2015 draft1. Marcus Mariota QB Oregon No notes needed, we all know who and what he is. L & L opt for the squeaky clean guy. Not only does Mariota save the fan base, sell tickets, but also buys Lovie another year or two and without the fear of off field issues.2.Hau'Oli Kikaha, DE/OLB, Washington Height: 6-3. Weight: 246. Projected 40 Time: 4.70. Projected Round (2015): 2-3. http://youtu.be/jnB0KrxTS1s 11/15/14: This season, Kikaha has 56 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and one pass batted. In Week 3, he dominated Illinois with three sacks and six tackles. Kikaha had three sacks against California, 2.5 on Oregon and two more against Arizona State. He has been extremely consistent as he has recorded a sack in every game of the season. Heading into the final weeks of the season, Kikaha leads the nation in sacks. He is very fast off the edge with good moves and agility. Kikaha needs to get stronger for the NFL. He would fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker. For a 4-3 defense, Kikaha would need to add weight to play defensive end. 8/23/14: After missing the 2012 season with a knee injury, Kikaha took the Pac-12 by storm as a junior. He ripped off 13 sacks with 70 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and three passes batted. He had only 15 tackles in 2011 and 49 stops in 2010. Kikaha is a dangerous edge rusher who could rise high if he can stay consistent with his 2013 performance. (I looked at Bud Dupree here as well, but despite being a little light, Kikaha has the production, and provides a true speed rusher to the stable. He might be the fastest edge rusher I have seen in years. He gets in the back field on 3 step drops and OT's can't even get a hand on him. )3.Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon Height: 6-3. Weight: 297. Projected 40 Time: 5.10. Projected Round (2015): 2-3. ttp://youtu.be/shY5pp-mby0. Grasu is a quick and athletic center who is a perfect fit in Oregon's high-paced attack. He moves well and has done a fantastic job as a run-blocker the past three seasons. Grasu was an All-Freshman selection by many media outlets in 2011. The only game that the sophomore really struggled in 2012 was against Stanford. The Cardinal's powerful linemen gave him some problems, which illustrated that Grasu could use more strength for the NFL. (We need a center, he grades out as a 3rd rounder, he can open holes and move.....and as a bonus his familiarity with Mariota will help them both transition.)4.Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke Height: 6-3. Weight: 330. Projected 40 Time: 5.18. Projected Round (2015): 3-5. http://youtu.be/48ovMbQnY7I 12/6/14: Tomlinson wasn't really challenged yet by an elite tackle. However, he has blocked well for Duke. Tomlinson is a strong run-blocker who has to improve his pass protection for the NFL. Sources said that Tomlinson received a grade well into Day 3, but the team that likes him enough to ultimately draft him could end up taking him on Day 2. 8/27/14: Tomlinson is a gifted athlete with surprising agility and quickness for a big blocker. He carries his weight well and has some strength to him. Tomlinson has started all 25 games he's played in dating back to his freshman season in 2011. Tomlinson has been a two-time ACC All-Academic selection. Tomlinson held his own and was impressive at times against Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. He has excellent recoverability. A defender may have a step or leverage on Tomlinson, but he has the strength and quickness to take it away. Tomlinson could continue to use some refinement, but he has upside and physicality to him. (Another beefy run blocker with quick feet that can pull and get to the edge and second level.)5. D.J. Humphries*, OT, Florida Height: 6-6. Weight: 285. Projected 40 Time: 5.07. Projected Round (2015): 3-5.12/6/14: Humphries was playing well against Eastern Michigan before leaving the game with a high ankle sprain. He missed two games, but returned for Florida against Tennessee. Humphries didn't impress against Missouri, but had a superb game against Georgia as Florida rolled the Bulldogs on the ground. Humphries needs to add strength, but he is quick and athletic. Humphries is considering entering the 2015 NFL Draft, but he should return for his senior year and improve before going pro. 8/27/14: Humphries didn't have the breakout season that Florida expected in 2013. He had a sprained MCL that caused him to miss some games and also some inconsistent play. Humphries has had a hard time maintaining his weight, but that could change as an upperclassman. Humphries has natural quickness and athleticism to block speed rushers but could use more power for the ground game. Humphries was the top offensive lineman in the nation in his recruiting class and made his way onto the field as a true freshman in 2012. The Gators rotated Humphries into the game and it was clear that he is very athletic, but needs to add strength.(See the theme here, quick athletic lineman that can move and get to the second level in the run game.)5-2. Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State Height: 5-11. Weight: 175. Projected 40 Time: 4.41. Projected Round (2015): 4-6. 11/22/14: Lockett has 60 catches for 878 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 22 yards per kick and 18.7 yards per punt. Lockett is a slot receiver candidate, but he needs to improve his hands. 8/27/14: The speedy Lockett was a play-maker for Kansas State in 2013. He caught 81 passes for 1,262 yards with 11 touchdowns. The season before, Lockett had 44 receptions for 687 yards and four scores. He projects to the NFL as a slot receiver. (He could be Herron part 2, but pr/kr needs to be addressed, and our WR corps seriously lacks speed.)6. Kevin White, CB, TCU Height: 5-10. Weight: 174. Projected 40 Time: 4.52. Projected Round (2015): 5-7. 11/8/14: White was impressive with how he defended West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White. The Mountaineer was held to three receptions for 28 yards as the Horned Frogs' Kevin White leading the way for TCU's coverage against the star receiver. In 2014, White has 32 tackles with three tackles for a loss, two interceptions and five passes broken up. He looks like a potential slot cornerback for the NFL. In 2013, White was an honorable mention Big XII pick by the conference's coaches, but was overshadowed by Jason Verrett. White had 40 tackles with eight passes broken up and three interceptions. (He might be able to step onto our practice field tomorrow and beat out Leonard Johnson) 7. Kyle Christy, P, Florida Height: 6-2. Weight: 199. Projected Round (2015): 5-7. 11/29/14: Christy has been back to his old self and booming the ball in 2014. He has averaged 44.3 yards per punt with a long of 66. 8/27/14: Christy put together a ugly 2013 with an average of 39.6 yards per punt and even lost the punting job during year. He took the punting job for 2012 after Chas Henry moved on to the NFL and was continuing a trend of standout specialists from Florida. Christy finished fifth in the nation with 45.8 yards per punt that year. He made a real impact in field position as the Gators had a good defense, but a streaky offense.(Need to move on from Keonen in a bad way, if you can pick up the top ranked punter in the 7th, it's a better move then drafting the 18th best TE)
