NFL Draft2015 PreviewINSIDE...OUR BEST EVERNUMBER ONEPICKS,

THE PLAYERS TOLOOK OUT FOR ATTHE DRAFT,

BRITISH PLAYERS INTHE NFL,

AND OUR MOCKDRAFT

CONTENTS

2. THE BEST NUMBERONE PICKS

3. THE PLAYERS TOLOOK OUT FOR

5. ON FOREIGNSHORES

6. MOCK DRAFT: FIRSTROUND

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER

THE BEST NUMBERONE PICKS

1. John Elway - Drafted first overall in 1983Elway was selected in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Coltsalthough he was soon traded to the Denver Broncos after hekicked up some trouble in order to remain on the USA’s WestCoast.A member of the so-called “quarterback class of 1983”, Elwaywas selected ahead of now-esteemed quarterbacks such as DanMarino and Jim Kelly. His career honours list reads like a roll callof NFL awards, winning two Super Bowls and five AFC champi-onships, as well as being selected for the Pro Bowl nine times.These are just some of the awards he received amid a host of in-dividual honours and it is for this reason that Elway is still consid-ered one of the best players to ever play in the NFL.

2. Troy Aikman - Drafted first overall in 1989Selected with the first overall pick in 1989 by the Dallas Cowboys,Aikman led the team through a golden decade that producedthree Super Bowl victories. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the quar-terback though.Just as he was getting over the euphoria of being picked firstoverall, Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson also drafted SteveWalsh in the same position. The two battled hard during trainingcamp for the starting spot and fortunately for Aikman, he wasable to win the fight.The rest as they say is history. The aforementioned Super Bowlwins, NFC championships and Pro Bowl selections all followedand in 2006, Aikman was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

3. Peyton Manning - Drafted first overall in 1998The 1998 Draft was painted as a battle between Manning andRyan Leaf for the first overall pick. The Indianapolis Colts madethe choice to go with the former and in the years since, althoughwithout the same level of success as the first two in this list, Man-ning has proved to be one of the greatest quarterbacks in the his-tory of the NFL.He has only won the Super Bowl once but in a 16-year career,Manning has made the most touchdown passes of any quarter-back and is tied as the player with the most appearances at thePro Bowl with 14. In 2010, he was selected as part of the 2000sall-decade team and will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hall ofFame when he calls time on his career.

4. Lee Roy Selmon - Drafted first overall in 1976This list has belonged to quarterbacks so far, so it is only rightthat a defensive player features and there is no better player forthis than Selmon.Drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976, Sel-mon played at defensive end for eight years for the Florida teamuntil his retirement in 1984. During his career, Selmon demon-strated an ability to play on defence that had not really been seenbefore and it is no wonder that he was voted the NFL defensiveplayer of the year in 1979.

PEYTON MANNING, DENVER BRONCOS

From Terry Bradshaw in 1970 to Peyton Manningin 1998, here are the five greatest players tobe drafted first overall.

5. Terry Bradshaw - Drafted first overall in 1970After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bradshawdidn’t have the easiest of starts to his NFL career. He fre-quently threw interceptions and the media loved to makefun of his supposed lack of intelligence on account of hisbeing from rural Louisiana.That all changed when he helped the team to their firstSuper Bowl, however. Success kept coming for Bradshaw,being the first quarterback to win three and then four SuperBowls. He made three Pro Bowl appearances and wasvoted as quarterback of the year in 1978.After the end of his career, Bradshaw was named in theSteelers’ all-time team and was inducted into the Hall ofFame in 2011.

THE PLAYERS TO Jameis Winston - QB, Florida State University

SINCE declaring for the Draft earlier this year, Winston has jumped right to thetop of just about every analyst’s board. His incredible ability and obvious skill inthe quarterback position that he demonstrated during his time at FSU, helpinghim to become the youngest winner of the prestigious Heisman Trophy, has leftmany of the opinion that this is a player who can be an immediate starter formost NFL teams.However, he has had problems off the field that have resulted in some embar-rassing episodes for his university (stealing soda from a Burger King is just onebizarre example). Given the NFL’s expectations of model discipline, could thisbe a potential stumbling block as far as Winston’s draft stock is concerned andcould it affect his chances of being picked first overall? Dan doesn’t think so.“The issue here is that Tampa Bay desperately need a quarterback who canstart straight away,” he said.“Lovie Smith became the Buccaneers' head coach this time last year and his first season in charge resulted in only twowins. Head coaching jobs are more volatile in American football than they are in traditional football, so he needs to pick up aQB who can help him win this year.“Marcus Mariota has great potential but is a 'system' QB, so he won't be ready for the NFL immediately. After those two,only Brett Hundley offers any real hope for QB-needy teams, but he won't be an immediate starter either. “He has to take Winston, regardless of his off-the-field concerns. Winston has a ridiculously high football-IQ, the size, tough-ness and charisma to succeed, as well as the necessary arm strength. He has a chance to be a real success wherever hegoes.”

