Round 3

[Direckshun]

My intellectual exercise continues.

Here's my round one, here's my round two.

Reward a brother with some feedback. This particular round took a lot of work and involved some really tough decisions.

65. Carolina Panthers – OG Danny Watkins, Baylor

Once again, I think the Panthers are willing to give Clausen another shot, but you have to give him an actual freaking shot. Part of that includes drafting AJ Green to give him help downfield, and another part of that is improving the interior line to preserve a pocket for him and get the running game going. Watkins is a homerun hit at this point.

66. Cincinnati Bengals – RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

The Bengals are in need of a makeover at both sides of the ball. With the first pick, they brought in Bowers for the passrush, but the skill positions on offense need a ton of help as well. Hankerson was added in the second round to juice up a depleted WR corps, and Murray is going to be a key replacement needed after Cedric Benson is let go.

67. Denver Broncos – QB Ricky Stanzi, Iowa

It’s been nothing but defense for the Broncos so far: Fairley, J.J. Watts, and Rashad Carmichael. This is necessary as the entire defense is likely going to shift under John Fox.

But new coaches mean new QBs. Stanzi has some upside as a game-manager, because Elway hates Tebow.

68. Buffalo Bills -- WR Vincent Brown, San Diego State

There is a ton of playmaking talent available in my third round, which is fortunate for the Bills who spent their first on Gabbert, and spent their second protecting him with Barksdale. Brown is a high-upside talent with some downfield speed and Velcro hands. The Bills need a ton of help on both sides of the ball, but if priority 1a is to find a franchise QB, then 1b must be to help him succeed.

69. Arizona Cardinals – OG Clint Boling, Georgia

The Cards are in a tough spot with this pick, but don’t blame me that they need virtually every position. They spent their first rounder on Newton, and got great value in the second by plucking Randolph, the best TE in the draft. Problem is, the Cardinals still have no outside passrushers (none are worth the value at this point), and still need help at tackle (ditto).

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Cardinals go with help on the offensive line with Boling, a prospect I’m high on. The Cards need some help in the middle anyway. And Boling is an incredibly versatile, athletic lineman with good size who could play any of the five OL positions if needed to.

70. Cleveland Browns -- NT Ian Williams, Notre Dame

After making a pit stop with Titus Young in the second round, the Browns are committed to revamping their front seven, which is depleted and in transition to the 4-3. Dareus was their first round pick, but Williams is the meat and potatoes guy they need to get so much tougher on the LOS. The Browns spend every season getting pushed around by their division, it is time they take the picks needed to rebuild their front seven, because that is what it takes to win the AFC North.

71. Dallas Cowboys -- FS Quinton Carter, Oklahoma

The Cowboys are in need of upgrade in many places in the secondary. I spent their first on Amukamara, while their second beefed up their nose with Paea. Carter is a good value pick in the third.

72. New Orleans Saints -- ILB Casey Matthews, Oregon

There’s still some pretty good value for front seven starters here in the third; I think Matthews is overrated but the guy is plenty versatile and can man either the MLB position for the Saints, or the strongside linebacker position. He could probably play the Will if need be but along with Fua in the second round, this team just got a lot harder to gash. Clayborn out of Iowa was their selection in the first round.

73. Houston Texans -- CB Kendric Burney, North Carolina

The Texans defense is their Achilles heel, but it might as well be their Achilles everything. No team has been more inept to stop any team’s passing attack, perhaps ever. They brought in Von Miller in the first, and Rahim Moore in the second. This is an impressive haul for the Texans if they can land Burney in the third. Within a couple years, this can be a really impressive stop unit.

74. New England Patriots – WR Jerrel Jernigan, Troy

What do you get for a team that has everything… After bringing in Sherrod to man LT and Liuget to solidify the DL, in the first, and Acho for the passrush and Gilbert to provide more help for their OL in the second. Now they get two more picks in the third, and here’s as good a place as any to help their skill positions, which are surprisingly bare. You’ve got Welker and you’ve got a ton of overachievers.

Jernigan is a dynamic talent who can provide more than just a slot aspect that so many of the receivers at this point do. He’s not the classic field stretcher that Moss was, but few people are.

75. Detroit Lions – OLB Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

I feel like, at this point, the Lions are on the verge of a truly dynamic offense. With Tyron Smith (1st round) providing the long-needed protection Stafford needs, and Leshoure (2nd) beefing up their run game, the Lions could be on the verge of an offense that can rack up huge points and provide their franchise QB will all the support he needs.

