2015 Draft Prospects

[EdMonix11]

1. Nose Tackle
2. Backup Center/Guard
3. Tight End
4. Defensive End
5. Wide Receiver
6. Strong Safety
7. Apprentice to Karlos Dansby

Personally I think Phil Taylor is better at NT than DE. I don't really see a Dontari Poe or Marcell Dareus in this draft or else I'd be all over it.

For me, what it boils down to, is we just need talent that can impact the game on the DL. I think we're solid on the DL, just lacking playmakers.

One guy to really watch is Sheldon Rankins from Louisville. A junior DE with 7 sacks, 11 TFL's, 2 INT's. He's 6'2" 305 lbs. and expected to declare....

Since it seems like a foregone conclusion that Cameron will reach free agency, then I think I might move TE up a few notches on the need scale. TE is really thin in the draft so we might need to find one through FA. Maxx Williams (Minnesota) is really really freaking good but he's just a RS Sophomore. After that you're looking at guys like Jeff Heuerman....

 

[AZ_]

Personally I think Phil Taylor is better at NT than DE. I don't really see a Dontari Poe or Marcell Dareus in this draft or else I'd be all over it.

There is a deep crop of defensive lineman this season, and a couple names at the nose tackle position who can really blow up this off-season.

Danny Shelton - UW
Ellis McCarthy - UCLA
Eddie Goldman - FSU

There are also a number of guys who I think end up in the second day area which can make an immediate impact.

Gabe Wright - Auburn
Carl Davis - Iowa
Michael Bennett - OSU
Christian Covington - Rice
Preston Smith - Miss. St.

 

[The Voice]

After watching the Houston game, it became very apparent to me we need a pass rusher. We should get armonty Bryant back next year, who seemed to be a diamond in the rough early on.


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[Randolphkeys]

This is a terrible class at tight end right now, and nothing saddens me more. We desperately need a blue chip TE because Cam cannot be trusted with a significant contract.

 

[EdMonix11]

This is a terrible class at tight end right now, and nothing saddens me more. We desperately need a blue chip TE because Cam cannot be trusted with a significant contract.

Pray Maxx Williams comes out....seriously....so so good. I suppose we could try Funchess at TE, though he's an athletic freak, I just don't trust his hands and don't think he can block anything, though neither can Cameron.

There is a deep crop of defensive lineman this season, and a couple names at the nose tackle position who can really blow up this off-season.

Danny Shelton - UW
Ellis McCarthy - UCLA
Eddie Goldman - FSU

There are also a number of guys who I think end up in the second day area which can make an immediate impact.

Gabe Wright - Auburn
Carl Davis - Iowa
Michael Bennett - OSU
Christian Covington - Rice
Preston Smith - Miss. St.

Yeah, I know guys like Shelton and Goldman are pretty good. I mentioned Poe and Dareus because I feel like if you're taking a NT in the 1st round, he better be a freak of nature. Kinda like Andrew Billings from Baylor.....sucks he's only a Sophomore. That's not to say we can't find a really good player at NT in any other round... just using it as a rough baseline for an early round pick.

 

[GreasySpread36]

After watching the Houston game, it became very apparent to me we need a pass rusher. We should get armonty Bryant back next year, who seemed to be a diamond in the rough early on.


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Pass rushers and front seven in general. We still don't have that impact player in the front seven that ties the whole defense together.

 

[Sly]

I want to say that we're past the point of trading down to draft 50 players to fill out the roster, and that it's time to cash in and go after someone that can make a difference.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's the kind of draft class we're going to have to pick from. The '15 senior class is terrible at the top. Almost everyone worth consideration is from the '16/'17 classes. Awfully dangerous to bet the farm on a guy who hasn't proved he's top level for multiple years.

A few defensive players that have jumped off the screen for me so far:

DE/OLB Nate Orchard Utah Sr 6'4"/255
DE/OLB Hau'oli Kikaha Washington rSr 6'3"/250
SS Jeremy Cash Duke rJr 6'2"/210
FS Gerod Holliman Louisville rJr 6'0"/201
CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu Oregon Sr 5'9"/195

Maybe my favorite player that wont get much talk and is on my watch list for next year:

ILB Scooby Wright III Arizona So 6'1"/245

He just has a nose for the ball. 13 sacks, 72 tackles plus 46 more assists, and a forced fumble. Plus it'd hilarious to pair him with Mingo, assuming Mingo is even on an NFL roster by then.


A guy I don't like that is getting a lot of talk is DE Vic Beasley from Clemson. Undersized at 6'2" 235. 8 sacks but only 16 tackles and 6 assists. Similar numbers in his previous years. A top player should find his way to the ball a little more often, even if it's to just jump on the pile.

 

[AZ_]

A guy I don't like that is getting a lot of talk is DE Vic Beasley from Clemson. Undersized at 6'2" 235. 8 sacks but only 16 tackles and 6 assists. Similar numbers in his previous years. A top player should find his way to the ball a little more often, even if it's to just jump on the pile.

