On The Clock: 2016 RCF NFL Mock Draft

[Sly]

#68 @TheLand1287

 

[TheLand1287]

With the 68th pick in the draft the San Francisco 49ers select...

Joshua Perry, LB, THE Ohio State University.

MEASURABLES
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 254 LBS
40 yard dash: 4.68 sec

THE RATIONALE
The 49ers have holes everywhere, and after grabbing their new franchise QB in Jared Goff in the 1st, and a WR for him to throw to in Tyler Boyd in the 2nd, it was time to start focusing on the defensive side of the ball. With needs everywhere there was no wrong position to target on defense, except maybe safety as there is some young talent there. Joshua Perry may not have the highest ceiling, but he's someone who can come in and contribute from day one pushing Michael Wilhoite to start opposite Navarro Bowman. The Niners losing Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to early retirements opened up a glaring hole at ILB that has yet to really be addressed.

OVERVIEW
Perry gained respect from Big Ten coaches for his play as a senior, garnering first team All-Big Ten notice with 105 tackles, 7.5 for loss and three sacks. He also received honors for his leadership and character, being named an all-state AFCA All-Good Works Team member, as well as a finalist for the Lott IMPACT, Senior CLASS Award, and the Wuerffel Trophy. The Buckeyes' leading tackler in 2014 (124, 8.5 for loss, three sacks) earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in his second year as a starter (he had 64 tackles, two for loss the previous year). Though not a highly recruited player like many on head coach Urban Meyer's squad, Perry's list of national honors speaks volumes about his willingness to do what it takes to get the job done.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Noted leader on the field and in the locker room. Winner who is willing to do the dirty work. Big and physical and has the strength and grit to handle himself at point of attack. Productive tackler with good finishing rate. Wrap up tackler who throws his chest into it. Allowed just one broken tackle over last two years. Has old-school thumper's mentality in the box. Well-conditioned and continues to bring his lunch pail into the fourth quarter. Plays with good instincts anticipating screen passes and getting jumps on wide rushing plays.

WEAKNESSES
Will play through a straw and has a limited area of impact as a playmaker. Gets too caught up in physical battles against blockers and loses sight of the ball. Plays too tall and allows blockers under his pads and into his frame. Needs to punch and shuck sooner and get to the tackle. Stiff movement in space and labors with direction change. Below average sideline-to-sideline chaser. Doesn’t appear to have the one-on-one cover skills to stay on the field in subpackages.

BOTTOM LINE
Physical linebacker who has produced high-end tackle numbers over the last two years at Ohio State. Perry played the role of thumper on a loaded Ohio State team, but may be lacking the athleticism and overall speed to replicate his college production in the pros. His best fit may be as a physical, 3-4 inside linebacker who has to leave the field on passing downs.

2016 49ers Draft so far:
1st: Jared Goff, QB, Cal
2nd: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt
3rd: Joshua Perry, ILB, tOSU

 

[Sly]

With the 69th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft... the Jacksonville Jaguars select ILB Scooby Wright III, Arizona

HtWt: 6'0"- 239
College: Arizona
ESPN Rank: -
NFLN Rank: #65 - Grade: 5.73
CBS Rank: #135

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS: Possesses elite instincts. Appears to head in direction of the play like he knows the play call. Extremely active and always on the balls of his feet and ready to hunt. Plays with an insane amount of competitive fire. Flows quickly to point with downhill action and looking to disrupt. Is often able to force cutbacks or alter the running back’s track. Can time snaps and shoot gaps making him a dangerous blitzer. His 2014 season, which included 163 tackles, 29 tackles for losses, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles, is widely considered the most productive for a linebacker in college football history. Explodes with hips into tackles and finishes with his feet. Play speed is faster than timed speed thanks to combination of instincts and burst to the ball. Shows plus lateral agility with ability to engage in, shed, or beat the block.

WEAKNESSES: Needs to learn to harness his energy and passion to improve his body control. Will end up on the ground a little too often due to revved up motor. Average athlete with below average straight-line speed. Plays upright. Needs more bend in his waist and knees to improve his pad level and leverage. Can improve his tackling. Will get run through at times due to leverage issues. Stiff change of direction creates arm tackling situations and missed tackles. Gets caught guessing sometimes and will vacate his run fit.

