2015 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Scouting Notebook for Week 2

The NFL season has officially kicked off, and already fans are asking who the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft will be.

It's too soon to know that definitively, but this week's Scouting Notebook tells you who five NFL scouts like atop their boards right now. There's plenty more information coming in now that scouts are on the road each week.

Who is the top player in this class? Which SEC pass-rusher has NFL teams excited in his sophomore season? And which wide receiver is a "lock" to be a top-20 pick?

The Scout's Report

— I sent text messages to five NFL scouts this week asking who their top-rated player is heading into college football's third week. Each person replied with the same name—Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Michigan State game was a big one for the redshirt junior, and talk around the league is that the top spot is his to lose.

— Speaking of quarterbacks, NFL people (scouts, coaches, general managers) I spoke with this week continue to praise Michigan State's Connor Cook. While the Oregon game did show some mistakes from the junior signal-caller, his size, arm and instincts are all receiving high marks.

— The Jacksonville Jaguars may have a steal on their hands in undrafted free-agent wide receiver Allen Hurns. One NFL scout texted me this week to see where I had him ranked (he didn't make my final board) and said his team gave Hurns a "priority free-agent grade. We thought he could contribute in a year or two." Time will tell if Hurns is the real deal, but it's looking that way.

David Goldman/Associated Press

— Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd is reportedly "open" to turning pro early, according to SI.com's Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans. People I talked to this week said Floyd is "100 percent coming out" and is likely to be the first or second outside linebacker off the board.

— There has been a lot of talk about Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper so far this year, and he's earned it. People close to the Crimson Tide football program are calling Cooper "Julio Jones special." NFL scouts expect that he'll be the first wideout off the board this year.

— The quarterback market will be hot in the 2015 draft, and one high-level scout texted saying, "The top four are set, pretty much." That would be Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Brett Hundley and Connor Cook.

— NFL scouts can't help but compare players in their conversations, and this one really stuck with me this week: Washington's Shaq Thompson to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier. Thompson is more likely to play outside linebacker in the NFL, but from an athletic standpoint, the two match up well.

— In messages with Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff this week, he told me he's "taking it day-by-day" after what he called a "short, quick cleanup" on a knee he injured against Ball State.

Five Up, Five Down

Each week, "Five Up, Five Down" will monitor the movements of players on my draft board.

5. WR Devin Funchess, Michigan

The move from tight end to wide receiver is more than just a number change for Devin Funchess. The Michigan star is now playing against cornerbacks, as opposed to safeties and outside linebackers and is asked to run a more diverse route tree. The early results are good.

Funchess is thriving on a bad offense but has the skills (strength, length, vision in traffic) that will quickly remind scouts of Alshon Jeffery, Kelvin Benjamin and Mike Evans. His deep speed may never be great, but his ability to beat defenders at the high point is eye-opening. 

4. RB Todd Gurley, Georgia

Georgia's bulldozer running back Todd Gurley has now been featured on the Five Up, Five Down for two straight weeks. It may become a trend. That's what happens when NFL teams are calling you "an elite talent."

One evaluator I spoke with this week had this to say about Gurley: "He's just better than everybody else. Rare, AD (Adrian Peterson)-type prospect. And his character is awesome."

Gurley's stock continues to soar with each passing week.

3. OT Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State

The offensive tackle crop in 2015 looks good, but one player not enough people are noticing is Colorado State's Ty Sambrailo. 

He's well-coached, has the ideal build (6'5", 315 lbs) and has shown the technique and quickness to be a true left tackle in the NFL. Through early looks at big No. 51, it's easy to see Sambrailo becoming a first-round pick in the 2015 draft. Definitely keep your eye on this one.

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

2. WR Ty Montgomery, Stanford

Some players are great on the field, but headaches off of it. Some are amazing human beings but don't quite have what it takes to make it in the NFL. And then some are both exceptional on and off the field. Those players are the kind you highlight.

Ty Montgomery is a top-notch talent at wide receiver, showing explosive movements in space and the type of build (6'2", 220 lbs) to withstand the punishment of an NFL defense. But he's also what one coach called an "elite guy in the locker room" when we talked this week. Montgomery will quickly win over NFL decision-makers on and off the field—especially if he plays like he did against USC.

1. DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor

The NFL remains a height/weight/speed league, and for the most part, when you find an elite athlete in one or two of those areas, you worry about teaching technique later. Margus Hunt is a good example of this—despite being a raw football player, the Cincinnati Bengals invested a second-round pick in the SMU defensive lineman in the 2013 draft. 

Shawn Oakman is built like Hunt but has more of a football background and Day 1 readiness to his game. He's exceptionally long and is the ideal build and temperament for a 5-technique position (outside the tackle's shoulder) in a 3-4 defense. 

