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Jackson McIntire’s Top 50 Big Board Post-Free Agency

By Jackson McIntire

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With the 2015 NFL Draft roughly 1 month away, prospects are starting to solidify their draft stock through the combine, pro days, and evaluators looking deeper into their college tape. Since my last Big Board (Which was Pre-Combine) I have been diving deeper into tape, combine results, and pro days of my previous top 50, as well as the players that sat just outside. As a result, there is quite a bit of movement amongst my top 50 prospects.

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This Big Board will be pretty close to what my final Big Board will consist of, which I will release a few days before the draft. Next to each player’s name 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, Jameis Winston, comes in at a 9.1. An asterisk(*) next to a player’s name indicates that the player is a personal favorite of mine. With that said, here is my post-free agency updated big board.

Leonard Williams, DT, USC. 9.1

Jameis Winston, QB, FSU. 9.1

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson. 9.0*

Dec 29, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers defensive end Vic Beasley (3) celebrates with wide receiver Mike Williams (7) after scoring a touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter of the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida. 8.9*

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama. 8.9*

Kevin White, WR, West Virginia. 8.9

Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska. 8.8

Brandon Scherff, OT/OG, Iowa, 8.8

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon. 8.7

Danny Shelton, NT, Washington. 8.7

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia. 8.7*

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville. 8.7*

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington. 8.6

Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA. 8.6*

Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri. 8.4

Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State. 8.4

D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida. 8.3

La’el Collins, OT/OG, LSU. 8.3*

Landon Collins, S, Alabama. 8.2

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin. 8.2

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma? 8.2*

Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami. 8.1

Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas. 8.1

Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington. 8.0

Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford. 7.9

Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon. 7.8

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State. 7.8*

Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest. 7.7*

Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson. 7.7*

Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF. 7.6

Eli Harold, DE/OLB, Virginia. 7.6

Jalen Collins, CB, LSU. 7.5

Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana. 7.5

Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State. 7.4

Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma. 7.3

Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M. 7.3*

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa. 7.2

P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State. 7.1

Bud Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky. 7.1

Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State. 7.0

David Cobb, RB, Minnesota. 6.9*

Jan 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back David Cobb (27) stiff-arms Missouri Tigers safety Ian Simon (21) in the first quarter of the 2015 Citrus Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State. 6.9*

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State. 6.9

Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU. 6.8

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska. 6.7

Cam Erving, OG, Florida State. 6.6

Quinten Rolins, CB/S, Miami (Ohio). 6.6*

Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami. 6.4

Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota. 6.4

Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan. 6.3

Fringe Top 50 Players:

The following players are players that were given serious consideration in my top 50 but didn’t quite make the cut. Listed in no order: Bryce Petty, Brett Hundley, Nelson Agholar, Ronald Darby, Byron Jones, Devin Smith, Laken Tomlinson, Eddie Goldman, Alex Carter and Derron Smith.

Big Risers: 

1. Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson. 9.0

Previous Rank: 19

My love for Beasley as a prospect developed over time, but I am confident that he will be the best pass rusher in this draft despite Dante Fowler now being ranked as the consensus top pass rusher by most analysts. Beasley has the best first-step in this class, and that’s saying a lot considering Shane Ray has a tremendous first-step as well. Beasley also has a variety of pass rushing moves and counter moves, and shows good hand-usage. A big concern throughout the 2014-15 college football season was his slim playing weight, but at the combine he showed he can add good weight to his frame while also displaying elite athleticism. For a complete breakdown of the top pass rushers read my last post linked here: https://thevikingage.com/2015/03/11/year-pass-rusher-ranking-top-prospects/

2. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama. 8.9

Previous Rank: 10

Throughout this draft process, I have long knocked Cooper for his lack of elite “Going up and getting it” ability. However, the more and more I watch him, the more and more I realize that if he is consistently running crisp routes, getting open and catching everything thrown his way, it may not matter as much as it would for other prospects. Cooper is a refined prospect who can get open at any level, and boasts a 4.42 forty yard dash.

3. David Cobb, RB, Minnesota. 6.9

Previous Rank: Unranked

Cobb has long been a personal favorite of mine, but until now he had yet to be featured in my top 50 prospects. However, after an extensive study on his game, Cobb makes his debut. He excels at using his blockers to his advantage, much like Arian Foster, almost always falls forward, and can break tackles. He can also contribute in the passing game and does a solid job in pass protection. Reminds me a bit of a mixture of Foster and Le’Veon Bell.

Big Fallers:

Oct 12, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) reacts after his team defeated the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Missouri defeated Georgia 41-26. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

1. Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri. 8.4 

Previous Rank: 7

Don’t get me wrong, Shane Ray is a very good pass rushing prospect. However, he contributes next to nothing in the run game, and the more tape I watch the more I notice this flaw. He played last year very light, and didn’t put weight on the same way Vic Beasley did for the combine. I worry about his ability to become a full-time starter in the NFL.

2. Bud Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky. 7.1 

Previous Rank: 16

Once again, Bud Dupree is not a bad pass rushing prospect. He has all the athleticism in the world, and unlike Ray, his weight is fine. Dupree’s problem is his play. He disappears for long periods of time, and doesn’t have very good instincts. He also struggles with using his body to his advantage, as he doesn’t have a variety of pass rushing moves and is easily removed from the game if focused on. In order for Dupree to have a successful NFL career, he will need to go to a team with good defensive coaching in place and I would recommend a veteran presence to teach him the x’s and o’s of the game.

Nov 8, 2014; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats cornerback Matthew Harris (27) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Devin Funchess (1) in the second half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

3. Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan. 6.3

Previous Rank: 33

Devin Funchess possesses intriguing size at 6’4”, 232 lbs. However, he lacks speed, does not run very good routes, and has below average hands. With his size, playing tight end is an option, but he can’t block anybody. Like Dupree, if Funchess is going to succeed in the NFL, he is going to need a good offensive coach in place and time to develop.

Thank you all for reading, leave your opinions in the comments below and be sure to follow me on twitter @jackmack28.

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