An early look at the NFL Draft – Bob McGinn

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An early look at the NFL Draft
Dec. 6, 2014

Here is a look at how the National Football League draft of 2015 is shaping up based on interviews with six executives in personnel over the last 10 days. Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to declare for the draft.
RECEIVERS

Mix five juniors with half a dozen solid seniors and it looks to be another stellar year for wide receivers.

One scout said wide receiver and tackle were the two best positions. “There are four juniors that kind of make this class,” another scout said. “History says that four or five will be in the first round.”

Alabama junior Amari Cooper (6-1, 210) was a unanimous choice as the top wideout. “He’s a top-10 player,” said one scout. “Excellent hands. Very explosive and fast. One of the better route runners to come out in a long, long time. Very skilled. Had big-time production. Only thing that’s starting to creep up on him is a few injuries.”

Two big seniors, West Virginia’s Kevin White (6-3, 211) and Louisville’s DeVante Parker (6-2½, 207), figure to be drafted next.

Of White, one scout said: “He’s more of a (Larry) Fitzgerald type receiver in that he doesn’t have great speed. I never see him beat people deep. But (if) he is even with them he’s going to get the ball. Very good player.”

Of Parker, the same scout said: “He’s got size, speed and was dominating at the end of the season. He looks a little faster than White.”

The other leading juniors with chances to be taken in the first round are two Auburn players, D’haquille Williams (6-2, 216) and Sammie Coates (6-2, 200), and Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong (6-3, 215).

“Coates can go vertical,” one scout said. “He’s definitely going to (run) 4.3. The key will be, does he have consistently strong hands?

“Strong plays big.”

Williams was compared by scouts to Chicago’s Alshon Jeffery and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans. “Big, long, physical,” said one scout. “He can run a little bit. JUCO kid. Just been a one-year deal there.”

Junior Dorial Green-Beckham (6-5, 222) was thrown out of Missouri and transferred to Oklahoma.

“He’s the wild card of all of them,” said one scout. “He’s a first-round talent, no question. Is there a team that will take a chance on him there?”

It’s a weak year at tight end. Michigan’s Devin Funchess (6-4½, 235), a junior, played wide receiver this season but spent much of 2013 at tight end.

“He’s not unlike Jared Cook, who’s with the Rams,” one scout said. “Pretty talented kid. Will he be your split-out tight end-H-back or a bigger wideout? I lean more toward the mismatch at tight end. He’s going to be kind of a hybrid player.”

Jordan Aikens (6-3, 240), a junior from Central Florida who played 3½ years of minor-league baseball before joining UCF this fall, has excellent speed. Senior Nick O’Leary (6-3, 235) of Florida State is Jack Nicklaus’ grandson.

According to one scout, Ohio State’s Jeff Heuerman (6-5, 250) might be the most complete tight end.
OFFENSIVE LINE

“It is a very deep draft for tackles if all the juniors come out,” one scout said. “It’s not a great group inside but a lot of these tackles can be guards as well. Depends where you play guys.”

Most often mentioned as the No. 1 tackle was Cedric Ogbuehi (6-5, 304) of Texas A&M. He played right tackle last year when Falcons rookie Jake Matthews was at left tackle before moving to the left side this year. One scout said Ogbuehi was playing as well as former linemates Matthews (No. 6 pick, 2014) and Luke Joeckel (No. 2 pick, ’13).

“But he’s soft,” said one scout. “Never practices.”

The next senior is Iowa’s Brandon Scherff (6-4½, 320).

“Not unlike (Bryan) Bulaga,” one scout said. “Little short-armed. Kind of like a Sam Baker kind of tackle with the Falcons but he could be a really good guard.”

Louisiana State’s La’el Collins (6-4½, 324), Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings (6-4½, 313) and Florida State’s Cameron Erving (6-5, 305) are the next seniors.

“Collins is a lot like Scherff,” said one scout. “He was a guard early in his career. Right now Erving is playing center but he’s been a left tackle his whole career. Very versatile.”

Based on recent draft history, the majority of juniors with a legitimate chance for the first round declare. Stanford’s Andrus Peat (6-6½, 310) might be the exception even though four scouts said he’d be the first tackle taken.

Peat’s father, Todd, played six NFL seasons as a squatty guard for the Cardinals and Raiders.

“He’s got everything,” one scout said. “Size, the bend, the feet, the tenacity.”

Besides Peat, the other top juniors being looked at by teams are Miami’s Ereck Flowers (6-5, 324), Florida’s J.J. Humphries (6-5, 295), Baylor’s Spencer Drango (6-5, 315), Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi (6-5, 320), Ohio State’s Taylor Decker (6-6½, 315) and Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley (6-6, 318).

