I’ve been paying more attention to this year’s NFL Draft
class than others in prior years, largely because of the craziness that is this
offseason for the Eagles. So I might as
well channel my inner Mel Kiper Jr. and do a Big Board.
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1.
Leonard Williams- DE USC: This man is a beast
and destined to be making plays in opposing offenses backfields his entire
career. He’s a versatile defensive lineman that could be a 3-4 end or a 4-3
tackle. Williams (seen right) is quick and athletic
enough to play outside but big enough to be moved inside depending on the team
he goes to. He reminds me a lot of
Richard Seymour and is the best player in the draft.
2.
Jameis Winston- QB FSU: Off-the-field concerns are
not enough to drive him down boards, as he’ll likely be the first selection in
the draft by Tampa Bay. Winston has a
very strong pocket presence and instincts and a good feel for the rush and gets
rid of the ball early. These are very
translatable skills to the NFL and make Winston the top QB prospect in the
draft.
3.
Marcus Mariota- QB Oregon: Quite of the opposite
of Winston here. Mariota does not come
with the same baggage but there have been questions about his ability to run a
conventional NFL offense after running the up-tempo spread type offense at
Oregon. While to a certain degree it’s
fair to question, I don’t hold it against him too much because we’ve yet to
actually see him run an traditional offense.
Mariota is a smart decision maker with the football and a gifted dual threat. The team fit is much more important with him
than Winston, and he might not be able to make as much of a first-year impact,
but Mariota is still an intriguing prospect.
4.
Amari Cooper- WR Alabama: Off the charts 2014
season at Alabama and the best wide receiver in this draft. Cooper can burn defenses in a variety of
different ways as he runs good routes and can rack up yards after the catch in
addition to stretching the field by running deeper routes. I don’t see many weaknesses here.
5.
Brandon Scherff- OT Iowa: Scherff is a very
versatile offensive lineman who could be used at tackle or guard and developed
as a really nice left tackle at Iowa.
He’s already a run good run blocker that drives defensive linemen back
with quick jumps off the snap and is a very good athlete that gets into the
second level and often blocks linebackers.
Still getting there as a pass blocker but has made nice strides and will
be the first offensive linemen off the board.
6.
Dante Fowler- DE Florida: Perhaps a bit of an
underdeveloped pass-rusher but the athleticism is exceptional with Fowler. He could be used in certain situations as a
4-3 defensive end but I think he projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker in
the NFL. He’s very comfortable standing
up and getting after the quarterback.
Another guy that may not make as much of an immediate impact but could
become one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers down the road.
7.
Kevin White- WR West Virginia: White is a
dynamic receiver that’s an explosive playmaker in space and will rack up yards
after the catch. The Mountaineer will
challenge Amari Cooper to be the first wide receiver taken and could go before
Cooper. He projects to be a number one
in the NFL as his ability to create separation and beat out corners on 50/50
balls will have him drafted in the top 10.
8.
Shane Ray- OLB Missouri: I’m higher on him than
others but Ray had an outstanding 2014 at Missouri competing in the SEC. Ray was the league’s defensive player of the
year as he led the conference with 15 sacks.
He sheds blockers with ease and could be used as a 4-3 defensive end. While
his ceiling may not be as high as Dante Fowler’s, Ray might be able to
contribute more as a rookie. Recently
caught with marijuana, which could cause him to plummet.
9.
Trae Waynes- CB Michigan State: Waynes is hands
down the best corner in this draft.
Checked out at times at Michigan State but Waynes skillset is worthy of
a top 10 pick as he can thrive in press coverage, play off when necessary, and
could be a good zone corner as well. He’s
a good tackler in space as well and whoever drafts Waynes is getting a
well-rounded cornerback.
10. Danny Shelton- DT Washington: Shelton is
listed at 6’2’’ 339 and is the definition of a bull rusher up the middle. He stays on the field a lot for someone of
his build as he led Washington in tackles a year ago. He reminds me a lot of a Hiloti Ngata type of
nose tackle who has a knack for finding the ball in opponents’ backfields and
making plays.
11. Devante
Parker- WR Louisville: He missed the first seven games of his senior season at
Louisville but still managed 855 receiving yards if you count Louisville’s bowl
game. Parker reminds me of AJ Green with
his nimble frame and ability to go up and get the ball. Perhaps there’s a small drop off from Cooper
and White to Parker, whoever gets Parker in the 10-15 range is getting a very
capable wide receiver.
12. Vic
Beasley- OLB Clemson: Very explosive, quick, instinctual pass rusher. Beasley’s stock flew up with a very strong
performance at the combine in Indianapolis.
His on-field performance is nothing to scoff at either. Beasley compiled
44.5 tackles for loss in his last two seasons at Clemson. In a draft loaded with pass rushers, Beasley
is yet another talent.
13. Melvin
Gordon- RB Wisconsin: One of my favorite players in this draft. Gordon is a lot like Jamaal Charles in that
he’s an explosive runner that can bust out a big gain between the tackles at
any time. There are some questions as
to how he’ll be as a pass catcher out of the backfield, but a guy with this
kind of explosiveness and big play ability belongs in the first round and I
believe will become an elite back.
14. Randy
Gregory- OLB Nebraska: His stock has plummeted some after a failed drug
test. Gregory is a freak athlete and can
certainly get after the quarterback but still has work to do defending the run
and is a bit of a raw prospect. Gregory
could definitely come in and be a situational pass rusher as a rookie and he
has a considerable amount of upside but he still needs to develop.
