2015 NFL Mock Drafts

stelfans said:

Fisher, or Johnstone? Fisher was the RT until Johnstone got injured so he moved to LT and did a great job against Michigan St. But he got injured himself and will be out quite some time. I like him a lot too but he is a bit light for what the Patriots seem to want these days.
Right, i thought about that(BB not picking OL early) but is still a big hole in the team for me so i went with it. Everytime i think about Bitonio...

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manxman2601 said:

Very nice work. I haven't seen Drango but I can't help think of Cyril Richardson when I think of a Baylor LT projected to guard which is unfair I know.

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stelfans said:

Here's my first try of the year although i have to say this was much harder than i anticipated. Its really early so i mostly wanted to put out there some names that i havent heard yet and went with players i know and liked from last year.
I also borrowed Mayo's assumptions but didnt pay much attention to cbs rankings.

Round 1 - Spencer Drango, OL, Baylor
We need all the help we can get on the Oline, Drango can play tackle but i think he will play guard in the NFL. Strong in run support and mobile in pass protection.

Round 2 - Cody Prewitt, S, Ole Miss
I gotta say, i love Prewitt and i think he could be a 1st rounder. Is he perfect? Far from it, but he is everything i want in someone next to McCourty. Led the SEC and tied for seventh nationally with six interceptions last year plus is a big hitter.

Round 3a - Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise St
Both Ridley and Vereen are in contract years, i think we can all agree we need at least 1 RB. This is what Grid wrote about him last year and should tell you all you need to know: "What an explosive, athletic, marauding Beast!!"
Thanks Grid, a great read as always http://www.fanaticalyankee.com/2014-nfl-draft-scouting-reports/category/jay-ajayi

Round 3b - Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan
Another old crush of mine. 2 seasons ago he was playing OLB and was arguably the best defensive player for Michigan then he had ACL injury that kept him out almost the entire season.
A team captain this year, Michigan moved him to the middle, could be a good backcup linebacker here with versatility. Someone to keep an eye on.

Round 4a - Devante Davis, WR, UNLV
Like Manx and Mayo i think we could upgrade the receiver position, Amendola is disappointing and Lafell is just there to block or whatever. Davis had 87 passes for 1,290 yards and a school-record of 14 touchdowns last year and everyone thought he would leave, lucky for us he didnt. A 6'3 guy with a long frame and ball skills to match.

Round 4b - Lynden Trail, DE/OLB, Norfolk St
Trail is a Florida transfer, he was a high regarded recruit who never really had the chance do showcase in Florida. Plays OLB in Norfolk but can play end too. Terrific speed and agility, he actually lines up as a receiver(he is a former high school receiver) in some red zone sets.

Round 5 - Charles Tuaau, DT, Texas A&M Commerce
Wait..wat? Commerce? Are you sure you're not making that up?
Another small school prospect(yes, i love those). My Carl Davis backup, since i wanted a top O-Line player i couldnt get a top tier DT so i go with Tuaau here who could be a gem in this scheme we are playing now. He's good against the run and had 12.5!!! sacks last year. Yes i know its Division II football but still..

Round 6 - Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
Bell was the sooners QB just last year, this year moved to TE. A project yes, but at 6'6 250lbs he has tremendous potential.

There you have it, probably not my best effort but oh well its only the first ihih

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manxman2601 said:

OK, time for my first mock of the year. For the purposes of this mock, I'll borrow some of Mayo's assumptions:

- Revis and McCourty get locked up long term
- Pats get 3rd and 6th round comp picks.
- Pats pick in the 28-32 range.
- Our extra 4th round pick from Tampa Bay is in the top half of the round.

And a couple of caveats:

- I'm only including players that I have watched to some degree
- BUT, I'm a long long way from getting any real feel for this draft class so take this as no more than a snapshot of where I am right now in terms of watching prospects.
- I have been fairly liberal in terms of where CBS has a prospect ranked.


