167) Dallas (via Miami) – FB Peyton Hillis (Arkansas)
This is one of those picks that just makes sense to me. Hillis was all over the place for the Razorbacks and would be a nice spark on offense. Yes, it’s more popular to assume the Cowboys will take one of the running backs he blocked for (Darren McFadden and Felix Jones) but having that on his resume makes him pretty valuable. Plus, Jerry gets a ‘Hog after all.

168) St. Louis – RB Mike Hart (Michigan)
Steven Jackson is their lead back without question. Rookies Brian Leonard (fullback) and Antonio Pittman (picked up when New Orleans dropped him) provided 124 carries in relief last year. It wasn’t very effective. In fact if you throw out each player’s long run their combined average rush was a mere 3.02 yards. In Hart they get a high character player. He was snail slow at the combine while other backs burned up the track and also refused to run at his pro day which hurts his value. It doesn’t help that he lost a pair of fumbles on what would have been touchdowns in the Capital One Bowl even though he had no prior problems fumbling. Durability is another concern after he missed three games this season, but when he was in there he also had games with 35, 44, 30 and 32 carries.

169) Oakland – OLB Wesley Woodyard (Kentucky)
Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard comprise a formidable inside/outside duo in the Raider defense. If this team was any good they’d be getting a lot more attention. However, local product Sam Williams has really struggled to stay healthy and make an impact on the outside. Robert Thomas was signed in 2006 and has done an adequate job while Jon Alston joined the team this year after St. Louis gave up on him. They are hoping for someone with a little “umph” to join their dynamic duo. In Woodyard they get great speed (4.5 40) and a whopping 9.76 tackles per game over his last three seasons with the Wildcats, the last two of which he led the SEC. He’s a great athlete who competed for the track team in the 400 meter hurdles. Anyone who follows the sport knows that is one of the most physically demanding events.

170) Minnesota (via Kansas City) – WR Darius Reynaud (West Virginia)
After adding Berrian they should be set for starting receivers, but can afford to take a shot at a backup here. A one year “commitment” to frequently injured Robert Ferguson opens the door for another addition.

171) NY Jets – FS Jonathan Hefney (Tennessee)   
Erik Coleman has taken his game to Atlanta and being in a division with New England they need to keep their secondary loaded up.Hefney has seen a drop in his stock because there are taller Oompa Loompas. However, he is an experienced defender coming out of the SEC with 51 games under his belt and 10 interceptions.

172) Atlanta – FB Jacob Hester (LSU)
The Falcons need help everywhere. Hester is one of those guys who just finds a way to contribute. He can provide a few rushes per game, block a little bit and catch some passes.

173) Baltimore – RB Allen Patrick (Oklahoma)
Their depth behind Willis McGahee is basically nil. He’s not going to replace McGahee if he gets hurt, but is certainly capable of providing 15-18 rushes per game in that situation. Mainly they are looking for someone to keep McGahee fresh.

174) San Francisco – OT Brandon Keith (Northern Iowa)
Their four quarterbacks were sacked 55 times, tied for most in the NFL. Kwame Harris ended a disappointing tenure by leaving in free agency. Joe Staley is the new left tackle as the oft-injured and broken down Jonas Jennings has shifted to the right side. They might be able to trade down a few spots before selecting him, but waiting until their pick at #75 is a bad idea.

175) Chicago – P Durant Brooks (Georgia Tech)
Punters can pretty much go on forever, but Brad Maynard has been fairly mediocre. They might want someone with a more powerful leg and this is by far the best prospect in the class.

176) Detroit – DT Nick Hayden (Wisconsin)
Shaun Rogers has been dealt to Cleveland, and left a big hole in the middle that isn’t likely to be filled by any rookie addition. That’s why they signed Chuck Darby and will add another player here. The Lions haven’t been ranked higher than #15 in total run defense since people were worried about the Y2K bug.

177) Cincinnati – CB Jonathan Zenon (LSU)
They’ve got some youth at cornerback, but were also #26 in pass defense last year. Zenon played in the shadow of Chevis Jackson for the Tigers, but had a great pro day and should be garnering more attention from it given that every NFL team was in attendance.

178) New Orleans – OLB Stanford Keglar (Purdue)
At inside linebacker they improved by trading for Jonathan Vilma (Jets) and signing Dan Morgan (Panthers). If Morgan can ever get healthy he could slide to the weak side. Irrespective of that their outside play could use a shot in the arm. Rivers was outstanding at USC’s pro day and can be a playmaker on a defense that desperately needs one. The cornerback signings of Randall Gay (starter) and Aaron Glenn (nickel/dime) give them the flexibility to wait on selecting youth for the secondary.

179) Buffalo – C Cody Wallace (Texas A&M)
The Bills need have a lot of youth on their offensive line, but could use some competition at center.

