Talking Draft Prospects 2016

[Direckshun]

The Chiefs have some incredibly important free agent decisions to make in the upcoming offseason. A large part of that decision-making process is who they target in the draft and who could ostensibly replace an outgoing high-performer. The Chiefs have all seven of their picks plus an extra 5th.

As a result, it's important to familiarize ourselves with as much of this draft class as possible. I started a thread last offseason that discussed early rounders that was generally well liked and spurred tons of great conversation on all sorts of draft picks, so I'm going to duplicate that idea this year, only discussing all talents, rather than just the high ones. That being said, this will be limited by my attention span and schedule, so while I hope to have 200 prospects fully reviewed/previewed by Draft Day, I'll only get part of the way there.

The OP will be continually updated to show the talent I'm reviewing by position. Keep in mind as I list these players that I am generally listing their round projections, but it is not a strict big board, as I likely won't have a big board put together until late April.

QB
Jared Goff, California (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040777&postcount=22)


RB
Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12037213&postcount=3)


FB



WR
Corey Coleman, Baylor (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042582&postcount=28)
Josh Doctson, TCU (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042778&postcount=34)


TE
O.J. Howard, Alabama (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040673&postcount=17)


OT
Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040675&postcount=18)
Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040734&postcount=21)


OG
Vadal Alexander, LSU (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040724&postcount=20)


C



NT



DE/DT
A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042667&postcount=31)


Edgerushers
Joey Bosa, Ohio State (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12037192&postcount=2) (4-3)
Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042313&postcount=27) (4-3)


4-3 MLB/ 3-4 SILB



4-3 OLB/3-4 WILB
Myles Jack, UCLA (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042310&postcount=26)
Leonard Floyd, Georgia (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12037229&postcount=4)
Darron Lee, Ohio State (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12040693&postcount=19)


CB
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showpost.php?p=12042636&postcount=30)


S

[Direckshun]

DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State -- Bosa has the size (6'6", 275 lbs) and power to be one of the safest picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. That said, he is never going to be a DPOY candidate, and is instead more likely to churn out decent-to-very-good seasons for ten years. He could tackle better but is sturdy against the run. His hustle is very good, though not elite. Ask yourself how much that's worth? The Rams' Chris Long is the exact same kind of player, has had two very good seasons and has been solid otherwise, and he was taken #2 overall. Bosa is even larger and every bit as strong, but like Long he doesn't have that elite first step or incredible power that Jadaveon Clowney exhibited. Nonetheless, as a pure 4-3 DE, he is a sure thing at an incredibly important position, so while I don't think he'll be the #1 overall as so many right now think he is, I do think he's selected in the top 10 picks.

[Direckshun]

RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State -- RBs should be in for a very good year in the 2016 NFL Draft, as RBs dropped like flies all season and running games collapsed across the league. For teams that run a one-cut zone blocking scheme, Elliott is an ideal player who should contribute right away with little learning curve necessary. A stout, powerful 6'1", 220 lbs runner, Elliott takes long strides to eat up yards in a hurry. He's not particularly elusive and won't blast tacklers, but he'll use decent blocking to get a reliable 4-5 yards a carry (he averaged 6+ YPC in over 500 carries for OSU the past two years). He's a decent receiver with punt return abilities, but will need to hit the jugs machine. He will earn playing time immediately since he is an enthusiastic blocker and protects the ball really well, but he's more of a change-of-pace power hammer in a RBBC rather than a true bellcow. He reminds me of Karlos Williams of the Bills but with more decisive running and a better all around game. Williams went in the 5th, but I think Elliott is a solid 3rd rounder, and very good value in the 4th.

