By: Sean McGovern & Kyle Delahanty

Even= Sean, Odd= Kyle

Round 1- Pick 1

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB, Trevor Lawrence 

Clemson

The wait is over…Jacksonville selects their franchise quarterback.

Round 1- Pick 2

New York Jets

QB, Zach Wilson

BYU

While this pick can still be debated if it is the right one or not with guys like Fields and Lance also available, it is clear and obvious that GM Joe Douglas and 1st year HC Robert Saleh have identified their guy in the form of Brigham Young University’s, junior QB Zach Wilson. Rumor has it that the former BYU star has even reached out to the likes of Chad Pennington, Mark Sanchez, and Josh McCown to pick their brains about what it’s like to be the quarterback of the New York Jets. 

Round 1- Pick 3

San Francisco 49ers

QB, Trey Lance

North Dakota St.

This is the first most anticipated selection of the 2021 NFL Draft. For a little over a month now… draft analysts, scouts, fans and credible reporters have debated who the Niners will be taking with this selection. Some believe it may be Michael McCorkle “Mac” Jones, while others can’t believe the Niners could have moved up this far just to pass on quarterbacks prospects as talented as Justin Fields and Trey Lance. I think the Jones talk is purely smoke, but we’ll see if I’m wrong in the future. You can make a case for each, but with Jimmy G possibly remaining on the roster this season, it only makes sense for Lance to be selected and sit behind him for another year before he’s given the nod as the team’s starting quarterback. Whether it’s Lance or Fields I don’t think the Niners can go wrong…as for Jones, I just don’t think it would be the correct decision.

Round 1- Pick 4

Atlanta Falcons

QB, Justin Fields

Ohio State

I just can’t talk myself into drafting a Tight End when a player of Justin Field’s caliber is staring you right smack in the face…Terry Fontenot. If the Niners had opted to go with Mac Jones, I believe the Falcons would’ve stayed put and selected the “unicorn”, TE Kyle Pitts. However, I think when push comes to shove HC Arthur Smith and company will realize that Matt Ryan, 36, is on the tail end of his career and they may never have the luxury of picking top 5 again in the near future. Homegrown Georgia native, Justin Fields, becomes the next Falcon’s franchise QB alas. 

Round 1- Pick 5

Cincinnati Bengals

WR, Ja’Marr Chase

LSU

Remember, this is what we THINK the teams WILL do rather than what I would do. Now with that being said, I think Chase would be a great addition to the Bengals offense to go along with Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and of course, his former National Champion teammate…Joe Burrow. Whether Cincy decides to go Chase, Pitts or OL here, I really don’t think they can go wrong. I would have rather wanted to protect my prized possession quarterback though, especially when WR isn’t necessarily a NEED.

Round 1- Pick 6

Miami Dolphins

TE, Kyle Pitts

Florida

When the Dolphins traded back from Pick 3 to pick 12 and then back up again to Pick 6, they did so with the belief that one or both of the two prospects they coveted most would be there for the taking…Ja’Marr Chase and Kyle Pitts. After the Bengals went ahead and scooped up Chase, the Dolphins run over to Roger Goodell and hand in their draft card that reads “Tight End, Kyle Pitts, Florida University.” While I believe the #1 player on Miami’s board is probably Chase to give QB, Tua Tagovailoa, a true outside threat, don’t get it twisted, Pitts is no consolation prize. Pitts is a do-it-all tight end prospect who can line up inside, outside, or in the slot and will immediately give Tua a go-to target to throw it up to when the pocket breaks down, who will come up with the catch 99% of the time. 

Round 1- Pick 7

Detroit Lions

OL, Penei Sewell

Oregon

This was a tough one to decide on. I honestly do not see many mocks where Detroit either stays at #7 or if staying at #7 drafting OL with that selection, but with the way the board has come together thus far AND with a new QB in town…how do you pass on one of the best, if not the best, OL in the class? Detroit could very well grab a new weapon for newly acquired QB Jared Goff, but why not protect him? I honestly have not had the Lions going OL any other time besides now. Watch out for a possible trade back here.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 8

Arizona Cardinals

WR, Jaylen Waddle

Alabama 

And there you have it, GM Steve Keim continues the trend of his aggressive offseason to move up with Carolina from Pick 16 to acquire the electrifying wideout from Bama. The Cardinals are clearly in “win-now mode”, yet lack a true #2 wide receiver opposite superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins. Waddle has gamebreaking speed that jumps off the TV screen. Some scouts say that he is a combination of Tyreek Hill and Odell Beckham Jr. with the return skills of one of the greatest kick returners of all time, Devin Hester. 

Round 1- Pick 9

Denver Broncos

OL, Rashawn Slater

Northwestern

Once again, another spot in the draft where things are completely up for grabs. I don’t think anyone is confident in knowing whether Denver will trade up or down from this position, or on who they would select if sitting tight at #9. They have a number of needs (QB,OL,LB, etc.), but as new GM George Paton and his predecessor John Elway are on the clock they realize the top remaining QB on the board is not the guy they would like to select and instead decide to bolster their OL to protect their 2021 starting QB…whether that’s Drew Lock or someone else they acquire on a later date.

Round 1- Pick 10

Dallas Cowboys

CB, Patrick Surtain II

Alabama

I thought long and hard about moving out of this spot with a QB needy team who coveted quarterback Mac Jones’ services. Dallas stays put in this scenario with the fear of missing out on CB prospects Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn. Dallas has been linked heavily to the former Bama DB, rightfully so. The Dallas secondary is putrid and needs immediate help. This pick feels like as close to a “lock” as you can get when trying to predict how this draft will shake out. There is no debate whether the Cowboys can put up points on offense, it is the defense that is hampering them from being a true Super Bowl contender. 

Round 1- Pick 11

New York Giants

WR, Devonta Smith

Alabama

With the Philadelphia Eagles begging and trying to move up ahead of the GMEN in order to take one of their WR targets, (in this case) they are not able to accomplish the task. As for Big Blue, GM Dave Gettleman and HC Joe Judge welcome the Heisman winning WR to the Big Apple to play alongside newly acquired WR Kenny Golladay. The Giants are doing everything in their power to properly evaluate soon-to-be third year starting quarterback Daniel Jones, in case they need to move on from him in the coming year(s).

Round 1- Pick 12

Philadelphia Eagles

CB, Jaycee Horn

South Carolina

The Eagles need an abundance of help on the back end of their defense. Their roster is old and it is expensive. That Super Bowl winning defense has since been depleted and then some. Horn immediately adds an influx of youth and sky high upside to a unit who so desperately needs it. While I would have loved to have given second year QB Jalen Hurts another weapon here, the top options were off the board. Jaycee Horn can immediately start opposite CB Darius Slay and slowly transition to CB1 when the “City of Brotherly Love” decides to move off him and his high-priced contract. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 13

Chicago Bears

QB, Mac Jones

Alabama

As Mac Jones slides out of the top 10 and continues to fall further down the draft board each time a selection is made, QB needy teams are either dialing the phone to make a jump or waiting impatiently to pounce on an opportunity. With GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy on the hot seat, they decide they NEED to make a splash, they NEED to give their fans a reason to possibly have some optimism, and therefore, they NEED to make a deal to acquire what they hope to be the answer to their problems and the end of the QB hell they’re currently in. I’m unsure of how teams truly feel about Jones, but with Chicago being in the position they’re in, they may have no choice but to pull the trigger if Jones falls this deep…which is very possible. Note: Pace and Nagy have pulled the trigger on a QB once before (see Mitch Trubisky), therefore the question has to be…how long/short is their leash from ownership to make a ballsy move again?…

Round 1- Pick 14

Minnesota Vikings

OL, Alijah Vera-Tucker

USC

I know Mike Zimmer loves his defensive guys but rumor has it the Vikes might even look to move up a few spots to secure an offensive lineman in the upcoming draft. Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw would be a plug and play LT for Minnesota, but I believe AVT’s versatility to play guard or tackle makes him the more valuable selection. GM Rick Speilman has been trying to fix this unit for years now, and I think, Vera-Tucker, who some are comparing to last year’s standout rookie OT Tristan Wirfs, is a homerun pick. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 15

Washington Football Team

LB, Micah Parsons

Penn St.

There’s been talk lately of HC Ron Rivera loving versatile defensive playmakers, and although they could’ve sat tight at #19, the moment they noticed New England was willing to trade back they gave them a call to move up and grab arguably the best LB in the draft. This would be back-to-back years where WFT brought in two defensive stars. It looks like there may be at least one more year in Washington where the team doesn’t necessarily have their franchise QB on the roster, but you might as well add to an already loaded defense in the mean time.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 16

Carolina Panthers

OT, Christian Darrisaw

Virginia Tech

The Panthers were able to trade down to 16th overall and still accomplish what they set out to do in the first place: protect Sam Darnold. Darrisaw will immediately step in as the starting left tackle next to franchise-tagged RT Taylor Moton. This Panther’s offense is looking more and more formidable by the day. Great job by GM Scott Fitterer thus far. 

Round 1- Pick 17

Las Vegas Raiders

OL, Teven Jenkins

Oklahoma St.

Surprise? Possibly, but the Raiders did a lot of work on unloading their OL this offseason. It’s possible the organization decides to either trade up or down from this position, but if you have a chance to grab one of the top OL, you might as well do it while it’s a guarantee. Jenkins’ name has been mentioned quite a bit recently, definitely more as of late than when the draft process really got going, therefore it’s very possible Vegas takes a chance on him in this spot. If this pick comes as a surprise to some, let’s not forget this is the same front office and coaching staff that shocked us all with the selection of OL Kolton Miller with the 15th pick in 2018 and DL Clelin Ferrell with the 4th pick in the 2019 draft.

Round 1- Pick 18

Miami Dolphins

EDGE, Jaelan Phillips

Miami

From the University of Miami to the Miami Dolphins, Jaelan Phillips looks to become the next star pass rusher for HC Brian Flores’ ascending AFC East contender. Medical concerns aside, Phillips checks all the boxes that you look for in a premier EDGE defender. Miami, with a pretty solid defense as it is, is in prime position to take a flyer here on someone who could easily be a double-digit sack guy year in and year out if he keeps his health in check. Love this fit for the Dolphins. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 19

New England Patriots

CB, Greg Newsome II

Northwestern

Surprise again? This selection was solely based on the current draft board. Considering the Patriots have been so aggressive during the offseason thus far, I wouldn’t count them out of the QB conversation. I do think it’s extremely possible they attempt to trade up for one of the QBs, whether that’s at #4 or later, but in this case they were unable to agree on a deal with one of the teams ahead of them and took their chances sitting tight to land Jones…unfortunately, the Pats missed out on Jones when Chicago made a splash trade to acquire him. I do think it’s very possible, if the rumors are true, that the Patriots could make a deal for the Packers’ backup QB Jordan Love if they’re unable to land one in this draft. In this case, after trading back with WFT to acquire more picks, they decide to bring in a young, new CB in case they ever decide to move on from CB Stephon Gilmore in the near future.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 20

Los Angeles Chargers

CB, Caleb Farley

Virginia Tech

Talk about a value pick. The Chargers were able to move down the board from 13 to 20 with Chicago and still found a way to acquire an elite prospect at a glaring position of need. Yes, Justin Herbert still needs some “hog-mollies” to keep him standing upright, but I didn’t like any in this spot on the board. Farley was arguably the best CB in this class, until a back issue was uncovered, causing him to slip to the back end of Round 1. LAC can afford to let him get his back right and bring him along slowly, and reap the rewards later of a kid who I think can be a star in this league. 

Round 1- Pick 21

Indianapolis Colts

EDGE, Azeez Ojulari

Georgia

The Colts fill arguably one of their biggest needs as one of the top edge rushers remains on the board at the time of their selection. With the acquisition of QB Carson Wentz during the offseason, Indy turns to the defensive side of the ball for this pick and they pick up a nice addition to an already solid front-seven including names like DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard.

Round 1- Pick 22

Tennessee Titans

WR, Rashod Bateman

Minnesota

Here is your Corey Davis replacement Titans fans. The only knock on Bateman is that his 2019 tape far exceeds his 2020 tape, but I wouldn’t sweat it because the dip in production was mostly due to his season long battle with COVID-19. Bateman reminds a lot of scouts of All-Pro WR Keenan Allen, due to his excellent route running ability. The former Golden Gopher will make a fine complement to star WR A.J Brown.

Round 1- Pick 23

New York Jets

OL, Samuel Cosmi

Texas

The Jets can go in many different directions with this pick. They could actually trade up from this selection if they notice an OL that they love remains on the board and is reachable via a trade, or they could sit tight and draft either WR, CB, OL or EDGE. Considering the OL wasn’t really addressed in free agency and there’s OL talent still on the board, I decided based on the board in this situation selecting former Texas Longhorn OL Samuel Cosmi MIGHT be the best selection based on the circumstances. Sources say previously selected OL Rashawn Slater and Alijah Vera-Tucker, as well as Cosmi all fit the Jets’ wide-zone blocking scheme. 

Round 1- Pick 24

Pittsburgh Steelers

RB, Najee Harris

Alabama

Since it was announced that the Steelers would own the 24th pick in the draft, I have consistently been mocking the former Bama power back to the “Steel City” to help with their running game woes. From Franco Harris to Najee Harris…yeah I said it. After watching Harris’ performance on the national stage during the College Football Playoff, I came away extremely impressed. Harris reminds me of Derrick Henry, only with better hands. The Steelers need offensive line help as well, but I think it would be a savvy move to grab a franchise running back before he is gone by the time you’re back on the clock. 

Round 1- Pick 25

Jacksonville Jaguars

S, Trevon Moehrig

TCU

With the 2nd first round selection of the Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville, and the first selection in which no one actually knows who they’re taking (…Trevor Lawrence), the Jags decide to add to the defense this go round with the addition of Moehrig. From everything I seem to read and hear, most scouts believe he is the best safety in the draft and it just so happens to be a need for the team.

Round 1- Pick 26

Cleveland Browns

DT, Christian Barmore

Alabama

After cutting DT Sheldon Richardson, the interior of the D-line now becomes a need for the Brownies. Barmore offers pass-rush upside for the position that can help counteract newly signed EDGE Jadeveon Clowney, who is good at getting pressures but isn’t known for high sack #s. The 6’5” 310 lb Barmore will look to be a “space-eater” for the Browns defensive unit that now looks even scarier with this addition. 

