Some Top Names for Day 2

With the second and third rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft being held tonight, there are plenty of good football players still available to clubs. Some of these players were looked at as potential first round picks, so the teams at the top of the order have a lot to choose from. The best name on the board is LSU tackle La’el Collins who was considered to be a top 15 player. The question about Collins is if he will be drafted at all with his name being tied to a Baton Rouge murder case. Though police say he is not considered a suspect, just the fact that they want to talk to him has been enough for many teams to take him off their board until the case is solved. Though it is unfortunate for Collins, after the Aaron Hernandez case, you can’t blame clubs. As for the players who will get drafted tonight, there are three quarterbacks on that list starting with Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson. The others are Baylor’s Bryce Petty and UCLA’s Brett Hundley. The top running backs available are Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah and Boise State’s Jay Ajayi. Don’t be surprised to see Miami’s Duke Johnson also drafted tonight. Going into the draft, the wide receiver class was considered close to last year’s group, and there are still some very good players available. Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong leads the group and if it weren’t for a wrist injury, he may well have gone in the first round. After Strong, the list includes Ohio State's speedy Devin Smith, Florida State’s Rashad Greene and Oklahoma’s Dorial Green-Beckham. There hasn’t been a tight end drafted yet, and I would think that three have a good chance of hearing their names called tonight. Minnesota’s Maxx Williams is the top tight end, followed by Clive Walford from Miami and Devin Funchess from Michigan. In my opinion the best offensive lineman left is Pitt’s T.J. Clemmings. Clemmings has as much upside as any offensive linemen in the draft. Another very athletic tackle is Oregon’s Jake Fisher. As for the guards, the group is led by Penn State’s Donovan Smith, Tre' Jackson from Florida State and A.J. Cann form South Carolina. There have been some reports that Jackson may have a knee problem so keep that in mind if you don’t hear his name called. In the third round, it would not be a surprise if Hobart guard Ali Marpet gets a call. On defense, the best player available is Nebraska’s Randy Gregory. A month ago, many felt he was a sure fire top 10 selection. After failing the drug test at Indy and showing up for workouts at under 230 pounds, his stock has dropped. I feel it’s safe to say he will get picked sometime early in the second round. As for the defensive linemen, Florida State's Eddie Goldman and Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips are the names that stand out. Each could have very easily gone in the first round. The other defensive lineman who will go high in the second round is Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. The edge rushers in this draft are a talented group and there still are quite a few highly productive players left. Eli Harold from Virginia, Nate Orchard form Utah, and Hau’oli Kikaha from Washington head the list. A small school name to remember is Davis Tull from Tennessee – Chatanooga. There are still four very good inside linebackers on the board. Benardrick McKinney form Mississippi State heads my list, followed by Paul Dawson from TCU. The other two are a bit undersized but also extremely productive. They are Denzel Perryman from Miami and Eric Kendricks from UCLA. At corner, three names jump out and two are both from Florida State. P.J. Williams lacks elite speed but has excellent cover and ball skills. Ronald Darby is one of the fastest corners available. LSU's Jalen Collins would have gone in the first if it weren't for failed drug tests while at LSU. Some other names at that position who will warrant consideration are Charles Gaines from Louisville and Quinten Rollins from Miami (Ohio). At the safety position three names jump out. The first, Landon Collins from Alabama was thought to be the best safety in this class. The other two are Utah’s Eric Rowe and Louisville free safety Gerod Holliman. Holliman has great ball skills but is very average in run support. Follow Greg on Twitter @greggabe

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