[Direckshun]

OLB Leonard Floyd, Georgia -- Floyd is dangerously close to dreaded "tweener" territory, but his incredible athleticism should prove to be a boon to a smart DC that can develop him properly. Floyd has the height and frame to be a 3-4 rushbacker (at 6'4", 231 lbs, he is too light, but his frame has tons of room for growth), but his ability to eat up space and play deep coverage would make him an intriguing 4-3 outside linebacker, with his great height able to negate athleticism and height advantages from most tight ends. Despite his career 17 sacks, he doesn't seem to be a particularly great passrusher -- really more of an athlete than any kind of polished passrushing force -- and he holds up unimpressively at the line of scrimmage. His physique reminds me a lot of Eli Harold, who was drafted in the 3rd last year by the 49ers, and spent much of the year in physical and schematic development, failing to record a single snap as a rushbacker. Put about 20 more pounds of muscle on him and you've got the same kind of player that Harold is just now becoming, but honestly Floyd's near-elite athleticism belongs in space. He's going to require some serious development, however. In a 4-3 scheme for a team that can afford to wait, I'd think of him as a 3rd rounder with Jamie Collins upside.

[kccrow]

RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State -- RBs should be in for a very good year in the 2016 NFL Draft, as RBs dropped like flies all season and running games collapsed across the league. For teams that run a one-cut zone blocking scheme, Elliott is an ideal player who should contribute right away with little learning curve necessary. A stout, powerful 6'1", 220 lbs runner, Elliott takes long strides to eat up yards in a hurry. He's not particularly elusive and won't blast tacklers, but he'll use decent blocking to get a reliable 4-5 yards a carry (he averaged 6+ YPC in over 500 carries for OSU the past two years). He's a decent receiver with punt return abilities, but will need to hit the jugs machine. He will earn playing time immediately since he is an enthusiastic blocker and protects the ball really well, but he's more of a change-of-pace power hammer in a RBBC rather than a true bellcow. He reminds me of Karlos Williams of the Bills but with more decisive running and a better all around game. Williams went in the 5th, but I think Elliott is a solid 3rd rounder, and very good value in the 4th.

You have no idea wtf you are talking about. Best go back and watch film of this kid. Love your write-ups bro, but this one is just way off. BTW, this is Mizzouri's biggest recruiting mistake possibly ever. Best RB I've ever seen play at OSU, and they've had some gems.

[Direckshun]

Yeah, I'm in the minority on him at this point.

I welcome the education, but the guy had a shit ton of his work done for him by the OSU OL. They plow pretty much everybody. My opinions change during draft season but right now I think he's overrated.

He honestly reminds me of Latavius Murray. He can make some noise but he's no game breaker.

[kccrow]

Yeah, I'm in the minority on him at this point.

I welcome the education, but the guy had a shit ton of his work done for him by the OSU OL. They plow pretty much everybody. My opinions change during draft season but right now I think he's overrated.

He honestly reminds me of Latavius Murray. He can make some noise but he's no game breaker.


85 yards. 8.8 seconds. Gamebreaking speed. Unbelievable vision and decisiveness. Ohio State will always have a good offensive line, but Elliott is an even more special back. I watched every play of this kid's career. He runs with power, he can break it outside, and if he hits the second level it is 6. He hits the hole so hard and fast, he makes it look easy. Incredible balance. Makes himself small to fit through tight windows. He picks up blitzes well and just a great blocker overall. If you want to watch a prime example of him running with power, watch him against Notre Dame this year. Running for over 200 yards in 3 straight games didn't happen by accident last year either, especially against Alabama. Might want to watch him against Michigan State last year too. It takes a special back to find the holes and hit them like he does.

[Direckshun]

He's got very good vision and he's extremely decisive, those are definitely positive traits. I don't see the elite speed, though, but perhaps the Combine will put egg on my face.

Honestly, the Michigan game exemplified for me why Elliott is overrated. He has some damn good runs up the gut, but he doesn't break too many tackles and his food is already chewed for him by OSU's outstanding runblocking. That's not a knock on Elliott, who is a truly well-rounded RB, but it softens the degree of that positive.

My favorite thing about him is his running form is exemplary; he's always finding a way to fall forward with his very good size. Like I said, I think of Latavius Murray is his ceiling, watching him play. This isn't a guy with a ton of moves, he picks a hole and he goes goes goes.

[kccrow]

He's got very good vision and he's extremely decisive, those are definitely positive traits. I don't see the elite speed, though, but perhaps the Combine will put egg on my face.

