Official 2017 2nd Round Of The NFL Draft Thread

[Joemailman]

Dalvin Tomlinson - DT - Alabama

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Good arm length with power in his large hands. Fires jarring punch into blockers quickly and is in control of the rep. Has good feel for double teams. Broad, powerful hips and strong post leg helps him drop anchor against down blocks. Awareness and power helps him constrict his gaps. Maintains two-gap responsibility until it's time to tackle. Doesn't linger on blocks long. Stacks and sheds with consistency. Locates ball quickly. Recognizes run-direction tendency from certain formations. Long, lateral step allows him to get head-start on blocker and prevent being reached. Quality motor and effort. Chases outside his area like he expects to make the play. Willing to do dirty work in Alabama's twisting defensive scheme. Does outstanding job of occupying both blockers on twists. Active hands in passing lane to bat down passes.

WEAKNESSES Only one season playing more than 45 percent of team's defensive snaps. Is surrounded by upper-echelon prospects, which eases attention on him. Slow-twitch defender who lacks quickness into neutral zone off the snap. Most pass-rush success comes via twists and games up front. Not a threat to beat interior pass protection with rush moves. Makes predictable pass-rush charges and doesn't garner enough pocket push as bull rusher.

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 3-4

SOURCES TELL US "I don't know how he flew under the radar so long because he is a dude. If you liked those guys from last year (Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson), no reason you won't like this one." -- AFC South area scout

NFL COMPARISON Dan Williams

BOTTOM LINE Prototypical Alabama defensive tackle who wins with leverage, power and technique. Tomlinson's powerful frame and ability to stack the run between the tackles could make him a scheme-flexible target in the draft. While he is likely to be drafted as a run bully, his history of operating in Alabama's stunt-and-twist-oriented defense could help keep him on the field on third downs for teams using a similar concept. Tomlinson has a chance to become an early starter and should work into a defensive line rotation immediately.

[Joemailman]

6 picks away.

[Joemailman]

Obi Melifonwu - S - Connecticut

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Elite size with premium athletic traits that should show up at combine testing. Four-year starter. Sharp focus when ball is in the air. Takes path to the ball with undercut of the route at the last second. Plus hand-eye coordination to flip the field with interceptions. Former cornerback who has the athleticism to cover matchup tight ends and some big slots. Posted six interceptions over last two seasons. Uses big frame to body-up seam-runners and constrict their windows. Downhill tackling machine. Plus range with a wide net to bring runners down once he gets his arms into them. Body-up hitter. Drastically reduced penalties totals over junior and senior season.

WEAKNESSES Leggy and gets feet bundled up when asked to turn and sprint. Lacks desired instincts and will play with slow eyes at times. Has to see ball in the air before charging over to help on deep throws. Inconsistent with coverage responsibilities from high safety. Takes time to diagnose play-action. Rub routes found him near goal line. Can take inefficient paths to the ball that get him there a step too late. Would benefit from high-pointing rather than waiting on throws.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 2

SOURCES TELL US "He's a freak. He's going to blow away the combine. He's fast and will post some of the best vertical and broad numbers at his position. He's going to get a lot better in the pros and he has that elite size that will get him overdrafted." -- AFC Pro Personnel Director

NFL COMPARISON George Iloka

BOTTOM LINE Big and athletic, he may lack the coverage qualities and instincts needed to work as a "last line of defense" player in a pass-happy division. Melifonwu is an effective downhill tackler who has the ability to match up against tight ends and make a living near the line of scrimmage. His football instincts aren't up to par, but the size and traits will be extremely enticing for teams who covet traits first.

[RashanGary]

Was hoping for pass rush help, but a corner is nice too. Love tall corners!! Was looking through best corners of all time and length is very common!

[Joemailman]

Damn it.

[Zool]

I smell a WR coming in round 2.

