Kevin White & other draft stuff

How does the 2015 NFL draft stack up talent wise? note: this is written from a Miami Dolphins perspective

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/sfl-how-does-the-2015-nfl-draft-stack-up-talent-wise-20150211-story.html

Each NFL draft has a different feel, a divergent strength, a distinct favor.

Some are top heavy with a decent amount of elite prospects (that was the case last year). Some have a good amount of quarterbacks (2004) or receivers (2014), and some have good depth in the later rounds (2013 was pretty solid).

Because I don’t watch college football I’m usually late to the party when it comes to analyzing the talent available in the upcoming NFL draft. I’m knee deep in it now and so far I’ve been pretty disappointed with the 2015 draft class.

It is too early to say how many elite talents this draft features (we need to wait for the combine and pro days), but I can say I don’t see three rookies making the Pro Bowl like last year.

Here’s how the draft stacks up by position in my opinion.

There are two decent starter worthy quarterbacks in Jameis Winston, who clearly has the IT intangible, but a troubling character makeup, and Marcus Mariota, who runs a gimmicky offense, but reminds me a lot of Ryan Tannehill. Outside of those two quarterbacks, who will likely be taken in the first round, there are three more (Brett Hundley, Garrett Grayson, and Bryce Petty) worthy of a day-three selection. The rest is filler.

Tailback is probably the most impressive position in this draft because 10 are projected as talents worthy of being selected in the top three rounds. And another 20 should be drafted, or become priority rookie free agents. Teams in need of cheap labor at tailback should be able to feast….

The receiver position, which is highlighted by Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DaVante Parker and Dorial Green-Beckham is solid. However, anyone expecting Sammy Watkins will be disappointed. They should all be first rounders and solid NFL starters. And then there will be decent options like Sammie Coates, Devin Smith, Jamison Crowder, Phillip Dorsett, Rashad Greene, Breshad Perriman and Justin Hardy who will be available in the later rounds. However, if you’re expecting to get decent receivers in day three (maybe Stefon Diggs) you’ll likely come up empty. Expect a day two run on this position.

This draft also features just two starter worthy tight ends in Minnesota’s Maxx Williams and UM’s Clive Walford, but that likely depends on how you view Devin Funchess, the big receiver from Michigan who is projected as a top 50 talent.

The depth of this draft can be found at offensive tackle (six presently have first-round grades) and pass rushers (nine defensive ends or pass rushing outside linebackers could be taken in the first round). If your team needs one of these – unfortunately neither are priority positions for the Dolphins, but you can never truly have enough – this is the draft for you. I personally like three centers – FSU’s Cameron Erving, Oregon’s Hroniss Grasu and Auburn’s Reese Dismuke – and a couple of guards (A.J. Cann, Tre Jackson, Ali Marpet).

Defensive tackle provides a mixed bag. USC’s Leonard Williams might be the top talent in this draft, and six others – Danny Shelton, Malcom Brown, Jordan Phllips, Eddie Goldman, Carl Davis and Michael Bennett – should be top 50 selections. After that it’s a grab bag of mystery.

Fortunately for the Dolphins this draft features more top shelf inside linebackers than last year’s draft. Eric Kendricks (a safe first-round pick), Benardrick McKinney, Denzel Perryman, Paul Dawson (my favorite in the batch, but I’m told he’s pretty small), Taiwan Jones (top day three target), Stephone Anthony, Ramik Wilson, Ben Heeney, Mike Hull and Hayes Pullard should all be drafted, and could all eventually become NFL starters at inside linebacker.

Teams in need of cornerback and safety are going to have to dig deep, and might need to lean on free agency because this crop of talent doesn’t blow anyone away. Trae Waynes and Marcus Peters are decent first-round options, and Quinten Rollins has talent, but needs A LOT of work because of his basketball background. FSU’s P.J. Williams has top shelf athleticism, but he’s not as polished as you’d like.

There are seven safeties – Landon Collins (strong safety type projected as a first rounder), Cody Prewitt (liked him a lot at the Senior Bowl), Anthony Harris, Chris Hackett, Jaquiski Tartt, Gerod Holliman and Derron Smith – projected as talents worthy of the draft’s first two days. But safeties usually fall into day three, so most teams will likely wait on them.

