2015 NFL Draft: Buying or Selling Latest Rumors, Buzz and Speculation

The combine in Indianapolis isn't just a gathering to watch the "Underwear Olympics," it's also a mecca for every decision-maker in the NFL. With everyone centralized in one location, some of the best gems of the draft season surface in the weeks during and after the medical testing, interviews and 40-yard dashes.

With all of the media present to cover the event, some insider news gets passed along, via agents or league connections, that helps shed light on the inner sanctum's opinions of these talented NFL hopefuls. This year, plenty of headlines were made.

We'll explore the biggest rumors of the weekend and attempt to judge if they're likely to come to fruition.

Will Jameis Go First Overall?

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The first rumor comes from Dane Brugler of CBS Sports who, while in Indianapolis, tweeted an interesting nugget about the possible top pick of the 2015 draft.

"

I couldn't find one person I trust (NFL scout, analyst, etc.) who doesn't think Jameis Winston will be the No. 1 overall pick on April 30

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 23, 2015"

From there, Dan Kadar of Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's draft site, also confirmed the temperature.

Two of the most prominent draft writers couldn't find one person who thought the Buccaneers would lean any other way than Jameis Winston? That's an interesting development.

In January, Yahoo!'s Rand Getlin reported that Winston was still considering staying in school, potentially to continue his baseball career. Something must have changed between Jan. 6, when that report was written, and the 15th, when he officially became a member of the 2015 draft class.

Perhaps someone bent his ear and told him that he was going to be the top selection if he declared.

In his interview at the combine with NFL Network's Steve Mariucci, Winston even joked about playing with Vincent Jackson, a Tampa Bay receiver. As far as I can tell, this one seems to have legs.

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Is Mariota a "Leap of Faith" as a Professional?

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It wasn't until last year that we began putting an emphasis on pro days for passers. Johnny Manziel took the stage in pads and camouflage shorts and had what many thought was a good session.

On the other hand, Teddy Bridgewater, without his signature gloves, sailed passes, seemingly prompting his steep draft day drop, eventually coming to a halt with the last selection of the first round.

However, none of it mattered in the end.

Manziel's rookie season was mediocre at best, while Bridgewater had one of the better years in recent memory for a first-year thrower. Still, this emphasis on throwing at the combine must have forced the hands of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, largely considered the two best prospects at the quarterback position, as they both threw in Indianapolis.

While there, NFL Network's Mike Mayock had some strong words about the Oregon passer (via Mike Huguenin of NFL.com):

"

He's the classic case of 'OK, all these individual components work. How much do we believe that he can transition into the role of NFL pocket passer?' Mayock said. Since there's very minimal proof of it on tape, it's a leap of faith. And I think most people are going to take that leap because the kid is so solid, so smart and so hardworking, they believe he'll be able to do it.

My concern, again, is that most of that pocket awareness feel is innate. I think you're born with it or you're not. So, it's a little bit of a projection. I love the kid, and I think both of them will certainly be gone in the first six picks and probably in the first two.

"

Against Michigan State, Mariota was forced to make throws against a well-coached Quarters scheme that had NFL talent across the board. For example, Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State's defensive coordinator at the time, is now the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, a Power Five school.

The Spartans defense forced Mariota to stay in the pocket, as he only managed to put together 42 yards on nine carries, 40 of which came off of a single run. For Mariota, that was a fairly mild day on the ground. However, standing tall under pressure, he completed 60.7 percent of his throws and scored three times through the air without an interception.

His "pro-style" throws may have been situational, but they aren't invisible.

Sell

Is Dante Fowler Jr. a Combine Riser?

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt moved Florida pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. up to the third overall slot on his big board this week, describing him as a versatile defender with a high ceiling:

"

While he doesn't have the explosiveness of Shane Ray or Vic Beasley, he is probably the more complete defender. Good in almost any role that Florida put him in, he can get get to the passer and is also stout against the run.  Because of his ability to do everything well, he has a higher ceiling as an every-down player in the NFL. He was explosive and moved really well in space at the combine, and he weighed 260 pounds while doing so. He had one of the best weeks of anyone in Indy.

