It's less than a week before the NFL draft, so I figured I had a second go. Since my last Mock, the following things have happened:
- San Francisco traded up to #3
- Carolina traded for Sam Darnold
- The developing Deshaun Watson legal case
- Miami traded down, then back up again
- The Bears tried to trade for Russell Wilson
- Drew Brees formally retired
- Aaron Rodgers hosted Jeopardy
The teams that now need a QB include outside of the obvious top three of Jacksonville, NYJ and San Francisco are, in draft order:
Maybe, apparently Atlanta
Denver
Maybe still Carolina
New England
Washington
Chicago
Probably New Orleans
That makes nine teams, which ramps up the desperation to chaotic levels. So essentially, throw this Mock Draft out by...well, by the end of the sentence. Oh well.
Did I miss anything? Probably. Anyway, here we go:
1) Jacksonville Jags - Trever Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Jags make the easiest decision in franchise history. Let's just hope they don't mess Lawrence up.
2) New York Jets - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Jets attached themselves to Wilson a couple months ago and nothing appears to have changed their minds. Wilson has a little Rodgers to his game, but can he adapt to the shift from BYU to NY?
3) San Francisco 49ers - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
All the signs are pointing to Mac Jones but SF don't leak, and Kyle Shanahan has payed close attention to Fields and his athleticism and recent pro days. Adding his talents to his scheme removes the offensive ceiling on San Francisco entirely.
4) Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Trey Lance is an intriguing pick but adding Pitts to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley gives the Falcons an immediately absurd passing offense.
5) Cincinnati Bengals - Jamarr Chase, WR, LSU
Sewell should absolutely be the pick here, but Bengals can't resist pairing Burrow up with his favourite weapon in college. Lets hope he has a neck left to throw it to him, though.
6) Miami Dolphins - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Miami get the best tackle to give Tua the time he needs, and with Chase and Pitts gone, Sewell is the best value.
7) Detroit Lions - Jalen Waddle, WR Alabama
After losing Kenny Golladay to the Giants, Detroit take another elite to ruin - I mean, develop. Waddle has the speed to catch Goff's overthrown balls, at least.
8) Washington Football Team - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Washington make the big move, throwing the 19th pick, and their next first round picks and a second rounder from 2022 to move up 11 spots to take Lance, who could spend a year sitting behind a place-holder before giving the WASHINGTON DEMON CATS something to get excited.
9) Denver Broncos - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Denver stay put after Atlanta hangs up and takes Pitts, and Bellichick is too stubborn to swing big enough and Chicago don't have enough assets to get up. Leaving Mac Jones falling to Denver and walking into a good situaiton; a play-off ready team that needs a pro-ready guy to lead them. Mac is absolutely that, and will be a breath of fresh air as a leader after Drew Lock.
10) Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama
This makes a ton of sense, so will probably be the opposite of what Jerry Jones does, who might need to be given chloroform to stop him trying to trade up and take Kyle Pitts, or draft Devontae Smith. Surtain is the CB #1 for a team that was historically bad defensively last season.
11) New York Giants - OL, Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Giants have been tempted to move down apparently, but in this scenario they have the chance to pick between two excellent OL's - Slater and Vera-Tucker. They take the highly rated and versatile Slater, who should give the returning Saquon Barkley bigger holes to run through and Daniel Jones enough time to throw (hopefully to the team in blue year).
12) Philadelphia Eagles - Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Eagles are unsure about Hurts but this gives that team a #1 WR that they desperately need, and a guy that will have a massive chip on his shoulder after winning the Heisman and somehow being undervalued in the draft process. Perfect for Philly.
13) LA Chargers - Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virgina Tech
Step 1: Draft good QB. Step 2: Protect good QB. Chargers working the plan.
14) Minnesota Vikings - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Mike Zimmer openly trashed his own defence so will be chomping at the bit to add Parsons, who would be top 10 in another draft class, an athletic wrecking ball who could line up all over the defence and provides Zimmer with a guy to compliment the returning Anthony Barr.
