| Round | Pick | Team | Pos | Player | School |
| 1 | 1 | Miami Dolphins | OT | Jake Long | Michigan |
| 1 | | A smart, safe pick. Long gives the Dolphins an anchor for their offensive line. |
| 1 | 2 | St. Louis Rams | DE | Chris Long | Virginia |
| 1 | | Long is the pass rusher and complement to Leonard Little the team was looking for. Long at DE and Carriker at DT is better than Dorsey at DT and Carriker at DE. |
| 1 | 3 | Atlanta Falcons | QB | Matt Ryan | Boston College |
| 1 | | Ryan was the #1 QB on most boards but is no sure thing. Dorsey at DT and Brohm in round 2 would have been a better combination. This pick will make or break the Falcons draft. |
| 1 | 4 | Oakland Raiders | RB | Darren McFadden | Arkansas |
| 1 | | Dorsey was tempting but finding a dynamic playmaker to take pressure off JaMarcus Russell was the right move. |
| 1 | 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | DT | Glenn Dorsey | LSU |
| 1 | | The top defensive player in the draft lands in the Chiefs lap at #5. The Chiefs weakness up the middle is no more. |
| 1 | 6 | New York Jets | DE | Vernon Gholston | Ohio St |
| 1 | | Gholston is the top 3-4 OLB prospect in the draft and should instantly energize the Jets pass rush. |
| 1 | 7 | New Orleans Saints | DT | Sedrick Ellis | USC |
| 1 | | Kudos to the Saints for getting the DT they wanted and needed. The price they paid to move up was not that steep either. |
| 1 | 8 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DE | Derrick Harvey | Florida |
| 1 | | The Jags make an aggressive move up to fill their need for a pass rushing defensive end. |
| 1 | 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | OLB | Keith Rivers | USC |
| 1 | | By standing pat the Bengals miss out on not only Sedrick Ellis but also backup plan Derrick Harvey. That complacency nets the Bengals the top LB in the draft. Not a bad fall back option. |
| 1 | 10 | New England Patriots | OLB | Jerod Mayo | Tennessee |
| 1 | | The Patriots plan to trade down and draft Rivers is foiled by the Jags surprise move up to draft Harvey. The Pats reach slightly for Mayo but he fills a big need for youth and athleticism at linebacker. |
| 1 | 11 | Buffalo Bills | CB | Leodis McKelvin | Troy |
| 1 | | The Bills fill their need for a cornerback with the top corner in the draft. His return skills are an added bonus. |
| 1 | 12 | Denver Broncos | OT | Ryan Clady | Boise St |
| 1 | | A near perfect fit. The Broncos need a left tackle and Clady is arguably the best left tackle prospect in the draft and a good fit for their zone blocking scheme. |
| 1 | 13 | Carolina Panthers | RB | Jonathan Stewart | Oregon |
| 1 | | Stewart is a very talented back and will form a solid 1-2 punch with DeAngelo Williams. The question is did they really need to draft another RB? This pick caused them to losed their 2009 1st rounder later in the draft. |
| 1 | 14 | Chicago Bears | OT | Christopher Williams | Vanderbilt |
| 1 | | The Bears get the left tackle they needed to begin re-fortifying the offensive front. |
| 1 | 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | G | Branden Albert | Virginia |
| 1 | | Trading up for Albert was one of the best moves in the draft. Getting Albert at 15 is a coup considering many mocks had the Chiefs taking him 5th overall. Getting Dorsey and Albert is a remarkable use of their 2 1st rounders. |
| 1 | 16 | Arizona Cardinals | CB | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | Tennessee State |
| 1 | | Rodgers-Cromartie comes with the small school risk but he has rare the rare size/speed combinations desire at CB. He fills a big need for Arizona. |
| 1 | 17 | Detroit Lions | OT | Gosder Cherilus | Boston College |
| 1 | | You can argue the Lions should have taken Otah, but taking a tackle was the right move. Cherilus is an excellent right tackle prospect. |
| 1 | 18 | Baltimore Ravens | QB | Joe Flacco | Delaware |
| 1 | | An aggressive and likely unnecessary move up to get their QB. Flacco has an excellent arm but has to improve on his accuracy. The Kyle Boller scouting report sounded eerily similar. |
| 1 | 19 | Carolina Panthers | OT | Jeffrey Otah | Pitt |
| 1 | | After making a surprise RB pick at #13, the Panthers give up their 2009 1st rounder and more to fill their need at offensive tackle. Otah has tremendous upside but is he a RT or LT? |
| 1 | 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | CB | Aqib Talib | Kansas |
