NFL Draft Live Blog: Patriots Draft DE Genoe Grissom 97th Overall
BOSTON (CBS) -- Follow along for all the picks picks, trades and news from Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2015 NFL Draft!
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Day 2 Recap: While the Patriots picked up three more picks for Day 3 with their trade with the Cleveland Browns, it was overall a little disappointing from a New England standpoint.
It looks like both players they drafted on Day 2 -- Stanford safety Jordan Richards at No. 64 and Oklahoma defensive end Geneo Grissom at No. 97 -- would have been there on Day 3. It will be interesting to hear what Bill Belichick has to say when he addresses the media shortly.
So far it's been three defensive players for the Patriots, so you have to imagine they'll grab an offensive lineman with one of their seven picks on Saturday.
The Patriots now have three fourth rounders, including the second overall on Saturday, a fifth rounder (which they didn't have heading into the draft), two sixths and a seventh on Saturday.
97th Pick -- New England Partiots: DE Genoe Grissom, Oklahoma
The Patriots added another defensive lineman (though he may see some time at linebacker) with their second pick of the evening in defensive end Geneo Grissom. It sounds like another reach pick for Belichick, as Grissom sounds more like a situational player who was projected to go in the sixth round.
STRENGTHS: Grissom sports a rocked-up build that speaks to his commitment to the weight room. He has a quick burst off the snap and can cross the face of tackles as an edge rusher, however. His acceleration also shows up when chasing ball-carriers to the perimeter or in pursuit downfield. He possesses the strength to stack and shed would-be blockers at the point of attack and uses his long arms and strong hands to effectively latch onto and 'rassle ball-carriers to the ground. Perhaps most intriguing about Grissom's length and overall athleticism is the way he times his leaps to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. Despite his limited playing time, Grissom knocked eight passes over the past two seasons, returning two of them for long touchdowns (38, 54) himself. Even if his initial impact is felt on special teams, it is clear that Grissom offers untapped potential.
WEAKNESSES: Grissom is a better athlete than football player at this time and given how often he switched positions at Oklahoma questions about his football instincts are fair. Opponents are able to use Grissom's quickness and aggression off the snap to beat him, inviting him upfield before turning to seal him off or cutting him. Grissom is even more of a project in coverage, as he's a bit stiff and robotic, choosing to turn and run to gain depth rather than dropping back while facing the quarterback. Grissom's acceleration and length make him a potentially formidable tackler but he isn't a traditional hit, lift and drive tackler at this time, often either lunging at ball-carriers or attempting to latch on and pull them to the ground.
Overview: Few prospects look better walking off the bus than Grissom, a physically imposing player whose length, speed and power earned him time at tight end, defensive end and outside linebacker during his time at Oklahoma.
Unfortunately, due to constant position changes and a sprained MCL in 2014, Grissom never fully reached his potential with the Sooners, though he did register a combined 79 tackles, including 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks over the past two seasons as a versatile edge defender. Better yet, he boasts many of the traits that project well at the next level, which could make him a surprisingly valued commodity come draft day.
Grissom is clearly a work in progress. Once he locates the ball, however, Grissom accelerates quickly and arrives with a pop. A team willing to gamble on his upside could be handsomely rewarded.
96th Pick -- New England Patriots: We kind of felt like the Patriots would make a trade tonight, and they've done just that with the No. 96 pick. They sent the pick to the Cleveland Browns, who drafted DT Xavier Cooper out of Washington State.
The Patriots get three more picks for tomorrow in return:
Third Round: The Patriots are now on the clock with their back-to-back picks. They will be taking at least one player, as they cannot trade away pick No. 97.
Third Round: The third round is moving at lightning pace, as we're already up to pick No. 90.
With that pick, the Ravens picked defensive tackle Carl Davis.
The Patriots will be on the clock -- twice -- very soon.
Third Round, Picks 81 and 82: A couple of AFC East picks to catch you up on, and both are from Louisville.
