With yesterday being declaration day for underclassmen, I figured this would be a good time to update the mock draft again. First round only.
1.Houston Texans-Teddy Bridgewater QB, Louisville Honestly, until I hear that the Texans aren't interested or another name selected to me the pick is Teddy Bridgewater. While he's not at the Andrew Luck level, Teddy is still a pretty damn good prospect. While he has to get bigger, Teddy was developed nicely under Shawn Watson and has experience with presnap reads and audibles. Big parts of the Bill O'Brien offense.
2.TRADE: Atlanta Falcons-Jadaveon Clowney DE, South Carolina I don't normally project trades, but I have a feeling that this will happen. Atlanta had no pass rush this season (unless it was against us). Could they use OL? Sure, but pass rush is by far their biggest need. Clowney has some questions he needs to answer attitude wise, but physically he's one of the more impressive prospects you will see.
3.Jacksonville Jaguars-Blake Bortles QB, UCF Arguably the fastest rising player in the draft. Jacksonville didn't draft a QB last year, and with Blaine Gabbert being injured again (and sucking) the Jags have an excuse to gamble. Though I won't be surprised if the Jags gamble on a certain other QB because he fits their offense.
4.Cleveland Browns-Johnny Manziel QB, Texas A&M I'd be absolutely SHOCKED if Johnny Football is not a Brown next season as both Michael Lombardi and Jimmy Haslem are in love with him. While Johnny does have some question marks physically (and mature wise) I can't think of a better place for him to go. The Browns need a reason to be excited.
5.Oakland Raiders-Sammy Watkins WR, Clemson QB is a strong possibility, but in truth, the Raiders need everything. While neither Terrelle Pryor or Matt McGloin were good, they both showed flashes of being ok. The Raiders IMO need a consistent playmaker more than anything so Watkins gets the nod.
6.TRADE: St. Louis Rams-Jake Matthews OT, Texas A&M Boy that RG3 trade is looking great right now isn't it? Roger Saffold is a free agent, and it sounds like he wants to test the market (and play LT) while Jake Long tore his ACL late in the season (and as we know he hasn't been a prime example of health either). Not only can Matthews play both tackle positions but his dad and Jeff Fisher have a long history together in Tennessee.
7.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Khalil Mack DE/OLB, Buffalo Probably not the greatest fit in the world for Lovie Smith's defense, but arguably the best player. Tampa's biggest need is pass rush, and Mack can do it just as well as anybody in the draft. A bit disappointed though he chose not to play in the Senior Bowl.
8.Minnesota Vikings-Derrick Carr QB, Fresno State The little Carr was riding sky high on most boards with an amazing senior season... then he laid an egg in his bowl game. He has a chance to rise his stock again, and with the Vikings having a bit of a hole at QB, I keep him in the top 10 for now.
9.Buffalo Bills-Greg Robinson OT, Auburn Not the biggest need, but it is a need non the less. I think Cordy Glenn is a better guard than tackle, and despite being a great run blocking team, pass blocking was inconsistent. Robinson has seen his stock rise a lot with an amazing season, and could pass Jake Matthews as the to OT on the board.
10.Detroit Lions-Mike Evans WR, Texas A&M Detroit could go a number of ways. Why do I go WR here? Because the offense really struggled at times with a lack of a number 2 option to Megatron. Jim Caldwell also has a lot of years in the Colts organization where the idea was to continuously get Manning weapons. I go Evans due to his big frame and Caldwell showing a liking for big WRs while in Baltimore.
11.Tennessee Titans-Anthony Barr DE/OLB, UCLA The Titans can go a few different directions but their pass rush was pretty bad this past season, and Barr would be a steal at 11. Corner is also a need.
12.New York Giants-Taylor Lewan OT, Michigan Will Beaty got injured the final week of the season, and Justin Pugh is probably not a LT in the pros. Lewan slips a bit not because of his play, but because of Robinson rising. Lewan is a very good prospect in his own right.
13.St. Louis Rams- Haha Clinton-Dix S, Alabama Biggest need for the Rams is arguably safety and Clinton-Dix is arguably the best safety in the draft. Corner could be another need.
14.Chicago Bears- Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota The Bears had the worst rush defense in the league. Henry Melton returning should help but you never know how he'll respond after a torn ACL. Hageman probably fits the Bears defense the best out of the DTs.
15.Pittsburgh Steelers- CJ Mosley ILB, Alabama The Steelers have to get younger on defense, and Mosley is the best player available. The Steelers will always draft a player that falls to them. With Larry Foote's age Mosley makes a lot of sense as well.
