The second and third rounds of the NFL Draft is where championships can be won. On Thursday, there were no running backs selected in the first round for the first time in 50 years. There was also only one quarterback (EJ Manuel) who was selected. Stay tuned to Breitbart Sports for analysis of what may be two of the most important rounds for NFL franchises.
SECOND ROUND:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars – John Cyprien, FS, Florida International
Muzio’s take: Johnathan Cyprien is a stellar safety that could end up being the best of a very good crop of safeties. Great pick up for the Jags!
34. Tennessee Titans (Trade from San Francisco) – Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
Hunter was a standout wide receiver for Tennessee who simply made clutch plays and stretched the field. Much more polished than the heralded Patterson.
Muzio’s take: Justin Hunter is a rangy athlete at the receiver position who, again, is well worth a first round pick. Just a hair behind Patterson as a talent. Hunter could be a major weapon for Tennessee.
35. Philadelphia Eagles – Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
Chip Kelly saw plenty of the tight end, whom some considered to be the best in the nation, when Stanford gave his Oregon teams fits. Ertz is versatile – he can be a possession receiver and even go downfield. He will be a good fit for Kelly’s offense, and Kelly may even use him on some two-point conversion attempts as well.
36. Detroit Lions – Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi St.
Muzio’s take: Detroit got a great player in Darius Slay. He may be going a little early, but Mississippi State’s defensive backfield was one of the NCAA’s best with Banks and Slay as the cornerstones.
37. Cincinnati Bengals – Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
Muzio’s take: Bengals taking Bernard over Eddie Lacy is the definition of stupidity. He will be a solid player, but Lacy is head and shoulders better.
38. San Diego Chargers – Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame
The Chargers will get pats on the back for taking Manti Te’o. As a prospect, he is neither fast enough or stout enough to be a starting middle linebacker in the NFL. Sure, he has many attributes that are easy to like in a player, but he does not possess the skills you want to see in a 2nd round pick. ESPN is infatuated with Te’o, but I have a feeling that Chargers fans will not be happy with this pick years down the road.
39. New York Jets – Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
Muzio’s take: I have disagreed with McShay on Te’o, but he was right when he said this was not a good situation for Geno Smith. The Jets are just a bad football team. However, getting Smith in the second round is very good value for them. While I doubt they will, New York should release Mark Sanchez as soon as possible.
40. San Francisco 49ers – Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State
San Francisco, the day after getting safety Eric Reid out of to fill a need with talent, the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh strike again with Carradine. He has legitimate top-10 talent, and the 49ers need depth on the defensive line, especially since the defense, especially Aldon Smith, struggled last year when Justin Smith got hurt. Carradine will immediately be able to take over or give either some rest. Harbaugh traded down, and got the player the needed and wanted. Very well done.
41. Buffalo Bills – Robert Woods, WR, USC
A dynamic talent, but do the Bills have anyone who can throw him the ball?
42. Oakland Raiders – Menelik Watson, OT, Florida St
Muzio’s take: Watson is a great pick for the Raiders. He is very raw, but his upside is as high as any tackle in this draft. It is not out of the realm of possibility that he is the starting RT for Oakland this year.
43 Buccaneers Banks, Johnthan CB 6’2″ 185 Mississippi St.
Muzio’s take: Johnthan Banks shows a real commitment by the Bucs to improve their defensive backfield after already acquiring Revis. He is a very good corner whose stock was hurt by very poor timed speed.
44 Carolina Panthers – Kawann Short, DR, Purdue
Muzio’s take: Not sure why the Panthers took Short after getting Lotulelei and having other needs. Keenan Allen would’ have been a better pick. However, Short is a good value at that spot.
45 Arizona Cardinals – Kevin Minter, LB, LSU
Muzio’s take: The Arizona Cardinals really got a steal with Kevin Minter who is very productive and ran a 4.67 forty at his Pro Day.
