Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Initial 2015 Draft Grades - AFC North
26. Central Florida WR Breshad Perriman
55. Minnesota TE Maxx Williams
90. Iowa DT Carl Davis
122. Kentucky DE/LB Za'Darius Smith
125. USC RB Javorius Allen
136. Texas Southern CB Tray Walker
171. Delaware TE Nick Boyle
176. Tennessee State OG Robert Myers
204. Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller
Good Move - Joe Flacco needed help at the skill positions and Ozzie Newsome delivered. Perriman is tall and super-fast - potentially a great Torrey Smith replacement if he can improve his hands. Maxx Williams should contribute at TE - both he and Boyle are insurance against the return of Dennis Pitta, and Javorius Allen will help spell Justin Forsett at RB.
Bargain Pick - Za'Darius Smith may be one dimensional but looks a good fit for the Ravens as a pass-rushing OLB. Smith had more QB pressures in 2014 than his college team-mate Bud Dupree who went 100 picks earlier to the Steelers. It will be interesting to see if Newsome can get one over their divisional rivals with this pick.
Risk / Reward Gamble - The Carl Davis pick at the top-end of the draft has boom/bust potential. Davis possesses all the 1st round-type measurables to become a dominant force but questions remain on productivity and commitment. I liked the gamble of Darren Waller from Georgia Tech's run option offense - he's a 6'6 receiver that will need coaching. Add in one-game team suspensions in 2013 and 2014 and you have the classic mix of unrealised on-field potential coupled with off-field issues.
Tell Me Why Again? - Why aren't other teams as good as the Ravens at drafting? Ozzie Newsome again goes out and obtains top talent in areas of need for the Ravens. You could make a case for the Ravens first 3 picks all going in Rd 1 and all of the draftees in this class could contribute by 2016.
21. Texas A&M OT Cedric Ogbuehi
53. Oregon OT Jake Fisher
85. Rutgers TE Tyler Kroft
99. TCU LB Paul Dawson
120. USC CB Josh Shaw
135. Arizona State DT Marcus Hardison
157. Auburn TE C.J. Uzomah
197. Fresno State FS Derron Smith
238. West Virginia WR/KR Mario Alford
Good Move - I'm a big fan of Tyler Kroft who can block, has good hands, and is more athletic than given credit for. He's been a victim of system and poor QB play at Rutgers, I had him ranked not far behind Maxx Williams and loved the Bengals pick of him here. He'll be the #2 behind Tyler Eifert but the Bengals use a lot of these sets so he should see plenty of playing time.
Bargain Pick - Derron Smith of Fresno State would have likely been a high round pick if you gave him a couple of extra inches in height and took away his sports hernia surgery. An absolute bargain in the 6th round, a 4-yr starter, Smith has excellent coverage skills and will make this roster.
Risk / Reward Gamble - I considered putting Cedric Ogbuehi here due to his ACL injury sustained in the bowl game against Virginia, but Paul Dawson figures to be a real wildcard. He was very productive at TCU and I had him mocked at #29 in the 1st round, but he didn't fare well at the combine and off-the-field concerns contributed to his slide. If the Bengals can get him to buy into the programme they could have a bargain pick, but Dawson could be true boom or bust.
Tell Me Why Again? - Not sure why the Bengals doubled down on tackles in the 1st two rounds. It seemed excessive though both current starters are in contract years - at least in Ogbuehi and Fisher they grabbed two of the better tackles in the draft.
12. Washington NT Danny Shelton
19. Florida State OL Cameron Erving
51. Utah OLB Nate Orchard
77. Miami RB Duke Johnson
96. Washington State DT Xavier Cooper
115. Northwestern S Ibraheim Campbell
123. Washington State WR Vince Mayle
189. Louisville CB Charles Gaines
195. Mississippi State TE Malcolm Johnson
198. USC TE Randall Telfer
219. USC ILB Hayes Pullard
241. Oregon DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
Good Move - The Browns amassing 12 picks to strengthen the roster. I particularly liked the Danny Shelton pick, he's a huge plug in the middle, but mobile too. He's an instant starter and there's no way the Browns finish #32 in run defense two consecutive seasons now. It was noticeable how all the Browns early defensive picks featured prominently as strong against the run.
Bargain Pick - I believe Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in the 7th round ranks as one of the bargains of the draft. He's undersized but is a gutsy battler and equally comfortable in man or zone. Reminds me a little of Brent Grimes. He's coming off a bad knee injury which probably affected his draft stock. He's got a bit of a depth chart to overcome, including Charles Gaines selected 52 places before him, but he's talented enough to stick around and hopefully play in sub-packages in 2015.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Vince Mayle had over 100 catches in 2014 but also an enormous 19 drops to his name. He's elusive with the ball in hand, but can he catch it in the pro's? There's a need at WR in Cleveland so he has a chance to stick - if he can just make that ball stick to his hands.
Tell Me Why Again? - There's always questions with the Browns. Who is going to be their QB? Why wasn't a #1 WR selected in what was a deep class and a glaring need? Why did they select Cameron Erving at Center when one of their top players is Alex Mack? All in all though, a more sensible draft than in previous years, where they've gambled on players with questionable character or off-field red flags (Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel et al)
22. Kentucky OLB Bud Dupree
56. Ole Miss CB Senquez Golson
87. Auburn WR Sammie Coates
121. Ohio State CB Doran Grant
160. Penn State TE Jesse James
199. Central Michigan DE Leterrius Walton
212. Miami OLB Anthony Chickillo
239. Louisville S Gerod Holliman
Good Move - Senquez Golson has some seriously good ball skills - and a ratio of 10 picks per 3 passes defensed showing how dangerous he can be when the ball comes his way. At only 5'9 and under 180 pounds he's a bit small and lightweight and may be exposed against the run but is an A+ rated zone corner.
Bargain Pick - Leterrius Walton is a development pick who figures to gain some playing time in sub-packages as a rush end. One of the most productive college pass-rushers, the step-up in level of competition is likely to be huge, but he helps address the Steelers need for youth on their D-line.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Bud Dupree at #22 could be a massive risk / reward reach. His draft stock rose immeasurably following a freakish combine performance but whilst his athleticism is undeniable, scouts question his production and consistency.
Tell Me Why Again? - The absence of any sure-fire picks worries me about this draft class. I could go through each draftee and list at least one major concern for each player. It's either a brave developmental draft class with a lot of faith shown in Mike Tomlin's coaching staff, or a draft class with too many reach picks and question marks. Only time will tell.
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