After an exciting first round, where notable names like Jadeveon Clowney, Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel came off the board, the second and third rounds matched the entertainment, with teams trading picks left and right. As expected, many wide receivers and offensive linemen headlined the day with a high number of each coming off the board. You can read pick-by-analysis from Friday night on eDraft's live draft blog here.
Here are some of the most interesting notes from Day Two of the NFL Draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars
It has become very clear what the Jaguars’ game plan was heading into this draft: build the offense. After drafting Blake Bortles third overall on Thursday, general manager Dave Caldwell focused on building around their future quarterback. With their first pick of the night, the Jags elected to draft Marqise Lee, once viewed by some as the top receiver in this draft who suffered through injuries, inconsistent quarterback play and drops in 2013. Then, they traded back into the end of the second round to snag Allen Robinson, the big target from Penn State. After revamping their receiving corps, Jacksonville, once again, traded up, this time into the third round, and added guard Brandon Linder from Miami (FL). The Jaguars still have five more picks, so look for them to add more offensive talent, including a running back and a center.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks confirmed on Friday what everyone already knew: Pete Carroll and John Schneider don’t follow consensus rankings. But when you’ve built a team that just won the Super Bowl, does it matter? After trading back twice, the Seahawks made wide receiver Paul Richardson, a speedster from Colorado who eDraft’s own Derrik Klassen has compared his receiving skills to Devin Hester, with their first pick of the draft, passing over the higher-rated players like Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, and Donte Moncrief. Then, with their other second round pick, Seattle addressed their offensive line by adding tackle, Justin Britt, who was viewed by many as a mid-round player. While they are unconventional with their draft strategy, they certainly are intriguing to follow.
New England Patriots
The Patriots opened up a ton of speculation on Friday night by drafting Jimmy Garoppolo with their only pick of Day 2. As the pick was made, rumors started to swirl once again about how the Texans were potentially going to trade for Ryan Mallett. And these rumors certainly haven’t died down as the Texans have yet to draft a quarterback, despite desperately needing one. This will be the most interesting storyline to follow on Saturday, as the final rounds play out.
Biggest Reach Picks
- Spencer Long: As Vincent Frank noted on the site’s Live Draft Blog, Long was not ranked on eDraft’s Big Board, so he was not viewed very highly as an NFL prospect. And with David Yankey, Gabe Jackson and Cyril Richardson still available, they also passed on players who are more talented to take Long.
- Dezmen Southward: As mentioned in yesterday’s Round 1 Review, the safety class is not very deep, so many teams with a need at the position addressed it in the first round. Southward is a classic case of reaching for need over taking the best player available. Many would argue he was not even the best safety on the board, as well, since Terrance Brooks was still available.
- John Brown: It’s great to see a small school prospect like Brown getting attention of NFL teams, but Brown is a one-dimensional receiver. Yes, he is incredibly fast, clocked at 4.21 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, but he is only 5’10” and 179 pounds. He will need time to find ways to use his speed to overcome his small stature.
Best Value Picks
Based on eDraft's Big Board, here are some of the best value picks:
- Louis Nix: Despite being viewed as the best nose tackle in the draft, Nix’s injury issues obviously affected his stock, as he slid down the board on Friday Night. eDraft rated Nix as the 17th best player in the class, so it became more and more shocking as each pick was made, and Nix wasn’t the name called. Houston finally broke Nix’s free fall, by trading up and selecting him with the 83rd pick, 66 spots below his ranking, making Nix the best value of Day 2.
- Kony Ealy: eDraft rated Ealy as their 15th overall prospect in this draft, and was viewed by many others as a first round pick. However, on Friday, Ealy continued to fall, until Carolina grabbed him at the end of the second round, with the 60th overall pick. With a +45 value, Carolina landed the second best value pick of Day 2.
- Gabe Jackson: Jackson was rated as eDraft’s 49th best player, so the Raiders landed great value, drafting Jackson with the 81st overall pick, a +32 value. He helps solidify the offensive line as Oakland transitions towards the future.
- Derek Carr: Oakland, once again, landed one of the highest value picks of the draft, grabbing their quarterback of tomorrow with Derek Carr. Carr was eDraft’s 8th ranked player, and many view him as the second best quarterback in this class. The Raiders drafted Carr at 36th overall, a +28 value.
Best Players Remaining
According to eDraft’s Big Board, here are the best 10 players still available:
1. David Yankey (ranked 27th on his Big Board)
2. Cyril Richardson (34th)
3. Pierre Desir (48th)
4. Shayne Skov (57th)
5. Yawin Smallwood (59th)
6. Chris Smith (63rd)
7. Dion Bailey (64th)
8. Ka’Deem Carey (65th)
9. DaQuan Jones (66th)
10. Antonio Richardson (68th)