Dallas Cowboys

Jordan Katz- 2018 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Two Rounds

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Finally… Jordan Katz HAS COME BACK to the land of Mock Drafts! Now that the regular season has finished, it’s officially the offseason for 20 NFL teams. This year’s offseason packs more of a punch than normal years because of the amount of quarterbacks on the market. Not only will guys like Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith most likely be free agents, but there’s a ton of quarterbacks worthy of high selections. Quarterback play dictates the success of each team and this year will be full of quarterback changes.

This year’s draft has a ton of talent elsewhere too. Offensive line is loaded, the playmakers on offense and defense are better than people think, and there are some explosive edge rushers.

As always with my mock drafts, this is my personal opinion of what each team should do at each selection. Unlike other mock drafts you may see online, I like to include potential trades. Mock Drafts should be your own evaluation of the players and team needs. If that’s the case, why not throw in a trade if it makes sense?

A few notes before getting started. For the sake of the mock draft, I assumed Kirk Cousins returned to Washington. The entire offseason will change the minute Cousins signs somewhere. However, without any information as to where he could wind up, I had him re-sign.

The second note of importance is that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are not in my first two rounds (I currently have a 3rd round grade on both). While some in the mock draft community love these two, I think they both have a lot of technical work that they need to improve on. Neither are particularly accurate either.

The best time of the year is upon us: Mock Draft season. Let’s get to it!

ROUND ONE

1) Cleveland Browns: Josh Rosen, QB UCLA- In my opinion, Rosen is the top quarterback in the draft right now. Rosen, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are very close on my personal board, but what separates Rosen from the other two is his physical attributes. He’s got NFL size and mobility, he’s the best pure passer in the draft, and he did it all with very little talent around him. If the Browns don’t grab a quarterback this year, I think Roger Goodell has to make them fold as a franchise.

2) Denver Broncos via New York Giants: Sam Darnold, QB USC- The Giants are in the same position the Dallas Cowboys were in a few years ago. They’re a talented team that underachieved, and now they sit with a top five pick. Just like Dallas, that gives you two options; take the best player available or trade down. While the Cowboys wound up with their quarterback of the future in that draft, many people forget the plan was for Tony Romo to play a few more seasons, not for Dak Prescott to start day one.

That year I suggested it was in the Cowboys best interest to trade down. It’s very rare that you get a free opportunity to acquire draft assets. So, with the Giants content on playing Eli for a few more seasons, I would have the Giants trade down.

With plenty of offers to choose from, the Giants trade down to the Broncos pick. This keeps them in the top five, and gets the Broncos their franchise quarterback on a cheap contract.

Editor’s Note: Despite his down year, Darnold still translates well for the NFL. He’s got an NFL arm, good size, mobility and he can make any throw. I believe the kinks will get worked out and he will become a quality NFL quarterback.

3) New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts: Baker Mayfield, QB Oklahoma- Once again, the Jets enter a draft not having a franchise quarterback. Mayfield is tailor-made for a west coast system. He’s got a bigger arm than people think, he’s incredibly accurate, and most importantly for the Jets, he’s a true leader. The Heisman Trophy winner would thrive under the bright lights of the “Big Apple.” 

Editor’s Note: Regardless of how much their owner wants Saquon Barkley, the Colts need so much that they have to trade down and acquire assets.

4) Cleveland Browns via Houston Texans: Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State- Let’s make this simple; Saquon Barkley is the best prospect in this draft. He’s the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. He’s a better pro prospect than Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, and Christian McCaffrey. If the Browns can land him at four, that could go a long way towards expediting their rebuild that’s been going on since 1999.

5) New York Giants via Denver Broncos: Quenton Nelson, OG Notre Dame- The Giants have to find an offensive line this year if they want any chance of competing next season. Nelson is the top offensive lineman in the draft. His game is complete and he’s a team captain, something the Giants organization loves.

6) Indianapolis Colts via New York Jets: Connor Williams, OT Texas- Hey Indy, quick thought on the future of your franchise. If you want Andrew Luck to succeed, then maybe it’s time to GET HIM AN OFFENSIVE LINE!

7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bradley Chubb, DE NC State- The Buccaneers need a number of things this offseason, and at the top of that list is an edge rusher. Chubb is a fluid athlete with the ability to dip and bend effortlessly around the edge. His instincts and ability to win at the point of attack make him a three down player, something the Bucs desperately need up front.

8) Chicago Bears: Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB/FS/SS Alabama- Jamal Adams 2.0 this year will be Minkah Fitzpatrick. He’s got the talent to go higher, but because of needs he may fall into some team’s lap. Fitzpatrick has the ball skills to play safety and the press cover ability to line up at corner. Easy pick for a team that needs a game changer in their secondary.

9) San Francisco 49ers: Arden Key, EDGE LSU- Arden Key came out of the gate slow this year. However, when he got back to his normal playing weight, scouts were able to see the athleticism and move-set that made Key a top pick preseason.

The Niners have to get Jimmy Garoppolo some targets this offseason, but in my opinion, there are no top ten caliber receivers in this class just yet. Having failed to trade down, the Niners take the best player at a position of need.

10) Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, ILB Georgia- Smith plays downhill with aggression, he’s a terrific tackler, and he’s a rangy linebacker. The Raiders need an anchor in the middle of their defense. Smith would have an immediate impact on a team that allowed the second most yards per game on the ground.

11) Miami Dolphins: Tremaine Edmunds, OLB/EDGE Virginia Tech- Edmunds is an athletic freak with the ability to play in off coverage as well as rush the passer. His tape is impressive for someone that is still developing. Edmunds could dominate as a LEO linebacker at the next level.    

12) Cincinnati Bengals: Mike McGlinchey, OT Notre Dame- The Bengals offensive line struggled during the 2017 season. McGlinchey is a plug and play right tackle from day one. He is great at attacking defensive lineman on running downs, getting his hands on quickly and gaining leverage to dictate where the lineman goes. 

13) Green Bay Packers: Braden Smith, OT/OG Auburn- Just like the Colts, the Packers are desperate for a solid offensive line. Yes, some of the Packers issues are more about injuries than a lack of talent, but there’s still work to be done. Smith is a terrific run blocker, and his athleticism will make him a successful guard at the next level.

14) Washington Redskins: Derwin James, FS/SS Florida State- James might be the enigma of the first round. He has got a ton of talent, but his effort was nowhere to be found in 2017. If that’s a concern for GM’s, he could fall out of round one with a bad combine. If he has a good combine, it should put the effort rumors to bed, seeing as half of Florida State’s squad was injured this year.

15) Arizona Cardinals: Orlando Brown, OT Oklahoma- Brown had a really strong 2017 campaign where he showed all the traits of a pro bowl left tackle. He’s more athletic after cutting weight, which has improved his footwork drastically. The Cardinals are desperate for a quarterback of the future, but with the big three off the board (and me not being a fan of Josh Allen) it’s better to take talent at a different position than reaching for a quarterback.

16) Baltimore Ravens: Anthony Miller, WR Memphis- Allow me to introduce you to the best receiver in this draft and the one no one is talking about. Miller runs picturesque routes; he is one of the quickest receivers in the draft. He makes catches with his hands first, he can high point the ball extremely well, and he makes a ton of contested catches. The All American from Memphis would give Joe Flacco a legitimate target, something the Ravens desperately need.

17) Atlanta Falcons via Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Wilkins, DT Clemson- It’s a crime shame that Wilkins fell this far. His hands are incredibly fast, he’s terrific at gaining leverage and controlling gaps, and in case you thought his game had weaknesses, he’s got the move-set and athleticism to dominate as an interior pass rusher. Atlanta will be in need of a defensive tackle after Dontari Poe leaves, so they trade up to land a game changer in the middle.

18) Seattle Seahawks: Derrius Guice, RB LSU- I know the Seahawks need offensive line, but one of the reasons their offense stalled at times this year was a lack of a true running game. Guice is an incredibly talented back with the ability to change the dynamic of the Seahawks offense.

19) Dallas Cowboys: Dante Pettis, WR Washington- With the rapid decline of Dez Bryant, pass catcher has become priority number one for the ‘Boys. Pettis’ deep threat ability could provide a true home run threat to the Cowboys passing game. It would also help alleviate coverage from 88, which could help him bounce back in 2018.

20) Detroit Lions: Marcus Davenport, EDGE UTSA- Credit to former Draftstock contributor Mike Reynolds for this call. Back in late October, Mike told me to look out for Davenport as a first rounder, and boy was he right. Davenport is long and athletic with the move-set to match. He dips and bends around the edge with ease as well. He would be an immediate upgrade to a team that has to rush the passer better in 2018.

21) Buffalo Bills: Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M- What a tremendous job Sean McDermott and his staff did this year in Buffalo. Despite an offense that doesn’t scare you on paper and a young defensive unit, McDermott has the Bills back in the playoffs for the first time in 18 years. If the Bills want to make it back to back appearances in 2018, then they will need to get more weapons for Tyrod Taylor.

Kirk is an explosive route runner with good hands and a quick release. His presence would give the Bills a chain mover on the outside.

22)  Los Angeles Chargers via Atlanta Falcons- Chukwuma Okorafor, OT Western Michigan- Priority number one for the Chargers this offseason is upgrading the offensive tackle position. In a year with plenty of offensive line prospects to go around, this puts them in an excellent position to trade down, acquire assets, and still select a quality lineman.

Okorafor “checks all the boxes,” in terms of his measurements and athletic ability, but he’s still fairly raw in terms of his technique. What makes him an attractive prospect, in my opinion, is the fact that he’s already played both tackle positions despite picking up the game of football at a later age. That shows a knowledge and passion for the game that you can’t teach.

23) Tennessee Titans: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE Clemson- Tennessee needs to get younger and more athletic up front in 2018. Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo are both free agents after next season, and the Titans need to start saving money to re-sign Marcus Mariota. Ferrell has a quick first step and terrific athletic ability off the edge. I like him better in a 4-3, but he’s got the versatility to play both systems in the NFL at a high level.

24) Carolina Panthers: Denzel Ward, CB Ohio State- Do not sleep on this cornerback class. As a group, they may not have the size and athleticism of years past, but there are plenty of guys with the technique to succeed at the next level. Ward has good ball skills and he is terrific when trailing receivers. He’s one of the best athletes in the entire draft class as well. Pairing him with James Bradberry would make for an underrated secondary tandem in Carolina.

25) Buffalo Bills via Kansas City Chiefs: Vita Vea, NT Washington- The Bills were 29th in the NFL in rushing defense. They have to clean that up if they want to take the next step defensively in 2018. Vea is a space eating monster with the athleticism to rush the passer if left isolated. He would have an immediate impact on the middle of the Bills defense.

26) New Orleans Saints: Ronnie Harrison, SS Alabama- It’s hard for Alabama defenders to be “under the radar,” during draft season, yet this year they all are going unnoticed. Harrison is a hard hitting safety with freaky athleticism. He also shows enough knowledge and ball skills in coverage to be a multi-dimensional safety at the next level. Kenny Vaccaro is a free agent this year, so finding a cheap option to replace him makes sense for a team that needs to re-sign Drew Brees.

27) Jacksonville Jaguars: Billy Price, OG/OC Ohio State- Price translates well at guard and center at the next level. He’s intelligent, good at the point of attack, and he sees the second level well in the running game. Price would add more stability to an improving offensive line in Jacksonville.

28) Los Angeles Rams: Jaire Alexander, CB Louisville- Even if the Rams sign Trumaine Johnson to an extension, they still need a number two corner in the offseason. Alexander is my top cover corner in the draft, but his size (he will most likely measure in at 5’10) and his health concerns put him below Davis and Ward on my big board. Despite these concerns, if Alexander opts to enter the 2018 NFL Draft, his ball skills and technique should make him a top 40 selection with ease.

29) Pittsburgh Steelers: Rashaan Evans, ILB Alabama- This is a bit of a reach for me, but the Steelers are so desperate for an inside linebacker. With the uncertainty of whether Ryan Shazier will ever play in the NFL again, the Steelers need a run stopping signal caller in the middle of their defense. Evans can be just that.

30) Minnesota Vikings: Da’Ron Payne, DT Alabama- Payne’s athleticism and quickness off the ball would allow him to thrive next to a space eater like Linval Joseph. After the loss of Sharrif Floyd, the Vikings need to find someone to play next to Joseph in order to keep their defense “tip top,” in 2018.

31) Philadelphia Eagles: Martinas Rankin, OT Mississippi State- Philadelphia needs to bolster their offensive line this offseason. Jason Peters is an aging veteran coming off of an injury and Halapoulivaati Vaitai didn’t show the ability to be his replacement.

I’m a big fan of offensive lineman that possess good technique and have played multiple positions because it shows the knowledge needed to play the game at the next level. That is Martinas Rankin.

32) New England Patriots: Josh Jackson, CB Iowa- Whatever we collectively thought New England’s secondary was going to be this year, it surely was not. Now the Patriots are set to lose Malcolm Butler to free agency, with Eric Rowe and Jonathan Jones set to be free agents the year after. Jackson is a lengthy corner with great ball skills and a really good understanding of technique in tight coverage as well as off coverage. He’s a perfect fit in New England.

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1) Denver Broncos trade the #5, #37 a 2019 1st and a 2019 3rd to the New York Giants for the #2 overall pick.

2) New York Jets trade the #6, #50 and a 2019 1st round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for the #3 and a 2019 3rd round pick.

3) Atlanta Falcons trade the #22, #86 and a 2019 3rd round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for the #17 and the #161

 

ROUND TWO

33) Cleveland Browns: Isaiah Oliver, CB Colorado

34) New York Giants: Brian O’Neill, OT Pittsburgh

35) Indianapolis Colts: Hercules Mata’Afa, EDGE Washington State

36) Cleveland Browns via Houston Texans: DeShon Elliott, FS Texas

37) New York Giants via Denver Broncos: Ronald Jones II, RB USC

38) New York Jets: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, OLB Oklahoma

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Justin Reid, FS Stanford

40) Chicago Bears: Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama

41) New England Patriots via San Francisco 49ers: Ryan Finley, QB NC State

42) Oakland Raiders: Holton Hill, CB Texas

43) Miami Dolphins: Will Hernandez, OG UTEP

44) Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Edwards, FS/SS Kentucky

45) Green Bay Packers: Frank Ragnow, OG/OC Arkansas

46) Washington Redskins: Tegray Scales, OLB/ILB Indiana

47) Arizona Cardinals: Jarrett Stidham, QB Auburn

48) Baltimore Ravens: Dallas Goedert, TE South Dakota State

49) Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Jefferson, ILB Texas

50) Indianapolis Colts from New York Giants via Seattle Seahawks: Kendall Joseph, ILB Clemson

51) Dallas Cowboys: Josh Allen, OLB Kentucky

52) Detroit Lions: Wyatt Teller, OG Virginia Tech

53) Buffalo Bills: Mitch Hyatt, OT Clemson

54) Atlanta Falcons: Michael Gallup, WR Colorado State

55) Tennessee Titans: Harrison Phillips, DL Stanford

56) Carolina Panthers: Sam Hubbard, EDGE Ohio State

57) Kansas City Chiefs: Mason Cole, OL Michigan

58) San Francisco 49ers via New Orleans Saints: Quenton Meeks, CB Stanford

59) Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Andrews, TE Oklahoma

60) Buffalo Bills via Los Angeles Rams: Jamarco Jones, OT Ohio State

61) Pittsburgh Steelers: Bryce Love, RB Stanford

62) Minnesota Vikings: Uchenna Nwosu, OLB USC

63) Cleveland Browns via Philadelphia Eagles: DJ Moore, WR Maryland

64) New England Patriots: Dorance Armstrong Jr., EDGE Kansas

Jordan Katz 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Final

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The Draft has finally arrived! In just a few hours we will officially begin the 2017 NFL season. Most teams started forming their rosters for 2017 during free agency, but the draft is where teams rebuild and reload. The draft is where every team, regardless of their record from the previous season, is renewed with a sense of hope. Hope that the the players added will help their team take massive strides in the upcoming season. Hope that the players they draft will help them achieve the ultimate goal; winning a championship.

This mock draft is my final one for 2017. Each pick is based on what I would do at each spot. A trade is only made if I felt it was a good deal for both sides. These selections are based on my personal rankings and my personal evaluation of team needs. I didn’t analyze every selection because, if you’ve followed my mock drafts thus far, you know the players I like as well as the players I don’t. Thanks to those who kept up with my content, I really appreciate it.

