This is one of my favorite times of the year, NFL Draft
season. Watching the tape, breaking down the best college players, putting
together mock draft after mock draft that will never be accurate. Making the
bold predictions that I usually get so wrong I just forget I even mentioned
them. That’s happened more times than I’ve been right.
This year is one of those years where I honestly have no
idea what is going to happen, and it’s mainly within the first five picks. The Cleveland
Browns have two picks in the top five (1 and 4). The New York Jets traded up to
get the third pick overall. The Denver Broncos are lurking at number five but
do they move up? There are so many questions that no one has the answers to,
and likely the teams at the top don’t even have those answers right now.
The draft is where you build your team with players who you have
no idea what you’re going to get because the transition from the college level
to the pro ranks is so intense that some players fade out before they even get
started.
The top five picks in the draft could see 3, maybe 4 quarterbacks chosen. That’s 3 or 4
quarterbacks that in my mind aren’t worthy of going that high, let alone in the
top 10.
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The object of the draft is to get the best players
available, not the player who is a ‘good fit’ or a logical pick. For example,
with the Browns holding the top pick many are wondering what direction they’ll
go; do they take a shot at their next
franchise quarterback? Or do they take the best player in the draft, Penn State
running back Saquon Barkley? That franchise quarterback might not even be in
the top 10 of best players in the draft but again, it’s the logical thing to
do. Taking a running back number one is almost unheard of and coincidentally the
last running back to be selected number one overall was another Penn State
running back, Ki-Jana Carter in 1995.
The top question is, what do the Browns do with their first
two picks? Many believe they will select USC quarterback Sam Darnold number one.
Darnold has been the top quarterback on many draft boards since before the 2017
college season even started. With the fourth pick it’s very likely that Barkley
won’t be around so where do they go? The Jets are bound to take a quarterback.
That leaves two intriguing players, North Carolina State defensive end Bradley
Chubb and Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson. Either pick would help solidify both
the offensive and defensive line.
The New York Giants
are next and it seems inevitable that they’d take Barkley if the Browns don’t,
right? You wouldn’t dare skip a generational type of player, right? Even if it’s
a running back? If you’re going to draft a running back that high, it almost
seems like the Giants are the best landing spot. You have a Hall of Fame
quarterback in Eli Manning and a potential Hall of Fame wide receiver in Odell
Beckham Jr on the offensive side of the ball who will just naturally command
the spotlight and would take some of it away from Barkley. That’s not to say he
wouldn’t get some of that spotlight should he be their guy, but it won’t be
nearly as bright of a light as it would be in Cleveland where he would be
immediately become the face of the franchise for a team that desperately needs
it. They drafted defensive end Myles Garrett last year with the number one
pick, but Barkley would come in and be able to play all four downs and ignite
the offense.
Regardless of how the first five picks shape out, the NFL
Draft always provides drama and excitement. I’ve taken the liberty of putting
together the 346th mock draft you’ll see before the draft next week
with about 100 more to come.
Note: these picks are
what I believe the teams SHOULD do, not what I think they WILL do. Big
difference. Also note, I did not factor in any trades that might occur.
1.
Cleveland Browns: RB, Saquon Barkley, Penn State
2.
New York Giants: DE, Bradley Chubb, NC State
3.
New York Jets: Quarterback, Sam Darnold, USC
4.
Cleveland Browns: Offensive guard, Quenton
Nelson, Notre Dame
5.
Denver Broncos: S, Derwin James, Florida State
6.
Indianapolis Colts: CB, Minkah Fitzpatrick,
Alabama
7.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB, Denzel Ward, Ohio
State
8.
Chicago Bears: DT, Vita Vea, Washington
9.
San Francisco 49ers: OLB, Tremaine Edmunds,
Virginia Tech
10. Oakland
Raiders: WR, Calvin Ridley, Alabama
11. Miami
Dolphins: ILB, Roquan Smith, Georgia
12. Buffalo
Bills: QB, Josh Rosen, UCLA
13. Washington
Redskins: OT, Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
14. Green
Bay Packers: DE, Harold Landry, Boston College
15. Arizona
Cardinals: QB, Josh Allen, Wyoming
16. Baltimore
Ravens: ILB, Rashaan Evans, Alabama
17. LA
Chargers: WR, D.J. Moore, Maryland
18. Seattle
Seahawks: OT, Connor Williams, Texas
19. Dallas
Cowboys: WR, Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
20. Detroit
Lions: DT, Da’Ron Payne, Alabama
21. Cincinnati
Bengals: DE, Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
22. Buffalo
Bills: OT, Kolton Miller, UCLA
23. New
England Patriots: CB, Josh Jackson, Iowa
24. Carolina
Panthers: WR, Courtland Sutton, SMU
25. Tennessee
Titans: OLB, Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State
26. Atlanta
Falcons: CB, Jaire Alexander, Louisville
27. New
Orleans Saints: TE, Mike Gesicki, Penn State
28. Pittsburgh
Steelers: QB, Lamar Jackson, Louisville
29. Jacksonville
Jaguars: WR, James Washington, Oklahoma State
30. Minnesota
Vikings: RB, Derrius Guice, LSU
31. New
England Patriots: OLB, Malik Jefferson, Texas
32. Philadelphia
Eagles: DE, Marcus Davenport, UTSA
