Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
This is obviously WAY too early, but I've been working on one off and on now for a few weeks. I'm basing this off of where I think most teams will fall in terms of record. I'm also considering who they drafted and signed this year and who might not be re-signed next year.
Round-1
1. Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (6’4” 220lbs). The Titans are the one team that I just don’t see being able to really generate a lot of offense and their defense is just “ok”. I think that Ken Whisenhunt would love someone like Mariota because of his mobility and his presence in the pocket. Mariota can beat teams with his legs, but he has nice touch on passes and completed just under 65% of his passes in 2013. Similar Pro: Collin Kaepernick.
2. New York Jets – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (6’4” 230lbs). If Winston can stay out of trouble off the field, he could develop into a very good talent. He has one of the best arms in this crop of quarterbacks and while he isn’t the mobile threat that Marcus Mariota is, Winston moves pretty well in and out of the pocket. The thing I like about Winston is his ability to play well in big games. That is something that can’t be coached and I think that would translate well to the New York spotlight. I think Rex Ryan will be fired after this season and the Jets will move on from Geno Smith. Similar Pro: Ben Roethlisberger.
3. St. Louis Rams – PJ Williams, CB, Florida State (6’ 190lbs). You can never have enough cornerbacks in the NFL and Jeff Fisher knows this. Janoris Jenkins is a good player, but they could probably do a lot better than Trumaine Johnson at the other spot. Williams has excellent fluidity in man coverage and was a big reason for Florida State’s championship as he was named the Defensive MVP of that game. Similar Pro: Leon Hall.
4. Miami Dolphins – Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia (6’1” 230lbs). Though they signed Knowshon Moreno, they can’t be pleased with the depth of their running backs. Moreno has never done much of anything outside of one season playing with arguably the greatest quarterback of all time who was having easily the best season any quarterback has ever had. The long and short is that Moreno is not a feature back, but neither is Lamar Miller nor Daniel Thomas. Gurley is a freak of nature considering his size, speed, and explosiveness. Similar Pro: Willis McGahee.
5. New York Giants – Leonard Williams, DT, Southern Cal (6’5” 290lbs). I think the Giants disappoint in 2014 and Tom Coughlin strongly considers making it his last year. The Giants seem snake bitten on the defensive side of the ball and I’m not sure that Jason Pierre-Paul will ever regain his past ability. It doesn’t help that he is constantly doubled, so maybe adding a better interior pass rusher could help? Williams can play defensive tackle or end, but I think he would be an ideal fit as a 4-3 under tackle. He had 14 tackles for loss and 5 sacks last year. Similar Pro: Cameron Jordan.
6. Houston Texans – Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (6’3” 235lbs). Houston didn’t address the QB position until late in the draft with Tom Savage. We’ll see if he can develop into anything quick enough for the Texans to forget about the QB position in 2015, but I doubt that happens. Why not take the local guy? Petty is an excellent athlete. He is built like a linebacker with a big time arm and big time play making ability. Similar Pro: Jay Cutler.
7. Minnesota Vikings – Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska (6’6” 260lbs). The Vikings are going to miss Jared Allen who signed with Chicago this past off-season. Neither Everson Griffen nor Bryan Robison can rush the passer as well as Allen and I think the Vikings will underwhelm on the defensive side of the ball. Gregory is one of the top pass rushers in this draft class having produced nearly 20 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2013. If Gregory has another good year, he could go in the top-5. Similar Pro: Chandler Jones.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars – Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M (6’5” 300lbs). The Jags addressed their left tackle by taking Luke Joeckel a few seasons ago, why not take his former teammate to man the right side? Ogbuehi is extremely talented as a pass blocker and he is a sound technician as a run blocker as well. I think the Jags will lean heavily on the running game until Blake Bortles comes around, so they might as well try to improve their OL. Similar Pro: Joe Staley.
9. Carolina Panthers – Cameron Erving, OT, Florida State (6’6” 315lbs). Right now, Byron Bell and a converted defensive tackle are vying for the starting left tackle position with the Panthers. That just seems like a recipe for disaster and it only compounds the fact that they have very little talent at receiver and at running back. I think the Panthers take a major step back this year because they’ll be of the mindset that they can rely on a dominant defense. Erving will be a good place to start and can actually play left tackle in the NFL. He has ideal length and excellent athleticism and quickness for a 6’6” player. Similar Pro: Joe Thomas.
