NFL Mock Draft – Round 3
NFL Mock Draft – Round 3
65. Texans: DE Demarcus Lawrence, Boise St (6’3, 245) – A bit of a tweener, but has a good strength / speed combo and a variety of pass rushing moves. Lawrence could contribute right away as a situational pass rusher and eventually put on enough weight to be a 3-down DE.
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66. Redskins: ILB Chris Borland, Wisconsin (5’11, 245) – Would love to see Borland fall to the Bears later in the round, but he has fallen farther than he should have already due to his height. Borland has the best instincts of any LB in the draft and will be a tackling machine and a leader wherever he ends up.
67. Raiders: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois (6’2, 219) – The Raiders get their QB of the future in Garoppolo. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but his quick release and sound decision-making should make him a solid pro and an upgrade over what the Raiders currently have at the position.
68. Falcons: DT Dominique Easley, Florida (6’2, 285) – A first round talent who slips to the 3rd based on concerns over two ACL injuries in college, the second coming late last year. This could be a steal for the Falcons if Easley recovers well. He has elite quickness and explosion off the ball. Easley is undersized but strong enough to shed blocks and hold up vs the run.
69. Jets: G Gabe Jackson, Mississippi St, (6’4, 339) – A massive interior lineman who is a mauler in the run game and has surprising agility for a man his size. Jackson needs some refinement in pass protection and he doesn’t have the speed to fit in a scheme that requires him to pull, but all the tools are there for him to be a pro bowl guard in any scheme that requires Jackson to fire off the ball and dominate the man in front of him.
70. Jaguars: RB Bishop Sankey, Washington (5’10, 203) – Well-rounded RB prospect with no glaring flaws except a smaller than ideal frame. Sankey runs well inside or out, makes people miss and avoids big hits with elite “shiftyness”, catches the ball well, and might be the best pass blocker of the top backs. Despite his slight build, Sankey showed he can break tackles and hold up over the course of a season as the primary ball carrier (616 carries last 2 seasons). He’s not as explosive as Mason or as powerful as Hyde, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the most productive NFL running back in this class.
71. Browns: S Dion Bailey, Browns (6’0, 200) – The Browns draft some insurance in case TJ Ward leaves in free agency. Bailey switched between OLB and Safety in college and played well at both. He is a sure tackler with great instincts and enough speed to be adequate in coverage. Bailey showed good hands in college with 11 career interceptions.
72. Vikings: DE Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (6’4, 250) – Jeffcoat fits the mold of current Vikings DEs Jared Allen & Brian Robinson. He’s a little light, but has good quickness off the edge and displayed good pass rush moves in college. Jeffcoat struggles at time to shed blockers and will struggle against the run until he gets stronger. He is the son of former NFL player Jim Jeffcoat who had 103 career sacks and two super bowl rings with the Cowboys.