16.Dallas Cowboys-Louis Nix DT, Notre Dame The Dallas defense couldn't stop anybody. Nix can do a lot of things that a man his size shouldn't be able to do. Could go a lot higher, so a steal here.
17.Baltimore Ravens-Marquise Lee WR, USC The Ravens missed Anquan Boldin early in the season, but started to rally late with Marlon Brown emerging as a solid option in the red zone. They still need a more effective threat for the short to mid passing game to compliment Torrey Smith.
18.New York Jets- Eric Ebron TE, North Carolina The Jets need weapons. While there are a few WRs that would be appealing, TE is a young QB's best friend. Now I wait for people to kill me for giving the Jets a good player.
19.Miami Dolphins- Zack Martin OT/OG, Notre Dame I've really warmed up to this pick quite a bit as Martin has been on a tear this year (even being named the MVP of Notre Dame's bowl game). Great fit to the Zone Blocking Scheme we run, and should be a good starter somewhere on the line.
20.Arizona Cardinals-Antonio Richardson OT, Tennessee Surprising season from the Cards and Carson Palmer. While I think a QB could be a possibility, there's no denying that the OL still needs upgrades. Jon Cooper missed his rookie season and should help. You either love Tiny Richardson or you hate him. I think Bruce Arians will be willing to take a gamble on him.
21.Green Bay Packers-Darqueze Dennard CB, Michigan State Simply put, this would be a steal. Dennard IMO is a top 15 player but needs push him down. This isn't even the Packers' biggest need, but I think it would be too hard to pass him up.
22.Philadelphia Eagles: Kony Ealy DE/OLB, Missouri The Eagles have a lot of solid pass rushers but no great pass rusher. Ealy had a great season for a surprising SEC team.
23.Kansas City Chiefs-Jace Amaro TE, Texas Tech The Chiefs had a lot of injuries at TE and really lack a gamechanger there. Getting a big target like Amaro for Alex Smith could help catapult the Chiefs to the next level.
24.Cincinnati Bengals-Calvin Pryor S, Louisville The Bengals have been living dangerously with a bunch of bad safeties in recent years. Pryor isn't getting a lot of love right now, but some rumblings point to teams liking him even more than Clinton-Dix. He's a name worth monitoring.
25.San Diego Chargers-Justin Gilbert CB, Oklahoma State Corner is by far the Chargers' biggest need. Derrick Cox was a free agent bust that was consistently benched for his poor play. Gilbert, much like Dennard, gets pushed down due to team need. But if I'm San Diego I ran to the podium with the card.
26.Cleveland Browns-Kelvin Benjamin WR, Florida State Josh Gordon had an All-Pro year this year, and Jordan Cameron was a pro bowler as a TE, but the Browns have no other weapons. If the Browns are going to get Johnny Football and they can't get his favorite weapon from college, they might as well get another big target on the outside for him.
27.New Orleans Saints- Ryan Shazier LB, Ohio State Not a great fit for a 3-4, but good value. The Saints defense greatly improved from last year, but they need to get faster at LB. Curtis Lofton is good but he's not a cover LB, Jon Vilma is older and injured, and David Hawthorne is nothing special.
28.Carolina Panthers-Allen Robinson WR, Penn State Steve Smith is the only consistent WR the Panthers have and he's not exactly young. Allen Robinson had 2 amazing seasons at Penn State and proved to be a go-to guy. With good size, and good YAC ability, he makes a lot of sense for the Panthers (especially with Ted Ginn being a FA). Corner is another need.
29.New England Patriots-Stephon Truitt DE/DT, Notre Dame THe Patriots have one of the worst run defenses in the league and even when healthy, Vince Wilfork is not a young man. Truitt is a great run defender that can also add a bit of a pass rush.
30.San Francisco 49ers-Jason Verrett CB, TCU If the 9ers have one weakness it's at Corner. Carlos Rodgers has declined quite a bit, and Terrell Brown and Trumaine Brock are nothing to write home about. This is also a pick so Silver won't whine about Verrett not being a first round pick. Even still, Verrett does deserve to be a first round pick.
31.Denver Broncos-Bradley Roby CB, Ohio State Chris Harris tore his ACL in the AFC Championship game but was nothing special even before that, while Champ Bailey and Quinton Jammer are beginning to show their age. Roby talent wise is arguably the best CB in the draft, but he had a very disappointing junior season. Still, he's worth a gamble.
32.Seattle Seahawks-Jarvis Landry WR, LSU Both Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin are free agents. Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice cannot stay healthy. Even if all of those guys are back and healthy, the Seahawks still lack explosiveness in the passing game.