10. Cleveland Browns (From Buffalo) – Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (6’1” 210lbs). Cooper is arguably the top receiver in college right now and that is a position of serious need for the Browns. Josh Gordon may be the best receiver in the NFL, but he can’t be relied upon and there is no way that a 63 year old Miles Austin is a better option. Cooper has the speed to go deep, but he is also difficult to bring down and has a compact build that makes him tough to use press coverage on. Similar Pro: Michael Crabtree.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
11. Oakland Raiders – Landon Collins, FS, Alabama (6’ 215lbs). Collins can play free or strong safety, which gives the Raiders some flexibility. Charles Woodson is still a good player, but he is very close to retirement and the Raiders could be looking for someone to take his place at free safety beside Tyvon Branch. Collins is an excellent tackler and was widely considered by many to be one of Alabama’s best defensive players on a very good 2013 squad. Similar Pro: Eric Reid.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA (6’3” 225lbs). The Bucs passed on a QB in the 2014 NFL draft and decided to go with veteran Josh McNown and 2nd year player Mike Glennon. I’m not sure that either of those guys will be the answer for the Bucs, so I see Lovie Smith looking for another signal caller in the 2015 draft. Hundley doesn’t have the household name that Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota has, but he has been well coached by former NFL coach Jim Mora Jr and Hundley has a nice skill set as a QB. Similar Pro: Russell Wilson.
13. Dallas Cowboys – Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson (6’3” 240lbs). I think the Cowboys would be ecstatic if Beasley dropped out of the top 10. The guy had 13 sacks in 2013 to accompany 23 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and 6 passes defensed. He is athletic enough to be a stand up outside linebacker in a 4-3 alignment, but he is really at his best as a pass rusher. I think his skill set is very similar to that of Von Miller of the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys have had some issues at linebacker and defensive end the past few years and their depth is lacking at both. Similar Pro: Von Miller.
14. Cleveland Browns – Devin Funchess, TE, Michigan (6’5” 240lbs). I think this pick will heavily depend on what happens with Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manzeil. If they both stink, I think they could very well strongly consider a QB here. However, if they don’t then I think an athletic, receiving TE is a strong possibility. Jordan Cameron is one of the best in the league and coming of a strong season. If he has another season like that, he is going to want to be paid and I’m not sure the Browns will do that. Even if they do, Kyle Shanahan has a history of running a dual-TE offense and Funchess has the athleticism and speed to be a difference maker. Similar Pro: Eric Ebron.
15. Kansas City Chiefs – Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State (6’4” 209lbs). Strong is compared heavily to AJ Green from a physicality and skill set perspective. He produced over 1,100 yards last year and 7 touchdowns. He isn’t the best route runner, but most receivers coming out of college are never great route runners. The Chiefs have a solid possession guy in Dwayne Bowe, but after him they have a lot of mediocre receivers. Strong would give them a legitimate vertical threat and I think he’d pair nicely with Bowe. Similar Pro: AJ Green.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers – Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford (6’7” 313lbs). Peat was a good enough blocker to push David Yankey down to guard and Yankey was no slouch at left tackle either. Peat has really nice footwork and ideal size for an offensive tackle in the NFL. I’m not sure how much longer the Steelers will be able to work with a patchwork offensive line and I don’t ever see Mike Adams panning out as a long term left tackle for them. Similar Pro: Michael Roos.
17. Washington Redskins – Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State (6’4” 260lbs). It is highly unlikely that the Redskins are going to be able to afford to pay both Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo. Kerrigan is younger, more versatile, and frankly he has been the better player. I think the Redskins let Orakpo walk which means they’ll be looking for a guy to replace him. Calhoun is a bit raw in my opinion and he is kind of a 1 trick pony as a pass rusher, but he is very athletic and his upside is tremendous. He had 14 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and an interception in 2013; he was named Big Ten Defensive Linemen of the Year in 2013. Similar Pro: Terrell Suggs.
