2013 NFL Draft Day Two: Live Reaction and Analysis
Round Three
63. Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
Interesting pick for the Chiefs here, getting a very good looking TE prospect who may have fallen out of round two because of some character issues. Tough to say at this point. Either way, another upgrade to the offensive side of the ball for KC, who have used their picks on Eric Fisher, Alex Smith, and Kelce to this point.
64. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dwayne Gratz, CB, UConn
Bit of a reach here on Gratz, but the Jaguars needed upgrades to their defensive backfield. This is a guy that will likely have to step in and start right away for them. Guy with a lot of starting experience and a two-time All-Big East 2nd team selection.
65. Detroit Lions: Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
Powerful offensive lineman who will help protect Matthew Stafford and pave the way for Reggie Bush and Mikel LeShoure. As far as value picks go, this is a very solid one for the Lions. They used their first two picks on the defensive side of the ball, and get a nice offensive line prospect here.
66. Oakland Raiders: Sio Moore, LB, UConn
Moore is a very versatile linebacker prospect who can come in and help the Raiders in a variety of ways. He gives them scheme versatility and won’t have to come off the field on passing downs. I like his fit with Dennis Allen’s defense.
67. Philadelphia Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT, LSU
Logan seemed to be more of a fit for the 4-3 defensive front, but the Eagles think he can help them. They snatched Fletcher Cox last year, who appears to have been a great pickup, and now they get a guy in Bennie Logan who can penetrate and eat up blockers.
68. Cleveland Browns: Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State
Solid cornerback prospect for the Browns, but I’m underwhelmed by their draft to this point. Guy with solid size, speed, and athletic ability, and could be in line to start opposite Joe Haden.
69. Arizona Cardinals: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
I love this pick. The Cardinals are getting Mathieu reunited with Kevin Minter and Patrick Peterson, and they can be really creative with him in their scheme. I think I had heard the plan was to play him at free safety, which would be very exciting. You can use this guy all over the field and I think he could wind up being one of the best values of the draft.
70. Tennessee Titans: Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn
Long, athletic cornerback prospect who gives the Titans a nice upgrade in the secondary. I was starting to wonder when they were going to address this position, and they actually get a really great value here in Blidi Wreh-Wilson. He has been considered a 1st rounder by some.
71. St. Louis Rams (from Bills): T.J. McDonald, S, USC
Jeff Fisher gets a big, athletic, hard-hitting safety prospect who can step in and start for him right away. I have liked McDonald since his earlier days at USC, and I think with the Rams’ pass rush, he can be a factor on the back end of this defense.
72. New York Jets: Brian Winters, OL, Kent State
Nasty offensive line prospect who can play guard or right tackle for the Jets. I think he could be a day one starter for them, and I think this is a really solid value for Rex Ryan’s crew.
73. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
Bit of a reach here, but I’m a lot more harsh on Glennon than a lot of analysts out there. I think he needs more of a killer instinct. He has a heck of an arm, and if the Bucs decide Josh Freeman isn’t cutting it, this could be the QB of the future.
74. Dallas Cowboys (from 49ers): Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
Williams was extremely productive the last couple of seasons for Baylor, and I think with Dallas having some injury issues last year with Miles Austin and no one stepping up in his place, Williams is a guy who can add that dimension to their offense and maybe allow Austin to work from the slot.
75. New Orleans Saints: Terron Armstead, OT, Akransas Pine-Bluff
Very athletic tackle prospect who could be a left tackle replacement for Jermon Bushrod for the Saints. You have to protect Drew Brees, your best player, and even though this guy is raw, they have nailed mid-round picks on offensive linemen from small schools before.
76. San Diego Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR, California
The Chargers strike gold here with Keenan Allen, a guy who I’d projected as a first or second round choice. He has had his share of injury problems, and questions have come up about his character, but in the third round, he’s worth the risk for the Chargers who have a very average WR group.
77. Miami Dolphins: Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee
Miami needs someone to come in and play right tackle, and Thomas could be that guy and allow Jonathan Martin to move to left tackle. This probably wasn’t their ideal scenario for replacing Jake Long, but Thomas is a guy who can come in and play probably right away.
78. Buffalo Bills (from Rams): Marquise Goodwin, WR, Texas
The Bills have T.J. Graham, a third rounder from last year, as well as C.J. Spiller already in the fold. So, safe to say their offense will feature speed with the addition of Goodwin now. This is a guy with track star speed, but he definitely has a lot of ability on the field. He was compared to Mike Wallace by an analyst on TV, and ran a 4.21 this offseason. That is blazing fast.
79. Pittsburgh Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
I think Pittsburgh has done a great job of adding players to fill their top needs, and Wheaton is a guy who makes a lot of sense for them. Some scouts felt like he was one of the most refined WR prospects in this draft, and should be able to contribute for this team right away.
