Jackson McIntire’s Final Top 75 Big Board
The 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner. After months of note-taking while watching film, the 2015 NFL Combine, and the Senior Bowl, I have come to my final opinions on the top 75 players in this years’ draft class. Next to each player’s name listed below is a number indicative of the player’s 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. After the list, I have written up a brief description on the top quarterback, wide receiver, running back, offensive lineman, pass rusher, interior defensive lineman, linebacker, cornerback, and safety. With that said, here are my top 75 players of the 2015 NFL Draft class.
Top 75 Players:
1. Leonard Williams, DT, USC. 9.1
2. Jameis Winston, QB, FSU. 9.0
3. Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson. 8.9*
4. Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida. 8.8
5. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia. 8.7*
6. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama. 8.7*
7. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington. 8.7*
8. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia. 8.7*
Nov 15, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) reacts to the fans after scoring a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Auburn 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
9. DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville. 8.6*
10. Brandon Scherff, OT/OG, Iowa. 8.5
11. Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska. 8.5
12. Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky. 8.4
13. Danny Shelton, NT, Washington. 8.4
14. Eric Kendricks, ILB/OLB, UCLA. 8.4*
15. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon. 8.3
16. Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest. 8.2*
17. La’el Collins, OT/OG, LSU. 8.2*
18. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State. 8.1
19. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma. 8.0
20. Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford. 8.0
21. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin. 8.0
22. Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon. 7.9
23. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami. 7.9*
24. Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri. 7.9
25. D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida. 7.7
26. Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke. 7.7*
27. Byron Jones, CB/S, UConn. 7.7*
28. Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas. 7.7
29. Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State. 7.6*
30. Nelson Agholor, WR, USC. 7.6*
Nov 1, 2014; Pullman, WA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Nelson Agholor (15) heads up field in the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
31. Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State. 7.6
32. Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State. 7.5
33. Damarious Randall, S/CB, Arizona State. 7.5*
34. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami. 7.4
35. Landon Collins, S, Alabama. 7.4
36. Eli Harold, DE/OLB, Virginia. 7.3*
37. Benardrick McKinney, ILB/OLB, Mississippi State. 7.3
38. Mario Edwards, DE/DT, Florida State. 7.3
39. David Cobb, RB, Minnesota. 7.3*
40. Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington. 7.2
41. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana. 7.2*
42. Paul Dawson, LB, TCU. 7.2
43. Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon. 7.1
44. Cameron Erving, OG/C, Florida State. 7.0
45. Jalen Collins, CB, LSU. 7.0
46. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M. 7.0
47. Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF. 7.0
48. Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State. 7.0*
49. Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State. 6.9
50. Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma. 6.9
51. A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina. 6.8*
52. Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio). 6.8*
53. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa. 6.7
54. Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson. 6.6
55. Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State. 6.6
56. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska. 6.5
57. Donovan Smith, OT/OG, Penn State. 6.5
Nov 29, 2014; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tackle Donovan Smith (76) during the second quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Michigan State defeated Penn State 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
58. Alex Carter, CB, Stanford. 6.4
59. Nate Orchard, DE/OLB, Utah. 6.3
60. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami. 6.3
61. Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota. 6.3
62. Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan. 6.2
63. Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State. 6.1
64. Derron Smith, S, Freso State. 6.1
65. Duke Johnson, RB, Miami. 6.1
66. Owa Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA. 6.0
67. Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville. 5.9
68. T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh. 5.9
69. Preston Smith, DE/OLB, Mississippi State. 5.8
70. P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State. 5.8
71. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama. 5.7
72. David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa. 5.7
73. Ali Marpet, OG, Hobart. 5.7*
74. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA. 5.6
75. Tre’ Jackson, OG, Florida State. 5.6
Top Quarterback: Jameis Winston, Florida State
Jameis Winston is a polarizing prospect. Best known for throwing touchdowns and stealing crab legs, he will set out on his quest to eliminate the latter (And all things similar) from his resume. Winston possesses a good arm with accuracy, a great football IQ and good ability to throw his receivers open. He struggles with maturity issues and interceptions. The whole country will be watching Winston’s career unravel, as he has the ability to be a special player or an iconic bust.
