1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB Florida State –
The Buccaneers need a franchise quarterback, and there is no better place to
get one that the draft. Winston’s off-the-field problems make you wonder if he
can mentally make it in the NFL, but I think he has all the physical tools to
be at the least a pretty darn good QB in the league.
2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon – Normally
when you’re picking this high in the draft, your biggest need is
quarterback. Reportedly, the Titans are
all-in with Zach Mettenberger this season. The coaching staff is going to want
to back the player currently on their roster in case something happens and they
don’t draft a QB in the first round. Also, Mariota is going to be likely to sit
and learn his first year coming from Oregon’s spread scheme to a pro-style
scheme that Whisenhut runs in Tennessee.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Amari Cooper, WR Alabama – The
Jaguars may have their QB of the future in Blake Bortles, but he lacks weapons
to throw to on offense. Amari Cooper is a big-play threat who can take
advantage of Bortles arm. If the Jaguars are going to ever compete in the AFC
South, they’ll need to be able to score some points.
4. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DE/DT USC – Williams
falls to the Raiders, which works out great for them because they have holes on
both sides of the ball. Williams can play both DE and DT, so they can move him
around the line to create mismatches.
5. Wahsington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB Nebraska
–While not a huge need for the Redskins, their defense is predicated on getting
to the QB. Brian Orakpo is headed to free agency and has been injured more than
healthy in his career. Pairing Gregory with Ryan Kerrigan would give the
Redskins what they’ve needed on defense, a pass rushing duo.
6. New York Jets: Kevin White, WR West Virginia – The Jets
need a QB in the worst way, but they didn’t lose enough games to land one of
the top two and there isn’t one worth taking at sixth overall. Kevin White’s
game film should have been enough to put him in the top ten, but his combine
numbers make sure he’s taken in that span. In this mock draft, Amari Cooper is
gone so I have the Jets taking this big, physical, and fast receiver out of the
Mountaineer State who I think is the second best receiver in the draft.
7. Chicago Bears: Danny Shelton, NT Washington – The Bears
are moving away from the 4-3 “Tampa Two” defense that they’ve seemingly ran for ages and are going with a 3-4 under new coordinator Vic Fangio. The Bears don’t
have someone who can play that linchpin nose tackle position, so they take the
best NT available in Shelton, who should clog up running lanes and collapse the
pocket for years as a Bear.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Shane Ray, DE/OLB Missouri – The Falcons
offense SHOULD be good, their defense needs lots of work though. They need a
guy who can get to the quarterback in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton,
and most likely a new first-overall pick at quarterback in Tampa Bay. Shane Ray
is the best pass rusher on the board, and the Falcons should have no second
thoughts about making this pick.
9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT Miami – The Giants
could use some help on the offensive line, and drafting Flowers does a lot for
them. It allows Justin Pugh to move inside to guard, upgrading the interior
line. It gives them a new young right tackle, and someone who can slide over to
the blind side once William Beatty retires or is released due to how much he is
owed on his contract. If the Giants are going to compete for the division again
anytime soon, they need to keep Eli Manning’s jersey clean.
10. St. Louis Rams: Brandon Schreff, OT Iowa – The Rams
don’t know if Jake Long can come back and be the same player after tearing the
same ACL that ended his 2013 season, and Roger Saffold has been nothing but
injured his entire career. Drafting Schreff would give them another tackle to
book end the line with last year’s #2 overall pick Greg Robinson.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Andrus Peat, OT Stanford – The
Vikings need help on the line, and even though Matt Kalil has been
disappointing I don’t think the Vikings would hold that against Peat. Peat
could take over left tackle duties allowing Kalil to kick over to right tackle,
where he wouldn’t see as many stud pass rushers. This would help create bigger
holes for Adrian Peterson (if he returns to the Vikings) and would give Teddy
Bridgewater better protection.
12. Cleveland Browns: DeVante Parker, WR Louisville – The
offense in Cleveland is devoid of playmakers, and no matter who plays QB in
Cleveland in 2015, they’ll need a guy who can make some plays at wideout. Josh
Gordon is suspended for the entire season, and there is no guarantee that he
will ever be on the field consistently with his off-the-field problems. Either
way, this is the right pick because it gives their QB the best chance to
succeed this season and in the future, because pairing him with Gordon if he
can get back to his 2013 self could be one of the best receiving duos in the
league.
