On the Clock: Round 4 of the 2015 RCF NFL Mock Draft - Denver

[Soda]

OK, I realized I've been making Cluegiver's Oakland picks for a while now... With that said..

With the 102nd pick in the 2015 RCF NFL Mock Draft,

the Oakland Raiders select...

Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn

• 6'3" HEIGHT
• 32 5/8" ARM LENGTH
• 300 LBS. WEIGHT
• 10 3/4" HANDS

OVERVIEW

Very durable, playing in all 52 games during his four-year career. Selected to play in 2015 Senior Bowl, where he had two tackles, including a tackle for loss. Started final 10 games of 2013 and finished with 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Started nine games from 2011-2012. Parade All-American, SuperPrep All-American and Under Armour All-American out of high school.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Great explosion into first step. Fires out with low pad level and plays with leverage at contact. Able to stay square and fight against double-team blocks. Has ability to get into gaps and disrupt the run game. Uses counter moves as a pass rusher, including a decent spin move. Shows signs of being able to read and react rather than just penetrate.

WEAKNESSES
Doesn't play with consistent power behind his pads. Must improve at disengaging and locating running back. Displays inconsistent secondary motor when asked to pursue plays beyond the line of scrimmage. Will run himself out of plays. Production was down from 2013, despite getting a higher percentage of snaps in 2014.

BOTTOM LINE
Teams have an issue with his lack of production in 2014, but his initial burst off the snap can't be dismissed. Wright has been in a defensive-line rotation at Auburn over the last two seasons, but has never really shown an ability to be a run-stuffer. Wright is a fit in a penetrating scheme, but he must continue to improve as a pass rusher.

@Sly and the Jags are up.

 

[Sly]

With the 103rd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft... the Jacksonville Jaguars select OC Hroniss Grasu, Oregon

HtWt: 6'3"/297
College: Oregon

NFLN Rank: #90 Grade: 5.52
CBS Rank: #60

Analysis
Strengths: Takes on challenges up front. Willing to battle against bigger, stronger nose guards. Has big hands and is tough at the point of attack with good functional strength. Loves to play and is a willing worker, according to personnel men. Reestablishes hands into proper placement in pass pro if defender gets hands into his chest. Can pull and hit targets in space. Adjusts to mirror and engage linebackers on second level. Consistently gets to reach blocks.

Weaknesses: Doesn't utilize length effectively. Uses inconsistent hand placement. Handles power players pretty well at point of attack but tends to lose balance when engaging the same players on the move. Marginal acceleration around the corner when asked to pull. Not a leverage winner in short-yardage situations. Needs additional weight.

Draft Projection: Round 3

Sources tell us: "He grows on you over time, but he's got some warts. I don't know how he got away with as much holding as he did at Oregon. They will catch that in the pros." -- NFL offensive line coach

NFL Comparison
Brian Schwenke???

Bottom Line
While Grasu isn't a powerful center, he does display enough functional strength and movement skills to be able to assimilate into any offensive philosophy. Grasu can play bigger than his listed size and while he doesn't possess any overwhelming qualities or traits, there aren't any glaring holes in his game that should derail him. His leadership and winning pedigree should be a plus with GMs.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/hroniss-grasu?id=2552245

The New York Jets are now on the clock...

@Amherstcavsfan

 

[Otsego Mar]

@Amherstcavsfan

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

The New York Jets select:

Donovan Smith, G/T, Penn State

OVERVIEW
Started 31 games while at Penn State, all at left tackle. Redshirted in 2011. Decided to leave Penn State with a year of eligibility left after graduating with a degree in criminology. Was a late invite to the Senior Bowl. Missed two games in 2014 due to injury. Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2013. First-team All-State at Owings Mills High School (Md.). Didn't allow a sack his junior or senior year of high school.


