Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips could see his stock sky rocket
#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon)
This pick looks like a formality. A total no-brainer. The Buccs need to appoint a creative and open minded offensive coordinator who won’t try to turn Mariota into a pure pocket passer. He didn’t play particularly well in the Rose Bowl but he should flourish against Ohio State in the title game.
#2 Tennessee Titans — Randy Gregory (OLB, Nebraska)
The Titans appointed Ray Horton as defensive coordinator and handed him a unit devoid of any players that fit his scheme. Jameis Winston is not the man to lead this tired looking roster. Build the defense and invest in Horton. They have to become tougher to beat.
#3 Jacksonville Jaguars — Dante Fowler Jr (DE, Florida)
Fowler is a maestro. You can line him up anywhere — outside linebacker, defensive end — even inside on third down. He will make plays. A tremendous athlete and playmaker, he’d be a legit candidate to be defensive rookie of the year in 2015. Simply put — a fantastic talent.
#4 Oakland Raiders — Andrus Peat (T, Stanford)
Peat has no peer in this class in terms of pass protection. He’s a natural with ideal length. Technique-wise he can make improvements, but he has the upside to quickly establish himself as one of the premier tackles in the NFL. Oakland has a boat-load of needs but protecting Derek Carr for the duration of his career is a good place to start.
#5 Washington Redskins — Landon Collins (S, Alabama)
He impacts games and when he turns up at the combine, he’ll be one of the winners. At 6-0 and 212lbs expect a lightning performance. He covers well despite his build, he’s instinctive. Collins can be a tone-setter for a secondary that is badly lacking talent.
#6 New York Jets — Shane Ray (DE, Missouri)
They can ill-afford another gaffe at quarterback. They have a talented defense but lack a pure edge rusher and any kind of talent in the secondary. Jameis Winston playing in New York doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.
#7 Chicago Bears — Leonard Williams (DE, USC)
I’m not as crazy about Williams as some others. He sounds better than the tape suggests. He’s mastered the J.J. Watt ‘swat the ball’ act but he’s not a brilliant edge rusher. What is his position at the next level? Still, the upside is there. Someone will take a punt.
#8 Atlanta Falcons — Bud Dupree (OLB, Kentucky)
A leader who flies around the field — he can play defensive end or outside linebacker. The Falcons lack toughness, speed and playmakers on defense. Dupree ticks every box. Few players were more fun to watch in 2014. He makes plays in a variety of ways.
#9 New York Giants — Eddie Goldman (DT, Florida State)
He didn’t have an impact against Oregon but was he 100%? He has every opportunity to establish himself as a premier inside rusher and run stopper. Goldman looks every bit a former 5-star recruit in terms of size and athleticism. Overall he had a great 2014.
#10 St. Louis Rams — T.J. Clemmings (T, Pittsburgh)
The Rams are a quarterback away from relevance but I’m not sure even Jeff Fisher will be prepared to put his franchise in the hands of Jameis Winston. Look for them to give Sam Bradford one last shot on a modest salary and add a quarterback later on. Clemmings has a ton of upside — the type of player Les Snead and Fisher have gone after.
#11 Minnesota Vikings — Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama)
He’s shown he has the deep speed this year to make up for a lack of elite size. He’s the most naturally gifted receiver to enter the draft since A.J. Green. Very focused individual and not a diva. Pairing Cooper with Teddy Bridgewater seems like a smart move.
#12 Cleveland Browns — Jordan Phillips (DT, Oklahoma)
When Phillips rocks up at the combine and runs a 4.8-4.9 he’ll start to fly up the boards. He has better tape than Dontari Poe but has the same kind of rare size and speed. He’s had some injury history and that’ll need to be checked out. If he’s cleared — watch out for Phillips. He declared for a reason.
#13 New Orleans — La’el Collins (G, LSU)
The Saints rely so much on their guards to protect Drew Brees. It’s the way it’s always been in New Orleans with that quarterback. They’re likely to make some cost savings with the current starters and Collins is an absolute beast.
#14 Miami Dolphins — Malcolm Brown (DT, Texas)
A stud. Anyone who needed convincing just has to look at the way he took on Arkansas’ massive offensive line. He kept making plays. Another former 5-star recruit who appears destined for stardom. Like Goldman he should impress at the combine.
#15 San Francisco 49ers — Devante Parker (WR, Louisville)
I think he’ll measure out at 6-2/6-3 and around 205lbs which isn’t huge — but he plays big. The Niners should move on from Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin won’t last forever. They need more talent on offense, especially with the Frank Gore era drawing to a close.
#16 Houston Texans — Melvin Gordon (RB, Wisconsin)
It’s not their biggest need of course but Gordon isn’t going to last long in round one. Plenty of teams are going to fall for his combination of suddenness, a fluid running style and gym-rat mentality. It’s just a matter of how early he’ll go.
