1
SAM DARNOLD, QB, USC
Ahhh the browns with the number one pick, again. For the first time in decades the Browns actually look like they might be on the tracks to a winning season. They’ve added numerous offensive weapons with and should be able to play some games with all of their best offensive players on the field. Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman and Jarvis Landry is undoubtedly one of the better units in the NFL. Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson is a backfield that I personally really like. Tyrod Taylor bring experience to the QB position. Add the fact that they’re sitting on the 1st and 4th pick in the draft and you start to see why the Brown could be a problem for teams next season. There’s been a lot of speculation around what they’ll do with the first pick. I believe it’s going to be Sam Darnold from USC. He’s your prototypical QB that teams are looking for. Had he come out last season he would have potentially been the first QB chosen. He hasn’t really cut down on poor decision making from his RS freshman season to his RS sophmore year which scares me a bit but it’s something that coaches can work on at the next level.
2
JOSH ROSEN, QB, UCLA
The Giants find themselves in a precarious situation. I personally think a team like the Bills will end up making a serious offer to jump up to #2 to grab a QB, but like last year I’m basing this mock of off what will happen without any trades. In my opinion the Giants need to take a QB here. An organization that typically not finding itself as one of the worst teams in the NFL needs to capitalize when it finds itself in the situation. Eli Manning is not good anymore, end of story (he deserved to be benched last year). Josh Rosen just so happens to remind me a lot of Eli when he was coming out of Ole Miss. I think Rosen is the best QB in this draft and that the Giants will ultimately make him their successor to Eli. The concerns about Rosen not being fully committed to football because he has other passions are ridiculous and shouldn’t be a reason why you don’t take him if you like his game.
3
BAKER MAYFIELD, QB, OKLAHOMA
This was a surprising move by the Jets, trading up to 3 so early on makes me think they aren’t specifically after any certain QB which is odd. I agree that this draft has an above average amount of top shelf QB’s but it’s not often that an organization would be happy with any of the top 3 Qb’s. Apparently the Jets really like Baker Mayfield, I do too. The Jets do seem to love their big body QB’s with big arms but I think they’ve learned their lesson and will end up going with Baker Mayfield here.
4
SAQUON BARKLEY, RB, PENN STATE
**I think this pick get traded **
This is a fun situation the Browns find themselves in. I think the favorite to go here would be Saquon Barkley but I don’t think that ends up being the case. The browns have Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson who are more than capable of putting together a very good season together. There’s no doubt that Barkley is a tremendous talent but I don’t personally think he makes sense in this situation for the Browns. Like this years QB class, the RB class is loaded and the second round will have a ton of talent that will still be on the board. All that being said i think Saquon takes it here. The early QB run allows for a talent like Barkley to drop here, while the position is not a need he’s too hard to pass up on.
**Personally, I really really like the Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson tandem and think the browns should either trade this pick or take Bradley Chubb.
5
QUENTON NELSON, G, NOTRE DAME
The Broncos are in such a weird position here. They acquired Keenum in FA, which makes it hard to tell what they’re thinking. Keenum is just good enough to maybe say “we’re good at QB”. The QB play in Denver has been bad, no doubt, but the offensive line is one of the worst units in the league. Even after spending a first rounder on Garret Bowls last year. I think Quenton Nelson would make a lot of sense, it’s a really un sexy pick but they almost have to do it. Scouts are talking about Nelson the same way they talked about David Decastro a while back, that he’s a first year pro bowler. I don’t think Elway is a big fan of Josh Allen since he sucks so I’m guessing Nelson goes to them at 5.
6
BRADLEY CHUBB, DE, NORTH CAROLINA STATE
The Colts Defense sucks and they absolutely need to start addressing it. Bradley Chubb is a force and should be the selection here. Chubb has a well-built frame that he uses to bully offensive tackles and is quick enough to make athletic moves to beat offensive lines with his speed. Fitzpatrick and Edwards are dark horses for this selection as well.
7
MINKAH FITZPATRICK, DB, ALABAMA
The Bucs will fill out their tiny little secondary with a big body, Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick can play any position in the defensive backfield. He’s a strong, sure tackler who also excels in coverage. He’s also been receiving great reviews about his football IQ and his leadership skills.
