#32 New England Patriots
I had Malcolm Brown going at #19 but the Patriots get to take him here. Good value pick which helps address the departure of Vince Wilfork. I don't quite buy his best player ever drafted by New England claim but the Patriots would have been happy to see him still available here Grade B
#31 New Orleans Saints
The Saints second 1st round pick of the draft switches to defense. Stephone Anthony was the defensive leader at Clemson but I've got to question him as a 1st rounder as I don't envision him as a sideline-to-sideline backer, most of his good work will be done enforcing the middle. Grade C
#30 Green Bay Packers
Damarious Randall was a surprise pick to many. He's leapt up draft boards from mid to late round pick into the 1st.It's his coverage skills which will be coveted, such is the way in the modern NFL. He's not the most physical safety and this will need improving. The Packers pick of safety in 1st round for 2nd consecutive season continues a rather bizarre drafting trend by GB; 2010 and 2011 they took OT's (Bulaga and Sherrod) then switched to defensive end 2012 and 2013 (Perry and Jones) and have now gone safety in 2014 and 2015 (Clinton-Dix and Randall). Grade C
#29 Indianapolis Colts
I know they've got Andrew Luck, but they've got a real deep receiving corps anyway. It's not that I don't think Phillip Dorsett isn't going to make it in the NFL but it's not a need (defensive playmaker anyone?), there were better rated receivers available (Jaelen Strong, Dorial Green Beckham, Sammie Coates, Devin Smith) and he's questionable hands. What he does bring is superstar deep speed and it's this that must have turned heads in Indy Grade D
#28 Detroit Lions (after trade with Denver)
Lions move down and take Laken Tomlinson from Duke. 4 yr starter at Guard and team captain with prototype size for the position. He's an anchor on the line, in both positive manner (0 sacks, 0 hits, 4 hurries in 2014) in pass protection and negative manner in the run game as an immobile liability at the second level. Surprised he's made the 1st round but with the Lions so heavily pass reliant maybe it's not such a bad team fit for Tomlinson. Grade C
#27 Dallas Cowboys
With Gurley and Gordon off the board it would have been a reach for Dallas to grab someone like Coleman or Abdullah here. Instead Byron Jones impressive athleticism at the Comine has enticed Dallas to swoop. Grade C
#26 Baltimore Ravens
Brashad Perriman fits a definite team need. Plenty of pedigree - his father played 10 years in Detriot. Perriman averaged over 20 yards a catch in college and whilst his hands are genuine reason for concern I can see him as a deep threat in the Torrey Smith vein for Joe Flacco Grade B
#25 Carolina Panthers
Shaq Thompson has an intriguing skill set - will he stay at LB as per his college career or switch to Safety? I mentioned him in my 1st round mock to Green Bay at #30, but I discounted it as I thought 1st round was too much of a reach, but he went even higher. Can't wait to see how the Panthers plan to utilise him as they must have a unique plan - but I'm grading this as too early for Carolina and Thompson Grade C
#24 Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Front Office claimed they did not have any immediate needs and they were good to their word with the drafting of OT D.J Humphries. Some scouts feel Humphries could become the best tackle in this draft class, but he comes into the NFL after only two seasons at Right Tackle following a switch from Defensive End. Looks well suited to Left Tackle in the pros, but may need a developmental year to convert the prototypical size and athleticism into experience and gameday nous. Grade B+
#23 Denver Bronces (trade with Detroit for pick #28, OG Manny Ramirez, 5th rounder 2015, 6th rounder 2016)
And Shane Ray is off the board. I had him going at #6 until the citation for marijuana possession this week. Great natural pass rusher and despite the stupidity of the caution he has responded admirably in facing up to the error in public this week. The pick comes with obvious risk, but is one a successful franchise like Denver can take. The value of getting a true Top 10 talent this late in the round was just too good to pass up on. The leapfrog above Arizona and Baltimore makes a lot of sense too. Grade A-
#22 Pittsburgh Steelers
Great choice for the Steelers here, bearing in mind some pundits had Dupree to Atlanta in the top 10 (though this high would have been a reach in my opinion). He's a little raw but freakish athlete and will be going into a Steelers system that will help develop him. One of those ideal situations for player and franchise Grade B+
#21 Cincinnati Bengals
Andrew Whitworth dared the Front Office to pick a Tackle and they've duly obliged. Cedric Ogbuehi is the 3rd Texas A&M OT to make the 1st round in 3 years (Luke Joeckel & Jake Matthews). For me the pick was a bit off radar. Ogbeuhi has prototype tackle size and balance and looks the part, but is coming off an ACL tear, missing the combine and facing questions on commitment levels in 2014. Potentially great pick but comes at risk Grade C+
#20 Philadelphia Eagles