With the No. 81 pick, the Bills took Louisville guard John Miller.
At No. 82, the Jets drafted defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin.
Third Round, 75th Pick -- New Orleans Saints: QB Garrett Grayson, Colorado State
It looks like the Saints are now planning for life after Drew Brees, drafting quarterback Garrett Grayson.
Grayson is the third QB taken this year, and sounds like a project pick, but this is similar to the Patriots drafting Jimmy Garoppolo last season.
Read: Grayson's CBS Sports Draft Bio
64th Pick -- New England Patriots: SS Jordan Richards, Stanford
The Patriots went with a defensive back with their second round pick, though it sounds like Richards will be a special teams player.
Here's the CBS Sports Draft Bio on Richards:
STRENGTHS: Richards is a team leader and warrior on the field. Very coachable prospect that loves the game and plays with a passion. He is very tough and extremely competitive. Very effective against the run, but plays ball very well. He shows up in all facets of the game. Overall he looks pretty fluid and athletic. He has good agility and gets his hands on a lot of passes (21 PBUs over his career) but must do a better job of fighting through blocks and making reliable tackles in the open field to overcome his lack of ideal size.
WEAKNESSES: One particular play stood out at the East-West Shrine Practice regarding Richards. South Dakota State running back Zachary Zenner took the ball outside and Richards had no answer to his speed and Zenner ran it in for a touchdown. There are plenty of positives about his overall skills, but he lacks pure speed and range. He makes up for it taking good angles to the football and being a student of the game. Does not always show good adjustment with regard to the cushion he allows receivers in coverage.
Overview: Richards enjoyed a productive career for the Cardinal, racking up postseason all-conferences honors after each of the past three seasons. After receiving back-to-back honorable mention honors, Richards was recognized with first team All-Pac-12 accolades his final season at Stanford.
He is a team captain who also excels in the classroom, where he achieved Pac-12 All-Academic first team status in each of the past three years. Leaving high school, Richards was ranked as one of the top 100 receivers in the nation. He switched from offense to defense and immediately made an impact at Stanford, appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman and starting in three at safety.
Each season was better than the last for Richards, who played in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. He showed at practice he is a tempo setter and field general. Easily provided a leadership quality for a group of young faces that came together to form the West roster.
Richards, who was going in the fifth or sixth round in most mock drafts, projects to be a backup safety in the NFL, which is somewhat frustrating. But he was a team captain, and the Patriots love team captains.
But we'll see if he becomes one of those Bill Belichick specials, or if he's another Ras-I Dowling/Tavon Wilson and is out of the league in two years.
We're going to dig deep and find out what we can about Richards, but we'll still bring you all the big picks and any trades from the third round. Until then, enjoy the wait for picks No. 96 and 97.
63rd Pick -- Seattle Seahawks: DE Frank Clark, Michigan.
And now the Patriots are on the clock!
62nd Pick -- Green Bay Packers: CB Quinten Rollins, Miami-Ohio
The Packers go with another defensive pack with their second round pick. Rollins also played basketball for Miami-Ohio, and only played one season of college football.
Read: Rollins' CBS Sports Draft Bio
61st Pick -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: T Ali Marpet, Hobart College
The Buccaneers made a trade with the Colts, grabbing the 61st overall pick. With that pick, they drafted another offensive lineman the Patriots were likely targeting.
Marpet comes from Division 3, but he turned heads at the combine. The Bucs are certainly putting a premium on protecting Jameis Winston.
Read: Marpet's CBS Sports Draft Bio
60th Pick -- Dallas Cowboys: DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska
Gregory was the last guy sitting in the green room, and now has a home in the NFL. There are some red flags given his recent arrest for marijuana possession, but Gregory can really get after the quarterback.
He's coming in very motivated after sitting through the first round, so this could be a steal for the Cowboys. Just keep him away from Greg Hardy...
Read: Gregory's CBS Sports Draft Bio
59th Pick -- Denver Broncos: T Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State
The Broncos took a guy who they hope will take over for the traded Manny Ramirez and protect Peyton Manning.
