The 2015 National Football League draft is done. Going from last Thursday evening to last Saturday afternoon, 256 players were chosen in seven rounds. There were few surprises and despite attempts by the ESPN coverage analysts to create drama, there just wasn’t a whole lot. There were no blockbuster trades, very little movement up or down during the first round and only a few controversial picks, one of which was our Colts pick at #29. To no one’s surprise, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was selected with the first pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston was the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner but was not as effective in 2014. Some questions about his character remain, and while he certainly has the physical tools, some concerns about his judgement and commitment to the game remain. He is by no means a sure thing as a franchise quarterback for Tampa Bay. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was selected with the second pick by the Tennessee Titans. Mariota led Oregon to the National Championship in 2014. The Philadelphia Eagles made the Titans an outrageous offer to trade picks. Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly recruited Mariota to Oregon and coached him for two years. The Titans chose to keep the pick and add Mariota to their team. Mariota did not seem that overjoyed when he heard his name called. He was really hoping he would wind up playing for his old coach. Leonard Williams was selected by the Jets with the sixth pick. The USC defensive tackle was considered by many experts to be the best defensive prospect available and thought to be the one “sure thing” in the draft. The Jets already have a loaded defensive line but felt Williams was too good a prospect to pass up. The Chicago Bears grabbed West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White with the seventh pick. The last time the Bears picked a wide receiver in round one was 2001 when they took Michigan wideout David Terrell. Terrell turned out to be a major bust. Interestingly, the New England Patriots took Terrell’s quarterback in that same draft in the sixth round. His name was Tom Brady. It just goes to show that you just never know how a player will turn out no matter what round he is picked in.
Two players who saw their draft value drop dramatically were LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins and Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory. Going into the Combine, both players were considered potential top ten picks. Gregory was considered the best pass rusher available in the draft class. But, there was a catch. Gregory had been caught with marijuana on two occasions and failed the drug test at the Combine, admitting he had smoked pot two days before the test was administered. He dropped to the 28th pick of the second round. The Dallas Cowboys made him the 60th player chosen. Collins is even more tragic. Many teams considered him to be the top offensive tackle prospect available and several teams had their sights set on him. However, on April 24, Brittney Mills, a former girlfriend of Collins, was found murdered in her apartment in Baton Rouge. She was eight months pregnant. The child died on May 1. Collins went to talk to the Baton Rouge police and wasn’t in Chicago for the draft. He fell totally out of the draft and wasn’t picked by any team. He is cooperating with the police investigation and is not currently considered a suspect in the murder. Right now he is talking with several teams and could be signed as a free agent by one of them.
On to the Colts. Offensive line, pass rusher, and safety where considered the areas of greatest need for the Colts. As the first round progressed, it seemed that Alabama safety Landon Collins just might be available when the Horseshoe selected and would definitely fill a need. When it came time for their selection, just about everybody expected the still-available Collins’ name to be announced. So when Commissioner Goodall read the name Phillip Dorsett, wide receiver Miami of Florida, there was a stunned silence. Dorsett is a definite receiving talent but receiver is perhaps the Colts strongest area, with T. Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Donte Moncrief. As a matter of fact, Dorsett is considered to be a T. Y. Hilton clone, being pretty much the same size and processing the same deep receiving skills. Jim Irsay said the team would surprise everyone with their pick, and they certainly did. GM Ryan Grigson said they would take the best player available regardless of position, but then, they always say that. The first round of the draft ended three picks later. Of the picks I can only say that it makes me think back to the 2001 draft. That year the Colts had the 30th pick in the first round. It was expected that the Colts would take a player who would strengthen their defense. The name of Kyle Vanden Bosch, a defensive end from Nebraska was being tossed around. Instead, with the 30th pick in the first round, the Colts selected Reggie Wayne, a wideout also from Miami of Florida. Colts Head Coach Jim Mora was outraged and his anger forced a wedge between himself and Peyton Manning, who had asked for Bill Polian to select Wayne. Mora had a meltdown during the season and was fired. Reggie Wayne became a record-breaking wide receiver for the Colts and is on his way to the Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio. Certainly I can’t say for sure that Phillip Dorsett will have the same kind of career that Reggie Wayne has had but I’m not going to rush to judgement about the value of the pick, either.
Here are the Colt draft picks in full: Round One, Phillip Dorsett WR Miami of Florida, Round Three, D’Joun Smith DB Florida Atlantic, and Henry Anderson DL Stanford; Round Four Clayton Geathers SS Central Florida, Round Five David Perry DL Stanford, Round Six Josh Robinson RB Mississippi State, and Amarlo Herrera LB Georgia, Round Seven Denzelle Goode OL Mars Hill College.
P.S. There is now red hot rumor going around that the main reason the Colts took Phillip Dorsett with their first round pick was to keep the New England Patriots from getting him. They heard that they were going to take him with the 32nd pick as a deep threat for Tom Brady. So it was kind of a pay back for Deflate-gate. There is a picture circulating of a scowling Bill Belichick when he heard the Colts selection. Stranger things have happened during the draft.
snicewanger@yahoo.com