NFL Draft Round 2 Recap

The second round of the 2010 NFL Draft is in the books and it is time to take a look at the fantasy impact of the skill position players that were selected.

RB/WR Dexter McCluster (36) – Kansas City Chiefs

WR Arrelious Benn (39) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TE Rob Gronkowski (42) – New England Patriots

QB Jimmy Clausen (48) – Carolina Panthers

RB Toby Gerhart (51) – Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings traded up with the Texans to select Stanford running back Toby Gerhart.  Gerhart is a classic power runner with quick feet for a 230-pound running back.  He will become the primary backup to Adrian Peterson.  Gerhart could get 5-10 carries per game and wear down opposing defenses in the 2^nd half of games.  His short-term fantasy value is limited, however, he is a must draft handcuff for Peterson owners.

RB Ben Tate (58) – Houston Texans

Ben Tate had an impressive scouting combine performance and vaulted himself from a fourth-round prospect into the second round.  We were not as impressed with Tate based on his Senior Bowl performance, however, his skill set matches well with the running philosophy of the Texans.  Tate is one of the better all-around backs in the draft.  He should see time immediately at the expense of Arian Foster.  If Steve Slaton returns to form, the Texans will have a solid running back combination for the future.

RB Montario Hardesty (59) – Cleveland Browns

Cleveland made the move to shore up their backfield with Montario Hardesty.  Hardesty is one of our favorite running backs in this draft class and enters a great situation on the rebuilding Browns franchise.  Jerome Harrison performed admirably down the stretch in 2009, but he does not have the size to hold up for an entire season.  Hardesty finished his senior season at Tennessee with 1,345 yards (4.8 YPC) and 13 touchdowns.

WR Golden Tate (60) – Seattle Seahawks

Our second ranked wide receiver prospect before the NFL Draft began; Golden Tate will be joining new head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle.  Tate slipped in the draft because of concerns about his size and lack of breakaway speed.  Tate is a fighter and runs like a running back with the football in his hands.  Tate will begin his career as the third wide receiver on the Seahawks and work the slot, but it should not be long before he supplants the injury-prone Deion Branch in the starting lineup.