13. New Orleans Saints: Dante Fowler, DE/OLB Florida – The
Saints major malfunction last season was on defense. I sometimes wondered if
their defensive players were really holograms when I watched them play, because
they couldn’t seem to stop anything at times. Fowler can come in and make an
immediate impact rushing the passer, which would help the Saints defense get
the turnovers that they thrive on.
14. Miami Dolphins: Trae Waynes, CB Michigan State – The
Dolphins are thin at CB with just Brent Grimes as a true starting option.
Waynes could come in and be a starter right away for the Dolphins.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Sammie Coats, WR Auburn – The 49ers
will be targeting a wideout with this pick. Crabtree was disappointing last
season and may leave as a free agent. Anquan Boldin is getting up there in age
and his production dipped some this last season, and could fall off even more.
Stevie Johnson proved to not be the weapon they hoped for when they traded for
him. Coates is a bit raw, but would have put up much better numbers if he were
in a better passing offense.
16. Houston Texans: Todd Gurley, RB Georgia – Yeah, the
Texans have Arian Foster…but he seems to never be able to last a season. The
Texans are going to be a team that runs the ball a lot, and Gurley can split
carries with Foster to take some of the load off of the oft-injured back. I
can’t see the Texans passing on probably the most talented back in the draft,
who could be good to go by the end of training camp.
17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordan, RB Wisconsin – Ryan
Matthews has teased Chargers fans since being drafted. When healthy, he’s a
dynamic player who adds another level of excitement to the Chargers offense,
but the problem is he’s often not healthy. That’s why I have the Chargers
taking Wisconsin’s workhorse running back with this selection, giving the Chargers
some much needed peace of mind they haven’t had at the position in a while. He
isn’t Ladanian Tomlinson in his prime, but Gordon can take pressure off of
Rivers in the passing game.
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Smith, WR Ohio State – Last
year the Chiefs’ receivers were atrocious, they didn’t catch a single touchdown
pass last season. As a group, they had fewer receiving yards than the
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown notched all by himself. Devin Smith is a
big-play threat who can blow the top off of a defense, and as Buckeye fans said
last season “all he does is catch big touchdowns!” The threat of a quick score that you get with
Smith is also something the Chiefs could use. Also, in games where Smith caught a TD pass, the Buckeyes never lost.
19. Cleveland Browns: Vic Beasley, OLB Clemson – The Browns
could use a tone setter at OLB, as they don’t currently have one on the team.
Barkevious Mingo hasn’t shown much of anything since being drafted sixth
overall, and Paul Kruger had a good season with 11 sacks last year, but that’s
the only season he has ever had double-digit sacks so I don’t think it will be
a trend. Beasley can come in and become the defensive enforcer at OLB that the
Browns defense desperately needs if they want to reach the next level.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Collins, S Alabama – The
Eagles need help in the defensive secondary, and here comes some reinforcements
with Landon Collins. Collins isn’t the greatest in coverage, but he’s not bad
and fits best as a hard hitting strong safety in the NFL, evidenced by his 103
tackles, 7 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions last season for Alabama.
Collins can hit receivers/backs/tight ends coming over the middle, break up
some passes, and get his hands on a couple picks if he’s allowed to play
some roaming zone coverage.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB Kentucky –
Dupree’s stat line wasn’t as impressive as it could have been because he faced
a total of eight read-option teams last season. The Bengals missed DE Michael
Johnson’s disruptive force last season. Dupree can come in and make an impact
quickly for the Cincinnati defense.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers:
Kevin Johnson, CB Wake Forest – The Steelers FINALLY take a cornerback in the
first round of the NFL Draft! Last year’s pass defense was just horrible.
Cortez Allen was so bad against the Colts he got benched and never regained his
starting job. Johnson can come in and compete with Allen and Gay for a starting
corner job, the loser becoming the nickel corner. If Johnson doesn’t become a
starter in camp/preseason, he could get the chance as the season goes on. If
Cortez Allen gets his confidence back and plays with the talent we know he has,
a Johnson/Allen duo at corner could be a very good thing for future Steelers’
defenses. Johnson has the athleticism and the length to cover big receivers
down the sideline.
