SECOND ROUND

The 2010 NFL Draft continued with the second and third round selections this evening at 5:00 p.m. CT. This marks the 75th anniversary of the NFL draft. Changes this year include presenting the first through third round selections in primetime. Ratings for the first round increased 30 percent from the 2009 NFL Draft.

The first selection in the second round belonged to the St. Louis Rams. With the 33rd pick, the Rams selected Offensive Tackle Rodger Saffold from Indiana University. This 6-4, 312 pound Left Tackle started 41 of 42 games at Indiana. After his dominating performance at the East-West Shrine Game, Saffold is considered one of the fastest rising players among NFL draft experts. Saffold should be able to provide some protection for the Rams' first round draft pick, quarterback Sam Bradford from Oklahoma University.

The Minnesota Vikings received the 34th pick from the Detroit Lions. With the second pick in the second round, the Vikings selected Chris Cook. Cook is a 6-2, 212 pound defensive back from the University of Virginia. The Lynchburg native joins the likes of Antoine Winfield and Lito Sheppard in the defensive backfield on a team that finished sixth in total defense in 2009.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked to improve their defensive front with their second round selection. With the 35th pick, the Bucs selected Brian Price from UCLA. The 6-1, 303 pound defensive tackle will play alongside first round draft choice Gerald McCoy taken with the third pick in the first round. Price is known to use his quick first step to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Buccaneers are also looking up to fill up the middle of the front seven that finished last in rushing yards allowed per game.

The 36th pick belonged to the Kansas City Chiefs. With the fourth selection, the Chiefs drafted Dexter McCluster, a running back from Ole Miss. Even though his 5-8, 165 pound frame is small, McCluster is a threat at any point he touches the ball. It is hard to classify McCluster at one position since he played both running back and wide receiver as a Rebel. He joins Jamaal Charles, a third year back from the University of Texas in the Kansas City backfield.

The Philadelphia Eagles gained the rights to the 37th pick from the Washington Redskins after the trade of Veteran Quarterback Donovan McNabb. With this selection, the Eagles selected Nate Allen, a 6-0 207 pound Free Safety from Florida State University. Allen joins an Eagles defensive backfield that has been searching for a replacement leader since the departure of Brian Dawkins.

Announced by Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the Cleveland Browns looked to improve their defense by selecting TJ Ward, a Free Safety from the University of Oregon. Ward measures in at 5-10, 211 pounds. Ward will join Cleveland's first round selection of Joe Haden from the University of Florida in a very young Brown's secondary. Ward will also pair with new addition Sheldon Brown, a veteran defensive back from the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Oakland Raiders traded their selection to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers selected Arrelious Benn from the University of Illinois. The 6-1, 220 pound Wide Receiver started 35 of 37 games at Illinois. He will be paired with last year's first round selection of Darius Heyward-Bey at Wide Receiver.

The Miami Dolphins held the rights to the 40th pick in the 2010 draft. With Dan Marino announcing the selection, the Dolphins drafted defensive end Koa Misi from Utah. The Dolphins hope that Misi will be able to add to a lacking pass rush since the departure of Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. Misi will play alongside the Dolphins first round selection of Jared Odrick, the defensive tackle from Penn State taken with the 25th pick in the first round.

Torell Troup will have a much different environment from the one at the University of Central Florida. Troup was taken by the Buffalo Bills with the 41st pick. The 6-3, 314 pound defensive tackle will play with a few veterans that make up the Bills' front four including Marcus Stroud, a veteran defensive tackle formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Patriots first of four second round picks came as the tenth selection in the second round. With their first selection in the second round of 2010 draft, the New England Patriots selected Tight End Rob Gronkowski. This Arizona product will provide a 6-6, 264 pound target for veteran Quarterback Tom Brady.

Announced by Middle Linebacker Ray Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens selected another linebacker with the 43rd pick. The Ravens selected Outside Linebacker Sergio Kindle from the University of Texas. This 6-2, 250 pound linebacker/defensive end hybrid started 25 of his 46 games as a Longhorn. Of those starts, 11 were played at strong-side outside linebacker and 15 at defensive end. This versatility made Kindle the first NCAA player ever to be named finalist for both The Ted Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) and The Dick Butkus Award (nation's top college linebacker).