Top Running Back: Todd Gurley, Georgia
Despite suffering an ACL tear this past season at Georgia, Gurley still checks out as the top running back on most analyst’s boards. Possessing a tantalizing combination of speed, power, and tackle-breaking ability, if Gurley is able to come back strong from his injury, he should be able to take the NFL by storm as a rookie and could very well be a top 5 running back in the NFL a few years down the road. Gurley is the type of talent that only comes around about once every 10 years.
Top Wide Receiver: Kevin White, West Virginia
Putting Kevin White slightly over Amari Cooper was a very hard decision for me. Both players are fantastic and share some of the same great traits such as running after the catch, speed (Although White is a bit faster), hands and the ability to take over games. While Cooper is a better and smoother route-runner, White has more natural hands and comes down with the 50/50 balls more often than Cooper does, as this is the one knock that I have on his game.
Top Offensive Lineman: Brandon Scherff, Iowa
Brandon Scherff is a mauling lineman who plays with a mean streak and isn’t content until his man is on the ground. While he played tackle at Iowa, he will likely be forced to move to guard in the NFL as he doesn’t perfectly fit the prototype left tackle that NFL teams look for. Nonetheless, Scherff should have a fantastic NFL career as a run blocking specialist with the potential to develop into a very good pass protector as well.
Top Pass Rusher: Vic Beasley, Clemson
Oct 11, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers defensive end Vic Beasley (3) reacts during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Vic Beasley posses a very advanced arsenal of pass rushing moves for a college player to go along with fantastic athleticism displayed at the combine and the best first-step in this draft. While he will need to put on some more weight and develop a better counter game, Beasley should quickly become a stud pass rusher, and if he can learn how to become an impact player in the run game as well, the sky is the limit for my 3rd overall prospect.
Top Interior Defensive Lineman: Leonard Williams, USC
Leonard Williams is not only my top rated interior defensive lineman, he is also my top rated player in the entire draft. While he is not the perfect prospect as he doesn’t possess an elite first step and is still a bit raw, Leonard Williams brings an incredible combination of size, length, and power to the table. An elite run stopper and good pass rusher who brings versatility to the table, Williams should make a big impact right from the get-go and should make a team like the Jaguars or Raiders very happy with their selection.
Top Linebacker Prospect: Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Eric Kendricks is an instinctual linebacker who plays with speed and athleticism. He is the top coverage linebacker in this draft class, and is also a stud run defender. While he may be a bit undersized and thus likely will be moved to WILL linebacker in the NFL, Kendricks is a pro-ready talent who will bring aggressiveness to whatever team calls his name on Thursday.
Top Cornerback Prospect: Marcus Peters, Washington
I have long been on the Marcus Peters bandwagon while steering clear of the larger Trae Waynes bandwagon. Peters plays great man coverage, possesses great mirroring skills, has great instincts, plays with passion and above all else he has very fluid hips. While Peters does have a few character questions, I think this isn’t much of a concern for a team like the Vikings whose coach specializes in winning the respect of his players. While Trae Waynes ran a very fast 40 yard dash, his hips are stiff on tape, which is a huge concern of mine when scouting cornerbacks. I will be a very happy man if the Vikings decide to pull the trigger on Marcus Peters on April 30th.
Top Safety Prospect: Damarious Randall, Arizona State
Nope, not Landon Collins. After a closer look at Collins, despite looking the part, he just doesn’t seem to have a game that will translate to the NFL and allow him to be an upper-tier safety. While he certainly can develop into that kind of player with good coaching, he struggles too much in coverage and suffers from stiff hips to be considered the best safety in this class. Damarious Randall, on the other hand, has very fluid hips and excels in route-recognition while also displaying natural footwork and plays with an aggressive demeanor reminiscent to that of Earl Thomas. He suffers from a bit of rawness to his game, and he can be fooled on play actions and pump fakes.
Thank you all for reading. I will be posting my final mock draft of the year sometime before Thursday’s draft, so be sure to check back in before then. Agree? Disagree? Leave your opinion in the comments section below. Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @jackmack28. Skol!