2015 mock draft: part 2

Part 1 had me deal with the ‘Mariota issue’, which could see him going anywhere from 1-16, I don’t think it’s been this hard to predict where a player lands in a long time. Part 2 is a little more predictable, but sees several teams reaching to pick up players that would perfectly fill a hole. If you want a recap you can check out part 1 here

17) San Diego Chargers: Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky

San Diego are lacking in a few areas. A running back is a huge need with Ryan Matthews now in Philadelphia, leaving the Chargers with a trio of Branden Oliver, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown, all good but not great backs, so at this point I could see the argument for picking a running back. Mariota is obviously a possibility too, but would probably involve them trading up to get him However pass rush was probably their biggest issue last year with the Chargers, something that Bud Dupree would go a long way to improving.

18) Kansas City Chiefs: Cameron Erving, C, Florida State

Wideout would be the obvious choice here. If you go back to part 1 of this Mock draft you’ll see that only receivers off the board at this point are Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker, leaving Jaelen Strong, Dorial Green-Beckham and Devin Smith still on the board. However what use do the Chiefs really have for a deep threat. If there is one thing we know about Alex Smith, it’s that he is a reliable short to mid passer that struggles to get the ball deep. So I have to think the Chiefs take a different approach. With Rodney Hudson heading to the Raiders and with a lack of cap space they don’t have the luxury to over pay for a center in free agency. Eric Kush is currently the only center on the roster and really he has yet to prove himself as a solid starter. With this in mind I got to think the Chiefs have to reach for a late round prospect in Cameron Erving. The only issue the Chiefs might have with this pick however is the buyer’s remorse they might have with the last 1st rd. offensive lineman they picked up, which was Eric Fisher. The Chiefs need to address the line and make sure Jamaal Charles stays healthy. Otherwise it could be a long season.

19) Cleveland Browns: Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State

The Browns current top 4 receivers on the depth chart heading into the 2015 season have combined for a total of 5 touchdowns, 2673 yards and 13.5 yards per catch, this is a standout area of need for Cleveland. Originally I had Dorial Green-Beckham here, but I just couldn’t see the Browns pulling the trigger on a player that has had similar issues to that of their suspended star wideout, Josh Gordon. So that leaves Jaelen Strong, who has been compared to Dwayne Bowe, who the Browns signed in the off season and Devin Smith. So I’ve gone with Devin Smith, a player that has a lot of raw talent, but needs to work on his fundamentals. If Smith can get his ball protection issues nailed, he could be a decent target for Josh McCown or if my mock draft is to come to fruition, Marcus Mariota.

20) Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama

This is a pretty safe pick for the Eagles, which would be uncharacteristic of a team that has been in the headlines pretty much every day of the off season so far, but short of them trading up to pick up Mariota, Collins would be a solid fit in a revamped Eagles secondary. Dorial Green-Beckham at receiver is another possibility, but adding a big strong safety to a secondary featuring 2 ex-members of the legion of boom could be key to them stopping the high powered offences in the NFC East.

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

The Bengals have very few needs outside of my belief that they need a QB, so they can look at this as an opportunity to build depth in a couple of areas. Initially I had them picking Dorial Green-Beckham, which would see the Bengals have one of the best receiver groups in the AFC. However I thought that for a team that has failed so many times in the post-season, a player who has had ‘off field issues’, might be the nail in the coffin for a lot of the coaching staff. So instead I thought that adding a big, versatile run stuffer in a Division with Le’Veon Bell, Justin Forsett, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, might help them keep scores low. Plus if the Seahawks and Bills have taught us anything, it’s that there is no such thing as too many defensive linemen.

22) Pittsburgh Steelers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington

Pittsburgh’s secondary no longer has the big physical players they have had in the past. Marcus Peters is exactly what the Steelers need. There really isn’t too much more to say here. I suppose if Randy Gregory falls thanks to his combine stupidity, the Steelers could make the move to pick him up.