*If you’re looking for my predictions mock draft, click on the link (https://draftstock.net/2017/04/19/2017-nfl-media-mock-draft/)

ROUND ONE

1- Cleveland Browns- Myles Garrett, EDGE Texas A&M

2- San Francisco 49ers- Mitchell Trubisky, QB North Carolina

3- Chicago Bears- Marshon Lattimore, CB Ohio State

4- Jacksonville Jaguars- Solomon Thomas, DE Stanford

5- Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams- Jamal Adams, FS/SS LSU

6- New York Jets- Ryan Ramczyk, OT Wisconsin

7- Los Angeles Chargers- Malik Hooker, FS Ohio State

8- Carolina Panthers- Leonard Fournette, RB LSU

9- Cincinnati Bengals- Reuben Foster, ILB Alabama

10- Buffalo Bills- Corey Davis, WR Western Michigan

11- New Orleans Saints- Taco Charlton, DE Michigan

12- Cleveland Browns via Philadelphia Eagles- Jonathan Allen, DE/DT Alabama

13- Miami Dolphins via Arizona Cardinals- Forrest Lamp, OG Western Kentucky

14- Denver Broncos from Philadelphia Eagles via Minnesota Vikings- OJ Howard, TE Alabama

15- Indianapolis Colts- Zach Cunningham, OLB/ILB Vanderbilt

16- New York Giants via Baltimore Ravens- David Njoku, TE Miami Florida

17- Washington Redskins- Montravius Adams, DE/DT Auburn

18- Tennessee Titans- Evan Engram, WR/TE Ole Miss

19- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Budda Baker, FS Washington

20- Philadelphia Eagles via Denver Broncos- Gareon Conley, CB Ohio State

21- Detroit Lions- Haason Reddick, OLB/ILB Temple

22- Arizona Cardinals via Miami Dolphins- Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson

23- Baltimore Ravens via New York Giants- TJ Watt, OLB Wisconsin

24- Oakland Raiders- Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State

25- Houston Texans- Obi Melifonwu, FS/SS UCONN

26- Seattle Seahawks- Marlon Humphrey, CB Alabama

27- Kansas City Chiefs- Jarrad Davis, OLB/ILB Florida

28- Dallas Cowboys- Adoree Jackson, CB/FS USC

29- Green Bay Packers- Derek Barnett, EDGE Tennessee

30- Pittsburgh Steelers- Tre’Davious White, CB LSU

31- Atlanta Falcons- Carl Lawson, EDGE Auburn

32- Los Angeles Rams via New England Patriots from New Orleans Saints via New England Patriots- Mike Williams, WR Clemson

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1- Miami Dolphins trade the #22, the #54 and the #206 to the Arizona Cardinals for the #13.

2- Denver Broncos trade the #20, #82 and a 2018 3rd to the Philadelphia Eagles for the #14 and a 2018 5th.

3- New York Giants trade the #23 the #87 and a 2018 3rd to the Baltimore Ravens for the #16.

4- New England Patriots trade Malcolm Butler and a 2018 3rd to the New Orleans Saints for the #32. The Patriots then trade the #32 to the Los Angeles Rams for the #37 and the #112.

ROUND TWO

33- Cleveland Browns- Sidney Jones, CB Washington

34- San Francisco 49ers- Zay Jones, WR East Carolina

35- Houston Texans via Jacksonville Jaguars- Patrick Mahomes II, QB Texas Tech

36- Chicago Bears- Cam Robinson, OT Alabama

37- New England Patriots via Los Angeles Rams- Derek Rivers, EDGE Youngstown State

38- Los Angeles Chargers- Jordan Willis, EDGE Kansas State

39- New York Jets- Fabian Moreau, CB UCLA

40- Carolina Panthers- Tarell Basham, DE Ohio

41- Cincinnati Bengals- Alvin Kamara, RB Tennessee

42- New Orleans Saints- DeShone Kizer, QB Notre Dame

43- Philadelphia Eagles- Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

44- Buffalo Bills- Rasul Douglas, CB West Virginia

45- Arizona Cardinals- Ahkello Witherspoon, CB Colorado

46- Indianapolis Colts- Marcus Maye, FS Florida

47- Baltimore Ravens- Chris Godwin, WR Penn State

48- Minnesota Vikings- Pat Elflein, G/C Ohio State

49- Washington Redskins- Jabrill Peppers, SS/LB/RB Michigan

50- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Garett Bolles, OT Utah

51- Denver Broncos- Dion Dawkins, OT/OG Temple

52- Cleveland Browns via Tennessee Titans- DeShone Kizer, QB Notre Dame

53- Detroit Lions- Chidobe Awuzie, CB/FS Colorado

54- Arizona Cardinals via Miami Dolphins- John Ross III, WR Washington

55- New York Giants- D’Onta Foreman, RB Texas

56- Oakland Raiders- Jaleel Johnson, DT Iowa

57- Jacksonville Jaguars via Houston Texans- Dan Feeney, OG Indiana

58- Seattle Seahawks- Taylor Moton, OT/OG Western Michigan

59- Kansas City Chiefs- Damontae Kazee, CB San Diego State

60- Dallas Cowboys- Charles Harris, EDGE Missouri

61- Green Bay Packers- Malik McDowell, DE/DT Michigan State

62- Pittsburgh Steelers- Tim Williams, EDGE Alabama

63- San Francisco 49ers via Atlanta Falcons- Quincy Wilson, CB Florida

64- Carolina Panthers via New England Patriots- Amara Darboh, WR Michigan

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1- Houston Texans trade #57 and a 2018 2nd to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #35.

2- San Francisco 49ers trade the #66 and the #198 to the Atlanta Falcons for the #63.

ROUND THREE

65- Cleveland Browns- Marcus Williams, FS Utah

66- Atlanta Falcons via San Francisco 49ers- Josh Jones, FS/SS NC State

67- Chicago Bears- Alex Anzalone, OLB/ILB Florida

68- Jacksonville Jaguars- Ryan Anderson, OLB Alabama

69- Los Angeles Rams- Chris Wormley, DE/DT Michigan

70- New York Jets- Jake Butt, TE Michigan

71- Los Angeles Chargers- Chad Hansen, WR California

72- New England Patriots via Carolina Panthers- Desmond King, CB/FS Iowa

73- Cincinnati Bengals- Elijah Qualls, NT Washington

74- Philadelphia Eagles- Teez Tabor, CB/FS Florida

75- Buffalo Bills- Delano Hill, FS Michigan

76- New Orleans Saints- Raekwon McMillian, ILB Ohio State

77- Arizona Cardinals- Tyler Orlosky, G/C West Virginia

78- Baltimore Ravens- Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE Villanova

79- Minnesota Vikings- Eddie Jackson, SS Alabama

80- Indianapolis Colts- Trey Hendrickson, EDGE Florida Atlantic

81- Washington Redskins- Anthony Walker, ILB Northwestern

82- Philadelphia Eagles via Denver Broncos- Ryan Switzer, WR North Carolina

83- Tennessee Titans- Cameron Sutton, CB/FS Tennessee

84- Pittsburgh Steelers via Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jordan Leggett, TE Clemson

85- Detroit Lions- Bucky Hodges, TE Virginia Tech

86- Minnesota Vikings from Miami Dolphins- Eddie Vanderdoes, DT UCLA

87- Baltimore Ravens via New York Giants- Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan

88- Oakland Raiders- Duke Riley, OLB LSU

89- Houston Texans- Adam Shaheen, TE Ashland

90- Seattle Seahawks- Daeshon Hall, EDGE Texas A&M

91- Kansas City Chiefs- Davis Webb, QB California

92- Dallas Cowboys- Tyus Bowser, OLB Houston

93- Green Bay Packers- Semaje Perine, RB Oklahoma

94- Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Pittsburgh Steelers- Vince Beigel, OLB Wisconsin

95- Atlanta Falcons- Dorian Johnson, OG Pittsburgh

96- New England Patriots- Larry Ogunjobi, DT Charlotte

97- Miami Dolphins (Compensatory Selection)- Bryan Cox Jr., DE Florida

98- Carolina Panthers (Compensatory Selection)- George Kittle, TE Iowa

99- Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory Selection)- Will Holden, OT Vanderbilt

100- Chicago Bears via Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)- Kenny Golladay, WR Northern Illinois

101- Denver Broncos (Compensatory Selection)- Demarcus Walker, DE Florida State

102- Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection)- Ar’Darius Stewart, WR Alabama

103- New England Patriots from Cleveland Browns (Compensatory Selection)- Lorenzo Jerome, SS St. Francis PA

104- Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection)- Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson

105- Pittsburgh Steelers (Compensatory Selection)- Nathan Peterman, QB Pittsburgh

106- Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection)- Jarron Jones, DT/NT Notre Dame

107- New York Jets (Compensatory Selection)- Takkarist McKinnley, EDGE UCLA

TRADES IN ROUND THREE

1- Pittsburgh Steelers trade the #94 and the #135 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the #84.

2- Chicago Bears trade the #111 and the #147 to the Tennessee Titans for the #100 and the #214.

 

2017 NFL Media Mock Draft

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Welcome to the only edition of my Media Mock Draft for 2017. This will be more of a conventional mock draft. In this one, I try to predict what every team will do in each spot. If a team is looking to trade out of their pick, I tried to make a trade happen with the teams that are interested in players on the board, not the teams that I felt should move up. For example, if a quarterback needy team had to move up to ensure they got their guy, they attempted to do so, regardless of what I thought of the quarterback. In short, this is not based on my individual analysis on players. Each selection is based on pre-draft visits and reports among scouts and reporters on what they think teams should take. I also take into account the fans perspective, because sometimes they can play a role (even though they never should).

Now every player does not have to have visited with the team they get drafted by. Plenty of players are drafted without having visited privately with the team that picks them. However, visits can be a good indication as to which way a team is leaning come draft day.

For those curious as to where the information comes from, teams release their visits with players during the draft process. After gathering the information, we have to determine which rumors are true, and which are smoke screens. I won’t get every pick right, but hopefully I will squash some of the rumors that make no sense. Let’s get started.

Round One

1) Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, EDGE Texas A&M- We squash the first smoke screen of the draft with this pick. I believe that the Browns are very high on Mitchell Trubisky. I believe that they want him bad.

However, there is… cue Vince McMahon’s music… “NO CHANCE,” the Browns take him over Myles Garrett.

2) San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Thomas, DE Stanford- I think the Niners hold the keys to this draft. If they decide to trade this pick, the domino effect will be massive, regardless of what team trades up and who they select.

If they choose to stay put, then the player they select will create the same domino effect. Whether that’s Marshon Lattimore, insert quarterback here, or Solomon Thomas (I think they go Thomas to complete their transition to 4-3), the Niners will determine the outcome of this draft.

3) Chicago Bears: Jonathan Allen, DE/DT Alabama- Allen and the Bears have been matched up for a while now. The Bears used a pre-draft visit on Allen and they met with him at the combine as well. Based on the Bears infatuation with DeShone Kizer, I sense they’ll draft their quarterback of the future on day two, and address a different need in round one.

4) Cincinnati Bengals via Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, RB LSU- This is a weird call, but let’s play this out. The Jags could definitely stay here and take Fournette. However, I have a feeling they are one of the few teams with Joe Mixon at the top of their running back boards. If that’s the case, then the Fournette rumors are a smoke screen.

It’s no secret the Bengals would love to pick Fournette and stabilize their running game. Jeremy Hill can be a UFA after the upcoming season, and he’s under-performed as of late. Therefore, the Jags use Fournette to swap places with the Bengals and add some draft capital.

5) Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams: Marshon Lattimore, CB Ohio State- This is an easy fit. The Titans added Logan Ryan, but they still need a corner to play on the other side. 

Where this pick could become interesting is if the 49ers take Lattimore at the two. In that case, I would expect Tennessee to take Malik Hooker.

6) Cleveland Browns via New York Jets: Mitchell Trubisky, QB North Carolina- It’s time to squash the second rumor of this draft; the Jets selecting a quarterback in round one.

I think the Jets are talking up Trubisky and Deshaun Watson to get one of the Browns, Cardinals or Texans to come up and take this spot. The Jets have a ton of roster holes and they need more assets in this draft to help address those needs.

7) Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Hooker, FS Ohio State- The Chargers haven’t met with Malik Hooker, but he’s one of the best players in the draft at a position of need for the Chargers. I’ll take my chances on this one.

8) Washington Redskins via Carolina Panthers: Jamal Adams, FS/SS LSU- Jamal Adams recently visited with the Panthers, and they could easily draft him here. The more likely alternative option is that the Panthers are using Adams’ recent fall on draft boards as leverage to move down and gain a few assets in a very talented draft.

Enter the Washington Redskins. Washington needs a second playmaker in their secondary, and it’s no secret that Adams is still an extremely good prospect. Washington trades up to land a game-changer in the secondary, while Carolina slides down and still lands a player they covet.

9) Jacksonville Jaguars via Cincinnati Bengals: Reuben Foster, ILB Alabama- Foster can anchor the middle of the Jaguars defense from day one. They can save money by cutting Paul Posluszny and improve their front seven, all in one selection. 

10) Buffalo Bills: Cam Robinson, OT Alabama- Third rumor of the draft going by the wayside here. Get ready for an offensive lineman to go in the first ten picks. Even though this year’s offensive line class isn’t good, every team needs offensive line in excess. If there’s anyone who can be an everyday starter, you better believe they’ll be drafted highly this year.

11) New Orleans Saints: Takkarist McKinnley, EDGE UCLA- I think the “Vic Beasley,” LEO pass rusher is going to become a lot more common among NFL defenses, and that’s the rational behind this pick. For the Saints, Takk McKinnley will serve that role and attempt to cause havoc opposite Cameron Jordan.

12) New York Jets from Cleveland Browns via Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin King, CB Washington- After trading backwards, the Jets land one of the fastest risers in the draft. King is a fourth rounder on my personal board because I think his technique is average at best.

Despite this, many think he has the size, length and athleticism to dominant in the NFL.

13) Arizona Cardinals: Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson- The Cardinals have to get a quarterback of the future in this draft. This QB class has actually become underrated by the media as time has gone on. Most will still be over-drafted, but the talent level among them is solid. If Watson makes it out of the top ten, the Cardinals would be wise to scoop him up at 13.

14) Denver Broncos from Philadelphia Eagles via Minnesota Vikings: Garett Bolles, OT Utah- Once we hit the middle of the draft, trades become more about teams jumping others to get players they covet. The Broncos need help at both tackle spots, so they jump a few teams to ensure they land Bolles.

15) Indianapolis Colts: Gareon Conley, CB Ohio State- Unless there’s a tackle on the board that the Colts love, they should go defense with this pick. Conley’s slight dip in draft value makes him the perfect selection at 15.

16) Baltimore Ravens: John Ross, WR Washington- Following his 4.22 at the combine, many felt that John Ross would be the first wide out off the board. This is a rumor I actually agree with. The Ravens have met with him on a number of occasions, therefore they choose him over Corey Davis and prove the experts correct.

17) Carolina Panthers via Washington Redskins: OJ Howard, TE Alabama- This is a bold call on my part, but I don’t buy the rumors that OJ Howard will be a top 15 pick. He’s a terrific prospect, but I think NFL teams know that he has a lower ceiling than the top tier tight ends in the NFL.

Having said that, Howard is a terrific prospect and a perfect fit for the Panthers.

18) Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis, WR Western Michigan- The Titans are in a terrific position to grab two game changers in round one, a pass catcher and a defensive back. Those opportunities don’t come often, so expect Tennessee to capitalize on it.

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Haason Reddick, OLB/ILB Temple- Reddick’s versatility will have him a highly coveted prospect in the middle of round one. If he makes it to Tampa Bay, a team that needs a strong side pass rusher, he should come off the board. 

20) Philadelphia Eagles via Denver Broncos: Chidobe Awuzie, CB Colorado- Awuzie is going to surprise on draft day. Scouts love his versatility and aggressiveness. Having traded down a few spots, the Eagles land the player they probably would’ve selected at 14.

21) Seattle Seahawks via Detroit Lions: Forrest Lamp, OG Western Kentucky- The Seahawks are going to have to move past the Dolphins and Giants in order to get one of the top offensive lineman in this draft. Fortunately, Detroit can trade out of the 21 and still get the player at the top of their board.

22) Dallas Cowboys via Miami Dolphins: Obi Melifonwu, FS/SS UCONN- Having just watched the top guard, and the Dolphins top target, go off the board, the Dolphins sell this pick to the highest bidder (their next target is a bit further down the board).

The Cowboys need secondary help desperately, and someone they love is bound to fall. In this case, it’s Melifonwu.

23) New York Giants: Ryan Ramczyk, OT Wisconsin- The Giants pick is simple. If OJ Howard is off the board, then insert the best available offensive lineman here.

24) Oakland Raiders: Zach Cunningham, LB Vanderbilt- For those wondering why this isn’t a running back, the Raiders love DeAndre Washington. He showed flashes of feature back potential last year. Combine that with the impending addition of Marshawn Lynch, and the Raiders choose to address middle linebacker instead.

25) Houston Texans: Patrick Mahomes, QB Texas Tech- The Texans are currently starting Tom Savage. “But Jordan, Patrick Mahomes in round one?” The Texans are currently starting Tom Savage. “But Jordan, what about their need for a safety like Jabrill Peppers or Budda Baker?” The Texans are currently starting Tom Savage.

The only way the Texans don’t pick a quarterback in round one is if they’ve traded out of round one (cough, Jimmy Garoppolo, cough).

26) Detroit Lions via Seattle Seahawks: Taco Charlton, DE Michigan- Taco Charlton, like Jonathan Allen, is another enigma in this draft. I can see Charlton going anywhere from 11 to 31. If he winds up in the back end of round one, he becomes the steal of day one.

