Monday Morning Draft – Divisional

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]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.

Play like a Carcass For Marcus:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Bucs have the No. 1 pick and must use it to land a franchise quarterback. The only question will be whether to take Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston. If Winston decides to return to Florida State, and that sounds like a serious possibility, the choice will be easy for Tampa Bay as the team can’t turn down a franchise quarterback.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Lovie Smith have to get the pick right. 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 of Kansas State, but those were ignored. Freeman went bust, and as a result, the Bucs have gone 30-66 since firing Jon Gruden and drafting Freeman in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The pressure is on for Licht and Smith.

Tennessee Titans:
If both quarterbacks enter the 2015 NFL Draft, Tennessee is more likely to draft a quarterback than to try to trade the pick away. Zach Mettenberger wasn’t 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. The Titans also have the potential for a nice nucleus on offense around Mariota or Winston.

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.

Carolina Panthers: Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State

The Panthers’ receivers predictably struggled against the Seahawks’ tough secondary, and while Carolina has a good young wideout in Kelvin Benjamin, the organization is going to need to provide some better weapons for Cam Newton. It would make sense for the Panthers to find a No. 2 and slot receiver to work off of Benjamin. Getting Benjamin’s former teammate to fill the slot role would make a lot of sense.

Greene (6-1, 180) is a thin receiver who doesn’t have size to line up on the outside. However, he is a phenomenal route-runner and has excellent hands. Greene was Jameis Winston’s most trusted receiver during the past two years. The senior caught 99 passes for 1,365 yards with seven touchdowns in 2014. He had 76 catches for 1,128 yards and nine scores during the previous season. He also had decent production as a sophomore (57-741) and freshman (38-596). Carolina could get a nice value with Greene in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Baltimore Ravens: Philip Dorsett, WR, Miami

The Ravens were led by Torrey Smith (3-62) and Steve Smith (3-44) in receiving yards against New England. Clearly, Baltimore needs to give Joe Flacco more receiving weapons to work with. It would make sense for the Ravens to grab some speed receivers to take advantage of Flacco’s deep-ball strength. In the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Dorsett could be perfect.

The burner Dorsett (5-10, 195) averaged 24 yards per reception in 2014 on 36 catches for 871 yards with 10 touchdowns. He also was playing with a freshman quarterback. Dorsett constantly got separation and wasn’t thrown the ball, plus Miami also featured the ground game with Duke Johnson heavily. Dorsett could skyrocket in the months to come as it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s a star at the Senior Bowl and the 2015 NFL Draft Combine.

Dallas Cowboys: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky

The Cowboys couldn’t ramp up enough of a pass rush to keep Aaron Rodgers from carrying Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game. DeMarcus Lawrence had Dallas’ only sack, and the Cowboys have to add more rushers in the offseason. It would make sense to add a player who has the versatility to be a 4-3 end or 3-4 outside linebacker.

With the Cowboys picking in the mid-20s, they’re in the right range to land Dupree. The recorded 74 tackles with 11.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception, one pass batted and two forced fumbles in 2014. He was much more disruptive than the numbers illustrate. Dupree (6-4, 267) is fast, strong and physical on the edge. He has the flexibility to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense or 3-4 outside linebacker. Dupree would be a great fit in Dallas.

Denver Broncos: Arie Kouandjio, G, Alabama

The Broncos could lose Orlando Franklin in free agency, and there also is little doubt that Denver will look to add to its offensive line in the offseason. It would help the Broncos to invigorate their ground game and add a reliable run-blocker up front. Kouandjio has the experience and talent to be able to contribute immediately.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Kouandjio excelled as a run-blocker in 2014, and Alabama had a lot of success running behind him. His pass blocking was improved over 2013, but he still has room to get better in that area of his game for the next level. Kouandjio has the physical skill set to be a quality starter and play quickly in the NFL. He has quickness, athleticism and strength.