NFL Mock Draft 2.0 – Rounds 2 & 3
Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
89.) Chargers: WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss (6’2, 221) – Moncrief has great size and uses it well to shield defenders. He has great hands, runs good routes, and even run blocks a bit. The only question mark was his straight-line speed, but he answered that and then some at the combine with a 4.40 40-time. This might be way too low for Moncrief, but the receiver class is stacked and it’s going to come down to team’s preferences. This would be a steal for the Chargers and give them two strong athletic wide outs with Moncrief and Keenan Allen.
90.) Colts: G John Urschel, Penn St (6’3, 313) – Lacks ideal athleticism, but is ridiculously smart and plays with nearly flawless technique. He was a team captain in college and is the type of smart, scrappy player that will be around for a long time in the league if he wants to. Worst case, he’ll give Andrew Luck someone to hang out with off the field.
91.) Saints: C Russell Bodine, North Carolina (6’3, 310) – The Saints needs a replacement for Brian De La Puente and Bodine could be that guy or slide over to guard if need be, Bodine showed excellent strength at the combine with 42 reps of 225 and looked smooth in the position drills. This might be a little high for Bodine, but he fills a need for the Saints and has plenty of upside.
92.) Panthers: CB Victor Hampton, South Carolina (5’9, 197) – His 4.7 40 at the combine might drop him farther than this, but his game is very similar to Captain Munnerlyn’s who the Panthers just lost in free agency. Hampton is under-sized but very strong for a DB and plays with an aggressive style that will be a good fit in Carolina. He won’t get away with muscling receivers like he did at the college level, but he’s athletic enough to adapt. Hampton will need some time and coaching before he can contribute at the NFL level, but he will have value in the right scheme.
93.) Patriots: S Dion Bailey, USC (6’0, 201) – 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. He’s the type of versatile defender that Belichick likes and will be a standout on special teams until he finds a role on defense.
94.) 49ers: S Craig Loston, LSU (5’11, 217) – Great athlete and big hitter, who is a little raw technique wise but has a ton of potential. Loston will be a force against the run from day 1 and would be a great fit next to free safety Eric Reid.
95.) Broncos: MLB Yawin Samllwood, Connecticut (6’2, 246) – The Broncos have a hole at middle linebacker after losing Wesley Woodyard to free agency. Smallwood disappointed at the combine, but claims he was hurt so that might have been the reason for his slow times (5.01 40-time). Smallwood certainly looks faster than that on tape. He showed good range, sound tackling technique and the knack for making big plays when needed. Granted, he didn’t play against the best competition at UConn, but his production was still impressive (118 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 4 sacks in 2013).
96.) Vikings: G Dakota Dozier, Furman (6’4, 313) – The Vikings got a (-5.4) grade out of their starting left guard, Charlie Johnson, which was the only weak spot on an otherwise impressive offensive line. With a little seasoning, Dozier could take over that spot. He is an impressive athlete for his size and surprisingly light on his feet. Dozier dominated as a left tackle at Furman, but the obvious lack of competition is a concern as is no experience at the guard position. Dozier will need some coaching but his size and elite athleticism gives him more potential than almost any guard in the draft.
Compensatory Picks
97.) Steelers: OLB/DE Chris Smith, Louisville (6’1, 266) – Smith helped his stock at the Senior Bowl showing great quickness off the edge, the power to bull rush, and a surprising mix of pass rush moves. His combine performance was solid as well with a 4.71 40-time and a 37″ vertical. Smith is a tweener; He lacks ideal height for a 4-3 DE and ideal mobility for a 3-4 OLB. He does have unusually long arms which help negate his less than ideal size and elite acceleration which makes up for his slower than ideal change of direction ability. Smith is a good football player with a knack for getting to the QB and I think the Steelers will use him as a situational pass rusher while he learns the OLB position.
98.) Packers: C Westin Richburg, Colorado (6’3, 298) – The Packers get a replacement for C Evan Dietrich-Smith who was lost in free agency (Bucs). Richburg helped his stock with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and was one of the only O-lineman there who had any success against Aaron Donald. Richburg didn’t miss a game in college, showed good intelligence making the line calls the last two seasons for CSU, and performed well against an upgrade in competition at the Senior Bowl.
99.) Ravens: S/CB Dontae Johnson, North Carolina St (6’2, 200) – Tall, versatile defensive back who played safety, corner, and even linebacker in college. Johnson has the size that teams are looking for right now, and helped his cause with a better than expected 4.45 40-time at the combine. With the Ravens planning on moving Matt Elam to strong safety, Johnson will give them a free safety with good range in coverage who is also strong against the run.
100.) 49ers: DT Will Sutton, Arizona St (6’0, 303) – It’s hard to know what teams think of Sutton. He looked like a first rounder as a junior (13 sacks) then gained a bunch of weight and became a run-stopper as a senior (Pac 12 co-defensive player of the year). He’s had success in both roles, but with his weight fluctuations I think teams will be wary of using a high pick on Sutton. If he can get near 290 pounds consistently, he could be a dynamic 3-technique tackle or 5-technique end. If he’s at 315+ he’s probably not going to be in the league long. It’s a risky pick but if any team can afford to take chances it’s the Niners with 13 total draft picks.
Twitter: @MikeFlannery_