| 1 | | Buccs pass on Rashard Mendenhall and their choice of wide receiver options to take a raw corner. Talib has upside but also has character concerns. A Tampa 2 team taking a 1st round corner is a bit of a surprise. |
| 1 | 21 | Atlanta Falcons | OT | Sam Baker | USC |
| 1 | | The run on offensive tackles causes the Falcons to trade back into the 1st round to reach for an offensive tackle. A need pick as they must protect their QB investment. |
| 1 | 22 | Dallas Cowboys | RB | Felix Jones | Arkansas |
| 1 | | Jones is an excellent prospect with big play ability but passing on Rashard Mendenhall to take him is a bit of a surprise. |
| 1 | 23 | Pittsburgh Steelers | RB | Rashard Mendenhall | Illinois |
| 1 | | Pittsburgh gets tremendous value as a power back falls into their lap. |
| 1 | 24 | Tennessee Titans | RB | Chris Johnson | E Carolina |
| 1 | | Johnson has big play potential but passing on their choice of wide receivers for a situational back is a mistake. The Titans have now spent a 1st or 2nd round pick on a running back three straight years. |
| 1 | 25 | Dallas Cowboys | CB | Mike Jenkins | South Florida |
| 1 | | Jenkins was one of the top 3 corners in the draft and is an excellent value for the Cowboy defense. Not counting on Pac Man was a smart move by Dallas. |
| 1 | 26 | Houston Texans | OT | Duane Brown | Va Tech |
| 1 | | The Texans have needed to upgrade their offensive line for years but taking Brown is a bit of a reach. Yet another team is forced to fill a need at OT. That said, Brown has the athleticism to do well in the Texans zone blocking scheme. |
| 1 | 27 | San Diego Chargers | CB | Antoine Cason | Arizona |
| 1 | | With no offensive tackles on the board, the Chargers take Cason who should be able to contribute right away as a nickel back. |
| 1 | 28 | Seattle Seahawks | DE | Lawrence Jackson | USC |
| 1 | | A bit of a surprise to see the Seahawks take a DE instead of a DT but the Giants proved last year that a team can never have enough pass rushers. |
| 1 | 29 | San Francisco 49ers | DT | Kentwan Balmer | N Carolina |
| 1 | | The 49ers pass on playmakers to toughen up in the trenches. Balmer was considered on of the top 3-4 DE prospects in the draft. |
| 1 | 30 | New York Jets | TE | Dustin Keller | Purdue |
| 1 | | With all the wide receivers still on the board, the Jets trade up to select a tight end who can not block? |
| 1 | 31 | New England Patriots | + FORFEITED |
| 1 | 32 | New York Giants | S | Kenny Phillips | Miami |
| 1 | | Phillips is the next in the line of great Miami Hurricane safeties. Look for him to start from day one in the Giant secondary. |
| 2 | 1 | Miami Dolphins | DE | Phillip Merling | Clemson |
| 2 | | Merling was considered a possible top 10 pick prior to sports hernia surgery. He is an excellent value pick a top round 2 but how will he fit into the Dolphins 3-4 defense. |
| 2 | 2 | St. Louis Rams | WR | Donnie Avery | Houston |
| 2 | | Avery will be extremely dangerous playing on turf but is he really the top WR in the draft? Great speed and playmaking ability but his hands are a question mark. |
| 2 | 3 | Washington Redskins | WR | Devin Thomas | Michigan St |
| 2 | | The Redskins trade out of round 1 and still get the big WR they craved. Thomas is a bit of a 1 year wonder but he is arguably the top WR in the draft. Not trading for Chad Johnson could very well turn out to be a blessing in disquise. |
| 2 | 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | CB | Brandon Flowers | Virginia Tech |
| 2 | | The Chiefs good fortune continues as a one of the best press corners in the draft falls to them in round 2. |
| 2 | 5 | Green Bay Packers | WR | Jordy Nelson | Kansas St |
| 2 | | Nelson is a good reciever with a knack for making plays but it was a surprising to see the Packers select a WR considering the depth they have at the position. Awful early for a #4 receiver. |
| 2 | 6 | Atlanta Falcons | ILB | Curtis Lofton | Oklahoma |
| 2 | | An excellent pick. Lofton should develop into a thumper in the middle of Falcon defense and could be the next in the long line of great 2nd round middle linebackers. |
| 2 | 7 | Seattle Seahawks | TE | John Carlson | Notre Dame |
| 2 | | The Seahawks fill a need by taking Carlson but his selection is a surprise considering Fred Davis and Martellus Bennett are on the board. Do not forget prior to a 2008 season for ND most considering Carlson the top TE prospect. |
| 2 | 8 | San Francisco 49ers | G | Chilo Rachal | USC |
| 2 | | It was surprising to see the 49ers pass on a wide receiver (Limas Sweed?) and outside pass rusher (Quentin Groves) but the 49ers have major needs along the offensive line too. Rachal should be an instant starter. |
