The New York Giants reached for a player they didn't desperately need with the No. 19 overall pick in Round 1 of the 2013 NFL draft, but Big Blue made up for that potential mistake with two extremely solid picks in Rounds 2 and 3 Friday night at Radio City Music Hall. 

A defense that lacked bite up front last year added two linemen who could be ready to contribute from the get-go. 

Second-round selection Johnathan Hankins is a mountain of a human being. When ready, the 320-pound run-stopper could be good enough to allow fellow defensive tackle Linval Joseph to focus more on getting a push to assist the ends. He could also give defensive coordinator Perry Fewell the ability to rotate his ends more aggressively, possibly even packaging three pass-rushers with Hankins up front. 

This run defense was gashed on several occasions in 2012, surrendering 4.6 yards per carry for the season. That had a lot of people wishing for linebackers in this draft, but bringing in a guy like Hankins strengthens the rush and the run defense. 

Read More »30

Chip Kelly's first defensive draft pick as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles should have a serious shot at competing for a starting spot from the get-go.

An underrated prospect because he was overshadowed in the star-studded LSU defense last year, defensive tackle Bennie Logan might be an ideal candidate to start opposite Fletcher Cox and next to Isaac Sopoaga as a five-technique defensive end as part of Philly's hybrid 3-4 under defense. 

This is a team that has made no secret about wanting to get bigger, and that's why Logan makes so much sense. He's not only productive and NFL ready coming out of a top-flight SEC program, but he's 6'3" and 309 pounds. 

He's a very good pass-rusher and is good in space, possessing great speed for a 300-pounder. That's important for a team that will be have a lot of variation in terms of the defensive fronts it uses going forward under new defensive coordinator Bill Davis. And he isn't bad against the run, either, which means he could eventually be an every-down option for this team. 

Read More »8

Unpredictability. It's what happens when a brand-new head coach is conducting his first draft.

It looked like the Philadelphia Eagles were thinking about need over the draft board when they took Lane Johnson in Round 1, but then, with the 35th overall pick, Chip Kelly and Co. added a new offensive toy at a position that already seemed set in place.

Zach Ertz is an extremely intriguing prospect. He's been compared to Heath Miller and even Jason Witten. That's probably why the Eagles had him high enough on their draft board to select him here despite the fact they already have three solid players—Brent Celek, James Casey and Clay Harbor—capable of playing tight end. 

This is another sign that Kelly is shaping this offense in a very deliberate manner. It could mean Celek's days in Philly are numbered, and it could mean we see a lot of unique packages involving both Ertz and Casey, who was signed as a free agent in March. 

Read More »1

Barring a trade, the Washington Redskins will finally make a pick in the second round tonight as the NFL draft continues at Radio City Music Hall. Let's do some role playing and attempt to get inside the team's head as Round 2 approaches. 

Here is what Mike Shanahan and Co. should be thinking right now...

The focus is purely on defensive backs

Four cornerbacks and three safeties are gone, but this draft is so deep when it comes to defensive backs that we're almost guaranteed to have some quality options at both positions when we're on the clock with the 19th pick of the second round.

Read More »7

Lane Johnson is now a Philadelphia Eagle and one need is checked off the list. So, what should Chip Kelly's team be thinking as Round 2 of the NFL draft approaches? Here's another attempt to get inside their heads.

Time to gamble on a quarterback

We certainly thought about West Virginia's Geno Smith as a potential No. 4 overall pick. Why else would we have sent our entire front office to Morgantown for his pro day? Now, there's a chance we'll be able to land Smith with the third pick of the second round. 

If he's available, we'd be crazy not to give it a shot. The risk/reward factor is way better for us now, and the expectation level won't be as high. We'll add a quarterback who seems to suit Kelly's offense, and if things don't work out, it won't be as painful. 

Read More »26

I can't keep from wondering whether Dallas Cowboys fans are going to remember the first round of the 2013 NFL draft for all the wrong reasons. 

Travis Frederick could wind up becoming a solid NFL center, but indications are he's far from being a can't-miss prospect. Why draft a center in the first round if they don't meet that criteria?

Why do it when you could have had Sharrif Floyd, who has a hell of an upside and would have been a glove-like fit in Dallas' revamped 4-3 defense? 

Why do it if you could have had Matt Elam or Jonathan Cyprien, both of whom could have become immediate starters next to Barry Church at safety? The Cowboys have a much bigger hole at the safety position than they do at center, and Elam and Cyprien had first-round grades in a lot of people's minds. Either would have been perfect at pick No. 31, and the 'Boys would have looked smart for dealing down and picking up an extra mid-round pick in the process.

Read More »146

I do not like the New York Giants' decision to draft Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh 19th overall in the 2013 NFL draft. 

It's not because the pick is boring, because this team hasn't built itself up on headlines. And it's not because I don't believe they could use the help along the offensive line. 

In this case, New York picks up an extremely versatile player who might even have a chance to start from the get-go on the right side of the line. Pugh has been projected as a center, guard and tackle at the next level, depending on who you ask.

That's the bright side. 

The problem is that the defense is in dire need of help, and the Giants know how crucial the pass rush is to success in this league. But New York still left defensive ends Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine as well as cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes, Desmond Trufant and Jamar Taylor on the board. 

Read More »127

The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most talented offensive lines in the NFL. I know it doesn't feel that way, but it's true. 

The problem is that, last year, bookend tackles Jason Peters and Todd Herremans were hurt, while 2011 first-round pick Danny Watkins continued to look like a bust at right guard. 

In one moment Thursday night, the Eagles took a good line and made it great, replacing Watkins and securing a potential star tackle of the future by drafting Oklahoma's Lane Johnson. 

You could make the argument that this was a panic move, even a reach. The draft's top two tackles had already gone off the board and Dion Jordan was picked right before Philly was on the clock. That might have put the Eagles in a tough spot, but nobody was forcing them to take the raw but freakishly athletic Johnson. 

Read More »27