18. Detroit Lions – Keivarae Russell, CB, Notre Dame (5’11” 190lbs). I think this is absolutely a Jim Caldwell draft pick. Russell is a hard worker, he’s intelligent, and he is fundamentally sound. He is arguably one of the safer picks in this draft class right now. Russell has nice speed as well. The Lions have been ignoring their secondary for a long time now and I’m not sure how much longer they can go without addressing it. Especially considering the other three teams in their division have multiple legitimate receiver threats. Similar Pro: Brandon Flowers.
19. Arizona Cardinals – Jacoby Brissett, QB, NC State (6’3” 238lbs). I’m going out a limb here with this pick. I think Brissett could really take a lot of scouts by surprise. He was the number 2 rated pro-style QB prospect in the country when he signed with Florida 2 years ago and he is now slated to be the starter at NC State. He is also currently on the Maxwell Award watch list which is given to the best offensive collegiate player in the country. He is athletic enough to get outside of the pocket and make plays with his feet, but he throws a nice ball and hangs in the pocket well. I think Bruce Arians is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and he has done wonders with a lot of QBs. The Cardinals can’t hang onto an aging Carson Palmer forever, so getting someone they can groom is a good idea. Similar Pro: Matt Stafford.
20. San Diego Chargers – Cody Prewitt, S, Ole’Miss (6’2” 210lbs). Prewitt could be a free or strong safety, but I think he projects best as a strong safety. He had 71 tackles in 2013 and 80 tackles the year before. Prewitt also has some nice skills in coverage having picked off opposing QBs 6 times in 2013 and knocking 7 other passes out of the air. Prewitt was a 1st team All American in 2013 and is arguably the best player on Ole’Miss. The Chargers have a great player in Eric Weddle, but I think they could stand to upgrade the SS position and move Marcus Gilchrist back to corner. Similar Pro: Harrison Smith.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
21. Green Bay Packers – La’el Collins, OT/G, LSU (6’5” 310lbs). Collins has done a nice job at both tackle positions and at guard. He is a good run blocker and a solid pass blocker. I think he projects more towards right tackle than left tackle in the NFL and if the Packers drafted him they could move David Bahktiari to guard, which might suit him a bit better as he really doesn’t have the size to play left tackle. Then again, Collins could beat out Bryan Bulaga for the starting LT position as Bulaga has never really made much of an impact after being a round-1 selection a few years ago. Similar Pro: Eugene Monroe.
22. Atlanta Falcons – Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland (6’1” 195lbs). The Falcons don’t necessarily need a receiver, but everyone saw how bad they were once Julio Jones went down with an injury last year. Though the Falcons just re-signed Roddy White, he is 32 years old and they don’t have much at receiver after him. Diggs is a legitimate big play waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. He can return punts, kicks, and he is a legitimate deep threat. I think his game is very similar to Percy Harvin. The biggest knock on Diggs is health, but as a true freshman he led the Terps with 848 yards and 6 touchdowns. Similar Pro: Percy Harvin.
23. Indianapolis Colts – Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin (6’1” 210lbs). Gordon was one of the top rushers in college last year averaging nearly 8 yards per carry on his way to 1,609 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a bigger back, but the guy can really fly when he gets into open space. If he has another big year, I could see him potentially being the top running back taken. As noted earlier, I’m not a big believer in round-1 running backs, but Gordon is a special talent and the Colts have been looking for a consistent bell cow for a few years now; I’m not convinced Trent Richardson is the guy for them. Similar Pro: Arian Foster.
24. Cincinnati Bengals – Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa (6’6” 325lbs). Iowa seems to churn out quality offensive linemen every year. This makes sense though because Kirk Ferentz, their head coach, is an excellent offensive line coach and teaches great technique. I still think Andrew Whitworth could end up being their left tackle this year, but they really seem to like Whitworth at guard and he supposedly is ok with it. They did sign Marshall Newhouse, but he is more of a jack-of-all-trades lineman than a left tackle you’d want to hang your hat on. Scherff is big, nasty, and he has nice lateral movement for a guy his size. Scherff could also be a replacement for Andre Smith who has largely been a disappointment since being a top-10 pick a few years ago. Similar Pro: Andrew Whitworth.