| 2 | 9 | New Orleans Saints | CB | Tracy Porter | Indiana |
| 2 | | An excellent pick who should thrive in their man heavy coverage schemes. His return skills are a plus. |
| 2 | 10 | Buffalo Bills | WR | James Hardy | Indiana |
| 2 | | The Bills find the tall red zone receiver they need to play opposite speedster Lee Evans. |
| 2 | 11 | Denver Broncos | WR | Eddie Royal | Va Tech |
| 2 | | The Broncos look to fill their WR need with the speedy Royal. While Royal is a top returner and has good potential but it was surprising to see them take him over DeSean Jackson or Limas Sweed. |
| 2 | 12 | Minnesota Vikings | S | Tyrell Johnson | Arkansas State |
| 2 | | The Vikings trade up to select the pride of Arkansas State, Tyrell Johnson. He is a big hitter with a nose for the football and should make an early impact in the Viking secondary. |
| 2 | 13 | Chicago Bears | RB | Matt Forte | Tulane |
| 2 | | Forte has flown under the radar a little bit but he is a bruising back who fits the mold of a Bears running back. He is also is a solid receiver out of the backfield. |
| 2 | 14 | Detroit Lions | OLB | Jordon Dizon | Colorado |
| 2 | | A bit of a reach but Dizon is a heady player with a nose for the football. Playing in a Tampa 2 system with the Lions could allow him to overcome his lack of size. |
| 2 | 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | WR | Jerome Simpson | Coastal Carolina |
| 2 | | The Bengals grab some Ocho Cinco insurance with Simpson. He is an athletic prospect with great hands. Passing on DT Trevor Laws or the more well known Limas Sweed or Malcolm Kelly was a bit of a surprise but Simpson has talent and upside. |
| 2 | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | DT | Trevor Laws | Notre Dame |
| 2 | | Laws does not fill an immediate need but he is a great value pick. Look for his energetic style to be a good fit in a rotation with Bunkley and Patterson. |
| 2 | 17 | Washington Redskins | TE | Fred Davis | USC |
| 2 | | Davis was the top TE prospect on many draft boards but where does he fit on a Redskins team that already has Chris Cooley? A DE or DT been a better value here. |
| 2 | 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | Desean Jackson | Cal |
| 2 | | Surprising to see them pass on Sweed as Jackson is not the big red zone receiver the Eagles needed. Still not a bad pick as he should play a Wes Welker like role as a slot receiver and punt returner. |
| 2 | 19 | Arizona Cardinals | DE | Calais Campbell | Miami |
| 2 | | A great value pick for Arizona. Campbell was once considered a top 10 pick. He has tremendous size and pass rushing ability. Will fit in well as a LE in a 4-3 or as a 3-4 end. |
| 2 | 20 | Washington Redskins | WR | Malcolm Kelly | Oklahoma |
| 2 | | The Redskins continue to upgrade their receiving unit with Kelly. He is a big red zone receiver whose speed may or may not hinder him in the NFL. Was considered the top WR in the draft at one point. Despite the value, the Skins pass on DE and DT once again? |
| 2 | 21 | Jacksonville Jaguars | DE | Quentin Groves | Auburn |
| 2 | | Groves in an intriquing option for a team desperate for pass rushers. Some say he is undersized for a 4-3 but Groves is one of the top 5 pass rushers in this draft. |
| 2 | 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | WR | Limas Sweed | Texas |
| 2 | | Sweed is the big target Big Ben asked for and like Mendenhall he was too good a value to pass up. |
| 2 | 23 | Tennessee Titans | DE | Jason Jones | E Michigan |
| 2 | | Needing a DE and DT, the Titans attempt to fill both needs with one pick. Jones has excellent size and shows pass rush instincts and should find a way on the field early for a depleted Titans D-line. |
| 2 | 24 | Baltimore Ravens | RB | Ray Rice | Rutgers |
| 2 | | Rice provides depth in the Raven backfield but is the the change of pace they are looking for? Compares favorably to Maurice Jones-Drew. |
| 2 | 25 | Green Bay Packers | QB | Brian Brohm | Louisville |
| 2 | | Brohm is a great value pick for the Packers late in round 2. He provides insurance and competition for Aaron Rodgers for the starting job. Brohm would appear to be a good fit for the Packers spread style offense as well where his accuracy will be a plus. |
| 2 | 26 | Miami Dolphins | QB | Chad Henne | Michigan |
| 2 | | The Dolphins luck into the last of the top 4 quarterbacks in the draft. Henne is far from a sure thing but he gives the Dolphins someone to compete with John Beck. Both need protection to succeed. |
