Day 2 NFL Draft Recap:

By Guest Blogger Geoff Newolet:

Below are some of the more interesting picks of the second and third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Second Round Recap:

(4) Kansas City Chiefs select Dexter McCluster (RB) Ole Miss:

This is an interesting pick considering that Jamaal Charles emerged last season as a legitimate starter at running back for the Chiefs – and let’s not forget the signing of Thomas Jones this past off season. It will be interesting to see how McCluster fits in as he will most likely be the third option in the backfield. He could end up playing a Percy Harvin type role as a dynamic threat rushing and receiving. He could also be used returning kicks. Ultimately, it looks like McCluster will add another dimension to the offense, and it looks like the Chief’s offense is shaping up to be a potentially solid unit.

(11) Baltimore Ravens select Sergio Kindle (OLB) Texas:

This is an odd pick for a multitude of reasons: the Ravens had much bigger needs at TE and CB, and Kindle is a huge gamble. Kindle has had multiple knee operations, and questions have been raised about his character. This looks like a dicey pick for the Ravens, and it screams boom or bust.

(16) Carolina Panthers select Jimmy Clausen (QB) Notre Dame:

This looks like a good pick for the Panthers. There are a number of different opinions of Clausen, his abilities, and his ego, but in terms of sheer value, it looks like the Panthers selected a player that was pegged to go much earlier. They also had an obvious need at quarterback with essentially no one on the roster that is extensively NFL tested. I could definitely see Clausen winning the starting job in camp unless John Fox decides that he should sit and learn for a season.

(19) Minnesota Vikings select Toby Gerhart (RB) Stanford:

This was a pretty surprising pick considering who Gerhart will be playing behind – Adrian Peterson. Yes, the Vikings have lost Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears this off-season, but the Vikings gave away their third rounder to move eleven spots to select a third down back. More importantly, running back simply was not a position of serious need. Quarterback and offensive lineman are still position yet to be addressed, which makes this pick an oddity.

Third Round Recap:

(7) Green Bay Packers selects Morgan Burnett (S) Georgia Tech:

This is an interesting pick mainly because of how far Morgan Burnett has fallen. For much of the mock draft process he was slated as a mid to late first round pick. He was also a multi-year All-American for Georgia Tech. He reminds me a bit of Mike Doss of a few years back. Doss was arguably the best safety in the nation for the Ohio State Buckeyes for multiple seasons, but he fell to the second round of the draft. He ended up playing six sub-par seasons before being cut by the Cincinnati Bengals. It seems like Burnett is in a similar situation where his collegiate success is what is driving his draft selection, but his draft workouts would lead one to believe that his is not NFL material.

(20) Cincinnati Bengals select Jordan Shipley (WR) Texas:

Jordan Shipley, also a huge collegiate success, is in my opinion one of the biggest sleepers in the draft. He lacks game breaking speed, but he’s a big body and he finds a way to get open. He reminds me of Marquis Colston in that he does not have the best measurables but he has a great sense of the game, and he finds a way to be successful.

(21) Cleveland Browns select Colt McCoy (QB) Texas:

This was not a huge surprise at this point in the draft. McCoy was seen as a third rounder from the beginning, and the Browns have a glaring need at quarterback. At this point we can only hope the McCoy isn’t thrown to the wolves too soon in his career. A year or two on the bench would do a lot of good.

(25) Carolina Panthers select Armanti Edwards (WR) Appalachian State:

This has been a surprising draft for the Panthers, and Armanti Edwards is probably a bigger surprise selection than Clausen or Brandon LaFell. Edwards was a dual-threat quarterback for D-IAA Appalachain State, and he is projected as a wide receiver in the NFL. This is a risky pick, and most scouts, coaches and pundits would agree that Edwards was grossly over drafted. I would go as far as to say that Edwards has been the most over drafted second only to Tim Tebow at this point. There simply is very little indication that Edwards will be able to make the transition from quarterback to wide receiver – or from Division-IAA to the NFL. I’m not sure anyone other than the Panthers had Edwards slated as a third round pick.

Other notes:

– Chris Cook (UVA) was selected two spots out of the first round. He was nearly one of five other University of Virginia players to be selected in the first round of the draft during the Al Groh Era. Of those five, four were top-fifteen picks, and UVA has also had a number of other players selected in the first day of the draft (Matt Schaub, Elton Brown, Clint Sintim, etc). The shocking part about these figures is that Al Groh averaged 6.5 wins per season over 9 years while continually pumping out premium NFL talent. I’m not sure if any other programs can compete with this.

– The Oakland Raiders selected Jared Veldheer (OL) from Hillsdale College in the third round. Veldheer became the first player selected from Hillsdale College in 30 years – Nate Johnson was selected in 1980.