180) St. Louis (via Denver) – QB Kevin O’Connell (San Diego State) 
Marc Bulger just signed a long term deal so his job is safe. However, there are legitimate questions surrounding his durability. In six seasons as their starter he has played an average of 13 games. When your quarterback misses 3 games per season it’s a good idea to have a reliable backup. Concussion prone free agent Trent Green has been added for insurance, but while it was a three year deal at 38 I’m not sure he can last that long even as a backup.

181) Carolina – DT Letroy Guion (Florida State)  
Damione Lewis just signed a three year deal, but Kris Jenkins was traded to the Jets. It was a smart move because playing the last two full seasons raised his value up following his 2004-2005 stretch of playing just 5 games. They are going to need someone to fill the empty spot on the depth chart if he is dealt. Character issues knock at least a round off his value.

182) Kansas City (via Minnesota) –  RB Justin Forsett (California)
The Chiefs can do a lot of things in this draft with their stack of chips. Larry Johnson obviously is carrying too much of a load. Forsett’s size puts a limit on his value in the NFL, but he has impressed in workouts. He should be a nice change of pace back. Kolby Smith was only mildly successful filling in for LJ last year. Aside from tearing up a bad Raider defense (150 yards) Smith averaged just 3.17 yards per carry

183) Denver (via Houston) – K Art Carmody (Louisville)
Jason Elam has left for Atlanta. The highest scoring kicker in NCAA history might be a good place to look for his replacement

184) Philadelphia – CB Jack Ikegwuono (Wisconsin)
With Asante Samuel added in free agency cornerback is no longer a strong need in the early rounds, but with Lito Sheppard expected to be shipped out they will need another backup addition. First Ikegwuono suffers an unfortunate knee injury, that’s just bad luck. Then word come out he was arrested for trying to steal an XBOX. Wait a minute. He wasn’t fast enough to get away? What’s his 40 time again? What a crazy situation. For the Eagles it’s a low risk selection.

185) Arizona – WR Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State)
The future of Larry Fitzgerald has been decided, but Bryant Johnson is gone. Steve Breaston might be able to compete for the #3 role, but it doesn’t hurt to add competition. There is also some doubt as to whether or not they can lock up Anquan Boldin long term after paying Fitzgerald. Bowman’s stock has dipped due to a lack of speed. He can still be a nice possession receiver and was productive with two seasons over 1,000 yards.

186) Washington – CB Jonathan Wilhite (Auburn)
They have more needs than picks they can address early. Cornerback is an issue because Shawn Springs is getting to the point where his level of play (and age) makes him worth less than he’s scheduled to earn. Carlos Rogers ended the year on IR and isn’t expected to start the season, not to mention the unspeakable loss of safety Sean Taylor. Jackson is a former teammate of last year’s first round pick LaRon Landry, now a starting safety.

187) Kansas City (via Tampa Bay) – TE Gary Barnidge (Louisville)
They’re not going to replace Tony Gonzalez with this pick, but he joins backup Jason Dunn in the well past 30 years old club.

188) Pittsburgh – OLB Gary Guyton (Georgia Tech)
The Steelers might have missed on Lawrence Timmons out of Florida State last year. I expect them to be looking at the best available linebacker here.

189) Seattle (via Tennessee) – C Kory Lichtensteiger (Bowling Green)
Strictly a backup, and again their offensive line was horrific.

190) Cleveland (via Seattle) – OG Adam Kraus (Michigan)
With as much money as they’ve invested in their quarterbacks it’s a good idea to keep the line well stocked although they did add one young player in Rex Hadnot and an old one in Lennie Friedman.

191) Philadelphia – TE Joey Haynos (Maryland)   
The Eagles can basically pick their spots to get help all over the place unless they trade some of their other picks. Putting the franchise tag on L.J. Smith is not a guarantee he will sign a long term deal with the team. If they choose not to lock him up this before the season this would be some insurance. Haynos seems to me like the kind of guy who can be molded into a pretty good player.

192) San Diego – RB Xavier Omon (Northwest Missouri State)
They need a new second string running back to replace Michael Turner. Omon is a power runner coming off rushing for 2,337 yards to lead Division II. As they say there is a lot of tread on his tires (1,271 carries) but he piled up 7,755 total yards and scored 98 touchdowns. Backing up Tomlinson will seem like a vacation to him.

193) Minnesota (via Jacksonville) – SS Jamie Silva (Boston College)
At free safety Dwight Smith was replaced by Madieu Williams (Bengals) but that doesn’t solve all their safety issues. Darren Sharper is nearing the end of a great career and turns 33 during the season. They picked up Michael Boulware (Seahawks) but will likely take a shot at a long term replacement. He can soak up Sharper’s knowledge.