I suppose Nelson Agholor will be regarded as an anti-climax to the excitement of the attempts to obtain Marcus Mariota, but he was moving up draft boards swiftly and supposedly a target of the Patriots at #32. The bonus to this pick is that the Eagles retain future 1st round picks and star defender Fletcher Cox. Agholor's a good system fit, not the most physical receiver, but an uncanny match with Jeremy Maclin. Was a need pick but can't help feeling the Eagles need to upgrade that secondary more urgently Grade B
#19 Cleveland Browns
Their second pick of the night and another uncharacteristically "safe" pick by the Browns. Cameron Irving can play anywhere on the O-line and will offer great versatility. Ideally suited at Center, the Browns have Alex Mack there at least for one more year. To me, it feels a bit too high, especially with Mack on the roster. Irving has improved year-on-year in college after conversion from DT so maybe the Browns see a particularly high ceiling. I thought Erving would be around on Day Two though. Grade C
#18 Kansas City
No lineman for Andy Reid? OK, he's surprised me there! Kicked off the Washington team for clashes with coaches, Marcus Peters owns the red flags that make this a really risky pick. Probably a good fit for Peters to be matched with Coach Reid but it's a risky pick for a talented corner with issues. Grade C
#17 San Francisco (trade from San Diego)
I'm laughing but not as hard as the SF Front Office. They gain two additional picks and still grab the player they wanted in the first place. Arik Armstead might be a bit unrefined but has potential under the correct tutelage. This gets a bonus grade for the trade. Grade B
#16 Houston
We'll never know if the Texans were going RB, but they take CB Kevin Johnson who should start day one. Grade B-
#15 San Diego (trade with 49ers - for pick #17, 4th round, 5th round picks)
OK a surprise that the Chargers felt they had to leap 2 places and get past Houston. A 4th and 5th rounder seems a high price for 2 places up. RB was a need pick and Melvin Gordon is a 3-down back (ok will probably spot with Danny Woodhead on 3rd downs). I only downgrade this pick due to the price paid for 2 slots up. Grade B
#14 Miami Dolphins
I had this one mocked from day one. Devante Parker as direct replacement for Mike Wallace. Parker was likely to be available at #14 and with great hands a perfect fit for a West Coast style offense like Joe Philbin's. Grade B
#13 New Orleans Saints
Andrus Peat - Surprised the Saints didn't go defense but with Brees aging I suppose it's vital he's well protected now. I had Peat as 2nd rated lineman and the best yr 1 starting tackle from the class. Bit inconsistent, you'd expect him to be a force in the run game with his size, but he's better in protection. Grade B
#12 Cleveland Browns
Danny Shelton - well I had him going to the Bears at #7 for their new 3-4 defense, He's an absolute behemoth and the Browns 32nd ranked defense will not be ranked their in 2015 if Shelton plays all 16 games. Great to see his delight at being picked too. I bet Roger Goodell didn't expect that bearhug!
Grade B+
#11 Minnesota Vikings
Trae Waynes - great pick for the Vikes. Lot of sense to match him across from Xavier Rhodes. Mike Zimmer has two top corners to play his preferred press coverage schemes and Rhodes has one of the best defensive coaches to rid him of his grab a receiver tendencies. Waynes is super-fast and should not get beat deep by anyone.
Grade A
#10 St Louis Rams
Brave, brave pick. Gurley, if fit, would have been top 10 undoubtedly. He could have fell as he won't be fit until at least pre-season. First RB selected in 1st round since 2012 and all this after serious ACL this year. If he returns 100% could be absolutely awesome. So Nick Foles has now handed off to Lesean McCoy and soon to be Todd Gurley. Some QB's are just born lucky. The recovery from injury will dictate success of this pick but I love the risk & reward. Grade B+
#9 NY Giants
Giants select OT Ereck Flowers. I suspect their #1 target was Scherff but thought maybe Todd Gurley was a leftfield option. Didn't have Flowers as 2nd rated tackle, he's a big beast but can struggle with outside speed rushers. Addresses a need for NY though. Grade C+
#8 Atlanta Falcons
Get in! Atlanta secure pass-rusher Vic Beasley, the lifelong Falcons fan. He's even dressed in Atlanta's red and black. This is a dream pick for Beasley and hopefully the perfect scenario for Atlanta. I didn't expect him here at #8 I'm going to mark the pick down slightly just because Beasley is one dimensional at the moment but fills the most pressing need for the organisation perfectly Grade A-
#7 Chicago Bears
The Bears make my day. Not only do they select WR Kevin White who was my favourite player in the draft class BUT this leaves it wide open for Atlanta to swoop for Clemson's Vic Beasley. If Cutler doesn't make a star of White, it's time to move on from Cutler Grade A
#6 New York Jets
New York go BPA instead of need. It's now a pretty fearsome front four in NY as Leonard Williams finally moves off the board. I bet the Jets can't believe it - they get the top player of the 2015 class sitting still at #6. Grade A
#5 Washington Redskins
Wow ok first real shock of the draft for me. Skins select Brandon Scherff. He's arguably the top O-lineman in the draft but is ideally suited as a power Guard. #5 overall seems too high for an interior lineman, particularly with the top-graded player overall still on the board.