Round 1- Pick 27

Baltimore Ravens

EDGE, Kwity Paye

Michigan

After dealing away OL Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs for their first round selection (31st pick), the Ravens now have some room for comfort to fill voids. Although, OL and WR might be the needs that the media is covering, it would be tough for the Ravens to pass on a falling Kwity Paye with this selection. It seems like every offseason the Ravens are losing a top defensive player to free agency, therefore they’ll look to quickly fill a front-seven void with this pick.

Round 1- Pick 28

New Orleans Saints

LB, Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah

Notre Dame

It is no question that the Saints need pass rush help in a division where Tom Brady just hoisted his 7th Lombardi Trophy. It is the league’s worst kept secret that Brady’s kryptonite is an elite pass rush that can make him uncomfortable all 4 quarters. I think the Saints should work to accomplish that during this draft. With that being said, I have them selecting J.O.K here, the swiss army knife defender out of the University of Notre Dame. While he isn’t your prototypical WILL or MIKE linebacker, J.O.K can flat out play football and will make any defense he is on better. Sean Payton can’t afford to pass up on a talent like Owusu-Koramoah here. 

Round 1- Pick 29

Green Bay Packers

WR, Elijah Moore

Ole Miss

I think the Packers will be looking to trade up from this selection to grab one of the other top WR prospects in this draft, but in this case there was no deal that was agreed upon. Therefore, the Pack decides to go in a bit of a different direction and select a WR that is under six foot. Now, they could go with Rondale Moore here if they’re looking at talented shorter receivers, but there’s been some talk about the “Moore” from Ole Miss…so that’s the choice here.

Round 1- Pick 30

Buffalo Bills

CB, Asante Samuel Jr.

Florida State

The Bills feel like they’re a piece or two away from being able to get over that hump and finally make the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. Running back is a glaring need to me, and with former Clemson RB Travis Etienne still on the board, it became a really enticing option to make him a Bill. I opted to go with the ball-hawking cornerback out of FSU instead, whose father was a really good player in the NFL, playing the same position. At this point in the draft, Samuel Jr. feels like the only real 1st round capable corner still available. He’ll look to lock down the other side of the field that All-Pro CB Tre’davious White isn’t roaming. If Buffalo wants to beat Patrick Mahomes they are going to need to build a defense that can stop him…or at least try to. 

Round 1- Pick 31

Baltimore Ravens

OL, Alex Leatherwood

Alabama

As stated earlier, the Ravens have a need on the OL after the recent trade of OL Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs. With a number of solid OL left on the board, they decide to select a national champion over the other prospects.

Round 1- Pick 32

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WR, Kadarius Toney

Florida

When I say the 2020-2021 Super Bowl Champs have no needs on the roster..I’m being serious. I don’t know how they did it but GM Jason Licht was able to retain EVERY starter from their Super Bowl winning roster. I guess when Tom Brady is your quarterback, everyone is willing to take a pay-cut. With Antonio Brown’s FA decision looming in the air, I have the Bucs grabbing a player in a similar mold. Toney was often overshadowed at UF due to teammate Kyle Pitts’ brilliance, but make no mistake, he can ball also. Who some scouts call the “human joystick”, Kadarius Toney stays in the state of Florida and gives Mr. Brady another toy to play with.

By: Sean McGovern & Kyle Delahanty

Kyle= Even, Sean= Odd

Round 1- Pick 1

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB, Trevor Lawrence 

Clemson

Rumor has it that the Jags have already given Trevor Lawrence their playbook just a few weeks out from the Draft. Regardless of how you feel about the Clemson QB’s comments in his recent Sports Illustrated interview about not having the proverbial “chip” on his shoulder…it is clear Jacksonville has put all their “chips” into making him their next franchise signal caller for years to come. 

Round 1- Pick 2

New York Jets

QB, Zach Wilson

BYU

New head coach, new offensive coordinator…new quarterback. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Gang Green is doing with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (…drafting a quarterback), but the question still remains as to which one they will be selecting next Thursday night. My guess, and according to almost every credible football source, is it’s going to be former BYU Cougar Zach Wilson. If Wilson becoming the face of the franchise in the Big Apple comes to fruition, he should expect a grocery list of endorsements on top of the Chipotle and Nike deals he just signed.

Round 1- Pick 3

San Francisco 49ers

QB, Trey Lance

North Dakota State

Just 8 days out from the 2021 NFL Draft and smoke season is in full-effect more than ever. The Mac Jones to SF hype train has subsided and rumor has it that Ohio State QB Justin Fields isn’t even in the mix to be considered with this pick. If I had to take a guess on who Kyle Shanahan would value more between Lance & Jones…it’s Lance for me. If the 20 year old, Lance, can be coached up and developed properly he can take the Niners to new heights that Mac Jones never dreamed of. 

Round 1- Pick 4

Atlanta Falcons

QB, Justin Fields

Ohio State

And just like that, history is made…quarterback #4 is off the board. Never in NFL Draft history have the first four selections been quarterbacks. There’s been a lot of talk about Atlanta either trading out of this pick for a massive draft haul, staying put to select Kyle Pitts or selecting Matt Ryan’s successor. Fields makes sense if he remains on the board…he’s a hometown kid who once attended the University of Georgia before transferring to THE Ohio St. University. In this mock, new HC Arthur Smith elects to pass on providing Matt Ryan with a new weapon and the opportunity for draft capital to grab their quarterback of the future to learn behind Ryan for another year or so. 

Round 1- Pick 5

Cincinnati Bengals

OT, Penei Sewell

Oregon 

From what I hear, this pick is a true “50/50” toss up between WR Ja’Marr Chase and OT Penei Sewell. When push comes to shove, I am confident that the Bengal’s front office will do right by Joe Burrow and add an athletic freak with limitless potential at the offensive tackle position to be the lead man in his protection plan. 

Round 1- Pick 6

Miami Dolphins

TE, Kyle Pitts

Florida

Pitts won’t have a very long commute from Gainesville to Miami once he receives a call from the Dolphins organization.  GM Chris Grier and HC Brian Flores will be taking phone calls on draft night about a possible trade back as their opportunity to be on the clock approaches, but once they realize one of the top draft prospects remains on the board, they’ll put the phone down and write Pitts’ name on the draft card. 

Round 1- Pick 7

Detroit Lions

WR, Ja’Marr Chase

LSU

I think this is a prime trade back spot for the Lions to acquire more draft capital from a QB needy team looking to move up for one of the QBs who wind up slipping a little. In this scenario, the Lions stay put and select the consensus best WR in the entire draft. This move indicates even further that Detroit believes in newly acquired QB Jared Goff by giving him an elite weapon on the outside that he’ll desperately need after WRs Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay fled for greener pastures during Free Agency. 

Round 1- Pick 8

Carolina Panthers

OL, Rashawn Slater

Northwestern

With their newly acquired quarterback in Sam Darnold and his supporting cast of Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore, the Panthers will look to protect the new signal caller (something the New York Jets didn’t do during his time in New York) by selecting one of the top OL in the draft.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 9

Philadelphia Eagles

WR, Jaylen Waddle

Alabama

A lot of maneuvering here for GM Howie Roseman and the Eagles, after they essentially would have moved back from Pick 6 to 12 and now back into the top 10 to leapfrog NFC East arch nemeses Dallas and NYG. They make the move to scoop up the WR they covet in former Bama speedster wideout, Jaylen Waddle. This would give second-year QB, Jalen Hurts, a much needed weapon on the outside to jumpstart his development. 

Round 1- Pick 10

Dallas Cowboys

CB, Patrick Surtain II

Alabama

Dallas lost their top CB Byron Jones to the Miami Dolphins during last year’s free agency, which was pretty obvious based on the team’s defensive performance during last season. With a number of talented players on the offensive side of the ball and some holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball, it wouldn’t shock me if Dallas tries to fill the void at CB. I assume the decision would be between Surtain and Horn. Surtain’s stock has been high all draft season long, but Horn has seen his stock rise within the past month.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 11

Chicago Bears

QB, Mac Jones

Alabama

We’re just about a week away from draft night and something we know for certain, is that GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy are in desperation mode after the Mitchell Trubisky project was a total flop. With their NFL jobs on the line, the Bears give the Giants a haul to move up from 20 and select the remaining top 5 QB in the draft…Mac Jones. While I don’t know if Jones will succeed in the NFL, what I do know is that right now he is probably better than presumptive starter, Andy Dalton, who the Bears Twitter handle famously proclaimed “QB1”. I don’t buy it. After swinging and missing on a Russell Wilson trade, this is the next best option to hopefully take some heat off the seats of Nagy & Pace for a little while.  

TRADE! 

Round 1- Pick 12

Denver Broncos

LB, Micah Parsons

Penn State

Where Parsons lands is completely up for grabs. Some believe he could be selected within the top 10, while others have said he could fall to the middle of the first round. This would be a nice addition to a Denver team with a need at LB and a defensive-minded head coach in Vic Fangio, especially considering they traded back and still landed a top tier talent. He’s an insanely athletic prospect who is known for forcing turnovers…sounds a lot like that guy Von Miller.

Round 1- Pick 13

Los Angeles Chargers 

CB, Jaycee Horn

South Carolina

We had this in the 1.0 Version of our Mock Draft and are going to stand by it. I know OL is a glaring need for LAC to ensure star rookie QB Justin Herbert’s success, but I think this is the floor for who some people are calling the “fast riser on draft boards” at this current moment. Horn is debatably the best corner prospect in the draft and is in the same mold of Richard Sherman and Jalen Ramsey. He’s too good pass up here at a position of need for the Chargers, where they can get a starting caliber OT in Round 2 or 3. It’s a no- brainer for me. 

Round 1- Pick 14

Minnesota Vikings

OL, Christian Darrisaw

Virginia Tech

With plenty of talent still on the board that can fill the needs of the Minnesota Vikings, they decide to bolster the offensive line to protect their expensive quarterback in Kirk Cousins. Minnesota is a talented team, they just haven’t seemed to completely get it together…I think fixing up the OL where needed would be a nice option for them.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 15

Green Bay Packers

WR, DeVonta Smith

Alabama

There are some wild rumors circulating that the Packers and Patriots might have a deal in place for 2020 First-Round QB Jordan Love, who spent this year sitting behind 2020 MVP QB Aaron Rodgers. For enjoyment’s sake we decided to make the acquisition come to fruition in this mock. With no signs of slowing down for A-Rod, the Packers feel comfortable acquiring a top-15 selection from NE, where they can nab another playmaker to pair alongside All-Pro WR Davante Adams, in the form of this year’s Heisman Award Winner, DeVonta Smith. The drought for Green Bay not selecting a skill position player in Round 1 has finally come to an end. 

Round 1- Pick 16

Arizona Cardinals

CB, Greg Newsome II

Northwestern

There’s been a lot of talk about the Cardinals’ interest in the former Wildcat and I think the selection fills a void that the team has in the secondary. I’ve seen trade backs with Newsome II still being the pick, but why not get your guy while you can. With that being said, we’ve seen that this regime isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on any player or any trade at any time.

Round 1- Pick 17

Las Vegas Raiders

OT, Teven Jenkins

Oklahoma State 

In our last mock I penciled DT, Christian Barmore, to Vegas, but I am hearing he won’t be selected until the back end of the 1st-round and could even slip to Day 2. Gruden and Mayock could go a variety of different directions with this pick, which makes it hard to predict. However, I think the potential pairing of recently extended LT Kolton Miller and OT Teven Jenkins could be a nasty bookend duo. Jenkins is big, strong, and physical and tested off the charts athletically. This selection helps replenish a Raiders OL group that was dismantled this offseason. 

Round 1- Pick 18

Miami Dolphins

RB, Najee Harris

Alabama

There’s been some rumblings of Miami being interested in the former Crimson Tide running back. Harris has the size and ability to make it at the next level and impressed scouts all last season, especially during the College Football Playoff. The additions of both Pitts and Harris with their first round selections would be a great way for the team to evaluate their second-year signal caller, Tua Tagovailoa.

Round 1- Pick 19

Washington Football Team

LB, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Notre Dame

This pick stays the same from the 1.0 version of our mock to the 2.0 for the very same reason that I feel that J.O.K brings incredible value and versatility to a defense. There aren’t many holes on the WFT defense that was dominant at times last season, but they could use help at the linebacker position. Riverboat Ron will have his choice of J.O.K, Zaven Collins, or Jamin Davis here to be the quarterback of his defensive unit. I give J.O.K the slight edge because he is built like a safety but fits the modern day linebacker mold, is elite in coverage against TEs and slot WRs, and he even has some solid pass rush ability. Huge pickup for an already stout defense. 

Round 1- Pick 20

New York Giants

EDGE, Azeez Ojulari

Georgia

The Giants will most likely go best player available here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean best player available on everyone’s board, it’s best player available on their board…and considering a team need is on the edge, Ojulari would be a really nice addition to an already solid front seven for the GMEN. They’d be walking out of the first night with additional picks acquired in their trade back with the Chicago Bears as well as one of the best defensive players in the Draft.

Round 1- Pick 21

Indianapolis Colts

OL, Alijah Vera-Tucker

USC

I know for a fact that GM Chris Ballard would think long and hard about taking fliers on guys like CB Caleb Farley and EDGE Jaelen Phillips who would be incredible value picks at this juncture, but I opted to go in a different direction. There is speculation that All-Pro OG Quenton Nelson could slide over to play left tackle, but even if he does AVT provides guard/tackle flexibility along the offensive line. Vera-Tucker and Nelson would be arguably the nastiest G/T tandem in the entire NFL that would produce more pancakes than I.H.O.P. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 22

Pittsburgh Steelers

OC, Creed Humphrey

Oklahoma

Not a massive jump for the Steel City, but quite possibly a necessary one considering the anchor of their offensive line for the past 11 seasons was not re-signed by the organization. The Steelers noticed the New York Jets “needs” on the offensive line and did what they had to do in order to jump ahead of them and get their guy.

