17. Cincinnati Bengals – Travis Johnson, DT Florida State
The Bengals defense has started to come on strong, but John Thornton and Tony Williams are adequate at best at defensive tackle. Johnson is solid against the run and gets consistent pentration. He would probably be an immediate contributor for Marvin Lewis’ defense.
18. Minnesota Vikings – Channing Crowder*, ILB Florida
The Vikings would like to find a top-notch corner to pair with Antoine Winfield so they can move Brian Williams back to safety but in my opinion, Crowder is a better value than Carlos Rogers at this point. They also need a big nose tackle so they can move Kevin Williams to the under tackle position, but there isn’t a top-notch nose tackle in the draft. Crowder may be the best defensive player left on the board, and he could be used on the inside or outside.
19. St. Louis Rams – Carlos Rogers, CB Auburn
The Rams need an upgrade at cornerback with shut-down skills. Rogers improved dramatically from his junior to senior season, and developed into one of the nations best man-to-man cover corners. He also possesses tremendous skills as a gunner on special teams.
20. Dallas Cowboys (from Buffalo) – David Pollack, DE Georgia
Somewhere during the first round, the Cowboys must address their pass rush by either adding a defensive end with pass-rushing skills or picking up a nose tackle that can occupy blockers. Pollack doesn’t have great size or speed, but he holds up well against the run and is a very disruptive player with decent pass-rushing skills.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Matt Roth, DE Iowa
Hugh Douglas was cut and Paul Spicer is coming off a season-ending injury. Look for the Jaguars to grab an end in the early rounds to complement their talented duo at tackle. Roth is a relentless pass rusher with a knack for making big plays.
22. Baltimore Ravens – Troy Williamson*, WR South Carolina
The Ravens really need to bring in an experienced veteran at wide receiver to aid QB Kyle Boller’s development, and they could also use a talented youngster to groom for the long term. Williamson has great size and speed, and would be a welcome addition to the Ravens receiving corps.
23. Seattle Seahawks – Marcus Spears, DE LSU
Chike Okeafor and Brandon Mitchell could both be gone when the season ends, so the Hawks could be looking for a left defensive end… a role Spears fits perfectly. He has the size to hold up to the run and the quickness to be a threat as a pass rusher, and should be an every-down player in the NFL.
24. Green Bay Packers – Thomas Davis*, S Georgia
There is a lot of speculation, once again, that the Packers will take a quarterback here to be Brett Favre’s successor, but that’s not likely, in my view. Green Bay will most likely want to take extended looks at Craig Nall and J.T. O’Sullivan before they decide neither is the answer. Of bigger concern for the Packers is the safety position, which could be filled nicely by Davis. The junior safety out of Georgia is projected by some to move to outside linebacker in the NFL, but if he can improve his range somewhat, he can be a very good safety in the NFL.
Positional Rankings: QB RB FB WR TE OT OG C - DE DT ILB OLB S CB - K P
