Durst's 2015 NFL Big Board (updated 3/13/15)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
QB | Jameis Winston | Garrett Grayson | Cody Fajardo | ||||
Marcus Mariota | Brett Hundley | Bryce Petty | Shane Carden | Brandon Bridge | |||
Sean Mannion | |||||||
RB | Tevin Coleman | Ameer Abdullah | Javorius Allen | David Johnson | Malcolm Brown | Thomas Rawls | |
Jay Ajayi | Jeremy Langford | Matt Jones |
Yyler Varga |
Cameron Artis-Payne | Terrence Magee | ||
Todd Gurley | Duke Johnson | David Cobb | Akeem Hunt | Jalston Fowler | Michael Dyer | ||
Melvin Gordon | TJ Yeldon | Karlos Williams | Mike Davis | Josh Robinson | Kenny Hilliard | Trey Williams | |
WR | Kevin White | Sammy Coats | Phillip Dorsett | Justin Hardy | Austin Hill | Kasen Williams | Mitch Matthews |
Amari Cooper | Devin Smith | Rashad Green | Devante Davis | Dres Anderson | DeVaris Daniels | Jarrod West | |
DeVante Parker | Nelson Agholor | Deontay Greenberry |
Stephon Diggs |
DeAndre Smelter | Chris Harper | Mario Alford | |
Dorial Green-Beckham | Breshad Perriman | Tre McBride | Tony Lippett | Chris Conley | Kyle Prater | Malcolm Kennedy | |
Jaelen Strong | Antwan Goodley | Kenny Bell | Josh Harper | Rannell Hall | Deon Long | ||
Devin Funchess | Tyler Lockett | Ty Montgomery | Jamison Crowder | Vince Mayle | Nigel King | Matt Miller | |
TE | Maxx Williams | Tyler Kroft | EJ Bibbs | Ben Koyack | Cameron Clear | Dillon Gordan | |
Clive Walford Jesse James |
Jeff Heuerman Nick Boyle |
Darren Waller |
Rory Anderson Nick O'Leary |
Wes Saxton Blake Bell |
AJ Derby |
||
OT | DJ Humphries | Cedric Ogbuehi | Tyrus Thompson | Chaz Green | Jamon Brown | Mickey Baucus | Austin Shepherd |
Andrus Peat | Donovan Smith | Darryl Williams | Sean Hickey | Malcolm Bunche | Terry Poole | ||
Ereck Flowers | Ty Sambralio | Eric Lefeld | Trent Brown | Quinterrius Eatmon | |||
TJ Clemmings Jake Fisher |
Corey Robinson
|
Rob Havenstein | Blaine Clausell | Michael Yeck | Simon Goines |
||
OG | Brandon Scherff | AJ Cann | Tre' Jackson | Quinton Spain | Shaquille Mason | Landon Turner | Aundrey Walker |
La'el Collins | Jamil Douglas | Ali Marpet | Torrian Wilson |
Jon Feliciano | Alex Barr |
||
Laken Tomlinson Arie Kouandjio |
Josue Matias Jeremiah Poutasi |
Kaleb Johnson John Miller |
Jarvis Harrison Cody Whitehair |
Adam Shead Connor Hanratty |
Willie Beavers | ||
OC |
|
Cam Erving Hroniss Grasu |
Andrew Gallik
|
Reese Dismukes Max Garcia |
Brandon Vitabile Shane McDermott |
BJ Finney Dillion Day |
DE |
Leonard Williams | Danielle Hunter | Za'Darius Smith | Marcus Hardison | Deion Barnes | Ray Drew | |
DE |
Dante Fowler | Owamagbe Odighizuwa | Henry Anderson | Cedric Reed | Hau'oli Kikaha | Anthony Chickillo | |
DE |
Arik Armstead |
PrestonSmith Trey Flowers |
Lyndon Trail | Marcus Golden | Geneo Grissom | Ryan Muller | |
DE |
Mario Edwards |
Nate Orchard |
Corey Crawford |
Ryan Russell |
Martin Ifedi Frank Clark |
Marcus Rush |
|
DT | Eddie Goldman | Carl Davis | Darius Philon | Tyeler Davidson | JT Surratt | James Castleman | Joey Mbu |
Danny Shelton Malcom Brown |
Michael Bennett Grady Jarrett |
Xavier Cooper Kaleb Eulls |
Ellis McCarthy David Parry |
Christian Covington |
Benjamin Bennett Bradon Ivory |
Derrick Lott Matt Hoch |
|
Jordan Phillips |
|
Terry Williams | Louis Trinca-Pasat | Travis Raciti | Chucky Hunter | Travis Raciti | |
ILB | Stephone Anthony | Hayes Pullard | Ramik Wilson | Henry Coley | Jake Ryan | AJ Johnson | |
Benardrick McKinney | Eric Kendricks | Jeff Luc | Taiwan Jones | Mike Hull | Steve Edmond | Ben Henley | |
Denzel Perryman | Amarlo Herrera | Trey DePriest | Bryce Hager | Curtis Grant | AJ Tarpley | ||
