Thoughts on the third round as the picks come in…

- Are the Colts trying to become the Patriots by loading up on tight ends? The Dwayne Allen pick is a little questionable, but Indianapolis now has the two best tight ends in a very weak draft at the position.

- Great pick by the Rams as St. Louis gets Trumaine Johnson 65th overall. A great talent, a big body and a hard hitter capable of playing corner or safety.

- The Broncos finally got Peyton Manning a weapon by taking San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman. Good third-down back.

- The Bills reach for T.J. Graham out of NC State, but if the rest of his game comes together to match his speed, he could be dangerous. Cordy Glenn remains their best value pick of the draft.

- The Jaguars take Cal punter Bryan Anger. You really can’t knock the pick too much because he’ll be one of the better punters in the league, but the Jaguars obviously have much bigger fish to fry.

- The Chargers make LSU’s Brandon Taylor the third safety taken behind Mark Barron and Harrison Smith, but don’t be surprised if some other defensive backs taken (Tavon Wilson, Trumaine Johnson) end up being moved to safety.

- Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin is a good prospect, but don’t the Seahawks already have their quarterback in Matt Flynn?

- The Dolphins become the first team not named the Colts to draft a tight end by getting Missouri’s Michael Egnew. He’s a good receiver with good size at 6-foot-5 1/8.

- Ironic that the Bengals end up drafting Mohamed Sanu. The Rutgers receiver got a call during the first round when the Bengals were on the clock Thursday saying it was the team and that they were going to pick him. It was a prank, and Sanu and his family celebrated only to see the team pick Kevin Zeitler. Two rounds later, Sanu is indeed a Bengal.

- Good move by the Eagles to get Nick Foles out of Arizona. Given the injury history of Michael Vick, he could get some snaps early on in his career.

- Give it up for Regina tackle Akiem Hicks, who becomes the latest Canadian player to be drafted. Baylor’s Danny Watkins was a first-round pick of the Eagles last year, while the Pats drafted Nick Kaczur out of Toledo in 2005.

- Jake Bequette becomes the latest pass-rusher brought in by the Pats. The Arkansas defensive end had 10 sacks as a senior. He stands at 6-foot-4 5/8 and 274 pounds. Perhaps he helps replace Mark Anderson, who inked a deal with the Bills in free agency. Pretty clean bill of health for Bequette, though he missed three games as a junior with a hamstring injury.

- Finally, the Colts take a receiver. Florida International’s T.Y. Hilton is the man, and he can contribute as a returner as well. That’s two tight ends and a wide receiver for the Colts since drafting Andrew Luck.

- I had honestly forgotten the Raiders existed. That’s what happens during the draft when you trade important currency for a shaky quarterback. All kidding aside, the Raiders wrapped up the second day by making Utah tackle Tony Bergstrom their first pick of the draft.

Thoughts on the second round, with updates coming with each pick.

33. Rams took Brian Quick, the receiver out of Appalachian State. He’s a big boy at 6-foot-3 4/8 and 220 pounds, but there’s obviously the question of level of competition with the FCS product. LSU’s Rueben Randle, South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery and Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill were on the board at the time, so this pick could be scrutinized in the future if the others prove to have better NFL careers. At the end of the day, the Rams finally got Sam Bradford a receiver, and that’s all that matters.

34. The Colts gave Andrew Luck a toy with whom he is very familiar by bringing in Stanford tight end Coby Fleener. While there were good receivers available in Randle, Hill and Jeffery, the idea of keeping Luck and Fleener together is an intriguing one. Fleener caught 10 touchdown passes from Luck last season.

35. Good on the Ravens to move out of that No. 29 spot Thursday night and still be able to land the pass-rusher they needed. Baltimore landed Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw, a definite first-round talent who fell out of the first round. Given that he played in Nick Saban’s 3-4, Upshaw has enough experience at outside linebacker but has also played with his hand in the dirt.

36. The Broncos got Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, and that begins to fill a huge need. The Broncos had been projected to go after the likes of Michael Brockers and Fletcher Cox in some of our mock drafts. Denver also needs help on the offensive line.

37. The Browns had receivers on the board again and continued to avoid the position by going after Cal tackle Mitchell Schwartz. Cleveland needs a right tackle, but the Browns’ draft remains underwhelming given the Brandon Weeden pick.

38. Clemson defensive end Andre Branch to the Jaguars, and the NFL Network shows him cool, calm and collected as he’s on the phone. He should be angry.