100 percent agree with you, has just never done anything for me in terms of justifying his hype.

 

[EdMonix11]

Plus it'd hilarious to pair him with Mingo, assuming Mingo is even on an NFL roster by then.

Not to be a total dick but Mingo has been really good this year. I don't mean he's been "good for a guy with one arm" but he's been legitimately good. Advanced stats love him. I'm excited to see what he does with more snaps and a more formidable DL in front of him in the future. I don't consider OLB to be a need unless we don't re-sign Sheard.

 

[Snowblind]

I really hope our first three picks are in some order : DL, WR, OLB/ILB. With this draft having a decently deep class at dline and wr, we should be able to grab a starter at both positions. Hopefully in the middle rounds we can find a center and TE to develop.

I don't think Shanahan has ever really used his TE's that much. I dont know if thats because of his scheme or just never really having a reliable TE, but that doesn't mean we just ignore the position (since we have no idea what will happen to Cameron with all his concussions)

I still think we need another receiver opposite to Gordon. I know our receivers have done fine, but with Gordon's uncertainty season to season, it would be nice to still have a guy we can throw it up to and know he'll come down with it.

 

[Holden beach]

I really hope our first three picks are in some order : DL, WR, OLB/ILB. With this draft having a decently deep class at dline and wr, we should be able to grab a starter at both positions. Hopefully in the middle rounds we can find a center and TE to develop.

I don't think Shanahan has ever really used his TE's that much. I dont know if thats because of his scheme or just never really having a reliable TE, but that doesn't mean we just ignore the position (since we have no idea what will happen to Cameron with all his concussions)

I still think we need another receiver opposite to Gordon. I know our receivers have done fine, but with Gordon's uncertainty season to season, it would be nice to still have a guy we can throw it up to and know he'll come down with it.

Agree with you although I rank some type of backup option to Alex Mack very highly.

Greco showed that he is not all that great at the center position. McQuistan demonstrated how superior Greco is at The right guard position when pressed into duty at center.

So there are a couple of paths to take for the back up center position, assuming Mack returns healthy next year.
- Spend a second or third round pick on one of the top two ranked centers (Grasu - Oregon, Dismukes - Auburn).
- Find a free agent center familiar with a zone blocking scheme. (I am not holding my breath for vast improvement from Nick McDonald,but that is up to him to prove me wrong. I seriously want him to do so and make the problem of his poor, or to be fair, non All-Pro play go away. )
- Spend a later round pick on a development center and hope that Mack returns to the starting lineup, and doesn't miss a snap for the next four years on his contract.
- Can Joel Bitonio be the backup center next year? I remember an article about him learning all the positions on the line in preparation for the draft. If this is a possibility, then a developmental guard to backup Bitonio and Greco makes sense.

Did a quick waste of time on the fanspeak.com/ontheclock/draft.php site with the above thoughts.

R1P14 - White WR WVU
R1P15 - Thompson OLB Washington
R2P15 - Grasu C Oregon
R3P15 - Kikaha DE Washington
R4P15 - Koyack TE ND

I know this is super premature, but I was bored...

 

[dano_24_26]

I've been checking this thread alot. I'm an oakland raiders fan and have lost my love for football until last night. Sorry to grt off the browns talk but who are some of the top prospects?

 

[A Squared]

This is a terrible class at tight end right now, and nothing saddens me more. We desperately need a blue chip TE because Cam cannot be trusted with a significant contract.

Isn't O'Leary coming out this year? Hes not fast but he always finds a way to get open and he blocks pretty well.

 

[Sly]

I've been checking this thread alot. I'm an oakland raiders fan and have lost my love for football until last night. Sorry to grt off the browns talk but who are some of the top prospects?

1* Marcus Mariota QB Oregon rJr 6-4 215
2* Leonard Williams DT Southern California Jr 6-5 298
3* Jameis Winston QB Florida State rSo 6-4 235
4* Amari Cooper WR Alabama Jr 6-1 210
5* Randy Gregory DE Nebraska rJr 6-6 245
6* Landon Collins SS Alabama Jr 6-0 222
7* Shaq Thompson OLB Washington Jr 6-2 231
8 Brandon Scherff OT Iowa rSr 6-5 320
9* Shane Ray Missouri DE rJr 6-3 245
12 Cedric Ogbuehi OT Texas A&M rSr 6-5 300
13* Trae Waynes CB Michigan State rJr 6-1 183
16 Kevin White WR West Virginia Sr 6-3 210

Not really sure which guy is fastest... assuming no Qb, I don't think there's an OL or WR pick worth taking at the top, so I would assume Leonard Williams. Although from Oaklands POV the pick could be trade bait looking to move out of the top 5.

 

[Holden beach]

Looking back on the draft I posted last night. This morning I deem it "turrible", as Charles Barlkley would say.

Didn't address my own #1 identified need for a DT in the first four rounds.

Lombardiesque.
Didn't get Kyle Brady, so settled for Craig Powell.
Glad Ray Farmer is in charge.