The 2014 season is in the books and the draft order is officially set. The 2014 season ended on a high note with a thoroughly entertaining Super Bowl. Fans can only hope the 2015 offseason will be thoroughly entertaining as well.
While the draft is still months away, now is a good time to start to get familiar with some of this draft's big name players. Guys like Marcus Mariota, Randy Gregory, Leonard Williams, and Jameis Winston will be talked about a lot from now until late April. Let's get a quick bio on some of these players:
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State: A two year starter for Florida State, Winston won a National Championship his first year as a starter and made it to the playoffs in his second season as a starter. Winston has all of the arm tools a QB could dream of and can makes some pretty spectactular plays with his feet at times as well. Winston does have a long, somewhat slow release. His long release is due to his baseball pitching. Winston was also a pitcher at Florida State. He is noted for having multiple off the field issues as well as having maturity issues. Despite these issues, expect a team to draft him within the top 5.
Leonard Williams, DL, USC: A large individual with great power, Williams seems to be a good fit as a DT in a 4-3 system, or as a DE in a 3-4 system. He will be a top 5 pick.
Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska: Gregory has great size, speed, and athleticism. He seems to be a fit in a 3-4 scheme as a stand up edge rusher. He is 6'6" with some pretty great pass-rushing moves. The swim move seems to be his best move. He is a top 5 pick.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: Mariota is a player that many believe is a system-dependent QB at the next level. Mariota has great mobility and is very intelligent from the pocket. He is a decisive thrower and does a great job of setting the tempo of the game. Many believe Mariota will fall in the draft, but nobody is quite sure just how far. With that said, expect Mariota to be a top 10 pick.
As a whole, this draft is loaded with pass rushers. This draft is a strong receiver, offensive line, and running back group, too. The QB crop this year is very weak, as well as the secondary group. Expect a lot more information and mock drafts to be released by JKSN from now until April. Until then, stay tuned.