NFL Network’s draft analyst Mike Mayock held his annual pre-combine conference call Monday, which averages nearly three hours of draft talk a year. Mayock is the best in the business when it comes to draft coverage, so when he talks, people listen.
Pro Player Insiders had an opportunity to ask the lone Washington Redskins question of the day and here’s what Mayock had to say:
On the possibility of the Redskins drafting Washington NT Danny Shelton:
“[Shelton] Is a top 10 pick. Love this kid. There are very few guys that play that position at 350 pounds that can play plus or minus 80% of the snaps. In the NFL, Wilfork and the freak from Kansas City, Dontari Poe, there aren’t many guys with size that can play so much. This kid played 80% of the snaps up and down the line of scrimmage. You can’t run against them, and he gets them pushing the pocket. So I think he’s a really intriguing guy.”
On the #5 overall pick:
“Now with Washington and where they could go at number 5, remember Scot McCloughan is part of the draft. His background tells you he’s a big, bodied guy. Offensive line and defensive line, big, strong guys. Where could they go? I think offensive line needs help. How they evaluate Morgan Moses and Spencer long who are both fourth round picks a year ago is going to be important. I think Chris Chester, his best football is way behind him. I don’t think he can play right guard anymore. So I think they need to upgrade that offensive line if they’re going to take care of their quarterback first and foremost. They need help at defensive back, especially safety. But DeAngelo Hall is old coming off two Achilles tears. David Amerson is questionable. I really like BeShaud. So I think corner or safety is a priority somewhere early in the draft along with offensive line, and obviously they’re going to have to plan — Orakpo tore the peck, he probably won’t be back, so they’re probably going to have to look at an edge rusher also.”
— What Mike Mayock said pretty much confirms our sentiments. The Redskins will likely put emphasis on getting bigger on both sides of the ball. It will be interesting to see how the team feels about the young players they already have log-jammed on the offensive line. One thing that’s certain is, the team doesn’t have any young and emerging talent on the defensive line. Getting a guy like Shelton could impact the entire defense.
Here’s more notes from the Mayock conference call on players that could interest the Washington Redskins:
On Iowa Tackle Brandon Scherff -
MIKE MAYOCK: “I think he can play tackle. I think he can start. I said this about Zack Martin last year. I thought Zach could play all five positions in the offensive line. I think it’s a question of a very similar conversation we had with Zack Martin last year. You could start at left tackle, probably be a good left tackle. You could start at right tackle, be a very good right tackle. As it turned out, he was an all pro year one at right guard. When I look at Brandon Scherff, I see a similar example. I see a bigger kid with longer arms. That lends you to believe that he could play outside more easily. Again, I believe he can play outside. However, I think his best position, because of his power, his toughness, his football sense, is inside. I think he’s an all pro guard. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play tackle in the NFL.
On Alabama Safety Landon Collins -
MIKE MAYOCK: “And then your question about the safeties, what do I value in Landon Collins I think was the question, he reminds me a little bit of Deone Bucannon last year who went late to Arizona. I love the way Arizona used him, which was kind of a strong safety in their base coverage, and then dime linebacker in their nickel and dime, big enough to take on a run but certainly quick and athletic enough to cover running backs and tight ends, and that’s what I see with Landon Collins.”
On Florida Edge Rusher Dante Fowler Jr., Mizzou’s Shane Ray and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory -
MIKE MAYOCK: “I seem to be in the minority with the media people having Dante Fowler at No. 1. He reminds me a little bit of a Justin Houston. I think he’s going to be 255 to 260, where I’m interested to see what Gregory and Shane Ray and Beasley are. They’ve all been kind of quoted anywhere between 225 and 240. Fowler is going to be 15 or 20 pounds heavier than any of them, and I think just as explosive. I think Shane Ray has got the best first step I’ve seen, and I think Randy Gregory is totally intriguing. I’m not sure if he’s Jason Taylor on the plus side or is he going to be the kid Miami took a couple years ago at No. 3 on the negative side, Dion Jordan. He’s a long, lean guy, and I think Gregory, Ray, Beasley, Eli Harold, that whole group has got to show that they can put some weight on and get stronger.
