2015 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Week 4 Breakdown
Most NFL teams will have played the first quarter of their 2014 seasons once Week 4 is completed. Now that the majority of the action has transpired, we can get a bit better of a grasp on the 2015 NFL draft picture.
The Oakland Raiders' 38-14 blowout loss in London to the Miami Dolphins has them in the driver's seat for the No. 1 overall draft pick.
This tweet from former NFL general manager Joe Banner from a couple of weeks ago seems to ring true right now:
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In this mock, the focus will be on the all-important quarterback position, where there are three top-tier prospects who ought to go off the board rather early. The draft order is determined by the latest Super Bowl odds, courtesy of Odds Shark.
1. Oakland Raiders: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
Derek Carr saw three quarterbacks drafted ahead of him, yet he became the first one to start in the season opener. In Week 4, he sprained his MCL and suffered a high ankle sprain, per the MMQB's Jenny Vrentas:
The priority at the top of the draft has to be protecting Carr, so Ogbuehi is the choice. Coming from a gaudy list of recent Aggies predecessors in Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, Ogbuehi will be ready to fill in as a franchise tackle.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams, DE, USC
A hot start led by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles offered Jaguars fans at least some encouragement in Week 4. However, the defense needs a lot of work, so Jacksonville goes with the best defensive player on the board in Williams with this pick.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Based on how Mike Glennon led the Bucs to a comeback win in Week 4 over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, he's still the QB at least for this mock. Therefore, Peat is the pick to bolster an offensive front that's had its issues in 2014.
4. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Whether it's injuries, inconsistency or downright dreadful decision-making, Jake Locker hasn't proven he has the stuff of a franchise quarterback. Ken Whisenhunt has probably had enough of poor play from that position, what with his disastrous depth charts in Arizona amid his previous head coaching gig.
Mariota has the size, arm talent, quick release, mobility, limitation of mistakes and playmaking ability to be the NFL's next big thing so to speak. College GameDay highlighted how productive and how smart Mariota has been with the football:
Check out this evaluation from Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State's defensive coordinator, whose unit was beaten by Mariota earlier in 2014 by a score of 46-27, per MLive's Mike Griffith:
"We missed too many sacks. We had three sacks and we could have had seven more. You have to give him (Mariota) credit, he made us miss, he's the best quarterback we’ve faced since (Seattle Seahawks/former Wisconsin QB) Russell Wilson in my opinion. The guy can hurt you with his arm and his feet, and I was impressed.
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With a plethora of weapons already in place in receivers Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Justin Hunter, along with tight end Delanie Walker and heavy investments in the offensive line, all the pieces are in place in Tennessee. All it needs is the proper leader, and Mariota fits the bill.
5. St. Louis Rams: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
The bad run defense early on is discouraging, but there's enough talent in the Rams' front seven for that trend to be reversed. What the team does need is a franchise QB, which Sam Bradford has not been, albeit due to torn ACLs.
That triggers the Winston pick. Although he was suspended for the previous game and almost cost Florida State a shot at repeating, Winston responded this last Saturday with 365 yards passing and four touchdowns in a comeback victory over North Carolina State.
With the support of a strong St. Louis defense, a patient head coach in Jeff Fisher and a run-first offense driven by Zac Stacy, the circumstances would suit Winston well in a Rams jersey.
6. Cleveland Browns: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
With injury-prone Miles Austin as the only other viable, larger target on the outside, save for Josh Gordon, Cooper makes a lot of sense in this spot. The Alabama star already has 43 receptions and 655 yards in just four games this year, bolstering the perception that he's the best wideout in this class.
7. Minnesota Vikings: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Coach Mike Zimmer had to be encouraged by what he saw in QB Teddy Bridgewater's debut, but the former Cincinnati defensive coordinator will look to upgrade his side of expertise.
8. New York Jets: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Cornerback remains the most glaring need for the Jets. Ekpre-Olomu has the physical tenacity and raw coverage skills to be a big asset for coach Rex Ryan, if he's still at the helm. Regardless, having Ekpre-Olomu and Dee Milliner on the team creates a great young CB tandem.
