2015 NFL Draft: The Complete Guide to Day 2
It was much ado about nothing in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft—more hype than substance in the end.
The rumor mill was turning at full speed. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport had Chip Kelly selling the farm for Marcus Mariota and Martellus Bennett shipping out of Chicago, but all was quiet on the western lakefront once the draft hit. Nobody made a move until nearly halfway through the first round, one that was ultimately filled with little intrigue.
That's not the case for the second day of the draft, with plenty of storylines to monitor and value to be had. There may not have been many trades on the first day of the draft, but we could see plenty of movement on Day 2.
Starting with the big board, let's take stock of everything for the second day of the 2015 draft.
Matt Miller's Top Players Available
1 of 10The first round did plenty to shake up Matt Miller's carefully crafted big board.
After some surprise picks, eight players in Miller's top 32 are available after Day 1. None is more glaring than outside linebacker Randy Gregory, who presumably fell because of a failed drug test at the NFL combine.
He might be a risk, but he could be one of the steals of the draft at any point going forward.
On the flip side, former Hurricanes offensive tackle Ereck Flowers was taken 62 spots ahead of Miller's ranking, making him the biggest reach to date.
Latest Rumors
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Once Marcus Mariota was drafted, Zach Mettenberger's days as a starter were numbered.
Which is why last year's sixth-round pick expressed his displeasure almost immediately upon discovering his fate. Mettenberger reportedly demanded a trade after the Mariota pick, as tweeted by The Plain-Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot.
A similar situation bubbled up in St. Louis, where Zac Stacy was shocked by the Todd Gurley selection in the top 10 for the Rams. Stacy wants to be released or traded, as ESPN's Adam Caplan tweeted.
At one point, outside linebacker Randy Gregory was considered a top-five pick. Then reports surfaced he failed a drug test at the NFL combine, and apparently things have spiraled for the talented Nebraska product.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer, Gregory is dealing with more than just a failed drug test at the combine:
"At least three general managers view him as a top-five talent. But according to more than a dozen coaches, scouts, personnel chiefs and GMs, there is concern about Gregory's ability to handle the mental rigors of professional football. And just how far he drops in this week's draft will likely hinge on the individual psychological profiles (and the results of related testing) put together by each team, according to multiple veteran evaluators. He has been taken off a several team's draft boards, according to multiple sources.
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Those are the kinds of rumors that can sink your draft stock to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Remember Vontaze Burfict?
What Will Become of La'el Collins?
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One of the storylines of the week emerged out of nowhere when word about potential legal troubles for La'el Collins spread like wildfire.
Collins was sought for questioning with regard to the murder of a woman police believe to be a former girlfriend, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, in one of the more jarring predraft revelations in recent memory. He isn't a suspect, according to police.
Even if innocence is every indication in this case, Collins' draft stock was destroyed. Reports, including one from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, filtered through that several teams took him off their boards, and his own agent petitioned—and failed—to have Collins removed from the draft in favor of the supplemental draft, per Fox Sports.
So is Collins undraftable? Or will some enterprising team find room for him?
The fact remains that he is one of the draft's top offensive linemen, which should be tempting for many teams as the draft rolls along and the risk decreases. Nobody wants another Aaron Hernandez on their hands, but Collins may be worth a mid-round pick regardless.
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Bryce Petty Is the Heartbreaker
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A rumor that spawned out of the mists of subterfuge was that Bryce Petty would make a surprise first-round appearance.
The New Orleans Saints were reportedly on the Baylor product with the 31st pick in the draft, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. That did not come to pass, and it's anybody's guess where he will land.
Actually, it's my guess he will still land with the Saints in the middle of the second round—as you will see later on here—but we could start to see a ton of trade rumors involving quarterback-needy teams as we head into the second day of the draft.
The Buffalo Bills seemed interested in the former Bear, taking him out to dinner a few days before the draft, as Petty revealed on ESPN 1660 (h/t Pro Football Talk). He seemed excited about the possibility of playing for head coach Rex Ryan, and the Bills should be thrilled to get him, given their quarterback situation.
Washington may have exercised Robert Griffin's fifth-year option, but that won't preclude the team from taking Petty to add to the mix under center.
Even teams without an immediate need—like the Saints and the San Diego Chargers—could see fit to take the third-best quarterback in the draft.