25. Philadelphia Eagles – Devonte Fields, DE, Texas Christian (6’4” 245lbs). The Eagles surprised a lot by taking Marcus Smith out of Louisville last year in round-1. Clearly Chip Kelly is thinking about the future of the defensive side of the ball as Brandon Graham may not be re-signed and Trent Cole is getting older. I think the Eagles could go pass rusher again because I’m not sure Marcus Smith will be what they hope as a pass rusher. Fields is a talented pass rusher with a tremendous amount of upside. If he can stay on the field this year and produce similar to what he did in 2012 (10 sacks and 19 tackles for loss), then I definitely think he’ll be knocking on the first round door. Similar Pro: Osi Umenyiora.
26. Chicago Bears – Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (6’ 245lbs). Perryman is a flat out play maker at linebacker. He may not have elite size, but he has excellent sideline to sideline speed and he is a tackling machine. He is also decent in coverage, but his height could lead him to be exposed by taller tight ends over the middle of the field. The Bears need to continue to infuse youth and more athleticism in their defense and I think Perryman is a great fit as a WILL or MIKE linebacker for them. Similar Pro: Stephon Tulloch.
27. San Francisco 49ers – Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford (6’2” 215lbs). Montgomery is an ideal possession receiver. He is the type of guy who may only get you 10, 11, or 12 yards per catch, but he’ll produce 80+ receptions per season. He has excellent size and he is a willing blocker. The 49ers have a lot of receivers right now, but Anquan Boldin and Brandon Lloyd are in their mid-30’s, Jon Baldwin is a huge bust, and Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson are going to want to get paid at some point. Montgomery could be someone they could use to replace Crabtree because while Crabtree is a very good receiver, he’s not worth the money he is going to want. Similar Pro: Reuben Randle.
28. New England Patriots – Eric Striker, LB, Oklahoma (6’ 230lbs). Striker is the type of player that I think would really appeal to Bill Belichick. He can play multiple positions and he is an outstanding athlete. Even though he is on the small side, he gave many top rated offenses fits with his ability to rush the passer; this included a 3 sack performance against Alabama. If he can bulk up into the mid 230’s while maintaining speed, I think he could definitely shoot up draft boards. The Patriots like to run a lot of different defensive looks, so they like having a lot of players with differing skill sets. I also think Striker could allow them to shift Jerod Mayo back to the MIKE position and push Dont’a Hightower to the bench because he really hasn’t shown much to be an every down player. Similar Pro: Lavonte David.
29. Baltimore Ravens – Jalen Mills, CB, LSU (6’1” 190lbs). Mills is a solid perimeter corner who uses the sideline well. He has long arms with good hands (5 interceptions in two seasons) and he is a sure tackler, which Baltimore covets at corner. In addition, one cannot overlook Mills’ size/speed combination. I don’t think he would be a good fit as a nickel corner, but the Ravens have Lardarius Webb who is an established corner with nickel ability. The Ravens will likely pay up to keep Jimmy Smith, but their corner depth is really shallow this year and they are one injury away from having a pretty sub-par secondary. Similar Pro: Jason McCourty.
30. New Orleans Saints – Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina (5’10” 215lbs). Davis is a stout runner with a nice blend of balance, strength, and burst. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he does a nice job finding holes and accelerating to them to get into the 2nd level. I really value balance and lateral movement ability in a running back and I think Davis may have the best lateral movement and balance out of the backs in this class. The Saints have had a stable of runners, but Mark Ingram has been a disappointment and Pierre Thomas is almost 30. Davis could be the workhorse back that they’ve been looking for. Similar Pro: Frank Gore.
31. Seattle Seahawks – Corey Robinson, OT, South Carolina (6’8” 340lbs). Robinson is massive. He may end up being the biggest guy at the combine next year, but he isn’t slow at all. It is rare to find guys his size that can move. Robinson isn’t the best pass protector as speed rushers tend to give him trouble, but if he gets his hands on a defender then they’re not going anywhere. Robinson is a very good run blocker. The Seahawks weren’t able to re-sign Breno Giacomini and they’re giving Eric Winston a tryout at right tackle right now. I think the RT position could be a weak spot for them and Robinson might catch the eye of Pete Carroll. Similar Pro: Phil Loadholt.
