2015 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

Prospect Draft Rankings and Analysis

By Tyler Lurkins

Our Mock Drafts

I would like to begin by declaring I’m ranking these players by talent. Obviously in a draft situation, including my own mock, a team will reach or draft for need, rather than talent.

Also, this draft for the moment lacks the star power of drafts past. Once the top 15 are off the board, selections become a toss up. Seeing this, I’m only hitting who I feel are the top 20 prospects.

1. Leonard Williams, DT, USC-Williams may be the best player in the draft. He doesn’t have the hype of Clowney, but may be the best defensive tackle the draft has seen in some time. Williams has an ideal size and frame, and has a great explosion and power to match. Really, Williams hasn’t shown many weaknesses. Being so dominant, he tends to get upright and lacks great technique, but that can be easily refined.

2. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington-Shelton is simply a safe pick. He reminds me so much of Haloti Ngata. A 34 team can plug him at NT or DE. With his mammoth size, he overpowers his way into the backfield, and he will not have trouble handling NFL lineman.

3. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama-Fundamentally speaking, Cooper is the best WR in the game. What impresses me most is his game away from the ball. Cooper is a solid blocker and will finds his way to the middle of the action at all times. The big question will be his workouts. What if he measures under 6’1” and 210 lbs.? In the 40 yard dash can Cooper run under a 4.45? If he can’t some teams may shy away from him as the receiver class is extremely deep and talented this year.

4. Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska-Watching any Nebraska games, Gregory is the most exciting player to watch on the field. Naturally his explosion and tenacity, combined with his 6’6” frame, will force any scout to drool. At 245 lbs., Gregory may get knocked around to bit. And with a small amount of injury concerns, Gregory could slip a tad in the draft.

5. Shane Ray, LB, Missouri-Ray only makes the top 5 for his ability to play a 34 pass rusher. As a 43 end, Ray may not stack up due to his compact size. Ray is the best 34 linebacker in this draft, and will see his stock elevate as such.

6. Vic Beasley, LB, Clemson-Beasley is the biggest disruptor in the draft. Always in the backfield, Beasley owned ACC offensive lines. The most impressive trait about Beasley is he never quits on a play. Compare Beasley to Melvin Ingram. Their small stature will force some teams to think twice about drafting them. However, when Ingram is in the game, opposing offenses fear the Charger defense. Beasley will need a 34 team looking for a LB to be drafted high.

7. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon-A natural leader with extreme athleticism, Mariota owned college football in 2014. Not only does his arm take center stage, he throws a nice, tight, and easy ball. His touch needs a bit of work, but the accuracy is workable on the NFL level. The biggest knock is obviously the scheme Mariota played in. If he can sit for a year or two and develop, Mariota will be a solid pro, much better than the highly regarded, and comparable, Koepernick. Yet coaches picking in the top 10 often will not have tenure to see Mariota develop.

8. Dante Fowler, DE/LB, Florida-Fowler will not see the hype of the other prospects. Many Draftniks see the under impressive numbers and politely discard Fowler. Face it, Florida played poorly but Fowler was a big reason they slipped into a bowl. His numbers are lacking due to his frequent position changes. Fowler dropped into coverage, set the corner, stood up and linebacker, and even slid inside to the tackle spot. However his versatility will be his biggest upside. Fowler’s downside will be his inability to “wow” scouts. He does everything great, but not spectacularly.

9. Landon Collins, S, Alabama-Was there a more dominant and feared safety in all of football this year? The difference between Collins and every other Alabama strong safety is the fact Collins can cover. Roaming from sideline to sideline, and up and down the line, Collins drops absolute hammers on ball carriers. The highly touted aggressiveness will also be Collins’ Achilles heel. He needs to settle in and play the ball, games are not won with highlight tackles. Also keep a careful eye on the shoulder of Collins. If team Doctors feel his shoulder soreness will be chronic, Collins could wind up at the bottom of the 1^st

10. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington-Peters is far and away the best corner in this draft, and much better than many we have seen since Patrick Peterson. I like the fact that Peters never gets beat deep. He rarely bites on a WR’s moves, and ignores the QB’s fake pumps. Structurally, he has good size and muscle. Peters took on, and beat, the PAC 12’s top receivers. For now, I choose to ignore his character issues. Under Sarkisian, Peters never found himself in the dog house. Chris Peterson, who preaches tough discipline, never meshed well with Peters. In the NFL, Peters’ attitude will be embraced, especially when reined in by a veteran team.

