2015 NFL Mock Draft 2.0
9. New York Giants - Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
HC Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese are both back and ready to take another crack at it after a nightmare of a season in 2014. Jerry Reese needs to get back to taking pass rushers early and letting the rest of the draft fall to him. Jason Pierre-Paul (2010) is the last pass rusher taken in the first two rounds and is the only DE left from one of their Super Bowl runs.
Shane Ray is an explosive athlete with few holes to his game would be a great counterpart to JPP on the edges while the Giants try to find a way to stop the offenses of the Cowboys and Eagles.
10. St. Louis Rams - Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
HC Jeff Fisher is not the type to draft a WR in the first round, but Kevin White is such a temptation that has fallen into his lap that he will have to jump at the opportunity.
Kevin White has a massive 6’3″ frame and ran a blazing 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine. Despite the West Virginia offensive system inflating some players’ production in the past, White looks to be the anomaly with his great ball skills and development as a route runner.
11. Minnesota Vikings - DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
This is almost too perfect of a scenario for the Vikings: With teams looking to stop the spread offense, there will be a run on pass rushers, allowing for DeVante Parker and Teddy Bridgewater to reunite. DeVante Parker is like an anti-Cordarrelle Patterson in that he’s a solid route runner and can make the tough catches on 3rd down, but doesn’t offer the speed and agility that Patterson does. Bridgewater and Parker had great chemistry at Louisville and this pick would do great things for their young QB and his development.
12. Cleveland Browns - Brandon Scherff, T/G, Iowa
The Browns can’t believe their luck in missing out on one of the top 3 WRs in the draft, so they settle with the safe pick of Brandon Scherff. Scherff is being compared by many to Zack Martin coming out last year in that “he could play right tackle, but you plug him in a right guard and he’ll be an All-Pro.” The Browns need a pick that can help establish a running game and protect whomever it is that ends up starting at QB.
13. New Orleans Saints - Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
Rob Ryan is lucky to still have his job as the Saints defensive coordinator. The defense went from pitiful before Ryan took over, to surprisingly effective in his first season, and back to pitiful in 2014. They need to generate more of a pass rush and Bud Dupree could end up a fan favorite in New Orleans.
14. Miami Dolphins - Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
Mike Wallace has been as big of a free agent bust that we’ve seen in recent years and is unlikely to return to Miami in 2015. Jarvis Landry was a positive surprise for the Dolphins in 2014 but after Brian Hartline was released for salary cap reasons, the cupboard is pretty bare at receiver.
Jaelen Strong has one of the highest ceilings in the draft and could be a great complement in size and speed to Jarvis Landry as Ryan Tannehill continues to progress at QB.
15. San Francisco 49ers - La’el Collins, T/G, Louisiana State
The 49ers have been dysfunctional in the past year and need a solid draft to get the Jim Tomsula era off to a good start. Tomsula is an old school coach and believes in winning in the trenches. The Darnell Dockett signing fixes the defensive side, while Justin Smith mulls over retirement or a 15th season, and the 49ers will likely lose mammoth guard Mike Iupati in free agency. La’el Collins is another tackle who could make the switch to guard and flourish and Kaepernick needs all the time he can get so he can finally get to that second read.
16. Houston Texans - Landon Collins, S, Alabama
Landon Collins will be one of the top-5 players out of this draft and the Texans will finally shore up a safety position that has plagued them since their inauguration. Collins has the ability to play strong or free safety, but would likely line up at free with 3rd year SS D.J. Swearinger coming into his own. Collins and Swearinger would create a formidable duo at the safety position for a long time.
