22. Pittsburgh Steelers – Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon (6’6” 244lbs). Pittsburgh could go a couple of different ways here, but there is no doubting that they need to get some young talent in their front 7 because James Harrison is old and due a lot of money, Jason Worilds has been disappointing, and apparently LaMarr Woodley doesn’t want to work out during the off-season. Jordan gets off the line very well and even though he is 6’6” he can really get low when turning a corner. Not many have him as 1st round talent right now, but I think the combination of his pass rushing skills and his ability to drop back into coverage – which is very impressive – will ultimately push him into round 1.

23. Minnesota Vikings – DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson (6’1” 205lbs). The Vikings may be the most surprising team this year, but as the season went on it was pretty apparent that they still really needed better players at receiver. Percy Harvin is their best receiver, but he can’t do it all and he seems to operate better out of the slot. They signed Jerome Simpson, who hasn’t even been able to get onto the field, and Michael Jenkins isn’t very good. Hopkins has been destroying ACC secondary’s this season for Clemson with outstanding speed and route running ability. He is a big play threat every time he gets the ball in his hands.

24. New England Patriots – Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama (6’3” 320lbs). The Brian Waters situation was kind of strange and no one really knows what happened. Logan Mankins has been banged up and for once in Tom Brady’s career the Patriots’ offensive line has been kind of a weak spot. Chance Warmack is this year’s top rated guard and is an outstanding run blocker. He plays with incredible strength and good technique. Currently he is an ok pass blocker, but he does anchor well and there is certainly reason to think that he could evolve into a very good interior offensive lineman quickly.

25. Chicago Bears – Dallas Thomas, OG, Tennsee (6’5” 312lbs). The Bears are in an interesting spot. They have two guys playing in the last year of their contracts (Jay Cutler and Henry Melton) and neither are going to be very cheap to keep around. In fact, there are some who think that the Bears may let Cutler hit free agency, re-sign Jason Campbell, and draft a guy to compete with Jason Campbell for next year. If that happens, then I think this pick would be Tyler Bray out of Tennessee. As it stands, I think that Mike Tice will encourage the Bears to continue to try and strengthen their offensive line because they still allow Jay Cutler to get hit way too much. Dallas Thomas is a superb player and is really underrated. He excels as a run blocker and can hold his own in pass protection. His best position is probably guard in the NFL, but he can slide out and play left tackle if the Bears decide JaMarcus Webb is a lost cause.

26. Denver Broncos – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (6’7” 309lbs). Ryan Clady is a free agent and I doubt the Broncos are going to be able to afford him. Secondly, from everything I’ve read I am not so sure that Clady even wants to be there anymore. There is the possibility that the Broncos put the franchise tag on him, but that could be pretty expensive as well, so I’m not sure if John2 will want to do that or not. Lewan has been really impressive this year and has really improved as a pass blocker. He is in the mold of guys like Jake Long and Ryan Kalil, who were top 5 picks in their respective drafts, so there is reason to think that Lewan’s upside could be desirable for teams needing a left tackle.

27. Baltimore Ravens – CJ Mosley, LB, Alabama (6’2” 238lbs). Mosley has been an outstanding linebacker for Alabama and can play inside or out. He is an excellent run defender, has some pass rushing ability, and plays well in space. Baltimore needs to really evaluate their inside linebackers because they don’t have anyone who can cover the middle of the field on passing downs and they have been a sieve when stopping the run. Ray Lewis is a legend, but he just doesn’t have the ability to be an every down player anymore and neither Dannell Ellerbe or Jameel McClain play well in space.

28. Atlanta Falcons – Kawann Short, DT, Purdue (6’3” 310lbs). Short has been a standout player in the Big10 this year. He provides a nice burst up the middle and even when double-teamed he still finds a way into the backfield to put pressure on the QB. He is probably best suited as a 4-3 under tackle and reminds me of a Geno Atkins type of defensive lineman. Atlanta hasn’t been too thrilled with their defensive lineman for a few years now and Peria Jerry seems more and more like a bust.

29. Green Bay Packers – Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma (5’11” 211lbs). The Packers secondary has been pretty bad for them this year. They give up far too much over the top and their entire defense outside of Clay Matthews has issues tackling the ball carrier. Jefferson is like a heat-seeking missile when tracking the ball carrier. He’s a big hitter who plays well deep and is at his best up around the line of scrimmage.

30. San Francisco 49ers – Jon Jenkins, DT, Georgia (6’3” 350lbs). The 49ers have very little need on either side of the ball, but Jenkins is someone that could be a huge boost to an already potent defense. For a guy his size, he rushes the passer extremely well and he does a nice job standing offensive lineman up at the line of scrimmage and taking on double teams, which means Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman don’t get picked up as much by opposing guards. Jenkins is a boom or bust kind of player, but there is no denying he has outstanding athleticism for his size.

31. Houston Texans – TJ McDonald, S, USC (6’2” 208lbs). Houston is another team that really doesn’t need a whole lot. I think they may look at receiver, but in the bottom of round 1 they may want to try and take a guy to replace Glover Quinn, who will be a free agent. McDonald is a rangy safety with nice ball skills. His stock has dropped a little, but he is still a legit player and can function as a strong safety, but I think his best position may be as a free safety.

32. New York Giants – Khaseem Green, OLB, Rutgers (6’1” 230lbs). Green is a borderline 1st rounder right now, but his stock is going to stay strong because this guy is such a good player and leader on the field. He may be the best cover linebacker in this entire draft and he flies around the field. To me, this is a pretty typical Jerry Reese/Tom Coughlin pick. The Giants don’t really need a whole lot, but they’ve had some weak spots at linebacker for a few years now and getting a solid 4-3 outside linebacker who can stay out on the field for the entire game has to be something the Giants would be interested in.