What’s missing is a lot of defense. Some defensive line help is necessary, and there are some corners the Lions could consider here. But the Lions have Jack and Shit at their outside linebacker position.

76. San Francisco 49ers -- DE/DT Lawrence Guy, Arizona State

This pick fits like a glove for the 49ers, as he is the best player on my board at this point and a position of sore need for the 49ers. After their two bigger needs of QB (Ponder in the first) and corner (Peterson in the first), the 49ers grab a guy who can get them some push against opposing tackles who have been crushing them all over a pretty pansy-ass NFC West.

77. Tennessee Titans – QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

Broken hearted that Stanzi was scooped up earlier in the round, the Titans try picking up a guy that has the upside to make noise in this league. The Titans can afford a season of Collins at QB if they need to go that route, as Kaepernick will take a season or two to groom. But this guy’s figures are Young-esque – great accuracy passing, superb mobility, pretty smart guy and rises to every occasion. He is a quality winner and compliments the team’s first two picks (Quinn and Wisniewski) very well.

78. St. Louis Rams – WR Austin Pettis, Boise State

The Rams brought in some much needed receiving help in Julio Jones in the first, before beefing up their middle with Jarvis Jenson. There’s a few other areas of need that I think the Rams could explore, but I don’t like any direction they go as much as Pettis in the third. This is perhaps the weakest WR corps in the league, and I think Pettis complements Julio Jones extremely well. I could give a shit about Mark Clayton’s zombie act.

79. Miami Dolphins – FS DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson

There is absolutely no quarterback at this point that the Dolphins could consider, which is a shame because that’s really the big thing they wanted to walk away with in this draft. They did get a pretty good passrushing prospect in Kerrigan in the first, but so many of their needs remain unresolved, including free safety. McDaniel sure doesn’t look like a free safety, but the man has every ounce of ability man the position. He’s first round talent that’s fallen this far after a subpar season.

80. Jacksonville Jaguars – CB Johnny Patrick, Louisville

I have taken the liberty of FINALLY getting two things the Jaguars have needed for as long as I’ve followed the draft – a quarterback prospect (Devlin, 2nd) and a passrusher (Aldon Smith, 1st). Patrick reminds me a lot of Orlando Scandrick because of his fantastic measurable.

81. Oakland Raiders -- C Tim Barnes, Missouri

I’m taking it upon myself to continue working on the Raiders’ overwhelmingly biggest weakness: their offensive line. This is a team ready to take a leap to the next level, but they’re not going to do it with one of the worst units in the league. That began in round two with Marcus Cannon for either guard or tackle. It continues now with Tim Barnes manning their middle. Barnes in terms of measurables is just okay, but he’s the unit captain you really need at this position, and he plays very smart.

82. San Diego Chargers – CB Davon House, New Mexico State

Not a real area of need, but the Chargers are loaded with picks this draft and they can get a better value pick a little later. For now they explore a really promising prospect with pretty good size and outstanding speed. House is a booming prospect in my eyes.

House joins Cam Jordan (1st round), Sturdivant (2nd round) and Brooks Reed (2nd) to give this defense a serious infusion of youth and ability.

83. New York Giants -- C Kristofer O'Dowd, USC

The Giants have been a real mess the past couple of seasons, and what’s needed is an infrastructure upgrade. This is a team that needs to get a lot tougher mentally at every position. A great deal of that starts with O’Dowd, a smart center who has struggled at the Senior Bowl (where offensive lineman typically struggle anyways). O’Dowd, along with Akeem Ayers (1st) and Ryan Williams (2nd), allows this team to get not just better, but more mature.

84. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Pernell McPhee, Mississippi State

The Bucs need a ton of help generating a passrush from their front four. They picked up Justin Houstin in the first to get them a promising bolter at the RDE. A bigger, tougher passrush is needed on the left hand side, and this alone beefs up a sore need.

McPhee is a boom or bust prospect but the Bucs looooooooove these kinds of kids. He’s going to need a lot more discipline in Rheem Morris’ system but that’s what this coach specializes in.

85. Philadelphia Eagles -- OLB K.J. Wright, Mississippi State

Count the Eagles in with seemingly every other 4-3 team as needing help in their LB corps. Wright provides a lot of versatility and plays with great instincts. While Ijalana from Villanova (2nd round) beefs up their OL, Wright will join Brandon Harris as an infusion of youth in their back seven for the Eagles – a must if they wish to continue shutting down Rodgers or Brees in the playoffs.

