Day 2 of the 2011 NFL Draft is in the books and the Denver Broncos welcomed FS Rahim Moore, OT Orlando Franklin and ILB Nate Irving. Their division rivals were active in the 2nd and 3rd rounds too. Let's glance at the rest of the West and see what they did to improve their rosters.
In the 3rd round, Oakland chose DeMarcus Van Dyke with the 81st overall pick. Van Dyke is a 6'1", 176 lb. Cornerback out of Miami who fits Al Davis' speed requirement. DeMarcus runs a 4.25 40-yard Dash. DeMarcus was ranked as the 17th best Corner in this draft. He played mostly in the Nickel package at Miami, starting sporadically. His 5 Bench Press Reps and lithe frame will need to be addressed for him to last in the NFL, otherwise he and Darrius Heyward-Bey can chase each other up and down the field.
Oakland gave the Patriots another future pick to move up to #92 and select Joseph Barksdale from LSU. A 6'5", 325 lb. Tackle, Barksdale adds another big body to a needy Raider O-Line. He started the last 2 years for the Tigers and has experience at both Tackle positions. Barksdale has to shake the reputation for playing to the level of his competition and keep the throttle open if he wants to win a starting job in the NFL. - Jeff Reynolds, The Sports Xchange
THE CHARGERS
San Diego had two picks in the 2nd round. With the 50th pick, they selected Marcus Gilchrist, a 5'10" 195 out of Clemson. Rated as a strong player pound for pound, Marcus was one of the Tigers most reliable players. He runs a 4.45 40 and has a 37-inch vertical. A solid pickup for the Chargers.
The Bolts received a 2nd-Rounder from the New York Jets and at #61, they chose Michigan OLB Jonas Mouton. The 6'1", 239-pounder was a dependable player for the Wolverines, but possesses average agility and directional change ability. He will likely play on Special Teams and as a reserve.
In the 3rd round, San Diego made two more selections. They chose Vincent Brown with the 82nd pick. A 5'11", 187 lb. Wide Receiver from San Diego St., Vincent posted 40-yard dash times of 4.57 and 4.59 seconds and a vertical leap of 36 inches at his Pro Day. A classic possession receiver, Brown makes up for a lack of speed with good hands. He showed off that pass-catching ability during positional drills. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
Their second pick in the 3rd-round was courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks and they used the 89th selection on Shareece Wright, a 5'11", 185 lb. Cornerback from USC. Wright has a smooth backpedal and fluid hips to turn and run with receivers. He only had one season as a legitimate starter, but showed improvement with physicality in run support. Only played 17 games for the Trojans due to Academic eligibility and a hairline fracture in his neck in 2008. Shareece will need to work to earn his playing time, but he has shown enough promise to get that chance.
THE CHIEFS
Kansas City had one 2nd-round pick in this year's draft. They chose Rodney Hudson with the 55th pick. Rodney is a 6'2", 299 lb. Center out of Florida St. Athletic and quick, Hudson is the top-rated offensive Lineman in the 2011 Draft. His size will prevent him playing Tackle, but he can play any of the three inside spots and is familiar with the zone-blocking scheme. An excellent pick at this spot.
Each team in the AFC West was able to select a starter in the second round, but from there the talent dropped off. In my opinion, they each get two players out of today's picks. Maybe Saturday will unearth some nuggets worth polishing.