Round 1- Pick 23

New York Jets

CB, Caleb Farley

Virginia Tech

I really like CB Greg Newsome II in this spot for the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets, but Arizona has already nabbed him at 16 overall. Farley has long been viewed as arguably the best cornerback prospect in this entire class, but after a recent back surgery his draft stock has plummeted. Farley still has the pure talent and upside to land in the 1st round but I don’t think we’ll see him selected within the top 10, where he was previously projected before the medical red flags arose. I love the value of this pick here for GM Joe Douglas and HC Robert Saleh…this could be the steal of Day 1 if Farley can stay on the field. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 24

Tennessee Titans

OL, Samuel Cosmi

Texas

For the past two years we’ve watched the Tennessee Titans ground-and-pound their way to the playoffs, but we’ve also watched offensive linemen Jack Conklin and Dennis Kelly’s departures. If Mike Vrabel and Co. would like to see the same offensive success that the team has had over the past couple of years, they’re going to need to address the voids left on the line.

Round 1- Pick 25

Jacksonville Jaguars

S, Trevon Moehrig 

TCU

Heck of a draft for new HC Urban Meyer so far as he gets the best QB in the draft in Trevor Lawrence and circles back to grab the best safety in the draft. You can never have too many good DBs in today’s pass-happy NFL. The Jaguars need a complete roster overhaul and have the picks to do so if they play their cards right. Adding Moehrig gives them another blue-chip prospect on the back end. 

Round 1- Pick 26

Cleveland Browns

DT, Christian Barmore

Alabama

Within a 10-14 day span of the Browns turning in the card with the former Crimson Tide’s name on it, the Browns would have added both Jadeveon Clowney and Barmore to a defensive front that already has former 2017 first overall pick Myles Garrett on it. Simply said, an already deep roster just got deeper.

Round 1- Pick 27

Baltimore Ravens

EDGE, Jaelan Phillips

Miami 

The Ravens need EDGE help badly. I can totally see them getting an offensive playmaker to help out former MVP Lamar Jackson, but the pass rush is too glaring of a need for me to ignore. Phillips has some major medical red flags attached to his name, with 4 concussions and a retirement already under his belt, but his talent and production are just too good to ignore. After wowing at his Pro-Day, he is generating serious top 10 buzz. DC “Wink” Martindale could have himself a bonafide star in Phillips, if he can just find a way to stay on the field throughout his career. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 28

Jacksonville Jaguars

RB, Travis Etienne

Clemson

With a ton of draft capital, the Jaguars decide that instead of waiting until the first selection on Day 2 they’ll go grab their new franchise quarterback’s college teammate and College Football Playoff standout while he’s still on the board.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 29

New England Patriots

LB, Zaven Collins

Tulsa

After the presumptive Jordan Love trade, QB is no longer a need for Bill Bellichick and company. The move gives them the luxury of going Best Player Available in a relatively deep draft class. We all know that Bill loves his LBs, and Collins is next in line in the lineage. With Dont’a Hightower’s contract soon expiring, Collins can be a cheaper replacement without much dropoff in production. The Tulsa standout reminds a lot of scouts of current Minnesota Vikings LB Anthony Barr when he was coming out of UCLA. 

Round 1- Pick 30

Buffalo Bills

EDGE, Kwity Paye

Michigan

Buffalo has done a very good job over the past few years of building their team, whether that’s been through the draft, free agency or trade. With Paye dropping this far in this mock, Buffalo has to jump on the opportunity to add him to their defensive line which features former top 10 selection, Ed Oliver.

Round 1- Pick 31

Kansas City Chiefs

WR, Rashod Bateman 

Minnesota

The rich get richer. I pondered mocking slot WRs Kadarius Toney or Elijah Moore to the reigning AFC Champs here, but I felt as if Bateman would provide Andy Reid & Patrick Mahomes with something that they lack…height at the wide receiver position. Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill are peas in a pod, but the former Golden Gopher wideout can be a go-to jump ball receiver and immediate red-zone threat, who just so happens to run excellent routes. While this feels like a luxury pick, KC does need help at the position with the departure of free-agent WR Sammy Watkins. OL will need to be addressed at some point in this draft, but there are 7 rounds for a reason and this is one of the deepest offensive line classes we’ve seen in quite some time. 

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 32

Arizona Cardinals

WR, Kadarius Toney

Florida

Rumor has it that Arizona could very well trade up for a wide receiver in the first round, but maybe after holding tight or being unable to land a deal for one earlier in the night, they notice Toney on the board and decide to pick up the phone to dial the Bucs. Toney gives Kyler Murray and HC Kliff Kingsbury another weapon to play with, and as for the Buccaneers, they’ve brought back every starter from their Super Bowl winning roster…therefore, I’d say they should be willing to strike a deal and acquire picks for the future, if no immediate additions are needed at this time.

By: Sean McGovern & Kyle Delahanty

Kyle= Even, Sean= Odd 

Round 1- Pick 1

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB, Trevor Lawrence 

Clemson

This pick has been set in stone since the Jets hilariously went out and upset the L.A Rams in Week 15, solidifying themselves in 2nd place of the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. Former legendary college HC Urban Meyer wouldn’t come out of retirement to coach anybody but the aforementioned Golden-haired , laser- throwing Lawrence who, since High School, has been crowned the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck & John Elway. The Jaguars hope this is not another Blaine Gabbert situation. All signs point to this being the pick and Lawrence being a star the minute he sets foot in DUVAL County. 

Round 1- Pick 2

New York Jets

QB, Zach Wilson 

BYU

With the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft the New York Jets select…Sam Darnold, QB, USC. Feels like yesterday, right? With Jets fans and mainstream media alike still debating whether the Jets made the correct decision in trading the former USC “standout” or if they’ll come to regret it down the line, it’s now time for people to move on and prepare for a new quarterback to be given the keys to the Big Apple. Whether it’s ESPN, NFL Network, FS1, credible reporters on Twitter or your local newspaper, it seems like the talk of the town is system-fit, BYU QB Zach Wilson. Although Wilson looks like he could play for your high school’s varsity football team, there’s no denying the upside this young gunslinger has. Joe Douglas and new head coach Robert Saleh believe they’ve found their guy and won’t hesitate to fill in the draft card with Wilson’s name on it.

Round 1- Pick 3

San Francisco 49ers

QB, Mac Jones 

Alabama 

Every bone in my body wants to give Kyle Shanahan the higher upside, more athletic Justin Fields or Trey Lance here. However, according to any and everyone inside NFL circles right now including the one and only, Adam Schefter, has all but confirmed this will be the selection come April 29th. Why would Shanahan want someone who is as physically limited as Jones when he currently has another limited signal-caller at the helm in San Fran, in Jimmy G? I cannot answer that question one bit. However, what I do know is that Shanahan loves his accurate, quick processing, high-IQ quarterbacks…see Schaub, Cousins, Ryan. This pick feels really arrogant and ego driven but if anyone can make Mac Jones work in the NFL…it’s Kyle Shanahan. The Niners move up to get their next franchise guy who will sit and learn behind Jimmy Garappolo for the 2021-22 season.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 4

Denver Broncos 

QB, Justin Fields  

Ohio State

With reports circulating that the Atlanta Falcons are torn between taking a QB here or trading the pick, I decided to opt with the latter. The Broncos made the Falcons an offer they couldn’t refuse by offering a boatload of picks to move up from 9th overall all the way to 4th. They’ll be selecting who many view to be the 2nd or 3rd best QB prospect in the entire draft class. This move all but solidifies the realization that the Drew Lock experiment has gone sour and come to an abrupt end in the Rocky Mountains. The Broncos will be getting a battle tested, SEC QB prospect, who has played his best football on the biggest stage against the best opponents. He is big, strong, fast, and can make all the throws on the field. Yes, there are concerns with his maturity levels and ability to read defenses, but Fields’ talent is way too notable to pass up for John Elway, Vic Fangio, and the Broncos organization. Fields will have a real good shot at succeeding in year 1 with weapons like Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and company, at his disposal. 

Round 1- Pick 5

Cincinnati Bengals

OL, Rashawn Slater

Northwestern

I was very tempted to pair Joe Burrow with his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase here. However, I like the Bengals weapons (Higgins, Boyd, Mixon) and think that protection of your young franchise quarterback should always be priority #1. Especially, since we saw Burrow’s promising rookie campaign come to a halt due to poor offensive line play causing him to get beat up and eventually ending his season with the ACL, MCL, and PCL injuries he sustained against the Washington Football Team. Joe Burrow has all the talent and moxie to be the guy for the next decade, but he won’t be able to prove that unless he’s kept upright. Nobody wants to see him be the next Andrew Luck, and have to retire early because of an accumulation of injuries. Slater is an immediate plug and play guard or tackle and immediately upgrades the Bengal’s O-line. Due to the fact that he is more technically refined and more NFL ready than his counterpart, Penei Sewell, it is Slater who gets his name called first on Draft night out of this years talented bunch of pass protectors.

Round 1- Pick 6

Miami Dolphins

TE, Kyle Pitts

Florida

The selection of the former Florida Gators TE Kyle Pitts could very well be a stretch here, considering there’s been a lot of talk about Miami potentially taking one of the top wide receivers on the board and the fact that they do have Mike Gesicki on the roster, but I think it would be too difficult to pass on this opportunity. With question marks revolving around one of their three 2020 first round picks, QB Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins need to ensure they provide the second year signal caller with as much talent as possible to truly evaluate him before fully committing to him in the future…because if he’s not the guy, they have plenty of draft capital to acquire a much more proven QB, if needed. With that being said, Pitts is a tremendously athletic pass catcher with a ton of upside and can play a variety of roles on any offense he joins.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 7

New England Patriots

QB, Trey Lance

North Dakota State 

Bill Belichick has been on a massive hyper-aggressive spending spree since the NFL Free Agency period began. He makes another aggressive move here by using his assets to jump up from 15 with Detroit to get his Tom Brady heir apparent in the form of NDSU’s Trey Lance. Lance might have the highest ceiling out of any QB in the class, including Trevor Lawrence. Scouts are concerned that Lance doesn’t have enough starting experience, with only 1 year of being a starter under his belt collegiately. Bill doesn’t care. With Cam Newton under contract for another season in Foxboro, the Patriots will have the luxury of allowing Lance to sit and learn for a full season under a player who he profiles very similarly to. 

Round 1- Pick 8

Carolina Panthers

OT, Penei Sewell

Oregon

Earlier in the week, the Carolina Panthers made a potentially franchise-shifting move by trading three draft picks (2021 6th round / 2022 2nd round / 2022 4th round) to the New York Jets to acquire gang green’s former QB Sam Darnold. One of the biggest issues that Darnold dealt with in New York was having to try to produce behind a subpar offensive line, which led to grossly low statistics and turnovers galore. Luckily for Darnold, Carolina may try to do everything in their power to allow their new QB to have time to properly get the ball to his new weapons; i.e. Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson. With potentially a top 5 rated prospect in this draft class still on the board in 20-year-old Oregon LT Penei Sewell, this is an easy choice for Matt Rhule and company. It seems as though Darnold has been put into a solid situation with his new team that could turn around his career for the better, but now, the excuses will be limited with an improved offensive line and offensive weapons.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 9

Atlanta Falcons 

WR, Ja’Marr Chase

LSU

After the Falcons moved back with Denver in this Mock Draft scenario, Ja’Marr Chase was on the board which nobody, especially, Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot, expected to happen. When there are three trades inside the top 10 picks, great players tend to fall. The Falcons could sit here and add Chase to a WR corps that already possesses the likes of Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones in order to maximize Matt Ryan’s last couple years under contract. While I pondered going with defensive playmakers like Micah Parsons or Patrick Surtain II to inject life into a Falcons defense who desperately needs it. I ultimately couldn’t pass on the opportunity to assemble the best WR trio in the NFL. Chase is an immediate WR1 in the NFL on any other team and this move gives Atlanta the flexibility to move off Julio’s contract via trade or release, and still have two elite WRs at their disposal for the future going forward. 

Round 1- Pick 10

Dallas Cowboys 

CB Patrick Surtain II

Alabama

When you take a look at the Dallas Cowboys roster on paper, they have arguably one of the best offensives in football. With names like Ezekiel Elliot, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, we should expect the Cowboys to start putting up some impressive numbers this season, especially with the return of QB Dak Prescott. But offense aside, one of the main issues the Cowboys have dealt with over the years is their defense not allowing them to compete in games. After having lost CB Byron Jones to the Miami Dolphins last offseason, the Cowboys have a wide open hole in their secondary, which can/should be filled with the former Alabama cornerback. Surtain is a big, physical cornerback who has a family history in the NFL.

Round 1- Pick 11

New York Giants

WR, Jaylen Waddle

Alabama

This is an ideal trade back scenario for the Giants, but we all know Dave Gettleman doesn’t believe in trading back or doing smart things for that matter. With that being said, I know NYG brought in big bodied star WR Kenny Golladay in Free Agency, as well as former speedster 1st round pick, John Ross. I still think there is a high percentage chance they go with a WR with this selection after recent reports have said that the Giants are “in love” with both Alabama WR prospects. As a lifelong Giant fan, I would not be mad at all with taking either Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith here. However, I believe Waddle is the better overall prospect, is a better fit for what the Giants are lacking (speed + separation) and profiles pretty darn close to Tyreek Hill. Waddle would allow the Giants to have an elite jump ball receiver(Golladay), elite slot operator (Shepard), and elite vertical threat (Waddle), all in the same receiving corps. Ultimately, I think the best decision is to give QB, Daniel Jones, another legit weapon to maximize his chances at succeeding in a make it or break it year 3, for his development and chances of sticking with the Giants in the future. 

Round 1- Pick 12

Philadelphia Eagles

WR, DeVonta Smith

Alabama

Watching three straight Alabama prospects selected in a row and four in the top 12 is probably a bittersweet moment for legendary head coach Nick Saban, as he’s thrilled to see his former player’s dreams come true, but having to replace each of them on his roster next season. Smith had a tremendous college season this past year, becoming the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991. Smith may not look like your typical NFL wideout, but the kid can straight up ball and is a thrill to watch. With Philadelphia acquiring a future first round pick from the Miami Dolphins in their trade back from the 6th pick to the 12th, they’re luckily able to still land a weapon like Smith, which allows them to add talent around Jalen Hurts to fully evaluate the young QB going into his second season.

