So it is that time of
year again, where everyone and their brother become prognosticators and begin
to mock out what they think will happen during the upcoming NFL Draft. As
many of you know, our host EZ used to be one of those guys, before we dragged
him into the fantasy football world. But old habits die hard, and he is
at it again, mocking away will all the other experts.
Below what you will find
is EZ's 2-round post-combine, pre-free agency mock draft. However, for
those of you reading, understand this:
This is not a list of what EZ thinks will happen on
draft day. It is what he thinks should happen on draft day given the
players available and team needs.Much of this will change based on the free agency period. Acquisitions and additional departures will impact this list.
Pro-Days have not yet begun, and with that will come further analysis on the players, which can also impact the draft board.
This does not anticipate trades. EZ will comment if he thinks a team should try and trade, but this mock assumes everyone stays put.
So without further
delay...
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston, QB, FSU
In this draft, which lacks real elite talent at the top, the Bucs are in the catbird seat. They need a franchise QB, and Winston is the only prospect in this class with the full NFL QB tool set. He shows very high football IQ, which also bodes well for him. The only question with Winston is are his off the field issues a result of immaturity, and thus something which can be behind him, or is this indicative of a deeper problem which will derail his career?
2. Tennessee Titans – Leonard Williams, DL, USC
The Titans seem to have committed to Mettenberger as their QB of the future. As a result, there is no need to reach for the other 1st round QB in this spot. Instead, they can grab the player who is top on my overall board. Leonard Williams has the size and ability to play all along the defensive front and will fit in multiple defensive schemes. In Tennessee, he can play the DE in their 3-4, and he should be the anchor of that defense for a very long time.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dante Fowler Jr, OLB, Florida
Last year in this same spot, the Jags tabbed their future signal caller in Blake Bortles. Now they need someone who can be their future on the defensive side of the ball. Fowler is a fantastic athlete, and shows excellent instinct in getting at the ball. For Gus Bradley, he needs to find a guy to fill the Bruce Irvin role in his defense, and he should select Fowler to be that guy.
4. Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Oakland is another team who thinks their current QB is their future. Carr had a nice rookie season, but if he is going to develop into a true threat, he needs some weapons. Starting before the combine, there has been momentum moving towards West Virginia's Kevin White as the top WR of this class. That is just silly. He does have excellent measureables, however, there has not been a more dominant wide out in the college game over the last two season that Amari Cooper. Remember, tape before measures, and the tape here shows Cooper as a potential top 5 NFL receiver in the next 2-4 years.
5. Washington Redskins – Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
The Skins are in need of a complete makeover on defense. Randy Gregory would be a start in that direction. At Nebraska, Gregory flashed the high upside that makes NFL scouts drool. He definitely needs to add some weight to his lean frame though for him to be an effective long term option. Some extra time in the weight room should help with that. Sure he needs some time to develop, but Washington is not on the verge of contending this year, so he should have the time he needs.
6. New York Jets – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Before I go into detail, let me start with this. I really believe that Philly is going to try and make a move up to #3 to ensure the acquisition of HC Chip Kelly's college signal caller. But since this mock does not consider trades, the Jets are in luck. Geno Smith is not the answer under center, and with a new coaching staff and new front office, I think they are going to want to bring in their new QB. Mariota has not demonstrated in college the pocket presence needed to be a great NFL QB. What he has shown however, is that he mastered the offense he was given. If he can do the same thing in the NFL, the Jets will have their future.
7. Chicago Bears – Danny Shelton, NT, Washington
It sure is a sad state of affairs when the defense of both the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in shambles, but that is the reality in 2015's NFL. The Bears can begin to rebuild their unit by adding the very large nose tackle from Washington. Shelton may become a good player, but I do question his ceiling. Unfortunately, there are a lot of guys in this class who have a mid/late round 1 grade, and thus some will be "overdrafted" because of how short this class is on elite talent. Id much rather take Shelton 8-12 picks later in the round, but things being how they are, the Bears have to make this pick.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
New HC Dan Quinn built his reputation on defense, and defense is where the Falcons need the most help. They absolutely have to do a better job in 2015 at getting after the opposing QB. Shane Ray is touted as the best pure pass rusher in this draft class, and that is why the Birds will pick him here. Unfortunately, I have some concerns. Ray is the "top ten talent" I see as most likely to bust. In college, Ray showed he can get after the QB, but he only did so with speed. To be successful in the NFL, you need to be more that a one trick pony, and I don't see any other weapons in Ray's arsenal.
