NFL Mock Draft 3.0 – Round 5
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149.) Bills: TE Crockett Gilmore, Colorado St (6’6, 260) – The Bills re-signed Scott Chandler but they could still use some help at the position. Gilmore was the surprise of the Senior Bowl as a late invite. He proved his blocking skill in college, but at the Senior Bowl showed great hands, crisp route-running, and surprising mobility after the catch. He didn’t run as well as expected at the combine (4.89) but showed good explosion with a top 5 vertical leap and broad jump.
150.) Jaguars: G Anthony Steen, Alabama (6’3, 314) – The right side of the Jags O-line was underwhelming last year and Steen would give them a potential upgrade at RG. He was an underrated member of Bama’s dominant O-line who has dropped a bit due to shorter than expected arm length. Steen is a very good run blocker and decent in pass pro, but was beaten occasionally by some of the elite pass rushers in the SEC. He should push for a starting job early in his career and at worst will provide solid interior line depth.
151.) Titans: QB Garrett Gilbert, SMU (6’4, 223): The Titans declined their 2015 option on Jake Locker, so they may be in the market for a replacement next year. The former 5-star recruit for the Texas Longhorns struggled early in his college career, but graduated in three years and transferred to SMU to work with quarterback guru June Jones. Under Jones, Gilbert resurrected his prospect status. Gilbert was leading the nation in total offense before injuring his knee late in the season. He has ideal size and all the physical traits NFL teams look for in a QB, but hasn’t been productive enough to be on team’s radars until this year. Gilbert also had a solid pro day, completing 87 of 88 passes and showing above average athleticism in the speed and agility drills. He is a late riser, but has as much upside as any mid-round prospect.
152.) Giants: CB Deion Belue, Alabama (5’11, 182) – Good all-around skill set. A little shorter than ideal and doesn’t have great hands, but shows very good footwork and is consistently in good position to make a play on the ball. Belue should be a solid back-up corner in 2014 with starter potential down the road.
153.) Rams: OLB Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA (6’4, 235) – Intense linebacker who was asked to tone it down by Senior Bowl coaches. Zumwalt had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl, showing better than expected coverage ability, violent pass rush moves, and the aforementioned intensity. He also ran a respectable 4.76 40 at the combine and had a 3-cone time under 7 seconds. The Rams have solid LBs at two of the three positions and Zumwalt would have a shot to beat out the disappointing Jo-Lonn Dunbar at the SLB position. If not, his intensity would play well on special teams and endear him to hard-nosed coach Jeff Fisher.
154.) Jets: DE Ed Stinson, Alabama (6’3, 287) – Good size and athletic ability for a 3-4 DE but his production (41 tackles, 2.5 sacks) never matched up to his talent in college. Stinson could be a rotational DE who plays the run well on early downs and occasionally provides some pressure on the QB.
155.) Dolphins: OLB Jordan Tripp, Montana (6’3, 234) – With Koa Misi moving inside to MLB, the Phins get a replacement at WLB in Tripp. He is a fluid athlete who surprised at the Senior Bowl with good pass rush and coverage skills to go with the solid run stopping skills he showed at Montana. Tripp ran well at the combine with a 4.67 40 and showed great short-area quickness as the only linebacker with a sub-4 second 20-yard shuttle.