86. Kansas City Chiefs -- DE/OLB Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

The Chiefs have a trio of sore needs this offseason, and with their first three picks they’ve done a decent job of addressing each need. Torrey Smith is an underwhelming but classic Pioli selection in the first, and Powe provides the Chiefs a team captain for their defensive line, and a wide body to clog running lanes for three downs. Beal FINALLY offers the Chiefs a legitimate threat off the edge that can start from day one.

Beal has been particularly disappointing this season, after starting off red hot. But Beal has the measurables to succeed at the position and to recapture the magic that made him a promising national prospect in the first place.

87. Indianapolis Colts – DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina

Up to this point, it doesn’t really take a rocket science to determine what I’ve been doing for the Colts so far. Castonzo in the first, Hudson in the second, this is all offensive line, all the time. But that process ends temporarily here, as the Colts decide the need help up the middle of their defense as well. The Colts typically prefer smaller, more agile defensive lineman, but that approach has only gotten them slaughtered up the gut in recent years. A deep draft at defensive tackle allows them to pounce on Marvin Austin.

88. New Orleans Saints – OT Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh

Much like I’ve spent much of the Colts draft beefing up their OL, I’ve spent the first two picks beefing up the Saints along the DL. Their first pick was Clayborn from Iowa, their second pick was Fua. I also nabbed Casey Matthews earlier this round, and now the Saints are going to finally upgrade their right tackle position, conceivably, with Pinkston. An all-first teamer from the ACC that’s had to overcome some serious knee problems, Pinkston can man the right perfectly fine at the next level.

89. San Diego Chargers – ILB Kelvin Sheppard, LSU

The Chargers continue to stack their defense with young talent.

90. Baltimore Ravens – CB Shareece Wright, USC

The Ravens have helped upgrade their defensive line with Heyward (1st) and brought in some more ILB talent with Wilson in the 2nd, so it only makes sense that we take advantage of the depth chart at this point and get some talent in the secondary as well. Shareece Wright is a very smart corner with pretty good ball skills. He’s not a measurable guy that will blow you away but is great for positioning and utilizing safety support to maximize coverage.

91. Atlanta Falcons – WR Greg Little, North Carolina

The Falcons brought in Pouncey in the 1st and Foster for their defense in the 2nd. But this team is needing some youth at the receiver position. Little is a huge upside guy with great hands and very good size. He adds another playmaker in the red zone for a team that is losing Tony G’s productivity by the week.

92. New England Patriots -- DE/DT Drake Nevis, LSU

The Patriots use their excess of picks to their advantage by picking up a guy who probably wouldn’t work out to be a full-time starter in the 3-4 DE position. But with Ty Warren and Corey Liuget, he doesn’t have to be. Nevis is a pure penetrator, a pure disruptor along the DL, and is incredibly agile and fast at diagnosing plays – his size makes him a bit of a tweener or a pure 3rd down option, but a great one at that. The Pats, with their many picks, can afford to drop one on a situational player with upside.

93. Chicago Bears -- OG/C John Moffitt, Wisconsin

The Bears continue working to protect Cutler. Olin Kreutz is probably going to get resigned by the team, but if he doesn’t, Moffitt can serve in a pinch. Otherwise, he’s got great size for the guard position, where the Bears are definitely hurting. Putting Moffitt and Carimi (1st round) on the left side together makes Cutler’s life a thousand times easier against some of the ferocious passrushes of the NFC North. Allen Bailey was their 2nd rounder.

94. New York Jets – CB Brandon Burton, Utah

Not a ton of great options for the Jets here. No wide receivers that really look that impressive, and no rushbackers that really seem to fit the Rex Ryan mold. Burton seems to have the attitude needed for this team, and Utah has groomed some quality secondary players in recent years. Burton is a great measurables guy, and it doesn’t seem like the Jets want Cromarties back, and Kyle Wilson is a bust in the making.

95. Pittsburg Steelers – OG Orlando Franklin, Miami

So far I’ve done nothing but beef up Pitt’s defense by bringing in Aaron Williams in the 1st and Greg Jones in the second. But the team does need more than a few upgrades along the OL.

96. Green Bay Packers – OT/OG Chris Hairston, Clemson

The Packers have given themselves a franchise RB in Ingram (1st) and Sheard (2nd) gives them a second threat off the edge, ostensibly. Help along the offensive line is needed, be it either in the form of a tackle or a guard. Hairston provides them a guy with some versatility.

[BigCatDaddy]

I'm a die hard OU fan. I think Beal goes in the 3rd, but I wouldn't want him as a Chief. I doubt he is an upgrade over Studebaker myself.