I guess he doesn't have room for anymore guys like that to bring on. Jarrett can be good but is a bit rough around the edges.
55. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS - RODNEY HUDSON | GUARD | FLORIDA STATE: The Chiefs defintely needed an upgrade in the interior of their offensive line. Hudson can be start ready if there winds up being a regular offseason with nothing missed due to the lockout stuff going on.
56. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - SHANE VEREEN | RUNNING BACK | CALIFORNIA: The Patriots just got a very good running back in Vereen. I though that DeMarco Murray would be their guy but Vereen could push Green-Ellis for that starting position. It's yet again, another solid weapon at Tom Brady's disposal.
57. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (TRADE) DETROIT LIONS - MIKEL LESHOURE | RUNNING BACK | ILLINOIS: It looks like the Lions want to go with a thunder and lightning, one-two punch of Best and LeShoure. He is going to be a nice option to have in the redzone and goaline situations.
58. BALTIMORE RAVENS - TORREY SMITH | WIDE RECEIVER | MARYLAND: Smith is a guy who is going to stretch the field for the Ravens. They did not have a guy that big armed Joe Flacco could lob a ball up in the air and have receiver run under it for six. They now have that big play threat with Smith. He will be utilized a lot in the up and coming season. Nice pick for the Ravens and Harbaugh here.
59. CLEVELAND BROWNS - GREG LITTLE | WIDE RECEIVER | NORTH CAROLINA: Greg Little is going to be a great target for whoever starts at quarterback next year for the Browns. He is going to open the entire field up for Cleveland's offense. I did not expect him to be selected this high because of the suspension, but apparently the Browns and Holmgren feel he was well worth the risk.
60. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (TRADE) HOUSTON TEXANS - BRANDON HARRIS | CORNERBACK | MIAMI: The Texans have not got the support in the secondary that it will take to get over the hump. Harris will come in and most likely hold down a spot as a nickel corner for his rookie year which he should thrive in. He has great instinct to the ball and will probably get a pick or two this year in that role. All defense so far in three picks for Houston.
61. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - JONAS MOUTON | LINEBACKER | MICHIGAN: This guy will rack up the tackles in the run game but lacks skills in coverage despite being a former safety. I think he will struggle a bit in his first couple years. He will probably start his career initially on special teams which to me, makes this pick a bit of a head scratcher. Pretty big reach on this selection in my opinion.
62. CHICAGO BEARS (TRADE) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (TRADE) MIAMI DOLPHINS - DANIEL THOMAS | RUNNING BACK | KANSAS STATE: Thomas is a big physical back that will take the full pressure off of Ronnie Brown. He is a great fit and can be very effective in the wildcat offense. He can bruise opposing defenders as well as make them miss. He will need to learn to hang on to the ball though as he has a tendency to cough it up a lot.
63. PITTSBURGH STEELERS - MARCUS GILBERT | GUARD | FLORIDA: I guess Maurkice went in and talked to the front office and convinced them that Gilbert would be a nice fit next to him at center. They are trying to build an unbreakable machine that pushes forward in that Steelers stellar run game. Gilbert is not the best in pass protection but the Steelers like to run the ball old school style, so this pick could work out in the end.
64. GREEN BAY PACKERS - RANDALL COBB | WIDE RECEIVER | KENTUCKY: Cobb just got a helluva lot better because he has Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball. He can return kicks, he can pass the ball, he can catch the ball, he can kick the ball... he can make you a sandwhich while he is doing all of those things at the same time. I expected the Packers to upgrade the receiver position at some point early. Even though this is the last pick of the second, it could be one of the better choices of the round.
ROUND 3
65. CAROLINA PANTHERS - TERRELL MCCLAIN | DEFENSIVE LINE | SOUTH FLORIDA: Panthers need help on the defensive line and they have for some time now. There is no certainty that McClain would be ready to go day one but I would not bet against him considering how well he did at South Florida. He helped Pierre-Paul in his campaign last year as a first rounder and was tucked away in the shadow. Very good value for the Panthers here.
66. CINCINNATI BENGALS - DONTAY MOCH | LINEBACKER | NEVADA: Most folks see Moch as a one-trick pony. He is extremely fast and rushed the passer quite well. However, the other parts of his game just weren't there all the time. He was often pushed around on run plays. He may have to bulk up a bit... HGH Moch.... HGH.
67. DENVER BRONCOS - NATE IRVING | LINEBACKER | N.C. STATE: Irving had a great offseason leading up to today. Some had him pegged as a fourth or fifth rounder before all of that. He earned his way in to the third round. Now he will have to earn his way and keep at the next level.
68. BUFFALO BILLS - KELVIN SHEPPARD | LINEBACKER | LSU: Sheppard was a menace while at LSU. He will be a menace at some point in his career in the NFL as well. The Bills may have seemed to have reached here but in the long run, I don't believe they will have. They need help in the worst kind of way in a lot of different areas. I think they did good with this one in Sheppard.