#17 San Diego Chargers — Ereck Flowers (T, Miami)
Having revealed D.J. Fluker will be switching to guard, San Diego desperately needs to add a quality tackle. Flowers looks the part and could be the next best pass protector after Andrus Peat. This franchise only goes as far as Philip Rivers allows, so they must protect him.
#18 Kansas City Chiefs — Kevin White (WR, West Virginia)
No touchdowns for a receiver all year only tells half the story. Look who they’re starting. It’s hardly a shock. Alex Smith is such a limited passing quarterback you need to put weapons around him. White will compete in the air, run after the catch and make plays downfield.
#19 Cleveland Browns — Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson)
A lack of size might be a hindrance although he should run a good forty time and ten yard split. Beasley has been ultra-productive at Clemson and could end up replacing key free agent Jabaal Sheard.
#20 Philadelphia Eagles — Jameis Winston (QB, Florida State)
Eventually someone will pull the trigger — and it’s likely to be an offensive mind that DNGAF. Chip Kelly clearly backs himself to fit any kind of quarterback into his scheme. The Eagles can afford to roll the dice — Kelly and not Winston would remain the focal identity. They also won 10 games with Foles/Sanchez, they wouldn’t be giving Winston the keys. This is the franchise that gave Michael Vick his second chance.
#21 Cincinnati Bengals — Cedric Ogbuehi (T, Texas A&M)
The Bengals regularly take a chance on players who just dip a little bit. Ogbuehi didn’t have a great 2014 but with the right guidance he can make it work. There are questions about his preparation and work ethic — Cincy are always willing to take on a lost-soul project.
#22 Pittsburgh Steelers — Brandon Scherff (T, Iowa)
The guy just looks like a Steeler — and it’s more than just the Iowa uniforms. Lunch-pail worker who drives people off the ball in the running game. Right tackle is a huge need for Pittsburgh and Scherff would be a day one starter.
#23 Detroit Lions — Cameron Erving (C, Florida State)
He looked good at tackle last season — and looked even better at center in 2014. The Lions would get a player who can start immediately at center and back up every other position on the O-line. He’s a defensive line convert with massive potential.
#24 Arizona Cardinals — Todd Gurley (RB, Georgia)
A likely top ten pick without his ACL injury setback, Gurley could still be a top-20 selection. If he falls, a good team will get lucky. The Cardinals need a feature runner with size and are good enough to let Gurley take his time, fully recover and explode in the NFL.
#25 Carolina Panthers — Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan State)
It’s a bad class of corners but even so — it’d be a shock to see none selected in the first round. Waynes is being touted to have a terrific combine performance and at 6-1/182lbs he could be the one and only cornerback taken in the first frame.
#26 Baltimore Ravens — Tevin Coleman (RB, Indiana)
As well as Justin Forsett has played, you’d have to expect the Ravens to draft a running back this year. Coleman might not work out at the combine due to injury, but he’s shown enough on tape to warrant a top-40 grade.
#27 Indianapolis Colts — Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
There’s talk he could declare against the odds. Indy can upgrade both tackle spots and Decker has the size and athleticism to work his way into round one. Keep an eye on this guy.
#28 Dallas Cowboys — Eli Harold (DE, Virginia)
Harold’s speed is a joy to behold at times, but he also has a lot of average tape to counter some of the hype. He’s a determined individual and should be a leader even early in his career. Dallas needs all the talent it can find on defense.
#29 Green Bay Packers — Bendarick McKinney (LB, Mississippi State)
Big, physical 3-4 inside linebacker who made Miss State’s defense tick. Could be the player Rolando McClain should’ve been. Very solid prospect for any club looking for a presence on defense. He’ll move around at his size.
#30 New England Patriots — Devin Smith (WR, Ohio State)
Sparky, athletic playmaker who makes chunk plays. Always competitive. Has a little Odell Beckham Jr to his game. He’d offer something the Patriots don’t have on offense and he’d be a great compliment to Gronk and co. Smith averages an incredible 27.7 YPC.
#31 Denver Broncos — Shaq Thompson (LB, Washington)
The last couple of Washington games I watched forced me to temper expectations for Thompson. He’s athletic, he has major upside potential. But linebackers like this haven’t traditionally gone in the top fifteen. He’s certainly not Ryan Shazier.
And that brings us to Seattle.
I hate putting the Seahawks at #32 and dodged it throughout last year. For the purpose of this mock, however, it seems perfectly acceptable. I won’t be making a single selection. I want to run through the remaining options and get your thoughts. And the best way to do that is to have no other team picking after Seattle.
Let’s group some of the remaining prospects by position and need (and yes, it’s way too early to have any clear idea on whether this is a remotely realistic looking first round). Some potential draft targets are already off the board.