Overall, I’ve concluded that the 2015 draft will make free agent defensive tackles, tight ends and cornerbacks wealthy, and teams would benefit from having higher picks more so than more picks.

My advice remains consistent for every draft, and that includes this one.

Find the players you like – so far I like quarterback Jameis Winston, tailbacks Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, David Cobb and Josh Robinson, receivers DeVante Parker, Phillip Dorsett, Jamison Crowder and Stefon Diggs, offensive linemen Cameron Erving, Tre Jackson, Hroniss Grasu, Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet, tight ends Maxx Williams and Clive Wafford, defensive linemen Malcom Brown, Carl Davis, Grady Jarrett, Mario Edwards Jr. and Nate Orchard, linebackers Eric Kendricks, Paul Dawson and Taiwan Jones, cornerbacks Deshazor Everett and Quandre Diggs and safety Cody Prewitt – and draft them.

wv wrote:

One other vital piece of inside information
on Kevin White.

I was scouting him in the foodcourt
on the downtown campus at WVU.
I was behind him in line at Taziki’s
Mediterranean restaurant

http://nutrition.tazikiscafe.com/

and he ordered
the Talapia Fish Feast.

That has to
mean something.

w
v

Good work, wv. Probably doesn’t mean a lot, but every piece of information helps paint a picture.

Could 2015 NFL draft class make dominant rookie receivers the norm?

Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2015/02/12/wide-receiver-class-scouting-combine-kevin-white-amari-cooper-odell-beckham-mike-mayock/23302529/

Last year’s NFL draft produced a bumper crop of wide receivers, a group that produced at an unprecedented level as rookies.

Yet it may not prove an outlier. The class waiting in the wings could provide quite an encore and will offer an early glimpse of its potential when the players strut their speed and hands for team evaluators at next week’s NFL scouting combine.

Receivers seem to be catching on more quickly given the proliferation of pro-style college offenses, seven-on-seven offseason passing camps and fierce competition among themselves. In 2014, offensive rookie of the year Odell Beckham Jr., of the New York Giants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Mike Evans and Carolina Panthers’ Kelvin Benjamin became the first trio of rookies ever to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in one season.

Hall-of-Fame wideout James Lofton trained Evans last year in San Diego at Whitfield Football, which is run by quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr., Lofton cites other factors that enabled Evans, a former high school basketball player, to bloom at a position where rookies have historically struggled with route running and coping with press coverage.

“Offensive coordinators are more flexible, more willing to take chances than 20-25 years ago,” Lofton told USA TODAY Sports. “The rules are tilted toward offense, receivers specifically.”

It helps that spread passing attacks often replace old-school run games, maximizing receivers who separate with quickness or physicality.

“They’re trying to spread the ball and get it more into receivers’ hands,” continued Lofton. “The physical skills — from a 5-9 guy like T.Y. Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts to a 6-5 guy like Mike — there’s no one body type that limits success.”

Despite missing four games with a hamstring injury, Beckham caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards with 12 touchdowns. Evans also caught 12 touchdowns, snaring 68 passes for 1,051 yards. Benjamin finished with 73 catches for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.

This year’s class is headlined by Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper of Alabama, West Virginia’s Kevin White, Louisville’s DeVante Parker, Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong, Oklahoma’s Dorial Green-Beckham, Phillip Dorsett of Miami (Fla.), Ohio State’s Devin Smith and Auburn’s Sammie Coates.

“It’s a tremendous group,” NFL Network chief draft analyst Mike Mayock told USA TODAY Sports. “Their physical traits are comparable to last year’s group.”

The 6-3, 210-pound White, who had 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014, is Mayock’s top receiving prospect. How does he rate next to the Buffalo Bills’ Sammy Watkins (fourth overall), Evans (seventh) and Beckham (12th), the top three wideouts to come off the board last year?

“Kevin White is a gifted kid who would fit right in there with that group,” said Mayock. “This year, White is a top-10 pick.”

A former Giants safety, Mayock now sees the players displaying sophisticated skills it once took several years to develop.

“Start with college and high school football, where everything is pass-first,” Mayock said. “They’re catching 80, 90 balls a year, especially in the Big 12.

“With all these spread offenses, kids are used to being targeted 10-15 times a game.”

