2015 NFL Draft

Rather than breakdown the East and West rosters position by position, I decided to take this review a different way. Honestly, after the first day it was fairly obvious who the prospects were that had a chance to impress this week. Those players put on consistent performances each day, standing out in individual and team drills. With that said, these rankings are not based solely on this event (as you will see with some prospects that had “down” weeks), but rather how I rank the prospects moving forward.

You will notice a trend in certain positions being listed. That was not on purpose, but I truly feel those spots generated the most talent this week and are some of the deeper positions in this year’s draft. As a side note, I will have my Senior Bowl preview posted soon along with updates throughout next week.

1. WR Tre McBride, William & Mary - The clear top prospect at the event. McBride consistently generated separation from corners in one on one drills at a variety of levels with a variety of routes. McBride still came down with contested or acrobatic catches even when covered. He is not locked to one alignment and McBride could even win from the slot.

2. EDGE Za’Darius Smith, Kentucky - Honestly, Smith did not do much to impress onlookers this week. He will not wow with athleticism, however, Smith will win with technique and power. Few use their hands as consistently on first contact and to generate momentum on counter moves. In this deep EDGE class, look from Smith to land on the third day unless he surprises at the Combine.

3. G John Miller, Louisville - My offensive darkhorse for first E-W Shrine attendee selected this spring. I really, really like Miller’s game. First, he is powerful on initial contact to stop his opponents’ momentum. Add on an athletic lower half and experience playing both on the left and right side, and I don’t see why Miller won’t contribute as a rookie.

4. LB/EDGE Deiontrez Mount, Louisville - A personal favorite prior to the event, Mount held up much better at the second level than I expected. Coaches did put him in a situation to win during practice: on the line of scrimmage as a strong side linebacker. Mount was a sub-package player at Louisville and could have a role and impact if landing with the right team. What is the correct fit? Don’t be surprised if it is as a drop linebacker in an odd man front.

5. WR Deon Long, Maryland - Long consistently created separation with quickness off the line and burst in breaks. I will go on record saying I believe Long will have a better career at receiver than teammate Stefon Diggs.

6. CB Damian Swann, Georgia - My defensive darkhorse for first E-W Shrine attendee selected this spring. Swann’s Georgia tape is a lot of fun to watch, as he flashes extreme aggression for the position, especially when asked to blitz. He absolutely held up in one on ones this week and started to anticipate routes and movements towards the end of the week.

7. CB Justin Coleman, Tennessee - Swann and Coleman seemed to form a kind of rapport and would discuss movements and routes for specific receivers. Like Swann, Coleman is also physical for the position and it plays into contesting the catch point. And again, like Swann he has experience playing in the slot.

8. OL Sean Hickey, Syracuse - Not the strongest, or the longest, or the most athletic, Hickey gets the job done and will likely do so at guard in the NFL. I will write it again in this piece, but so many young offensive lineman are forced to play in the NFL. If Hickey is one, he can be at least adequate. Absorbing power might be his biggest issue.

9. WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech - Landing spot will be important for Waller, but what I like most is that he wins within his limitations. Waller is not quick twitch and will not separate in breaks. But off the line he flashed power and kept beating corners downfield. He was very good at tracking the football over his shoulder or within frame. Size can be an asset if Waller’s quarterback is willing to take those risk throws.

10. RB Malcolm Brown, Texas - Running backs rarely shine at all star events due to practice rules. It is difficult to see their ability to break first contact, which I viewed as Brown’s strength along with vision and decisiveness behind slanting or zone blocking lines.

11. CB Josh Shaw, USC - Shaw was very physical and pushed his opponent out of bounds along the sideline or stood them up with a jam on more than one occasion. I could definitely see Shaw as a possible safety conversion, which is not a slight. Expect to see a number of corners from the 2015 class be asked to make the switch.

12. LB Ben Heeney, Kansas - Linebacker play is greatly impacted by the defensive linemen shielding them. Poor defensive line play makes life more difficult for linebackers. Behind a good line, Henney can definitely be effective. He can diagnose and get downhill. I was actually surprised at how comfortable Heeney looked in coverage.

13. LB Taiwan Jones, Michigan State - In preparation, I made a bad choice and watched Jones versus Oregon. He was forced to undertake responsibilities he was obviously uncomfortable with. He will be more successful as a traditional strong side linebacker.

14. TE Wes Saxton, South Alabama - I was hoping to see more athleticism from Saxton this week, but that can still be put on display at the Combine. He is not a blocker and even struggled in one on ones versus linebackers as a pass protector. At best, Saxton can be a role player. However, any team who drafts him will likely have a plan and understand that role limitation.

15. CB Craig Mager, Texas State - Like Swann and Coleman, Mager impressed on the East squad. He bought into the physical play in one on ones but allowed a bit more separation on routes than the other two. regardless, he was impressive during the season and during practice.

16. WR Jordan Taylor, Rice
17. T Darrian Miller, Kentucky
18. DL Derrick Lott, UT-Chattanooga
19. S Detrick Bonner, Virginia Tech
20. DL Daryl Waud, Western University
21. DL David Parry, Stanford
22. RB John Crockett, Notre Dakota State
23. OL B.J. Finney, Kansas State
24. OL Greg Mancz, Toledo
25. QB Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion