WE’VE BEEN THROUGH the song and dance that is the NFL Combine and self-promotion exercises that make up pro-days but now, for 32 top college prospects, the best — or perhaps worst if they’re drafted by certain teams — night of their young career is about to take place.
Tonight (1am Irish time), in Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, the 2015 National Football League Player Selection Meeting – known to everyone as the NFL Draft – gets under way and months of fevered speculation will come to an end.
Though we don’t possess a crystal ball in the The42 Towers, here is how we would like to see tonight’s first round working out.
This mock doesn’t contain any trades, but we will mention certain picks where we think trades could/probably will happen.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
There is no question over Winston’s talent on the field. He has the best arm since Andrew Luck and already possesses all the attributes — size, vision, pocket instinct — a 2-14 team could want in the new face of their franchise.
He has a habit of throwing interceptions but that comes down to two things. Sometimes it’s a slow release that can be worked out with the right coaching. The second is because he believed he was better than every defence he faced in college and tried to squeeze the football into impossible gaps.
Winston will learn very quickly that just won’t cut it in the NFL. The off-the-field issues are a concern. They always are and anyone who downplays them only has to look here to see just what it can lead to. Winston is a lock for this position but whether he’ll be in the starting job in three years time remains to be seen.
2. Tennessee Titans — Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The only thing we can be certain of right now is that Mariota’s will be the second name announced on the night. Whether he goes to the Chargers, Browns, Eagles or Titans, however, remains to be seen.
If I’m the Tennessee GM, only the Chargers — with Philip Rivers and their first round pick — would tempt me out of Mariota but, lets face it, the Titans wouldn’t be in this position if they’d managed their drafts properly over the last few years so anything could happen.
Mariota is criticised for not having the cannon arm of Winston but the scheme he worked in college required lots of short quick passes and when he was asked to go deep, he did. He’s also incredibly secure with the football (just 14 career interceptions) something he probably hasn’t been given enough credit for.
Whoever drafts the former Duck is putting their franchise in safe hands.
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
They should be drafting on defence but Cooper is a brilliant fit for Greg Olson’s offence and has the most potential of any receiver in this year’s Draft and one who has the ability to become the cornerstone of a much-maligned franchise in the same way Calvin Johnson has in Detroit.
The Jags are notoriously difficult to predict under GM Dave Caldwell and could well take Dante Fowler Jr or Leonard Williams here but Jacksonville are in the enviable position that they can’t really miss with this pick whoever they choose.
4. Oakland Raiders — Leonard Williams, DT, USC
There are more holes on the Raiders roster than JaMarcus Russell’s had hot dinners but Willliams, for my money the best overall player in the Draft, falling to them at four is the kind of luck a franchise that has been as consistently awful at drafting as Oakland probably doesn’t deserve.
However, Jack Del Rio as a defensive head coach and former USC trojan will be only too happy to keep this California boy on home turf and fill the gap at wide receiver at the top of the second round.
5. Washington — Dante Fowler Jr, DE/OLB, Florida
AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
There’s a chance the Falcons trade up from eight to get the best edge rusher in this year’s Draft class but Washington have similar needs and if Folwer Jr. doesn’t go to the Jags, then this will almost certainly be his new home.
The fact the former Florida player can play at defensive end or outside linebacker gives new defensive co-ordinator Joe Barry a lot of options as he possesses the perfect combination of speed and explosiveness.
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6. New York Jets — Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
The Jets hate this position and are really hoping to trade out of it so they can take a running back without having to do so in the top 10. The problem for Gang Green is that anyone looking to move up is hoping to get into the top five.
There’s every chance the Jets could draft a wide receiver here but the smarter pick — if they can’t get out — is to take the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Year last season in Peat. It’s not a sexy pick at all, but the O-Line in New York could always do with help.
7. Chicago Bears — Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Eric Gay / AP/Press Association Images
Eric Gay / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images
White is a very good receiver and certainly fills a gaping hole on the Bears offence now that Brandon Marshall has left Chicago. The problem for White is that a) he’s not Cooper and b) all of the love for him comes from just one good season in college.
