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1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston,
QB, Florida State
The Bucs will select a quarterback, and while it's not 100 percent
clear which one they're going to take, the odds-on favorite is Winston.
There aren’t any questions about Winston's on-field talent
or football IQ, but teams are a bit worried about his maturity and/or
decision making. He had a strong workout at the combine, but more
importantly, he impressed teams with his interviewing. It has been
said the Bucs feel completely confident with where Winston's maturity
is, and with that being his only red flag, it would be surprising
to see him not taken with the first overall pick.
Previous Pick: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota,
QB, Oregon
I feel confident about Mariota being the second overall pick, but
I'm not completely certain the Titans will make it. Mariota had
a nice combine workout, as well as interviews in Indy, which is
going to make the value of this pick skyrocket. Someone should be
willing to package too much together for the Titans to refuse, but
even if they don’t, Mariota would make sense here. The Titans
need a franchise quarterback, and Mariota has no off-field issues
for the Titans to worry about and his talent is worthy of this pick.
Previous Pick: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams,
DT/DE, USC
Leonard Williams was seen as the top prospect before the NCAA season
and has only fallen to the third pick because quarterbacks always
rise higher than they should be taken. Williams is the best player
available here, and Gus Bradley loves adding players to his defense.
Previous Pick: Leonard Williams, DT/DE, USC
4. Oakland Raiders: Kevin White,
WR, West Virginia
The Raiders have a huge need at WR, and this pick essentially came
down to Kevin White or Amari Cooper. Cooper is an extremely solid
prospect, but White has the higher ceiling of the two. The Raiders
are in a position where they can take the higher risk/reward player,
and while I don't think White is too much of a risk, he has a great
ceiling. He solidified his spot as the top WR when he posted a sub-4.4
40-yard dash at the combine.
Previous Pick: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5. Washington Redskins: Dante Fowler,
DE/OLB, Florida
The Redskins let Brian Orakpo walk, and while they have Trent Murphy
to take over his duties, Fowler is the best available player and
fits a slight need. It would allow them to rotate Ryan Kerrigan,
Fowler and Murphy at OLB, which wouldn't be much of a downgrade
as Orakpo has missed 25 games over the last three seasons.
Previous Pick: Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida
6. New York Jets: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Gurley was projected as a top-10 pick before his ACL injury in November
but was recently given the thumbs up by doctors which has sent his
stock skyrocketing. The Jets are in major need of a running back
with only Chris Ivory and Stevan Ridley, atop the depth chart. Gurley
would give the Jets arguably the best running back prospect since
Adrian Peterson.
Previous Pick: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
7. Chicago Bears: Amari Cooper, WR,
Alabama
The Bears need a pass rusher, but there is a slight drop off after
Beasley and they could easily spend this pick on a wide receiver.
They recently traded Brandon Marshall for a fifth-round pick to
the Jets, which opens up a spot across from Alshon Jeffery. Amari
Cooper has been building steam since video revealed that his 40-yard
dash was nearly as fast as Kevin White’s.
Previous Pick: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8. Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB,
Clemson
The emergence of Todd Gurley will cause someone to fall and I’m
anticipating that will be the edge rushers in this draft. Beasley
was extremely impressive at the combine and at his pro day, but
his draft buzz appears to have plateaued. The Falcons are in desperate
need of an edge rusher and Beasley is far and away the best option
here. I could also see the Saints trying to trade up to this spot
if Beasley is available.
Previous Pick: Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
9. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff,
OT/OG, Iowa
Randy Gregory is an option here because the Giants generally take
the best available player, but he recently failed a drug test at
the combine and the Giants are a strict team that doesn’t
typically take players with off-field issues. Scherff is a great
player on the field and has no off-field issues, either. He’s
an NFL-ready prospect and has the ability to help the Giants from
day one.
Previous Pick: Branon Scherff, OT/OG, Iowa
10. St. Louis Rams: La'el Collins,
OT/OG, LSU
Collins is the perfect pick for the Rams right here. They need
help on their offensive line, but they have the ability to kick
Collins inside to guard, until he gets a bit of NFL experience
and learns the tackle position. He has an extremely high ceiling,
but he can be a starter day one for the Rams and make their line
a bit more solid.
Previous Pick: La’el Collins, OT/OG, LSU
11. Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes,
CB, Michigan State
Waynes is an absolute steal for the Vikings with this pick, as
he easily has the talent to be a top-10 selection. He improved
on his agility times at his Pro Day, saying he had cramped up
at the Combine. He’s a nice fit for the defensive minded
Mike Zimmer and he would provide another high upside, young defensive
back to go with Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith.
