JACKSONVILLE – Now, we're moving. Really moving.
Just how fast are we moving in the jaguars.com 2015 mock draft? Consider:
As of early Wednesday, we had churned through the reader/mocker's first six selections in the 2015 NFL Draft. And while we had taken two quarterbacks and a pass rusher or two off the board, this reader mock hadn't exactly cemented itself into shape.
As of Friday …
Well, if the reader mock still ain't exactly set in stone, there certainly has been some cementing going on, with the readers having mocked 10 selections in the past two days and the Nos. 1-16 selections now set.
That means we're halfway through Round 1 and a scant few days from making the turn into Round 2.
That's a day we're awaiting because that's when the Jaguars go back on the clock with their second-round selection, the No. 36 selection overall.
But that's story for next week. The story for now breaks into two parts:
How did we get here and where are we going?
We got here in part by choosing Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston No. 1 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota No. 6 to the New York Jets. Those were two of the highlight selections of the Top 10, with others being Southern California defensive tackle/end Leonard Williams to the Tennessee Titans at No. 2 and Florida defensive end/linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. to the Jaguars at No. 3.
That's a thumbnail sketch of the Top 10. Up next were Nos. 11-16, with the senior writer offering Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker to Minnesota at No. 11, Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton to Cleveland at No. 12, Oregon defensive tackle Arik Armstead to New Orleans at No. 13, Georgia running back Todd Gurley to Miami at No. 14, Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes to San Francisco at No. 15 and Missouri defensive end Shane Ray to the Houston Texans at No. 16.
The reader/mockers expressed dissension, and did so quickly.
The Parker pick to the Vikings? That not only got "dissensed," it got downright dismissed with the vast majority of the reader/mockers instead projecting Waynes to the Vikings.
"Minnesota will struggle with this selection," reader/mocker Shawn Clement wrote. "(Georgia running back) Gurley would be a nice pick for the heir apparent for AP (Adrian Peterson). The problem is there is a shortage of quality corners, so in the end they will select Trae Waynes CB Michigan State."
The next selection, at No. 12 overall to Cleveland, is one that many observers believe could be traded along with the Browns' No. 19 selection. Could the partner be the Jaguars?
That remains to be seen, but what was seen in this mock draft was if Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton is available here he won't be available at No. 13.
"What's not to like in a disruptive defensive tackle?" reader/mocker Paul T wrote, adding, "The Browns are reeling after last year's pick of Johnny No Football and need to make sure they get a sure thing and they go safe and take BAP in Shelton and look to sure up the interior line for years."
While the readers supported the senior writer at No. 12, it didn't take long to return to the default mode of What Would the Senior Writer Not Do (WWSWND), by ignoring the idea of Armstead and instead leaning toward the wiser choice of Ray for the Saints at No. 13.
"Ray is perfectly suited to a 3-4 pass rushing role, and is probably the best player on the board here," reader/mocker Ben "J-School" Corby wrote, while reader/mocker Icarus flat-out mocked the senior writer's selection of Gurley for the Dolphins, writing, "I don't know where you're getting the idea for Gurley."
Instead, the selection for the 'Fins was Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker. Armstead was seemingly an easy choice for the 49ers at No. 15 and reader/mocker Paul T summed up the consensus for the Texans at No. 16 by reminding us all that Houston no longer has longtime veteran receiver Andre Johnson.
"Let me repeat that they do not have Andre Johnson," he wrote.
He then moved University of Central Florida wide receiver Breshad Perriman there to take Johnson's place, which meant after 16 selections the 2015 jaguars.com reader mock draft looks like:
- Tampa Bay | Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
- Tennessee | Leonard Williams, DE, Southern California
- Jacksonville | Dante Fowler Jr., DE/LB, Florida
- Oakland | Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
- Washington | Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
- New York Jets | Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
- Chicago | Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
- Atlanta | Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
- New York Giants | Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
- St. Louis | Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
- Minnesota | Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
- Cleveland | Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
- New Orleans | Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
- Miami | DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
- San Francisco | Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
- Houston |Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
We'll move along to Nos. 17-21 now, and we'll rifle through the second half of the first round in the first three days of next week. We'll offer up Gurley to the San Diego Chargers at No. 17, Louisiana State cornerback Jalen Collins to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 18, Louisiana State offensive lineman La'el Collins to the Browns at No. 19, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 20 and Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 21.
Have at it.