194) NY Giants (via Green Bay) – CB Dwight Lowery (San Jose State)
They had a mostly good year defensively, but the teams who gave them problems in the regular season all came at them passing the ball down the field. Fortunately for them their killer pass rush made it less of a factor in their Super Bowl run, notably in the big game. Gibril Wilson’s vacated spot at free safety is being filled temporarily by veteran Sammy Knight. At corner Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters won’t be around much longer and only Aaron Ross looks capable of being a starter at the moment although Corey Webster had a great playoff run. They can’t be short handed when facing a team like Dallas twice a year or if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champs against Indianapolis or New England. Here they catch a falling prospect.

195) Miami (via Dallas) – ILB/OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (Boston College)
The Dolphins are switching to a 3-4 as soon as they can assemble the parts. They traded for Jason Ferguson and signed Randy Starks at tackle. Jason Taylor is dancing his way out of town and Zach Thomas signed in Dallas after being cut. Joey Porter might be wearing another uniform soon too.

196) Indianapolis – RB Anthony Alridge (Houston)
Joseph Addai is their feature back. Kenton Keith for the time being is their backup assuming he can stay out of trouble. However, Addai was dismal in the second half of the season and playoff loss to the Chargers, averaging just 45.7 yards per game. If he had a better backfield mate then his carries would be closer to 16-19 early in the season (the first 9 he averaged 21.3) which might keep him fresh when he is needed most. This gives the team a third option plus a player they can split out wide and use in the return game with his mid-4.3 speed. He is the kind of weapon opponents will cringes to see Indy add in the draft.

197) New England – OT/OG Pedro Sosa (Rutgers)
They won 18 games and sent three linemen to Hawaii. Their line also got worked over in the Super Bowl by the Giants. It’s not as if Kaczur and O’Callaghan are horrible on the right side, but this sets them up really well for the future. It also potentially prevents teams in 2008 with talented pass rushers from duplicating New York’s game plan against them. Sosa is a guy they can plug into any spot on the line.

198) NY Giants – OT/OG Mike Gibson (California)
The Giants are likely to approach a team in the 160’s who is willing to take their two picks in the 190’s where they have three, one they have to keep. I always say the later rounds are a good time to fill up on linemen. Gibson comes from a Cal program that quietly has produced some effective offensive linemen including current Patriot Ryan O’Callaghan. If he doesn’t pan out at tackle they can use him at guard.

199) NY Giants (compensatory) – C Doug Legursky (Marshall)
There are not a ton of holes on this team and they might take another shot on the offensive line.

200) Philadelphia (compensatory) – K Taylor Mehlhaff (Wisconsin)
David Akers was one of the league’s premier kickers from 2000-2004 while the Eagles were dominating the NFC. During that stretch he converted 85.5% of his field goals. In the three seasons since he has hit mediocrity in a hurry while making good on just 75.3%. He is also coming off a season in which he was a horrific 2/10 from 40+ yards.

201) Indianapolis (compensatory) – ILB/OLB Spencer Larsen (Arizona)
The Colts are another team who will likely be using late picks as part of a package to trade up because they want more quality than quantity. It will be hard for anyone taken this late in the draft to make their roster. Unless of course that player can work special teams which fits Larsen.

202) Indianapolis (compensatory) – SS D.J. Wolfe (Oklahoma)
Bob Sanders is always banged up and a little depth never hurt.

203) Philadelphia (compensatory) – DE Chris Harrington (Texas A&M)
“The Freak” has been cut and replaced by Chris Clemons who had one good season with the Raiders. Backup Darren Howard is into his 30’s though and the Eagles will be looking for another option.

204) Miami (compensatory) – TE Darrell Strong (Pittsburgh)
Their leading tight end David Martin came over from Green Bay. Ironically, that’s where their former draft pick Donald Lee wound up. These are the kind of exchanges that happen when your team is not going well. After losing Randy McMichael the Dolphins need a receiving threat at tight end. Parcells would love to find himself another “Rambo” in this draft, but the closest thing available might be an early selection of Notre Dame’s John Carlson as Bavaro also played for the Irish. Otherwise he’ll go bargain hunting for help.

205) Indianapolis (compensatory) – WR D.J. Hall (Alabama)
One more pick? Really? WR They could use a receiver because at times I needed a program to find out who Peyton had at his disposal. Reggie Wayne is a top shelf #1 and Anthony Gonzalez had a pretty successful rookie year, especially down the stretch when over his final 6 games (including the playoff loss) he averaged 74.7 yards receiving with 4 touchdowns. Marvin Harrison is looking like his career will be over pretty soon. Hall has suspensions on his resume so we’ll see if Dungy can straighten him out. It’s certainly possible the Colts address this earlier and I expect them to package their non-compensatory picks to move north once or twice.

206) Baltimore (compensatory) – DT Carlton Powell (Virginia Tech)
The Ravens need some depth for their defensive line.

207) Cincinnati (compensatory) – TE Joe Jon Finley (Oklahoma)
Adding Ben Utecht (Colts) solved their dire need for a receiving tight end. Now they add a player eager to contribute who has upside.