Honestly, the Michigan game exemplified for me why Elliott is overrated. He has some damn good runs up the gut, but he doesn't break too many tackles and his food is already chewed for him by OSU's outstanding runblocking. That's not a knock on Elliott, who is a truly well-rounded RB, but it softens the degree of that positive.

My favorite thing about him is his running form is exemplary; he's always finding a way to fall forward with his very good size. Like I said, I think of Latavius Murray is his ceiling, watching him play. This isn't a guy with a ton of moves, he picks a hole and he goes goes goes.

When he runs in the mid 4.4's will that be sufficient?

[Direckshun]

When he runs in the mid 4.4's will that be sufficient?

Sufficient to what? Change my assessment of him?

It's January. I expect my assessment of him will change a handful of times.

So, yes.

[DJ's left nut]

Mistake?

Mizzou recruited the holy hell out of the kid. Then Myer swooped in and stole him and he and his dad proceeded to spend the next 4 years trolling Mizzou fans (and negatively recruiting them every chance they got).

Fuck E-Z-E right in his face.

I'm also probably a little closer to Direkshun on him than you. Definitely fast but I never really saw good vision and I don't think he's as elusive as he's given credit for. That said, the 'good vision' thing doesn't mean he doesn't have it, it's just that I never really saw it. He generally has at least 2 holes to choose from and the 2nd level is usually open for him as well. Murray actually appears to be a pretty decent comp.

Then there's Chris Johnson back before Chris Johnson sucked (then didn't suck). Johnson wasn't elusive or shifty, he was just comically fast. He was generally able to find space or get the edge through raw speed or the threat of same. Guys would have to cheat outside to keep him from getting the edge so he could make that single cut, get into the middle and just accelerate past guys.

I don't think Elliott has Johnson's speed but he's that kind of runner and a little more powerfully built.

But seriously, that guy can still fuck himself.

[ChiefsCountry]

You have no idea wtf you are talking about. Best go back and watch film of this kid. Love your write-ups bro, but this one is just way off. BTW, this is Mizzouri's biggest recruiting mistake possibly ever. Best RB I've ever seen play at OSU, and they've had some gems.

Kind of hard to get a recruit when Meyer offers the dad a job.

[kccrow]

Seriously, watch just these 3 games: Michigan State 2014, Alabama 2014, Notre Dame 2015

On the part about catching the ball, he caught 28 of 31 targets. Hardly a slouch. Elliott is a better runner than Todd Gurley. He runs lower and behind his pads.

As for Mizzou, yes, biggest recruiting mistake. You don't let a home-grown talent like that , with parents that are both Mizzou alums, walk away to Ohio State. You just don't. Buy the kid a diamond necklace and an Escalade, I don't care, you just don't let that fucking happen.

When I have some free time, well, I'll put some video together on why I think he's as good as I say he is and why I think you both are so far off. Probably won't happen today though.

[DJ's left nut]

Sorry, but Mizzou recruited Elliott as hard as they have recruited anyone since I've been here. Gabbert, Sheldon, DGB - those guys didn't get as much of a press as Elliott did.

That wasn't a recruiting mistake, it was a loss. And that's going to happen when Urban's willing to put pop on the payroll. And Stacy Elliot - that former alum you're propping up - is the reason we didn't get Ezekiel. He's been a monumental prick and any time he can take a shot at Mizzou, including his playing days here, he takes it. He's an attention whore who openly complained that Ezekiel didn't get enough press attention during his Mizzou visits (despite the university and campus going batshit over him).

Once Meyer got involved, we were drawing dead and it's his dad that largely killed us.

[kccrow]

Sorry, but Mizzou recruited Elliott as hard as they have recruited anyone since I've been here. Gabbert, Sheldon, DGB - those guys didn't get as much of a press as Elliott did.

That wasn't a recruiting mistake, it was a loss. And that's going to happen when Urban's willing to put pop on the payroll. And Stacy Elliot - that former alum you're propping up - is the reason we didn't get Ezekiel. He's been a monumental prick and any time he can take a shot at Mizzou, including his playing days here, he takes it. He's an attention whore who openly complained that Ezekiel didn't get enough press attention during his Mizzou visits (despite the university and campus going batshit over him).

Once Meyer got involved, we were drawing dead and it's his dad that largely killed us.

