The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft is in the books and the attention turns to Friday's second and third rounds. While it may be nearly-impossible to project both rounds, we can get a better idea of what may happen in round two by checking a few of the more detailed 2011 NFL mock drafts around. If you wondered about how accurate mock drafts are, Thursday's first round, which destroyed nearly every projection made ahead of the draft, should be a fair indication. Nevertheless, we'll look ahead at the second round to see what we can glean.
As a frame of reference for Seattle's first round pick, Todd McShay had James Carpenter at No. 33 in his mock draft, released before Thursday's first round. While Carpenter seemed like a stretch at the time, he may not have been as big a reach as originally thought.
In the second round, McShay has the Seahawks drafting a wide receiver: Randall Cobb of Kentucky. While it's an interesting pick, the Seahawks still have more pressing needs to fill, including the defensive line and the quarterback position. One has to wonder if Seattle will address those first before looking for sleepers or value picks in the later rounds.
Over at SB Nation, Brian Galliford expects Ryan Mallett to be around when the Seahawks step to the podium, and the chance to grab a quarterback may be too much for Pete Carroll. While Mallett is a risk, spending a second round pick on him gives the Seahawks good value and the chance to build to the future right away.
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas. Mallett is not a perfect fit for Darrell Bevell's offensive system, granted, but there's so much need here that Mallett may be too difficult to pass up.
If Mallett is around -- and that's a big if -- he may be a possibility, though Seattle had shown no interest in him ahead of the draft. It all means we're flying blind again, and if Thursday's first round is any indication, we should expect the unexpected.
We’ll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.