Draft Scout - Prep to Pro - College Football thru the NFL Draft, Since 2001

2008 ROUND 3

ROUND	TEAM	POSITION	COLLEGE

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TEAM	PICK	OVR PICK	PLAYER	POS	COLLEGE	TRADE NOTES
	1	64	*Kevin Smith	RB	Central Florida	(From Dolphins)
Draft Scout Says: In trading up to get Kevin Smith, the Lions made a statement about their running game. The nation's leading rusher in 2007, Smith is a big back with a unique blend of vision, agility, and deceptive speed.
	2	65	John Greco	OT	Toledo
Draft Scout Says: With concerns up and down their offensive line, the Rams added Greco, a player who favorably compares to former Toledo mainstay Nick Kaczur, now a starter for the Patriots. Like Kaczur, Greco's durability, toughness, and technique make up for a lack of prototype athleticism.
	3	66	Kendall Langford	DT	Hampton	(From Lions through Chiefs)
Draft Scout Says: The transition of this team from a 4-3 unit to Bill Parcells' preferred 3-4 alignment continued with the addition of Langford. Langford has the size to play end in this scheme and proved his ability to step up in competition with a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl.
	4	67	Charles Godfrey	CB	Iowa	(Panthers acquired pick and 5th-round pick in 2008 draft from Jets for DT Kris Jenkins, February 29, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: Carolina loves to build depth in the defensive backfield and in Godfrey they get one of the more intriguing DBs of the second day. Godfrey, blessed with the speed to remain at cornerback and the physicality to return to safety, gives the Panthers a great many options in the future.
	5	68	Chevis Jackson	CB	LSU
Draft Scout Says: The loss of DeAngelo Hall created a huge hole in the Atlanta defensive backfield. Jackson lacks the elite speed most teams prefer, but his instinctive, physical play will help Atlanta improve their pass defense.
	6	69	Jacob Hester	FB	LSU	(From Patriots who acquired pick and 7th-round pick in 2007 draft from Raiders for 3rd-round pick in 2007 draft, April 28, 2007.)
Draft Scout Says: The Chargers love versatility and in Hester they add the year's most versatile back. While he lacks speed and elusiveness as a runner, Hester was college football's most dependable short-yardage runner, coming through with tough runs in every clutch situation imaginable during the Tigers' run to the National Championship.
	7	70	*Earl Bennett	WR	Vanderbilt	(Bears and 49ers switched positions and 49ers forfeited 5th-round pick as result of league decision regarding 49ers tampering with LB Lance Briggs, March 24, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: For all of the attention heaped upon Chicago's weak running game, inconsistent play from their receivers was also a huge concern. Considering the turnover at the position next season, a dependable receiver was a higher priority than a supremely athletic one. Bennett, the SEC's career leader in receptions despite leaving after his junior season, has a nice combination of size and speed, but is best known for his route-running and hands.
	8	71	Tavares Gooden	ILB	Miami	(From Jaguars through Bills for DT Marcus Stroud)
Draft Scout Says: Did the Ravens return to Miami to find their ultimate replacement for former Cane star, Ray Lewis? Experienced at all three linebacker positions, Gooden struggled with injuries early, but was a dominant performer in the middle as a senior.
	9	72	Chris Ellis	DE	Virginia Tech	(Bills acquired pick and 3rd- and 7th-round picks in 2007 draft from Ravens for RB Willis McGahee, March 8, 2007. Jaguars acquired pick and 5th-round pick in 2008 draft from Bills for DT Marcus Stroud, March 1, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: Possessing more burst off the snap than the Bills' incumbent rotation at defensive end, Ellis has the natural athleticism to rank as one of the steals of the draft. He'll need to play with more consistency and effort to take advantage of his tools, but has undeniable upside.
	10	73	*Jamaal Charles	RB	Texas	(Chiefs acquired pick, another 3rd, and a 6th round pick in 2008 draft with Vikings in exchange for DE Jared Allen and a 6th round pick, April 23, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: Larry Johnson's starting position is safe, as the Chiefs drafted Charles simply because he was too talented to slip any further. Blessed with spectacular speed, Charles was one of the hotter backs down the stretch for the Longhorns. His playmaking ability made sense for a team looking for a change of pace back.
	11	74	Dan Connor	ILB	Penn State
Draft Scout Says: When healthy, Dan Morgan provided Carolina with great instincts, physicality, and reliable open field tackling in the middle. Dan Connor will prove to be an early second day steal as he proves capable of filling a similar role for the Panthers early in his career.
