Quick Note: "Fine Wine" player - A player that may not be very impacting at first, but will become a great player over time. "Win Now" player - a player who will be more accustomed to making an impact right off the back, but may not produce into a long time impacting player.
No. 1 Overall Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 2015 NFL Draft will be kicked off by starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year, who finished the 2014 season with a 2-14 record under new their head coach, former Chicago Bears' head coach Lovie Smith, and new ownership after former owner Malcolm Glazer's passing in May of last year. In last year's draft, many people argued that there was only one clear cut No. 1 pick in Jadeveon Clowney who was selected No. 1 by the Houston Texans. However, last year produced more players that had much stronger names and brands to themselves which is what made it a bit more difficult to, I believe, try to land on a definitive player to be that man.
This year, the experts have been pretty straight up in making it known that this year's draft is "no contest" as they all are picking Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. After a failed experiment in having veteran NFL QB Josh McCown come in to take over, then let go, and signed by the Cleveland Browns and seemingly no confidence being put forward in Mike Glennon, it makes Winston look like the best possible decision to make after the way he's played in his football career thus far. He's coming into the NFL draft after two years of stellar play, with his freshman year in 2013 being his launch point by throwing for over 4,000 yards, 40 touchdowns with just 10 inceptions, completed almost 67% of his passes, and was able to capture the Heisman Trophy as the second freshman in history (Johnny Manziel was the first the year before) as well as the 2013 national title for the Seminoles.
As far as Winston's positives, there are quite a few such as his skill set that makes him look like an NFL QB with a strong arm that hits his targets with accuracy while all coming from a very smooth flowing and fluid like motion when throwing. So basically, throwing is never going be a problem for him. Along with a strong upper body, Winston's legs have shown some great skill and power that have allowed him to be able to shake off sacks and make his way around the edge to run with the football. He also possesses that great sense of poise in the pocket and does not seem to ever be afraid to stand in there and make his throw and a strong emotion for the game that seems to reflect on those he plays with and helps to build a strong sense of trust which will be key for a young NFL quarterback.
However, in spite of all that Jamies Winston does, he does have a few hiccups to his name. One problem may be his mentality and ability to adjust to the NFL game. It's not say that he is not bright, but he tends to make poor choices both on and off the field. On the field, his biggest problem is seeing him throwing the football into traffic when there is a much better option to go with instead after starring down his receivers on occasion. Off the field has of course been the media's biggest concern. Allegations that are ranging from stolen food to sexual assault cases have appeared for this young man so it is not in the wrong to question if he will be able to deal with having millions of dollars at his disposal, the fame, and the freedom.Right now, I look at Jamies Winston and see him being a "Fine Wine" player, so long as he buries his past and problems in the dirt and leave them behind. Also, I say this because Tampa Bay is still trying to adjust to Lovie's style of play and now must work with new offensive coordinator and fellow former Chicago Bears' head coach Mark Trestman. Hopefully if drafted, Winston may be one of the key pieces that could help drive the Bucs back into the glory of 2002 when they won their first ever Super Bowl.
However, as much as this team is in need of a quarterback, we need to make this one a little longer because the experts have shown that they could be interested in taking someone along the defensive side of the ball with this pick. One possible option may be USC defensive end Leonard Williams. Tampa Bay's experiences with defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and former defensive end Adrian Clayborn did not go as planned which led to Clayborn's release and Tampa looking to maybe trade Bowers away unless he can show a strong improvement after four years with just 7.0 sacks to show for it. This is why Williams as the No. 1 may work out well.
A strong argument can be made that the 6'5" 302 lbs. DE from Southern Cal may be the best defensive linemen to be drafted this high since [current] Miami Dolphin defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2011. Why? Well when you look at them both, their actually about the same size or so and have the same style of play and technique in the game. The only difference is that Williams seems to be the much more somber and quite type, especially when compared to the bold and brash Suh of the NFL (and while I do not respect nor approve the way he acts on the field in the cheap shots, he's still one of my favorite to watch).
Williams' plus sides range from his strength, quickness, explosive first step, impressive moves to get past the offensive line, outstanding intelligence and vision for locating the ball carrier, and an amazing show of how to tackle securely with the hands wrapped up while also delivering a big hit to his opponent. As for his downsides, well, he really doesn't have to many to be honest with you guys. The only ones I could take notice of is that his size could be an issue on the type of leverage he can get against tackles and guards in the NFL. He also has shown to sometimes be late getting off the ball right at the snap some of the time and has yet to fully develop his entire arsenal of moves to get past his opponents. But while he is still relatively raw and needs some work, I think Leonard Williams will be a "Fine Wine" player for the Bucs or whatever team that decides to draft this young man.