Read: Sambrailo's CBS Sports Draft Bio
58th Pick -- Arizona Cardinals: Markus Golden, Missouri
The Cardinals add another disruptive guy to their defense in Golden, who had five multi-sack games and a career-high 78 tackles in 2014.
Read: Golden's CBS Sports Draft Bio
57th Pick -- St. Louis Rams: T Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
With another offensive lineman off the board, you have to think the Patriots would go in this direction when they come up in a few picks.
Read: Havenstein's CBS Sports Draft Bio
56th Pick -- Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Senquez Golson, Ole Miss
The Steelers addressed their need in the secondary with an All American corner in Golson. We'll see how much he likes lining up across from A.J. Green twice a year.
Read: Golson's CBS Sports Draft Bio
Golson was an eighth round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2011.
55th Pick -- Baltimore Ravens: TE Max xWilliams, Minnesota
The Ravens moved up, trading picks with the Arizona Cardinals, and did so to select a tight end for Joe Flacco. I like the pick, solely because he has that extra X in his first name.
Flacco is probably loving this draft, with the Ravens taking receiver Breshad Perriman in the first round.
Read: Williams' CBS Sports Draft Bio
Duane Starks presented the pick for the Ravens, but was not torched by any receiver while doing so.
54th Pick -- Detroit Lions: RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
Abdullah had 19 rush touchdowns in 2014, making a lot of people miss along the way. He had three straight 1,000 yard seasons at Nebraska, and will help the Lions replace Reggie Bush.
Read: Abdullah's CBS Sports Draft Bio
We're just 10 picks from the Patriots.
53rd Pick -- Cincinnati Bengals: T Jake Fisher, Oregon
Another potential offensive lineman for the Patriots goes off the board, as the Bengals have taken their second tackle in this year's draft.
Fisher is athletic and played tackle and guard at Oregon, and will try to make a living protecting Andy Dalton for a living.
Icky Woods presented the pick for the Bengals and did his shuffle, but unfortunately he didn't spike anything.
Read: Fisher's CBS Sports Draft Bio
52nd Pick -- Miami Dolphins: DT Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma
Miami has added another big body who could play alongside Ndamukong Suh with 6-foot-5, 329-pounder Jordan Phillips.
Read: Phillips' CBS Sports Draft Bio
51st Pick -- Cleveland Browns: DE Nate Orchard, Utah
Cleveland picks up a tackle machine in Orchard, who had 84 tackles in 2014. He will probably play linebacker for the Browns.
Read: Ochard's CBS Sports Draft Bio
50th Pick -- Buffalo Bills: DB Ronald Darby, FSU
Jim Kelly made Buffalo's selection, and received a wonderful ovation from the fans in the crowd. Kelly thanks everyone for all their prayers and well-wishes, telling everyone that just a year ago he was sitting in a hospital bed. It's great to see Jim out there after his long battle with cancer.
As for the pick -- Rex Ryan's first as the HC of the BB -- they take a corner that a lot of people thought the Patriots may target. Darby is very athletic, but there are questions about that translating to the football field.
Read: Darby's CBS Sports Draft Bio
49th Pick -- Kansas City Chiefs: T Mitch Morse, Missouri
The Chiefs add a talented and versatile offensive lineman in Mitch Morse, who will likely play center for Andy Reid. But he can play all five spots along the offensive line.
Read: Morse's CBS Sports Draft Bio
48th Pick --San Diego Chargers: LB Denzel Perryman, Miami
The Chargers have added a big hitter to their linebacking corps in Perryman, a two-time All ACC first-teamer.
He's a little small at 5-foot-11, but he's super athletic and can get anywhere on the field. He finished his four-year career in Miami with 351 tackles.
Read: Perryman's CBS Sports Draft Bio
47th Pick -- Philadelphia Eagles: DB Eric Rowe, Utah
Chip Kelly saw defensive backs flying off the board, so he didn't want to risk it and traded up to grab Rowe. He's a solid cover guy who had 13 pass breakups in 2014.