Previous Pick: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
12. Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton,
NT, Washington
The Browns will look to get help on their defensive line, and
Shelton would be a steal at this pick. He's a high- motor nose
tackle who played extremely well in college. He's going to fill
running lanes and is a solid pass rusher up the middle. He's a
high upside guy who won’t come with much risk, which is
exactly what the Browns need right now.
Previous Pick: Danny Shelton, NT, Washington
13. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree,
DE/OLB, Kentucky
Dupree is rising up draft boards, as he’s doing very well
in team interviews and everyone can see his insane upside. He
could easily slide into the top-10, but he’s coming from
a school, not known for high draft picks which is the reason I
have him a bit lower than some. The Saints should be looking to
upgrade their defense and Dupree will give them optimal upside
for this pick.
Previous Pick: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
14. Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker,
WR, Louisville
Most mock drafts have the Dolphins taking Parker with this pick.
The top two receivers will be off the board, and Parker is the
next best guy. The Dolphins don't seem to like Mike Wallace, and
they just got rid of Brian Hartline. Taking Parker would give
them a young WR corps with upside between Parker and Jarvis Landry.
Similarly to the other WRs, he has a ton of upside in a stacked
class.
Previous Pick: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
15. San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead,
DE/DT, Oregon
This is a huge leap up for Armstead from my last mock draft, as
I had him going 25th overall to the Carolina Panthers. I think
this has less to do with Armstead as a player and more to do with
the situation the 49ers are in. They lost a ton of players during
the offseason, including DL Ray McDonald, and are in big need
of a young defensive end. It appears the 49ers are entering a
rebuilding stage and Armstead is an extremely high upside pick.
Previous Pick: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
16. Houston Texans: Shane Ray, DE/OLB,
Missouri
Remember how I said the edge rushers would fall in the draft because
of Gurley’s quick rise? Well, Ray is one of those edge rushers.
Brooks Reed left the Texans in free agency and Ray would make
a great OLB option opposite Jadeveon Clowney. Ray is falling down
the boards because of a toe injury, but he’s expected to
be ready by Week 1 and should be able to help the Texans immediately.
Previous Pick: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
17. San Diego Chargers: Jalen Collins,
CB, LSU
After he had an extremely impressive combine, Collins is quickly
moving up the draft boards. He's a physical corner, similar to
Waynes, who likes press coverage. The Chargers recently drafted
Jason Verrett, but Brandon Flowers will be a free agent next season,
and the addition of Collins would allow the Chargers to let him
walk. It wouldn't be surprising to see Collins continue to rise
up the draft boards as more time passes, working his way into
the top 15.
Previous Pick: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Andrus Peat,
OT, Stanford
There has been a lot of talk about the Chiefs taking a wide receiver
with this pick, but they haven't been too concerned with taking
wide outs over the last couple drafts and this one is deep enough
that they could grab a receiver in a later round. They have a
big need at offensive line, and Peat could fill that void. He's
a good pass protector with solid run blocking ability, which is
a nice combination for the Chiefs, who were near the bottom in
sacks allowed last season.
Previous Pick: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
19. Cleveland Browns: Breshad Perriman,
WR, Central Florida
The Browns need some offensive help after Josh Gordon was suspended
again and Jordan Cameron left via free agency. There has been
a lot of talk about how good of an athlete Perriman really is,
but he put on a display at his Pro Day. He reportedly ran two
sub-4.3 40-yard dashes, which is enough to move him into the first
round. He’s a big body receiver that can fly down the field
and he’s the exact type of playmaker the Browns need.
Previous Pick: Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Randy Gregory,
DE/OLB, Nebraska
There are many quality prospects for Chip Kelly to choose from
here, including CB Byron Jones, OT Ereck Flowers, WR Phillip Dorsett,
just to name a few. The Eagles are unpredictable, especially considering
the rumors of a possible trade up scenario for QB Marcus Mariota.
Gregory is heading for a draft day slide given his off-field issues
and unimpressive pre-draft interviews. He’s a top-5 talent,
which is what Kelly will like, and the head coach has already
proven that he doesn’t care about what other people think
of his offseason moves.
Previous Pick: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Marcus Peters,
CB, Washington
Peters is a corner who has the talent to go much higher, but he
was kicked off Washington's team for allegedly getting in a physical
fight with one of his coaches. Everyone, including the coach,
is denying the reports, but they're still worth noting. His stock
is slowly creeping back up, and the Bengals could use help in
their secondary.
Previous Pick: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Landon Collins,
S, Alabama
Collins seems to be a much better prospect than the 22nd pick,
but this is where he fell in this mock. He's been compared to
his former teammate Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who had a successful rookie
season in Green Bay. The Steelers have a hole at safety, and if
Collins falls to them, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the
trigger.