OLB |
Vic Beasley Shane Ray |
Eli Harold |
Max Valles |
Martrell Spaight | Damien Wilson | Zac Hodges | JR Tavai |
Randy Gregory | Lorenzo Mauldin | Paul Dawson | Tony Washington | Norkeithus Otis | Jordan Hicks | CJ Johnson | |
Alvin Dupree |
Kwon Alexander |
Xzavier Dickson |
Terrance Plummer | JR Tavai | James Vaughters | ||
CB | Trae Waynes | Alex Carter | Quinten Rollins | Senquez Golson | Quandre Diggs | Justin Coleman | Kevin Peterson |
Marcus Peters |
Kevin Johnson | Jacoby Glenn | Deshazor Everett | D'Joun Smith | Tevin Mitchel | Tim Scott (S?) | |
Ron Darby | John Shaw | Steven Nelson | Julian Wilson | Charles Gaines | Damien Swann | Troy Hill | |
Jalen Collins PJ Williams |
Doran Grant Byron Jones |
Kevin White Ifo Ekpre-Olomu |
Ladarius Gunter Lorenzo Doss |
Damarious Randall Anthony Jefferson |
JaCorey Shepherd |
Jonathan McKnight | |
S | Eric Rowe |
Durrell Eskridge |
Jaquiski Tartt Adrian Amos |
Derron Smith |
Sam Carter |
Jordan Richards |
|
Landon Collins | Ibraheim Campbell | Gerod Holliman | Chris Hackett | Anthony Harris | Jermaine Whitehead | ||
Shaq Thompson | Cody Prewitt |
Kurits Drummond |
Clayton Geathers | Erick Dargan | Ronald Martin |
Top Pro Day Risers:
1. Akeem Hunt, RB, Purdue:
At Purdue's pro day, Hunt was one of two Boilermaker RBs to run faster than 4.4. Hunt ran a 4.36, along with a 37" vertical, a 10'2" broad jump, a 4.11-sec short shuttle, and 6.71 3-cone drill.
While several lesser-know RBs and WRs set the track on fire the past two weeks, Hunt is more than just a speed demon. In fact Hunt led the Boilermakers last season with 48 receptions, and had just under 1,000 yards rushing.
2. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA:
NFL.com's Gil Brandt wrote Hundley has a good arm and was very accurate" at UCLA's pro day, then said he has a good chance to be a second-round pick. He threw 60 passes and ended up completing 57 of the 60 with one drop. DraftInsider.net's Tony Pauline wrote "the ball flew off Hundley's hand, and he threw with great accuracy all day."
Hundley also has "aced" the interviews, you hear over and over what a great kid he is and what high character he is. "Articulate, intelligent and comes across as a leader," Pauline wrote.
Hundley opted against playing at the Senior Bowl, but may have made up for it at the NFL Combine, when Hundley ran a 3.98 20 yard short shuttle, which is the best for QBs since 2006. That kind of athleticism has fueled speculation that Hundley could emerge as a late-end first rounder, despite his many flaws.
In three seasons, the 6'3/226 pound Hundley has completed 837 of 1241 passes for 9,966 yards with a 75/25 touchdown/interception ratio, but but has taken a remarkable 125 sacks in the last three seasons, with some analysts jumping ship after determining that a large percentage of those were NOT the fault of the Bruins' much maligned offensive line.
Of note, draft metrics analyst Greg Peshek wrote a deeply analytical piece comparing Hundley to Mariota and Winston. Since the Panthers are not looking at potential starting QBs, I won't get too deep, but since some might see Hundley as a good potential back-up to Cam if he drops far enough, I will summarize.
Talking about Hundley, Peshek concluded "just about 16% of his passes were in the critical 11-20 yard intermediate zone and only 10.6% of his passes made it past 20 yards". Peshek criticized Hundley for what he called a "complete lack of accuracy on the intermediate and long balls. His 11-20 yard and 20+ yard completion percentages are among the worst we’ve seen in the past three to four classes." (while 33% of his passes were screen-passes).
