After a very exciting first day of the NFL Draft, day 2 rolled around to see what else could happen. Day 2 is where the true scouts from the NFL are showcased. Picking up a player nobody else has even heard of, and then turning him into a Pro Bowler. Just look at Tom Brady, a 6th round pick into one of the best around today.
Here's just a quick recap of the players Detroit selected on day 2 of the 2006 NFL Draft:
5th Round - 141st Pick Overall - Jonathan Scott
This was a good pickup by Detroit. Scott was thought to have gone late-first day to early-second day, and Detroit had even thought about taking him instead of Brian Calhoun. Luckily Millen took the chance that he would still be there, and it paid off. A great player for such a late pick. ESPN.com's analysis of Scott is this:
Great pickup by the Lions late in the draft, especially since more holes were addressed. The offensive line was very weak last year, and maybe adding some talent can help buildup a better, and more stronger o-line.
6th Round - 179th Pick Overall - Alton McCann
Alton McCann is a great cornerback out of West Virginia. Most thought Detroit would've taken a corner earlier then the 6th round, but nonetheless, the Lions found a great player.
When the draft gets into the 6th round, you really don't hear too much about the players selected. McCann was predicted to not even go drafted, but something about him impressed Matt Millen. McCann is a good pickup and should be good down the road.
7th Round - 217th Pick Overall - Fred Matua
Another offensive lineman was drafted in the 7th round, once again addressing this team's needs. Matua is out of USC and was surprised himself to still be around in the 7th round. Some experts had predicted that Matua would be a late-first day pick. Matt Millen again took advantage of that and picked-up a player that may have been overlooked by other teams.
Matua is not a player that fits into every scheme, but he should be a great professional player with lots of speed and size.
7th Round - 247th Pick Overall - Anthony Cannon
The final pick of the 2006 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions was the same position that the first pick came from, linebacker. Anthony Cannon, out of Tulane, is an outside linebacker that had originally worked out with the New Orleans Saints before the draft, and had not impressed the scouts. A week later he was worked out by Detroit, and obviously played much better. It's great to see a player from Tulane, a college that was decimated by Hurricane Katrina, get out there and prove that no matter what, you can always accomplish amazing things.
With the choice of selecting Cannon, that brings the total number of defensive players drafted by the Detroit Lions up to 4, and for a change, outweighs the number of offensive players taken.
Overall, I'd say that the draft was pretty successful. The holes in positions on the o-line and in the defensive backfield were taken care of. Now, Detroit can move on to worrying about the actual playing standpoint. Training camps are a ways away, but until then, the most-exciting offseason in sports will have to satisfy your NFL needs.