As our first post on the new website we would like to start with taking a crack at a mock draft. Please let us know what you think!
Rich Wilhelm @koda522
1. Tampa Bay- Jameis Winston 2. Titans- Marcus Mariota
3. Jaguars- Dante Fowler
4. Raiders- Kevin White
5. Skins- Leonard Williams 6. Jets- Vic Beasley- "The Jets have not had a versatile pass rusher in a very long time. It is time to break that streak with argueably the best pash rusher in the draft. If Fowler falls to six I would give the edge to Fowler. Same goes for Mariota for trade appeal alone." 7. Bears- Shane Ray 8. Falcons- Randy Gregory 9. Giants- B. Scherff 10. Rams- Amari Cooper 11. Vikings- Trae Waynes 12. Browns- Devante Parker 13. Saints- Arik Armstead 14. Fins- Jalen strong 15. 49ers- Danny Shelton 16. Texans- Landon Collins 17. Bolts- M. Gordon 18. Chiefs- Jalen Collins 19. Browns- Andrus Peat 20. Philly- Marcus Peters- "Eagles need secondary help after last year. The Eagles added Maxwell and Thurmond but Maxwell has never been the #1 cornerback and Thurmond is injured frequently. Marcus Peters is a good insurance policy and would have been the #1 cornerback in the draft if he did not have off the field isssues." 21. Bengals- T.J. Clemmings 22. Pitt- Malcom Brown 23. Lions- E. Goldman 24. Cards- La'el Collins 25. Panthers- Dorial Green-Beckham 26. Ravens- Breshad Perriman 27. Cowboys- T. Gurley 28. Broncos- D.J. Humphries 29. Colts- Jordan Phillips 30. GB- Bud Dupree 31. Saints- Maxx Williams 32. Pats- Michael Bennett
Alberto Torres @altorres87
1. Tampa Bay- Jameis Winston 2. Titans- Marcus Mariota 3. Jags- Leonard Williams 4. Raiders- A. Cooper 5. Skins- Dante Fowler 6. Jets- Kevin White- " You can't have enough weapons on offense now can you. Jets get perhaps the best WR in this years draft class. I'd expect there to be chemistry between White and Fitzpatrick. Mark my words You will want to own Fitz and White in fantasy football." 7. Bears- Danny Shelton 8. Falcons- Vic Beasley 9. Giants- B. Scherff 10. Rams- La'el Collins 11. Vikings- Devante Parker 12. Browns- Bud Dupree 13. Saints- Randy Gregory 14. Fins- Jalen strong 15. 49ers- Arik Armstead 16. Texans- Trae Waynes 17. Bolts- M. Gordon 18. Chiefs- A. Peat 19. Browns- Malcom Brown 20. Philly- J. Fisher- " Chip Kelly gets a familiar face in Philly that will help anchor that o-line at guard and eventual replacement at Lane Johnson spot so Lane can go to Perers spot when Jason Retires. Versatile, Strong, Fast and a Mauler. Will help immediately." 21. Bengals- S. Ray 22. Pitt- Marcus Peters 23. Lions- E. Goldman 24. Cards- O. Odighizuwa 25. Panthers- DJ Humphries 26. Ravens- Devin Smith 27. Cowboys- T. Gurley 28. Broncos- TJ Clemmings 29. Colts- Eli Harold 30. GB- Jalen Collins 31. Saints- Dorial Green Beckham 32. Pats- Byron Jones
John Hazelet @JohnHazelet475
1. Tampa Bay Jameis Winston QB
2. Titans Leonard Williams DT
3. Jaguars Dante Fowler OLB
4. Raiders Kevin White WR
5. Redskins Vic Beasley OLB
6. JETS Amari Cooper WR… With the success Mike Maccagnan had adding talent and filling needs on both sides of the ball this off season, I think the Jets can go in a few different directions with this pick including a trade down with the Rams, Browns or Eagles. My gut tells me Cooper… With Brandon Marshall essentially on a “prove it” contract, this pick gives the Jets flexibility to bring Cooper along slowly and potentially part ways with Marshall next season should he not be as productive as we all hope he is.