My Opinion: Look to Tampa Bay to take some time in deciding which way to start this thing off. There may be even a case where they may trade depending on the route they desire to take, but my best bet is that they will land Famous Jameis Winston.
No. 2 Overall Pick: Tennessee Titans
So right after the No. 1 pick is made by Tampa, the draft then falls into the laps of the Tennessee Titans and their No. 2 overall pick, which that received after also going 2-14 in the 2014 season. The Titans are in their second year with new head coach, former Arizona Cardinals' head coach Ken Whisenhunt, at the helm in which the team went through a rotating door usage of their quarterbacks Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, and Zach Mettenberger and experienced a number on injuries and let downs on both offense and defense.
This year, it's easy to say that Tennessee has a number of issues and holes that need to be examined and filled in for next season. One of which is at quarterback where most experts are saying that the Titans will use their No. 2 pick to take Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. In the rotating QB play that happened in Tennessee, Jake Locker was supposed to become the definitive starter about two seasons ago, but never had the chance to flourish with the team that Tennessee had on the field, and after being released, Locker decided that he was done with playing football and retired this past March. Meanwhile, Charlie Whitehurst only had a few good moments when he was out on the field, but could never shine as a full time option and was eventually benched with Locker for rookie QB Zach Mettenberger, who had trouble adjusting his skills to the NFL style of play. In three years as the starter at Oregon, Mariota has thrown for over 10,000 yards, 105 touchdowns with just 14 interceptions, completed 66% of his passes, and won the Heisman Trophy this past season.
Marcus Mariota has many positives which all start from the fact that he is the most athletic QB in this draft, which he proved in the NFL combine after leading in all of the major categories that are looked at in the NFL (40 yd dash, Vert jump, Broad jump, 3-cone drill, 20 yd shuttle). In his athletic ability, Mariota is the fastest QB this year after posting a 4.52 sec. 40 yard dash which means that Tennessee can lean on him more to help in their lackluster run game. He also has a knack for using his cannon of an arm to throw the ball deep down the field both in the pocket and scrambling. Marietta also shows a great deal of intelligence on the field in making smart decisions and has a strong sense of leadership that can help him to adjust to the NFL lifestyle quicker than his younger companion Jameis Winston.
Like any player though, Mariota does not come without his own issues like his inaccuracy in throwing the ball; many times has the Oregon QB thrown the ball up for grabs and been lucky enough that it was just knocked down or away instead of being an INT. Also, he has a tendency it seems to somewhat fly away from the pocket too soon as though pressure is coming at him, even when it may not even be close. For Marcus Mariota, I have to say that I think his career will be one of a "Win Now" player as his skill set is closely related to that of 49ers' QB Colin Kaepernick and Redskins' QB Robert Griffin III.
Just like Tampa, the Titans are in some desperate need of obtaining a strong and agile defensive lineman like Leonard Williams that they have not had since Jevon Kearse from 1999-2003 and current defensive end turned outside linebacker Derrick Morgan that they selected in the first round of the 2010 draft. This is where a man like Williams can certainly come into effect in helping to restore the team's pass rushing and run stopping plays on the line which was a huge issue last season and a couple years going back now. Currently, the team's depth chart shows the starting ends to be 6'8" 315 lbs. Ropati Pitoitua and 6'4" 329 lbs. Sammie Hill.
Both of these players I have seen before and both have shown flashes of skill that could still turn out to be worth something to this team. However, both players seem more along the lines of nose tackles to line up over the guards and take on the double team. Williams would allow those men (or at least one of them) to be moved on the inside and do just that job while Williams could come around the end and try for the sack or the stop.
My Opinion: The Tennessee Titans will be looking into all options on what they could do with this draft pick. So much talk has been surfacing about trades that could or should be made that I cannot really pinpoint how this one will go. But I think that regardless of whatever the case may be, the Tennessee Titans will select Marcus Mariota with this pick. What they decide to do with him afterwards is completely up to them.
No. 3 Overall Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars
So far, we may be looking at back-to-back Heisman Trophy quarterbacks being selected No. 1 and 2 this year; a first in NFL history. But what about the Jacksonville Jaguars? How do they follow up such picks like that? Well once again, the Jaguars have the No. 3 overall pick after suffering yet another 3-13 record in 2014. last year, they drafted the first quarterback of the draft in Central Florida's Blake Bortles, who did not not have the type of rookie year I had hopes for, but I did say in the last one of these I did called, "First Five", that he would be a "Fine Wine" player for the Jaguars to craft and find the best possible targets for him to use.
