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Topic subjectNFL 2015 Mock Drafts
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2328496&mesg_id=2328496
2328496, NFL 2015 Mock Drafts
Posted by will_5198, Fri May-16-14 11:52 AM
A composite NFL mock using average position from Todd McShay (ESPN), Chris Burke (SI), Dane Brugler (CBS), Josh Norris (Rotoworld) and Matt Miller (Bleacher Report). Rankings are theirs; thoughts my own.

1. Leonard Williams, DT, USC -- He needs a home on the line. Strong and quick (Kyle Long said he was one of the hardest players to block when he was at Oregon...and that was when Williams was a freshman) but his impact snap-to-snap can be negligible at times. I like him with reservations.

2. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon -- He has things to work on: better deep throws to the sideline (he doesn't set his front foot on those), reading delayed blitzes, and you wonder about how little pressure he sees in most games. But his ability to break the pocket and make smart decisions, his NFL-level-anticipation on intermediate throws and overall accuracy makes you more confident he can handle the change in difficulty setting at the next level.

3. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M -- Better than Joeckel and Matthews. Only complaint is he'll get beat when complacent.

4. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State -- I'm way behind on watching him closely, but I will say his ball placement and accuracy is the best in college since Sam Bradford. He needs to fix that wind-up and never be in the news off-the-field again, however.

5. Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa -- This ranking is above his head. He will mow down your entire back seven if you call an outside zone run, but gets beat inside in tighter quarters and is not fluid enough to be great in pass protection. A luxury at right tackle (I'd only keep him on the left side if you have a great quarterback) that is not worth this high of a pick.

6. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama -- I keep making the comparison...he's the SEC's Marqise Lee. Super smooth, catches nearly everything and has the speed to play all three receiver positions. He could do more in a different offense (McCarron cost him eight career touchdowns already), and he also needs to bulk up against press and be better in his route precision. Really, really good -- maybe not this high, but certainly top 15.

7. Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson -- The best edge defender in the draft. Put him on the outside of any front, and he'll do what he does: get to the quarterback. Inside move is devastating (I haven't seen a rusher split a tackle-guard double team this fast since Von Miller) and his wingspan makes him hard to target.

8. Landon Collins, S, Alabama -- Crazy overrated. Fills hard against the run but gets manipulated easily in coverage. Not a first-rounder presently, and not even as good as Clinton-Dix was at this point.

9. Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford -- Big mauler in the run game with quick-enough feet to handle himself in protection. Hasn't wowed me yet but has the tools to do so.

10. Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska -- There are *plays* where he looks like a top-ten pick (watch him on A-gap blitzes against Michigan). But there are whole *games* where he looks shitty. Pathetic hand use and his ranginess is a big target to block. Athletic lottery ticket but no way do I consider him in the top 30 at this point.

11. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon -- Antoine Winfield with less speed. One of the most aggressive players in college football (I've seen him take on pulling guards). Average hip-flip and less than ideal long speed will keep him being draft this high, however.

12. Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State -- Lacks the closing burst to be drafted this high. Holds a great edge, however, and could be much better if he improved his hand usage.

13. Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida -- He's nasty. He plays rush end, stands up and covers running backs, moves inside to tackle...no matter where he’s at, he's always fucking up somebody on offense. He's got that speed-into-power thing down already, and is extremely hard to misdirect on play-action or disguised screens. Needs to finish better but I’d take him as a 3-4 backer and let him go crazy.

14. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA -- Consistently solid and rarely amazing. Still giving up 20-yard completions for 8-yard scrambles but the developmental of his skills is on track. Could move up or down 10 spots easily.

15. Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State -- Watch the Wisconsin game, and he deserves this spot. Watch the Big 11 Championship or Orange Bowl, and he’s a sixth-rounder. Not impressed with his pass rushing ability for being an undersized tackle.

16. Cameron Irving, OT, Florida State -- No. Plays like a guard at tackle and holds like crazy. Balance is awful and he whiffs on most second level blocks. Gets a lot of help against better defenders and is just a cog in a great offense.

17. Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor -- I'm more impressed with Art Briles' play-design than his actual quarterbacking. Hits on a lot of easy play-action package plays that won't be open in the NFL. When that initial read isn't there, he’ll make horrendous throws into coverage. Average arm but throws a nice ball down the sidelines. Pass for now.

18. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia -- Best running back prospect since 2009? Well, I also thought Trent Richardson was going to be great. Still, Gurley can do it all: his passing game skills were more advanced as a freshman than most rookie NFL running backs.

19. Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State -- Talented, but it's not always on display. He can be a monster at end, but then they have him stand up for a series and do a bunch of nothing. Disappears for long stretches.

20. Devonte Fields, DE, TCU -- Crazy character red flags. Getting suspended last season and then robbed at gunpoint -- while declining to press charges -- is going to need a thorough investigation.

21. Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor -- Mostly getting by on athleticism right now, and he's got tall guy problems (leverage), but 6'9, 280 with agility will keep eyes on him.

22. Nelson Agholor, WR, USC -- Spidery receiver with deep burst and the quickness to excel intermediately; he'll be tested as a number one this season. Needs way more muscle to compete as a pro.

23. P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State -- Best draft-eligible corner I've seen so far. Boundary corner that can play true press, cover zero and off-man cover three. All arms and legs with high awareness.

24. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin -- Tougher than you'd expect inside with an elite burst. Probably should've declared this past draft; he'd have been the first back taken.

25. Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State -- Great size and he looks solid as an inside receiver as well. Haven't really been blown away by any of his performances, but deserves attention this fall.

26. Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon -- Is he even the best center in his state? I like Oregon State's Isaac Seumalo better.

27. Ramik Wilson, ILB, Georgia -- He's good, but the Georgia linebacker I'm more excited about is Leonard Floyd. Not very high on Jordan Jenkins.

28. Noah Spence, OLB, Ohio State -- By far the Buckeyes' best defender last season. Stud with speed, agility, and a repertoire. He should be ten spots higher.

28. Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State -- Boring. Not a singularly special NFL trait.

29. Devin Funchess, TE, Michigan -- Hopefully the offense is better this year because it was hard to evaluate him under Al Borges.

30. Dorial Beckham-Green, WR -- Not great enough to be as big a dumbass as he is. Very agile for his size (he was fed a lot of screens) and a goal-line nightmare, but kind of soft.

31. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami-FL -- Plays a generation too late. Good thumper but his coverage skills are that of a second or third day selection. Hayes Pullard (USC) and A.J. Johnson (Tennessee) are much better inside backers.

32. Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State -- Good for a handful of NFL throws per game. Also good for as many ridiculously bad decisions. Honestly, he threw some of the dumbest passes in big games that I saw all season, but right now he can get away with it.