As we close in on the draft, it is that time for me to release my final Mock before the draft. As always this will be one round for the NFL and 7 for Miami. Keep in mind, I am also mocking based on the rumors that are all floating around. Some absolutely may be smoke screen but either way sometimes where there is smoke there is fire. Comments as always are welcome and much appreciated. I also encourage everybody to submit their own mock
1.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jameis Winston QB, Florida State This seems like a slam dunk pick. Reportedly the Bucs have been enamored with Winston since October. Bucs could surprise and go Mariota as some in the front office are not high on Winston's character, but I'd be shocked if he isn't the pick.
2.San Diego Chargers-Marcus Mariota QB, Oregon Doing something I never do and projecting a trade. Just too much smoke for me not to try this. Phillip Rivers has made it clear he doesn't want to go to LA with the Chargers, and will not sign an extension. The Chargers are in love with Mariota, and Rivers supposedly has said he'd be fine reuniting with Ken Wisenhunt in Tennessee. Still a long shot, but I do think that some team will be trading up for Mariota
3.Jacksonville Jaguars-Vic Beasley DE/OLB Clemson Leonard Williams is the best player available, but the Jags are in desperate need of an edge rusher. While early signs all pointed towards Dante Fowler, Beasley is gaining some traction. Gus Bradley reportedly sees a lot of what Seattle saw in Bruce Irvin with Beasley.
4.Oakland Raiders-Amari Cooper WR, Alabama Leonard Williams would be tempting but the Raiders are in desperate need of a playmaker on offense. There are some rumblings that the Raiders prefer Kevin White, but I think Cooper is the better fit.
5.Washington Redskins-Leonard Williams DE/DT, USC While getting an OLB to take pressure off of Ryan Kerrigan is a priority, Williams is by far the best player on the board and is probably already better than the guys the Redskins have to play DE right now. I won't compare Williams to JJ Watt, but I do think he could have a similar effect to their defense.
6.New York Jets-Dante Fowler JR DE, Florida There are rumblings of OL or Todd Gurley but the one thing the Jets are in desperate need of on defense is a pass rusher. Fowler is arguably the best guy available.
7.Chicago Bears-Kevin White WR, West Virgina The Bears are in love with Vic Beasley, but if he's gone they'll look for a replacement to Brandon Marshall.
8.Atlanta Falcons-Bud Dupree DE/OLB, Kentucky Two glaring needs for Atlanta pass rusher and OL. While the Falcons do like Brandon Scherff I think they'll try to upgrade the defense first. Dupree has seen his stock rise a lot in the lead up to the draft, and while he's not quite there as a pass rusher yet, he has the highest ceiling.
9.New York Giants-Brandon Scherff OL, Iowa The Giants are again a team that has pass rusher and OL on their watch list. Even Giant beatwriters are a little unsure of who the Giants like the most, but the guess is its Scherff.
10.St. Louis Rams-Andrus Peat OT, Stanford Reportedly the Rams were very disappointed with Greg Robinson last year and view him more as a guard or RT long term. While many have Ereck Flowers as the top LT prospect, word out of St. Louis is the Rams are in love with Peat.
11.Minnesota Vikings-Davante Parker WR, Louisville. If the draft falls this way the Vikings are either going Parker or Trae Waynes. I think the Teddy Bridgewater connection may be too much for the Vikes to pass up on. Besides Parker and Wallace on the outside with Patterson in the slot and Peterson in the backfield seems rather tempting.
12.Cleveland Browns-Danny Shelton NT, Washington There is talk of Shelton falling, which is possible. But the Browns need help on the DL, and Taylor makes the most sense.
13.New Orleans Saints- Trae Waynes CB, Michigan State The Saints need to upgrade the defense, and while Brandon Browner is a step in the right direction, CB is still a need.
14.Miami Dolphins-Todd Gurley RB, Georgia Long story short, I think Gurley is a huge risk, but based on how the draft falls, he's the best option. Can't argue that a healthy Gurley is the best RB prospect in a long time. If the draft falls like this, Miami is gonna either take Gurley or trade down. Even if I don't like taking an injured player early, even I have to admit that a healthy Gurley paired with Lamar Miller is tantalizing. If a good trade offer comes though don't be shocked by a trade down
15.San Francisco 49ers-Bershard Perriman WR, UCF San Fran is in desperate need of help in the passing game. Sounds like Perriman may be the guy.