PRO DAY RESULTS

40-yard dash: 4.98 and 5.03 seconds
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Plays with good functional strength. Plus leg strength and can drive defender off the spot. Uses adequate footwork in run game to go with powerful base. Has desired pad level and bend in pass protection and his initial sets are above average. Plays with good pace on play-side zone plays, which bodes well if he kicks inside.
WEAKNESSES
Athleticism lacking to play tackle. Struggles to change direction against pass rushers. Can recognize stunts but is very slow to react to them. Ability to recover when beaten is lacking. Poor hand usage in run and pass blocking. Plays with hands too low and a weak, ineffective punch in pass protection. Must improve as a block-finisher. Poor contact balance and overall strike effectiveness on second level.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 3
NFL COMPARISON
Max Starks
BOTTOM LINE
The frame of a guard and the skill set of a guard probably means Smith will end up moving to guard. His hands need work, but with power as his calling card and the ability to hide some of his athletic deficiencies by moving him inside, he has a good shot of getting drafted and fighting for a backup spot.

 

[Otsego Mar]

@Randolphkeys @CosmoKramer @jlegg21

 

[Randolphkeys]

The Washington Native Americans have made their choice:

Daryl Williams - OT - Oklahoma

This is a good time to say Stark was a genius trading down. Washington is a team with several major holes on the roster. One of their biggest needs is a right tackle. I hoped Donovan Smith or Williams would slide to this pick. I believe Smith is a little more athletic, but Williams isn't too far behind. He probably starts at right tackle for the 'Skins for the next 10 years.

Overview

First-team All-Big 12 in 2014, starting every game at right tackle. Started 12 games at right tackle and one at left tackle in 2013 en route to being selected second-team All-Big 12. Was Honorable Mention All-Big 12 as a sophomore in 2012, but missed final three games with MCL sprain in right knee. Was a four-star recruit by Scout and Rivals and graded out at 93 percent, with 38 pancakes and no sacks allowed.

Analysis

Strengths
Physical at the point of attack. Comes off snap with bad intentions and rolls hips under him to drive defender off the ball. Tough guy who leads by example on the field. Works to the whistle and enjoys the one-on-one run-game scraps. Competes as a pass blocker. Sees and reacts well to twists. Has power in his hands. Buries defenders on down blocks. Outstanding football character and overall work ethic.

Weaknesses
Below-average athleticism. Won't be much of a factor in getting back-side cut-off blocks against quick linebackers. Gets weight forward and will lose balance. Marginal lateral movement. Plodder. Shuffles and gallops to wide pass sets. Struggled against Baylor and rung up for three holding calls. Unable to smoothly change directions and redirect. Body control needs improvement.

 

[CosmoKramer]

With the 106th pick in the RCF Mock Draft

the Chicago Bears select​

Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss

5'9'' - 176 lbs.​

In 2014, unanimous first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection. Tied school record for interceptions with 10. Was a Bronko Nagurski finalist. Made 10 starts in 2013 with 41 total tackles. In 2012, played for both the football and baseball teams, making 6 starts for the football team and scoring 13 runs and stealing 5 bases for the baseball team. Selected in eighth round of 2011 Major League Baseball draft by Boston Red Sox as a center fielder.

STRENGTHS
Outstanding competitor with plus ball skills. Production was off the charts in 2014. Had 9 interceptions and 16 pass deflections. Explosive through lower body. Instinctive. Can twitch and trigger to break on the ball. Can mirror in space and closes down passing windows. Plays with smooth hips and good balance. Can open hips to turn and run and has good top-end speed. Willing and effective against the run. Maintains leverage against the run and can disengage to make aggressive tackle when necessary. Has good eye discipline and can focus on his man and the quarterback at the same time.

WEAKNESSES
Worked primarily in zone and off-man coverage. Needs to show NFL evaluators that he can get in a receiver's pocket and stay there from press-man. Might be considered too small to play outside in the NFL. Three of his four touchdowns allowed came against receivers 6-foot-4 or taller. Smallish frame combined with aggressive tackling could lead to durability concerns.

DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 3 or 4

SOURCES TELL US
"He has that love of football we look for. He turned down big money as a baseball player to lock in on football, and he plays with passion and with explosive talent." -- AFC South regional scout

NFL COMPARISON
Brent Grimes

BOTTOM LINE
Golson has the twitch, ball skills and instincts to be an outstanding cornerback in the NFL. Despite playing so much zone in college, there is no reason to believe he can't transition to any coverage asked of him. He's well put-together, but his lack of height could force some teams to view him as a slot-only corner. Golson has Pro Bowl potential.


@jlegg21 and the Atlanta Falcons are on the clock.

 

[jlegg21]

With the 107th pick in the RCF Mock Draft, THE ATLANTA FALCONS select... Kwon Alexander, OLB, LSU.

6'1 227
Arms: 30 1/4"
Hands: 9 1/4"
40: 4.55
Bench: 24
Vert: 36"

OVERVIEW

In 2014, led team with 90 tackles, including 10 against Alabama and 11 against Notre Dame. Started 9 games at linebacker in 2013, finishing fourth on the team with 65 tackles. Broke into starting lineup in 2012, but broke his ankle and missed six games. Missed most of senior year of high school with knee injury, but had 144 tackles, 17 sacks and 6 forced fumbles as a junior. Participated in Under Armour All-American game.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Athletic with foot quickness for quick, lateral movement from gap to gap. Shows suddenness to slip blocks and get into gaps. Can change direction immediately and has twitch to accelerate from standstill. Rangy with good play speed in open field. Determined chaser on perimeter with speed to close and finish. Competes hard. Willing to explode into second-level lineman with as much force as he can muster. Has adequate hands to stack and shed and swats away cut-block attempts. Will pop tight ends and running backs getting into their routes. Can blitz, but also flashed legitimate pass-rushing skills with intriguing dip and bend move around the edge. Immediate special-teams contributor.

WEAKNESSES
Plays upright and needs to improve his play strength in general. Field awareness is severely lacking on tape. Struggles to work outside framework of his initial play responsibility, losing sight of the ball. Allowed big plays against Auburn and Wisconsin because of these issues. Takes false steps and plays with too much wasted motion, pumping arms and chopping feet as he moves forward. Gets caught overrunning his run fit and gets washed down too easily. Needs to improve breaking down and getting feet set before attempting to strike and tackle.

DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 3

SOURCES TELL US
"He's got the play speed you want and he will step in and be a core special-teamer, too. What you don't love is his height and lack of length. When you dig around on him you find out that he has high character and that he's good in the locker room." -- NFC director of college scouting "Your grade is too low on him." - NFL executive

NFL COMPARISON
Dekoda Watson

BOTTOM LINE
Productive two-year starter who registered 90 tackles during 2014 season thanks to above-average speed and a desire to stick his nose into as many plays as possible. Alexander's lack of instincts were ill-suited in the box, as he was too easily confused by the misdirection of offenses he faced. He's an outside 'backer with a chance to become a starter in a 4-3 defense. He can come in and play on special teams right away.

... @Soda and the Giants are on the clock.

 

[Soda]

With the 108th pick in the 2015 RCF NFL Mock Draft,

the New York Giants select....

Adrian Amos, S, 6'0½", 218, Penn State

​

• 6'0" HEIGHT
• 32 1/4" ARM LENGTH
• 218 LBS. WEIGHT
• 9 1/8" HANDS

OVERVIEW

Selected honorable mention All-Big Ten 2012-2014. Started all 37 games over last three seasons with Penn State. Played in 12 games as a backup in 2011. Was selected All-Met and Baltimore City Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in high school.


ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Athletic with good range. Fluid in space with easy backpedal and smooth hips. Has ability to turn, run and recover when ball is in the air. Good route recognition. Trustworthy in coverage and is rarely out of position. Can line up defense. Offered versatility in coverage. Played some slot corner in sub packages. Outstanding in zone coverage at Penn State. Can crowd receivers and closes throwing windows. Allowed just 3.9 yards per target in 2014. Has twitch to trigger and close on throws.