Oakman may not be a top-15 pick, but he looks like a late Round 1 guy.

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1. WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State

Jaelen Strong is benefiting from aggressive preseason coverage, leading to many people assuming he's a Round 1 talent. The tape says something else.

Strong (6'4", 212 lbs) has the big body that's currently trendy, but he lacks the type of quickness you want in a wide receiver. Watching ASU games from last season and this year, Strong really only dominates on one route—the back-shoulder fade. He struggles in his route tree and doesn't show the quickness you want in and out of breaks to consistently separate from defenders at the next level.

Unlike a guy highlighted earlier, Funchess, Strong doesn't make enough contested catches in coverage for me to feel comfortable with his lack of route-running savvy.

2. OT La'el Collins, LSU

I fell victim to the crowdspeak about La'el Collins before the season began. Every scout who spent time in the SEC last season talked up the big LSU left tackle, so he had to be good, right? Maybe not. 

By shutting out the noise and focusing on Collins' games, I'm not overly impressed. Maybe he was billed up as too good, but I see a body and athleticism better suited to guard or right tackle. At left tackle in the NFL, Collins doesn't appear to have the quickness to effectively cut off the corner and truly defend the edge. For him to work in that position at the pro level, he'll need to work on explosion off the ball laterally and in getting depth (his kick step) and learn to better time punches to counter pass-rushers.

As the SEC schedule approaches, Collins has room to rise or dramatically fall down the board.

3. DE (Edge) Randy Gregory, Nebraska

Randy Gregory has been high atop my rankings all offseason, but a knee injury, plus talk from inside the NFL and NCAA about his effort, have led to me moving him down this week. Gregory is talented, but when does that talent become production? Now that the eyes of the football world are upon him, Gregory must produce and do so while showing NFL-level traits in his quickness, length, hips and eyes. So far, that hasn't happened.

And as one NFL scout told me this week: "He's just not a good team guy. There will be character questions. Wait and see." 

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

4. CB Marcus Peters, Washington

Marcus Peters is no doubt talented, but the Washington cornerback was suspended for this week's game after a sideline tantrum. That led me to ask around the NFL about Peters and how teams and coaches (both pro and college) view him.

The word I received was bold. "He's a 'stay-away' character player." Peters will be an interesting case. It's rare for a top-tier player to be suspended in college, which makes this all the more worth watching as the season unfolds.

5. CB Deshazor Everett, Texas A&M

A&M cornerback Deshazor Everett was a player many, myself included, liked at the end of last season. At 6'0" and a solid 193 pounds, he definitely looks the part with long arms and a good lower-body build. Everett has stopped looking the part when challenged this year, though.

In two games, Everett has struggled to keep pace in man coverage and had a mental lapse against South Carolina that led to a touchdown. He's still a draft-worthy cornerback, but more of a Day 3 player than the rising potential he showed last season.

Scouting Report: Jeff Heuerman

Throughout the 2014 college football season, one senior draft prospect will be highlighted each week with a first-look scouting report.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Tight End, Ohio State

6'5", 255 pounds

Strengths: A versatile, big tight end who has shown the ability to play in-line (in a three-point stance beside the offensive tackle) or standing up in space (F-tight end, generally in the slot). Has the body type NFL teams love right now and is a much better athlete than Ohio State has produced at tight end in recent history. The Buckeyes haven't had a tight end drafted sine 2004 (Ben Harstock), and Heuerman will end that. Has developed as a blocker and is playing primarily in pass protection due to injuries and inexperience this season. He has the quickness, strength and length needed to play the position in multiple offensive schemes at the next level. Heuerman looks like a high-level starter and potential Pro Bowl player at tight end.

Weaknesses: Cannot compete with other tight ends in terms of production (zero targets through two games in 2014 season). Struggled at times in 2013 to play with strength in-line and spent a lot of time on the ground as a blocker. Heuerman won't be utilized as a receiving threat as much this year, which will lead to an inevitable numbers drop. He doesn't have the elite separation skills of an Eric Ebron, but has the body style to develop good catch-point separation with his body.

Pro Player Comparison: Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals

Scouting Dictionary

"Anchor"

Some scouting terms get used more than others, and one of my favorites is "anchor". I use this term when referring to both sides of the ball (offensive linemen and defensive linemen), but the definition doesn't really change for one side of the ball versus the other.

A player's ability to anchor means he can hold his spot without giving up ground. A good defensive tackle can anchor the line by holding his assignment and not letting the offensive line push upfield past him. Similarly, a good offensive guard can hold anchor by keeping defensive linemen from penetrating the line of scrimmage and getting into the pocket.