NFL COMPARISON
Zach Thomas

BOTTOM LINE
Scooby Wright probably won’t tear up the combine with eye-popping athletic numbers and his injury-plagued 2015 season put his name on the backburner as far as draft discussions, but his instincts, production and overall competitive fire make him one of the safer second day bets in this draft. He could make a late move up the draft board for teams who value elite production.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/scooby-wright iii?id=2555292


Also considered: Kenny Clark



My 2015 selections for the Jaguars:
#3: Leonard Williams, DL, Southern Cal (#5 NYJ)
#36: Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon (#53 CIN)
#67: Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah (#51 CLE)

My 2016 selections for the Jaguars:
#5: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
#38: Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
#69: Scooby Wright III, ILB, Arizona

Actual 2015 selections for the Jaguars:
#3: Dante Fowler Jr, OLB, Florida
#36: T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
#67: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina


... the Baltimore Ravens are now on the clock..

@Stark

 

[Stark]

I'll have my pick in within two hours at the most. Didn't expect to get tagged at midnight on a Saturday. Sorry about the wait.

 

[Stark]

With the 70th Pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens select:​

Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State University

PRO DAY RESULTS
40-yard dash: 4.72 seconds
Vertical: 34 1/2 inches
Broad jump: 121 inches
Bench: 16 reps of 225 pounds

STRENGTHS
Premium length and athleticism. Played quarterback and wide receiver in high school and lettered in basketball and volleyball. Rangy tackler who is able to shadow the ball all over the field. Has length and arm extension to punch and control the point of attack. Functional strength is good enough against the run. Has length and motor for tremendous tackle radius. Had 80 tackles or more in each of his last three full seasons. Had just five sacks, but often dropped into space. Potential is there to become plus pass rusher. Combines forward lean, hip explosion and long arms to crank up speed-to-power pocket push. Upfield burst covers substantial ground in first three steps. Has upper body turn and shoulder dip to slip under tackle’s shoulder and around the corner. Don’t sleep on his cover ability in space.

WEAKNESSES
Missed the entire 2014 season with an ACL tear. Can improve his hand play as pass rusher at the high side of his rush. When edge rush stalls out, has average counter attack. Long-strider who struggles to make sudden inside moves once he gets going upfield. High center of gravity combined with lean lower half make it difficult to play through redirect blocks with contact balance.

NFL COMPARISON
Connor Barwin

BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to the length and athleticism teams will look for off the edge, Fackrell will be one of the poster boys. His field versatility, coverage talent and potential as a pass rusher could make him one of the fastest rising prospects in this draft and a future contender for a Pro Bowl nod.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/kyler-fackrell?id=2555340

The New York Giants and @Snowblind are on the clock.​

 

[Snowblind]

Giants taking Kenny Clark. I'll do a write up later

 

[Soda]

@CosmoKramer you're up next.

 

[CosmoKramer]

With the 72nd pick of the RCF Mock Draft the Chicago Bears select...



Chris Jones, DT/DE, Mississippi State

HtWt: 6'6'' - 310 lbs.
College: Mississippi State

ESPN Rank: #30 - 88/100 grade
NFLN Rank: #23 - 6.2 grade
CBS Rank: #74​

My Take:
After watching Kenny Clark get picked a spot before them, the Bears take the next best defensive lineman available and roll the dice on the highly talented, yet inconsistent Chris Jones. Current starter Will Sutton has had problems staying healthy, while Jones could offer a better option with his length and short-area quickness.

A PFF darling, Chris Jones ranks among their top-10 players overall. His draft profile draws a comparison with Muhammad Wilkerson, while the article they wrote a couple weeks ago calls Jones the steal of the draft. A couple GIFs to highlight Jones' remarkable quickness off the snap-

In Our View:
After coming off the bench his first two seasons, Jones became a full-time starter as a junior in the Bulldogs' four-man front, lining up mostly as a one-technique, three-technique and occasionally outside as a defensive end. He was named second-team All-America by Pro Football Focus after accumulating 44 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. Jones is still raw in many areas, but it's easy to see the potential due to his foot quickness and body type. Although he shows first-round flashes, it comes in spurts and the impact of his body of work doesn't warrant that high of a selection.


