Complete NFL Mock Draft – All 7 Rounds

Round 5

129. Texans: S Ty Zimmerman, Kansas St (6’1, 204) – Just average speed and strength, but great instincts. Zimmerman was KSU’s starting free safety for three seasons and totaled 13 INTs. Zimmerman excels in coverage with good ball skills and reliable hands, but is not the best tackler. I think he has good enough football instincts to become a starter, but worst case he could contribute in sub packages and on special teams.

130. Redskins: S Jemea Thomas, Georgia Tech (5’10, 190) – The Redskins safeties were bad last year, but other needs (CB, LB, WR) took precedence so far. Thomas is the best free safety left on the board and despite his small stature is aggressive and a good hitter. Thomas has good speed and plenty of range in coverage, the reason he is still available at this point has more to do with concerns about his size and durability.

131. Buccaneers: G/T Michael Schofield, Michigan (6’4, 303) – Schofield stood out in Senior Bowl practices as a guy who can hold his own at either tackle or guard. He didn’t look dominant at either, but versatility like that has plenty of value. If you can fill two back-up spots with one guy that just opens up another roster spot for more depth or a developmental player. With all the weird staff infections that have plagued the Bucs O-line, they need all the competent O-lineman they can get.

132. Jaguars: T Seantrel Henderson, Miami (6’7, 331) – Frustrating prospect who shows flashes of domination, but most of time is just mediocre. Henderson is a massive human with elite strength and surprising agility but he hasn’t been able to put together consistent stretches of solid play. He has struggled with injuries, penalties, and numerous off-field issues. With his size and ability, some team will take a chance on him as a developmental tackle and if he ever gets his head on straight he could be an all-pro tackle.

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133. Browns: CB Chris Davis, Auburn (5’10, 201) – Will always be famous for his 109-yard TD return that shocked #1 ranked Alabama and for giving up the winning touchdown in the title game, but if he ever wants to be known for anything in the NFL he will need to clean up his technique in coverage. Davis is way too handsy and over aggressive in coverage, but does have elite speed and better strength then you would expect from his small frame. He can run with anybody but is consistently out of position and his aggression can be easily taken advantage of with double moves. Davis’ best chance to stick in the league is as a kick/punt returner and with his explosiveness he could be a great one, but he will have to drastically improve his coverage technique if he is going to see the field on defense.

134. Seahawks: DE Michael Sam, Missouri (6’1, 260) – This is probably the ideal team for Sam; The Seahawks have strong leadership from ownership down to the locker room and a team already filled with media distractions. On the field, Sam would be a perfect fit as a backup to Bruce Irvin in the LEO backer role. That would allow Sam to just focus on his strength, rushing the passer, and not expose his weakness in coverage.

135. Falcons: DE James Gayle, Virginia Tech (6’4, 255) – Speed rusher with an explosive first step and surprising power. Sort of a one-trick pony as he didn’t play the run exceptionally well in college. Getting a potentially dangerous pass rusher in the 5th round is good value for the Falcons.

136. Vikings: DT Anthony Johnson, LSU (6’2, 295) – It’s probably a mistake having Johnson fall this far in the draft. He wasn’t very productive in college (7 sacks in 3 seasons) but has above average strength, agility, and quickness so some team will probably take him earlier with the hope they can coach more productivity out of him. This is my first seven round mock, so there was bound to be a few mistakes.

137. Bills: OT Cameron Fleming, Stanford (6’6, 318) – Powerful run blocker who struggles in pass protection.  Similar profile to Jordan Mills who the Bears drafted in the 5th round last year, except Fleming has longer arms and better overall size, but is missing Mills’ mean streak. Fleming projects as an interesting right tackle prospect who will probably take a year or two of development before he is ready for the starting lineup.

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138. Jaguars: WR Josh Huff, Oregon (5’11, 205) – Classic slot receiver. Undersized, but has excellent speed and agility. Huff has also shown both the ball skills to be an effective deep receiver and the toughness to make catches over the middle. Besides his lack of size, the main knock on Huff is a lack of concentration; Huff dropped plenty of catchable balls and was called for too many dumb penalties. Those are correctable issues and his production as a senior in a running offense (62, 1140, 12) was impressive. Huff can also contribute on special teams as a kick/punt returner and a gunner in coverage. The Bears could use a slot receiver and if they draft one, I would be happy with Huff.

