NFL Draft Rumors: Stephon Gilmore, Jaguars, Peter Konz, Brock Osweiler, Amini Silatolu

Stephon Gilmore

SI.com’s Peter King mentioned that the Jacksonville Jaguars like  South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore “a ton.”

Gilmore’s draft stock has been soaring as of late, and has apparently cemented his status amongst NFL teams as the #2 cornerback in this year’s draft behind only LSU’s Morris Claiborne. There’s no question that the Jaguars could use a solid cornerback, but there’s also a chance that Justin Blackmon could end up being available to them as well, so it will likely come down to what position they feel they can adequately address in the later rounds.

Peter Konz 

An NFL scount told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Wisconsin C Peter Konz “may be the smartest guy in this whole draft.“

“Hell of a football player,” said the scout. “Oh, my God, he’s a genius on the board. Genius. We put him on the board and he blew it away. Great kid.”

There have been some concerns about his strength, but he cleared that up at his Pro Day. There’s a good chance that he could end up being taken in the latter portion of the first round.

Brock Osweiler

Arizona State QB Brock Osweiler showed a “far more upright delivery” and a “consistently higher release point” during his visit with the Broncos, according to Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post.

Osweiler has been consistently working on his throwing mechanics while in college. The Broncos seem like a pretty good fit for him considering that they could have him sit behind Peyton Manning for a little while, before taking over the teams’ offense.

“We saw a lot of good things in both places,” Elway said. “I think both those guys showed very well.”

Denver also met with Brandon Weeden, but you’d have to think that his age would be a concern for them, since he wouldn’t have an opportunity to start until Manning chose to move on.

David Molk

Michigan C David Molk says that his ankle has “completely healed” since he suffered injury during the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech, via the Chicago Tribune.

Molk has stated that he believes that he’s the best center in this year’s class, but the consensus among evaluators is that Wisconsin’s Peter Konz is by far the best prospect. Molk is certainly worth a look later in the draft for teams in need of a tough interior lineman.

Amini Silatolu

Two NFL scouts mentioned that they believe Midwestern State OG Amini Silatolu is a better player than Mike Iupati was a few seasons ago, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Silatolu is a very physical player, but there are some red flags regarding his mental capacity.

“His interview with us was as bad as I’ve ever seen,” one personnel man said. “He had no communication skills. We watched a little tape with him and he couldn’t tell you one thing that they did.“

The draft process tends to rip players apart, but teams should be drafting someone based on what he can become and not where he is right now. If Silatolu does indeed have issues related to learning NFL schemes, that could drive him back into the backend of the second-round.

Chris Givens

NFL Films’ Greg Cosell mentioned that Wake Forest WR Chris Givens is “just as explosive vertically as Kendall Wright” and could end up being a “diamond in the rough.”

“He went from zero to 60 in a heartbeat,” writes Cosell. “… I don’t feel Givens should make it out of the second round.“

Givens could end up being a great value in this year’s draft, especially if he falls into the third round.

Draft Notes:

• Virginia CB Chase Minnifield underwent a microfracture procedure during his scheduled knee scope. (TFY Draft Insider)
• Cal LB Mychal Kendricks could be a target for the Bears, Patriots, and Ravens in the latter portion of round two. (TFY Draft Insider)
• Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward could be an option for the Titans, Patriots or Cowboys in the second round. (TFY Draft Insider)