Marcus Mariota - QB, University of Oregon

MARIOTA was widely considered to be the best quarterback in the 2015 draftclass and was tipped to be this year’s first pick overall, until Jameis Winston de-clared his intentions to enter the Draft that is. Despite this setback however, Mariota is still expected to go high in the firstround due to a college football career that saw him lead his Oregon team tothree Bowl Championship victories and an appearance in the National Champi-onship final earlier this year. Like Winston, Mariota is also a recipient of theHeisman Trophy, picking up the award last year.His perceived weakness in being what is described as a “system QB” is aproblem for some draft analysts however, with some questioning just how ablehe is to adapt to playing in that position in the NFL. Dan shares these concernsand sees one comparison, saying: “Mariota is similar in a way to Jonny Manzielfrom last year. “Both played in a certain style in college that obviously won't translate over to the NFL. Manziel fell (in the draft order) dueto that and Mariota could suffer the same fate.“The difference between the two though is obviously the off-the-field stuff. Mariota is an esteemed student, hard workerand respected leader who doesn't have any red flags,” he said.What then could this mean for him in terms of which team he ends up at come the end of the Draft? “There is a chance thatMariota goes to Tennessee at second overall but Zach Mettenberger (Titans QB) was pretty good albeit with limited opportu-nities last year,” said Dan.“The New York Jets at number six are another possibility and would probably be considered joint favourites for him at this time.”

MARCUS MARIOTA, OREGON DUCKS

Potentially, hundreds of players could be drafted by NFL teams this year but as only somewill utlimately have successful careers, and with the help of NFL Draft Zone’s Dan Turner,here are just a few who could realise their potential.

O LOOK OUT FORLeonard Williams - DE, University of Southern California

FOR NFL teams to succeed and realise their ambitions to win theSuper Bowl, they can’t just rely on scoring points. They have to beable to defend well and it is no surprise in this regard that the Seat-tle Seahawks, with their “legion of boom” defence, have reached twoSuper Bowls in a row. This leads us to the next player to look out forin this year ’s Draft.Will iams is without question an absolute monster on the defensiveline. If you watch clips of him playing for USC last year, you see aplayer who is a nightmare for opponents. Offensive linemen have toblock defenders to give their quarterbacks time to pass the ball, onlythey often find it hard to prevent Will iams from breaking through. Standing at six-and-a-half feet and weighing over 20 stones,Will iams is a powerhouse defender that would probably be picked first overall if it wasn’t for Tampa Bay’squarterback problems.Dan agrees, saying: “Will iams is pound-for-pound the best player in this class and no one else comesclose.” As for how he will have to adapt to life in the NFL, Dan believes that: “he was virtually impossibleto block at the college level but playing against NFL offensive guards will be an entirely different prospect. “The main things he will need to learn are more ways of making plays while on blocks, as guards cangenerally lock on to defenders with their hands.”Dan doesn’t think this should be a problem for Will iams however, saying: “he is easily talented enough toachieve this and should be a quality player in the NFL, even if he has some issues in his first year.”

Marcus Peters - CB, University of Washington

SEVERAL teams are in need of fresh blood in the cornerback position this sea-son and it just so happens that this draft class is stocked with plenty of talent inthat position. There has not been one particular player who has been a standout so far though and so draft analysts have been conflicted on who can be con-sidered as the best.Peters has been rated highly by many and has even been rated as the numberone cornerback by some analysts, however he did not have the best time at theNFL’s Scouting Combine in February and has dropped further down those ana-lyst’s boards in the time since.His college career hasn’t exactly helped in terms of his prospects either. De-spite playing well for the University of Washington, he had some disciplinaryproblems that resulted in suspensions, such as an incident that was officiallycited as a “side-line tantrum”, and collectively these problems resulted in him being kicked off the team in November.Peters has star backing however. Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch has been mentoring Peters during his time at college and hasoffered to help him with his disciplinary problems (a bit rich on Lynch’s part).However, what does this mean for his draft stock? “Peters was never my number-one CB. He was always behind TraeWaynes, Alex Carter and Jalen Collins for me,” said Dan.“His Combine wasn't great but we knew that it wouldn't be. He isn't a player to win with speed or agility. He wins with tech-nique, vision and physicality, so the Combine shouldn't be considered too much of a disappointment for him.”Not exactly bad news for Peters then but he still has to place his hopes in just how much attention that NFL scouts pay toCombine performances.