9. Washington Redskins: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
Ryan Clark is only around for this season, and DeAngelo Hall tore his Achilles. The secondary is unsettled to say the least in the nation's capital. What Washington needs is a Day 1 starter on the back end. Collins reads plays well and has rare coverage and ball skills for a strong safety, meriting a top-10 selection.
10. Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Other than Dwayne Bowe, anointed franchise QB Alex Smith has no other bigger targets in the passing game. Adding Funchess to the mix would be a fun way to change that.
The converted tight end has anemic signal-callers and offensive line issues plaguing his ability to shine in Ann Arbor, but Funchess will prove to be a great prospect once workouts roll around.
11. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
There is a considerable amount of depth on the current roster, yet with Barkevious Mingo looking like a bust, Paul Kruger not living up to his contract and Jabaal Sheard pushed out of the starting lineup, outside linebacker seems like a good play for Cleveland.
This leads the Browns to pick Beasley, a polished pass-rusher who could help Cleveland's 31st-ranked total defense in that department.
12. Miami Dolphins: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
The second suspension for 2013 top draft pick Dion Jordan has to have Miami concerned. As a result of Ryan Tannehill's strong Week 4 performance, the Dolphins turn to Calhoun in this scenario to bolster the depth behind starters Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.
13. Houston Texans: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
QB guru Bill O'Brien would love an upgrade over Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Ryan Mallett were the answer, he would be on the field over Fitzpatrick and would have been a starter already, so Houston can still go for a signal-caller here.
Hundley seemed refreshed in his return from an injury to his non-throwing elbow, going 18-of-23 passing for 355 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout win over Arizona State. CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler weighed in:
Mechanics and consistency have been better thus far in 2014 for Hundley, who had a shot to be a first-round pick in last year's draft had he come out. With an extra year of collegiate experience under his belt, Hundley is ready to make the leap and could climb draft boards if his steady progress continues.
14. Dallas Cowboys: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Pairing the likes of Fowler with DeMarcus Lawrence would give the Cowboys a couple of great defensive ends to build around for their future front seven. That facet of Dallas' maligned defense needs a considerable upgrade for America's Team to be consistently competitive.
15. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
With how dynamic some of the top ball-carriers in this draft are, New York may consider a running back here to take pressure off Eli Manning. Instead, GM Jerry Reese takes the best player available in Scherff, who has experience at left guard and can play anywhere on the line.
16. Carolina Panthers: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
Defense was Carolina's strength en route to an NFC South title last season. Now the Panthers have given up 75 points in the past two weeks, destined for the decline many pundits forecast for them before the season.
Williams' experience in a multifaceted defense and ability to play almost anywhere in the defensive backfield will help Carolina right away.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
Markus Wheaton has come on strong in his second season, but Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger could use another weapon on the outside. Despite playing in a run-heavy, simplistic offense, the explosiveness Coates has would go well when teamed with Antonio Brown and Wheaton.
18. Baltimore Ravens: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
Steve Smith continued his amazing resurgence in Week 4 against his former Panther teammates with 138 yards and two touchdowns receiving. But he won't last forever, and Baltimore only has Torrey Smith otherwise. That leads to Strong being taken a bit earlier than expected.
19. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
Defense is still an extreme worry in Atlanta, save for its rather solid secondary. Bennett could join forces with current rookie Ra'Shede Hageman to bolster the Falcons in the trenches. If they become even marginally better, Atlanta's high-octane offense led by Matt Ryan can again fathom Super Bowl contention.
20. Indianapolis Colts: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
Trent Richardson averaged 2.4 yards per carry in Week 4—bottom line. Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton wisely abandoned his penchant for the run and allowed Andrew Luck to air it out like he can for the second-straight game, both Indianapolis wins after a 0-2 start.
Gurley breaks the trend of no first-round running backs in the past two years—rightly and necessarily so. He is the best RB prospect in recent memory and would add a scary element to the Colts offense.
21. Arizona Cardinals: Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State
The 3-4 hybrid defense deployed by Arizona needs insurance at defensive end with Darnell Dockett out for the season. Edwards is a 294-pound behemoth with exceptional athleticism who could plug into the rotation immediately.
