[revrew]

Mel Kiper: "It's hardly a surprise the Dragons selected Mitch Plante, a safety out of Iowa State. What is a surprise, frankly, is that he was even available for the Dragons to take. Remember, all first round picks from last week's draft are ineligible for today's expansion draft, and there are many – myself included – who thought Plante would be a first-round rookie selection.

"But Plante fell through to the second round, Washington picked him up, and now the Dragons have swooped in and stolen him away. And this guy is a steal. He has a nose for the ball, with 5 interceptions his senior year and 13 over his college career. As Mike Mayock pointed out, a Jim Thorpe Award finalist. And this guy is also a HUGE hitter. I mean he crushes people over the middle. He's blazing fast, and he hits like a sledgehammer. Truly an exceptional athlete, and not only should he start for the Dragons, but he may have ProBowl selections in his future.

"The knock on Plante is that he is a little short for the safety position, only 5'10", so he may struggle with some of the taller tight ends around the league, and he doesn't shed blockers well, so he can get lost close to the line. I think that's why he fell to the second round, but in space this guy is a headhunter and a playmaker, and Dragons are off to a (dare I say it, Mike?) a blazing start."

1. SS Mitch Plante, R, 47/71