8
DENZEL WARD, CB, OHIO STATE
The bears stay put and decide to go with CB Denzel Ward from Ohio State. Ward has graded out as the top CB in this year’s class. While he doesn’t have the biggest frame, he’s incredibly instinctive and has terrific awareness when the ball is in the air. The bears resigned Prince Amukamara but still need help in their secondary.
9
ROQUAN SMITH, LB, GEORGIA
The Niners can’t seem to keep linebackers on their team. Whether it be early retirement, injury or legal issues. It’s obvious that Lynch wants to find a leader in the LB corps and unfortunately for them Ruben Foster can’t be counted on. While Tremaine Edmunds makes sense here and could definitely be the pick I think that Lynch will opt to go for Roquan Smith. Roquan has the prototypical skill set that is becoming increasingly popular, he’s a bit undersized but extremely good in coverage. His instincts are second to none in this draft and he’s been praised as being a leader in the locker room.
10
MIKE MCGLINCHEY, LT, NOTRE DAME
The Raiders needs a lot of help. Carr didn’t have enough time last season to be effective and their interior D line was awful. Along with that, they desperately need an upgrade at the LB position. Furthermore their Cornerbacks are trash. I’m a big fan of Mike Mcglinchey and think he’ll be the pick here to help bolster the raiders offensive line. I could also see the Raiders being surprised that Tremaine Edmunds is still on the board and for them to go in on him to rebuild their D. The dark horse for me here would be Vita Vea who could immediately come in and relieve some pressure from Mack on the D line.
11
TREMAINE EDMUNDS, LB, VIRGINIA TECH
The Dolphins have a ton of positions they need to upgrade but i believe they’ll focus on the LB unit. Tremaine Edmunds has a ton of potential and they’re lucky to get him this late in the draft. He’s a hugeee linebacker measuring in at 6’5″ and 255 who is only 19 years old. The dolphins would love to pair him up with their second round selection last year Raekown Mcmillan. If the draft shakes out differently for the QB’s and we see Rosen or Mayfield slide I’d bet that Adam Gase pulls the trigger on one of the two signal callers to sit behind Tannehill for a season.
12
JOSH ALLEN, QB, WYOMING
The Bills hang tight and end up getting a QB they were considering giving up a kings ransom for. Josh Allen has been the most polarizing prospect in this draft. Some scouts think the’s the top Qb in the class and others think he’s just another big armed QB who people are falling in love with for his size and strong arm. I tend to agree with the latter. Sure Allen didn’t play with a ton of talent at Wyoming but he still could have been much much more productive. His games against Power 5 teams were more or less awful. It’s a shame that he’s going to a team with no veteran Qb because he should absolutely be sitting for a season to prepare himself.
13
VITA VEA, DT/NT, WASHINGTON
The Redskins need a nose tackle in the absolute worst way. The interior of their D was abused all season long and they have an option here to get two terrific player Daron Payne or Vita Vea. Vita Vea was a force at Washington and is great against both defending the run and applying pressure to the QB. You can’t run a 3-4 unless you’ve got a solid NT so this seems like a pick.
14
DERWIN JAMES, DB, FLORIDA STATE
The packers helped address some of their Defensive back woes with the signing or Tramon Williams but they still need help. Lucky for them Derwin James is on the board. James is an absolute freak of nature that could very well go in the top 10. James, like Fitzpatrick can play all over the field. Pairing him up with Clinton Ha Ha Dix would make for a stout secondary that could alternate moving either player down into the box against the run without any worry.
15
LAMAR JACKSON, QB, LOUISVILLE
The cardinals were the latest team to stuff Sam Bradford’s pockets with undeserved money. He won’t stay healthy and is more of a stop-gap QB. I believe the Cardinals end up selecting Lamar Jackson here. Teaming up Jackson and David Johnson could be a very effective combo. Jackson is probably the most talented player in this entire draft but due to his unrefined passing game he’s only ranked around the 5-7th best QB in the draft. If Jackson can sit behind Bradford who is one of the most accurate passers in NFL history it could really help his mechanics to improve his own accuracy. Lamar Jackson is an absolute stud and while he’s been compared to Deshaun Watson I don’t really see it. Watson is a better passer but doesn’t poses the athletic ability Jackson has.
