2015 Draft Pre-Combine Rankings-Skill positions (RB, WR and TE)

Running Back and Wide Receiver are both deep positions in this draft while Tight End is extremely shallow.

2015 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings

The NFL has seen a devaluing of the RB position over the past several years and nowhere is that more prevalent than in the NFL draft.  No RB has gone in the first round of the past two drafts and the last time it did happen was in 2012 when three RBs made it.  Those three don’t really inspire confidence that RB should return to top of the draft board.  Trent Richardson, Doug Martin and David Wilson went #3, #31 and #32 overall in the 2012 draft and haven’t exactly been lighting up the league.  Wilson’s career is already over due to an injury, Richardson’s career is on life support as he has failed for two teams and while Martin had one stellar year he hasn’t really done much else.  A few numbers to ponder when considering drafting a RB in the first round; 13 players rushed for more than 1000 yards during the 2014 regular season only one was drafted in the first round (Marshawn Lynch), there were just as many 6^th round picks (Alfred Morris) 7^th round picks (Justin Forsett) and undrafted players (Arian Foster); of those 13 players that rushed for over 100 yards 5 were second round picks (Le’Veon Bell, LeSean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Jeremy Hill and Matt Forte); out of the top 20 rushers in the league only 3 were first round picks (Lynch, Mark Ingram and Jonathan Stewart); the league’s leading rusher was Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (3^rd round pick) but he was lucky enough to run behind 3 1^st round pick offensive linemen (there may be a correlation there).  After making my point very clear that taking a RB in the first round is not necessary I’m almost certain the Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon is a lock for the 1^st round of the 2015 NFL draft.  In addition this year’s class may just restock a third of the NFL teams with starting caliber RBs.  The class is as deep and talented as it has been in years.

1. Melvin Gordon   Jr.   Wisconsin

Wisconsin has a history of great college running backs unfortunately that history doesn’t seem to include great NFL success.  Recent Badger tailbacks include; James White, Montee Ball, John Clay, PJ Hill, Brian Calhoun and the most celebrated Badger back of them all Ron Dayne.  Dayne’s career was pretty nondescript and while White and Ball are just getting started they don’t look like they will start the world on fire.  It seems like I’m making a case against Gordon but actually I think he breaks all those molds.  He’s worth a 1^st round pick (and every mock draft from now until April is going to have him going to the Colts) and he is a better prospect than all those former Badgers.  Gordon is big enough to carry the load in the backfield but he has elite speed that means every time he touches the ball he could end up in the end zone.  Using him in a variety of ways means creating mismatches all over the field and he will be an incredible weapon.  If the Colts don’t sign a free agent RB before the draft and Gordon falls to their spot at #29 (that’s a big if) they would be crazy to pass on him.  An offense built around Andrew Luck, TY Hilton and Melvin Gordon could do real damage.

2. Todd Gurley   Jr.   Georgia

Gurley was headed to the top RB spot in the 2015 draft until he was suspended from Georgia for improper benefits then when he returned from that suspension he torn his ACL in his first game back… oh and then Melvin Gordon ran for about 5,000 yards and took the top spot.  Despite all of this, especially the ACL tear, Gurley could still go in the first round and no one would really question it.  He’s a favorite in mock drafts to be scooped up by one of the two Super Bowl teams either the Seahawks or Patriots and given those two teams employ big power backs Marshawn Lynch and LaGarrett Blount it’s easy to see why.  Gurley is listed at 6’1 226 lbs. and he’s all power and he is most often compared to Marshawn Lynch because of his propensity to go into his own “Beast Mode” ala Lynch.  Gurley’s durability is a bit of a question as is how long his career can last given his power running style but given the trend at RB in the NFL teams won’t hesitate to draft him.  If you look over that list of rushing leaders I referenced earlier there is another trend that becomes evident besides the rounds they were drafted in, of the 13 1,000 yard rushers this last season only 3 of them weighed less than 215 lbs. (LeSean McCoy, Justin Forsett and Jamaal Charles).  The power running game has become the complement to the spread passing attack because teams try to match up with the passing game using smaller, quicker defenders and big backs can take advantage.

