Oregon Football: Who Will Replace Ducks' Top NFL Draft Prospects?

Despite the outcome of the national championship game, Oregon’s 2014 season was wildly successful.

Oregon has become one of the best programs in college football; however, now it will have to deal with one of its biggest rebuilding projects in years. 

The Ducks are losing a host of players to graduation and the 2015 NFL draft, including Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who is undoubtedly the best player in the history of Oregon football.

The Oregon program is well-positioned to continue its dominance of the Pac-12 despite the players it will lose next year. The Ducks will return almost every playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and the young defensive players should be able to replace those lost to the draft.

There’s no doubt that the Oregon coaches will have their hands full as they attempt to replace as many as nine players who could be drafted in April. That being said, the coaches should be excited with the talent they have to work with.

Here's a look at seven Ducks who will likely be selected in the NFL draft and will need to be replaced in 2015.

QB Marcus Mariota

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Oregon’s QB race may be the most interesting positional race in the entire country. 

The Ducks will have to replace Mariota, a tall task for whoever ends up winning the job. According to the draft experts at CBSSports.com, Mariota is ranked as the No. 1 overall player. Mariota is a surefire top-10 pick and may even be drafted first overall.

Oregon is not short on options at quarterback, and based on the level of talent returning at the skill positions it could be a pretty cushy job.

While the front-runner is redshirt sophomore Jeff Lockie, who was Mariota’s backup this season, I don’t ultimately think he’ll win the job. My belief is that a more dynamic player will eventually win it.

The Ducks are going to hold an open competition. The last three times Oregon held an open competition for the QB job, the underdog ended up winning out.

So, who are the underdogs?

As we chronicled last week, the Ducks will have at least four other options from within the program. Moreover, Oregon may be courting players from outside the program to come in and compete.

Within the program, the Ducks will get a good look at freshman Morgan Mahalak and redshirt freshmen Taylor Alie and Ty Griffin, who transferred to Oregon from Georgia Tech.

Oregon could also go with Travis Waller, a 6’2”, 189-pound 4-star recruit, according to 247Sports, from Anaheim, California, who is expected to enroll at Oregon in the spring.

Outside of the program, the Ducks could try to land Ohio State’s Braxton Miller or Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams Jr. Both could transfer to Oregon and play next season if they enroll in a graduate program that isn’t offered at their current school.

Landing Miller would be enormous for the program. Miller was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2012 and 2013 before missing the 2014 season with a shoulder injury. Miller’s experience would be great for the program, and he’d be a perfect fit for the “blur” offense. Moreover, he’d be a great one-year bridge from Mariota to Waller.

Getting Miller is probably Oregon’s best-case scenario. However, if the Ducks fail to land Miller, there’s no shortage of other options.

CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

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While Ekpre-Olomu was Oregon’s most prized defender this season, earning first-team AP All-American honors along the way, the Ducks did just fine without him in the Rose Bowl.

CBSSports.com has Ekpre-Olomu ranked as the No. 2 corner and projects him to be a first- or second-round draft pick.

The Ducks lose both of their starting corners this season—Ekpre-Olomu and Troy Hill—to graduation. However, at least one corner spot has been secured by redshirt freshman Chris Seisay, who replaced Ekpre-Olomu after he suffered a knee injury in Rose Bowl preparations.

Seisay, who is 6’1” and 187 pounds, will be Oregon’s No. 1 cornerback next season and has proved he’s more than capable of playing the position. He played in 13 games this season and had 33 tackles and four pass breakups along the way.

The Ducks have confidence in Seisay to become Oregon’s lockdown corner. As Erick Dargan said, according to Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune, “Chris Seisay can be one of the top corners out there, because he keeps getting better.”

On the other side of the defense, the Ducks will likely turn to true freshman Arrion Springs, who is 5’11” and 203 pounds.

Springs, who was ranked as the No. 7 cornerback in the country in the 2014 class, according to 247Sports, played a limited role in nine games this season.

Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum believes that both Seisay and Springs are talented players and that they just need some seasoning. “Seisay and Springs are both good players. They’re just young” said Pellum, according to Vondersmith. “I think we have quality players (in the secondary). I think we’ll have some guys to work with.” 

Other players who may find themselves in the rotation are redshirt junior Isaac Dixon and true freshman Glen Ihenacho.

DE Arik Armstead

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Oregon’s defensive line will take a hit without the services of Arik Armstead, the 6’7”, 296-pound junior defensive end who opted to enter the 2015 NFL draft. 

CBSSports.com ranks Armstead as the No. 6 defensive end and No. 38 overall. He is projected to be a first- or second-round draft pick.

On the season, Armstead tallied 46 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 13 games. Moreover, Armstead’s size allowed Oregon’s other linemen and linebackers to make plays.

While losing Armstead is a bit of a blow, the Ducks will still return starters DeForest Buckner and Alex Balducci on the defensive line and aren’t short on other linemen who should be able to fill the void left by him. 

The players who are most likely to fill Armstead’s role are juniors Sam Kamp and Tui Talia. The Ducks will also turn to freshman Austin Maloata, redshirt sophomore T.J. Daniel and incoming freshman Canton Kaumatule, a 247Sports 5-star recruit.

Kamp, who is 6’4” and 290 pounds, played in all 15 games this season and totaled 20 tackles. Talia, who stands 6’5” and 285 pounds, played every game this year and made 18 tackles.

With Buckner and Balducci returning, the Ducks should be just fine without Armstead. Of course, the Ducks got beat up in the trenches against Ohio State in the title game. They need to get better along the defensive line in order to once again compete for a national title.

LT Jake Fisher

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Oregon’s offensive line was a completely different machine with Jake Fisher in the lineup.

