With just under a month left to go before the draft and most pro days having been completed, the draft appears to be really taking some shape.
However, even with things clearing themselves up, it’s still anyone’s guess as to what actually happens April 27–29.
This time around I decided to add in one trade that I think is a real possibility at this point with Carolina jumping from 8 to 2.
1.CLEVELAND — Miles Garrett — Edge — Texas A&M This won’t change unless Cleveland goes ahead and acts like Cleveland. He’s the best player in the draft and they need help all over the roster.
2. CAROLINA- TRADE — Leonard Fournette — RB — LSU He just seems too good for Carolina to pass on. They would instantly have the best QB/RB tandem in the league.
3. CHICAGO — Jamal Adams — S — LSU In my opinion the best safety on the board and Chicago has a glaring hole back there. They could go corner, but I think they’ve added enough pieces in free agency to go with the top safety instead.
4. JACKSONVILLE — Solomon Thomas — DL — Stanford With Fournette off the board, the Jags decide to address their defensive line by adding a stud blue chip prospect in Thomas.
5. TENNESSEE (VIA LA Rams) — Marshon Lattimore — CB — Ohio State Luxury pick for Tennessee. They could go after the top WR on the board, or even Howard if they’re feeling frisky. Instead of reaching they decide to go for the best corner in the draft.
6. NEW YORK JETS — Mitchell Trubisky — QB — North Carolina They’re going to take a QB as they need to stop taking shots on guys in the third and fourth round and find a true franchise guy. Trubisky has his flaws but the upside is there and showed really well at his pro day.
7. SAN DIEGO — Malik Hooker — S — Ohio State With Philip Rivers not getting any younger and a roster that has more talent than you think, San Diego looks to fill the hole left by Eric Weddle’s departure with the rangy safety out of Ohio State.
8. SAN FRANCISCO — TRADE — Jonathan Allen — DL — Alabama Not going to say he was the guy they wanted all along, but how good would John Lynch look if he’s able to get more picks by trading back and still get a top five talent. Big win for the 49ers. Even with his shoulder issues, Allen is a beast.
9. CINCINNATI — Corey Davis — WR — Western Michigan The loss of Sanu and Jones really hurt this team last year. They had no answer for the gaping hole at WR2 across from A.J. Green. Taking a player like Davis gives Cinci a legitimate #2 option behind Green who can keep defenses honest with his speed and athleticism.
10. BUFFALO — O.J Howard — TE — Alabama The Bills need to add someone who can take some pressure off Tyrod in the passing game. Why not grab a big security blanket TE who can help spread the field when needed.
11. NEW ORLEANS — Hassan Reddick — LB — Temple Reddick continues to fly up draft boards after a very impressive showing at the combine.
12. CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson — QB — Clemson Cleveland will eventually need to take a QB that they can build around. While I don’t think Watson is the answer, having the draft fall this way gives Cleveland a lot of value in taking him here.
13. ARIZONA — Patrick Mahomes III — QB — Texas Tech Even though this is a team that can easily make it back to the playoffs this year with an addition elsewhere on the roster, Mahomes arm strength and swagger is simply too tempting for Bruce Arians to pass up.
14. PHILADELPHIA (VIA Minnesota) — Christian McCaffery — RB — Stanford After addressing their porous wide receiver corps in free agency, the Eagles decide to add the Swiss Army knife in McCaffery, who can excel in Doug Pederson’s screen heavy offense.
15. INDIANAPOLIS — Reuben Foster — LB — Alabama The Colts will be thanking the football gods that Foster; a top five talent, slides all the way down to them at 15. He’s a plug-and-play guy who will become a leader on that defense.
16. BALTIMORE — John Ross — WR — Washington Who has the best deep ball in the NFL? Joe Flacco. Who just broke the 40 record at the combine? John Ross. Seems like these two have a natural fit. Better than Mike Wallace and an instant upgrade over the other receivers on the roster.
17. WASHINGTON — Derek Barnett — DL — Tennessee Barnett put up big numbers coming out of the SEC. Great player who can make an immediate impact for Washington.
18. TENNESSEE — Mike Williams — WR — Clemson After going for the best player available at five, Tennessee decides to go ahead and address a need, getting Marcus Mariota a new wideout with some of the best hands in the draft.
19. TAMPA BAY — David Njoku — TE — Miami This is yet another pick that just seems to fit too well for it not to happen. Njoku gives Tampa Bay another receiving threat to go with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson in Tampa’s pick-your-poison nightmare.
