Chopper's Mid Season 2015 Draft Preview

[Chopper0080]

So, we are well into the college football season, and halfway into the NFL season, and I thought I would hit this up early so people can target which college games/bowl games they want to watch and what players to focus on. I will focus more on certain positions of need for the Cardinals but will mention some names at other positions which are interesting.

The Elite (guys who we would take, but have no shot at)

Marcus Mariota - QB - Oregon
Leonard Williams - DT/DE - USC
Randy Gregory - DE - Nebraska
Landon Collins - S - Alabama

The Fits

RB
Todd Gurley - Georgia (1st)
Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin (2nd)
TJ Yeldon - Alabama (2nd)
Tevin Coleman - Indiana (3rd)
Jeremy Langford - Michigan St. (3rd)

OG
La'el Collins - LSU (2nd)
Ty Sambrailo - Colorado St. (2nd)
Aj Cann - South Carolina (2nd)

OLB
Shane Ray - Missouri (1st) *quick riser*
Shilique Calhoun - Michigan St. (1st) *could drop thru process*
Alvin "Bud" Dupree - Kentucky (1st) *postseason riser*
Dante Fowler Jr. - Florida (1st) *should have static draft projection*
Hauoli Kikaha - Washington (1st/2nd) *injury history*
Nate Orchard - Utah (1st/2nd) *could drop thru process*
Markus Golden - Missouri (2nd) *hurt by positional depth*
Owamagbe Odighizuwa - UCLA (2nd) *postseason riser*
Lorenzo Mauldin - Louisville (2nd) *tweener, no position*
Za'Darius Smith - Kentucky (2nd/3rd) *postseason riser*
Shaquille Riddick - West Virginia (3rd) *postseason riser*

ILB
Shaq Thompson - Washington (1st) *quick riser*
Vic Beasley - Clemson (1st) *could drop thru process*
Benardrick McKinney (1st) - Mississippi St. *should have static draft project*
Leonard Floyd - Georgia (2nd) *possible declare, soph*
Zach Hodges - Harvard (2nd) *small school riser*
Denzel Perryman - Miami (2nd) *size/athletic limitations*
Eric Striker - Oklahoma (2nd) *may be 4-3 OLB only*
Taiwan Jones - Michigan St. (2nd/3rd) *postseason riser*
Eric Kendricks - UCLA (3rd) *size limitations*

CB
Marcus Peters - Washington (1st) *possible top 10*
PJ Williams - Florida St. (1st)
Josh Shaw - USC (3rd) *character issues*
Steven Nelson - Oregon St. (3rd) *late riser*

An early preview, and ranking. CB was light as I haven't really targeted the position much. Peters is the best of the group by far, and I'm not sold on that second tier. I think 3rd round is where some value will be. I tried to rank as an overall, but some guys fit better with what we do than others. Example, Taiwan Jones isn't the athlete that some of those others are, but he really fits what the Cardinals do. Moreso than Striker or Perryman IMO.

I will try an update this here and there. If anyone prefers I edit the original lost or just add names, let me know. I know it is early, but I really like the draft.

 

[football karma]

i have been thinking about what the team **needs** --

aside from the obvious "killer edge rusher" -- i came up with:

1. Front seven defense athlete -- be it edge rusher (ideally) or, a penetrating defensive lineman or an all around OLB with speed/range.

2. Bigger running back -- a 215 lb+ type that can run down hill and pick up tough yards. The thunder to Ellington's lightning.

3. tight end. Housler is gone next year, Carlson is "ok" at best, Nicklas is raw and much more of an inline blocker. While a Graham / Gronkowski would be nice, i would be happy with a Pitta type.

4. Corners. Cant have too many.

 

[BigRedRage]

4. Corners. Cant have too many.

Especially if CRO isnt coming back.

How funny is it that Toler is performing at a high level in Indy? I always wanted him to stay..

 

[az jam]

Thanks Chopper, some good stuff. Shouldn't Vic Beasley Clemson be on the OLB list? He is playing DE for Clemson. He is listed as 6'2" 235lbs.

 

[ProdigalSun]

Thanks for doing these threads and your input. It's fun to start thinking about who could potentially make this team even better next year

 

[Big Deal]

I see most of these kids were born during the Shaq dominance years.

 

[Capital Card]

I see most of these kids were born during the Shaq dominance years.

I was thinking the same thing. I went to High School with Shaq. His 7th grade class photo is classic. He was just a normal kid back then, not much bigger than anyone else... but he's still got that same Shaq smile. Unmistakable.

 

[Catfish]

Thanks Chopper-----I don't believe that it is too early to begin looking at the draft future. You did a nice job on listing the talent.