27) Kansas City Chiefs: Tre’Davious White, CB LSU- The Chiefs need to solidify their number two cornerback, but they also need to upgrade at the nickel cornerback position. Fortunately for them, Tre White accomplishes both goals.

28) Miami Dolphins via Dallas Cowboys: Jarrad Davis, LB Florida- Outside of Kiko Alonso, the Dolphins linebacking core is a mess. Davis gets to stay in Florida and provide stability to the Dolphins linebacker unit.

29) Green Bay Packers: Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford- Okay, so there’s a very good chance that McCaffrey is a top 20 pick. However, here’s the counter argument. Running backs don’t have the same value they used to. While McCaffrey is a better runner between the tackles than he’s ever been given credit for, he’s still at his best in the pass game. Scheme is as important for him as anything else, and that’s why he could fall on draft day… but he probably won’t. 

30) Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Watt, EDGE/OLB Wisconsin- Watt was a fast riser the past few months, and now he’s almost assured a top 40 selection. The Steelers did piece together a decent pass rushing unit last year. However, in order for this defense to take the next step, they need an edge rusher that can change games.

31) Atlanta Falcons: Derek Barnett, EDGE Tennessee- The Falcons could go a number of different ways with this selection. If they opt to keep the pick, expect them to go best player available, regardless of need.

32) Philadelphia Eagles via New England Patriots from New Orleans Saints via New England Patriots- Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State- All the talk surrounding the New England Patriots is them trading Jimmy Garoppolo to get themselves into round one. However, they have a second trade chip that is much more likely to move; Malcolm Butler. 

The Saints still need a number one cornerback, and they still have interest in Malcolm Butler. I think that when push comes to shove, the two sides will find a way to get a deal done involving the 32nd pick.

Having jumped back into the first round, the Patriots then proceed to do the most Patriots thing ever; trade down. Dalvin Cook will fall on draft day, but his tape is too good for him to fall out of round one. I expect a team like Philadelphia to try to scoop him up in the back end of round one.

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1- Cincinnati Bengals trade the #9 and the #41 to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #4 and the #148.

2- Cleveland Browns trade the #12, #52 and the #108 to the New York Jets for the #6, a 2018 6th round pick and Sheldon Richardson.

3- Washington Redskins trade the #17 and the #49 to the Carolina Panthers for the #8 and a 2018 6th round pick.

4- Denver Broncos trade the #20, #82 and the #101 to the Philadelphia Eagles for the #14,

5- Seattle Seahawks trade the #26 and the #102 to the Detroit Lions for the #21.

6- Dallas Cowboys trade the #28, #92, and a 2018 6th round pick to the Miami Dolphins for the #22 and the #178

7- New Orleans Saints acquire Malcolm Butler and a 2018 3rd round pick from the New England Patriots for the #32. The Patriots then trade the #32 to the Philadelphia Eagles for the #47 and a 2018 3rd round pick.

Round Two

33) Cleveland Browns: Marcus Maye, FS Florida- Maye has the tools to be a day one pick. Cleveland takes him at the top of round two to boost their secondary.

34) San Francisco 49ers: Adoree Jackson, CB/S USC- Adoree Jackson will be in the green room at the NFL draft, which means his camp expects him to be picked either on day one, or very early on day two.

35) Jacksonville Jaguars: Taylor Moton, OT Western Michigan- Eat, sleep, overdraft offensive lineman, repeat. That will be the theme of the first two days. 

36) Chicago Bears: DeShone Kizer, QB Notre Dame- Kizer appears to be very high on the Bears board. It would surprise me if Chicago didn’t take him on day two.

37) Los Angeles Rams: Evan Engram, WR/TE Ole Miss- The Rams have to get another playmaker on offense in this draft.

38) Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Willis, EDGE Kansas State- Willis had a phenomenal showing at the combine, and his draft stock has only risen since.

39) New York Jets: Carl Lawson, EDGE Auburn- The Jets could do a number of different things with this second round pick, especially if they added more assets along the way. However, if an edge rusher falls, like Lawson, I expect them to go in that direction.

40) Carolina Panthers: Tarell Basham, DE Ohio- This might be a little too high for Basham, but he’s a perfect scheme fit with the Panthers.

41) Jacksonville Jaguars via Cincinnati Bengals: Malik McDowell, DT Michigan State- I think the question about McDowell’s motor will keep him out of round one.

42) New Orleans Saints: Davis Webb, QB California- In my opinion, Davis Webb is the most interesting developmental quarterback in the draft. Sit him behind Drew Brees for two years and reap the benefits.

43) New England Patriots via Philadelphia Eagles: Derek Rivers, EDGE Youngstown State- If the Patriots can get into the top 50 this year, I think they’ll try to take an edge rusher. New England doesn’t have many weaknesses, but they need to pressure the QB better in 2017.

44) Buffalo Bills: Mike Williams, WR Clemson- It wouldn’t shock me if Mike Williams fell out of the top 50, but I think the Williams supporters saw enough at his pro day to still make him a valuable second round pick.

45) Arizona Cardinals: Marlon Humphrey, CB Alabama- Because the DB class is so good, there are bound to be several that fall into the second and third round. In this case, the Cardinals steal Marlon Humphrey.

46) Indianapolis Colts: Tyus Bowser, OLB Houston- Many draft experts and scouts love Tyus Bowser’s athleticism. I think his tape is inconsistent but he’ll be a day two pick for sure.

47) New York Giants via Baltimore Ravens: David Njoku, TE Miami Florida- I think the tight ends could fall in this draft because there’s so many that are good. If that happens, the Giants will fly up the draft board for whomever they covet.

48) Minnesota Vikings: Alvin Kamara, RB Tennessee- Despite signing Latavius Murray, the Vikings need a running back of the future.

49) Carolina Panthers via Washington Redskins: Chris Godwin, WR Penn State- The Panthers need a deep threat to replace Tedd Ginn. Godwin has tremendous upside and he could be the steal of the draft among offensive weapons.

50) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jabrill Peppers, SS/LB Michigan- Peppers is another draft enigma. He could be a top 20 pick, or he could fall into the third round. Regardless of where in the draft he winds up, Tampa Bay is a team I expect to covet the Michigan product.

51) Denver Broncos: Bucky Hodges, TE Virginia Tech- Hodges isn’t a great blocker, but as a “move Tight End,” he should excel in the NFL.

52) New York Jets from Cleveland Browns via Tennessee Titans: Budda Baker, FS Washington- In a loaded secondary class, it would behoove the Jets to come out of this draft with multiple starters in the secondary.

53) Detroit Lions: Duke Riley, OLB LSU- Riley is quite similar to his former teammate Deion Jones. As a 4-3 weakside ‘backer, many feel he will be a solid pro.

54) Miami Dolphins: Dan Feeney, OG Indiana- Feeney is the forgotten man among this offensive line class. He should be a plug in play right guard from day one.

55) Baltimore Ravens via New York Giants: Charles Harris, EDGE Missouri- I think Harris is better served in a 4-3, but many think he can play in any situation.

56) Oakland Raiders: Chris Wormley, DT Michigan- Wormley gives the Raiders an athletic pass rusher next to the space-eater Dan Williams. 

57) Chicago Bears via Houston Texans: Quincy Wilson, CB Florida- The Bears move up to land a potential number one cornerback.

58) Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, CB Colorado- Witherspoon has the height and length that the Seahawks look for in their corners. Many feel that this a layup in round two.

59) Kansas City Chiefs: Raekwon McMillian, ILB Ohio State- If the Chiefs go into the season starting Ramik Wilson, they’re asking for disaster.

60) Dallas Cowboys: Fabian Moreau, CB UCLA- Had Moreau not torn his pectoral at his pro day, he would’ve been a first round selection.

61) Green Bay Packers: Elijah Qualls, NT Washington- Qualls is the space eater that the Packers defense is desperately missing.

62) Pittsburgh Steelers: Rasul Douglas, CB West Virginia- The Steelers defense still needs help in the secondary. In my opinion, Douglas has number one cornerback potential, and he would be a great scheme fit in Pittsburgh.

63) Atlanta Falcons: Dion Dawkins, OG/OT Temple- Atlanta still needs a right guard to solidify their offensive line as one of the best in football.

64) Carolina Panthers via New England Patriots: Josh Jones, FS/SS NC State- Josh Jones has the versatility to play both safety spots, which should help him go early in this draft.

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1- New York Giants trade the #55, #140 and #167 to the Baltimore Ravens for the #47.

2- Chicago Bears trade the #67 and the #111 to the Houston Texans for the #57.

Round Three

65) Cleveland Browns: Sidney Jones, CB Washington

66) San Francisco 49ers: Zay Jones, WR East Carolina

67) Houston Texans via Chicago Bears: Tim Williams, EDGE Alabama

68) Jacksonville Jaguars: Joe Mixon, RB Oklahoma

69) Los Angeles Rams: Will Holden, OT Vanderbilt 

70) New York Jets: Pat Elflein, OG/OC Ohio State

71) Los Angeles Chargers: Ethan Pocic, OL LSU

72) New England Patriots via Carolina Panthers: D’Onta Foreman, RB Texas

73) Cincinnati Bengals: Desmond King, CB/FS Iowa

74) Philadelphia Eagles: Damontae Kazee, CB San Diego State

75) Buffalo Bills: Alex Anzalone, OLB/ILB Florida

76) New Orleans Saints: Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE Villanova

77) Arizona Cardinals: Amara Darboh, WR Michigan

78) Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Orlosky, C West Virginia

79) Minnesota Vikings: Xavier Woods, SS Louisiana Tech

80) Indianapolis Colts: Antonio Garcia, OT Troy

81) Washington Redskins: Anthony Walker, ILB Northwestern

82) Philadelphia Eagles via Denver Broncos: Isaac Asiata, OG Utah

83) Tennessee Titans: Jake Butt, TE Michigan

84) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marlon Mack, RB South Florida

85) Detroit Lions: Delano Hill, FS Michigan

86) Minnesota Vikings from Miami Dolphins: Jaleel Johnson, DT Iowa

87) New York Giants: Caleb Brantley, DT Florida

88) Oakland Raiders: Howard Wilson, CB Houston

89) Houston Texans: Justin Evans, SS Texas A&M

90) Detroit Lions via Seattle Seahawks: Kennay Golladay, WR Northern Illinois

91) Kansas City Chiefs: Nathan Peterman, QB Pittsburgh

92) Miami Dolphins via Dallas Cowboys: Teez Tabor, CB/FS Florida

93) Green Bay Packers: Trey Hendrickson, EDGE Florida Atlantic

94) Pittsburgh Steelers: Josh Reynolds, WR Texas A&M

95) Atlanta Falcons: Cameron Sutton, CB/FS Tennessee

96) New England Patriots: Roderick Johnson, OT Florida State

97) Miami Dolphins (Compensatory Selection): Vince Biegel, OLB Wisconsin

98) Carolina Panthers (Compensatory Selection): Julie’n Davenport, OT Bucknell

99) Philadelphia Eagles from Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory Selection): Ryan Anderson, OLB Alabama

100) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan

101) Denver Broncos (Compensatory Selection): Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson

102) Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection): Aviante Collins, OT/OG TCU

103) Los Angeles Chargers via New Orleans Saints from New England Patriots via Cleveland Browns (Compensatory Selection): Chad Hansen, WR California

104) Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection): Danny Isidora, OG Miami Florida

105) Pittsburgh Steelers (Compensatory Selection): Nico Siragusa, OG San Diego State

106) Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection): Demarcus Walker, DE Florida State

107) New York Jets (Compensatory Selection): Adam Shaheen, TE Ashland

TRADES IN ROUND THREE

1- Los Angeles Chargers trade the #113 and the #151 to the New Orleans Saints for the #103 and #196.

 

Jordan Katz 2017 NFL Mock Draft 3.0- Post NFL Combine

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The 2017 NFL Combine was one of the most impressive combines I’ve seen during my time covering the NFL Draft. So many ridiculous performances, and only about half of those were from the Defensive Backs.

The combine often causes scouts and mock draft experts to re-arrange their big board as well as their mock drafts. The reason is not because the combine outweighs game tape. It’s because the combine can expose players weaknesses, as well as reiterate players strengths. Therefore, it’s time for my third mock draft of the year.

While I’ve made a lot of changes when it comes to players and their grades since my last mock draft, the rules of the draft remain the same. This is my evaluation of what I would do if I was in control of all 32 teams. I only made a trade if it made sense for both teams to make the move. Also, if you’re team was desperate for offensive line help, I caved and gave it to them. My condolences in advance.

Round 1


 1) Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, EDGE Texas A&M- Garrett demonstrated this weekend why he’s the clear cut number one overall selection. He’s an athletic specimen and a star at the next level.

2) San Francisco 49ers: 
Mitchell Trubisky, QB North Carolina- There’s a lot of talk over the combine that Deshaun Watson had, but I think day two of the combine is easily the most overrated day in Indianapolis. Outside of footwork, there’s not much you learn from guys throwing and catching in workout clothes. Trubisky’s tape is worthy of a first round grade, so he remains my top quarterback off the board.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars via Chicago Bears: Jamal Adams, FS/SS LSU- A rare one spot trade down, but it makes sense. Chicago is desperate for more picks in a very talented draft class, and Jacksonville will address a lot of their needs in free agency. Jacksonville needs a second game changer in their secondary and trading up to ensure they land Jamal Adams is worth it.

4) Chicago Bears via Jacksonville Jaguars: Malik Hooker, FS Ohio State- I’m not as concerned about Hooker’s injuries as some are. I also don’t care that safeties are often not top ten picks. Both Hooker and Adams have incredible range, and Hooker’s ability to play “centerfield,” is unlike anyone I’ve scouted. 

5) Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams: Marshon Lattimore, CB Ohio State- The Titans are most likely getting a big name wide receiver before the draft, so their number one need becomes cornerback. Fortunately for them, Lattimore is one of the most technically sound corners in recent memory. 

6) New York Jets: Ryan Ramczyk, OT Wisconsin- First off, I tried to trade out of this pick for Gang Green, but the asking price was too high for teams to move up. If I was in charge of the Jets, I would execute a rebuild instead of a reload. Based on this, the Jets select the top offensive tackle in the draft, even with the injury concerns.

7) Philadelphia Eagles via Los Angeles Chargers: Leonard Fournette, RB LSU- Fournette won’t play at the 240 pounds he weighed in at over the weekend. However, he proved just how athletic he truly is. The Eagles wow the Chargers with value to move up and select a game changing running back to compliment Carson Wentz.

8) Carolina Panthers: Solomon Thomas, DE Stanford- The Panthers took a massive step backwards in 2016 because they lacked the pass rush they had the year before. Solomon Thomas has unique athleticism for someone his size, and his game tape is impressive for someone playing out of position a lot (Stanford used him often as a 3-4 DE). He’s a perfect fit for the Panthers defensive front.

9) Cincinnati Bengals: Jonathan Allen, DE/DT Alabama- Allen has a few medical concerns, but according to a few doctors I spoke to, their belief is that Allen can still have a strong NFL career. If that’s the case, Cincinnati would hit a home run if they put his disruptive game style next to Geno Atkins.

10) Buffalo Bills: Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson- Watson may not be worthy of a top ten selection for me, but quarterbacks are a tricky analysis. You have to judge when to take a chance on a quarterback based on your team and the player’s skill set. Buffalo should be able to retain Stephon Gilmore, which means their top need is at quarterback. Watson would thrive with the Bills offense, so while this is a bit of a reach, I love the fit.

11) New Orleans Saints: Taco Charlton, DE Michigan- Still love this fit. Taco Charlton is one of my favorite guys in this draft because of his ability to gain leverage on opposing offensive lineman. He’d be a great compliment to Cameron Jordan.

12) Cleveland Browns via Philadelphia Eagles: Sidney Jones, CB Washington- With the top two quarterbacks off the board, Cleveland continues to address other needs. Jones’ ability to press, along with his length and his athleticism, will allow him to succeed in the NFL for a long time. 

13) Arizona Cardinals: Reuben Foster, ILB Alabama- Foster will have some questions to answer about the incident in Indianapolis, but it shouldn’t affect him too much. When you put the game tape on, there’s no way this guy isn’t one of the top ten players in this draft. His range is incredible, and he’s got a great motor on the field. Arizona is in a best player available situation, and Foster also happens to be a scheme fit.

14) Los Angeles Chargers from Philadelphia Eagles via Minnesota Vikings- Derek Barnett, EDGE Tennessee- The Chargers are able to slide backward, add a second rounder, and still land the edge rusher they desperately need. Barnett is as fundamentally sound as any edge rusher in this draft. This is a perfect match.

15) Indianapolis Colts: Zach Cunningham, ILB/OLB Vanderbilt- The Colts need anything on defense you can think of, but a signal caller would go a long way towards helping them immediately. Cunningham has great length and athleticism, and can immediately help the back seven of the Colts defense.

16) Baltimore Ravens: Corey Davis, WR Western Michigan– Ozzie Newsome goes offense in the first round again? Don’t scoff at it. Davis has elite jump ball ability to go along with his terrific route running. He’d be an excellent compliment to Breshad Perriman. 

