NFL Draft: Round 2 Starts With Steals

If you ever needed proof why the NFL Draft is so much more than a one-round affair, or why teams will trade NFL vets for second round picks, you might have your proof with the start of today's second round.

With the #33 overall pick and first in the second round, the Cardinals took Michigan's Alan Branch. They had to give up a fourth round selection to move up for this pick, but it says here it will be worth it. At one time Branch was being mentioned as the possible #2 overall pick, before concerns over motivation and production dropped him down the board. Even with those issues, Branch is huge and versatile and can anchor either a 4-3 or a 3-4, giving the Cardinals a lot of options. With Levi Brown (probably will play right tackle to protect Leinart's blind side) and Branch, Arizona just got a lot more physical up front. Hey, maybe they are finally "getting it."

With the very next pick, the Bills (who also traded up), snatched up stud linebacker Paul Posluszny from Penn State. He's smart and aggressive and while Urlacher comparisons might seem a bit extreme, he appears capable of replacing London Fletcher in the Bills' four-man linebacking corps.

The second round begins with a bang.