Karma-----I like the way you defined the needs. I believe that is how Keim will be looking to secure players who are complimentary to what we already do.

 

[Chopper0080]

Thanks Chopper, some good stuff. Shouldn't Vic Beasley Clemson be on the OLB list? He is playing DE for Clemson. He is listed as 6'2" 235lbs.

Due to Beasley's size, he would project as an ILB in our 3-4, and as a Will LB in a 4-3. I could see the Cards use him as a stand up rusher in sub packages, but he would play inside for us in base.

Essentially, the Cards put athletes inside in their scheme, and then more physical, edge setters at OLB in their base personnel. In nickel, they either kick both Campbell and Dockett inside to DT and drop/sub an OLB to the DE spot, OR they bump Dockett and a sub player in at DT, keep Campbell at one of the DE spots, and then drop/sub at the other DE spot. Both ILBs stay on the field all game.

One thing the Cards could do if they drafted a Beasley type player would be to have their sub package as a 3-3 with Dockett, Okafor/Stinson, Campbell down, and ILB, Beasley, Bucannon as LB, lining Beasley up outside and standing.

 

[Chopper0080]

i have been thinking about what the team **needs** --

aside from the obvious "killer edge rusher" -- i came up with:

1. Front seven defense athlete -- be it edge rusher (ideally) or, a penetrating defensive lineman or an all around OLB with speed/range.

2. Bigger running back -- a 215 lb+ type that can run down hill and pick up tough yards. The thunder to Ellington's lightning.

3. tight end. Housler is gone next year, Carlson is "ok" at best, Nicklas is raw and much more of an inline blocker. While a Graham / Gronkowski would be nice, i would be happy with a Pitta type.

4. Corners. Cant have too many.

If we are talking needs, I believe you are pretty close. RB, TE (though a poor draft class and FA looks thin as well), OG, rush LB/DE, ILB, ILB, CB.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

If we are talking needs, I believe you are pretty close. RB, TE (though a poor draft class and FA looks thin as well), OG, rush LB/DE, ILB, ILB, CB.

It must be a poor TE class because I see Heuerman, from OSU, listed near the top of the list. I wouldn't take him before round 4 as he is nothing special.

 

[Redrage]

2015 Draft

I'm a South Carolina homer, but Mike Davis should be on your RB list (IMHO) and would fit in well here. He delivers punch but can also take it to the house.

 

[Chopper0080]

I'm a South Carolina homer, but Mike Davis should be on your RB list (IMHO) and would fit in well here. He delivers punch but can also take it to the house.

I will make sure I give him some more looks...thanks for the heads up.

 

[Chopper0080]

It must be a poor TE class because I see Heuerman, from OSU, listed near the top of the list. I wouldn't take him before round 4 as he is nothing special.

Awful as things sit right now. Maybe there is some athletic gem that will pop up, but I haven't seen any.

 

[juza76]

chopper thank u for your great work and i have a question for u
why shaq thompson accepted to play rb.
he is a promising lb,,and the rb career is shorter
he is first round prospect at lb,what the hell he is doing?

 

[Gandhi]

Great list, Chopper, and I agree with your assessment of the biggest needs. I would however like to mention a few more players who could be interesting to the Cardinals. As of right now, I see all of these players as 3-5-round picks.


Max Garcia (#76) is the starting center for Florida. I thought he played well last year as a guard, and I think he looks comfortable after making the switch to center this season. Sometimes he has problems with his balance but other than that, he holds up pretty well in pass protection, and he has above average technique as a run blocker. He’s a senior and a leader on the Florida offensive line. Basically, that’s why he was asked to make the switch. I would play him as a guard, mainly because I don’t see Sendlein as the biggest problem at the interior part of the line, but obviously it ads to Garcia’s value that he is versatile.


If you want to watch Garcia, this week Florida is playing Vanderbilt. If you have access to previous games, I can recommend their games versus Tennessee and LSU.


John Miller (#70) is a starting guard at Louisville. I thought he helped Teddy Bridgewater a ton last season, and this season he continues to dominate and is, in my opinion, by far the team’s best offensive lineman. He can have problems in pass protection but more often than not, he keeps his quarterback clean. Run blocking is his biggest strength, and I think he is the main reason why Louisville has three runningbacks approaching 400 yards rushing.


This week Louisville will play Boston College. If possible to you, I will recommend Louisville´s games versus Virginia and Clemson.


Ramik Wilson (#51) is the linebacker for Georgia who replaced Alec Ogletree when he departed for the NFL. Wilson is probably not that good but he is a thumper and very good at blitzing through the A-gap. Both things Arians and Bowles put a lot of value on.