80. Dallas Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S, Georgia Southern
Sleeper safety prospect who fills a need for the Cowboys. This guy had good measurables and while he’s not a big name player, I think he’s a guy who can develop into a starter for Dallas. They took a bit of a risk here, but there could be a big payoff.
81. New York Giants: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
The Giants go with pure value here, but also fill the void left by Osi Umenyiora. Moore has been considered a top five pick this offseason, and if not for some really bad workout numbers, he just might have been. There’s no denying he makes plays in the backfield more often than not, so he could be a huge steal here. I like this pick.
82. New Orleans Saints (from Dolphins): John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
After snatching up Kenny Vaccaro in round one, the Saints move in on another defender here, but this time one of mammoth size. Jenkins is a very good athlete for a near 350 pound man, and should be able to help shore up a huge weakness on the Saints’ defensive front.
83. New England Patriots (from Vikings): Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
The Patriots get a guy here who is very physical and good in man coverage. Corner was one of their top needs heading into the draft, so getting a guy like Ryan at 83 is very solid value I think.
84. Cincinnati Bengals: Shawn Williams, S, Georgia
I really like Shawn Williams, especially with the Bengals. I think this guy is a tough leader with excellent speed and athletic ability who can provide them an upgrade next to Reggie Nelson at safety right away.
85. Washington Redskins: Jordan Reed, TE, Florida
Washington has some uncertainty at TE with the injury situation surrounding Fred Davis, and getting an athletic guy like Reed to grow with Robert Griffin III is a great idea. Mike Shanahan has always been a fan of speedy, athletic tight ends.
86. Indianapolis Colts: Hugh Thornton, OG, Illinois
I think this was a bit of a reach for the Colts, but they get a very large, very strong offensive guard prospect here and a guy who started a lot of games for Illinois.
87. Seattle Seahawks: Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State
The Seahawks have added a lot of upgrades to their defensive line this offseason, and continue to do so with the addition of Jordan Hill. He can give the Seahawks some depth inside, and be a good rotational player for them with quickness and strength.
88. San Francisco 49ers (from Packers): Corey Lemonier, DE/OLB, Auburn
Another great pickup for the 49ers here getting the freakishly athletic Lemonier (pronounced lemon-YAY, apparently), who upgrades their depth at rush linebacker significantly. He has speed off the edge, and is one of the more physically imposing players in this draft.
89. Houston Texans: Brennan Williams, OT, North Carolina
The Texans had an opportunity to upgrade their offensive line, and they took advantage with Williams on the board here. He is a guy who I had rated a bit lower, but certainly has the size and athleticism to be a good fit for the Texans zone running scheme.
90. Denver Broncos: Kayvon Webster, CB, South Florida
Bit of a shocker here with this pick, fitting with the theme of this round apparently. The Broncos took a guy here that I didn’t have on my radar. I will need to do more research here, but the early reports are that Webster is a sound tackler with elite speed and measurables. Interesting pick by John Elway, but a reach considering some of the guys still on the board.
91. New England Patriots: Duron Harmon, S, Rutgers
Another head scratcher, and another guy who I have little knowledge of. This is a deep sleeper prospect who has some versatility in the defensive backfield. He has very good athletic ability, but was considered a UDFA by most outlets. Reach here by the Patriots but a guy they obviously liked a lot.
92. St. Louis Rams (from Falcons): Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
I love this pick. Love it. The Rams traded up to get Tavon Austin, and they get his teammate here in the third round in Stedman Bailey. Sam Bradford and the Rams offense have a ton of toys to play with at the receiver position now. This is just a cool pick, one that I really am a fan of.
93. Miami Dolphins (from Packers thru 49ers): Will Davis, CB, Utah State
Like we said before, it’s no question the Dolphins needed corners and Will Davis is the latest in a huge run of them in the third round. A great athlete who had a really solid senior year for the Aggies. Sleeper prospect here, but someone who could contribute very early for the Dolphins.
94. Baltimore Ravens: Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern State
The Ravens get a sleeper here at defensive tackle, a guy who can potentially play end or nose in their scheme. A lot of people had Williams graded as a 2nd round talent if not for his level of competition. Could be a diamond in the rough for Ozzie Newsome.
95. Houston Texans (comp): Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU
The Texans get a guy who I think is a poor scheme fit, but certainly one of the top players available on my board. I think Montgomery played better at a lower weight, so maybe he will get back down again and provide the Texans with an athletic pass rusher that he appeared to be developing into as a sophomore at LSU.
96. Kansas City Chiefs (comp): Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas
Big, speedy running back who battled a lot of injuries at Arkansas. As much as was made of Marcus Lattimore, I’m surprised more was not made of Davis, who was also considered a potential top 10 talent once upon a time. I will be interested to see how this one plays out.
97. Tennessee Titans (comp): Zaviar Gooden, LB, Missouri
The Titans love speed at the LB position, and Gooden fits that bill as well. He’s got great athletic ability, and could be a really nice pickup for the Titans with the final pick of the third round.