2011 NFL Draft Results: The 5 Most Underrated Picks from Day 2

The 2011 NFL Draft has gone to bed for the night, but I think now is a good time to take a closer look at a couple of picks that don't seem to be getting enough attention.

When all is said and done, there are going to be plenty of steals in this year's draft. As far as the first round is concerned, my money is on Nick Fairley and Jimmy Smith, who I think went way too low. Alongside Ndamukong Suh, Fairley is going to wreak havoc for the Detroit Lions, and Jimmy Smith is going to provide some much-needed support in the Baltimore Ravens secondary.

But what about the second and third rounds? Which teams came away with steals when fewer people were watching?

Well, that's what we're hear to discuss. As far as I'm concerned, there were a couple steals in the second round. I love the New England Patriots landing Shane Vereen with the No. 56 pick, and I think the Houston Texans are going to love Brooks Reed.

For a full rundown of the most underrated picks from the second round, you must read on...

5. Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens

This pick barely counts as "underrated," so I'm going to keep it at the bottom of this humble little list.

That said, the Baltimore Ravens definitely scored with Torrey Smith. They filled a pretty huge need when they drafted Jimmy Smith in the first round, but finding a speedy wide receiver was next on the list. And that's exactly what they're getting in Torrey Smith.

As you no doubt recall, the Ravens brought in Anquan Boldin before last season. He ended up having a pretty good season, but he's more of a possession receiver. The Ravens desperately needed someone to stretch the field, and Smith is going to allow them to do just that. Smith has top-end speed, and he's going to bring the threat of the home run ball to the Ravens offense.

If that sounds a lot like the scouting report for Darrius Heyward-Bey, the last high-profile receiver to come out of Maryland, fear not. Smith has better hands, and he will actually go get a ball if it's thrown slightly off-target.

Get excited, Baltimore.

4. Brooks Reed, OLB, Houston Texans

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LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 05: Defensive end Brooks Reed #42 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates after stopping the USC Trojans on the final play on December 5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Arizona won 21-17. (Photo by Ste

Count me among the people who were a little surprised that the Houston Texans decided to take Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt with the No. 11 pick in the first round. I thought for sure they were going to take UNC's Robert Quinn, and then use him as an outside linebacker.

Oh well. The Texans ended up getting their outside linebacker when they drafted Arizona's Brooks Reed with the No. 42 pick. And as I see it, this is the definition of a "value pick."

Because he kinda looks like him, it would be easy to compare Reed to Clay Matthews. But because Reed also plays like Matthews, the comparison is actually quite valid. He has a tremendous motor, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.

Despite the fact they have Mario Williams, the Texans could use a rush linebacker. The team racked up just 30 sacks all of last season, which was a big reason why they were powerless against the pass.

Reed was a defensive end at Arizona, but the thinking is that he will be a very good rush linebacker. The Texans will reap the benefits.

3. Shane Vereen, RB, New England Patriots

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BERKELEY, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Shane Vereen #34 of the California Golden Bears warms up for their game against the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The New England Patriots could have had Mark Ingram with the No. 28 pick in the first round. Instead, they traded that pick to the New Orleans Saints, and let them walk away with Ingram.

Some people questioned this, but it is now apparent that they had other plans at running back. They took LSU running back Stevan Ridley in the third round, and they added Cal's Shane Vereen in the second round.

Between the two of them, I think Vereen is going to end up having a bigger impact. He's not going to be a primary back, as the Pats already have themselves a good one in BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but I think the Patriots could not have asked for a more perfect complementary back.

Vereen is not the fastest running back in the world. Nor is he the strongest. However, he might be one of the smartest, and he's very versatile. He knows how and when to hit the hole, he follows his blockers, and he knows what to do when he gets into the open field. Better yet, he's going to be a huge threat catching passes out of the backfield.

Basically, he's the next Kevin Faulk. 'Nough said.

2. Lance Kendricks, TE, St. Louis Rams

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MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 18: Lance Kendricks #84 of the Wisconsin Badgers catches a pass against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Camp Randall Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Arizona State 20-19. (Photo by Jonathan Da

Alas, the St. Louis Rams did not get a chance to draft Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Not exactly a surprise, but a bummer nonetheless.

Still, I think the Rams could have down worse in the first round. They selected North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn with the No. 14 pick. Opposite Chris Long, he'll bolster a pass rush that was already pretty good. The Rams finished fourth in the NFC with 43 sacks in 2010. Don't be surprised if Quinn adds a few to that number.

All that being said, I think it's the Rams' second-round pick that could end up being the one that we end up labeling as a steal. They took Wisconsin tight end Lance Kendricks with the No. 47 pick, and I think he could have a pretty big impact.

The Rams did not get much production out of their tight ends in 2010, and that's one area where Kendricks is going to come in handy. He's not built to be much of a blocker, but he is a very good pass-catcher that is going to have an advantage over just about every linebacker in the league. He's quicker than your average tight end, and he gets off the line of scrimmage very well.

Kendricks caught 43 balls for 663 yards in 2010. Relatively pedestrian numbers, but let's not forget that he played in a run-heavy offense. With Sam Bradford throwing to him, he could emerge as a very dangerous receiving threat.

1. Dontay Moch, OLB, Cincinnati Bengals

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 28: Defensive lineman Dontay Moch of Nevada runs a drill during the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

It's hard to imagine the Cincinnati Bengals having a better draft to this point. They landed the best wide receiver in the draft when they took A.J. Green fourth overall, and they then scored a born winner when they took Andy Dalton with the third pick in the second round.

With their offense taken care of, the Bengals then looked to address their other big need: pass rush. And they did so by taking Nevada outside linebacker Dontay Moch with the No. 66 pick in the third round.

If you don't know Moch, all you really need to know is that he's fast. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at the combine. To put that in perspective, Torrey Smith ran a 4.4 40, and Moch outweighs him by nearly 50 pounds. Most impressive.

Basically, it's easy to picture Moch hovering behind the line of scrimmage as an opposing quarterback drops back into the pocket. All Moch needs is an opening, and he'll be on top of said quarterback in the blink of an eye.

For a team that racked up just 27 sacks all of last season, this very notion should have the Bengals salivating.