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16. Tennessee, Jevon Kearse, LB, Florida.
Garlic will not keep The Freak out of opponent's quarterback's laps. Tennessee will treat this one-time 240 pound safety as a defensive end, bulking him up about ten pounds and have him put a hand down is passing situations. Despite physical gifts, he was hard to find in crucial times - but when he was on, he was on big-time. Great situation for Kearse.
17. New England, Damien Woody, c, Boston College.
Why trade up when nobody between you and the current pick need a center. They panicked got excited, and ended up with a woody. At least Woody won't have to travel far to stabilize an already solid line.
18. Oakland, Matt Stinchcomb, ot, Georgia.
May have been a reach by most boards, but there is not a team in the NFL who wouldn't make a spot for Stinchcomb. He has the look of a 10-year career type, especially with the Raiders who always keep the good ones.
19. New York Giants, Luke Petitgout, ot, Notre Dame.
Plain and simple, a reach, especially with LJ Shelton still out there.
20. Dallas, Ebenezer Ekuban, de, North Carolina.
Leon, you need a tissue, man…oh, sorry man! Ekuban is a gifted athlete who gives the Cowboys depth at DE. Trouble is, they need a DT to fill in for Leon Lett, who tested positive for drugs again.
21. Arizona, L.J. Shelton, ot, Eastern Michigan.
Arizona gets an A for effort and an A for fate. They could not have expected Shelton to still be on the board based on the run of OT's - simply put, Shelton should have been gone and Petitgoooo should still be stuck on the wall. Plummer gets someone to watch his back and this offense will now fly.
22. Seattle, Lamar King, de, Saginaw Valley State
Small-school pass rush beast dominated with 19 sacks last year, but he will need to play extremely well to get any playing time with this talented group. The Seahawks were more talented than a couple of playoff teams, and with the edition of Paul Holmgren, they have to be lock for a wild-card spot. Holmgren traded down when the top QB's were gone by pick 12, but Holmgren picked up Brock Huard of Washington in the third.
23. Buffalo, Antoine Winfield, db, Ohio State.
Little CB's like the 5-9, 180 Winfield are a rare breed these days, but the ability to stick with a receiver is the top priority. Not height, not size - timing and athleticism can make those up for Winfield as he possesses loads of each, mixed with an equal measure of nasty. He is a solid hitter who will put his hat wherever need be,
24. San Francisco, Reggie McGrew, dt, Florida.
Bill Walsh is back, and this pick tells you that Bryant Young's knee injury is in bad shape. McGrew fills a need, now that the 49ers have to match up with the Falcons, not the other way around.
25. Green Bay, Antwan Edwards, db, Clemson.
NFC Central is stacked with large, big-play receivers, and this pick, while a small reach, fills a defensive matchup need for the Packers. GM Ron Wolf was disappointed in Craig Newsome's play last year, so at worst Edwards plays nickel back in 1999.
26. Jacksonville, Fernando Bryant, db, Alabama
Jags were comfortable with draft depth on the defensive line, so they look to retard the growth of this divisions young QB's like Couch, Akili Smith, and Kordell Stewart.
27. Detroit, Aaron Gibson, ot, Wisconsin
He lost fifty pounds in the last year, but could stand to lose about 20 more. Here is another guy who I think went far below where he should have. Tampa should have picked him unless they were uncertain of his ability to play tackle. NFC Central LB's now really can't see Barry Sanders as he hides behind this 6-8, 380 pound athlete.
28. New England, Andy Katzenmoyer, lb, Ohio State
The Big Kat's lack of emotional intensity is the reason he fell this far despite top-shelf computer numbers. This trait didn't impress coaches and scouts in his pre-draft travels. His declining performance as a Buckeye could easily be contributed to opponent scheming to stop him, the departure of other incredibly talented player on the defense - but his lack of intensity failed to inspire draftniks to think he would be the next Singletary or Spielman. More like Bosworth or Snow.
29. Minnesota, Dimitrius Underwood, de, Michigan State
Remember that big play he made in the fourth quarter against the Buckeyes? No you didn't, he was out of football with a severe ankle sprain for all of 1998. Great size-speed combo project in a need area.
30. Atlanta, Patrick Kerney, de, Virginia
Dan Reeves has beaten heart disease, gone to the Super Bowl, and now Kerney is still there about 15 picks after his ability dictated. Former lacrosse player at Virginia, great non-stop motor that coaches just can't teach, he puts teeth in an already solid defensive line.
31. Denver, Al Wilson, lb, Tennessee
Denver gets a great football player, despite less than stellar athletic numbers. He just makes plays from sideline to sideline, and has done it for years. 6-0, 240 package of punch and intensity.
TRADES
* 17. New England: from Seattle
* 20. Dallas: from New England through Seattle
* 22. Seattle: from Dallas
* 24. San Francisco: from Miami
* 27. Detroit: from San Francisco through Miami
* 28. New England: from NY Jets
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