CHICAGO --There were surprises throughout the second day of the 2016 NFL Draft. In typical fashion, clubs defied conventional wisdom in navigating the second and third rounds. Here are six of the biggest surprises from Rounds 2-3:
- The third pick of the draft's first round was a surprise when the San Diego Chargers took Ohio State DE Joey Bosa, but the third pick of the second round was even more of a shocker. The Dallas Cowboys' selection of Jaylon Smith marked a much shorter wait for the former Notre Dame linebacker than what was expected. A severe knee injury that is expected to keep Smith off the field in his rookie season had plunged his draft stock into total uncertainty. The pick was also somewhat surprising from the Cowboys' perspective. It marked the second year in a row the club took a risk with a second-round choice, and the payoff for the first risk might never come. DE Randy Gregory, who fell to Dallas at No. 60 overall last year among concerns over failed drug tests, was unproductive as a rookie and is already facing a four-game suspension to begin his second pro season.
- Anyone other than Michigan State's Connor Cook as the fourth quarterback selected would have been surprising. As it turned out, Penn State's Christian Hackenberg took that distinction when the New York Jets chose him No. 51 overall. Jets QB coach Kevin Patullo and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey will have to untangle footwork and accuracy issues that limited Hackenberg's production as PSU. Meanwhile, Cook slipped to Day 3 as USC's Cody Kessler and North Carolina State's Jacoby Brissett also went off the board, to the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, respectively. Cook, Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and Ohio State's Cardale Jones are among the top options entering Day 3.
- Exactly how did Jarran Reed find himself as the last man in the green room? The Alabama defensive tackle was the 13th-best player in the draft, according to NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, but wasn't even the 13th player taken in Round 2. The Seattle Seahawks stopped his fall with the 49th overall pick of the draft, and got a spectacular value in doing so. Reed's slip illustrated the depth of the draft at his position. A half dozen defensive tackles were picked ahead of him, and another half dozen behind him.
- You read that right: 13 defensive tackles are already gone with four rounds to go, and Andrew Billings of Baylor is still left to be had. One of the top defensive players in the Big 12, Billings is one of the draft's top interior run stuffers, and shouldn't last long on Day 3.
- It wasn't a stunner that a kicker went in the second round, but the Bucs' decision to trade up 15 spots to land that kicker definitely raised eyebrows. Tampa Bay took Florida State's Roberto Aguayo with the 59th overall pick, and gave up a third- and fourth-round pick to do so.
- Utah's Devontae Booker is still around. NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock's second-best running back in the draft had an injury that limited his ability to test for scouts during draft season, which could have contributed to his Day 3 availability.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