Rnd 1

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

This isn't a pick I'm completely sold on, particularly in the first round, but if we are to continue playing with a three man front, we'll need a stronger, better run-defender than Chris Jones or Joe Vellano. Carl Davis can be that player and sometimes is a dominating run defender but he needs to do it more consistently. Based largely on the Dolphins game, I think a five or one tech that partners Wilfork to defend the run freeing up Easley to be a one gap specialist is a priority. Carl Davis becomes our Red Bryant (hopefully).


Rnd 2

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska


He's in this mock because he excites me when I watch him, he really has the wow! factor. He most likely won't be in my final mocks but I'll indulge myself for now. And let's not forget him tweeting Alfonzo Dennard "bro tell the Pats to draft me! Lol" so we know his heart is in the right place.


Rnd 3A

Anthony Harris, S, Virginia

a 6'1" safety, Harris reminds a lot of Devin McCourty. He's a smart excellent centrefield ballhawk who, whilst not a big-hitting tackler, is more than good enough when filling in inside the box. Like Jimmie Ward last year, he won't appeal to those who would like a Kam Chancellor type on the team but in a defence that wants to put two similar safeties on the field together like we do, Harris is an excellent candidate for the second safety spot.


Rnd 3B

Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

Beyond Edelman, Gronk, Dobson and Vereen, there are questions about our receiving corps. White is a 6'3" WR who has had a blistering start to the season (32 catches, 460 yds in three games), a start not reflected in CBS' rankings who have him ranked no 296.


Rnd 4A

Aundrey Walker, OG, USC

Walker is 6'6" and 319lbs and unfortunately sometimes looks like a 6'6" person playing guard in that he'll lose leverage. But at times, Walker drives defensive linemen 10 yards downfield and that's the Walker I have in my mock. He also has long arms and tremendous feet for someone of his size which makes me wonder why he's not playing tackle, admittedly something else that concerns me. But then I watch him and see an athletic DJ Fluker playing OG and I get excited.


Rnd 4B

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA

a 6'3" 270lb DE who would be ideal as a RDE in our new 3 man front. Odighizuwa has excellent burst at the snap and showcases tremendous strength with very powerful hands. Think about how we used Zach Moore in pre-season for the role I see Obdighizuwa playing. I'll make two predictions about him should he stay healthy all year. Firstly, he'll become a board favourite, and secondly, he'll be a first round pick.


Rnd 5

Jake McGee, TE, Florida

He left Virginia last year to go to Florida because he wanted more experience inline and didn't want to just be thought of as a receiving TE. On very limited watching, he has a very good pair of hands as you can see below:




Rnd 6

Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana

Another RB, another player I just want to showcase. Josh Norris compares Coleman to Darren McFadden. That strikes me as a little lofty, but Coleman is a strong runner that breaks contact and has the speed to go all the way. His tape last year didn't overly impress me but his first game this year was outstanding. am looking forward to seeing him again.


The big omission in this mock is a linebacker. I definitely think we need a Mayo/Collins backup but I've yet to see someone I like in the middle or late rounds, hence the omission.

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mayoclinic said:

Assumptions:

- Revis and McCourty get locked up long term
- Pats get 3rd and 6th round comp picks.
- Pats pick in the 28-32 range.
- Our extra 4th round pick from Tampa Bay is in the top half of the round.
- Pats play a hybrid defense alternating between a 3-4/4-3 Under/5-2 in base and playing about 2/3 of the snaps in sub packages.
- Pats use a lot of jumbo line packages and multiple TE sets.

*** Trade: Pats trade their 1st round pick for 2nd and 3rd round picks.

2a. Arik Armstead, DE/DT, Oregon. 6'7" 296#. Currently NFLDraftScout #45.