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/52722/349/2015s-quarterback-conundrum
3. Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan:
According to Draftinsider.net's Tony Pauline, Funchess recorded forty times in the 4.53 range at his pro day, after he ran an "official" 4.70 fourty at the combine.
Many have "jumped ship" on Funchess even before his underwhelming combine performance, but whatever his 40-time, Funchess is a fringe first-round WR prospect whose frame and skill-set mirrors the Panthers' Kelvin Benjamin. Of note, is that the former TE turned WR is three years younger than Benjamin.
4. Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers:
As you may recall, Kroft is the player who had his ankle "injured" by doctors pulling on it at the NFL Combine, and ended up not participating, adding importance to his Rutgers' pro day. He did not disappoint, running a 4.67 in the 40, 7.12 in the 3-cone and 4.2 in the short shuttle.
Where he is drafted will likely depend on what type of TE an individual team is looking for, and the three TEs I have ranked above him all at least 15 pounds heavier, and presumable bring more in-line potential.
At at nearly 6'6/240, Kroft is seen by most as a TE/WR tweener whose production fell off to 24 receptions for 269 yards and zero touchdowns last season.
5. Marcus Hardison, DT/DE, Arizona State:
Hardison didn't participate at the combine due to injury, bring more importance to the former JUCO transfer who many see as a one-year-wonder. In 2014, while primarily playing DE, Hardison led the team with 10 sacks and added 15 tackles for a loss.
CBS Sports' Rob Rang wrote "Hardison's quickness makes him one of the more intriguing interior pass rushers among this year's defensive tackles."
At his pro day, Hardison ran his 40s around the 4.8 to early 4.9 range, and added a 4.65-second short shuttle and a 7.29 three-cone. All better than average numbers for a 6'3/305 DL who will likely play DT in the NFL.
6. Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State:
Draftinsider.net's Tony Pauline reported teams "came away very impressed with the versatility" Smith displayed at MSU's pro day. Blessed with a prototypical 4-3 DE build, the 6'4 7'8, 271 pound DE lead the Bulldogs with nine sacks and 15 TFL in 2014, followed that with a good performance at the Senior Bowl, and then posted a 4.74 second 40, 34" vertical, and 10'1" broad jump at the NFL Combine.
134 tackles, 27 TFL and 16 sacks across his collegiate career, creating seven turnovers (five fumbles, two interceptions
I have Smith ranked as a late second rounder, others feel he could go higher. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah ranks Smith 35th overall on him top-50 list, and Rotoworld's draft analyst, Josh Norris ranks him 12th.
7. Deshazor Everett, CB/S, Texas A&M:
DraftInsider.net's Tony Pauline reported that the Aggies' Everett "looked very smooth and fluid in all the drillls" and ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds. He also ran a 6.88 second 3-cone drill, had a 39" vertical, and jumperd 10'10" in the broad jump.
Not invited to the Senior Bowl or the NFL Combine, I had only dropped Everett from the third round grade I had on him the whole season to the fourth round.
The Panthers were one of the teams that met with Everett at his pro day.
8. Xavier Cooper, DT, Washington State:
Hoping to follow the footsteps on former teammate Deone Bucannnon, Cooper has been rising up the rankings since the season ended.
Tony Pauline said he heard scouts describe Cooper as a "beast" during his pro day, and was hand-timed at 4.83 in his 40, while weighing-in at 293 pounds.
Described in his CBSsports' draft profile as a "square peg in a round hole in the 3-4 scheme" WSU used, NFL.com's profile summarizes that Cooper "must play in a penetrating front in order to minimize with lack of length and maximize his above-average athleticism."
NFLDraftScout.com's Frank Cooney believes Cooper "deserves a team's second-round pick and a chance to show what he can do in the NFL."
This is a meteoric rise from just seven weeks ago when NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt stated Cooper will "probably be somewhere between a sixth-round pick and a free agent."
9. Kaleb Johnson, Guard, Rutgers: (March 11th pro day)
Not invited to either the Senior Bowl or NFL Combine, Johnson is a 50 game starter, who started at RT as a freshman, LT as a sophomore, then LG his final two seasons.
Listed at 6'4/305, Johnson completed 34 reps on the bench, had a broad jump of 8'10", and timed as fast as 5.07 in the 40.
A 50 game starter, who has started at both tackle spots and LG, Johnson is one of the draft's most underrated lineman.
