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Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
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Draft Week Rumor Mill: Thursday

Updated April 30, 2015
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

With the 2015 NFL Draft only hours away, there are rampant rumors running around the league. In reaching out to sources, here are some recent rumors worth mentioning.

Even worse than the timing of Shane Ray's arrest is the off-the-field issue with LSU offensive tackle La'el Collins. He left the draft in Chicago to meet with police in Louisiana regarding the murder investigation of a pregnant woman. We reached out to league sources, and one general manager said they thought Collins wouldn't go in the first round unless this is completely cleared up before the draft starts on Thursday night. He may ultimately be cleared of any involvement, but no team can gamble that their first-round pick could be arrested for murder. Thus, Collins could easily slide in the 2015 NFL Draft.

In the final days leading up to the draft, many have been projecting the Houston Texans to take Nelson Agholor or Breshad Perriman with the 16th-overall pick. The reasoning is understandable, as Houston moved on from franchise great Andre Johnson this offseason, and they need a No. 1 receiver. However, sources say they don't see the Texans taking Agholor or Perriman at pick 16. Those two players would be options if the team moved down, but if Houston remains at 16, Perriman or Agholor won't be in the running for the pick.

In the lead up to the draft, we were the first to report a lot of news about pre-draft visits that were being taken by Clemson edge rusher Vic Beasley. Those same sources had some interesting things to say about Beasley on the eve of the draft.

It doesn't sound like Beasley is in play for the Jaguars with the third-overall pick, like some have projected. Beasley to the Redskins at pick five also sounds unlikely. Sources say that Beasley's most likely landing spots are to the Jets, Bears and Falcons. That trio is selecting 6-8. All three are said to be seriously in play. Beasley's hope is to play for the Falcons, but he thinks his new home could easily be in New York or Chicago.

UConn cornerback Byron Jones wasn't a highly discussed prospect before the Combine when he jumped out of the gym. His amazing vertical and broad jump sent a charge into his draft stock and the workout warrior followed it up by running very fast at his pro day. Sources told us that Jones played well in his college career, but his tape wasn't overwhelming. Specifically, he looks stiff in man coverage. Without the great workouts, they don't think that Jones would be in the discussion for the first-round based on his tape alone. Sources believe that Jones has a good shot of going in the first round and is likely to go in the 30s if he isn't a Thursday night pick.

Last year, the Saints were rumored to be hot for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, trading up in the first round to land him. This year, there are rumors going around that the Saints are after Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson. Corner was a big weakness for New Orleans last year, and most teams expect Johnson to be selected in the early teens.

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