CBS MOCK

[Mr. Laz]

2015 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Redskins go receiver in first round
By Will Brinson | NFL Writer
April 11, 2015 1:00 pm ET

We often build mock drafts and fail to see the forest for the trees. NFL teams do the same thing, so it's not a crime to focus on the now. The Buccaneers are a good example: They have almost no choice but to take a quarterback No. 1 overall because of its roster construction. Another example: The Washington Redskins at wide receiver.

The Skins have DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, so why would they draft a wideout? But as friend of the site and CBS colleague at 106.7 the Fan Chad Dukes pointed out when I spoke with him on the radio Friday, Redskins fans shouldn't ignore the idea of the team drafting a wide receiver despite obvious defensive deficiencies on the roster.

Remember, Scot McCloughan is a best-player-available-type of guy. And Garcon/Jackson aren't locks for the long haul on this roster. Jackson's contract runs through 2017 but he'll be 29 after 2015 ends and facing the likelihood of his biggest weapon, speed, moving in a declining direction. He has a $9.25 million cap hit in 2017 but cutting him after 2016 would result in just $1.25 million in dead money. He's probably on the roster through 2016.

Garcon probably has only one year left with the Redskins. He's got a $10.2 million cap hit in 2016 (and $9.7 million in 2015) but would result in only $2.2 million in dead money (both players' contract numbers via Spotrac.com) if cut before 2016.

Adding someone like Amari Cooper or Kevin White at the top of the draft seems like a luxury for a team with two expensive wideouts and so many other roster problems, but may well be a necessity with McCloughan looking toward the future.

We're gonna reflect that happening below and see if it changes anything.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Florida State QB Jameis Winston: Love hearing all the chatter about Jameis' character concerns and on-field issues now. Where was this stuff in the other two months before the draft? Barring Winston doing something stupid or someone high in the Bucs front office stepping in to quash this choice, it's going to be Winston first overall.

2. Tennessee Titans -- Oregon QB Marcus Mariota: The only thing better than landing a sure-fire franchise quarterback for a two-win team? Landing a guy who qualifies as a franchise guy to buy yourself three more years. The fit doesn't seem logical with Ken Whisenhunt but people are starting to figure out Mariota can do plenty of the things required of a starting NFL quarterback.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Clemson OLB Vic Beasley, OLB: We're getting wild in the first round! The Jaguars need a LEO for Gus Bradley's defense and no one in this draft has the ability to make the immediate pass-rushing impact like Beasley. Three feels high but he's not lasting until the second round.

4. Oakland Raiders -- USC DT Leonard Williams: Gifted Williams at 3, the Raiders pounce on the local (soon to be MORE local??) defensive tackle.

5. Washington Redskins -- Alabama WR Amari Cooper: Let's get nuts. The idea of the Redskins grabbing a wideout with Jackson and Garcon already on the depth chart sounds crazy, but this is a best-available-player situation for McCloughan and he's got his pick of wideouts here. Look at his draft run in San Francisco: the 49ers took offensive players in the first round during 4/7 first-round picks from 2005 through 2009. If you're thinking about life post-Garcon, Cooper probably matches up best with Jackson, though there's no guarantee he'll be there forever either.

6. New York Jets -- Florida OLB Dante Fowler Jr.: The Jets' strong offseason continues without actually having to be aggressive. One of the top pass-rushing targets falls into their lap at No. 6. Todd Bowles loves to blitz and Fowler gives him a versatile weapon to send after the quarterback from different spots.

7. Chicago Bears -- West Virginia WR Kevin White: With Brandon Marshall gone (and flip No. 6 and No. 7 if he wasn't) the Bears look to the draft for another weapon for Jay Cutler. Pairing White with Alshon Jeffery gives Chicago a terrifying tandem at wide receiver.

8. Atlanta Falcons -- Nebraska DE Randy Gregory: Concern over Gregory's failed test at the combine will vanish when the clock starts ticking and everyone's looking for the best talent. This especially matters in Atlanta, where the Falcons badly need a pass rusher and may not be as concerned about character as they were a few years ago.

