2015 NFL mock draft: SB Nation bloggers make their picks

This is it. We’re down to our final pick in the 2015 SB Nation writers mock draft. Closing things out is the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Doing the honors for our last pick is Greg Knopping from Pats Pulpit.

Knopping: The Patriots entered this draft with a need for a premier cornerback and interior lineman. They also could stand to improve their defensive tackle rotation and wide receiver depth. After taking Carl Davis in the first round, the hope was for one of the starting-caliber cornerbacks to fall to 64, but unfortunately that’s not how the board played out. Still, top-quality interior linemen are available in the third round, so there was an opportunity to take a game-changing wide receiver. Coates is one of the premier deep threats in the draft and elevated his play against the top competition.

That does it for Monday’s three picks in the mock draft. We’re down to just one pick remaining. Can you believe it!? Finishing things off is Greg Knopping from Pats Pulpit.

SB Nation presents: Seattle’s needs in the NFL Draft

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That’s what Tex Western of Acme Packing Co. did with this pick.

After landing defensive tackle Eddie Goldman in the first round of this mock draft, the Colts still have some needs on defense. But the offense is far from perfect, and there are options available for Stephen Reed and Stampede Blue.

Reed: After addressing the defensive line in Round 1 and patching various holes in free agency, the Colts have the luxury of taking the cliched best player available. While many fans may point to several other “need” areas, i.e. defensive back or inside linebacker, with the way the board fell, the value of Coleman at pick 61 is too much.

Halprin: After securing a corner in the first round (Kevin Johnson), the Cowboys decide to bolster the interior of their defense in the second round with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Why not a running back? The way this draft is setting up and with the depth of quality at the position this year, the Cowboys decide they can wait until the third round to make their move and still get a quality running back.

The Cowboys have some solid pieces now for the defensive line in 2015 with Greg Hardy, Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence on the outside and Tyrone Crawford at the three-tech, but they were lacking a penetrating one-tech who could cause havoc in the backfield. We believe Jarrett is that guy. Praised for his quick get-off on the snap, his ability to penetrate, good feet and durability, he should fit right in with a Rod Marinelli defense. His biggest knock is his size, but Marinelli values under-sized but quick defensive tackles who can shoot gaps. Jarrett should be prefect for that.

Montgomery: The Broncos are moving to a 3-4 defense, and while they have many pieces of this puzzle in place, they can’t ignore when the highest person on the board is someone who could compete for a starting job under Wade Phillips from day one. That’s the case with Benardrick McKinney; he was the highest-ranked player on Dan Kadar’s big board, and is of good value here no matter who you ask.

McKinney will add size to the Broncos’ linebacker corps and compete at inside linebacker. Both Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan are in the 6’1, 230-pound range; McKinney will stand tall at 6’4 and 246 pounds. Both Marshall and Trevathan are also coming off injuries (Lisfranc foot sprain and two knee surgeries, respectively). While the Broncos have talent here, they don’t have depth or experience in the middle, and McKinney will give them that. McKinney will also give them someone capable of owning one of the gaps in Wade Phillips’ 3-4. His less-than-stellar agility isn’t a problem here. The Broncos need someone who can take a hit and still deliver one, and McKinney fits the bill.

Butt: The Ravens have known about Rollins for quite some time, even before he decided to switch from basketball to football in his final year of athletic eligibility. According to The Baltimore Sun, a Ravens scout suggested to the Miami director of basketball operations that Rollins switch to football. The move has done wonders for his future, as Rollins is now considered a second-round NFL pick after winning the MAC’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Ravens have a need to fill at cornerback, and Rollins is athletic and aggressive enough to fit into their defensive scheme. Russ Lande told The Sun that if Rollins spent his entire college career playing football, he’d probably be a Top 15 pick. Rollins is 5’11 and 193 pounds, and posted a 4.57-second 40-yard dash time at the combine. Though he’s still raw after just one year of college football, Rollins has plenty of potential to succeed in this league.

The Carolina Panthers are back up in the mock draft to close things out for the day. After taking a starting offensive tackle in the first round, do they get a future starting player on defense in the second? Jaxon from Cat Scratch Reader is up with the pick.

