NFL Draft 2011: Recapping Every Round 3 Pick

The picks came fast in the third round, with a shorter time-limit and less overall action than normal. From the third round on, it’s more about building depth, taking chances and hoping to hit the jackpot. Players that slipped out of the first two rounds -- including Ryan Mallett -- were finally snapped up as value pick was the buzz-word of the day.

Mallett was easily the story of the third round, as was his landing spot. The New England Patriots may have just been the perfect place for Mallett from a development and character standpoint, though he won’t be called upon to play for a significant amount of time. But under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, Mallett may have every opportunity to succeed.

Fua is 6’1” and 310 pounds with NFL Network’s Mike Mayock calling him a real “point of attack” type of player. He’s strong and athletic and should fit in well as the Panthers start to revamp their defensive line.

For more on the Panthers draft picks, check out Cat Scratch Reader.

With the 96th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Alex Green, a running back from Hawaii. With Ryan Grant still recovering from an injury sustained in 2010, the Packers are looking for depth in the backfield. Despite winning the Super Bowl, it was clear the run-game was lacking, though Aaron Rodgers more than made up for it at the helm of a prolific passing attack.

The Packers did not, technically, have the final pick of the third round as the Carolina Panthers were awarded a compensatory pick for Julius Peppers.

In the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Packers have selected Curtis Brown. This is the 95th overall pick of the draft.

Brown is a cornerback taken from Texas. With the Longhorns, Brown’s performance regressed somewhat in his senior year, as he only recorded 23 tackles in 2010 as opposed to 44 in 2009. He grabbed two interceptions during his career in Texas.

For Ellis, this is an excellent landing spot. He immediately enters one of the best defenses in the NFL. He may not make a big year-one impact but you can bet if anyone gets the best out of him, it’ll be Rex Ryan. Solid pick.

For more on the Jets draft picks, check out Gang Green Nation.

With the 93rd pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have taken Chris Conte, a saftey from California. Conte has decent size and great pursuit skills; if the Bears are looking for a safety who can cheat up and make plays in the run game, Conte might be it.

The Bears’ draft class now includes Conte, Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi, and Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea.

An odd trade led to the Oakland Raiders picking up the 92nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Where trades are normally made as the team giving it up is on the clock, the Raiders made a trade in advance with the New England Patriots, swapping picks well ahead of time to secure the late-third round pick. And with the pick, the Oakland Raiders selected Joe Barksdale, an offensive tackle from LSU.

Barksdale is the second offensive lineman taken by the Raiders, with the fastest cornerback sandwiched in-between. As much as Al Davis and the Raiders are typically ridiculed, their 2011 draft seems normal, though unspectacular.

In the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons opted to go with Akeem Dent. This is the 91st overall pick of the draft.

Dent is a linebacker from Georgia. During his career with the Bulldogs, Dent emerged as a top threat on the defensive line. He came into his own in 2010, when he recorded 122 tackles -- 66 solo -- while adding three sacks. The pick was announced by Falcons great Jessie Tuggle.

The Eagles know what they’re getting in Marsh as he’s played at Utah State since he was a freshman. He runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.4 to 4.3 second range and was projected as a fourth round pick.

This is the second Eagles defensive back taken on day two with S Jaiquawn Jarrett selected earlier in the day.

With the 89th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers have taken USC cornerback Shareece Wright. Wright combines great size and considerable ball skills as a cornerback with serious concerns about his maturity: he was academically ineligible for all but the bowl game in USC’s 2009 season, and was up and down as a starter in 2010.

The Chargers have now stocked their secondary with both Wright and Marcus Gilchrist, and also drafted Jonas Mouton and Vincent Brown.

With the 88th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints went with a defensive back, picking Johnny Patrick, a cornerback from Louisville. Patrick is part of the hodge-podge of cornerbacks in the 2011 draft class, which was much more confusing after Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara and Jimmy Smith.

Smith has talent and may fill a need on special teams, of all things. He worked as a gunner at Louisville, which could be his best chance to make the roster and see playing time as a rookie in New Orleans.

In the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts have selected Drake Nevis. This is the 87th overall pick of the draft.

Nevis is a defensive tackle who hails from LSU. As a senior, he recorded 57 tackles for the Tigers and grabbed three interceptions. Nevis is just the latest in what has been a long list of defensive tackles taken in this year’s draft.