16.Houston Texans-Jalen Strong WR, Arizona State Houston reportedly is in love with Gurley, and will trade down if they are able to, but they do need to get more weapons on offense with Andre Johnson gone. That guy seems to be Strong. Seems like a trade down to get the Arizona State WR is more likely.
17.Tennessee Titans-Shane Ray OLB/DE,Missouri Some teams have taken Ray off their boards due the belief he may need foot surgury, but if the Titans make the trade with the Chargers, I think they'll jump at the chance to take Ray.
18.Kansas City Chiefs-Nelson Agholar WR, USC KC is in an interesting position to get a good player to plug into a few positions of need. Even with signing Jeremy Maclin, WR is still a big need. Agholar's skill set is a great fit for Andy Reid's offense.
19.Cleveland Browns-Ereck Flowers OL, Miami I'm sure Cleveland would be disappointed to leave the first day of the draft without a WR, but they also have not hidden they want to upgrade the trenches. According to many, Flowers would be a steal here.
20.Philadelphia Eagles-Devin Smith WR, Ohio State The Eagles are now in need of a deep threat, and while Devin Smith is not a complete WR yet, he is the best deep WR in the draft.
21.Cincinatti Bengals-Malcolm Brown DT, Texas Bengals need a DT to play alongside Geno Atkins. Brown is best guy available.
22.Pittsburgh Steelers-Landon Collins S, Alabama Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are both long gone. While many don't see Collins as a well rounded safety, he makes a good addition to Pittsburgh's defense.
23.Detroit Lions-DJ Humphries OT, Florida Detroit needs to upgrade the OL. Humphries has seen his stock rise quite a bit in recent months.
24.Arizona Cardinals-Jordan Phillips NT, Oklahoma Arizona lost a very underrated piece to their defense in Dan Williams. Have to have an effective NT when playing a 3-4 defense.
25.Carolina Panthers-Kevin Johnson CB, Wake Forrest Carolina would not be happy if all the top WRs and OTs are off the board, but they also need a CB. Johnson plays with an attitude that is hard not to like and could go much higher.
26.Baltimore Ravens-Eddie Goldman DE/DT, Florida State Ravens go BPA. Get another nice young DL to pair with Timmy Jernigan (again).
27.Dallas Cowboys-Byron Jones CB, UConn Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne have been huge disappointments. Jones is an athletic freak and is worth taking a flyer on.
28.Denver Broncos-Cameron Irving OL, Florida State Denver has lost some good OL over the last 2 years. Irving can be plugged into any position on the OL.
29.Indianapolis Colts-Melvin Gordon III RB, Wisconsin All about getting talent for the Colts. Gordon would be a no brainer at this point.
30.Green Bay Packers-Erick Kendricks LB, UCLA Packers need LB and CB. While many like Kendricks, keep an eye for Stephone Anthony at this pick.
31.New Orleans Saints-Eli Harold DE/OLB, Virginia Saints got their CB early, now they get a pass rusher to help rebuild their defense.
32.New England Patriots-Laken Tomlinson OG, Duke The Pats are looking at guard options and Tomlinson is one of their top targets.
Miami Draft
1.Todd Gurley RB, Georgia
2.Benardarick McKinney LB, Mississippi State McKinney is one of the LBs we've shown a lot of interest in this offseason, and If he makes it to our 2nd round pick I think we'll jump at the chance to take him
3.Part of the trade for Kenny Stills
4.Stefon Diggs WR, Maryland We missed out on the big WRs but we reportedly are in love with Diggs as well (and word out of Maryland is he feels the same way). Injury risk, but if he can get over that, Diggs has the potential to be an explosive addition to the offense and a matchup nightmare
5a.Rakeem Nunez-Roches DT, Southern Miss young DT to develop behind Suh and Mitchell.
5b.Alani Fua DE/OLB, BYU Another guy we spent a lot of time with. Pass rushing potential.