Grade C for making the pick here.
#4 Oakland Raiders
I called WR but thought Kevin White not Amari Cooper. Cooper's very polished and has broken some of Julio Jones records in Bama. Good for Carr to get a #1 receiver. Seems a safe pick to make and very un-Oakland like. Grade B+
This lines up Leonard Williams to the Skins or a strong bargaining chip with pick #5.
#3 Jacksonville Jaguars
Dante Fowler Jr it is.......
Falcons fans may be little bit gutted, wondering how their draft board looks right now?
If Beasley goes between 4 and 7 it gets very difficult. Fowler's a very talented defender, it's between him and Williams as to best defensive player in this class. Gus Bradley will love him. Grade A
Footnotes on 1st two picks.... first time 2 QB's have gone 1 and 2 since Andrew Luck and RGIII; Bucs play Titans in Wk1 of 2015 season - wow!
#2 Tennessee Titans
And it's Mariota......
This was the pick for the blockbuster trade. Disagree with pundits. If Eagles offered two 1st rounders, 3rd rounder and Cox you have to take a top class starter plus 3 high picks over a rookie QB unless you are 100% certain he's one of the very best can't fail QBs. Mariota is high character and could certainly be a class act - compared lots to Colin Kaepernick. Chip Kelly will be gutted. There is no truth in the rumour Kelly is trying to trade himself to Tennessee
Grade B- for the pick, QB is always a risk but Mariota is exceedingly high character
Grade D for not taking the volume of draft picks and quality players from Philly if reported offer was genuine
#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OK no real surprise here - Jameis Winston of Florida State goes to the Buccaneers.
Becomes the fifth QB picked in 1st round by Tampa ---- Josh Freeman (2009), Trent Dilfer (1994), Vinny Testaverde (1987) and Doug Williams (1978) prior; Two of these four have Superbowls rings (though neither with Tampa)
Grade B- Intelligent QB and has had success wherever he has played and is used to pro-style offense. Off-field issues are major red flags but Buccs will have researched aplenty. It's not an Andrew Luck type of sure thing pick but no-one will be surprised Tampa went in this direction.
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| One loyal supporter is happy with the 1st pick |
20:00 We are on the clock
19:55 5 minutes to go
The Eagles supposedly offering two 1st rounders, 3rd rounder plus Fletcher Cox and other players. No deal thus far. I'd snatch their hands off.
19:45 15 minute countdown
No news of any deals yet. Presuming Tampa Bay make the obvious choice at #1 then the phones really start ringing for Tennessee. Putting money on them using a lot of their allocated minutes before submitting pick or trade.
19:30 Cutler to Titans?
Looks like Chicago have spoken to Tennessee about a deal to move to #2 but the Titans don't appear to be interested in Jay Cutler as trade bait
19:!5 The Gold Carpet
Potential draftees well trained in their standard responses of "loving to go to any of the 32 teams" as they interview with their families on the gold carpet. Waiting for someone to break the standard response but it's just not going to happen....
15:55 Off the table?
NFL.com reports La'el Collins agent is drying to pull him from the draft following the death of ex-girlfriend Brittany Mills. It's believed Collins is not a suspect but his draft stock may have fallen. It's believed they are targeting entry into the Supplemental Draft. It's a dangerous precedent - what happens when red flag behaviours occur - would a Shane Ray type incident allow a player to request a similar route?
08:30 The Morning Line
Plenty of pre-draft hype this morning. On the back of NFL.com reporting last night that Eagles slot corner Brandon Boykin and and LB Mychal Kendricks are on the trading block for draft picks, NBC's ProFootbalkTalk lead with the news that the Eagles would consider trading Fletcher Cox to help a move up the boards. Mariota mania continues with reports of Cleveland offering two 1st round picks to the Titans for their #2 overall according to ESPN's Pat McManamon whilst Ken Whisenhunt continues to talk up Mariota as a QB fit for the Titans. In other rumours, NBC report Seattle's Bruce Irvin could be a trade target for Atlanta but stories surrounding Adrian Peterson to Arizona or Dallas have quietened despite AP alledgedly telling local reporters in Texas that playing in Dallas 'would be nice'. Meanwhile SI's Robert Klemko has the Falcons trading up to #3 in his latest Mock Draft here which includes a link to a nice report on Fowler including why he wants the Falcons to come calling on draft day
03:17 Chicago Local Time ----- The calm before the storm.
Mock drafts aplenty are in by the experts, a few hours sleep grabbed by many, whilst behind the scenes deals are discussed and debated within each franchise. The biggest question on everyones mind is --- the blockbuster trade for Marcus Mariota. Will it happen? What will it cost? Who will pull the trigger? Will Tennessee sit pretty or any of the suitors such as Cleveland or San Diego make a move? Philadelphia fans are still wondering if Chip Kelly will gamble the house to obtain the QB he recruited out of high school, developed into a successful college QB and try to re-create the success in his system in the pros?
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