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Draft day open thread; 2nd day

By David Halprin

Update [2006-4-30 17:2:6 by Grizz]: With pick #224 in the 7th round, the Cowboys selected OL E.J. Whitley from Texas Tech. The guy is versatile, could help at multiple positions. Played all positions for Texas Tech except RG. Needs to get stronger.

Whitley was an interesting because he moved around so often and played left tackle, left guard and center. He has the size and natural strength to play any position on the offensive line, but his limited athleticism makes him best suited to succeed at center in the NFL. Has the foot quickness to get off the ball and set to block quickly, but he must use his hands more aggressively in pass protection. Needs to stay over his feet and under control on his run blocks. He is stiff and lacks the athleticism that is preferred in a starting offensive lineman, but he has the intelligence, instincts, competitiveness, size and natural strength to be a good backup lineman that can offer versatility. Someone with Whitley's versatility at all the positions along the line is tough to find. He will have a solid career as a backup lineman that does an adequate job when forced to spot start during his career, but it is without question he is much better suited to be a backup.

Update [2006-4-30 16:28:36 by Grizz]: With pick #211 in the 7th round, the Cowboys selected OL Pat McQuistan out of Weber State (6'5", 310 lbs). OK, he's the twin brother of Paul McQuistan who was a high draft pick (3rd round) in this draft. He says he went on 4 trips but not to the Cowboys, and that teams are interested in him as a guard and maybe a backup tackle. He said the Cowboys had been talking to him today about signing as a free agent if they didn't draft him. I can't judge this pick at all.

I found this on NFL.com:

Pat McQuistan (6-6 1/8, 314) ran his first 40 in 5.10 seconds, but passed on the second after tweaking his hamstring. He also ran the short shuttle in 4.84. He had a 28?-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot broad jump and 25 bench presses. The McQuistans are twin brothers.

More on Pat McQuistan

Played in 10 games last season at both tackle and guard. ... Missed the season opener vs. Southern Utah. ... Has made tremendous improvement in his technique and footspeed since the beginning of last season, and will most likely be the starting left guard, playing along side his twin brother, Paul who is at left tackle. ... Originally signed to play at Weber State in February 2002 along with Paul, but decided not attend. ... Had a change of heart in the Summer of 2003 and enrolled at WSU, sitting out the 2003 academic year as a red-shirt. ... Did not participate in 2004 Spring practice sessions. ... One of the strongest players on the team. ... Squatted 650 lbs.

Update [2006-4-30 15:6:30 by Grizz]: With the #182 pick in the 6th round, Dallas selected DT Montavious Stanley out of Louisville (6'2", 313 lbs). Another good pick, Deke called this guy out. Sounds like the type of guy we need, will back up Ferguson and clog the middle in the 3-4. In his interview on the Ticket, he said he loved playing NT, wants to see the ends and LB's get the glory. And he laid down the single best line in this draft when he said his job was to was to all the dirty work and to quote "...talk dirty to the quarterback". Now that's funny.

Quick bio of Montavious Stanley.

Stanley was a hard player to grade because he is a traditional two-gap defensive tackle and they often slip through the cracks because they do not make a lot of tackles. He is a good athlete, but lacks explosiveness, which limits his ability to make impact plays. He is much more of a stay-at-home, hold-ground and clog-the-middle defensive tackle who can be very effective as the nose tackle in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. His versatility actually makes him ideal for any of the three defensive line positions in a 3-4 defense. He is a good athlete, and with improved hand use and playing with bent knees and leverage more consistently, he will be able to make/disrupt many more plays than he currently does and will still be a strong force at the point of attack vs. inside runs. Overall, Stanley will most likely slide in the draft because he is not a big playmaker but he will develop into a good starting defensive tackle who can stack the point of attack vs. run blocks, disrupt inside runs, get some pressure on the quarterback and chase down ball carriers in backside pursuit. He will need a season or two as a backup before he becomes the player he is capable of.

Update [2006-4-30 13:7:25 by Grizz]: Dallas chooses with the #138 pick in the 5th round FS Pat Watkins from FSU. Yes, nice pick. Wanted him yesterday, Dallas' second day is shaping up nicely. Reports are that the kid is also good on special teams coverage units.