69. ARIZONA CARDINALS - ROBERT HOUSLER | TIGHT END | FLORIDA ATLANTIC: I don't think the Cards got the best tight end on the board. There was Stocker and a bunch of other options available to them with this pick. I could be wrong because I have not seen a ton of Housler as I'll admit. But in just the few short clips on television and the internet lead me to believe that it was a mistake pick. This is the second head scratcher for the Cardinals this afternoon.
70. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS - JUSTIN HOUSTON | LINEBACKER | GEORGIA: Houston to me is a bit overrated. The Chiefs have had trouble finding decent linebackers through the draft for some time now. I don't think Houston is an exception. At one point earlier in the year, I referred to him as a poor man's Robert Quinn. I think Quinn will be a slightly better than average NFL player, so what does that say about Houston? He has a bunch of small flaws that can be corrected but there is a lot of them. Odds are stacked against him.
71. DALLAS COWBOYS - DEMARCO MURRAY | RUNNING BACK | OKLAHOMA: This was a surprising pick here for me. The Cowboys already have several good players at the running back position. Murray is a great running back and in my opinion has a ceiling high enough to get him compared to players like Marcus Allen. He would have been a good fit in a West-Coast offense but he will still give Romo another weapon out of the backfield.
72. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS - MARTEZ WILSON | LINEBACKER | ILLINOIS: I had the Saints taking Wilson in the first round in my latest mock draft... so getting him in the third is an absolute steal. Wilson has the perfect skill set as a 4-3 linebacker. They filled a crucial need with a value pick here.
73. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - STEVAN RIDLEY | RUNNING BACK: I don't get this pick here when they just earlier selected Shane Vereen. I guess they figure out of the two of them, one will show that they are start worthy? It just doesn't make sense when they have Danny Woodhead and Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis. How many running backs are they going to carry. I feel like there are a few other ways that they could've, should've gone.
74. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - RYAN MALLETT | QUARTERBACK | ARKANSAS: This is the best possible situation that could happen for Ryan Mallett's career. He now can learn how a future Hall of Famer prepares for the game. It worked for Aaron Rodgers and it can work for Mallett. His offensive line will need to be in place though for it to come to come together for him.
75. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - JOHN MOFFITT | GUARD | WISCONSIN: Pete Caroll is already doing what he did to New England in his last stint in the NFL. He is going to run them in to the ground. He has spent two high picks on mediocre linemen. Last year, it seemed as though the 'Hawks did quite well. This year, just the opposite. Moffitt will be okay, but nothing to get excited about for Seahawks fans... at least I wouldn't be if I was a Seattle fan.
76. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (TRADE) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS - WILLIAM RACKLEY | OFFENSIVE LINE | LEHIGH: The Jags offensive line was pretty decent but were very streaky. Rackley was very consistent at Lehigh. He is sound in both the run and pass. He looks a bit stiff at times but it doesn't seem to prevent him from staying in front of oncoming defenders.
77. TENNESSEE TITANS - JURRELL CASEY | DEFENSIVE LINE | USC: I saw Casey as more of a day three type of pick but he made his way in to the third round. Casey was a force at USC and may be seen as more of a developmental player. He needs to get off initial contact a bit better. So he'll have to work extremely hard if he wants to start seeing himself as a starter on a decent defensive line.
78. ST. LOUIS RAMS - AUSTIN PETTIS | WIDE RECEIVER | BOISE STATE: Once again, the Rams go after more weapons for Bradford and the Rams offense. The Rams could develop in to one of the more feared offenses in the NFC by next season. Pettis will provide a reliable target for an extremely accurate quarterback.
79. WASHINGTON REDSKINS - LEONARD HANKERSON | WIDE RECEIVER: We don't know who the quarterback is going to be in Washington just yet. I am surprised that the Redskins did not make any moves for a quarterback yet this year yet. Hankerson is a warm climate receiver that
80. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS - CHRIS CULLIVER | CORNERBACK | SOUTH CAROLINA: The 49ers had their sights set on a cornerback in the third round. They apparently did not like some of the higher rated corners that were still on the board and felt that Culliver would be the best fit for Vic Fangio's defense. I am sure that some fans may be confused by the pick but rest assured, the 49ers are potentially going to make out like bandits with this selection.
81. OAKLAND RAIDERS - DEMARCUS VAN DYKE | CORNERBACK | MIAMI: Speed, speed, speed... yeah, we know, it kills. Those days are long gone but evidently Al Davis and company feel it's still a good theory. In some instances, I suppose it has worked out for them. Specifically, with Jacoby Ford last year. We will see what Van Dyke can do for the already very goos Oakland secondary.
82. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - VINCENT BROWN | WIDE RECEIVER | SAN DIEGO STATE: Vincent who? If Jackson leaves, then they have another pretty decent Vincent to come in to replace him. Vincent Brown could be a threat at the next level. He torched the NCAA but the NFL will be a different level of competition than he is used to. Very good pick here for the Bolts.