He might not be Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, but Petty is going to be coveted on the second day of the draft. Whoever lands him is going to disappoint a few other teams.
Who Will Be Next at Running Back?
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Someone must have read from the Necronomicon, opening the transdimensional portal to the first round for running backs.
Todd Gurley not only broke the seal on the first round after a two-year absence for the position, but he was taken in the top 10. Melvin Gordon didn't last too much later as the San Diego Chargers made a move up to snag him at No. 15.
Nobody else came through the portal on Thursday.
It's still a deep, strong class, by many accounts. So who will be next?
Miami's Duke Johnson, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, Alabama's T.J. Yeldon and Boise State's Jay Ajayi figure to lead the charge and jockey for position in the second round, where we could see them and more get taken.
David Cobb out of Minnesota and Tevin Coleman out of Indiana could also sneak into the second round.
The second day of the draft could be the day of the running back, given the sheer number of talented players still available.
Team-by-Team Day 2 Predictions
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Looking for some deeper analysis for each team? Check out predictions for the second day on a team-by-team basis below:
- Arizona Cardinals Day 2 Predictions
- Atlanta Falcons Day 2 Predictions
- Baltimore Ravens Day 2 Predictions
- Buffalo Bills Day 2 Predictions
- Carolina Panthers Day 2 Predictions
- Chicago Bears Day 2 Predictions
- Cincinnati Bengals Day 2 Predictions
- Cleveland Browns Day 2 Predictions
- Dallas Cowboys Day 2 Predictions
- Denver Broncos Day 2 Predictions
- Detroit Lions Day 2 Predictions
- Green Bay Packers Day 2 Predictions
- Houston Texans Day 2 Predictions
- Indianapolis Colts Day 2 Predictions
- Jacksonville Jaguars Day 2 Predictions
- Kansas City Chiefs Day 2 Predictions
- Miami Dolphins Day 2 Predictions
- Minnesota Vikings Day 2 Predictions
- New England Patriots Day 2 Predictions
- New Orleans Saints Day 2 Predictions
- New York Giants Day 2 Predictions
- New York Jets Day 2 Predictions
- Oakland Raiders Day 2 Predictions
- Philadelphia Eagles Day 2 Predictions
- Pittsburgh Steelers Day 2 Predictions
- St. Louis Rams Day 2 Predictions
- San Diego Chargers Day 2 Predictions
- San Francisco 49ers Day 2 Predictions
- Seattle Seahawks Day 2 Predictions
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Day 2 Predictions
- Tennessee Titans Day 2 Predictions
- Washington Redskins Day 2 Predictions
Players Who Could Still Be Traded
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Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets
The window to trade Muhammad Wilkerson will probably be open for half a minute after the second round starts, but there is still a chance to move him.
The Jets drafted Leonard Williams after the USC standout unexpectedly fell into their collective lap. That made Wilkerson—who was already drawing trade interest—somewhat expendable.
According to Darryl Slater of NJ.com, general manager Mike Maccagnan doesn't necessarily feel that way: "Right now, Muhammad is on our team. Again, I'm not going to speculate. We're not actively trying to shop Muhammad. Right now, he's part of us. Obviously, at some point in time, we're going to talk to him and his agent, and kind of proceed forward."
Still, if a team makes an offer that includes a second-round pick, Wilkerson could be in a new uniform in 2015.
Bruce Irvin, OLB Seattle Seahawks
News broke a day before the draft that the Seattle Seahawks wouldn't pick up outside linebacker Bruce Irvin's fifth-year option.
Well, Irvin didn't take the news so well—at least according to his Twitter account—and rumors soon swirled that the Seahawks might be shopping him, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Morris Claiborne, CB, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys needed upgrades in their secondary, so it's no surprise that Byron Jones was the pick out of Connecticut.
That possibly leaves former first-round pick Morris Claiborne on the outside looking in—or at least as the best trade chip among the bunch at cornerback for the Cowboys.
Zac Stacy, RB, St. Louis Rams
Once the Rams took Todd Gurley, Zac Stacy became expendable, if any team is willing to take the former sixth-round pick. As we have already seen, Stacy wants out.
The Rams should oblige, though it would likely come by way of release given that he has almost no value.
