Gunner's 2024 Mock Draft - FINAL v3.0 NOW LIVE (p.13)

[buffaloaggie]

Legette disappeared in big games at South Carolina, and he has dropped to the 9th top WR from some draft "experts". I know every team would love to see him as the 2nd coming of DK Metcalf, but Legette seems like 2nd round material. He's even shrunk from 6'3" to 6'1". Depending on what's available, I think you take the best value from OC, S, CB, DT. WR would be a nice to have, but the team has bigger needs. If a WR slides, snag him in the 2nd.

[GunnerBill]

Okay here is version 2.0, post free agency and with FOUR trades!!! Flame away!!

 

 

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams – Quarterback, USC

It was a tentative pick in version 1.0, but trading away (maybe that should be “giving away”?) Justin Fields to the Steelers has set this in stone. Also, while I do believe the smoke that there are teams who don’t have Caleb Williams as QB1 the Bears are not one of them. He will be the pick.

 

2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels – Quarterback, LSU

Teams have tried sniffing around the number 2 pick looking at trade possibilities and have been firmly knocked back – the Commanders are taking a Quarterback. I had Drake Maye here in version 1.0 but it increasingly feels like the momentum is behind Daniels to Washington.

 

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye – Quarterback, North Carolina

The trendy move here has been to have the Patriots trading out (normally with the Vikings). But I just don’t understand why they would do that. The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke as the Quarterbacks on the roster. They have to take a Quarterback and I believe they’d prefer Maye to Daniels in any event.

 

4. TRADE!! Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy – Quarterback, Michigan (Minnesota gets #4 – 1800 value; Arizona gets #11, #23 & #167 – 2034 value)

Which means the draft starts here. Let me be clear I think #4 is too early for JJ McCarthy but it is the law of supply and demand. He seems to be the consensus 4th QB off the board and there as many as four teams potentially in the mix so if you don’t come up to take him here one of the others will. I suspect Minnesota are the most desperate and they have those two first rounders to dangle but keep an eye on the Giants as a dark horse for this trade because they have less distance to go to this pick and it would mean Arizona still gets one of the top two receivers at #6.

  

5. Los Angeles Chargers – Marvin Harrison Jnr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

When Marvin Harrison Snr was an NFL rookie his Quarterback was Jim Harbaugh. In a scenario where the first four guys off the board are Quarterbacks the NFL will go full circle and in Marvin Harrison Jnr’s rookie season in the NFL his Head Coach will be Jim Harbaugh.

 

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Giants have to add playmakers for their passing game whoever the Quarterback is. They have spent day two picks on Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt the last two years but so far the contributions have been modest. They need a legit #1 threat. Nabers can be used the way Brian Daboll used Stefon Diggs in Buffalo.

 

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt – Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

As I said in version 1.0 the Titans tried to get by with Andre Dillard at left tackle in 2023 and it was a predictable car crash.  This season is all about evaluating Will Levis for new Head Coach Brian Callahan and that starts with giving him protection. Callahan Snr is coaching the offensive line and will love working with Alt who is a mean, nasty plug and play left tackle.

 

8. TRADE!! Arizona Cardinals – Rome Odunze – Wide Receiver, Washington (Arizona gets #8 – 1400 value; Atlanta gets #11, #90 & #186 – 1407 value)

We saw the Cardinals do this last year, when they traded back from #3 to #12 and then up again from #12 to #6. I think they want to sell #4 but also want to still snag one of the top 3 receivers which means getting ahead of the Bears and Jets. Odunze is an immediate upgrade for them.

 

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner – EDGE, Alabama

The Bears traded for Montez Sweat mid-season and it paid off - his 6 sacks in 9 games led the team. However, the fact that someone who only joined at the trade deadline led the team in sacks is a concern in itself. Turner had 10 sacks for the Crimson Tide last year and adds some juice to that unit.

 

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers – Tight End, Georgia

I had Bowers here in version 1.0 because the top two tackles were off the board. Since then the Jets have attacked their offensive line in free agency leaving them free to take Bowers here as an offensive match up weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

 

11. (From Minnesota via ARZ) Atlanta Falcons – Jared Verse – EDGE, Florida State

Having addressed Quarterback with Kirk Cousins the Falcons are the favourite to win the NFC South. However, they still have a need for additional pass rusher help. 37-year-old Calais Campbell led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2023, he is a free agent and hasn’t been replaced.

 

12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix – Quarterback, Oregon

The Broncos are in a horrible spot. They have to get a QB (Jarret Stidham and Ben DiNucci are all that’s on the roster). They don’t have the capital to compete with other teams who might trade up; they don’t have a second rounder and can’t wait and hope to get one in round three and they can’t even trade back to maximise value because the Raiders, another Quarterback needy team, are right behind them at #13. I feel like they have to pick Best Quarterback Available at #12 and the consensus is that will be Bo Nix.

 

13. Las Vegas Raiders – Terrion Arnold – Cornerback, Alabama

The Raiders roster is pretty bad. They could go almost any direction at this spot and there isn’t a single pick here that would surprised me. It could come down to interior defensive line or corner and I think that ultimately their need in the secondary is even greater.

 

14. New Orleans Saints – Olu Fashanu – Offensive Tackle, Penn State

The noises from inside the building sound like the Saints are done with 2022 first round pick Trevor Penning and now we learn that right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s could miss the season with a degenerative knee condition. Fashanu would be an immediate starter at left tackle.

 

15. Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell – Cornerback, Toledo

The Colts have a solid roster and have been quiet in free agency. But one obvious hole is at corner where return specialist Dallis Flowers, with five career starts to his name, is top of the depth chart opposite second-year man JuJu Brents. Mitchell is trending towards being CB1 and is a great scheme fit.

 

16. Seattle Seahawks – Troy Fautanu – Offensive Tackle, Washington

I list Fautanu as a tackle but it is likely the Seahwaks would see him at guard where the interior offensive line needs significant work. This is becoming a popular mock choice not least because Fautanu’s college Offensive Coordinator, Ryan Grubb, now occupies the same position in Seattle.

 

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Thomas Jnr – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Jags added Devin Duvernay and Gabe Davis to Christian Kirk in their receiver room during free agency, but Calvin Ridley moved on. If Quinyon Mitchell or Arnold were here I might have gone corner but, in their absence, a big, fast, athletic freak of a receiver feels on brand for GM Trent Baalke.

