Monday Morning Draft is back! This is a column that delves into the past weekend’s action from an NFL Draft perspective. As the season goes on, the draft picture and slotting will become more clear, but every Sunday will provide a few hints for next April.
By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
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Play like a Carcass For Marcus:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay maintains it’s hold of the No. 1 pick after getting handled by Green Bay. The Bucs have to land a franchise quarterback. Tampa Bay is a perfect example of how drafting a bust quarterback sets a franchise back for five or more years. Josh Freeman had flaws coming out, but those were ignored. Freeman went bust, and as a result, the Bucs have gone 30-65 since firing Jon Gruden and drafting Freeman in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. If the Buccaneers land the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the only question will be whether to take Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans almost blew their high draft slot for the second-straight week, but the Jaguars came back to get a win over Tennessee. The Titans are more likely to draft a quarterback than to try to trade the pick away. Zach Mettenberger hasn’t been good enough to convince the franchise to pass on Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston.
WalterFootball.com knows from sources that Mariota has already impressed the Titans organization, and he could remind Tennessee fans of the glory days when the team had Steve McNair.
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
This section will look at some of the top talent in college football and match those prospects up with teams that have a dire need at the position.
Green Bay Packers: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU 
The Packers cruised over Tampa Bay on Sunday to clinch their sixth-straight postseason berth. Green Bay could be poised for a January run, but one thing that could prevent the Packers from getting to the Super Bowl is some weakness in the secondary. They could bolster their secondary by taking a cornerback like Collins.
Collins has 33 tackles, nine passes broken up and an interception in 2014. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is a long corner who has some athleticism. Sources say that he runs well and could be a star of the Combine. Collins showed his speed in Week 1 when he chased down the lightning-fast Melvin Gordon on a long run. The Packers like big corners with speed, which is a description that Collins fits perfectly.
New England Patriots: Duke Johnson, RB, Miami 
The Patriots had a surprisingly close win over the Jets, and Tom Brady did not have a big game as New York held him under 200 yards passing. On the ground, New England had no rushing offense as Brady led the team with seven attempts while Shane Vereen had the most yards with 38. The Patriots could use a more steady presence in the backfield to lead their offense.
New England can draw on a good class of running backs to find an impact player. Johnson would inject some speed and big-play potential to the Patriots’ backfield. He is averaging seven yards per carry in 2014 for 1,520 yards with 10 touchdowns. The senior also is a good receiver with 33 receptions for 370 yards and three scores. Johnson would make a lot of sense for New England in the first or second round.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Cameron Erving, OT, Florida State 
The Jaguars’ offensive line is awful. The franchise has to improve its front to prevent Blake Bortles from becoming David Carr 2.0. Jacksonville’s interior line is weak, while Luke Joeckel has been just decent in his first true season. The right tackle position has been dreadful as Austin Pasztor was a real liability before getting injured. Jacksonville must upgrade its line in the offseason.
Erving would be a perfect pick for the Jaguars because of his flexibility. He could conceivably play any position on the offensive line, but for Jacksonville, Erving could step in at right tackle immediately. He also could move to guard or center if that’s where the team needs him. With Erving’s athleticism and flexibility, it make sense for the Jaguars to grab him on Day 2.
Washington Redskins: Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville 
Washington’s safeties have been a weakness all year, and the position needs to be addressed early in the 2015 NFL Draft. Landon Collins is a strong safety who isn’t meant to be a deep center-fielder. Thus, the Redskins would probably be better served using their first-round pick on some offensive line help. Taking a safety on Day 2 could make sense as the solution to the safety issue.
Holliman recorded 37 tackles with three passes broken up and 14 interceptions in 2014. He has been tremendous at creating turnovers while being equally bad at tackling. Holliman could be coached up in that latter regard. The tackling issue keeps him out of the first round, but landing a ballhawk like Holliman early in the second round could have the makings of an ideal draft for the Redskins.
New York Giants: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame 
The Giants got another great performance from Odell Beckham, Jr., and Eli Manning looks rejuvenated thanks to his rookie play-maker. In order for New York to get the most out of that combination, the franchise needs to improve its blocking up front. William Beatty landed three holding penalties against the Rams and would be better off at right tackle. That would allow Justin Pugh to slide inside to guard and improve the Giants’ line at three places.
Stanley (6-5, 315) had a great season at left tackle taking over for Zack Martin. He showed quickness, athleticism and strength at the point of attack. Stanley has really improved his draft stock with a strong finish to the regular season. If the Giants could land Stanley, that would give them a franchise left tackle and provide a big lift to their offensive line.
Houston Texans: Philip Dorsett, WR, Miami The Texans need to add some speed and play-making ability to their offense, especially with Andre Johnson in decline. Houston could go back to the “U” to land a play-maker for the offense.