83. NEW YORK GIANTS - JERREL JERNNIGAN | WIDE RECEIVER | TROY: The Giants went out and got some help on the line to protect their multi-million dollar quarterback with a couple of linemen and felt they could afford a luxury pick in Jernnigan who happens to be a burner. Manning will now have a speedster to throw it up to for grabs.
84: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - MASON FOSTER | LINEBACKERS | WASHINGTON: The Bucs needed some help pretty desperately in regards to the linebacking position. Foster will come in and provide an immediate surge of energy and youth to an already youthful and energetic defense.
85. BALTIMORE RAVENS - JAH REID | OFFENSIVE TACKLE | CENTRAL FLORIDA: Reid is a bit rough around the edges but with enough work can be an all-pro. The good news for him is that not much will be expected of him right off the bat. He can learn at his own pace and possibly take over for the other guy (not named Oher).
86. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS - ALLEN BAILEY | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | MIAMI: Bailey went where most people though he would. There is going to be a lot of competition for him in camp, so he will have to really showcase his skills and play above the bar for him to stick around. Bailey could wind up a career back up.. nothing less and nothing more.
87. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - DRAKE NEVIS | DEFENSIVE TACKLE | LSU: The Colts already have a pretty intense defensive line. They needed a bit of help at the defensive tackle position, so Nevis makes a ton of sense. I think that as long as Nevis is not asked to do too much, too fast, that there will be great value in this pick down the road.
88. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS - JOHNNY PATRICK | CORNERBACK | LOUISVILLE: Patrick is a corner that I am sure was on most teams board's. He is a bit raw and needs some work but he has not reached his potential. The Saints have a good defensive backs coach, so he should get plenty of good advice in New Orleans. Look for him to start off as a nickel or fourth corner for starters.
89. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - SHAREECE WRIGHT | CORNERBACK | USC: Wright was a guy that I had pegged as a fourth or fifth rounder on a day where most cornerbacks were already gone. Apparently the Chargers scouting department saw something in him that I didn't. He was exposed at the Senior Bowl here and there and I am sure opposing teams will have taken note of those flaws come opening day if he is a starter or even a nick corner.
90. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - CURTIS MARSH | CORNERBACK | UTAH STATE: Marsh is a very raw but gifted athlete. Reid will have to coach him up in order for him to complement Asante Samuel. The Eagles could eventually be in for a treat but Marsh is going to have to crank up the volume from what he faced in the WAC... he is now playing with the big boys.
91. ATALANTA FALCONS - AKEEM DENT | LINEBACKER | GEORGIA: Dent is an interseting player that has sort of got lost in the mix. He is being drafted for depth because the Falcons already have their three main starting linebackers. Other than that, there's not much other to say... he will be lost in the mix as a back up as well.
92. OAKLAND RAIDERS - JOSEPH BARKSDALE | OFFENSIVE TACKLE | LSU: Barksdale is now a Raider. The Raiders made some very sound decisions today as far as offensive line is concerned. Barksdale was relatively streaky while at LSU. You just never knew who was going to show up week in and week out. He has some solid tangibles that can translate at the next level, but he needs to become more consistent if he wants a full-time starting job eventually.
93. CHICAGO BEARS - CHRIS CONTE | SAFETY | CALIFORNIA: I don't know much about Conte. I do know that the Bears need help in their secondary. Hopefully their scouting department knows what they're doing. If there are any Cal fans on this board (which I am sure is a given) maybe you could enlighten me on Conte.
94. NEW YORK JETS - KENRICK ELLIS | DEFENSIVE TACKLE | HAMPTON: The Jets take another defensive linemen. They are certainly making a push to not only get younger on the defensive line but bring some energy as well. Ellis and Wilkerson may just start in the 2011-'12 season.
95. PITTSBURGH STEELERS - CURTIS BROWN | CORNERBACK | TEXAS: It's quite evident that the Steelers are not ignoring how bad their secondary got torched in the Superbowl. They could be the front runners to go back to represent the AFC. These rookies are not going to both be starters day one, but they are certainly something to work with here.
96. GREEN BAY PACKERS - ALEX GREEN | RUNNING BACK | HAWAII: The Packers are now in lucury pick mode. They addressed the offensive line and are now loading up weapons for the Superbowl MVP Aaron Rodgers. Green is a shifty make-'em-miss type of player opposed to Starks' and Grant's bruising styles. The Packers are indefinitely going to be the front runners to repeat. The target is now set on their backs.
97. CAROLINA PANTHERS - SIONE FUA | DEFENSIVE LINE | STANFORD: Once again, the Panthers front office is trying to build a stout defensive line. They have to get better in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The offensive line will be good in the run game which is what more than likely will be the focus in Carolina in Newton's first year. Fua was an absolute monster while at Stanford. His disruptive play is the type that will contribute to lost hours of sleep for opposing teams coaches.