3. Tevin Coleman   Jr.   Indiana

I may have Coleman higher on my list than a lot of others but I promise it’s not just because he ran all over the Iowa Hawkeyes to the tune of 219 yards.  At around 6’0 210 lbs. Coleman fits perfectly in the mold of an NFL back and he has good power and excellent speed.  He hits the hole quickly and efficiently and if he had played on a better college team his numbers would have been incredible.  Coleman is undervalued and someone is going to end up with and exceptional back.

4. Ameer Abdullah   Sr.   Nebraska

As you can see the Big Ten was stacked with great running backs and I’m not even done yet.  Abdullah is smaller in stature than most of the top backs coming in at about 5’8 and just under 200 lbs. but he doesn’t play like it.  He isn’t the biggest back but he is low to the ground so he has no problem delivering a hit at the end of the run and he generates power from his impressive speed.  After carrying the ball over 750 times over the past three years his durability is obvious but where Abdullah lacks is in the pass game.  Given Nebraska’s offense during Abdullah’s career it isn’t unusual that he never caught more than 26 passes in a season but he isn’t a natural pass catcher either.  He lacks bulk along with experience which makes him less than ideal in blitz pickup situations.

5. Jay Ajayi   Jr.   Boise St.

I haven’t seen a lot of this guy but what I have seen I like a lot.  Good size and great instincts along with really good hands catching the ball.  He had some character issues early in his career at Boise St. but he didn’t run and hide (aka transfer) he stuck it out, got back into good standing with his coaches and proved to be an asset.  Teams will do deep background on him but it seems like just stupid immature stuff he may have outgrown.  His pass blocking isn’t great but he’s such a threat in the passing game he will stay on the field as an outlet receiver.  He runs better to the outside than he does between the tackles so he may not be much of a short yardage back and may have to share time with a big back.

6. Duke Johnson   Jr.   Miami

There is a long line of backs out of Miami in the last 15 years or so and Johnson is good but I’m not sure he ever lives up to the likes of Edgerrin James, Frank Gore, Clinton Portis or Willis McGahee.  Johnson is more quick than fast although he does have good speed.  He has great cutting ability and his acceleration out of those cuts is second to none.  In the right system he is a dynamic weapon but he too should be paired with a big back that can take the pounding between the tackles and let Johnson work in space.

7. TJ Yeldon   Jr.   Alabama

Yeldon had some injuries issues at Alabama and one of the reasons he came out early is because he wasn’t guaranteed to get his job back for the Crimson Tide.  So is the life of an Alabama player, if you get hurt there is likely someone just as talented if not more so ready to take your job.  Yeldon is a unique back because at 6’2 220 lbs. he is tall and lean looking but he packs some deceptive power.  He runs to upright and that leads to his injury issues but he’s so good when healthy that he is worth the risk.  Everything about Yeldon’s style is deceptive; his power, his burst and acceleration that will leave you tackling air and his breakaway speed.  If he gets in the open field you’ll only see the back of his jersey.  Yeldon could fall to the fourth, fifth or sixth round but depending on which team gets him he could be a major contributor next season.

8. David Cobb   Sr.   Minnesota

Cobb is not flashy but he is effective.  This too is not a ranking based on his complete domination of the Iowa Hawkeyes but I guarantee he sent that game tape out to every scout in the country.  He is a grinder, he isn’t the guy ripping off long run after long run (unless he’s playing Iowa) but he will just keep coming at you until he breaks your will.  He doesn’t run with anger like Marshawn Lynch and he sometimes goes down too easily running inside but he’ll get up and come right back at you the next play.  Cobb reminds me a little of Frank Gore and my guess is he’ll have a career that lasts that long.

9. Jeremy Langford   Sr.   Michigan St.

Another Big Ten back (yep the conference was stacked this last year) and another one that isn’t flashy.  Langford doesn’t stand out as overly fast or really powerful on tape he’s just a solid RB that gets the job done.  Langford is good between the tackles but not great and he can bounce a play outside but he isn’t going to outrun everyone on the defense.  Where Langford separates himself is all the other facets of the game.  The Spartans were a fantastic screen team because Langford was exceptional at that particular skill, he also excels at pass protection.  He needs to work on waiting for his blocks but he will stick on a roster because he does all the things coaches worry about having a rookie do during the course of a game.

