2015 NFL Mock Draft 3.0: Round 4
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125.) Baltimore Ravens – TE Jeff Heuerman, Ohio St
Was barely utilized as a receiver with the Buckeyes, but has the athleticism and soft hands to be a weapon in the passing game and is already a great blocker. Pitta may never play another NFL game, so the Ravens need some depth at the position behind last year’s 3rd round pick Crockett Gillmore.
126.) San Francisco 49ers – ILB Hayes Pullard, USC
The Niners lost both All-Pro Patrick Willis and rookie of the year candidate Chris Borland at ILB this offseason. Pullard is a fundamentally sound player who is great stopping the run between the hashes, but lacks the athleticism to be a factor in coverage or as a pass rusher. Should be a solid 2-down ILB who contributes on special teams as well.
127.) Dallas Cowboys- DE Za’Darius Smith, Kentucky
Could go a round or two earlier, but Smith’s draft season has mirrored his college career with flashes of dominant potential surrounded by disappointing performances. Smith was a beast in the EW Shrine game and pretty solid in the Senior Bowl, but his combine performance was mediocre. He has the size and skill-set to be a solid base end in the Cowboys scheme and should be able to contribute in rotation as a rookie.
128.) Indianapolis Colts – S Josh Shaw, USC
Tough player to project as he played both corner and safety in college and has some scheme specific skills that won’t be a fit for every team. Shaw has good size (6’1 | 197) and led all defensive backs with 26 bench reps of 225, so the strength is there. I could see Shaw contributing as a zone corner or free safety for the Colts while being a standout special teams player. His off-field red flag seems to be behind him as most teams seem to consider it a non-factor due to his solid track record before and after.
129.) Green Bay Packers- TE Nick O’Leary, Packers
Not as athletic as ideal for a TE, but has great football instincts, understands how to get open vs a zone, has soft hands, and fights for every yard after the catch. O’Leary is an old-school football player and I could see him developing a good rapport with Aaron Rodgers right away and eventually becoming a poor man’s Jason Witten.
130.) Seattle Seahawks – DE Anthony Chickillo, Miami
Might have had the best draft season of any D-linemen, proving that he was playing out of position in Miami’s 3-4 scheme. A former 5-star recruit, Chickillo showed an explosive burst off the edge and good closing speed in the college all-star games and the combine. If used as a pass-rusher off the edge in a 4-3, could provide value as a rookie.
131.) New England Patriots – WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
Waller runs with a smooth gait that just looks different than the other receives and seems like he is gaining speed the longer he runs. I would love to see what his 100 yard dash time is. Regardless of his track star running style, a 6’6, 238 pound WR who runs a 4.46 is pretty unusual. His ball skills and route tree are very raw, but with his size, speed, and ability to pickup speed late in his route could make Waller a dangerous deep threat. Tom Brady hasn’t had a legit deep threat since Randy Moss and could connect with Waller on a couple deep balls this year.
132.) San Francisco 49ers – TE Jesse James, Penn St
Ideal build and athleticism for a 3-down tight end, but wasn’t utilized much at Penn St. With the long-term future of Vernon Davis in doubt, it makes sense for the Niners to add depth at TE. James has a lot of potential and in a year or two could emerge as a solid blocker and receiving threat.
133.) Denver Broncos – S Kurtis Drummond, Michigan St
The Broncos lost free safety Rahim Moore, but replaced him with Darin Stewart (Ravens). Any time a free agent is brought in it’s a risk because you don’t know who they will fit with new team’s defensive scheme. I expect Stewart to be solid for the Broncos, but it wound’t hurt to have a backup who could develop into a solid NFL safety.
134.) Seattle Seahawks – G Robert Myers, Tennessee St
The Seahawks lost their starting center (Unger) and right guard (Carpenter), so need at least some depth replacements. Myers is one of my favorite FBS lineman with the size (6’5 | 326) and athleticism to develop into a beast at guard.
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135.) Cincinnati Bengals – QB Sean Mannion, Oregon St
I don’t think Andy Dalton is a top 15 QB in the NFL, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bengals drafted a QB earlier than this. If not, Mannion has great size, a cannon arm, and the ability to throw receivers open. What he doesn’t have is mobility or a quick release.
136.) Baltimore Ravens – CB Kevin White, TCU
This could be two rounds too low for White, but it’s a talented corner class and White’s lack of size (5’9 | 183) may drop him this far. White is an aggressive slot corner prospect who could potentially start in the slot as a rookie.