 

18. Cincinnati Bengals – JC Latham – Offensive Tackle, Alabama

Corner and receiver are possibilities (especially if they were to trade away Tee Higgins) but I still think the achilles heel of this team is their offensive line, especially with an injury prone Quarterback. They need a right tackle and they like bigger guys so Lathan fits the bill.

 

19. TRADE!! Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims – Offensive Tackle, Georgia (Dallas gets #19 & #196 – 888 value; Los Angeles gets #24 & #87 – 895 value)

If this was a no-trade draft then Amarius Mims to the Steelers at #20 would be as close to a lock as it gets. They appear to have really focussed in on him for some time. However, another team that appear to love his skillset is the Cowboys and they showed when drafting Tyler Smith out of Tulsa two years ago that they are willing to take a risk on raw talent up front. Mims either starts in place of the departed Tyron Smith at left tackle and lets Tyler stay at guard or is an immediate upgrade on the right side.

 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Taliese Fuaga – Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

Pittsburgh drafted Broderick Jones last year and started him at right tackle as a rookie but they have one of the worst starting left tackle in the NFL. The plan is surely to switch Jones to the left in 2024 which would create a hole at right tackle that Fuaga would fill.

 

21. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Worthy – Wide Receiver, Texas

This is my wildcard. We know Mike McDonald loves speed on offense and while this feels like a luxury pick given their defensive needs and the fact they have Hill and Waddle already, good luck to the defensive coordinator trying to cover all three of them.

 

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Cooper DeJean – Cornerback, Iowa

The Eagles secondary is a series of question marks. Veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry struggled in 2023, Kelee Ringo made little impression as a rookie and their safeties were bad. They have brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson from Detroit but DeJean is a versatile playmaker who could become a mainstay on the back end.

 

23. (From Cleveland via HOU and MIN) Arizona Cardinals – Jackson Powers-Johnson – Center, Oregon

The Cardinals would have three firsts in this scenario which might give them the freedom to invest in the center position where they have long since had a hole. Powers-Johnson had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and vaulted himself right into day 1 contention.

 

24. (From Dallas) Los Angeles Rams – Byron Murphy II – Defensive Tackle, Texas

The Rams didn’t just lose a defensive tackle when Aaron Donald retired, they lost probably the greatest player in franchise history. While it is unfair to ask any rookie to come in and replace that level of impact Murphy is a good penetrative defensive tackle who will replace some of the pass rush juice they have lost.

 

25. TRADE!! Kansas City Chiefs – Jordan Morgan – Offensive Tackle, Arizona (Kansas City gets #25 – 720 value; Green Bay gets #32 & #95 – 710 value)

The Chiefs come up the board, but it is not for a wide receiver. They have tried the vet route to fix the left tackle spot, trading for Orlando Brown and signing a Superbowl winner in Donovan Smith. It might be time to draft a long term answer and Morgan is an out and out left tackle who excels as a pass blocker. He could lock down Mahomes’ blindside for a decade.

 

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Laiatu Latu – EDGE, UCLA

Latu is my #1 edge rusher in the class but the health concerns are likely to push him down the board. I have heard the Packers (who originally have the pick before this one) and the Buccs linked to him frequently so I feel like this is the range he comes off the board.  The Buccs lost Shaq Barrett in free agency so have a need.

 

27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson – EDGE, Penn State

This is a pick I’m leaving unchanged from version 1.0. In a world where the Cardinals have just the two first rounders unlike the three they end up with in this mock it is clear to me that they have to get a wide receiver and a pass rusher. Chop is raw, but his ceiling is high.

 

28. Buffalo Bills – Adonai Mitchell – Wide Receiver, Texas

I can see a scenario where the Bills move from this spot, either up or down. But if they stay here I still think it will be a receiver. Mitchell’s tape is not as impressive as his combine numbers but the physical talent is obviously there. If the consistency in his play can follow he has true WR1 potential.

 

29. Detroit Lions – Jer’Zhan Newton – Defensive Tackle, Illinois

This would be the steal of round one. I have a top 10 grade on Newton but possibly because he didn’t work out at the combine with injury or because he is from unfashionable Illinois he hasn’t had the buzz his talent deserves. The Lions have Alim McNeill and DJ Reader at defensive tackle, but they are both really 1 techs. Here is the interior penetrating 3 tech they require.

 

30. Baltimore Ravens – Graham Barton – Guard, Duke

The Ravens lost both starting guards in free agency – Zeitler to the Lions and Simpson to the Jets. They did draft Andrew Vorhees last year in round seven despite his ACL tear at the combine and he might step into one spot. Barton can arguably play all five spots on the line but would start at guard.

 

31. San Francisco 49ers – Tyler Guyton – Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

I had Mims here in version 1.0 but this time it is Guyton who slides to San Francisco. The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey in free agency last year and Guyton would presumably start there as a rookie but he might even be a long term in-house replacement for Trent Williams.

 

32. (From Kansas City) Green Bay Packers – Nate Wiggins – Cornerback, Clemson

Green Bay have only spent one of their last thirteen first round picks on offense and that was when they drafted Jordan Love. No team has spent more recent first round capital on defensive backs, with five in the last decade. They have a need there again with the Jaire Alexander situation looking dicey and a hole opposite him.

[CNYfan]

Nice work, good reasoning and informative.  

 

[RobbRiddick]

I think worthy to dolphins is a good prediction.  As soon as I read about his speed and watched some tape I thought he had miami written all over him

[gonzo1105]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay here is version 2.0, post free agency and with FOUR trades!!! Flame away!!

 

 

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams – Quarterback, USC

It was a tentative pick in version 1.0, but trading away (maybe that should be “giving away”?) Justin Fields to the Steelers has set this in stone. Also, while I do believe the smoke that there are teams who don’t have Caleb Williams as QB1 the Bears are not one of them. He will be the pick.

 

2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels – Quarterback, LSU

Teams have tried sniffing around the number 2 pick looking at trade possibilities and have been firmly knocked back – the Commanders are taking a Quarterback. I had Drake Maye here in version 1.0 but it increasingly feels like the momentum is behind Daniels to Washington.

 

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye – Quarterback, North Carolina

The trendy move here has been to have the Patriots trading out (normally with the Vikings). But I just don’t understand why they would do that. The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke as the Quarterbacks on the roster. They have to take a Quarterback and I believe they’d prefer Maye to Daniels in any event.

