Photo Courtesy: Marianne O’Leary
By Zach Walker
This is the one stop shop for your final NFL Draft preparation; My Top-50 players in this draft, a Top five from each position, and a final mini-mock before the April 30th draft night. Add pizza, beer, and friends, and your draft night is going to be excellent.
Blitz Weekly Big Board: The Top 50 Draft Prospects:
| 1 | DT | USC LEONARD WILLIAMS | 26 | CB | LSU JALEN COLLINS |
| 2 | 34OLB | UF DANTE FOWLER JR | 27 | ILB | UCLA ERIC KENDRICKS |
| 3 | QB | FSU JAMEIS WINSTON | 28 | RB | WIS MELVIN GORDON |
| 4 | 34OLB | CLEM VIC BEASLEY | 29 | DE | UCLA OWAMAGBE ODIGHIZUWA |
| 5 | WR | BAMA AMARI COOPER | 30 | 43OLB | WASH SHAQ THOMPSON |
| 6 | DT | WASH DANNY SHELTON | 31 | CB | WAKE KEVIN JOHNSON |
| 7 | RB | UGA TODD GURLEY | 32 | G | DUKE LAKEN TOMLINSON |
| 8 | G | IOWA BRANDON SCHERFF | 33 | DE | MSST PRESTON SMITH |
| 9 | CB | MIST TRAE WAYNES | 34 | ILB | MSST BENARDRICK MCKINNEY |
| 10 | 34OLB | NEB RANDY GREGORY | 35 | WR | MIZZ DORIAL GREEN-BECKHAM |
| 11 | 34OLB | MIZZ SHANE RAY | 36 | DT | TEX MALCOM BROWN |
| 12 | DE | OREG ARIK ARMSTEAD | 37 | RB | BOISE JAY AJAYI |
| 13 | WR | LOU DEVANTE PARKER | 38 | TE | MINN MAXX WILLIAMS |
| 14 | OT | MIAF ERECK FLOWERS | 39 | ILB | MIAF DENZEL PERRYMAN |
| 15 | OT | STAN ANDRUS PEAT | 40 | CB | OREG IFO EKPRE-OLOMU |
| 16 | DT | FSU EDDIE GOLDMAN | 41 | RB | IND TEVIN COLEMAN |
| 17 | 34OLB | UK ALVIN DUPREE | 42 | OT | PSU DONOVAN SMITH |
| 18 | QB | OREG MARCUS MARIOTA | 43 | DT | OU JORDAN PHILLIPS |
| 19 | C | FSU CAMERON ERVING | 44 | CB | FSU PJ WILLIAMS |
| 20 | OT | LSU LA’EL COLLINS | 45 | 43OLB | TCU PAUL DAWSON |
| 21 | CB | WASH MARCUS PETERS | 46 | WR | MICH DEVIN FUNCHESS |
| 22 | WR | ASU JAELEN STRONG | 47 | G | SCAR AJ CANN |
| 23 | WR | WVU KEVIN WHITE | 48 | CB | MIAO QUINTEN ROLLINS |
| 24 | S | BAMA LANDON COLLINS | 49 | 34OLB | WASH HAUOLI KIKAHA |
| 25 | OT | PITT TJ CLEMMINGS | 50 | QB | UCLA BRETT HUNDLEY |
TOP FIVE AT EACH POSITION
QBs:
| 1 | FSU | Jameis Winston – McNabb-esque thrower, must get out from under himself |
| 2 | OREG | Marcus Mariota – Needs high-percentage offense to strive early |
| 3 | UCLA | Brett Hundley – Dual threat with solid arm and nice frame, needs pocket time |
| 4 | ORST | Sean Mannion – Has all the QB stuff down to a T, just isn’t flashy |
| 5 | BAY | Bryce Petty – Wild-Card with winner’s game to him, needs sanding of edges |
RBs:
| 1 | UGA | Todd Gurley – Talented, oft-injured back with ten year back upside |
| 2 | WIS | Melvin Gordon – Slick back with slashing cut runs, needs to develop hands |
| 3 | BOISE | Jay Ajayi – Complete back with some rough edges to game, but 3-down back |
| 4 | IND | Tevin Coleman – Smooth runner, ran out of skin in 2014, injury concern |
| 5 | BAMA | TJ Yeldon – Great frame, makes most of carries, needs to round out his game |
WRs:
| 1 | BAMA | Amari Cooper – Supremely rounded wide out, true dependable number one option |
| 2 | LOU | DeVante Parker – Consistent, physical threat on the outside, worked w/ NFL QB at LOU |
| 3 | ASU | Jaelen Strong – Body type of a power forward, extremely clutch, worker bee |
| 4 | WVU | Kevin White – Explosive vertical speed matched with desirable size, Route runner? |
| 5 | MIZZ | Dorial Green-Beckham – Has all the tools, his own worst enemy, needs a willing team |
TEs & FBs:
| 1 | MINN | Maxx Williams – Travis Kelce-type with number one game breaking ability |
| 2 | MIAF | Clive Walford – Great working the mid-zones against linebackers, Dwayne Allen-type |
| 3 | PSU | Jesse James – More traditional, uses his 6-7 frame to get open, needs work blocking |
| 4 | FSU | Nick O’Leary (FB) – Played in Pro-style offense, next John Kuhn? |
| 5 | YALE | Tyler Varga (FB) – Has good palate of usable skills, solid blocker, good 3rd down back |
On Offensive linemen, I’ll be comparing them to an existing NFL Player, rather than list their traits.
