A second day in the NFL
Draft kitchen has cooked up some tasty morsels from Sporting Joe. Of particular note, is this Draft’s emphasis
on the play in the trenches. The second
round opened with three straight linemen selected. The Cowboys are leading this charge by adding
Demarcus Lawrence, the defensive end from Boise State, to Zach Martin. While other positions grab the headlines,
interior line play forms the basis of professional football. This draft has not forgotten that reality.
In a similar vein, the
Lions have added Kyle Van Noy. This pick
may redeem Jim Caldwell’s Day 1 selection of Eric Ebron. Van Noy will bring accountability to the
front seven that has been lacking in Detriot for many years. Considering the issues surrounding Ndamukong
Suh and Nick Fairley this is no small detail.
The collective
bargaining agreement has devalued the running back position. That trend exhibited itself in stunning
fashion during this draft. No running back
was drafted with the first 53 selections.
The Titans ended the historic drought with Bishop Sankey from
Washington. He will bring the between
the tackles diligence that Chris Johnson lacked. Ken Whisenhunt has restocked a position of
need.
The 49ers also selected
a running back but it appears to muddy the waters in the backfield. While the pick seems like overkill it is
actually fairly astute. Carlos Hyde’s
talent pops off the film but San Francisco may be deepest at running back. This pick signals that LaMichael James will
be traded, which has been widely reported.
That will leave James and Anthony Dixon’s spots to Hyde and Marcus
Lattimore. This tandem could be a two-headed
monster in the coming years. Kendall
Hunter is in a contract year. He would
seem to be destined for free agency.
That leaves the 49er’s all-time leading rusher. Two young brahma bulls will push Frank Gore. It has to rile Gore that the 49ers have added
yet another replacement for his “imminent” demise.
The best and most
sensible pick of the night belongs to the Eagles. Jordan Matthews is the possession receiver that
Chip Kelly needs. Philly’s recievers are
solid but Matthew’s ability to run routes and make tough catches will give Nick
Foles lethal levels of confidence on third downs.
The final thought for
the night is simple. Why did Louis Nix
III plummet so precipitously? Sports
Illustrated projected him as the 25th pick in their mock draft
and Mike Mayock placed him 36th on his Top 100 Prospects list. Nix struggled with his weight and injuries
this season but Irish Chocolate brings personality and passion to the locker room. Houston ended his
wait with the 83rd pick but that is a steeper fall than the much-ballyhooed
Johnny Manziel. Make no mistake this is
tremendous value for the Texans. Nix
will not be asked to play more downs than his fitness allows. The only concern is if Nix fell for a reason
that is not yet public knowledge.
However, you the reader should have no concerns as Sporting Joe will
return tomorrow to close out the 2014 NFL Draft.
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