On April 30, the much-awaited 2015 NFL Draft will commence. Some of the most talented amateurs will join a pool of NFL hopefuls, all looking to achieve their dream of playing in Roger Goodell’s empire.
There are several questions in everyone’s mind ahead of the draft. To help us make a sense of it all, we have collected a few predictions from various experts around what they think will happen in this year’s NFL Draft.
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Experts’ Predictions for the 2015 NFL
In 2015, there is more coverage of the NFL than ever before. Many major media outlets pour ink out by the ton on the subject of the league in general and the Draft in particular, so there are no shortage of opinions out there. What follows is a summary of six predictions that the most knowledgeable experts seem especially confident in.
1. Jameis Winston will be first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft
[sc:NFL240banner ]No, being caught shoplifting crab legs out of Publix won’t cost Jameis Winston his dream of being selected first in this year’s draft, a reality echoed by NBC’s NFL analyst Ross Tucker.
Tucker (and others) believe that Winston’s off-field issues will not affect his draft status, believing that the former Florida State Seminole quarterback will be the first player off the board in the coming draft. What that implies is that the Bucs, owners of the top pick, are willing to overlook Winston’s questionable maturity if that means they can get a potential franchise quarterback. After all, all the Bucs have right now is Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato, two names that do not strike fear to any opposing team.
So if Winston will go to Tampa, then it’s likely that…
2. Marcus Mariota will be off the board next as the second overall pick
There’s an abundance of rumors swirling around that the Titans will trade their rights for the second pick to another team. Regardless, a couple of CBS experts in Rob Rang and Dane Brugler have only this to say: so what? Mariota will still be the second pick overall this year. As of now, Tennessee has former LSU signal-caller Zach Mettenberger as the starter, but what he did last season wasn’t enough for the Titans to feel confident that he’s the quarterback who can bring the team to the next level. If so, then Mariota is a smart pick.
3. The Patriots will draft a cornerback first
Fresh off a Super Bowl-winning season, the Patriots are once again in the running to win it all next February. But if they are to win their fifth Super Bowl title next February, the team’s front office must find a fix at cornerback.
The Pats lost two key secondary pieces in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and these losses only make the decision to draft a cornerback in the first round easier for New England. As pointed out by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, the Patriots have a need to improve other positions as well, but a cornerback should be the Pats’ top target in this year’s draft.
4. If available, a top-tier running back will be picked by the Patriots first
Sure, we just spent a paragraph above explaining why the Pats will use the No. 32 pick on a cornerback. But Rant Sports’ Connor Fulton makes a good case why Bill Belichick may opt to snatch a running back first—especially if a top-tier running back like Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley remains available near the end of the first round. Either player would mitigate the impact of the departures of Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, who both walked away from the Pats’ backfield this offseason.
5. Washington will not select a quarterback in the first round
As early as December of last year, experts like Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms were saying Robert Griffin was a dead man walking in Washington. Griffin has one year left on his rookie contract with Washington and there’s a growing expectation among fans and experts that the Redskins are not going to pick up the fifth-year option of that contract. The Redskins have until May 3 to decide on that.
But based on the predictions of CBS analysts Rob Rang, Dane Brugler, and Pete Prisco, it seems that majority of football experts think that the quandary concerning Griffin’s contract isn’t much of reason for Washington to use its No. 5 pick on a quarterback. Instead, they all believe that Washington will prioritize to strengthen its defensive unit. Rang pegs Florida linebacker Dante Fowler will be picked in the first round by Washington, while Brugler and Prisco both think Clemson’s outside linebacker Vic Beasley will be scooped up by the Redskins.
6. Oakland’s first pick will be… Amari Cooper, Kevin White, or Leonard Williams
Oakland was among the winners in last year’s draft, taking Khalil Mack in the first round before snatching Derek Carr off the board in the second round. After Carr played great last season, Oakland is expected to go elsewhere with its first rounder in 2015.
Instead, the Raiders may spend their No. 5 pick this year on someone who’ll either give Carr an additional weapon or boost the team’s front seven. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller believes Oakland will pick Alabama wideout Amari Cooper. Rotoworld’s Josh Norris also thinks Oakland will go for a wide receiver, as he has West Virginia’s Kevin White in his prediction. As for CBS’ Dane Brugler, Oakland may see a repeat of last year’s draft by taking another elite defensive lineman in Leonard Williams.
7. The Jets pick Brandon Scherff
The Jets have a new general manager and a new head coach. But the thirst for a quarterback may not have changed. The Jets are rumored to be taking a lot of offers to trade down from teams looking for a bigger chance of landing a Marcus Mariota or a Jameis Winston.But even if they keep the pick, there’s a big likelihood that both quarterbacks will be gone before they announce who their No. 6 pick is. That leaves them going for a guy like Brandon Scherff.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report explains that the non-availability of a Winston or Mariota on the draft board will leave the Jets deciding to choose Scherff, who is an offensive tackle from Iowa. In other words, Sobleski is saying that if the Jets can’t pick a replacement for Geno Smith, then they might as well give the quarterback a top-level protection unit.