10. David Johnson   Sr.   Northern Iowa

I really wasn’t going to put Johnson in my top 10 because I thought it would look like I was just ranking guys that killed Iowa this season and then Johnson went down to the Senior Bowl and showed everyone why he killed Iowa.  His 210 receiving yards against Iowa were no fluke and teams are actually looking at Johnson as an H-back type of player.  He has great versatility as he could line up at RB, FB, H-back, TE or in the slot.  He’s a little short to be a traditional TE but given teams propensities for using the “move TE” position his skillset fits.  Johnson is a little stiff in the hips and he isn’t very elusive as a RB but he has great hands and a fantastic feel for the passing game.  He doesn’t have elite speed but he is extremely tough to tackle given his stout build.  Johnson might get drafted before anyone expected him to and he’ll make a team because of his versatility and his willingness to play anywhere and do anything his coaches ask of him.

The rest of the class: 

I said this class was deep and talented and here are some more names to remember during the next few months as any of these guys could rocket up the draft board with a great workout; Mike Davis (Jr) South Carolina, Javorius “Buck” Allen (Jr) USC, Cameron Artis-Payne (Jr) Auburn, Matt Jones (Jr) Florida and Karlos Williams (Sr) Florida St.  If I were to bet on any of these guys rising up the board I would put my money on Artis-Payne or Allen.

 

2015 Draft WR Prospect Rankings

The 2015 draft is pretty deep at WR but it doesn’t quite compare to the 2014 draft.  The 2014 draft is going to go down as the deepest WR draft in history and it goes far beyond the five guys that went in the first round.  Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr, Brandin Cooks and Kelvin Benjamin have a legitimate chance to go down as the best group of 1^st round WRs ever but the rest of the list makes the rookie class incredible.  Jordan Matthews, Devante Adams, Donte Moncrief, Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Jarvis Landry, John Brown and Martavius Bryant were all draft picks that contributed heavily for their teams and Allen Hurns and Philly Brown were undrafted free agents that contributed too.  The 2015 class has three elite prospects (Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker and Kevin White) and four more guys that could easily go in the first round of the draft (Devin Funchess, Jaelen Strong, Sammie Coates and Dorial Green-Beckham).  There is plenty of depth too but it might not be quite like last year.  The middle of the first round has a number of teams that could be looking at WR (#15 San Francisco, #18 Kansas City, #19 Cleveland if they pass at #12, #25 Carolina and #26 Baltimore) and that’s lines up with Strong’s value.  There are teams at the end of the first round with major free agent WR issues (Dallas-Dez Bryant, Denver-Demaryius Thomas, Green Bay-Randall Cobb) or just a major need at WR (Seattle) meaning as many as six or seven WRs could go in the first round or teams may hold off because of the depth at the position and address other needs first.

1. Amari Cooper   Jr.   Alabama

The NFL has seen the WR position grow, literally.  Players like Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas have revolutionized the position by being big and fast instead of just one or the other.  While there are prospects that fit the mold this year Cooper isn’t one of them but he is the best WR prospect in the draft regardless.  At 6’1 210 lbs. Cooper isn’t a physically imposing WR and there is little chance he’s going to blaze a sub 4.4 40 yard dash at any point so his speed isn’t going to kill you.  What Cooper brings is great balance, acceleration and an innate ability to beat coverage.  He may not compare to Johnson or Jones but he reminds me of Torry Holt and that’s a pretty good WR to be compared to.  Just about every mock draft at the moment has him going to the Oakland Raiders at #4 and it will probably stay that way until Parker or White light up the combine and then everyone will jump on their bandwagon.  I will not be one of those people because I’ve watched Cooper play.  If the Raiders want to accelerate Derek Carr’s progress as their franchise QB Cooper is the guy they should draft.  Parker and White are great WR prospects but Cooper makes Carr’s life easier on day one.