I'm not propping Stacy Elliott up by any means. I'm just saying that something went wrong that Mizzou didn't get that kid. There's something deeper than any of this rah rah bullshit that this kid didn't go to Mizzou. It's not like Urban said "eh I'll give you a job if your kid plays for us," and bam that was it. Stacy Elliott could get a fucking job and Mizzou could have just as well put the same thing on the table. It's deeper than that. Somewhere along the line, Mizzou fucked this one up. Lack of media coverage? Nah. Support structure offered at Ohio State versus at Missouri could have been a deciding factor, but sure as hell not media coverage. Ezekiel verbally committed to OSU a year before all this bullshit came out and he's also made it known that media coverage had no effect on his decision.

To top it all off, personal feelings on where he should have went or should not have went should not have any effect on rating him for the NFL. He's a top 10 talent.

[kccrow]

I tried to put together a gif video of some plays I felt show some great pro traits that Elliott has (speed, power, vision, balance, agility, etc)...


http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s413/craigpaquin/Elliott_zpsaxc8cwem.gif

[Direckshun]

TE O.J. Howard, Alabama -- Howard should appeal to a lot of teams as a #2 tight end or even as a #1 for teams that are pathetically bereft at the position. Howard has NFL size, listed at 6'6", 242 lbs, but looks about 260 lbs. Alabama, as always, prefers to funnel their offense through an ultra-physical run game, so I can't really judge how good Howard's hands are since he almost never had to make contested receptions -- the Combine will be critical for him. There is probably more tape of him blocking, however, than any other TE in college football, and he's very strong in that area. He sometimes struggles to finish blocks and he's not someone you can leave alone on an island against a good passrusher. He is strong at the point of attack and can get serious push. In his routes, he has some wasted motion and a sluggish get off but shows good athleticism at least running the tree. The absolute best thing about him is that he's ready to play now as a blocker, and that's probably his future, unless he has a wealth of hidden talent receiving the ball that Alabama simply chose to never tap into.

[Direckshun]

What I wrote about Ronnie Stanley last year:

OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame -- It's been two years, and we still don't have a great idea of what John Dorsey likes in his offensive tackles, but Eric Fisher's as clear a prototype as we have. In that vein, Stanley fits that prototype to a T, as an elite athlete with ridonkulously long arms and one of THE best kickslides I've seen in years. Stanley's seen a boom in his value recently due to strong performances against NFL-caliber passrushers, and for good reason. He's an ideal 6'6", 315 lbs, and moves like a tight end in space. His athleticism is about as good as Eric Fisher's, which is among the best I've ever seen in a tackle. His perfect kickslide negates any speed rush to the outside, and he mirrors extremely well. At the second level, Stanley's athleticism is elite -- he would be fantastic in schemes that regularly pull their tackles into space. Stanley's weakness is that he greatly struggles with power. Despite being 315 lbs, he looks slight and doesn't get much push in the run game -- though he does wall off his defender reliably well. Talented edge rushers consistently earned success against him by throwing their body into him, often pushing him into the lap of his QB. He'll need to pack on considerable weight and muscle, and lower his base more in pass protection, but if he can do that, he's got Pro Bowl upside.

[Direckshun]

OLB Darron Lee, Ohio State -- Lee is a perfect example why Combine numbers are not to be blindly adhered to when evaluating prospects. This guy is going to blow the doors off the Combine amongst the linebacker group. He has great speed that he gets from his long strides that'll give him a ton of potential in coverage as well as short-area quickness that could benefit him in the passrush or at the line of scrimmage. Lee is a specimen that will get drafted on Day Two solely for that reason. Matter of fact, the more coverage you ask your linebackers to do, and the less you ask them to do up against the offensive line, the more effective and valuable he's going to be. The problem is that he is a complete liability against the run. Lee's biggest issue is that he simply cannot get off blocks, not from offensive linemen, tight ends, or even some receivers. He gets his tackles in the run game by effort alone, but that's not going to get him far against NFL caliber blockers. His passrush, as a result, is useless, and at 6'2", 235 lbs, he's purely a 4-3 OLB, and of no use playing the middle in a 3-4. It might not be a terrible idea for a team to have him lose a little and play as a box safety? Lee's athleticism has him in first round consideration for some, but I like my linebackers to be at home in the mess of the line of scrimmage. I wouldn't touch him.