On Offensive Tackles -
MIKE MAYOCK: I’ll tell you, to me it’s intriguing because Brandon Scherff is going to be whatever he’s going to be by whatever team picks him. But then there’s like five or six guys that all are kind of prototypical left tackles that are really gifted athletes, but there are holes in their game for some reason or another. There are five of those guys, and then there’s La’el Collins from LSU who’s a first-round right tackle, or he could be like Scherff, either a right tackle or an inside guy, and I really like him because of his power. But when you take him out of the equation, [TJ] Clemmings is so gifted, high school basketball player, he only played two years of high school football. He was a defensive lineman when he got to Pitt. He only got the offensive line his last two years. I thought his tape was phenomenal, given all that. Now, he got to the Senior Bowl, and because he’s raw, he was exposed a little bit, but that didn’t hurt him. We all know his talent, and people respected the fact that he came out and competed. I think he’s going to get drafted, I think, somewhere in that kind of 15 to 25 range. Andrus Peat from Stanford is gifted, another gifted — he looks like a right tackle or guard, but he’s got left tackle feet, he’s got length. He’s not 21 years old yet, and he needs to get much stronger up top. Two years from now he’s going to be a completely different kid just because of body type and strength, but he’s a first-round pick, and in a similar 15 to 25. The Texas A&M kid tore his ACL, which is going to hurt him a little bit. Beautiful left tackle feet, played a little bit of right tackle. He needs to get stronger. Reminds me a little bit of D’Brickashaw Ferguson when he first came out. And then the kid that opened my eyes was D.J. Humphries from Florida. I mean, he’s an underclassman. I put his tape on and went, wow, look how quick that is. He pops in and out of his stance, got left tackle feet. I’m anxious to see what he weighs in and what his length is. He’s not powerful or strong enough yet, so there’s five athletic left tackle type guys, all of whom have holes in their game, all of whom should show well athletically at the combine, and I think most importantly, the teams need to figure the kid out, who are the hard workers, who are the ones with chips on their shoulder, who’s going to work the hardest to become the best.”
On the Washington players -
MIKE MAYOCK: “Shelton is a top-10 pick for me. I love him. Reminds me of Haloti Ngata. I think everybody sees that comparison. Powerful, better feet than you think, and I’m surprised at how many snaps he can play at a high level. Kikaha had a couple ACLs early in his career, has been healthy the past two years, great motor off the edge, has some edge skills, not as long as you would like. I’m anxious to see what he runs and how he looks. I think he could be a second- or third-round edge rusher. Peters is a top-20 player just going off tape. Love him as a press corner. My only issue with Peters on the field is that he gets sloppy and off coverage. I think he’s much better when his concentration is fully engaged in the press. I don’t think he’s as good off. Obviously you’ve got to qualify all the off-the-field issues. And Shaq Thompson is one of the most fun guys to watch on tape this year. I know GMs were looking at him as a running back, linebacker, and safety, most teams as a linebacker. I’ve got him as a safety. I think he can be a Kam Chancellor type on first down in your base and then drop down and play linebacker in your dime, and that’s really important in today’s world, and then I’m trying to remember what the other question was.”
On USC DL Leonard Williams:
MIKE MAYOCK: Obviously pretty much everyone’s list, Williams is the No. 1 defensive lineman. I’ve got him as an interior defensive lineman. I think his beauty is that he can play anywhere up and down the defensive line of scrimmage. He reminds me of Richard Seymour who the Patriots took years ago at No. 6 and became one of the preeminent defensive linemen in the NFL for years.
We asked about Syracuse Safety Durell Eskridge:
MIKE MAYOCK: “To me, Eskridge is a guy that’s a big, raw safety, needs to be a more consistent tackler. He’s got size. He’s got to get stronger, he’s got to be more confident in his tackling. He covers a lot of ground, but he’s a cut tackler that misses too many tackles. I think he’s a mid to late draft pick. He’s going to make his living on special teams which will buy him enough time to learn how to play safety.”