11. Brandon Scherff, T/G, Iowa-Scherff may be the best O lineman in all of college football, but he lacks many qualities. Coming from Iowa, the mecca of offensive lineman, Scherff shows great strength, fundamentals, and top notch knowledge. Problem number one is, though he will be a serviceable lineman, he won’t be an all pro. The length and athleticism just isn’t there with Scherff. The other big issue is the massive leg injury that required surgery. As a guard, Scherff will be one of the best in football. As a left tackle, Scherff will be a solid starter that will have a quiet, 10 year career as a starter.

12. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida St.-I am absolutely positive that 90% of the people reading this will disagree with this spot. Winston may very well go #1, but carefully watch the film. Let’s toss character issues out of the window, remembering that the woman whom accused him of sexual assault is starring in a documentary that will air on CNN. Focus on Winston’s predecessors, Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel. Both played in the same offense as Winston. Both with highly regarded prospects. I will give you this, neither held a candle to Winston. Of those three, Manuel had the best rating, and is fading from the NFL quickly. Watch the sideline, Winston is publicly challenging coaches, and that won’t change. His arrogance and lack of discipline may unravel him. I like the speed of Winston’s throw, but he has a very difficult throwing motion. Scouts say he sees the field well, but visibly reacts slowly, using his rocket arm to squeeze the ball in. This team did not dominate like the 2013 team, and Winston never became the star that could own the game. Nor did Winston have a mammoth receiver like Kelvin Benjamin to bail him out. Alright, now let’s throw in the character issues. Where do we sit now? If a team wants to put a leash on Winston, that’s fine. Let’s look at the teams drafting for a moment. Jacksonville, Oakland, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, and the Giants have no need for Winston. The Jets can’t afford a failure, and really don’t have enough pieces to for Winston to be comfortable. Should Tampa and Tennesse pass due to the dominance of the top 5 in these rankings, St. Louis is the only team left in the top 10.

13. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin-Clearly one of the most dominating backs in collegiate history, Gordon will be given a strong look by many teams. Like many scouts, I am leery of running backs. The vision and burst of Gordon is unmatched and will transfer perfectly to the NFL. Gordon is a three down back because he possesses good blocking skills and excellent hands. I’m concerned about a couple of things. True speed could be an issue for Gordon. On tape he is explosive and pulls away from defenders, but can he hit the extra gear against NFL caliber players? Playing behind a bunch of mountains against a weak schedule, Gordon racked up stats, but on too many carries. Ohio St. completely shut Gordon down, and that team is laden with NFL first day picks.

14. Andrus Peat, T, Stanford-If you google left tackle, Peat’s picture pops up. On an eye test, Peat is the guy you want protecting your QB. The strength is there, the footwork looks good, and the tenacity is a can’t miss. Can Peat redirect the speed of a Robert Quinn? Will Peat be bowled over by J.J. Watt? Point being, he may lack the true athleticism to play the position well. Another question mark is the fact he is from Stanford. Yankey and Jonathan Martin were very similar to Peat. Martin is a disappointment and Yankey is riding the pine. Are Stanford O lineman nothing more than scheme fits?

15. Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington-All 32 teams would line up to sign Lavonte David. However, all 32 teams would probably pass on Lavonte David in the 1^st round for a second time. Thompson is an amazing athlete and is one of the most gifted LB’s in college football. The WLB position just isn’t highly valued in the NFL, and neither is Thompson’s size. On talent alone, Thompson is a top 10 guy, but you have to cut him down for his size. One redeeming quality to watch, could a great combine translate to Thompson playing SS in the NFL? Teams want a menacing presence like the safeties in Seattle have.

