I’m unsure as to how accurate this draft is
going to end up looking as I can assure you that the 49ers will trade up with their
abundance of picks and some teams holding a top 10 draft selection will try to sell
that pick high which will inevitably ruin the order and all of my
predictions. For the time being,
I’m going to write a draft that’s under the assumption that there won’t be
any trades so that the sequence will remain intact. Rather than declaring this as a mock draft, I’m going to
call it an “ideal” draft, where every team gets the most suitable player
available to them.
1. Houston Texans Jadaveon Clowney, DE (South Carolina)
The correct selection is becoming more and more
obvious with every day that passes.
People try to nitpick at Clowney’s flaws but the talent available here
is unreal. I’m not even going to
bother dealing with other possible selections.
2.
St. Louis Rams Greg Robinson, OT (Auburn)
The Rams are actually a team that only needs a
few pieces to compete at a very high level. One of those holes to fill is the offensive line that gave
QB Sam Bradford very little protection during the time that he was
healthy. Robinson is the best
rated lineman and should help that front significantly.
3. Jacksonville
Jaguars Blake Bortles, QB (UCF)
I can see the Jaguars selecting OLB Khalil Mack
as well, but they need to look to make a splash this year and that starts with
drafting the most pivotal position in the game with their first pick. The Blane Gabbert experiment failed
horrendously. They spent a first
round selection on him and after a couple of terrible seasons, traded him for a
sixth round choice. To fill that
void they could look to Bortles.
4.
Cleveland Browns Sammy Watkins, WR (Clemson)
People are now jumping back on the Johnny
Football to Cleveland train but I think grabbing Watkins would be the best
selection. Watkins is the best
rated wide receiver coming out of college since A.J. Green and Julio Jones, and
look how well those two have panned out.
A receiving corps filled with two Pro-bowlers in Josh Gordan and Jordan
Cameron with Sammy Watkins on top of that would look invincible. That and an improved running game with
the Ben Tate signing could make even an average quarterback look good.
5.
Oakland Raiders Jake Matthews, OT (Texas A&M)
The new management has been taking the safe
route so far as shown by their approach in last year’s draft and recent free agent
signings. While people want the
Raiders to take a big name like Johnny Manziel or another QB, they may look to
give Matt McGloin another shot and fill in other pressing needs. Jake Matthews is a smart pick and any
team would be lucky to have him.
6.
Atlanta Falcons Khalil Mack, OLB (Buffalo)
If the Falcons land Mack then they can
immediately declare their draft successful. Only a year removed from the playoffs, the Falcons can get
back in the hunt for the division title if they are to return healthy and shore
up their defense. Mack’s numbers
speak for themselves. He gets
involved in every play and this team desperately needs a spark plug on that
side of the ball.
7. Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Mike Evans, WR (Texas A&M)
Another team looking to make a big leap are the
Bucaneers. They did a lot to
improve their defense this offseason and could significantly help Glennon by
drafting Mike Evans. Evans would
be lining up opposite to WR Vincent Jackson from the day one, which would be a
spectacle since the two actually have very similar playing styles.
8.
Minnesota Vikings Johnny Manziel, QB (Texas A&M)
The Vikings can go many different ways but
bringing in the polarizing Johnny Manziel has the potential to turn their
struggling franchise around that’s stuck in an increasingly competitive division. Superstar Adrian Peterson made it quite
clear that he wanted Michael Vick to be his quarterback for next season but
when that didn’t happen it paved way for another mobile quarterback like
Manziel. They brought back Matt
Cassel but he didn’t show much life when he was starting last season. Other possibilities could be the strong
armed QB Derek Carr or another top linebacker like CJ Mosley.
9. Buffalo Bills Eric Ebon, TE (North Carolina)
Buffalo would like to give their young quarterback a new weapon and you can’t find many that are rated higher than Eric Ebon. Typically I’m not a fan of drafting tight ends this early as you can find many good ones still available in later rounds but most indications seem to point to the Bills going in this direction
Buffalo would like to give their young quarterback a new weapon and you can’t find many that are rated higher than Eric Ebon. Typically I’m not a fan of drafting tight ends this early as you can find many good ones still available in later rounds but most indications seem to point to the Bills going in this direction
10. Detroit Lions Aaron Donald, DT (Pittsburgh)
The Lions like having a dominant defensive line and adding Donald
will only contribute to that. People
like to say he’s small but if you’re leading the country in sacks per game you
must be doing something right.
