By now, all of you know about how the 2015 NFL Draft is going to be happening soon. And the Nebraska Cornhuskers have a few folks you may have heard of that are draft eligible, perhaps sooner than later!
For insight with what folks see, we bring in Dan Kadar, our own SBNation Mock Draft guru. You can find him on both Twitter and his own corner of SBNation as well.
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1. Well, it seemed like Randy Gregory was a lock to be in the Top 5 of this year’s draft before his admission that not only did he fail a drug test at the Combine, but he failed 2 more at Nebraska. How much will this affect his status going into the first round?
Obviously teams are going to be trying to figure out if Gregory has a dependency problem or just made a stupid mistake. Regardless, it will knock him in the draft, but maybe not as much as some think. Gregory has a few things in his favor. He's a very good player, obviously. But he plays at a premium position, and a lot of teams high in the draft need a pass rusher. You can argue that Washington, New York, Chicago and Atlanta all need a pass rusher, and they're all picking in the top 10. Gregory's situation helps guys like Bud Dupree of Kentucky and Vic Beasley of Clemson. But would you really take someone like Shane Ray of Missouri over Gregory? I wouldn't, even considering Gregory's issues
2. Outside of the drug test issue, what makes you most excited about Gregory as a NFL player, and what is your biggest issue with him?
Gregory is so highly regarded because you just don't often see pass rushers with his length, burst, agility and range. If a team can let Gregory rely on his strengths, he should do well. The easiest comparison for Gregory is Dion Jordan of the Miami Dolphins. He's struggled because Miami tries to force him to be a player he's not. Hopefully that's not the case with Gregory. If we forget the marijuana stuff, the biggest issue with Gregory is his functional strength and how he gets off blocks. He can get knocked around a little too much and really needs to get stronger.
3. Ameer Abdullah seems to be one of the better all-around backs in this Draft. What are your specific thoughts on Ameer and what’s the best fit for him in this Draft?
I think that's absolutely correct. Guys like Todd Gurley of Georgia and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin are really good, but they're not as good as Abdullah as a pass catcher. I've always compared Abdullah to LeSean McCoy. That might be a slight overstatement, but the skill sets are similar. Abdullah might not run with the most power and he has some fumbling issues, but I think he's good in every other area. I'd like to see Abdullah on a team like San Diego or Detroit where he could get a legit shot.
4. Kenny Bell helped himself with a really fast 40 time at the Combine. I’ve always thought that he wouldn’t be drafted, but it seems to be the case he’s going to probably be picked on the final day. What do you see out of Bell?
Bell is a player I always thought showed flashes, but was inconsistent. He's a good vertical threat and profiles as a solid No. 3 or 4 receiver in the NFL. I think he could slip into the back half of the draft on a team that needs a speed receiver. I wouldn't be shocked to see him get used a lot on special teams
5. What are your thoughts on the other 2 draft possibilities for Nebraska in Guard Jake Cotton and Safety Corey Cooper?
Cooper is a solid player. A classic big safety who can hit and really be a presence in the back half. I think he's a UDFA. Same with Cotton. He's an OK backup guard. His playing strength is good and he's willing be nasty up front. The injury issues he had are a concern, however.
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