Read: Rowe's CBS Sports Draft Bio
46th Pick -- San Francisco 49ers: DB Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
The Niners add a big body and big hitter to their secondary in Tartt, who had 58 tackles in 2014.
Read: Tartt's CBS Sports Draft Bio
And Chip Kelly HAS MADE A TRADE. The Eagles and Dolphins swapped second rounders (Phily goes to No. 47 while Miami trades back to No. 52), so we'll see who Chip wanted at No. 47.
45th Pick -- Minnesota Vikings: LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Forget that run on wide receivers, as we have our third straight linebacker selected.
Kendricks' size is an issue, standing at six-feet, but he certainly has a nose for the ball. He was the only player with 100+ solo tackles in 2014.
Read: Kendricks' CBS Sports Draft Bio
44th Pick -- New Orleans Saints: LB Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
The Saints got a great pass rusher in Kikaha, who had 32 sacks over the last two years. He finished his career as Washington's all-time sack leader, and also has a really fun name.
Read: Kikaha's CBS Sports Draft Bio
43rd Pick -- Houston Texans: LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
The Texans swung a trade with the Cleveland Browns, and gave Romeo Crennel another linebacker to mold.
Read: McKinney's CBS Sports Draft Bio
The Browns receive Houston's second-rounder (No. 51) along with a fourth-rounder (No. 116) and a sixth-rounder (No. 195), also sending a seventh-rounder (No. 229) to the Texans.
42nd Pick -- Atlanta Falcons: CB Jalen Collins, LSU
There's another corner off the board for the Patriots, with the Falcons picking up 6-foot-1 Jalen Collins. He led the Tigers with nine pass breakups in 2014.
However, he only made 10 starts over his college career.
Read: Collins' CBS Sports Draft Bio
41st Pick -- Carolina Panthers: WR Devin Funchess, Michigan
There's a bit of a run on wide receivers at the moment, so if the Patriots want to draft one they may want to consider moving up.
Funchess, who made the switch from tight end to wide receiver, is a big target at 6-foot-5 and 232-pounds. It's unclear what position he'll catch passes out of in the NFL, but Cam Newton should be happy with this pick after losing Brandon LaFell last offseason.
Read: Funchess's CBS Sports Draft Bio
40th Pick -- Tennessee Titans: WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
The Titans got a good weapon for Marcus Mariota with their second round pick, drafting Green-Beckham despite some major off-field issues.
He's a big target at 6-foot-5, but he was dismissed from Missouri earlier this year after allegedly forcing himself into an apartment and pushing a female down the stairs.
Read: Green-Beckham's CBS Sports Draft Bio
He could be a steal given his athletic abilities, but that's only if he behaves. It's a pretty big gamble for the Titans.
39th Pick -- Chicago Bears: DT Eddie Goldman, FSU
Dick Butkus announced the Bears pick to a rousing ovation in Chicago, and was a big fan of the pick. That's a pretty big endorsement.
Read: Goldman's CBS Sports Draft Bio
Goldman is the fourth Florida State Seminole to be drafted in the first 39 picks.
38th Pick -- Washington Redskins: DE Preston Smith, Mississippi State
After addressing a need on the offensive line in the first round, Washington addresses a need on the defensive line in the second round. Smith will help replace Brian Orapko, who is now in Tennessee.
Read: Smith's CBS Sports Draft Bio
37th Pick -- New York Jets: WR Devin Smith, Ohio State
The Jets grabbed a pretty good wide receiver with their second round pick.
Smith was a beast for the Buckeyes, averaging 28.2 yards per catch last year as a senior. He finished the year with 931 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 33 catches, with his 12 scores the most in the Big 10.
Read: Smith's CBS Sports Draft Bio
With the Jets adding a deep threat, the Patriots' hole at corner depth is looking even bigger now. If only the Jets had a quarterback who could get him the ball, they'd be in business.
