Vote in the BTSC Mock Draft - Round 1

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington (Interviewed) - 5'11-1/2", 197 lbs. with 31-1/2" arms. Neal Coolong's BTSC scouting report only confirms that Marcus Peters probably has the best film of all the cover corners, and without red flags he'd be an outstanding pick. Unfortunately, the red flags abound. Peters played most of his college career for the Washington Huskies but was dismissed from the team as a Junior after repeated battles with the new coaching staff. The question is "why"? Give this USA Today article a read and then ask yourself if those issues haven't been overblown. There are a lot of collateral facts that tend to favor the more-smoke-than-fire point of view, including: the university's promise to continue paying his scholarship at whatever school(s) he went to; the supposedly-injured coaches who, when asked about the most inflammatory stories, unanimously called them "bull***t"; his continued contact and friendship with his former Washington teammates; and the invitation by his supposedly alienated coaches to participate in the school's pro day. Decide for yourself.

Here is a brief pre-Combine article from the Post-Gazette, and here is a well-written and entertaining Sports Illustrated article on Peters and the other top Washington defensive players.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA (Interviewed) - 6'3", 267 lbs. with long 33-3/4" arms. The young man with the difficult name been described as a bigger, just as strong, but not quite as bendy James Harrison, which (a) doesn't suck, and (b) sounds a lot like Lamarr Woodley if you think about it. High praise indeed! His exceptional week at the Senior Bowl practices and his performance at the Combine confirm that he has enough maneuverability to drop back into coverage. The downsides? There are two. First, for all his impressive tape Double-O recorded only six sacks in his entire senior year. Second, there are medical questions dating back to two hip surgeries in 2013.

The place to start your research is Steel34D's BTSC Scouting Report, which lauds Double-O's strength, relentless motor, consistent ability to disrupt the opposing offense, and ability to dominate the line in the running game. That skill at run stuffing, combined with the fact that he's played some 3-4 OLB in UCLA's hybrid system, makes him one of the few prospects who might actually be able to contribute as a rookie. This summary scouting report from CBS and this typically excellent scouting report from Football Insiders both suggest that Odighizuwa might fit better as a 4-3 DE than as a 3-4 OLB, a point that comes up in many other reviews as well. Indeed, this scouting report sees him as a 3- or 5-technique defensive lineman and doesn't even consider standing him up as a linebacker.

Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest (Interviewed) - 6'0-1/4", 188 lbs. with 31" arms. Often mocked to the Steelers, Kevin Johnson has several years of solid tape showing everything that teams are looking for in a 1st Round pick; good overall length, nimble feet, loose hips to change direction, solid speed, a good football IQ, a total lack of drama in his background, and even a willingness to tackle in run support. As Mike Mayock put it: "Kevin Johnson can flat out play." The draw back is heft. Johnson added almost 15 pounds for the Combine and is still skinny as a rail. Willingness to tackle is all well and good, but your results are bound to be less than ideal when everyone you hit outweighs you by 20-30 pounds.

As always, I recommend you start your research with this really fine BTSC scouting report from Steel34D. This adoring November review comes from the normally reliable Rob Rang at CBS, but should be balanced by this somewhat critical NFL.com scouting report and this later, more even-handed NFL.com article. This scouting report from a Bills site is less authoritative but just as nice because it includes some footage clips and discussion. NOTE: Kevin Colbert, Carnell Lake and two other Steeler representatives were at KJ's pro day, where they spoke with his parents too while watching a "very good" set of drills.

Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia (Interviewed) - 6'3-1/8", 247 lbs. with 33" arms. Eli Harold one of those players whose potential you love, but who you'd love even more if he was a genuine 10 pounds bigger. According to this truly excellent scouting report from a Seahawks site, an absolute must-read IMHO, the 6'4" Harold has such a slim build that his natural walking-around weight would probably be in the 210's and he's had trouble keeping his weight higher than 225. Of course the same complaint was leveled against Vic Beasley until he showed up at the Combine weighing 246 lbs.; i.e., one pound less than 247 mark where Eli Harold weighed in. The comparisons to Beasley, Bruce Irvin (245 at the Combine), and Shane Ray (listed at 245) don't stop there. Just like those guys Eli Harold has flashed a tremendous amount of the speed, explosion, balance, and other athletic talents you look for in a potentially elite pass rusher. He's just shown less in the way of college-level results.

