32) Miami – QB Chad Henne (Michigan)
Lately quarterback has been such a tough position to gauge in the draft. The trend is players falling (Rodgers, Leinart and Quinn) and it seems like this year the order after Ryan might be a big story. Reportedly they believe Henne is nearly as good as the consensus top quarterback and of course already have added his tackle to protect his blind side. They made a decent veteran addition in Josh McCown, but John Beck is questionable at best. This gives him strong competition for the starting job. Henne brings poise and is an experienced starter (47 games) from a top notch program having led the Wolverines to 36 victories while passing for 87 touchdowns.

33) St. Louis – CB Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech)
They could go with receiver Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) in this spot but is offense really the main reason this team is losing games? The Rams always seem to be on the hunt for another cornerback and have three players on the roster who were selected in the top 85 picks of the past three drafts. Fakhir Brown seems to have dodged another suspension, but two of those young additions (Hill and Wade) haven’t shined thus far. Flowers was not very impressive at the combine, but he did average 17.2 yards per interception return. He’s physical and in the final analysis I believe will stay at the top of round 2 because reports are coming out that those looking at his game film like what they see.

34) Atlanta (via Oakland) – QB Brian Brohm (Louisville)
Ultimately I decided the Falcons have enough ammunition to wind up with Brohm. It might not be in this spot, but I think pairing him with Dorsey gives them the optimum value out of their top two selections. He can be just as valuable on the front of their game programs and getting a guy out of Kentucky is geographically more appealing than Massachusetts. Obviously they will not leave day one without a starting quarterback.

35) Kansas City – WR Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma)
Right here I could easily see the Chiefs going after a quarterback like Brian Brohm (Louisville) or Joe Flacco (Delaware) but I have to wonder how much of their interest at the position was a smokescreen for their top pick. With the added selections from the Jared Allen deal they can easily take a chance on one of them here. Last year they saw what drafting a receiver did for them. Dwayne Bowe (LSU) was second behind tight end Tony Gonzalez on the team, but led the NFL rookies with 70 receptions for 995 yards. Their passing game can’t run through “Gonzo” forever and along with Bowe he was the only Chief to catch more than 30 passes. Eddie Kennison had a nice career resurgence from 2002-2006 with the Chiefs, but at 34 coming off an injury I said before he “is probably done” and they cut him. Samie Parker is also out after failing to break through in 4 seasons totaling just 110 receptions and 7 touchdowns. They added Devard Darling for depth. He never made an impact in four seasons with Baltimore. Kelly was rated as high as #11 overall during the draft process, but his slow 40 time didn’t hurt him nearly as much as his poor attitude and reaction afterwards.

36) NY Jets – QB Joe Flacco (Delaware)
This is a late addition because previously I had no quarterback being drafted by New York. However, I find it hard to imagine them reaching for rush linebacker Cliff Avril (Purdue) in this spot and in terms of value this is a decent play. I’m not sure Matt Ryan would be the best fit to play in the Meadowlands. Flacco launched the ball 71 and 74 yards during a skills competition in Phoenix, looking great doing it. A strong arm to cut through the Jersey wind is smart business. Obviously Chad Pennington isn’t their savior and Kellen Clemens was pretty mediocre. Perhaps the only thing holding Flacco down is having transferred from Pittsburgh to Delaware, a precipitous drop in competition level. Many are wondering why he didn’t stick around to beat out Tyler Palko.

37) Atlanta – OLB Dan Connor (Penn State)
The Falcons will be yet another team tinkering with the 3-4 at least part of the time. There will certainly be some turnover at the linebacker position with Keith Brooking a possible cap casualty and Demorrio Williams likely to walk in free agency. Adding a player at some point in this draft is just about a lock. When Connor slips out of the first round it will be a nice value for a team that needs one.

38) Baltimore – CB Antoine Cason (Arizona)
The offensive line needs attention, but this isn’t a good spot for it relative to what they’re getting here. McAlister and Rolle are both over 30 with razor thin depth behind them. When the Ravens were going well on defense they hurt opponents with big play turnovers. They need some young blood to create those opportunities. During the combine Cason ran well enough to quiet talk his is too slow for the NFL. He also adds ability on returns as he demonstrated against Oregon this year when he scored two touchdowns, one on an interception and another on a punt return.