WEAKNESSES
Doesn't display great sense of urgency in run support. Takes suspect angles against run from high to low and when lined up near line of scrimmage. Will throw body at runner, but carries no sting behind pads, sliding down target and finishing tackle near ankles at times. Average instincts. Hyper-focused on responsibility and seems unwilling to take chances. Would rather see it than sense it.

BOTTOM LINE
Amos checks all the boxes when it comes to strong football intelligence, a willingness to digest tape and cover skills. The biggest question is whether or not he can fit with a coordinator looking for playmakers and chance-takers. He must prove that he can play with greater overlap. Amos' scheme versatility is a big plus, but I wouldn't ask him to play inside the box very often.

My Take:

The Giants still have a pretty gaping hole at Safety. Having gone defense for the past 2 rounds, I almost went with a skill player here, but they just need a Safety too much.

@SuperSurge and the Bucs are up.

 

[Surge]

ZaDarius Smith DE Kentucky

Buccaneers are still building that weak DL from last year.

@BimboColesHair and the Vikings are up.

 

[BimboColesHair]

With 110th pick the Minnesota Vikings select:


Mitch Morse, OL, Missouri

Why: The Vikings need all the competition they can get at the LG spot, a spot that hasn't been filled very well since future Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson left the team following the 2011 season. Morse, a left tackle at Missouri, is a prime candidate to get kicked inside at the next level due to some of his limitations as a tackle at the NFL level. He will go into camp fighting former two time All-American David Yankey, a 5th round pick in last years draft, and last years RG injury fill-in Joe Berger. If he fails to win the job, he will still be able to contribute as a flex lineman who can play pretty much any spot on the line.

Combine Results:
Height: 6'5
Weight: 305
Arm: 32 1/4"
Hand: 9 1/4"
Bench: 36 reps
40 yard: 5.14 seconds
3 cone: 7.60 seconds
20 yard shuffle: 4.50 seconds

Strengths: Hard-charging with necessary grit. Smart lineman who understands his shortcomings and makes the proper adjustments. Climbs to second-level blocks with good angles and timing, refusing to stay glued to his initial secure block. Uses a balanced pass set and avoids the waist-bending and head-butting seen from many linemen at point of contact. Uses a well-timed punch and won't show length-limited punch too early. Good feel for landing accurate initial strike in pass pro or run game. Has some straight-line quickness and can get out into space in screen game.

Weaknesses: Plays with lower body stiffness and that limits his bend and lateral agility. Makes good initial contact, but struggles to maintain his leverage and positioning when asked to block on the move. Needs more hip snap at contact for added power. His short arms are a concern as a tackle. Doesn't have length to redirect rushers far enough upfield when they get to his edge. Feet and hands don't always appear to be synced properly.

With that, @ajz20 and the Browns are on the clock...

 

[Randolphkeys]

Ajz20 asked me to cover for him this weekend, but I'm unclear if he wanted to make the picks if it came up this early. I've sent him a PM, and I'll just make his pick later this evening if he doesn't get back to us.

 

[Randolphkeys]

@ajz20 , come in and sit down... Comfortable? Need a sparkling water? Okay... Well, we all know why I brought you in here. The Browns have one of the worst run defenses in the league, and now we are on day three of the draft and you haven't addressed this problem. Do you have anything to say for yourself?

Look, I don't care if this is a mock draft with no long-term meaning... I don't care if you found a quarterback who will erase my own terrible misjudgment last year. The 3-4 defensive line prospects have dried up and I'm stuck with the bums from last year. I'm sorry, but three rounds has been quite enough, and I'll always say good things about you in the media. You are fired.

Mr. Keys, you are my new Mock Draft GM / Dog Acupuncturist. Best of luck in this round, and you may keep your role another two weeks.