Running back
If the Seahawks lose Marshawn Lynch this has to at least be considered as a possible early draft target. The top three prospects are off the board and I have a hard time imagining Seattle going after Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon. In fact, the increased opportunities for Robert Turbin and Christine Michael could even be a trial run for 2015. Let’s not forget, when Ian Rapoport was touting interest in Melvin Gordon, the Seahawks were 3-3 and staring at a possible mid-first round pick. Now they can’t pick any earlier than 28th in round one. Gordon and Todd Gurley (even with his injury) could be long gone. Are you ready for the Turbin & Michael era? There’s enough depth to add a third wheel later on if there’s no shot at the top two prospects.
Wide receiver
I’m not a huge fan of Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong and don’t see him as a first round prospect. I think he’ll measure smaller than expected, I think he’s a modest athlete and he’s best suited to a Terrance Williams-style role on a prolific passing offense. Sammie Coates has the difference making athleticism Seattle loves but he’s not had the consistent production they also appreciate. He’s had some tough games. For every downfield bomb there’s a drop. He’s had injuries. He has the upside that is definitely worth considering — just not necessarily in round one. The options aren’t great for Seattle when it comes to this position as a first round choice, especially with Duke Williams staying at Auburn.
Tight end
There are a couple of intriguing players to monitor here. We’ve talked a lot about Maxx Williams — a player who blocks well, doesn’t have bad snaps and is as tough as they come at the position. He’s also shown a playmaking flash, he was Minnesota’s top receiving option in a run-based offense and crucially in terms of Seattle — he made the most of his limited targets. He could replace Zach Miller for the long haul and he only turns 21 at draft time. Would they go big on a Miller replacement? They did give him a five-year $34 million deal ($17 million guaranteed). At the time they also needed to bolster a weak roster and Miller understood Tom Cable’s system. I suspect Seattle will like Williams unless he’s a really mediocre athlete at the combine — but round one might be a bit rich for their tastes. We’ll see. The other player is Devin Funchess at Michigan. He has the size they badly lack in a receiver or tight end (6-5, 235lbs). The concern is he totally underwhelmed in college and needed pushing every step of the way. He turned it on for the Ohio State game at the end of the season — where was that type of performance earlier in the year? I’m not convinced he’s ‘Seahawky’ enough in terms of his attitude. But how can you not be intrigued by that size? Especially given Seattle’s redzone struggles. He wouldn’t be a blocker — he’d be a flex tight end/receiver.
Defensive line
A lot of the better options are gone here. I’m a huge fan of Missouri’s Markus Golden. He doesn’t have the length but he has the athleticism, attitude, competitive nature and production. I’d love to think he could be an option here, adding to the rotation for the next few years. I think it’d be too early for a prospect like Washington’s Hau’Oli Kikaha or Mississippi State’s Preston Smith. As noted earlier in the week — I think Danny Shelton is overrated and wouldn’t expect the Seahawks to show interest here. Locking up Cliff Avril was key and maybe limits the early round need here. Think of how well this D-line has played recently, then add a healthy Brandon Mebane and Cassius Marsh into the mix.
Offensive line
Seattle has already invested two first round picks, a second round pick and a third round pick on the O-line in the Carroll/Schneider era. I think if they were going to go down this route again it would mean James Carpenter departing and Justin Britt moving inside. I’m not totally convinced they’d want to move Britt after one year — but they did it to Carpenter. South Carolina’s Corey Robinson is a massive 6-7 and 335lbs with ideal length — but he’s said to have bad work habits. Oklahoma’s Daryl Williams has shown some skill as a run blocker and also has long arms to match a 6-5, 330lbs frame. I wasn’t blown away watching Colorado State’s Ty Sambrailo but he’s from an athletic family and has the size Seattle loves (6-7, 310lbs). I’m not sold on Oregon’s Jake Fisher as a first rounder — or Sambrailo for that matter — and this could be an area they wait on. Of course, they could just keep Britt at tackle, re-sign Carpenter or even start Alvin Bailey.
Remember, at the heart of everything is where can Seattle best upgrade their roster? That’s how they set up their draft board. The defense is remarkably well set for now and will be difficult to upgrade. On offense, they can make obvious improvements — especially if the likes of Lynch and Miller are no longer with the team. They’ve already lost Percy Harvin — their best X-factor playmaker at receiver. Then there’s the potential of changes to the offensive line.
Discussing possible draft picks for Seattle is about more than just SPARQ. It’s a combination of factors — including mainly film assessment, production, character and that all important roster upgrade. So you’re on the clock.
Who should we be talking about here?
I look at this little differently, MacDonald said in presser he wants field stretching plays & a solid run game,…
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He was never a legitimate top pick. He was one of those guys that was pushed up because he played…
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