Strengths:

• Agile lower body to sidestep blocks and operate in small spaces, redirecting himself without losing momentum in pursuit.
• Understands how to split double-teams, using his body to gain leverage.
• Determined chaser away from the line of scrimmage.
• Uses his long arms to press blockers off his frame.
• Commended by coaches for his improved practice habits and attention to detail, working hard in the weight room to shed bad weight.
• Experienced lining up at multiple spots inside and outside on the defensive line.

Weaknesses:

• High-hipped and doesn't consistently bend his knees.
• Plays flat-footed and struggles to control his momentum in his rush.
• Inconsistent pad level off the snap, rushing upright and struggling to get underneath blocks.
• Narrow-based and offenses can run at him.
• Digests what he sees but doesn't anticipate due to marginal instincts.
• Lacks a sense of ugency and wears down easily.
• Pass rush lacks variety, lacking move-to-move transition.
• Only one season as a full-time starter with underwhelming career production.

Compares To: Muhammad Wilkerson, Jets
It’s hard not to see some Muhammad Wilkerson in Jones’ game. Strength and length are the calling cards for each. And it’s not unlikely for Jones to have a similar career arc. Wilkerson struggled adjusting to the pro game as a rookie before becoming one of the game’s premier interior defenders.


@I'mWithDan and the Miami Dolphins are on the clock.

 

[I'mWithDan]

With the 73rd pick......The Miami Dolphins select:

WR Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina.

Height: 5-11
Weight: 208 LBS

Awards:

2014 All SEC First Team
2015 All SEC First Team

My Analysis:

The Dolphins need football players, period.

That is what I said when taking Calhoun in round 2 and what I'll ay again taking Cooper in round 3.

Short, compact and strong.....Cooper is a slot willing to go over the middle. Tough as nails, long arms, big hands and a RB mentality when in space. Incredibly productive on a team that never had consistent QB play. He's a versatile player that can play WR, RB, Wilcat QB and contribute on special teams. Just get him on the field and put the ball in his hands.

Quick feet and a natural athlete. Cooper doesn't have elite wheels but he gets to his top number in a hurry, giving him more deceptive game speed. He shows explosion off the line and in and out of breaks and shouldn't have problems getting open at the next level.

He has elite intangibles (military brat) and will be a great locker-room presence. He is said to have a competitiveness that is contagious and is driven to work each day and improve.

Pro comp: Julian Edelman.


@SuperSurge , Tampa is on the clock.

 

[Phills14]

Updated top 100

53 Jeremy Cash SS2 Duke rSr 6-0 212
54 Kentrell Brothers ILB2 Missouri rSr 6-0 245
62 Kenneth Dixon RB4 Louisiana Tech Sr 5-10 215
63 Nick Martin C2 Notre Dame rSr 6-4 299
67 Jalen Mills FS2 LSU Sr 6-0 191
68 Carl Nassib DE9 Penn State rSr 6-7 277
69* Kamalei Correa OLB7 Boise State Jr 6-3 243
71* Christian Hackenberg QB5 Penn State Jr 6-4 223
72 Christian Westerman OG4 Arizona State rSr 6-3 298
75* Alex Collins RB5 Arkansas Jr 5-10 217
76* Rashard Higgins WR10 Colorado State Jr 6-1 196
77 Charles Tapper DE10 Oklahoma Sr 6-3 271
79 Will Redmond