23) Detroit Lions: DJ Humphries, OT, Florida.

Whatever happens in the draft the Lions need to solidify their play in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. Adding Humphries could be the key to turning Matt Stafford into a game winner, or the player that makes the Lions move on from the ex-no. 1 QB. If a decent 4-3 defensive tackle falls this far, then that could be an option to replace Suh.

24) Arizona Cardinals: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon

This is all dependant on the Cardinals not trading away their pick for a certain Vikings running back, who I believe would turn them into contenders. If they don’t however they do have a desperate need to add some depth to their front 7. If Armstead does drop this far, the Cards will have a scarily good defensive line. If Armstead isn’t available, they could always use more depth in the secondary or they could, like the Steelers reap the benefits of a potential Randy Gregory free fall.

25) Carolina Panthers: TJ Clemmings, OT, Pitt

TJ Clemmings is a decent offensive lineman, that’s ready to start. The Panthers can’t afford to be fussy. I really don’t think I need to say any more. I suppose there is a chance that the Panthers maybe take a run at Green-Beckham, but ignoring the offensive line could see another season where Cam is never fully fit.

26) Baltimore Ravens: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

The Ravens current wide receiver corps, is Steve Smith, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro. None of these are a deep threat for Joe Flacco, who has one of the strongest arms in the league. If the Ravens go anywhere other than receiver, they’re probably looking at corner, so Jalen Collins or Marcus Peters. But really wide receiver is the glaring need on this team.

27) Dallas Cowboys: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Another no brainer. If the draft plays out this way and Dallas has the chance to immediately replace DeMarco Murray with either Gurley or Gordon, then I believe we’ll see Jerry Jones doing cartwheels. There is a chance the Cowboys could go defence, maybe corner, personally I think this is though I think this is the perfect fit.

28) Denver Broncos: Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma

Losing Terrance Knighton was a bigger deal than people think. The fact is nose tackles don’t grow on trees. In Jordan Phillips they have a chance to going into the season with a giant hole on the line. Offensive line is another area they need to improve, but in this draft I have an early run on linemen that sees virtually no one drop. Also I have to think that the combined minds of Manning and Kubiak can scheme around this if it is a hole.

29) Indianapolis Colts: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA

The Colts showed that they are in “win now”, mode, with the collection of players over 30 they accumulated in free agency. Eric Kendricks as some young leadership to an aging defence. Kendricks also adds some depth in area that struggled with injuries last year. Obviously the Colts are taking an offensive lineman if one falls this far, but if none are available, they could do a lot worse than Kendricks.

30) Green Bay Packers: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

This would be a hell of a tumble if Collins falls this far, but with the variety of talent available and with at least 8 teams above the Packers having bigger needs, it’s not inconceivable. After the loss of House and Hyde to free the Packers have a huge need at Corner, especially in a Division with Alshon Jeffrey, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Mike Wallace. Adding a difference maker at corner is the kind of move that could see them take that final step to the Super bowl.

31) New Orleans Saints: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri

Dorial Green-Beckham is arguably the most talented receiver in the draft, but also has a list a mile long of potential off the field issues that would make teams think twice. For Green-Beckham to be picked up, it will take a team that needs to take a risk, which in my opinion is the Saints, a team that had to shed star power throughout the off-season just to get under the cap. Green-Beckham could be the player that makes the Saints relevant again or the player that seals the coffin for a number of people in an organisation that is currently in flux.

32) New England Patriots: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest

Kevin Johnson started 46 games at college, played corner and gunner on special teams. The Patriots lost some star power in the secondary through free agency and could use a tall reliable corner who plays both on defence and special teams. Kevin Johnson might struggle against the likes of Brandon Marshall but has the potential to be a future shutdown corner. Personally I love this guy and love even more the idea of seeing him in a Patriots jersey.

That’s it. 1-32 done. It took longer than expected, but we got there in the end. To hear the other gents opinions on the draft download and listen to this week’s podcast