6.Tray Walker CB-Texas Southern Tall, small school CB that has been getting interest recently.
7.Bryan Bennett QB, Southeastern Louisianna Former Oregon QB with potential to develop down the line
1.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jameis Winston QB, Florida State This seems like a slam dunk pick. Reportedly the Bucs have been enamored with Winston since October. Bucs could surprise and go Mariota as some in the front office are not high on Winston's character, but I'd be shocked if he isn't the pick.
2.San Diego Chargers-Marcus Mariota QB, Oregon Doing something I never do and projecting a trade. Just too much smoke for me not to try this. Phillip Rivers has made it clear he doesn't want to go to LA with the Chargers, and will not sign an extension. The Chargers are in love with Mariota, and Rivers supposedly has said he'd be fine reuniting with Ken Wisenhunt in Tennessee. Still a long shot, but I do think that some team will be trading up for Mariota
3.Jacksonville Jaguars-Vic Beasley DE/OLB Clemson Leonard Williams is the best player available, but the Jags are in desperate need of an edge rusher. While early signs all pointed towards Dante Fowler, Beasley is gaining some traction. Gus Bradley reportedly sees a lot of what Seattle saw in Bruce Irvin with Beasley.
4.Oakland Raiders-Amari Cooper WR, Alabama Leonard Williams would be tempting but the Raiders are in desperate need of a playmaker on offense. There are some rumblings that the Raiders prefer Kevin White, but I think Cooper is the better fit.
5.Washington Redskins-Leonard Williams DE/DT, USC While getting an OLB to take pressure off of Ryan Kerrigan is a priority, Williams is by far the best player on the board and is probably already better than the guys the Redskins have to play DE right now. I won't compare Williams to JJ Watt, but I do think he could have a similar effect to their defense.
6.New York Jets-Dante Fowler JR DE, Florida There are rumblings of OL or Todd Gurley but the one thing the Jets are in desperate need of on defense is a pass rusher. Fowler is arguably the best guy available.
7.Chicago Bears-Kevin White WR, West Virgina The Bears are in love with Vic Beasley, but if he's gone they'll look for a replacement to Brandon Marshall.
8.Atlanta Falcons-Bud Dupree DE/OLB, Kentucky Two glaring needs for Atlanta pass rusher and OL. While the Falcons do like Brandon Scherff I think they'll try to upgrade the defense first. Dupree has seen his stock rise a lot in the lead up to the draft, and while he's not quite there as a pass rusher yet, he has the highest ceiling.
9.New York Giants-Brandon Scherff OL, Iowa The Giants are again a team that has pass rusher and OL on their watch list. Even Giant beatwriters are a little unsure of who the Giants like the most, but the guess is its Scherff.
10.St. Louis Rams-Andrus Peat OT, Stanford Reportedly the Rams were very disappointed with Greg Robinson last year and view him more as a guard or RT long term. While many have Ereck Flowers as the top LT prospect, word out of St. Louis is the Rams are in love with Peat.
11.Minnesota Vikings-Davante Parker WR, Louisville. If the draft falls this way the Vikings are either going Parker or Trae Waynes. I think the Teddy Bridgewater connection may be too much for the Vikes to pass up on. Besides Parker and Wallace on the outside with Patterson in the slot and Peterson in the backfield seems rather tempting.
12.Cleveland Browns-Danny Shelton NT, Washington There is talk of Shelton falling, which is possible. But the Browns need help on the DL, and Taylor makes the most sense.
13.New Orleans Saints- Trae Waynes CB, Michigan State The Saints need to upgrade the defense, and while Brandon Browner is a step in the right direction, CB is still a need.
14.Miami Dolphins-Todd Gurley RB, Georgia Long story short, I think Gurley is a huge risk, but based on how the draft falls, he's the best option. Can't argue that a healthy Gurley is the best RB prospect in a long time. If the draft falls like this, Miami is gonna either take Gurley or trade down. Even if I don't like taking an injured player early, even I have to admit that a healthy Gurley paired with Lamar Miller is tantalizing. If a good trade offer comes though don't be shocked by a trade down
15.San Francisco 49ers-Bershard Perriman WR, UCF San Fran is in desperate need of help in the passing game. Sounds like Perriman may be the guy.