And the popularity of back-shoulder throws has emboldened quarterbacks to trust more explosive receivers to win jump balls. Last season’s emphasis on defensive holding also helped enable smaller targets, like Arizona Cardinals third-round speedster John Brown, to get into their patterns and scorch defenders deep.

“The fear of getting beaten up and mugged after 5 yards has gone away,” Mayock said. “So these smaller, quicker receivers can run routes with impunity.”

And with athletic freaks who can pluck it like Beckham — his three-fingered, fallaway TD against the Dallas Cowboys will live forever on highlight reels — the position is rising in terms of importance as a draft day priority.

“When I first made the catch, I didn’t know the magnitude of it,” Beckham said after receiving his rookie of the year hardware during Super Bowl week.

“This is a great class that I came in with. Part of the reason why I wanted to come out was so I could be included in this class of fully loaded, talented guys. I watched pretty much every rookie just to see what they were doing, not to just compare myself, but just because we are all in the same class and will all be remembered.”

Unless the 2015 rookies make this a trend rather than an anomaly.

Rams focused on quality, not quantity

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-focused-on-quality-not-quantity/article_30635fec-71f4-5cb2-aae1-a3184ea708ec.html

The Rams head to their fourth NFL Scouting Combine under coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead with just a handful of draft picks and the realization that quality is more important than quantity this time around.

The bounty of picks that materialized from the “RGIII Trade” in 2012 all have been used. After trading fourth- and sixth-round selections to Tampa Bay for safety Mark Barron last October, the Rams have only five draft picks in 2015.

They are expected to receive another compensatory pick or two when those get awarded at the NFL owners’ meetings next month. Even so, the Rams have to make each pick count in 2015.

“Sometimes I think, especially with a young team, the first couple years you’re feeling it out,” Snead said.

That no longer is the case as Snead and Fisher prepare for their fourth season with the club.

“You’ve got a good feel now for who they are,” Snead said. “What our strengths are. What our weaknesses are. What players’ roles are. So it gets a little, probably, clearer to go, ‘Hey, we’ve got specific needs, let’s go address that.’”

Along those lines, the Rams will pay particular attention to the 15 quarterbacks and 52 offensive linemen scheduled to attend the Combine, which begins Tuesday and concludes Monday in Indianapolis.

Whether you view another quarterback as “competition” or having “options” — as Fisher framed it at different times over the past month-and-a-half — the Rams need some kind of counterpart to Sam Bradford.

On the offensive line, the Rams at a minimum need a guard. But depending on what the Rams decide to do with Scott Wells, and what happens with pending free agent Joe Barksdale, a center and an offensive tackle could be part of the wish list.

On his annual pre-Combine conference call, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock offered some thoughts on both positions.

Mayock, as do many others, feel that Iowa’s Brandon Scherff is the best offensive lineman in the draft. Although Scherff played tackle in college, Mayock thinks his best position in the pros will be guard, likening him to this year’s version of Zack Martin.

Martin went from left tackle at Notre Dame to an All-Pro at right guard as a rookie for Dallas.

“When I look at Brandon Scherff, I see a similar example,” Mayock said. “Now, I see a bigger kid with longer arms, so that lends you to believe he could play outside more easily.

“And I believe he can play outside. However, I think his best position because of his power, his toughness, and his football sense is inside. I think he’s an All-Pro guard.”

That would be ideal for the Rams, who need an upgrade at right guard — at which Davin Joseph started most of last season. Scherff, 6 feet 5, 320 pounds, generally is considered a top 10 prospect, so it’s already debatable if he will be available when the Rams pick at No. 10.

In his first 18 full seasons as a head coach, Fisher didn’t take a single offensive lineman in the first round. It would be two in a row if they took one there this year after picking Auburn’s Greg Robinson No. 2 overall in 2014.

At quarterback, Mayock advises against trading up for the top two quarterbacks — Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston.

“My gut tells me that trying to move up and take one of those quarterbacks is very risky,” Mayock said.

That’s because of questions about Mariota’s ability to adjust to a pro-style offense and Winston’s off-field issues.

That leaves about four other QBs worth considering in what by all accounts is a very thin quarterback class.

“You get to Bryce Petty (Baylor) and Brett Hundley (UCLA), both of whom probably have second-round talent,” Mayock said. “They both have good size, good arm strength.

