Latest Second Round Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports

[San Jose Bills Fan]

ROUND TWO

 

33. Detoit Lions: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State

Not only do the Lions get their quarterback of the future here, they also get the quarterback with the most upside in the draft.

 

34. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

A physical freak who, on talent alone, is worthy of a top-10 pick.

 

35. St. Louis Rams: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

The Rams need to add talent to their cornerback position, and Smith can come in and start from day one.

 

36. Cleveland Browns: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh

McCoy gives the Browns a more dynamic and explosive threat on the ground.

 

37. Seattle Seahawks: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College

The undersized Seahawks defensive line needs to add some girth up front; Brace fits the bill.

 

38. Cincinnati Bengals: Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa

The kind of blue-collar running back the Bengals need in order to take pressure off their passing attack.

 

39. Jacksonville Jaguars: Max Unger, C/G/T, Oregon

The Jaguars need help across the offensive line, and Unger has the versatility to fill any of those roles.

 

40. Oakland Raiders: Jamon Meredith, OT/OG, South Carolina

An ideal fit at either guard or tackle in the Raiders’ zone-blocking scheme.

 

41. Green Bay Packers: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU

Should become an immediate starter in the Packers’ new 3-4 defense.

 

42. Buffalo Bills: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss

The kind of vertical threat the Bills’ offense desperately needs at tight end.

 

43. San Francisco 49ers: Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State

An ideal five-technique defensive end who has been soaring up draft boards the past couple weeks.

 

44. Miami Dolphins (from WAS): Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan

The class’ top safety prospect should instantly upgrade Miami’s secondary.

 

45. New York Giants (from NO): Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers

Expect the Giants to address their receiver position in the second round with a big target like Britt.

 

46. Houston Texans: Coye Francies, CB, San Jose State

An impressive corner who was a real standout at the Senior Bowl and is starting to climb up draft boards.

 

47. New England Patriots (from SD): Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon

An instinctive zone corner who should fit in nicely in the complex New England defense.

 

48. Denver Broncos: Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia

The kind of athletic rush linebacker the Broncos need for their 3-4 defense.

 

49. Chicago Bears: Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn

A quick-twitch lineman ideal for the Bears’ one-gap scheme.

 

50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee

The Buccaneers need to infuse young talent along their defensive line. Ayers fits the bill.

 

51. Dallas Cowboys: Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma

The kind of big, physical lineman the Cowboys seem to build their offensive line around.

 

52. New York Jets: Asher Allen, CB, Georgia

A tough, instinctive corner who will help upgrade the Jets’ secondary.

 

53. Philadelphia Eagles: William Moore, S, Missouri

An eventual replacement needs to be brought in for FS Brian Dawkins.

 

54. Minnesota Vikings: Nate Davis, QB, Ball State

With a lack of talent at the quarterback position, expect the Vikings to take a shot on Davis at the end of round two.

 

55. Atlanta Falcons: Fili Moala, DT, USC

A big, physical lineman who might be able to fill a need at nose tackle for Atlanta.

 

56. Miami Dolphins: Derrick Williams, WR, PSU

Williams adds some much needed talent and depth to the Miami receiving corps.

 

57. Baltimore Ravens: Connor Barwin, OLB/DE/TE, Cincinnati

A hard-working, blue-collar athlete with an ability to play on both sides of the ball.

 

58. New England Patriots: Troy Kropog, OT, Tulane

A smooth pass blocker who adds much needed youth to the Patriots’ offensive line.

 

59. Carolina Panthers: Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri

The Panthers have lacked consistent production from the tight end position since Wesley Walls.

 

60. New York Giants: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

The Giants may need to find a replacement, or two, for running backs Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs.

 

61. Indianapolis Colts: Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma

A smooth route runner who should fit nicely in the Indianapolis offense.

 

62. Tennessee Titans: Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

An explosive tackle who might end up replacing Albert Haynesworth if he isn’t re-signed.

 

63. Arizona Cardinals: Paul Kruger, OLB/DE, Utah

The type of hybrid pass rusher the Cardinals love to use off the edge.

 

64. Pittsburgh Steelers: Herman Johnson, OG, LSU

A massive in-line blocker who should create some big holes in the Steelers’ run game.

[Beerball]

Round 1 for those who haven't seen it:

 

11. Buffalo Bills: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College

The Bills need to add to their pass rush this offseason, but with Orakpo and Brown off the board, expect the Bills to opt for a big-time tackle. DT Kyle Williams does a nice job defeating blocks and playing with a consistent motor, but the idea of Raji and Marcus Stroud inside is too good to pass up.

[Lofton80]

I would love to see Duke Robinson in the second and a center like Caldwell or Wood in the third.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Is Nelson better than Coffman? (I guess this mocker thinks so).

[Kingfish]

Is Nelson better than Coffman? (I guess this mocker thinks so).

 

http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingrepo...hawn-Nelson.php

 

It says he's a better version of Martin Rucker.

[Stl Bills]

http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingrepo...hawn-Nelson.php

 

It says he's a better version of Martin Rucker.

Well having seen both of Rucker and Coffman over their entire college careers......

 

Coffman is the way better pro prospect.

[billybob]

Shawn Nelson is pretty good but not in the second round

[H2o]

Shawn Nelson, the vertical threat we need? No way. I'd be hot if we took him in the 2nd round. Casey or Coffman fine, but not that guy. He hasn't produced like Casey or Coffman either.

[tennesseeboy]

I see Robert Ayers of Tennessee has jumped into second round consideration. (50) If he's around in the second the Bills had better think long and hard. This guy is a product of the Haynesworth Henderson school of thought at UT and could be a very very good choice.