11. Tennessee Titans Anthony Barr, OLB (UCLA)
Anthony Barr has been bouncing around in all mock drafts but the
talent is undeniable. His story to
his stardom is actually pretty fascinating as he was originally brought in to
be a running back for the Bruins.
Ultimately, his athleticism led him to become one of the top outside
linebackers of the draft.
12. New York Giants Taylor Lewan, OT (Michigan)
The Giants need to do a better job of protecting Eli Manning as
that’s where most of their problems from last season started. There are a slew of other available
offensive linemen available but Lewan is probably the most talented. The only thing holding him back is his
character issues.
13. St. Louis Rams Haha Clinton-Dix, FS (Alabama)
Haha has great speed that can compliment T.J. McDonald really
well. Their defensive line, led by standout Robert Quinn, is already ferocious so adding more talent in the secondary is the
other issue the Rams could look to fix.
14. Chicago Bears Timmy Jernigan, DT (Florida State)
The Bears need to replace Peppers’ production somehow so they’ll
look to Jernigan who had a largely successful season for Florida State.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers Justin Gilbert, CB (Oklahoma)
Ike Taylor is only getting older and this secondary needs help in
any way they can get it. At fifteenth
overall, the Steelers will end up selecting the top rated cornerback of the
draft in Justin Gilbert.
16. Dallas Cowboys C.J. Mosley, ILB (Alabama)
I can possibly see the Giants nabbing Mosley and actually think he would be a better pick at that spot than Taylor Lewan, but something just tells me that they're going to go with an offensive player after the disastrous season they had last year. The Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the league and with Demarcus Ware getting cut things will only get worse on that side of the ball. That means they would have to select the best defensive player available.
I can possibly see the Giants nabbing Mosley and actually think he would be a better pick at that spot than Taylor Lewan, but something just tells me that they're going to go with an offensive player after the disastrous season they had last year. The Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the league and with Demarcus Ware getting cut things will only get worse on that side of the ball. That means they would have to select the best defensive player available.
17. Baltimore Ravens Calvin Pryor, S (Louisville)
Aside from Matt Elam, the Ravens have a lack of talented
safeties. After spending a first
round pick on a safety last year, it’s very possible the Ravens will try the
same thing again this season.
18. New York Jets Odell Beckham Jr., WR (LSU)
Beckham has been climbing through mock drafts all season and his size and big play ability leaves coaches satisfied. They signed Eric Decker this offseason but I don’t think he’s the solution to the Jets lacking wide receiver corps. It’s very possible that the Jets end up selecting multiple receivers this draft.
Beckham has been climbing through mock drafts all season and his size and big play ability leaves coaches satisfied. They signed Eric Decker this offseason but I don’t think he’s the solution to the Jets lacking wide receiver corps. It’s very possible that the Jets end up selecting multiple receivers this draft.
19. Miami Dolphins Zach
Martin, OG (Notre Dame)
The Dolphins are in desperate need of offensive line help. Even before the fiasco that is the
bullying scandal, the Dolphins were having troubles keeping Tannehill
on his feet. Zach Martin is being
looked at very seriously ever since his successful Senior Bowl.
20. Arizona Cardinals Derek Carr, QB (Fresno State)
Carson Palmer is not the answer at quarterback for the
Cardinals. He can’t move his feet
at all and is interception prone.
Derek Carr may have the strongest arm in the draft which would make the
talented receivers of Arizona much happier.
21. Green Bay Packers Kony Ealy, DE (Missouri)
This defense had very little to be proud about this past season. Improving their pass rushing defense is
a necessity when competing in a division where your top rivals for the top spot
are the Lions and Bears. If Ealy is available at twenty-one the Packers will definitely grab him.
