2015 NFL Mock Draft Scenario: Buccaneers, Titans Avoid Quarterbacks
Right now, it’s widely believed that Tampa Bay will be deciding between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota to be their selection with the number one overall pick. The Titans are mulling over their choices as well right now, and have a chance to pick the quarterback the Buccaneers pass on.
What if neither of them take a quarterback?
It would be very interesting to see how the draft would play out if Tampa Bay and Tennessee decide to go elsewhere with their picks. This mock is going to explore what could possibly happen if they both decide to eschew the top two quarterbacks in the class.
Note: This mock draft will stop after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are both selected.
DT. USC. Leonard Williams. 1. player. 48. If the Buccaneers decide to pass on the available quarterbacks, then they’ll likely take the best player on their board. That could very well be USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams. Pairing Williams with elite defensive tackle Gerald McCoy would give the Bucs two highly disruptive players in the middle of their defense.
player. 35. Randy Gregory is in play for the second overall pick, regardless of what Tampa Bay does with the first overall pick. Gregory would provide serious pass rushing potential across from Derrick Morgan while upgrading the ineffective Kamerion Wimbley. Even with both quarterbacks on the board, this pick would still make sense.. DE/OLB. Nebraska. Randy Gregory. 2
Miami. Ereck Flowers. 3. player. 52. If the draft were to play out like this, the Jaguars would probably be looking to trade down, but I’m not predicting trades in this mock draft. They drafted Blake Bortles last year, so neither of the quarterbacks are in play. Amari Cooper would probably be the best player on the board for them, but the Jags are stacked with young receiver talent. They still have a need at left tackle as Luke Joeckel hasn’t lived up to his lofty expectations as a high draft pick, so they’ll reach for a tackle here. Ereck Flowers is one of the top tackles in this draft class, and has the skill set and potential to be dominant in the NFL.. OT
The Raiders need to give Derek Carr some help at receiver. With Williams and Gregory off the board, this is relatively easy pick for the Raiders. Amari Cooper would immediately step in and be the number one receiver on the Raiders offense and give Derek Carr a potent weapon for years to come.. WR. Alabama. Amari Cooper. 4. player. 28
The first quarterback is off the board. The Jets would be absolutely ecstatic if the draft were to play out like this. They would be able to have their pick at the top two quarterbacks in the draft, and I think they choose Winston. The Jets have suffered through the play of Geno Smith for two seasons, and they can’t take a chance on another spread quarterback in Marcus Mariota. Winston is more pro-ready, and would give the Jets some stability on offense from day one. . QB. Florida State. Jameis Winston. 6. player. 30
player. 57. The elite pass rushers are coming off the board fast, and the Bears need to upgrade their pass rush as they transition into the John Fox-Vic Fangio era. Fowler would provide versatility to the Bears defense and has the potential to become an elite pass rusher in the NFL.. DE/OLB. Florida. Dante Fowler. 7
44. The Falcons are another team that desparately needs to upgrade this pass rush. They’re in a bit of a pickle here as the top tier pass rushers are off the board, so they’ll have to reach for Alvin “Bud” Dupree from Kentucky. This pick will seem like a reach right now, but if Dupree blows up the combine his stock will soar, making this pick much more plausible.. DE/OLB. Kentucky. Alvin Dupree. 8. player
9. player. 31. The Giants at nine are in a very intriguing position as Marcus Mariota is still on the board. A number of teams will be blowing up their phone in order to trade up and select him, but again there are no trades in this mock draft. The Giants could stand to improve their offensive line and Andrus Peat is the top tackle on the board. Drafting Peat would allow Justing Pugh to move inside and fortify Eli Manning’s offensive line as he moves towards the end of his career.. OT. Stanford. Andrus Peat
Marcus Mariota’s draft day slide ends with the Rams at the tenth overall selection. The Rams are ready to move on Sam Bradford, who just can’t seem to stay healthy. Jeff Fisher is still looking for “his guy” at the quarterback position, and in this scenario Mariota falls right into his lap. The Rams would have finally found a quarterback to pair with a bunch of solid pieces already in place to ease Mariota’s transition into the NFL.. QB. Oregon. Marcus Mariota. 10. player. 51
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