Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Mock draft: Will Eagles show brotherly love?

If mock draft is correct, the Birds will select linebacker Eric Kendricks, the younger sibling of Eagles' LB Mychal Kendricks.

YEAH, I KNOW pre-Valentine's Day mock drafts are pretty absurd. We haven't even had the combine or the Pro Day workouts.

But hey, wouldn't you rather read who the Eagles might take at No. 20, even if it's an absolute blind guess?

So, let's hit it from the top:

1. TAMPA BAY

Jameis Winston, QB

Florida State

6-5, 235

Risky pick because of his off-the-field issues, but he's the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft.

2. TENNESSEE

Marcus Mariota, QB

Oregon

6-4, 211

Forget all of the nonsense about Mariota falling out of the top 5 because he didn't play in a pro-style offense. Quarterbacks get pushed up in the draft, not down.

3. JACKSONVILLE

Leonard Williams, DE

USC

6-5, 290

Williams can line up inside or outside and be a dominant force vs. run and pass in Gus Bradley's defense.

4. OAKLAND

Randy Gregory, DE/OLB

Nebraska

6-6, 245

What do you get a team that had just 22 sacks last season? How about another elite pass-rusher to team with last year's first-round pass-rusher, Khalil Mack.

5. WASHINGTON

Shane Ray, OLB

Missouri

6-2, 240

Brian Orakpo, who missed most of the 2014 season with a torn pec, is an unrestricted free agent. Ray may be the best pure pass-rusher in the draft.

6. N.Y. JETS

Ereck Flowers, OT

Miami

6-6, 325

They'd love to get their hands on Winston or Mariota, but that's not going to happen. They'll have to settle for the guy many scouts feel is the best offensive lineman in the draft.

7. CHICAGO

Landon Collins, S

Alabama

6-0, 210

He's the top-rated safety in the draft, but some teams don't view him as a top 15 pick. Not a big hitter, but has good range and ball skills.

8. ATLANTA

Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB

Florida

6-1, 270

And the run on pass-rushers continues. Fowler is short and stocky and probably is best suited to be a 3-4 edge-rusher. But Dan Quinn is taking over a defense that had just 22 sacks and needs guys who can get to the QB.

9. N.Y. GIANTS

Brandon Scherff, OT

Iowa

6-4, 320

Giants GM Jerry Reese continues to rebuild his team's offensive line, one big body at a time.

10. ST. LOUIS

Amari Cooper, WR

Alabama

6-1, 205

Whoever ends up being the Rams' starting QB is going to need somebody to throw the ball to. Cooper is a big-play threat who can run away from people.

11. MINNESOTA

Melvin Gordon, RB

Wisconsin

6-0, 205

In the last 6 years, just four running backs have been top-15 picks. But this kid is special. With Adrian Peterson probably not returning, the Vikings need somebody better than Matt Asiata to complement Teddy Bridgewater.

12. CLEVELAND

DeVante Parker, WR

Louisville

6-2, 210

Josh Gordon is off on another long substance-abuse hiatus. Parker is a big, fast target with excellent hands who will go over the middle for the ball.

13. NEW ORLEANS

Trae Waynes, CB

Michigan State

6-1, 182

What Waynes may lack in speed he makes up for in length and instincts. Saints gave up 7.7 yards per pass attempt last season.

14. MIAMI

T.J. Clemmings, OT

Pittsburgh

6-4, 315

Dolphins still are rebuilding their offensive line. Ryan Tannehill was sacked 46 times, and neither of their OTs distinguished themselves.

15. SAN FRANCISCO

Kevin White, WR

West Virginia

6-2, 211

White would give Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers' offense a much-needed vertical threat. Niners had the fourth fewest number of 30-plus-yard pass plays in the league last year.

16. HOUSTON

Brett Hundley, QB

UCLA

6-3, 223

He's very raw and his one-look-and-run tendencies concern many NFL scouts. But the kid's an intriguing prospect.

17. SAN DIEGO

Marcus Peters, CB

Washington

6-0, 198

Yet another player with major character questions, but an awful lot of talent. Was tossed off the team last November for getting into an argument with an assistant coach.

18. KANSAS CITY

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

Oklahoma

6-6, 225

Green-Beckham also has some major off-the-field issues. But he's also probably the most talented wideout in this draft. Chiefs didn't have a WR with a TD catch last season. Time for Big Red to do his Father Flanagan thing.

19. CLEVELAND

Danny Shelton, DT

Washington

6-5, 335

Browns allowed 4.5 yards per carry last season. Shelton is a huge, immovable object who would help change that.

20. EAGLES

Eric Kendricks, LB

UCLA

6-0, 230

I'm very familiar with Chip Kelly's big-people-beat-up-little-people mantra. But a lack of height hasn't bothered Eric's brother Mychal, and so far, it hasn't hindered Eric, either.

21. CINCINNATI

P.J. Williams CB/S

Florida State

6-1, 196

Williams has appeal as both a corner and safety to NFL teams. He played safety at FSU before the Seminoles moved him to corner. Nice size. Good ball skills. Solid tackler.

22. PITTSBURGH

Bud Dupree, OLB/DE

Kentucky

6-3, 268

An extremely productive college player who is going to knock teams' socks off with his combine and Pro Day workouts.

23. DETROIT

Cameron Erving, OL

Florida State

6-5, 303

Was a 3-year starter at offensive tackle, then made the switch to center during his senior season. Lions center Dominic Raiola turned 100 - OK, it actually was only 36 - in December.

24. ARIZONA

Shaq Thompson, OLB

Washington

6-2, 224

A versatile athlete who can play an assortment of positions on both offense and defense. What team can't use a Swiss Army knife?

25. CAROLINA

Andrus Peat, OT

Stanford

6-7, 312

Panthers have some major issues up front, particularly at tackle. Peat could start immediately at RT.

26. BALTIMORE

Todd Gurley, RB

Georgia

6-1, 226

Gurley would've been a top 10 - maybe even top 5 - pick if he hadn't torn his ACL. Ravens are hoping to re-sign Justin Forsett, but Gurley would be a great value for them at 26, even if he contributes little in 2015.

27. DALLAS

Malcom Brown, DT

Texas

6-3, 317

Cowboys defense played better than expected last season, but they have a lot of areas that need upgrading, including the defensive line.

28. DENVER

Cedric Ogbuehi, OT

Texas A&M

6-5, 300

Ogbuehi was considered a possible top-10 pick before tearing his ACL in the Liberty Bowl. But he is expected to make a full recovery, and like Gurley, he's a terrific value pick late in the first round.

29. INDIANAPOLIS

Sammie Coates, WR

Auburn

6-2, 213

He's unpolished and inconsistent, but scouts love his speed and measurables. Forced his way into the first round with solid workouts at the Senior Bowl.

30. GREEN BAY

Eddie Goldman, DT

Florida State

6-3, 320

Goldman has the versatility to play any of the line spots in Dom Capers' 3-4 scheme. Truthfully, he probably won't drop this far, but if he does, Packers will gobble him up.

31. SEATTLE

Vic Beasley, DE/OLB

Clemson

6-2, 235

Bruce Irvin 2.0. Like the undersized Irvin, who the Seahawks took in the first round of the 2012 draft, he's not an every-down player, at least not right now. But he's a quick-twitch player who may have the best first step of any pass-rusher in this draft.

32. NEW ENGLAND

Dezmin Lewis, WR

6-3, 215

Central Arkansas

Lewis is a small-school receiver who played in a run-oriented offense. But he's got a big frame and soft hands, and if he can put up a good 40 number at the combine, he could go in the first round.