The Cleveland Browns select:

Rob Havenstein - Right Tackle - Wisconsin

Strengths

Massive tackle with very functional length. Looks oafish, but feet are much better than the eye expects. Takes quick steps and good angles for proper positioning to wall off defenders on gap plays. Above-average power in run game and runs legs to create movement. Drive blocker by nature. Block winner at point of attack. Uses well-timed punch and has adequate foot quickness to set out to edge speed. Aggressive, play-finishing demeanor on the field. Plus body control and balance on second-level blocks with ability to sustain. Can brace against power and has feet to counter inside moves in pass pro. Shows ability to mirror and has a wide "success zone."

Weaknesses

Stiffness in knees causes him to come out of stance way too tall. Is almost never under the pads of opponent. Too often has to sumo wrestle at impact to get defender centered. Initial lateral quickness not good enough to count on him with back-side cut-offs. Keeps hands too low pre-punch. Unathletic build with zero bubble. Some scouts worry about stiffness becoming an even greater problem after first few years in the league.

Why?!?!?!

The defensive line cannot be helped at this draft slot for a 3-4 defense with the picks made so far. Value at nose tackle and 5 tech DEs are all off the board for a while. There are interesting center prospects, but the Browns have more picks coming up. This is one of the last great values for a need: dominant right side of the line run blocking. Hopefully Joe Thomas can take the former 390 pound weight room junkie under his monstrous wing.

 

[TheLand1287]

With 112th pick in the RCF Mock Draft the Seattle Seahawks select... John Miller, OG, Louisville.

Player Overview
Started as a true freshman and 46 total games in his four seasons, alternating between left and right guard as a senior.
Physical presence in the ground game, a real people mover and power player with aggressive hands and the physical demeanor to manhandle defenders. He generates power from his lower body and is at his best when he rolls his hips to bury his targets, but can be overeager at times and fall off blocks. Has experience at both guard spots and might not be a fit for every NFL offense, but he has starting potential in a power-based scheme.

Why the pick?: Well, it's the fourth round so at this point just trying to fill some depth needs for a team without many glaring weaknesses. Miller's game seems to suit the Seahawks run heavy offense pretty well, and he's a guy with a lot of starting experience in a productive offense. Low bust potential for this round and a guy who could be a top backup/fringe starter.

 

[Otsego Mar]

​

With the #113th Pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, The Philadelphia Eagles select........


*Cody Prewitt - S, Ole Miss*


Pro Day Results

40-yard dash: 4.47 and 4.46 seconds
Bench press: 12 reps


​

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/cody-prewitt?id=2552387

Strengths

Scouts say he grinds on film and has an instinctual feel for route progressions. Will squat on routes to tighten throwing lanes. Doesn't panic in zone coverage. Can play the "robber" spot and run with crossing routes. Has long arms and was used at times to press and reroute. Will surprise on tape with his closing burst on the ball. Steady as a center fielder. True to his back-side responsibilities in run game. Has shown good hands. Can play gunner on special teams.

Weaknesses
​

Is tight-hipped in space and is a marginal athlete by NFL standards. Uses high backpedal and doesn't have juice to explode from stand-still -- needs a build-up. Has average feet and is much better straight-line than laterally. Loiters around piles and doesn't stick his nose in. He will tackle, but he isn't going to send any messages with his hits. Can get exposed when asked to play man coverage in space. Benefited from attacking defensive front and aggressive cornerbacks.

NFL Comparison

Phillip Thomas

Bottom Line

Prewitt is a four-year starter who has been a dependable and productive member of an improving unit at Ole Miss. His size screams "box safety" but his play demeanor doesn't. He lacks the athleticism and plus instincts to be a chance-taker at the next level and will likely have to fit with teams as a single-high and Cover 2 safety.

Reason for Pick

The Eagles will most assuredly use one of their picks on a Safety in this draft. With Landon Collins off the board, Chip uses this mid-round pick to shore up the position with one of the best available.


Other Players Considered:

(S) Kurtis Drummond


The Dolphins and @Coyote850 are on the clizock!​