32. Denver Broncos – Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State (5’11” 185lbs). If you look at the Broncos roster, they only have 4 legitimate receivers and one of them (Cody Latimer) is a rookie who was considered to be pretty raw coming out of college last year. Welker is also a niche player and he is 33 years old. To complicate things further, they are going to have to fork over a lot of money for Demaryius Thomas in the near future. I’m not sure how much longer Peyton Manning will play, but I do know that the Broncos will probably be considering a receiver again next year. Greene is a very similar receiver to guys like Antonio Brown in that he is on the smallish side, but he makes up for it with outstanding routes and excellent hands. In three seasons he has amassed 171 receptions and 22 touchdowns. Similar Pro: Antonio Brown.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Winston won't go second after his constant issues
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Ravens definitely wouldn't go for Jalen Mills now either...DV issues while at LSU.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Wicked,
How far do you see Gurley dropping given the recent autograph scandal? Does he make it deep enough into the second round for the Ravens to make a move up to get him (assuming they're picking at the end of the round).
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goodandfast
Wicked,
How far do you see Gurley dropping given the recent autograph scandal? Does he make it deep enough into the second round for the Ravens to make a move up to get him (assuming they're picking at the end of the round).
I'm not Wicked, but all reports are that executives don't care about this.
He's still going to be a mid first round pick...he would be higher IMHO if it weren't for the fact that teams are shying away from drafting RBs high.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
With the direction of the Ravens so far, I can't see Gurley making it to us anyways. I feel that a skill player needs to be taken in the 1st rd next year however. RB, WR, or TE if there is one worth it at the spot that we pick.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goodandfast
Wicked,
How far do you see Gurley dropping given the recent autograph scandal? Does he make it deep enough into the second round for the Ravens to make a move up to get him (assuming they're picking at the end of the round).
Gurley is suspended for taking money for an autograph.
If he was suspended for substance abuse (repeated), assault, DUI, or something of that nature then I could see him dropping a bit.
I don't think the RB position is valued as much as it used to be, but I can't see Gurley dropping out of the top-15.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stealthbirds80
With the direction of the Ravens so far, I can't see Gurley making it to us anyways. I feel that a skill player needs to be taken in the 1st rd next year however. RB, WR, or TE if there is one worth it at the spot that we pick.
If David Funchess drops, I'd love to see him as a Raven. He's a WR/TE tweener. I think he'd be a great fit in Kubiak's offense.
Outside of that, I'd prefer they go corner. You can never have enough good corners and I'm not sure Webb or Jackson are with the team next year.
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wickedsolo
If David Funchess drops, I'd love to see him as a Raven. He's a WR/TE tweener. I think he'd be a great fit in Kubiak's offense.
Outside of that, I'd prefer they go corner. You can never have enough good corners and I'm not sure Webb or Jackson are with the team next year.
I think Devin Funchess is a nice player, but the fact that he's a tweener works against him as much as it works for him. He's not a Gronkowski type of TE who can play anywhere on the field, because DEs and LBs are going to eat him for breakfast in any kind of blocking scenario. I like Clive Walford a lot and he could be had in the middle rounds. Nick O'Leary is also a very good scheme fit and is a nearly identical player to Pitta in a lot of ways. Speaking of him, this is all obviously up in the air depending on what develops with Pitta between now and the springtime. It's probably 60/40 at least that his career is over, but maybe not.
I would rank our top needs right now as CB, WR, and TE, probably in that order. I do think they should strongly consider a CB in the first. My dream draft would probably be: 1) Ifo Ekpre-Olomu 2) Rashad Greene 3) Nick O'Leary
Re: Wicked's Way Too Early 2015 Mock Up
Solo - How do you have us drafting @ 29? You really expect us to go deep in the POs? I don't. If we make it in we're probably one and done, maybe 1 win.
That's puts us between 20-22 in draft order. I think?
But I love the sound of the DB you mentioned.