In fact, with Fisher in the lineup during the regular season, the Ducks have averaged 251.7 yards, 5.7 yards per carry and 3.4 rushing touchdowns per game in those 11 games. Without Fisher (two games), the Ducks averaged 158 yards per game, 3.8 yards per carry and failed to score a touchdown on the ground.

Fisher was Oregon’s most important offensive lineman this season and earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors.

Fisher ranks as the No. 9 offensive tackle, according to CBSSports.com, and is projected to be a second-round pick.

Due to injuries suffered by Fisher, Andre Yruretagoyena and Hroniss Grasu this season, numerous offensive linemen were thrust into action. While their performance in those appearances wasn’t spectacular, the experience of playing against Pac-12 competition should be valuable next season.

Tyler Johnstone, who tore his ACL before the season and was slated to be the left tackle, will be back next season and should be slotted in as the starter at left tackle. If Johnstone is healthy, which is a big question mark, the Ducks should be fine at tackle. 

Oregon also loses left guard/center Hamani Stevens and center Hroniss Grasu along the line, so there’s a lot of work to do. Thankfully for the Ducks, players like Tyrell Crosby, Matt Pierson, Andre Yruretagoyena, Doug Brenner, Jake Pisarcik and Cameron Hunt played significant roles this season.

The Ducks have nine months to figure out their best rotation along the line. But the bodies are there, and they’ll be ready. Replacing Fisher, Stevens and Grasu will be a challenge, but it’s one the Ducks are ready for.

C Hroniss Grasu

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While losing Fisher is likely the biggest blow to Oregon’s on-field performance, losing Grasu to the NFL may be a bigger blow from a leadership standpoint.

Grasu, a three-time All-Pac-12 first teamer, is ranked as the No. 3 center and the No. 73 prospect. He is expected to go between the second or third round, according to CBSSports.com. 

When Grasu went down with a foot injury during the Utah game on Nov. 7, Stevens filled in at center instead of redshirt freshman Doug Brenner. Oregon’s offense didn’t miss a beat without Grasu, and Stevens performed admirably in his place. 

Next season, both Grasu and Stevens will be gone, which leaves Brenner with the unenviable task of replacing Grasu. 

Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood thinks Oregon will be just fine with Brenner at center. 

“Doug Brenner will be solid at center, although we need to continue to develop depth there,” Greatwood said, according to Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune. “He’s tremendously powerful off the line of scrimmage, and has really good balance in pass protection and is a smart kid.”

As for Brenner, he says he’s been studying Grasu intently since he got to Oregon.

“Ever since I got here, I made it a goal of mine to really study Hroniss, just because of how successful he is as a football player and as a person,” Brenner said, according to Vondersmith. “Every day in practice when doing drills I watch him, his footwork, his hand placement. Besides physical attributes, his feet and hands and how athletic he is, I just try to replicate his poise and leadership out there as a center. It’s important to the offensive line as a center. Between the quarterback and center, we’re the artists of the offense.”

Brenner has big shoes to fill, but the coaches have confidence in him. It will be important for Brenner and whoever the quarterback is to get on the same page during the summer.

OLB Tony Washington

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While Marcus Mariota has produced some of the most memorable moments in Oregon history, Tony Washington’s fumble recovery and touchdown return in the Rose Bowl may have been the best moment of Oregon’s 2014 season.

Now, the Ducks will be faced with replacing Washington and linebacker Derrick Malone. That duo combined for 145 tackles and 14 tackles for loss this season.

Washington is ranked as the No. 138 overall prospect and the No. 12 outside linebacker, according to CBSSports.com. He is projected to be a fourth-round pick.

Fortunately for the Ducks, they are stacked at linebacker.

Junior Joe Walker, a run-stopping specialist, will team up junior Rodney Hardrick as Oregon’s inside linebackers. Both Walker and Hardrick played in all 15 games this season.

Replacing Washington will be a combination of junior Tyson Coleman, a starter this season, Christian French, a junior and projected starter, as well as redshirt freshman Danny Mattingly and sophomore Torrodney Prevot. 

The coaches are high on Mattingly, who had an interception in the national title game. “He had a nagging injury holding him back,” said Oregon linebackers coach Erik Chinander, according to Vondersmith. “He’s a big physical guy. He can really flash. Inside the box, he’s a really dangerous player. When he gets his legs back, he can help us in coverage.”

Oregon will have six linebackers who are capable of starting. The losses of Washington and Malone sting a little bit from an experience and leadership standpoint, but the Ducks should be just fine without them.

SS Erick Dargan

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The group that should concern the Ducks the most is the secondary. Yes, the losses of Ekpre-Olomu and Troy Hill are substantial, but so too is the loss of Erick Dargan.

Dargan, who may have been Oregon’s best defensive player last season, is ranked as the No. 6 strong safety, and CBSSports.com projects him as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

Dargan played a lot of “rover” this season. Look for Reggie Daniels to steal that spot and for Tyree Robinson or Khalil Oliver to take over as Oregon’s free safety.

Daniels, a redshirt sophomore, played all 15 games for the Ducks this season as the free safety and racked up 83 tackles—third on the team—nine passes broken up, a forced fumble and an interception.

Robinson, a 6’4”, 200-pound redshirt freshman, will likely take over as Oregon’s free safety this season, and Oliver will back him up. Robinson played in all 15 games and made 36 tackles this season. His size, speed and experience will be crucial for the young secondary.

The Ducks gave up a lot of yards through the air this season; however, they also forced a ton of turnovers. The secondary will be an area of concern for the Ducks early on, but it also may be the position with the most young talent.

The loss of Dargan is not small. He was the heart and soul of Oregon’s defense this season. It will be on Daniels and Robinson to replace his production. More importantly, they have to become the backbone of an Oregon defense that will be tasked with creating even more turnovers next season.

Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise stated. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.