“Hundley’s a good athlete; Petty’s a pretty good athlete. So there’s a lot to like about both of those kids.”

But by playing in spread offenses in college, they haven’t had to show the qualities needed to thrive as a pocket passer in the NFL.

“They don’t throw with anticipation,” Mayock said. “If the first look isn’t there, both of them are hesitant and indecisive, which leads to sacks and other problems. So you want to say they’re gonna need at least a redshirt year. … But what they really need are live snaps. Not seven-on-seven snaps in practice.”

After those two, there’s Garrett Grayson of Colorado State, Sean Mannion of Oregon State, and really not much else.

At wide receiver, it shapes up as a pretty good class, but not as spectacular as the stellar Class of 2014, of which even Snead said, “I think there’ll be a “30 for 30” (ESPN program) on last year’s class of wide receivers.”

If Kenny Britt goes elsewhere in free agency, the Rams could be in the hunt at wide receiver. Similarly, if Lance Kendricks departs via free agency, the welcome mat could be out at tight end.

It’s considered a very good draft class at running back, and Fisher has drafted one in each of his three previous drafts. Does Fisher go there again, and perhaps cut ties with Isaiah Pead or even Zac Stacy?

So there will be a lot to look at for the Rams in Indianapolis, even with the relatively limited number of picks.

Zooey wrote:

I was over at youtube trying to find out why the coax I threaded through the wall, up through the attic, and out an abandoned chimney was not conducting a signal, when youtube kindly recommended the following video. I have noticed over the years that the board compiles this draft stuff, so I thought I’d bring this one. Hope it’s not a duplicate. Feel free to combine it with other draft stuff. I just didn’t see a thread like that, so here it is.

Youtube didn’t answer my coax problem, though I figured it out all by myself later. I certainly hope the Rams fix their WR problem. (And maybe the only fix they need is a healthy Bradford, but I sure would like a stud WR).

Hook that coax up to this baby URL = http://www.channelmasterstore.com/CM_4228HD_p/cm-4228hd.htm

It’s considered a very good draft class at running back, and Fisher has drafted one in each of his three previous drafts. Does Fisher go there again, and perhaps cut ties with Isaiah Pead or even Zac Stacy?

This is a thought. I have grown to have doubts about Stacy, and I don’t think Mason + Cunningham-on-3rd-downs is enough. I want to see that combo plus another solid, move the chains back.

zn note added via edit–there’s another fat active draft thread here: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/mock-draft-roundup-third-edition-posted-14-hours-ago-myles-simmons/

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Countdown to Combine: St. Louis Rams OG/C

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16175/countdown-to-combine-st-louis-rams-3

A closer look at the areas the St. Louis Rams could address in the draft. We’ll wrap it up today with a look at the interior offensive linemen, which are scheduled to work out Thursday in Indianapolis.

Position of need: Interior offensive line. At minimum, the Rams are going to need at least one new starter on the interior of the line with veteran Davin Joseph set to hit free agency after another rough season. They could also look to replace veteran Scott Wells, who struggled mightily in 2014. And some depth wouldn’t hurt either given the injury history of the only player on the interior with a settled situation moving forward, Rodger Saffold. The Rams gave up a sack on 8.7 percent of drop backs against four or fewer pass-rushers last season, the highest percentage in the NFL. They also allowed pressure (sack or duress) on 33 percent of their drop backs last season, third highest in the NFL.

Three players the Rams could target in the draft:

Cameron Erving, Florida State: One of the most intriguing prospects in the entire class, Erving will remind Rams fans of Barrett Jones in terms of his extensive history of versatility. Erving actually started his career as a defensive tackle before moving to left tackle in 2012 and 2013. He moved to center in 2014 and looked his most comfortable in the middle. At a shade over 6-foot-5, 298 pounds, Erving probably projects best as a center or guard in the NFL but figuring out his fit will be a mission for any team, including the Rams this week. Likewise, they’ll need to do some further medical research on Erving, who sat out in 2010 because of a back injury.

