NFL Draft Day Two Quick Thoughts

by Chris Cappella

Thursday may be the most exciting time for NFL fans when it comes to the draft, but Friday is easily the most fun. There are a ton of starters for picking in day two, the pace of the draft is much better, and these are the rounds where first round talent falls because of character concerns; will your team take a chance? Because I like lists I’ll go off and what I liked and what I didn’t like over rounds two and three.

What I liked

Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Adams (left) and Philadelphia Eagle Vinny Curry (right).

1.      The PA teams: Maybe I’m just a complete geek but I LOVE when teams draft lots of offensive lineman, and that’s what the Steelers have done the past two years. In the second round, Pittsburgh took Ohio State lineman Mike Adams and is building a solid core to protect Ben Roethlisberger. I also believe Philadelphia has done an awesome job identifying their needs, taking violent ILB Mychael Kendricks and Marshall DE Vinny Curry, who is maybe the most underrated pass rusher in this class.

2.      Courtney Upshaw is a Baltimore Raven. Be afraid football fans, be very afraid.

3.      I think the St. Louis Rams are currently having the best draft out of anybody and there a few reasons why. Brian Quick is a physical specimen who can step in and be a much needed playmaker for quarterback Sam Bradford. I think Quick is a more complete receiver than for Georgia Tech and current Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill, taken ten picks later. Isiah Pead is a great number two option at running back and can spell one of the greats in the NFL and Janoris Jenkins is a top ten talent who wouldn’t been taken if Jeff Fisher didn’t do his homework. On a side not, third round pick Trumaine Johnson from Montana I think will become a safety at the next level.

4.      Brock Osweiler gets to learn from Peyton Manning. That’s always a good thing.

What I didn’t like

1.      The Jacksonville Jaguars took a punter in the THIRD ROUND. In the words of Chris Paul, “WoW.”

2.      I liked the Bills trying to identify their needs, but drafting wide receiver T.J Graham out of North Carolina State is a big reach. According to draftcountdown.com, Graham is the number 31 ranked wide receiver prospect and Mike Mayock from the NFL Network said he would have waited until the seventh round to take Graham. Good thought, but a big reach for Buffalo.

3.      The Oakland Raiders have had just one pick in the entire draft, and it was the last one of the day… How does that even happen? (By the way, they took tackle Tony Bergstrom from Utah)

4.      What annoys me about the San Francisco 49ers isn’t even their fault. The team virtually has no holes except at the quarterback position, and everyone know they aren’t going to trade up for an elite quarterback prospect. If they lose in the NFC Championship game again, when do they just say “screw it” and trade the house for a top ten quarterback talent? Should be sooner rather than later in my opinion.