7. Bears Trae Waynes CB
8. Falcons Todd Gurley RB
9. Giants Brandon Scherff OG
10. Rams Marcus Mariota QB
11. Vikings Shane Ray DE
12. Browns Devante Parker WR
13. Saints Randy Gregory OLB
14. Dolphins Kevin Johnson CB
15. 49’ers Danny Shelton DT
16. Texans Dorial Green Beckham WR
17. Chargers Melvin Gordon RB
18. Chiefs Ereck Flowers OT
19. Browns Arik Armstead DT
20. EAGLES Landon Collins SS…. I am a big Chip Kelly fan and I feel the Eagles are the wild card of the entire draft. This can be a trade up with any team 2-9 to select Mariota or one of the top pass rushers. You can also make the argument to take an Offensive Lineman in this spot. Its clear to me that Chip feels he can slide any skill player into his offense and have them be successful. My bet is him staying at 20 and taking the best safety in the draft to further solidify what was one of the leagues worse secondaries in 2014.
21. Bengals Andrus Pete OT
22. Steelers Jalen Collins CB
23. Lions DJ Humphries OT
24. Cardinals Bud Dupree OLB
25. Panthers TJ Clemmings OT
26. Ravens Breshad Perriman WR
27. Cowboys Malcolm Brown DT
28. Broncos La’el Collins OT
29. Colts Cameron Erving C
30. Packers Eddie Goldman DT
31. Saints Marcus Peters CB
32. Patriots Shaq Thompson OLB
Joey Celona @YourAverageJoe3
1. TB- Jameis Winston
2. SD(thru TEN) - Marcus Mariota
*SD trades Rivers, and 2015 rd 2, 3, and 4 picks to TEN for pick #2*
3. JAC- Dante Fowler Jr.
4. OAK- Leonard Williams
5. WAS- Shane Ray
6. NYJ- Vic Beasley
7. CHI- Kevin White
8. ATL- Bud Dupree
9. NYG- La'el Collins
10. STL- Amari Cooper
11. MIN- Devante Parker
12. CLE- Danny Shelton
13. NO- Brandon Scherff
14. MIA - Trae Waynes
15. SF- Malcolm Brown
16. HOU- Jaelen Strong
17. SD- Todd Gurley
18. KC- DJ Humphries
19. CLE- Ereck Flowers
20. PHI- Byron Jones
21. CIN- Randy Gregory
22. PIT- Landon Collins
23. DET- Arik Armstead
24. ARI- Jalen Collins
25. CAR- Andrus Peat
26. BAL- Breshad Perriman
27. DAL- Melvin Gordon
28. DEN- Eddie Goldman
29. IND- Cameron Erving
30. GB- Kevin Johnson
31. NO- Marcus Peters
32. PHI(thru NE) - Jake Fisher
*PHI trades Mychal Kendricks and '15 rd 3 pick to NE for pick #32*
NYJ(6): Unfortunately for Jets fans, Mariota and Fowler are off the board by pick 6. In the offseason, NY spent a lot of money on the defense, mostly in the secondary. However, there's one position on this defense that must be upgraded: OLB. It just so happens that this year's draft class has 4, arguably 5, elite pass rushers. With the 6th pick, the Jets draft Clemson's Vic Beasley. He put on a show at this year's NFL Combine where he benched 35 reps, jumped 41 inches in the vert, and ran a 4.53 40, which is blazing fast at 246 pounds. With Calvin Pace and Jason Babin on the back end of their careers, Beasley is a great pick. He could be the key to turning a great defense into an elite one.
PHI(20): Chip Kelly likes long, versatile cornerbacks. The 6'1, 199 pound Byron Jones spent time at both CB and S during his four years at UCONN. Not only is he an athletic freak, as he displayed at this year's NFL Combine, but he's a great football player as well. There are other CBs that the Eagles could target in the first round like Waynes, Collins, or Peters, but in this mock, Waynes is gone. As for the other two, Collins is raw and inexperienced, and Peters has off-the-field concerns. The high-character Byron Jones garnered a lot of interest from Chip and the gang at his Pro Day. No one should be surprised if his name is called at pick 20. Although, no Legion of Boom, the CB tandem of Byron Squared is a sure upgrade from an awful Fletcher/Williams duo.