 

4. TRADE!! Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy – Quarterback, Michigan (Minnesota gets #4 – 1800 value; Arizona gets #11, #23 & #167 – 2034 value)

Which means the draft starts here. Let me be clear I think #4 is too early for JJ McCarthy but it is the law of supply and demand. He seems to be the consensus 4th QB off the board and there as many as four teams potentially in the mix so if you don’t come up to take him here one of the others will. I suspect Minnesota are the most desperate and they have those two first rounders to dangle but keep an eye on the Giants as a dark horse for this trade because they have less distance to go to this pick and it would mean Arizona still gets one of the top two receivers at #6.

  

5. Los Angeles Chargers – Marvin Harrison Jnr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

When Marvin Harrison Snr was an NFL rookie his Quarterback was Jim Harbaugh. In a scenario where the first four guys off the board are Quarterbacks the NFL will go full circle and in Marvin Harrison Jnr’s rookie season in the NFL his Head Coach will be Jim Harbaugh.

 

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Giants have to add playmakers for their passing game whoever the Quarterback is. They have spent day two picks on Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt the last two years but so far the contributions have been modest. They need a legit #1 threat. Nabers can be used the way Brian Daboll used Stefon Diggs in Buffalo.

 

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt – Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

As I said in version 1.0 the Titans tried to get by with Andre Dillard at left tackle in 2023 and it was a predictable car crash.  This season is all about evaluating Will Levis for new Head Coach Brian Callahan and that starts with giving him protection. Callahan Snr is coaching the offensive line and will love working with Alt who is a mean, nasty plug and play left tackle.

 

8. TRADE!! Arizona Cardinals – Rome Odunze – Wide Receiver, Washington (Arizona gets #8 – 1400 value; Atlanta gets #11, #90 & #186 – 1407 value)

We saw the Cardinals do this last year, when they traded back from #3 to #12 and then up again from #12 to #6. I think they want to sell #4 but also want to still snag one of the top 3 receivers which means getting ahead of the Bears and Jets. Odunze is an immediate upgrade for them.

 

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner – EDGE, Alabama

The Bears traded for Montez Sweat mid-season and it paid off - his 6 sacks in 9 games led the team. However, the fact that someone who only joined at the trade deadline led the team in sacks is a concern in itself. Turner had 10 sacks for the Crimson Tide last year and adds some juice to that unit.

 

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers – Tight End, Georgia

I had Bowers here in version 1.0 because the top two tackles were off the board. Since then the Jets have attacked their offensive line in free agency leaving them free to take Bowers here as an offensive match up weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

 

11. (From Minnesota via ARZ) Atlanta Falcons – Jared Verse – EDGE, Florida State

Having addressed Quarterback with Kirk Cousins the Falcons are the favourite to win the NFC South. However, they still have a need for additional pass rusher help. 37-year-old Calais Campbell led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2023, he is a free agent and hasn’t been replaced.

 

12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix – Quarterback, Oregon

The Broncos are in a horrible spot. They have to get a QB (Jarret Stidham and Ben DiNucci are all that’s on the roster). They don’t have the capital to compete with other teams who might trade up; they don’t have a second rounder and can’t wait and hope to get one in round three and they can’t even trade back to maximise value because the Raiders, another Quarterback needy team, are right behind them at #13. I feel like they have to pick Best Quarterback Available at #12 and the consensus is that will be Bo Nix.

 

13. Las Vegas Raiders – Terrion Arnold – Cornerback, Alabama

The Raiders roster is pretty bad. They could go almost any direction at this spot and there isn’t a single pick here that would surprised me. It could come down to interior defensive line or corner and I think that ultimately their need in the secondary is even greater.

 

14. New Orleans Saints – Olu Fashanu – Offensive Tackle, Penn State

The noises from inside the building sound like the Saints are done with 2022 first round pick Trevor Penning and now we learn that right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s could miss the season with a degenerative knee condition. Fashanu would be an immediate starter at left tackle.

 

15. Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell – Cornerback, Toledo

The Colts have a solid roster and have been quiet in free agency. But one obvious hole is at corner where return specialist Dallis Flowers, with five career starts to his name, is top of the depth chart opposite second-year man JuJu Brents. Mitchell is trending towards being CB1 and is a great scheme fit.

 

16. Seattle Seahawks – Troy Fautanu – Offensive Tackle, Washington

I list Fautanu as a tackle but it is likely the Seahwaks would see him at guard where the interior offensive line needs significant work. This is becoming a popular mock choice not least because Fautanu’s college Offensive Coordinator, Ryan Grubb, now occupies the same position in Seattle.

 

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Thomas Jnr – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Jags added Devin Duvernay and Gabe Davis to Christian Kirk in their receiver room during free agency, but Calvin Ridley moved on. If Quinyon Mitchell or Arnold were here I might have gone corner but, in their absence, a big, fast, athletic freak of a receiver feels on brand for GM Trent Baalke.

 

18. Cincinnati Bengals – JC Latham – Offensive Tackle, Alabama

Corner and receiver are possibilities (especially if they were to trade away Tee Higgins) but I still think the achilles heel of this team is their offensive line, especially with an injury prone Quarterback. They need a right tackle and they like bigger guys so Lathan fits the bill.

 

19. TRADE!! Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims – Offensive Tackle, Georgia (Dallas gets #19 & #196 – 888 value; Los Angeles gets #24 & #87 – 895 value)

If this was a no-trade draft then Amarius Mims to the Steelers at #20 would be as close to a lock as it gets. They appear to have really focussed in on him for some time. However, another team that appear to love his skillset is the Cowboys and they showed when drafting Tyler Smith out of Tulsa two years ago that they are willing to take a risk on raw talent up front. Mims either starts in place of the departed Tyron Smith at left tackle and lets Tyler stay at guard or is an immediate upgrade on the right side.

 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Taliese Fuaga – Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

Pittsburgh drafted Broderick Jones last year and started him at right tackle as a rookie but they have one of the worst starting left tackle in the NFL. The plan is surely to switch Jones to the left in 2024 which would create a hole at right tackle that Fuaga would fill.

 

21. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Worthy – Wide Receiver, Texas

This is my wildcard. We know Mike McDonald loves speed on offense and while this feels like a luxury pick given their defensive needs and the fact they have Hill and Waddle already, good luck to the defensive coordinator trying to cover all three of them.

 

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Cooper DeJean – Cornerback, Iowa

The Eagles secondary is a series of question marks. Veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry struggled in 2023, Kelee Ringo made little impression as a rookie and their safeties were bad. They have brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson from Detroit but DeJean is a versatile playmaker who could become a mainstay on the back end.