But even still, they had a really off year once again. They had lost their franchise player Maurice Jones-Drew and relied on the talents of Bortles to throw to wide outs Justin Blackmon and rookie Marquise Lee. The running game came from a multiple running back system, but the most rushing yards came from former Michigan quarterback and Jacksonville's proclaimed "offensive weapon" player (meaning he did not have a definitive spot at any position on the roster) Denard Robinson getting it done. Boy, that's quite the 180 that Jacksonville just had in the ground attack.
Just like the top two teams, Jacksonville has a lot that needs to be addressed in this draft as far as starters and getting depth in their roster. But honestly, defense is the key focus for this draft pick and should be for the Jaguars. Right now, many experts have put the attention on outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. of the Florida Gators. Fowler's path is somewhat similar to that of former 49ers' outside linebacker Aldon Smith and Oakland Raiders' outside linebacker Khalil Mack in that he shed the pounds off and converted to a stand-up defensive end so that could be effective from either the two or three point stance. Right now, the Jaguars are lacking much depth at linebacker and this would be the perfect place for Fowler, being a Florida native himself.
Dante Fowler's positives are that he has pretty well rounded speed that is matched with good upper body strength to help him take on the offense and thanks to him being so quick and agile, it will drive offenses nuts just trying to find a way to keep a man on him. Some of down sides, however, are that he still needs to improve on being a better pass rusher and get a little bit stronger in order to take on the bigger NFL offensive linemen as well as improve on his run recognition skills as well as keeping himself more under control when attacking the ball carrier.
As of now, I see Fowler being a "Win Now" player for Jacksonville as they are in need of fixing the linebacker situation that they have right now. He has the chance to be one that has a long career along the lines of someone like Terrell Suggs, but just like Smith and Mack, Fowler will more than likely be called on as a one-trick pony in pass rushing the quarterback and stopping the run behind the line.
Another choice they could make if Fowler is not there for some reason or they decide to not take him, they could go ahead and take Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley. Beasley's plus sides make him an impressive outside linebacker and fits the profile at 6'3" 246 lbs. He possesses the best explosive first step in the NFL Draft this year along with a combination of unbelievable agility that helps him get around the corners to go and get the quarterback or ball carrier. On the down sides, Beasley still needs to hone his craft as a pass rusher, needs to bulk up on muscle and gain a bit more strength to take on the blocks better, needs to improve on reading the run, and needs to work on his moves for getting past blocks.
Beasley's talents will put him in the first round and I think that he will be along the same lines of Fowler as a "Win Now" player because once again, his skill set seems to be more focused on just being a pass rushing linebacker and will need some much needed improvement to get past that knock against him and become a much more well rounded NFL outside linebacker.
The experts have also said that their could be a chance that the Jaguars take DE Leonard Williams if they feel the need to help upgrade their defensive line, which does need a bit of help. Both defensive ends Tyson Alualu and Chris Clemons are quite talented and Ziggy Hood has been a nice addition in the middle, but Williams would help provide that large force on the either inside or outside.
My Opinion: Depending on what trade offers get made or what they desire to take, I think from where they stand now that they will select either Fowler or Beasley, with the winning name being Dante Fowler Jr.
No. 4 Overall Pick: Oakland Raiders
The first three picks of the draft are gone and now it's fallen to No. 4, which is held by the Oakland Raiders who received the draft pick after ending the 2014 season with a 3-13 record. Okay now, I just don't know what else I can say or do to help try to shed some nice bright light on the Raiders' situation and issues. This team plays in a stadium with a nickname known as "The Black Hole" and essentially it seems like the organization has ben sucked into one. They hire a head coach in Dennis Allen, who never produces what they needed from him, fire him, and then need Tony Sparano to step in as the interim coach.
They lack so much and need all the help that they can ask for because singing top players has seemed to be an issue with so many of their players always getting injured. Luckily, the Raiders do have some rays of hope, mainly from their first round pick from last year, OLB Khalil Mack, and their second round pick, QB Derek Carr, showed that they have the skills to help bring Oakland back into relevance.
With the No. 4 pick, it would be wise for the Raiders to go out and get Derek Carr a target or two in which he can use to improve his chances at scoring more TDs for the team and produce into a better quarterback. One great option that seems like it would work out best would be Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper.