46 Buffalo Bills – Kiko Alonso, LB, Oregon
Alonso was electric at Oregon at times, but he sometimes could not get off blocks.
47 Dallas Cowboys – Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego St.
Cowboys fill a need with another potential possession receiver for Romo.
48 Pittsburgh Steelers – Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan St.
Eddie Lacy may have been a better pick for the Steelers, but they seemed to have gone with the battering ram from Michigan State because they felt he could catch the ball a bit better out of the backfield.
49 New York Giants – Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
Safe pick for the Giants to add more depth to the defensive line.
50. Chicago Bears – Jon Bostic, LB, Florida
Bostic, well-tested in the SEC, gives the Bears more depth at the linebacker position.
51. Washington Redskins – David Amerson, CB N.C. State.
Washington needs depth on the secondary desperately, and that is why they may have reached a bit here with Amerson this early on the second round.
52 New England Patriots – Jamie Collins, OLB, Southern Miss
This is a good pick for the Patriots, Collins can be used in a variety of different situations and even on special teams.
53 Cincinnati Bengals – Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
At times, Hunt was dominant and showed potential against lesser competition. Whether his potential can translate in the arguably the NFL’s most physical division will remain to be seen.
54 Miami Dolphins – Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise St.
Boom or bust. Showed flashes of dominance at Boise State, but was not as physical as the defenders from Boise State who have succeeded in the NFL.
55 San Francisco 49ers – Vance McDonald, TE, Rice
San Francisco is filling every need, and picked up a more than serviceable tight end.
56 Baltimore Ravens – Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas St.
Arthur Brown was a great pick for the Ravens. Brown is a dynamic middle linebacker, and Ozzie Newsome had to be shocked to find him available. Elam and Brown could be special players for the Ravens.
57 Houston Texans – D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina
D.J. Swearinger is a lethal safety for the Houston Texans, and he will immediately bolster their defense.
58 Denver Broncos – Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
The Broncos selection of a running back makes a lot of sense, and the choice of Montee Ball certainly brings great value to the team. It is perplexing why Eddie Lacy is still on the board. Teams must be really concerned about nagging injuries and his top end speed, but I still believe he is far and away the best back of this class.
59 New England Patriots – Aaron Dobson, WR, Marshall
The Patriots draft so well. I love the Dobson pick, but I did not expect it. This is a kid with great speed and receiving skills. I look for him to be a high impact player in New England
60. Atlanta Falcons – Robert Alford, CB, SE Louisiana
Atlanta needed a cornerback, and Alford may be good in the nickel package.
61. Green Bay Packers – Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Eddie Lacy is a huge steal for the Packers. I thought they needed to take him in Round 1, but, in Round 2, he is a great value. Lacy is a solid back who will force teams to not focus solely on Aaron Rodgers. A very smart and VERY fortunate pick for the Packers. Lacy fits perfectly in Green Bay and he is as much of the steal for the storied franchise like Rodgers was.
62. Seattle Seahawks – Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M
An underrated player who combines speed and power. He got overshadowed by Johnny Manziel, but he should provide the Seahawks with a dynamic one-two punch with Marshawn Lynch.
THIRD ROUND:
63. Kansas City Chiefs – Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
64. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dwayne Gratz, CB, Connecticut
