Detroit Lions steal UDFA sleeper in Zach Zenner

The 2015 NFL Draft has finally come to a close, and teams around the league are burning up phone lines trying to fill their rosters with undrafted free agents.  Championship rosters are stuffed full of these unexpected contributors, and this is the portion of the draft process where an area scout can truly make a name for themselves.  The Detroit Lions have scored my favorite sleeper in this class: South Dakota State running back Zach Zenner.

The 5’11”, 223 pound workhorse has rushed for over 2,000 yards in each of his past three seasons for the Jackrabbits, and enters the league with a pro-ready running style.  Zenner’s limited spotlight at South Dakota State dropped his value to rounds 5-6, but as an undrafted free agent, Detroit should get valuable year one production.

The Lions also selected Nebraska’s star running back Ameer Abdullah earlier in the draft, so it appears that Joique Bell may not be long for the Motor City.  As a rookie, I look to see Zenner receiving a handful of complimentary touches in Detroit’s base offense, but Abdullah’s history of fumbles could open the door for something more.

Zenner’s beauty comes in the form of his one-cut running style.  His 4.60-second time in the 40-yard dash is sufficient to give him professional production because of the vision and commitment that he shows to his holes.  He also offers a sneaky skill set out of the backfield, which will earn him the trust of quarterback Matt Stafford early.

In the later rounds and UDFA, teams can swing at pure physical projects or target high-production prospects from lower-level schools.  Zenner represents the latter category, and although he may not have the elite talent required to star at the NFL level, his impressive all-around game and high-motor approach to every down should give the Detroit Lions a legitimate factor on offense.

Top players remaining at each position in 2015 NFL Draft

Round one of the 2015 NFL Draft came and went without the expected headlines surrounding Marcus Mariota, Chip Kelly or the Cleveland Browns. While NFL Network and ESPN will hype the first round as “dramatic” this morning, it truly wasn’t.  That’s fine.

Now, we move to my favorite portion of the draft.  Rounds two and three are where teams can identify quality foundation players along both lines, while hitting it big with skill positions and cornerbacks.  As I highlighted in the final Backup Punter Podcast before the draft, the second tier of skill players is the storyline I will be watching closest as the draft unfolds.

With rounds two and three nearing, let’s debrief the top remaining prospects at each position.

Quarterback:  Bryce Petty, Brett Hundley, Sean Mannion, Garrett Grayson

Running Back:  Tevin Coleman, Duke Johnson, Jay Ajayi, Ameer Abdullah, T.J. Yeldon, David Johnson, David Cobb

Wide Receiver:  Jaelen Strong, Dorial Green-Beckham, Tyler Lockett, Devin Smith, Chris Conley, Rashad Greene, Sammy Coates

Tight End:  Maxx Williams, Clive Walford, Devin Funchess

Offensive Line:  La’el Collins, T.J. Clemmings, Jake Fisher, A.J. Cann, Tre Jackson

Interior D-Line:  Eddie Goldman, Jordan Phillips, Michael Bennett, Carl Davis, Grady Jarrett

Edge Defenders:  Randy Gregory, Eli Harold, Preston Smith, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Nate Orchard

Inside Linebacker:  Eric Kendricks, Denzel Perryman, Bernardrick McKinney, Paul Dawson

Cornerback:  Jalen Collins, Ronald Darby, Eric Rowe, P.J. Williams, Quenten Rollins

Safety:  Landon Collins, Derron Smith, Jaquiski Tartt, Anthony Harris

La’el Collins: The NFL Draft’s unwanted top story

La’el Collins had spent the past several weeks slowly creeping up draft boards around the National Football League.  The punishing right tackle prospect entered conversations for the 9-to-15 range, but that fell silent when Collins was brought in for questioning by police in Baton Rouge.  A pregnant ex-girlfriend of Collins’ had been shot and killed, and teams remain uncertain as to whether the child is his.

The police have made a conscious point of stating that Collins is not suspected of playing any role in the death.  By most accounts leading up to the draft, he checked out just fine off the field.  Now, Collins is caught in a strange, foggy middle ground that the NFL Draft has rarely, if ever, seen.

Despite the overwhelming likelihood of his complete innocence, the microscopic possibility of any wrongdoing by Collins could make him completely undraftable in the first round.  His mere attachment to this situation, in any manner, will call for a deep and far-reaching look into his past.

La’el Collins’ agent appealed to the league and NFLPA earlier today for his client to be pulled from this draft pool, and instead be included in the supplemental draft later in the offseason.  This would allow for any legal concerns to subside, but his request was denied.  Rightfully so, as it would have created a precedent by which many future players would look to escape and repair slipping draft stocks.