16
DA’RON PAYNE, DT, ALABAMA
The Ravens would have been a very real landing spot for Lamar Jackson had he not been selected a pick before. Instead, the Ravens choose to help build up their interior D line With Da’ron Payne. The ravens were historically bad against the run last year and a lot of that had to do with their under performing DT’s. Payne is considered a top 10 player by some scouts and would help free up the Raven’s LB’s to make plays in the backfield.
17
LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH, LB, BOISIE STATE
The Chargers need to beef up their LB corps and there is really only one LB that makes sense for their defense. Leighton Vander Esch is a name most people weren’t familiar with before this year. He was a one year starter at Boise State but had a terrific year. he displays above average instincts and is able to hang with Rb’s in coverage. I’m not really sold on him and think he’s going to be drafted a round before he should but he should still be a big help to a weak LB corps in LA.
18
ISIAH WYNN, LT/G, GEORGIA
the Seahawks have a fair amount of holes to fill. Their defense was nowhere near as good as it’s been in years past. They’ve lost Sherman and Bennett both of whom had been staples of their defense. I think they’re going after one of three positions here OT, CB or DE. I’m going to guess and say that they’ll select Isiah Wynn. Wynn is projected to move to Guard by a lot of teams but I think he’ll be able to hold up at tackle especially so for a team like Seattle who has a QB that can get himself out of trouble. Wynn will help keep Russ cleaner than he was last year and improve their running game. Seattle’s line is probably around the same level in talent as Denver’s.
19
CHRISTIAN KIRK, WR, TEXAS A&M
As i’m writing this the Cowboys just released Dez Bryant. I was going to mock Rashaan Evans to them here but now they really need to address their WR unit. Signing Allen Hurns means absolutely nothing so that won’t be ruling them out of potentially selecting a WR. I don’t think Calvin Ridley is a #1 wr and DJ Moore is super talented but He’s a bit too raw for me. The two WR’s that stick out to me are Christian Kirk, who excels more out of the slot but can play anywhere and James Washington who is an absolute monster but people have cooled off on in the offseason. I’m going to say they end up selecting Christian Kirk, he seems like a better fit for a QB like Dak who doesn’t really key in on anyone in particular.
20
TAVEN BRYAN, DT, FLORIDA
The lions haven’t been able to fill the void that has existed in the middle of their D line since Nick Fairley and Suh left town. Taven Bryan would be a great fit for Detroit.This has been a popular match amongst a lot draft experts and for good reason, Taven didn’t get the national attention he should have. He’s extremely powerful and a very good athlete. He’d make a formidable pairing with A’shawn Robinson and help, what I think is a talented,underrated LB group.
21
JAMES DANIELS, C, IOWA
The Bengals need to address their O line really badly. They haven’t been able to run the ball for the past 2 season with 3 above average Running backs. James Daniels could go in the early teens so I think the Bengals would be really happy picking him up here. He’s be an immediate upgrade. Like pretty much every Iowa Olineman he’s very strong but posses rare quickness and athleticism you don’t typically see in college centers.
22
WILL HERNANDEZ, G, UTEP
The bills just drafted their future QB and need to help make sure he doesn’t get killed. Richie Incognito just retired so they’ve got a big hole at the guard position. Will Hernandez would be a good pick up here. He’s the exact same style of guard as incognito, he’s not the most athletic and he’s sort of stubby but he’s a super physical tough as hell guard who routinely humiliated defensive linemen during his time at UTEP.
23
MIKE HUGHES, CB, CENTRAL FLORIDA
I fully expect the Patriots to try to deal this trade to possibly stock up on second rounders. They opt to resolve the position that may have been the most responsible part for their Super Bowl loss. They select Mike Hughes here from UCF to pair up next to Gilmore. Hughes is an extremely physical corner (he knocked out a frat boy when he was a freshman at UNC) who excels in press man.
24
MARCUS DAVENPORT, DE, TEXAS SAN ANTONIO
The Panthers need to address the DE position. They get lucky because Marcus Davenpot has dropped further than a lot of people expected. The only reason Davenport isn’t a household name is due to him playing at the university of Texas San Antoino. The competition he played against wasn’t very good so he dominated like you would have expected. He’s a huge player who is supremely athletic, measuring in at 6’6 and 270 while running a blazing 4.58. To put that in perspective the #2 overall WR prospect ran a 4.54.