Dallas traded up from #150 to #138 and gave up one 6th round pick (#189). At least that's what the ESPN Draft Tracker is showing. We still have the #182 pick in the 6th round and have the #211 and #224 in the 7th.

A quick bio on Pat Watkins.

STRONG POINTS

Watkins is a good athlete, especially for a safety who is nearly 6-5. He has extremely quick feet, which allow him to fly upfield and make tackles in run support and on dump-off passes when he does not have to deal with blockers. When he stays over his feet and under control, he can be a good tackler out in space. He has the playing speed and athletic ability to cover the tight end well in tight man-to-man coverage and has the long arms to reach out and break up passes. He reads the quarterback/pass well on throws at him and can break and close to make hard hits right after the ball arrives to break up the pass. His playing speed gives him the range to make plays from sideline to sideline. He has experience as a gunner on the punt-coverage unit. He flies down the field and can make very good tackles out in space.

WEAKNESSES

Watkins is a little too tall for a safety and his long legs hinder his ability to change directions and burst quickly in the other direction. This really hurts his ability to get outside quick enough to make plays on the ball on deep outside passes. He has a bad habit of stopping his feet before making contact on tackles and often ends up lunging and diving, which leads to him missing too many tackles. He lacks the hands to make the tough interception. He does not consistently compete hard to fight through traffic and blockers and ends up not making the play when he has to defeat a blocker.

Update [2006-4-30 12:31:27 by Grizz]: With their 4th round pick (#125) the Cowboys selected WR Skyler Green from LSU. I like it, this kid is a special teams guys. He can make our return games shine. He can also play some WR. Good pick.

A quick bio on Skyler Green.

Green's lack of size is going to be the thing that hinders him most as he makes the jump to the NFL because the league has eaten up a ton of tremendous college receivers who were under 5-10 and never made any real impact as a pro. He has all the athletic tools you can ask for and when it combines with his hands and vision/instincts running with the ball, he no doubt has what it takes to be a good returner and slot receiver in the NFL. However, his lack of size makes him best suited to be a No. 3 receiver who comes in when his team goes to three-receiver sets and can line him up in the slot to take advantage of his athleticism and limit the pounding he has to take. Additionally, he does not consistently make good decisions returning the ball. Overall, Green is a player that has big-play ability as a receiver and returner. He could really make an impact with a team like the Rams or Chiefs, where he can be aligned to avoid the jam most of the time and can rely upon his quickness, agility, explosiveness and hands to make big plays in the open field.

Strong Points: Green is an explosive receiver/returner who can consistently make big plays out in the open field. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he is a touchdown threat. He has very good hands and has shown the ability to consistently make the tough catch. He has shown the ability to catch the over-thrown pass on the tips of his fingers without having to break stride. He runs good routes and has a burst out of cuts to get separation consistently.

Update [2006-4-30 11:42:35 by Grizz]: Bummer, a run on guys I liked. Max Jean-Gilles, Ko Simpson, and Gabe Watson all off the board. Still like Pat Watkins, Demetrius Williams, Jonathon Scott and Rod Wright.

Here we go again. Are you ready for the start of Day 2 of the 2006 NFL draft? After a good night's sleep - who knew 10 hours of continual blogging could be so draining - I'm ready to go.

Some guys I really like are still on the board. Ko Simpson is still there, who is my target for FS. If the Cowboys can manage to get him in the 4th round after I've been wanting him since the late 2nd, they'll look like geniuses and I'll look like an idiot. Ditto on my other picks, Max Jean-Giles, and Gabe Watson. Also, Pat Watkins at FS would be nice, or Jonathon Scott at tackle.

So who are you guys targeting here on the second day? Give us some early names before the round begins, so we'll have some players to track.

Update [2006-4-30 10:58:16 by Grizz]: You can listen to coverage on The Ticket. Some other players who have been mentioned; Rod Wright, Freddie Matua, Skyler Green, Ryan O'Callahan and Darnell Bing.

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