39) San Francisco – DE Calais Campbell (Miami, FL)
Their defensive front 7 is pretty bad other than of course their ROY winner Patrick Willis. A second early addition should work wonders. Bryant Young has retired and Marques Douglas left in free agency. Justin Smith plugged one hole. Campbell registered 16.5 sacks in his final 25 games for “The U” which could overshadow his poor showing at the combine and Hurricane pro day. Essentially he played like a first round pick during the season and looked like a third round pick in workouts. Many believe his size is enough to keep up his value. Others think he plummets to the third or possibly fourth round, but the 49ers are interested.

40) New Orleans – TE Dustin Keller (Purdue)
The Saints lack an impact tight end. Aging Dan Campbell hasn’t had 20 receptions in a season since 2003. Eric Johnson’s 2004 campaign (82 receptions) produced twice as many yards (825) as any other during his seven year career and his overall average per reception is just 9.1 yards. Billy Miller has bounced around the league with the Saints being his fifth team. In 26 games with them he has caught 41 passes. They might be trading for Jeremy Shockey (Giants) and it could come down to who is available with this selection. Keller can make defensive coordinators sweat. He piled up 124 receptions and 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons with the Boilermakers and should contribute immediately. He helped himself a lot at the combine with 26 reps of 225 on the bench press, second among tight ends while running the 40 in the 4.5 range. 

41) Buffalo – WR Early Doucet (LSU)
The Bills need someone who doesn’t look like the lost Smurf to play receiver and a defined outside threat to join Evans in the starting lineup. Reed and Parrish can then see time in three or four receiver looks. Thankfully the Peerless Price homecoming is over after he caught just 7 passes in four games. Doucet is a shade over six feet which is at least a couple of inches taller than any of their current top threats. He can make plays down the field and also adds value in the return game although Buffalo doesn’t necessarily need his help there. His stock has slipped a bit running slow at his pro day, but they are interested.

42) Denver – SS/FS Tyrell Johnson (Arkansas State)
Now that they have acquired Dewayne Robertson (Jets) all my jokes about them loading up on Cleveland Browns then Florida Gators on their defensive line go out the window. This is a spot where I fully expect the Broncos to trade down and they can probably get him a little lower although Johnson is a late riser. I can see why. He finished his four year career with 363 tackles and 13 interceptions, 6 coming in his senior season with a return average of 23.8 yards overall. With speed in the 4.4 range he can play the free spot and is tough enough for the strong spot. The Broncos addressed the safety position in free agency by adding Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel. However, neither is young and there is a reason both have bounced around to multiple teams. Those are their backups. John Lynch is ready to retire and this is the player they hope moves into his starting spot.

43) Carolina – OT Carl Nicks (Nebraska)  
Their offensive line has undergone more of a transformation these past few weeks than Michael Jackson’s face in his lifetime. Their latest moves were cutting center Justin Hartwig, paving the way for Ryan Kalil to start and signing guards Toniu Fonoti and Milford Brown who they hope can give them depth at guard. The shuffling has left open just one spot at tackle. It is important to find a quality addition early in the draft.

44) Chicago – RB Chris Johnson (East Carolina)
Remember when Cedric Benson cried on draft day? Bear fans have been weeping ever since watching him run. Obviously he wasn’t up to the task of handling the rushing duties on his own after the team put their faith in him by trading Thomas Jones. He was supposed to be a sledge hammer back capable of running over opponents, but averaged just 3.4 yards per carry last year. Johnson stood out with his 4.24 40 at the combine. He caught 125 passes during his 47 collegiate games, some of which were spent at receiver. His senior year was extremely productive as he finished with 1,951 total yards and scored 23 touchdowns. Some believe he will be a surprise selection late in the first round and it wouldn’t shock me a bit.

45) Detroit – DE Lawrence Jackson (USC)
Kalimba Edwards has been cut, clearing the way for last year’s second round pick Ikaiki Alama-Francis to see more playing time assuming he stays healthy. Jared DeVries turns 32 in June as well and I would be surprised to see them pass on defensive end in the second to fourth round. If this is their option it’s a lock. Jackson had 30.5 sacks in 52 games for the Trojans. The Lions need to build their defense and this would be a great value.