Laken Tomlinson, Duke: Tomlinson was one of the brightest spots of the Senior Bowl and has inched his way toward being one of the better true guards in the draft. A team captain who is a sturdy 6-3, 323 pounds, Tomlinson started all 52 games in his career and comes with no questions about his durability or injury history. Looks to have all the tools to be a dominant run-blocker but scouts wonder why he wasn’t more consistent in that area. That’s a question he’ll have to answer in Indy but if he does that and performs well in the workouts, he could solidify his spot as one of the top guards in the draft and be a potentially appealing option for the Rams.

A.J. Cann, South Carolina: Depending on which position you peg for LSU’s La’el Collins, Cann is generally regarded as the best true guard in the draft. He’s 6’3, 315 pounds and comes with a nearly impeccable record of production and intangibles. Not a mauler, per se, but proved a solid run-blocker with his footwork and understanding of angles. Keep an eye on how he measures and how he fares in the bench press because teams have some questions about his power and size.

note–there’s another fat active draft thread here: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/mock-draft-roundup-third-edition-posted-14-hours-ago-myles-simmons/

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With just five picks, Rams’ evolving draft strategy will have to stay smart

By Howard Balzer
FOX Sports Midwest

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/with-just-five-picks-st-louis-rams-evolving-draft-strategy-will-have-to-stay-smart-022015

INDIANAPOLIS — The Rams find themselves in an unusual place as draft and free-agency preparations ramp up this week at the Scouting Combine in frigid Indianapolis.

The Jeff Fisher and Les Snead era began three years ago with the blockbuster trade of the second overall draft pick to the Washington Redskins, a deal that set the stage for several other moves in three drafts that resulted in the Rams trading 13 picks, acquiring 15 and selecting 28 players.

Combine that with a trade last October to secure safety Mark Barron from Tampa Bay in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, and you could say the Rams have been left barren. St. Louis currently has only five selections in the 2015 draft, which will be held in Chicago.

“I feel like we’re drafting on a diet,” Snead said this week.

While it’s possible that the Rams could receive a late-round compensatory selection or trade down for additional choices, Snead noted that “we have to plan as if we only have five.”

Of the seven draft-day trades the Rams have made since 2012 — including the Redskins deal — the Rams moved down three times and moved up four. Most important, as Snead’s draft strategy has evolved, the belief is that the roster is in much better shape now than it was when he and Fisher were hired after the 2012 season.

“We’ve moved up, we’ve moved back and have done what’s best at the time,” Fisher said. “We have to prepare ourselves for that. But we also have fewer holes than we did in the last couple years.”

Echoed Snead: “We’ve evolved to the point where the glaring needs are probably less and less. The wants are always there. Like a kid in a candy store, you want a lot. The wants will always be there, but we have to use each pick strategically and try to build our football team. The needs become more specific.”

One of the biggest questions as March 10 and the new league year approaches centers on how a smaller number of picks could affect the Rams’ stated goal of potentially drafting a rookie quarterback. Would that be a consideration, especially in the first three rounds, if the choice is between selecting a quarterback or opting for another position that would likely help the team more in the short term?

Snead acknowledged that could “complicate” things, but added: “If it got to the value of the quarterbacks where you think one is there and you think he has a future, that would definitely be the time to take one. It wouldn’t be a waste at all.”

Fisher said Friday that the hiring of Chris Weinke as the team’s new quarterbacks coach was done largely because of his ability to work with young quarterbacks. Of course, that could also include Austin Davis, who will likely be tendered as a restricted free agent. In fact, Davis will be 26 in June, while Sam Bradford doesn’t turn 28 until November. They’re not exactly old-timers.

“We’re going to have a young quarterback,” Fisher said. “I don’t think anyone is better qualified to help develop a young quarterback than (Chris).”

Still, even with fewer holes, there is much to be done with the start of free agency only 17 days away. After all, more holes could be created if right tackle Joe Barksdale, wide receiver Kenny Britt and tight end Lance Kendricks all leave as unrestricted free agents.

Even if that trio is re-signed, Fisher said the Rams could be more active in free agency because of the paucity of draft picks. Before that happens, there will likely have to be several contract restructures with the candidates being Bradford, tackle Jake Long, defensive tackle Kendall Langford, center Scott Wells and defensive end Robert Quinn that create more salary-cap space.

“There’s a chance (for activity),” Fisher said. “You have to look at where your resources are to get better and what are the options. When you have fewer picks, you probably make a few more moves in free agency.”