 

23. (From Cleveland via HOU and MIN) Arizona Cardinals – Jackson Powers-Johnson – Center, Oregon

The Cardinals would have three firsts in this scenario which might give them the freedom to invest in the center position where they have long since had a hole. Powers-Johnson had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and vaulted himself right into day 1 contention.

 

24. (From Dallas) Los Angeles Rams – Byron Murphy II – Defensive Tackle, Texas

The Rams didn’t just lose a defensive tackle when Aaron Donald retired, they lost probably the greatest player in franchise history. While it is unfair to ask any rookie to come in and replace that level of impact Murphy is a good penetrative defensive tackle who will replace some of the pass rush juice they have lost.

 

25. TRADE!! Kansas City Chiefs – Jordan Morgan – Offensive Tackle, Arizona (Kansas City gets #25 – 720 value; Green Bay gets #32 & #95 – 710 value)

The Chiefs come up the board, but it is not for a wide receiver. They have tried the vet route to fix the left tackle spot, trading for Orlando Brown and signing a Superbowl winner in Donovan Smith. It might be time to draft a long term answer and Morgan is an out and out left tackle who excels as a pass blocker. He could lock down Mahomes’ blindside for a decade.

 

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Laiatu Latu – EDGE, UCLA

Latu is my #1 edge rusher in the class but the health concerns are likely to push him down the board. I have heard the Packers (who originally have the pick before this one) and the Buccs linked to him frequently so I feel like this is the range he comes off the board.  The Buccs lost Shaq Barrett in free agency so have a need.

 

27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson – EDGE, Penn State

This is a pick I’m leaving unchanged from version 1.0. In a world where the Cardinals have just the two first rounders unlike the three they end up with in this mock it is clear to me that they have to get a wide receiver and a pass rusher. Chop is raw, but his ceiling is high.

 

28. Buffalo Bills – Adonai Mitchell – Wide Receiver, Texas

I can see a scenario where the Bills move from this spot, either up or down. But if they stay here I still think it will be a receiver. Mitchell’s tape is not as impressive as his combine numbers but the physical talent is obviously there. If the consistency in his play can follow he has true WR1 potential.

 

29. Detroit Lions – Jer’Zhan Newton – Defensive Tackle, Illinois

This would be the steal of round one. I have a top 10 grade on Newton but possibly because he didn’t work out at the combine with injury or because he is from unfashionable Illinois he hasn’t had the buzz his talent deserves. The Lions have Alim McNeill and DJ Reader at defensive tackle, but they are both really 1 techs. Here is the interior penetrating 3 tech they require.

 

30. Baltimore Ravens – Graham Barton – Guard, Duke

The Ravens lost both starting guards in free agency – Zeitler to the Lions and Simpson to the Jets. They did draft Andrew Vorhees last year in round seven despite his ACL tear at the combine and he might step into one spot. Barton can arguably play all five spots on the line but would start at guard.

 

31. San Francisco 49ers – Tyler Guyton – Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

I had Mims here in version 1.0 but this time it is Guyton who slides to San Francisco. The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey in free agency last year and Guyton would presumably start there as a rookie but he might even be a long term in-house replacement for Trent Williams.

 

32. (From Kansas City) Green Bay Packers – Nate Wiggins – Cornerback, Clemson

Green Bay have only spent one of their last thirteen first round picks on offense and that was when they drafted Jordan Love. No team has spent more recent first round capital on defensive backs, with five in the last decade. They have a need there again with the Jaire Alexander situation looking dicey and a hole opposite him.

Good work we def are much more in lock step on your version 2 than we were on your version 1 and it appears you have much of the same idea as I do so looks like needs and boards are narrowing and coming into focus 

[BuffaloBillyG]

Very well detailed and great work as always, Gunner. I look forward bto this every year.

 

I still don't see Nix as the Broncos pick at 12. Though I do feel he fits the system well. I have him as that QB we see every year that gets mocked really high and still see him there round 2. Your detail in the Raiders and Saints picks lend justification as to why even though both of them need a QB, they are likely to go another route themselves.

 

I don't think Nix is the QB the Raiders are looking at, either. My gut tells me Penix is their guy in round 2. I think the Broncos are primed for a trade back if one presents itself. 

 

If Denver passes on Nix and loses out on him, perhaps they pivot to Rattler. 

[LEBills]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay here is version 2.0, post free agency and with FOUR trades!!! Flame away!!

 

 

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams – Quarterback, USC

It was a tentative pick in version 1.0, but trading away (maybe that should be “giving away”?) Justin Fields to the Steelers has set this in stone. Also, while I do believe the smoke that there are teams who don’t have Caleb Williams as QB1 the Bears are not one of them. He will be the pick.

 

2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels – Quarterback, LSU

Teams have tried sniffing around the number 2 pick looking at trade possibilities and have been firmly knocked back – the Commanders are taking a Quarterback. I had Drake Maye here in version 1.0 but it increasingly feels like the momentum is behind Daniels to Washington.

 

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye – Quarterback, North Carolina

The trendy move here has been to have the Patriots trading out (normally with the Vikings). But I just don’t understand why they would do that. The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke as the Quarterbacks on the roster. They have to take a Quarterback and I believe they’d prefer Maye to Daniels in any event.

 

4. TRADE!! Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy – Quarterback, Michigan (Minnesota gets #4 – 1800 value; Arizona gets #11, #23 & #167 – 2034 value)

Which means the draft starts here. Let me be clear I think #4 is too early for JJ McCarthy but it is the law of supply and demand. He seems to be the consensus 4th QB off the board and there as many as four teams potentially in the mix so if you don’t come up to take him here one of the others will. I suspect Minnesota are the most desperate and they have those two first rounders to dangle but keep an eye on the Giants as a dark horse for this trade because they have less distance to go to this pick and it would mean Arizona still gets one of the top two receivers at #6.

  

5. Los Angeles Chargers – Marvin Harrison Jnr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

When Marvin Harrison Snr was an NFL rookie his Quarterback was Jim Harbaugh. In a scenario where the first four guys off the board are Quarterbacks the NFL will go full circle and in Marvin Harrison Jnr’s rookie season in the NFL his Head Coach will be Jim Harbaugh.

