ROUND 2 HIGHLIGHTS

NEW YORK -- For the first time in 18 years, there were no receivers taken in the opening round of the NFL draft.

But teams more than made up for that in the second round, selecting 10 wide receivers and three tight ends.

The flurry started when St. Louis took Donnie Avery from Houston with the 33rd overall pick, and lasted until Tampa Bay selected Appalachian State’s Dexter Jackson 58th. In a coincidental twist, the Buccaneers took another Dexter Jackson, a safety, in the fourth round of the 1999 draft. He went on to be named the Super Bowl’s most valuable player after intercepting two passes against the Oakland Raiders.

The round ended with the defending champion New York Giants selecting USC cornerback Terrell Thomas with the 63rd pick. A year ago, the Giants used a second-round selection to take Trojans receiver Steve Smith.

Among the players who were at one time considered first-round possibilities but slipped to the second were Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, taken 56th by Green Bay; Miami defensive end Calais Campbell, 50th to Arizona; Texas receiver Limas Sweed, 53rd to Pittsburgh; and USC tight end Fred Davis, 48th to Washington.

Davis was selected a pick ahead of Cal’s DeSean Jackson, who went to Philadelphia.

Chicago used the 44th pick to select Tulane running back Matthew Forte, who, in a bit of numerical synchronicity, rushed for 2,007 yards in 2007.

-- Sam Farmer