1.Houston Texans-Teddy Bridgewater QB, Louisville Honestly, until I hear that the Texans aren't interested or another name selected to me the pick is Teddy Bridgewater. While he's not at the Andrew Luck level, Teddy is still a pretty damn good prospect. While he has to get bigger, Teddy was developed nicely under Shawn Watson and has experience with presnap reads and audibles. Big parts of the Bill O'Brien offense.
2.TRADE: Atlanta Falcons-Jadaveon Clowney DE, South Carolina I don't normally project trades, but I have a feeling that this will happen. Atlanta had no pass rush this season (unless it was against us). Could they use OL? Sure, but pass rush is by far their biggest need. Clowney has some questions he needs to answer attitude wise, but physically he's one of the more impressive prospects you will see.
3.Jacksonville Jaguars-Blake Bortles QB, UCF Arguably the fastest rising player in the draft. Jacksonville didn't draft a QB last year, and with Blaine Gabbert being injured again (and sucking) the Jags have an excuse to gamble. Though I won't be surprised if the Jags gamble on a certain other QB because he fits their offense.
4.Cleveland Browns-Johnny Manziel QB, Texas A&M I'd be absolutely SHOCKED if Johnny Football is not a Brown next season as both Michael Lombardi and Jimmy Haslem are in love with him. While Johnny does have some question marks physically (and mature wise) I can't think of a better place for him to go. The Browns need a reason to be excited.
5.Oakland Raiders-Sammy Watkins WR, Clemson QB is a strong possibility, but in truth, the Raiders need everything. While neither Terrelle Pryor or Matt McGloin were good, they both showed flashes of being ok. The Raiders IMO need a consistent playmaker more than anything so Watkins gets the nod.
6.TRADE: St. Louis Rams-Jake Matthews OT, Texas A&M Boy that RG3 trade is looking great right now isn't it? Roger Saffold is a free agent, and it sounds like he wants to test the market (and play LT) while Jake Long tore his ACL late in the season (and as we know he hasn't been a prime example of health either). Not only can Matthews play both tackle positions but his dad and Jeff Fisher have a long history together in Tennessee.
7.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Khalil Mack DE/OLB, Buffalo Probably not the greatest fit in the world for Lovie Smith's defense, but arguably the best player. Tampa's biggest need is pass rush, and Mack can do it just as well as anybody in the draft. A bit disappointed though he chose not to play in the Senior Bowl.
8.Minnesota Vikings-Derrick Carr QB, Fresno State The little Carr was riding sky high on most boards with an amazing senior season... then he laid an egg in his bowl game. He has a chance to rise his stock again, and with the Vikings having a bit of a hole at QB, I keep him in the top 10 for now.
9.Buffalo Bills-Greg Robinson OT, Auburn Not the biggest need, but it is a need non the less. I think Cordy Glenn is a better guard than tackle, and despite being a great run blocking team, pass blocking was inconsistent. Robinson has seen his stock rise a lot with an amazing season, and could pass Jake Matthews as the to OT on the board.
10.Detroit Lions-Mike Evans WR, Texas A&M Detroit could go a number of ways. Why do I go WR here? Because the offense really struggled at times with a lack of a number 2 option to Megatron. Jim Caldwell also has a lot of years in the Colts organization where the idea was to continuously get Manning weapons. I go Evans due to his big frame and Caldwell showing a liking for big WRs while in Baltimore.
11.Tennessee Titans-Anthony Barr DE/OLB, UCLA The Titans can go a few different directions but their pass rush was pretty bad this past season, and Barr would be a steal at 11. Corner is also a need.
12.New York Giants-Taylor Lewan OT, Michigan Will Beaty got injured the final week of the season, and Justin Pugh is probably not a LT in the pros. Lewan slips a bit not because of his play, but because of Robinson rising. Lewan is a very good prospect in his own right.
13.St. Louis Rams- Haha Clinton-Dix S, Alabama Biggest need for the Rams is arguably safety and Clinton-Dix is arguably the best safety in the draft. Corner could be another need.
14.Chicago Bears- Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota The Bears had the worst rush defense in the league. Henry Melton returning should help but you never know how he'll respond after a torn ACL. Hageman probably fits the Bears defense the best out of the DTs.
15.Pittsburgh Steelers- CJ Mosley ILB, Alabama The Steelers have to get younger on defense, and Mosley is the best player available. The Steelers will always draft a player that falls to them. With Larry Foote's age Mosley makes a lot of sense as well.