16.Houston Texans-Jalen Strong WR, Arizona State Houston reportedly is in love with Gurley, and will trade down if they are able to, but they do need to get more weapons on offense with Andre Johnson gone. That guy seems to be Strong. Seems like a trade down to get the Arizona State WR is more likely.
17.Tennessee Titans-Shane Ray OLB/DE,Missouri Some teams have taken Ray off their boards due the belief he may need foot surgury, but if the Titans make the trade with the Chargers, I think they'll jump at the chance to take Ray.
18.Kansas City Chiefs-Nelson Agholar WR, USC KC is in an interesting position to get a good player to plug into a few positions of need. Even with signing Jeremy Maclin, WR is still a big need. Agholar's skill set is a great fit for Andy Reid's offense.
19.Cleveland Browns-Ereck Flowers OL, Miami I'm sure Cleveland would be disappointed to leave the first day of the draft without a WR, but they also have not hidden they want to upgrade the trenches. According to many, Flowers would be a steal here.
20.Philadelphia Eagles-Devin Smith WR, Ohio State The Eagles are now in need of a deep threat, and while Devin Smith is not a complete WR yet, he is the best deep WR in the draft.
21.Cincinatti Bengals-Malcolm Brown DT, Texas Bengals need a DT to play alongside Geno Atkins. Brown is best guy available.
22.Pittsburgh Steelers-Landon Collins S, Alabama Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are both long gone. While many don't see Collins as a well rounded safety, he makes a good addition to Pittsburgh's defense.
23.Detroit Lions-DJ Humphries OT, Florida Detroit needs to upgrade the OL. Humphries has seen his stock rise quite a bit in recent months.
24.Arizona Cardinals-Jordan Phillips NT, Oklahoma Arizona lost a very underrated piece to their defense in Dan Williams. Have to have an effective NT when playing a 3-4 defense.
25.Carolina Panthers-Kevin Johnson CB, Wake Forrest Carolina would not be happy if all the top WRs and OTs are off the board, but they also need a CB. Johnson plays with an attitude that is hard not to like and could go much higher.
26.Baltimore Ravens-Eddie Goldman DE/DT, Florida State Ravens go BPA. Get another nice young DL to pair with Timmy Jernigan (again).
27.Dallas Cowboys-Byron Jones CB, UConn Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne have been huge disappointments. Jones is an athletic freak and is worth taking a flyer on.
28.Denver Broncos-Cameron Irving OL, Florida State Denver has lost some good OL over the last 2 years. Irving can be plugged into any position on the OL.
29.Indianapolis Colts-Melvin Gordon III RB, Wisconsin All about getting talent for the Colts. Gordon would be a no brainer at this point.
30.Green Bay Packers-Erick Kendricks LB, UCLA Packers need LB and CB. While many like Kendricks, keep an eye for Stephone Anthony at this pick.
31.New Orleans Saints-Eli Harold DE/OLB, Virginia Saints got their CB early, now they get a pass rusher to help rebuild their defense.
32.New England Patriots-Laken Tomlinson OG, Duke The Pats are looking at guard options and Tomlinson is one of their top targets.
Miami Draft
1.Todd Gurley RB, Georgia
2.Benardarick McKinney LB, Mississippi State McKinney is one of the LBs we've shown a lot of interest in this offseason, and If he makes it to our 2nd round pick I think we'll jump at the chance to take him
3.Part of the trade for Kenny Stills
4.Stefon Diggs WR, Maryland We missed out on the big WRs but we reportedly are in love with Diggs as well (and word out of Maryland is he feels the same way). Injury risk, but if he can get over that, Diggs has the potential to be an explosive addition to the offense and a matchup nightmare
5a.Rakeem Nunez-Roches DT, Southern Miss young DT to develop behind Suh and Mitchell.
5b.Alani Fua DE/OLB, BYU Another guy we spent a lot of time with. Pass rushing potential.
6.Tray Walker CB-Texas Southern Tall, small school CB that has been getting interest recently.
7.Bryan Bennett QB, Southeastern Louisianna Former Oregon QB with potential to develop down the line
