NFL Mock Draft – Round 2
57. Chargers – OLB Carl Bradford, ASU (6’1, 243): The Chargers need to find someone who can rush the passer off the edge and that is Bradford’s specialty. He’s undersized, but has natural pass rush moves and plays the game with an edge that will be a welcome addition to a defense that was kind of soft in 2013.
58. Saints – SS Jimmy Ward, Northern Illinois (5’11, 191): The Saints should be set for a while at the safety position after this pick. The combo of last year’s first rounder (Kenny Vaccaro) and Ward gives the Saints two safeties with plenty of range in coverage and solid tackling in run support. Ward isn’t flashy but is a sound tackler and is so good in coverage that he could fill in at CB if needed. Good value late in the 2nd round.
59. Colts – CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska (6’3,215): He is a bit raw after switching to CB from WR just two season ago, but Jean-Baptiste has shown surprising fluidity for his height, natural instincts breaking on the ball, and good hands from his days as a WR. He’ll need some coaching on his technique, but he is close to being ready to contribute and would give the Colts a giant corner to match up against the league’s taller WRs.
60. Panthers – CB Pierre Desir, Lindenwood (6’1,195 ): Another tall corner, Desir is making a huge jump up in competition from tiny Lindenwood college. He showed he could handle it at the Senior Bowl. Desir struggled a little the first two days of practice, but I watched him dominate a solid group of WRs in the press coverage drill on day 3. There is a lot of potential here, even if it takes a year or two before he is ready to start. The Panthers had one of the shortest secondaries in the NFL last year, so Desir would be a welcome addition.
61. 49ers – SS Deone Bucannon, Washington St (6’1,216 ): I’m a big fan and hoped he would fall to the Bears in round 3, but Bucannon has been shooting up draft boards since the Senior Bowl and for good reason. He’s one of the biggest hitters in college football and has excellent range in coverage. Bucannon misses his fair share of tackles since he is always going for the big hit, but that can be coached out and it’s really the only flaw in his game. Bucannon and last year’s first round pick (FS Eric Reid) could give the Niners one of the best safety combos in the NFL for years to come.
62. Patriots – C Travis Swanson, Arkansas (6’5, 310): Center Ryan Wendell was the weak spot on the Pats line last year (-14 grade, ranked 33rd out of 35 centers by PFF). Swanson is unusually tall for the center position, but has enough athleticism to pull in the run game and is a solid pass blocker. He’s not the strongest center on the board, but will get stronger in time and should have a long career anchoring the Pats O-line.
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63. Broncos – CB / S LaMarcus Joyner, Florida St (5’8,190) He’s going to be one of the shortest players in the NFL, but Joyner can play. He’s a fierce hitter despite his small stature, has great speed, and his instincts are so good that he is always around the ball. Joyner is probably too small to cover outside the hash marks, but he can play either safety spot and could be an outstanding nickel corner. He’ll play a similar role to how the Cardinals used Tyrann Mathieu last season and Joyner is also a dangerous return man.
64. Seahawks – RT Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee (6’6, 315): Seattle’s current RT, Breno Giacomini, was over-matched at times last season, is a penalty magnet and probably shouldn’t be starting in the NFL. James would of been a LT at most colleges, but with Antonio Richardson entrenched there, James got a lot of experience playing on the right side which is beneficial since that is probably his best fit in the NFL. James is a powerful run blocker with good feet and surprising quickness for his size. His technique needs some work, but it’s close enough to NFL ready that he should be able to start at RT from day 1.
Twitter: @MikeFlannery_