More Draft coverage: Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Big Board | News
OK, I lied. I couldn't just leave it at one mock draft.
You could really drive yourself bonkers constantly updating these mock drafts. Man. I'm never starting this exercise in futility prior to a day before the draft. Ever.
But I decided to do a modified version of Wednesday's mock. In that draft I had the Titans drafting Marcus Mariota and Chip Kelly pawning Sam Bradford off to Cleveland, but the Eagles and Titans not quite consummating their Mariota trade before the picks were made. I've decided to just ahead and do one with the Eagles landing Mariota at the second pick, and dealing picks 19 (obtained from Cleveland in the Bradford deal) and 20 this year, plus a future first-round pick as well as players (including Mychal Kendricks and Evan Mathis). That now means the Titans are picking at 19 and 20, and I don't see them going the same route Kelly would have with those picks.
I still hear the Saints are plenty motivated to move up and get a defensive stud in the top five, and a trade with the Jags still makes sense. But I can't help but wonder if New Orleans would go Dante Fowler Jr. over Leonard Williams there and there has definitely been a growing whisper among NFL execs that Williams could fall some. So, yeah, the basic template is similar to yesterday's mock, but there are a few twists here caused primarily by the trade stuff:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- QB Jameis Winston: Move along. Nothing to see here.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (via Tennessee) -- QB Marcus Mariota: Been saying for months he's going in this spot whether through trade or otherwise, and the Eagles have too many trade chips and too much interest in doing this. Chip Kelly goes ahead and gets his man. Ken Whisenhunt gets a bounty of players and picks and rolls with Mettenberger.
3. New Orleans Saints (via Jacksonville) -- DL Leonard Williams: I keep hearing the Jags would be somewhat torn between Williams and Amari Cooper here if they keep the pick. We know Sean Payton ain't afraid to deal. I just wonder if he would take Fowler over Williams.
4. Oakland Raiders -- WR Amari Cooper: Could be Fowler to stack a dominant pass rush. I'm still leaning offense.
5. Washington Redskins -- DE Dante Fowler, Jr.: Skins would pounce if he's here, otherwise I'd put big money on offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.
6. New York Jets -- WR Kevin White: I'm sticking with White here, begrudgingly. The more I think about this the more I think maybe the Jets take Scherff, and try to aid the quarterback position and run game in that way. I can't help but wonder if DeVante Parker might be more intriguing than Kevin White to them as well. Regardless, I could see a curveball in this spot.
7. Chicago Bears -- OLB Vic Beasley: I'm not buying the wide receiver stuff here, even if White is on the board. I think John Fox goes pass rush.
8. Atlanta Falcons -- OL Brandon Scherff: If the Falcons move up for Fowler, and think they are close enough to being a real contender that continuing to mortgage future picks make sense, it could be hastening their own demise. They flirted with moving up for Jadeveon Clowney last year, but when I look at that offensive line depth chart and Matt Ryan getting pummeled, I see them taking the best offensive lineman they can.
9. New York Giants -- T Ereck Flowers: Could be Andrus Peat, another tackle. I still see offensive line unless a pass rusher falls they can't look past.
10. Miami Dolphins (via St. Louis) -- WR DeVante Parker: Going to stick with this trade scenario. If St. Louis stays here I strongly expect the pick to be an offensive lineman, and a run on them at the bottom of the top 10 wouldn't be a surprise at all in a draft with so few "safe" picks.
11. Minnesota Vikings -- CB Tre Waynes: DeVante Parker would get heavy consideration if Waynes if gone and the Vikings could trade down as well and get a corner or receiver there.
12. Cleveland Browns -- NT Danny Shelton: Sticking with the run stuffer here under the assumption the Browns deal pick 19, and not 12, for Bradford. I probably shouldn't assume.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (via New Orleans) -- RB Todd Gurley: The Jags badly want to upgrade at corner as well, and if Waynes is still on the board it could be him here and a running back at the end of the first or early in the second round. In which case I'd have Gurley going to San Diego.