The Raiders have had some pretty talented wide outs in the past like Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, Tim Brown, Jerry Porter, James Jett, and even had Jerry Rice for three years and Randy Moss for two. Since then, they have not been able to duplicate the type of passing system they were once highly known for back in the day. This is why a guy like Cooper could help bring it all back. His biggest year was this past season when he caught 124 passes for 1,727 receiving yards, and scored 16 touchdowns in the air.
Cooper's plus sides aren't just in the stat sheets, but also on the field. His size is right on the money when we talk about NFL wide out at 6'1" 211 lbs. He also has incredible 4.42 sec 40 yard dash speed that he possesses, which helps him to outrun his opponents but can do so with such efficiency and quickness that he can run his routes to solid provision. He also a great sense of knowing where he is on the field and being able to make solid catches in traffic when needed.
Amari Cooper does have his issues also that go to the lengths of sometimes running a completely different route than he is suppose to and has seemed to have a major issue with dropping catchable passes that get thrown his way.
Amari Cooper was kind of feeling like a "Win Now" player, but I must say that I do believe that he will become a "Fine Wine" player for the Raiders along with fellow "Fine Wine" quarterback Derek Carr and becoming the key catalyst that speak the flames of Oakland back into better days that result in playoff appearances, and eventually a division title.
While on the subject of wide receivers, there is one other that is in competition with Cooper as the best wide receiver to take in this draft and that man is West Virginia's Kevin White. When comparing Cooper and White, White is surprisingly overpowering in some categories like size (6'3" 215 lbs.) and speed (4.35 sec 40 yard dash). He also outshine Cooper in his amazing leaping ability by going 36 1/2 in. in the air. That's about 3 1/2 in. more than what Cooper hit (33 in. vert jump). White's first step off the snap has also proven to be quick and powerful which helps him to break away from coverage with some relative ease that combines with his unique sense and vision for knowing where he is on the field at all moments of the game to make a play and see where his opponents are at as well.
White's negatives are slim, but they are there. Although he is pretty fast, he sometimes doesn't turn it on all the way it seems when, if was to, he'd probably be beating guys left and right. He also has had problems with sometimes sustaining a strong technique when holding a block, despite the fact that it is considered to be a something that he does quite well.Regardless, Kevin White will produce into a "Fine Wine" player for whatever team takes an opportunity to give him the green light to be apart of their receiver corp. And of course, there are many questions as to if Oakland's defense is up to the task next season up front and may want to consider drafting a defensive linemen for support. So it could be the landing spot for the USC defensive end Leonard Williams as well.
My Opinion: The Oakland Raiders will probably try to make some move or have some offers thrown in their direction, but ultimately, I think they will choose Kevin White as the No. 4 overall pick.
No. 5 Overall Pick: Washington Redskins
It's the last pick that will round out the Top Five in the NFL Draft and questions loom over what the Washington Redskins will do after they got the pick from finishing with a very disappointing 4-12 record in the 2014 season. Most probably thought that they would see the resurgence of Robert Griffin III into the RGIII machine that helped the Redskins to an amazing season about a couple years back. Unfortunately, the team is in a rut as they have no idea what their team is going to be doing this season with Jay Gruden coming into his second year, an open window at the QB position for anyone to come flying through that wants it, and a defense that is just... UGH!
So this year, the concern for this team should be focused on the defense as the past few seasons in the draft and free agencies have been focused mostly on improving the defense. The perfect selection for them: Leonard Williams. It seems like quite a drop from potentially being No. 1 to becoming No. 5, but he is a top five player and should be selected as such. Williams would bring a big, strong, and bold defensive piece to the D-line and the defense as a whole. This group in Washington has potential to become something pretty good, and Williams could be the spark that lights the powder keg in the locker room. He would be the perfect "Fine Wine" defensive lineman for many years to come for the franchise.
The other possibility that could come here would be either outside linebackers Dante Fowler Jr. or, more likely, Vic Beasley. Both would be good with the Redskins was the team has been looking to add a better pass rushing element to their roster to be able to take out QBs in the NFC East like Tony Romo and Eli Manning. The problem that I would see with their selection would be that they are following the route they took with RGIII in that they are "Win Now" players and are more than likely not going to be stellar superstars for years to come. It would far better to have a player that can last the long run and be apart of the remake that is needed.
My Opinion: If the Washington Redskins don't decide to trade down or away the No. 5 overall pick, then this pick should definitely be DE Leonard Williams.
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