At 6’3”, 285 pounds, Bailey had a team-high seven sacks while at Miami. The Chiefs need some defensive linemen that can rush the passer and Bailey will help with that.

For more on the Chiefs draft picks, check out Arrowhead Pride.

With the 85th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected Jah Reid, an offensive tackle from Central Florida. Reid could be a bookend tackle with Michael Oher in Baltimore for years: he has great height for an offensive tackle, but may need to pack on some pounds to go toe-to-toe with NFL defensive ends.

The Ravens have used their draft picks to add depth at less showy positions: besides Reid, Baltimore has taken Torrey Smith, a wide receiver from Maryland, and Jimmy Smith, a cornerback from Colorado.

With the 84th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected inside linebacker Mason Foster from the Washington Huskies. Foster was a major producer in the linebacking corps for the Huskies and racked up huge numbers throughout his career. Foster was a tackling machine at Washington, and though his measurables aren’t outstanding, Foster was more than impressive.

Foster played outside for the Huskies, but may play inside for the Bucs. He doesn’t quite have the speed to get out deep in coverage, but has excellent instinct and the size to play at inside linebacker.

The Giants have one of the best receivers in the game right now in WR Hakeem Nicks so this will be a good opportunity for Jernigan to learn under a solid receiver.

For more on the Giants draft picks, check out Big Blue View andSB Nation New York.

With the 82nd pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers plucked a player from their backyard in San Diego State’s Vincent Brown. Brown was a go-to receiver for the Aztecs, but might struggle to be more than a possession receiver for the Chargers.

San Diego adds Brown to a draft class that includes linebacker Jonas Mouton and cornerback Marcus Gilchrist.

With the 81st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Damarcus Van Dyke, a cornerback from Miami. Van Dyke is the second defensive back from Miami to go during the second day, joining Brandon Harris, who was taken near the end of the second round.

Van Dyke was the Raiders second choice, joining Stefen Wisniewski. It’s been a solid draft for Oakland, but isn’t one that will blow anyone away. Nevertheless, with Al Davis in charge, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected.

In the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers have chosen South Carolina cornerback Chris Culliver. This is the 80th overall pick of the draft.

Culliver missed much of his 2010 season with the Gamecocks due to injury; he suffered a pectoral muscle tear that caused him to miss the final six games of his career. His best year may actually have been his sophomore year, as he recorded 60 tackles and three interceptions.

The Redskins have been trading down...and trading down...so it’s about time they made a pick. Hankerson will come in and be able to play quickly. He ran in the 4.4 40-yard dash range and has good ball skills. He’s great value at the 79th pick as there was some small buzz that he could slip into the end of the first round.

For more on the Redskins draft picks, check out Hogs Haven.

With the 78th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams have taken Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis. Pettis has the size and hands necessary to be a perennial go-to possession receiver if he can find a way to create separation at the NFL level.

The Rams’ draft class now includes North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, Wisconsin tight end Lance Kendricks, and Pettis.

In the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars opted to select William Rackley. Rackley is a guard from Lehigh University.

Rackley is listed at 6 feet 3 inches tall, and tips the scales at 309 pounds. In his career at Lehigh, Rackley started 16 games at left tackle and 37 games at right guard.

Moffitt stands 6’4” and weighs 319 pounds and should be able to step in quickly to Seattle’s offensive line. Wisconsin runs a pro-style offense so he will be one of the guys that will pick things up quickly.

The Seahawks continue to bolster their offensive line after selecting OT James Carpenter in the first round.

Finally, Ryan Mallett has come off the board in the 2011 NFL Draft: with the 74th pick in the third round, the New England Patriots have taken the Arkansas quarterback.

Mallett’s arm is unimpeachable, but questions about his athleticism likely made him fall all the way to the third round. The Patriots aren’t likely to mind his athletic limitations: they already have a quarterback with some statuesque qualities, and Tom Brady’s certainly worked out for them.

With the 74rd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Stevan Ridley. The Patriots finally made a pick, and took a running back in their first of two picks in a row, No. 73 and No. 74. Ridley wasn’t rated high, but does posses upside, though many felt he declared for the draft a year too early.

The Patriots spent the day moving in reverse, dumping draft picks and slowly sliding out of the second round as Bill Belichick stockpiled late-round picks. It’s a classic Belichick and the Patriots, and they seem to have waited long enough to stock up and find the value they were looking for.