2015 NFL Draft: Predicting the Chiefs and all others
By Ben Almquist
9. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff – OL – Iowa
Despite being considered the top OL prospect in the draft, Brandon Scherff may fall due to the perception that he’s better suited at guard than tackle. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants could go a number of directions at this point, but the value on Scherff is too great to pass on. Tom Coughlin is an old-school coach who loves to win with tough guys in the trenches. That’s what Scherff is. The Giants could use him at right tackle or guard. Getting that kind of versatility and talent is a definite plus.
10. St Louis Rams: Breshad Perriman – WR – Central Florida
The Rams aren’t able to trade up for Mariota, so now the task becomes finding weapons for Nick Foles. Jeff Fisher is one of the NFL heads who is still impressed by 40 times. And with their other recent receiver draft picks not panning out, Fisher tries again to get his offense going. I don’t think Perriman will amount to much in the NFL, but somebody will draft him, and I think that somebody is an over-eager Jeff Fisher.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Todd Gurley – RB – Georgia
The Vikings essentially ensure that Adrian Peterson’s days in Minnesota are done by taking Todd Gurley here. If you’re going to move on from a player like AP, then you had better have a good backup plan ready to go. Gurley is about the best possible backup plan they could hope for.
Trading back can still net the Falcons a great pass rusher in Alvin Dupree. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
12. Atlanta Falcons (from Cleveland): Alvin Dupree – DE/OLB – Kentucky
The Falcons trade works out almost perfectly for them. Alvin “Bud” Dupree was not a top-10 prospect, but at No. 12, the value is there. That’s an excellent turn of fate after Thomas Dimitroff and Scott Pioli watched the top three pass-rushers come off the board early. Getting some extra picks doesn’t hurt either.
13. New Orleans Saints: Trae Waynes – CB – Michigan State
The Saints offseason was a disaster this year. Cap issues, chemistry issues and a losing record don’t make for a good time in the Big Easy. The Saints have already missed out on the big-play wide receivers, so they look to fortify their defense. If you’re going to score a lot of points, then you’re going to give your opponent the opportunity to do the same, so your secondary had better be ready to hold its own. Waynes is definitely the kind of prospect who holds his own.
14. Miami Dolphins: Randy Gregory – OLB – Nebraska
The Dolphins have been trying furiously to replace Jason Taylor for a while now. After making the move for Dion Jordan in 2013, they quickly gave up on him. They try again here with Randy Gregory, though I think they’ll end up with the same results with him playing the 3-4 outside linebacker role.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Andrus Peat – OT – Stanford
With so much in San Francisco riding on the performance of Colin Kaepernick, Trent Baalke is going to invest everything he can in making sure his young quarterback is successful. Andrus Peat is not the best offensive lineman or offensive tackle on the board, but he does have a local flavor and teams are much more sure about where he is going to be lining up on the offensive line.
Shane Ray’s last minute drug arrest will cause him to drop significantly in the draft. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
16. Houston Texans: Shane Ray – DE/OLB – Missouri
The Texans have been built around their defense for a long time, and that continues here. The mindset in Houston is that they aren’t going to win any shootouts against the likes of Andrew Luck. So they need to be able to slow down the pace of the game and put pressure on the opposing quarterback. Ray is a prize for a team that hasn’t shied away from taking guys despite off the field flags. He’s supremely talented and should be a plug and play starter for Romeo Crennel’s defense.