Round 1- Pick 13

Los Angeles Chargers

CB, Jaycee Horn

South Carolina 

I know every Mock Draft under the sun has the Chargers taking an offensive lineman here. But, in a deep OL class and after signing prize FA Center, Corey Linsley, I think LAC can sit here and take a CB1, in the form of former NFL WR, Joe Horn’s son…Jaycee. Jaycee is rumored to be the fastest rising player on teams’ draft boards and it is rumored he could even be selected inside the top 10 picks. With corners Casey Hayward being cut, Desmond King walking in Free Agency, and Chris Harris Jr. getting up there in age, I think this is a smart move to add another blue chip prospect to a defense that still needs help. The Chargers can definitely get an O-lineman they covet in Round 2 or 3 in this year’s class.  

Round 1- Pick 14

Minnesota Vikings

EDGE, Kwity Paye

Michigan

This selection for the Minnesota Vikings can go in many different directions; EDGE, OT, OG or even possibly best player available with Penn St. LB Micah Parsons. The decision for head coach Mike Zimmer was to go with an edge rusher to improve an eh defense and select Kwity Paye from a list of talented edge rushers still available. The former Michigan Wolverine has been characterized as a hard-working individual who plays well in a four-man defensive line, which fits the Vikings defense nicely.

TRADE!

Round 1- Pick 15

Detroit Lions

LB, Micah Parsons 

Penn State

When you read and hear about Micah Parsons all you hear is how good he is at football but there are a lot of red flags when it comes to his character as a human being. I think Parsons could plummet even further than this pick. Newly hired HC Dan Campbell wants to instill a tough, hard nosed attitude and mentality to Detroit and the perfect person to jumpstart that process is Penn State’s Micah Parsons. Parsons will immediately become the face of the Lion’s defense for years to come and gives them a much needed playmaker on the second level of their defense. Parsons is kind of like Isaiah Simmons, the Cardinals LB/Safety, from last year’s class. He is a jack of all trades/ swiss army knife player that Dan Campbell can get the best out of. 

Round 1- Pick 16

Arizona Cardinals

CB, Caleb Farley

Virginia Tech

You can very well make the case that Farley should not be drafted with this selection, especially with Greg Newsome II still on the board, but there’s something about Farley’s attitude that tells me head coach Klff Kingsbury might take a swing on him here. Although Farley opted out of the 2020 season, he’s a tall and physical cornerback that comes across with a certain confidence that I think Kingsbury would like. It might take him some time to make improvements to his game, but with the departure of Patrick Peterson, the Arizona Cardinals need to plug someone into that hole in their secondary. 

Round 1- Pick 17

Las Vegas Raiders

DT, Christian Barmore

Alabama

It is well known that the Raiders essentially went and completely dismantled their offensive line this offseason by trading OT Trent Brown back to NE, C Rodney Hudson to ARI, and OG Gabe Jackson to SEA. All three respectively are above average starters that are now leaving massive holes in Derek Carr’s protection plan. Kolton Miller just got extended and looks like a mainstay at LT, but the Raiders simply cannot go into next season with the OL constructed the way it is because Derek Carr will not make it out of next season in one piece. With that being said, in a stacked OL class,  I have LVR selecting Bama’s standout D-lineman, Christian Barmore here. Standing at 6 foot 5 and weighing in at 310 lbs, Barmore reminds me of Giant’s DT Dexter Lawrence in stature. Barmore is just another stud defensive line player from Nick Saban’s defensive tree that will step in and immediately sure up the Raider’s shaky run defense. The former Bama star even flashed some serious pass rush ability, with 6 sacks in his final college season. Barmore even showed out this past season on the national stage, by playing extremely well in the College Football Playoff.

Round 1- Pick 18

Miami Dolphins

OL, Christian Darrisaw

Virginia Tech

For the second straight NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins will be on the clock with the 18th pick…and for the second straight NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins will be selecting an OL with the 18th pick…that OL will be Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw. The former Hokie had a very impressive 2020 campaign, which saw him rise to a potential day one selection. Darrisaw brings a nice option to the Miami Dolphins as he could play both right and left tackle and will be plugged in on whichever side last year’s 18th overall pick, Austin Jackson, isn’t playing on.

Round 1- Pick 19

Washington Football Team 

LB, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah 

Notre Dame

After all of the top quarterbacks were taken already, Washington doesn’t have much of a choice but to stay here and take the best player available. Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in this offseason to be a fill-in starter at QB and buy WFT time to find its franchise signal caller at a later date. I don’t hate them taking Kellen Mond or Kyle Trask at some point in the draft, but with all this talent still on the board, taking a QB here would be a major reach. Washington also added WR/RB Curtis Samuel via Free Agency, so I feel like they could wait till the next round to add another offensive playmaker. “J.O.K” just feels like a Ron Rivera type of player, who would be another stud added to an already top 5 defensive unit in the league. Every time I watched Notre Dame play this year, this guy popped right through my TV, making play after play. I think Owusu-Koramoah makes an already scary WFT defense..even scarier. 

Round 1- Pick 20

Chicago Bears

CB, Greg Newsome II

Northwestern

I really, really think that the Chicago Bears may pull off a big draft day trade by sending a massive haul to a team sitting in the top 10 if they notice a QB that they like still sitting on the board. But unfortunately in this mock, that did not happen for Bears fans and as for now it looks like their “QB 1” is Andy Dalton. With GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy’s both on the hot seat, I find it extremely hard to believe they’ll stay put at #20 and select a CB, when their quarterback situation is the one I just explained, BUT for now they’ll fill one of their needs on the defensive side of the ball since the release of CB Kyle Fuller and select his replacement from Northwestern University.

Round 1- Pick 21

Indianapolis Colts

OL, Alijah Vera- Tucker

USC

Chris Ballard and the Colts are jumping for joy in the green room after they see Vera-Tucker fall all the way down the board to them at 21. After the retirement of long time LT Anthony Costanzo, the Colts are in need of a tackle. Vera-Tucker was a stud at USC and has the position flexibility to be a really good guard or tackle in the league. He is more than capable of filling in right away at LT which will patch another hole for Indy’s roster which looks to be as close to a Super Bowl roster as you can get. AVT will aid in the run game and look to make Carson Wentz’s transition to the AFC South as smooth as possible. 

Round 1- Pick 22

Tennessee Titans

OT, Samuel Cosmi

Texas

This was another selection that could very well go in a few different directions. With the loss of WR Corey Davis in free agency and Jadeveon Clowney still unsigned at this time, the Titans could’ve easily filled those two holes with this pick. Instead, they decide to fill a hole on the offensive line and select former Texas Longhorn, Samuel Cosmi. Some may say Cosmi is selected a bit early here because of his inconsistencies, but scouts also mention that he has three years of starting experience and has shown flashes. HC Mike Vrabel decides to beef up his offensive line to open up holes for his dominant running back, Derrick Henry.

Round 1- Pick 23

New York Jets

EDGE, Azeez Ojulari

Georgia

I think Joe Douglas will strongly consider using his treasure chest of assets to move up and get newly rookie QB and face of the franchise, Zach Wilson, a shiny weapon to grow and develop with. In this Mock scenario, the board didn’t fall that way. I thought briefly about mocking Minnesota’s, Rashod Bateman, here but he is too similar in body type and play style to Denzel Mims and Corey Davis who are already on the Jets’ roster. Instead, I opted to pair bendy EDGE rusher, Azeez Ojulari, with newly acquired EDGE, Carl Lawson, to give Robert Saleh two bookend pass rushers that fit his system perfectly. There are concerns about Ojulari’s size, but I wouldn’t look too much into it. He has a knack for getting after the quarterback and plays with a motor that Bob Saleh would love to get his hands on. He reminds me a lot of Tampa Bay’s Shaquille Barrett, who has become one of the league’s top sack masters the past couple of years.

Round 1- Pick 24

Pittsburgh Steelers

OC, Creed Humphrey

Oklahoma

After 11 seasons of having QB Ben Roethlisberger taking snaps of OC Maurkice Pouncey in the Steel City, the Steelers have elected to not resign the nine-time pro bowler. Therefore, the Steelers need to fill that hole and there’s no one better in this draft to fill that hole than Creed Humphrey. Scouts believe Humphrey continued to progress and impress throughout his college career, and they expect him to have a long, successful career.

Round 1- Pick 25

Jacksonville Jaguars

WR, Kadarius Toney

Florida

The Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville is off to a hot start with the selection of Trevor Lawrence at #1 overall. The Jags can go in a number of different directions with this pick with so many holes on its’ roster. I decided to give Lawrence a gadget WR that will make his rookie season a whole lot smoother. Toney was overlooked at Florida, due to his teammate Kyle Pitts’ sheer and utter dominance. Don’t get it twisted, Toney is more than deserving of a first round pick as well. He is an electrifying playmaker who is impossible to bring down in the open field. He will immediately become Lawrence’s go to man, even with newly acquired veteran WR, Marvin Jones now in town. If it weren’t for how deep this WR class is, any other year Toney might be worthy of a top 10-15 selection. Jags get a steal. 

Round 1- Pick 26

Cleveland Browns

LB, Jamin Davis

Kentucky

The Cleveland Browns have a very impressive roster, which is why it did not come as a surprise to me (and probably most) that they broke an 18-year playoff drought during the 2020-21 season. With that being said, it’s always nice to add to an already deep roster, therefore Cleveland decides to select Jamin Davis to add to their linebacking core. Davis impressed scouts this past season and most believe he could thrive in a 3-4 defense, which the Browns coincidently decided they’re changing to this season.

Round 1- Pick 27

Baltimore Ravens 

EDGE, Gregory Rousseau

Miami 

After losing Matthew Judon and Za’darius Smith to Free Agency the past two offseasons, the Ravens are left with very little semblance of a pass rush. While I don’t love the rawness of Rousseau for a win now team like BAL, he just fits the profile of a Ravens EDGE rusher. The Ravens have a great track record of developing raw talents like Rousseau, and I think they can do it again here. With the addition of WR Sammy Watkins in Free Agency, receiver isn’t as glaring of a need as pass rusher. Jaelen Phillips’ injury history concerned me too much and Jayson Oweh’s lack of sack numbers concerned me as well. Rousseau’s free fall ends here as he flocks to the Ravens. 

Round 1- Pick 28

New Orleans Saints

LB, Zaven Collins

Tulsa

Personally, I think the Saints have a question mark at the quarterback position, but they decided to re-sign Jameis Winston this offseason to possibly be the future starter for this team. Also, with concerns about Marshon Lattimore’s situation, the team very well could look to fill a possible hole in the secondary. But instead, Sean Payton signs off on the decision to improve their LB core with the addition of Tulsa’s Zaven Collins. With Demario Davis already on the roster, the Saints would be adding another linebacker with versatility to an already impressive defense with a number of talented defenders.

Round 1- Pick 29

Green Bay Packers

CB, Eric Stokes

Georgia

This isn’t the sexy pick, but the “Cheeseheads” need a cornerback to play alongside All-Pro Corner, Jaire Alexander. Kevin King has been exposed way too long…it is time for an upgrade. This isn’t an exceptional CB class, but it is certainly an underrated one. I like Stokes’ physical and athletic profile, and I like what he showed at his pro day, running an unofficial 4.25 40- yard dash. He is a long-rangy corner with a lot of upside that DC Joe Barry can tap into. This seems like a Packer pick to me, but I hope CB can finally give A-Rod another playmaker on the perimeter in the coming rounds. 

Round 1- Pick 30

Buffalo Bills

OT, Teven Jenkins

Oklahoma St.

To most, this may not be a dire need for the Buffalo Bills, but when taking a look at their OL depth I’m not super impressed. Josh Allen’s progression within the past two seasons has taken the Bills to another level and has put them in serious consideration as one of the best teams in the AFC. With that being said, it is vital for them to continue to build around and protect their prized possession. 

Round 1- Pick 31

Kansas City Chiefs 

OT, Liam Eichenberg

Notre Dame

The Chiefs’ offensive line was completely exposed in Super Bowl LV against the Bucs, and managed to make Patrick Mahomes look human, as he was running backwards for his life essentially the entire game. Then, they went out and cut their two long time starting tackles, Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher, to everyone’s surprise. Yes, they did make a splash by signing stud Free Agent O-lineman, Joe Thuney, but there is still help to be had. There is just something about Notre Dame offensive linemen that always seems to pan out in the NFL. All Brian Kelly does is produce NFL ready offensive linemen year in and year out. Eichenberg is next of kin. I think he is a plug and play Left or Right tackle for the next decade wherever he lands. This selection will have Patrick Mahomes sleeping a little better at night.  

Round 1- Pick 32

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

EDGE, Joseph Ossai

Texas

Honestly, I expect the Buccaneers to probably trade out of this spot. They were able to resign and retain all of their free agents after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. They very well could remain at #32 and add to really any position they feel of need; possibly EDGE, OL or their secondary. For this mock, they decide to add depth to their defense who did a phenomenal job in the Super Bowl coached by DC Todd Bowles. Ossai will be a nice piece to an already stout defensive line.

by: Sean McGovern & Kyle Delahanty

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium has come to a crashing halt. Boy, what a fun week it was. We saw NCAA football’s top collegiate players compete and showcase their skills in front of the whole world and market themselves as to why one of the 32 NFL franchises should make them a full-time employee this coming April. There is one important lesson I have learned to keep in mind during the NFL off-season festivities: keep your eyes and ears peeled BUT don’t believe everything you see and hear. While there is certainly always some truth to every rumor or smokescreen that is put out there by teams, agents, and media outlets, we as part of the NFL community owe it to them to keep an open mind because as we’ve seen time and time again anything can happen on Draft night. 