22. Philadelphia Eagles Kelvin Benjamin, WR (Florida State)
The Eagles need to find an adequate way of replacing DeSean
Jackson’s production and speed.
Kelvin Benjamin could try to cover that niche as one of the best
receivers available at this spot.
He’s got a great leaping ability and huge frame which makes him a
dangerous threat every trip in the red zone too. They also have needs at cornerback so they may look to get
Jason Verrett.
23. Kansas City Chiefs Brandon Cooks, WR (Oregon State)
The Chiefs could add more speed in the passing game as Alex Smith
works with his targets best if they are in open space. The field as of now is a little small
to this offense as Dwayne Bowe is their only legitimate deep threat. Cooks can help spread it out which
would lead to better production for everyone.
24. Cincinnati Bengals Jason Verrett, CB (TCU)
There are a lot of possible corners that the Bengals can go with but
I’m guessing they chose Verrett.
He’s a bit undersized but excels in nickel packages and is a good cover
player. Him and Leon Hall would make an admirable duo.
25. San Diego Chargers Louis Nix III, DT (Notre Dame)
They just lost Cam Thomas to the Steelers this past offseason and
need to add depth in the middle of their line anyways. They’ll have to hope for him to slide a
little in the draft to get him here.
26. Cleveland Browns Teddy Bridgewater, QB (Louisville)
If Bridgewater is to fall to number 26 the Browns will probably use
their second first round pick on him.
There are still some doubters around Brian Hoyer because of his small
sample size in games played. Another possible selection is Xavier Su’a Filo, an athletic
guard out of UCLA who would fit in well with Kyle Shannahan’s zone blocking
schemes.
Note: There are rumors that Bridgewater will fall to the second round. If those rumors intensify they Browns would either select the OG mentioned or one of the many talented corners in this draft.
27. New Orleans Saints Kyle Fuller, CB (Virginia Tech)
Although the Saints signed Byrd to a large contract, they still need
to improve their weak secondary.
Throughout the course of the season their corners have been guilty of
senseless mistakes that probably cost them games. Fuller is described to have “natural ability” so he should
fit in quite well.
28. Carolina Panthers Marquis Lee, WR (USC)
The Panthers would like to add wide receivers as they lost both
their starting receivers in the offseason. Marquis Lee is a big, talented receiver that Newton would
love to throw the ball to.
29. New England Patriots Ra’Shede Hageman, DE/DT (Minnesota)
The Patriots don’t have any drastic needs that must be addressed in the first round of the draft but the closest thing to it would be to get more production from the middle of their defensive line. Hageman is the best player available so that makes him the only suitable fit here.
The Patriots don’t have any drastic needs that must be addressed in the first round of the draft but the closest thing to it would be to get more production from the middle of their defensive line. Hageman is the best player available so that makes him the only suitable fit here.
30. San Francisco 49ers Ryan Shazier, OLB (Ohio St.)
Although they probably have the most talented linebacking core in
football, the big name players seem to be having troubles staying on the
field. ILB Bowman is recovering
from a crucial injury and Aldon Smith is line for a suspension. Drafting Shazier here is a smart choice
as he tackles everything in sight and is said to be able to play both
linebacker positions. There are
plenty of good wide receivers and cornerbacks in this draft so the Niners can
address those needs later. The
recent signing of Brandon Lloyd also takes away from the urgency of adding a
wideout a little.
31. Denver Broncos Joel Bitonio, OT (Nevada)
In the Super Bowl the Broncos protection was exposed and it led to
Manning having a rough day at the office.
The team tried to fill most of its defensive needs via free agency so
they might as well try to perfect everything around Peyton Manning.
32. Seattle Seahawks Allen Robinson, WR (Penn. State)
Golden Tate was the Seahawks best option in the passing game last season and his
departure means that they need to find more production from their wide
receivers. They have a solid
core with Doug Baldwin (whom I actually like a lot), Jermaine Kearse, and Percy
Harvin but all of them specialize as slot receivers. Robinson can spread the field a bit and add another arsenal
to the Seahawks offense.
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