17) Washington Redskins: Malik McDowell, DE/DT Michigan State- As long as a team can get McDowell to compete on ever down, he’s well worth a top 20 selection. McDowell has length, athleticism, and the ability to gain consistent leverage when he wants. If Jay Gruden tamed Desean Jackson, he should be able to do the same with McDowell.

18) Tennessee Titans: OJ Howard, TE Alabama- Marcus Mariota definitely needs a big time target, but based on the type of quarterback he is, it might help him more if that top target is a tight end. Howard paired with Delanie Walker would add a different dimension to a team poised to break out in 2017. 

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State- Cook had a terrible combine, and it has made a lot of scouts question his value in the NFL. The tape is still incredible, so I think he’s still worthy of a top tier selection. However, if his pro day is another struggle, that may raise more red flags.

20) Denver Broncos: Forrest Lamp, OG Western Kentucky- Forrest Lamp is going to be an all pro guard in the NFL. I love his athleticism and his ability to control the point of attack. He may go higher than this on my final mock draft, but for now he’s a still at 20 for the Broncos.

21) Detroit Lions: Adoree Jackson, CB/FS USC- Jackson is one of my favorite players in this draft. He may not have the most technically sound footwork, but he’s a ball-hawk extraordinaire. I’ll ride with Jackson as a first round talent until the end this year.

22) Miami Dolphins: Carl Lawson, EDGE Auburn- What makes so many of the edge rushers so good in this draft class is how good they are technically. They may not all have Myles Garrett’s athleticism, but they have a good move set and their technique allows them to gain leverage on opposing tackles. Lawson isn’t the best athlete, but his ability to use his hands to direct O-Lineman is excellent. He’s an NFL player on tape.

23) New York Giants: Cam Robinson, OT/OG Alabama- The Giants need offensive line help so badly, that they overdraft Cam Robinson. A lot of people would love this value pick, but I think Robinson is a day two right tackle or a day two guard.

24) Oakland Raiders: Montravius Adams, DT Auburn- Adams is so disruptive on the interior. Putting him with Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin might honestly be illegal in most states. A great way to take pressure of a secondary is to develop a dominant pass rush. The Raiders have done that with this selection.

25) Houston Texans: Obi Melifonwu, FS/SS UCONN- Shoutout to my fellow DraftStock contributor (Mike Reynolds) on this one. Obi Melifonwu was on his radar as a top two round selection way back in October. After the combine Melifonwu had, if he’s not a round one guy I’d be stunned.

26) Cleveland Browns via Seattle Seahawks: Budda Baker, CB/FS/SS Washington- Seattle is desperate for offensive line. Because the big three are gone, they can easily move down and get the player they desire. Cleveland shouldn’t overdraft a quarterback just because it’s a quarterback driven league, but they should use their extra picks to get back into the first round for a player they covet.

Baker is going to be a big time player at the next level. He doesn’t possess the best ball skills just yet, but he flies to the football and makes impact plays defensively. With Jones at the 12 and Baker at the 26, the Browns have rebuilt their secondary.

27) Kansas City Chiefs: Jarrad Davis, OLB/ILB Florida- Davis is much higher on my personal board than most. I think he’s a complete linebacker and can play in a 4-3 or a 3-4. The Chiefs start Ramik Wilson. Any questions?

28) Dallas Cowboys: Mike Williams, WR Clemson- Williams’ decision to not run the 40 brings his ability to separate from defenders at the next level into question. I think he’ll be okay because of the way he uses his size, but until he proves his speed, he falls a bit in this draft.

29) Green Bay Packers: Tim Williams, EDGE Alabama- Tim Williams didn’t have a good combine, but I still believe in the player I saw on film. Putting him opposite a premier edge rusher like Clay Matthews will allow him to flourish in the NFL.

30) Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Watt, EDGE/OLB Wisconsin- The Steelers are in need of a second edge rusher, but they also need linebacker depth in general. Watt is incredibly versatile. He can be a 4-3 outside linebacker, a 3-4 weak-side linebacker, or a straight edge rusher. Pittsburgh will use his versatility well. 

31) Atlanta Falcons: Jabril Peppers, ATH Michigan- Dan Quinn loves players that compete on every down, and Jabril Peppers does just that. I still believe in Peppers’ ability to be a SS in the NFL, but his offensive ability will also be valuable to a lot of NFL teams.

32) New England Patriots: Hasson Reddick, OLB/ILB Temple- Reddick can rush the passer off the edge, but in the NFL he will be asked to be a complete linebacker. Fortunately for him, there’s no greater teacher than “The Hoodie,” in New England.

Trades in Round One

1- Jacksonville Jaguars trade the #4, #68, #110 and a 2018 4th to the Chicago Bears for the #3, #221 and a 2018 6th round pick

2- Philadelphia Eagles trade the #14 and the #43 to the Los Angeles Chargers for the #7 and the #113

3- Cleveland Browns trade the #33, #53 and the #108 to the Seattle Seahawks for the #26 and the #58

Round 2

33) Seattle Seahawks via Cleveland Browns: Garett Bolles, OT Utah- Bolles isn’t polished yet but he’s a good athlete with solid upside.

34) San Francisco 49ers: John Ross III, WR Washington- 4.22?! He might have some focus drops but you can’t teach that speed.

35) Jacksonville Jaguars: Tre’Davious White, CB LSU- Tre White is a steal here for a team well on their way towards a dominant secondary.

36) Chicago Bears: DeShone Kizer, QB Notre Dame- Kizer could benefit from sitting a year, and hopefully Chicago will do that if they pick him. 

37) Los Angeles Rams: Dion Dawkins, OT/OG Temple- Dawkins had a very good combine. He showed athleticism that I didn’t think he had based on his tape. 

38) Los Angeles Chargers: Desmond King, CB/FS Iowa- I still think King can be an NFL corner. If he does convert to safety, he’s a smart enough player to make a smooth transition. 

39) New York Jets: Gareon Conley, CB Ohio State- Conley has great length and athleticism. If his technique catches up to his physical traits, lookout.

40) Carolina Panthers: Alvin Kamara, RB Tennessee- Kamara is a terrific runner in space, but he’s better between the tackles than people think.

41) Cincinnati Bengals: Quincy Wilson, CB Florida- Wilson will need a solid pro day after a bad combine. Despite this, his tape still has him as a top tier player in this draft.

42) New Orleans Saints: Marlon Humphrey, CB Alabama- Humphrey has a tendency to gamble too much. He’s much better when he mirrors receivers and stays disciplined. New Orleans needs a turnover guy though, and Humphrey has that ability.

43) Los Angeles Chargers via Philadelphia Eagles: Zay Jones, WR East Carolina- Zay Jones is the big winner this draft season. He’d fit right in with the Chargers offense and help take pressure off of Keenan Allen.

44) Denver Broncos via Buffalo Bills: David Njoku, TE Miami Florida- Denver moves up to land a game changing tight end in Njoku.

45) Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Mahomes, QB Texas Tech- As someone who loves to play backyard football, you can’t help but root for the “backyard artist,” himself. 

46) Indianapolis Colts: Teez Tabor, CB Florida- Teez Tabor had a horrendous combine. He looked slow footed during every test. However, his technique shined during the drills, so he has become a very tough evaluation moving forward.

47) Baltimore Ravens: Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan- Lewis will excel as a nickel corner in the NFL. Fortunately for Baltimore, that’s what they need.

48) Minnesota Vikings: Pat Elflein, OG/OC Ohio State- Elflein would be a third round guy for me in a normal offensive line year. However, this isn’t that year.

49) Washington Redskins: Elijah Qualls, NT Washington– Qualls eats blockers as well as anyone in this draft, a necessity for a strong nose tackle.

50) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Williams, FS Utah- I think a lot of people are sleeping on Marcus Williams this year. I love his ability to hawk the ball on tape.

51) Buffalo Bills via Denver Broncos: Chris Godwin, WR Penn State- Buffalo trades down and still gets the receiver they would’ve taken in their original spot.

52) Seattle Seahawks from Cleveland Browns via Tennessee Titans- Taylor Moton, OG/OT Western Michigan- Moton is a mixed bag. He has good athleticism and a strong frame, but his footwork is often clunky. I think Seattle should be able to utilize his strengths and make him a solid pro.

53) Detroit Lions: Tarell Basham, DE Ohio- Basham showed elite athleticism in Indy. This guy could become an elite pass rusher in a few years.

54) Miami Dolphins: Evan Engram, TE Ole Miss- Engram is a game changer in the pass game. If a team uses him as a hybrid between a receiver and a tight end, the sky is the limit.

55) New York Giants: Caleb Brantley, DT Florida- Brantley is disruptive as a one tech or a three tech. His versatility will compliment Snack Harrison in the middle of the Giants defense.

56) Oakland Raiders: D’Onta Foreman, RB Texas- Foreman is a mammoth and a skilled runner between the tackles. He’d be a great fit in Oakland.

57) New England Patriots via Houston Texans: Jordan Willis, EDGE Kansas State- Jordan Willis could be the winner from the weekend in Indy. New England trades up to land the pass rusher they need.

58) Cleveland Browns via Seattle Seahawks: Davis Webb, QB California- Webb is another developmental quarterback. Much like Mahomes and Kizer, if the Browns are patient with Webb, he can turn into an NFL starter.

59) Kansas City Chiefs: Damontae Kazee, CB San Diego State- Kazee needs to improve his footwork, but he’s a beast when the ball is in his vicinity. 

60) Dallas Cowboys: Cordrea Tankersley, CB Clemson- Tankersley is a solid corner in all forms of coverage. Dallas needs stability in the back end of their defense.

61) Green Bay Packers: Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford- McCaffrey in the Packers offense is a match made in heaven. 

62) Pittsburgh Steelers: Curtis Samuel, WR/RB Ohio State- Samuel’s speed and ability to space will make him a matchup problem in the NFL.

63) Atlanta Falcons: Jaleel Johnson, DT Iowa- Johnson fell down my board a bit, but that’s not a reflection on his talent. He eats space and gets good leverage on opposing lineman. 

64) Houston Texans via New England Patriots: Jarron Jones, NT Notre Dame- Jones is the only other nose tackle with a day two grade or better for me, so Houston slides down and still gets their guy. 

Trades in Round Two

1- Denver Broncos trade #51 and #101 to the Buffalo Bills for the #44

2- New England Patriots trade the #64, #137 and #163 to the Houston Texans for the #57 and the #243.


Round 3

65) Cleveland Browns: Antonio Garcia, OT Troy

66) San Francisco 49ers: Rasul Douglas, CB West Virginia

67) Chicago Bears: Julie’n Davenport, OT Bucknell

68) Chicago Bears via Jacksonville Jaguars: Jake Butt, TE Michigan

69) Los Angeles Rams: Malachi Dupre, WR LSU

70) New York Jets: Jordan Leggett, TE Clemson

71) Los Angeles Chargers: Eddie Jackson, SS Alabama

72) Carolina Panthers: Chidobe Awuzie, CB/FS Colorado

73) Cincinnati Bengals: Dan Feeney, OG Indiana

74) Philadelphia Eagles: Chris Wormley, DT Michigan

75) Buffalo Bills: Cameron Sutton, CB/FS Tennessee

76) New Orleans Saints: Raekwon McMillian, ILB Ohio State

77) Arizona Cardinals: Fabian Moreau, CB UCLA

78) Baltimore Ravens: Takkarist McKinnley, EDGE UCLA

79) Minnesota Vikings: Alex Anzalone, OLB/ILB Florida

80) Indianapolis Colts: Lorenzo Jerome, SS St. Francis PA

81) Washington Redskins: Justin Evans, SS Texas A&M

82) Denver Broncos: Carlos Watkins, DE/DT Clemson

83) Tennessee Titans: Dawuane Smoot, EDGE Illinois

84) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ryan Anderson, OLB Alabama

85) Detroit Lions: Bucky Hodges, TE Virginia Tech

86) Minnesota Vikings from Miami Dolphins: Bryan Cox Jr., DE Florida

87) New York Giants: Nathan Peterman, QB Pittsburgh

88) Oakland Raiders: Marcus Maye, FS Florida

89) Houston Texans: Gerald Everett, TE South Alabama

90) Seattle Seahawks: Ahkello Witherspoon, CB Colorado

91) Kansas City Chiefs: DJ Jones, NT Ole Miss

92) Dallas Cowboys: Adam Shaheen, TE Ashland

93) Green Bay Packers: Dorian Johnson, OG Pittsburgh

94) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jalen Myrick, CB Minnesota

95) Atlanta Falcons: Daeshon Hall, EDGE Texas A&M

96) New England Patriots: John Johnson, FS Boston College

97) Miami Dolphins (Compensatory Selection): Ethan Pocic, OG LSU

98) Carolina Panthers (Compensatory Selection): Ar’Darius Stewart, WR Alabama

99) Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory Selection): Demarcus Walker, DE Florida State

100) Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection): Eddie Vanderdoes, DE/DT UCLA

101) Buffalo Bills via Denver Broncos (Compensatory Selection)- Aviante Collins, OT TCU

102) Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection): Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE Villanova

103) New England Patriots from Cleveland Browns (Compensatory Selection): George Kittle, TE Iowa

104) Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection): Brad Kaaya, QB Miami Florida

105) Pittsburgh Steelers (Compensatory Selection): Josh Jones, FS/SS NC State

106) Seattle Seahawks (Compensatory Selection): Cooper Kupp, WR Eastern Washington

107) New York Jets (Compensatory Selection): Jeremy McNichols, RB Boise State

Jordan Katz- NFL Mock Draft 6.0: Final Mock Draft

Posted on Updated on

The time has come for my final mock draft of 2016. Unlike my predictions mock draft, this one is my personal evaluations. I play general manager for all 32 teams and select players based on how the board looks, as well as my personal grades based on the scouting I have done.

There’s a little less evaluations on this one, because if you’ve kept up with my mock draft, you know where I stand on certain players. This is less about me getting the selection right, and more about me determining which players project into the best pros.

ROUND ONE

1) Los Angeles Rams via Tennessee Titans- Jared Goff, QB California- Much like my predictions mock draft, I feel that Goff being more NFL ready than Wentz makes him the selection.

2) Philadelphia Eagles via Cleveland Browns- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State- I think the Eagles overpaid for this pick, but I love the idea of Wentz sitting his entire first season.

3) San Diego Chargers- Jalen Ramsey, CB/S Florida State- Ramsey is my top player in the draft. I think the Chargers should take him and address the need for offensive and defensive lineman on day two.

4) Dallas Cowboys- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- Bosa is 1A in my draft grades to Jalen Ramsey. With Demarcus Lawrence being suspended the first four games of the season, the Cowboys are desperate for an edge rusher.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- I think the Jaguars are actually in a “best player available,” spot here, because of their offseason acquisitions. It just so happens that the best player available is also at a need position.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- Stanley and Tunsil have the exact same grade for me, so it’s a matter of scheme fit as to the way they were placed.

7) Chicago Bears via San Francisco 49ers- DeForest Buckner, DE Oregon- With Buckner falling, the Bears jump up to get a necessary piece on their defensive line.

8) Atlanta Falcons via Cleveland Browns from Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins- Shaq Lawson, DE ClemsonIf I were running the Atlanta Falcons, I would fly up the board for whichever top tier defensive end falls. Lawson opposite Vic Beasley would be a terrific tandem.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- Dodd is very high on my rankings, and the scary part is, he still has room to grow. He could be a top five player in the draft.

10) New York Giants- Vernon Hargreaves, CB FloridaFor the upcoming year, Hargreaves can be a nickel corner and rotate to the X and Z positions when needed. Next year, he can replace Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

11) Washington Redskins from San Francisco 49ers via Chicago Bears- Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- I think the Niners should stockpile as many picks as they can, because they need depth out of this draft.

The Redskins would make a big gamble by trading up for a running back, but ‘Zeke Elliott is worth it.

12) New Orleans Saints- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- Despite the character concerns, Nkemdiche is slightly higher on my board than Sheldon Rankins.

13) Miami Dolphins via Philadelphia Eagles- Myles Jack, OLB UCLA- The Dolphins can thank their lucky stars that Jack’s knee is a concern amongst teams at the top. This gamble could pay off big time.

14) Oakland Raiders- Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- The Raiders need a quarterback in the middle of their defense. Ragland will serve as the signal caller and help them against the run.

15) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- The Titans can move up with their later picks for a right tackle. Robinson has no business being here, and they need a nose tackle.

16) Detroit Lions- Sheldon Rankins, DT Louisville- The Lions need some interior pass rush and Rankins’ athleticism makes him a perfect fit.

17) Cleveland Browns via Atlanta Falcons- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- The Browns have needs up and down their roster, but the biggest is wide receiver. They haven’t had a true number one receiver since Braylon Edwards.

18) Indianapolis Colts- Mackensie Alexander, CB ClemsonIndy’s round one selection is simple; take the best defensive player available.

19) Buffalo Bills- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State- The Bills need an edge rusher opposite Jerry Hughes to execute Rex Ryan’s defense the way he wants it run.