PHI(32): Chip Kelly does, in fact, trade up to get "his guy" from Oregon...Jake Fisher? Yes, folks, Jake Fisher. Let's explain the trade first. In 2009 and 2013, NE traded out of the first round, so it is not uncommon of Bill Belichick. New England enters this season with some question marks at the LB position. Ayers was not brought back, Hightower's shoulder surgery has him sidelined 6-7 months, and Mayo is coming off of two season ending injuries himself(pec in 2013, knee in 2014). With a sudden need at ILB, Kendricks could be of interest to the Pats. With their luck, they'll probably turn him into a Pro Bowler, as he is already headed in that direction. As for the Eagles, Kendricks is the odd man out in a stacked LB core, so dealing him on draft day is seemingly inevitable. Jake Fisher, who knows the system, can plug right into the RG spot left vacant by the release of the Toddfather. In the future, when Johnson replaces Peters at LT, Fisher could easily move outside to RT. Bolstering this OL is critical for what looks to be a run-first approach with Murray and Mathews in 2015.
Peter Cordi @petercordi
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1 Overall – Jameis Winston, QB Florida State Tennessee Titans #2 Overall -- Leonard Williams, DE USC Jacksonville Jaguars #3 Overall -- Dante Fowler Jr, OLB Florida Oakland Raiders #4 Overall -- Amari Cooper, WR Alabama Washington Redskins #5 Overall -- Randy Gregory, DE/OLB Nebraska New York Jets #6 Overall -- Vic Beasley, OLB Clemson The New York Jets may have filled or patched up many of the most gaping holes in their roster, but there are still three main positions of need for the Jets: Quarterback, Outside Linebacker, and Offensive Guard. The Jets have duct taped these voids this offseason, but they don’t have a long-term plan in place right now for any of these three positions. Of course, Geno Smith is not a great quarterback by any stretch of the imagination, but with two seasons of being a starting quarterback at the NFL level under his belt, there is reason to believe he will come into his own in his third season. Smith threw a perfect (158.3 quarterback rating) game against the Miami Dolphins to end the 2015 season and the Rex Ryan era. This shows that it is possible for him to perform at a high level for a full game- but does it show how? If one analyses the film of the 2014 Season Finale, he/she would notice that Smith was playing with more fluidity, energy, and poise than ever- enabling him to step up and make the big throws that he would normally miss. For the first time in his career, he truly picked apart a defense because for the first time in his career, he was given the opportunity to take over a game like an elite quarterback. For the first time in his career, the Jets weren’t trying to keep the ball out of his hands because they had nothing else to lose. The question is: will present-Offensive Coordinator, Chan Gailey, give Smith the same opportunity presented to him in week 17 throughout the 2015 season? If so, there is no need to draft Marcus “Super” Mariota, because they will have already found their franchise quarterback. If Geno Smith doesn’t turn out to be “the guy”, the Jets have Ryan Fitzpatrick to help them win some games. Regarding the offensive line, the Jets re-signed Willie Colon to man a guard position, while they will let James Carpenter, Oday Aboushi, Brian Winters, and Dakota Dozier battle it out for the other starting guard spot on the depth chart. Aside from the offensive guard positions, the Jets are in good hands with D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini manning left and right tackle, respectively, and they are in great hands with Nick Mangold at center. It is also worth noting that backup center, Dalton Freeman, played very well in Mangold’s absence due to injury last season, and Freeman will provide good insurance in case of another injury to the star center. As for their last main need, the outside linebacker position, the Jets have Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace as their starters presently. Pace may be in his last season due to old age, however he continues to be productive because opposing offensive lines pay more attention to two Pro Bowl-defensive ends and an elite defensive tackle than a 34-year old outside linebacker. If Calvin Pace can notch fifteen sacks in a span of two years at his age, just imagine what a young, fresh, and more talented linebacker can accomplish in the same system! It is a scary thought for opposing quarterbacks, unless they have a death wish. Enter Vic Beasley, the BEASTLY 6’2” 236 lbs outside linebacker