AFC South
Houston Texans
While the first day picks of Amobi Okoye and Jacoby Jones were excellent, the Texans could not sustain their performance on the second day of the draft. South Carolina cornerback Fred Bennett was taken in the fourth round and he got by in college because of his finesse. Bennett does not play a physical game and does not always play hard. Texas guard Kasey Studdard works hard and has a bit of an edge, but lacks the athleticism needed at this level and will struggle.
Grade: C

Indianapolis Colts
After questioning Bill Polian’s decision to draft two offensive players in Anthony Gonzalez and Tony Ugoh with the Colts’ first two picks, he got the Colts back on track with the selections of California cornerback Daymeion Hughes and Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock in the third round. Hughes has excellent skills and the fortitude to make big plays against excellent opponents. However, he is a gambler who will get burned. Pitcock is an overachiever who lacks talent but knows how to stop the run. Pittsburgh outside linebacker Clint Sessions will have a chance to step in for the departed Cato June. Sessions is not the most impressive physical specimen but knows how to make plays and is rarely out of position.
Grade: B-

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Jack Del Rio’s team appeared to take a major step backwards in their desire to compete with the Colts in the AFC South. After struggling in Day One, the Jaguars could not get back on track on Day Two either. The selection of defensive end Brian Smith from Missouri left a lot of observers wondering what the team was thinking. Even though the Jags will line him up as a 3-4 outside backer, he gets punished by offensive tackles who regularly handled him in college. Defensive tackle Derek Landri of Notre Dame plays with effort, but lacks the size and overall strength to handle himself against NFL competition. This draft was an exercise in futility.
Grade: D-

Tennessee Titans
The Titans had nothing but risky picks on Day One when they selected Michael Griffin, Chris Henry and Paul Williams, but starting Day Two with North Carolina State center Leroy Harris was an excellent choice because he has excellent technique, a great attitude and fine athleticism. Wide receiver Chris Davis could turn out to be a very solid weapon for Vince Young. While he is somewhat thin at 181 pounds, he has the speed and quickness to make big plays. Purdue tackle Mike Otto has plenty of technical flaws but he manages to get the job done. He finds a way to stay in the lineup and is a fairly clever blocker. Grade: B

AFC West
Denver Broncos
Not much volume for the Broncos with just four picks, but Mike Shanahan found quality players on Day One with Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder and fourth-round pick Marcus Thomas of Florida has a decent upside if character issues don’t surface once again. Thomas can get up the field and cause havoc with his athleticism, explosiveness and mean streak. However, he was dismissed by the Gators for his use of marijuana.
Grade: C-

Kansas City Chiefs
Fourth-round pick Kolby Smith of Louisville is a solid running back who made the most of his opportunity when he took over for the injured Michael Bush in 2006. He rushed for 862 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry and runs with a burst and quickness. Placekicker Justin Medlock of UCLA had an excellent senior season in connecting on 28-of-32 field goal attempts, but he has a 2005 felony DUI on his record that resulted in a three-year suspended sentence. Tight end Michael Allan of tiny Whitworth College is a sleeper who has good hands, can get up the field and make the tough catch.
Grade: C+

Oakland Raiders
The trade of Randy Moss to the Patriots represents respect shown by owner Al Davis to new head coach Lane Kiffin who did not want to have the talented receiver on the roster because he only plays hard when he wants to. JaMarcus Russell is the key to the draft and he must turn out to be a superstar. Fourth-round pick Michael Bush will be a solid addition if he can regain his health because he has size, power and surprising quickness for a man his size. Fifth-round pick Jay Richardson plays better than his scouting report. The Ohio State defensive end is powerful and nasty and can control the running game. Safety Eric Frampton of Washington State brings everything that a defensive coordinator wants — except speed. That may not be a liability for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who is savvy enough to take advantage of Frampton’s talent without exposing his weaknesses. Best Raider draft in years.
Grade: A-

San Diego Chargers
After a disappointing first day, the Chargers didn’t do much on Day Two either. However, they addressed one need when they selected Boise State wide receiver Legedu Naane in the fifth round. Naane is big and powerful and will use his body to outmuscle defenders for the ball. He has not always played to his timed speed — 4.42 in the 40 — but head coach Norv Turner believes he can get the most out of this prospect. He could be to the Chargers what Marques Colston is to the Saints.
Grade: C-

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