The Mock of All Mocks

So let me first disclaim that I don’t have any sources, or know any anonymous scouts or high level executives in the NFL. You see I’m an analytical type of guy that loves football. I use many different resources to help me formulate my mock drafts. I look at team depth charts, offensive/defensive schemes, prospect visits, past trends, and of course the latest rumor mills. And still despite all of this work, I would be thrilled if I were to get 7 out of 32 picks correct a long with hitting on 27 out of 32 first rounders. So I guess what I’m saying is, here goes nothing...

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1. Arizona Cardinals -Kyler Murray, QB-Oklahoma: The first pick of this draft is the perfect example of mock drafts are what I think teams will do, not what I would do. Instead of drafting the best player in the draft, Nick Bosa, the Cardinals elect to excite the fan base with a new signal caller for the second year in a row. Don’t believe the latest reports that Arizona hasn’t made up their minds yet. They are playing coy, trying to get the Niners to trade up for Bosa so they could get some extra picks as well as their main target, Murray.
2. San Francisco 49ers - Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State: For the 15th year in a row the Niners draft a defensive lineman, but this time they finally get it right. With the newly acquired Dee Ford at the LEO position for San Francisco, Bosa will fit in perfectly as the right defensive end. And with this pick John Lynch might have just saved his job.
3. New York Jets - Ed Oliver, DT, Houston: It is no secret that the Jets would love to trade out of this pick and could possibly have a trade partner with the Washington Redskins. If they do trade back with the Redskins look for the Jets to draft a corner like Byron Murphy. But for now we will give New York Oliver. Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had the pleasure of coaching Aaron Donald back when he was with the Rams and now will have the opportunity to teach the player that has been mostly compared to Donald in Ed Oliver
4. Oakland Raiders - Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama: The Jets might owe Gruden and Mayock a thank you card with the smoke that is coming out of Oakland. So let me get this straight, Gruden and Mayock sent home all of their scouts this previous weekend because they feared leaks would get out and then a couple of days later there are talks of the Raiders making a surpsise pick at 4, which many are claiming it will be Haskins? What is really going on is the Raiders want a QB needy team to trade in front of them so they could get their guy, Ed Oliver. In this scenario that doesn’t happen, so Oakland is still more than happy to “settle” for the former Alabama standout.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Devin White, LB, LSU: Tampa could be tempted to add Josh Allen here but ultimately choose the player that is ranked third on their board. Tampa is transitioning to a 3-4 and will need a MLB to replace Kwon Alexander.
6. New York Giants - Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky: Giants GM, Dave Gettlemen is obsessed with building the trenches. New York traded away Olivier Vernon and now have a huge hole at the edge rusher position. Allen is coming off a fantastic year where he collected 17 sacks; hole filled.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida: I was torn here. No, I don’t think one of the Iowa tight ends go here, instead I was between Taylor and Jonah Williams, OT, from Alabama. The Jaguars go with Taylor because he is a natural right tackle, a position they badly need upgraded.
8. Detroit Lions - Noah Fant, TE, Iowa: So I don’t think the Lions will be picking here. I believe they will trade down to one of the QB needy teams (Washington or New York Giants). And after they trade down they will select Fant. It has been known the Lions are looking for a playmaker at the tight end position and let’s face it, the newly acquired Jesse James is not it. Fant will help fill the void of the departed Golden Tate.
9. Buffalo Bills - Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama: Ed Oliver would be the apple of the Bills eye, but he has risen up draft boards the last couple of weeks that there is no shot he makes it here. So instead, Buffalo continues to build around Josh Allen and add a dominant offensive lineman to protect their “promising” QB. Fun fact, Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, was the co offensive coordinator for Alabama back in 2017 when Jonah was a starting offensive tackle for the Crimson Tide; so there is some familiarity with Williams.
10. Denver Broncos - Devin Bush, LB, Michigan: New Broncos head coach, Vic Fangio highly covets the inside linebacker position and currently Denver does not have a Roquan Smith-like linebacker on the team. If Devin White is here he is the pick, but he is not so Fangio selects the other Devin.
11. Houston Texans - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington ***TRADE WITH CINCINNATI BENGALS***: Since February I always thought that no matter what, some how some way, Andre Dillard was going to end up a Texan. Houston has two second round picks so they have plenty of ammo to move up to finally get a capable blocker for their star quarterback.
12. Green Bay Packers - T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa: The Packers have lost a lot of players at the skill position over the years (Jordy, Cobb, Lacy) and it finally showed this past year. Rodgers did the best with what he had but it is time to re load on the offensive side to give A-Aron some much needed weapons.
13. Miami Dolphins - Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State: Make a list of all of the positions a team has, now while blindfolded, throw a dart at that list, and that is the position the Dolphins need to upgrade. Miami hired former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores whose primary focus this draft will to fortify the defense. Long time Dolphins defensieve end, Cameron Wake, left this off season to join the Tennessee Titans which leaves a huge void at the edge position. Sweat is an athletic freak and no one has done more research on him than the Dolphins as they have met with him at the combine, his pro day, and also had a private work out. I have to believe they are fine with the recent news regarding his heart ailment.
14. Atlanta Falcons - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson: You can rest assure, if the Falcons are selecting a defensive lineman in the first round then most likely that lineman will come from Clemson (Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett). Atlanta is still looking to generate pressure with their front four and it has been known they are looking at the defensive tackle position in this years first round. If Wilkins is off the board, then don’t be shocked they look at his former teammate, Dexter Lawrence, as they have met with him numerous times during this process.