20) New York Jets- Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky- Todd Bowles is desperate for an edge rusher. Spence is one of the better ones in the draft, and he’s available at the 20.

21) San Francisco 49ers via Washington Redskins- William Jackson III, CB HoustonThe Niners were bad against the pass last year, and I think Jackson’s length can make him a very good pro.

22) Houston Texans- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State- I think Jaelen Strong can become the Texans number two wide receiver, so I would address the need for a nose tackle. Vince Wilfork’s best years are definitely past him.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Corey Coleman, WR Baylor- Laquon Treadwell is higher on my personal board, but Coleman is a better scheme fit because of his quickness.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss- I think Sterling Shepard would be a better scheme fit, but Treadwell’s talent is too great to pass on.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Kenny Clark, NT UCLA- For once, I would actually agree with the Steelers on passing up the opportunity for a first round cornerback. They need a stopgap in the middle of their defense desperately.

26) Seattle Seahawks- Jason Spriggs, OT Indiana- The Seahawks biggest need in the draft is offensive line and Spriggs is the best available.

27) Tennessee Titans via Green Bay Packers- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State- The Titans have to jump the Browns to ensure they land their right tackle. The Packers trade back because this year is deep at their biggest draft need; defensive line.

28) Kansas City Chiefs- Artie Burns, CB Miami FloridaThe Chiefs top need is at cornerback after the departure of Sean Smith.

29) Dallas Cowboys via Arizona Cardinals- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State- The threat of Arizona taking a developmental quarterback gets Dallas to jump back into the first round for theirs.

30) Carolina Panthers-  Sean Davis, CB/FS/SS Maryland- Davis is unbelievably versatile, something Ron Rivera values in a defensive player. With secondary being the top need, this pick is easy.

31) Denver Broncos- Cody Whitehair, OG Kansas State- The Broncos interior line is a big question mark. Whitehair is not only the best guard in the draft, but he’s a scheme fit as well.

 

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1) Chicago Bears trade the #11, #72 and #150 to the San Francisco 49ers for the #7 and the #207.

2) Atlanta Falcons trade the #17, #50 and the #115 to the Cleveland Browns for the #8 and the #176.

3) Washington Redskins trade the #21, #53 and a 2017 4th to the San Francisco 49ers for the #11.

4) Tennessee Titans trade the #43 and the #64 to the Green Bay Packers for the #27 and the #125.

5) Dallas Cowboys trade the #34 and the #101 to the Arizona Cardinals for the #29 and the #167.

  

ROUND TWO

32) Cleveland Browns- Jonathan Bullard, DE Florida

33) Tennessee Titans- Sterling Shepard, WR Oklahoma

34) Arizona Cardinals via Dallas Cowboys- Kamalei Correa, EDGE Boise State

35) Miami Dolphins via San Diego Chargers- Alex Collins, RB Arkansas

36) Baltimore Ravens- Jarran Reed, DE Alabama

37) San Francisco 49ers- Connor Cook, QB Michigan State

38) Jacksonville Jaguars- Darron Lee, OLB Ohio State

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kendall Fuller, CB Virginia Tech

40) New York Giants- Joshua Garnett, OG Stanford

41) Chicago Bears- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama

42) San Diego Chargers via Miami Dolphins- Shon Coleman, OT Auburn

43) Green Bay Packers via Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams via Philadelphia Eagles- Vernon Butler, DL Louisiana Tech

44) Oakland Raiders- Jihad Ward, DE/DT Illinois

45) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Justin Simmons, FS/SS Boston College

46) New England Patriots via Detroit Lions- Chris Jones, DT Mississippi State

47) New Orleans Saints- Will Redmond, CB Mississippi State

48) Indianapolis Colts- Ryan Kelly, C Alabama

49) Buffalo Bills- Su’a Cravens, OLB/SS USC

50) Cleveland Browns via Atlanta Falcons- Jack Conklin, OT Michigan State

51) New York Jets- Joe Haeg, OT/OG North Dakota State

52) Houston Texans- Hunter Henry, TE Arkansas

53) San Francisco 49ers via Washington Redskins- Shilique Calhoun, EDGE Michigan State

54) Minnesota Vikings- Javon Hargrave, DT South Carolina State

55) Cincinnati Bengals- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor

56) Seattle Seahawks- Landon Turner, OG North Carolina

57) Green Bay Packers- Jaylon Smith, ILB/OLB Notre Dame

58) Pittsburgh Steelers- KeiVarae Russell, CB Notre Dame

59) Kansas City Chiefs- Leonte Carroo, WR Rutgers

60) Detroit Lions via New England Patriots- Carl Nassib, DE Penn State

61) New England Patriots via Arizona Cardinals- Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State

62) Carolina Panthers- Bronson Kaufusi, EDGE BYU

63) Denver Broncos- BJ Goodson, ILB Clemson

 

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1) Miami Dolphins trade the #42 and the #107 to the San Diego Chargers for the #35 and a 2017 6th.

2) New England Patriots trade the #60 and the #91 to the Detroit Lions for the #46.

 

ROUND THREE

64) Green Bay Packers via Tennessee Titans- Deion Jones, OLB/ILB LSU

65) Cleveland Browns- Leonard Floyd, EDGE Georgia

66) San Diego Chargers- Keanu Neal, SS Florida

67) Dallas Cowboys- CJ Prosise, RB Notre Dame

68) San Francisco 49ers- Jerald Hawkins, OT LSU

69) Jacksonville Jaguars- Kyler Fackrell, EDGE BYU

70) Baltimore Ravens- Devontae Booker, RB Utah

71) New York Giants- Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE Maryland

72) San Francisco 49ers via Chicago Bears- Tyler Boyd, WR Pittsburgh

73) Miami Dolphins- Darian Thompson, FS/SS Boise State

74) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Braxton Miller, WR Ohio State

75) Oakland Raiders- Kenneth Dixon, RB Louisiana Tech

76) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Christian Westerman, OG Arizona State

77) Cleveland Browns from Philadelphia Eagles via Detroit Lions- TJ Green, CB/FS/SS Clemson

78) New Orleans Saints- Paxton Lynch, QB Memphis

79) Philadelphia Eagles- Harlan Miller, CB Southeastern Louisiana State

80) Buffalo Bills- Cardale Jones, QB Ohio State

81) Atlanta Falcons- Austin Hooper, TE Stanford

82) Indianapolis Colts- Jordan Jenkins, EDGE Goergia

83) New York Jets- Nick Vannett, TE Ohio State

84) Washington Redskins- Maelik Collins, DL Nebraska

85) Houston Texans- Nick Martin, OG/C Notre Dame

86) Minnesota Vikings- Jeremy Cash, SS Duke

87) Cincinnati Bengals- Miles Killebrew, SS Southern Utah

88) Green Bay Packers- Connor McGovern, OG Missouri

89) Pittsburgh Steelers- Vonn Bell, SS Ohio State

90) Seattle Seahawks- Hassan Ridgeway, DT Texas

91) Detroit Lions via New England Patriots- Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame

92) Arizona Cardinals- Jeff Driskel, QB Louisiana Tech

93) Carolina Panthers- Willie Beavers, OT Western Michigan

94) San Francisco 49ers via Denver Broncos- Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB West Virginia

95) Detroit Lions- Caleb Beneroch, OT UCLA

96) New England Patriots- Xavien Howard, CB Baylor

97) Seattle Seahawks- Joshua Perry, OLB Ohio State

98) Denver Broncos- Jerell Adams, TE South Carolina

 

TRADES IN ROUND THREE

1) Denver Broncos trade the #94 to the San Francisco 49ers for Colin Kaepernick.

Jordan Katz- Media Mock Draft: Final Predictions

Posted on Updated on

The NFL Draft is finally upon us. For many fans, this is the official start of the new season. Regardless of what your team did or did not do in free agency, the draft is where everyone has a chance to improve their team and set up success in the future.

For mock draft pundits, however, this is the culmination of the draft process. From the hours of scouting, to the evaluation of the combines and pro days, to deciphering which rumors have merit, and which ones have been facilitated to the media to create buzz, the NFL Draft is our chance to see where our predictions and evaluations stacked up.

In this year’s draft, there isn’t as much talent as in the last couple of years. There are significantly more question marks surrounding the top picks, and there might not be a true “can’t miss,” prospect in the draft.

In my opinion, that’s when the draft is the most fun. It becomes harder to find the true gems, harder to predict, and typically you see a lot of chaos in round one. We have already seen the top two picks in the draft get traded.

In this final “media mock draft,” I tried to get all the picks correctly. I based my selections on the rumors I’ve read, teams pre-draft workouts and visits, and team needs. I did not use my personal evaluations, this is strictly a predictions mock draft. There’s not as much analysis in this one, as my views on players and team needs have bee well documented. Let’s hope I get a few right.

ROUND ONE

1) Los Angeles Rams via Tennessee Titans- Jared Goff, QB California- Goff being more NFL ready than Carson Wentz will be the deciding factor.

2) Philadelphia Eagles via Cleveland Browns- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State– I think the Eagles decision to “redshirt,” Wentz will benefit him greatly.

3) San Diego Chargers- DeForest Buckner, DE Oregon- It’s hard to decipher which rumors are true and which are smoke screens at this stage in the draft. One thing is for sure though; the Chargers decision between Buckner, Laremy Tunsil and Jalen Ramsey will have a domino effect on the rest of the draft.

4) Dallas Cowboys- Jalen Ramsey, CB/S Florida State- If Ramsey is available, I believe he will be the pick. If he’s not, I think the Cowboys take ‘Zeke Eliiott.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars- Myles Jack, OLB UCLA- The Jaguars have loved Myles Jack throughout the process. If his knee checks out, he’ll be the pick.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- General Manager Ozzie Newsome takes what many feel is the best player in the draft. 

7) Tennessee Titans via San Francisco 49ers- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- I think the Niners are talking up the idea of them going offensive line to get Tennessee to trade up for the pick. The Titans trade back into the top ten for their right tackle; the Niners get extra draft picks.

8) Miami Dolphins via Cleveland Browns from Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins- Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- The rumors around the Dolphins are that they’d love to jump the Bears for Ezekiel Elliott. The Browns have so many options here, so they can slide down a few spots and pick up the player they want while adding a day two pick.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- I think Bosa could slide on draft day, and it wouldn’t shock me if the Bucs were given a gift at this pick.

10) New York Giants- Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida- The Giants didn’t get good play out of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last year. Based on their massive spending this offseason, he could be a cap cut next year. This means the Giants would need a replacement.

11) Chicago Bears- Leonard Floyd, EDGE Georgia- The Bears need a dominant pass rusher and many feel Floyd is that.

12) New Orleans Saints- Sheldon Rankins, DT Louisville- The Saints are enamored with Rankins, but they’ve also had internal discussions about Robert Nkemdiche. My guess is that one of the two will be the pick.

13) Cleveland Browns from Miami Dolphins via Philadelphia Eagles- Jack Conklin, OT Michigan State- The Browns slide down and still get the right tackle they want.

14) Oakland Raiders- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- I’ve read that we should expect Nkemdiche off the board somewhere in the top 20. Rumor has it that the Raiders are one of the teams connected with taking him.

15) San Francisco 49ers from Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Paxton Lynch, QB Memphis- I think the Niners are still heavily interested in Paxton Lynch, and they can easily trade down and select him.

16) Indianapolis Colts via Detroit Lions- Ryan Kelly, C Alabama- The Lions are being linked to Ryan Kelly, a player whom the Colts desire. I think the Lions can finagle extra value out of this pick if they choose to.

17) Atlanta Falcons- Darron Lee, OLB Ohio State- I have a second round grade on Lee, but I think this is a very good scheme fit.

18) Detroit Lions via Indianapolis Colts- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State- The Lions need a tackle to start next year and move to the left side once Riley Reiff departs.

19) Buffalo Bills- Jarran Reed, DE/DT Alabama- There are two edge rushers from Clemson on the board for Rex Ryan, but I hear the Bills like Jarran Reed. Don’t be surprised if this is Christian Hackenburg either.

20) New York Jets- Shaq Lawson, EDGE Clemson- The Jets ideal scenario is to go edge rusher at this pick. Lawson could fall on draft day, but that’s not a reflection on the player he is.

21) Washington Redskins- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- The Redskins need someone in the middle of the defense to replace Terrance Knighton.

22) Houston Texans- Corey Coleman, WR Baylor- The Texans are going to look to give Brock Osweiler a new weapon on draft day. Coleman’s speed and route running will make him an attractive player to Head Coach Bill O’Brien.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- The Vikings cut Mike Wallace to make room for a wide receiver in this draft, and many think it will be Doctson.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame- I think the Bengals will pass on Laquon Treadwell for a deep threat like Fuller.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Karl Joseph, FS/SS West Virginia- I’ll believe the Steelers selecting a first round cornerback when I see it.

26) New York Giants via Seattle Seahawks- Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- Seattle is being incredibly quiet on their draft plans. I think that’s because they’d like to get a few extra picks.

It would be very anti-Giants to trade back into the first round. However, word from Giants camp is that this could be an unorthodox draft for the G-Men. They move back up to get the quarterback of their defense that they need.

27) Green Bay Packers- Chris Jones, DE/DT Mississippi State- Jones is getting a lot of buzz in the back end of round one. The Packers need defensive line help, so they could be Jones’ ultimate destination. 

28) Kansas City Chiefs- William Jackson III, CB Houston- The Chiefs need to replace Sean Smith, and rumor is they want a cornerback in round one rather than on day two.

29) Dallas Cowboys via Arizona Cardinals- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- I think the Cardinals will trade out of round one on draft day. In this case, the Cowboys come up to get an edge rusher they desperately need.

30) Carolina Panthers- Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson- Cornerback is now priority number one for the defending NFC Champs after the departure of Josh Norman.

31) Denver Broncos- Nick Martin, C/OG Notre Dame- There’s always a surprise in round one where a team takes a player at a need over best available player. I think Nick Martin could be that guy.

 

TRADES IN ROUND ONE

1) Tennessee Titans trade the #15 and the #43 to the San Francisco 49ers for the #7 and the #178.

2) Miami Dolphins trade the #13, #42 and the #147 to the Cleveland Browns for the #8 and the #77.

3) Indianapolis Colts trade the #18 and the #82 to the Detroit Lions for the #16 and the #151.

4) New York Giants trade the #40, #71 and the #184 to the Seattle Seahawks for the #26 and the #124.

5) Dallas Cowboys trade the #34 and the #101 to the Arizona Cardinals for the #29 and the #167.

 

ROUND TWO

32) Cleveland Browns- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss

33) Tennessee Titans- Eli Apple, CB Ohio State

34) Arizona Cardinals via Dallas Cowboys- TJ Green, CB/FS/SS Clemson

35) San Diego Chargers- Jason Spriggs, OT Indiana

36) Baltimore Ravens- Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky

37) San Francisco 49ers- Cody Whitehair, OG Kansas State

38) Jacksonville Jaguars- Shon Coleman, OT Auburn

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Sean Davis, CB/FS/SS Maryland

40) Seattle Seahawks via New York Giants- Germain Ifedi, OT Texas A&M

41) Chicago Bears- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama

42) Cleveland Browns via Miami Dolphins- Kamalei Correa, EDGE Boise State

43) San Francisco 49ers via Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams via Philadelphia Eagles- Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State

44) Oakland Raiders- Su’a Cravens, OLB/SS Southern California

45) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Kenny Clark, NT UCLA

46) Detroit Lions- Vernon Butler, DL Louisiana Tech

47) New Orleans Saints- Artie Burns, CB Miami Florida

48) Indianapolis Colts- Justin Simmons, FS/SS Boston College

49) Buffalo Bills- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State

50) Atlanta Falcons- Keanu Neal, SS Florida

51) New York Jets- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State

52) Houston Texans- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State

53) New England Patriots via Washington Redskins- Leonte Carroo, WR Rutgers

54) Minnesota Vikings- Vonn Bell, SS Ohio State

55) Cincinnati Bengals- Javon Hargrave, DT South Carolina State

56) Seattle Seahawks- Joshua Garnett, OG Stanford

57) Green Bay Packers- Jaylon Smith, ILB/OLB Notre Dame

58) Pittsburgh Steelers- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor

59) Kansas City Chiefs- Sterling Shepard, WR Oklahoma

60) Washington Redskins via New England Patriots- CJ Prosise, RB Notre Dame

61) New England Patriots via Arizona Cardinals- Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE Maryland

62) Chicago Bears via Carolina Panthers- Jonathan Bullard, DE Florida

63) Denver Broncos- Hunter Henry, TE Arkansas

 

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1) New England Patriots trade the #60 and a 2017 4th to the Washington Redskins for the #53.

2) Chicago Bears trade #72 and a 2017 4th to the Carolina Panthers for the #62.