15. Arik
Armstead- DE Oregon: Much like Gregory, Armstead is a good athlete and needs to
polish his skills to become a consistent producer at the next level. I think Armstead translates best as a 3-4
defensive end at 6’7’’ 292 and with great length. The fit here will be very important to
maximize Armstead’s talent and get the most out of his athletic ability.
16. Todd
Gurley- RB Georgia: Gurley has been slowly but surely rising up boards as his
knee checks out after having his 2014 shortened at Georgia due to a torn
ACL. Much has been made about the
devaluation of the running back position in the NFL but that won’t stop a
runner like Gurley who is the perfect combination of power and speed and shreds
arm tackles left and right, from getting drafted in the first round.
17. Malcolm
Brown- DT Texas: Brown’s production rose year by year with the Longhorns as his
sacks and tackles for losses steadily increased. Brown is very quick given his frame and uses
his quickness to shed blocks. I’m not
sure if his upside is as high as guys like Gregory or Armstead, but his floor
is definitely higher than both as I think Brown projects to be a good player
whether he’s used as a 4-3 defensive tackle or a 3-4 nose tackle.
18. Cameron Irving- OL Florida State: Love the
versatility as this is a guy who played center, guard, and tackle with the
Seminoles. This says a lot about the
kind of athlete Irving is and he’s another high floor prospect that I think can
help a lot of teams up front regardless of the position but is probably best
used as a center.
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| Matt Kartozian- USA Today Sports |
19. Jaelen
Strong- WR Arizona State: Great size and ball skills and his ability to go up
and get the ball while creating separation with the ball in the air is
outstanding. I think Strong (left) goes
somewhere in the 20-30 range and will be a steal in the back end of the first
round. Matchup nightmare.
20. Landon
Collins- S Alabama: Collins is a heavy-hitting safety that is very good in run
support. He isn’t the best against
quicker slot receivers in coverage and perhaps that’s the biggest question mark
surrounding Collins. He should hold up just fine against bigger targets.
21. Ereck
Flowers- OT Miami: Flowers is very good in pass protection and his size makes
it easy for him to open up lanes in the running game. His agility and strength
at 6’6’’ 329 make him an intriguing prospect and one that should go in mid to late
first round.
22. La’el
Collins- OT LSU: Well-rounded offensive linemen. May not have the ceiling of Flowers but
should be a first rounder and could be a steal towards the back end of the
first. Hard to see him being anything
less than a solid, consistent starter for many years. High Floor.
23. Marcus
Peters- CB Washington: Lots of off-the-field concerns surrounding the causes of
Peters missing several games at Washington and ultimately being kicked off the
team. However, he’s a talented football
player that has a knack for locating the ball and making a play. Peters is also good in run support and corner
blitzes. I think there’s a team that
takes a chance late first.
24. Eddie
Goldman- DT FSU: Will be best suited in the NFL as a run stuffer up the
middle. Goldman’s ability to clog holes
and locate the ball carrier should translate.
Not as well rounded as guys like Danny Shelton and Malcolm Brown.
25. Breshad
Perriman- WR UCF: Not as high on him as some and think there’s some bust
potential here. He has explosive speed
that could lead to him being over drafted.
Perriman dropped a lot of balls at Central Florida and is not the most
polished wide receiver. Lots of upside but a low floor as well. Guys like Phillip Dorsett and Nelson Agholor
are safer bets but Perriman’s probably off the board first anyway due to the
upside.
26. Bud
Dupree- OLB Kentucky: Great athleticism, which could lead to him being over
drafted as well. This draft is deep at
edge rusher and I don’t think Dupree is as refined as the rest of the first
round pass rushers. Dupree does bring
lots of versatility to the table with his 6’4’’ 269 frame and could be a 3-4
outside linebacker or a 4-3 end at the next level.
27. Kevin
Johnson- CB Wake Forest: Good tackler.
Decent instincts and a very smooth corner. Nothing really stands out in terms of
freakish abilities but seems to be the kind of player that’s just good at a lot
of things and that will get him drafted on Thursday night.
28. Eric
Rowe- CB Utah: I like him. Could be a
corner or a safety in the NFL. I think
best used as a safety due to his heavy hitting and ability to tackle in
space. Coverage skills are a work in
progress, relies a lot on instincts and anticipation, but because of that I
think Rowe can be a really solid NFL safety and could be a hidden gem late
first or early second.
29. Jalen
Collins- CB LSU: Another defensive back that tackles well. Solid closing speed but relies on it a little
too much for my liking. Plays off receivers
a lot. Failed drug test leading up to
the draft could hurt his stock.
30. Shaq
Thomspon- OLB Washington: Good football player but I’m concerned about his fit
in the NFL. Could be an edge rusher,
could be a safety in the NFL. Played
some running back at Washington too.
Great athlete but team fit and usage is the most important thing for
him.
31. Quinten
Rollins- CB Miami (Ohio): Theme of good tackling defensive backs continues with
Rollins. I like the athleticism Rollins
brings to the table and his ball skills are nice. Not the most fundamentally sound corner but
there’s a lot to like here.
32. Dorial
Green-Beckham- WR Missouri/Oklahoma: He was dismissed from Missouri after the
2013 season and he waiver was denied to play at Oklahoma in 2014 and so here we
are looking at the draft’s biggest wild card. All the talent in the world. Probably should be higher on this board. But I don’t know if I can trust him. So much off-the-field baggage I don’t know if
he’ll ever reach his potential. But a
great talent and gifted athlete.
Best of the rest: Nelson Agholor (WR-USC), Phillip Dorsett
(WR-Miami), Byron Jones (CB-Connecticut), TJ Clemmings (OT- Pitt), DJ Humphries
(OT- Florida)