The Oakland Raiders selected Defensive Tackle Lamarr Houston from the University of Texas. The 6-3, 305 pound defensive tackle will join first round selection Rolando McClain in attempting to improve the Raiders run defense that finished 29th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game in 2009. McClain and Houston played against each other in the 2010 NCAA Championship game. Houston was the 7th defensive tackle selected in the 2010 draft thus far.

The 45th selection belonged to the Denver Broncos. Announced by Hall of Fame inductee Floyd Little, the Broncos selected Offensive Guard Zane Beadles from the Utah. The 6-4, 310 pound offensive lineman will be providing protection for first round draft choice, Quarterback Tim Tebow from the University of Florida.

The New York Giants selected the fourth defensive tackle in the past 11 selections by drafting 6-4, 328 pound Linval Joseph from East Carolina University. Joseph is a large defensive tackle that can play in either the 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. He will play alongside the Giants first round selection of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Joseph joins a Giants defense in hopes that he can provide some run support on a defense that has plenty of pass rushing weapons in the front seven.

With the 47th selection, the Arizona Cardinals chose outside linebacker Daryl Washington from TCU. The 6'2, 230 pound linebacker will look to improve the Cardinal's defense that finished 20th in the NFL last season. Washington will join newly signed linebacker Joey Porter, formerly of the Miami Dolphins.

The second quarterback of the draft came off the board with the 48th pick. The Carolina Panthers selected Quarterback Jimmy Clausen from the University of Notre Dame. Clausen came a long way from his injury plagued freshman season in which the Fighting Irish finished last in the NCAA ranks in total offense. In his 2009 campaign, Clausen finished with 3,722 yard with 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Jimmy is the third child of Jim and Cathy Clausen to play as a Division I quarterback. Both of his older brothers, Rick and Casey, played at the University of Tennessee. The 6-2, 223 pound signal-caller looks to add a passing threat to the third best rushing attack in the NFL in the 2009 season.

Free Safety Taylor Mays from USC was taken with the 17th pick in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers. After using two first round selections to improve the offensive line, the 49ers looked to improve their defense by signing this 6-3, 230 pound safety. Mays is a large safety, but demonstrates excellent speed for his size. The 49ers finished in the middle of the pack in total defense last season, but finished 21st in pass defense.

The Atlanta Falcons traded the rights to the 50th pick in the draft to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs selected cornerback Javier Arenas from the University of Alabama. Arenas is the third defensive player taken from the University of Alabama in this year's draft. The 5-9, 197 pound Arenas will join the Chiefs first round selection of Safety Eric Berry from the University of Tennessee taken with the 5th overall pick.

The Houston Texans traded the 51st selection to the Minnesota Vikings. Announced by Hall of Famer John Randall, the Vikings selected Toby Gerhart. Gerhart is a 6-0, 231 pound running back from Stanford University. Gerhart will play along with current Viking's running back Adrian Peterson. With the release of Chester Taylor, the Vikings needed to look to improve their depth at running back.

Rod Woodson, a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee announced the 52nd selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers selected Jason Worilds, an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid from Virginia Tech. Worilds measures in at 6-1, 254 pounds and will be used as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense run by the Steelers. Worilds will work with current outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.

With their second selection in the second round, the New England Patriots drafted a 6-3, 266 pound defensive end Jermaine Cunningham from the University of Florida. Cunningham will provide some help in the pass rush after the loss of Derrick Burgess to free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals also looked to improve their pass rush by taking the same action as the Patriots; drafting a defensive end out of the University of Florida. The Bengals selected Carlos Dunlap with the 54th pick. The 6-6, 277 pound defensive end has been doubted for his work ethic, but still finished 2nd in the SEC in sacks. He looks to add some pass rush support to a young defense that finished 16th in sacks.

The Dallas Cowboys gained the rights to the 55th pick from the Philadelphia Eagles, and used that pick to select 6-2, 236 pound linebacker Sean Lee from Penn State. Lee is renowned for his ability to quickly recognize plays and slip blocks. He looks to add some versatility to the Cowboys linebacker core.

The Green Bay Packers selected Mike Neal, a 6-3, 294 pound defensive tackle with the 24th pick in the second round. Neal will join former first round pick Justin Harrell at defensive tackle on a Packers defense that finished first in the NFL against the run. Neal is the fifth defensive player selected in a row in the second round.