2. DeVante Parker   Sr.   Louisville

Just because I think Cooper is the top WR in the draft doesn’t mean I don’t like Parker or White.  At 6’3 210 lbs. Parker is a dynamic playmaker that is going to make some team extremely happy and the Cleveland Browns should do whatever they have to in order to grab him in the first round.  Parker had a bit of an injury plagued year and without Teddy Bridgewater throwing to him his numbers were down but he is the type of WR teams love.  He’s big, fast and physical and he makes QBs look good.  Teddy Bridgewater’s new NFL team the Vikings should take a serious look at adding Parker at the #11 pick before the Browns can grab him 12^th.

3. Kevin White   Sr.   West Virginia

White comes in at 6’3 210 lbs. also and he’s very similar to Parker in many ways.  White is big, fast and physical too and while Parker has better deep speed White has a quickness that helps him get free off the line and an initial burst Parker doesn’t have.  It’s a coin flip as to who is better and teams will have to decide which one they like more.  All three of the top WR should go in the top 12 of the draft not just because they rank that high but also because at least 6 of the teams in the top 12 need WR; Titans, Raiders, Jets, Rams, Vikings and Browns.

4. Jaelen Strong   Jr.   Arizona St.

As there is some debate about the order of the top 3 WRs in this class the will be some debate about who is #4.  Strong, Devin Funchess from Michigan and the wildcard Dorial Green-Beckham are the next group and they all have their positives and negatives.  I like Strong because while his ceiling may not be as high as Green-Beckham his floor isn’t as low and while he isn’t as big as Funchess he is a more natural receiver.  At 6’3 215 lbs. Strong has a similar size to Parker and White but he isn’t quite as fast, however, he is a more physical receiver than either of them.  He isn’t as polished as those two either but he is still a player that could contribute early because of his natural ability.

5. Dorial Green-Beckham   Jr.   Oklahoma (kind of) formerly Missouri

When you are 6’5 225 lbs. and run like a gazelle teams will forgive a lot of issues.  Green-Beckham is the most physically gifted WR in this draft and if he didn’t have bright red flashing flags all over him he would be a top 10 pick without a doubt.  Here are the red flags we know about; he was twice arrested for marijuana possession while at Missouri although charges were dropped, dismissed or lessened in some way and there was an alleged incident of Green-Beckham forcing his way into an apartment of a woman and pushing her down some stairs.  No charges filed there either but eventually he was dismissed from Missouri and transferred to Oklahoma.  A petition to the NCAA to allow him to play immediately was denied so he sat out this last season and declared for the draft.  Being a WR with marijuana issues leads me to believe the Cleveland Browns have almost certainly removed him from their draft board (they can’t possibly be that stupid) and the drug issues coupled with the possible domestic violence incident is going to make Green-Beckham a tough sell (he’s a walking suspension waiting to happen).  Purely from a football standpoint he could be the next Calvin Johnson but the odds are on him being the next Josh Gordon.  I’m ranking him fifth as a player but if I were a GM I wouldn’t touch this headcase with a 10 foot pole.

6. Devin Funchess   Jr.   Michigan

Funchess is an interesting prospect because he really started his career at Michigan playing TE and then instead of bulking up he stayed at around 230 lbs. and played WR.  He was about the only bright spot during Brady Hoke’s final year in Ann Arbor.  At 6’5 230 lbs. Funchess is a big WR that can make plays on the outside using his size but he doesn’t bring the speed like a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones does so his game is mostly predicated on him being bigger and more physical than his opponent.  He does bring some versatility because a team could use him as their move TE and he would be a tough matchup on LB or S.  Where Funchess plays and how he’s used is going to depend completely on which team drafts him.

7. Sammie Coates   Jr.   Auburn

The borderline 1^st round prospect is Auburn junior Sammie Coates.  At 6’2 213 lbs. he’s built a lot like Dez Bryant and he has the necessary speed to beat teams deep.  He isn’t the most consistent catching the ball and he’s game needs some real refinement.  If a good WR coach gets ahold of him he could be a dynamic weapon.  Given there are around a dozen teams that could use an upgrade at WR seeing Coates make the first round would not be surprising and he could really wow some teams at the combine or at workouts and climb the board.  Coates has a lot of potential and he could be a late first round steal.

8. Rashad Greene   Sr.   Florida St.

I’m a little higher on Greene than most.  He isn’t a physically intimidating WR at 6’0 180 lbs. but he knows how to play the position.  He was a favorite target of Jameis Winston and he makes a QB’s job easier by being where he is supposed to be.  A good route runner and a guy that brings some value as a special teams return guy ranks pretty high on my board.