OTs: Gs & Cs:
| 1 | MIAF | Ereck Flowers – Luke Joeckel | 1 | IOWA | Brandon Scherff (G) – Joel Bitonio |
| 2 | STAN | Andrus Peat – Roger Saffold | 2 | FSU | Cameron Erving (C) – Eric Wood |
| 3 | LSU | La’el Collins – DJ Fluker | 3 | DUKE | Laken Tomlinson (G) – Larry Warford |
| 4 | PITT | TJ Clemmings – Lane Johnson | 4 | SCAR | AJ Cann (G) – Kelechi Osemele |
| 5 | PSU | Donovan Smith – Kelvin Beachum | 5 | Hobart | Ali Marpet (G)– Brandon Fusco |
DTs:
| 1 | USC | Leonard Williams – Young, talent-filled to the brim; consistent producer |
| 2 | WASH | Danny Shelton – Scariest athlete in this draft because his moves; Great attitude guy |
| 3 | FSU | Eddie Goldman – Game-breaking player, work on conditioning; All-Power player |
| 4 | TEX | Malcom Brown – Mentally and Physically Tough; Really rounded his game in 2014 |
| 5 | OU | Jordan Phillips – Flash player with desirable size; Likely needs a dedicated coach |
DEs:
| 1 | OREG | Arik Armstead – A giant at age 20; Any scheme DE or 4-3 DT; Supremely Raw |
| 2 | UCLA | Owamagbe Odighizuwa – Consistent pass rusher; Slightly above-average talent |
| 3 | MSST | Preston Smith – Size and strength operator; Situational year 1, grow into bigger role |
| 4 | FSU | Mario Edwards Jr – Multi-position player, master of neither; Power player |
| 5 | UVA | Eli Harold – Great player to watch play football; Slender frame, Speed over power |
3-4 OLBs:
| 1 | UF | Dante Fowler Jr – Has all the tools, teamed with good instincts; Maxed Frame? |
| 2 | CLEM | Vic Beasley – Maybe best athlete in draft; Pass rush dynamo; Not much VS Run |
| 3 | NEB | Randy Gregory – Explosive athlete; Slim frame; Stupidly failed drug test @ Combine |
| 4 | MIZZ | Shane Ray – Undersized, tornado-style, never-quit athlete; Killer 2014 season |
| 5 | UK | Alvin Dupree – Ideally sized; Better worker than athlete; Very consistent |
4-3 OLBs:
| 1 | WASH | Shaq Thompson – LB/FS/RB? Won’t stay off field; Solid tackler; Mega-Athlete |
| 2 | TCU | Paul Dawson – TCU system made him desirable; Plays Angry; Sideline to Sideline guy |
| 3 | UGA | Ramik Wilson – Tackler; Limited athlete; At-Average coverage skills |
| 4 | MICH | Jake Ryan – Great football player, not great athlete; Can get swamped up by linemen |
| 5 | CSU | Aaron Davis – Instinctive, and wrap up tackler; undersized and not great mover |
ILBs:
| 1 | UCLA | Eric Kendricks – Athletic, instinctive, and productive; Undersized, but Aggressive |
| 2 | MSST | Benardrick McKinney – Has the size with pass rush ability; coverage needs work |
| 3 | MIAF | Denzel Perryman – Basically the east coast Kendricks; Great instincts and tackler |
| 4 | USC | Hayes Pullard – Instincts are there, and he has burst, but could be overmatched vs TEs |
| 5 | CLEM | Stephone Anthony – Has physical tools, not the mental game; Solid size; Consistent |
CBs:
| 1 | MIST | Trae Waynes – Has good head on shoulders; Physical, maybe excessively; Great size |
| 2 | WASH | Marcus Peters – Has major edge to his game, maybe too brash; Has the Confidence |
| 3 | LSU | Jalen Collins – Great agility, trusts his eyes; Really handsy, needs to work out of that |
| 4 | WAKE | Kevin Johnson – Likes to get hands dirty VS run; Physical downfield, draws refs ire |
| 5 | OREG | Ifo Ekpre-Olomu – Very untimely Injury dropped stock; Good operator, despite size |
Safeties:
| 1 | BAMA | Landon Collins – Plays a strong game, great tackler; Could use work in Coverage |
| 2 | FRSNO | Derron Smith – Coverage player, but not a guarantee tackler; Sub-Six foot |
| 3 | UVA | Anthony Harris – Great coverage skills, with good instincts; CB frame |
| 4 | TCU | Chris Hackett – Productive, Instinctive, and a tackler; Needs to add mass |
| 5 | LOU | Gerod Holliman – Gambler to the core, 14 INTs in 2014; Super Raw; Needs learn time |
2015 NFL Draft First Round Mini Mock:
1st TB: QB Jameis Winston – Tampa would be crazy to pass on true leader in Winston.