 

ROUND THREE

64) Tennessee Titans- Chris Moore, WR Cincinnati

65) Cleveland Browns- Nick Kwiatkoski, OLB/ILB West Virginia

66) San Diego Chargers- Darian Thompson, FS/SS Boise State

67) Dallas Cowboys- Connor Cook, QB Michigan State

68) San Francisco 49ers- Shilique Calhoun, EDGE Michigan State

69) Jacksonville Jaguars- Jordan Jenkins, EDGE Georgia

70) Baltimore Ravens- Alex Collins, RB Arkansas

71) Seattle Seahawks via New York Giants- Jihad Ward, DE/DT Illinois

72) Carolina Panthers via Chicago Bears- Tyler Boyd, WR Pittsburgh

73) Miami Dolphins- Kendall Fuller, CB Virginia Tech

74) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Darian Thompson, FS/SS Boise State

75) Oakland Raiders- Paul Perkins, RB UCLA

76) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Christian Westerman, OG Arizona State

77) Miami Dolphins via Cleveland Browns from Philadelphia Eagles via Detroit Lions- Austin Hooper, TE Stanford

78) New Orleans Saints- Deion Jones, OLB LSU

79) Philadelphia Eagles- Jalen Mills, CB/S LSU

80) Buffalo Bills- Cardale Jones, QB Ohio State

81) Atlanta Falcons- Nick Vannett, TE Ohio State

82) Detroit Lions via Indianapolis Colts- KeiVarae Russell, CB Notre Dame

83) New York Jets- Le’Raven Clark, OT Texas Tech

84) Washington Redskins- Kyler Fackrell, EDGE BYU

85) Houston Texans- Joe Schoebert, OLB Wisconsin

86) Minnesota Vikings- Hassan Ridgeway, DT Texas

87) Cincinnati Bengals- Connor McGovern, OG Missouri

88) Green Bay Packers- Caleb Beneroch, OT UCLA

89) Pittsburgh Steelers- Xavien Howard, CB Baylor

90) Seattle Seahawks- Kenneth Dixon, RB Louisiana Tech

91) New England Patriots- Joshua Perry, OLB Ohio State

92) Arizona Cardinals- De’Vondre Campbell, OLB Minnesota

93) Carolina Panthers- Carl Nassib, DE Penn State

94) San Francisco 49ers via Denver Broncos- Harlan Miller, CB Sotheastern Louisiana State

95) Detroit Lions (compensatory)- Braxton Miller, WR Ohio State

96) New England Patriots (compensatory)- Jerald Hawkins, OT LSU

97) Seattle Seahawks (compensatory)- Bronson Kaufusi, EDGE BYU

98) Denver Broncos (compensatory)- BJ Goodson, ILB Clemson

 

TRADES IN ROUND THREE

1) Denver Broncos trade the #94 to the San Francisco 49ers for Colin Kaepernick.

 

Enjoy the Draft everyone.

 

 

Jordan Katz- NFL Mock Draft 5.0 (Three Rounds)

Posted on

Less than two weeks until the big day and the Titans and Rams have shook up the landscape of the NFL Draft. The trade will almost ensure that a quarterback is taken with the first overall pick, which has a domino affect on the rest of the board. It impacts what the Browns will decide to do with the second overall pick, how far Laremy Tunsil now falls, which teams now look to trade up, and so on and so forth.

Unlike the media mock draft, this is my personal mock draft. This means that I went back to my personal evaluations, and what I would do if I were the teams in each spot (with the exception of the 49ers, as you will see). There’s a little less analysis to this one, as my personal opinions of players have been well documented by now.

ROUND ONE

1) Los Angeles Rams via Tennessee Titans- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State- The Rams are reportedly torn between Wentz and Jared Goff, and will continue to do their due diligence right up until draft day. I think Goff is more NFL ready, but Wentz will be the pick because of his upside.

2) San Francisco 49ers via Cleveland Browns- Jared Goff, QB California- It’s so weird to me that these two QBs appear to be destined for the top two picks, but that’s where were at. I think the challenge the Browns have will be to build enough buzz around them taking Goff to get the Niners or Eagles to move up.

3) San Diego Chargers- Deforest Buckner, DE Oregon- The move here by mock draft pundits will be to give the Chargers Laremy Tunsil. However, San Diego just extended King Dunlap and Joe Barksdale. Neither of them are cap cut options for a few years.

If I were running the Chargers, I would take Buckner to add to an improving front seven.

4) Dallas Cowboys- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- As much as I would love to give the Cowboys Jalen Ramsey and have him play safety, Bosa is a must have. The Cowboys are in desperate need of a pass rusher opposite Demarcus Lawrence.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- The Jaguars have been looking to replace Luke Joeckel, and they’ve been gift wrapped the best offensive player in the draft. Easy pick here.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Myles Jack, OLB/ILB UCLA- CJ Mosley, Terrell Suggs, and Myles Jack in a linebacking core? This is too good of a scenario for Ozzie Newsome to pass on.

7) Cleveland Browns via San Francisco 49ers- Jalen Ramsey, CB/S Florida State- Hi, were the Browns, and we need talent.

8) Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins- Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida- The Eagles must grab a cornerback early in this draft. Hargreaves may be undersized, but he’s worth this selection.  

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Shaq Lawson, DE Clemson- Lawson slightly edged out Dodd after further evaluation. Therefore, he becomes the pick for Tampa Bay.

10) New York Giants- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- I don’t trust JPP to bounce back this season, which means unless I become magically correct on Owamagbe Odighizuwa (safe to say I missed that evaluation), the Giants will need a starting defensive end for this year and beyond.

11) Chicago Bears- Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- I wouldn’t go into this season starting Jeremy Langford if I ran the Bears. I would take Elliott here because all the top tier pass rushers are off the board.

12) New Orleans Saints- Sheldon Rankins, DE/DT Louisville- I struggled to find a trade partner for the Saints, so they stay put at the 12.

I think Rankins would give the Saints true multiple defense personnel, similar to what Todd Bowles has in New York right now.

13) Washington Redskins from Miami Dolphins via Philadelphia Eagles- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- Interestingly enough, I stole a trade from my media mock draft. However, with Elliott off the board, the Redskins address nose tackle and jump up for A’Shawn Robinson.

14) Oakland Raiders- Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- Eat. Sleep. Ragland. Repeat.

15) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- I tweeted on Thursday that the big loser of the Rams trade is going to be Ronnie Stanley. I think he’s a top 10 talent, but he’s going to fall because Laremy Tunsil falls outside the top three.

16) Detroit Lions- Jason Spriggs, OT Indiana- I think Spriggs is a perfect fit at right tackle from day one, and the Lions need a right tackle in the worst way.

17) Atlanta Falcons- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- Dan Quinn has the staff and the personality to get the best out of a player with character issues. Nkemdiche’s talent is well documented, as are his character issues.

18) Indianapolis Colts- Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson- I still have Alexander slightly ahead of William Jackson III, so the Colts get a multi-dimensional cornerback rather than one that is more suited top play on the outside.

19) Buffalo Bills- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State- I’m sticking with the Bills taking a pass rusher to play opposite Jerry Hughes. I think it’s what’s best for business.

20) Tennessee Titans via New York Jets- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- General Manager Jon Robinson said that he doesn’t feel that his team is done making moves in this draft. With the top wide out falling to 20, he moves up to get Marcus Mariota a second target out wide.

21) Miami Dolphins via Washington Redskins- William Jackson III, CB Houston- Jackson flew up my personal board since a few weeks ago, making this pick the exact same as the media mock draft.

22) Houston Texans- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State- I still can’t believe a guy that looks as athletic as Austin Johnson does on tape isn’t getting more buzz in a weak draft class. He would help free up rushers for the Texans defense.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss- In my opinion, the Vikings cut Mike Wallace in preparation to take a wide out in this draft. Treadwell’s big frame will make him an easy target for Teddy Bridgewater.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- Corey Coleman, WR Baylor- The Bengals offense is going to open up the minute they get a true possession receiver. Coleman will help alleviate pressure from Tyler Eifert in the middle of the field.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Kenny Clark, NT UCLA- I believe Clark is a better space eater than Andrew Billings, and possesses a more complete game. That’s why he’s here instead of Billings.

26) Seattle Seahawks- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State- For the first time in the 2016 version of my mock drafts, the Seahawks don’t draft Robert Nkemdiche… because he’s not available.

Decker would be a necessity for the Seahawks because their offensive line went from good to horrendous in a little over a year.

27) Green Bay Packers- Jonathan Bullard, DE Florida- Bullard is a guy that I have wanted to put in my first round for a long time. His versatility and ability to penetrate are as good as any of the “second tier,” defensive lineman in the draft.

28) Kansas City Chiefs- Sterling Shepard, WR Oklahoma- Shepard would be a dream come true for any west coast offense. His sharp cuts in and out of routes would make him one of Alex Smith’s favorite targets in a hurry.

29) Arizona Cardinals- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State- I still believe the best long-term investment for the Arizona Cardinals is to select Hackenburg and sit him a year or two.

30) Carolina Panthers- Jusitn Simmons, FS/SS Boston College- Simmons is a perfect match for the Panthers secondary. He’s a terrific athlete and a very solid tackler in the back end. He’s got some playmaking ability as well.

31) Denver Broncos- Connor Cook, QB Michigan State- In my last mock draft I said that Cook’s ideal fit is to be the Broncos game managing quarterback next season. It’s a reach, but I think the fit is too good to pass on.

TRADES

1) San Francisco 49ers trade the #7, #37 a 2017 1st and a 2017 4th to the Cleveland Browns for the #2, #99 and the #223

2) Washington Redskins trade the #21 and the #52 to the Miami Dolphins for the #13 and the #186.

3) Tennessee Titans trade the #33 and the #64 to the New York Jets for the #20.

ROUND TWO

32) Indianapolis Colts via Cleveland Browns- Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky

33) New York Jets via Tennessee Titans- Jaylon Smith, ILB/OLB Notre Dame

34) Dallas Cowboys- Alex Collins, RB Arkansas

35) Atlanta Falcons via San Diego Chargers- Kamalei Correa, EDGE Boise State

36) Baltimore Ravens- Cody Whitehair, OG/OT Kansas State

37) Cleveland Browns via San Francisco 49ers- Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame

38) Jacksonville Jaguars- Darron Lee, OLB Ohio State

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Su’a Cravens, OLB/SS USC

40) New York Giants- Joshua Garnett, OG Stanford

41) Chicago Bears- Vernon Butler, DL Louisiana Tech

42) Miami Dolphins- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama

43) Tennessee Titans from Los Angeles Rams via Philadelphia Eagles- Kendall Fuller, CB Virginia Tech

44) Seattle Seahawks via Oakland Raiders- Jarran Reed, DE/DT Alabama

45) Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor

46) Detroit Lions- Shilique Calhoun, EDGE Michigan State

47) New Orleans Saints- Will Redmond, CB Mississippi State

48) Cleveland Browns via Indianapolis Colts- Jihad Ward, DE Illinois

49) Buffalo Bills- Germain Ifedi, OT Texas A&M

50) San Diego Chargers via Atlanta Falcons- Keanu Neal, SS Florida

51) New York Jets- Paxton Lynch, QB Memphis

52) Houston Texans- Ryan Kelly, C Alabama

53) Miami Dolphins via Washington Redskins- Chris Jones, DE/DT Mississippi State

54) Minnesota Vikings- Jerald Hawkins, OT LSU

55) Cincinnati Bengals- Darian Thompson, FS Boise State

56) Seattle Seahawks- Nick Martin, C/OG Notre Dame

57) Green Bay Packers- Landon Turner, OG North Carolina

58) Pittsburgh Steelers- Artie Burns, CB Miami Florida

59) Kansas City Chiefs- Hassan Ridgeway, DE/DT Texas

60) New England Patriots- Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB West Virginia

61) New England Patriots via Arizona Cardinals- Braxton Miller, WR Ohio State

62) Chicago Bears via Carolina Panthers- Joe Haeg, OT North Dakota State

63) Denver Broncos- Devontae Booker, RB Utah

 

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1) Indianapolis Colts trade the #48, #82 and a 2017 5th to the Cleveland Browns for the #32 and a 2017 6th.

2) Atlanta Falcons trade the #50, #81 and a 2017 6th to the San Diego Chargers for the #35 and a 2017 4th

3) Seattle Seahawks trade the #90 and a 2017 2nd to the Oakland Raiders for the #44 and the #194.

4) Chicago Bears trade the #72 and the #150 to the Carolina Panthers for the #62

 

ROUND THREE

64) New York Jets via Tennessee Titans- Jack Conklin, OT Michigan State

65) Cleveland Browns- Shon Coleman, OT Auburn
66) San Diego Chargers-
Leonard Floyd, EDGE Georgia

67) Dallas Cowboys- Cardale Jones, QB Ohio State

68) San Francisco 49ers- Christian Westerman, OG Arizona State

69) Jacksonville Jaguars- Adolphus Washington, DT Ohio State

70) Baltimore Ravens- Tyler Boyd, WR Pittsburgh

71) New York Giants- Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State

72) Carolina Panthers via Chicago Bears- KeiVarae Russell, CB Notre Dame

73) Pittsburgh Steelers via Miami Dolphins- Hunter Henry, TE Arkansas

74) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Leonte Carroo, WR Rutgers
75) Oakland Raiders-
Harlan Miller, CB Southeastern Louisiana State

76) Tennessee Titans- Joshua Perry, OLB Ohio State

77) Philadelphia Eagles- CJ Prosise, RB Notre Dame

78) New Orleans Saints- Sebastian Tretola, OG Arkansas

79) Philadelphia Eagles- Dak Prescott, QB Mississippi State

80) Buffalo Bills- Maliek Collins, DE Nebraska

81) San Diego Chargers via Atlanta Falcons- Le’Raven Clark, OT Texas Tech

82) Cleveland Browns via Indianapolis Colts- Kentrell Brothers, ILB Missouri

83) New York Jets- Austin Hooper, TE Stanford

84) Washington Redskins- Jeremy Cash, SS Duke

85) Houston Texans- Kenny Lawler, WR California

86) Minnesota Vikings- Jordan Jenkins, EDGE Georgia

87) Cincinnati Bengals- Bronson Kaufusi, DT BYU

88) Green Bay Packers- Jordan Howard, RB Indiana

89) Pittsburgh Steelers- Connor McGovern, OG Missouri

90) Oakland Raiders via Seattle Seahawks- Nick Vannett, TE Ohio State

91) New England Patriots- Cyrus Jones, CB Alabama

92) Arizona Cardinals- Kyle Murphy, OT Stanford

93) Carolina Panthers- Carl Nassib, DE Penn State

94) Denver Broncos- Deion Jones, ILB LSU

95) Detroit Lions- Von Bell, SS Ohio State
96) New England Patriots-
Kyler Fackrell, OLB Utah State

97) Seattle Seahawks- Paul Perkins, RB UCLA

98) Denver Broncos- Max Tuerk, C USC

 

TRADES IN ROUND THREE

1) Pittsburgh Steelers trade a 2017 3rd, a 2017 5th and the #123 to the Miami Dolphins for the #73.

 

Jordan Katz-NFL Media Mock Draft

Posted on

Here at Draftstock.net we believe in giving you the best content that we can give you. Our mock draft motto is always to mock what we would do in each scenario if we were in the war rooms with the 32 NFL teams.

However, I’ve come to realize that some of you may be wondering what your team are most likely to do on draft day. It’s hard to know which media rumors are true, and which are smoke screens. Since the major media outlets report all the information they’re given, it’s very easy for teams to manipulate smoke screens around draft time.

For those that don’t know, a “smoke screen” is a rumor that teams will feed the media to see if they can get a team to trade up for a certain player. For example, a few years ago there was a rumor that a team in the top ten was going to select Ryan Nassib. Many mock draft experts proceeded to put Nassib in their top tens, but alas he fell to round four, like he should’ve.

Upon request from some readers, I’ve decided to do a media based mock drafts. These will be more like the traditional mock drafts you see on NFL.com or ESPN. The one difference is that I will include trades, because those are rumors as well.

I will try to decipher which rumors hold merit, and which ones won’t happen. Hopefully I can help each of you get a better grasp for what your team might do on draft day.

ROUND ONE

1) Tennessee Titans- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- Our first smokescreen rumor is Jalen Ramsey to the Titans at the first overall selection. In the post merger era, there has never been a defensive back selected with the top pick. The Titans are kicking this around to see if a team like the Jaguars will overpay to move up a few spots for their top player. I think the Titans are forced to stay here, and in that case they will take Tunsil.

2) Cleveland Browns- Deforest Buckner, DE Oregon- Paul DePodesta is from the “moneyball” mantra, which means at every draft spot you select your best player available. The signing of Robert Griffin III signaled to me that the Browns aren’t fans of the quarterbacks in this draft.

Buckner has a ton of talent, and the Browns are desperate for defensive line help. They also could use about 40 more guys on their roster that can play in the NFL.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars via San Diego Chargers- Jalen Ramsey, CB/FS Florida State- In my personal mock draft I had the Chargers trade down because I think it’s in their best interest, and apparently they agree. The Chargers have been trying to pawn off the third overall pick for a while. With Ramsey, Carson Wentz, and Jared Goff on the board, the offers will be pouring in.

