Hey guys, I'm working on the second round right now. Here's the first in the meantime. Every year people tell me I'm crazy, but I like to do it my way. I spend a lot of time evaluating team's rosters before making my mock. I'll update with the additional rounds as I get them uploaded. Hope you enjoy. http://www.cornerblitz.com/2015/Mocks/Final/Default.aspx 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QBp Jameis Winston, Florida State Jameis Winston is easily the best QB in the class, maybe the only real QB in the class. He also might be one of the top three prospects regardless of position, which makes him a no-brainer for this selection. 2. Chicago Bears (from TEN) QBm Marcus Mariota, Oregon *TRADE: CHI #7 and Jay Cutler for TEN #2 and #66* Jay Cutler returns home in a big trade sending Marcus Mariota to Chicago to start the John Fox era. Cutler is two years younger than Rivers and has a better arm. Returning to Tennessee, Cutler gets a fresh start on familiar ground, and Tennessee gets a new quarterback. Cutler's mega-deal only has big guaranteed money the next two seasons, so it's not a great risk for the Titans and they have plenty of cap to absorb the hit. 3. Washington Redskins (from JAX) 5T Leonard Williams, Southern California *TRADE: WAS #5 and #69 for JAX #3* Washington trades up to solidify their front 3 with Williams, who many believe is the best prospect in the draft. Williams is an ideal candidate for a five-technique defensive end in a 3-4, having already played the position in college. 4. Oakland Raiders WRf Amari Cooper, Alabama While the Raiders have plenty of holes on defense, they learned last year that if they have no real threats at wideout, they won't be able to succeed with their new quarterback. Adding Cooper provides a consistent, reliable, and dangerous target to pair with Michael Crabtree, who is on a one-year "show me" deal. 5. Jacksonville Jaguars (from WAS) RE Dante Fowler Jr., Florida *TRADE: WAS #5 and #69 for JAX #3* After dropping down a couple spots and scoring an additional third-rounder, the Jaguars score Florida's Fowler. Fowler lined up all over the place in Florida's defense, often running stunts or blitzes from different gaps in order to get to the QB. Look for Gus Bradley to utilize him the same way in Jacksonville. 6. New York Jets OLB Vic Beasley, Clemson The Jets add the draft's most explosive pass rusher in Beasley. Todd Bowles has a lot of firepower to get after the QB in his head coaching debut. 7. Tennessee Titans (from CHI) NT Danny Shelton, Washington *TRADE: CHI #7 and Jay Cutler for TEN #2 and #66* Tennessee adds a key cog to their 3-4 defense in Shelton, who adds a rare combination of power and endurance to the position. While he has all the physical traits to be a dominant nose tackle, he needs work in his technique against the run. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton puts a premium on rushing the passer, and nobody was more productive from the nose in college than this All-American. 8. Atlanta Falcons CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State Atlanta's pass defense was embarrassing last year. Atlanta hopes that adding a prototypical specimen at corner will improve their pass coverage. The division is loaded with big receivers and Waynes has the length and speed to keep up with them. 9. New York Giants SS Landon Collins, Alabama The Giants are extremely weak at safety, so Collins is the natural fit here. I'm sure New York would like to get some value in a trade down, but I don't see a partner here. 10. St. Louis Rams LT La'el Collins, LSU Tough decision for the Rams here, who can go with any offensive lineman in the draft or a big-play wide receiver. In this scenario, St. Louis takes Collins to man the left side, allowing Saffold to play right tackle. 11. New Orleans Saints (from MIN) WRf Kevin White, West Virginia *TRADE: NO #13 and #78 for MIN #11 and #110* New Orleans moves ahead of Cleveland to grab Kevin White, after having nightmares of how Julio Jones has abused them in the past. With Kenny Stills out and Marques Colston getting older, the Saints need to add a big, strong wideout to pair up with Brandin Cooks. 12. Cleveland Browns WRf DeVante Parker, Louisville Cleveland didn't expect Parker to fall into their laps at 12, but they select him as the highest ranking player on their board. With offseason additions of Bowe and Hartline to holdovers Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel, Cleveland has turned wideout from an area of weakness to one of strength. 13. Minnesota Vikings (from NO) RB Todd Gurley, Georgia *TRADE: NO #13 and #78 for MIN #11 and #110* The Vikings' relationship with the reinstated Adrian Peterson is in disrepair. No team knows the value of a dominant running back quite like these Vikes, and they add possibly the best running back prospect since the aforementioned AD. 14. Miami Dolphins CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest Cortland Finnegan retiring digs a deep hole for the Dolphins at corner. It's clear from Miami's pre-draft visits that they are seriously considering a first-round cornerback, and to many, Johnson is the best available. 15. San Francisco 49ers CB Marcus Peters, Washington San Francisco gives a boost to their secondary as they nab the extremely talented Peters. He is easily the most talented corner available and San Francisco needs a lot of help at corner. 16. Houston Texans 5T Arik Armstead, Oregon Houston nabs Arik Armstead to match up with JJ Watt and Vince Wilfork to create a dynamite front 3. One of the rush linebackers is tempting here, but that might seem like giving up on last year's number one overall pick.