 

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Giants have to add playmakers for their passing game whoever the Quarterback is. They have spent day two picks on Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt the last two years but so far the contributions have been modest. They need a legit #1 threat. Nabers can be used the way Brian Daboll used Stefon Diggs in Buffalo.

 

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt – Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

As I said in version 1.0 the Titans tried to get by with Andre Dillard at left tackle in 2023 and it was a predictable car crash.  This season is all about evaluating Will Levis for new Head Coach Brian Callahan and that starts with giving him protection. Callahan Snr is coaching the offensive line and will love working with Alt who is a mean, nasty plug and play left tackle.

 

8. TRADE!! Arizona Cardinals – Rome Odunze – Wide Receiver, Washington (Arizona gets #8 – 1400 value; Atlanta gets #11, #90 & #186 – 1407 value)

We saw the Cardinals do this last year, when they traded back from #3 to #12 and then up again from #12 to #6. I think they want to sell #4 but also want to still snag one of the top 3 receivers which means getting ahead of the Bears and Jets. Odunze is an immediate upgrade for them.

 

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner – EDGE, Alabama

The Bears traded for Montez Sweat mid-season and it paid off - his 6 sacks in 9 games led the team. However, the fact that someone who only joined at the trade deadline led the team in sacks is a concern in itself. Turner had 10 sacks for the Crimson Tide last year and adds some juice to that unit.

 

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers – Tight End, Georgia

I had Bowers here in version 1.0 because the top two tackles were off the board. Since then the Jets have attacked their offensive line in free agency leaving them free to take Bowers here as an offensive match up weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

 

11. (From Minnesota via ARZ) Atlanta Falcons – Jared Verse – EDGE, Florida State

Having addressed Quarterback with Kirk Cousins the Falcons are the favourite to win the NFC South. However, they still have a need for additional pass rusher help. 37-year-old Calais Campbell led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2023, he is a free agent and hasn’t been replaced.

 

12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix – Quarterback, Oregon

The Broncos are in a horrible spot. They have to get a QB (Jarret Stidham and Ben DiNucci are all that’s on the roster). They don’t have the capital to compete with other teams who might trade up; they don’t have a second rounder and can’t wait and hope to get one in round three and they can’t even trade back to maximise value because the Raiders, another Quarterback needy team, are right behind them at #13. I feel like they have to pick Best Quarterback Available at #12 and the consensus is that will be Bo Nix.

 

13. Las Vegas Raiders – Terrion Arnold – Cornerback, Alabama

The Raiders roster is pretty bad. They could go almost any direction at this spot and there isn’t a single pick here that would surprised me. It could come down to interior defensive line or corner and I think that ultimately their need in the secondary is even greater.

 

14. New Orleans Saints – Olu Fashanu – Offensive Tackle, Penn State

The noises from inside the building sound like the Saints are done with 2022 first round pick Trevor Penning and now we learn that right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s could miss the season with a degenerative knee condition. Fashanu would be an immediate starter at left tackle.

 

15. Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell – Cornerback, Toledo

The Colts have a solid roster and have been quiet in free agency. But one obvious hole is at corner where return specialist Dallis Flowers, with five career starts to his name, is top of the depth chart opposite second-year man JuJu Brents. Mitchell is trending towards being CB1 and is a great scheme fit.

 

16. Seattle Seahawks – Troy Fautanu – Offensive Tackle, Washington

I list Fautanu as a tackle but it is likely the Seahwaks would see him at guard where the interior offensive line needs significant work. This is becoming a popular mock choice not least because Fautanu’s college Offensive Coordinator, Ryan Grubb, now occupies the same position in Seattle.

 

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Thomas Jnr – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Jags added Devin Duvernay and Gabe Davis to Christian Kirk in their receiver room during free agency, but Calvin Ridley moved on. If Quinyon Mitchell or Arnold were here I might have gone corner but, in their absence, a big, fast, athletic freak of a receiver feels on brand for GM Trent Baalke.

 

18. Cincinnati Bengals – JC Latham – Offensive Tackle, Alabama

Corner and receiver are possibilities (especially if they were to trade away Tee Higgins) but I still think the achilles heel of this team is their offensive line, especially with an injury prone Quarterback. They need a right tackle and they like bigger guys so Lathan fits the bill.

 

19. TRADE!! Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims – Offensive Tackle, Georgia (Dallas gets #19 & #196 – 888 value; Los Angeles gets #24 & #87 – 895 value)

If this was a no-trade draft then Amarius Mims to the Steelers at #20 would be as close to a lock as it gets. They appear to have really focussed in on him for some time. However, another team that appear to love his skillset is the Cowboys and they showed when drafting Tyler Smith out of Tulsa two years ago that they are willing to take a risk on raw talent up front. Mims either starts in place of the departed Tyron Smith at left tackle and lets Tyler stay at guard or is an immediate upgrade on the right side.

 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Taliese Fuaga – Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

Pittsburgh drafted Broderick Jones last year and started him at right tackle as a rookie but they have one of the worst starting left tackle in the NFL. The plan is surely to switch Jones to the left in 2024 which would create a hole at right tackle that Fuaga would fill.

 

21. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Worthy – Wide Receiver, Texas

This is my wildcard. We know Mike McDonald loves speed on offense and while this feels like a luxury pick given their defensive needs and the fact they have Hill and Waddle already, good luck to the defensive coordinator trying to cover all three of them.

 

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Cooper DeJean – Cornerback, Iowa

The Eagles secondary is a series of question marks. Veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry struggled in 2023, Kelee Ringo made little impression as a rookie and their safeties were bad. They have brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson from Detroit but DeJean is a versatile playmaker who could become a mainstay on the back end.

 

23. (From Cleveland via HOU and MIN) Arizona Cardinals – Jackson Powers-Johnson – Center, Oregon

The Cardinals would have three firsts in this scenario which might give them the freedom to invest in the center position where they have long since had a hole. Powers-Johnson had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and vaulted himself right into day 1 contention.

 

24. (From Dallas) Los Angeles Rams – Byron Murphy II – Defensive Tackle, Texas

The Rams didn’t just lose a defensive tackle when Aaron Donald retired, they lost probably the greatest player in franchise history. While it is unfair to ask any rookie to come in and replace that level of impact Murphy is a good penetrative defensive tackle who will replace some of the pass rush juice they have lost.

