Analyzing day one

Day one of the NFL Draft was over and done in six hours, flying by in comparison to past drafts. The Jets and the Giants each made two selections:

New York Jets

Round 1, Pick 6

Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

With Darren McFadden off the board at four, and Glenn Dorsey going to the Chiefs at five, the Jets selected the best remaining player in Gholston. A hybrid LB/DE, Gholston will fit well in coach Mangini's defense. Do you remember the game "Kill the guy with the ball" that you may have played when you were a kid? Gholston is the guy you'd pick first from this draft class. And that's what he'll (hopefully) be doing for the Jets for years to come.

Round 1, Pick 30

Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue

The Jets jumped back into the first round to grab Dustin Keller, a pass-catching Tight End from Purdue. Keller was not projected as a first round talent, but the Jets likely heard whispers that someone was either going to pick Keller, or trade up ahead of their early second round spot to grab him. He's not an incredible blocker, but he's big and fast, so he should be able to light up linebackers and nickel corners for the Jets. Whoever the Jets decide is their quarterback will see immediate help from Keller.

New York Giants

Round 1, Pick 32

Kenny Phillips, S, Miami

The Giants closed out round one by selecting Kenny Phillips of Miami, filling in the hole at safety left by Gibril Wilson, who they lost in free agency. Phillips is a bit raw, but he has speed and a wealth of potential. Depending on his progress, either he or Sammy Knight will start for the G-Men this year. The Giants improve their secondary here, and help add some youth to a veteran club.

Round 2, Pick 64

Terrell Thomas, CB, USC

More help for the aging Giants secondary comes in the form of Terrell Thomas of Southern Cal. He's a versatile big man with speed, but injury problems dogged Thomas in college, including two separated shoulders and torn knee ligaments. This is a gamble by the Giants, but it could pay off in spades if he stays healthy.

Other Highlights:

- Matt Ryan went to the Falcons with the third pick. Atlanta decided to make Ryan the face of their franchise, but it remains to be seen if Ryan will live up to the hype.

- The Raiders selected Darren McFadden at number four, adding yet another running back to their already plentiful stable of rushers. He'll sit atop a depth chart that also features LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush, who they drafted last year. Jets fans were notably upset at Radio City, but it's unclear as to whether or not this was related to the selection of McFadden.

- Joe Flacco of Delaware was the second quarterback selected in this year's draft. A Jersey guy who went to Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware, Flacco continues his slow migration south by landing in Baltimore.

- For the first time since 1990, there were no wide receivers taken in round one. Even more surprising was that Donnie Avery of Houston was the one to break that trend, though he did set off a chain reaction that ended with ten wide receivers being selected in round two.

- Both the Dolphins and Packers selected quarterbacks in Round two, despite the fact that each had drafted a high-profile QB in the past several years. Aaron Rodgers waited until pick 23 in his draft, despite the fact he was tagged as a top-10 talent, and went through an endless saga with Brett Favre before finally grabbing the starting job in Green Bay. Now he has Brian Brohm breathing down his neck. John Beck hasn't had a chance to do anything in Miami, and already Chad Henne is there to compete for the job with him. Yikes.

The NFL Draft continues today at 10 a.m. Stay tuned for more coverage.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

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