The 2008 NFL Draft Day Open Thread -- 2nd Round

Time for the 2nd Round.  What will the Broncos do at #42??

#32 Miami Dolphins -- DE Phillip Merling, Clemson  Concerns about Merling's recovery from a sports hernia surgery dropped the talented ACC pass rusher out of the first round. With the first pick of the second round, however, the Dolphins added a big, physical defensive lineman that projects nicely outside to end in the 3-4 alignment.

#33 St Louis Rams -- WR Donnie Avery, Houston  Someone could have made a lot of money in betting that Donnie Avery would end up being the first receiver taken in the 2008 draft. Avery lacks the big name of some of the other highly rated receivers, but his stock has been skyrocketing in recent weeks and he fills a clear need as a slot receiver and returner for the Rams.

#34 Washington Redskins -- WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State  Once Jim Zorn was hired as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, it was clear that the club would be adding taller receivers soon. The Redskins probably couldn't have anticipated that Devin Thomas would fall to this point, but in trading down, Washington played the board beautifully.

#35 Kansas City Chiefs  -- CB Brandon Flowers  With real needs at nearly every position, the Chiefs are in the enjoyable position of being able to take the best player available. With such a run on offensive tackles throughout the first round, the Chiefs shifted their focus to cornerback, adding Flowers, who is viewed by many as one of the toughest and most instinctive corners of the draft.

#36 Green Bay Packers  -- WR Jordy Nelson  Considering the young talent already on the roster, wide receiver is far from the Packers' greatest need. However, Jordy Nelson has been flying up draft boards all season long and ranked among the hottest prospects in the final weeks. A former walk-on strong safety, Nelson developed into an All-American receiver as a senior and impressed at the Senior Bowl and Combine.

#37 Atlanta Falcons  -- ILB Curtis Lofton  The Falcons may be a team in transition, but the players they're picking are the types of guys capable of building around. With their first two picks on the offensive side of the ball, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton steps in as a new face for the defense. Instinctive, physical, and athletic, Lofton should make an immediate impact.

#38 Seattle Seahawks  -- TE John Carlson, Notre Dame  The Seahawks hitched their wagon to the tired legs of Marcus Pollard at tight end last season to very marginal results. In aggressively trading up to get Carlson, the team adds the most NFL-ready tight end of the 2008 draft. What he lacks in upside, Carlson more than makes up for in consistency as a medium range target and inline blocker.

#39  SanFrancisco 49ers  --  OG Chilo Rachal, Southern Cal  For all of the concern over wide receiver, the 49ers biggest concern remains their offensive line. In Chilo Rachal, the club added an ascending talent capable of filling in some of the holes along their front. Considering Rachal's physicality, Frank Gore may be the happiest 49er after this move.

#40 New Orleans Saints  -- CB Tracy Porter, Indiana  Trading up to secure Sedrick Ellis did not - in itself - solve the Saints defensive problems. Adding an athlete with Tracy Porter's coverage skills, however, could go a long way in helping the Saints' defensive woes. Porter isn't as physical as scouts would prefer, but he has first round caliber agility and pure speed.

#41 Buffalo Bills  -- WR James Hardy, Indiana  An obvious area of need for the Bills was addressed with the selection of the 6-5, 217 pound Hardy to play opposite speedy playmaker Lee Evans. Hardy has rare athleticism for such a large receiver and has the strong hands and leaping ability to develop into one of the league's most productive red-zone targets.

  #42 Denver Broncos -- WR Eddie Royal, Virginia Tech

#43 Minnesota Vikings  -- SS Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State  One of the fastest rising prospects over the last few weeks, Johnson was ranked by some clubs as the elite safety in the draft. A dominant player throughout his career at Arkansas State, Johnson was the most impressive safety in workouts, as well. Only questions about his level of competition pushed him this far down the board.

#44 Chicago Bears  --  RB Matt Forte, Tulane  With concerns regarding the consistency and intensity from Cedric Benson, the Bears added a speed back in Garrett Wolfe last year. In adding a bigger back in Forte with this pick, clearly the pressure is on Benson to step up his production.

#45 Detroit Lions  --  OLB Jordan Dizon, Colorado  Dizon's size and bulk issues limit him to Cover-2 type of alignments.  He is best served outside on the weak side. For all of his physical limitations, 463 tackles indicate he knows how to get to the ball.

#46 Cincinnatti Bengals  -- CB Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina  Could be considered as a Receiving threat.  Simpson has been viewed among the elite receiver prospects throughout the year. Considering the bizarre saga with Chad Johnson, receiver was an area of prime need for the Bengals.

#47 Philadelphia Eagles  -- DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame    He works from the snap until the whistle on every play. Also, he plays with excellent leverage and is strong for his size. He's much more stout than you would think looking at his measurables.

#48 Washington Redskins  -- TE Fred Davis, Southern Cal  Chris Cooley doesn't have to look over his shoulder with the selection of Fred Davis, but for Jim Zorn's offense to work effectively, more traditional tight ends were needed. Davis, the Mackey Award winner, has the athleticism to move around, while also holding up at the point of attack as a run blocker.