ON FOREIGNSHORES

JACK CRAWFORD, DALLAS COWBOYS

ONE of the greatest representations of American cultureis the National Football League (NFL). The league andthe wider sport of American football is so synonymouswith the USA that if you were to show someone a simplepicture of a helmet, images of huge star spangled ban-ners and sensational advertising would come almost im-mediately.It is the number one sport in America and no other pro-fessional league comes close in terms of viewership. Thesame cannot be said for the sport in the UK however, al-though the NFL has successfully been able to increase itspopularity each year.You would think that this would lead to a number ofBritish players having the ambition to go to America andrealise their dream of playing the sport professionally inthe years to come. However, this would ignore those who have already made the trip and who ply their trade inthe NFL today.Jack Crawford, born and raised in London, moved toAmerica in 2005 to complete the last three years of hishigh school education. This greatly improved his chancesof gaining a football scholarship at a university and heachieved this goal when he moved on to PennsylvaniaState to play at defensive end for their Nittany Lions team.He was a fifth round pick for the Oakland Raiders in the2012 NFL Draft and played in California for two years be-fore moving to the Dallas Cowboys last season. Themove meant he was able to play in front of his hometownfans at Wembley last year before making it to the divi-sional round of the playoffs in January.Crawford isn’t the only player to make the move acrossthe pond. Menelik Watson was a promising footballer as a

teenager in Manchester, playing for the youth sides atManchester City. However, an injury forced him to changehis attention to basketball, which fortunately led to himbeing spotted by American coaches.He first played basketball at Marist College in New Yorkin 2009 but after being perceived as weak in regards tohis height (he is a meagre 6’5), he moved on to Saddle-back College to play American football before finally set-tling in at Florida State as an offensive tackle. The switchproved to be the right decision as Watson shone and waseventually picked in the second round of the 2013 NFLDraft, again by the Oakland Raiders, where he still plays.These are just two examples, of course. There havebeen a number of British players who have succeeded inthe NFL, most notably Osi Umenyiora, the Londoner whohas won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants aswell as making two appearances at the Pro Bowl.The relative success of these players gives British play-ers and fans sufficient reason for optimism for the future,which could come to fruition as soon as this year’s Draft.Born in England in 1993, Jay Ajayi moved with his familyto Maryland in 2000. Developing as one of the highestrated running backs in the country, Ajayi committed toplay American football at Boise State where he went on towin three championships. He announced his decision toenter the Draft earlier this year.While he may not be the best in his position in thiscurrent Draft class, Ajayi is still expected to go ashigh as the second round. We can only hope that heachieves his goal and that in doing so, he can be afresh inspiration to young British players who wantto realise their dream.

American football is not the sole domain ofAmerican players that many think it is.Many British players have made the tripacross the pond in recent years.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston, QB (FSU)2. Tennessee Titans - Leonard Williams, DE (USC)3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Dante Fowler Jr, OLB (UF)4. Oakland Raiders - Amari Cooper, WR (UA)5. Washington Redskins - Shane Ray, DE (UMO)6. New York Jets - Marcus Mariota, QB (UO)7. Chicago Bears - Vic Beasley, OLB (CU)8. Atlanta Falcons - Brandon Scherff, OG (UI)9. New York Giants - Andrus Peat, DT (SU)10. St. Louis Rams - Kevin White, WR (WVU)11. Minnesota Vikings - Trae Waynes, CB (Mich St.)12. Cleveland Browns - Devante Parker, WR (UL)13. New Orleans Saints - Jalen Collins, CB (LSU)14. Miami Dolphins - Landon Collins, SS (UA)15. San Francisco 49ers - Arik Armstead, DT (UO)16. Houston Texans - La’el Collins, OT (LSU)17. San Diego Chargers - T.J. Clemmings, OT (Pitt)18. Kansas City Chiefs - Devin Smith, WR (Ohio St.)19. Cleveland Browns - Danny Shelton, NT (UW)20. Philadelphia Eagles - Marcus Peters, CB (UW)21. Cincinatti Bengals - Ereck Flowers, OT (UM)22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Bud Dupree, OLB (UK)23. Detroit Lions - Malcolm Brown, DT (UT)24. Arizona Cardinals - Eddie Goldman, DT (FSU)25. Carolina Panthers - D.J. Humphries, OT (UF)26. Baltimore Ravens - Melvin Gordon, RB (UW)27. Dallas Cowboys - Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE (UCLA)28. Denver Broncos - Jordan Phillips, NT (UO)29. Indianapolis Colts - Benardrick McKinney, ILB (Miss St.)30. Green Bay Packers - Stephone Anthony, ILB (CU)31. Seattle Seahawks - Todd Gurley, RB (UGA)32. New England Patriots - Cameron Erving, C (FSU)

Mock Draft:First Round

GENO SMITH, NEW YORK JETS

In the months preceding the Draft, everyonewith an interest tries to guess where eachplayer will end up. Do you agree with thesefirst round selections?

ALL WRITING, EDITING AND DESIGN BY AIDAN SCOTT