The Baltimore Ravens added another defensive lineman with their second selection of the second round. The Ravens added defensive tackle Terrance Cody from the University of Alabama. Cody is a 6-4, 354 pound run stopper. Cody is the 10th defensive tackle taken in the first 57 picks of the 2010 NFL draft. Cody will play along with the Raven's first selection of Sergio Kindle, a defensive end out of the University of Texas. Cody was widely regarded as one of the top defensive lineman in the draft, but there were a lot of questions about his weight and work ethic.

The Houston Texans added a hard-nosed running back with the 58th selection. The Texans chose Ben Tate, a 5-11, 220 pound running back from Auburn University. He will fit well along side Steve Slaton. Tate also fits well in Houston Head Coach Gary Kubiak's zone rushing scheme, which usually involves just one cut and go because he excels running between the tackles.

The Cleveland Browns traded up to the 59th pick to add an offensive weapon. The Browns selected Montario Hardesty, a running back out of the University of Tennessee. After choosing defensive players with their first two selections, the Browns looked to improve their offense. The Browns finished last in total offense last season. Hardesty joins a very young backfield and will play along with Jerome Harrison and newly added Peyton Hillis.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Wide Receiver Golden Tate. The 5'10, 199 pound Tate joined Jimmy Clausen at the University of Notre Dame. Starting 22 games in his three year stint in college, Tate amassed 26 touchdowns receiving of which 15 came in the 2009 campaign. Like former Notre Dame Wide Receiver Jeff Samardzija, Tate was a two-sport athletic at the University of Notre Dame, playing baseball as well as football. Tate looks to take a role as a special team's returner and a slot or secondary receiver for the Seahawks.

The New York Jets selected Vlad Ducasse, an offensive tackle from UMass. The 6-4, 332 pound tackle will likely move inside to guard for the Jets, especially because they have plenty of depth and talent at tackle.

After trading one of their selections in the second round, the New England Patriots chose linebacker Brandon Spikes from the University of Florida. The 6-3, 249 pound linebacker has had a lot of questions about his speed after running a 5 second 40 yard dash. This is the third defensive player drafted by the New England Patriots in this year's draft.

The Indianapolis Colts selected linebacker Pat Angerer with the 63rd overall pick. The 6-0, 235 pound linebacker played at the University of Iowa. Angerer is an all around player who plays faster than he tests and averaged 11 tackles/game. Angerer will play along with the Colt's first round selection of Jerry Hughes, the defensive end/outside linebacker out of TCU.

With the last selection in the second round, the New Orleans Saints selected Charles Brown, a 6-5, 303 pound offensive tackle out of USC. Brown is a converted tight end who played on the line for four years at USC. Charles relies on quickness as well as agility to block bigger or stronger defenders.

THIRD ROUND

The third round continued immediately after the end of the second round. With the 65th pick, the first of the third round, the St. Louis Rams selected Jerome Murphy. Murphy is a 6-0, 196 pound cornerback from the University of South Florida. After spending their first two selections on offensive players, the St. Louis Rams moved their attention to their defense. Murphy is known as a very aggressive player, and is sometime regarded as undisciplined.

The Detroit Lions looked to upgrade their secondary by drafting hard-nosed cornerback Amari Spievey with the 66th pick. The 5-11, 196 pound Spievey provides depth and a playmaker in a secondary that struggled last year. Spievey will play on the same side of the ball as the Lion's first round selection, Ndamukong Suh.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Myron Lewis with their first pick in the third round, the 67th overall selection. Lewis is a 6-2, 203 pound cornerback from Vanderbilt University. Lewis seems to be a candidate to replace Ronde Barber as someone with plenty of versatility. Lewis joins the two newly drafted defensive tackles in an attempt to provide youth to the Buccaneers defense.

In an attempt to provide some protection for their second round draft choice Dexter McCluster, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Jon Asamoah from the University of Illinois. Asamoah is a 6-4, 305 pound offensive guard with great strength for his position. The chiefs have now spent two of their four selections on offensive players and two on defensive players.

The Oakland Raiders shifted their attention to offensive line as well. After drafting two defensive players, the Raiders drafted Jared Veldheer. Standing at a tall 6-8 and weighing 312 pounds, Veldheer has the size to be a pro, but experts have questioned his ability against more talented players. Veldheer played at Hillsdale, and dominated the small-school competition.