Georgia will play Kentucky with Bud Depree this week. From earlier this season, I will recommend their game versus South Carolina.


Darryl Monroe (#13) is the new leader of the Washington State defense after Deone Buccanon left. Maybe Keim want to go back to that school? I really like Monroe who can run, cover, hit and is a monster at blitzing though the A-gap. I think he is very well suited to play inside linebacker in Bowles' scheme.


This week Washington State will play Oregon State (and if you watch the game, you might want to also take a look at D.J. Alexander (#4), a linebacker from Oregon State. He’s basically the same type of player as Monroe). From their previous game this season, I can recommend the ones against Oregon and Stanford.


As for the outside linebacker-spot I think you need to add Noah Spence out of Ohio State to the list. Yes, he is a big unknown since he won’t play at all this season. I just think you have to take a shot at him at some point, simply because he obviously is a bigtime talent, and in my opinion doesn’t strike me as a bad kid.

 

[Chopper0080]

Great list, Chopper, and I agree with your assessment of the biggest needs. I would however like to mention a few more players who could be interesting to the Cardinals. As of right now, I see all of these players as 3-5-round picks.


Max Garcia (#76) is the starting center for Florida. I thought he played well last year as a guard, and I think he looks comfortable after making the switch to center this season. Sometimes he has problems with his balance but other than that, he holds up pretty well in pass protection, and he has above average technique as a run blocker. He’s a senior and a leader on the Florida offensive line. Basically, that’s why he was asked to make the switch. I would play him as a guard, mainly because I don’t see Sendlein as the biggest problem at the interior part of the line, but obviously it ads to Garcia’s value that he is versatile.


If you want to watch Garcia, this week Florida is playing Vanderbilt. If you have access to previous games, I can recommend their games versus Tennessee and LSU.


John Miller (#70) is a starting guard at Louisville. I thought he helped Teddy Bridgewater a ton last season, and this season he continues to dominate and is, in my opinion, by far the team’s best offensive lineman. He can have problems in pass protection but more often than not, he keeps his quarterback clean. Run blocking is his biggest strength, and I think he is the main reason why Louisville has three runningbacks approaching 400 yards rushing.


This week Louisville will play Boston College. If possible to you, I will recommend Louisville´s games versus Virginia and Clemson.


Ramik Wilson (#51) is the linebacker for Georgia who replaced Alec Ogletree when he departed for the NFL. Wilson is probably not that good but he is a thumper and very good at blitzing through the A-gap. Both things Arians and Bowles put a lot of value on.


Georgia will play Kentucky with Bud Depree this week. From earlier this season, I will recommend their game versus South Carolina.


Darryl Monroe (#13) is the new leader of the Washington State defense after Deone Buccanon left. Maybe Keim want to go back to that school? I really like Monroe who can run, cover, hit and is a monster at blitzing though the A-gap. I think he is very well suited to play inside linebacker in Bowles' scheme.


This week Washington State will play Oregon State (and if you watch the game, you might want to also take a look at D.J. Alexander (#4), a linebacker from Oregon State. He’s basically the same type of player as Monroe). From their previous game this season, I can recommend the ones against Oregon and Stanford.


As for the outside linebacker-spot I think you need to add Noah Spence out of Ohio State to the list. Yes, he is a big unknown since he won’t play at all this season. I just think you have to take a shot at him at some point, simply because he obviously is a bigtime talent, and in my opinion doesn’t strike me as a bad kid.

Thanks for the suggestions, and I will load up the DVR this weekend.

 

[juza76]

Thanks for the suggestions, and I will load up the DVR this weekend.

u can even answer to my question

 

[Chopper0080]

chopper thank u for your great work and i have a question for u
why shaq thompson accepted to play rb.
he is a promising lb,,and the rb career is shorter
he is first round prospect at lb,what the hell he is doing?

He wants to help his team, and his coach asked him to give them a boost at Rb. Not sure there is much else to say.

 

[overseascardfan]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...shington-huskies-marcus-peters-dismissed-team

Wow. Would you pick him if you were Steve Keim?

 

[ajcardfan]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...shington-huskies-marcus-peters-dismissed-team

Wow. Would you pick him if you were Steve Keim?

Um,no. That kid has cost himself a lot of money by acting like a toddler. No one needs that on their team. Someone will take a flier on him from rounds 1 to 3. But, it's not going to be the Cards.

