Thursday, 7 May 2015
Initial 2015 Draft Grades - NFC North
7. West Virginia WR Kevin White
39. Florida State NT Eddie Goldman
71. Oregon C Hroniss Grasu
106. Michigan State RB Jeremy Langford
142. Penn State S Adrian Amos
183. TCU OG Tayo Fabuluje
Good Move - WR Kevin White was my favourite player in the entire draft class;
The Bears have immediately replaced Brandon Marshall with a playmaker with deep speed and good hands. Just as importantly White is unassuming and should be a great locker room presence. He has the tools to be a star - if the Bears can coax performances from Jay Cutler.
Bargain Pick - I personally liked the value of Jeremy Langford in the 4th round. I don't think there is that much of a drop from Abdullah, Coleman or Yeldon to Langford in the run game, and what he offers better than the others is superior pass protection. A perfect fit behind Matt Forte.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Tayo Fabuluje comes with red flags on motivation and weight issues but is a mammoth sized tackle with decent feet. With only 2 years in college he will take time to develop but with the correct mindset and the right coach could be a steal.
Tell Me Why Again? - Bears fans will ask "Why can't the draft be in Chicago every year"
Rookie GM Ryan Pace has lots of holes to fill and this was a solid class with the top 3 picks starting immediately and the first 5 all likely to contribute from Day 1.
28. Duke OG Laken Tomlinson
54. Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah
80. Stanford CB Alex Carter
113. Auburn DT Gabe Wright
168. Rutgers FB Mike Burton
200. Texas CB Quandre Diggs
240. South Carolina OT Corey Robinson
Good Move : I really like Ameer Abdullah. He doesn't have the top-end speed but is highly productive and versatile. In the Lions offense he could prosper. He has great hands out the backfield and even lined up in the slot often for Nebraska. A significant upgrade for the Lions.
Bargain Pick : Quandre Diggs is the brother of former 1st rounder Quinten Jammer who played 10-yrs in San Diego. Diggs didn't run the quickest 40 at the combine and at only 5'9 is destined to become a slot corner. However, he was a 4-yr starter at Texas so is value in the 6th round.
Risk / Reward Gamble : Gabe Wright won't remind anyone of the departed Suh or Fairley, but has the tools and good first step explosion to be an interior disruptor in Detroit. Wright wasn't overly productive at Auburn, and even this fell off in 2014, the Lions are hoping that with his toolset they can turn him into a better player in the pro's than in college.
Tell Me Why Again? : Another Guard taken in the 1st round?
Take your pick whether Laken Tomlinson is an unmovable uber-powerful behemoth or an immobile mass; His strength is in pass protection but he's unlikely to assist at the second-level in the run game. Good fit for the Lions pass offense or selected too high?
30. Arizona State DB Damarious Randall
62. Miami (OH) DB Quinten Rollins
94. Stanford WR/KR Ty Montgomery
129. Michigan ILB Jake Ryan
147. UCLA QB Brett Hundley
206. Oklahoma FB Aaron Ripkowski
210. Louisiana-Lafayette DT Christian Ringo
213. UAB TE Kennard Backman
Good Move - The Packers addressed need and targeted their secondary as priority. They elected to choose the better coverage safety Randall over the harder hitting Collins and doubled down on secondary in the 2nd round too with Rollins who can play both corner and safety positions.
Bargain Pick - Brett Hundley was muted as a 1st round pick only a few years ago and still rated as 3rd best QB in the class heading into the draft. He's not been allowed to develop as a passer in the UCLA offense, but will be afforded development time in Green Bay whilst Aaron Rodgers is under Center. An ideal landing spot for Huntley and a talent for the Packers to nurture.
Risk / Reward Gamble - Ty Montgomery didn't have a stellar 2014 season, averaging less than 10 yds a catch, which surprised many who thought he might be a 1st round pick. He's high character, versatile and built like a RB (played wildcard QB and tailback occasionally in college, as well as outside & slot receiver, plus kick returner) but has very questionable hands - 16 drops and 3 fumbles over 3 years in college. He'll return kicks initially, but in the right system who can get him the ball in hand in space, he could prosper. The Packers or Eagles seemed the ideal fit for Montgomery.
Tell Me Why Again? - I'll bow down to Ted Thompson for compiling the Packers talented roster almost entirely via the draft. It's hard to fault the picks which addressed needs in secondary and an ILB to afford Clay Matthews to move back outside. For a team so good, the class just seems to lack the immediate wow factor required to push Green Bay that next step.
11. Michigan State CB Trae Waynes
45. UCLA ILB Eric Kendricks
88. LSU DE Danielle Hunter
110. Pittsburgh OT T.J. Clemmings
143. Southern Illinois TE MyCole Pruitt
146. Maryland WR Stefon Diggs
186. Oklahoma OT Tyrus Thompson
193. Louisville DE B.J. Dubose
228. Alabama G/T Austin Shepherd
232. Newberry OLB Edmond Robinson
Good Move - Lots to like about this class, but up top for me was Trae Waynes who is lightning fast and loves to play man-to-man. Zimmer will utilise him opposite Xavier Rhodes to form an exciting aggressive set of corners. Waynes is far from perfect with a tendency to grab at receivers which will be punished more by NFL officials, but Zimmer is the ideal coach to develop his technique.
Bargain Pick - 5th rounder Stefon Diggs was a playmaker at Maryland and is electric in the open field. Coached in 2014 by Keenan McCardell, he's likely to be used in the slot and as a kick returner in Minnesota. He could be an intriguing weapon for Teddy Bridgewater. Scouts knock him for being too aware of the hit coming, maybe explained by 2 previous season ending injuries in college.
Risk / Reward Gamble - T.J Clemmings was a possible late 1st round pick until concerns over a foot injury. He's raw, with only 2 years experience in college following a switch from basketball, but has tremendous balance and footwork. Has been criticised for his technique, which probably compounded his fall in the draft, but if he can apply his first round type physical talents into on-field performance (probably with a year to develop in Minnesota) could be a heck of a bargain.
Tell Me Why Again? I think this is a very good draft class, but expected a little more help higher up the draft for Bridgewater. Zimmer is a greatest defensive coach and is beginning to form a formidable defense, I just wonder if they could have afforded one pick in the top 3 rounds at least to bolster the offensive. They will need at least 1 of their 3 late round O-linemen to pan out in 2015.
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