2013 NFL Draft 2nd & 3rd Rounds: Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders

The NFL Draft continued Friday night with the 2nd and 3rd rounds. KC Kingdom continues its draft coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC rivals with briefs looks at the selections for the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

OAKLAND RAIDERS: With the 42nd overall pick, the Raiders chose offensive tackle Menelik Watson from Florida State. Watson, who is from Manchester, England, originally came to the US to play basketball, is 6’5″ and 310 pounds. NFL.com offered this summary of his skills:

"Watson has rare athletic ability on a tremendous frame. He has an explosive first step, light feet, and a powerful punch. There are a lot of things in his game that need to be cleaned up from a technique standpoint, and he will be 25 years old in his rookie season. He can project to either tackle spot, or possibly even inside, at guard."

With their round pick, the Raiders selected UConn outside linebacker Sio Moore, who is 6’1″ and 245 pounds. NFL.com had this to say about Moore:

"Moore is one of a handful of Huskies potentially earning mid-round grades. He isn’t the biggest of linebackers, but is productive (196 tackles, 27.5 for loss in 2010-2011), plays stronger than his frame indicates, and has the athleticism to play either strong side, or weak side linebacker in the pros."

With these two picks, Oakland went for two really athletic prospects. Watson has a chance to start right away. Moore seems to be a bit more of a project but can cover a lot of field.

SAN DIEGO: San Diego had a terrific second day of the draft, getting great value with both of their picks. Early in the second round, San Diego trade up to acquire the Arizona Cardinals’ 38th overall pick. Ignoring his off-the-field soap operas, the Chargers selected Notre Dame All-American linebacker Manti Te’o. At one point, Te’o was expected to be a top 10, even a top 5 pick. After getting exposed just a bit in the national championship against Alabama, and the post season turmoil that ensued, his draft stock plummeted. NFL.com published this overall scouting report:

"Aggressive middle linebacker with a thick overall build. Vocal leader on the off the field, communicates the call and moves teammates into place when necessary. Downhill player who recognizes plays and closes quickly. Provides pop as a tackler, capable of thumping the ballcarrier and wrapping up to secure the stop. Aware run-stopper between the tackles, finds the ball and can mirror backs to prevent cutbacks. Stops backs’ momentum on first contact and drive them backwards. Takes on linemen and fullbacks, can bounce or use his hands to rip off and make a stop. Hustles to recover from cut blocks, work through double teams at the second level.Aggressive middle linebacker with a thick overall build. Vocal leader on the off the field, communicates the call and moves teammates into place when necessary. Downhill player who recognizes plays and closes quickly. Provides pop as a tackler, capable of thumping the ballcarrier and wrapping up to secure the stop. Aware run-stopper between the tackles, finds the ball and can mirror backs to prevent cutbacks. Stops backs’ momentum on first contact and drive them backwards. Takes on linemen and fullbacks, can bounce or use his hands to rip off and make a stop. Hustles to recover from cut blocks, work through double teams at the second level."

The Chargers got another gem with the third round pick, the 76th overall pick, taking 6’2″, 206 pound wide receiver Keenan Allen, from California. Leg injuries may have caused him to drop into the middle of the third round instead of being selected late in the first round. Here is NFL.com‘s notes on Allen:

"A smooth outside pass-catcher, Allen has the height, speed and ability to win jump balls required of a No. 1 target in the NFL; the first-team All-Pac 12 pick in 2011 caught most of his 98 passes for 1,343 yards and 11 scores in 2011 from lefty quarterback Zach Maynard, who happens to be his half-brother. Maynard’s play regressed in 2012, however, causing Allen’s production to fall off his junior season. He still displayed all the same skills and talents he showcased during his uber-productive sophomore season, and he figures to go in the top 25 selections if his knee and ankle check out medically."

It is hard to imagine a team having a better three rounds than the Chargers.

Jan 1, 2013; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) runs the ball against the Stanford Cardinal defense during the 2013 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

DENVER BRONCOS: The Broncos addressed a key deficiency within their offense with the 58th pick overall. Instead of going with the flashier choice of Alabama running back Eddie Lacy, Denver went with Wisconsin’s Montee Ball. It was an interesting choice considering that Ball was heavily used with the Badgers, getting 1001 touches in his years there. Ball does it all – he runs the ball the hard, he can catch it out of the backfield, and he is a very good blocker. Take a look at the this summary from NFL.com:

"The 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist led the country with 1,923 rushing yards and tied the all-time FBS record of 39 total touchdowns (33 rushing) after losing 25 pounds in the off-season preceding his junior season. He surprised everyone by returning to Wisconsin for his senior year, which he might have regretted after Wisconsin’s disappointing season and getting assaulted on campus this summer. While he isn’’t particularly big, strong or explosive, he picks his way through traffic well and is a reliable runner. Though not a burner like others in this class, Ball’s durability and efficient zone running make him a likely mid-round pick."

With their third round pick, the 90 overall selection, the Broncos seemed to have reached a bit for Kayvon Webster, a 5’10”, 195 pound cornerback from South Florida. It is a reach because there aren’t any scouting reports on Webster on the major scouting sites. This appears to be Denver really liking a guy and wanting to improve their depth at the secondary position.

San Diego clearly had the best second day among Kansas City’s chief rivals. The Chargers added two players who very well could start pretty quickly. Oakland added depth and athleticism to their roster. Both Watson and Moore should play key minutes. Denver had the weakest second day among these three teams. Ball has a lot of mileage on him already and his NFL career probably won’t be a long one. The Broncos obviously jumped the gun on Webster just a little, maybe a round or two early.

We shall see what a busy round three will bring today.

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