At this year’s Combine we saw a handful of players help their draft stock sky-rocket, while we saw others plummet their draft positioning or hurt it immensely. Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs was rumored to put on a show at Lucas Oil, but to say he “put on a show” doesn’t do him justice. Wirfs showcased out- of –this-world numbers that we really haven’t seen from an offensive linemen before. He posted results like: a 4.85 40 yard dash, a 36.5 inch vertical, and a 10’1” broad jump all at 6 foot 5 320 pounds. Unreal. Then, on the other side of the ball a player by the name of Isaiah Simmons, a line-backer, out of powerhouse Clemson, ran a 4.39 40 yard dash and put up Combine stats all in the 90th percentile for players at his position. Translation equals he is not from this planet either. Jeff Okudah from THE Ohio State University, showed with his ballerina like footwork and impressive physical measurables, that he is nearly as perfect as a cornerback prospect as you will ever find. It turns out that this year’s draft class that was already labeled “deep” might be even deeper and talented than people expected. This 2020 Draft class is going to be one for the ages and if you are in need of adding talent to your roster as an NFL GM, I suggest accumulating as many picks as possible this year. This one should be a doozy. Here is my 2020 NFL “Post-Combine” Mock Draft. Enjoy.

**PSA: Odd picks= Sean/ Even picks= Kyle**

Round 1- Pick 1:

Projected Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Selection: QB, LSU- RS SR-Joe Burrow 6’4” 216 lbs

I almost wish that the Bengals could hand in their draft card today to indicate who they are selecting with the first overall selection next month. A player who had arguably the greatest statistical college football season ever for a quarterback, and a team who has been yearning for a young signal caller to take the helm. It is a match made in heaven. Burrow is from Ohio and hearing him speak at his Combine presser this past week, you just know he’s going to love to rub it in his friends’, teammates’, and family’s faces that he went from a pre-season Day 2 prospect at best, all the way to the consensus #1 overall pick. A report even came out today that he told the Bengal’s brass to make sure they hold onto impending free agent star receiver A.J Green. The Bengals coincidentally did just that. Burrow’s the guy here, don’t overthink it.

Round 1- Pick 2:

Projected Team: Washington Redskins

Selection: EDGE, Ohio St.- JR – Chase Young 6’5” 265 lbs

Young decided to skip out on workouts during the combine, unlike previous freak-of-nature draft prospects like Jadeveon Clowney in 2014 and Myles Garrett in 2018, but I really don’t think it will matter much for Young’s draft stock. I’d pencil the OSU product at #2 to Washington, and squash the “Tua at 2” rumors now. They’ll give QB Dwayne Haskins his deserving full year to audition as the leader of the offense, while Young takes over as the leader of the defense in D.C.

Round 1- Pick 3:

Projected Team: Detroit Lions

Selection: CB, Ohio St.- JR- Jeffrey Okudah 6’1” 200 lbs

This just in: Jeff Okudah is not from planet Earth. If you watched him work out this past weekend with his fellow DB prospects, you can conclude that he is far superior than his counterparts. He possesses the measurables of a cornerback who was made in a lab. Watching him participate in drill after drill, and be able to have all his skills on display was something to behold. He has what scouts call “ballerina feet”, where it almost looks like he is walking on air. If there was any year for a corner to go #1 or 2 overall, it would be this year. Parsippany New Jersey’s own, Okudah, (shoutout to my girlfriend who went to school with him) is so darn good he might even make HC Matt Patricia crack a  smile this upcoming season.

Round 1- Pick 4:

Projected Team: New York Giants

Selection: LB, Clemson- RS JR – Isaiah Simmons 6’4” 230 lbs

For the past few months, Clemson’s star line-backer Isaiah Simmons had been hyped up to be a top pick in the draft, but after a stellar performance in athletic testing at the NFL Draft Combine, he’s now skyrocketed into the top 4. You could make a case for the Giants going offensive line with this selection, but GM Dave Gettlemen likes his splashy picks and prospects with unreal athletic ability, therefore the draft card has Simmons written all over it. He recorded a 4.39 40 time and 39-inch vertical jump, shutting up the doubters who questioned his athleticism and versatility. 

Round 1- Pick 5:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: QB, Oregon- SR- Justin Herbert 6’6” 227 lbs

I know, I know the name next to selection does not read “Tua”, but everyone hold your horses. There is reasoning behind my madness here. Let’s face it Tua’s draft stock is all over the place. He could be selected anywhere from 2 overall to 32 overall. I am going to go out on a limb and say that rumors that Miami gave Tua a “cold shoulder” during his combine interview are…true. I think Miami feels better handing the keys to their castle to the bigger, more stout, QB Justin Herbert. Remember, Tua is only 6 foot and is coming off a brutal season ending hip-injury. Tua’s durability is a real concern in NFL circles, and Herbert did himself favors this past week, showing off his powerful throwing arm and athletic prowess. The Dolphins feel okay letting Ryan Fitzpatrick start the season and giving their new QB of the future, all the time in the world he needs to develop.

Round 1- Pick 6:

Projected Team: Los Angeles Chargers

Selection: QB, Alabama- JR- Tua Tagovailoa  6’1” 219 lbs

After a late season hip injury sidelined him for the remainder of his Junior season, eventually leading to surgery, Tua was unable to perform at the combine. Sometimes this can help a prospect, while other times it can hurt one. In this case, it slightly hurt Tua, because Oregon’s Justin Herbert jumps him and is selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins. But there’s no need to be down Tua, this could be a blessing in disguise as you’ll be heading to a talented, playoff-ready roster with the keys to the city and that new shiny stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Round 1- Pick 7:

Projected Team: Carolina Panthers

Selection: IDL, Auburn- SR- Derrick Brown 6’5” 318 lbs

This pick stays the same, as the pre-Combine Mock on my page. However, there is no debate that Brown is a top 3 overall player in this draft, and arguably the best defensive prospect on the board aside from Chase Young. He is a freak of nature and although he didn’t necessarily “wow” people at Lucas Oil, sometimes the combine isn’t the end-all be-all. Flip on Brown’s tape and you can quite easily see how much of a disruptive force this Auburn Tiger was on the gridiron. The Panthers are ecstatic that a player of Brown’s caliber falls to them at 7 overall, and are happy that they get to add some star-power back to that defensive unit, after the surprising retirement of star LB Luke Keuchly at the conclusion of this season.

Round 1- Pick 8:

Projected Team: Arizona Cardinals

Selection: WR, Oklahoma- JR – CeeDee Lamb 6’2” 189 lbs

Not much has changed with the eighth overall selection by the Arizona Cardinals, as they’ll be handing in a card with Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb’s name on it. I felt strongly about Lamb, and with him at this selection, Pre-Combine, but after an incredible showing at the Combine, this could be a lock. Not only would it give HC Kliff Kingsbury another toy to play with, but it pairs 2018 Heisman winner and 2019 #1 overall pick Kyler Murray with his former teammate from the University of Oklahoma. Lamb is widely known for his ability to catch the football, but he definitely opened even more eyes with some exceptional, eye-popping catches along the sideline this past weekend. This wide receiver draft class is one of the strongest we’ve ever seen, but this selection just makes sense for both Lamb and the Cards.

Round 1- Pick 9:

Projected Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Selection: IDL South Carolina- SR- Javon Kinlaw 6’5” 315 lbs

Some might say a bit of a reach here, but the Jags don’t really need an offensive linemen and I think they can find wide-receiver help in the later rounds for sure. They recently came out and said that they are looking to move on from veteran QB Nick Foles; who they just dished out a hefty 4 year $88 million dollar contract too last off-season. Yikes. The team has decided to move forward with promising rookie QB Gardner Minshew II under center. NFL junkies know that when you get a QB on a rookie contract, you need to capitalize on that salary cap luxury ASAP. Jacksonville does just that, and gets a star DT, who will hear his name called in the top 15 for sure in this year’s real life Draft. Kinlaw helps replenish a Jag’s D that has lost some serious star power as of late. 

Round 1- Pick 10:

Projected Team: Cleveland Browns

Selection: OL, Iowa- JR – Tristan Wirfs 6’5” 322 lbs

As mentioned earlier, Wirfs had arguably the best combine we’ve ever seen at the offensive lineman position. With extraordinary numbers in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump, I don’t think anyone’s stock skyrocketed higher than the Iowa product. He already made a good name for himself by being possibly the most versatile offensive lineman in the draft by being able to play both the guard and tackle positions, but now he’s showing signs that he’s possibly the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft as well with the numbers he posted just a few days ago.

Round 1- Pick 11:

Projected Team: New York Jets

Selection: WR, Alabama- JR- Henry Ruggs III 6’0” 190 lbs

Calm down Gang Green fans. I know you need to get Broadway Sam some much needed protection in the pocket. Don’t worry, GM Joe Douglas will address that in Free Agency, beginning on March 18th. I hear that the Jets internally feel that rookie OL Chuma Edoga, has a promising future, and possesses long-term starting potential. Impending free-agent speedster, WR Robby Anderson, looks like he’s going to find another home this off-season. So, with this selection, they look no further than Combine standout Henry Ruggs III, to give Sam Darnold a new shiny toy, who can break a game wide open with his blazing 4.27 speed.

Round 1- Pick 12:

Projected Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Selection: WR, Alabama- JR – Jerry Jeudy 6’1” 192 lbs

Three wide receivers selected between picks 8-12? Three wide receivers selected in the top 12? I told you this wide receiver draft class could be the strongest yet. Don’t be surprised if this happens. In this case, the Alabama duo goes back-to-back and Gruden gets his Antonio Brown-type of replacement (S/O Sean). I was very close to going in a completely different direction here, but there’s rumors of a potential GOAT being on the loose in Vegas soon. Anyway, Jeudy posted good numbers in the combine, showing off his speed and route running. He could go even higher than #12, but for now, this is where you’ll land Jerry.

Round 1- Pick 13:

Projected Team: Indianapolis Colts

Selection: QB, Utah State- RS JR- Jordan Love 6’4” 223 lbs

Rumor has it that the Colts have been in a love affair with Jordan Love, dating back for 2 years now. (pun intended) If this is true, I don’t think HC Frank Reich and GM Chris Ballard let Love fall past them at pick #13. Indy gets its QB of the future. However, it appears that other teams have been getting in on the “Love” affair as well, so the Colts need to be careful that they don’t wait too long to secure the QB they have long coveted. After signing 38-year old Philp Rivers in Free Agency, the Colts let Brisset ride the bench on the final year of his contract, and let Love wait in the wings for his shot probably some time in the 2021 NFL season. All of these are predictions, of course, but they are going to come to fruition, just watch!

Round 1- Pick 14:

Projected Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Selection: OL, Louisville- JR – Mekhi Becton 6’7” 369 lbs

Want to talk about an incredible Combine performance? Go back up and take a look at the numbers that Louisville’s Mekhi Becton posted this past weekend. For a 369 lb man to move so quickly and be as athletic as he is, God bless. You’d think after a performance that like that he’d be higher on the list, but this is just how the cards fall. The top prospects don’t always go where they should, rather it comes down to team needs sometimes. After going defense with the fifth overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Bucs will look to improve their offense in this year’s draft. We’re not sure who will be under center for the Bucs next season, but according to this mock, we know who will be protecting him.

Round 1- Pick 15:

Projected Team: Denver Broncos

Selection: OT, Alabama- JR- Jedrick Wills 6’5” 320 lbs

I would’ve loved to have given the Broncos a stud cornerback here to eventually take over for CB Chris Harris Jr., who looks like he wants out of Denver. I had to give John Elway one of the 4 best lineman prospects in the entire Draft here at 15. The value met the need, and Wills was too good to pass up. Don’t get me wrong Wills is a heck of a prospect, but he was a bit outshined by fellow linemen prospects Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton, who put the world on notice in Indy. We have seen time and time again how much momentum can boost a player up the draft boards after an exceptional Combine performance. Wills is a fine player, who started 38 games for Alabama, and held down the right side for Nick Saban, but he was just simply outshined by Becton and Wirfs. GM Elway gets QB Drew Lock a mauler of an OT who can play on either side, and help keep him upright for the foreseeable future.

Round 1- Pick 16:

Projected Team: Atlanta Falcons

Selection: EDGE, LSU- JR – K’Lavon Chaisson 6’4” 250 lbs

With the rumors of the Atlanta Falcons planning to release Vic Beasley, they may look to fill the void on the EDGE during April’s NFL Draft. Chaisson had an impressive Combine performance, solidifying his presence and improving his draft stock. To add to the positives and make sense of this selection, the Falcons were rumored to have met with Chaisson over the weekend at the Combine so it’d only make sense for them to be strongly considering adding Chaisson to a defense in desperate need of a turnaround season next year to get back on track.

Round 1- Pick 17:

Projected Team: Dallas Cowboys

Selection: CB, Florida Gators- JR- C.J. Henderson 6’1” 202 lbs

Henderson was another riser at this year’s Combine. He showed out, running a 4.39 40- yard dash and showing great hands and footwork. There are questions about Henderson’s effort and ability to tackle, but his talent is undeniable. There is belief around NFL circles that the former Florida gator cornerback will be selected in the top-15 come Draft day. Having to keep QB Dak Prescott and WR Amari Cooper around in the lone star state, has resulted in the Cowboys being forced to let star, CB Byron Jones, walk and hit free agency as an unrestricted free agent, where he will command a large new contract from another team. Jerry gets a cheap replacement for Byron Jones here, who, if he is coached up right, has the pedigree to certainly be a #1 CB in this league.

Round 1- Pick 18:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: OT, Georgia – JR – Andrew Thomas 6’5” 320 lbs

I’m not sure if Thomas waits this long on draft night, but as I said before, sometimes this is just how the cards fall. In this case, the Miami Dolphins not only find their QB of the future, but also find the man they hope protects his blind side for years to come. With that said, It’s very possible he falls this far based on the talent in this year’s draft, as well as the impressive OL Combine results compared to Thomas’, who didn’t fair as nicely as guys like Wirfs and Becton. Needless to say, Thomas has a ton of potential and would be a steal at 18.

Round 1- Pick 19:

Projected Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Selection: LB, Oklahoma- JR- Kenneth Murray 6’2” 234 lbs

I believe that GM Mike Mayock will be eyeing Murray with his 12th overall pick. However, sitting here at 19 overall, Mayock, is smirking even harder than he did on NFL Network this past week watching OT Mekhi Becton run the same forty-time as QB Dwayne Haskins. We saw during last year’s Draft, that Mayock really loves his “high character guys”, so much so, that he selected Clelin Ferrell #4 overall, who nobody had going nearly that high. He gets another character guy here in Murray, who is fast, strong, plays hard, and will help continue to revamp the culture in Las Vegas.

