2012 NFL Draft: Impressions from the second and third rounds

– The story of the second day wasn’t Janoris Jenkins coming off the board or even Ruben Randle slipping to the bottom of the second round. No, the headliner was the Jaguars taking a freaking punter in the third round. Bryan Anger might wind up being the greatest punter in the history of the NFL but you don’t take a punter in the third round…ever. If I squint hard enough I can envision a team taking a highly skilled specialist in the fourth, but the first three rounds are where teams have to find starters on offense and defense. Much of the good press the Jaguars received for leapfrogging the Rams to land Justin Blackmon in the first round was erased the moment Anger’s name was announced in the third. (No offense, Bryan.)

– One of the more underrated storylines from Day 2 was the Bengals selection of Rutgers’ receiver Mohamed Sanu in the third round. Sanu was the victim of a cruel prank the night before, when someone acting like the Bengals called to tell him that he had been drafted by Cincinnati. Sanu had to wait until the third round, but the real Bengals finally did call to give him the great news. It was a nice ending to a screwed up story.

Ruben Randle is a perfect fit for the Giants. Mario Manningham was excellent at pressuring defenses by running the seam in New York’s offense the past few seasons. I envision Randle fitting into a similar role as Manningham and thus, serving as Eli Manning’s new vertical threat in the slot. Hopefully falling all the way to the bottom of the second round will motivate the former Tiger to prove teams wrong for passing on him.

– The Packers are having an excellent draft but what else is new for Ted Thompson? Landing an explosive pass rusher like Nick Perry in the first was huge, but I liked Thompson’s strategy in the second round even more. He traded up for Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, who was inconsistent in college but who also has first-round talent, and for Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward, who was an instinctive, productive player in college. Teams have to find potential starters in the first three rounds and once again, Thompson has done that.

– The risk could be well worth the reward for the Rams when it comes to Janoris Jenkins. Everyone knows about his off-field issues so there’s no use going into them again. The bottom line is that if he flies right off the field, he could be a hell of a playmaker for a team that has been in desperate need for playmakers the past few years. I also liked the team’s selection of Brian Quick at No. 33 and Trumaine Johnson is another player with first-round talent that slipped. The questionable pick was running back Isaiah Pead in the second. The Rams had an opportunity to snag an outside linebacker at that slot and decided to draft Steven Jackson’s compliment instead. Nothing against Pead, but the running back position could have been addressed later in the draft.

– Ozzie Newsome once again did well on draft day. Trading back and still landing a first-round talent in Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw was excellent. Upshaw fits extremely well into Baltimore’s defensive system and he’ll look great playing alongside Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed in that defense.

– The Bills got great value in Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, who is projected as a guard at the next level but who also has experience as a tackle. Many thought Glenn would go in the first round so for him to slip all the way to No. 41 was surprising. Buffalo did well.

– He’s raw and it may take him a couple of years to develop but Amini Silatolu is an intriguing football player. He’ll kick inside to guard after playing tackle at Midwestern State and while he’s raw, he’s got the size and power to dominate at the next level. Well done, Ron Rivera.

Brock Osweiler is a project but he wound up in a great situation. Who better to show him the ropes for a few years than Peyton Manning, who is also a tall, lengthy quarterback with a laser-rocket arm.

– The most questionable pick in the second round was Detroit’s selection of Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles. He tore his ACL late in the season at Oklahoma and projects as a slot player at the next level. So why the Lions felt the need to take him with the No. 54 overall pick is beyond me. Not only would Broyles likely be there in the third or even the fourth, the Lions could have found safer slot options, such as Arkansas’ Jarius Wright.

– At first glance I questioned why the Colts would go back-to-back tight ends in Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen with their selections in the second and third rounds. But Fleener isn’t a very good blocker and you can definitely get both players on the field at the same time. Plus, the Colts are just looking for weapons at this point to give to Andrew Luck, so the selections make sense.

– The more I see of Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette the more I like. He’s got great size and quickness, has excellent pass-rushing tools and is a “high motor guy.” Bill Belichick continues to find gems.

– Count me among those that like Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill. The Jets will get him up to speed on their route tree – I’m not worried about the fact that he played in the Wishbone while in college. He has great size and speed, he can catch the ball and he can block. That’s all I need to know.

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2012 NFL Scouting Combine: 15 players that improved their draft stock

Missouri Tigers Michael Egnew (82) gets past the Iowa State Cyclones defense for a 39 yard touchdown in the first quarter at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri on October 15, 2011. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Which NFL prospects improved their draft stock at this year’s scouting combine?

Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Poe may have been the most impressive player at this year’s combine. He’s already a physical marvel at 6-foot-5 and 348 pounds that can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3. But toss in the fact that he ran an unreal 4.9 forty and did 44 reps on the bench press and what you have is a sure-fire top 20 pick.

Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
Hill ran a 4.36 forty, which was the fastest time among all of the receivers (Miami’s Travis Benjamin also ran a 4.36) and placed him second behind only Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson (who ran a 4.33). He also posted an impressive 39.5-inch vertical jump and displayed good quickness in short shuttle drills. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Hill has the size and speed that teams look for in a potential No. 1 receiver. With his stellar combine workout, he may have moved himself into the late first round.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Griffin made the Rams very happy with his 4.41 forty time, which bested all quarterbacks at the combine. He was a top 5 pick heading into Indianapolis but he may have just upped his asking price with his impressive performance. The Rams seemingly want to deal the No. 2 overall pick and after Griffin shinned in Indianapolis, they should have plenty of trade suitors come April.

Luke Kuechley, LB, Boston College
Teams were well aware of Kuechly’s productivity (he finished with 532 tackles at Boston College), instincts, toughness, and I.Q. before the combine. But after he posted a 4.50 forty and a 38-inch vertical leap, he cemented his status as a top-20 pick. He looks like one of the safer first-round prospects in this year’s draft.

Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida
Robinson blew scouts away when he ran unofficial forty times of 4.31 and 4.29, respectively. Those times made him the fastest prospect at this year’s combine and he also posted the best broad jump among the defensive backs with a mark of 11-foot-1. He’s a raw underclassman but after compiling 10 interceptions at Central Florida, Robinson has the speed and ball skills to merit a second round selection.

Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Kalil is a monster at 6-foot-7 and 306 pounds and is the younger brother of Panthers Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil. He posted a 4.99 forty, was excellent in the three-cone drill, and also did 30 reps on the bench. He cemented his status as the top left tackle in the draft and he may have guaranteed that the Vikings will select him with the No. 3 overall pick in April.

Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia
Glenn shocked observers by running a 4.96 forty and proved that he’s quick enough to play either right tackle or guard at the next level. He’s a massive run blocker at 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds, yet he stood out in the 10-yard split by clocking a 1.76. He also posted 31 reps on the bench press and cemented his status as a top-20 pick.

Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Behind Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill, Floyd was the most impressive receiver in Indy this year. He quelled some fears about his ability to separate from defenders by clocking a 4.47 forty, and at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds he has prototypical size for a receiver. While some scouts remain skeptical about his on-field speed, Floyd definitely improved his draft stock this past weekend.

Nick Perry, USC, OLB/DE
Perry was highly impressive in most of the drills at the combine, posting a 4.50 in the forty, a 38 1/2 –inch vertical leap, 10-foot-4 broad jump, and 35 reps on the bench press. He looks like an ideal fit as an edge-rusher in a 3-4.

Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
I included Kendricks in my “Spotting defensive value” article last week and he didn’t disappoint at the combine. At 5-foot-11 and 239 pounds, there are questions about his size, which is why he was projected to go in the fourth or fifth round before last week. But he posted the fastest forty in the linebacker group with a time of 4.47 and is a violent, explosive hitter from his inside linebacker position. I think he has a spot on a NFL roster and will make some team extremely happy in the fourth round.

Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
Egnew was one of the top performers at the tight end position in the three-cone, broad jump, short shuttle, and vertical jump, and also posted a 4.6 forty. Some believe his game speed isn’t as fast as his forty would suggest but he nevertheless looks like a solid “Y” or slot tight end at the next level.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
Cousins was arguably the most impressive quarterback in passing drills last weekend. Granted, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin II and Ryan Tannehill didn’t throw but that shouldn’t take away from the natural skill set that Cousins possessed in the three and five-step drop drills. Before the combine, Cousins was projected to go in the third round but he may have jumped into the second with his impressive performance.

Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Gilmore posted a 4.37 forty, which highlighted his excellent speed. Considering he’s also 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, teams will be just as intrigued by his size as they are with his speed. He looks like the third best corner in the draft and is ideal for a zone scheme.

Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina
Brown is a former track star and after running an unofficial 4.4 forty, teams will love his potential as a weak-side linebacker. He’s an ideal fit in a Cover-2 scheme that will allow him to track down ball carries in the open field. Look for him to be drafted in the late first or early second.

Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Ingram was already viewed as a first-round pick coming into the draft but he may have guaranteed that he’ll be a top-15 pick with his performance at the combine. He clocked an unofficial 4.66 forty and a 1.65 10-yard split, and teams could fight over his versatility and athleticism come April.

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