[HotPocket]

With Raji now being a top 10 pick in many peoples eyes, and I can't see the Bills jumping for Pettigrew at #11 either (if the Bills pass on him there, many people have him slipping to 20s). Is this guy really worth that pick in the 2nd round? I feel like tight ends have such a mediocre upside that I'd rather Buff just stock up one side of the ball with all the opportunity players available on D.

[DazedandConfused]

Both Nelson and Raji are good players who will add a lot to the teams which pick them (though Nelson seems a bit of a reach for a first day pick). However, the whole premise behind what the Bills seemingly want to get out of their two picks seems a little off.

 

The simple likely occurrence is this:

 

The draft should give the Bills good players (good players tend to get drafted) but outside of the first 10 players taken overall (my definition of an elite player) the draft is crapshoot and a team will be doing extremely well (due to their skill and luck) if even their first round player is a starter for the team at the end of his first season.

 

I know the conventional wisdom is that a 1st round choice should be a virtual immediate starter for a team and certainly should be a starter by the end of his rookie year. However, just because this is the CW does not make it true. The truth is slightly over 50% of first year draftees are starters on the team's depth chart in their second year (this is based on my observations as a longtime NFL watcher and actual statistical analysis of one year a few back of the results of what was generally viewed as a very strong draft class).

 

When one took the time to examine the depth charts at the start of the next year (it would be great if someone took the time to do that for last year's class and I among others would be grateful), I think it was 18 of the 32 players chosen in the first round were starters in their second year. In fact there was a strong bias to these starters being players taken with the first 10 picks (an obvious finding actually as not only are these players demonstrably good, but the teams which tended to have the first 10 picks were weak and had openings.

 

It certainly can happen that a team will strike gold and find a starter taken late in the first (Nate Clements is an example). A team can be extremely good at picking players and find a starter like Pos in the second round or even amazingly pick a starter like Williams on the second day.

 

However, back in the real world of this sport driven by fantasy drafts (isn't all we see or seem but a dream within a dream) the real world consists of not infrequent picks like a Mike Williams (if you think this was an unusual waste of a #4 simply remember that this draft also included Joey Harrington who was a waste of a #3) and that even when your team is good or lucky enough to get a Pos in the 2nd he missed most of his rookie year actually with a broken arm.

 

The draft is a very entertaining thing. Between the advent of fantasy leagues and Mel Kiper figuring it out and theorizing is a whole industry.

 

However, if the expectation or conventional wisdom is that the Bills are going to get a difference maker for next year from their 1st and also their second pick, the simple fact is fat chance.

 

The Bills have actually done an extremely good job drafting under the current regime. When Marv came on board to lead the braintrust and with his leavings which are the current braintrust, they simply have produced outstanding results in the real world as not only have the majority of their first day choices become team starters and leaders but in the first three years which one must wait to accurately judge a player Lynch made the Pro Bowl, McKelvin not only has gotten significant PT at CB but is one of the best KR guys in the NFL and Pos has led the team in tackles.

 

Sure there have been disappointments and arguably busts like McCargo, but even these failures have been directly compensated for by the teams ability to find starters like Williams on the second day. Williams is no great player but again like it or not, the simple fact is he won the starters job on a team which demonstrably improved with him starting from the horrendous 5-11 which "won" them an actual elite pick to a more solid though mediocre 7-9.

 

If the premise behind these picks is the one stated that the Bills are looking for a second rounder to be the difference maker they need, then this is a premise which may work out but almost certainly will not.

 

The Bills it is to be hoped will draft good players who with good coaching and a fair amount of good luck will become not only solid contributors but league leaders for the team (a good example is Eric Moulds who by most measures was a "bust" his first two years but proved to be the best athlete on the team an a legitimate Pro Bowl level player until his mental meltdown when a younger better performing Evans knocked him down in importance to the team's play.

 

It is to be hoped that the Bills get lucky and good with the first pick (having a more consistent pass rush would help immeasurably and Raji might do it though the likelihood is that like Stroud and Williams as a rookie he will do well to simply prove to be adequate). It would be a strike of incredible good fortune to have a second round drafted TE prove to be a vertical threat which allows him to be a difference maker for the Bills (though if this happens, particularly with a first day reach like Nelson it would be downright extraordinary).

 

The thing is not to hope for some silver bullet from the draft, but instead to see the Bills mix and match all the player acquisition and improvement resources available to them (use FA to get a center who can add value to the current line, I have seen different reports of whether Birk is going to be available) (use trade to get Tony Gonzales as we should have done this past season if we want a TE who stands a very good chance of giving us the vertical threat we need right away0 (look for a UDFA to strike gold with as we did with the signing of Peters or Jackson) (develop players already on the roster into quality players who can do even more for us I like Bryan Scott and think he can do even more).

 

The simple truth has been that even with us drafting pretty well the last three years all it has gotten us to is 7-9 and quite frankly with a #11 choice I think that is all we will get out of anything the draft has to offer us for the 2009 season as well. Draft and draft as well as we can but if you are looking for a difference it likely will be FA or even trade that is going to be the more critical element for this team to become a TEAM.

[lets_go_bills]

Is Nelson better than Coffman? (I guess this mocker thinks so).

 

This is the second mock that I've seen having us take Nelson in round two.

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

I would love to see Duke Robinson in the second and a center like Caldwell or Wood in the third.

Great !!! What do you want another Pittsburgh Steelers ?? What have they done lately?

[bills_fan]

Nelson had a great Senior Bowl. Raji would be awesome in the 1st. I'd be very happy if this was our draft.

[Astrobot]

I see Robert Ayers of Tennessee has jumped into second round consideration. (50) If he's around in the second the Bills had better think long and hard. This guy is a product of the Haynesworth Henderson school of thought at UT and could be a very very good choice.

 

I think he will be there at #42-48.