Round 1- Pick 20:

Projected Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Selection: CB, LSU- SR – Kristian Fulton 6’0” 200 lbs

The Jaguars have some decisions to make this offseason on the offensive side of the ball, while on the defensive side of the ball they’ll be adding two playmakers. Joining Javon Kinlaw en route to swampy Jacksonville will be LSU’s Kristian Fulton who got the NFL Draft Combine off to a hot start with an impressive 40-yard dash time. They’ll be looking to fill the hole that CB Jalen Ramsey left when traded to the LA Rams at the trade deadline last season, and what better way to do it than by filling it with one of your two first round draft picks.

Round 1- Pick 21:

Projected Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Selection: WR, LSU- JR- Justin Jefferson 6’3” 192 lbs

In an even more stacked WR class than we all anticipated, the Eagles essentially will have their pick of the litter here. While the Jeudy’s, Lamb’s, and Rugg’s of the world will most likely be off the board at 21, barring an unexpected twist, one could argue Jefferson, is not far off from that bunch. Jefferson ran a blazing 4.43 40-yard dash, which caused a lot of scouts jaws to drop. This kid has been rising up draft boards since September. The more you watch him and the more he gets exposure, the more I, and NFL teams are growing infatuated with former LSU QB Joe Burrow’s favorite weapon. The Eagles are in desperate need of influxing young talent into their depleted WR core. Jefferson does that and more for Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson.

Round 1- Pick 22:

Projected Team: Buffalo Bills

Selection: EDGE, Penn St.- JR – Yetur Gross-Matos 6’5” 264 lbs

Although Gross-Matos obligated not to take part in running the 40-yard dash, he impressed many with his vertical jump and it’s rumored that his stock is rising. Prior to the combine, Gross-Matos caught the attention of scouts because of his length at the edge rusher position, and after an impressive past season in blue and white, the Bills will look to add the Nittany Lion to their already stacked defense and pair him with last year’s 9th overall pick, Ed Oliver. 

Round 1- Pick 23:

Projected Team: New England Patriots

Selection: EDGE, Iowa- JR- A.J. Epenesa 6’6” 280 lbs

Personally, I envision Epenesa plummeting to possibly the 2nd round in the Draft, after his disappointing Combine outing. But, we all have seen this story before. A highly productive, high- profiled player slipping into the evil genius, Bill Bellichek’s lap. While there are certainly now some questions about Epenesa’s athleticism, his game tape doesn’t lie, and when he does get to put on the pads, he is extremely disruptive and productive. Bellichek has always done a nice job of taking in players with question marks and making them work. Epenesa was viewed among NFL scouts as a top 10 pick during the college season. With players like Devin McCourty, Kyle Van Noy, and possibly Tom Brady going to leave in Free Agency, the Pats need as much talent they can get to help stop the bleeding that could ensue next year.

Round 1- Pick 24:

Projected Team: New Orleans Saints

Selection: LB, LSU- JR – Patrick Queen 6’1” 227 lbs

The Saints could go in a few different directions with this selection, but linebacker is one of their bigger needs to address this offseason. LSU’s Patrick Queen had an impressive 40 time, although he had to pull up due to an injury while taking part in the drill. Aside from that one particular issue, the selection of Queen makes sense for the Saints as the other top LB prospect Kenneth Murray is no longer on the board and Queen had a good Junior season last year culminating in a National Championship.

Round 1- Pick 25:

Projected Team: Minnesota Vikings

Selection: OT, Houston- RS SR- Josh Jones 6’5” 311 lbs

In an offense that is so run-oriented, with a QB who’s mobility is far from a strength, O-line is always something that should be atop the list of needs for an NFL franchise that fits that bill. In a stacked offensive linemen class, Jones finds himself teetering around the 5th or 6th best prospect in the class. He is nothing to scoff at though, as he had an extremely promising Senior Bowl and possesses excellent size and is nimble on his feet. The Vikings let Jones, sit behind veteran OT Riley Reiff, and grow as the Vikings left tackle of the future.

Round 1- Pick 26:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: S, Alabama- JR – Xavier McKinney 6’1” 200 lbs

What a draft for the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback? Check. Offensive Tackle? Check. Safety? Check. This would be a tough call for the Dolphins though, because LSU’s talented safety, Grant Delpit, is still on the board as well. Rumor has it that it’s McKinney>Delpit post-Combine, and Delpit had to cut his Combine short due to an injury. Only time will tell if McKinney can fill former Miami Dolphins safety and 11th overall selection in the 2018 Draft, Minkah Fitzpatrick’s shoes. Those are big shoes to fill considering he was a pro bowler this year and was strongly considered for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Round 1- Pick 27:

Projected Team: Seattle Seahawks

Selection: EDGE, Wisconsin- RS SR- Zack Baun 6’3” 240 lbs

With Jarran Reed and Jadeveon Clowney most likely out the door, the Seahawks are in desperate need of players who can rush the passer. I don’t feel great about this pick for Seattle, and I can’t predict what they will do in Free Agency, but what I do know is, the way it stacks up, contractual issues will prevent Seattle from being allowed to franchise-tag stud pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. They have come out and said that they will exercise all efforts to bring back Clowney, but many around the league anticipate that Clowney will probably flee to the highest bidder. Baun is a nice prospect, who had a solid day at the Scouting Combine, but it is not feasible to expect him to replace the impact and production of a former #1 overall pick as only a rookie. 

Round 1- Pick 28:

Projected Team: Baltimore Ravens

Selection: IDL, Oklahoma- RS SR – Neville Gallimore 6’2” 304 lbs

Once again, another prospect who’s 40-yard dash best stood out for them. The Ravens had a few departure’s from their defense two years ago, and although they had a great season in 2019, they’re still looking to fill some holes. This could be a nice selection to fill a hole on the IDL, as Gallimore is quick on his feet and has pretty solid athleticism for someone his size. The Ravens could go in a few different directions with this pick, but they’ll grab Gallimore with this selection in this mock.

Round 1- Pick 29:

Projected Team: Tennessee Titans

Selection: RB, Wisconsin- JR- Jonathan Taylor 5’11” 219 lbs

Here is a player who probably made himself the most money at the Combine. Everyone was well aware of Taylor’s college production at “RBU” Wisconsin, but he showed that he should be taken more seriously as arguably the best runner in this plenty talented running back class. Taylor dropped jaws by running a faster 40- yard dash time than 2018 NFL Combine freakshow, Saquon Barkley. At a quick glance, Taylor kind of looked like Saquon out there: catching everything in sight, and flying all around the field at nearly 230 lbs. It is well documented that, RB Derrick Henry, single handedly put the Titans on his back this postseason. But, this is a business, and he is a free agent who will command a ton of money. It wouldn’t be the dumbest decision for the Titans, to let him walk and garner a cheaper option in Jonathan Taylor, who could definitely handle a similar workload to Henry, after rushing for back-to-back 1,900 yard seasons for the Badgers as their workhorse back.

Round 1- Pick 30:

Projected Team: Green Bay Packers

Selection: WR, Clemson- JR – Tee Higgins 6’4” 215 lbs

Aside from protecting your quarterback with good offensive lineman, another way to prolong an aging quarterback’s career is to provide him with weapons to throw the ball to. Well the Packers just got an absolute steal with the 30th overall pick by selecting former National Champion, Clemson’s Tee Higgins. Yes, Higgins has almost seemed forgotten about as of lately with a quiet off-season and rising stocks of a loaded receiver class, but let’s not forget how dominant he was during his college career. Not only is he 6’4 but he’s a ball hawk and playmaker, and in this case he’ll be the Robin to Batman (Davante Adams).

Round 1- Pick 31:

Projected Team: San Francisco 49ers

Selection: S, LSU- JR- Grant Delpit 6’3” 201 lbs

The 49ers figure to lose safety Jimmie Ward, to another suitor in Free Agency. To fill that void, I decided to give them long and rangey safety from National Champion LSU Tigers. Delpit was always seen as a top 5 talent, but his draft stock has taken hit after hit over the past year or so. His effort does not really show up on tape, so it is understandable as to why teams would be scared away. After making the Super Bowl, the Niners clearly have a talented roster. When you have a good team, you are awarded the luxury of being able to take risks with high-risk, high-reward players like, Delpit. The Chargers took a risk a couple years ago with a similar safety prospect with red flags, by the name of Derwin James…and that turned out to be a pretty great decision for them. The Niners hope to also strike gold here in the form of: Grant Delpit.

Round 1- Pick 32 :

Projected Team: Kansas City Chiefs 

Selection: IDL, TCU- RS JR – Ross Blacklock 6’4” 305 lbs

Just about a month ago, the Kansas City Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in just around a half a century with arguably the future of the league under center, Patrick Mahomes. Considering they have Mahomie, I’d assume they’d look to beef up the defensive side of the ball, because Mahomes can handle his own on the offensive side. Blacklock had a good combine and is rumored to be suited to land in the first round. This would be a nice addition to go along with recently Franchise-tagged DE Chris Jones.

This concludes the mock draft. The website used to conduct this simulated version of April 23rd’s, NFL Draft, can be found at the following link: https://thedraftnetwork.com/mock-draft-machine

by: Sean McGovern & Kyle Delahanty

With the NFL Draft Combine officially about to be underway this Saturday, February 23rd, I figured what better time to take a stab at a full 1st-round mock draft? Here is my first official NFL Mock Draft, as I am sure many more will be posted after the Combine concludes and Free Agency begins. Let Draft Szn commence!

**PSA: Even picks: Sean/Odd picks: Kyle**

Round 1- Pick 1:

Projected Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Selection: QB, LSU-RS SR-Joe Burrow 6’4” 216 lbs

As the Andy Dalton era ends in Cincinnati, the Joe Burrow era begins. When you have arguably the greatest college football season a quarterback can have, culminating in a National Championship victory and Heisman trophy, you’re going to catch the attention of NFL scouts. I don’t believe he’s the top quarterback in the draft, nor do I think he’ll have a very good NFL career, but I do believe the Bengals will draft him at #1.

Round 1- Pick 2:

Projected Team: Washington Redskins

Selection: EDGE, Ohio State- JR- Chase Young 6’5” 265 lbs

The Redskins luck out and get the best player in the draft here at #2 overall. We could see a QB-needy team like the Dolphins, Chargers, or Colts try to move up to this slot to land a quarterback they fall in love with throughout the pre-draft process. However, in this scenario, the Redskins play it smart and select an absolute freak of nature, who is going to put up all-time combine numbers this upcoming weekend. Ron Rivera gets his new version of Julius Peppers. 

Round 1- Pick 3:

Projected Team: Detroit Lions

Selection: CB, Ohio St.- JR- Jeffrey Okudah 6’1” 200 lbs

With consecutive draft picks, an Ohio St. standout has his dream come true. With the Detroit Lions shopping veteran cornerback Darius Slay, it would only make sense for them to take Okudah here, barring any big cornerback acquisitions during free agency. According to scouts around the league, Okudah showcases the ball skills and physical ability to strive in the NFL, making him a complete package.

Round 1- Pick 4:

Projected Team: New York Giants

Selection: OT, Alabama- JR- Jedrick Wills 6’5” 320 lbs

Oh, how I would love for my beloved Giants to finally get a star on the defensive side of the ball, I truly believe they will go with a “Hog-mollie” with this selection, if they do not opt to trade back come April. Wills might not have the upside of a Mekhi Becton, but he locked down the right side of Alabama’s dominant offensive line for the past 28 consecutive contests. He is a mauler in the run game and that type of nastiness is what the Giants need to resurrect their porous offensive line play. I envision Wills shifting over to the blind side, seamlessly, with free agent bust, Nate Solder, moving to the right side to play out the final year of his hefty contract. Now, with Wills, Zeitler, and Hernandez, the G-men have something cooking. Wills WILL protect Daniel Jones’ blind side for the next decade, while opening up running lanes for generational talent, Saquon Barkely.

Round 1- Pick 5:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: QB, Alabama- JR- Tua Tagovailoa 6’1” 219 lbs

With the first of three 2020 NFL Draft selections, the Miami Dolphins decide to fill the most important position on the field with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua features a brilliant football IQ, an accurate passing skill set and composure that may be unmatched. Yes, there are doubts in how he’ll be able to adjust to a bad Miami team coming from a Crimson Tide roster filled with All-Americans and top recruits, but barring any hip issues, I think Tua’s humble and focused mentality will suit well for any franchise that hands in a card with his name on it. 

Round 1- Pick 6:

Projected Team: Los Angeles Chargers

Selection: QB, Oregon- SR- Justin Herbert 6’6” 227 lbs

Let the QB run commence. With LAC confirmed to be moving on from long time franchise signal caller, Philip Rivers, the Chargers are heavily in the market for a new QB. While, they may look to dish out a costly free agent contract to the likes of Tom Brady or Teddy Bridgewater, I do anticipate that the Chargers will look to take a young quarterback here to either, start right away, or sit behind a bridge QB for a year. The trend has been, that if you’re selected in the first round, or even second, and you play QB you are most likely going to be thrown into the fire at some point in your rookie campaign. The Chargers get a really talented thrower of the football here with sneaky athleticism, coming from a basketball background. Herbert’s decision to return to play for the Ducks in his senior year pays off, as he finds himself on, arguably, the most talented roster in the NFL.

Round 1- Pick 7:

Projected Team: Carolina Panthers

Selection: IDL, Auburn- SR- Derrick Brown 6’5” 318 lbs

The Panthers have made quite a few changes to their organization, roster and coaching staff within the past few months, and now the NFL world waits to see what the team decides to do with the quarterback situation. Assuming they decide to give a healthy Cam Newton the keys to the city for possibly one more run, they’ll look to address a hole on the interior defensive line by filling it with Auburn’s Derrick Brown. Based on the opinions of scouts, he’s considered to be one of the best interior defensive linemen to come out of school in recent memory.

