Alex Duplessis’ 2015 NFL Mock Draft
By Staff Writer Alex Duplessis
With the 2015 NFL Draft mere hours away, football fans nationwide are chomping at the bit over where the college football’s stars will be playing next year. Rumors and speculation are abound as we count down to 5 p.m. PST, when the Buccaneers are put on the clock in Chicago. The allure of the draft is that nobody is quite sure how it will pan out, but that won’t stop us from taking a crack at the puzzle. Here is how I think it will all go down tonight.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Despite the off-the-field question marks, I think Jameis is the safe pick here for the Bucs. He should make an easy transition coming from a pro-style offense at Florida State. Picking the Seminole phenom here gives head coach Lovie Smith something he has never had as a head coach—a proven winner at QB. 2. Tennessee Titans - Leonard Williams, DL, USC Ranked by most as the top player in the draft, I see no reason why the Titans would pass on the dominant defensive lineman out of USC. There has been a lot of speculation about the Titans trading down from two, but I just don’t think there’s a team with that has the firepower AND the bravery to attempt an RGII-esque trade. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Dante Fowler Jr., LB, Florida The Jaguars could go in a number of directions with the 3rd overall pick, but selecting the athletic pass rusher out of Florida makes the most sense here. Nabbing a pro-bowl caliber pass rusher would help Gus Bradley’s team chase down Andrew Luck’s Colts at the top of the division. 4. Oakland Raiders - Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama It’s no secret the Raiders are in need of a receiver, and with Cooper they’d be getting the closest thing to a surefire pick at the position in this years draft. While there are receivers who may have a higher ceiling than the Cooper, I think the Alabama star has the highest floor and should make an early impact and be a difference maker for Derek Carr for years to come. 5. Washington Redskins - Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon Fifth overall is the sweet spot for the draft’s most polarizing player. Mocks everywhere have Mariota’s name linked to any number of teams, and if somebody wants to trade up for the Heisman winner I think trading up to five makes sense because 1) teams will have to leapfrog the QB-needy Jets if they want a sure shot at him, and 2) Washington could use some extra draft picks after the RGIII trade left their roster devoid of depth. The Redskins could very well keep the pick and select Mariota—and I could see it happen because Mariota’s skill set fits nicely with Jay Gruden’s west coast scheme. 6. New York Jets - Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson With Mariota off the board, it makes sense for the Jets to fill a position of need and take Beasley here. Adding a dangerous pass rusher to an already stout defense would help Todd Bowles bring his aggressive defensive brand of football with him from Arizona to The Big Apple. 7. Chicago Bears - Danny Shelton, DT, Washington The Bears’ defense has been abysmal over the past couple years, and a big reason why is because they’ve given up an astounding 137 yards per game on the ground over that time. Bringing in Danny Shelton would help John Fox’s defense clog up the middle in a division full of bruising running backs (Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy, Joique Bell).
8. Atlanta Falcons - Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia Atlanta shocks the football world and takes who I consider the best offensive player in the draft. The Falcons have a definite need for a difference maker at running back—something Matt Ryan and Co. haven’t had since Michael Turner’s play declined in 2012. People will question spending such a high pick on a player who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, but Dan Quinn understands how valuable having a punishing workhorse back can be from his time in Seattle. 9. New York Giants - Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa, Tom Coughlin’s Giants love taking lineman early in the draft, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t do so again this year with Scherff. Whether he plays guard or tackle, the Iowa big man should help the Giants' run game take pressure off Eli Manning. 10. St. Louis Rams - Shane Ray, DE, Missouri Despite the recent legal trouble, I see the Rams going with one of the draft’s top edge rushers. The organization is likely to move on from Chris Long after this season (because he hasn’t played up to his salary in years), so it would make sense to bring in the Missouri native and have him come in to a low pressure situation and mature for a year. Jeff Fiscer’s Rams could grab a top receiver here, but they’ve tried that before—and it hasn’t really paid off. 11. Minnesota Vikings - Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State Minnesota has been searching for a shutdown corner, and with Waynes, that’s exactly what they’ll get. Technically sound and athletically gifted, I don’t see a scenario where they pass on him should he fall out of the top 10. 12. Cleveland Browns - Kevin White, WR, West Virginia Cleveland is in desperate need of a playmaker. Drafting White gives the Browns the drafts most athletically gifted receiver, and should give them a number-one pass catcher who can consistently stretch the field and keep defenses honest. 13. New Orleans Saints - Jalen Collins, CB, LSU The Saints snag another rangy cornerback who they hope matches up well with the bevy of big-bodied receivers in the NFC South. Collins has the instincts and athleticism that should allow him to make an early impact for a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed last season. 14. Miami Dolphins - DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville Ryan Tannehill finally gets the difference maker on the outside that he has so desperately needed. Dolphins fill a glaring hole on offense with Parker who should pair nicely with Jarvis Landry. 15. San Francisco - Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon Longtime franchise cornerstone Justin Smith could be gone, so the 49ers look to the gargantuan defensive tackle out of Oregon to help shore up the middle of that defensive line. Though Armstead projects as a 5-technique for a 3-4 defense, the former Duck has the physical gifts to play in a number of spots in Jim Tomsula’s new 4-3 scheme. 16. Houston Texans - Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford Houston managed a respectable nine-win season last year despite enduring a carousel at QB. If they want to avoid a similar fate, they will look to Stanford’s Andrus Peat. The two-year starter for the Cardinal should be ready to step in right away for the Texans. 17. San Diego - Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin The injury bug hit the Chargers running back rotation hard last season en route to the team finishing 30th overall in total rushing. At pick number 17, San Diego takes some pressure off Phillip Rivers and selects the durable Badger running back who terrorized college defenses week-in and week-out last season to a tune of over 2,500 yards and 29 TDs.