Jaxon: With this pick I was very tempted to double dip at OT with a player like Donovan Smith as the Panthers could use more depth at the offensive tackle position. Yet in the end I decided to go Best Player Available at a position of need. The Panthers need more depth at CB and Darby has tremendous upside. He has the size and speed the Panthers covet at the CB position, plus he excels at zone coverage. The only knock you see on him is his tackling but honestly I’m drafting him to cover WRs, not play at the LOS. I think he has the ability to develop into a cover CB in due time as he has all the tools. With Josh Norman on one side and second-year CB Bene Benwikere sliding into the slot Darby would give the Panthers three talented and athletic CBs.

Following several retirements, the Steelers are tasked with rebuilding their defense this offseason. From front to back new bodies need to be added to the roster. After scoring cornerback Marcus Peters in the first round, Jeff Hartman from Behind the Steel Curtain continues looking for impact defenders.

Hartman: The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to selecting former Buckeyes in the early rounds of the NFL Draft to be key cogs in their defense. Cameron Heyward and Ryan Shazier are perfect examples of the type of players the Steelers select from Ohio State, and Michael Bennett is just the next on the list.

When the first-round picks from this mock draft were graded, the Cardinals scored the lowest for the pick of pass rusher Preston Smith. While I didn’t like the pick, I didn’t think it was the worst of the round. If you didn’t like that choice from Jess Root of Revenge of the Birds, you’ll have a hard time disagreeing with this one.

Root: Bruce Arians said he wanted a long, fast cornerback to add to the squad he already has. Williams is that guy. Perhaps falling a bit because of his recent DUI, the Cardinals have dealt with players who have some issues -- one with success in Tyrann Mathieu, and one without as much in Daryl Washington.

Yuille: After adding offensive tackle D.J. Humphries in the first round, I turned my attention to three main positions in the second round: defensive tackle, cornerback and running back. The Lions have needs at all of these positions, but based on the players still available, it was really a no-brainer to take LSU cornerback Jalen Collins. He has good size, length and speed, and he is someone who could spend the 2015 season learning behind Rashean Mathis. Then, in 2016, the hope would be that he would develop into a starter, much like Darius Slay did in his sophomore season after being a second-round pick.

Some of the other players I considered at this spot were Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett, Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Indiana running back Tevin Coleman and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. The hope would be that one of these players falls to the third round, especially one of the defensive tackles, but even if they’re all off the board, there should still be some solid options to fill one of the Lions’ other main needs.

Marcum: The Bengals likely won’t have Burfict to start the season as he recovers from microfracture surgery. Even with him healthy, linebacker is one of the Bengals’ biggest weaknesses heading into 2015.

Paul Dawson was a force at TCU in 2014, leading the Horned Frogs defense with 136 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and four interceptions on his way to being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He would be a huge steal at this point, and he’d likely become an instant starter at Will while Burfict recovers.

Wait, never mind. Gowton is getting his guy, after all.

Gowton: Considering Byron Jones could arguably be in play for the Eagles at pick No. 20, getting him at No. 52 overall is a no-brainer.

Kollmann: If there is one thing the Texans offense has lacked for the last few years, it’s speed. Devin Smith may be small, his route tree may be limited, and there are some question marks about his character that will never go away, but the dude can flat out fly. There may not have been a better receiver in all of college football last year at catching the deep ball, which is an area where Houston has been sorely disappointing in recent memory. Smith’s natural ability to track, adjust to, and haul in deep shots should complement Ryan Mallett’s special arm talent very well.

Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: If for no other reason, this is a smart choice because there’s a pretty steep talent drop-off from Smith and the next set of wide receivers. Smith will make his name in the NFL as a deep ball threat. Really, he’s pretty similar to Torrey Smith of the San Francisco 49ers. He’s kind of a one-trick pony, but when that one trick works, it’s really good. Smith could also be utilized as a return man if they’re not happy with Keshawn Martin or Damaris Johnson.