Round 1- Pick 8:

Projected Team: Arizona Cardinals

Selection: OT, Lousiville- JR- Mekhi Becton 6’7” 369 lbs

I bounced back and forth on this pick here, between getting OROY Kyler Murray a true #1 WR, or getting him more protection on the offensive line. One could argue that as a mobile QB, you don’t necessarily need that great of an O-line (see Russel Wilson). But, if Kyler Murray wants to last in this league at 5’10”, he will need to stand in the pocket and let it rip. Rising OT prospect, and mammoth of a man, Mekhi Becton, will do that for him and then some. Becton reminds some scouts of a young, Tyron Smith, in terms of their similar length and power. The Cardinals locked up their LT DJ Humphries today on a three-year contract extension, so why not secure the other side of the line for the foreseeable future? After this week’s combine, I could see Becton’s stock rising even further, so he might not even be available at #8 come draft time.

Round 1- Pick 9:

Projected Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Selection: LB, Clemson- RS JR- Isaiah Simmons 6’4” 230 lbs

It feels as though the Jacksonville Jaguars are always getting the next big thing on defense, and that tradition continues for at least one more year as they select Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons. It’s safe to say, this guy is a freak. There’s major upside for Simmons with his length and versatility, I could honestly see him going earlier than the 9th pick, but in this case this is where he lands. If Jacksonville can figure things out on offense, they could have a bright future with young defensive talent like Myles Jack, Josh Allen and the newly acquired Simmons.

Round 1- Pick 10:

Projected Team: Cleveland Browns

Selection: OT Iowa- JR- Tristan Wirfs 6’5” 322 lbs

It would’ve been nice to add an exceptional talent like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb to the Browns already stacked wide receiver group. On the contrary, I decided to play it smart here and address the Browns number one need and a weak point on this stacked roster. Iowa has a proven track record of producing reliable, tough nosed, and most importantly good offensive linemen in recent years. Wirfs, is the latest of the bunch to enter the pros. While some scouts project him to be a guard in the NFL, it doesn’t matter in this instance. The Browns just need warm bodies on the O-line at this point, as Baker Mayfield regressed last year due to significantly worse offensive line play compared to his rookie season. Browns land a plug and play starter here.

Round 1- Pick 11:

Projected Team: New York Jets

Selection: OT, Georgia- JR- Andrew Thomas 6’5” 320 lbs

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Jets #1 priority needs to be protecting franchise QB Sam Darnold. Whether the Jets decide to address the need in free agency, the draft, or both, it’d be beneficial in selecting three-year starter for the Georgia Bulldogs in Andrew Thomas. The Jets will hand in the card with Thomas’ name on it, in hopes that he has a similar positive impact on the organization like D’Brickashaw Ferguson did with the Jets first round selection of him in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Round 1- Pick 12:

Projected Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Selection: WR, Alabama -JR- Jerry Jeudy 6’1” 192 lbs

Jon Gruden gets in Jeudy what he hoped to get in Antonio Brown: a flashy weapon on the outside to help Derek Carr along and put asses in the seats in Sin City. There’s been a debate among analysts as to who the best receiver in this class is: Jeudy or Lamb. I don’t think GM, Mike Mayock, overthinks it here. He lands one of the most polished WR prospects we’ve seen in some recent time. Jeudy’s tape speaks for itself, and he is a true all-around WR prospect. Mayock and Gruden hit another home run with this pick to add to their already impressive draft resume. Jeudy could very well be the next Julio Jones.

Round 1- Pick 13:

Projected Team: Indianapolis Colts

Selection: WR, Oklahoma- SR- CeeDee Lamb 6’2” 189 lbs

There’s rumors of the Colts acquiring veteran, and former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, as well as drafting quarterback Jordan Love, but regardless of what they decide to do with the field general, I have them selecting Oklahoma speedster CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is an extremely talented wideout known for his ball skills and ability to track the football. This wideout addition will give whoever’s throwing the ball for Indy two exceptional receivers to add to an already very talented overall roster.

Round 1- Pick 14:

Projected Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Selection: IDL, South Carolina- SR- Javon Kinlaw 6’5” 315 lbs

This just felt like a match made in heaven. Ever since releasing Gerald McCoy, the Bucs have been missing a true star on the interior of the defensive line. Kinlaw is another rising prospect whose stock will surely rise after the combine. Kinlaw possesses a super quick first step and has all the potential in the world to be a highly-effective pass rusher. With every GM looking to find the next Aaron Donald these days, this player is not too far from the type of prospect Donald was coming out of college. Kinlaw’s pro-comp is a player like Leonard Williams. 

Round 1- Pick 15:

Projected Team: Denver Broncos

Selection: WR, Alabama- JR- Henry Ruggs III 6’0” 190 lbs

The Denver Broncos can go in many directions with this pick, but noticing that they may have finally found their field general in 2019 second round draft selection Drew Lock, they may want to add to the offense and give him some weapons to work with in the future. With the addition of a speedy Ruggs III and his pro comparison of DeSean Jackson, it gives the Broncos a nice 1-2 punch with a deep threat in Ruggs and big target in Courtland Sutton.

Round 1- Pick 16:

Projected Team: Atlanta Falcons

Selection: EDGE, LSU- JR- K’Lavon Chaisson 6’4” 250 lbs

After letting pass rusher Vic Beasley walk this year in free agency, the Atlanta defensive unit lacks a true disruptive edge rusher. Insert Chaisson to fill that void. Coming off an undefeated season and National Championship, Chaisson is on top of the world. He was an anchor of the LSU defense, and a true presence in the locker room. Every time LSU needed to rally the troops, you could look to the sideline to see Chaisson getting his team back on track. He was awarded the honor of wearing #18 for the Tigers which is meant to signify a player who exemplifies success on and off the field. Falcons get a good one here to help revitalize their defensive front, and try to get back to the Super Bowl.

Round 1- Pick 17:

Projected Team: Dallas Cowboys

Selection: CB, LSU- SR- Kristian Fulton 6’0” 200 lbs

Another team that made some big changes this offseason, and I’m not quite sure they’re finished just yet, but during the draft they’ll look to address the cornerback position with the addition of National Champion corner Kristian Fulton from LSU. He was a highly touted high school recruit, but after a suspension for tampering with an NCAA drug test back in 2017, scouts began to doubt. Fulton turned his once-believers turned doubters into believers again after an impressive 2018 and 2019 season. He’s praised for his composure in big moments playing a big position like cornerback, which makes him a nice addition for “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys.

Round 1- Pick 18:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: EDGE, Iowa- JR- A.J. Epenesa 6’6” 280 lbs

The Dolphins circle back around after landing their franchise QB and get a top pass rusher in the class. After nearly trading or cutting every single good defensive player on their team last season, MIA needs help everywhere on the defensive side of the ball. Getting Epenesa this late in the first round is a steal. He is a relentless pass rusher who racked up a total of 30.5 sacks over his previous two seasons. Epenesa and last year’s first round pick, Christian Wilkins, have a chance to get the Dolphins front 7 back to a level of respectability next season. 

Round 1- Pick 19:

Projected Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Selection: CB, Florida Gators- JR- C.J. Henderson 6’1” 202 lbs

With their third and final selection of the first round, the Raiders look to add to their secondary with Florida’s C.J. Henderson. Head coach Jon Gruden, and scout-turned General Manager, Mike Mayock will love the addition of a cornerback with the wingspan that Henderson provides. A cornerback with arms similar to tree branches can make all the difference when covering some of the top wideouts around the league.

Round 1- Pick 20:

Projected team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Selection: CB, TCU- RS SR- Jeff Gladney 6’0” 183 lbs

After trading disgruntled corner, Jalen Ramsey, to the Rams this past off-season and after rumors are heating up that CB A.J. Bouye could be out the door next, the Jags are very much in the market for secondary help. While, they probably should look sign a prized free agent cornerback to get a proven commodity…with -3.4 mil in cap space it is going to nearly impossible to accomplish that feat. For this franchise in salary cap hell, look no further than red-shirt Senior corner Jeff Gladney to help put a bandaid on your secondary woes. Gladney, is being slept on in this class. Believe it or not, his frame and play style emulates that of none other than Jalen Ramsey. Gladney is going to make an NFL team very happy that chooses to take a chance on him. He has exciting traits as a man corner but possesses the versatility to play inside as well. Gladney is disruptive around the ball and has solid ball skills.

Round 1- Pick 21:

Projected Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Selection: S, Alabama- JR- Xavier McKinney 6’1” 200 lbs

After a rollercoaster type of season in 2019, the Eagles hope to have a healthy roster heading into the 2020 season. Known for their smart organizational decisions, you could expect them to make changes to their roster, and when it comes to the draft, they should be looking to add Alabama defensive standout Xavier McKinney. There’s a mixture of youth’s and vet’s in the Eagles secondary, but with the addition of McKinney and his high football IQ, it’s like having a veteran inside a young body.

Round 1- Pick 22:

Projected Team: Buffalo Bills

Selection: WR, Colorado- JR- Lavishka Shenault Jr. 6’2” 220 lbs

Shenault is one of those swiss army knife type of wide receivers that any NFL team would love to add to their squad in 2020. We saw what a player like Deebo Samuel did in this year’s playoffs: lining up at running back, catching screens, and breaking big play after big play. The Bill’s and QB Josh Allen would love to add a player of Shenault’s talent to an already productive offense. Any offensive coordinator would be watering at the mouth to get a weapon like this. Shenault is a bigger, stronger Deebo Samuel; scary thought.

Round 1- Pick 23:

Projected Team: New England Patriots

Selection: S, LSU- JR- Grant Delpit 6’3” 201 lbs

With the possibility of Devin McCourty playing elsewhere next season, the Patriots may decide to fill that void right away with the 2019 Jim Thorpe award winner for best defensive back in the country, Grant Delpit. A mix of versatility, physicality and smarts, along with the fact that he can come in and play right away, this pick is a no brainer for the G.O.A.T. Bill Belichick. Or…you know, they’ll just take another guy you’ve never heard of and turn him into a pro bowler for years to come.

Round 1- Pick 24:

Projected team: New Orleans Saints

Selection: QB, Utah State- RS JR- Jordan Love 6’4” 223 lbs

I never thought I’d utter the phrase I am about to say, but here goes nothing. Drew Brees might retire to be replaced by franchise QB Taysom Hill. Yes, this is the world we live in. Whether Sean Payton proclaiming special teams/ WR/TE/ wildcat QB Taysom Hill as the next Steve Young and potential face of his franchise is a smokescreen or the truth, we need to peg QB, as a serious need for the Saints this off-season. Drawing comparisons to 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Love, is the the new sheriff in town and Sean Payton’s new right hand man. No one can really predict who will be playing the quarterback position for the Saints next year, but Love’s arm talent, and Payton’s offensive genius is an enticing pairing.

Round 1- Pick 25:

Projected Team: Minnesota Vikings

Selection: LB, LSU- JR- Patrick Queen 6’1” 227 lbs

Although cornerback might be more of an issue for the Vikings prior to free agency, grabbing one during this mock draft at #25 might be a bit of a reach, therefore they’ll go with LSU’s Patrick Queen at the linebacker position. With good instincts and a strong football IQ, he’ll be a nice addition to a veteran defense and an already pretty strong linebacker core featuring Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks.

Round 1- Pick 26:

Projected Team: Miami Dolphins

Selection: RB, Georgia- JR- D’ Andre Swift 5’9” 215 lbs

With their third and final first round pick of the 2020 Draft the, Dolphins, grab another offensive piece to go alongside franchise QB Tua Tagovailoa: forming a pretty solid QB-RB tandem. Dolphins fans have to feel pretty good going from an offense led by journeyman Ryan FitzMagic and unproven RBs Kallen Ballage & Patrick Laird, to now arguably the top 2 collegiate players at their respective positions. Swift is next in line in the Georgia pipeline of tailbacks to come out and make an impact in the NFL. Names like Gurley, Chubb, and Michel come to mind as former Bulldog backs to have success in the league. Swift, at only 5’9”, packs a punch at 215 pounds. While many scouts and analysts feel as if he’s better suited as a Day-2 prospect, Miami has the luxury here to grab the shifty, three- down back, at the top of the 1st round.

Round 1- Pick 27:

Projected Team: Seattle Seahawks

Selection: EDGE, Penn St.- JR- Yetur Gross-Matos 6’5” 264 lbs

After confirming that the Seattle Seahawks will not be resigning Jadeveon Clowney, it’s time to fill the edge hole with Penn St.’s Gross-Matos. After an impressive past two years, Gross-Matos is a long and tall defender who’s effective off first contact. Like the Patriots, the Seahawks typically do a nice job of bringing in draft picks and making the most of them, so that’s what we should expect if this selection just so ends up happening.

Round 1- Pick 28:

Projected Team: Baltimore Ravens

Selection: LB, Oklahoma- JR- Kenneth Murray 6’2” 234 lbs

This pick just has the feel of another Baltimore Ravens late round steal. The Ravens linebacking corps needs help, after letting Za’Darius Smith and CJ Mosely walk last offseason. When people think of Big-12 and Oklahoma football, defense is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. But, believe it or not Oklahoma actually had a stud of a football player on the defensive side of the ball this past year. Murray is a high effort player who exhibits toughness and a high motor with a knack for making big plays. He may not be ready to start year 1, but he surely will make his presence felt on special teams or as a rotational player. You can teach technique and fundamentals but you can’t teach toughness and second effort. Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale will be delighted with this selection. 

Round 1- Pick 29:

Projected Team: Tennessee Titans

Selection: EDGE, Alabama- RS JR- Terrell Lewis 6’5” 258 lbs

A few months ago, I don’t think anyone expected the Titans to be picking this late in the first round, but after a memorable cinderella run through the AFC playoffs, they find themselves here. Head Coach Mike Vrabel has taken an Alabama defensive player in the first round before, and he’ll be doing the same this year with Terrell Lewis. Once again, an edge rusher best known for his length, but also known for being injury prone. With a list of past injuries, that’d be the only red flag coming along the selection of Lewis.