9. New York Giants – Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
Last year the G-Men struck gold by adding Odell Beckham Jr in the first round. As valuable a tool as he is, this team is still lacking real talent up front, and that situation has only gotten worse over the past 12 months. With holes on both lines, I expect the Giants to add a lot of big boys this draft. Many in the league view Scherff as a guard at the next level. I'm not sold on that. I think he could play either guard or tackle in the NFL, and he is the top OL option on my board at either position.
10. St Louis Rams – Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
The Rams have done a fantastic job of build a top notch defense since Jeff Fisher arrived, but they still have too many holes on the offense. They need a QB who can stay healthy, and if Marriota was still around they would spring. With him gone though, they have to turn to other positions of need. White is a very talent youngster who will add a dimension to the Rams passing attack that is simply missing today.
11. Minnesota Vikings – Devante Parker, WR, Louisville
The Vikes have a lot on their plate right now in dealing with the Adrian Peterson situation. Still they made strides last year with two great additions in the first round between Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater. Now having the need at wide out, they will certainly take advantage of the opportunity to pair their young QB with his former primary target in Devante Parker. Instant chemistry is very valuable, and this pairing is just perfect.
12. Cleveland Browns – Landon Collins, S, Alabama
The Browns are quite the little mess, yet again. Last year they showed some promise, but then the wheels fell off. Both of their first round selections from a year ago were big disappointments, and Josh Gordon surprised no one by getting in trouble again. They have a lot of needs they could address with this pick, but adding a play maker like Landon Collins would be great for them. He is a high character guy with proven leadership qualities in a system that prepares guys to be great pros.
13. New Orleans Saints – Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
If the board falls like this, and Waynes is still on the board here at 13, it will prove that god has a soft spot for the Saints. Trae Waynes is not only the top corner in this class, but is second to only Leonard Williams, as at the top of the overall defensive players list in this class. Waynes is easily the most complete corner in this class, and the Saints need someone who can come in to anchor their secondary for the next decade.
14. Miami Dolphins – Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
The Phins are an enigma to me right now. They are an average team, which in some ways seems close to becoming a playoff team, but somehow still have a bunch of holes to fill. With their recent wide receiver purge, I think Miami would select White or Parker if one of them fell to them here, but in this scenario, they instead opt to add a pass rusher, which they also sorely need. Beasley wowed at the combine with his athletic prowess, but his tape backs up the story that he can be a successful linebacker in the NFL.
15. San Francisco 49ers – Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
The Niners took a step backwards last year, and now they have new sideline leadership that will operate the way the front office wants. The teams has some question marks in some spots though, and I suspect that filling the holes in the secondary will be amongst their top priorities. Jalen Collins is fast, and he is talented too. How well he fits into the schemes of this new staff will be the big question. I have some concerns about the future of the Niners under Balke, but that is not an indictment of Collins.
16. Houston Texans – La'el Collins, OT, LSU
The Texans are another team on the verge of being pretty good, but still have quite a few holes to fill. In this scenario, I would expect them to select Louisiana State's other Collins, La'el, to fill a hole on their o-line. Some have Florida's DJ Humphries as the higher rated prospect, but I think Collins will ultimately be the better pro.
17. San Diego Chargers – Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
Melvin Gordon is one of my favorite players in this year's draft class. He has the size, the speed, and the quickness that will make him a home run threat every time he touches the ball. The Bolts are a good team, and with some consistency from their run game, could be excellent. I do not expect the team to re-up with oft injured RB Ryan Matthews, and that opens the door for Gordon who add something to the offense immediately from day 1.
18. Kansas City Chiefs – Dorial Green Beckham, WR, Missouri
There are many evaluators out there who have some real concerns about Green Beckham. His antics led to him being out for the entirety of 2014, and if his troubles follow him to the NFL that could mean another Josh Gordon situation. But like Gordon, Green Beckham is very talented. In fact, had he played last year, I think it would be him pushing Cooper for the top spot in this group of wide receivers, not White. For the Chiefs, who went the entire season without having a WR grab a TD, they really needs someone of this caliber to step in to the offense. But there is definitely risk here.