9. Nelson Agholor   Jr.   USC

Agholor probably would have benefited from another year catching passes from Cody Kessler at USC but he’s a good WR with the added bonus of being a good punt returner.  Agholor tracks and catches the deep ball very well and while he isn’t big at 6’1 190 lbs. he wins more jump balls than you would expect.  He’s a long-strider that needs a little space to get up to his top speed but he seems to do well catching balls even with close coverage.

10. Josh Harper   Sr.   Fresno St.

A player that was better as a junior than as a senior because of the drop-off at QB for his college team.  Harper teamed with Devante Adams his junior year to make a nice set of WRs for QB Derek Carr.  Harper is a good athlete that is more quick than fast.  He doesn’t have elite deep speed and he dances a little too much trying to gain yardage because he lacks physicality to get tough yards.  His quick burst off the line makes him a difficult cover and he has really good hands even in traffic.  Harper is going to make some team a very good third WR right away and he could become a very solid starter in the future.

The best of the rest: 

Devin Smith (Ohio St.) – Not sure if he ever ran anything other than a go route but he has great deep speed.  He averaged 27.2 yards per catch last season.  If you want a deep threat he’s your man.

Phillip Dorsett (Miami) – The only guy to average more yards per catch than Devin Smith was Dorsett but he’s a lot smaller WR at 5’10 (that’s generous) 183 lbs.  He is the definition of elite speed but his hands are inconsistent and being undersized hurts his stock.

Tyler Lockett (Kansas St.) – Another undersized player but he is one of the best return men in the game and he comes by it naturally.

Ty Montgomery (Stanford) – He had a bad week at the Senior Bowl and it hurt him but he can play and someone will grab him in the later rounds.

Justin Hardy (East Carolina) – His numbers were inflated because ECU schemed to get him the ball a lot but what does it say about a kid when the entire defense knows where the ball is going and they still can’t stop you.  Hardy is a player.

Stefon Diggs (Maryland) – Diggs just makes plays.  He isn’t big or physical but he has good speed and he knows how to use it.  He needs work on his route running and he can’t block at all but he could help a team in need of some WR depth.

I could go on but I won’t so apologies to Jamison Crowder (Duke), Tony Lippett (Michigan St.) and Breshad Perriman (UCF).

2015 Draft TE Prospect Ranking

I though the QB draft class was thin until I took a look at the TE draft class.  With most teams seeing Devin Funchess as a WR prospect and not a TE prospect this class is skinnier than a runway model.

1. Maxx Williams   Redshirt Soph.   Minnesota

The redshirt sophomore left Minnesota early and he is far and away the best TE prospect in the draft.  He wasn’t exactly filling up the stat sheet at Minnesota because their offense is pretty run based but you can see enough on film to really like his skillset.  He catches the ball naturally with his hands, he has good speed and athleticism and he’s a solid inline blocker after his time in the Golden Gophers offense.  Williams isn’t in the mold of the new NFL TE like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham because he isn’t that type of athlete and he is 6’4 not 6’7.  The guy he reminds me of is Cowboys TE Jason Witten and considering Witten is a likely future Hall of Famer that’s not a bad guy to pattern your game after.

2. Clive Walford   Sr.   Miami

Miami has produced some excellent TEs in recent history and while Walford has great athleticism and loads of potential he’s not quite up to guys like Jimmy Graham, Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen.  However, those three played on far better Miami teams so perhaps Walford just needs better talent around him.  He doesn’t have the size to be much of a blocker but in today’s NFL he can be a matchup problem and that makes him a very nice prospect.  He is also helped by the fact that he and Williams have really separated themselves from the pack at TE.  Walford had an excellent week at the Senior Bowl and he proved to everyone that he’s ready to contribute to an NFL team quickly.

That’s it folks, that’s the entirety of my rankings at TE.  Devin Funchess is considered a WR for these purposes and guys like Nick O’Leary from Florida St. and Ben Koyack from Notre Dame just don’t move the needle for me.  Penn St. junior Jesse James looks the part but I’m not convinced by his on the field production.