“Humphries is more of a second-rounder,” one scout said. “Talented kid. He’s like most 20-, 21-years-olds. He needs to get a little bit stronger but he has the athleticism.

“Ifedi is playing left tackle now but he’s more of a guard. He and Flowers are more second-rounders. Decker and Stanley are more mid-rounders.”

South Carolina’s Brandon Shell (6-6, 334), Art Shell’s nephew, didn’t have a good junior season and might last until the fourth round if he declares.

Possibly the best guards are South Carolina’s A.J. Cann (6-4, 315) and Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio (6-5, 326), but there is mixed opinion on Kouandjio. The top centers looks like Auburn’s Reese Dismukes (6-3, 299) and Oregon’s Hroniss Grasu (6-3, 295).

“Cann is square, big, gets movement at the point,” one scout said. “He’ll need a little bit of work in pass pro.

“Dismukes has quickness, good angles and position. I’d like to see him work to finish better, run his feet better.”
QUARTERBACKS

With no senior expected in the first two and possibly three rounds, the four leading underclassmen all are expected to declare.

“This will not be one of your top quarterbacks drafts,” said one scout. “It may be a busted quarterback draft.”

Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (6-4, 215) stands as good a chance as any player to be selected with the first pick even if the team with the choice ends up trading it.

“He’s clearly the best,” said one scout. “He’s perfect for the new breed of football. He knows how to play the spread-option stuff pretty good and he can throw.”

Several scouts compared Mariota to Colin Kaepernick.

“I don’t think of (Andrew) Luck at all,” another scout said. “Luck was born to be an NFL quarterback. Mariota’s probably a more complete player than Colin Kaepernick but more of the athlete type.”

Next is Jameis Winston (6-4, 230), the redshirt sophomore from Florida State who has had all kinds of problems off the field.

“He has an uncanny ability to know what’s around him and get himself out of trouble,” one scout said. “He’s not that impressive on some throws but he’s the reason they’re undefeated.”

Said another scout: “I would be deathly scared to have him. He’s so freaking inaccurate to start games. He’s off the mark more than he’s on. He has arm strength and a good delivery. He’s a nightmare.”

Michigan State’s Connor Cook (6-4, 219) says he plans to return.

“But somebody will get to him and tell him that Jameis Winston will fall in the draft once people continue to do background work on him,” said one scout. “I’d feel much more comfortable taking (Cook) in the second round but the (NFL) coaches are going to love him.

“He’s big and has a strong arm and a quick release and he’s very smart. Just not a very accurate quarterback.”

UCLA’s Brett Hundley (6-3, 225), much like Blake Bortles, needs development. He does have size, arm strength and talent.

“He’s going to be a bust,” one scout said. “He’s one of those guys who seems to lock in right away. His shortcoming is accuracy.”

Oregon State’s Sean Mannion (6-5½, 220) drew the most praise among the seniors. He scored 36 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test.

“More of a third-rounder,” one scout said. “Just lacks arm strength. Good size, good production.”
RUNNING BACKS

Juniors Melvin Gordon (6-1, 215) of Wisconsin and Todd Gurley of Georgia (6-1, 226) were set to compete for top back in the draft honors when Gurley blew out his ACL.

Gordon was called a top-10 pick by one scout, a top 10 to 15 pick by another, a top-15 pick by a third and a second-round selection by a fourth.

“He’s a bigger version of Jamaal Charles,” one scout said. “He’ll run 4.42. He’s really good.”

As for Gordon’s record-setting production, another scout said, “He’s good against those slow-(expletive) Big Ten guys. It (the Big Ten) is terrible. That’s what bothers me a little bit.”

A third scout said the comparison to the Chiefs’ Charles was skewed because Gordon hasn’t proven himself anywhere near as accomplished catching the ball and sorting out the blitz.

“I know he makes a lot of yards but I don’t think he’s special,” the scout said. “I don’t think he runs with good pad level or contact balance. He’s got good straight-line speed. I don’t think his vision is outstanding. He’ll try to be a slasher at times but he goes down pretty easily.”

Gurley wasn’t featured until this season but made a lasting impression before the knee injury.

“He was a top-five talent before the injury,” said one scout. “He’s special. I don’t think he’ll ever run before (the draft) but you don’t need him to because he’s so fast on film. Not a lot of wear and tear on him because they rotate so many backs.”

Alabama junior T.J. Yeldon (6-2, 220) is regarded as another definite first-round choice.

“Different type than (Eddie) Lacy but he could be (better),” one scout said. “He runs hard like Eddie. He has more speed than Eddie.”

