My Final Thoughts on the 2015 NFL Draft

[butta54 371]

A few days away until show time in Chicago. Here are some of my lasting impressions from the whole process:

 

 

• This is a top heavy draft that is very thin on talent. While in most years stock piling picks would be the smart thing to do, there just doesn't seem to be many players with next-level talent throughout this draft. Elite athleticism will be a premium in this draft, as evidenced by the combine numbers we just don't have the high level athletes sprinkled throughout the draft like usual. There are some plug & play guys for the right system down the line, but with the first round being so important we could see a lot of action day one.

 

• Not much intrigue at the first pick. Given the talent level and position that Winston plays, him not going #1 could completely destroy the first round. But assuming it all goes to plan which 95% believe it will, then all the drama starts at #2 with the Titans who have been fielding calls from all over from teams looking to take Mariota. What the Titans do at #2 and following what the Redskins do at #5 should shape the first round.

 

• A thin draft makes for a nightmare evaluating. At first look I felt a lack of top players would make the process move quicker. COMPLETE opposite. It was a struggle figuring out which guys to watch and which guys not to. So many players within the same talent level I nearly doubled the number of players I watched from last year. No clear cut top choices will make for mock drafts being more off than before seeing as this is a "pick your flavor" year in which the value of players will have a large variance across the board. Look for small school players to get even more chances than usual.

 

• Wide receivers run deep again for the third year in a row. The last two deep classes have manifested themselves into about 21 starters in the league. After this year it will be interesting to see the landscape of receiving corps in the league.

 

• Offensive line is another position of depth this year and it seems to only have depth. This group lacks talent at the top as no one can even decide who is a tackle and who is a guard let alone who is the top player. I really like the guard group, and having two or three top tackles be considered for a position switch will cause some really talented players to be available later in the draft.

 

• The safety group from hell. The one talented player in the bunch is the one most people seem to hate. I trashed the groups from the two previous years for lack of depth, I don't even know what to say about this group. Safety is a growing need in the league with fewer top guys becoming FA because teams lock them up and fewer top guys coming from the draft I wouldn't be surprised to see some wild reaches involving the secondary.

 

• Speaking of reaches with safeties. The curious case of Shaq Thompson.........will he be a weak side LB? Will he be a safety? Will he be a running back? Each team has rated him as something different, and while he has proclaimed he wants to play LB it will be fun to see where he goes.

 

• The QB position is a funny one. At the start of the process no one wanted to touch the second-tier before round 4. As time went on and no magical players appeared....those second-tier guys starting looking more and more attractive to teams. The value of the position really tricks teams and has for years. IMO this happens one of two ways. Either Hundley, Petty, and Grayson are all gone by the end of the 3rd round....or they all fall into the 4th together.

 

• Position Grades:
• QB: D RB: B+ WR: B+ TE: F OL: B DL: B+ LB: C PR: A CB: B S: F-

Edited April 28, 2015 by butta55

[Cherry 1,302]

CB is only a B? This years class is incredibly deep.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Really? I disagree. I think giving the CB class a B is being generous if anything in my opinion, so there we see the variance again I think it's an average class so like a C or C+

 

In regards to original post though, I like your point about small school prospects likely to get more opportunities this year due to the thin class. All these WR classes makes you think it could continue or am I wrong? Is it all these spread offenses in the lower levels so WRs are growing on trees now? Or is this just a golden era of WRs like there was a golden era of OTs in the 90s which seems to be dead now for the past decade plus?

 

Not sure if Hundley is going to go in mid rounds, 2nd round or late 1st maybe in a Bridgewater situation to pick up that 5th year option. You gotta wonder if the EJ Manuel situation hurts or forecasts this happening. I have to figure some team is gonna think they can coach up Hundley, although other than maybe Bortles IMO I guess teams haven't been reaching on QBs since EJ.

Edited April 28, 2015 by CampinWithGoatSampson

[butta54 371]

CB is only a B? This years class is incredibly deep.

 

As always I grade top level talent and then grade depth and average the two. This group has decent depth, but heavier at the top. I like this balanced grade.

 

 

In regards to original post though, I like your point about small school prospects likely to get more opportunities this year due to the thin class. All these WR classes makes you think it could continue or am I wrong? Is it all these spread offenses in the lower levels so WRs are growing on trees now? Or is this just a golden era of WRs like there was a golden era of OTs in the 90s which seems to be dead now for the past decade plus?

 

 

IMO spread offenses don't neccesarily do anything for the development of WRs. The thing with spread offenses is the ability to utilize a number of different body types and skill sets at receiver.

 

So these Jamison Crowder, Tyler Lockett, and Funchess types that weren't really getting play years back because of lack of height or speed. Spread is all about spacing and utilizing the skills a player does have to mismatch a player on the defense. So the days of you have to be 6'1-6'2 with this 40 time and this size hand, etc.....that is all over so people are being converted to receiver and each can bring something different.