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Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
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2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Draft Week Rumor Mill: Wednesday

Updated April 29, 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.

There has been a lot of recent buzz regarding Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat. We spoke with a team picking in the top five that has Peat as their No. 1-rated offensive lineman. They say that they won't take Peat unless they were to trade down and he was the best player available, but they still rate Peat ahead of Iowa's Brandon Scherff. Scherff has been the consensus top offensive lineman in the draft and viewed as the favorite to be the first one selected. That could still be the case, but there is a lot of buzz about Peat going in the top half of the first round, and he could easily go in the top 10 to the Giants or Rams at picks nine and 10, respectively.

Alabama safety Landon Collins is going to be an interesting player to watch on Thursday night, and maybe even Friday night. Sources from a variety of teams told us that Collins has a wide range of where he could come off the board. We knows some teams picking in the teens that have Collins in consideration for their pick, but if those franchises pass, they think that Collins could really slide. He might go late in the first, but it isn't out of the question that he'll slip out of the first round, according to some sources. Some think he still is most likely to be a late first-rounder. Thus, there is a very wide range for him going from pick 16 into the 30s and approaching 40. Collins could be in store for a great night or a long night.

In terms of getting feedback from general managers for my final mock draft, one interesting recommendation was to have Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson going off the board in picks 9-16. Their team had Johnson rated second behind Michigan State's Trae Waynes. They thought that Waynes would go somewhere in the top 12 and that Johnson will be up next to a team that wants cornerback help. There is a quiet buzz around Johnson in talking with teams. We know other teams picking in the teens that have Johnson in the mix for their selection. He could go higher than many expect on Thursday night.

Oklahoma nose tackle Jordan Phillips has a shot at being a late first-round pick, as there are a number of teams picking in the 20s that could take him. That group includes the Lions, Ravens, Broncos, Packers and Patriots. Sources think that Broncos are a team to keep an eye on. They lost Terrence Knighton in free agency and could use a nose tackle for Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense.

The Packers are also a landing spot for Phillips, as they aren't locked in to B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion. The Patriots need a replacement for Vince Wilfork, and the Ravens have to replace Haloti Ngata. The Lions traded for Ngata to plug the hole filled by Ndamukong Suh, but they need another tackle to make up for the loss of Nick Fairley. Phillips and Florida State nose tackle Eddie Goldman could be in high demand. If Phillips slips out of the first round, he should go quickly in the second.

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