15) New England Patriots - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramorah, LB, Notre Dame
Bellichick has thrown money at his roster issues this summer, but absolutely will not give up 3 first round picks to take a QB. He stays put, takes the best ILB in the draft and takes someone like Kellen Mond or Kyle Trask in the second round to turn into Jimmy G 2.0.
16) Arizona Cardinals - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
'Zona have offense in spades, but can't cover a thing in a division where they face Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Matt Stafford and the revitalised LA Rams and Shanahan's offense with a new QB. Jaycee Horn helps that immediately.
17)Las Vegas Raiders - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC
The Raiders, in a baffling move atop of several in the last couple seasons, got rid of half their offensive line. Vera-Tucker is a versatile lineman who will be a cornerstone for several years. Be sensible, Gruden.
18) Miami Dolphins - Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
Miami let go of Kyle Van Noy and add an edge presence to develop under Eric Bienemy.
19) Carolina Panthers - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
After losing Curtis Samuel to Washington and adding Sam Darnold, Carolina give their new QB a weapon to join McCaffery, DJ Moore and Robby Anderson in an intriguing offense.
20) Chicago Bears - Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
The Bears stay put after their trade-up plans fail due to their lack of appealing assets. They take a corner to replace the outgoing Kyle Fuller, who they let go to pay their lack of appealing assets. Sigh, Bears.
21) Indianapolis Colts - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
The Colts get incredible value as a top-15 athlete like Paye is sitting there. An elite defence gets another weapon.
22) Tennessee Titans - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
A top-10 pick until surgery made teams nervous, Farley still is an elite corner prospect that fills a desperate need in Tennessee, who couldn't stop a nose bleed last year.
23) New York Jets - Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
The Jets get who they hoped Le'Veon Bell would be in Harris. A Wilson-Harris partnership could be the partnership of an exciting pairing in New York for years to come.
24) Pittsburgh Steelers - Creed Humphrey, OC, Oklahoma
With Harris off the board and the Steelers renowned for making sensible draft decisions, Pittsburgh opt to get a back later in the draft while taking a three-year-starter at Center to fill the retiring Maurkrice Pouncey's cleats.
25) Jacksonville Jags - Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
After getting Lawrence and having a decent amount of offensive weapons, the Jags pick up the best DT in the draft to plug in some of the holes in the middle of their front.
26) Cleveland Browns - Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
Cleveland are an elite LB away from having a terrifying defence. Browns hoping Davis can be that final piece for a contending side.
27) Baltimore Ravens - Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas
Baltimore sees their Judon replacement fall into their laps. Everyone gets angry, classic Ravens.
28) New Orleans Saints - Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Saints starting filling in the gaps in their defence starting with the tackling machine from Tulsa.
29) Green Bay Packers - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Sam Cosmi is the BPA for a team that let go of a key piece of their OL in Corey Linsey this off-season. I'm sure they'll get a WR in round 2 or 3. Probably.
30) Buffalo Bills - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
Buffalo have a plan that looks suspiciously like the LA Chargers plan. Teven Jenkins will help the Bills protect Allen so he can keep throwing 70 yard bombs to Stephon Diggs.
31) Kansas City Chiefs - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
This makes no sense, as Kansas need OL help and corners, but with all the first round OL's off the board at this stage, I liked the idea of Andy Reid saying 'fuck it' and drafting another elite RB and rotating Etienne-Edwards Helaire alongside Hill and Kelce in the recieving core. You can't rule it out, and thinking about it is fantastic.
32) Tampa Bay Buccanneers - Gregory Rosseau, EDGE, Miami
Same logic here, but on the other side of the ball. Tampa already have the best pass rush in football, so Arians decides to send it nuclear as Tampa have no immediate needs and add a stunning athlete in Rosseau who can rotate and develop alongside JPP, Shaq Barrett and the monstrous Vita Vea.