17. San Diego Chargers OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska The Chargers nab Randy Gregory, who has fallen due to the failed drug test at the combine. Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu aren't providing the pass rush San Diego would like, and Gregory is too good to pass up at this point. 18. Pittsburgh Steelers (from KC) OLB Shane Ray, Missouri *TRADE: PIT #22 and #87 for KC #18 and #193* Jason Worilds retirement has left the Steelers in a lurch. While Pitt hasn't forced James Harrison into retirement yet, he and Arthur Moats are on one-year deals and Jarvis Jones hasn't made the impact they had hoped for. Moving up gets Pitt the player they covet and ensures he doesn't go to another team in the division with the next pick. 19. Cleveland Browns (from BUF) 5T Malcom Brown, Texas In Brown, Cleveland gets a player they considered at 12. The Browns were 32nd in the league in rush defense last year, and the Longhorn is one of the premeir run defenders in the draft. 20. Philadelphia Eagles OG Jake Fisher, Oregon Philadelphia let Todd Herremans go this offseason, despite him performing well at guard. Chip Kelly puts a premium on athleticism for his offensive linemen, and has shown no hesitation in the past to accumulate Oregon players he recruited. 21. Cincinnati Bengals RE Alvin Dupree, Kentucky The Bengals add depth to the pass rush as they nab the highly-thought-of Dupree to rotate with Dunlap and Johnson. 22. Kansas City Chiefs (from PIT) RT Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla.) *TRADE: PIT #22 and #87 for KC #18 and #193* The Chiefs have a lot of tackles on their roster, but they don't really have a good one. Flowers is a powerful drive blocker who will start immediately at right tackle and has left tackle upside should Eric Fisher not improve. 23. Detroit Lions RT Brandon Scherff, Iowa Detroit has had recent success drafting an Offensive Tackle from Iowa who slid in the draft in part due to non-ideal arm length at the position. They try to strike gold twice, nabbing Scherff, who most expect to go top 10. 24. Arizona Cardinals CB Byron Jones, Connecticut Arizona needs a second starting corner on their roster, and they opt for Jones, the physical prototype. 25. Carolina Panthers LT Andrus Peat, Stanford The Panthers needed a left tackle going into last year's draft and didn't get one. They breathe a sigh of releif here as the run on offensive linemen continues and the last first-tier left tackle goes off the board. 26. Baltimore Ravens WRf Breshad Perriman, UCF Baltimore grabs Torrey Smith's replacement in a player that reminds me very much of his predecessor. Smith is big and fast and a vertical threat and should fit in well with Baltimore's offensive scheme. DGB is a very tempting option here, but I just don't see how they can draft him after dealing with the Ray Rice issue last season. 27. Dallas Cowboys RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin The Jones' get just the player they need as Gordon falls into their laps at 27. This would be the ideal scenario for the Cowboys. 28. Denver Broncos RT D.J. Humphries, Florida Denver selects D.J. Humphries to man the right side of their line. TJ Clemmings was a tempting option here, but he is just not good enough in pass protection right now for this offense. 29. Indianapolis Colts NT Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma Indy's defensive needs a lot of help right up the middle, and Phillips can provide that anchor up the middle for to stop the run. 30. Green Bay Packers TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota The Packers have been missing that seam tight end ever since Finley's injury occurred. Williams available for them seems a natural fit, as the Packers' offense is predicated on feeding Aaron Rodgers with lots of weapons. 31. New Orleans Saints (from SEA) OLB Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA The Saints add their pass rusher in Owa Odighizuwa. A phenomenal athlete and good run stuffer to boot, OO has the potential to become an elite edge defender if he is over his hip injuries. 32. New England Patriots WRf Nelson Agholor, Southern California Nelson Agholor is the ideal wideout for the Patriots. He is a good team player, runs precise routes, and has great yards-after-catch ability.
Nice mock bud. A lot of trades.. Not sure the Vikes trade back if AD is traded.. They would probably take Gordon/Gurley at 11. Also doubt the skins move up in any way shape or form... They learned their lesson with RG3. I like a lot of the picks though and most fit pretty well.
well, 11 ain't too far out of the top 10, lol! Personally, I think he's a second round player, but I try to balance my takes with the consensus on stuff when making these mocks.
I don't think the Bears give up nearly enough in that trade. It should take 2 1's and a 2 to move up from 7 to 2, so you're assuming Cutler is worth a first round pick. With that contract and his play, I'd say he's far from that.
If Fowler goes # 5 I'd be pissed, but the top 5 players you drafted are clearly the BPA. I'm OK with Beasley, but he's not the complete player like Fowler.
