2015 Early Entries Thread

I’m told there’s a very real possibility Ohio State’s Taylor Decker enters the draft. The junior is really under the radar and ranks as a top 60 player on my board. He looked good on the right side in 2013 and has played even better at the all important weak side position in 2014. It will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes recent success and the expectations of a bright forecast in 2015 will weigh into Decker’s decision.

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@LukeEasterling: #NFLDraft bound. RT @TheDanteFowler6: I came in with champ. I'm leaving with Him.

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patsfaninpa said:

The more qb's that get drafted before we pick the better. Hope, Connor Cook reconsiders and declares too. Mariota, Winston and Hundley will be taken in the first IMO.

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— Let's get right down to it. Sources close to players and/or schools have confirmed to me that these juniors are planning to leave school for the NFL draft: Leonard Williams (DT—USC), Randy Gregory (DE—Nebraska), Shane Ray (DE—Missouri), Benardrick McKinney (ILB—Miss. State), Andrus Peat (OT—Stanford) and Alex Carter (CB—Stanford).

— Two more players are considered "close" to declaring, according to sources, and both play offensive tackle. Michigan State's Jack Conklin and Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley have both started the process of finding their draft stock.

— Will Todd Gurley declare for the draft? I'm told that's a foregone conclusion. My source says Gurley has already picked an agent and a training facility for his rehab.

— Former Ohio State defensive end Noah Spence has been ruled permanently ineligible by the Big Ten, and he tweeted this week about the added motivation for his NFL draft training. It's fair to assume the former first-round talent is headed to the pros. Spence failed two drug tests at Ohio State but has top-tier talent. He's still a likely Top 75 pick if he can prove that he's clean.

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While Jones doesn't fit the profile for the typical early-entrant — few would call him a star, and he hasn't broken 1,000 yards in a season — his skillset could translate well to the NFL game. At 6'2" and 235 pounds, Jones possesses great size for a bigger halfback, and his pass protection skills and soft hands are excellent, which might help him find a role on a team that needs those specific traits in a back.

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mayoclinic said:

Florida RB Matt Jones reportedly coming out:

http://www.alligatorarmy.com/2014/1...matt-jones-to-enter-2015-nfl-draft-per-report

Of interest:

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Earlier on twitter I posted the news that Andrus Peat is likely to stay at Stanford for another season. And while this comes as a surprise to many, the readers of this column were alerted on October 14th as well as November 14th that Peat had not put much thought into leaving for the NFL.

Sources close to the situation informed me there are several reasons Peat is expected to be playing for Stanford in 2015. First, he not only enjoys college life but likes school. Complimenting this is the fact his family has made education a priority. Finally Peat, a true junior, will be 20 years old when NFL camps open next summer and those around him feel the extra year in college to improve his strength and further mature physically would be best.

Could he change his mind? Never say never. People will try to get into his head and show Peat the dollar signs which await him but as I hear it the player himself wants to return to Stanford.

Word is circulating another junior tackle could be headed to the draft as Michigan State’s Jack Conklin is weighing his options.

As I hear it Conklin would also prefer to stay in college and its outside influences (aka agents) who are pushing him towards opting for the draft. Most scouts feel Conklin, who lines up at left tackle for the Spartans but is better suited for the right side at the next level, could move from third round prospect in 2015 to the first round in 2016 if he sticks around MSU for another season.

Its always interesting to see what’s going on at LSU considering the mass exodus of underclassmen the past two years. The latest word from people close to the program has defensive end Danielle Hunter returning to school while cornerback Jalen Collins is leaning towards entering the draft.

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mayoclinic said:

A bit surprisingly (to me), Virginia DE/OLB Eli Harold is declaring for the 2015 draft:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...ia-lb-eli-harold-adds-his-name-to-draft-class

Josh Norris likes him. I haven't watched enough to form an opinion.

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