20. DENVER — Ryan Ramczyk — OL — Wisconsin Look, an offensive tackle! In a down year for tackles and guards, Denver gets their pick of the litter and takes Ramczyk.
21. DETROIT — Takkarist McKinley — DL/LB — UCLA Detroit once again goes with the raw prospect with a ton of upside and hopes to hit it as big as they did with Ezekiel Ansah.
22. MIAMI — Geron Conley — CB — Ohio State In need of some serious help in the defensive backfield, Miami goes and takes the third defensive back from Ohio State in Conley. While not as highly touted as his teammates, Conley possesses great football IQ and could end up being the best of the three.
23. NEW YORK GIANTS — Malik McDowell — DL — Michigan State Running back is an option here to maximize the last few years of Eli’s career. However, I feel they continue to build that defence and add another defensive tackle to bolster their line.
24. OAKLAND- Jarrad Davis — LB — Florida With a gaping hole at linebacker, the Raiders decide to take one of the best athletes on the board. An every down linebacker, Davis possesses a relentless motor and sideline to sideline speed.
25. HOUSTON — Garrett Bolles — OL — Utah While some might feel this is a good spot for a QB like Kizer, I think Houston is comfortable rolling with Tom Savage and decides to address their offensive line instead. While he does need time to develop, Bolles plays with an edge and can eventually become an anchor on the left side.
26. SEATTLE -Kevin King — CB — Washington They desperately need to upgrade the offensive line, but after a run on tackles they decide to go with more value and take the local product in King. With rumours of a Sherman departure from Seattle, the ‘Hawks need extra bodies in the backfield. King is in the Seattle mold; big (6’3) and explosive (4.44 speed).
27. KANSAS CITY — Charles Harris — LB — Missouri After how well they played last season, and with Alex Smith’s comfort running Andy Reid’s system they decide to pass on getting a Quarterback of the future and instead bolster their pass rush with a twitchy athlete who can play in either a 3–4 or 4–3 scheme.
28. DALLAS — Jabril Peppers — S — Michigan After watching multiple defensive backs take off in free agency, Dallas decides to grab a guy that can play multiple positions in Peppers. While I don’t see him having as much upside as other top safeties in this draft, he’s more versatile and could end up being a steal late in the first round.
29. GREEN BAY — Dalvin Cook — RB — Florida State They need a running back, and Cook falling to them because of his durability issues makes this an ideal fit.
30. PITTSBURGH — Taco Charlton — DL — Michigan Even a poor showing at the combine won’t keep the guy with the best name in the draft out of the first round. Taco Tuesday comes to Pittsburgh to play on Sunday.
31. ATLANTA — Forrest Lamp — OG — Western Kentucky Atlanta finds themselves in a position where they don’t need to reach.They can let the board fall to them and grab the best talent. Lamp can come in and start on day one, and he might fall due to the overall lack of impact players on the offensive line this draft.
32. NEW ORLEANS (VIA New England) — Obi Melifonwu — CB — Connecticut With a historically bad pass defence, the Saints decide to double up on that side of the ball and grab the rangy corner from Connecticut. His numbers at the combine were eye popping, and he should upgrade their defence right away.
Shugh’s Sweet Takes
- While I only included one trade in this mock, keep an eye on Tennessee at #5 and Cleveland at #12 for other potential picks that can move. Personally, I think Cleveland will trade back from #12 after grabbing Garrett, as I think a team with an aging QB (Saints, Steelers, Chargers, Giants, or Chiefs) might decide to jump Arizona and grab Mahomes.
- On the topic of trades, who’s going to be the team that jumps into the end of the first round to grab someone who’s falling down the board? Every year you’ll see one of the picks between 24–32 get traded when a specific player ends up lower on the board than expected. Teams with aggressive general managers like the Rick Spielman of the VIkings (who also don’t possess a first round pick) are ones to keep an eye on.
- How many QBs go on the first night? Without a standout #1 option, it seems as though teams are keeping their cards close to the chest in the hopes of getting their guy. Another thing to keep in mind, that 5th year option with first round picks gives teams a lot of value to trade back into the first round to grab a guy at the end of the round (see Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater in the 2015 draft).
Alan Shaw is a special contributor for theocho.ca, resident draft guru and self appointed Director of Scouting. He is currently slacking off in his role as official fact checker of The Ocho podcast. Follow Alan on Twitter at @a_shaw88.