Zach Mettenberger, QB, Tennessee Titans
He may be in a similar boat as Stacy, but Zach Mettenberger has quite a bit more leverage. No team is going to give up major assets to get the former sixth-round pick, but the disgruntled quarterback should be tantalizing to someone who needs a backup, if the Titans want to get something for their trouble.
Bold Predictions
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La'el Collins will be drafted on Day 2
On the following slides, you will note La'el Collins made the Day 2 cut.
Seattle is just the kind of organization to scoop up a talent like Collins at a steep discount in Round 3 and plug him in as a 10-year starter. Offensive line also happens to be a need for the Seahawks, making it just too perfect.
The Cleveland Browns will take a quarterback
You will also observe in the Round 3 mock that Garrett Grayson was the fifth quarterback off the board. He went to the Cleveland Browns.
There were certainly plenty of rumors that the Browns were interested in picking up a quarterback in the first round—notably Marcus Mariota, per Peter King of The MMQB—and Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown aren't exactly on solid ground.
Seattle will make a big move up in the second round
There were no trades in the mock drafts here, but don't expect the Seahawks to stand pat at the end of the second round.
Seattle has 11 draft picks even after missing out on the first round because of the Jimmy Graham trade. Some players who are falling could entice a big trade from GM John Schneider.
Round 2 Mock Draft
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33. Tennessee Titans—Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
34. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
35. Oakland Raiders—Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
36. Jacksonville Jaguars—Duke Johnson, RB, Miami
37. New York Jets—Eric Rowe, DB, Utah
38. Washington—Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
39. Chicago Bears—Eddie Goldman, DL, Florida State
40. New York Giants—Landon Collins, S, Alabama
41. St. Louis Rams—Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
42. Atlanta Falcons—Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
43. Cleveland Browns—Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
44. New Orleans Saints—Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
45. Minnesota Vikings—Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami
46. San Francisco 49ers—Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
47. Miami Dolphins—Jake Fisher, OL, Oregon
48. San Diego Chargers—Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
49. Kansas City Chiefs—Ali Marpet, OG, Hobart
50. Buffalo Bills—Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
51. Houston Texans—Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
52. Philadelphia Eagles—Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
53. Cincinnati Bengals—Preston Smith, DL, Mississippi St.
54. Detroit Lions—Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
55. Arizona Cardinals—Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
56. Pittsburgh Steelers—Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
57. Carolina Panthers—Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
58. Baltimore Ravens—Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
59. Denver Broncos—Jordan Phillips, DL, Oklahoma
60. Dallas Cowboys—Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
61. Indianapolis Colts—T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
62. Green Bay Packers—Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
63. Seattle Seahawks—Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon
64. New England Patriots—Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
Round 3 Mock Draft
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65. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson
66. Tennessee Titans—A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
67. Jacksonville Jaguars—Adrian Amos, S, Penn State
68. Oakland Raiders—Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
69. Washington Redskins—Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)
70. New York Jets—Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
71. Chicago Bears—Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi St.
72. St. Louis Rams—Tre' Jackson, OG, Florida State
73. Atlanta Falcons—Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
74. New York Giants—Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State
75. New Orleans Saints—Clive Walford, TE, Miami
76. Minnesota Vikings—Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
77. Cleveland Browns—Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado
78. New Orleans Saints (from Miami Dolphins)—Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary
79. San Francisco 49ers—Alex Carter, DB, Stanford
80. Kansas City Chiefs—P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
81. Buffalo Bills—Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State
82. Houston Texans—Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn
83. San Diego Chargers—Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah
84. Philadelphia Eagles—Kwon Alexander, OLB, LSU
85. Cincinnati Bengals—Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke
86. Arizona Cardinals—Jordan Hicks, OLB, Texas
87. Pittsburgh Steelers—Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern
88. Detroit Lions—Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
89. Carolina Panthers—Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
90. Baltimore Ravens—Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami
91. Dallas Cowboys—D'Joun Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic
92. Denver Broncos—Jamil Douglas, OG, Arizona State
93. Indianapolis Colts—Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin
94. Green Bay Packers—Xavier Cooper, DE, Washington State
95. Seattle Seahawks—La'el Collins, OL, LSU
96. New England Patriots—Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State
97. New England Patriots (compensatory selection)—Davis Tull, OLB, Tennessee-Chattanooga
98. Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory selection)—Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
99. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory selection)—Derron Smith, S, Fresno State
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.jpg?w=600 "Titans President Steps Down")