out of Clemson University- arguably the best, most electrifying, explosive linebackers in the 2015 draft class. Beasley led the FBS-best Clemson defense in sacks over his last two years as a Tiger with 25. His combination of size, speed, strength, and athleticism is remarkable. His only flaw is his technique, which can be taught to him in the NFL. All the Jets need to complete their defense is a star outside linebacker, and with one of the best secondaries in the league, arguably the best defensive line in the league, and a pair of very good middle linebackers, Beasley is the missing puzzle piece. Chicago Bears- #7 Overall -- Kevin White, WR West Virginia Atlanta Falcons- #8 Overall -- Danny Shelton, DT Washington New York Giants- #9 Overall -- Brandon Scherff, OL Iowa St. Louis Rams- #10 Overall -- La’el Collins, OT LSU Minnesota Vikings #11 Overall -- Trae Waynes, CB Michigan State Cleveland Browns #12 Overall -- Shane Ray, DE Missouri New Orleans Saints #13 Overall -- Alvin Dupree, DE Kentucky Miami Dolphins #14 Overall -- Andrus Peat, OT Stanford San Francisco 49ers #15 Overall -- Malcom Brown, DT Texas Houston Texans #16 Overall -- DeVante Parker, WR Louisville San Diego Chargers #17 Overall -- Kevin Johnson, CB Wake Forest Kansas City Chiefs #18 Overall -- Erek Flowers, OT Miami (Florida) Cleveland Browns #19 Overall -- Breshad Perriman, WR UCF Philadelphia Eagles- #20 Overall -- Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon Everybody knows about Chip Kelly’s obsession over Oregon Ducks. He loves them! He was willing to trade SUPERSTAR running back LeSean McCoy for the ex- Duck, Kiko Alonso. The Eagles have two talented, but flawed quarterbacks on their roster- the injury prone Sam Bradford and the turnover prone Mark Sanchez. There is no certainty there at all. Without McCoy to carry the team, the Eagles will need a sure- fire starting quarterback. Enter Marcus Mariota- easily one of the most athletic quarterbacks in NCAA history, and an ex-Oregon Duck. There have been many rumors of Chip Kelly looking to trade up for a better position to snag Mariota, but for the sake of argument, let’s say they stay at the 20th position in the draft. While the Titans (who hold the second overall draft pick) already stated that they will not take a quarterback in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, that was before Jake Locker retired and they decided to host Mariota for a workout. They have second-year quarterback, Zack Mettenberger, who out-performed all other rookies last season. Is it wise to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick in the draft when you already have yourself a very young one with tons of potential already on your roster? Wouldn’t it create unnecessary quarterback controversy and hurt both players in the end? This is why the Titans will not be drafting Marcus Mariota with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. But what about the other 18 teams? The Buccaneers have the first pick and are almost a lock to take former FSU quarterback, Jameis Winston; the Jets, as mentioned earlier, will take Vic Beasley; and none of the other 16 teams in front of the Eagles will be taking a quarterback in the first round. Taking Marcus Mariota will satisfy Chip Kelly, as he is an ex-Duck, the fans, as he is super-popular, and the team itself, as the Eagles will have a quarterback with more potential than Bradford and Sanchez combined. Mariota has all the skill and athleticism one could ask for in a starting quarterback- plus he has the off-field professionalism every player should have. His only problem is his rather large learning curve. Mariota is not necessarily pro-ready, as he has never played in a pro-style scheme in college. Is he smart enough to catch on quickly? Chip Kelly’s Duck-bias will answer “yes”. Cincinnati Bengals #21 Overall -- Landon Collins, SS Alabama Pittsburgh Steelers #22 Overall -- Arik Armstead, DT Oregon Detroit Lions #23 Overall -- Marcus Peters, CB Washington Arizona Cardinals #24 Overall -- Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE UCLA Carolina Panthers #25 Overall -- TJ Clemmings, OT Pittsburgh Baltimore Ravens #26 Overall -- Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin Dallas Cowboys #27 Overall -- Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota Denver Broncos #28 Overall -- Dorial Green-Beckham, WR Oklahoma Indianapolis Colts #29 Overall -- Todd Gurley, RB Georiga Green Bay Packers #30 Overall -- Jaelen Strong, WR Arizona State New Orleans Saints #31 Overall -- Brett Hundley, QB UCLA New England Patriots #32 Overall -- Nelson Agholor, WR Southern California