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So what happens today? NFL Draft: Day 2

Written by Jenn Menendez on .

So what happens today?

Tavon Austin was snagged at No. 8 by the St. Louis Rams, who wanted him so bad they traded up to make sure the Jets didn’t get him.

But QB Geno Smith fell right out of the first round, which if we recall, was predicted by several analysts who said that was not out of the question heading into Thursday night.

Now, the big question is who grabs him?

Jacksonville has today’s first pick, 33 overall, and Philadelphia has No. 35, or today’s third pick.

Both have shown fairly significant interest in Smith, but if he slides past those two, it’s anyone’s guess where he ends up. Oakland? NY Jets?

Smith has been knocked around on twitter and various stories and blogs for telling ESPN’s Suzy Kolber that he was headed home late last night after getting passed over in the first round.

But Adam Schefter has now reported he will indeed be at Radio City Music Hall for the second round, so unclear if this was just a logistical issue, like changing hotel and airline reservations for he and his family, or if there was some kind of change of heart.

Either way, he is likely to be picked today and start preparing for his future.

His longtime high school and college receiver Stedman Bailey is also likely to be in play today, but to which team?

Even Bailey, contacted earlier this week, hadn’t a clue: “It’s actually hard to tell because I’ve gotten equal amount of attention from teams that are interested. I’ve reached out to people who’ve been through this process before and asked them ‘Did you end up going to that team?’ A lot of them told me they ended up going to a team they never had contact with. So it’s hard to guess. Anything can happen.”

Then of course there are several other Mountaineers hoping to get picked over the next two days, or sign a free agent deal by the end of the weekend, including: RB Shawne Alston, who you can read about here,  OL Jeff Braun, OLB/S Terence Garvin, C Joe Madsen, and WR J.D. Woods.

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Video: Tavon Austin, No. 8 to St. Louis

Written by Jenn Menendez on .

Tavon Austin was drafted No. 8 overall by the St. Louis Rams on Thursday night, and was the first skill position player to be taken in the draft.

St. Louis traded up for Austin, who's stock was on the rise, in order to snag him at No. 8. The New York Jets, which had the No. 9 pick, had shown significant interest in West Virginia's former do-it-all playmaker.

Was a fairly stunning turn of events that teammate Geno Smith was not drafted in the first round. Though after he was passed up at No. 13 by the New York Jets, it seemed plausible he would drop into the second round considering the needs of the teams left.

Jacksonville and Philadelphia both have early second round picks and those are good guesses as to where Smith might go. Though of course it's anyone's guess. 

Here is video of Tavon Austin's press conference at Radio City Music Hall, courtesy Greg Madia, special to the Post-Gazette.

Smith was unavailable for an interview.

 

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Video: Holgorsen on DP Show

Written by Jenn Menendez on .

Dana Holgorsen was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show today - NFL draft day - and shared some interesting thoughts on what both Tavon Austin and Geno Smith could bring to the NFL.

He even comments on the scathing reveiw from Pro Football Weekly that knocked Smith's work ethic, and went as far to say it was made up.

"He's not talking to me, I know that," said Holgorsen. "It's unfair. None of it's true. You can talk about each and every one of those statements right there and I guarantee you nothing is farther than the truth...Probably understands defenses better than I do."

 

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Video: Geno Smith on the eve of the NFL draft

Written by Jenn Menendez on .

Geno Smith spent about 10 minutes talking with the media today on the eve of the NFL draft, talking about the draft, the doubters, the process of getting sized up for the big day.

"It just feels good to be out here in New York, enjoying time with Tavon, and several other of my teammates. It's just going to be a great moment for all of us tomorrow and I look forward to it," said Smith.

Here is video of the conversation, courtesy of Greg Madia of the Daily Athenaeum.

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Video: Tavon Austin on the eve of the NFL draft

Written by Jenn Menendez on .

Tavon Austin spoke with the media today on the eve of the NFL Draft, about everything from potentially playing in New York for the Jets, to his famous touch pass play.

Austin's draft stock has risen dramatically this offseason, and even more in the last several weeks as some analysts project he could crack the top-10.

Here is video of the conversation, courtesy of Greg Madia of the Daily Anthenaeum.

 

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