NFL Mock Draft 3.0 – Round 2
Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
51.) Bears: Deone Bucannon, Washington St (6’1, 211) – He has been shooting up draft boards since the Senior Bowl and for good reason. Bucannon was one of the biggest hitters in college football and has excellent range in coverage. Bucannon misses his fair share of tackles since he is always going for the big hit, but that can be coached out and it’s really the only flaw in his game. He’s not just a hitter either, he had 15 INTs in his college career and 23 pass defenses. Bucannon is good enough in coverage and has the range to play either safety position in the Bears zone scheme. He can be a big-time play-maker and should be able to contribute right away.
52.) Cardinals: T Joel Bitonio, Nevada (6’4, 302) – Bitonio had a great Senior Bowl and then showed surprising athleticism and speed at the combine with a sub-5 40-time and top five results in the 3-cone, broad jump, short shuttle, and vertical leap. Bitonio’s game tape is solid, specifically his performance against 1st round prospect Anthony Barr who he held without a sack in their match-up. Bitonio is shorter than ideal for a LT, but would be fine at RT and has all-pro potential at guard if he can’t cut it on the edge. It just so happens that the weakest spots on the Cards line are RG/RT, regardless of who ends up where between Bitonio and Bobby Massey they should be able to improve the right spot of the Cards line.
53.) Packers: OLB Trent Murphy, Stanford (6’5, 250) – There are rumors all over the place about the Packers targeting Murphy in round 2. It makes sense, the Packers need edge rushers and that’s what Murphy does best (15 sacks in 2013). He gets surprisingly low to the ground coming off the edge despite his height, has a myriad of sneaky pass rush moves, and is a max-effort type of player. Bear fans are going to hate him.
54.) Eagles: S Jimmy Ward, Northern Illinois (5’11, 193) – Ward can team with recently signed free safety Michael Jenkins to vastly improve the Eagles safety combo from last year (Allen/Chung). I’m not a huge Jenkins fan, but Ward is one of my favorite players in the draft. He isn’t flashy but is a sound tackler and is versatile enough to play either safety spot and even nickel corner in a pinch. He is a little smaller than ideal for the position but makes up for it with flawless technique and excellent instincts in coverage and run support. Ward should be able to step in and start on day 1.
55.) Bengals: CB Bashuad Breeland, Clemson (5’11, 197) – The Bengals top 3 corners will be 30 or older this season and their play is already starting to slip a little. They took Dre Kirkpatrick in the 1st round last year, but the jury is still out on him and either way they need some youth at the position. Breeland might have had a shot at the first round in 2015 if he stayed at Clemson for another year of seasoning. He has good size and speed, but only started for one season and is a bit raw. Breeland did show pro-level athleticism and was a play-maker for Clemson (4 INTs, 10 pass breakups, 3rd team all-ACC). The talent is there to be developed and Breeland could become a lock-down corner in 2-3 years.
56.) 49ers: WR Davonte Adams, Fresno St (6’1, 212) – Re-signing Boldin solidified the Niners starting receivers, but they have no depth and they could lose both Crabtree and Boldin next year. Adams is similar to both in that he just knows how to get open. In two seasons at Fresno St, Adams caught a ridiculous 233 passes for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns. Those are Tecmo Bowl numbers, but somewhat inflated by the Fresno St’s spread offense and weak competition. Even taking those negative factors into account, it’s still pretty darn impressive. Adams has good size, reliable hands, and uses his body well to block out defenders. He runs well after the catch with the ability to make people miss and break tackles if they don’t. His straight-line speed was considered a flaw, but after a 4.56 40-time at the combine it’s hard to find anything to complain about.
57.) Chargers: CB Keith McGill, Utah (6’3, 211) – The tallest corner in this year’s draft, McGill helped his stock at the Senior Bowl and again at the combine. He showed surprising fluidity in drop-backs, better coverage ability than expected, and ran a 4.51 at the combine. McGill is an intriguing prospect, but not without warts. He missed as many games as he started in his two years at Utah and does not have good hands. I saw him drop one against ASU that hit him square in the numbers. McGill only had 1 pick in two years as a starter. In his defense, McGill did have a pick at the Senior Bowl so maybe there is hope for his hands after all. The Chargers signed 6-2 corner Derek Cox last off-season and he was a bust, so they try again with another tall corner in McGill.
58.) Saints: WR Donte Moncrief, Mississippi (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 too low for Moncrief, but the receiver class is stacked and it’s going to come down to team’s preferences. Moncrief is an upgrade over Kenny Stills at the #2 WR spot and should replace Colston as Drew Brees’ #1 target quickly.