Beast! Poetic irony - the Pats draft Arik Armstead to play the role that they had hoped his older brother Armond would play. Armstead is a huge, athletic player who can play 3-4 DE, 4-3 Under LDE, and DT in 4 man or larger fronts. He's still a bit raw, but has a ton of versatility, athleticism and upside. Carl Davis (#24) could be an option if he drops. Rice DT Christian Covington (#57) is an intriguing option.

2b. Bernardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi St. 6' 4 1/2" 245#. Currently NFLDraftScout #55.

Beast! A Collinesque LB who can play all over the field, inside or out. Bud Dupree (62) and Eric Striker (#67) also get consideration.

3a. Cody Prewitt, S, Mississippi. 6'2" 212#. Currently NFL DraftScout #81.

Beast! Prewitt is exactly what the Pats' secondary needs to be elite - an enforcer with coverage skills. He will be our Kam Chancellor, with better coverage skills. Durrell Eskridge (6'3" 203#, #76) would also be a nice fit.

3b. Kasen Williams, WR, Washington. 6'2" 216#. Currently NFL DraftScout #61.

Stud Horse! Williams is a big, physical split end who can move the chains. He has the ability to go over the middle and to go up for the ball. With Danny Amendola not showing enough to this point to justify a 3rd year on his contract, the Pats could do to get bigger and more physical at WR.

3c (comp). Corey Robinson, OT, South Carolina. 6'7" 340#. Currently NFL DraftScout #97.

Stud Horse! Robinson is a mammoth of a man. Along with Cam Fleming, he will give the Pats some depth at tackle behind Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer.

4a. Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke. 6'3" 320#. Currently NFL DraftScout #123.

Stud Horse! Tomlinson is a big, physical guard who is good value at this point. He is a power player but has good quickness and agility for his size, and fairly quick feet. He is smart (a Dukie and a 2-time all-ACC academic selection), and also some experience playing center. Arie Kouandjio or Josue Matias could be options here if they slip.

4b. Shaquille Riddick, DE/OLB, West Virginia. 6'5" 242. Currently NFL DraftScout #263.

Sleeper! JUCO transfer with a ton of athleticism and upside. Needs to get stronger to play on the line, but has the fluidity to play in space and some nice burst to his game. Pats load up on edge players with some versatility.

5. Clive Walford, TE, Miami. 6'4" 263. Currently NFL DraftScout #173.

Stud Horse! Walford has been a bit inconsistent, but he is a true double-threat TE who can be effective as a blocker or as a receiving option. He would be a huge upgrade over Michael Hoomanwanui.

6a. Michael Dyer, RB, Louisville. 5'9" 213#. Currently NFL DraftScout #180.

Fallen Beast! Stevan Ridley is likely to move on after 2013. The Pats have Tyler Gaffney coming off of IR, but will need to add another back or two for competition and roster depth. BB has shown that he doesn't value the RB position terribly highly, and that he is content to find late round/UDFA values (Shane Vereen and Ridley excepted). Michael Dyer is a very talented back who has had off-field issues, but he may be worth taking a chance on. He wasn't used much as a receiver at Auburn, but he has the basic skills, and could develop into a poor man's Doug Martin.

6b (comp). Detrick Bonner, DB, Virginia Tech. 6' 194#. Currently NFL DraftScout #208.

Sleeper! Virginia Tech has a history of producing good DBs. Bonner is kind of a poor man's Kyle Fuller, a guy with 30 games starting experience prior to this season who has played a variety of positions, form the "whip" hybrid LB/S position to corner to safety. He is reportedly very strong for his size and has a 38" VJ. You can never have enough depth at DB.

Early 2015 Roster:

QB(2): Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo
RB(4): Shane Vereen, James White, Tyler Gaffney, Michael Dyer. Vereen gets an extension, Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden move on.
FB/H-Back(1): James Develin
TE(3): Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Clive Walford. Walford has much more upside than Michael Hoomanawanui.
WR(5): Julian Edelman, Aaron Dobson Dobson, Kasen Williams, Kenbrell Thompkins, Brandon LaFell. Danny Amendola gets the boot.
OT(4): Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Cameron Fleming, Corey Robinson. huge OL; Solder gets an extension.
OG/C (5): Marcus Cannon, Bryan Stork, Jordan Devey, Dan Connolly, Laken Tomlinson. Cannon gets an extension; Ryan Wendell and Josh Kline get dumped.