More on Randy Gregory -
MIKE MAYOCK: “Randy Gregory, you know, some people think he’s No. 1. Some people think he’s two or three. But he’s in the conversation to be the top edge rusher in this draft. Now if you put the Miami tape on, I thought Ereck Flowers, the left tackle from Miami handled him really well in the first quarter. They actually flipped him over in the two sacks he got against Miami were against the right tackle and the running back. So a quality left tackle did a pretty good job against him. However, at 6’6″, 240, I would hope that he can put another 15 or 20 pounds on in the next couple of years. You’d love to see him at 260 or so, so he can be a little more physical. That’s where he needs to get better. He needs to be a little more physical in the attack and run game, but he’s got everything you want as a potential pass rushing maniac at the next level. He’s got hips, he’s got speed, he’s got quickness. He can flip his hips and come up and under. And I love the length, length and explosion are the differences for him as a pass-rusher.”
On a question referring to the RG3 trade -
MIKE MAYOCK: “Yeah, I think it’s an interesting philosophy because philosophically I would tell you that there are only 10 or 12 franchise quarterbacks in the league defined by your confidence in thinking that kid can lead you to a Super Bowl. So if there are only 10 or 12 in the league and you don’t have one of them, part of the theory is you better go get them, and that’s what Washington did. Washington went and got the guy they thought could help them win the Super Bowl. Because of what’s happened to that kid, both with injuries and the way he’s played, I think a lot of teams are very nervous about the perception on mortgaging your future. So I think you’ve got to be fairly intelligent about this. There aren’t a whole lot of Andrew Lucks out there where you bang the table and say that’s a short thing. When Washington pulled the trigger, I applauded it because my point was, hey, they felt like they needed to upgrade the position and they went after it. Either way, if the kid turns into who they think he is, you’ve got a chance to go win a Super Bowl. If he doesn’t, you’re going to get fired anyway. So I think it’s an interesting philosophy. The question I have this year is I’m not sure either of these two guys you can mortgage your future on, unless you just completely understand the kid and buy into the kid a hundred percent and you’re willing to move up. I don’t know if Chip Kelly can go from 20 to wherever, that’s a long way to move. But the two quarterbacks are the most logical guys, Tennessee sitting at two. Obviously one of those quarterbacks is going to be sitting there, if not both of them. To me looking at quarterback is the most logical guy. I don’t think it’s going to be a position player somebody moves up to get. It’s probably Marcus Mariota. And I don’t see the market that we had for RG3.”
On safeties -
MIKE MAYOCK: “The first two safeties I have are Landon Collins and Shaq Thompson. And Shaq Thompson most people think is a linebacker from Washington. I like him as a Kam Chancellor type big, strong, physical, strong safety that can play dime linebacker in passing situations. I think it’s evolving that way. If you look at the kid who played for Arizona, Deone Bucannon who was a late first-round pick a year ago, that’s what he did. And I think that’s what the model is for these two guys. Beyond that, Derron Smith from Fresno, I like his ball skills. He’s more of a centerfielder, catches the ball well, tracks it well, good feet, good movement skills, will tackle. The only downsize is his size. He’s only 5’11″, 195. That worries me both from a tackling situation and also matching up with tight ends. Jaquiski Tartt from Stanford, who is a big, strong, tough kid from a non-Division 1 school who I was impressed with his movement skills at The Senior Bowl. He’s a big 220 pound safety that moves better than I thought, and I need to do more work on him. I kind of like him. Ibraheim Campbell from Northwestern, a smart tough kid. Probably a fourth round pick, I like him. And TCU has a kid named Hackett. Virginia has Harris, and I need to do some work on Damarious Randall who has got corner skills and plays free safety at Arizona State. I like the way he played. I need to do more work on him. As far as evaluating safeties, I played the position. It’s still a hard evaluation. You don’t always get to see them do what you want to see. For instance a lot of guys will only play in the box. Well can they play a deep pass, deep third and can they play man-to-man. Other guys are the opposite on the back end. You don’t see him upfront in the box tackling and playing physically. The challenge there is matching up body type, movement skills and toughness with what they’re going to ask them to do at the NFL level.”
On Oregon DE Arik Armstead -
MIKE MAYOCK: “I think Arik Armstead, from Oregon is an intriguing guy especially in the three-four. He can play any one of the three positions. He’s 6’8, 290, and he’s a baby right now. He’s going to grow into something immense, and he’s got great skills.”
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