"

Due to his effort at the combine, Klatt moved him from a mid-first-round value to an elite player. That seems odd considering his overall performance at the combine. Scouts love 40-yard dash times, but don't seem to place enough emphasis on the broad jump or three-cone scores, which could explain Fowler Jr.'s hype this past week.

Taking a look at his Mock Draftable profile, his 40-yard and 10-yard splits are very good, but he doesn't really excel in any other situation. That is to say, he has the speed, but not much else. On his comparisons chart is Jabaal Sheard, a very similar player who was drafted in the second round out of Pittsburgh, and has had a lukewarm career at this point.

The MMQB's Peter King also is buying the hype, mocking Fowler Jr. second overall to the Tennessee Titans. In King's mock draft, he compared him to Jason Worilds, who isn't exactly "bet the franchise" good.

Everything about this seems odd. Fowler Jr. ran a quick 40-yard dash, but that doesn't necessarily translate onto the field.

Sell

Is Melvin Gordon a First-Rounder?

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Melvin Gordon is one of the top-10 players in the 2015 class. The running back from Wisconsin was listed among nine other "as good as gone" prospects, created by McGinn through talks with league sources.

Frankly, Gordon's name sticks out like a sore thumb among the other projected top picks. First, there are the players in the running for the top pick—the Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Leonard Williams and Randy Gregory tier.

Then there are the lower-level elite players like Vic Beasley, Brandon Scherff, Amari Cooper, Kevin White and Andrus Peat.

Finally, there's Gordon, who, if Todd Gurley were healthy, probably wouldn't even be considered the top running back in the class.

McGinn describes a scout comparing Gordon to Jamaal Charles, a logical comparison on the surface, but troublesome when you consider each back's skill set. Charles is a three-down back who does well in all aspects of the game. Gordon still needs to grow in pass protection and as a receiver.

The MMQB's Greg A. Bedard questions if Gordon is even a first-rounder:

"

Yes, those are two very nice comparisons, but there are several big differences. Both Charles (4.36) and Murray (4.41) ran faster at their combines. They were accomplished receivers in college and have only improved in the NFL. They also have tremendous vision. Speed, soft hands and ability to anticipate where the hole will be are why Charles and Murray are elite NFL running backs, and why Gordon will have a ways to go in that regard.

Charles and Murray have something else in common: They were third-round draft picks despite their talent. They fell, probably about a round apiece, for different reasons: Charles was undersized and viewed as more of a track athlete, and Murray had a host of injury problems at Oklahoma.

Gordon doesn’t have either of those knocks, and there’s certainly a lot to like about his game. But there will be questions about his receiving ability, and whether or not he possesses the speed to excel with his running style at the NFL level. Gordon might be picked in the first round, but right now he isn’t quite a first-round talent.

"

I'm in agreement with Bedard, who has been noted as one of the best football writers in the country. His analysis puts a running back's value into perspective, and demonstrates why anonymous sources may not always be accurate months away from draft day.

Sell

Is Preston Smith's Stock Rising?

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If you haven't heard of Preston Smith, don't worry, most haven't. He's a pass-rusher from Mississippi State who was frequently overshadowed by linebacker Benardrick McKinney. At the combine, however, Smith finally stole the show.

He's a bigger defensive end than most, weighing in at 271 pounds. He'll give teams edge reps and move to an interior defensive line spot on nickel or dime downs. Performing well in every drill, he had nearly an identical combine performance to Justin Tuck, a player who Smith has been compared to.

Mike Huguenin and Daniel Jeremiah (via Huguenin) of NFL.com seem to think he's a rising talent:

"

Mississippi State DE Preston Smith (6-4 7/8, 271) led the Bulldogs with nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and Jeremiah noted that while Smith is a base 4-3 end, he also can slide inside and play tackle when needed. Smith was impressive in the physical testing: He ran the 40 in 4.74 seconds, had a vertical jump of 34 inches and had a broad jump of 10 feet, 1 inch. "The arrow is pointed up for me," Jeremiah said.