65. Detroit Lions – Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
66. Oakland Raiders – Sio Moore, LB, Connecticut
67. Philadelphia Eagles – Bennie Logan, DT, LSU
68. Cleveland Browns – Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego St.
69. Arizona Cardinals – Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
70. Tennessee Titans – Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut
71. St. Louis Rams – T.J. McDonald, S, USC
72. New York Jets – Brian Winters, OG, Kent St.
73. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State
74. Dallas Cowboys – Terrence Williams, WR, Baylor
75. New Orleans Saints – Terron Armstead, Tackle, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
76. San Diego Chargers – Keenan Allen, Wide Receiver, California
77. Miami Dolphins – Dallas Thomas, Tackle, Tennessee
78. Buffalo Bills – Marquise Goodwin, Wide Receiver, Texas
79. Pittsburgh Steelers – Markus Wheaton, Wide Receiver, Oregon State
80. Dallas Cowboys – J.J. Wilcox, Safety, Georgia Southern
81. New York Giants – Damontre Moore, Defensive End, Texas A&M
82. New Orleans Saints – John Jenkins, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
83. New England Patriots – Logan Ryan, Cornerback, Rutgers
84. Cincinnati Bengals – Shawn Williams, Safety, Georgia
85. Washington Redskins – Jordan Reed, Tight End, Florida
86. Indianapolis Colts – Hugh Thornton, Guard, Illinois
87. Seattle Seahawks – Jordan Hill, Defensive Tackle Penn State
88. San Francisco 49ers – Corey Lemonier, Defensive End, Auburn
89. Houston Texans – Brennan Williams, Tackle, North Carolina
90. Denver Broncos – Kayvon Webster, Cornerback, South Florida
91. New England Patriots – Duron Harmon, Safety, Rutgers
92. St. Louis Rams – Stedman Bailey, Wide Receiver, West Virginia
93. Miami Dolphins – Will Davis, Cornerback, Utah State
94. Baltimore Ravens – Brandon Williams, Defensive Tackle, Missouri Southern State
95. Houston Texans – Sam Montgomery, Defensive End LSU
96. Kansas City Chiefs – Knile Davis, Running Back, Arkansas
97. Tennessee Titans – Zaviar Gooden, Linebacker, Missouri
FOURTH ROUND (from NFL.com):
98. Philadelphia Eagles – Matt Barkley, QB, Southern California
99. Kansas City Chiefs – LB, Alabama
100. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Akeem Spence, DT, Illinois
101. Jacksonville Jaguars – Ace Sanders, WR, South Carolina
102. New England Patriots – Josh Boyce, WR, Texas Christian
103. Arizona Cardinals – Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
104. Miami Dolphins – Jelani Jenkins, LB, Florida
105. Buffalo Bills – Duke Williams, FS, Nevada
106. Miami Dolphins – Dion Sims, TE, Michigan St
107. Tennessee Titans – Brian Schwenke, C, California
108. Carolina – Panthers – Edmund Kugbila, OG, Valdosta State
109. Packers – David Bakhtiari, OT, Colorado
110. Giants – Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
111. Steelers – Shamarko Thomas, SS, Syracuse
112. Raiders – Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
16(113) Rams Jones, Barrett OG 6’4″ 306 Alabama
17(114) Cowboys Webb, B.W. CB 5’10” 184 William & Mary
18(115) Steelers Jones, Landry QB 6’4″ 225 Oklahoma
19(116) Cardinals (From Giants) Watford, Earl OG 6’3″ 300 James Madison
20(117) Bears Greene, Khaseem OLB 6’1″ 241 Rutgers
21(118) Bengals Porter, Sean OLB 6’1″ 229 Texas A&M
22(119) Redskins Thomas, Phillip SS 6’0″ 208 Fresno St.
23(120) Vikings Hodges, Gerald OLB 6’1″ 243 Penn St.
24(121) Colts Holmes, Khaled C 6’3″ 302 USC
25(122) Packers Tretter, J.C. OT 6’4″ 307 Cornell
26(123) Seahawks Harper, Chris WR 6’1″ 229 Kansas St.
27(124) Texans Williams, Trevardo DE 6’1″ 241 Connecticut
28(125) Packers (From Broncos) Franklin, Johnathan RB 5’10” 205 UCLA
29(126) Buccaneers (From Patriots) Gholston, William DE 6’6″ 281 Michigan St.
30(127) Falcons Goodman, Malliciah DE 6’4″ 276 Clemson
31(128) 49ers Patton, Quinton WR 6’0″ 204 Louisiana Tech
32(129) Ravens Simon, John DE 6’1″ 257 Ohio St.