9. New York Giants -- Washington DT Danny Shelton: When we re-drafted the 2011 NFL Draft, we imagined plugging Jurrell Casey in with the Giants pass rush. Giving defensive ends space-eating, quarterback-attacking defensive tackles does wonders for their production. So the Giants do just that at No. 9, grabbing the mammoth Shelton.

10. St. Louis Rams -- Iowa OL Brandon Scherff: For only the second time, Jeff Fisher grabs an offensive lineman in the first round. Wouldn't be surprising to see them go with a cornerback here, or even a wideout, but they need help protecting Nick Foles.

11. Minnesota Vikings -- Louisville WR DeVante Parker: Go get Teddy Bridgewater's guy so Bridgewater can throw to him. Mike Wallace isn't the answer at wide receiver, even though the trade at least gives Minnesota an additional weapon.

12. Cleveland Browns -- LSU OT La'el Collins: When Alex Mack went down last season, the running game fell apart. They need a mauling big body who can play on the right side or inside. Collins isn't going to take Joe Thomas' job, but fits this line's needs perfectly.

13. New Orleans Saints -- Michigan State CB Trae Waynes: Keep pumping that money into the secondary. The Saints want to come out of this draft with a lineman and a defensive player and nab the best corner on the board here.

14. Miami Dolphins -- UCF WR Breshard Perriman: Moves to dump Wallace and pick up Kenny Stills were smart and ultimately should prove effective, but this is WR corps still needs immediate help. The upside of Perriman, particularly utilizing the local product in Bill Lazor's offense on short throws (where he won't drop as many balls???) is spicy indeed.

15. San Francisco 49ers-- Oregon DT Arik Armstead: The 49ers need an upside-filled defensive lineman who can step in and fill Justin Smith's shoes when he inevitably retires and leaves another gaping hole on this defense.

16. Houston Texans -- Missouri OLB/DE Shane Ray: Double. Down. The Texans already have J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. Bring in Ray and keep throwing pass rushers at opposing offenses. Force them to max out double teams for Watt and let him create havoc. There's also no telling if Clowney will be an impact pass rusher next season.

17. San Diego Chargers -- Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon: Flipping the script and sending Gordon, instead of Gurley, to San Diego. Gordon's health makes him potentially more impactful out of the gate, someone who can help the Bolts off to a hot start.

18. Kansas City Chiefs -- Arizona State WR Jaelen Strong: Grabbing Jeremy Maclin in free agency is huge but Andy Reid is in need of another weapon for Alex Smith.

19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo Bills) -- Kentucky DE Bud Dupree: Love the idea of Cleveland nabbing this athletic freak and plugging him into Mike Pettine's defense. They're pretty well-rounded in terms of having a strong defensive unit, but giving him another speedy edge rusher along with Barkevious Mingo could make things interesting.

20. Philadelphia Eagles -- Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson: Lot of free-agent money invested into the defense but there's no guarantee Chip Kelly fixed the secondary. Wouldn't be surprised if he kept doubling down on cornerback and attempted to grab a wideout in the next round.

21. Cincinnati Bengals -- Stanford OT Andrus Peat: Smart teams prepare for the future and the Bengals are -- gasp! -- a smart team in the draft these days. They're able to secure a value talent with Peat here while also managing to set themselves up for life after Andrew Whitworth should they let him walk after his contract year and at the age of 34.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Connecticut CB Byron Jones: The freakish combine monster gives the Steelers an athletic presence in a secondary desperately needing help. Keith Butler sees the way offenses are changing defensive alignments and understands more cornerbacks is critical.

23. Detroit Lions -- Miami (FL) OT Ereck Flowers: Plugging in Flowers on the right side of this line would give Matthew Stafford more protection as well as help the Lions in the run game, with Flowers nasty style showcasing an ability to get to the second level quickly.

24. Arizona Cardinals -- Georgia RB Todd Gurley: The Cardinals want to get more physical and dynamic in the run game and Gurley, when healthy, is capable of changing a ground attack. They've increased the talent on the offensive line and can afford to gamble on Gurley coming back to superstar form after knee injury last November.