| 2 | 27 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | Dexter Jackson | Appalachian State |
| 2 | | Jackson fills a need for Tampa but the 2nd round run on wide receivers makes you wonder whether they would have been better served trading up or picking one in round 1. Jackson is small burner type who can gain yards after the catch. He is a good KR as well. |
| 2 | 28 | Indianapolis Colts | C | Mike Pollak | Arizona St |
| 2 | | This pick will fly under the radar because Pollack is a G/C type but it is a great value pick for a team looking for depth on the interior of its offensive line. |
| 2 | 29 | Green Bay Packers | CB | Patrick Lee | Auburn |
| 2 | | After taking a WR and QB with their 1st two picks, the Packers should consider themselves fortunate to find one of the better press corner prospects late in round 2. Lee can learn for a year before taking over for Harris or Woodson. |
| 2 | 30 | Dallas Cowboys | TE | Martellus Bennett | Texas A&M |
| 2 | | Bennett was the top tight end on many draft boards with his combination of size, speed, blocking and receiving ability. So from that standpoint the pick is a great value. If the team had not given Anthony Fasano away to Miami, the Cowboys could have used this pick on a much needed wide receiver such as Early Doucet. |
| 2 | 31 | New England Patriots | CB | Terrence Wheatley | Colorado |
| 2 | | The Patriots fill a need at corner but Wheatley in round 2 is a bit of a reach. Lacks size but should fit the Pats schemes with good awareness and ball skills to go with elite speed. |
| 2 | 32 | New York Giants | CB | Terrell Thomas | USC |
| 2 | | Like Wheatley before him, Thomas is a bit of a reach in round 2. Has good size and zone awareness but lacks the speed to hold up in man coverage. |
| 3 | 1 | Detroit Lions | RB | Kevin Smith | C Florida |
| 3 | | Arbuably the Lions best pick in the draft and fills a big need. Smith may lack sub 4.4 speed but he has a nice combination of balance, agility and burst. He will challenge for a starting job. |
| 3 | 2 | St. Louis Rams | G | John Greco | Toledo |
| 3 | | Casual fans have not heard of Greco but he is solid technician with the versatility to play RT, RG or LG for a Rams team in need of O-line talent and depth. |
| 3 | 3 | Miami Dolphins | DE | Kendall Langford | Hampton |
| 3 | | A little raw but has the talent. Compares to Jason Hatcher in Dallas, he is a big body and should develop into a solid 3-4 end in time. |
| 3 | 4 | Carolina Panthers | CB | Charles Godfrey | Iowa |
| 3 | | Best cornerback value on the board and projects as a nickel back in the NFL. He is physical player and a good tackler whom the Panthers likely envision converting to free safety. |
| 3 | 5 | Atlanta Falcons | CB | Chevis Jackson | LSU |
| 3 | | A curious pick for the Falcons. Jackson has the polish and experience to step in right away. However, despite good awareness and ball skills, his lack of deep speed will likely limit his starting prospects. He may fit best as a nickel back or free safety. |
| 3 | 6 | San Diego Chargers | FB | Jacob Hester | LSU |
| 3 | | It was stunning to see the Chargers trade a 2009 2nd rounder for Hester. Hester is a hard worker and can fill multiple roles but it is difficult to envision him replacing Michael Turner. Good role player but was not a 3rd round value. |
| 3 | 7 | Chicago Bears | WR | Earl Bennett | Vanderbilt |
| 3 | | Bennett is an excellent route runner with great hands. His polish and experience as a three year starter could allow him to make an early impact in a depleted Bears receiving corp. |
| 3 | 8 | Baltimore Ravens | OLB | Tavares Gooden | Miami |
| 3 | | A versatile linebacker who can play all three positions. The young athletic linebacker the Ravens need to groom as they look to the future. |
| 3 | 9 | Buffalo Bills | DE | Chris Ellis | Va Tech |
| 3 | | The Bills needed to add a pass rushing defensive end, and Ellis was the best one on the board in round 3. Has a nose for the quarterback but will likely be a rotational player in year one. Has some character questions. |
| 3 | 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | RB | Jamaal Charles | Texas |
| 3 | | Good value pick. A breakaway back who should complement and provide insurance for Larry Johnson. Great burst and could also be a dangerous kickoff returner. |
| 3 | 11 | Carolina Panthers | ILB | Dan Connor | Penn St |