15. Washington Redskins - Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State: Warning! This is not a drill. Redskins GM, Daniel Synder has taken over Washington’s draft room! Last time that happened he mortgaged the farm to select RG III. I dont know how the Skins get Haskins, but you can best believe Synder will trade up to get his QB of the future, for the third time now.
16. Carolina Panthers - Brian Burns, DE, Florida State: The Panthers would love if one of the top offensive tackles falls to them at 16. Unfortunately, they don’t, so Carolina goes with plan B, replace the production left behind from the recently retired Julius Peppers.
17. New York Giants - Daniel Jones, QB, Duke: Hey Giants fans, remember all of those years when you guys were pounding your chest after Eli “lead” your team to 2 Super Bowl victories. Well good news, you guys will probably trade up in this years draft to select his carbon copy. So that means you will have a 15 year starter who will be mediocre his entire career but somehow gets carried by his defense to victories.
18. Minnesota Vikings - Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma: This one was easy. Well sorta. The Vikings are definitely selecting an offensive lineman. But the question is will it be Ford or NC State’s Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury fits the Kubiak scheme and what he looks for in an offensive lineman. But Ford is the better prospect. I went with Ford for that reason and in addition to hearing Minnesota’s coach Zimmer say this offseason they need to get tougher and nastier, that is what Ford brings to the table.
19. Tennessee Titans - Rashan Gary, DE, Michigan: Gary’s slide stops here. Gary has some question marks, like a hurt shoulder, and limited production in college, but he is an athletic freak who Titans coach Mike Vrabel can unleash up and down the defensive line. The signing of Cameron Wake gives the Titans some insurance if Gary has to miss anytime this year. Still think this is to early for Gary and that shoulder? Let’s not forget this is right around the same area where the Bills selected Shaq Lawson and his bum shoulder in the 2016 draft and Lawson wasn’t half the athlete Gary is.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple: The Steelers certainly have a type when it comes to the cornerback position. They love the physical, in your face, press man cornerback and none are more physical in this years draft than Ya-Sin. Apparently Tomlin is enamored with the physicality of Ya-Sin’s game as it reminds him of Ike Taylor.
21. Seattle Seahawks- Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson: Seattle traded away their top edge rusher and replace him with a defensive end who had 21 sacks on a dominant defense in college.
22. Baltimore Ravens - Garrett Bradbury, C/G, NC State: The Ravens would LOVE if an edge rusher would fall to them at 22.. Look for them to trade down if none are available to gain more picks. The selection of Bradbury will help fortify the offensive line making it one of the most dominant in the NFL for their newly designed rushing attack.
23. Cincinnati Bengals - Drew Lock, QB, Missouri ***TRADE WITH HOUSTON***: I don’t believe the Bengals will select a QB in the draft in the first round... unless they were to trade down, obtain some extra picks, and one of the top QBs in the draft are still on the board. This is that scenario. Can’t tell me the Bengals are sold on Dalton and if Lock is still on the board at 23, it will be hard for Cincinnati’s new offensive minded coach to get a guy he likes over someone he inherited.
24. Oakland Raiders - Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama: Beastmode just retired, leaving Isaiah Crowell as the only competent running back on the team. Rumors are the Raiders are all in on Jacobs, and I believe them as Jacobs comes across as a Mike Mayock type of player.
25. Philadelphia Eagles - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State: This is a shrewd move the Eagles would make. Here they have Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson in the middle of their defense so the need isn’t huge. However, they go best player available because they could afford Simmons sitting for a year with his ACL injury because of the aforementioned players already starting at the defensive tackle position. This is exactly what they did when they drafted Sidney Jones back in 2017.
26. Indianapolis Colts - Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson: Colts need some beef in the middle of their revamped defense. Adding Lawrence to a line that already has Houston, Sheard, and Hunt will change the perception of the soft Colts defense.
27. Oakland Raiders - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington: The Raiders are fortunate enough to have one of the best cornerbacks in this draft to improve their weak secondary.
28. Los Angeles Chargers - Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State: I was back and forth on this one between Risner and Jerry Tillery. I flipped a coin it Risner was the choice. The Chargers love players who participate in the Senior Bowl as they have selected a player who played in the bowl over the last couple of years. Also, Tillery would fill a huge need for the Chargers but he isn’t the squeeky clean prospect they go after as he has had multiple incidents during his tenure at Notre Dame. I’m ok with this pick even though it is somewhat of a reach. As long as the selection is not a former offensive tackle who played in the state of Washington who should remain nameless so I don’t jinx Chargers fans, then I am good.
29. Seattle Seahawks - Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida: With their second first round pick of the draft the Seahawks bolster their secondary and upgrade the free safety position void left behind by Earl Thomas. Seattle has met with Gardner-Johnson multiple times during this draft process so the interest is definitely there.
30. Green Bay Packers - Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma: Green Bay double dips at the skill position and add a speedster something they haven’t had since a young, healthy Randal Cobb.
31. Los Angeles Rams - Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State: The Rams would love if Bradbury fell here to upgrade the middle of their offensive line but he is long gone. So the Rams look to replace the departing Mark Barron with the hard hitting Abram where he will be their strong safety and nickel linebacker.
32. New England Patriots - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU: Tillery will fill a bigger need for the Patriots as they lost two defensive tackles this off season but the Patriots don’t draft for needs, they draft the best player available. I also thought this would be ironic, pairing up a player who is not good at tackling with a coach who is obsessed fundamentals such as tackling. Belicheck is going to whip Williams into shape.