There are issues with route-running and the ability to separate himself from defenders too but with his height, weight and speed combination, White becomes a legitimate red zone threat and could well be a fantasy football stud from week one.
8. Atlanta Falcons — Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
While I’m fairly confident that Fowler and Beasley go five and eight respectively, as I mentioned above, there’s every chance Washington and Atlanta swap positions to draft them.
Beasley is an odd one in that he’s one of the most natural pass rushers in this year’s draft class but can appear to lack strength and doesn’t use his hands as well as he could at the point of contact.
However, he is versatile and could easily be moved all over the defensive formation and asked to make pure athletic plays rather than the Falcons relying on him as just an outside linebacker.
9. New York Giants — Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
Charlie Neibergall / AP/Press Association Images
Charlie Neibergall / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images
The Giants have been fairly open that Scherff is their man for a while now and any other pick at this point would be a big surprise.
Big Blue will hope to use the former tackle as a guard in much the same way the Cowboys moved Zack Martin from outside to inside.
A beast in the run game, if Scherff stays injury free he’s going to stay around the NFL for a long time.
10. St. Louis Rams — Ereck Flowers, OG, Miami
Like the Jets, I don’t think the Rams love having to pick in the top ten so will be looking for a trade tonight.
With Peat and Scherff already off the board, if they can’t move out of this spot they will look to continue to improve an offensive line they bolstered with the addition of Greg Robinson with the second overall pick last year.
And, briefly, how the rest of the first round could go:
With the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, The42 selects...
Updated at 8.35pm
WE’VE BEEN THROUGH the song and dance that is the NFL Combine and self-promotion exercises that make up pro-days but now, for 32 top college prospects, the best — or perhaps worst if they’re drafted by certain teams — night of their young career is about to take place.
Tonight (1am Irish time), in Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, the 2015 National Football League Player Selection Meeting – known to everyone as the NFL Draft – gets under way and months of fevered speculation will come to an end.
Though we don’t possess a crystal ball in the The42 Towers, here is how we would like to see tonight’s first round working out.
This mock doesn’t contain any trades, but we will mention certain picks where we think trades could/probably will happen.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
There is no question over Winston’s talent on the field. He has the best arm since Andrew Luck and already possesses all the attributes — size, vision, pocket instinct — a 2-14 team could want in the new face of their franchise.
He has a habit of throwing interceptions but that comes down to two things. Sometimes it’s a slow release that can be worked out with the right coaching. The second is because he believed he was better than every defence he faced in college and tried to squeeze the football into impossible gaps.
Winston will learn very quickly that just won’t cut it in the NFL. The off-the-field issues are a concern. They always are and anyone who downplays them only has to look here to see just what it can lead to. Winston is a lock for this position but whether he’ll be in the starting job in three years time remains to be seen.
2. Tennessee Titans — Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The only thing we can be certain of right now is that Mariota’s will be the second name announced on the night. Whether he goes to the Chargers, Browns, Eagles or Titans, however, remains to be seen.
If I’m the Tennessee GM, only the Chargers — with Philip Rivers and their first round pick — would tempt me out of Mariota but, lets face it, the Titans wouldn’t be in this position if they’d managed their drafts properly over the last few years so anything could happen.
Mariota is criticised for not having the cannon arm of Winston but the scheme he worked in college required lots of short quick passes and when he was asked to go deep, he did. He’s also incredibly secure with the football (just 14 career interceptions) something he probably hasn’t been given enough credit for.
Whoever drafts the former Duck is putting their franchise in safe hands.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars — Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
They should be drafting on defence but Cooper is a brilliant fit for Greg Olson’s offence and has the most potential of any receiver in this year’s Draft and one who has the ability to become the cornerstone of a much-maligned franchise in the same way Calvin Johnson has in Detroit.
The Jags are notoriously difficult to predict under GM Dave Caldwell and could well take Dante Fowler Jr or Leonard Williams here but Jacksonville are in the enviable position that they can’t really miss with this pick whoever they choose.