	12	75	*Reggie Smith	CB	Oklahoma	(Bears and 49ers switched positions and 49ers forfeited 5th-round pick as result of league decision regarding 49ers tampering with LB Lance Briggs, March 24, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: The 49ers received great value in the third round with Smith, a versatile defensive back with experience at both cornerback and safety. Having never surrendered a touchdown over his career at OU, Smith would have been a first round pick had he ran faster in workouts.
	13	76	Brad Cottam	TE	Tennessee	(From Lions)
Draft Scout Says: With three picks in the round the Chiefs can afford to take a gamble on greatness, at times, and in tight end, Cottam, they are projecting he can be a better NFL player than collegiate one. Cottam, who was limited to only a handful of starts as a senior due to injuries, leapt up the board with a fantastic showing throughout Senior Bowl week.
	14	77	*Pat Sims	DT	Auburn
Draft Scout Says: Needing size and playmaking ability inside the Bengals took a chance on greatness with Sims in the third round. Sims has struggled, at times, with putting a consistent effort on the field, but when motivated, he is among the top DTs in this draft, and certainly a value, at this point. Over the final few games of the 2007 season, Sims was the SEC's top DT -- not Glenn Dorsey.
	15	78	Shawn Crable	OLB	Michigan	(From Saints)
Draft Scout Says: The Patriots are always looking for pass rush production from their outside linebackers, and in Crable, they added the Big Ten leader in tackles for loss. Crable lacks the bulk to hold up at the point of attack as well as preferred, but he certainly provides burst off the edge.
	16	79	Antwaun Molden	CB	Eastern Kentucky
Draft Scout Says: Texans fans disappointed with the selection of offensive tackle Duane Brown in the first round, probably weren't much happier with Eastern Kentucky's Molden in the third. Molden, however, has the size and speed scouts love in projecting to the next level. He could surprise.
	17	80	Bryan Smith	OLB	McNeese State
Draft Scout Says: One of the early reaches of the third round, the Eagles added outside linebacker Bryan Smith. Smith has the athleticism scouts are looking for and had been moving up the board, but with questions about his level of competition, he was viewed as a late round prospect, at best.
	18	81	Early Doucet	WR	LSU
Draft Scout Says: The Cardinals have a knack of finding talented receivers and in Early Doucet, they've found another one. What Doucet lacks in timed speed, he makes up with terrific hands, routes, and size. He could provide an immediate impact for the Cardinals as a slot receiver, as at 210 pounds, he has the bulk to handle the inside.
	19	82	*DaJuan Morgan	FS	North Carolina State	(Chiefs acquired pick, another 3rd, and a 6th round pick in 2008 draft with Vikings in exchange for DE Jared Allen and a 6th round pick, April 23, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: With their third pick of the round the Chiefs once again took the best available player, nabbing Morgan. With only one season as a starter, Morgan is a bit of a gamble, but his athleticism, playmaking ability, and intensity on the field jumps off the film.
	20	83	Jeremy Zuttah	OT	Rutgers
	21	84	Harry Douglas	WR	Louisville	(From Redskins)
	22	85	Craig Stevens	TE	California
Draft Scout Says: The free agent addition of Alge Crumpler gave the Titans an underneath target for Vince Young, but for how long? Considering Crumpler's age, the Titans were wise to add Stevens, who flashes the receiving ability scouts want and is among the draft's better in-line blockers from the tight end position.
	23	86	Tom Zbikowski	SS	Notre Dame	(From Seahawks)
Draft Scout Says: Considering that they feature the league's best in Ed Reed and an underrated Dawan Landry at safety, Zbikowski doesn't fill a huge need, but he certainly ranks among the better players on the board. A versatile, instinctive defender and special teams ace, Zbikowksi is among the surest prospects from a weak safety class.
	24	87	Andre Fluellen	DT	Florida State	(Lions acquired pick and CB Leigh Bodden from Browns for DT Shaun Rogers, March 1, 2008.)
Draft Scout Says: Possessing a quick first step inside, Andre Fluellen has the burst for the three-technique defensive tackle position the Lions were looking to add with the trade of Shaun Rogers. Fluellen, a much ballyhooed prep prospect, struggled to live up to his potential and the expectations while with the Seminoles, but he has the tools to surprise.