25. Carolina Panthers -- Pittsburgh OT T.J. Clemmings: Dave Gettleman needs to get help for Cam Newton (no offense to Michael Oher and Jonathan Martin). The athletic upside of Clemmings and the veteran presence of those guys gives Carolina time to work the Pitt tackle into the mix as a franchise cornerstone.

26. Baltimore Ravens -- Florida State DT Eddie Goldman: With the trade of Haloti Ngata, the Ravens need more depth on the defensive line. Goldman could pair with another former Florida State standout, Timmy Jernigan, to form the future of this defensive line.

27. Dallas Cowboys -- Texas DT Malcom Brown: Local product who fills a need. Tempted to have them go running back here, but somehow they've become self-aware when it comes to the draft too and decide to wait for the second round. Plugging Brown into the middle only improves the pass rush.

28. Denver Broncos -- Florida OT D.J. Humphries: More protection for Peyton Manning and sets up the franchise for life after Peyton. Athletic linemen play well in Gary Kubiak's scheme and while Humphries is raw, he's highly athletic.

29. Indianapolis Colts -- Oklahoma DT Jordan Phillips: Chuck Pagano made it clear how important stopping the run is in 2015 after the Colts were unable to overcome the Patriots, thanks to coughing up yards in the physical ground game. Tons of potential and the ability to dominant in the middle early.

30. Green Bay Packers -- Virginia LB Eli Harold: Green Bay needs depth in the secondary but let's not forget how old Julius Peppers is. Harold would provide a boost in the pass rush and let Dom Capers continue to be creative with his use of Clay Matthews on the inside and outside.

31. New Orleans Saints (via Seattle Seahawks) -- Florida State OL Cameron Erving: The Saints want to get stronger in their running game. Erving isn't a mauling beast, but he's talented in the run game, has the versatility to boost the offense and provides insurance in case Max Unger gets injured again.

32. New England Patriots -- Utah CB Eric Rowe: With the losses of Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis in free agency, Bill Belichick can take a stab at another cornerback.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...in-first-round

[Dunerdr]

Can you guys imagine how good we'd be if we had two seconds the last two years?

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

How exactly does a player get 157 receptions for 2287 yards, 17 TDs with a 14.6 average in two seasons and not get separation? Is he going to take it to the house on every play? No, but name one player that will? Nobody takes it to the house on every reception. His production speaks for itself. Strong is a quality prospect, it's a shame not many can see it.

Same way receivers like Kelvin Benjamin did that shit.

That's completely fine if you have a QB like Cam Newton willing to throw you the ball.

Smith will NOT throw to Jaelen Strong if we draft him.

Therefore, **** him and **** you.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by SNR

Same way receivers like Kelvin Benjamin did that shit.

That's completely fine if you have a QB like Cam Newton willing to throw you the ball.

Smith will NOT throw to Jaelen Strong if we draft him.

Therefore, **** him and **** you.

Why throw him the ball when Reid's offense doesn't permit down field passing.

Crucifying Smith for executing Reid's offense is priceless.

Cp never disappoints.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Why throw him the ball when Reid's offense doesn't permit down field passing.

Crucifying Smith for executing Reid's offense is priceless.

Cp never disappoints.

West Coast Offense..

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by TRR

Because watching Strong's, or any players YouTube highlight videos, is the best way to judge what a player will be in the NFL.

Why are we so concerned about drafting for Alex Smith? Draft the best player that fits the system at that pick. If the Brass believes its Strong, then he is the guy. You can't base draft picks off of your current 30 year old journeyman QB.

I'd be concerned about drafting for Reid's WCO.

Reid isn't going to want a Dwayne Bowe kind of player as his X in this offense; it's just not a good fit.

Take Smith out of the equation altogether if you want - Reid wants his guys fast and agile. He wants guys that can accelerate away from defenders and work in space. He wants guys that will get YAC yards.