39. The Rams are the team that takes a chance on Janoris Jenkins. He could be one of the top five corners in the league soon, but he fell because he smoked too much marijuana in college. It worked out with the Patriots and Aaron Hernandez, so don’t write off Jenkins.

Here’s a story on Jenkins from the combine.

40. The Panthers make another smart pick by going with the tough-as-nails Amini Silatolu. The guard out of Midwestern State is another guy who has to prove he wasn’t just shining against lesser competition in college, but you have to love Carolina’s draft so far after landing Luke Kuechly and Silatolu.

41. Slam-dunk pick for the Bills by getting Cordy Glenn. How that guy got out of the first round is a mystery, but the big lineman can hold down the fort at guard or right tackle in the NFL.

42. Another first-round offensive lineman comes to the AFC East as the Dolphins get Stanford’s Jonathan Martin. The Dolphins can protect Ryan Tannehill better with Jake Long protecting his blindside and Martin at right tackle.

43. Smart move by the Jets to move up and put themselves in position to have their pick of the litter at wide receiver. They ended up giving Seattle their fifth and seventh-round picks in order to go up four spots before choosing Stephen Hill. Tim Tebow had a great former Georgia Tech receiver in Denver in Damaryius Thomas, and Hill is a similar player. He’s tall, fast and is a tremendous blocker, but the lack of production in Georgia Tech’s option offense could have hurt his stock. The issue with the Jets is whether either of the quarterbacks can throw him the ball.

44. Jeff Allen to the Chiefs. They needed guard help, so the Illinois product is a good fit. The question is why they wouldn’t have traded up four or five spots to get a better prospect at the position in Glenn.

45. Love the Alshon Jeffery pick for the Bears. Chicago moved up five spots to grab the South Carolina receiver whose stock took a big hit due to weight concerns. There were rumors that he had ballooned to 250 pounds in the offseason, but he was 213 pounds when scouts came to see him at his Pro Day. Jeffery moves well for a bigger receiver, and his ball skills are tremendous.

46. The Eagles needed linebacker help, and though they traded for Demeco Ryans, they continued to address the need with Mychal Kendricks out of Cal. Kendricks played inside at College, but Philadelphia could play him as an outside linebacker.

47. The Seahawks go for Utah State inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. Good versatility as either an inside or outside guy. Pete Carroll is really trying to give that defense a spark with Bruce Irvin 15th overall and Wagner in the second round.

48. Patriots go with Illinois defensive back Tavon Wilson. Won’t call it a reach, but will call it much higher than expected. Montana’s Trumaine Johnson was still on the board, and he’s a harder hitter and about two inches taller. Both players offer positional versatility as cornerbacks who could make the move to safety.

The NFL Network notes that Wilson is the first player selected in the draft not in Mike Mayock‘s top 100 players.

49. The Chargers go with UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes. Some saw him as a first-rounder, but this is a pretty appropriate slot.

50. Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead to the Rams. Another weapon for Bradford, but what about Randle? The bigger need remains at receiver, even after the selection of Quick at No. 33.

51. Packers trade up and take Jerel Worthy. The defensive tackles starting to come off the board quickly in the second round.

52. Titans take Zach Brown, a terrifically athletic linebacker out of UNC who can’t tackle. Kind of like the Darius Butler of linebackers.

53. The Bengals take Devon Still. You have to question the Penn State defensive tackle’s motor, but with the crop becoming depleted with the second-round run on D-tackles, he was the best option at the position.

54. The Lions get a good slot receiver in Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles. A very good option for Matthew Stafford, but Broyles is a bit of a risk, as he’s coming off a torn ACL.

55. Falcons finally make a pick, and it’s a big one. Wisconsin’s Peter Konz is a stud center who had no business falling out of the first round.

56. Ohio State tackle Mike Adams to the Steelers. We projected him to Pittsburgh in the first round in some of our mock drafts, but character concerns made him fall.

57. The Broncos make their second pick of the draft and it’s Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler. Hey, Peyton Manning may have just signed there, but he’s 36 and missed all of last season with his neck injury. Can’t blame the Broncos for being responsible. Osweiler is huge, but very raw. The Broncos obviously hope he won’t be playing any time soon.

58. The Bucs trade up for Lavonte David out of Nebraska. Undersized outside linebacker but has upside.

59. The Eagles finally end Vinny Curry‘s slide and take the Marshall pass-rusher. Not a pick out of need, but a dynamite value.

60. Iowa State offensive lineman Kalechi Osemele to the Ravens. They needed offensive line help badly, and Osemele can contribute right away at either right tackle or either guard position.