Finally, the Buffalo Bills are on the clock in our ongoing 2015 NFL mock draft. The Bills, of course, were without a first-round pick after trading up for wide receiver Sammy Watkins in last year’s draft. We don’t yet know whether that was a smart move. What we do know is that Buffalo will see a lot of talented players -- namely offensive linemen -- get picked before the Bills are up in the draft. Despite 10 offensive linemen getting picked already, Brian Galliford from Buffalo Rumblings (and this very mock draft) managed to find a starter-level lineman at No. 50.

Galliford: As the Bills’ first pick (No. 50 overall) neared, Dan Lavoie and I kept an open mind regarding which position to attack. Buffalo has a fair amount of talent and depth across the entirety of its roster; the Bills have needs, of course, but none that are so pressing that a second-round pick absolutely has to be spent there.

Thorman: Two of the Chiefs’ biggest issues last season were the offensive line and receivers. They addressed the offensive line with the selection of tackle Andrus Peat in the first round, and now they turn their attention to the passing game. As we saw last season with Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano, the Chiefs like to run two-tight end sets. With Fasano gone, they need another solid tight end (in addition to under-the-radar tight end Demetrius Harris, who is on the roster) to keep that going. Some people might pick a receiver here, and it’s hard to argue that. We opt for the versatility that another tight end can bring the offense. It also helps that Alex Smith will actually throw to his tight ends.

Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: The run that we’ve seen on wide receivers in this mock put a damper on this pick for the Chiefs. Ohio State’s Devin Smith is the best wide receiver available, but his vertical play doesn’t really fit Kansas City’s offense. The only receiver that fits that you could really argue over Walford is Michigan’s Devin Funchess. He has some flaws, but would probably be used in a similar way as Walford. Funchess is a little faster than Walford, but his hands aren’t as good and he’s nowhere close as a blocker. Because of that, this can be viewed as a smart choice. That is, of course, if you don’t think the Chiefs should actually be taking a defensive lineman with this selection.

Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: I’m a fan of Flowers and the Chargers targeting a pass rusher early in the draft. I just do not see Flowers’ fit as a linebacker. He’s a power left end who wins with his strength. He’s not considered the type of athlete you often think of when moving a college end to NFL linebacker. If that absolutely has to be the choice at No. 48, someone like Missouri’s Markus Golden might be a better option, albeit a reach.

SB Nation presents: Breaking down our latest mock draft

Nogle: Leading up to this pick, Breshad Perriman was the top target as he continued to slide, but obviously that did not happen, as the 49ers beat Miami to the punch. That leaves a few options available here, with the Dolphins able to go multiple directions. Picking up a cornerback like Byron Jones or P.J. Williams could be the way to go, as could the selection of a linebacker like Benardrick McKinney or Stephone Anthony. Miami has to be considering an offensive lineman early in this year’s draft, but I do not know if anyone is jumping out at me here as must-have picks.

Which brings us to the decision point. I am looking at keeping one of two players in their college home stadium here. Either the University of Miami’s Phillip Dorsett or Clive Walford will get to continue to play in Sun Life Stadium with this selection. This is not an easy pick, either adding another shorter wideout or another tight end despite already having Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims and potentially Arthur Lynch penciled in as the top three on the depth chart. Both players could be special, and the Dolphins will clearly have a good idea of what they could be at the NFL level. I also do not believe the signing of Michael Crabtree, Greg Jennings, Wes Welker, or another veteran free agent changes Miami’s desire to add a rookie wide receiver early in the draft.

37. 49ers: Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana

Fucillo: The 49ers signed Torrey Smith in free agency, but Anquan Boldin is entering his walk year, and Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton are question marks. Some have the 49ers looking at Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker in the first round, but if Perriman could slide to them in the second round, that would be quite the coup. Perriman has the speed to be a long-term deep threat opposite Smith, and would give Colin Kaepernick one more big weapon. The 49ers have talked about being a run-heavy team, but they would be foolish not to continue building out the vertical game.

Having passed on that receiver, Gates is circling back to the position in the second round, and he’s targeting a slot receiver, specifically.