My guess is Jacksonville will be the most lucrative option. The Chargers stay in the top five, and get a top second round pick. The Jaguars get a game changer in Ramsey.

4) Dallas Cowboys- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- I know the rumor is that Bosa’s stock has fallen and he might wind up outside the top ten, but I just don’t see Dallas passing on him. Randy Gregory failed a drug test and Greg Hardy isn’t coming back. They need someone opposite Demarcus Lawrence and Bosa’s tape is phenomenal.

5) St. Louis Rams from San Diego Chargers via Jacksonville Jaguars- Jared Goff, QB California- It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a team trade down twice, but the Chargers are in a perfect position to do so. They slide down a little for a team to come up and take Ramsey, and then slide down again for a team that wants to make a major move for a quarterback.

The Rams are a quarterback away from becoming a potential playoff team. I think they’ll look to be aggressive in this draft if one of the top two QB’s slide a bit.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- I think Ozzie Newsome will be flooded with trade offers from teams that are looking to jump the Niners and Eagles to take a quarterback, but Newsome rarely trades down. He believes in taking the best player available.

Stanley is a starting tackle from day one, making him an immediate contributor to the Ravens offense.

7) San Francisco 49ers- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State- Wentz could thrive in Chip Kelly’s system if given the opportunity. If he got the chance to sit the first year as well, he could turn into something really special.

8) Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins- Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida- The Eagles have to take a cornerback or a quarterback with this selection. Both QB’s are off the board, so they go with the top cornerback available in Hargreaves.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Myles Jack, OLB UCLA- Conventional wisdom would say that the Buccaneers need an edge rusher, but I doubt they pass on Jack if he falls this far. The Panthers recent success has been predicated on the strength of their linebacking core. Jack’s athleticism playing opposite Lavonte David would make for a nasty duo.

10) New York Giants- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State- The Giants are the ultimate wild card team after their big splashes in free agency. There are rumors of them still taking an edge rusher, and rumors that their pick will be on the offensive side of the ball.

I think whatever the Giants do will catch some people off guard. They do need a right tackle, and many think Taylor Decker is worthy of a top 10-15 selection. Therefore, maybe the Giants reach a couple of spots to fortify their offensive line.

11) Chicago Bears- Shaq Lawson, EDGE Clemson- I believe Lawson is better served as a 4-3 defensive end, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a 3-4 edge rusher. He’s equally as talented when he rushes standing up as he is with his hand in the dirt. The Bears defense really needs someone that can consistently get to the quarterback, so Lawson makes sense here.

12) New Orleans Saints- Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson- The Saints need just about everything on the defensive side of the ball. I think Alexander is very high on their board because of his ability to play nickel corner. The Saints like Delvin Breaux, so if they don’t need Alexander out wide right away, he can be a nickel corner right away.

13) Washington Redskins from Miami Dolphins via Philadelphia Eagles-Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- If they made a handbook on how to properly draft running backs in the modern NFL, trading up for one would be what not to do.

However, Washington needs a franchise back to alleviate pressure from Kirk Cousins. It’s also not every day that a running back like ‘Zeke Elliott comes along.

Miami is in a great position to trade down here because they could use some depth players later on in this draft. I could definitely see ‘Zeke falling on draft day and if he does, look for Washington to move up.

14) Oakland Raiders- Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- Based on what I’ve seen from media reports as well as individual workouts and interviews, this pick seems like a slam-dunk. Ragland would help the Raiders run defense immediately.

15) San Diego Chargers via St. Louis Rams- Sheldon Rankins, DE/DT Louisville- In weak draft class teams tend to gawk at athleticism. Rankins is a definitive athlete, but he also has the tape to back up this selection.

16) Detroit Lions- Jack Conklin, OT Michigan State- The Lions need to protect Matt Stafford better in 2016. Conklin is low on my personal board, but a lot of scouts and mock draft experts have him as a top 30 selection.

17) Atlanta Falcons- Darron Lee, OLB Ohio State- Dan Quinn’s motto since arriving in Atlanta has been “eat, sleep, compete, repeat.” To that effect, Darron Lee is a leo linebacker that hustles (ran a 4.43 at the combine), and competes every day.

18) Indianapolis Colts- Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky- The Colts have to do a better job of getting to the passer in 2016. Spence has a lot of talent on tape, but his dismissal from Ohio State will have teams concerned. His draft slot on draft day will be determined by the amount of edge rushers that go early.

19) Buffalo Bills- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State- Rex Ryan needs an edge rusher to replace Mario Williams and take double teams away from Jerry Hughes. Ogbah’s speed off the edge would make him a very solid player in this defense.

20) Cleveland Browns via New York Jets- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss- The Browns haven’t had a number one receiver since Braylon Edwards. If any quarterback is to succeed in Cleveland in the near future, the Browns must get that QB some weapons.

The Jets are a team that not many will expect to move down, but based on their cap situation, they could use to move out of round one. This, of course, is assuming they can still get the player they desire.

21) Miami Dolphins via Washington Redskins- William Jackson III, CB Houston- There’s always a surprise move in the first round that mock draft pendants don’t see coming. He might not go this high, but I think that surprise player is William Jackson. He had a great combine, he shows terrific ball skills on tape, and his length will allow him to jam smaller receivers without losing a step.

22) Houston Texans- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- Vince Wilfork is over the hill and Christian Covington is a rotational player, not a starter. This pick seems like a layup.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- Minnesota has visited with Doctson on a number of occasions. I don’t take too much stock into visits with a team, but when it’s at a position of need it needs to be a factor.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- Corey Colmean, WR Baylor- Coleman is the kind of receiver that flourishes in Cincy’s offense. He’s talented with the ball in his hands and he can stretch the field. What he could add to the offense is a third down target. His route running could help take double teams away from Tyler Eifert in the middle of the field.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor- The Steelers never select a first round corner, which means their next pressing need would be to address the nose tackle position. Billings is a huge presence in the middle of a defense, and eats blockers as well as anyone in the draft. 

26) Seattle Seahawks- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- Pete Carroll doesn’t shy away from character issues. Don’t expect draft day to be any different if he’s staring at a top five talent with this selection.

27) Green Bay Packers- Jarran Reed, DE/DT Alabama- Reed is very good at getting leverage at the point of attack. He’s a solid run stopper, something the Packers need.

28) Kansas City Chiefs- Cody Whitehair, OT/OG Kansas State- As I said in my personal mock draft, this pick makes too much sense. The Chiefs need offensive line and Whitehair is a prototypical zone blocking guard.

29) Arizona Cardinals- Jaylon Smith, OLB/ILB Notre Dame- I think the Cardinals will either take a quarterback here on draft day, or the best available player if someone slides farther than they should. Smith has top five talent, but the questions regarding his rehab force him to fall into Arizona’s lap.

30) Carolina Panthers- Justin Simmons, FS Boston College- Simmons is the big riser after a phenomenal stretch of workouts during the draft process. The Panthers need to be more consistent in the secondary in 2016, so this seems like a natural fit.

31) Dallas Cowboys via Denver Broncos- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State- Based on the Jets sliding out of the first round, and being in the market for the quarterback, Dallas has to jump up for their back up/future starter.

It’s anyone’s guess as to which quarterback of the “next tier,” they prefer, but I think Hackenburg stands the most to gain from sitting multiple seasons.

TRADES

1) Jacksonville Jaguars trade the #5 and the #38 to the San Diego Chargers for the #3 and the #179.

2) Los Angeles Rams trade the #15, #43 and a 2017 2nd round pick to the San Diego Chargers for the #5 and the #102.

3) Washington Redskins trade the #21 and the #53 to the Miami Dolphins for the #13 and the #186.

4) Cleveland Browns trade the #32 and the #65 to the New York Jets for the #20 and a 2017 5th round pick.

5) Dallas Cowboys trade the #34 and a 2017 5th to the Denver Broncos for the #31.

 

ROUND TWO

32) New York Jets via Cleveland Browns- Paxton Lynch, QB Memphis- Based on the uncertainty still surrounding Ryan Fitzpatrick, I think the Jets are leaning towards trading down for a QB.

33) Tennessee Titans- Eli Apple, CB Ohio State- The Titans need secondary in this draft, and many feel Apple is a day one starter.

34) Denver Broncos via Dallas Cowboys- Joshua Garnett, OG Stanford- I think that the Broncos will eventually work out the contract situation with Colin Kaepernick. Therefore they slide out of the first round and grab Garnett to play right guard.

35) San Diego Chargers- Jason Spriggs, OT Indiana- Spriggs is an athlete and the Chargers need to get younger and quicker on the offensive line.

36) Baltimore Ravens- Leonard Floyd, EDGE Georgia- When in doubt, give the Ravens the best player available. On many people’s board, Floyd is the best player available.

37) San Francisco 49ers- Kamalei Correa, EDGE Boise State- The Niners need a defensive overhaul, so they take the best defensive player available.

38) San Diego Chargers via Jacksonville Jaguars- Keanu Neal, SS Florida- Neal is probably the most complete in the box safety in the draft. The Chargers snag him with the extra pick they acquired from trading down.

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- The Buccaneers continue their dominant offseason by grabbing two of my top 10 players with their first two picks.

40) New York Giants- Braxton Miller, WR Ohio State- The Giants love receivers that move the sticks on third down, which is what Miller will be at the next level.

41) Chicago Bears- Jonathan Bullard, DE Florida- Bullard has the strength and ability to be a 3-4 defensive end. Combine that with his solid move set from the interior and you get a perfect fit for the Bears.

42) Miami Dolphins- Shilique Calhoun, EDGE Michigan State- The Dolphins do have Cameron Wake and Mario Williams, but they need some youth up front for the future. Calhoun could replace Wake as early as next season (Wake is a free agent).

43) Minnesota Vikings via San Diego Chargers from Los Angeles Rams via Philadelphia Eagles- Vonn Bell, SS Ohio State- Many project Bell to be a starting strong safety, so the Vikings come up a few picks to get a future replacement for Andrew Sendejo.

44) Oakland Raiders- Karl Joseph, FS/SS West Virginia- The Raiders signed Reggie Nelson, but they still need someone to play opposite him. Joseph is popular amongst draft pundits because of his elite athleticism.

45) Los Angeles Rams- Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame- I know there’s a lot of buzz around Fuller right now, but I don’t see him as a day one pick just yet. Having said that, he’s a steal for the Rams in round two because of his deep threat ability.

46) Detroit Lions- Vernon Butler, DL Louisiana Tech- Butler has the versatility to play 4-3 defensive tackle with ease. His run stopping ability would be the attraction for the Lions at this selection.

47) New Orleans Saints- Chris Jones, DE/DT Mississippi State- Jones has great athleticism and gets good leverage at the point of attack. He should help the Saints run defense immediately.

48) Indianapolis Colts- Artie Burns, CB Miami Florida- I’m assuming at some point the Colts will opt to address their horrendous secondary. Maybe its this year?

49) Buffalo Bills- Su’a Cravens, OLB/SS USC- Cravens’ versatility and toughness would be a weapon in Rex Ryan’s defense.

50) Atlanta Falcons- Hunter Henry, TE Arkansas- The Falcons need a target in the middle of the field for Matt Ryan. The offense flowed much better when Ryan had Tony Gonzalez as his safety valve. Henry might not be a great blocker, but he has very good hands and runs solid routes.

51) New York Jets- Germain Ifedi, OT Texas A&M- Many believe the Jets will take Ifedi at 20, but he’s very raw. Because of this, I feel that he will be someone who falls to the second round on draft day.

52) Houston Texans- Ryan Kelly, C Alabama- The Texans lost Ben Jones to free agency, which puts them in the market for a center come draft day.

53) Miami Dolphins via Washington Redskins- Shon Coleman, OT Auburn- The Dolphins should continue to acquire offensive line depth during the draft. Coleman has the length to be a starting tackle in the future.

54) San Diego Chargers via Minnesota Vikings- Landon Turner, OG North Carolina- The Chargers continue to bolster their offensive line from the extra picks that they have acquired in this mock draft.

55) Cincinnati Bengals- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State- Johnson would wreak havoc next to Geno Atkins in the middle of the Bengals defense. His ability to win one-on-one matchups would prohibit teams from doubling Atkins on every down.

56) Seattle Seahawks- Jerald Hawkins, OT LSU- The Seahawks have significantly more needs than people realize, and offensive line is a major one. Hawkins has the length and strength to be a solid right tackle one day.

57) Philadelphia Eagles via Green Bay Packers- Connor Cook, QB Michigan State- Cook seems like a prototypical west coast quarterback at the next level. The Eagles jump back into the second round to grab their quarterback of the future.

58) Pittsburgh Steelers- Cyrus Jones, CB Alabama- Jones is a smart, instinctive corner with decent technique. He has to develop a bit, but his upside is very good for someone who is undersized.

59) Kansas City Chiefs- Sterling Shepard, WR Oklahoma- Shepard is a guy who would thrive in a west coast system. He’s quick, and his route running ability is tremendous.

60) New England Patriots- Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB West Virginia- Kwiatkoski is a three year starter who is fundamentally sound in the middle and was a leader for the Mountaineers in college. Sounds like a classic Patriots pick, right?

61) Chicago Bears from New England Patriots via Arizona Cardinals- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama- The Bears might think highly of Jeremy Langford, but he’s not an every down feature back. Henry would provide an immediate punch on short yardage situations, and he could become the every down back of the future.

62) Carolina Panthers- Harlan Miller, CB Southeastern Louisiana- Regardless of whether or not the Panthers are able to bring back Josh Norman after this season, they still need depth at the cornerback position. Miller is a guy that many feel, with time, could turn into a true number two cornerback.

63) Denver Broncos- Nick Martin, OG/OC Notre Dame- Martin has the versatility to play multiple spots on the offensive line, which is something Head Coach Gary Kubiak looks for.

TRADES IN ROUND TWO

1) Minnesota Vikings trade the #54, #160 and a 2017 3rd to the San Diego Chargers for #43 and a 2017 7th round pick.

2) Philadelphia Eagles trade the #77 and a 2017 3rd to the Green Bay Packers for the #57.

3) Chicago Bears trade the #72 and the #106 to the New England Patriots for the #61 and the #204.

Jordan Katz NFL Mock Draft 4.0- Post Free Agency

Posted on Updated on

We’re officially one month away from the NFL Draft. Free agency has come and gone (for the most part) making the draft the last chance for teams to improve their roster before OTA’s start. Team needs have shuffled around a bit, and my player grades have changed as well. This mock draft will give you more of a feel of what I think teams should do to make themselves better.

1) Tennessee Titans- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- Some have started to mock Jalen Ramsey going first overall, but I still think the Titans should go with Tunsil. Even though Ramsey is my top player in the draft, Tennessee shouldn’t pass on the opportunity to fortify their offensive line for years to come.

2) Jacksonville Jaguars via Cleveland Browns- Jalen Ramsey, CB/S Florida State- I have been mocking a quarterback here because I thought it was a no brainer the Browns would do it. Having said that, I never believed a quarterback was worth drafting here.

Apparently, the Browns might agree with me. They signed Robert Griffin III and don’t appear to be locked into a quarterback at this selection.

So If the Browns don’t go QB at the number two, then it seems like an obvious spot to trade down and get extra draft picks. Jacksonville trades up to land a game changer in the secondary.

3) Atlanta Falcons via San Diego Chargers- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m going to continue to have Atlanta trade up for Joey Bosa. In a weak draft class, I feel like it is a risk worth taking for a team that almost made the postseason last year. San Diego trades out to help them rebuild.

4) Dallas Cowboys- Myles Jack, OLB UCLA- In the last mock draft I tried to have Dallas trade down here because Bosa was gone, but they stayed here and took Jack. Now I think he’s too much of a talent to consider trading out.

5) Cleveland Browns via Jacksonville Jaguars- DeForest Buckner, DE Oregon- Cleveland could still take a quarterback here (another reason why they should actively pursue a trade), but Buckner is a game changing 3-4 defensive end. None of these quarterbacks have game changing ability right away.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- Ozzie Newsome is known for going best available player without hesitation. In this scenario, I can’t see him passing on a bookend tackle.

7) San Francisco 49ers- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State- While I still have Jared Goff as my top quarterback, Carson Wentz is more of a scheme fit for Chip Kelly. He’s a better athlete, and he has a bigger arm. One of the things the Eagles missed to perfect Kelly’s offense was a quarterback to take the top of the defense. Wentz can do that.

8) Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins- Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida- The Eagles managed to dump almost every bad contract on their roster, and they even got some value back. Now the Eagles are in position to take a number one cornerback. Hargreaves has the ability to be a number one corner, which is something the Eagles are desperate for.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- The Buccaneers had a great free agency, but they still need an edge rusher. Dodd has the versatility to be a dominating defensive end, something the Bucs haven’t had since Simeon Rice.

10) New York Giants- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- The Giants overhauled their defense in free agency, which gives them some flexibility to take whoever they want at this pick. I think the Giants next big need is a true number two wide receiver next to Odell Beckham Jr.

Doctson’s ability to high point the ball makes him an ideal deep threat and red zone target in the NFL, two things that would help alleviate double teams from ODB.

