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Mock drafts are generally not very useful. But with the underclassmen declarations pretty much set, I find it helpful to do a mock to get a sense of the depth and quality of talent in a draft, and to get a feel for what other teams need and what directions they could go in. None of this is meant to be “predictive” in any sense, and there are multiple other good picks for each team.
This is a very deep and solid draft. Lots of talent. It’s very hard to fit everyone in, and some good players will slip. I’ve thrown in a few trades for fun, just to shake things up and suggest some possibilities.
Note: Team needs are from Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com.
Round 1:
1. Houston: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina. 6’5” 274#. Needs: QB, OT, S. There will be a debate between Bill O’Brien, who either wants Bortles or to trade #33 for Ryan Mallett, and the FO/ownership, who likes Johnny Manziel. Manziel will sell tickets, but doesn’t fit the pro style scheme O’Brien wants to run. I’m guessing O’Brien will win the FO over in the end. Houston tries to trade back but wants too much, so they go with the BPA on their board. South Carolina alum Bob McNair things that Clowney is a “unique talent” like Mario Williams was in 2006, and has talked to JJ Watt about upgrading Clowney’s work ethic. I’m guessing they have a deal in place with the Pats depending on how things fall.
***Trade: Houston trades #33 to New England for QB Ryan Mallett. O’Brien will bring in competition at the QB position, but it’s Mallett’s to lose.
***Trade: Oakland trades #5 and #37 to St. Louis for #2. St. Louis can afford to take a slight discount, as they are already loaded.
2. Oakland: Teddy Bridgwater, QB, Louisville. 6’3” 205#. Needs: QB, WR, OT. Oakland is desperate to get a franchise QB, and not afraid to trade up.
3. Jacksonville: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida. 6’3” 218#. Needs: QB, DE, OT. Blake Gabbert and Chad Henne aren’t the answer.
***Trade: Minnesota trades up from #8 and 72 (1630 points) to Cleveland for #4 (1800 points).
4. Minnesota: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M. 6’ 210#. Needs: QB, DE, OG. Manziel will bring back memories of Fran Tarkenton, who has openly lobbied for his selection.
5. St. Louis: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn. 6’5” 320#. Needs: OL, WR, S. Robinson and Anthony Barr are atop the Rams’ board. Robinson could be another Orlando Pace.
6. Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA. 6’4” 248#. Needs: DE, OL, TE. With Clowney and Robinson both off the board, this is fairly easy, and comes down to Barr vs. Jake Matthews. Atlanta thinks they need a pass rusher more.
***Trade: Detroit trades #10 and 76 (1510 points) to Tampa Bay for number 7 (1500 points). Lions trade up to get a player they have rated in the top 5. TB moves back a couple of spots knowing they can either get Jake Matthews or Khalil Mack.
7. Detroit: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. 6’1” 205#. Needs: CB, WR, S. Detroit loves Watkins’ speed opposite Calvin Johnson. CJ Mosley could be the pick here as well.
8. Cleveland: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St. 6’3” 218. Needs: QB, RB, OG. Mike Lombardi can’t sell Joe Banner on trading for Ryan Mallett, so this comes down to Manziel vs. Carr. They’ve been hinting interest in Manziel, but I’m guessing that’s a smoke screen. Carr is more of a pro-style QB, and the Browns will groom him for a year behind Brian Hoyer. They trade back to pick up a high 3rd round pick and still get their man.
9. Buffalo: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo. 6’3” 248#. Needs: OT, S, DE. The local boy will be a popular pick, and will elevate an already good defense.
10. Tampa Bay. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M. 6’5” 305#. Needs: DE, TE, OT. Lovie Smith learned the hard way that you need to protect your QB. Matthews is very solid.
11. Tennessee: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. 5’11” 197#. Needs: S, DE, QB. Tennessee surprises by going DB here. Dennard and Alterraun Verner will be a terrific pair of CBs. Kony Ealy could also be the pick.
12. NY Giants: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri. 6’5” 275#. Needs: LB, CB, interior OL. Justin Tuck is nearing the end, and the Giants need to reload on the DL. Ealy has a ton of athleticism and talent, and will make a nice bookend to JPP. If the Titans go with Ealy, the Giants go with Dennard.