 

25. TRADE!! Kansas City Chiefs – Jordan Morgan – Offensive Tackle, Arizona (Kansas City gets #25 – 720 value; Green Bay gets #32 & #95 – 710 value)

The Chiefs come up the board, but it is not for a wide receiver. They have tried the vet route to fix the left tackle spot, trading for Orlando Brown and signing a Superbowl winner in Donovan Smith. It might be time to draft a long term answer and Morgan is an out and out left tackle who excels as a pass blocker. He could lock down Mahomes’ blindside for a decade.

 

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Laiatu Latu – EDGE, UCLA

Latu is my #1 edge rusher in the class but the health concerns are likely to push him down the board. I have heard the Packers (who originally have the pick before this one) and the Buccs linked to him frequently so I feel like this is the range he comes off the board.  The Buccs lost Shaq Barrett in free agency so have a need.

 

27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson – EDGE, Penn State

This is a pick I’m leaving unchanged from version 1.0. In a world where the Cardinals have just the two first rounders unlike the three they end up with in this mock it is clear to me that they have to get a wide receiver and a pass rusher. Chop is raw, but his ceiling is high.

 

28. Buffalo Bills – Adonai Mitchell – Wide Receiver, Texas

I can see a scenario where the Bills move from this spot, either up or down. But if they stay here I still think it will be a receiver. Mitchell’s tape is not as impressive as his combine numbers but the physical talent is obviously there. If the consistency in his play can follow he has true WR1 potential.

 

29. Detroit Lions – Jer’Zhan Newton – Defensive Tackle, Illinois

This would be the steal of round one. I have a top 10 grade on Newton but possibly because he didn’t work out at the combine with injury or because he is from unfashionable Illinois he hasn’t had the buzz his talent deserves. The Lions have Alim McNeill and DJ Reader at defensive tackle, but they are both really 1 techs. Here is the interior penetrating 3 tech they require.

 

30. Baltimore Ravens – Graham Barton – Guard, Duke

The Ravens lost both starting guards in free agency – Zeitler to the Lions and Simpson to the Jets. They did draft Andrew Vorhees last year in round seven despite his ACL tear at the combine and he might step into one spot. Barton can arguably play all five spots on the line but would start at guard.

 

31. San Francisco 49ers – Tyler Guyton – Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

I had Mims here in version 1.0 but this time it is Guyton who slides to San Francisco. The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey in free agency last year and Guyton would presumably start there as a rookie but he might even be a long term in-house replacement for Trent Williams.

 

32. (From Kansas City) Green Bay Packers – Nate Wiggins – Cornerback, Clemson

Green Bay have only spent one of their last thirteen first round picks on offense and that was when they drafted Jordan Love. No team has spent more recent first round capital on defensive backs, with five in the last decade. They have a need there again with the Jaire Alexander situation looking dicey and a hole opposite him.

Nice job. I do think that is how the order the first 5 QBs and 3 WRs go - whether the Vikings go to 4 or 5 is the only question.

 

I like the Jets taking Bowers because ARod has never really used TEs in his GB offenses. Probably just because the best one he ever had was Jermichael  Finley. But the dream is for ARod to leave Bowers watching Allen Lazard getting targets rather than throwing to him. 
 

It’s hard to say where exactly he will go - maybe the Jets still - but I think Fuaga goes a little earlier than 20. 
 

I think Dejean may slip out of the first round since he is a bit of a tweener. And with the Eagles losing Fletcher Cox and both Sweat and Reddick not being happy I could see another DLine addition here as is the Eagles way.

 

As for the Bills pick, I agree I think they will pick a WR at 28. AD is lower on my rankings than others but if he was the pick I would understand it. He is excellent until the ball is in his hands which is very useful, just wish he was a bit better after the catch. I would be happy they got Josh a playmaker. Jer’zhan Newton is one of the guys I would take after my top 4 WRs are gone though so it would hurt to pass on him for AD.

 

Good mock as usual Gunner

[Westside]

I have to disagree. If Newton is still there Beane is taking him. Any receiver after the big three are 2nd round grades in my book and a reach for the Bills, especially Mitchell. You can get just as good a receiver as Mitchell by either trading up a few spots in the 2nd or taking the best available receiver at pick number 60. I can’t see them passing Newton for Mitchell. 

[Warriorspikes51]

Worthy going to Miami is    Not. Nice. 

 

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, Westside said:

I have to disagree. If Newton is still there Beane is taking him. Any receiver after the big three are 2nd round grades in my book and a reach for the Bills, especially Mitchell. You can get just as good a receiver as Mitchell by either trading up a few spots in the 2nd or taking the best available receiver at pick number 60. I can’t see them passing Newton for Mitchell. 

 

Would much rather see DT in Round 4-5   (assuming the Longhorns are off the board at 28 and 60) 

 

Beane has signed 3 DT's if you include DaQuan.   

 

IMO he wanted to feel like the position is no longer a desperate need.  

Edited March 29 by Warriorspikes51

[TheBeaneBandit]

16 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Worthy going to Miami is    Not. Nice. 

 

 

 

 

 

Would much rather see DT in Round 4-5   (assuming the Longhorns are off the board at 28 and 60) 

 

Beane has signed 3 DT's if you include DaQuan.   

 

IMO he wanted to feel like the position is no longer a desperate need.  

Slight smokescreen? Now I'm on the WR train baby but I could see Newton being the pick. Some will say you don't draft Ed Olivers backup in the 1st round but I think a man with Newton's talents the Bills would have plans for playing both of them at the same time on obvious passing downs. 

[TheWeatherMan]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay here is version 2.0, post free agency and with FOUR trades!!! Flame away!!

 

 

1. Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams – Quarterback, USC

It was a tentative pick in version 1.0, but trading away (maybe that should be “giving away”?) Justin Fields to the Steelers has set this in stone. Also, while I do believe the smoke that there are teams who don’t have Caleb Williams as QB1 the Bears are not one of them. He will be the pick.

 

2. Washington Commanders – Jayden Daniels – Quarterback, LSU

Teams have tried sniffing around the number 2 pick looking at trade possibilities and have been firmly knocked back – the Commanders are taking a Quarterback. I had Drake Maye here in version 1.0 but it increasingly feels like the momentum is behind Daniels to Washington.

 

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye – Quarterback, North Carolina

The trendy move here has been to have the Patriots trading out (normally with the Vikings). But I just don’t understand why they would do that. The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke as the Quarterbacks on the roster. They have to take a Quarterback and I believe they’d prefer Maye to Daniels in any event.