CB8 Mississippi State Sr5-11 182
81 Landon Turner OG5 North Carolina rSr 6-4 330
82* Dominique Alexander ILB3 Oklahoma Jr 6-0 232
83* Jordan Howard RB6 Indiana Jr 6-0 230
85 Sebastian Tretola OG6 Arkansas rSr 6-4 314
87 Maurice Canady CB9 Virginia Sr 6-1 193
88 John Theus OT10 Georgia Sr 6-6 313
89* T.J. Green FS3 Clemson Jr 6-2 209
91 Jonathan Williams RB7 Arkansas Sr 5-11 220
92 Shawn Oakman DE11 Baylor rSr 6-8 287
93 Nick Vannett TE3 Ohio State rSr 6-6 257
94* Kenny Lawler WR12 California rJr 6-2 203
95 Deion Jones OLB9 LSU Sr 6-1 222
96* Zack Sanchez CB10 Oklahoma rJr 5-11 185
97 Darian Thompson FS4 Boise State rSr 6-2 208
98 Jordan Payton WR13 UCLA Sr 6-1 207
99 Kyle Murphy OT11 Stanford Sr 6-6 305
100 Cyrus Jones CB11 Alabama Sr 5-10 197

 

[Surge]

Buccaneers select:

JEREMY CASH, SS, DUKE

@Phills14 and the Raiders are up.

 

[NorthCoastBias]

Congrats to @CosmoKramer for showing some balls in taking Jones.

 

[Phills14]

With the 75th pick, the Oakland Raiders select...

Dominique Robertson, OT, West Georgia

My Take:
The Raiders have a pretty solid offensive line but with the selection of Robertson they have an eye on the future. Current LT, Donald Penn is quietly one of the better LTs in football. However; he has 11 years under his belt and it's time for the Raiders to groom his replacement. In steps Dominique Robertson to fill that position. Robertson is a massive man with incredible measurables and raw tools. Attitude and technique is where he is lacking. The Raiders have one of the better O-Line coaches in the league in Mike Tice. If Tice can get through to the big fella out of West Georgia, then the Raiders could have a bookend LT that comes at a fraction of the price of most.

​

Dane Brugler's take

10. DOMINIQUE ROBERTSON
West Georgia
6045|324 lbs|4SR
Redlands, Calif. (Redlands East)
#75
GRADE 4th Round
MEASUREABLES Arm: 36 | Hand: 10 3/8 | Wingspan: 86 1/4
COMBINE 40-YD: 5.36 | 10-YD: 1.85 | 20-YD: 3.10 | BP: 30 | VJ: 28.5 | BJ: 08’04” | SS: 4.83 | 3C: 8.42
PRO DAY N/A (positional drills only)

YEAR (GP/GS)
2012: Riverside Community College (Calif.)
2013: Riverside Community College (Calif.)
2014: (4/1) 1 RG (Texas Tech)
2015: (13/11) 11 LT (West Georgia)
Total: (17/12) 11 LT, 1 RG


BACKGROUND:
An under-recruited offensive tackle out of high school, Dominique “D-Rob” Robertson signed with Riverside Community College where he spent two seasons. As a three-star JUCO recruit, he initially committed to Kansas State before switching his pledge to Texas Tech. According to the coaches, the plan was to move incumbent left tackle Le’Raven Clark to right guard in 2014 to keep Robertson at his more natural left tackle position, but his inconsistencies during practice changed those plans. Robertson started only one game as a junior right guard and left the team before the end of the 2014 season. He landed at Division-II West Georgia where he started 11 games at left tackle in 2015 as a senior, earning First Team All-GSC and All-American honors. Robertson accepted his invitation to the 2016 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

STRENGTHS:
Massive body type with meaty thighs and wide hips…elite arm length and wingspan, using his reach to punch…initial set-up quickness to gain position and instigate the action…unlocks his hips and smoothly carries his weight in his kickslide to seal the pocket…natural knee bender with patience to mirror in space…overpowering drive blocker, redirecting defenders with his brute strength…prefers to use his hands and attacks with bear paws to snatch-and-steer…anchors to prevent rushers from going through him…walls off run lanes, turning defenders to seal leaky holes…appeared bored on tape with what Division-II rushers were throwing at him…blocks with a MAN attitude (mean and nasty).

