2015 NFL Mock Draft Round 3
Round 3| 82-96:
Houston Texans: Steve Nelson, CB, Oregon State: Nelson had a terrific Senior Bowl week and a great season. The Texans are in the process of rebuilding their secondary and Kareem Jackson is a free agent besides.
San Diego Chargers: Tony Lippett, WR, Michigan State: Lippett’s reputation increased tremendously this year by playing big in big games. His 6-6 height (or slightly less) also intrigues scouts. And the Chargers receiving corps is a mess.
Philadelphia Eagles: Lynden Trail, DE, Norfolk State: This Florida transfer is 6-6, 251, with 4.6 speed. He is great in pass coverage and can rush the passer. He had a great Senior Bowl week as well. And the Eagles want more speed both on defense in general and in rushing off the edge in particular.
Cincinnati Bengals: Josue Matias, OG, Florida State: A good, solid, boring guard who may be overrated but is okay going in the third round.
Arizona Cardinals: Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn: Wright is going to be one of the mysteries of this draft just as he was a mystery in the SEC. At times he flashed dominating talent and could not be stopped. At other times he disappeared. He is similar in this regard to Deandre Coleman, the Cal DT of last year, who went undrafted, and has been on several practice squads since. If teams think Wright can be motivated I think he will go in the late second to third round. Then again, like Coleman, he could go undrafted.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: John Miller, OG, Louisville: Miller is another solid, so-called lunch pail guy who will put in a good day’s work for the Steelers and their oft-injured offensive line of recent years.
Detroit Lions: Joey Mbu, DT, Houston: Mbu had a good Senior Bowl and a solid season for an underperforming University of Houston squad which just made a coaching change. Mbu is probably not a third round talent but the need for good defensive tackles always exceeds the supply and the Lions, even if they keep Suh, are going to lose Nick Fairley.
Carolina Panthers: Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State: A little short at just under 6 feet, Darby is nonetheless a solid cover guy and big play stud who will create turnovers. Just what the Carolina secondary needs.
Baltimore Ravens: Jacoby Glenn, CB, Central Florida: The Ravens secondary has not successfully rebuilt itself and a good corner back is a necessity. Glenn is one of a host of Central Florida defenders who will be drafted in Chicago.
Dallas Cowboys: Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville: First, I’m not a Cowboys fan so don’t care about this selection. Holliman had an incredible 14 interceptions for Louisville, leading the nation, so he came out early. Holliman is basically Justin Gilbert, the first round bust of the Cleveland Browns this year, an interception machine who can’t cover anybody.
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Denver Broncos: Ledarius Smith, DE, Kentucky: Smith had a solid Senior Bowl and should be a solid NFL pass rusher. He could also play OLB.
Indianapolis Colts: Duke Johnson, RB, Miami: Johnson reminds me of Edgerrin James, another Canes running back. Time will tell if the comparison is warranted. I think he will live up to his potential. He runs hard and low, thus is hard to spot much less tackle. He has world class speed and could serve as a kick returner as well.
Green Bay Packers: Nick O’Leary, TE, Florida State: Poor Nick O’Leary. The Florida State All American can get no respect. His success is due to playing on a great team, due to catching passes from Jameis Winston, due to being the grandson of golfer Jack Nicklaus. All I know is that the guy performs on game day, catching, blocking, whatever you ask him to do. That’s good enough for me.
Seattle Seahawks: Josh Shaw, CB, USC: With Byron Maxwell perhaps hitting free agency soon, the Seahawks are going to be looking for a successor. Shaw had a fabulous Senior Bowl despite missing almost all of the season due to a broken ankle. If Shaw does not get depressed from the endless Seattle rain and jump off a balcony, he should be a solid replacement for the defending NFC Champs.
New England Patriots: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest: Whether Darrell Revis leaves in free agency or not, Bill Belichick constantly refreshes the young legs in his secondary. And as we saw in the Super Bowl, you can never have enough quality corners.