61. The 49ers take LaMichael James from Oregon. A good third-down back who could also split time with Frank Gore.

62. The Patriots trade their second-round pick to the Packers for a third-rounder a fifth-rounder. Not great value there for the Pats, as they may have been better off getting a future pick back. The Packers take Vanderbilt corner Casey Hayward.

63. Rueben Randle finally gets drafted, but it ends up being worth the wait for the LSU receiver. He’ll be playing a big role with the Giants as he replaces Mario Manningham.

The bad thing about the recent format change of the draft is that it is no longer two lengthy days. The good thing is that it allows a day between the first and second rounds, and that means more time for updated mock drafts.

The Patriots didn’t have to part with either of their second-round picks despite moving up a combined 12 spots with the two deals they made Thursday. That means they’ll still be on the clock at Nos. 48 and 62 as planned, but those are the only two remaining selections the Pats have in the draft.

Here’s how we have the second round shaking out:

33. Rams – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
34. Colts – Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
35. Ravens (from Vikings) – Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
36. Broncos (from Buccaneers) – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
37. Browns – Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
38. Jaguars – Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
39. Rams (from Redskins) – Trumaine Johnson, DB, Montana
40. Panthers – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
41. Bills – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
42. Dolphins – Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall
43. Seahawks – Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
44. Chiefs – Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
45. Rams (from Cowboys) – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
46. Eagles – Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida
47. Jets – Jeff Allen, OT, Illinois
48. Patriots (from Raiders) – Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina
49. Chargers – Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
50. Bears – Dwight Bentley, CB, Louisiana-Lafayette
51. Eagles (from Cardinals) - Brandon Taylor, S, LSU
52. Titans – Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut
53. Bengals – Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
54. Lions – Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
55. Falcons – Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi
56. Steelers – Devon Still, DT, Penn State
57. Broncos – Kelechi Osemele, G, Iowa State
58. Texans – Brandon Brooks, G, Miami (Ohio)
59. Packers – LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
60. Ravens – Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska
61. 49ers – Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
62. Patriots – Ben Jones, C, Georgia*
63. Giants – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

* Jones would be a pretty big reach in the second round, but with the Pats not holding any more picks in the draft, they would either have to trade down or take him higher than appropriate.

The Patriots traded up for a second time Thursday, as they moved from No. 31 to No. 25 and get Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

The Pats sent their fourth-round pick to the Broncos in the deal, meaning that their only remaining picks in the draft are the two second-round picks they have Friday.

This pick has Bill Belichick written all over it. Hightower played under Nick Saban at Alabama, and past drafts — notably the 2010 draft — have shown that Belichick is prone to select players who played their college ball under associates of Belichick.

The Patriots defied their track record in two ways Thursday by trading up in the first round Thursday for a pass-rusher. The Pats gave up the 93rd overall pick to move from No. 27 to No. 21 in a deal with the Bengals and draft Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones.

Bill Belichick has often shied away from pass-rushers early on in the draft, and after years of passing on the need in the first round, the Patriots have added a strong defensive end capable of getting after the quarterback. The 6-foot-5 3/8, 266 pounder is the first Syracuse player to be selected in the first round since Dwight Freeney.

The last time the Pats traded up in the first round was in 2003, when they moved up one spot to select Ty Warren.

One thing to watch with Jones is health, as he missed multiple games early on last season with a knee injury. Jones was one of the players WEEI profiled as part of our “Potential Patriots” series. Check it out here.

The Seahawks pulled off the biggest surprise of the draft thus far by taking West Virginia pass-rusher Bruce Irvin 15th overall.

Irvin becomes the first pass-rusher off the board, ahead of Quinton Coples and Melvin Ingram. He has exceptional speed and may be the best pure pass-rusher in this class, but he doesn’t have the bulk to do much else.

Irvin has has a very interesting story, which can be read here.

The Jets followed the pick by selecting Coples 16th overall.

The Cardinals got themselves another top receiver by tabbing Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd 12th overall in the NFL draft Thursday.

Floyd was one of the players we spotlighted while in Indianapolis for the scouting combine. His 37 career touchdown receptions made for a Notre Dame record, but he was arrested three times for alcohol-related incidents.

“I think I’ve grown a lot,” Floyd said at the combine. “Coming to the NFL now, I think you do have to mature a great deal, because you can get behind in a lot of things. … This is a professional [league], and you’ve got to act like a professional.”

The Rams followed the pick by selecting LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers. St. Louis initially held the second overall pick, but traded down twice.