19. Cleveland Browns via Buffalo – Jalen Strong, WR, Arizona State
Thanks to Buffalo's move last year to trade up for Sammy Watkins, the Browns have their second 1st round pick here. After taking Collins earlier, I think Cleveland has to add another receiving weapon, especially considering the issues facing Josh Gordon. Jalen Strong is a quality receiver, whose multifaceted play will be a nice addition to the offense. Now if they only had a QB...
20. Philadelphia Eagles – Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
As I mentioned earlier, I fully expect to see Philly engineer a deal which allows them to move up the board to land Marcus Marriota. But since this draft doesn't allow for that, I would suspect that sitting in this position, Philly instead looks to address its secondary. Philly could stand to improve at both corner and safety, and Marcus Peters is the best player available at either position. Like some other guys from this class, Peters has some baggage though. He has all of the physical skills, but his behavior off the field got him kicked off the Huskies squad a year ago. His talent level is too high to ignore though, so if Chip Kelly feels he can keep Peters in line this would be a risk worth taking.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Eli Harold, LB, Virginia
It was not that long ago that the Bengals had one of the most feared defenses in football. Fast forward to now, and you see injuries and inconsistent play have taken their toll. The Bengals must find a way to generate pressure next year, and Eli Harold has the skills to help them with that. They are thin at linebacker, and Harold was good on tape, and saw his stock rise with an excellent performance at the combine.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers – PJ Williams, CB, FSU
Another of the proud defenses in the NFL, the Steelers have fallen on tough times. This defense got old quickly two years ago, and now they have to scramble to reload. The past two years have seen them add Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier, and Stephon Tuitt, but now they have to address the ancient secondary. Both Polomalu and Taylor are done, and PJ Williams from Florida State will be some of the young blood this team needs to inject on the now LeBeau-less defense.
23. Detroit Lions – Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
Malcolm Brown is one of the more talented defensive players in this year's draft class. The fact that he is still available at this point in our mock, is more a reflection on the needs of the teams picking before this than on Brown himself. He absolutely has the talent to be a borderline top ten player. The Lions are the beneficiaries of this stroke of luck though. Detroit is going to loose Nick Fairley this offseason, and also could see themselves Suh-less too. Brown is not Suh, but he is still very good and would be a welcome addition.
24. Arizona Cardinals – Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami
The Cards were an awesome story a year ago, and Bruce Arians has this team moving in the right direction. They were decimated by injuries throughout the year, and it showed that although their front line is talented, they are not yet deep enough to stay competitive in the face of injury. This team could go in a lot of directions with this pick, and I fully expect to see them draft a QB at some point in this draft, but not here. Instead, I think they add the top ILB in this class in Perryman. Simply put, Perryman has a nose for the ball, and his instinctual play combined with good enough measurables, lands him on an already good defense, getting better.
25. Carolina Panthers – Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
The good thing about playing in a weak division is that you can make the post season following a very poor season. The bad thing is you pick later in the draft, making it harder to acquire the pieces you need to improve. Carolina made the post season last year by default, and now has to find a way to fill some holes picking late in the round. With holes at both wide out and corner, the Cats need to fill both. Since the wide out crop is deeper, I suggest they go corner here, and add Kevin Johnson, who was the best player on a very bad team last year at Wake.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Baltimore is a very good team, and they will be in the mix again next season. Last season top pick, CJ Mosley, is a budding star in the league, so they will be looking for gold again here. If anyone can do it, it is Ozzie. Torrey Smith is a free agent, unlikely to return, and although Steve Smith Sr had some bright spots for Baltimore last year, he is getting to the downside of his career. There are better overall receivers still on the board than Funchess, but none with the size/speed combination he provides. With some mentoring, and patients, Flacco will have another big time weapon for this offense if Funchess develops as expected.
27. Dallas Cowboys – Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
No team overachieved more last season that the Dallas Cowboys. Going into week 1, the pundits were talking about Dallas being a bad defense. Historically bad. By the end of the year, most in the NFL were submitting Rod Marinelli's name for sainthood based on the miracle he performed. Great coaching notwithstanding, this teams still needs an influx of talent on the defense, and it can start with Armstead. He is big, and very athletic, and would be an excellent fit as the 3 technique in Marinelli's Tampa 2 style defense.