***Trade: Baltimore trades #16 and 78 (1200 points) to St. Louis for #13 and 141 (1185.5 points).
13. Baltimore: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M. 6’5” 225#. Needs: WR, OT, DB. The Ravens trade up to get the big, reliable receiver that Ozzie Newsome covets. Kelvin Benjamin is too raw, and the Ravens stay out of the annual FA WR feeding frenzy. Marquis Lee could be the choice here, but the Ravens already have a deep threat in Torey Smith.
14. Chicago: CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama. 6’2” 232#. Needs: DL, S, interior OL. Chicago hopes Mosley will be the next Brian Urlacher to rebuild their D around.
15. Pittsburgh: Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame. 6’2” 340#. Needs: OT, DB. The Steelers need to protect Ben Rothlisberger, but can’t pass up Nix, who will become the anchor for their DL just as Casey Hampton once was. Taylor Lewan could be the pick here if they opt to go OL.
16. St. Louis: Marquis Lee, WR, USC. 6’0” 195#. Needs: OL, WR, S. The Rams trade back and are elated to get a WR they have rated as a top 10 prospect. Lee and Tavon Austin will give the Rams a ton of speed and playmaking capability.
17. Dallas: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. Needs: DL, CB, S. Dallas badly needs help on the DL. Hageman is an explosive playmaker who will shine at the Combine and make a big jump up draft boards.
18. NY Jets: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina. Needs: WR, OG, CB. The Jets need dynamic playmakers on offense. They could go with Kelvin Benjamin here, but Ebron is less risky and is a big play machine. Rex wanted Darqueze Dennard, who he thinks could be the next Revis.
19. Miami: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan. 6’7” 315#. Needs: OT, OG, RB. The Dolphins go back to Michigan for their successor to Jake Long. David Yankey could also get consideration.
20. Arizona: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama. 6’5” 310#. Needs: OT, CB, OLB. The Cardinals like big, physical tackles. With Kouandjio and the return of Jonathan Cooper, the Cardinals’ OL should be vastly improved.
21. Green Bay: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville. 6’2” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. The Packers need a ton of help on defense. Calvin Pryor is rising fast, and could leapfrog Ha-ha Clinton Dix as the top-rated safety prospect. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the pick here as well, but there is more depth at CB in this draft than at S.
22. Philadelphia: Ha-ha Clinton Dix, S, Alabama. 6’1” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the choice here as well, but the Eagles need secondary help badly.
23. Kansas City: Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech. 6’5” 260#. Needs: WR, DL, ILB. The Chief’s offense needs to open up more. Amaro will pay off big time.
24. Cincinnati: Jason Gilbert, CB. 6’ 200#. Needs: CB, OLB, S. Cincinnati’s secondary was the weak point of their defense. Leon Hall should be back, and he, Gilbert and Dre Kirkpatrick would make a nice combination.
***Trade: St. Louis trades #36 and 78 (740 points) to San Diego for #25 and 185 (737.4 points). The Rams are loaded with picks.
25. St. Louis: Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St. 6’2” 298#. After going offense twice, the Rams trade up to get an impact defender. Jernigan can be a disruptive interior presence next to Michael Brockers.
26. Cleveland (from Indianapolis): David Yankey, OL, Stanford. 6’5” 311#. Yankey at LG next to Joe Thomas and Alex Mack would be beastly.
27. New Orleans: Jason Verett, CB, TCU. 5’10” 182#. Needs: OT, OLB, CB. Rob Ryan has revitalized the Saint’s defense. He could go for an OLB, but grabs a DB instead. Verett is undersized, but a very good cover corner.
28. Carolina: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.. 6’5” 234#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Cam Newton needs more weapons. Kelvin Benjamin will provide a big move-the-chains and red zone target to complement Steve Smith.
29. San Francisco: Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame. 6’5” 306#. Needs: WR, DL, CB. Justin Smith will be 35 next fall. Tuitt would be a great long-term replacement. WR could be an option, but this is a deep class, and the 49ers have multiple day 2 picks.
30. Denver: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St. 6’2” 230#. Needs: OT, CB, DL. Denver needs help on defense. They love quick, athletic LBs, and Shazier is as quick as they get.
31. Seattle: Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor. 6’5” 335#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Seattle could go for a pass rusher, but a massive OG like Richardson to protect Russell Wilson and boost their power running game would be a good option.
32. New England: Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford. Needs: DL, OL, TE. BB will love Murphy’s intelligence, motor, intensity, physicality and versatility. You can never have enough good linemen, and Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich played too many snaps in 2013.