16.Dallas Cowboys-Louis Nix DT, Notre Dame The Dallas defense couldn't stop anybody. Nix can do a lot of things that a man his size shouldn't be able to do. Could go a lot higher, so a steal here.
17.Baltimore Ravens-Marquise Lee WR, USC The Ravens missed Anquan Boldin early in the season, but started to rally late with Marlon Brown emerging as a solid option in the red zone. They still need a more effective threat for the short to mid passing game to compliment Torrey Smith.
18.New York Jets- Eric Ebron TE, North Carolina The Jets need weapons. While there are a few WRs that would be appealing, TE is a young QB's best friend. Now I wait for people to kill me for giving the Jets a good player.
19.Miami Dolphins- Zack Martin OT/OG, Notre Dame I've really warmed up to this pick quite a bit as Martin has been on a tear this year (even being named the MVP of Notre Dame's bowl game). Great fit to the Zone Blocking Scheme we run, and should be a good starter somewhere on the line.
20.Arizona Cardinals-Antonio Richardson OT, Tennessee Surprising season from the Cards and Carson Palmer. While I think a QB could be a possibility, there's no denying that the OL still needs upgrades. Jon Cooper missed his rookie season and should help. You either love Tiny Richardson or you hate him. I think Bruce Arians will be willing to take a gamble on him.
21.Green Bay Packers-Darqueze Dennard CB, Michigan State Simply put, this would be a steal. Dennard IMO is a top 15 player but needs push him down. This isn't even the Packers' biggest need, but I think it would be too hard to pass him up.
22.Philadelphia Eagles: Kony Ealy DE/OLB, Missouri The Eagles have a lot of solid pass rushers but no great pass rusher. Ealy had a great season for a surprising SEC team.
23.Kansas City Chiefs-Jace Amaro TE, Texas Tech The Chiefs had a lot of injuries at TE and really lack a gamechanger there. Getting a big target like Amaro for Alex Smith could help catapult the Chiefs to the next level.
24.Cincinnati Bengals-Calvin Pryor S, Louisville The Bengals have been living dangerously with a bunch of bad safeties in recent years. Pryor isn't getting a lot of love right now, but some rumblings point to teams liking him even more than Clinton-Dix. He's a name worth monitoring.
25.San Diego Chargers-Justin Gilbert CB, Oklahoma State Corner is by far the Chargers' biggest need. Derrick Cox was a free agent bust that was consistently benched for his poor play. Gilbert, much like Dennard, gets pushed down due to team need. But if I'm San Diego I ran to the podium with the card.
26.Cleveland Browns-Kelvin Benjamin WR, Florida State Josh Gordon had an All-Pro year this year, and Jordan Cameron was a pro bowler as a TE, but the Browns have no other weapons. If the Browns are going to get Johnny Football and they can't get his favorite weapon from college, they might as well get another big target on the outside for him.
27.New Orleans Saints- Ryan Shazier LB, Ohio State Not a great fit for a 3-4, but good value. The Saints defense greatly improved from last year, but they need to get faster at LB. Curtis Lofton is good but he's not a cover LB, Jon Vilma is older and injured, and David Hawthorne is nothing special.
28.Carolina Panthers-Allen Robinson WR, Penn State Steve Smith is the only consistent WR the Panthers have and he's not exactly young. Allen Robinson had 2 amazing seasons at Penn State and proved to be a go-to guy. With good size, and good YAC ability, he makes a lot of sense for the Panthers (especially with Ted Ginn being a FA). Corner is another need.
29.New England Patriots-Stephon Truitt DE/DT, Notre Dame THe Patriots have one of the worst run defenses in the league and even when healthy, Vince Wilfork is not a young man. Truitt is a great run defender that can also add a bit of a pass rush.
30.San Francisco 49ers-Jason Verrett CB, TCU If the 9ers have one weakness it's at Corner. Carlos Rodgers has declined quite a bit, and Terrell Brown and Trumaine Brock are nothing to write home about. This is also a pick so Silver won't whine about Verrett not being a first round pick. Even still, Verrett does deserve to be a first round pick.
31.Denver Broncos-Bradley Roby CB, Ohio State Chris Harris tore his ACL in the AFC Championship game but was nothing special even before that, while Champ Bailey and Quinton Jammer are beginning to show their age. Roby talent wise is arguably the best CB in the draft, but he had a very disappointing junior season. Still, he's worth a gamble.
32.Seattle Seahawks-Jarvis Landry WR, LSU Both Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin are free agents. Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice cannot stay healthy. Even if all of those guys are back and healthy, the Seahawks still lack explosiveness in the passing game.