16. Cameron Erving, O line, Florida St.-The NFL highway is paved with boom and bust tackles drafted simply because of athleticism. First, Erving was a top 5 prospect last year. This year he looked disoriented at times, often making poor first steps and bad reads. Moving to C, Erving destroyed all defensive lineman. Teams yearn for a man of this size with this much athleticism. He is a plug and play prospect at C, G, and RT, and can be groomed to be a LT. Let’s not forget that Erving was a recruited, and played, as a defensive tackle. Sure we have witnessed busts like Jason Smith, but Tryron Smith was also regarded as a guy with only potential, much like Erving.

17. Alvin “Bud” Dupree, LB/DE, Kentucky-Dupree and Utah’s Nate Orchard are hard to place. The numbers are not there for Dupree. Kentucky faced so many read option teams that Dupree never saw the chance to hit the backfield. On tape, he’s often double teamed with a running back chipping him. Is Dupree truly dominant, or just the best player on a less than decent team? Going simply on news reports and work out rumors, Dupree seems to play the part of a highly touted athlete.

18. La’el Collins, G, LSU-As a left tackle, Collins more than held his own. At the snap, Collins locks on to his assignment and blocks through the whistle. As his typical with his boxy size, Collins is a tremendous run blocker. After the success of Zach Martin, teams will appreciate Collins as an immediate starter at G. The largest bonus is his ability to play any position on the line, and play it very well. As a franchise LT, Collins simply doesn’t have the length or dominate footwork.

19. Kevin White, WR, W. Virginia-White compares very decently to Julio Jones. He has that big, solid body and unrivaled speed. The game film is there, White rarely drops balls and flat out takes over in clutch situations. White could be the big sleeper of the draft. A good combine could really elevate his status. Of course, like many spread receivers, the footwork and route running will be huge red flags. Those major flags are hard to coach and takes time to develop at a pro level.

20. Nate Orchard, LB/DE, Utah-Many decent players are left, but Orchard is silently gaining momentum. Orchard really hits the edge well. The most impressive aspect is his balance. Diagnosing plays quickly, Orchard can idle his motor, set the edge, and attack the run game also. Orchard stole the show against UCLA and Stanford, and attacked the ball well against Oregon, Arizona, and USC. The combine is where Orchard needs to make his hay. I believe in him as a prospect, but I want to see if he has NFL strength. Can he shrug off a pulling guard or a NFL fullback.

Best of the Rest-The next ten prospects can easily be moved around anywhere after pick 14, with little argument.

Trae Waynes-A shutdown corner in the big 10, Waynes needs to show more speed and stability before I take him in the top 20.

T.J. Clemmings, T, Pittsburgh-Clemmings is solid, but too “wiry” to be a dominant LT. I prefer him at LG with the option to be a backup at LT and RT.

Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida St.-Goldman is a great player. He will be a fine NFL player. I really see him as more of a NT in the NFL. I’d like to see him more muscular in trim, as his large shape could lead to durability concerns.

Ereck Flowers, G/T, Miami-Flowers is a solid player and superb leader. I see him as a dominant G or RT, unless he is placed in a zone scheme. I see a lot of Brandon Albert in him.

Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn-What’s not to like about Coates? Any team would save a starting spot for him. Yet Coates gets a case of the dropsies too much for my taste.

Tevin Coleman-Coleman is a diamond in the rough. He is the one back that can literally carry a team forward. Behind one of the worst lines in college football, Coleman constantly produced.

Micheal Bennett, DT, Ohio St.-Bennett was one of the most destructive lineman in college football. Scouts will really sink him because of his tweener size. Best suited as a 5 tech end, Bennett will slide because 5 tech ends are undervalued.

Devin Smith, WR, Ohio St.-I’m going to cheat with Smith. I feel he isn’t a first round prospect. However, speed sells and Smith has speed to burn. Speed will be the chariot Smith rides into the 1^st round.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia-If you witnessed Gurley on game day, you witnessed one of the best backs since Adrian Peterson. Knee surgery is knee surgery, and backs are a dime a dozen. I would like to think a team will gamble on Gurley’s excellence in the 1^st round.

Bernardrick McKinney, LB, Ole Miss-McKinney is a beast. He gets through gaps, gets off blocks, and make plays. The bad word is out though, McKinney probably isn’t going to be a cover guy and that hurts his stock.