 

4. TRADE!! Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy – Quarterback, Michigan (Minnesota gets #4 – 1800 value; Arizona gets #11, #23 & #167 – 2034 value)

Which means the draft starts here. Let me be clear I think #4 is too early for JJ McCarthy but it is the law of supply and demand. He seems to be the consensus 4th QB off the board and there as many as four teams potentially in the mix so if you don’t come up to take him here one of the others will. I suspect Minnesota are the most desperate and they have those two first rounders to dangle but keep an eye on the Giants as a dark horse for this trade because they have less distance to go to this pick and it would mean Arizona still gets one of the top two receivers at #6.

  

5. Los Angeles Chargers – Marvin Harrison Jnr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

When Marvin Harrison Snr was an NFL rookie his Quarterback was Jim Harbaugh. In a scenario where the first four guys off the board are Quarterbacks the NFL will go full circle and in Marvin Harrison Jnr’s rookie season in the NFL his Head Coach will be Jim Harbaugh.

 

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Giants have to add playmakers for their passing game whoever the Quarterback is. They have spent day two picks on Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt the last two years but so far the contributions have been modest. They need a legit #1 threat. Nabers can be used the way Brian Daboll used Stefon Diggs in Buffalo.

 

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt – Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

As I said in version 1.0 the Titans tried to get by with Andre Dillard at left tackle in 2023 and it was a predictable car crash.  This season is all about evaluating Will Levis for new Head Coach Brian Callahan and that starts with giving him protection. Callahan Snr is coaching the offensive line and will love working with Alt who is a mean, nasty plug and play left tackle.

 

8. TRADE!! Arizona Cardinals – Rome Odunze – Wide Receiver, Washington (Arizona gets #8 – 1400 value; Atlanta gets #11, #90 & #186 – 1407 value)

We saw the Cardinals do this last year, when they traded back from #3 to #12 and then up again from #12 to #6. I think they want to sell #4 but also want to still snag one of the top 3 receivers which means getting ahead of the Bears and Jets. Odunze is an immediate upgrade for them.

 

9. Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner – EDGE, Alabama

The Bears traded for Montez Sweat mid-season and it paid off - his 6 sacks in 9 games led the team. However, the fact that someone who only joined at the trade deadline led the team in sacks is a concern in itself. Turner had 10 sacks for the Crimson Tide last year and adds some juice to that unit.

 

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers – Tight End, Georgia

I had Bowers here in version 1.0 because the top two tackles were off the board. Since then the Jets have attacked their offensive line in free agency leaving them free to take Bowers here as an offensive match up weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

 

11. (From Minnesota via ARZ) Atlanta Falcons – Jared Verse – EDGE, Florida State

Having addressed Quarterback with Kirk Cousins the Falcons are the favourite to win the NFC South. However, they still have a need for additional pass rusher help. 37-year-old Calais Campbell led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2023, he is a free agent and hasn’t been replaced.

 

12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix – Quarterback, Oregon

The Broncos are in a horrible spot. They have to get a QB (Jarret Stidham and Ben DiNucci are all that’s on the roster). They don’t have the capital to compete with other teams who might trade up; they don’t have a second rounder and can’t wait and hope to get one in round three and they can’t even trade back to maximise value because the Raiders, another Quarterback needy team, are right behind them at #13. I feel like they have to pick Best Quarterback Available at #12 and the consensus is that will be Bo Nix.

 

13. Las Vegas Raiders – Terrion Arnold – Cornerback, Alabama

The Raiders roster is pretty bad. They could go almost any direction at this spot and there isn’t a single pick here that would surprised me. It could come down to interior defensive line or corner and I think that ultimately their need in the secondary is even greater.

 

14. New Orleans Saints – Olu Fashanu – Offensive Tackle, Penn State

The noises from inside the building sound like the Saints are done with 2022 first round pick Trevor Penning and now we learn that right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s could miss the season with a degenerative knee condition. Fashanu would be an immediate starter at left tackle.

 

15. Indianapolis Colts – Quinyon Mitchell – Cornerback, Toledo

The Colts have a solid roster and have been quiet in free agency. But one obvious hole is at corner where return specialist Dallis Flowers, with five career starts to his name, is top of the depth chart opposite second-year man JuJu Brents. Mitchell is trending towards being CB1 and is a great scheme fit.

 

16. Seattle Seahawks – Troy Fautanu – Offensive Tackle, Washington

I list Fautanu as a tackle but it is likely the Seahwaks would see him at guard where the interior offensive line needs significant work. This is becoming a popular mock choice not least because Fautanu’s college Offensive Coordinator, Ryan Grubb, now occupies the same position in Seattle.

 

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Thomas Jnr – Wide Receiver, LSU

The Jags added Devin Duvernay and Gabe Davis to Christian Kirk in their receiver room during free agency, but Calvin Ridley moved on. If Quinyon Mitchell or Arnold were here I might have gone corner but, in their absence, a big, fast, athletic freak of a receiver feels on brand for GM Trent Baalke.

 

18. Cincinnati Bengals – JC Latham – Offensive Tackle, Alabama

Corner and receiver are possibilities (especially if they were to trade away Tee Higgins) but I still think the achilles heel of this team is their offensive line, especially with an injury prone Quarterback. They need a right tackle and they like bigger guys so Lathan fits the bill.

 

19. TRADE!! Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims – Offensive Tackle, Georgia (Dallas gets #19 & #196 – 888 value; Los Angeles gets #24 & #87 – 895 value)

If this was a no-trade draft then Amarius Mims to the Steelers at #20 would be as close to a lock as it gets. They appear to have really focussed in on him for some time. However, another team that appear to love his skillset is the Cowboys and they showed when drafting Tyler Smith out of Tulsa two years ago that they are willing to take a risk on raw talent up front. Mims either starts in place of the departed Tyron Smith at left tackle and lets Tyler stay at guard or is an immediate upgrade on the right side.

 

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – Taliese Fuaga – Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

Pittsburgh drafted Broderick Jones last year and started him at right tackle as a rookie but they have one of the worst starting left tackle in the NFL. The plan is surely to switch Jones to the left in 2024 which would create a hole at right tackle that Fuaga would fill.

 

21. Miami Dolphins – Xavier Worthy – Wide Receiver, Texas

This is my wildcard. We know Mike McDonald loves speed on offense and while this feels like a luxury pick given their defensive needs and the fact they have Hill and Waddle already, good luck to the defensive coordinator trying to cover all three of them.

