In a match-up that’s headlined by the two most likely first-round quarterbacks, the Rose Bowl features more than Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Combined, these two teams will likely have over 10 players drafted, with talent on both sides of the ball.
By: Eric Galko and Chris Tripodi
Oregon
Marcus Mariota, QB, #8 – 6’4, 215 (JR)
The draft’s consensus top passer, Mariota’s skill set, character and projected upside is what makes him the odds on favorite to be the top pick in the draft, if/when he declares. His velocity, foot speed and decision-making is what has NFL teams generally excited, but he’s not without concerns. His deep ball accuracy has improved this year, but concerns over his offense’s role in his success will lead to sharp development needs once he reaches the NFL. With more spot throws and pre-determined reads in the offense, along with defenses being always threatened by the read-option, Mariota’s vision and control of an NFL-level offense may be met with some issues in the draft process and as a rookie.
Hroniss Grasu, OC, #55 – 6’2, 297
The most highly touted center in the country, Grasu has been a staple of the Oregon offense for the past three years, and his injury this year lead to offense-wide concerns during the season. As an ideally zone blocking center, he slides laterally with great positioning and control, lacking a great initial pop or the length to control blocks at the second level, but his efficiency as a “phone booth” blocker and consistency in zone run blocking should still make him a top-100 pick.
Jake Fisher, OT, #75 – 6’6, 299
A plus-athlete for the position, Fisher has the potential to play left or right tackle based on his career at Oregon. With the balance, lateral control and ability to engage with control in space, Fisher showcase all the tools required as a pass-blocker in the NFL. And his tenacity and desire to finish blocks with explosion and to the ground could allow him to develop into a plus-downfield blocker. With his upside, the first-round isn’t out of the question.
Tony Washington, DE/OLB, #91 – 6’3, 250
Despite flashing top-end talent as an edge rusher, Washington was used in a variety of areas, including in coverage and in a more true linebacker role. With plus athletic ability and long speed, Washington will fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, and ideally the Ducks will use him as more of an open-field edge threat to contain Jameis Winston’s offense.
Derrick Malone, LB, #22 – 6’3, 220
With his consistent role almost that of a Nickel linebacker in the NFL, that’ll be Malone’s easiest transition after his senior season. With great read-react skills in coverage to underneath routes along with coming downhill and finishing as a long-speed run defender, Malone’s balance and control, along with his vision (which allows him to have outside the box range) allows him to be a consistent tackler, including in the open field. He’ll be a key part of the gameplan against the Florida State rushing and short-area passing attack.
Arik Armstead, DE, #9 – 6’7, 296 (JR)
A high-upside, still raw pass rusher, the Ducks use Armstead in a variety of areas, as they look to capitalize on his length and lateral control as a rusher. While he plays a bit high as a rusher and can be contained if his initial rush gets too close to his blocker’s chestplate, his swift hand movement, strong initial punch thanks to his explosion off the snap, and control as he works down the line is certainly intriguing enough that, if he declares, he’ll have top-100 suitors.
Others to Watch:
Pharaoh Brown, TE (JR)
Tyler Johnstone, OT (JR)
DeForest Buckner, DE (JR)
Erick Dargan, S
Florida St.
Jameis Winston, QB, #5
After throwing four interceptions and playing the worst game of his career in a near-loss to Florida, Jameis Winston bounced back with one of his better performances in the ACC Championship Game against Georgia Tech, completing 21 of 30 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Winston’s numbers are way down compared to his 2013 redshirt freshman season, as his decision-making has been extremely poor at times and he doesn’t have a player like Kelvin Benjamin he can just throw the ball up to without abandon.
Despite his struggles at times during the 2014 season, Winston is fully expected to enter the 2015 NFL Draft and will receive high-first round consideration. In a matchup the playoff committee had to be ecstatic to see, Winston will do battle with another coveted quarterback prospect in Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in a battle of the last two Heisman Trophy winners. Winston would have to outplay Mariota badly to draw consideration ahead of the Duck, but there are many that view Winston as having a better skill set for the NFL thanks to the responsibilities he has in the Florida St. offense.
At his best, Winston throws with anticipation and shows both the willingness and the arm strength to fit passes into tight windows, a necessary trait for any NFL quarterback. His accuracy is off at times, and he has a tendency to sail passes over his receivers’ heads thanks to some mechanical issues with his footwork and throwing motion. Winston throws like a baseball pitcher at times and doesn’t always set his feet in the pocket, which usually combines with a poor decision to create serious problems.
Off the field, Winston has struggled to stay out of the news. Whether it’s being accused of sexual assault, stealing crab legs or screaming obscenities in the cafeteria, his perceived immaturity is the biggest detriment to his draft stock, as his decision-making doesn’t improve when he steps off the football field. The fact that Winston is still discussed as a potential top-five pick despite all the negatives is a testament to his talent level, and he’s still yet to lose a game in two seasons at the helm. Winston is a gamer, and he should be expected to come out looking to avoid the slow starts that have plagued Florida St. this season as they chase a second straight championship.