DT(2): Vince Wilfork, Sealver Siliga
DT/DE(4): Dominique Easley, Arik Armstead, Chris Jones, Zack Moore. Moore bulks up and plays a backup role to Armstead.
DE/OLB(5): Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Michael Buchanan, Shaquille Riddick. Pats use 5th year option on Jones and Hightower, possibly lock up Jones long term.
LB(4): Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Bernardrick McKinney, +1 (I'd like to see Darius Fleming stick, though James Morris could also be an option). Having 3 really good LBs who can play in space would give the Pats tremendous depth and matchup advantages.
S(4): Devin McCourty, Cody Prewitt, Duron Harmon/Detrick Bonner, Nate Ebner. McCourty gets an extension; Pat Chung and Tavon Wilson go bye-bye.
CB(6): Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, Kyle Arrington. Pats lock up Revis long term. Strongest unit on the team.

ST(4): Gostkowski, Allen, Aiken, Slater.

- Roster losses(10): OL Ryan Wendell, OL Josh Kline, WR Danny Amendola, TE Michael Hoomanwanui, RB Stevan Ridley, RB Brandon Bolden, DT/DE Joe Vellano, LB Chris White, S Pat Chung, S Tavon Wilson.
- Roster gains (10): OL Corey Robinson, OL Laken Tomlinson, WR Kasen Williams, TE Clive Walford, RB Tyler Gaffney, RB Michael Dyer, DT/DE Arik Armstead, LB Bernadrick McKinney, DE/OLB Shaquille Riddick, S Cody Prewitt.
- Bubble: Duron Harmon gets a fight from rookie Detrick Bonner for a backup safety position.

Note: If Vince Wilfork shows signs of falling off, I wouldn't mind going after Broncos DT Terrance Knighton, who is a UFA after this season (though I suspect the Broncos will lock him up). But I'm guessing that most of the Pats $$$ goes to locking up Darrelle Revis and 2015 UFAs Devin McCourty, Marcus Cannon and Shane Vereen, and tying up Nate Solder, Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower for the long term.

Both lines get much stronger, a starting caliber safety is added, the defense adds more speed and versatility on the back end and more depth on the front end, and the offensive skill positions get some upgraded depth.

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manxman2601 said:

I like that Fowler pick. he's a prospect that I think BB will like.

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mayoclinic said:

Hard to argue with Fowler if he's available in the 1st. There might be other guys on my short list, but he'd have to be up there.

Florida St. OL Cameron Erving has taken a bit of a hit to his draft stock according to many draftniks. If he slips to the 2nd, I think he'd be an excellent T/G combo pick. Very athletic, still ironing out the technical aspects of his game.

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manxman2601 said:

The only thing I really now about Erving is that he got beat quite badly against Beasley this year (but held up against him last year). I will look forward to giving him a look on your recommendation.

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manxman2601 said:

Matt Miller at Bleacher Report has a mock up and has us taking FSU's Mario Edwards but that isn't what I want to mention. He has the Ravens taking Ameer Abdullah.That's a brilliant, and terrifying, fit.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...draft-matt-millers-quarter-season-predictions

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mayoclinic said:

Purely as an exercise, at this point, consider some of the options that might be available if this team does not right the ship, and ends up with a mid-1st round pick. I'll use 15 in each round as a starting point, and assume 3rd and 6th round comp picks, and that the 4th from Tampa Bay ends up being a top 10 pick in that round:

1(15). Probably best available OL if we end up bad enough to be picking in this range - Brandon Scherff would be ideal. Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Iupati, Mike Pouncey and Zach Martin are some of the guys who have been taken in this range in recent years (also Nate Solder, it should be noted). Todd Gurley or Amari Cooper might be available in this range, though I wouldn't go for an offensive skill player, personally. Defensive options are less likely if the team is this bad, but a top-15 defensive player could include a stud safety like Landon Collins or a lineman like Shawn Oakman or Randy Gregory.