He doesn't want Dwayne Bowe....at all. He won't want Strong. If he fell to the 2nd I still don't think the Chiefs would take him. He's not the kind of WR that Reid wants in this offense.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by SNR

Same way receivers like Kelvin Benjamin did that shit.

That's completely fine if you have a QB like Cam Newton willing to throw you the ball.

Smith will NOT throw to Jaelen Strong if we draft him.

Therefore, **** him and **** you.

Dude, eat shit. Do you have to be such an asshole, because someone has a differing opinion? Your opinion isn't the gospel. **** your Momma, you ****ing hole.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

How exactly does a player get 157 receptions for 2287 yards, 17 TDs with a 14.6 average in two seasons and not get separation? Is he going to take it to the house on every play? No, but name one player that will? Nobody takes it to the house on every reception. His production speaks for itself. Strong is a quality prospect, it's a shame not many can see it.

Dunno, but take a look:

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/jael...n-nelson-2014/

That's Steven Nelson spending an entire afternoon in Strong's pocket. Nelson's an okay prospect; probably a 3rd round guy. Strong just doesn't have the physical tools to shake free of a guy that's just an okay college prospect.

Admittedly, here's him playing better against a better prospect than Nelson in Marcus Peters:



The takeaway I get from this is actually more of an indictment on Peters, however. Peters appears to be an absolute ass zone CB here. Perhaps he improved but any time he was asked to play zone or even plain ol' man coverage, he struggled to diagnose the route. When he was in press-man, however, he was able to neutralize Strong fairly easily. And for a guy that's supposed to simply be a bigger, more physical player than the DBs that are covering him, it was surprising to see Peters going blow for blow with Strong physically.

I just don't see him as being a good fit here and with the depth that will be available at WR throughout this draft, reaching for him in the first would just be a monumental failure.

[O.city]

If you're going to reach for a wr, why not agholor or Devin smith, guys who actually fit the x.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by O.city

If you're going to reach for a wr, why not agholor or Devin smith, guys who actually fit the x.

No thanks to Devin Smith. He is a one trick pony and that trick is one that this O doesn't use and the QB is not good at.

[O.city]

Like dj said, take smith out of the equation and evaluate your wr.

Devin smith ran more than fly routes at osu, and would be a really interesting x wr here

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by O.city

Like dj said, take smith out of the equation and evaluate your wr.

Devin smith ran more than fly routes at osu, and would be a really interesting x wr here

Even without Alex we don't need to reach for a WR that basically only runs one route in the first.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

Like dj said, take smith out of the equation and evaluate your wr.

Devin smith ran more than fly routes at osu, and would be a really interesting x wr here

Devin Smith has a chance to be what Donnie Avery would flash on occasion - just raw, silly speed both as a decoy to take the top off defenses but more importantly underneath to pluck those short passes in full gallop and try to gain the corner on drags, etc...

A healthy Donnie Avery was building much better chemistry with Smith than Bowe did and Smith was using him.

If you want to know what Reid wants in his X, just look at the guy he took out of FA to play it. He wants a guy like Devin Smith. He's not looking for Jaelen Strong.

Don't reach for any of them - I wouldn't take a WR in the first if the big 3 don't fall (and the big 3 won't fall).

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Devin Smith has a chance to be what Donnie Avery would flash on occasion - just raw, silly speed both as a decoy to take the top off defenses but more importantly underneath to pluck those short passes in full gallop and try to gain the corner on drags, etc...

A healthy Donnie Avery was building much better chemistry with Smith than Bowe did and Smith was using him.

If you want to know what Reid wants in his X, just look at the guy he took out of FA to play it. He wants a guy like Devin Smith. He's not looking for Jaelen Strong.

Don't reach for any of them - I wouldn't take a WR in the first if the big 3 don't fall (and the big 3 won't fall).

This.

Algohor, Smith or Dorsett in the 2nd is just fine. I'd even entertain trading up in the 2nd to grab Algohor.

[O.city]

Lotta buzz that agholor is going late first.

[O.city]

Just because a guy wasn't asked to do something in college doesn't mean he cant