Indiana’s Tevin Coleman (6-0, 210), Miami’s Duke Johnson (5-9, 208), Boise State’s Jay Ajayi (6-0, 215) and Florida’s Matt Jones (6-2, 226) are juniors expected to go between the 25th and 60th picks.

Of Johnson, one scout said: “He’s short but productive as hell. He’s explosive, stumpy. He’s a block.”

Of Jones, another scout said: “Second round. Physical runner with enough speed. His best football is ahead of him.”

Perhaps the leading senior is Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah (5-8½, 199). “He’s kind of similar to Giovani Bernard,” said one scout. Another said Abdullah reminded him of LeSean McCoy.
DEFENSIVE LINE

The best defensive tackle is junior Leonard Williams (6-4½, 300) of Southern California.

“Top-five pick,” said one scout. “He was 312 during two-a-days, 300 now. He’ll run in the 4.7s. And he’s a great kid.”

Behind Williams, and with a solid shot at the first round, are defensive tackles Eddie Goldman (6-3, 320) of Florida State, a junior, and Danny Shelton (6-0½, 324) of Washington, a senior.

“Goldman didn’t play much the year before,” said one scout. “Really getting better as the season goes along. Big body.”

Shelton moves as well as B.J. Raji, according to one scout. “True nose tackle,” said another. “When there’s a rare nose tackle like that, they go (high).”

Two Big Ten seniors, Michael Bennett (6-2, 286) of Ohio State and Carl Davis (6-4½, 318) of Iowa, should be gone by the second round.

“I see Bennett being explosive initially,” said one scout. “Strong. Sheds. Three-technique, not a nose….Davis is not just a plugger. Strong.”

Alabama junior Jarran Reed (6-4, 315), a junior-college transfer, is expected to declare and be at least a second-round pick. Oklahoma junior Jordan Phillips (6-5, 305) could be an early second-rounder as well.

Nebraska junior Randy Gregory (6-6, 248) is projected as a top-15 pick by some teams. He might be the first taken from among a cluster of players that could be 4-3 defensive ends or 3-4 outside linebackers.

“Gregory’s the pass rusher,” said one scout. “He’s taller than DeMarcus (Ware) but he’s got some of that sneaky stuff in him.”

One scout said junior Dante Fowler (6-2, 261) of Florida is “quick, athletic, physical. A stud. He’s first round.”

Juniors Shane Ray (6-3, 245) of Missouri and Danielle Hunter (6-6, 240) of LSU won’t be available after the second round. The same might be said for seniors Nate Orchard (6-4, 255) of Utah and Lorenzo Mauldin (6-3½, 241) of Louisville.

“Ray gets off the ball as good as Gregory,” said one scout. “Plays with a lot of effort. I keep hearing Gregory is the best one in this draft but I think he looks lean, thin. I don’t see him holding the edge a lot.”

Junior Mario Edwards (6-3, 294) of Florida State has enough size to play anywhere in any defense.

“Very, very strong upper body,” one scout said. “Plays the run extremely well but also can rush the passer. He goes back end of the first.”

Kentucky senior Alvin Dupree (6-3½, 268) also has a chance for the first round.

“He can be a physical player but he also can be an athlete,” said one scout. “Has played both up and down. As he’s gotten better the defense has gotten better. Great kid. All the intangible stuff.”

Junior Shawn Oakman (6-7½, 275) of Baylor drew mixed reviews. He looks great but doesn’t produce.

“Looks like he’s going to be whoop (expletive) and he just isn’t,” said one scout. “Looks like a pro but he’s got a lot of rawness to his game.”

Junior Shilique Calhoun (6-4, 260) of Michigan State and senior Trey Flowers (6-3½, 269) of Arkansas are 4-3 base ends with pass-rush potential.

“Calhoun should be a guy that plays the run and plays the pass, which is kind of a rarity,” said one scout. “He’s got size, strength, production. He’s got a game that will just continue to get better.”
LINEBACKERS

Mississippi State Benardrick McKinney (6-4, 255), a junior, looks like the top inside prospect if he declares.

“He makes plays,” one scout said. “He’s big. We don’t know if he can run yet. I don’t know if he’s a dinosaur or he’s a new-breed ‘backer.”

Whereas McKinney is regarded as a possible first-round choice, senior Denzel Perryman (5-11, 248) of Miami seems to be a second-round player. One scout said Perryman has gotten too heavy.

“He’s short,” said another. “But he’s got a really good nose for the football.”