This nice little scouting report has similar things to say: ideal natural talents, a number of coachable issues (hand fighting skills and leverage), and serious concerns about his size. This 2012 article from the Washington Post covers Harold's inspiring background. This brief scouting report from CBS is another place to get a flavor for what Harold brings to the table as a football player, as is Daniel Jeremiah's brief summary at NFL.com ("an ideal fit as a 3-4 OLB"). Note that Joey Porter attended the Virginia pro day.

Landon Collins, S, Alabama - 6'0", 228 lbs. with 31-1/2" arms. I like everything I've heard about Shamarko Thomas and we know he's shown NFL speed and skills while establishing himself as a special teams demon, but he has had trouble staying healthy and has yet to push his way onto the field for any material amount of snaps in the actual defense. And across from Thomas is Mike Mitchell, who had a lousy, if perhaps excusable, year. So yes, Pittsburgh has two penciled-in starters at Safety along with a solid backup in Will Allen, but no, there's no way to feel secure about the position with that many question marks hovering about.

Landon Collins is by far the best safety in this very weak class. He's plenty fast (4.53) and plays even faster because of top-notch instincts and a high football IQ; he loves to hit (enough to play dime linebacker according to Mike Mayock); he has experience against the very elite of college opponents; he is an extraordinary talent on special teams; and he has no red flags that limit his stock. Neal Coolong's BTSC scouting report is the best place to start. The Walter Football scouting report is good too and provides a nice takeaway: think of "a bigger version of Matt Elam or D.J. Swearinger" who, like them, is great in run support but only good in pass coverage.

La'el Collins, G/OT, LSU (Interviewed) - 6'4-1/2", 305 lbs. with 33-1/4" arms. Steel34D's BTSC scouting report agrees with a fairly common view that Collins could be a good Tackle but would likely be even better as a Guard. It will be a surprise if he falls all the way to 1:22, but it's only fair to include at least one offensive player in the mix. If you want more background I suggest consult this very complimentary scouting report from former NFL player Stephen White. White writes just about the best scouting reports you can find on the Web, and he believes that Collins is a better Tackle prospect than most people give him credit for.

Jalen Collins, CB, LSU (Interviewed) - 6'1-1/2", 203 lbs. with 32-1/8" arms. Jalen Collins has the kind of rare physical tools that the Steelers look for in their 1st round picks. How many men are that big but still have the quickness of a man who's four inches shorter? He also has a well respected work ethic, which checks off another vital box. There's really only one real question that makes him less than ideal: With this much raw talent, how is it possible that he only started 10 games in his entire college career? If there's a good answer to that question, Jalen Collins may be the single most likely name for Pittsburgh to be calling at pick 22. If there isn't a good answer, he won't.

This is a very encouraging scouting report from a reliable Seahawks draft site. Here is a pre-2014 scouting report. This brief article ties Collins to the Steelers at #22, in part because he's been working out with Ike Taylor during the offseason like Martavis Bryant did last year. This is a nice little scouting report from a Detroit Lions site to finish things off.

Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon - 6'7-1/8", 292 lbs. with 33" arms and huge 10-1/2" hands. Arik Armstead is as good a prospect for the 3-4 defensive end position as we've seen in years - maybe even better than Stephon Tuitt was last year, which is saying something because we were all talking about Tuitt as a realistic option for the Steelers 2014 pick at #15 overall. The BTSC scouting report will tell you all you need to know in that regard. He is pure athletic potential in a quasi-human form.

So why is there any debate? There's a very simple, two-name answer: Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. It's a fine thing to have three extraordinary Defensive Ends on a single roster, but the bottom line is that only two of the three will be on the field at any given time. Arik Armstead may indeed be the most talented player on this list, but he almost certainly will not provide the best bang for the buck.