I appreciate the feedback. I was struggling with what the value would be for Cutler. There have been recent rumors (which I hadn't heard before I looked into it for this mock) that Chicago might swap Cutler straight up for #2 without having to give up #7. I thought that was a bit much, so I gave Cutler + #7 for #2 plus Tenn's 3rd.
As always, an interesting and well thought-out post. Great job, although I have a few disagreements. I would be shocked beyond words for anyone to trade for Cutler. He has the arm, but is a total jerk and no brain. Then there's his huge contract. If any owner signed off on that, he should fire himself and sell the team. I could definitely see Washington trading up. In spite of what Rockinz said, I don't think Daniel Snyder has learned anything. He's too arrogant. I would be shocked if 3 OTs go before Scherff. I'd also be shocked if Houston goes DL again. If so, their GM should be fired. I think they need OL help and WR help, not to mention QB, although there's not another QB left that's 1st round worthy. Armstead isn't the BPA, either, imo. Peat going to the Panthers would be huge for them, as would Gurley going to the Vikes.
Thanks NC. I'm surprised to hear OL mentioned as a major need for Houston. They need a center for sure, but outside of that I think they're in pretty good shape having brought Newton back for RT. This is an abnormally-deep draft for centers, so I think taking one at 16 would be a bad move. I can see wideout there, but this class is so deep at wideout. I don't think Crick is a starting-quality DE, that's why I went DL for them. That position is a bit thin in this class for me. I don't like Scherff. If I was making the picks as GM I wouldn't take him before the 3rd. He just gets bullrushed too easily. He also sometimes struggles to find someone to block at the second level, which is a big pet peeve of mine. For my mocks I try to blend consensus with my own takes, and that's why he's still in the first round. JMO.
You're welcome. You could very well be right in all your judgments. I'm sure you've probably spent more time and thought on each of the teams than I have. Some of the info I have may be old and out of date, or just flat out wrong. I haven't had much time to spend on the draft this year. I thought Houston's OL wasn't very good a year or so ago. Did they fix it, or am I wrong? I thought part of the problem was that Schaub was under constant pressure. I agree that #16 is too high to take a center. Didn't Andre Johnson leave? I thought he did, that's why I thought of WR, but you're right that it is a deep class. In terms of DE, they have Watt and added Clowney and Pagan in last year's draft and Nix at NT as well. IMO they should have taken Bridgewater last year, but can understand why they took Clowney. Because of that, I just can't see them taking another DE with their 1st pick this year. I understand not liking Scherff, and I think he may wind up as an OG, so can understand if he drops. I don't like taking OGs in the 1st round.
If Houston was playing Clowney at DE, then I would agree with you they couldn't take a DL, but he's an OLB for them and they're not even sure when he will be back. If they planned on clowney playing DE I would have given them an OLB or a WR.
the toher thing, didnt cutler just sign an extension with gauranteed money? if so doesnt that make him near impossible to trade cause of the mosnter cap hit on said gauranteed money?
I think Beasley is a better EDGE rusher which is exactly what we need right now in a 3-4 OLB. Personally I would take him over Fowler for the Jets, though I think Fowler may be an overall better prospect. I'd be happy with either, honestly.
Yes to the first part, no to the second. When you trade a player, you are also trading their contract, which means you are only on the hook for money you've already paid out (which would be in the form of a signing bonus or restructure bonus.) Guaranteed salary is the new team's problem. The Bears would only have a dead cap hit of $4 million if they traded Cutler today. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/jay-cutler/
i think the dropoff between Fowler and Beasley is significant. would be really pissed if the draft fell this way (although i wouldn't pick Beasley in this event). taking a top 10 pick, they need to be a complete player, and contribute in a number of ways. edge rushing skills are great, but if you can only get on the field situationally, that doesn't warrant that high a selection.
Steve, nice work on the mock. i do think you are seriously underrating the offensive line prospects tho. you have Collins going 10, but then no one else until the 20's? i expect the Giants to go OT at the 9. that's way too high for them to select Collins at S. i don't think either Scherff or Peat fall nearly that far either, and that one of them may end up on the Giants. Peat is the best LT prospect in this draft. that's a position that will not fall to 25. i think he goes top 10. really like your 31 and 32 picks. Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Nelson Agholor are not being discussed enough. they have round 1 talent, and will go early round 2 the latest. Agholor will be a great punt returner to boot (and BB loves his 4 down players). I see NE as a very good match.
Very nicely done mock, CleveSteve. The only points I'd make are the AP one by Rockinz (definitely agree that the Vikings would take Gurley at 11 if AP was traded), and the valuation of Cutler, mostly because of his performance and, to a much lesser extent, his contract, both of which were already discussed above. Wouldn't be surprised if the draft turned out like this. Again, good stuff!
Well, I get what you guys are saying about just taking Gurley at 11, but are you thinking someone would trade up to 12 to take him? Seems unlikely in today's NFL, but Gurley is a rare prospect. I do have him going to Minnesota at 13.
