Point 2: A pair of second-round draft picks will have a bit more to prove in their training camps this summer due to the price their teams paid for them.
Making the leap to the NFL as a cornerback is a huge task, but expectations may be a bit higher for the Patriots' Patrick Chung and the Broncos' Alphonso Smith in training camp.
Chung became the Patriots' draft compensation pick -- No. 34 overall -- as a result of the team trading quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to Kansas City back in February. And Denver surrendered their No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to Seattle in exchange for the opportunity to grab Smith in this year's draft at No. 37 overall.
That certainly adds to the pressure for both men to make an immediate contribution. But what's a reasonable expectation for a second-round selection who will be attempting to cover pro receivers he's only seen on TV for the past few years?
Well, you could take a quick look at the five cornerbacks were selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft as one measuring stick. The only one who truly got into the flow right away was the Chiefs' Brandon Flowers, who was picked at No. 35 overall. He started 13 contests for a young Chiefs team, picking off two passes and defending 13. Tracy Porter, No. 40 overall last year, started in five games for the Saints.
The other three -- the Packers' Pat Lee, the Patriots' Terrence Wheatley, and the Giants' Terrell Thomas -- had a combined total of just three starts, but gained some limited game experience as rookies that should help their chances during their sophomore campaigns.