The Baltimore Ravens looked to add an offensive weapon to their arsenal. After drafting two defensive players with their first two picks, the Ravens drafted tight end Ed Dickson with the 70th overall selection. The 6-4, 249 pound Oregon product looks to learn from veteran Todd Heap and will provide another pass catching option for quarterback Joe Flacco.

While the Packers had top rated defense against the run last year, their defense against the pass had room to improve. The Packers drafted Morgan Burnett, a 6-1, 209 pound strong safety from Georgia Tech in an attempt to help. Burnett demonstrated great range, and looks to help force turnovers against the pass. Burnett will play on the same side of the ball as second round selection defensive tackle Mike Neal.

The Buffalo Bills added another defensive lineman in an attempt to improve their 3-4. Alex Carrington was selected as the 71st overall selection from Arkansas State. The 6-5, 285 pound is an excellent fit for the 3-4 scheme and will play next to second round selection Torell Troup.

The Miami Dolphins seem to be stockpiling linemen. After selecting two defensive linemen, the Dolphins chose John Jerry, an offensive tackle from Mississippi. Jerry is a large (6-5, 328 pound) defensive tackle and has the ability to play both Guard and Tackle.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added another defensive lineman by drafting D'Anthony Smith with the 74th overall selection. Smith is 6'2, 304 pound defensive tackle from Louisiana Tech. After a recent drop-off in their defensive statistics, the Jaguars added Smith to clog up plays in the middle alongside first round defensive end selection Tyson Alualu.

The Chicago Bears' first selection came with the 74th pick of Major Wright, the free safety from the University of Florida. The Bears look for the 5-11, 206 pound Wright to make an immediate impact, especially in the two-deep coverage system.

The New York Giants added their third defensive player of the draft by drafting a free safety from LSU. At 6-2, 221 pounds, Chad Jones adds depth and will play alongside newly added Antrel Rolle.

The Tennessee Titans ignored their history of wide receivers added through the draft and selected Damian Williams from USC. Williams is a 6-1, 197 pound receiver with a stand-out ability to return kicks. Williams also has solid versatility.

After drafting Jimmy Clausen, the Carolina Panthers looked to add a receiver in the third round in an attempt to add a weapon other than veteran Steve Smith. They chose Brandon LaFell, a 6-2, 211 pound wide receiver from LSU with the 77th pick. The Panthers are hoping that Clausen and LaFell can form a bond that will continue through their stints in Carolina.

The San Diego Chargers upgraded their depth at linebacker by drafting Donald Butler with the 78th selection. Butler is 6-1, and 245 pounds. From Washington, Butler seeks to make an impact as a special teams player first.

The Denver Broncos added a second offensive lineman to protect first round draft choice of quarterback Tim Tebow from the University of Florida. With the 15th selection in the third round, the Denver Broncos added J.D. Walton, a 6-3, 300 pound center from Baylor University. Walton will play next to second round selection, Zane Beadles. This is the fourth offensive selection for the Broncos in this year's draft.

Taking a risk on the defensive line, the Houston Texans drafted defensive tackle Earl Mitchell from Arizona. Mitchell has a very quick first step, but only stands at 6-3, 215 pounds. He will need to bulk up in order to stay on the defensive line.

With the loss of Santonio Holmes, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked to add depth to the wide receiver position. The Steelers selected Emmanuel Sanders from Southern Methodist University. The 5-11 Sanders has a very small frame, only weighing 186 pounds. His speed makes him a potential threat, especially in the deep passing game.

The Atlanta Falcons added another member to their front seven by drafting Corey Peters with the 83rd overall pick. Peters is a 6-3, 300 pound defensive tackle from the University of Kentucky. Peters' size should make it easier for first round draft selection linebacker Sean Witherspoon to avoid blocks and make plays.

After the passing of Chris Henry, and the release of Laveranues Coles, the Cincinnati Bengals saw a need to add a wide receiver. The Bengals drafted Jordan Shipley from the University of Texas. This is the second addition to the Bengals passing attack in this draft thus far. Shipley looks to contribute as a slot receiver and as a return man.

The Cleveland Browns chose the third quarterback of the draft by taking Colt McCoy off the draft board with the 85th selection. Most experts did not expect for McCoy to be available at this point in the draft. McCoy is a good fit for the Browns' west coast offense. McCoy came into the draft as one of the best performing quarterbacks in NCAA history, setting the record for wins and being the first player to have at least 10 wins in all four of his seasons. McCoy will team up with rookie running back Montario Hardesty drafted in the second round.

