Way Too Early NFL Mock Draft 2015

I blame Matt Chernoff (@realmattlanta) for this mock draft in January. He had the awful idea that I should put together a top 10 and than take a look back at it in April. Why does this suck?

I've been swamped putting together my NFL Offseason Guide 2015. Free agents, cap space, team outlooks...etc. I have only done about 5% of my normal draft work. I try to watch three to five games for each player in my top 100. That hasn't happened yet.
Matt knows this makes me crazy, being unprepared.

1. Tampa – QB – Marcus Mariota – Oregon - 6'4'' 219lbs The type of athlete and person he is what you build around. Doesn’t make many mistakes with the football displaying his good decision making (three interceptions in 2014, four in 2013). Strong arm that really shows up when he moves to his left or right and fires a strike to the sideline. Does leave some throws out there as the offense features pre-determined throws and lots of two receiver reads. Mariota’s footwork is different as his offense also has a ton of read option play-action.

2. Tennessee – DT – Leonard Williams – Southern Cal – NFL ready body (6'5'' 300lbs) who can command the line of scrimmage in the run game and provide a pass rush from the DT position. (6.5 sacks in 2014)

3. Jacksonville – DE – Randy Gregory - Nebraska – The Jaguars have needs at OT, but have money to spend this offseason in free agency. Gregory would be the highest rated player at this point in the draft. At 6'6'' 245lbs, Gregory is expected to reach 260lbs during this draft process. Very explosive off the edge.

4. Oakland – WR – Amari Cooper - Alabama - I really feel that LT Brandon Scherff from Iowa would be better here. If Cooper runs well in pre-draft workouts I can see this pick happening. But if he doesn't, everyone will go back and look at a player who is incredibly smooth but maybe not overly fast. He's not the biggest guy around. (6'1'' 210lbs)

5. Washington – Shane Ray – OLB – Missouri - Smaller (6’3’’ 245lb) but ultra-explosive athlete who should run very well in pre-draft testing. 14.5 sacks to lead SEC was a school record at a university who turns out pass rushers. I could see Ray or Fowler selected here if Washington continues to stay as a 3-4 defense.

6. New York Jets – Jameis Winston – QB – Florida State - (6'4'' 230lbs) More pro-ready than Marcus Mariota at this point, but decision making is a bit sketchy on and off the field. Reviewed 2014 NC State game and was surprised by the amount of interceptions that the Wolfpack dropped. Winston threw more interceptions than any other quarterback in the power five conferences. A bit of a funky load up and throwing motion, but plenty of arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows.

7. Chicago – Dante Fowler – OLB/DE Florida – 6’3’’ 266 lbs – Versatile defender who moved around the entire Florida defense when reviewing games. Fowler rushed the passer from OLB, LDE and RDE. In some of the Gators schemes, Fowler rushed from the DT position. Bigger than some of the smaller pass rushing options out there.

8. Atlanta – Alvin Bud Dupree – DE – Kentucky - 6’4 270 lbs – 24 career sacks, versatile athlete who played 4-3 DE and outside linebacker for the Wildcats. Dupree has pro size for the NFL and plays with technique. Not the strongest player on tape. 5th all time in the SEC in career sacks for a team that didn't have additional NFL players surrounding him.

9. New York Giants – Landon Collins – S – Alabama (Giants were 29th in total D) / LT Brandon Scherff - Iowa - The Giants are in a tough spot as their defense requires both additional pass rushers and help in the secondary. Collins would be the highest player on the board and would be capable of playing strong and free safety. Has a few issues in coverage but covers ground. Also, Brandon Scherff would be an option here.

10. St. Louis – Dorial Green Beckham – WR – Oklahoma - Kenny Britt is a free agent, and the team has suffered injuries at the position. DGB has his issues in his past, but has kept out of trouble for a year. If he can convince teams he's changed, he's a no-doubt first round talent. At 6'6'' 225, he would provide the size option to compliment Tavon Austin's deep speed.

Ace MacNeill - 5 for '15

5 For ’15: The 5 NFL Draft Prospects to watch this week.

While we’re still more than seven months away from the NFL Draft, it’s never too early to spotlight potential prospects that could go high in the 1st Round. The Five players I’ve chosen have something to prove this week as we get into the conference schedule.

Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor: The Redshirt Junior currently leads the Big 12 in sacks and is currently rated the number ten prospect according to CBSSports.com. In reviewing his highlights from a game a month ago against the hapless SMU Mustangs, he displays good leverage in one-on-one matchups, beating the left tackle off the line. On more than one occasion, he misses on play recognition and Baylor allows a 1st down. When SMU changed to a more athletic Quarterback, Oakman is called to play more a spy role, forcing the QB to run in the middle of the field and not out of the pocket. The most prominent issue I saw in Oakman’s game is his inability to shed blocks while being double-team against a far-inferior O-Line for SMU. He’s got to clean that up this Saturday when Baylor plays host to TCU and their high tempo offense. As far as his alleged off the field issues are concerned, Oakman is not the first DE to have a bad attitude, and he certainly won’t be the last.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: Some have argued Mariota is too nice a guy to play in the NFL, and I’m not going to be one to judge what goes on inside a player, but his post-game presser after the loss to Arizona should be proof Mariota does not like to lose. I see Mariota a bit like Russell Wilson; high level of mobility, but only runs when nothing is open downfield. Watching last week’s performance vs Arizona, I saw a bit of everything from the Heisman hopeful. He was very efficient of a slew of 3rd Down passes. On Oregon first Touchdown drive, Mariota scored on Half-back pass from Royce Freeman giving the Ducks the lead. On a critical 2nd Down in the 3rd Quarter with his team trailing, Mariota was able to find an open receiver in the face of the oncoming rush which later resulted in a Field Goal. Now for the bad news; on the 3rd Downs where he wasn’t efficient, he was not so good. On two key plays in the 2nd and 4th Quarter, Mariota was sacked and fumbled both times resulting in a turnover. In total, he was sacked five times during the game, and at least four of those occasions, Arizona brought a three or four man rush. While he did not throw any interceptions, his turnovers proved costly in the loss. For Mariota to succeed, he has got to maintain ball security while under pressure. This week’s matchup against Number 16 UCLA will be very telling in how Mariota deals with adversity in his final year at Oregon.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: There are not many negative things to say about Amari Cooper, a player that currently rewriting the records books at Alabama has caught at least 8 passes in the team’s first five games. His highlight reel from the matchup against Florida is almost out of a video game; catch ball in stride, big runs after catches, battling for extra, and making it look easy in the process. In one-on-one matchups, the corner or safety in some cases had no shot in coverage. It can be argued his performance was against a porous Florida secondary, and that has shown to be true. Still, Copper displays great ability in route running from go routes to shallow crosses, curls slants, he runs them efficiently. One thing that truly jumped out at me I mentioned earlier was his ability to fight for extra yards. On two of his catches, three Gators were required to bring him down. Cooper should have a field day taking on Arkansas this Saturday Night in Fayetteville.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin: Aside from maybe Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon is the most dynamic running back in all of College Football right now. My review of his performance against Bowling Green from last month might not be indicative of the rest of the season, but it did how dominant a player he can be when he is in the zone. He gained 253 Yards on just 13 carries and 5 Touchdowns; that’s nearly 20 yards per carry and 30 points on the board. Gordon displays good ability running between the tackles. His speed is phenomenal at the point of attack to the second level. Each time Gordon was able to get to the second level, he broke away from the secondary with ease. While he may not to blast through tacklers like Gurley, Gordon’s quick agility makes him a chore to tackle for any defender. One thing that does bug me though about Gordon is measly 38 Yards he gained against Western Illinois in a blowout win. In game against an FCS opponent, one would expect a player like Gordon to at least gain over 100 Yards, but it was not the case that day. A pivotal matchup this Saturday vs Illinois will go a ways toward showing if Gordon is a true Heisman candidate.

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State: The Junior QB with a Rose Bowl title under belt has not had a particularly good year so far through the first five games. Aside from cakewalk performances against Jacksonville State and Eastern Michigan, Cook has struggled against big-time opponents Oregon and Nebraska combining for three touchdowns and three interceptions. In those two games, he’s completing only 53 Percent of his passes. Looking at some of the video from the Nebraska game, Connor turned the ball over within the first minute of the game, largely because Cook decision to throw it into traffic. Through the game, Cook was making the wrong read especially under duress. On two key third downs driving down the field, Cook could not make the completion and extend the drive. Many of his throws were either off-target or into stiff coverage. If Cook wants to play at next level, he has got to work going through his progressions and find the open receiver, plus being able to not panic when he’s being rushed. Finally, Cook has to find consistency if he wants to accomplish any of the Spartans goals this year.

Next week, I’ll look at the 2nd tier Prospects with something prove.

Badass or Bust - Texas A&M's LT Cedric Ogbuehi

In a time where passing offenses are all the rage in NFL, Texas A&M is quickly earning a reputation as "Left Tackle U". Having put Luke Joekel (2nd overall in 2013) and Jake Matthews into the league at the top of the draft (6th overall in 2014), Cedric Ogbuehi is the next man up.

Ogbuehi has been a four-year starter. Playing G as a RS-Fr and Soph, Ogbuehi moved to RT in 2013. The path is similar to that of Matthews in that regard. Now at LT, Ogbuehi has the skills to be an early selection in 2015.

Games Watched: 2013 Alabama - 2014 South Carolina - 2014 Rice.

6'5 305lbs - Can play with power and deliver a strong punch to oncoming rushers. Has very good feet for a big man, as he can pull and reach the edge defender rather easily with his rare athleticism. Displays strength when he gets his hands on a defender. A tough guy to beat with a speed rush as he can quickly go from kick-step to engaging the pass rusher. Not a technician like the previous two A&M LT's, as he plays high at times and allows the defender to get their hands into his power circle. Hand placement needs some work, but has all the skills to be a LT in the NFL.

NFL Draft 2015

I have no issue admitting to an unhealthy obsession with the NFL Draft. While I love College Football Saturdays, I tend to watch knowing that I will end up watching the same games four to five times as I prepare for the draft each year. In case you missed it last year, you can find a link to my draft guide right here:

www.680thefan.com/upload/NFLDraftGuide20141.pdf

Leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, I plan on sharing with you what I'm looking at on a regular basis right here. Last year I didn't like the idea of St. Louis Rams G Greg Robinson being drafted to play LT day one in the NFL. Not to high-five myself (I'll do that from time to time) but I didn't believe that the offense at Auburn coupled with his athleticism made sense at LT. Had I had this space before, I could have shown you what I was seeing. That's what I plan to do now.

Also, the games are beginning to fill our DVR. And that does not make the wife that happy. So here is where you'll get the videos and images of what I'm studying.