[Direckshun]

OT/G Vadal Alexander, LSU -- Let's get one thing out of the way: Alexander will be entering draft season as a tackle/guard prospect, and some folks will inevitably argue that he has "flexibility" to play multiple spots on the line. He doesn't. He played RT at LSU, but Alexander is a guard, and won't have a prayer holding up in space as NFL tackles do. He's simply not athletic enough, and it's arguable he's athletic enough to play guard, honestly. The one thing Alexander has going for him is his massive size; he's listed at 6'6", 320 lbs, but looks about 15-20 lbs heavier. Perhaps surprisingly, he loses to bullrushes on the edge despite that size, but I doubt that'll happen when he's at guard and he doesn't have to protect an edge. Alexander, man, I really don't like him as a prospect. LSU never sends him to the second level, so he's almost certainly useless in that regard, and his cutblocks are travesties. He has looked solid against inferior competition, but struggled mightily against his most significant competition (Mississippi State, Alabama), causing me to believe this guy could be in for a massive slide as the Draft draws closer and teams take a closer look at him. As of now, do not believe the "experts" who have him pegged as anything more than a third day prospect.

[Direckshun]

OT Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi -- Perhaps a more natural fit as a RT than as a LT, Tunsil could probably play both at a reliable level. Tunsil's best features are his long, powerful arms that lock the **** down on just about anyone who runs across his path. Tunsil isn't quite the smooth athlete that Ronnie Stanley is, but he's still quite nimble and impressive burst off the line of scrimmage in the run game. He does well at the second level, though again it looks like he's lumbering a bit when he pushes downfield. He's really good in passblocking, with an effective kickslide and great mirroring, keeping his base low. He's never beaten by bullrushes, though he can be beat to the outside. In the run game, he's effective but not quite explosive. He can get stymied and rarely plays through the whistle. I think Tunsil is a definite first round prospect but with limited upside. The way teams are super desperate for offensive line help right now, he's almost certainly going to be a Top Ten prospect.

[Direckshun]

QB Jared Goff, California -- Goff is unquestionably the lone blue chip prospect at the quarterback position in the 2016 NFL Draft. Every other prospect at this position has their strong points which are shrouded in concerns at best, and flat-out doubts at worst. Now, I'll straight admit I don't know much about Goff personally, but inside the chalk he has a series of extremely promising strengths: he has a strong arm that can dart the ball out to the sidelines, he has been very accurate passing the ball despite playing behind a tough offensive line, he hangs in there and plays tough and with a short memory, and best of all -- this is the best part -- he has outstanding footwork for the position. He moves around in the pocket about as well as your above average NFL veteran, it's beautiful to watch. He feels pressure, moves away from it, keeping his eyes downfield. Now, he's played in California's spread, which in addition to being exclusively shotgun, is also essentially a one-read offense, so he'll need to develop there. But there are at least a few times each game where Goff does go through progressions, and he's proven very efficient at it. Goff is the best prospect in this draft at QB, and I fully expect him to flourish in Cleveland under Hue Jackson and behind an OL that will actually protect him well.

[RunKC]

I am interested in thoughts on OU WR Sterling Shepard.

He's similar in size and speed to Albert Wilson, but he has elite feet to burn DB's. He can run routes with the best of them and has solid hands. He's incredibly dedicated and loves the game.

I think he'd be a very good slot receiver for us.

[hitchief]

I am interested in thoughts on OU WR Sterling Shepard.

He's similar in size and speed to Albert Wilson, but he has elite feet to burn DB's. He can run routes with the best of them and has solid hands. He's incredibly dedicated and loves the game.

I think he'd be a very good slot receiver for us.

I like this kid a lot and agree he could replace Wilson on day 1 and provide that Edelman type of guy to constantly move the chains which is key for the WCO

[ChiefAshhole1056]

I am interested in thoughts on OU WR Sterling Shepard.