	25	88	Bruce Davis	OLB	UCLA
Draft Scout Says: As the Steelers did last year with former Michigan standout LaMarr Woodley, the club may have struck OLB gold with Bruce Davis in the third round. Davis, a collegiate DE, struggled in making the transition to linebacker at the Senior Bowl practices, but has the athleticism to handle this move with time.
	26	89	*Steve Slaton	RB	West Virginia	(From Jaguars through Ravens)
Draft Scout Says: Needing an infusion of speed and elusiveness from their backfield, the Texans will receive both from Slaton. Scouts were a little worried that Slaton's production tailed off dramatically in 2007, but his combination of agility, breakaway speed, and vision makes him a perfect fit as a rotational back in Kubiak's offense.
	27	90	Marcus Harrison	DT	Arkansas	(Bears acquired pick and 2nd, 3rd and 5th-round picks in 2007 draft from Chargers for 2nd-round pick in 2007 draft, April 28, 2007.)
Draft Scout Says: Needing depth at defensive tackle, the Bears added former Arkansas standout Marcus Harrison in the third round. Compared by some to former Chicago standout, Tank Johnson, Harrison has to play with more consistency and prove that his character concerns are history.
	28	91	*Jermichael Finley	TE	Texas
Draft Scout Says: Possessing the athletic upside that few tight ends in this class can boast, the Packers added a unique developmental prospect in Finley in the late third round. With Donald Lee starting, the Packers don't have to push Finley too much too soon, as the former Longhorn, who left after his redshirt sophomore, is raw. He is a natural receiver, however, who only needs to add repetitions as a route-runner and strength as a blocker.
	29	92	Cliff Avril	OLB	Purdue	(From Cowboys)
Draft Scout Says: Needing pure pass rushers, the Lions added a classic 'tweener in Cliff Avril in the third round. The latest in a long line of former Purdue defensive ends that come into the league and surprise as pass rushing DEs and OLBs, Avril enjoyed a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl and at the Combine.
	30	93	Philip Wheeler	ILB	Georgia Tech
Draft Scout Says: The Colts love explosive linebackers and in Phillip Wheeler, they're getting just that. Wheeler entered his senior season as a potential first round prospect, but struggled as a senior. Blessed with size, physicality, and a knack for rushing the quarterback, he has the physical tools that fits in nicely with the Indianapolis' scheme.
	31	94	Kevin O'Connell	QB	San Diego State
Draft Scout Says: In the weeks leading to the draft, the quarterback all the scouts were talking about wasn't Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, but O'Connell. Sure, he needs legitimate development, but possessing a strong arm and flashing the ability to raise his game at the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine Game, O'Connell has the ability to warrant the pick. Sitting and learning behind Tom Brady is the perfect environment for O'Connell's development.
	32	95	*Mario Manningham	WR	Michigan
Draft Scout Says: With needs at wide receiver, it made sense for the Giants to save Mario Manningham's stock from plummeting any further. Blessed with first round athleticism, Manningham fell to this point due to showing up ill-prepared at the Combine and lying to teams there about a failed drug test. To his credit, Manningham sent a letter to all 32 teams admitting his dishonesty and performed well at his Pro Day.
	33	96	Chad Rinehart	OG	Northern Iowa	(Compensatory)
Draft Scout Says: One of the top "small school" prospects in the entire draft, the Redskins got a versatile talent in the late third round in Chad Rinehart. A collegiate left tackle, Rinehart is being projected inside by many after a solid performance inside at the Senior Bowl.
	34	97	Andre Caldwell	WR	Florida	(Compensatory)
Draft Scout Says: Considering their needs at receiver, Andre Caldwell was the perfect late third round pick for the Bengals. With his experience as a receiver and returner, Caldwell provides good value at this point, and the starting experience in the SEC to play early.
	35	98	Thomas DeCoud	FS	California	(Compensatory)
Draft Scout Says: Considering that the Falcons just added another versatile defensive back in DeCoud (pronounced Day-coo) shortly after drafting Chevis Jackson, perhaps Jimmy Williams should be attending the voluntary mini-camps. DeCoud didn't make enough plays at Cal to rank among the elite safeties, but he certainly has the athletic ability scouts are looking for and flashes big time ability as a kick blocker.
	36	99	Oniel Cousins	OT	Texas-El Paso	(Compensatory)
Draft Scout Says: With young tackles Adam Terry and Jared Gaither already on the roster, the Ravens nonetheless added another young tackle to develop in the late third round with Cousins. With limited experience at the position and less strength in his upper body than you'd prefer, Cousins needs development, but he has the tools to warrant it.