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Things are going rapid fire here in the second round, which is great. Teams are making their picks before Goodell and the honorary guests can even announce the current pick.
Here are the two picks they just announced, with the New York Jets now on the clock.
36th Pick -- Jacksonville Jaguars: RB T.J Yeldon, Alabama
The Jags go with a three-down running back, adding Yeldon to a crowded backfield. But none of their backs have the talent of Yeldon, who ran for 3,322 career rushing yards at Alabama, which ranks fourth in school history.
This is the first running back the Jags have drafted a running back in the first two rounds since 2006, when they took Maurice Jones Drew.
Read: Yeldon's CBS Sports Draft Bio
35th Pick -- Oakland Raiders: DE Mario Edwards Jr., FSU
The Raiders add a guy they hope can wreak havoc on the defensive line with last year's first-rounder, Khalil Mack.
Read: Edwards Jr.'s CBS Sports Draft Bio
34th Pick -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: T Donovan Smith, Penn State
After drafting their quarterback of the future last night, the Buccaneers drafted a guy they hope will help protect him with their first pick on Friday.
A three-year start for the Nittany Lions, it sounds like Smith is the real deal. Logan Mankins must be pumped to have another big body helping him out in Tampa.
Read: Smith's CBS Sports Draft Bio
We also found out who will present the Patriots' pick when that time comes tonight, and it's none other than Ty Law.
How perfect would it be if the Patriots draft a defensive back with that pick?
33rd Pick -- New York Giants: DB Landon Collins, Alabama
The Giants trade up and go defense with the first pick of the second round. Collins was a 2014 All-SEC 1st team selection, and can play either corner or safety.
Read: Collins' CBS Sports Draft Bio
7:05 pm: And there you go. We waited so long for the first trade of the draft on Thursday night, but we have one right off the bat tonight.
The Giants have moved up from No. 40 to No. 33, also sending a fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder this year to the Titans.
7:04 pm: Here we go, the second round of the NFL Draft is underway.
The Tennessee Titans have the first pick, but there's a lot of rumblings on Twitter that they could trade it. We'll find out in just a few minutes.
6:20 pm: If you had fun last night with the first round of the NFL Draft, then boy do we have a Friday night for you.
Tonight, we bring you TWO rounds of the draft. If 32 selections weren't enough for you last night, there are 67 coming your way tonight with Rounds 2 and 3.
This is the part of the draft where the Patriots really go to work. They have three selections this evening: their second-rounder (No. 64) and two third-rounders (Nos. 96 and 97). Pick No. 97 is a compensatory pick, so New England cannot trade that one away, but those other two picks will certainly be available if a team wants to swap some more picks this year or further down the road.
The Patriots used their first-rounder on Thursday night, drafting Texas defensive lineman Malcom Brown 32nd overall. That selection addressed a big need on the defensive line, but the Patriots have plenty of other depth issues to address tonight and tomorrow.
The two biggest areas of need are at cornerback and along the offensive line at guard. Both of those areas could be addressed tonight, but with an early pick on Saturday (No. 101, second overall in the fourth round), the Patriots are in a good position to make a deal if they choose to do so.
"It's kind of unusual to have three picks like that clustered together," head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday following the first round. "We'll have to talk about that situation. It's still 60-some picks until we even get to that point, so there are a lot of 'what ifs' but we'll just talk about that situation and look to where we'd be here in the second round here at 64. [It's] kind of the same as [Thursday]: a lot of teams are going to pick before we're really even close to getting up to bat. We'll do the best we can when we get our opportunity to go."
If the Patriots hold on to their picks and make their selections, we're in for another long night. They own the last selection of each round, and the first of three compensatory picks tonight. Each team will have seven minutes to pick in the second round, and five minutes in the third round.
We'll keep you posted throughout the night, and be sure to tune in to The Adam Jones Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub for up to the minute draft analysis starting at 7 pm!