He's similar in size and speed to Albert Wilson, but he has elite feet to burn DB's. He can run routes with the best of them and has solid hands. He's incredibly dedicated and loves the game.

I think he'd be a very good slot receiver for us.

I'd draft him just so we can move Wilson to returner and the "DAT" role full time

[Direckshun]

OLB Myles Jack, UCLA -- I honestly don't know if I've ever had so much fun watching a 4-3 OLB since Lavonte David as I have watching Jack. Jack is the typical kind of really great athlete you expect from a first-round prospect at OLB, but what Jack brings to the table is a special kind of impact that's quantifiable on the stat sheet as it is unquantifiable in the locker room. Jack is a tornado of aggression and speed, jacking up blockers with a ferocity rarely seen at his position. I would argue to say he has the highest ceiling of any player in this draft, due to his ability to be a true three-down linebacker who has the ability to drop into coverage and the angry disposition to light up lead blockers against the run. His only downside is going to be a blessing for the right team that gambles on him as he drops: he suffered a terrible knee injury in 2015 and could sit out all the way to the NFL preseason. But man, he is an investment worth making. He also doesn't have a ton of experience trailing specific receivers because UCLA utilizes zone coverage, but there's no reason he can't excel there as well. And lest we think he's just another athletic OLB, keep this in mind: his athleticism is so ridiculous, in 2013 he won the Pac 12 Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year award (LB and RB). I absolutely love this player, and if there's any chance he drops to the bottom of the 1st, he'd be near or at the top of my list for the Chiefs selection.

[Direckshun]

DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State -- I fear that as the NFL evolves, defensive ends like Ogbah are going to end up undervalued and extinct. Ogbah comes from an era, not that far behind us, where 4-3 defensive lines liked a left defensive end that was particularly strong against the run. But in today's NFL, teams like to have two dynamic passrushing threats off the edge, with run defense a distant second. That could leave Ogbah, a very large (6'6", 275 lbs), exclusively 4-3 passrusher out in the cold. Ogbah's put up over 20 sacks the past two seasons using a never-fail formula of using a great explosion out of his three-point stance, where he uses his superior strength, stupid-long arms and phenomenal motor to get his stats. Teams don't run at him often, and rarely succeed when they do. Many tackles, however, frequently struggle to anchor against his bullrush. The problem with Ogbah is that he is not dynamic, like at all, around the edge, and his lack of real passrushing skill. Tackles in the NFL aren't going to get bullied by Ogbah (much like the NFL-caliber tackles at OU weren't), and unless the QB runs right at him, he's not going to be able to disengage for anything other than coverage sacks. I'd be intrigued at beefing him up even more and playing a 3-4 DE, but his frame is pretty much maxed out. But while his usage in today's NFL may be limited, you can't put a pricetag on his incredible motor. Nonetheless, he's probably due for a tumble in the draft.

[Direckshun]

WR Corey Coleman, Baylor -- The Baylor Bears, for years, have been an incredible offensive juggernaut that has produced a lot of high profile draft prospects. So let us go ahead and name all the Baylor Bears that have gone on to produce in the NFL... Right. Well part of the reason why there hasn't been much is because the Bears operate a goofy, wide open spread offense that doesn't translate to the NFL whatsoever. Coleman is another blue chip prospect, and he's great to watch: he's got a good size/speed comboe (5'11" and should push for a 4.3), super productive (96 touches for 1,300 yards and 20 TDs) with excellent ballskills (he's played RB sparingly for the Bears). He runs the deepest "go" routes with ease, attacks the ball and makes tough, contested catches. But Coleman is going to be a huge project in the NFL, as the Bears almost never asked him to run an actual route tree. It's nuts. Coleman runs either go routes, drag routes, or he just kind of stands around and waits for the ball. He gets a ton of receptions because college DBs can't keep up with him and his QB force-feeds him the ball. It's a complete mystery if he'll be able to get separation in the NFL, but at this point his role looks to be as a Pro Bowl caliber slot receiver who isn't asked to win on the outside until a coach can pound actual route-running into his repertoire. How patient you are on that score is how much you value Coleman. Personally, I like him as a high second rounder.