(continued due to length restrictions)
This is a very deep and solid draft. Lots of talent. It’s very hard to fit everyone in, and some good players will slip. I’ve thrown in a few trades for fun, just to shake things up and suggest some possibilities.
Note: Team needs are from Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com.
Round 1:
1. Houston: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina. 6’5” 274#. Needs: QB, OT, S. There will be a debate between Bill O’Brien, who either wants Bortles or to trade #33 for Ryan Mallett, and the FO/ownership, who likes Johnny Manziel. Manziel will sell tickets, but doesn’t fit the pro style scheme O’Brien wants to run. I’m guessing O’Brien will win the FO over in the end. Houston tries to trade back but wants too much, so they go with the BPA on their board. South Carolina alum Bob McNair things that Clowney is a “unique talent” like Mario Williams was in 2006, and has talked to JJ Watt about upgrading Clowney’s work ethic. I’m guessing they have a deal in place with the Pats depending on how things fall.
***Trade: Houston trades #33 to New England for QB Ryan Mallett. O’Brien will bring in competition at the QB position, but it’s Mallett’s to lose.
***Trade: Oakland trades #5 and #37 to St. Louis for #2. St. Louis can afford to take a slight discount, as they are already loaded.
2. Oakland: Teddy Bridgwater, QB, Louisville. 6’3” 205#. Needs: QB, WR, OT. Oakland is desperate to get a franchise QB, and not afraid to trade up.
3. Jacksonville: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida. 6’3” 218#. Needs: QB, DE, OT. Blake Gabbert and Chad Henne aren’t the answer.
***Trade: Minnesota trades up from #8 and 72 (1630 points) to Cleveland for #4 (1800 points).
4. Minnesota: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M. 6’ 210#. Needs: QB, DE, OG. Manziel will bring back memories of Fran Tarkenton, who has openly lobbied for his selection.
5. St. Louis: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn. 6’5” 320#. Needs: OL, WR, S. Robinson and Anthony Barr are atop the Rams’ board. Robinson could be another Orlando Pace.
6. Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA. 6’4” 248#. Needs: DE, OL, TE. With Clowney and Robinson both off the board, this is fairly easy, and comes down to Barr vs. Jake Matthews. Atlanta thinks they need a pass rusher more.
***Trade: Detroit trades #10 and 76 (1510 points) to Tampa Bay for number 7 (1500 points). Lions trade up to get a player they have rated in the top 5. TB moves back a couple of spots knowing they can either get Jake Matthews or Khalil Mack.
7. Detroit: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. 6’1” 205#. Needs: CB, WR, S. Detroit loves Watkins’ speed opposite Calvin Johnson. CJ Mosley could be the pick here as well.
8. Cleveland: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St. 6’3” 218. Needs: QB, RB, OG. Mike Lombardi can’t sell Joe Banner on trading for Ryan Mallett, so this comes down to Manziel vs. Carr. They’ve been hinting interest in Manziel, but I’m guessing that’s a smoke screen. Carr is more of a pro-style QB, and the Browns will groom him for a year behind Brian Hoyer. They trade back to pick up a high 3rd round pick and still get their man.
9. Buffalo: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo. 6’3” 248#. Needs: OT, S, DE. The local boy will be a popular pick, and will elevate an already good defense.
10. Tampa Bay. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M. 6’5” 305#. Needs: DE, TE, OT. Lovie Smith learned the hard way that you need to protect your QB. Matthews is very solid.
11. Tennessee: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. 5’11” 197#. Needs: S, DE, QB. Tennessee surprises by going DB here. Dennard and Alterraun Verner will be a terrific pair of CBs. Kony Ealy could also be the pick.
12. NY Giants: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri. 6’5” 275#. Needs: LB, CB, interior OL. Justin Tuck is nearing the end, and the Giants need to reload on the DL. Ealy has a ton of athleticism and talent, and will make a nice bookend to JPP. If the Titans go with Ealy, the Giants go with Dennard.
***Trade: Baltimore trades #16 and 78 (1200 points) to St. Louis for #13 and 141 (1185.5 points).
13. Baltimore: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M. 6’5” 225#. Needs: WR, OT, DB. The Ravens trade up to get the big, reliable receiver that Ozzie Newsome covets. Kelvin Benjamin is too raw, and the Ravens stay out of the annual FA WR feeding frenzy. Marquis Lee could be the choice here, but the Ravens already have a deep threat in Torey Smith.