46) Cincinnati – SS/FS DaJuan Morgan (N.C. State)
Madieu Williams is gone. A spot will also opens up at nickel corner when Deltha O’Neal (31) hits the road and Leon Hall moves into his starting role meaning they should hit the secondary more than once. An impact safety is key for any defense and the Bengals need one.

47) Minnesota – OT Anthony Collins (Kansas)
The Vikings have made some nice additions in free agency and narrowed their list of pressing needs. One problem added to that list is offensive tackle due to the somewhat uncertain future of Bryant McKinnie. Minnesota’s life line is their running game. If the offensive line isn’t hitting on all cylinders they are in trouble.

48) Atlanta (via Houston) – CB Patrick Lee (Auburn)
Their roster purge included sending disgruntled DeAngelo Hall to the Raiders. Luckily for them this draft is loaded with talent at the position meaning even after some have come off the board there are potential starters.

49) Philadelphia – ILB Curtis Lofton (Oklahoma)
The Eagles are a team likely to make some interesting value picks in this draft because they have so many selections. They are stocked with youth at linebacker and Rocky Boiman (Colts) replaces the departure of Takeo Spikes from the unit. However, there isn’t a lot of depth and believe me if they see value in a draft where they are picking so many times they will strike.

50) Arizona – DE/OLB Cliff Avril (Purdue)
The Cardinals have talent on defense, but could use another linebacker. They lost three in free agency while holding Karlos Dansby with the tag. Clark Haggans (Steelers) was added on a one year deal, but they'll look for more in the draft. Avril showed he can get after the quarterback with 12.5 sacks in his last two seasons.

51) Washington – WR Earl Bennett (Vanderbilt)
One of their poor recent additions Brandon Lloyd was just released and last year’s signing Keenan McCardell illustrates their desperation to add talent at receiver. They pursued Cincinnati’s Chad Johnson, but even offering a deal of their #21 and next year’s third rounder (or first if Ocho Cinco performs well) wasn’t enough. Bennett gives them a player who piled up 6.56 receptions per game in three seasons with the Commodores. He should be a quality NFL possession receiver and steady target. They might prefer a little more height with a guy like Jordy Nelson (Kansas State) but I think Bennett is a better fit.

52) Tampa Bay – DT Trevor Laws (Notre Dame)
Remember when McFarland and Sapp dominated up front for the Bucs? Their fans do too and even on a defense rated #2 overall in yards allowed and #3 in points they could use some help at defensive tackle. Chris Hovan has done a reasonable job in three seasons after coming over from Minnesota while Jovan Haye has earned starter status. The backups are led by Kansas City’s first round bust Ryan Sims and last year’s fifth round pick Greg Peterson (North Carolina Central). Laws is higher than this on a lot of draft boards in spite of his height (6’1”) because every other part of him fits. He ran well and pumped out 35 reps at 225 on the bench press at the combine. They would be thrilled to land him here.

53) Pittsburgh – CB/S Reggie Smith (Oklahoma)
The Steelers have a premier safety in Troy Polamalu, but Anthony Smith is most known for making bold, idiotic guarantees and Ryan Clark lost his spleen (ouch). There are also depth questions at cornerback although Bryant McFadden is still developing there and should be given another season to work his way into the starting lineup. Reggie falls a bit because he ran slow at his pro day although he gets points for not blaming the surface as his teammate Malcolm Kelly did. It takes his value down as his position emphasis slants heavily to free safety. That’s fine with the Steelers who really need a flexible addition more than anything.

54) Tennessee – DT Dre Moore (Maryland)
Albert Haynesworth got the franchise tag, but like most with this distinction wants a long term deal. Their defense is far too dependent on him and grabbing an impact player could relieve some of the pressure to break the bank for Haynesworth’s services, even if he is probably worth it. Randy Starks left as a free agent.