[kccrow]

WR Corey Coleman, Baylor -- The Baylor Bears, for years, have been an incredible offensive juggernaut that has produced a lot of high profile draft prospects. So let us go ahead and name all the Baylor Bears that have gone on to produce in the NFL... Right. Well part of the reason why there hasn't been much is because the Bears operate a goofy, wide open spread offense that doesn't translate to the NFL whatsoever. Coleman is another blue chip prospect, and he's great to watch: he's got a good size/speed comboe (5'11" and should push for a 4.3), super productive (96 touches for 1,300 yards and 20 TDs) with excellent ballskills (he's played RB sparingly for the Bears). He runs the deepest "go" routes with ease, attacks the ball and makes tough, contested catches. But Coleman is going to be a huge project in the NFL, as the Bears almost never asked him to run an actual route tree. It's nuts. Coleman runs either go routes, drag routes, or he just kind of stands around and waits for the ball. He gets a ton of receptions because college DBs can't keep up with him and his QB force-feeds him the ball. It's a complete mystery if he'll be able to get separation in the NFL, but at this point his role looks to be as a Pro Bowl caliber slot receiver who isn't asked to win on the outside until a coach can pound actual route-running into his repertoire. How patient you are on that score is how much you value Coleman. Personally, I like him as a high second rounder.

Agree with this 100% and its a big reason why I like Fuller way more than Coleman.

[Direckshun]

CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida -- If you were to draw on a chalkboard the things you want in a cornerback who was a coach's son, you're going to end up with Hargreaves. He's got okay size (5'11", 199 lbs) and okay speed (looks like a 4.4 guy at best), but his play is so fundamentally sound it's ridiculous. You don't recognize a lot of the really great things Hargreaves does on the field because it is so preventative. In press man, he's excellent at slowing receivers down a step so they're out of rhythm with their QB. In zone, he reads routes and can anticipate them, forcing QBs to look elsewhere. When the ball is in the air, Hargreaves will frequently bail on his receiver and help where ever the ball is going with his sick recovery speed. His tackling is excellent so that a 5 yard out doesn't become a 14 yard catch-and-run. His play against the run is phenomenal, and easily the best of any CB that's come out in the draft in a few years. He can play on the inside, on the outside, on the island or in a deep zone. Hargreaves has safety flexibility, and understands the route tree very, very well. Hargreaves doesn't, however, have elite measureables, which isn't a bad thing (it's called "elite" for a reason) but it'll likely knock him out of Top 10 consideration. I see a whole lot of Jason Verrett in him, just a hard nosed CB that won't be considered a lockdown guy in the NFL but will definitely earn respect and possibly future berths to the Pro Bowl.

[Direckshun]

DT A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama -- An absolute Adonis of a defensive tackle, Robinson is a 6'4", 312 lbs lineman that looks about thirty pounds lighter than that. Looking at his size, you'd think you'd have Marcel Dareus 2.0, a big fat plug to stuff in the phone booth. But that is absolutely not the case -- Robinson is so physically put together that I almost think he'd be wasted along the interior; a 3-4 team should seriously consider him as an end. That weight distribution is on Dontari Poe's level; Robinson will likely run around a 4.8 at the Combine, and runs effortlessly on the field. Yet with that amazing athleticism, passrushing is his gigantic weak spot. His strength is mauling offensive linemen in the run game, plowing blockers and owning the line of scrimmage. Any 3-4 struggling against the run needs to make him a serious draft target. However, he does suffer from Tyson Jackson Syndrome, and unless he receives absolutely elite coaching, I sincerely don't think he's ever going to be a serious threat to get to the QB. His passrushing moves are too limited and he doesn't show the same enthusiasm as he does against the run. He has the athleticism, however, and coaches all say he's incredibly smart, so who knows. But if you don't think he can develop that part of his game, and I've got serious doubts, than that means he's a two-down player only, and that could seriously harm his draft projection.

[kccrow]

Would appreciate your thoughts on Adolphus Washington, especially as a 2nd round option for KC at DE. I'm leaning towards altering my most recent mock to include him, but I want an outside, unbiased opinion.

[Direckshun]

I actually watched him yesterday. I've got him in my Rolodex.

I, too, really like him.