33(130) Ravens (Compensatory Selection) Juszczyk, Kyle FB 6’1″ 248 Harvard
34(131) 49ers (Compensatory Selection) Lattimore, Marcus RB 5’11” 221 South Carolina
35(132) Lions (Compensatory Selection) Taylor, Devin DE 6’7″ 266 South Carolina
36(133) Falcons (Compensatory Selection) Toilolo, Levine TE 6’8″ 260 Stanford
ROUND FIVE
1(134) Chiefs Commings, Sanders CB 6’0″ 216 Georgia
2(135) Jaguars Robinson, Denard WR 5’10” 199 Michigan
3(136) Eagles Wolff, Earl SS 5’11” 209 N.C. State
4(137) Seahawks (From Lions) Williams, Jesse DT 6’3″ 323 Alabama
5(138) Seahawks (From Raiders ) Simon, Tharold CB 6’2″ 202 LSU
6(139) Colts (From Browns) Hughes, Montori DT 6’4″ 329 Tennessee-Martin
7(140) Cardinals Taylor, Stepfan RB 5’9″ 214 Stanford
8(141) Jets Aboushi, Oday OT 6’5″ 308 Virginia
9(142) Titans Edwards, Lavar DE 6’4″ 277 LSU
10(143) Bills Meeks, Jonathan DB 6’1″ 210 Clemson
11(144) Saints Stills, Kenny WR 6’0″ 194 Oklahoma
12(145) Chargers Williams, Steve CB 5’9″ 181 California
13(146) Broncos (From Dolphins through Packers) Smith, Quanterus DE 6’5″ 250 Western Kentucky
14(147) Buccaneers Means, Steven DE 6’3″ 260 Buffalo
15(148) Panthers Klein, A.J. ILB 6’1″ 250 Iowa St.
16(149) Rams McGee, Brandon CB 5’11” 193 Miami
17(150) Steelers Hawthorne, Terry CB 6’0″ 195 Illinois
18(151) Cowboys Randle, Joseph RB 6’0″ 204 Oklahoma St.
19(152) Giants Taylor, Cooper S 6’4″ 228 Richmond
20(153) Falcons (From Bears) Maponga, Stansly DE 6’2″ 256 TCU
21(154) Redskins Thompson, Chris RB 5’7″ 192 Florida St.
22(155) Vikings Locke, Jeff P 6’0″ 209 UCLA —
23(156) Bengals Hawkinson, Tanner OT 6’5″ 298 Kansas
24(157) 49ers (From Colts) Dial, Quinton DE 6’5″ 318 Alabama
25(158) Seahawks Willson, Luke TE 6’5″ 251 Rice
26(159) Packers Hyde, Micah CB 6’0″ 197 Iowa
27(160) Rams (From Texans) Stacy, Zac RB 5’8″ 216 Vanderbilt
28(161) Broncos King, Tavarres WR 6’0″ 189 Georgia
29(162) Redskins (From Patriots) Jenkins, Brandon DE 6’2″ 251 Florida St.
30(163) Bears (From Falcons) Mills, Jordan OT 6’5″ 316 Louisiana Tech
31(164) Dolphins (From 49ers through Browns) Gillislee, Mike RB 5’11” 208 Florida
32(165) Lions (From Ravens through Seahawks) Martin, Sam P 6’1″ 205 Appalachian St. —
33(166) Dolphins (Compensatory Selection) Sturgis, Caleb K 5’10” 188 Florida
34(167) Packers (Compensatory Selection) Boyd, Josh DE 6’3″ 310 Mississippi St.
35(168) Ravens (Compensatory Selection) Wagner, Ricky OT 6’6″ 308 Wisconsin
Cole Muzio (@ColeMuzio) and Tony Lee (@TheTonyLee) are contributing to this report.
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