14. St. Louis Rams (via Miami) -- T DJ Humphries: They'd rather get a tackle here and pick up some value.
15. San Francisco 49ers -- CB Kevin Johnson: Continue to hear it's very likely Johnson or defensive tackle Arik Armstead.
16. Houston Texans -- OLB Alvin 'Bud' Dupree: Safest alternative of the pass rushers. If Johnson is still on the board they could very well go that route as well.
17. San Diego Chargers -- RB Melvin Gordon: Would be an interesting scenario if both top RBs are on the board when Chargers are on the clock.
18. Kansas City Chiefs -- OL Cameron Erving: Sticking with the jack-of-all-trades O-lineman, but I wouldn't be stunned if they went with corner Marcus Peters.
19. Tennessee Titans (via Philadelphia via Cleveland) -- T Andrus Peat: Start him at right tackle and it could be the tackle they took high last year is really a right tackle and not a left tackle, anyway. Regardless, worst roster in NFL needs to be rebuilt from inside out.
20. Tennessee Titans (via Philadelphia) -- CB Marcus Peters: Yes there is a very real character risk here, but a chance to get a possible true shutdown corner in this spot, and a starting tackle, plus have a haul of players and 2016 draft picks still to come might begin to get this team showing signs of life.
21. Cincinnati Bengals -- T Jake Fisher: The Bengals are among the teams that like him and I am more convinced he's going in the first round. Had Peat in this spot yesterday. Continue to hear Bengals putting out signals they are not gambling on a Randy Gregory or a Shane Ray, though it would be in character for them to do so and I'm not sure I buy that they won't in the end.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers -- CB Jalen Collins: Had them getting Peters yesterday but now he's gone. Byron Jones, the UConn corner, could be in play here but I'm going Collins. Corner is a pressing need.
23. Detroit Lions – WR Nelson Agholor: Had DT Eddie Goldman here yesterday and that is a more pressing need, but if Agholor gets this far I could see Detroit pouncing even with them having Megatron and Golden Tate already. Would be big boost to return game. Could also see someone moving up for Agholor here.
24. Arizona Cardinals -- DT Arik Armstead: Sticking with this pick. Cards have been pretty locked in on him.
25. Carolina Panthers -- DL Mario Edwards: Sticking with this as well. They'd love to go OL here, but that position had been picked apart, and La'el Collins' legal situation has to negate him here (he would have been the pick in all likelihood prior if he was still on the board. Tackle Cedric Ogbuehi's injury makes me lean to Edwards.
26. Baltimore Ravens -- CB Byron Jones: In real life I don't think he's still here, but if he is, and Agholor is gone, I still don't see this organization taking on Gregory or Ray, much as they can use him. Worst case with Jones is he is a free safety and the Ravens can move on from Matt Elam in another year.
27. Dallas Cowboys – OLB Randy Gregory: Despite all their issues, if Gregory and Ray are on the board I don't see them passing on both. We're pretty deep down in the first round here it's not like these two won't be taken early enough on Friday if they do slip.
28. Denver Broncos -- T Cedric Ogbuehi: Sticking with this one. They are comfortable enough with his medicals.
29. Indianapolis Colts -- DT Eddie Goldman: Had Ray here yesterday and maybe that's still how it goes down. But getting a young impact anchor would be huge as well and with fewer risks.
30. Green Bay Packers -- CB Eric Rowe: With so many corners gone I'd figure they're trying to trade down. Had Jalen Collins in this spot yesterday.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (via New Orleans) -- WR Breshad Perriman: Again, they want a corner but I have six already off the board. Adding a true burner, even though they have drafted a lot of receivers lately, I can still see.
32. New England Patriots -- DT Malcolm Brown: I am tempted, very tempted, to put Shane Ray or Dorial Green-Beckham in this spot, but I say after the Aaron Hernandez experience that New England stays safe and takes a player they didn't think would be here who addresses a significant need.