28. Denver Broncos – Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
Despite their success, the Broncos are going through a rebuild of sorts right now. It started with the coaching staff, and I suspect we will see some shedding of veteran contracts too prior to the star of free agency. The Broncos defense is good, but they have to play better, consistently. Ward and Ware were great additions last year, but this team has to get younger. McKinney is a stout run defender, and he is a presence in the middle of a defense. I think he would be a good fit for Wade Phillips' system.
29. Indianapolis Colts – Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
If not for a devastating knee injury this year, Gurley would be even higher on my big board, but his injury turns into the good fortune of the Colts. Indy is a team on the cusp. They have the best young QB in the league, and some great weapons around him. They need to get better on the front, but nothing is a bigger need than adding a ground game. Trent Richardson has been a total bust, and Although Bradshaw had some nice moments last year, he failed to stay healthy for a full season again. Gurley is a home run hitter, and could quickly develop into one of the best backs in the league. This is a match made in heaven.
30. Green Bay Packers – DJ Humphries, OT, Florida
At this point in the draft, adding a guy like Humphries starts to feel like a steal. He easily could have gone 10-15 picks earlier, but it is just not how the board fell. Ted Thompson won't complain one bit about that. This team was very good last year, and was awfully close to playing on Superbowl Sunday. To take that next step, the team has to address the fronts on both sides of the ball. Humphries is the best talent still on the board, and he also happens to address one of these need areas. Double win!
31. Seattle Seahawks - Eddie Goldman, DT, FSU
Very good yet again, Seattle follows the draft strategy of best available player. This should not be interpreted to mean they have no needs, because the absolutely do, but the Hawks will draft for talent over need every time. This is the case here. Eddie Goldman is a great talent, and that is why he comes off the board here rather than an o-lineman, like TJ Clemmings, where the team has some need. Goldman immediately joins the rotation up front for this defense who, although not quite as dominant as 2013, was still one of the best units in the game in 2014, and likely will be again in 2015.
32. New England Patriots – Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
The Pats are back on top again, and again have the target resting squarely on their backs. It has been too many years now that the experts start predicting the end of the Patriots only to find that the team has found a way to make it happen with "plug-and-play" parts. Vince Wilfork has been a beast for this team for the last decade, but despite being a personal favorite of owner Robert Craft, his salary now exceeds his contribution level. I suspect he will either get restructured, or released. Either way, it is time to find his replacement. Phillips is the big bodied man from Oklahoma, and he has the skills to be a fit. Give him some time to develop, especially under the tutelage of the NE coaches, and he could be the next great NE DT.
33. Tennessee Titans – TJ Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
34. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
35. Oakland Raiders – Byron Jones, CB, UConn
36. Jacksonville Jaguars – Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
37. New York Jets – Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson
38. Washington Redskins – Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
39. Chicago Bears – Bud Dupree, LB, Kentucky
40. New York Giants – Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
41. St Louis Rams – Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
42. Atlanta Falcons – Ronald Darby, CB, FSU
43. Cleveland Browns – Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
44. New Orleans Saints – Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
45. Minnesota Vikings – Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
46. San Francisco 49ers – Mario Edwards, DE, FSU
47. Miami Dolphins – Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami
48. San Diego Chargers – Cameron Erving, C, FSU
49. Kansas City Chiefs – Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
50. Buffalo Bills - Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
51. Houston Texans – Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan
52. Philadelphia Eagles – Tre Jackson, G, FSU
53. Cincinnati Bengals – Derron Smith, S, Fresno State
54. Detroit Lions – Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
55. Arizona Cardinals – Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
56. Pittsburgh Steelers – AJ Cann, G, South Carolina
57. Carolina Panthers – Brashad Perriman, WR, UCF
58. Baltimore Ravens – Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
59. Denver Broncos – Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
60. Dallas Cowboys – Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
61. Indianapolis Colts – Alex Carter, CB, Stanford
62. Green Bay Packers – Ellis McCarthy, NT, UCLA
63. Seattle Seahawks – Josue Matais, G, FSU
64. New England Patriots – Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
Submit a design or vote in the Fantasy Fanalytics Logo Contest.
Follow us on Twitter for even more Starts and Sits: @EZandtheGinny
No comments:
Post a Comment