First Round Picks To Avoid In the 2015 NFL Draft

Andrus Peat: Offensive Tackle, Stanford

Many draft experts are regarding Peat as one of the top tackles in this years NFL Draft class.  Peat does possess the size and skills of a left tackle in this league and comes from NFL lineage (his father Todd played in the NFL for six seasons with the Cardinals and Raiders.)  However, there are more issues than meet the eye with Peat, he has several flaws that will not translate well into the NFL. 

Peat is raw and will need some “coaching up” in the NFL to improve his techniques to be a consistent blocker at the next level.  When looking at tape he gets beat more often than an “elite” left tackle should and looks slow off the tape.  He will also need to hit the weight room and get in much better shape to succeed at the next level.  Does he have tools to be a successful lineman? Yes; however, he is too much of a risk to be a first round pick.

Randy Gregory, Outside Linebacker Nebraska

Gregory is being touted as one of the top pass rushers in this draft and in fairness he did have a very successful career at Nebraska.  However, for someone who is being touted as a possible top 10 pick in the draft, there are huge concerns about his size and character issues to go with it. 

Gregory comes in at 6”5’ and only 235 pounds.  For him to be successful in the NFL he will most likely need to put on another 30 pounds of muscle.  If not he may find himself getting pushed around by the bigger and more physical players in the NFL.  For someone near the top of a lot of team’s draft boards, you would think he would be more NFL ready.  Add in a recent failed drug test for marijuana just a month before the NFL Draft and you are looking at someone that has both size and character concerns.  Gregory is a player I would stay away from in the first round regardless of my team’s needs.

Breshad Perriman, Wide Receiver UCF

Over the last few months Perriman has been one of the fastest risers on NFL Draft boards.  This is largely in part to a blazing 4.22 40-yard dash at UCF’s pro day.  Teams are enamored with speed and Perriman is the fastest player in this year’s draft class.  Many mock drafts have Perriman going in the top half of the first round and some as early as tenth or eleventh overall after originally being thought of as a second or third rounder. 

While I think Perriman has the chance to be a solid wide receiver in the NFL, I do not see him being worth the price tag to draft him in this year’s draft.  Perriman is very raw in his route running and in large part relied on his speed to get separation from defenseman in college.  This won’t work in the NFL, as defensive backs are faster, more athletic, and physical.  Furthermore, he does not have great hands, and suffered through a case of the “drops” while at UCF.  Don’t let the speed fool you Perriman is not worthy of a first round pick.