Bye Week Mock Draft

[Manning1887]

Here are my thoughts at the midway point: 

 

1.) Shaq Thompson S Washington Huskies  6'1" 230 lbs

I am developing an unhealthy man-crush on Thompson. All he does week in and week out is showcase his playmaking abilities, whether it is at safety, linebacker, or even running back! He is an outstanding athlete with great instincts, a true playmaker. He could not only be the answer at safety for us, but add a bonafide playmaker to the secondary. I have seen some mocks that have him ranked higher, it is tough to say, I read an article that shows him as a first or second round pick at the moment. There are concerns about his size which may necessitate a move to safety.  

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000423319/article/scout-projects-shaq-thompson-as-first-or-secondrounder?campaign=Twitter_nfl_cfb  

 

2.) Antwan Goodley WR Baylor 5'11" 220 lbs

Wide receiver may not seem to be a terribly pressing need heading into the 2015 draft, but Goodley may be too good to pass up. He is a little shorter but a solid 220 lbs with great speed. He is in the Percy Harvin mold. A trio of Hilton, Moncrief, and Goodley would be scary. All of which run a 4.4 forty.

 

3.) Nate Orchard OLB Utah 6'4" 255 lbs

I was torn with this pick between Orchard and Henry Anderson DT Stanford. I am optimistic about Jon Newsome's development as well as the return of Mathis, and I am also not as concerned about Redding's departure given the emergence of Kerr. Ultimately, you cannot have too many pass rushers. Orchard is somewhat under the radar at the moment. Orchard has 12 sacks thus far this season, including a 4 sack outburst against UCLA.

 

4.)  Kevin White CB TCU 5'10" 175 lbs

A tad undersized but has great cover skills. He dominated the other Kevin White, the wide receiver from Pitt. Great athleticism. I have little confidence in Josh Gordy as a 4th corner. If we lose Darius Butler in free agency, we may look at corner earlier in the draft, especially given Toler's injury history. 

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2254013-nfl-draft-2015-updated-prospect-radar-post-week-9/page/6 

 

I will end this post with a couple of thoughts. 

• Cedric Ogbuehi OT from Texas A&M is struggling at left tackle this season. It appears as though he is certain to fall in the draft. It is still early, but he would still be difficult to pass on late in round one. Ogbuehi could be a possible replacement for Cherilus, who is owed a a good deal of money and whose play has been erratic. (Although, to be fair, Grigson recently stated that Cherilus has been dealing with an injury) 
• Keep an ye on Matthew Wells LB from Missisippi State. He is listed at 6'2" and 220 lbs. He really stood out to me in the game against Arkansas. He was all over the field making plays. He is in that Shaq Thompson, Telvin Smith mold. I am not sure if he could make the transition to safety, but I loved the tenacity and speed with which he played. 

[JMichael557]

Kevin White the Wide Receiver plays for West Virginia. He was not dominated by Kevin White of TCU.  TCU double teamed Kevin White the Receiver the entire game.

 

[Manning1887]

Kevin White the Wide Receiver plays for West Virginia. He was not dominated by Kevin White of TCU.  TCU double teamed Kevin White the Receiver the entire game.

 

My mistake on the college. Kevin White the WR reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald so I was thinking Pitt. Stupid mental error on my part. 

 

I still like the corner from TCU. He has potential and could be a solid 4th round pick. 

[Superman]

Kevin White the Wide Receiver plays for West Virginia. He was not dominated by Kevin White of TCU.  TCU double teamed Kevin White the Receiver the entire game.

 

I watched that game, and saw the corner play excellent coverage on the receiver most of the game. A lot of it was one on one in short area, and he might have been more aggressive because he had help over the top, but that didn't really stand out to me. I thought the corner played a really good game, and that matchup put him on my radar as well.