 

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Cooper DeJean – Cornerback, Iowa

The Eagles secondary is a series of question marks. Veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry struggled in 2023, Kelee Ringo made little impression as a rookie and their safeties were bad. They have brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson from Detroit but DeJean is a versatile playmaker who could become a mainstay on the back end.

 

23. (From Cleveland via HOU and MIN) Arizona Cardinals – Jackson Powers-Johnson – Center, Oregon

The Cardinals would have three firsts in this scenario which might give them the freedom to invest in the center position where they have long since had a hole. Powers-Johnson had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl and vaulted himself right into day 1 contention.

 

24. (From Dallas) Los Angeles Rams – Byron Murphy II – Defensive Tackle, Texas

The Rams didn’t just lose a defensive tackle when Aaron Donald retired, they lost probably the greatest player in franchise history. While it is unfair to ask any rookie to come in and replace that level of impact Murphy is a good penetrative defensive tackle who will replace some of the pass rush juice they have lost.

 

25. TRADE!! Kansas City Chiefs – Jordan Morgan – Offensive Tackle, Arizona (Kansas City gets #25 – 720 value; Green Bay gets #32 & #95 – 710 value)

The Chiefs come up the board, but it is not for a wide receiver. They have tried the vet route to fix the left tackle spot, trading for Orlando Brown and signing a Superbowl winner in Donovan Smith. It might be time to draft a long term answer and Morgan is an out and out left tackle who excels as a pass blocker. He could lock down Mahomes’ blindside for a decade.

 

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Laiatu Latu – EDGE, UCLA

Latu is my #1 edge rusher in the class but the health concerns are likely to push him down the board. I have heard the Packers (who originally have the pick before this one) and the Buccs linked to him frequently so I feel like this is the range he comes off the board.  The Buccs lost Shaq Barrett in free agency so have a need.

 

27. Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson – EDGE, Penn State

This is a pick I’m leaving unchanged from version 1.0. In a world where the Cardinals have just the two first rounders unlike the three they end up with in this mock it is clear to me that they have to get a wide receiver and a pass rusher. Chop is raw, but his ceiling is high.

 

28. Buffalo Bills – Adonai Mitchell – Wide Receiver, Texas

I can see a scenario where the Bills move from this spot, either up or down. But if they stay here I still think it will be a receiver. Mitchell’s tape is not as impressive as his combine numbers but the physical talent is obviously there. If the consistency in his play can follow he has true WR1 potential.

 

29. Detroit Lions – Jer’Zhan Newton – Defensive Tackle, Illinois

This would be the steal of round one. I have a top 10 grade on Newton but possibly because he didn’t work out at the combine with injury or because he is from unfashionable Illinois he hasn’t had the buzz his talent deserves. The Lions have Alim McNeill and DJ Reader at defensive tackle, but they are both really 1 techs. Here is the interior penetrating 3 tech they require.

 

30. Baltimore Ravens – Graham Barton – Guard, Duke

The Ravens lost both starting guards in free agency – Zeitler to the Lions and Simpson to the Jets. They did draft Andrew Vorhees last year in round seven despite his ACL tear at the combine and he might step into one spot. Barton can arguably play all five spots on the line but would start at guard.

 

31. San Francisco 49ers – Tyler Guyton – Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

I had Mims here in version 1.0 but this time it is Guyton who slides to San Francisco. The 49ers lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey in free agency last year and Guyton would presumably start there as a rookie but he might even be a long term in-house replacement for Trent Williams.

 

32. (From Kansas City) Green Bay Packers – Nate Wiggins – Cornerback, Clemson

Green Bay have only spent one of their last thirteen first round picks on offense and that was when they drafted Jordan Love. No team has spent more recent first round capital on defensive backs, with five in the last decade. They have a need there again with the Jaire Alexander situation looking dicey and a hole opposite him.

Penix envy?  Most draft gurus projecting him to go first round after his pro day! 

Edited March 29 by TheWeatherMan

[SoCal Deek]

Very well done Gunner and much better descriptions than you get from most ‘professional’ pundits. 
 

Question: Which present or former Bills WR would you most closely compare Mitchell to? 

[frostbitmic]

I like the Mitchell pick to the Bills, at least he hasn't shrunk two inches like Franklin and Legette.

 

I see a lot of people that want Newton @28 but the Bills are already paying Oliver as the 3tech and drafting another 3tech in the first to play maybe 1/3 of snaps probably isn't the best idea. I think Newton will be long gone before #28 anyways.

[nosejob]

If I'm BB, I'M trading a 4th to TB and grabbing Latu.  If it weren't for the injury history...prior to 2 years of being the best DE in the country, he'd be a top 10 pick.

There's no DE even in the same ballpark. Diggs may have a pro bowl year and be back in 25. Miller won't. Latu would be a steal.

 

I could live with McConkey and Walker. Combining Latu with Groot and A.J while learning from Von...yum.

Edited March 29 by nosejob

[Coach Tuesday]

After yesterday I think Penix goes before Nix.  Much higher ceiling IMO.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

If my biggest gripe with a mock draft is using “Jnr” and “Snr” instead of “Jr” and “Sr”, then you did a good job. 
 

Would absolutely hate Worthy to Miami.

[RyanC883]

I think we take Newton over Mitchell.   WRs like Polk from UW or Burton from Alabama may be available in Rd 2. 

[Kirby Jackson]

Great work as always @GunnerBill. A few things, I can’t see Nix at 12. Denver may sell that pick off and go back. If he’s there at that point, fine. They could look at Penix too. It’s kind of like when the Bills took EJ. They had to get a QB but wanted more value so they went back.

 

I think Quinyon Mitchell will be the first CB off the board. 
 

I have been hesitant on AD Mitchell to the Bills because of effort and consistency concerns. Legette or McConkey feel like the targets (for different reasons). 
 

Overall, great job and logic.

Edited March 29 by Kirby Jackson

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, TheWeatherMan said:

Penix envy?  Most draft gurus projecting him to go first round after his pro day! 

 

He certainly could, but in reality 6 QBs in the first feels a lot. But there is still the Giants and Raiders there who I don't have taking one who could.

24 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

After yesterday I think Penix goes before Nix.  Much higher ceiling IMO.

 

Possible for sure. I have Penix as QB3 in my indicative grading but based on what people have been saying I think he is seen as a day 2 guy generally.

[CNYfan]

I am hoping Penix will be there at 28.  Maybe get a good price for the pick.