Playing with a freshman quarterback, Dorsett showed his talent by averaging 27 yards per reception for 826 yards with nine touchdowns on only 31 catches. Dorsett has elite speed to stretch a defense vertically and command safety help over the top. With his quickness and route-running, Dorsett consistently works himself open. He would be a nice complement for DeAndre Hopkins in the long term.
Dallas Cowboys: Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky 
The Cowboys have to upgrade their edge rushers in the offseason. Dupree would be a good fit as an outside linebacker if Dallas switches back to a 3-4 defense. The Cowboys will have a pick in the 20s, which could be the right range to start considering Dupree. Dallas has other needs, so trading down and targeting Dupree would make sense.
Dupree could be a nice fit for Dallas. The 6-foot-4, 264-pounder is strong and quick. In 2014, the senior recorded 74 tackles with 11.5 tackles for a loss, one pass batted, one interception, two forced fumbles and 7.5 sacks. Dupree could be a good choice for the Cowboys first- or second-round pick.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2015 NFL Draft.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons have stayed alive for the NFC South title because the division was completely devoid of a good football team in 2014. Even if the Falcons get back to the postseason, they have a long ways to go before they’ll be close to the Super Bowl like they were two years ago with an older veteran squad.
The first issue for Atlanta to address is a pass-rusher. Atlanta’s efforts to replace John Abraham have been questionable because the team has really done nothing aside from a couple of mid-rounders. Landing a lead rusher is critical. In the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Falcons should target players like Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr., Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun, Kentucky’s Alvin Dupree, Missouri’s Markus Golden or Virginia’s Eli Harold. Atlanta should be in a good position to land one of those players and could consider a trade up for a player like Missouri’s Shane Ray or Nebraska’s Randy Gregory if either has an unlikely slide. Adding a good pass-rusher could make a huge difference for the Falcons’ defense.
Offensively, Atlanta has a few needs. The team could use a right tackle to pair with Jake Matthews and could find one of those on the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft or the mid-rounds. The Falcons also haven’t replaced Tony Gonzalez adequately as Levine Toilolo has been a disappointment. Roddy White is aging as well, and the organization could use another weapon for Matt Ryan. A tight end like Florida State’s Nick O’Leary would be a good fit in the Atlanta offense. Regarding White, taking a receiver in the mid-rounds would be a good idea to groom as a possible replacement.
The Falcons also could consider a running back since Steven Jackson is nearing the end of his great career. Devonta Freeman is a talented young runner, but Atlanta could use another running back to pair with him. This is a deep running back draft, so the team might land a good value. The Falcons also could consider some secondary help if a good defensive back is available when they pick.
Atlanta will have to address some needs in free agency and the draft in order to keep building the roster back up.
Philadelphia Eagles: It was very common last offseason to see projections that the Eagles would to take a cornerback or safety in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Many thought that Philadelphia might come away with HaHa Clinton-Dix or Calvin Pryor, but the team addressed its pass defense by adding a young rusher in Marcus Smith. The secondary has remained a weakness in 2014 and is the area that Philadelphia has to focus on in the offseason.
The trio of Nate Allen, Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams led to the Eagles being beaten by the Redskins on Saturday. Philadelphia has to find some upgrades at both corner and safety. The 2015 NFL Draft has a number of corner options, but isn’t as strong at safety. Thus, taking a cornerback would probably provide a better value for the draft slot.
A cornerback who has size and can play man coverage while being physical seems to be what the Eagles want in their secondary. LSU’s Jalen Collins would be a good fit as he is a huge corner with surprising speed. Another potential fit would be Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson or either of Florida State’s Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams. On the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft, there could be some good options, including Chip Kelly’s former player Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. The Duck senior was a first-rounder before his ACL injury in bowl practice, so the Eagles could potential get two first-round talents by taking a corner in the first and Ekpre-Olomu in the second or third.
The other pick on the second day could be used on a safety Louisville’s Gerod Holliman, who is a ballhawking interception machine. However, he is a terrible tackler who needs work there. Other safeties Philadelphia could consider include West Virginia’s Karl Joseph, LSU’s Jalen Mills, and Fresno State’s Derron Smith. It would make sense to lean toward a free safety who can cover over a strong safety.
Offensively, the Eagles have to decide what they’re going to do at the quarterback position. The talk of Philadelphia trading up for Marcus Mariota seems very unrealistic as the price to drop almost 20 picks will be huge; general manager Howie Roseman won’t be willing to deal that many selections. If the Eagles wants to trade Nick Foles, they could maybe get a quality pick for him to help them move up or include Foles in the deal. Philadelphia could also consider UCLA’s Brett Hundley on the second day as the athletic Hundley would be a good scheme fit, but he would need to be developed as a pocket passer.
The Eagles could add some offensive line depth and competition in the mid-rounds, but otherwise after addressing the secondary, Philadelphia could draft the best player available regardless of position to build up the depth on the roster.
Philadelphia has a strong front office, coaching staff and a base of talent on the roster to rebound and win the NFC East in 2015.
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