The issue for Collins is that the police have not yet spoken with him, and will not be able to provide teams with the green light until they do so.  Teams in rounds 2-4 may choose to take the risk if they feel confident in their frantic research from the past two days, but chatter has arisen that Collins may even go undrafted altogether.  To see him fall completely out of the draft seems a bit extreme to me, but with such an unknown, anything is possible.

This is a difficult chair to sit in as a fan, coach or general manager.  While the likely scenario here involves a young man losing millions on the most important day of his life due to a poorly timed tragedy, there remains that sliver of possibility.  That sliver is causing discomfort in the stomachs of NFL front offices, and until it can be erased, La’el Collins will fall.  And fall.  And fall.

Bryce Petty mysteriously shooting up NFL Draft boards

The days and hours leading up to the NFL Draft feature an exponential rise in player movement up and down draft boards.  Bryce Petty is becoming a prime example of this in 2015.  Without touching a football or doing anything of real consequence, the Baylor quarterback has risen from the border of rounds two and three all the way into a round one conversation.

Saw @BobMcGinn mention the #Saints high praise of Bryce Petty. From what I understand, real chance he’s goes in round 1. Flying up boards

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2015

This comes down to the increased value put on quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, something that sees the likes of Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert and Blake Bortles drafted far above where their skill warrants.  With Petty, the situation is difficult because each side of the argument holds merit.

On one hand, Petty is a third round talent that, conceivably, was going to be elevated to the latter half of round two.  Using a first round pick on him is an extreme reach, especially considering that Petty is a project that may not be ready for a starting role until late 2016 or early 2017.

Petty’s offense at Baylor, which I outlined in my scouting profile of him, required him to make just one read.  Three to four complimentary receivers often ran routes with the sole intention of creating space for the primary receiver, leaving Petty with an easy pitch and catch.  This is the classic fear of the “system quarterback” that muddies NFL scouting waters.

That being said, Petty is not a crazy-legged athlete disguised as a quarterback.  He has the body, arm and psyche required to play the quarterback position, and under the proper tutelage, could become a legitimate NFL starter.  The New Orleans Saints are the clear first round landing spot at 31, which would represent two years to learn behind the great Drew Brees before taking the reigns.  A watered-down version of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, perhaps.  Well, really watered down.

Petty’s ability to step into the deep ball could shine in the Saint’s vertical passing game, especially with the young Brandin Cooks and his electric speed.  In these senses, one can almost justify such a reach for Petty because at the league’s most critical position, a team cannot afford to be timid in their pursuit of the future.

Personally, I still rest in the middle.  The New Orleans Saints hold the 13th pick of the second round, and there remains a strong possibility that Petty stays on the board until that point.  If Tennessee is prepared to pass on Mariota, they surely won’t circle back for Petty.  Teams like Philadelphia, San Diego and Cleveland all show interest in Mariota as well, but would they still make a change at QB for a lesser prospect?  I hesitate to believe they would.  While Petty cracking round one would not surprise me in the least, this is still a prospect that shouldn’t be heard of until day two.

Atlanta Falcons reportedly interested in Bruce Irvin

On the morning of the 2015 NFL Draft, rumors are swirling that the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks may be holding initial discussions about a trade involving Bruce Irvin.  Seattle has recently decided not to pick up Irvin’s fifth year option in 2016, while Dan Quinn could be looking to reunite with one of his old defensive stars.

The 27-year old Irvin was the 15th overall selection of the Seahawks in round one of the 2012 draft and has been a centrepiece of their defense since, which leaves me curious as to whether something is going on behind the curtain.

			Games		Def Interceptions				Sacks & Tackles
Year	Age	Tm	G	GS	Int	Yds	TD	PD	Sk	Tkl	Ast
2012	25	SEA	16	0					8.0	10	7
2013	26	SEA	12	12	1	8	0	2	2.0	36	9
2014	27	SEA	15	13	2	84	2	3	6.5	28	15
Career			43	25	3	92	2	5	16.5	74	31

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/30/2015.

This trade may take some patience, as the Falcons would likely wait to see how their 8th pick plays out this evening.  If Quinn and the Falcons are able to nab a Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree, or even trade up for Dante Fowler Jr., it may limit the necessity of Bruce Irvin.

Don’t count out a double dip at pass rusher for the Falcons, however, as they were among the league’s worst in that category last season.  Any potential deal would likely be reached on day two, with the price tag on Irvin hovering around a 3rd round pick.