Gates: With our second selection, we turn our attention to the wide receiver position. While the team has players who can fill the spots on the outside (Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson), they need someone who can function primarily as a slot receiver, and that’s the sort of skill set that Agholor brings to the table. He shows the ability to get open against both zone and man coverage, and displays above-average hands. While he develops as a wide receiver, he could step immediately into the punt return role, one that he excelled at while with the Trojans. Agholor is a player who has gotten a lot of steam recently, and he would fill a definite need for the Vikings at this spot in the draft.

Skiver: With the trade of Ben Grubbs to the Chiefs, the Saints shed what was a pretty horrible contract given his production relative to their cap. Kouandjio ran a zone-blocking scheme at Alabama that will translate well to the Saints’ running game, and Kouandjio was a standout player on Alabama’s excellent run blocking line. Since guards are falling in this draft due to the premium tackle position, Kouandjio can fill a big need for the Saints at a small price. He will also create competition for bubble players like Tim Lelito. Kouandjio’s pass blocking improved over the course of the 2013 season, and in 2014 he was named an All-American guard. Kouandjio does have his share of work to do, and his lingering knee injury can be an area of concern, but, all in all, Kouandjio could be an effective addition to a Saints’ offensive line that has sustained recent losses.

Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature has been a busy dude during our 2015 NFL mock draft, already weighing in with two first-round picks (Louisville receiver DeVante Parker and Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray) to date. Now comes his final pick, a second-rounder, in which he’s turning his attention to the defensive line.

Pokorny: Improving the team’s run defense should be one of the Browns’ primary goals of the draft, but this is an example of where understanding the deep class of defensive linemen pays off. Phillips has good leverage at the point of attack, has good agility for his size, and has the potential to be an every-down nose tackle. One of the reasons Cleveland, and other NFL teams, didn’t spend big dollars in free agency on nose tackles was the fact that they didn’t play enough snaps to warrant such a high price. That could be a different story with a guy like Phillips.

Choate: This might not be the ideal time to take Rowe, but he offers such an intriguing skill set for Dan Quinn’s defense that I couldn’t help myself. Simply put, Rowe offers the length, athleticism and aggressiveness to be a force in the secondary.

Whether Rowe sticks at cornerback or moves to safety is an open question, but I tend to agree with Bleacher Report’s Scott Carasik that he could be a nice fit for free safety in the Falcons’ system. They currently have Charles Godfrey penciled in there, so getting a rangy, tall safety prospect would help in 2015 and beyond, and at worst he’s a useful cornerback for a team lacking the height Quinn covets.

The St. Louis Rams are not far off from seriously competing in the NFC West. They have a competitive defense in place, and are focusing on fixing up their offense to better make a run at the likes of Seattle, Arizona and even San Francisco. After addressing the wide receiver position with a top prospect in Round 1 of our 2015 NFL mock draft, Joe McAtee of Turf Show Times returns to continue his work on that side of the ball.

McAtee: With the release of oft-injured Jake Long, the Rams are in serious need of re-stocking the tackle bin. That effort started in 2014 with the selection of Auburn’s Greg Robinson with the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. While I flirted with a couple options here, the top of the class has been cleaved off with seven tackles gone in the first 25 picks.

Valentine: After grabbing an offensive lineman (Brandon Scherff) in the first round to complete that group, it’s time to start adding players to a defense that needs the help. Odighizuwa is one of the handful of traditional 4-3 defensive ends in this draft, a player who can anchor against the run as well as rush the passer. The Giants have several other defensive needs, but Double O is good value here, and should add depth and talent to the Giants’ defensive front.

Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: A player like Odighizuwa is the perfect scheme fit for the Giants. He’s a traditional 4-3 end with the power to hold the edge against the run, and enough quickness and speed to get into the backfield. Odighizuwa comes out of a UCLA 3-4 scheme that had him seal the edge against the run, and he did really well. Odighizuwa especially shined when they had four down linemen and they played him inside to take advantage of his quickness to split gaps. If he can stay healthy, getting Obdighizuwa at No. 40 is a good value.