| 3 | | Connor is a versatile linebacker who fell due to concerns about his athleticism. His football instincts make him a possible 3rd round steal and a likely starter. |
| 3 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers | S | Reggie Smith | Oklahoma |
| 3 | | Physical and with good ball skills, Smith is a versatile player capable of filling in at corner or safety. Has a higher ceiling as a safety than corner due to his 4.6 speed. |
| 3 | 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | TE | Brad Cottam | Tennessee |
| 3 | | The Chiefs surprise by taking Cottam in round 3. He has excellent measurables but did not make many plays at Tennessee. Will likely be groomed to be a future replacement for Tony Gonzalez. |
| 3 | 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | DT | Pat Sims | Auburn |
| 3 | | The Bengals should feel fortunate to get Sims in round 3 after missing out on Sedrick Ellis and passing on Trevor Laws. Sims has good size and could be the penetrator they need on the interior of the defense. More potential than production at this point. Would you rather have Sedrick Ellis or LB Keith Rivers and DT Patrick Sims? |
| 3 | 15 | New England Patriots | OLB | Shawn Crable | Michigan |
| 3 | | Crable has a knack for making plays in opposing backfields and is a nice fit for the Patriots hybrid schemes as an OLB. |
| 3 | 16 | Houston Texans | CB | Antwaun Molden | Eastern Kentucky |
| 3 | | Molden is a bit of a risk for the Texans because they need a guy who can right away but Molden has tremendous upside and is a rare corner with size and speed. |
| 3 | 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | DE | Bryan Smith | McNeese State |
| 3 | | Are the Eagles switching to a 3-4? Smith is an excellent pass rusher but is too small to play defensive end and will have a big learning curve as an outside linebacker. Initially, he will be a pass rush specialist. |
| 3 | 18 | Arizona Cardinals | WR | Early Doucet | LSU |
| 3 | | Doucet is an excellent value here and fills the Cardinals need for a 3rd receiver. He is not the deep threat Bryant Johnson was but he runs great routes and good hands. A poor man s Anquan Boldin. |
| 3 | 19 | Kansas City Chiefs | S | DaJuan Morgan | NC State |
| 3 | | Morgan was rated by some as the top safety in the draft. Only a one year starter but is a big hitter with excellent range. His ability to play both corner and safety could get him on the field sooner than later. |
| 3 | 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | OT | Jeremy Zuttah | Rutgers |
| 3 | | The Buccs continue to add depth to their offensive line with Zuttah who can play both guard and tackle. Right tackle is his best position. |
| 3 | 21 | Atlanta Falcons | WR | Harry Douglas | Louisville |
| 3 | | A tough, hard working receiver willing to go over the middle and make the tough catch. A tad undersized he may be struggle to be more than a #3 receiver. |
| 3 | 22 | Tennessee Titans | TE | Craig Stevens | Cal |
| 3 | | The Titans pass on WR for the 3rd time, this time adding Stevens the best blocking tight end in the draft. |
| 3 | 23 | Baltimore Ravens | S | Tom Zbikowski | Notre Dame |
| 3 | | A tough physical in the box safety. His struggles in pass coverage could limit his starting prospects. A tremendous special teams player. |
| 3 | 24 | Detroit Lions | DT | Andre Fluellen | Florida St |
| 3 | | The Lions pass on more heralded defensive tackles such as Dre Moore and Red Bryant to select the undersized Fluellen. Fluellen is quick off the snap and could develop if he can add some strength and bulk. |
| 3 | 25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | Bruce Davis | UCLA |
| 3 | | Proto-typical 3-4 outside linebacker. Great pass rusher who will need a year to adjust to the new position. The Steelers have excelled over the years with players like Davis. Nonetheless, 3 rounds and no offensive linemen for Pittsburgh. |
| 3 | 26 | Houston Texans | RB | Steve Slaton | W Virginia |
| 3 | | The Texans need help at running back and while Slaton is the every down guy they need, he could be the speed component of a two back system. Slaton is an explosive playmaker who could be dynamic catching passes out of the backfield. |
| 3 | 27 | Chicago Bears | DT | Marcus Harrison | Arkansas |
| 3 | | Character and injury questions cause Harrison to fall but he lands in a good spot in Chicago. Harrison has strong at the point of attack and could be a nice complement to Tommie Harris on the interior of the Bears line. |
| 3 | 28 | Green Bay Packers | TE | Jermichael Finley | Texas |
| 3 | |