22. Chicago Bears: Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
Week 4 saw a highly entertaining shootout between the Bears and Green Bay Packers—for three quarters. Chicago stopped getting stops, and Jay Cutler threw some costly interceptions. Cutler and the offense are explosive, but they need the defense to help them out a little more.
Davis would bring some youth to the interior that features Jay Ratliff and Stephen Paea. Getting a better pass rush will aid a promising secondary led by rookie CB Kyle Fuller.
23. Green Bay Packers: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
Protection for Aaron Rodgers was rather strong this Sunday, but it is a persistent problem that Green Bay hasn't addressed. GM Ted Thompson has gone with the defense in the first round of the past three drafts with minimal dividends, so Collins is a sound, safe investment and is a great value at No. 23.
24. Detroit Lions: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Drafting in-state college products becomes a theme toward the end of the first round, with Detroit taking Waynes as the first in that vein. Mike Wilson of Scout.com points out how opposing QBs have been hesitant to even test Waynes this year:
Waynes would have the chance to play from Week 1. With 34-year-old Rashean Mathis as one of the current starters, a spot could open up on the outside for Waynes at the dawn of 2015.
25. New Orleans Saints: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Whether it's covering pass-catching tight ends or becoming a little more dynamic in blitz packages, Thompson is a playmaker the Saints could use. Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller is high on Thompson:
Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan could find a lot of ways for Thompson to make a big impact in his first year.
26. San Francisco 49ers: Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
Bringing in an athlete of Oakman's caliber, what with his size and quickness, the Niners could figure out a way to plug him into the defense.
Justin Smith (soon to be 35 years old) won't be around too much longer, so Oakman (6'9", 280 lbs) can learn from Smith and fast-track the process of realizing his immense potential.
27. San Diego Chargers: Benardrick McKinney, OLB, Mississippi State
Emerging as a leader on the Bulldogs' stout defense, McKinney was part of the effort that helped Mississippi State upset LSU on the road this last week. ESPN.com's Chris Low has some particularly high praise for McKinney:
The Chargers Dwight Freeney and Jarrett Johnson are at outside linebacker, so they could use some depth at the position. McKinney could move up even further with a strong effort in his next game against Texas A&M.
28. Philadelphia Eagles: Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
Coach Chip Kelly brings in a player in Armstead whom he mentored for one year in Eugene. Armstead has comparable measurements to Oakman and a similar boom-or-bust type of feel. Kelly is the ideal person to bring out the best in Armstead.
29. New England Patriots: Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford
Tom Brady needs a little more help on the outside, because Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins aren't going to cut it.
Bringing in a rookie to help the cause doesn't always guarantee instant aid, but Montgomery plays in a sophisticated, pro-style Stanford offense, has great fundamentals and is an ideal fit be a Patriot.
30. Cincinnati Bengals: Noah Spence, OLB, Ohio State
The successful risk Cincinnati took on with undrafted free agent Vontaze Burfict paid off in a big way. Spence has failed two drug tests, yet the All-Big Ten linebacker's talent is undeniable. The Buckeye will take his skills a bit south and join Burfict in a revamped Bengals LB group.
31. Denver Broncos: Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (Florida)
This has been a pretty steady selection for Denver in my mocks, because the team needs a fast playmaker in the heart of its defense. The secondary is solidified with T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib, but Perryman would bring a missing ingredient to the Broncos' 30th-ranked total defense.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
The idle Seahawks are coming off a massive win over Denver, but their coverage breakdowns late and Byron Maxwell's disappointing play leaves a glaring hole at cornerback opposite Richard Sherman.
Bringing in Peters, who already plays his college ball in the state, with a great coaching staff and organization is the best way for him to make the transition to the pros. It also helps Seattle in a key area.
A road trip to Washington, facing a QB in Kirk Cousins coming off a five-turnover performance this last Thursday, should keep the Seahawks rolling in the right direction. They still remain Super Bowl favorites, despite their loss to San Diego, which looks like a threat to hoist the Lombardi Trophy as it is.
It would be a shock to see Seattle pull off a repeat amid so much parity in the modern NFL. Then again, all the pieces are in place to get it done, and the 2015 draft should only see the Seahawks improve, forcing others to rise to their championship level.
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