23. Detroit Lions: Malcom Brown, DT Texas - The Lions are
going to need a defensive tackle with their top three hitting free agency. If
they tag or resign Suh, they’ll have to let Nick Fairley walk and probably top
backup CJ Mosley as well. If they resign Fairley, they will have to let Suh
leave and while they might be able to bring back Mosley, they’ll still need a
DT to rotate in. If they resign Mosley and lose both Suh and Fairley, they’ll
be in desperate need for a second starting caliber DT. I just don’t see the
Lions going with any other position with this pick.
24. Arizona Cardinals: Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota – The Cardinals
could use upgrades at a couple of positions. I think in the first round, they
upgrade the tight end position with a big body tight end with natural pass
catching ability in Maxx Williams, who will be a mismatch for most linebackers
and defensive backs.
25. Carolina Panthers: T.J. Clemmings, OT Pittsburgh – The Panthers
couldn’t block for Cam Newton at all early in the season last year. And while
the offensive line gelled later in the season, they could upgrade both tackle
spots and Clemmings would be a very good pick here to help ensure the health of
their franchise quarterback.
26. Baltimore Ravens: Jalen Collins, CB LSU – The Ravens
secondary was a weakness last season with Jimmy Smith missing a good chunk of
it and nobody behind him able to really take over that #1 CB role. A pairing of
Smith and Collins would possibly give the Ravens one of their best CB combos in
the history of the club.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Nate Orchard, DE Utah – The Cowboys need
to upgrade their defense, especially their pass rush, if they want to contend
for the Super Bowl. They got no pressure on Colt McCoy in an embarrassing MNF
loss to the Redskins, Mark Sanchez had a clean pocket on Thanksgiving, and
Aaron Rodgers wasn’t pressured whatsoever in the Divisional Playoff loss to the
Packers. Orchard was a pass rushing monster for the Utes and could bring a much
needed pass rush to the Cowboys.
28. Denver Broncos: La’el Collins, OT LSU – Collins is being
projected as either a guard or a right tackle in the NFL. The offensive line
was a big issue for the Broncos last season, and Collins would upgrade at
either position. Peyton Manning is a statue in the pocket, and needs a clean
pocket to be effective. The only way the Broncos don’t take an offensive
lineman with this pick is if there isn’t one available worth taking, which is
doubtful.
29. Indianapolis Colts: Markus Golden, DE/OLB Missouri – The
Colts got steamrolled by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
They could use help along the offensive line, but their defense stood no chance
against the New England Patriots, and part of that is because they couldn’t get
a pass rush, which was an issue for them all season long. Golden can come in
and bring a pass rush to the Colts, who are lucky to be in a QB weak division (at
the moment) but when they face the other teams with top tier quarterbacks their
defense gets kicked around.
30. Green Bay Packers: Denzel Perryman, ILB Miami – The Packers
just cut AJ Hawk, and now have a big hole in the middle of their starting
linebacker corps. Perryman can come in and start right away for the Packers on
defense. Perryman is a thumping linebacker who can stop the run and plays well
in zone coverage against the pass. If their defense could have held a sizeable
lead against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship, the Packers would
have been in the Super Bowl. This pick could help get them back there.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Bennett, DT Ohio State – The Seahawks
have far from a weak defense, but they get a major upgrade here at tackle with
Ohio State behind the line-of-scrimmage playmaker Michael Bennett. Bennett is a fast gap-shooter who showed that he can defend the run in last year’s
postseason. Adding Bennett to this defense is just taking a major team strength
and making it even stronger.
32. New England Patriots: Jaelen Strong, WR Arizona State –
The Patriots offense isn’t anywhere near bad, but adding a receiver like Strong
would be a big upgrade for Tom Brady in the receiving corps. Strong is a big,
physical receiver who doesn’t have elite speed but is fast enough to get separation.
His size (6’3”, 212 lbs.) also makes him a nice redzone scoring threat.
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