25
SAM HUBBARD, DE, OHIO STATE
The Titans did a decent job addressing the holes they needed to fill. Assuming they opt to continue figuring out the Offensive line in the later round I suspect they’ll choose Sam Hubbard here. Hubbard is extremely talented but doesn’t seem to put forth the effort coaches would like to see every play. He’s got perfect size and a lot of scouts think he’s going to make for a better pro than college player.
26
JOSHUA JACKSON, CB, IOWA
The Falcons take advantage of one of the top tier CB’s who have yet to be taken. Joshua Jackson would be a good fit for the defense. He’s a got phenomenal ball awareness which is why he was such a ballhawk during his time at Iowa. His size lets him match up well against bigger physical WR’s in his division like Mike Thomas and Mike Evans.
27
RASHAAN EVANS, LB, ALABAMA
The Saints really need another linebacker to team up with Alonzo. Here they get the thumping linebacker from Bama, Rashaan Evans. Evans is more of a two down linebacker but can probably be serviceable in passing downs with some coaching. It’s tough to tell sometimes with Bama linebackers because their D line usually manhandles the O line and make the linebackers jobs a lot easier. Evans is absolutely the best pass rushing linebacker in the draft, He could be very effective as a pass rushing 3-4 OLB or 4-3 sam.
28
DARIUS LEONARD, LB, SOUTH CAROLINA
With the Loss of Ryan Shazier the Steelers were left with a glaring hole at the LB position. I have a feeling the Steelers will get Jon Bostic to play at a higher level than he has to date. Still, The Steelers need to figure out who can help step in and help the defense. I believe they’ll go with Darius Leonard from South Carolina. He’s a really underrated linebacker who has the ideal size and speed coaches look for. He made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl.
29
COURTLAND SUTTON, WR, SMU
The Jaguars need a WR who can catch some dog shit passes from Blake Bortles. I think We’ll see Courtland Sutton go here. Sutton doesn’t really show the ability to separate like you’d like to see in a first round pick but he’s very big and has been progressing each year. He’s a huge body who can win 50/50 balls consistently.
30
The Vikings need to help out Kirk next season so they do just that in the first round and get Kolton Miller. Kolton Miller is a massive body at 6’9″ and played both Left an Right tackle throughout his time at UCLA. His height limits him somewhat as he’s not really a natural bender and plays a little high, proportionally to his body of course. I’d really like this pick if i were a fan of the Vikings. Kirk has enough weapons on offense to really make noise this year so giving him as much time as possible to get the ball downfield and make open holes for Dalvin Cook is all the offense really needs to focus on.
31
The Patriots end up getting a player that could have gone in the middle of the teens in Calvin Ridley. Ridley is a superb route runner and good athlete but he isn’t a number 1 NFL wr. He’s got the tools to be an excellent number two which seems to be exactly what the Patriots love. While i don’t personally like Ridley, this would be a really good fit. Ridley has the route running ability to quickly assimilate himself into the Patriots west coast passing attack.
32
The Eagles are in an annoyingly comfortable spot here. With the addition of Michael Bennett they’ve seemingly gotten even better. I think they go after Darrius Guice, he’s an every down back that could emerge as a top tier RB within his first season. The Eagles didn’t give up too much for Ajayi so they’re not stuck to him, even if they were he’s got a degenerative knee issue so they should be looking for another back regardless. If they don’t go RB here I could see them going DJ Moore or Equanimeous St. Brown both of which could be great late round steals.
What to look for in Round 2
Harold Landry could be a huge steal.
Arden Key could be awesome if he gets his act together off the field.
There are surplus of above average running backs that can start in the NFL and I’d rank them below as so…
- Nick Chubb
- Ronald Jones
- Sony Michel
- Rashaad Penny
- Kerryon Johnson
Hayden Hurst may slip to the second round.
One of my favorite corners Jaire Alexander is still on the board and will be the steal of the draft no matter where he’s drafted.
Dorance Armstrong will be a steal in the 2nd or 3rd round.
James Armstrong will be one of the top 2 wr’s in terms of NFL production out of this class.
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