 

[Garthshort]

We need a RB, but can't see SK picking one before the fourth round. OLB, ILB, and CB are the three positions that I see us targeting in the first three rounds. As for OL, I have no idea, what BASK are thinking, but I wouldn't be surprised if a center, based on Sendlein's age, is the first position addressed, and that would be in the fourth or later rounds.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

As for the outside linebacker-spot I think you need to add Noah Spence out of Ohio State to the list. Yes, he is a big unknown since he won’t play at all this season. I just think you have to take a shot at him at some point, simply because he obviously is a bigtime talent, and in my opinion doesn’t strike me as a bad kid.

It will be interesting to see where Spence goes, and back to OSU is a real possibility, probably likely. He's a great player and a good kid from a good family. He basically is "enjoying" the college lifestyle and likes having fun. I know he needs to change but overall he's worth taking a chance on.

 

[Chopper0080]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...shington-huskies-marcus-peters-dismissed-team

Wow. Would you pick him if you were Steve Keim?

Absolutely. Peterson has a rep for being very rigid. Sark wasn't. People can struggle with change, especially when the team is losing. It is a concern, but I don't believe it is a large one. I would do a follow up with Sark and see if this is a trend or just a personality conflict.

 

[Gandhi]

Thought I would make another list of some prospects I find interesting to the Cardinals, as the college-season is winding down so it might be about the last chance to see these guys live before the draft.

Tevin Coleman (#6) is a runningback out of Indiana. He’s fast, elusive and strong. He can both take it the distance and get the short yards. I don’t think he’s as shifty and quick as Ellington or as strong as Taylor but he’s not far behind in any of those categories, and I think the three of them would spell each other very well. This season Coleman has posted 130+-yards games against some very good defenses like Missouri and Michigan State. This week Indiana will play Ohio State.

It might just be because I’m somewhat frustrated with the tight ends on the team but I could see one being picked. Now, I don’t think this is a very good tight end-class so even though Maxx Williams (#88) out of Minnesota is only a redshirted sophomore I think he could be the best of the bunch if he declares. He probably won’t but his superb athleticism, good blocking ability and great potential could make him a best player available-selection for some team in the first or second round. Maybe even the Cardinals. Minnesota will play Nebraska this week.

I’m sure some of you have seen Jamil Douglas (#74) out of Arizona State play. He’s their left tackle this season after having started two seasons at guard, and I think he will move back to guard in the NFL. He’s a freak of nature with very strong hands. I could easily see Arians and Goodwin wanting to how Cooper and Douglas as the two starting guards. This week Arizona State will host Washington State.

Speaking of guards, some time ago I wrote that I think John Miller (#70) out of Louisville is that team’s best offensive lineman. Well, I still do but I had probably seen the wrong games because now I also like their other guard Jake Smith (#53). Sometimes Smith plays center, and as I think he does both things well I could see that versatility being very intriguing to Keim who probably needs to find a future successor to Sendlein in the not too distant future.

Staying with Louisville I would advise you to take a look at their pass rusher Lorenzo ‘Lozo’ Mauldin (#94). Almost a year ago, I thought Marcus Smith would go in the middle of the first round, and I have to admit that I don’t have the same high thoughts of Mauldin. That said, I think he could be the first round selection of the Cardinals. Out of all the edge rushers (not including Randy Gregory and Shane Ray) I have seen this season I think Mauldin is the best fit with Bowles’ defense. Mauldin is big and has great length. He can rush the passer in varieties of ways, and though he should work on his run defense, he’s not bad at it either. At Louisville he is used as their ‘rover’-linebacker which just means that he’s a rush linebacker whom their defensive coordinator Todd Grantham moves around a lot and lets him rush from many different angles. Other players that Grantham have used in that role includes Demarcus Ware, Jarvis Jones and Marcus Smith, all of whom became first round picks. Mauldin is not often used in coverage but he does occasionally drops fluidly back in short zones. Louisville will be at Notre Dame this week.

Preston Smith (#91) is a defensive end with Mississippi State. I think he is nearly the prototype 5-tech 3-4 defensive end as he is huge, has very long arms, can bend, can get off blocks and can lay some big hits. He’s also an athletic freak (as an example, you can probably find his interception against UAB on Youtube), and even with the return of Dockett, the emergence of Stinson and Kareem Martin waiting in the wings, I don’t think you can ever have enough defensive linemen. Just this week Josh Mauro was signed so maybe that should tell us something, and not just that Dockett is injured or that Stinson couldn’t go. Mississippi State plays Vanderbilt this week.

Stephone Anthony (#42) is a middle linebacker out of Clemson. Prior to last season he had trouble with the playbook so even though he was clearly athletically talented enough the coaches had to keep him out of the starting lineup. That has changed though, and now he is the glue and leader of that defense. He’s a very instinctive and hard-hitting player who has no problems playing sideline-to-sideline or blitzing, especially through the A-gaps. Clemson plays Georgia State this week.