The Big Board

The NFL draft has become dominated by underclassmen, but the senior class in 2015 looks to be a strong one at positions other than quarterback. Here's a look at my top 25 senior players heading into Week 3.

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M
2	Brandon Scherff	OT	Iowa
3	Michael Bennett	DT	Ohio State
4	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
5	Vic Beasley	OLB	Clemson
6	Ty Montgomery	WR	Stanford
7	Hau'oli Kikaha	DE	Washington
8	Carl Davis	DT	Iowa
9	La'el Collins	OT	LSU
10	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Colorado State
11	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
12	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
13	Cedric Reed	DE	Texas
14	Denzel Perryman	ILB	Miami (Fla.)
15	Trey Flowers	DE	Arkansas
16	Markus Golden	DE	Missouri
17	Cameron Erving	OT	Florida State
18	Zach Hodges	DE	Harvard
19	Kurtis Drummond	FS	Michigan State
20	Rashad Greene	WR	Florida State
21	Eric Kendricks	ILB	UCLA
22	Quandre Diggs	CB	Texas
23	Kasen Williams	WR	Washington
24	A.J. Cann	OG	South Carolina
25	Derron Smith	FS	Fresno State

Parting Shots

10. In talking with one very powerful NFL decision-maker this week, he told me: "You cannot undersell character." NFL teams are investing more and more time into focusing on the character and mental make-up of their players. And that's trickling down to area scouts and even agents. More and more, top-level agents are shying away from controversial players and focusing more on high-character/high-talent players who they feel can make it to a second and third contract.

9. On the topic of character and scouting, a player destined to make me look very wrong is Tyrann Mathieu. A turbulent college career plagued with arrests and off-field issues had me as a very vocal critic of the LSU defensive back before the 2013 draft. Mathieu, though, has proven me wrong with his play on the field and his turnaround off the field. Here's hoping he continues to prove me wrong and becomes the top-tier defender he looks to be.

8. Everyone loves to talk about draft misses—it's one of the questions I'm asked most often—and a player on my Bust Radar is Trent Richardson. The Alabama running back was my No. 3 overall player in the 2012 draft and my top-ranked running back ever. However, he's struggled to run with discipline and aggression since joining the NFL. Another mediocre season from Richardson will have many—myself included—talking about what should have been.

7. As fun as draft busts are, how about great draft classes? In doing research this week, I stumbled upon this fact—the 1998 draft produced three of the best players ever at their respective positions: Peyton Manning (QB), Randy Moss (WR) and Charles Woodson (DB). 

6. It's always fun to look back at draft rankings after Week 1—and my Twitter followers will tell you it's fun to point out which players I had too low or too high—but let's all take a deep breath. One week rarely tells the whole story. Remember Eddie Royal last year? The San Diego Chargers wideout went off for 10 catches and five touchdowns through two weeks, but finished with just 47 catches and eight scores. Patience is the key when trying to evaluate big pictures on small sample sizes.

5. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier made a little news when he indicated in a radio interview, per The State's Josh Kendall (h/t NFL.com's Dan Parr), that running back Mike Davis might go pro after this season. Davis, who currently ranks as my No. 3 running back and a Top 32 player, would be wise to forego his final season of free bumps and bruises in college for paid bumps and bruises in the NFL. 

4. There is no doubting that the running back position has been devalued by NFL teams (see the fact that no running back has been drafted in the first round for two straight years). With that in mind, smart player representatives will be approaching college sophomores and juniors at the position to encourage them to leave school early. The fewer hits a running back takes in college, the longer (theoretically) his NFL career can be. Expect to continue to see high numbers of running backs leaving college early.

3. Ever wanted to know what the average NFL player is in terms of size? The folks at Ourlads.com have an amazing resource giving you the average size of NFL draft picks at each position. There are, of course, outliers at every position (guys like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson), but this is something NFL scouts are trained to look at with each player they evaluate.

2. With so much attention now focused on the NFL and domestic violence (and it's about time), how will NFL teams view former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham? The star wide receiver was dismissed from the program after allegedly breaking into a woman's apartment and pushing her down the stairs. He's now at Oklahoma and will be draft-eligible this coming year, but will teams take a chance on a player with one strike against him in the new domestic violence policy?

1. The Ray Rice saga dominated NFL storylines again this week, and this article is no different. That said, this is an NFL draft article, so how does losing Rice affect this team? The Ravens have a need at running back—even with Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro in place. Don't be surprised if general manager Ozzie Newsome (an Alabama graduate) plucks T.J. Yeldon in Round 2 if he's there in April.