Eddie Goldman, DT, #90
Goldman is another third-year player on the Seminoles’ roster that most expect to go pro once the college football playoffs end and possibly land in the first round of the 2015 draft. At 6-4, 314 pounds, Goldman has plenty of size to succeed inside at the NFL level and fits in as a three-technique tackle. His athleticism is impressive and Goldman understands leverage, firing quickly off the snap and coming off the ball low to make himself a difficult assignment for any guard.
A disruptive presence in the opponents’ backfield, Goldman is extremely good at shooting gaps on the inside and shows enough lateral pursuit speed to chase down running backs and prevent them from reaching the edge to avoid him. Despite playing inside, Goldman led Florida State with four sacks this season and added eight tackles for loss.
Goldman doesn’t just use his leverage and quickness off the ball to find ways into the backfield either, showing the ability to bull rush blockers on first contact and push them backwards to collapse the pocket. His combination of strength, quickness and ability to impact the game on running and passing downs will make him an alluring prospects for 4-3 teams in need of an interior presence on their defensive line. He’s a definite first-round talent.
P.J. Williams, CB, #26
Williams gained national recognition in last year’s BCS National Championship Game, when he made a big tackle for a loss and came up with an interception on consecutive plays with the Seminoles down 21-13 early in the fourth quarter. Florida St. ended up winning the game, of course, and the touchdown it scored on the ensuing drive was a big turning point late. After making notable improvements in his first year as a starter in 2013, Williams has taken another step forward this year to thrust himself into the first-round discussion.
Like Goldman, Williams shows the skills to impact a game on both running plays and passing plays. A well-sized cornerback (6-0, 196) who also has experience at safety, Williams plays with the mentality of somebody who has succeeded on the back end, coming up hard to stuff the run and even finding ways to make plays in the backfield, as his six tackles for loss ranked fifth on the Seminoles defense. He will occasionally be caught coming up the field too hard at a bad angle, but few NFL corners are capable of playing with the level of aggression he does.
While Williams is only listed at 6-0, he has long arms that allow him to control receivers in press coverage, and his combine measurements will be particular intriguing. The majority of college corners don’t succeed pressing their man at the line, but Williams has shown the ability to disrupt the release of opposing receivers and make it difficult for them to get into their routes. His ball skills and coverage instincts are very good, and Williams is another complete Florida St. defender who will draw serious first-round consideration if he declares for the draft.
Rashad Greene, WR, #80
The loss of Kelvin Benjamin has had a negative effect on Jameis Winston’s performance, but it hasn’t done much to slow down Rashad Greene. The 6-1, 180-pound senior receiver has improved in each of four seasons at Florida St. culminating in a 93-catch campaign that produced 1,306 yards and seven touchdowns. His yardage total placed him ninth in FBS, and his success without Benjamin drawing attention away from him has helped convince scouts he’s deserving of a Day 2 pick.
Winston relies heavily on Greene in the passing game, as no other Seminoles receiver has caught more than 47 passes. Greene’s reliability is a big reason why, and he’ll enter the NFL as a pro-ready route-runner with sticky hands and excellent football intelligence. Greene puts himself in the right place at the right time and is a great fit with a quarterback like Winston, who tends to be scattershot in his reads at times. Whenever Winston breaks the pocket, you can be sure Greene is trying to find space in the middle of the field to make himself an available target for his quarterback.
Not only is Greene a reliable underneath receiver, but he also shows the top-end speed to take plays to the house. More of an after-the-catch specialist than a deep threat, Greene has taken multiple slants and other short passes to the end zone this season and combines his speed with precision in his route tree to consistently create separation from defensive backs. His slim frame will make him susceptible to stronger cornerbacks who excel in press coverage, making Greene is a better fit for the slot in the NFL. That likely removes him from first-round consideration, especially considering the top-end talent in this year’s receiver class, but Greene has the potential to be one of the league’s best slot receivers, which makes him worthy of a high pick on Day 2.
Mario Edwards Jr., DE, #15
Like Williams, Edwards made a name for himself on the national stage in last year’s BCS Championship Game, as he consistently disrupted Auburn’s offense and showed impressive ability against a talented offensive line. A five-technique prospect with good size at 6-3, 294, Edwards uses his strength and length to set the edge effectively and keep teams from running outside to his half of the field. The junior also shows good speed and athleticism to string plays to the sideline and chase down ball carriers who try to bounce plays to the flanks.
Edwards flashes the talent to destroy plays in the backfield in addition to fulfilling his responsibilities in contain, as he led the Seminoles with 11 tackles for loss this season. With just eight career sacks in his three seasons in Tallahassee, including only three this season, Edwards is still developing as a pass rusher and will likely never be a force off the edge. With edge rushers being all the rage in today’s pass-happy NFL, Edwards will likely fly under the draft radar as a result of his skill set.
While the first round is an unlikely destination for the junior, Edward’s play on the field and the ability he can bring as an outside anchor in a 3-4 defense is likely to get him drafted on Day 2 if he declares, and his situation is similar to Greene’s in that regard. Both are players that teams will be very happy to take on the draft’s second day and throw them onto the field right away, knowing that they have a very specific skill set that will help them contribute right away in at least one aspect of the game.
Others to Watch:
Cameron Erving, OC, #75, 6-6, 302
Josie Matius, OG, #70, 6-5, 328
Tre Jackson, OG, #54, 6-4, 337
Nick O’Leary, TE, #35, 6-3, 235
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