2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st Round 3.0
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
17.) San Diego Chargers – RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
After the loss of Ryan Matthews the Bolts have only a group of complementary backs (Oliver, Woodhead, Brown) but need an RB who can carry the ball 20+ times per game. Gurley has the best combination of size (6’1 | 222) and speed (4.52) to come out of college since Adrian Peterson & Marshawn Lynch in 2007. The question with Gurley is whether he can stay healthy, but if so the Chargers could have one of the best RBs in the league.
18.) Kansas City Chiefs – OT Andrus Peat, Stanford
Eric Fisher, the former #1 overall pick in 2013, is not a good left tackle (-17.5 grade). The Chiefs need to realize that and move Fisher to right tackle to try and salvage some value from the pick. Peat is a prototype left tackle prospect with the size, arm length, run blocking power, and good enough feet in pass pro to excel at the position.
19.) Cleveland Browns – OT Ereck Flowers, Miami
RT Mitchell Schwartz was decent at right tackle last year, but he would be better off inside and Flowers could be a dominant run blocking right tackle. Flowers has ideal strength and arm length to be a quality NFL tackle and could give the Browns one of the better O-lines this year if they get a healthy Alex Mack back at center.
20.) Philadelphia Eagles -WR Dorial Green-Beckham
Chip Kelly likes big, physical wide receivers in his high-octane, quick pass offense. DGB has the size and strength to be a quick pass receiver like Demaryius Thomas, but also the deep speed to take the top off defenses. His ceiling is as high as anyone’s in the draft, but he’s raw technique wise and has some serious off-field red flags which is why he’s still available this late.
21.) Cincinnati Bengals – DT Malcolm Brown. Texas
The Bengals D-line was a strength as recently as two seasons ago but last year it was a mess both inside and out. Brown has the size to play the 1-tech if Peko and Still don’t improve next year and the quickness to take over for Geno Atkins if needed at the 3-tech. Defensive end may be a bigger need, but Brown is a top 15 player and can’t be passed up this late in the draft.
22.) Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
After Cortez Allen got hurt last year, the Steelers had worse corners than any team in the league except the Eagles and Ravens who were literally signing corners off the street. Johnson needs to get a little stronger, but has all the tools to be a shutdown corner at the NFL level and should be solid as a rookie.
23.) Detroit Lions – DT Eddie Goldman, Florida St
The Lions lost both starting DTs, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, and rotational DT C.J. Mosley is still a free agent. They pulled off a great trade acquiring monstrous DT Haloti Ngata and signed promising DT Tyrunn Walker from the Saints, but they still are very thin at the position. Goldman is a top 15 talent and a good value this late in the first round.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
24.) Arizona Cardinals – DE/DT Arik Armstead, Oregon
The Cards have more pressing needs at RB and edge rusher but both positions are fairly deep in this year’s draft and I don’t think they can pass on Armstead who projects as the next Calais Campbell. The Cards lost 2/3 rds of their starting D-line in the offseason and need to rebuild what was once a strength. They can get a more powerful RB to complement Andre Ellington later in the draft, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they took edge rusher Eli Harold here.
25.) Carolina Panthers – S Landon Collins, Alabama
The Panthers have a number of glaring needs (OT, WR), but strong safety is one of them as well and Collins is the best player left on the board right now.
26.) Baltimore Ravens – CB Marcus Peters, Washington
GM Ozzie Newsome seems to always pick the best player available regardless of need, but in this case the best player left on the board happens to fill the Ravens biggest need. Peters has some off-field red flags but he’s more talented than any corner currently on the Ravens roster besides maybe Jimmy Smith.