4. Oakland Raiders — Leonard Williams, DT, USC
There are more holes on the Raiders roster than JaMarcus Russell’s had hot dinners but Willliams, for my money the best overall player in the Draft, falling to them at four is the kind of luck a franchise that has been as consistently awful at drafting as Oakland probably doesn’t deserve.
However, Jack Del Rio as a defensive head coach and former USC trojan will be only too happy to keep this California boy on home turf and fill the gap at wide receiver at the top of the second round.
5. Washington — Dante Fowler Jr, DE/OLB, Florida
There’s a chance the Falcons trade up from eight to get the best edge rusher in this year’s Draft class but Washington have similar needs and if Folwer Jr. doesn’t go to the Jags, then this will almost certainly be his new home.
The fact the former Florida player can play at defensive end or outside linebacker gives new defensive co-ordinator Joe Barry a lot of options as he possesses the perfect combination of speed and explosiveness.
6. New York Jets — Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
The Jets hate this position and are really hoping to trade out of it so they can take a running back without having to do so in the top 10. The problem for Gang Green is that anyone looking to move up is hoping to get into the top five.
There’s every chance the Jets could draft a wide receiver here but the smarter pick — if they can’t get out — is to take the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Year last season in Peat. It’s not a sexy pick at all, but the O-Line in New York could always do with help.
7. Chicago Bears — Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
White is a very good receiver and certainly fills a gaping hole on the Bears offence now that Brandon Marshall has left Chicago. The problem for White is that a) he’s not Cooper and b) all of the love for him comes from just one good season in college.
There are issues with route-running and the ability to separate himself from defenders too but with his height, weight and speed combination, White becomes a legitimate red zone threat and could well be a fantasy football stud from week one.
8. Atlanta Falcons — Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
While I’m fairly confident that Fowler and Beasley go five and eight respectively, as I mentioned above, there’s every chance Washington and Atlanta swap positions to draft them.
Beasley is an odd one in that he’s one of the most natural pass rushers in this year’s draft class but can appear to lack strength and doesn’t use his hands as well as he could at the point of contact.
However, he is versatile and could easily be moved all over the defensive formation and asked to make pure athletic plays rather than the Falcons relying on him as just an outside linebacker.
9. New York Giants — Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
The Giants have been fairly open that Scherff is their man for a while now and any other pick at this point would be a big surprise.
Big Blue will hope to use the former tackle as a guard in much the same way the Cowboys moved Zack Martin from outside to inside.
A beast in the run game, if Scherff stays injury free he’s going to stay around the NFL for a long time.
10. St. Louis Rams — Ereck Flowers, OG, Miami
Like the Jets, I don’t think the Rams love having to pick in the top ten so will be looking for a trade tonight.
With Peat and Scherff already off the board, if they can’t move out of this spot they will look to continue to improve an offensive line they bolstered with the addition of Greg Robinson with the second overall pick last year.
And, briefly, how the rest of the first round could go:
11. Minnesota Vikings — DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12. Cleveland Browns — Danny Shelton, NT, Washington
13. New Orleans Saints — Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
14. Miami Dolphins — Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
15. San Francisco 49ers — Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
16. Houston Texans — Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
17. San Diego Chargers — Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
18. Kansas City Chiefs — Cameron Erving C, Florida State
19. Cleveland Browns — Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
20. Philadelphia Eagles — Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21. Cincinnati Bengals — Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22. Pittsburgh Steelers — Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
23. Detroit Lions — Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
24. Arizona Cardinals — DJ Humphries, OT, Florida
25. Carolina Panthers — La’el Collins, OT, LSU
26. Baltimore Ravens — Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
27. Dallas Cowboys — Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
28. Denver Broncos — Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon
29. Indianapolis Colts — TJ Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
30. Green Bay Packers — Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
31. New Orleans Saints — Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami
32. New England Patriots — Damaroius Randall, FS, Arizona State
That’s what we think, what about you? Who would you like to see your team drafting tonight?
Originally published at 8.53am.
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