This is an area I typically stay away from because predicting the 2nd round of the NFL Draft is impossible. However, part of the fun of covering the NFL Draft is going out on a limb and making predictions. Please make sure to check out my 1st round Mock Draft which will help explain a lot of these 2nd round selections. As usual, I am hoping for some good comments and feedback!
2011 NFL Mock Draft: 2nd Round
33. New England (from Car.)- Mikel Leshoure- RB- Illinois
- Woodhead and Green- Ellis are nice backs but Leshoure could be great!
34. Buffalo- Nate Solder- OT- Colorado
- If the draft falls this way the Bills brass will be doing cartwheels all over the war-room. Biggest need for the Bills might be at tackle and they get a guy with great potential in Solder.
35. Cincinnati- Mike Pouncey- G/C- Florida
36. Denver- Drake Nevis- DT- LSU
- A defensive line that features Dumervil, Bowers, and Nevis could be game changing.
37. Cleveland- Leonard Hankerson- WR- Miami
- I wanted to avoid selecting Hankerson with this pick but the fact remains the Browns need help at wide receiver. My issue with this pick is that Cleveland has two 2nd round picks invested in Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi.
38. Arizona- Ben Ijalana- OT- Villanova
- The Cardinals offensive line has seen better days. Ijalana is a bit of a project but he has a lot up potential.
39. Tennessee- Martez Wilson- LB- Illinios
- The Titans defense was decent last season with a lot of vets. The linebacking corps could use an infusion of young talent and Wilson has a ton of athletic ability.
40. Dallas- Danny Watkins- G- Baylor
- Dallas struggled to get consistent play from its offensive line. While the major issue is at tackle the interior wasn’t very good either.
41. Washington- JJ Watt- DE- Wisconsin
- Vonnie Holiday is 35 years old and Watt would present great value at this position. I have to admit this might be a little far for Watt to fall.
42. Houston- Jalil Brown- CB- Colorado
- Do I really need to give much explanation for this pick? The secondary is terrible and needs talent, period.
43. Minnesota- Christian Ponder- QB- Florida State
- Joe Webb showed some promise but I am not among those that feel he has upside at the quarterback position. Ponder has good poise and the ability to contribute early in his career.
44. Detroit- Kendric Burney- CB- UNC
- Detroit did a good job last season adding some nice pieces to the secondary but overall they still need some players. Burney earned himself some money at the Senior Bowl showing he has a nose for the ball.
45. San Francisco- Torrey Smith- WR- Maryland
- San Francisco will likely be breaking in a new quarterback so why not give him the max amount of weapons. Smith is a guy with terrific speed and playmaking ability.
46. Denver (from Mia)- Quinton Carter- S- Oklahoma
- Brian Dawkins is at the end of his career which makes the addition of Carter a smart pick. The biggest weakness of this Broncos team was the defense and they have added Bowers, Nevis, and now Carter.
47. St. Louis- Kyle Rudolph- TE- Notre Dame
- Sam Bradford loves using his tight ends and the best of the bunch is Rudolph. The Rams need to continue to surround their young quarterback with weapons.
48. Oakland- Colin Kaepernick- QB- Nevada
- It’s said every year that Al Davis loves athletic ability and speed, so why should this year be any different? Kaepernick is a project player but will have the opportunity to learn under new head coach Hue Jackson.
49. Jacksonville- Mason Foster- LB- Washington
- Ex- NFL linebacker Jack Del Rio would love to add someone like Foster to his roster, yes I meant for that to rhyme.
50. San Diego- Muhammad Wilkerson- DE/DT- Temple
- This is a bit low for Wilkerson but the Chargers will be happy with this pick. Wilkerson will step in and start at the 5 technique from day one.
51. Tampa Bay- Sam Acho- DE- Texas
- Tampa needs to focus on upgrading their pass rush which is an area where Acho excels.
52. New York Giants- Nate Irving- LB- NC State
- The Giants are still looking for an answer at the middle linebacker position.
53. Indianapolis- Stephen Paea- DT- Oregon State
- Paea is likely to drop a little because of his knee injury. He fills a big need for the Colts by bringing his run stuffing ability to Indy.
54. Philadelphia- Rodney Hudson- C/G- Florida State
- Jamal Jackson has struggled to overcome injuries so adding someone like Hudson would be a smart decision.
55. Kansas City- DeMarcus Love- G/T- Arkansas
- Love has good value here at #55. He has the ability to play either tackle or guard.
56. New Orleans- Ryan Williams- RB- Virginia Tech
57. Seattle- Allen Bailey- DT/DE- Miami
- Not sure what type of NFL player Bailey will be but his athletic ability is undeniable. He could play the unique 5 technique position in Pete Carroll’s defense.
58. Baltimore- Titus Young- WR- Boise State
- Young's playmaking ability will appeal to the Ravens. He is a player they could stick in the slot to create mismatches.
59. Atlanta- Luke Stocker- TE- Tennessee
- Atlanta needs to bring someone in to be mentored by Tony Gonzalez before its too late.
60. New England- Rashard Carmichael- CB- Virginia Tech
- New England should think about packaging this pick to move up in the draft somewhere or maybe they will trade this for a 1st round pick next season. Either way its a good place to get some secondary depth.
61. San Diego (from NYJ)- Jon Baldwin- WR- Pitt
- Be sure to check out our interview with Baldwin HERE! Baldwin perfectly fits the mold of a Charger receiver who might be dealing with the loss of Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd.
62. Chicago- Stefen Wisniewski- C/G- Penn State
- Olin Kruetz’s play has begun to decline and there is little to no depth behind him.
63. Pittsburgh- Kendric Ellis- DT/NT- Hampton
- Casey Hampton is in the same position as Kruetz and you can never have enough depth on the defensive line.
64. Green Bay- Kelvin Sheppard- LB- LSU
- Green Bay learned this season that depth at all positions is very important.
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