139. Titans: S Marqueston Huff, Wyoming (5’11, 198) – Back to back Huffs! Marqueston has elite speed; He has a chance to run the 40 in the 4.3s at the combine which would boost his draft value a round or two. Huff played safety for 3 years at Wyoming before switching to corner as a senior. It’s unclear what his best pro position will be, but he has NFL speed and athleticism, so Huff will get a chance somewhere. Huff helped his stock at the Senior Bowl showcasing sticky coverage ability and the wheels to turn and run with any receiver on either roster. He can hit and tackle a little too, racking up 127 total tackles as a senior at Wyoming. Interesting small school prospect who also returned kicks and could be a force on coverage teams right away.

140. Giants: G Chris Watt, Notre Dame (6’3, 321) – Powerful run blocker who struggles in pass protection. Watt has great size and strength, but his footwork needs work and he has too many mental lapses that result in penalties. If his footwork and mental game can be fixed with coaching, then Watt’s dominant run blocking will be an asset on the Giants starting O-line.

141. Rams: WR Devin Street, Pittsburgh (6’3, 195) – Good size, good hands, and tough enough to absorb contact over the middle and make the catch. Street is a classic possession receiver, but is lacking NFL speed. He could surprise at the combine, but is rumored to be in the 4.6+ range which would keep him in the 5-7 round range. The Rams could use a tall reliable receiver to add to their weird mix of little guys and deep threats.

142. Jets: CB Walt Aikens, Liberty (6’1, 205) – Made the freshmen all Big 10 team for Illinois before being kicked off the team due to an arrest for theft. After a couple of weeks of jail time, Aikens ended up at Liberty where he dominated inferior competition. Aikens eased some competition concern at the Senior Bowl where he was one of the better corners in practice. Aikens has the height teams are looking for now, the strength to play press coverage, and the fluidity to play off-man. His straight-line speed is a question mark that will be answered at the combine, but the biggest concern is the jump from Liberty to the NFL. It may take him some time to adjust, but I think Aikens will end up being a solid NFL corner by his 2nd or 3rd year in the league.

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143. Dolphins: RB Andre Williams, Boston College (6’0, 227) – If the draft were just about production, then Williams would be a 1st rounder. He put up 2,177 yards as a senior in his only year starting for BC. Williams carried the ball a whopping 355 times, but still averaged over 6 yards a carry and found the end zone 18 times. Williams had a shoulder injury late in the season and had a myriad of minor injuries during his college career which could concern some teams. Williams is a bruiser with great balance and a surprising 2nd gear. He has the potential to be a tough workhorse back in the NFL but needs to check out medically and put up at least an average 40 time to be taken this highly in the draft. Williams didn’t catch any passes last year, so he will have to show some receiving ability at his pro day as well. There are a lot of unknowns with Williams, but 2000+ yards is a serious accomplishment and his highlight reel is pretty impressive. The stiff arm at 1:01 might be the best ever.

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144. Bears:  DE Cassius Marsh, UCLA (6’4, 268) – Three year starter at UCLA who was versatile enough to play DE, DT, & OLB for the Bruins. Marsh is a max-effort player with a very quick first step and good speed and athleticism. Marsh should be able to contribute right away as a 3rd down pass rusher and with a little more strength should develop into a 3-down DE who can move inside to DT in passing sub packages.

145. Steelers: OT Justin Britt, Missouri (6’6, 315) – Good feet and athleticism. Britt doesn’t have quite the size or strength to play LT in the NFL, but could play RT or be an excellent guard prospect. The Steelers need depth everywhere across the O-line.

146. Cowboys: Aaron Lynch, South Florida (6’5, 244) – Lynch has plummeted on draft boards and for good reason. Lynch looked like a future top 15 pick as a freshman at Notre Dame in 2011, but Lynch didn’t look anything like that player at South Florida last season. His effort level was awful. He gave up on plays that weren’t run to his side, blatantly took plays off, and just didn’t seem to care at all about the game or his teammates. Some of his former teammates at Notre Dame have come out and said he is “selfish”, a “me-first” player, and a guy with a very high opinion of himself. Lynch also lost almost 20 pounds from his days at Notre Dame and some of the power that made him such a good pass rusher was lost as well. Lynch did turn it on at the end of last season with 4 sacks in his last 3 games, but it’s impossible to know if that was a fluke or the lights had gone on. He has too much talent not to be drafted, but it’s a very risky pick as he could be out of the league in a year or two if he doesn’t start caring about his profession. Seems like a guy that Jerry Jones would roll the dice on.

147. Jaguars: CB Dontae Johnson, NC State (6’2, 199) – Tall, versatile defensive back who played safety, corner, and even linebacker in college. Johnson has the size that teams are looking for right now, but lacks top-end speed. His best fit would be in a press coverage scheme where he can use his size/strength effectively or a Cover 2 where he won’t be isolated on an island against receivers. Johnson is very strong against the run and could play safety at the next level as well. The Jags need depth in the defensive backfield and Johnson can give them that at a few positions.

