Q&A With Shawn Zobel of Draft Headquarters

In the ever-expanding world of NFL Draft gurus, the name Shawn Zobel may not come to mind as quickly as the likes of ESPN’s Todd McShay or the iconic Mel Kiper Jr.  But over the last four years, he’s beaten them both in 1st round mock draft accuracy.  In 2007 he founded www.draftheadquarters.com and started cranking out one of the most comprehensive prospect draft guides available.

I reached out to Shawn for a little Q&A on the eve of the big event, and he had some interesting insight into who’s falling, who’s rising, and where he sees the first round making a turn.

Dan Viens:  The third pick seems to be a tipping point right now, with all sorts of rumors about what the Vikings are going to do. You’re on record saying you think they will take Justin Blackmon if they stay put. What’s their thought process?
Shawn Zobel: They are thinking from the standpoint of a what their biggest need is. They feel that Charlie Johnson did a good-enough job at left tackle, that Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield are capable starting corners that they need to land a top wide receiver.

DV: On your Big Board, you have Luke Keuchly (4) and Dont’a Hightower (12) rated higher than most.  What is it you see in these two MLB?
SZ: Luke Kuechly is the most instinctive linebacker to enter the NFL since Patrick Willis and I absolutely love everything that he brings to the table. In Hightower, I see a mauler of an inside backer who has what it takes to become a physical presence in the run game and underrated pass rusher on third downs.

DV:  You’ve got Ryan Tannehill ranked 22nd overall.  Where do you see him landing?
SZ: Miami appears to be the most likely landing spot right now, but it’s still early.

 DV: One of the fastest risers this week is Syracuse DE Chandler Jones, who I’m now seeing projected as high as #12 to Seattle.  He’s not in your top 32.  Are you buying the hype?
SZ: Not as much as other people are. I think he’s very raw, a bit too stiff for my liking, and was not very productive in college. I wouldn’t take him in the Top 50 picks.

DV: Same question for Shea McClellin, who’s almost universally accepted as a late first rounder now.
SZ: I undervalued his versatility that he can bring to the table, however his production was good, but not great and he doesn’t offer anything special from a physical standpoint. For a team looking for an immediate contributor that can make plays all over the field, I get it. However, he’s not a high-upside player like Chandler Jones is.

DV:  At what point do you see the first significant dropoff in talent in the first round?
SZ: After my Top 12 players I see a dropoff.
DV: I focus on the NFC West for NFL Mocks, where do you see the Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals going with their first picks?
SZ: I think Matt Kalil could fall to St. Louis, otherwise Michael Floyd, Stephon Gilmore, or Fletcher Cox. With Seattle, I think that any pass rusher in the mold of Quinton Coples, Chandler Jones, and Melvin Ingram could all be fits. With Arizona, Michael Floyd is intriguing if he’s there, otherwise I see them going with an offensive line.

DV: Give me a name of a guy you see as having a surprising fall, aka Aaron Rodgers?
SZ: Ryan Tannehill could be that guy. Coples, Courtney Upshaw are two others that could last longer than expected.
DV: Likewise, someone we aren’t talking about who will go higher than expected?
SZ: Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler is getting talk as a late-first round pick. I like him a lot and would understand the pick as an immediate contributor.

Follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnZobel_DHQ and me @HawkCoug08