WEAKNESSES:
Late to draw his hands from their holster at his hip, giving up his chest…needs to keep his elbows inside to maintain an efficient coil…grabby and often ends up with a fistful of cloth, attracting holding penalties…wild limbs leads to unclean punch attempts…sloppy in motion and caught leaning…needs to improve his sink at the point of attack to stay off his heels…late to react vs. spins and stunts and can be fooled by moving pieces…weight has fluctuated over his career and teams will need to monitor his conditioning…lacks experience against top competition – of his three seasons of starting experience, two came at the JUCO level and the other was in Division-II…character needs inspected under a microscope after fizzling out at Texas Tech – served a one-game suspension for violating team rules (Sept. 2014) and left the Red Raiders (Nov. 2014) after “not seeing eye-to-eye” with the coaches.

SUMMARY:
A one-year starter at West Georgia, Robertson was a standout performer for the Wolves in 2015, earning Division-II All-American status and becoming the first player in school history to earn an invitation to the NFL Combine. An aggressive mauler, he shoots his long arms to attack defenders and block them off the screen, physically overpowering edge rushers in pass protection and vs. the run. Robertson is also surprisingly light in his movements and there are only so many humans on this planet with his size, strength and length who can move with that type of body control. However, he has gotten away with his God-given gifts most of his life and needs to develop his discipline, awareness and accountability before ready for NFL snaps. Robertson has starting potential down the road if a coaching staff is able to cultivate all that talent – highly intriguing raw tools worth developing.


@kriegs and the LA Rams are up

 

[kriegs]

With the 76th pick in the 2016 RCF NFL Mock Draft, the Los Angeles Rams select...

Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado St.

Height: 6'1'' Weight: 196 College: Colorado St.

My Take...
Thus far, the Rams have spent the first two rounds of the draft adding talent at the wide receiver position by drafting Josh Doctson 15th overall, as well as in the defensive secondary. In the third round, the theme remains similar as they draft the talented receiver Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins, who already has three years experience as a Ram at Colorado St. The other positions the Rams considered addressing with this pick were both the glaring hole at quarterback and interior offensive live. Unfortunately, Connor Cook did not fall quite far enough, and a recent run on offensive lineman has left this tier of interior o-line prospects depleted.

The Rams ultimately find their infatuation with Hollywood Higgins too tempting to pass up and decide to go receiver once again. His 40 yard dash time of 4.64 is a definitely a concern for his ability to separate at the next level, however it shouldn't be overlooked that he did excel in getting open against both man and zone coverage in college. He also has some of the surest hands in this draft and was able to beat press coverage consistently last season. If he can find ways to continue beating press coverage in the NFL, he will be a solid possession receiver in the NFL for years to come, regardless of his speed. Hollywood simply knows how to play the position.

The Rams feel strongly that he can pair with fellow rookie Josh Doctson to develop a strong core of dynamic receivers, and make life easier for Case Keenum (or whoever the Rams may acquire to throw the football during the remainder of this offseason or next). Doctson and Higgins will join Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Brian Quick, and bring life to what was one of the weakest receiver corps in the NFL.

Los Angeles Rams previous draft picks:
Round 1, Pick 15 (15th overall): Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
Round 2, Pick 12 (43rd overall) (from Eagles): Vonn Bell, FS, Ohio St.
Round 2, Pick 14 (45th overall): Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor

Matt Harmon's Reception Perception series write-up on Higgins...

Among the college prospects charted for Reception Perception, Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins finished with the second best Success Rate Vs. Coverage score again man defense, the third-best against press, and fifth against zone. All the makings of a future NFL prospect, at worst, in the results of my methodology. At best, these scores show us that Higgins is a clear sleeper who can quietly emerge from the mid-rounds to become a top-level receiver in the game.

Higgins split his time between flanker and X-receiver at Colorado State, taking 90.2 percent of his snaps outside and 50.9 percent behind the line of scrimmage in his sampled games. He was the engine of an offense in transition in 2015. Former quarterback star Garrett Grayson was a third-round pick of the Saints in last year’s draft, and head coach Jim McElwain departed for the open University of Florida position.

