Jackson McIntire’s Top 50 Big Board Pre-Senior Bowl
About a week before the Superbowl tends to be around the time I mold my first Big Board. With the 2015 NFL Draft approaching and the combine and senior bowl right around the corner, every ranking is subject to change. I have compiled these rankings and grades over the last couple of months by watching a good amount of game film and taking notes. Certain players may be ranked higher than other Draft Analysts have them ranked, and certain players may be ranked lower than others have them ranked. Next to each player is a number indicative of the players’ skill level and pro-level potential. For reference, Andrew Luck graded out as a 9.9 on my scale, Teddy Bridgewater graded out as a 9.3 (I was a lot higher on Teddy than most at the time) and the highest ranked Quarterback in this class, Marcus Mariota, comes in at a 9.0. An asterisk(*) next to a player’s name indicates that the player is a personal favorite of mine. With that out of the way, I present to you my first official Big Board for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Jackson McIntire’s Top 50 “Big Board”
Leonard Williams, DT, USC. 9.1
Oct 26, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws the ball against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon. 9.0
Jameis Winston, QB, FSU. 8.9
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama. 8.8
Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska. 8.8
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa. 8.7*
Shane Ray, DE, Missouri. 8.7
DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville. 8.7*
Danny Shelton, DT, Washington. 8.7
Landon Collins, SS, Alabama. 8.6
Dante Fowler, DE, Florida. 8.6*
La’el Collins, OT, LSU. 8.6*
Marcus Peters, CB, Washington. 8.4
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia. 8.4*
Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky. 8.3
Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington. 8.3
Erik Kendricks, ILB, UCLA. 8.2*
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia. 8.2
Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M. 8.0
Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson. 8.0
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin. 8.0*
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State. 8.0
Bernardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State. 7.8
Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State. 7.8
Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana. 7.8
Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami(Ohio). 7.7*
Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami. 7.7
Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford. 7.7
Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn. 7.7
Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest. 7.7
Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan. 7.6
Jalen Collins, CB, LSU. 7.6
Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville. 7.6
Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA. 7.6
Jan 2, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley (17) throws the ball during the first half of the 2015 Alamo Bowl against the Kansas State Wildcats at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State. 7.6
Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota. 7.6
Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State. 7.5
Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas. 7.4
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska. 7.2
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma(Sorta). 7.1
Alex Carter, CB, Stanford. 7.1
Eli Harold, DE, Virginia. 7.0
Hau’oli Kikaha, DE, Washington. 7.0
Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State. 7.0
Ronald Darby, CB, FSU. 6.9
Nelson Agholar, WR, USC. 6.9
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon. 6.8*
PJ Williams, CB, FSU. 6.7
Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami. 6.5
T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama. 6.4
As you can see, towards the end of my Big Board the talent starts dropping rather quickly. While this year is a solid draft class, it is not on-par with last-year’s stellar class. I will now attempt to read the reader’s mind and answer a few questions one may have.
Question 1: Who the hell is Quinten Rollins and why is he ranked so high?
Quinten Rollins is a cornerback from Miami(Ohio) who played 4 years of college basketball and only one year of college football. One year?!?!?!? What could he have possibly done in only one year of football to warrant a top-30 ranking? Well, in that one year, he pestered opposing wide-receivers all season long on his way to racking up 72 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 16 passes defensed. Not bad for a first year player. The fact that Rollins stepped in and produced so well, so fast is a sign that he has enormous NFL potential. With the right coaching in place, Rollins could become a stud in the NFL.
Question 2: Brett Hundley sucks. Why is he ranked so high?
My ranking on Hundley is what it is because I believe with the right coaching staff, scheme, and a good amount of time to develop, he can be a star. In most situations, I see him turning out as a bust, but with his elite arm, mobile legs, and gunslinger mentality if he develops well, he has the potential to be a fantastic NFL Quarterback. One team who I could see him flourish on is the Philadelphia Eagles, as he would have a good supporting cast, a quarterback-friendly system(Most throws don’t require to be fit in a tight-window) and, of course, a quarterback-friendly coach.
Question 3: Marcus Peters at 13? Why?
Yes, Marcus Peters does have his share of character concerns, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up falling in the draft a bit because of this. However, my rankings are built around the player’s on-field play and how likely I think their game is to transfer to the NFL level. On the field, Marcus Peters has shown himself to be the top cover corner in the entire draft class.
Thanks for reading. Between now and the draft this Big Board will change a lot, and I will also be posting my first mock draft of the year soon. Feel free to leave your opinions in the comments below, and if you have any questions on any of the players ranked or are wondering why a player you like is not ranked, follow me on twitter and send a tweet my way @jackmack28.