55) Seattle – TE Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M)
Now that Julius Jones has been added the offense can seek to replace the once promising Jerramy Stevens who left after the 2006 season. Marcus Pollard is broken down, old and likely gone. Signing Jeb Putzier is fine, but he’s only had two remotely successful seasons catching passes in his six year career. Bennett’s height (6’6”) is invaluable in creating mismatches, especially inside the 10. He’s also a solid blocker.

56) Green Bay (via Cleveland) – TE John Carlson (Notre Dame)
The Packers got a great season out of Donald Lee who posted 48 receptions for 575 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was incredibly consistent with 3+ catches in twelve of their first thirteen games. That being said, Bubba Franks is out. In Carlson they get a player many still view as the top tight end in the draft. His production suffered with the graduation of quarterback Brady Quinn as the Irish stumbled through a 3-9 season. He was also slow at the combine, but showed good hands. His speed did improve at Notre Dame’s pro day and above all else they are interested.

57) Miami (via San Diego) – CB Justin King (Penn State)
They made a ton of moves in free agency including the addition of Nate Jones (Cowboys) but their roster still needs help at pretty much every position and absolutely need an impact addition. King blazed a 4.31 for the 40 at the combine and looked great at his pro day.

58) Jacksonville – RB Jamaal Charles (Texas)
Fred Taylor had some sort of Cocoon moment that lasted the entire 2007 season with a career high 5.39 average rush, but totaled just 95 yards on 29 carries in two playoff games (3.28). This crop of running backs is too talented for them not to seek a replacement for a guy who will be 33 by the next Super Bowl. Paired with Jones-Drew the Jags could be solid in the backfield for years to come as they split the rushing duties. Charles led the nation in rushing yards during the fourth quarter. He flat out carried the Longhorns to a couple of wins with huge efforts late in games and can be a closer in the NFL, not to mention having the speed to break long runs.

59) Indianapolis – DE/OLB Chris Ellis (Virginia Tech)
Under the new format where only the first two rounds will take place on Saturday the Colts will be making only a token appearance since their first round pick has been traded to San Francisco. When Dwight Freeney went out of the lineup the defensive end position turned into an immediate weakness. Ellis has size and speed. He can get after the quarterback from either defensive end or outside linebacker making him all the more valuable to the Colts. Let’s face it they aren’t in desperate need of game changers, just situational additions as they pursue another title.

60) Green Bay – WR Donnie Avery (Houston)
The Packers have some options in this draft because unlike most teams they might have more picks than dire needs. Greg Jennings is a star in the making and rookie James Jones turned in some plays while finishing with 676 yards receiving. However, the consistent presence of Donald Driver will be missing soon. If they are lucky enough to reach the Super Bowl he will be 34 and this past season was worse than any of his previous three in every category. Avery is a nice deep threat as one of the fastest receivers in this draft. He caught 91 passes in 13 games last year and shined brightly at his pro day.

61) Dallas – CB Tracy Porter (Indiana)
If you want to win a Super Bowl against the likes of the Packers, Colts and Patriots it is a good idea to have enough players to cover their receivers. They parted with Nate Jones (Dolphins) and Jacques Reeves (Texans). The Pac-Man Jones acquisition is fine, but until I hear Goodell has reinstated him they are more likely to get production at corner out of Blinky, Pinky, Inky or Clyde next year. Porter had 6 interceptions last year for the Hoosiers and averaged 22.8 yards per return after getting his hands on the ball. In 2005 he returned two of his picks 42 and 63 yards and in 2004 brought one back for a touchdown so he can make some big plays.

62) New England – CB Charles Godfrey (Iowa)
Asante Samuel and Randall Gay are gone while Ellis Hobbs is under fire for showing poorly in the playoffs. They have already gone bargain hunting with Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders while Fernando Bryant is a legitimate starter level addition. Godfrey has been working his way up the draft board and they figure to add someone in their first few picks.

63) NY Giants – OLB Erin Henderson (Maryland)
Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor both left, but Danny Clark was a nice veteran addition. Also, Gerris Wilkinson might have shown the team enough to keep them from making a day one addition. Another factor in this decision is the pending retirement of defensive end Michael Strahan. That will happen this year or next and likely triggers the move of Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker back to his collegiate position defensive end