10. Nebraska players (Ameer Abdullah and Randy Gregory)
While Abdullah excelled at the NFL Combine in most drills, his poor 40 time (4.60) caused many to take pause. Fortunately, he was able to run an acceptable 4.5 (some clocked in the late 4.4's) and reportedly looked impressive catching the ball (something he rarely did in Nebraska's run-heavy offense).
Of coarse a pro day can't answer questions about ball-security and his ability to hold-up in pass protection, but combined with his Senior Bowl MVP, Abdullah has helped his cause since the season ended, and a mid-second round pick is not out of the question.
Meanwhile, Gregory's questions had to do with his weight-loss and if he could transition to OLB in the NFL.
Described as a "lean athlete" Gregory weight was 338 at his pro day, and by most accounts, he did a fantastic job during agility tests meant to weed-out those who are unable to play OLB.
While he chose not to try to improve his 40 time from the combine, Gregory ran 4.30 second in the short shuttle, 6.73 3-cone, and 11.64 60 yard shuttle at Nebraska's pro day.
Previously, ESPN's Todd McShay has stated Gregory's "ceiling is the highest of all the pass-rushers in this class" and NFL Film's Greg Cosell said he's a better ATHLETE than JaDeveon Clowney, stating "He's more flexible. Gregory's a much more explosive mover, a much looser athlete."before admitting "Clowney is stronger".
Top Pro Day Sliders:
1. Marcus Mariota:
First, let me say that much of the post-season workout process is overrated, and Mike Mayock said last year that Teddy Bridgewater's pro day was one of the worst he has ever seen.
That being said, reports are Mariota's workout was not impressive, with the words "underwhelming", "mechanical", "uptight", and "stiff" being the most commonly heard. Reportedly, he threw behind receivers and/or had them waiting on passes.
That being said, I don't believe any of that will have much influence on Mariota's draft position.
Of coarse, the biggest reason for having Mariota listed as a "slider" is the fact that it is looking very unlikely he will be reunited with Chip Kelly, his former college coach, and may instead be drafted by a team fails to develop an offense that caters to his skill-set.
2. Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State:
As one who was not as high on Bennett as most, I had come around and have Bennett just outside my top-50.
Unable to play in the Senior Bowl or fully participate (injured groin National Championship) at the NFL Combine, Bennett weighed in at 297 then ran two 40's in the 4.8-second range, but pulled-up on the last one, and was unable to finish the rest of the work-out.
In a draft filled with larger 320+ defensive tackles, Bennett and Clemson's Grady Jarrett (who had a nice pro day) are likely fighting it out to see who is the 2015 NFL Draft's top 3-technique. With Xavier Cooper and Darius Philon just behind them in my rankings, Bennett needs improved health to keep from falling behind those similarly sized DTs.
3. Zack Hodges, OLB, Harvard:
Draft Insider's Tony Pauline reports that number of teams have removed Hodges from their board. Hodgers did not perform the bench press, or run a 40 at his pro day.
According to Pauline, "Hodges complained about his knee through much of the morning, and did not look all that good." He also wrote "All through the pre-draft process I've heard red-flags have been raised on Hodges. I'm told his interviews, dating back to the Senior Bowl, have not gone well and rubbed people the wrong way."
4. Max Valles, OLB, Virginia:
Perhaps a better natural linebacker than teammate Eli Harold, Valles outproduced him on the field in 2014, and declared with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Since his surprise declaration, Valles has been unimpressive at both the NFL Combine and at Virginia's pro day, and while Harold's arrow appears headed north, Valles looks like he made a bad decision by entering the draft this year.
5. Gerrod Hollliman, Safety, Louisville:
First, a media-darling after tying the 46-year old record for interceptions in the a season, Holliman's flaws have been the point of conversation since the season ended. A one-year starter, who did little prior 2014, Holliman is a poor tackler, limited athlete, with overrated hands and instincts.
Holliman needed a big pro day, but it did not go very well, as he ran between 4.6-4.65 in his 40, and was not impressive with his jumps or drills.
6. Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA:
Draft Insider's Tony Pauline reports UCLA DT Ellis McCarthy "has likely fallen out of the late rounds." "Despite solid numbers at the combine, I'm told McCarthy did not look athletic, and one source at the pro-day used the word 'brutal' to sum up his day," Pauline wrote.
Many UCLA fans have questioned the relatively high ranking McCarthy was getting from draft analysts despite being an unproductive part-time player with the Bruins. In this case, the fans may be right.