The CSU quarterbacks targeted Higgins on 35.3 percent of his 139 routes in his Reception Perception sample. He was hyper-efficient in terms of hauling in the targets, recording a catch on 23.7 percent of his routes, finishing third in the class. Higgins also carries one of the most secure pair of hands among the 2016 crop of receivers. His 2.0 drop rate was the second-lowest in the class, trailing only Braxton Miller, who was targeted fewer than the rest of the charted players.

In terms of his work as a route runner, Higgins showed himself as a versatile and detailed wide receiver.

Higgins comes with one of the most balanced route percentage charts in the 2016 class. Unlike other players, even some listed far ahead of him in analysts’ rankings, Higgins’ route chart isn’t skewed heavily toward simplistic routes. He ran a healthy amount of slants (15.1 percent) and nines (20.9 percent), popular patterns among his peers, but neither was above the class average.

Higgins had an above average usage rate on curls, posts, outs, flats and other routes. His percentage of screens and dig routes checked in right at the class average. The Colorado State product stands out in this group, and prior wide receiver groups as a player who already has some experience varying up his assignments.

Not only did Higgins run a wide variety of routes in college, he showed the ability to create separation at every level of the field.

For additional optimism, Higgins scores out at a more than acceptable rate in Reception Perception’s periphery metrics.

His contested catch conversion rate of 62.5 percent was above the class average, but far off the Josh Doctson (85 percent) and Laquon Treadwell (75 percent) golden standard. For his wiry frame, Higgins’ score is more than acceptable. He has no fear in tight coverage, or contested situations. He tracks the ball well, and gains timely late separation to leap at just the right time to get airborne. Of course, with his size, we can only consider this a bonus.

Higgins was also a dangerous payer with the ball in his hands at Colorado State. He was out “in space” on 12.7 percent of his 139 routes, and was adapt at making defenders miss.

Via NFL.com...

Overview
A bit overshadowed playing in Fort Collins, Higgins was simply one of the most productive players in college football the past two seasons. The school's all-time leader in receptions (239), receiving yards (3,649) and receiving touchdowns (31). He actually had his worst season in 2015 with a new offense and a new quarterback (75-1,062, 8 TD) but was still a first team All-Mountain West selection. His 2014 season was phenomenal, garnering consensus All-American and first team all-conference honors with 96 catches (10th in the FBS) for a nation-leading 1,750 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Biletnikoff Award finalist's 17 touchdowns averaged 35 yards each. The honorable mention all-Texas pick became an immediate starter for the Rams in 2013, leading the team with 68 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns.

Analysis

Strengths
Has sink into his breaks and comes out with enough juice for workable separation. Possesses decent run after the catch talent. All-day hands catcher with good extension who saw substantial improvement with his battle against focus drops. Focuses like a laser when tracking the deep ball. Understands how to work late separation along sideline through leverage. Always on top of his high-point game as a downfield pass catcher. Subtle in his routes but able to get corners leaning.

Weaknesses
Pedestrian speed into routes. Will need to improve the sharpness of his routes to gain adequate separation in the pros. Had moments of nonchalance near end zone. Saw explosive catch rate drop from 25 percent to 13 percent. Play strengths is a shade below where it needs to be. Can get stuck to press coverage and will need to vary and improve his release. Gets in the way as a blocker, but might lack commitment.

Sources Tell Us
"I can tell you that 'Hollywood' is not lacking in confidence. Good player but he might be buying into those stats from last year a little too hard. He'll see how much faster the game is going to get. His position coach (Alvis Whitted) played in the pros and I think he's really helped." -- NFC North scout

NFL Comparison
Devin Street

Bottom Line
Slightly built short strider with effervescent personality and an endless supply of confidence, Higgins has been highly targeted and extremely productive in each of his three seasons with the Rams. Higgins showed off improved hands to go with his winning ball skills when the ball is in the air. His lack of strength and average release quickness is a concern against NFL press coverage, but the overall package is good enough to find snaps as a pro.

[B]@The Wizard of Moz[/B] and the Philadelphia Eagles are on the clock.

 

[MoFlo]

Not sure if I'll be able to get on anytime soon today, so feel free to make the selection for the saints, fellas