Immediate Impact Rookies: Landon Collins

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The Giants traded up in the draft to select Landon Collins with the first pick in the 2nd round. I think this was one of the most brilliant moves in the draft, to select a player that many (including myself) thought should have gone in the first round. Collins seems as if he was on a consistent slide down draft boards throughout the entire draft process, which really surprised me. It seemed as if certain analysts thought he was something he wasn't, which was more of a ball hawking safety, yet the more tape they saw they knocked him down for it. I still believe he should have been at least a late first round pick based on what he actually is.

Collins is a physical, hard-hitting safety that can set a tempo for an entire defense, and works best when he can play in attack mode. His weaknesses are well known. He can be inconsistent in coverage, and he doesn't have that high end speed you would like in a safety. I have a fairly simple solution that can help cover up some of his weaknesses. Don't ask him to be Earl Thomas, let him play more like Kam Chancellor. He has the skill level to turn into a player that strikes fear into opponents just like Kam Chancellor, and the Giants would be smart to let him play that role for them.

I'm clearly a believer in Collins' skill set, but I also firmly believe that the Giants will use put him in positions to succeed. For the last several years, the Giants have seemingly needed to draft a linebacker. Drafting Landon Collins is just like drafting a linebacker, because he can have that impact against the run. They'll need to rely on him to make a difference in the run game more than the passing game, because the Giants might actually be pretty solid against the pass. They have a pair of great cornerbacks in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara, to go along with what should be a stellar pass rush. Another thing that is really good and really bad for Landon Collins is that the Giants have such little safety depth. The reason why it is good is because Landon Collins will be playing all year (barring injury) with no real threat to his playing time. Obviously the bad is that they are weak at safety, and they need Collins to step up immediately to help cover up the weaknesses they have there. Even though they are relying on Collins to make an impact immediately, I think the Nick Saban coached safety will step up and have a positive impact for the New York Giants right away.

Immediate Impact Rookies: Quandre Diggs

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From the first overall pick in the NFL Draft to a 6th round pick by the Detroit Lions. I am all over the board here, damn. Well it's a good thing Diggs is helping my cause, as he is already turning heads at the Lions camp. The reason why Quandre Diggs was a 6th round pick, is because scouts say he lacks the ideal size and speed to play outside. With that being said, the importance of a slot cornerback is only increasing in todays NFL, and I believe that he is going to make a really good one too.

I've glazed over the negatives, which is he lacks ideal size and speed to play outside. What he does have are incredible instincts and he attacks the ball. He is a very intelligent player on the field and has quick feet and fluid hips too, which are ideal characteristics for a slot cornerback. He is a fairly polished product (four year starter at Texas) and can come in and contribute immediately for the Lions.

He is also in a great situation with the Detroit Lions too. Detroit had a top 3 defense last season, and even though they lost Suh and Fairley, they should still be very good. They are getting Stephen Tulloch back from his injury, and they get another year of development out of a lot of key players like Darius Slay, Ezekiel Ansah and Kyle Van Noy. Detroit also lacks a good slot cornerback (sorry Bill Bentley) and they desperately need one in a division with Randall Cobb. Diggs can learn from Rashean Mathis who is an incredible veteran presence and has clearly taught Darius Slay a lot. They also have an incredible defensive coordinator in Teryl Austin, who will be able to utilize Quandre Diggs to his strengths and put him in positions to succeed.

The big thing holding Quandre Diggs back from becoming a star, is he has a limited ceiling. His lack of elite athleticism and size will keep him inside, and keep his ceiling limited. This article isn't about whether he will become a star or not, but instead it's that he will have a huge impact for the Detroit Lions straight out of the gate. Diggs is a physical playmaker that fits what Detroit is trying to do on defense, and he will impress people with his ability in the slot in 2015.

Immediate Impact Rookies: Jameis Winston

This article will be one of many in a series of 2015 draftees who I think will have an immediate impact in some way, shape or form. Where they are drafted plays a part in this series as well, because chances are that most of the first two rounds of rookies will have an immediate impact on their teams. That doesn't mean I'm going to automatically put them on my list, as there is a lot that will factor into my analysis of these players. A few components that factor into my decision will be there skill level, the situation the player is drafted into, the amount of playing time I think they will get, etc. I hope to explain myself well enough for each player I analyze that my opinion isn't completely batshit crazy. Enjoy!

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Jameis Winston

Onto the most talked about rookie since... Well since Johnny Manziel. So it was only a year earlier. Well either way, I like to think that Winston's hype is more driven by his play, and actual quarterback traits. Winston being in an 'Immediate Impact Rookies' article seems fairly redundant. He was the first overall pick and went to a quarterback needy team. It's a no-brainer. Well even if this article doesn't need a brain, it's going to get one!

The knock that I (along with most football analysts) have against him is his decision making. He too often throws a ball he flat out shouldn't throw. Other than that and a slightly long release, I haven't seen much to dislike about the young QB out of Florida State. He has an arm that can make every single throw on the field, he has an incredible football I.Q. and he has solid accuracy to go along with it. My favourite trait about Winston, is he isn't afraid of anything on the field. If Winston throws a pick to Richard Sherman, and the next play he thinks the best throw on the field is right back at Sherman, he'll challenge him again. He trusts his wide receivers, and more importantly he trusts himself to always make every throw. Also he is very rarely shaken, which is huge for a quarterback of his stature. I do believe that Winston was the most talented player in this years draft, and I think he has all of the ideal traits every team looks for in a franchise QB.

The biggest reason he is on this list isn't for his talent, because that is well documented in the NFL media circle. The main reason why he is on this list is because I love the situation he is in with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three huge, very talented pass catchers for Winston to throw too. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins should help smooth over Winston's transition to the NFL. Evans especially, as he could be the top receiver in the NFL next season and it would not shock me one bit. With Mike Glennon as his QB, Mike Evans put up 1,051 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Winston is the perfect QB for Evans, as he will throw him 50/50 balls and not be intimidated by any defensive back covering Evans. Since Evans has arguably the strongest hands in the NFL, and absolutely dominates 50/50 balls, Winston will thrive when throwing him the ball. Oh yeah, and ASJ is 6'6 to go along with the 6'5 Vincent Jackson and 6'5 Mike Evans. So they should have quite the potent red zone offense.

I'm not going to completely ignore the negatives, as the Bucs offensive line is a big question mark on paper. They are relying heavily on two rookies, which might not go over well. Donovon Smith is slotted in at left tackle, and Ali Marpet should be their right guard. The rest of the offensive line is solid, but these two rookies can't falter under pressure and need to step up. The good thing is that Winston isn't known for crumbling under pressure. He has good pocket presence, and is deceptively mobile, so he doesn't need an elite offensive line to play at a high level (obviously it would help though). The run game the Bucs have is interesting. It's not bad, it's not great, but they have quite a few guys that could make an impact. Between Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey and Mike James, I expect somebody to step up and be a solid running back for Winston.

I like what the Bucs did to help Winston. They believe that he can be their franchise quarterback, and they drafted to support that sentiment. This will be a transition year for Tampa Bay, and they probably won't be all that competitive, but I'm a strong believer in Winston and I think he'll have a great rookie season that proves he can be their franchise quarterback.