2nd TEN: DT Leonard Williams – TEN passes on QB to help get after Luck and Bortles.
3RD JAX: DE/OLB Dante Fowler Jr – More defensive fire power for Gus Bradley.
4TH OAK: WR Amari Cooper – Complete weapon for Derek Carr to help grow offense.
5TH WAS: OLB Vic Beasley – Supplements the loss of Orakpo, while adding speed on D.
6TH NYJ: QB Marcus Mariota – Jets get QB that they can groom or throw into the grind day 1.
7TH CHI: DT Danny Shelton – The Chicago defense really needs a linchpin player.
8TH ATL: DE/OLB Randy Gregory – Falcons add a pass rusher to spice-less defense.
9TH NYG: G Brandon Gregory – The G-Men really need to protect Eli Manning so he can find Beckham.
10TH STL: WR Kevin White – Rams need a number 1 for Nick Foles, like they never got for Bradford.
11TH MIN: CB Trae Waynes – Vikings need another top corner to head off pass-happy NFC North.
12TH CLE: WR DeVante Parker – Josh Gordon is almost out, Parker is as talented, but stays on the field.
13TH NO: OLB Shane Ray – High-motor guy for Rob Ryan, to help chase down Cam and NFC South.
14TH MIA: OT Ereck Flowers – Local kid, to take over for Brandon Albert in a few seasons.
15TH SF: DE Arik Armstead – Perfect mold of just-retired Justin Smith with room to grow.
16TH HOU: WR Dorial Green-Beckham – Upside through the roof, needs to stay out of his own way.
17TH SD: RB Todd Gurley – Though they have Oliver, Gurley’s un-ignorable talent can’t be pasted up.
18TH KC: OT La’el Collins – Maybe giving Alex Smith a pocket, he’ll throw a TD to a WR in 2015.
19TH CLE (from BUF): DT Eddie Goldman – The Browns need a plug for the terrible run defense.
20TH PHI: S Landon Collins – Philly needs a safety to help keep the East’s running backs at bay.
21ST CIN: OT Andrus Peat – Dalton and the Cincy running game could really use a boost.
22ND PIT: OLB Alvin Dupree – James Harrison is coming back, so they need some youth on D.
23RD DET: CB Marcus Peters – Detroit really needs someone to clamp down on Alshon Jeffrey.
24TH ARI: RB Melvin Gordon – Cards get a complement to Andre Ellington, who’s good through the air.
25TH CAR: OT TJ Clemmings – Panthers need Cam to learn to be comfortable in the pocket.
26TH BAL: WR Devin Funchess – Ravens kill two birds with one pick, Funchess has WR skill in TE body.
27TH DAL: ILB Eric Kendricks – Cowboys get talent linebacker to add to oft-injured corps of LBs.
28TH DEN: C Cameron Erving – Denver picks up tradesman Erving to fit any of O-Line holes.
29TH IND: CB Jalen Collins – Colts need a corner across from Vontae Davis to help get to the next level.
30TH GB: LB Shaq Thompson – The Pack have plenty of holes on defense, Shaq fills multi roles.
31ST NO (from SEA): WR Jaelen Strong – Brees needs a new weapon with Graham getting traded off.
32ND NE: DT Malcom Brown – Wilfork was a truly great player, Brown has the attitude to plug the gap.
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