#49 Philadelphia Eagles  --  WR Desean Jackson, California  It took a round later than expected, but Philadelphia added the dynamic receiver and returner they've needed throughout Donovan McNabb's entire career. Jackson, blessed with great timed speed and remarkable agility is one of the few receivers capable of making an immediate impact.

#50 Arizona Cardinals  -- DE Calais Campbell, Miami  If teams focused their film study of Calais Campbell on his sophomore season, he may have been a top 20 selection. In struggling with consistency throughout last season, however, the 6-8, 290 pound Campbell fell into Arizona's lap here. With his talent and size, the Cardinals could be the ones with the last laugh.

#51 Washington Redskins  --  WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma  If there was any doubt as to how serious the Redskins were in adding size and athleticism to their receiving corps, the questions were answered throughout the second round. Kelly's stock dropped after poor Pro Day workouts and due to concerns about a lingering knee injury. At this point in the draft, however, Kelly was excellent value for the Redskins.

#52 Jacksonville Jaguars  -- OLB Quentin Groves, Auburn  Jacksonville entered the draft needing a speed rusher. After aggressively moving up to get Derrick Harvey in the first round, the team went to the well again, securing another speedy SEC pass rusher in Groves. There isn't a team in the league that made a greater improvement in their pass rush than the Jaguars via the first day of the draft.

#53 Pittsburgh Steelers  --  WR Limas Sweed, Texas  Big Ben lobbied for a red-zone target and got one with the Steelers drafting receiver Limas Sweed in the second round. Possessing first round caliber athleticism, Sweed dropped down the board due to concerns about his consistency while at Texas and a wrist injury that marred his senior season. At this point, however, Sweed provided excellent value.

#54 Tennessee Titans  -- DE Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan  The free agent losses of defensive ends Travis LaBoy and Antwan Odom made pass rusher an area of huge need for the Titans. Jones, a versatile defender capable of helping at end and tackle, helped himself with a solid performance against the nation's elite at the Senior Bowl.

#55 Baltimore Ravens  -- RB Ray Rice, Rutgers  The John Harbaugh stamp on the Baltimore Ravens was felt through the first two rounds of the 2008 draft as the skill position players for which the team will be built around were added. Rice, while undersized, is among the draft's most physical backs and is very similar to Jacksonville star, Maurice Jones-Drew.

#56 Green Bay Packers  -- QB Brian Brohm, Louisville  The Packers addressed their need for a backup quarterback with the selection of Brohm in the late second round. Like the player he'll be backing up -- Aaron Rodgers -- Brohm dropped significantly lower than projected. In Green Bay's version of the West Coast Offense, however, Brohm's ability to read defenses and accurately distribute the football makes him a nice fit.

#57 MiamiDolphins  --  QB Chadd Henne, Michigan  It came a round later than projected, but the Dolphins finally added some competition for John Beck with Chad Henne in the late second round. Some have knocked his composure in the pocket, but Henne is the draft's most talented pure passer. Henne also is the gutty leader Parcells has preferred throughout his career.

#58 Tampa Bay Buccaneers  -- WR Dexter Jackson, Appalaichan State   Considering that 36 year old Joey Galloway provided the only downfield threat for the Bucs over the past several years, the need was there for a dynamic receiver. In Dexter Jackson, Tampa Bay added a player with a history of stepping up his level of play each time he was challenged -- whether in the upset victory over Michigan, at the Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, or the Combine, Jackson proved he deserved to be ranked among the elite receivers.

#59 Indianapolis Colts  -- C Mike Pollack, Arizona State  The run on offensive linemen was predominately reserved to the offensive tackles, but it is indicative of just how talented this year's offensive line prospects were with the Colts using their first and only pick of the draft's top two rounds on an offensive lineman. Pollak entered the year as a late round pick, at best, but improved his stock all season long, solidifying his status as the top pivot with a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

#60 Green Bay Packers  --  CB Patrick Lee, Auburn  The Packers were expected to address their lack of depth behind aging starters Al Harris and Charles Woodson early and with rising cornerback Patrick Lee, they did so. Lee only emerged as a starter as a senior, but he showed enough in his one season that teams are quite high on his upside. Coming into a situation like Green Bay, where he'll likely be able to sit and learn early, should pay huge dividends in Lee's development.

#61 Dallas Cowboys  --  TE Marcellus Bennett, Texas A&M  In trading Anthony Fasano to Miami, the Cowboys suddenly found themselves with a hole at the position. Possessing the best combination of size, athleticism, and strength, Martellus Bennett has unique upside among this year's tight end class. Certainly Jason Witten has nothing to worry about as the starter, but in Bennett, the Cowboys have an exciting developmental talent.

#62 New England Patriots  -- CB Terrence Wheatley, Colorado  The Patriots love speedy, physical defensive backs and in former Colorado corner Terrence Wheatley, they've found another one. Blessed with rare speed and toughness, Wheatley has been able to overcome his lack of prototype size to play well in the Big XII as both a corner and kick returner.

#63 New York Giants  -- CB Terrel Thomas, Southern Cal  The Giants were able to use their rotation along the defensive line to mask a questionable secondary. The selection of the versatile Thomas -- who has experience at both cornerback and safety -- gives the team a second athletic defensive back from the first day of the draft.