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Find this article at:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000479720/article/slam-dunks-10-safest-prospects-in-2015-nfl-draft
Slam dunks: 10 safest prospects in 2015 NFL DraftBy Chase Goodbread
College Football 24/7 writer
Published: March 18, 2015 at 02:35 p.m.
Updated: March 18, 2015 at 02:57 p.m.With March Madness getting underway this week, we’re scouring the field of 2015 NFL Draft prospects to find the group’s top slam dunks — the safest prospects available this year.
» Draft Winds: Rumors connecting prospects to teamsThe “boom or bust” prospects, with lots of potential but with plenty of questions marks, too, can make or break careers for NFL personnel executives. But it’s the safe draft picks, the ones with the fewest flaws, that strong draft classes are built upon. In some cases, the safer prospects hold great high-end potential, as well, but their overriding trait is that they rate no worse than solid in every area, on or off the field.
» 2015 pro days schedule, results and analysisHere is a look at 10 of the safest picks in this year’s draft:
1. DL Leonard Williams, USC
You don’t get to the position of being rated the top overall prospect in the draft unless NFL scouts need a magnifying glass to find any concerns. Williams’ performance at the NFL Scouting Combine confirmed what he showed on the field for the Trojans — that his quickness and agility is remarkable for a 300-pound man. He also has the versatility to play multiple spots on the defensive line, which will help him stay on the field for all three downs. If Williams isn’t ready to make a difference as a rookie, nobody is.
2. WR Amari Cooper, AlabamaCooper comes from a pro-style offense and has experience running every sort of pass route he could be asked to run in the NFL. He has the speed to get open deep downfield, the quickness to make the first tackler miss on screens and shorter throws, and the size and toughness to play in the middle of the field. Cooper also has as soft a pair of hands as there is in the draft. His work ethic and off-field behavior is unquestioned.
3. DL Danny Shelton, Washington
The former Huskies nose tackle might not be a great pass rusher in the pros, but that’s not what the team that drafts him will be expecting, anyway. For what he’ll be asked to do — hold his ground against double teams and control two gaps when single-blocked — NFL scouts have little doubt he will be a quick success. The offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl had more than enough trouble with Shelton, and there are no off-field concerns with the 340-pounder, either.
4. WR Kevin White, West VirginiaNFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has called the wide receiver position as a whole the safest position in the draft, and White is one reason why it’s so safe. He erased any doubt about his straight-line speed with a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine, and he’s a bit bigger than the aforementioned Cooper. When White first hit scouting radars last fall, some wondered why his production as a junior in 2013 was on the light side (35 catches, 507 yards), but as the draft approaches, the Kevin White who proved to be uncoverable in 2014 is the type of player NFL clubs believe they would be getting.
5. CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State
With the fastest combine 40-yard dash among defensive backs (4.31 seconds), Waynes went a long way toward establishing himself as the draft’s top cornerback prospect. He plays a physical style downfield, which could draw pass interference flags, but as his NFL.com scouting report notes, he has a “very high floor.” NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks said of Waynes: “An ideal press corner in the National Football League. At Michigan State in their system, he is lined up nose to nose on wide receivers, does a great job getting his hands on receivers, redirecting and disrupting their releases and making them work. It is a hard day’s work when you deal with Trae Waynes, because he is sound and solid in his coverage.”
2015 NFL DRAFT
(April 30-May 2 on NFL Network)Prospects: By name | Position | School
Mock drafts:
Zierlein 2.0: Seahawks land RB
Brooks 2.0: 2 RBs go in first round
Jeremiah 3.0: Rams move on at QB
Davis 2.0: 5 WRs in first roundProspect rankings:
Mayock’s top 5 by position rankings
Jeremiah’s Top 50 draft prospect rankings
Bucky’s Big Board 2.0: Williams still No. 1
Brooks’ top 5 by position rankingsMore draft coverage:
Tracking 7 prospects’ draft journeys
2015 pro days schedule and results
Draft rumors connecting players, teams
Draft prospects with football fathers
CFB 24/7: Full ‘Path to Draft’ coverage6. OL Brandon Scherff, Iowa
The only question about the Hawkeyes’ massive blocker is whether he’ll be a tackle or guard in the NFL. Regardless of which position he plays, he is as ready to make a rookie impact as any offensive lineman in the draft. Scherff’s work ethic and athleticism are near-legendary at Iowa. NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock sees Scherff starting at guard as a rookie, and had this to say about his all-around performance at the combine: “He checked off all the boxes he needed to check off.”
7. DL Malcom Brown, TexasOther than Williams, there might not be a defensive lineman in the draft more prepared to play all three downs than Brown. He combines size and strength with an ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage and be disruptive. Those skills will serve him well against both the run and pass. Another factor that makes him a safe pick: he’s versatile enough to play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense.
8. LB Eric Kendricks, UCLADurability, instincts, production and character are just four of the areas where the former Bruins star excels. He is UCLA’s all-time leading tackler with nearly 500 career stops, and his leadership ability is second to none. He called the defenses and made pre-snap adjustments for UCLA from the Mike linebacker position. And there are no questions about his desire, either — Kendricks has already performed individual workouts for three NFL teams while rehabilitating a mild hamstring injury.
College Football 24/7 is following seven 2015 draft prospects as they pursue their NFL dreams.
Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Clive Walford, TE, Miami
La’el Collins, OT, LSU
Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Zack Hodges, OLB, Harvard
Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
Nick Marshall, CB, Auburn9. WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
Like Kevin White, the only question on Strong at the combine was how well he would run. He answered that emphatically with a 4.44 clocking in the 40-yard dash. He has an exceptional ability to win battles for the ball in traffic, making contested catches with strong hands and a 6-2, 217-pound frame. One NFL scout has compared him to the New Orleans Saints’ Marques Colston, and Colston is approaching 10,000 career receiving yards in the NFL.
10. G Laken Tomlinson, DukeIt’s hard to find a bad scouting word about Tomlinson, who really turned heads at the Senior Bowl by holding his own against the aforementioned Shelton. He’s not considered a high-end first-round draft pick because of the position he plays — guard simply isn’t a premium position. But the senior has every physical tool to play the position and is considered a player of high character, as well. You want durability? He made 52 career starts at Duke. And when football is over, he plans to go to medical school.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
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Find this article at:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000479835/article/2015-nfl-draft-lance-zierleins-top-10-wide-receivers
2015 NFL Draft: Lance Zierlein’s top 10 wide receiversBy Lance Zierlein
NFL Media draft analyst
Published: March 18, 2015 at 03:00 p.m.
Updated: March 18, 2015 at 03:16 p.m.With the first wave of free agency over, NFL teams are turning more attention to setting their boards in anticipation of the 2015 NFL Draft. With that in mind, College Football 24/7 is releasing Lance Zierlein’s top-10 lists at each position — today it is wide receiver. To view Zierlein’s full scouting report on each prospect in NFL.com’s Draft Tracker, click on the player’s name.
Previous positions: QBs | RBs1. Amari Cooper, Alabama
Zierlein’s bottom line: Won’t dazzle with blazing speed or outrageous size, but is good in both categories. Complete receiver with game-changing ability to win downfield. Has the skill and twitch to be a consistent, high-volume target in the short and intermediate games with the ability to produce against any coverage. Cooper won’t be able to run roughshod over NFL safeties like he did in college, but he should be able to help a passing game improve quickly.
2. Kevin White, West Virginia
Zierlein’s bottom line: He’s not just a product of West Virginia’s system — he’s talented. White showed off 23 reps on the bench press and a blazing 4.35 40 at the combine, proving he has the top-end speed to go with the size and strength. White came into West Virginia with very limited confidence, according to team insiders, but when he left, he had realized his rare talent. White lacks the polish of Amari Cooper, but some teams already believe he has the best upside of any wide receiver in this draft.
3. DeVante Parker, LouisvilleZierlein’s bottom line: Parker does his best work when the ball is in the air. He uses his height and wingspan to consistently snatch anything that comes his way. Parker isn’t going to overpower cornerbacks and he will have more contested catches than most explosive wideouts. He consistently posted eye-popping yards-per-catch numbers during his time at Louisville and showed off solid athleticism at the combine. Parker has the potential to be a legitimate lead receiver for a West Coast offense.
4. Breshad Perriman, Central FloridaZierlein’s bottom line: Rare combination of size, top-end speed and suddenness that can be found in some of the best receivers in the game. His routes are sloppy and a work in progress, but his hands keep him out of the top tier of receivers. His drops will drive teams crazy, but his physical traits and ability to hit the big play should warrant early-round consideration.
Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
Zierlein’s bottom line: Individual elements of Strong’s game aren’t awe-inspiring, but scouts really love the entirety of his game and where it is headed. His strength, size and ability to catch contested throws will be coveted by some, but his issues with separation quickness can only be solved if he becomes much better in his route-running. Strong looks the part of a physical, possession receiver with a relatively high floor.
6. Phillip Dorsett, MiamiZierlein’s bottom line: Dorsett is an ascending prospect who has averaged more than 25 yards per catch since 2012. He can challenge teams vertically inside or outside and he has home-run potential after the catch as a slot receiver. With smaller wide receivers like T.Y. Hilton and Antonio Brown proving that small and fast can win in the NFL, Dorsett should be coveted by more than one team and has the potential to turn into a star in the NFL.
7. Dorial Green-Beckham, ex-Missouri
Zierlein’s bottom line: Long-strider with vertical ability to change a game and the catch radius and body control to make the difficult look easy. However, Green-Beckham struggles against physical cornerbacks, and is raw as a route runner with poor instincts when it comes to getting open. It’s easy to bet on the traits when a receiver has high football character and is a willing worker, but teams could pass on the traits early in the draft due to his perceived lack of work ethic and overall character.
8. Devin Smith, Ohio StateZierlein’s bottom line: Smith isn’t just combine-fast, he’s game-fast and he would have had more than 12 touchdown catches during the 2014 season if he didn’t have to slow down and wait on throws so often. Smith has the feet and hips to become much more than a deep-ball specialist and should be able to step right into a gunner spot on special teams. He still needs to learn his craft and improve his hands, but he has rare speed to score from anywhere on the field.
9. Sammie Coates, Auburn
Zierlein’s bottom line: Big, fast and raw. Vertical wide receiver with the ability to hit big plays and have dominant games. Coates must be coached to trust his quarterback and run through his deep routes in order to reach his potential. He has early-round traits and late-round receiving skills right now, but the upside will be hard to pass on and could pay off in a big way. He will be tethered to the JUGS machine in rookie camp.
10. Rashad Greene, Florida StateZierlein’s bottom line: Very productive in big games and at big times. Greene has the athleticism and quicks to get open and has a natural smoothness in his routes. He might get pigeon-holed into a slot position, but that might not be a bad thing. Greene needs more route polish but should be able to compete for snaps right away.
Follow Lance Zierlen on Twitter @LanceZierlein.
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