With our extra 2nd round pick from trading down.

I really like John Carlson and he would be my pick over pretty much anyone in the 2nd round outside of Doucet or if Trevor Laws if he were available.

Doucet is too good to pass up at the end of the 2nd.

In the 3rd we could still be looking at guys like Jermichael Finley, Martin Rucker, Brad Cottam, Jacob Tamme.

In real life though, I have a pretty good feeling that if Carlson is available at our 2nd rounder he is the pick.

Personally I would go with Carlson -- he is the definition of a Ruskell pick and at a position of some need.  He'd also be able to contribute a lot earlier than a WR and would seem to have a lower floor (along with a probably lower ceiling).  He's the TE version of the Brohm pick -- a great talent who has only slipped because his team had a rough year.

Doucet or Caldwell would be tempting this far into the 2nd round, but I worry about injuries.  I don't know what it is, but the amount of WR injuries that the 'hawks have had over the past 6 or 7 years seems higher than normal (and that is not including Engram's freak thyroid condition).  D-Jack was always nicked up , Engram's rib injury in '05 and various toe/ankle injuries in 02/03, Hackett's ongoing issues and Branch's foot and now knee -- this seems like a higher than normal amount of injuries.  I'm a little leery of adding another injury prone WR.

He is the second best safety in the draft, it fills a need, and presents good value

Does team need increase the value of players in Ruskells grading system for the draft.

but wanted to throw my $0.02 in anyway.

when you’re not necessarily looking at potential stars you go lowest downside/longest career arc.

that’s why i go with carlson; sorta like the christian fauria selection years ago. nothing fancy. just capable play from the position for 5-8 years. he’ll probably be as good as he’s going to be by his second season but likely will hold his value for a long time.

i thought long and hard about doucet, whom i also see as a low-downside pick. however, all things equal, i see good but not great for both these players. in that case the low-downside TE probably has more value than the low-downside WR.