Previous Pick: Landon Collins, S, Alabama
23. Detroit Lions: Malcolm Brown,
DT, Texas
The Lions made a trade for Haloti Ngata, which softened the blow
of losing both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, but they still
have to face the fact that Ngata is aging and they need another
defensive tackle. Brown is a day one starter, who could go as
high as pick 15 in this draft. He’s extremely talented and
would be a steal for the Lions at this pick.
Previous Pick: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24. Arizona Cardinals: Kevin Johnson,
CB, Wake Forest
The Cardinals will be looking elsewhere for a running back after
the big bodied Gurley worked his way into the top-10. They lost
Antonio Cromartie to the Jets in free agency and could be looking
at add another big body in the secondary. Reports are circulating
that a few teams believe Johnson is the best corner in the draft
and the Cardinals would do well to grab him here.
Previous Pick: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
25. Carolina Panthers: Ereck Flowers,
OT, Miami
Although the Panters are a good team, they still have a few holes
and the offensive line is one of them. Cam Newton’s scrambling
ability has certainly helped, but it’s time they address
the huge need and protect their franchise quarterback. Flowers
was the most impressive tackle at the combine, testing well in
the bench press, 40-yard dash, and on-field drills. He could certainly
be drafted higher, but this is a fairly OL deep class, which could
cause him to slide a little bit.
Previous Pick: Arik Armstead, DE/DT, Oregon
26. Baltimore Ravens: Devin Smith,
WR, Ohio State
Dorial Green-Beckham would make more sense here, as he’s
more of a No.1 receiver than the speedster Smith, but after the
Ray Rice situation, the Ravens probably aren’t in the mood
to take someone who got kicked off their college team for domestic
violence. Smith can stretch the field, but he may also be able
to expand his route tree and turn into a true No.1 receiver. He’s
a high-upside pick that should be at minimum a great deep threat.
Previous Pick: Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
27. Dallas Cowboys: Melvin Gordon,
RB, Wisconsin
Melvin Gordon is the second- best running back in this class,
but Todd Gurley is coming off of ACL surgery. The Cowboys recently
had to decide whether to let Dez Bryant or DeMarco Murray walk,
and they chose the latter. That means they have a big hole at
running back, and while Joseph Randle could take over, Gordon
would be a much better option. He's been compared to Jamaal Charles,
and he's proven in college that he can handle the bulk of the
carries. The Cowboys might not be able to get anyone as good as
Murray, but Gordon is a great replacement.
Previous Pick: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28. Denver Broncos: Eli Harold, OLB,
Virginia
The Broncos are switching to a 3-4 with Wade Phillips now as their
defensive coordinator, and they'll need some depth at OLB. DeMarcus
Ware is getting old, and they’ll want someone who can play
a certain number of snaps to allow Ware to get some rest during
the season. Harold is that man. Harold is a pass rushing 3-4 OLB
who had an impressive 2014 season and would fill a need the Broncos
have with the 28th pick.
Previous Pick: Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
29. Indianapolis Colts: D.J. Humphries,
OT, Florida
The Colts have a few holes, but they need to do a better job of
keep pressure away from their franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck.
D.J. Humphries is shooting up draft boards after an extremely
impressive combine. He also played well this season, especially
in pass protection. He would be a steal this late in the draft,
filling a huge need for the Colts.
Previous Pick: D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
30. Green Bay Packers: Eric Kendricks,
ILB, UCLA
I personally don’t love Kendricks, but he’s far and
away the best inside linebacker in this draft class. Sam Barrington
recently stated that the defense is his, but he is a run-stopping
linebacker that struggles in pass coverage. Kendricks is the exact
opposite, with good cover skills, but isn’t quite as polished
against the run. This pick would allow Clay Matthews to move back
to his natural OLB position and Kendricks would be able to help
Green Bay’s defense from day one.
Previous Pick: Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
31. New Orleans Saints: Maxx Williams,
TE, Minnesota
There isn’t much to say about this pick, but you probably
saw it coming. The Saints received this pick from Seattle for
Jimmy Graham and it would only make sense for them to use it for
his replacement. Williams has been a boarder line first-round
pick for quite some time and the Saints are his best chance of
sneaking in. He’s an athletic tight end that produced well
at Minnesota and has high upside. He’s recently been compared
to Jason Witten and living up to that comparison would be a steal
for the Saints this late in the draft.
32. New England Patriots: Dorial Green-Beckham,
WR, Oklahoma
DGB was the number one overall recruit coming out of high school
just a few years ago. He was involved in some off-the-field issues
while at Missouri and was dismissed from the team, eventually
ending up at Oklahoma. It seems as if he’s stayed out of
trouble for quite some time and the Patriots are one of the best
locker rooms for a troubled young player to be drafted into. He
would be taken much higher if it weren’t for his off-field
issues, and let’s face it, Brandon LaFell isn’t the
answer.