[Joemailman]

Zach Cunningham - LB - Vanderbilt

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Play-making machine. Plays on a downhill tilt and is always looking to draw first blood. Fast to see it, process and respond. Creates tackles for losses by shooting gaps at appropriate angles. Has a good feel for blockers and uses varied speeds and subtle upper body turns to avoid blockers on second level. Quick in his lateral scrape and races ahead of blockers. Keeps play-side shoulder uncovered when flowing to the ball. Football magnet with outstanding tackle production and ability to create and recover turnovers. Rangy long strider with instincts and play speed to carry him from sideline to sideline in search of the ball. Has extended tackle radius. Durable and reliable. Has the athleticism and awareness to handle man coverage responsibilities against running backs and tight ends. Quick to trigger on throws from zone and limit yards after catch.

WEAKNESSES Angular build with high waist and skinny legs. Lack of power in his lower body creates issues with contact balance for him. Plays behind his shoulder rather than behind his hands in take-on situations. Can get entangled against size and slow to disengage. Doesn't have play strength to fight past angle blocks once they land. Will need to work to keep shoulders squared in his attack. Leveraging his gap and standing his ground could be a challenge. Not a banger or a bend-and-strike finisher. Tends to attack ball carriers up high rather than down low and will slide off of too many would-be tackles.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 2

SOURCES TELL US "He needs to be uncovered so he can fly around and just go get the ball. He didn't have much help over there and he took it upon himself to make as many plays as possible. I love that mindset." AFC East regional scout

NFL COMPARISON Alec Ogletree

BOTTOM LINE Cunningham's missed tackles and lack of desired play strength could bother teams, but his consistent production is hard to ignore. Cunningham is a rangy, three-down linebacker who has a nose for the ball and special teams value. His downhill approach is made for attacking 4-3 defenses and Cunningham could become a good, early starter as a run-and-chase weak-side linebacker.

[Bretsky]

I didn't want Zach Cunningham in round one, but GREAT VALUE in round 2

OK....EDGE RUSHERS AND BPA...........WHO IS THERE ?????????????

[Bretsky]

Last two picks would have been nice GB fits

[Joemailman]

I smell a WR coming in round 2.

Ju Ju Smith Schuster is out there.

[Joemailman]

I didn't want Zach Cunningham in round one, but GREAT VALUE in round 2

OK....EDGE RUSHERS AND BPA...........WHO IS THERE ?????????????

Jordan Willis.

[jmbarnes101]

I didn't want Zach Cunningham in round one, but GREAT VALUE in round 2

OK....EDGE RUSHERS AND BPA...........WHO IS THERE ?????????????

The other Wisconsin OLB.

Duke Riley???

[Bretsky]

Jordan Willis ? Is Williams from Alabama still there ?

For those who thought TT would trade up in round two........No Stones

[Joemailman]

Ethan Pocic - C - LSU

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Five-for-one lineman offering roster flexibility; has played tackle, guard and center. Determined player. Shoots hands inside defenders frame and keeps them there. Shows the hand strength and body control to "ride the bull" against stronger players while remaining engaged. Rapid lateral movement allows him to slide along his gap to pick up blitzers. Pass sets feature adequate base width and solid hand quickness. Fluid combo-blocker who glides easily to his second-level targets with good angles. Patient blocker on second level. Able to wait as long as possible for committing to his block in space. Features good body control and high connection rate on blocks in space. Athletic on pull blocks and screens and able to make blocks well down the field. Smart and makes the offensive calls.

WEAKNESSES Tall for a center, losing some leverage battles because of it. Athletic ability offset by below-average core strength. Doesn't play with the pad level or leg drive to uproot defenders without help. Gets jarred by power across from him. Upper body strength needs work. Anchor will always be an issue against zero-technique nose guards. Gives into pocket pushers, creating traffic in the backfield. Defenders able to drive through his edge and redirect attempts. Can be quicker into proper positioning for reach blocks. Has difficulty securing zone blocks at times.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 2-3

NFL COMPARISON Brandon Linder

BOTTOM LINE Flexible, natural athlete with starting experience all along the LSU offensive line. Scouts say Pocic has the intelligence teams look for from a center and is highly regarded by LSU coaches and teammates in the locker room. Pocic is an excellent "work-up" blocker with the ability to thrive in a running game that operates in space, but his lack of power will produce some extremely challenging matchups for him at times.

[Bretsky]

The other Wisconsin OLB.

Duke Riley???

YIKES

Biegel in round two ?