The NFL Draft will take place in less than a month and it's becoming more evident who teams might select. This year's wide receivers look like they'll be making a big impact early on in the first round.
ESPN Insider Todd McShay released his latest mock draft on Monday and it's much different from his previous one. It's fairly obvious the receivers in the 2015 draft class are going to have a notable presence in the first round, but McShay has three being selected in the top 10, which hasn't happened since 2005.
That year the Cleveland Browns selected Braylon Edwards with the third overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings took Troy Williamson with the seventh overall pick and the Detroit Lions grabbed Mike Williams with the 10th overall pick.
However, with six receivers projected to go in the first-round, it's no surprise McShay has three going in the top 10, especially because the league is now more pass-oriented and a number of these talents had impressive showcases at the NFL Combine. So here are McShay's projections:
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Alabama WR Amari Cooper
7. Chicago Bears - West Virginia WR Kevin White
10. St. Louis Rams - Louisville WR DeVante Parker
In his Mock 3.0, McShay had White going to the Oakland Raiders at No.4, Cooper going to the Rams and Parker falling to the Cleveland Browns at No. 12. A lot of this has changed because the Tennessee Titans' recent interest in Oregon QB Marcus Mariota has many speculating they could draft him at No. 2, which would alter a number of others teams' draft strategies. But here's why each pick makes sense for each of these teams in McShay's latest mock:
The Jaguars were previously projected to select Florida DE Dante Fowler Jr., but they have much depth on the defensive line with Tyson Alualu, Jared Odrick, Sen'Derrick Marks, Chris Clemons and others. The real need is on the offensive side of the ball, where quarterback Blake Bortles needs some help since the status of former first-round pick WR Justin Blackmon is unknown as of right now. Cooper is a perennial talent and would fill an immediate need.
The Bears traded WR Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets earlier this offseason and their receiving corps now consists of Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson. Jeffery and Royal are reliable options, but Wilson has played in only 17 NFL games over the past two seasons and has 19 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Kevin White seems he would be an upgrade here because of his rare combination of size, speed and ball skills, which would help QB Jay Cutler immensely after a questionable 2014 campaign.
Lastly, the Rams were projected to land Cooper at No. 10, but it's more realistic to think the Alabama product will not fall that far considering he's the top receiver in the draft and many teams are looking for help in that area. With Nick Foles in town as the starting QB (for now), the 6'3" 209-pound Parker would be a big help and join a talented cast that already consists of former first-round picks Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin. Parker didn't rack up receptions at Louisville, but he averaged 17.8 yards per catch in his four college seasons and the scouting report on him says he "consistently catches everything in his vicinity." St. Louis' offense has proved to be the problem in recent years and that's where they'll need to upgrade.