UCLA senior Eric Kendricks (5-11½, 229) and Clemson’s Stephone Anthony (6-2½, 238) are in the third-round category. Trey DePriest (6-0½, 258) runs the defense at Alabama.

“The only quality DePriest has is he’s smart and they (Crimson Tide coaches) really like him,” one scout said. “I think he’s slow, short, lacks length.”

Washington junior Shaq Thompson (6-2, 231) leads the group of conventional outside linebackers.

“Really good athlete,” one scout said. “Not great instincts but he’s got a chance. He’s the best athlete on that team. He could be the best running back. He’s just running around being an athlete. First round.”

Clemson’s Vic Beasley (6-3, 227) is a completely different player from Thompson but has a shot for the first round, too.

“He’ll be a rusher,” said one scout. “Beasley is a better football player. He can really run. He understands leverage. They don’t crush him.”

Oklahoma junior Eric Striker (6-0, 218) is a difficult player to evaluate.

“He makes plays but he’s so small,” said one scout. “He’s an outside rusher. I’m just trying to figure out what you do with him. He’s not going to get any bigger but he ends up with a bunch of sacks.”
SECONDARY

“Corner is not a great group overall unless somebody really comes on,” one scout said. “It’s a suspect group. I don’t see one in the first (round) but I’m sure somebody will run well and sneak up there.

“There’s a little bit of depth at safety but there’s nobody right off the top that you just love.”

Michigan State junior Trae Waynes (6-1, 183) was a high school teammate of Melvin Gordon’s at Kenosha Bradford. Assuming Waynes declares, he might join Gordon to give the Red Devils the first player drafted at two positions.

“He’s pretty good,” one scout said. “He’s probably the best one of the bunch. He can press, he can play off, he can go vertical and he’s got length.”

Said another scout: “Really been well-coached. He’s good at press. Kind of a weird built kid. He’s long but he’s kind of thin. At the right place he’ll have a chance to be a player as a press guy. Second round.”

If Mississippi State junior Will Redmond (6-0, 182) declares, he could be next. But there are no indications he will.

“I’d say late first or second round,” said one scout. “He will be more of an off corner. I think he will run in the 4.3s.”

A pair of juniors from Florida State, P.J. Williams (6-0, 195) and Ronald Darby (5-11, 195), figure to go in the second round. Notre Dame senior Cody Riggs (5-9, 190) might as well.

“Williams can’t run but he’s got length,” one scout said. “Darby can run but I don’t like him. I think he plays soft.”

Senior Kevin Johnson (6-0½, 178) is in that second-round territory. “Long, tall, very thin,” said one scout. “Runs OK. Very good technique, awareness, instinct, ball skills. All that good stuff. He’s just lean.”

Senior Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (5-9, 186) of Oregon has made a lot of plays but probably projects as a nickel back.

“He’d be much better playing him in the slot,” said one scout. “Good tackler, good blitzer, around the football. Little stiff. Probably not great top-end speed.”

Senior Marcus Peters (6-0, 198) of Washington is regarded as one of the most talented cornerbacks but also an enormous character risk. He has had several physical altercations with assistant coaches and was kicked off the team Nov. 5.

“He tried to strangle a coach on the sidelines,” one scout said. “Then they let him back on the team and he did it all over again. Try selling that to your head coach.”

Two seniors, Steven Nelson (5-10½, 199) of Oregon State and Senquez Golson (5-9, 185) of Mississippi, figure in the first three rounds. LSU junior Jalen Collins (6-2, 195) has size but might lack speed.

“Collins is very much like P.J. Williams,” one scout said. “Good size but isn’t going to blow your socks off with his speed. Second round.”

If Alabama junior Landon Collins (6-0, 222) declares he probably will be the first safety selected.

“I thought he was better than Green Bay’s guy (Ha Ha Clinton-Dix),” said one scout. “Little better movement. Coming out of there he probably will be (a first-round pick).”

Junior Gerod Holliman (6-0, 201) of Louisville has an incredible total of 14 interceptions.

“He needs to go back to school,” said one scout. “He’s horrible. He can’t make a tackle to save his life. He’s got pretty good instincts but he’s not that athletic.”

Michigan State senior Kurtis Drummond (6-0½, 205) and Samford senior Jaquiski Tartt (6-1½, 223) might be next.

“Drummond is more of an athletic space player than a box safety,” one scout said. “Tartt’s physical and he can run.”

Stanford senior Jordan Richards (5-10½, 209) might fall in the third round. “Tough, try-hard, smart,” said one scout.

West Virginia junior Carl Joseph (5-10, 196) also has redeeming qualities. “Short, but a very good hitter,” said one scout. “He can cover. He’ll make it on special teams right away.”

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