[Direckshun]

WR Josh Doctson, TCU -- Doctson is bringing a lot of tools to the NFL, but he's one of those guys that will have to work his ass off to make the most of what he has if he wants to live up to his potential. Doctson boasts very good size (6'3", 200 lbs), great hands, and is perhaps the nation's best WR at winning contested balls. Doctson's long arms and excellent body control make him a ripe red zone target, and TCU fed him 15 touchdowns among his 75 receptions for 1,300 yards in 2015. He is a true weapon in that regard. But he's going to have a rough going for at least a little while in the NFL between the 20's. He has extensive experience route-running but still has some wasted motion and will need to make sharper cuts to create separation at the next level. His speed isn't great (I'm predicting a 4.5 40) so smoothing out his route-running will be paramount to his success -- many of his receptions were after Boykin scrambled long enough for him to get open. There have been comparisons to Jordan Matthews but Matthews is a fantastic route-runner. Doctson's specialty of winning jump balls may hit a snag in the NFL, as well, due to his lanky frame. He's going to need to put on serious muscle (which he has the frame to do!) because he average DB in the NFL weighs as much as he does, and most are several inches shorter than him. But he is a competitor who has years of experience in a pro-style offense. If Doctson can consistently find a way to win in the first couple seconds of his route rather than just rely on his physical gifts to win the day, he's going to be as good as any receiver in this Draft. But it's going to be a journey to get there, and probably won't yield fruit right away.

[DJ's left nut]

Doctson sounds like a slightly slower Conley by your right-up.

If Docston costs a 1st (he likely will), I'm not interested. I think we already have that guy.

[Direckshun]

That's not the worst comparison in the world, really.

Doctson simply doesn't make sense on a football team with Alex Smith. He's a jump ball, contested catch type guy whereas Smith rarely attempts those.

Dorsey also prefers tons of speed, as Conley, Thomas, and Wilson are all 4.3 guys.

[CleveSteve]

If Josh Doctson was an inch taller he'd be AJ Green.

[kccrow]

If the Chiefs touch a receiver in round 1 it will be Fuller. He's a DeSean Jackson type of player with a bit more height (will probably measure in at 5'11-1/2"). Other than him, I don't see KC taking one until at least the 3rd when some mouldable speed guys come on the radar.

[saphojunkie]

I tried to put together a gif video of some plays I felt show some great pro traits that Elliott has (speed, power, vision, balance, agility, etc)...


http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s413/craigpaquin/Elliott_zpsaxc8cwem.gif

Holy hell that was the Bama defense he was running over and by. That's amazing.

[nbarone007]

No mention of Noah Spence? I'll be the one to drop his name. His draft stock is all over the place but I definitely will have this guy graded as a top 10 player. I think he's going to end up as the best pass rusher in the draft.

I would love for the Chiefs to draft Spence with our first round pick. After seeing what Denver did to the Patriots, we need to find another pass rusher. We cannot rely on Houston and Hali like we constantly do. Dee Ford has not lived up to the hype yet. I think going into next season with Houston/Hali/Spence/Ford/Zombo would be phenomenal for depth at the position.

[nbarone007]

Only WR's i'd be interested in are Will Fuller (Looks like D-Jax 2.0) or Leonte Caroo (Super talented, super stupid). I've gotten to watch the latter play on the field since I'm currently attending Rutgers. I would give him a shot in the mid rounds.

Im pretty high on William Jackson III, CB from Houston.

As for QB rankings, my top 3 would look like:
1. Paxton Lynch (I was VERY impressed by his tape. Reminds me of Bortles)
2. Jared Goff (Think this guy will be a good NFL QB. Matt Ryan-esque)
3. Vernon Adams Jr (I really like this guys tape. Terrific arm and is very mobile. Think he may be getting overlooked because of his height)
4. Christian Hackenberg (Victim of pretty horrendous OL play at Penn State)
5. Connor Cook (He's probably victim of too much tape scouted on him. May end up being a good QB but I was not impressed watching him play Rutgers live this year)
6. Carson Wentz (This guy is MEH. Not sure why he is rising so rapidly. I wasn't very impressed by his tape)