14. Chicago: CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama. 6’2” 232#. Needs: DL, S, interior OL. Chicago hopes Mosley will be the next Brian Urlacher to rebuild their D around.
15. Pittsburgh: Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame. 6’2” 340#. Needs: OT, DB. The Steelers need to protect Ben Rothlisberger, but can’t pass up Nix, who will become the anchor for their DL just as Casey Hampton once was. Taylor Lewan could be the pick here if they opt to go OL.
16. St. Louis: Marquis Lee, WR, USC. 6’0” 195#. Needs: OL, WR, S. The Rams trade back and are elated to get a WR they have rated as a top 10 prospect. Lee and Tavon Austin will give the Rams a ton of speed and playmaking capability.
17. Dallas: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. Needs: DL, CB, S. Dallas badly needs help on the DL. Hageman is an explosive playmaker who will shine at the Combine and make a big jump up draft boards.
18. NY Jets: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina. Needs: WR, OG, CB. The Jets need dynamic playmakers on offense. They could go with Kelvin Benjamin here, but Ebron is less risky and is a big play machine. Rex wanted Darqueze Dennard, who he thinks could be the next Revis.
19. Miami: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan. 6’7” 315#. Needs: OT, OG, RB. The Dolphins go back to Michigan for their successor to Jake Long. David Yankey could also get consideration.
20. Arizona: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama. 6’5” 310#. Needs: OT, CB, OLB. The Cardinals like big, physical tackles. With Kouandjio and the return of Jonathan Cooper, the Cardinals’ OL should be vastly improved.
21. Green Bay: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville. 6’2” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. The Packers need a ton of help on defense. Calvin Pryor is rising fast, and could leapfrog Ha-ha Clinton Dix as the top-rated safety prospect. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the pick here as well, but there is more depth at CB in this draft than at S.
22. Philadelphia: Ha-ha Clinton Dix, S, Alabama. 6’1” 208#. Needs: OLB, S, CB. A CB like Justin Gilbert could be the choice here as well, but the Eagles need secondary help badly.
23. Kansas City: Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech. 6’5” 260#. Needs: WR, DL, ILB. The Chief’s offense needs to open up more. Amaro will pay off big time.
24. Cincinnati: Jason Gilbert, CB. 6’ 200#. Needs: CB, OLB, S. Cincinnati’s secondary was the weak point of their defense. Leon Hall should be back, and he, Gilbert and Dre Kirkpatrick would make a nice combination.
***Trade: St. Louis trades #36 and 78 (740 points) to San Diego for #25 and 185 (737.4 points). The Rams are loaded with picks.
25. St. Louis: Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St. 6’2” 298#. After going offense twice, the Rams trade up to get an impact defender. Jernigan can be a disruptive interior presence next to Michael Brockers.
26. Cleveland (from Indianapolis): David Yankey, OL, Stanford. 6’5” 311#. Yankey at LG next to Joe Thomas and Alex Mack would be beastly.
27. New Orleans: Jason Verett, CB, TCU. 5’10” 182#. Needs: OT, OLB, CB. Rob Ryan has revitalized the Saint’s defense. He could go for an OLB, but grabs a DB instead. Verett is undersized, but a very good cover corner.
28. Carolina: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.. 6’5” 234#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Cam Newton needs more weapons. Kelvin Benjamin will provide a big move-the-chains and red zone target to complement Steve Smith.
29. San Francisco: Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame. 6’5” 306#. Needs: WR, DL, CB. Justin Smith will be 35 next fall. Tuitt would be a great long-term replacement. WR could be an option, but this is a deep class, and the 49ers have multiple day 2 picks.
30. Denver: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St. 6’2” 230#. Needs: OT, CB, DL. Denver needs help on defense. They love quick, athletic LBs, and Shazier is as quick as they get.
31. Seattle: Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor. 6’5” 335#. Needs: WR, CB, OL. Seattle could go for a pass rusher, but a massive OG like Richardson to protect Russell Wilson and boost their power running game would be a good option.
32. New England: Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford. Needs: DL, OL, TE. BB will love Murphy’s intelligence, motor, intensity, physicality and versatility. You can never have enough good linemen, and Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich played too many snaps in 2013.
(continued due to length restrictions)