148. Cardinals: CB Ross Cockrell, Duke (6’0, 183) – Underrated because he played at a non-traditional football school, but Duke was a pretty darn good football team last tear. Cockrell is a three-year starter with good speed and solid coverage skills. He’s not a big time play-maker but he has the fluidity to stick with receivers and the height to match up with the taller ones. Cockrell should have value right away as a 3rd or 4th corner in sub packages and could eventually develop into a #2 CB.

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149. Packers: S Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama (6’0, 210) – Borderline athleticism for an NFL player, but Sunseri makes up for it with great instincts. Sunseri is a sure tackler who is very aggressive against the run and is basically a coach on the field. I think he has enough intangibles to make up for his lack of athleticism and be an effective safety in the league.

150. Eagles: WR Robert Herron, Wyoming (5’9, 193) – Quick, sure-handed slot receiver who can go take a big hit over the middle and hold on to the ball. Herron is small and not a burner, but there is a place for his skill-set in the NFL. The Eagles need all the help they can get at WR.

151. Chiefs: ILB Andrew Jackson, Western Kentucky (6’1, 259) – One of my favorite players in the draft, Jackson is a throw-back MLB who is a big–time hitter and play-maker. He’s a step slow for most NFL defensive schemes, but his best fit is as a 3-4 ILB. His instincts are so good that he plays faster than you would expect from his recorded 40 times. Jackson could line up next to Derrick Johnson and give the Chiefs another tough hard-hitting defender.

152. Bengals: S Jonathon Dowling, Western Kentucky (6’2, 198) – A better athlete the you would normally find at WKU, Dowling started out at Florida before being dismissed for “authority issues”. Dowling has great size for a safety, good ball skills, and a knack for forcing turnovers (9 INTs, 8 forced fumbles in 2 seasons). He has an issue with missing tackles due to his penchant for head-hunting, but is a legit enforcer in the middle and some teams might not want to curb his aggressive tendencies. Dowling has the talent of a 2nd or 3rd rounder with the only concern being his willingness to accept coaching, stemming from his incident with Florida coaches over 3 years ago. Worth a the gamble this late in the draft.

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153. Chargers: NT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (6’7, 348) – This guy is a beast in the middle. As expected with his size, McCullers is a good run-stuffer who is tough to move off the LOS. He doesn’t offer much in terms of pass rush and has little lateral movement, but you can’t teach size and McCullers will improve a teams run defense just by stepping on the field.

154. Colts: G Russell Bodine, North Carolina (6’3, 310) – Versatile interior lineman who can play guard or center at the next level. Good strength and athleticism and should eventually claim a starting spot somewhere on the Colts O-line.

155. Saints: CB Antone Exum, Virginia Tech (6’0, 220) – Suffered an ACL tear last season and didn’t come back till the end of the year. His performance at the combine will determine how worried teams are about his injury. Exum has great size for a defensive back, is a big hitter in the run game, and has the versatility to play safety or corner at the next level.  Good developmental prospect who probably won’t make an impact till year 2 or 3 of his NFL career.

156. Panthers: OLB Jordan Tripp, Montana (6’3, 237): Fluid athlete who surprised at the combine with good pass rush and coverage skills to go with the solid run stopping skills he showed at Montana. The Packers need depth at LB and Tripp could fit in multiple spots in their scheme and contribute on special teams as well.

157. Eagles: DE Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama (6’4, 285) – Raw DE who should of stayed in school for one more season. Pagan has good strength and size, but wasn’t very productive in his one year as a starter (2 sacks) and will need plenty of coaching and technique refinement before he can contribute in the NFL.

158. 49ers: WR L’Damian Washington, Missouri (6’4, 205) – The Niners need a deep threat to go with possession receivers Boldin & Crabtree and that is what Washington does best. He has a big frame with long arms and excellent straight-line speed. I don’t see Washington ever being much more than a deep threat, but he could provide a similar impact as Kenny Britt did for the Saints in 2013.

159. Broncos: T Matt Patchan, Boston College (6’5, 305) – Would be a 2nd or 3rd round pick if he could stay healthy. Patchan was hurt often in college, but it was freak injuries like getting shot in a drive-by and getting hit by a car. It seems unlikely Patchan would get shot again, so the Broncos could have a steal here in the 5th round because Patchan has NFL LT skills.

160. Seahawks: TE Richard Rodgers, California (6’4, 245) – The Seahawks get Russell Wilson another weapon in Rodgers. He has the speed and hands to be a weapon deep down the middle. He’s not much of a blocker but could be a valuable receiver for a team that doesn’t have many.