18. Kansas City Chiefs - Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State The Chiefs’ receiving core was historically bad last season, failing to haul in a single touchdown pass all year. Jeremy Maclin rejoined his former head coach in Kansas City this offseason, but the Chiefs still need to bring in another receiving threat to help Alex Smith keep the chains moving at Arrowhead. Strong is a big-bodied receiver will not only make tough catches in traffic, but also one who can work in unison with Maclin to keep defenses from loading the box to stop Jamaal Charles. 19. Cleveland Browns - Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas Brown finds a new home with the Browns, who are in need of a defensive tackle after finishing dead last in rushing yards allowed per game last season. The former Longhorn has the versatility and instincts to play multiple positions along Mike Pettine’s defensive line, which making him a great fit in Cleveland. 20. Philadelphia Eagles – Byron Jones, DB, UConn It’s no secret that Chip Kelly’s Eagles covet Marcus Mariota, his former quarterback at the University of Oregon. But if the Eagles are unable to work out a blockbuster deal that allows them land the Duck, expect them to go after Jones out of UConn. Jones is one of the draft’s fastest risers after stellar showings at both the NFL Combine and his pro day (which Chip Kelly was in attendance for). Jones is an intriguing physical specimen who the Eagles can plug in at corner or safety, and who should help Philadelphia improve its 31st-ranked pass defense from last season. 21. Cincinnati Bengals - T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh Cincinnati already boasts one of the league’s most talented rosters, but one area of concern heading into this season is offensive tackle. With both Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith due to become unrestricted free agents after next season, the Bengals should look to add depth at the position with T.J Clemmings. The former Panther is a fluid athlete at the position, and if they take him here he can develop for a year behind an elite veteran in Whitworth. 22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State Casey Hampton, the longtime anchor of Pittsburgh’s stout D-line, is gone. The Steelers find themselves in need of a nose tackle who can clog the middle. A good fit schematically, Goldman should be able to step in nicely. 23. Detroit Lions - Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forrest To win the NFC North, Detroit needs corners on the outside who can take away (or even just slow down) Green Bay’s weapons on the perimeter. Kevin Johnson showed significant improvement in coverage last season, and would fill a position of need for the Lions.
24. Arizona Cardinals - Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska Bruce Arians is no stranger to taking a chance on a player with some off-the-field concerns. Arizona takes a chance and grabs who many consider to be the best pass rusher in the draft. An ultra-talented athlete, Gregory can come in and help Arizona keep tabs on Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick. 25. Carolina Panthers - Marcus Peters, CB, Washington Selecting Peters out of Washington gives the Panthers some help shutting down the premier wide receivers that play in the division. Riverboat Ron will be grinning from ear-to-ear if the former Husky can fill that role for his Panthers. 26. Baltimore Ravens – Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma After letting Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones walk, the Ravens desperately need a pass catcher for Joe Flacco. Green-Beckham’s freakish athleticism will prove too much for Baltimore to pass on. 27. Dallas Cowboys - Michael Bennett, DE, Ohio State Jerry Jones has been vocal about using this draft to bolster a defense that showed some improvement last season. Picking Bennett may come as a surprise to some, but Jones has never been one to shy away from bold draft day moves. Bennett fits what Dallas likes to do scheme-wise, and his high motor should help him make an immediate impact. 28. Denver Broncos - Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma With Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton gone, the Broncos fill the massive void with the nose tackle out of Oklahoma. The younger Phillips should be a great fit in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme. 29. Indianapolis Colts - Landon Collins, S, Alabama The departure of LaRon Landry and Sergio Brown leave Indy with holes in their secondary. Colts’ GM Ryan Grigson is supposedly high on Collins, so expect him to grab the Alabama safety is he is available. 30. Green Bay Packers - Benardrick McKinney, MLB, Mississippi State Green Bay is in the market for an inside linebacker with A.J. Hawk gone. A highly productive player in the SEC, McKinney fits with what the Packers like to do defensively, and should be an above average player for years to come. 31. New Orleans Saints - Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky Dupree’s stats may not pop out at you, but he’s a highly athletic, high-motor guy who’s been another one of this offseason’s fastest risers after dominating the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. New Orleans would be wise to bolster their defense with who might end up developing into the most dangerous pass rusher to come out of this year’s draft. 32. New England Patriots - Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State, New England The loss of Revis and Browner leaves the Patriot’s secondary without its top corners from last season, making it a clear position of need. Darby has the ability to come in and start early for New England.
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