2(47). Could go offensive skill player with someone like RB Ameer Abdullah or WR Kevin White or Ty Montgomery. Some really good offensive skill players have gone in this range, including Matt Forte (#44, 2008) DeSean Jackson (#49, 2008), Ray Rice (#55, 2008), LeSean McCoy (#53 in 2009), Rob Gronkowski (#42 in 2010), Torrey Smith (#58, 2011), Alshon Jeffery (#45, 2012), Le'Veon Bell (#48, 2013), Jordan Matthews (#42, 2014), Paul Richardson (#45, 2014), Bishop Sankey (#54, 2014), Jeremy Hill (#55, 2014), Cody Latimer (#56, 2014) and Carlos Hyde (#57, 2014). Doubling up on the OL could be an option with a big, tough guard like . Defensive options might include someone like Arik Armstead, Bud Dupre, Bernardrick McKinney or Cody Prewitt.

3(79). I'd double up on the OL if we haven't already. A trade up could be an option to get a physical guard like AJ Cann, Josue Matias, Laken Tomlinson or Arie Kouandjio. If a S like Cody Prewitt or Durrell Eskridge is available, they could be an attractive alternative.

3(97) (comp). Vince Wilfork does not look to have the power and explosion that he used to - not surprising given age and injury. I'd love a Damon Harrison kind of space eater in the middle. Oklahoma DT Jordan Phillips (6'6" 350#) is a beast with surprising athleticism.

4(107) (from TB - roughly). A DL could be a nice option here. Someone will fall. I doubt Owamagbe Odighizuwa or Mario Edwards will be available here, but either would be a nice option. So would Henry Anderson.

4(112) (roughly). RB or WR, whichever one we didn't address earlier. Possibilities might include someone like RB Malcolm Brown, RB Karlos Williams (his stock is slipping),

5(145) (roughly). Depth at LB, if it hasn't already been addressed, would be nice.

6(180) (roughly).

6(200) (comp - roughly).

Again, this is just an exercise. But if the bottom continues to fall out of this season, we'll have to change the way we think about what prospects might be available. 2 top 50 picks could revitalize the offense, especially if the FO invests in FA and brings in some veteran leadership (Manx has already mentioned Michael Roos).

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manxman2601 said:

Nice analysis. Give me Scherff-Abdullah-Zach Hodges (my choice) and I wouldn't care about the rest of the draft.

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manxman2601 said:

However, to throw a fly in your ointment, what are you doing if Revis isn't re-signed?

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mayoclinic said:

Hard to argue those picks, though I'm still not sure where Hodges fits. I'm a line guy, so I'd hypothetically double up with Scherff and Cameron Erving, assuming Solder doesn't get his act together.



I'll deal with that when we come to it, though if we're going to play off-man than I'm not sure we need a stud CB. Right now OL is a glaring weakness and CB is the strongest part of the team; I'm not sure that even the loss of Revis would make make it a bigger priority.

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mayoclinic said:

I'll deal with that when we come to it, though if we're going to play off-man than I'm not sure we need a stud CB. Right now OL is a glaring weakness and CB is the strongest part of the team; I'm not sure that even the loss of Revis would make make it a bigger priority.

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manxman2601 said:

Matt Miller at Bleacher Report has a mock up and has us taking FSU's Mario Edwards but that isn't what I want to mention. He has the Ravens taking Ameer Abdullah.That's a brilliant, and terrifying, fit.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...draft-matt-millers-quarter-season-predictions

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