The Green Bay Packers traded the 22nd pick in the third round to the Philadelphia Eagles. With this pick, the Eagles chose Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, a 6-3, 263 pound defensive end from Washington. Te'o-Nesheim is considered a gamble pick because of his inconsistency. Te'o-Nesheim will play the same position as first round defensive end selection Brandon Graham, so some sort of rotation will probably be implemented.

Denver Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels added the fifth offensive player of the draft by picking Eric Decker, a 6-3, 217 pound wide receiver from Minnesota. Decker is the second receiver selected in the first three rounds by the Broncos. Both receivers seem to be viable options for first round draft pick quarterback Tim Tebow. Even though Decker's college career was cut short by injury, he was a solid starter when healthy.

After two defensive selections, the Cardinals turn their focus to improving the offense. After the trade of Anquan Boldin, the Arizona Cardinals looked to add depth at wide receiver by drafting Andre Roberts from the Citadel. This 5-11, 195 pound receiver was a small school standout, but his ability against quality competition has been questioned.

Even after drafting quarterback Jimmy Clausen and adding wide receiver Brandon LaFell the Carolina Panthers looked to add another weapon in the third round. The Carolina Panthers selected Armanti Edwards with their third selection in this year's draft. Edwards is a quick quarterback from Appalachian State. Although the 5-11, 187 pound athlete is technically a quarterback, Edwards has the athletic ability to play wide receiver. Because of his playmaking ability, Edwards was moved around a lot in college and could be used as a wildcat athlete for Carolina.

The New England Patriots added a second receiving option, this time in the form a wide receiver. The Patriots selected Taylor Price with the 90th overall pick. The 6-0, 204 pound Ohio University product has a large amount of potential and athleticism, but has not always played to his talent level. Price will play with 42nd overall pick Rob Gronkowski.

After drafting two offensive linemen with their first two selections, the San Francisco 49ers chose two defensive players with their second two selections. With the 27th pick in the third round, the 49ers drafted Navorro Bowman from Penn State. The 6-0, 242 pound linebacker fell down the draft board due to off-field issues. Bowman will join second round draft choice, safety Taylor Mays on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cleveland Browns received the 92nd overall selection from the New York Jets. With this selection, the Browns drafted Shawn Lauvao from Arizona State. The 6-2, 315 pound offensive tackle will likely be moved to play interior line. Lauvao will provide protection for the Browns' other third round selection, quarterback Colt McCoy.

The Kansas City Chiefs looked to add another key offensive player to their arsenal by selecting Tony Moeaki from Iowa. Moeaki is rated by many as the best blocker in the draft, which will help the ground attack. The Chiefs drafted running back Dexter McCluster in the second round and offensive guard Jon Asamoah earlier in the third round. These additions, along with the signing of Chris Chambers will cause the Chiefs offense to look much different in 2010.

With their third selection in this year's draft, the Indianapolis Colts added a third defensive player to their roster. The Colts drafted Kevin Thomas from USC. The 6-0, 192 pound cornerback adds much needed depth to the Indianapolis defensive backfield. Thomas plays better in a zone-based defense, which is the Colts' current scheme.

With the 95th overall selection, the New Orleans Saints added a second offensive player by drafting Jimmy Graham. Graham is a 6-6, 260 pound tight end who only played one year of football. Graham was a 4 year basketball player at Miami, and uses his size and athleticism to make plays. Graham could be an excellent red zone option, and will develop behind current tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The Cincinnati Bengals took their second defensive player of the day by drafting Brandon Ghee from Wake Forest with a compensatory selection. Ghee, a 6-0, 192 pound cornerback, was one of the fastest defensive backs at the NFL combine. The Bengals see Ghee as a project to develop because they have young talent in Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph at the cornerback position.

With the loss of linebacker Keith Bullock, the Tennessee Titans needed to draft a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. With the 97th selection, the Titans drafted Renniel Curran from the University of Georgia. This 5-11, 235 pound linebacker is undersized for his position, but he demonstrated amazing awareness that allows him to make plays regardless.

The last selection in the third round belonged to the Atlanta Falcons. With the 98th choice, the Falcons drafted Mike Johnson, and offensive guard from the University of Alabama. The 6-5, 312 pound guard adds depth to the interior of the Falcons' line. Johnson was the first offensive selection for the Falcons in this year's draft.