"

I'm willing to agree. The NFL let a player like Tuck wait around too long before, and they shouldn't make the same mistake twice. Based on Smith's talent and athletic scores, it's not even out of the question that he'll be a first-round choice by the time this all plays out.

In a class of undersized pass-rushers, Smith is breath of fresh air.

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Do Ogbuehi's Issues Stem from His Positional Switch?

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One of the top seniors of the draft class heading into the 2014 season, Texas A&M's Cedric Ogbuehi didn't exactly have the best senior year. Switching from right tackle to left tackle due to the departure of Jake Matthews—now with the Atlanta Falcons—he performed at about the same level of skill as the previous season, but faced premier SEC pass-rushers. Due to a higher level of competition, there was a perceived regression.

However, as described by Tony Pauline of DraftInsiders.Net, not everyone believes Ogbuehi regressed this past season:

"

When speaking of Cedric Ogbuehi’s poor play last season I was told the offensive lineman really struggled moving from the right tackle to left tackle. The stance and set-up threw him for a loop in the early part of the campaign but it was brought to my attention that Ogbuehi played well on the left side late in the year.

"

When watching film of Ogbuehi, I struggle to find this "loop." He has good strength, but also possesses an ill-timed punch, which largely gives him that "weak" title he's been slapped with. This happened at right tackle as well, but against weak-side edge rushers he was forced to grapple with quicker players, which he struggled with.

In the end, nothing changed for him, it was simply the situation he was put in. Ogbuehi still has the potential to become a stud right tackle, but 2014 proved that playing left tackle is out of the question for him, at least in the short term.

Sell

Should Shaq Thompson Be a Safety?

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The University of Washington's Shaq Thompson played running back, safety and linebacker during his college career. While he's more than likely going to be looked at as a linebacker—his primary college position—there are many that believe he should play one of the other two positions in the NFL.

After a less-than-stellar combine performance, the buzz about him moving to safety grows more and more each day. NFL.com's Bryan Fisher compiled a list of analysts and sources who questioned his ability there.

Since Thompson ran a slow 40-yard dash (4.64), it makes sense for him play at linebacker and not defensive back. Playing linebacker requires more instinctive elements, which Thompson is teeming with. However, defensive backs rely much more on their legs, tracking the ball through the air or flying down the field to cover receivers. Thompson does not innately possess these abilities.

It doesn't make sense to move him to a more athletically demanding position after testing poorly. Before the combine, I wrote about all the reasons why Thompson is special and should be playing a weak-side off-the-ball linebacker role. I still stand by that.

Sell

Can Cameron Erving Be Drafted on Day 1?

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Cameron Erving is the perfect example of a player needing the right role to succeed. As a tackle, he showed promise, but no developed talent. He started the season as the left tackle for Florida State, losing battles badly in some high-profile games, including to Clemson's Vic Beasley, during the headline game of the week.

As the season went on, Erving was eased into a center role. There, his strong base, but lack of foot speed, thrived. By the end of the season, it was hard to say he wasn't the best player at the position in college football.

ESPN's Kevin Weidl stated earlier in the week that he "wouldn't hesitate" to take him in the first round:

"

Erving made a smooth transition with awareness and brings rare size and agility for an OC. Wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger late 1.

— Kevin Weidl (@KevinW_ESPN) February 21, 2015"

I tend to agree with that idea. He's definitely a first-round talent. The question becomes, who is willing to take a center in the first round?

A team that needs immediate help, such as San Diego, fits that mold. The Chargers went through several center injuries last year and their long-time starter Nick Hardwick just retired.

If San Diego, or any other team for that matter, is looking for a new starting snapper, he's the guy to target on draft day.

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