11) Chicago Bears- Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson- I think the Bears could be a surprise team next year. They made solid acquisitions in free agency to help their defense, but they still need cornerback help. Alexander may not have the ball skills, but he’s got the technique to be a very good player.

12) New Orleans Saints- Shaq Lawson, DE Clemson- If new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen wants to switch to a 4-3, he needs an edge rusher opposite Cameron Jordan. Lawson has natural ability as a five tech defensive end. He should fit right in with Allen’s new defensive philosophy.

13) Miami Dolphins via Philadelphia Eagles- Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- The Dolphins made big splashes on defense, but they lost Lamar Miller in a bidding war with the Texans. Ryan Tannehill has proven time and time again that he needs a successful running game to help him operate. So why not select the best running back in the draft class?

14) Oakland Raiders- Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- Until I hear news that Jaylon Smith is back on track with his recovery, Ragland is the pick for Oakland. He can make an immediate impact in 2016, and that alone catapults him ahead of Smith.

15) Los Angeles Rams- Jared Goff, QB California- Jeff Fisher and company would have a serious conundrum on their hands if this scenario played out. Do they draft the QB without having real weapons, or do they draft the wide receiver (Treadwell) without having a quarterback to get him the ball?

I think Goff has a better chance of making sub par weapons better than Treadwell does of impacting the game with a sub par quarterback.

16) Detroit Lions- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss- Speaking of Treadwell, he would be a perfect fit in Detroit. He’s a big body target for Stafford and could be a very good red zone threat.

17) San Diego Chargers via Atlanta Falcons- Jason Spriggs, OT Indiana- This trade remains the same from the top down. The Falcons move up for Bosa, the Chargers slide down and grab an athletic offensive tackle.

18) Indianapolis Colts- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State- Ogbah’s athleticism makes him a prospect that many are attracted to. He needs to polish his move set, but if he develops one, he could be a premier defensive player.

19) Buffalo Bills- Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky- Rex Ryan doesn’t fear character issues if they have talent. There’s no doubt that Spence has talent, so I doubt Ryan will be deterred from selecting him.

20) New York Jets- Jaylon Smith, OLB/ILB Notre Dame- If you’re wondering why this isn’t a quarterback, I still am very confident the Jets bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Jets are desperate for youth and talent at the linebacker position. Smith might miss eight weeks, maybe the year. However, he has top five talent and is one of the few true game changers in this draft.

21) Washington Redskins- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- The Redskins in need of a stopper in the middle of their defense. Robinson’s freakish athleticism and ability to stop the run make him a perfect scheme fit.

22) Houston Texans- Sheldon Rankins, DE/DT Louisville- In my opinion Rankins is better served as a 4-3 defensive tackle, but his quickness and athleticism should make his transition to 3-4 defensive end very easy.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Corey Coleman, WR Baylor- I think one of the reasons the Vikings were eager to let Mike Wallace depart was because this draft has multiple first round receivers with significantly more talent than Wallace has right now. Coleman’s route running ability will allow him to succeed in Norv Turner’s offense.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- Sterling Shepard, WR Oklahoma- I think the Bengals have lacked a “move the chains,” receiver during Andy Dalton’s tenure at quarterback in Cincy. Shepard doesn’t come without risk (he drops some passes and isn’t a jump ball receiver), but in terms of route running ability, there are few better in this draft.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Kenny Clark, NT UCLA- Having lost Steve McLendon to the Jets, the Steelers appear to be locked into a nose tackle at the 25. Clark remains this selection because of his ability to stop and gap the run effectively.

26) Seattle Seahawks- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- I almost gave the Texans Nkemdiche to play defensive end, but I’m not sure that team has the personnel to handle someone like him. The Seahawks certainly do.

27) Green Bay Packers- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State- The defensive tackles continue to fly off the board in round one. Johnson has the quickness and technical ability to be an impactful defensive player for years to come.

28) Kansas City Chiefs- Cody Whitehair, OG Kansas State- Whitehair wasn’t on the board in my last mock draft, so the Chiefs were unable to select him. His athleticism and ability to gain leverage at the point of attack make him a no brainer for Kansas City.

29) Arizona Cardinals- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State- The Cardinals are a complete team on paper, which gives them two options; draft depth for other positions, or draft a future need. Hackenburg could serve to be both. The Cardinals don’t have a true backup quarterback behind Carson Palmer, and Palmer and Head Coach Bruce Arians could groom him into the quarterback of the future.

30) Carolina Panthers- Kamalei Correa, EDGE Boise State- Charles Johnson was the steal of free agency, but he’s only back on a one year deal. They still need rotational depth, and a future edge rusher. Correa has very good speed off the edge, and can develop in the Panthers defense.

31) Denver Broncos- Connor Cook, QB Michigan State- Four quarterbacks in round one seems incredibly unlikely, but I think this is Cook’s ideal situation. He gets to be a game manager right out of the gate, and he will have very good weapons around him that can make him better. This may be a reach, but it seems worth it.

TRADES

1) Jacksonville Jaguars trade the #5 and the #39 to the Cleveland Browns for the #2.

2) Atlanta Falcons trade the #17, #50, a 2017 1st and a 2017 3rd to the San Diego Chargers for the #3 overall pick.

ROUND TWO

32) Cleveland Browns- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State

33) Tennessee Titans- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor

34) Dallas Cowboys- Jonathan Bullard, DE Florida

35) San Diego Chargers- Jarran Reed, DE Alabama

36) Baltimore Ravens- William Jackson III, CB Houston

37) San Francisco 49ers- Vernon Butler, DT/NT Louisiana Tech

38) Cleveland Browns via Jacksonville Jaguars- Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame

39) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- KeiVarae Russell, CB Notre Dame

40) New York Giants- Joshua Garnett, OG Stanford

41) Chicago Bears- Alex Collins, RB Arkansas

42) Miami Dolphins- Artie Burns, CB Miami Florida

43) *Los Angeles Rams via Philadelphia Eagles- Leonte Carroo, WR Rutgers

44) Oakland Raiders- Justin Simmons, FS Boston College

45) Los Angeles Rams- Landon Turner, OG North Carolina

46) Detroit Lions- Shilique Calhoun, EDGE Michigan State

47) New Orleans Saints- Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State

48) Indianapolis Colts- Devontae Booker, RB Utah

49) Buffalo Bills- Jihad Ward, DE Illinois

50) San Diego Chargers via Atlanta Falcons- Darian Thompson, FS/SS Boise State

51) New York Jets- Sebastian Tretola, OG Arkansas

52) Houston Texans- Nick Martin, OC/OG Notre Dame

53) Washington Redskins- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama

54) Minnesota Vikings- Darron Lee, OLB Ohio State

55) Cincinnati Bengals- Su’a Cravens, OLB/SS USC

56) Seattle Seahawks- Shon Coleman, OT Auburn

57) Green Bay Packers- Joe Haeg, OT/OG North Dakota State

58) Pittsburgh Steelers- Hunter Henry, TE Arkansas

59) Kansas City Chiefs- Adolphus Washington, DL Ohio State

60) New England Patriots- Tyler Boyd, WR Pittsburgh

61) New England Patriots via Arizona Cardinals- Kyler Fackrell, ILB/OLB Utah State

62) Carolina Panthers- Jeremy Cash, SS Duke

63) Denver Broncos- Maliek Collins, DE Nebraska

*- Eagles traded pick to Rams in Sam Bradford trade.

 

Jordan Katz: NFL Mock Draft 2.0-Post Super Bowl Mock Draft

Posted on Updated on

The NFL offseason has officially begun, which means the Tennessee Titans are on the clock, more or less. Now it is true that the NFL Combine, and most major free agency moves, will occur before the Titans are actually on the clock.

However, that doesn’t mean that things haven’t changed since our last mock draft. Not only is the draft order finalized, but also Senior Bowl week had a major impact on many players’ draft stock.

Plenty of things will change in the coming months, but for now, this is the way I think the first round of the draft should go down.

ROUND ONE
1) Tennessee Titans- Ronnie Stanley, OT Notre Dame- I think the Titans will listen to trade offers leading up to the draft, but if they stay put, Stanley or Laremy Tunsil seem like the only viable options.

2) Cleveland Browns- Jared Goff, QB California- Even though I wouldn’t take any of the quarterbacks this high, the Browns are going to. Personally, I would trade down if I was in charge. I don’t believe their franchise quarterback is in this draft class. Even if he is, the Browns have so many needs that their quarterback might turn into David Carr due to a lack of pieces around him.

3) San Diego Chargers- Laremy Tunsil, OT Ole Miss- Eventually the Chargers will figure out that in order for Philip Rivers to be successful, he needs to be protected in the pocket. Hopefully it’s this draft, considering there are two talented tackles at the top of the board.

4) Atlanta Falcons via Dallas Cowboys- Joey Bosa, DE Ohio State- I think the Dallas Cowboys are in an ideal position to trade down. They can acquire future draft picks for a top five selection that they don’t need to use. This is how the good franchises stay good.

The Falcons will have to give multiple early selections to move up this high, but it might be worth it. Atlanta’s defense really struggled to get to the quarterback last season, mostly because they didn’t have anyone opposite Vic Beasley. Bosa is an unbelievable talent and he would make a major impact on Atlanta’s defense from day one.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars- Jalen Ramsey, CB/S Florida State- Unless a team trades up past the Jaguars to select Ramsey, then this is probably the easiest selection in 2016. The Jaguars need secondary in the worst way, and Ramsey is a star in the making.

6) Baltimore Ravens- Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida- I think the Ravens are a sneaky “trade down,” candidate, but the versatility that Hargreaves brings to the cornerback position is too much for them to pass up on.

7) Detroit Lions via San Francisco 49ers- Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss- The Niners have more than one big need, and the positions they need would be a reach here.

Fortunately for them, the Lions just lost Calvin Johnson, and must replace him with a number one receiver if they want to get back to where they were in 2014.

Treadwell would become Stafford’s favorite target in a hurry because of his ability to be physical and his ability to high point the football.

8) Miami Dolphins- Myles Jack, OLB UCLA- This is another pick that seems like a match made in heaven. Jack’s athletic ability would allow him to shine behind an underrated front four.

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kevin Dodd, DE Clemson- In my opnion, Dodd is the most complete defensive end in this draft class not named Joey Bosa. He seems like the pick for the Bucs, who are in desperate need of a true pass rushing threat.

10) New York Giants- Shaq Lawson, DE Clemson- The Clemson boys go back-to-back in this mock draft. Lawson might have a more complete move set than his counterpart, which makes him a hot commodity in the 2016 draft.

11) Chicago Bears- DeForest Buckner, DE Oregon- Bucker has moved up my personal big board since my last mock draft because of his athleticism and ability to gap the run.

However, he remains at 11 because the teams that need defensive ends at the top of the draft are 4-3 teams.

12) New Orleans Saints- Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson- Despite solid play from Delvin Breaux last season, the Saints don’t have a true number two corner. Alexander has the versatility to play on the outside as well as in the slot, a skill that the Saints could desperately use.

13) Seattle Seahawks via Philadelphia Eagles- Robert Nkemdiche, DT Ole Miss- I still think this deal is a perfect match. The Eagles add extra draft picks; the Seahawks get a pass-rushing monster to replace Brandon Mebane.

14) Oakland Raiders-Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama- It’s hard to know whether a Nick Saban defensive product is one that looks good, or one that is good. Ragland appears to be the latter based on his range and ability to read and react in coverage.

15) Los Angeles Rams- Josh Doctson, WR TCU- In the last mock draft I had the Rams jump up to ensure that they landed Doctson, who’s home run threat ability makes him a bona-fide number one receiver. In this mock draft, they don’t have to move up to get him.

16) San Francisco 49ers via Detroit Lions- Carson Wentz, QB North Dakota State- I know Wentz isn’t going to make it this far on draft day, and he might soon surpass Jared Goff on my personal board.

However, based on my evaluations, no quarterback in this class deserves to go in the top 15 (I excluded the Browns from this because they’re going to go quarterback at the second overall pick regardless of logic).

17) Dallas Cowboys via Atlanta Falcons- Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State- One of the reasons that I think the Cowboys are a great candidate to trade down is because their top need is number one running back, which is not something you draft at four. Trading down allows them to pick up assets and select a game changing running back.

18) Indianapolis Colts- Kevin Peterson, CB Oklahoma State- Peterson is a technician at the cornerback position, which allows him to stay with receivers that are bigger than him. He may not be a first rounder in the eyes of most right now, but I think it’s only a matter of time until the National media puts him there.

19) Buffalo Bills-Noah Spence, EDGE Western Kentucky- Noah Spence is the “flavor of the day,” after a phenomenal showing at the Senior Bowl. He flies off the edge and has a very good move set for a 3-4 edge rusher.

20) New York Jets- Jaylon Smith, OLB/ILB Notre Dame- If ‘Zeke is off the board, I think the Jets become the most difficult team to decipher in this draft. They could look to grab an edge rusher like Emmanuel Ogbah, Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry, or maybe a quarterback to sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

However, I think the most likely option, assuming he’s on the board, is Jaylon Smith. Demario Davis didn’t have a great season, and David Harris isn’t getting any younger. So why not get the third best player in the draft at the 20th overall pick?

21) Washington Redskins- Kenny Clark, NT UCLA- I know Terrance Knighton has said he wants to resign with the Redskins, but I would let him walk. The depth at defensive tackle in this draft is too great to ignore, and they can easily find a space eater to replace him (like Kenny Clark).

22) Houston Texans- Derrick Henry, RB Alabama- If Arian Foster doesn’t return, then the Texans are in desperate need of a number one running back. Assuming Henry’s 40 time in Indianapolis is solid, his power and vision make him worthy of a first round selection.

23) Minnesota Vikings- Landon Turner, OG North Carolina- Turner isn’t a great athlete on tape, but he’s a smart player and shows great strength at the point of attack. For a team that runs the ball a lot, he seems like a good fit.

24) Cincinnati Bengals- A’Shawn Robinson, NT Alabama- Robinson could go anywhere from 12-24, in my opinion. In this draft, the rise of Alexander and Peterson force him to fall a bit. I’ll bet Bengals fans won’t be complaining.

25) Pittsburgh Steelers- Austin Johnson, DT/NT Penn State- The Steelers are never going to take a first round cornerback. Therefore, even though I think they should trade up for one, we’ll move past that.

One of the Steelers more pressing needs is someone in the middle of their 3-4 defense. Steve McLendon was below average last season, and is an impending free agent.

Austin Johnson’s a great athlete for a nose tackle with very good pass-rushing ability. I think his versatility will help strengthen the Steelers front seven.

26) Philadelphia Eagles via Seattle Seahawks- Corey Coleman, WR Baylor- New Head Coach Doug Pederson is almost surely going to bring the west coast offense to Philadelphia, which means route running technicians are a necessity. Coleman’s biggest weapons are his quickness out of cuts and his ability with the ball in his hands. Both are key in a west coast system.

27) Green Bay Packers- Andrew Billings, NT Baylor- I have Billings slightly higher than Austin Johnson on my own personal board (for now), but Billings seems more limited in terms of his potential. I get the sense he’s strictly a space eater where as Johnson has star potential.

Having said that, the Packers need a run stuffer in the middle of their defense. That is Andrew Billings in a nutshell.

28) Kansas City Chiefs- Taylor Decker, OT Ohio State- I’m not a huge fan of Taylor Decker, but he’s a solid option as a right tackle. The Chiefs are desperate for some stability at that position.

29) New England Patriots- (Forefeit)

30) Arizona Cardinals- Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE Oklahoma State- The Cardinals still lack a dominant edge rusher that can get to the quarterback at will. Ogbah has to become more consistent against the run, but he can have an immediate impact in Arizona on third down plays.

31) Dallas Cowboys via Carolina Panthers- Christian Hackenburg, QB Penn State- Having picked up extra assets, the Cowboys have the luxury of moving back into the first round for a quarterback of the future.

Many are going to argue that they should just take a quarterback at four, but if you’re going to roll the dice, why not try to roll a natural seven?

Once upon a time Christian Hackenburg was a lock to be the number one overall pick of this class. He still has the size and arm strength of an NFL quarterback; Penn State’s system just didn’t fit him well. If he gets the opportunity to sit and learn behind Tony Romo, maybe he becomes the star we all thought he would be two years ago.

32) Denver Broncos- Darian Thompson, FS Boise State- This is definitely a luxury pick, but when you’re the defending Super Bowl champions, you can afford to make such a pick.

Thompson is a ball hawk in every sense of the word. The only weakness on the Broncos defense was Darian Stewart, who didn’t even play that poorly. Imagine what someone with 19 career collegiate interceptions could do on a defense where he can afford to constantly take risks.

TRADES

1) Atlanta Falcons trade the #17, #50 and a 2017 2nd round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for the #4 pick.

2) Detroit Lions trade the #16, #46 and the #139 to the San Francisco 49ers for the #7 pick.

3) Seattle Seahawks trade the #23, #55 and a 2017 4th rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for the #13.

4) Dallas Cowboys trade the #34 and a 2017 4th rounder to the Carolina Panthers for the #31.