Round 1- Pick 30:

Projected Team: Green Bay Packers

Selection: WR, LSU- JR- Justin Jefferson 6’3” 192 lbs

One of several LSU Tigers selected in this version of this pre-combine version of my mock draft. Jefferson was a breakout star this year, and #1 pick Joe Burrow’s go-to-target. Every time I watched LSU play this year, I found myself asking who is that guy…after seeing #2 catch everything in sight and find the end zone, time and time again. Jefferson entered his freshman year as a skinny, lanky, and raw wide-receiver, who was buried at the bottom of the depth chart. Now, as a Junior, after bulking up, and refining his skills, he is a legitimate 1st round talent. Jefferson gives Mr. Discount Double-Check, Aaron Rodgers, another outside weapon to pair with All- Pro wideout, Davante Adams. If A-aron wants to know what type of player he can expect in getting Jefferson, he should just shoot Joe Burrow a text to hear how much he raves about his former teammate.

Round 1- Pick 31:

Projected Team: San Francisco 49ers

Selection: OT, Houston- RS SR- Josh Jones 6’5” 311 lbs

After one of the greatest turnaround seasons in NFL history, the 49ers will have some decisions to make to keep the NFC champions atop the NFC, and eventually atop the NFL. In this edition, they’ll focus their attention on keepin Jimmy GQ’s uniform clean by adding a young offensive lineman with Houston’s Josh Jones. Rumor has it that he’s a high ceiling, low floor offensive lineman, which is a coach’s dream. The protection of Garoppolo may be the key to the 49ers’ future success.

Round 1, Pick 32:

Projected Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Selection: EDGE, Wisconsin- RS SR- Zack Baun 6’3” 240 lbs

What needs does a team coming off of a pretty convincing Super Bowl victory have? Well, for starters, you could make the argument that the Chiefs were actually outplayed for most of Super Bowl LIV. With Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill on offense with, Andy Reid, calling plays for the next several years it’s safe to say you do not need much help, if any, on offense. So, with Patty Mahomeboy about to become the highest paid player in NFL history by a longshot, it is most prevalent NOW, more than ever, that the Chiefs add cheap, productive defensive players to their roster in order to maximize and lengthen their championship window. In Baun, KC will be getting a late bloomer who showed some serious pass rushing ability at this month’s Senior Bowl. Some scouts projected him as more of a stand up line-backer, due to his slight 240 pound frame. But, after producing 11.5 sacks and 55 QB pressures in the 2019 season, it is safe to say, Baun, is an asset to any defensive unit on the next level. If the Chiefs can continue to stockpile and hit on picks like this one, I foresee several Super Bowl parades in Kansas City through the lens of my crystal ball.

This concludes the mock draft. The website used to conduct this simulated version of April 23rd’s, NFL Draft, can be found at the following link: https://thedraftnetwork.com/mock-draft-machine

February 12th, 2020. The date that all Yankee fans have had pencilled in their calendars since our beloved Yankees were eliminated from the postseason on, October 19th, to AJ Hinch and his humble, non-arrogant, integrity driven, rule abiding Astros squad. I’ll leave it at that. Since then, things have been on the up and up for NYY and they appear to be on the precipice of a special season in the Bronx.

This time around, it appears you cannot point to a weak point on the squad like you would have to been able to in off- seasons prior. This Aaron Boone led juggernaut, built by none other than 2019 Executive of the Year runner-up Brian Cashman, has everything you want in a baseball team. They have clubhouse comradery, a relentless attitude, a collective desire to win, a solid veteran to young player ratio, and most importantly: they’re postseason battle tested. They are coming off of back to back 100 plus win seasons with no hardware to show for it. However, you get the sense around the area that Cashman is not messing around this year.

After inking the 2019 AL Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole, to a record setting 9 year deal with $324 million dollars, making him the 4th highest paid player in baseball and the highest paid pitcher by in the MLB. Year after year Yankees fans have been clamoring on local sports radio shows and social media for the front office to go out and get them a #1 pitcher. Cashman told them to be patient as he was waiting for the right time to pounce and dig into his pocket full of assets and cash in order to land a big free agent fish that could take them to the promised land. Cole fits that bill and then some.

The thought of putting Cole in a rotation that already consisted of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Jordan Montgomery, should be a dream come true for Yankee fans. Not only did you take the #1 pitcher away from your biggest threat to a pennant, you essentially made guys like Severino, Paxton, and Tanaka, who in their own regard, ( who have been #1-type starters at some point in their respective careers), middle to back end of the rotation guys. We have seen the past 2 World Series Champions ride the coattails of what baseball guys like to call “horses” to world championships: Chris Sale, David Price, Patrick Corbin, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer come to mind. The Yankees, who have been thought of as a team who will out slug you and then let their lights out bullpen shut the door on you, never really struck fear into the eyes of their opponents with their starting pitching. Now, with Cole leading the way coming off of a historic season, the Yankees can out pitch you if need be, and that is a scary, scary thing.

The Yankees will be returning a stacked lineup with seemingly no holes in it whatsoever. 2018 AL ROY runner-up Miguel Andujar, will return to the ball club coming off of a season- ending shoulder surgery, and after he was rumored all season long to be on the trade block to help the Yankees lure in an arm. And, optimistically thinking, a healthy? Giancarlo Stanton, after he sustained a torn left biceps, a left shoulder strain, a sprained right knee and a strained quad that plagued him in the playoffs. This Yankees lineup has plenty of power, speed, contact, and pretty much any other quality a manager would want his lineup to have, and then some. The one knock would be that, this lineup, for whatever reason in the post season, just left too many runners in scoring position and didn’t produce enough clutch/ timely hits when their team needed them to. The pitching staff was actually pretty solid throughout the postseason and kept them in games, contrary to popular belief.

With studs like Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Domingo German on the bump and electric arms like Tommy Kahnle, Zach Britton, Adam Ottavino, Aroldis Champan coming in for relief. Alongside, sluggers DJ LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Gary Sanchez, Luke Voit, Miguel Andujar, among others, Bronx bombing dingers into Monument Park. Surrounded by quality role/ utility players like: Clint Frazier, Mike Tauchman, Thairo Estrada, Mike Ford, and Tyler Wade. It is hard to fathom another MLB team stacking up to this one in a 7 game series, but baseball is baseball and anything can happen, as we saw this year with the Washington Nationals who caught fire at the perfect time en route to their first WS in franchise history. With that being said, if this team can stay relatively healthy, and their stars can play up to par, and Boone can keep everyone in check with their sights set on #28, I do not see anybody stopping the 2020 New York Yankees from achieving their goal of winning their first world championship since 2009 and reclaiming their rightful throne as kings of the MLB once again. It is only a matter of time that the Evil Empire rises from the darkness again. See you on March 26th, baseball fans. If Coach Boone can have as much success with the 2020-2021 Yankees, as he did picking the final score outcome of Super Bowl LIV, we are in good shape folks.

Yes, I know my blog was intended to be strictly Giants & Yankee oriented, but it is quiet in the football and baseball realms. The 2019-2020 NFL season has just come to an abrupt hault and MLB Opening Day is still a few weeks away. So, for the time being I will be posting things that I enjoy talking about and that I feel are entertaining/ relevant topics in pop culture.

At first, the sports world called the possibility of UFC mega star Connor McGregor to face undefeated boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather…impossible. Yet, it happened. It wasn’t pretty but it put people in the seats and made a gargantuan amount of pay per view revenue with 4.3 million views worldwide. Now what if I proposed to you the idea of a exiled potential HOF diva wide receiver vs an American YouTube sensation? Just like McGregor vs Mayweather, the idea seemed ludacris at first, but the power of social media and the momentum it can build is no joke and something to marvel at.

Here we are in the year 2020 and Logan Paul and his 20 plus mil YouTube subscriber following is looking more likely by the day to square off against probably the best receiver in the NFL before he went off the rails, in none other than a boxing match. What a wonderful world we live in. AB has probably burned too many bridges to ever return to the NFL and earn the trust of one of the 32 owners to bring him aboard their ship. He is too unpredictable of an entity at this point in time of his life. I don’t know the financial situation of Antonio Brown but one can speculate that it is trending downward rapidly. After falling outs and voided contracts with what seems like 5 NFL teams in one season, paying bail bonds, and becoming the laughing stock of the sports world, Brown is in much need of a career revival, resurrection, a clean slate, and a second chance to show he is changing his ways. Look no further than 24 year old social media sensation, Logan Paul, to provide that for him.

I’m not going to put on a front for the blogs and say that I was always a supporter of the Paul bro’s, because I never was. Yet, it is difficult not to respect their drive, ambition, ability to captivate, entertain, and draw an audience. Honestly, Jake Paul rubs me the wrong way, so I am not particularly a fan of his. However, big bro, Logan, I have become a fan of. Logan was arrogant and rebellious pre-Tokyo suicide Forrest incident (if you don’t know what I’m talking about Google it.) He has done a tremendous job of rebuilding his brand and rising to the top as one of the world’s top internet influencers since then. You can see his level of remorse during his transformation from a once controversial YouTuber always in the headlines for the wrong reasons, to a now well-respected, celebrity figure with the world, seemingly, in the palm of his hands.

Think about it, Antonio Brown NEEDS Logan Paul to box him. Brown runs the risk of falling into the NFL’s exiled list with the likes of Ray Rice, Josh Gordon, and Colin Kaepernick, among others. Paul has everything going for him right now. He has the #1 podcast in the country called Impaulsive that is out producing the Joe Rogan experience, and his recent professional boxing match on DAZN vs fellow YouTuber KSI, was one of the most viewed boxing matches on the streaming service for the entirety of 2019. Logan has all the clout in the world and AB’s business is not so “Boomin” anymore. It is a match made in heaven.

Brown, reportedly, as of this week, has accepted Logan’s camp’s offer of upwards of 4.5 million dollars to fight on the DAZN app at some point in the distant future and at a venue yet to be determined. This event, when it inevitably happens, will break the internet and shake up the sports and entertainment world. We know what type of electrifying athlete Antonio is on the gridiron, but it will be interesting to see if he can throw the hands. Logan has been engulfed in amateur and professionally boxing for about 2 years or so now and has two nationally televised fights already under his belt. While AB, has been bouncing around from NFL franchise, to jail cell, to music video, to courtrooms and so forth and so on.

I’m sure a professional athlete who was once one of the hardest working players in the NFL when he played, puts his mind to this, he will turn himself into a solid fighter. I’m geeked to watch this celebrity bout and I believe it will pave the way for more crossover fighting events between celebrities and athletes in the years to come. Maybe just maybe, if Antonio Brown can win a boxing match vs an internet creator he can land another NFL contract opportunity if he cleans up his act? Who knows. You can’t rule out anything in the year 2020.

This will be my first of many mock drafts that will be posted on this page leading up to April 23rd’s draft in Sin City. The New York Giants own the 4th selection in the draft, after another disappointing, 4-12 regular season campaign. However, now is not the time to dwell on the past, Giants nation, as it is draft season! Every draft season provides a beautiful thing to franchises selecting at the top of the draft…hope. All that we need sometimes to spark something great from the pits of darkness is hope, just ask Luke Skywalker and Rey (Skywalker). As proof for this hypothesis and in support of my rallying decree for Giants fandom to believe in this now sorry franchise once again, I point my spotlight to the San Francisco 49ers. In a society where we’re so quick to forget the distant past, cancel culture, and craving the next big thing or fad constantly in the form of a tweet or Instagram post, we tend to forget that everything takes time and that sometimes, we need to trust the process. I am here to remind you that the 49ers were 4-12 prior to this season’s Super Bowl run, laying out a blueprint for the rest of the NFL on how to jump-start a rebuild and essentially go from worst to first. Great teams are built through the draft. Point blank. Giants GM, Dave Gettleman, has certainly made his fair share of head scratching decisions in his second stint with the team, but I actually believe one thing he does really well is find talent in the draft that other scouts and talent evaluators may not necessarily see. One can argue that Gettleman had a top 5 draft in the entire NFL this past offseason. Nailing the Daniel Jones selection at 6, who looks more than promising as a franchise QB , staying put at 17 by selecting an absolute stud IDL in Dexter “Sexy Dexy” Lawrence, and striking gold in the form of 5th round wide reciever, Darius Slayton, who led all rookies with 8 TD catches and already appears to have a special connection with fellow rookie Daniel Jones. And, oh yeah, he nabbed TE Kaden Smith as an UDFA off the Niners practice squad, who was so impressive this year and well rounded, that he might just get former first round pick Evan Engram traded out of town. Here is what I think Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge SHOULD do with their draft choices in the 2020 NFL Draft to have Big Blue back where they belong: competing for championships. It all starts in the green room. Enjoy and trust the process.

*There were no trade ups or trade downs in this version of my mock draft*

Team needs:

EDGE, LB, OT, CB, WR, S, IOL

Round 1, Pick 4:

Clemson, LB Isaiah Simmons, 6’4” 230 lbs

Although, I feel as if the Giants are in prime position to trade back in this spot to accumulate picks, there are no trades in this version of my mock draft. The Clemson product was too good to pass up at #4. The Giants haven’t had a Quarterback of the defense, game changing type LB since Antonio Pierce, and they haven’t allocated a first round draft pick to one since 1984, on Giants legend Carl Banks. If you want to jump-start a rebuild, and become more versatile, physical, and fast as Joe Judge claims he intends to do, you hand in the Simmons draft card and you don’t think twice about it. The G-men need play-makers on defense and ignoring that side of the ball needs to stop this year. Even though as of today I have an inkling they will once again go on the offensive side of the ball with this selection, I call the shots here and Simmons is the guy.

Round 2, Pick 36

Notre Dame, EDGE Julian Okwara, 6’4″ 248 lbs

Not going to lie, I was tempted to get Daniel Jones another shiny toy here in the form of LSU WR Justin Jefferson, but I was quick to remind myself that offense is not the issue here. I see where you can get sidetracked, Dave. OT Austin Jackson out of USC and Penn State WR KJ Hamler were extremely enticing options as well. However, I stuck to my guns and got the Giants something they need desperately: an explosive pass rusher. Julian’s older brother, Romeo was once in the Giants building, but they let him slip away to Detroit, where he is producing for Matt Patricia. My dream scenario is for the Giants to lure a big money FA pass rusher to town like Yannick Ngakoue, who has hinted at a possible marriage this summer via his personal Instgram story. And, then to use this draft slot to select a OT. After going LB and EDGE in Rounds 1 and 2 here, GM McGovern has quickly filled two of the most glaring holes on this Giants patchwork defense. As a Notre Dame fan, I’ll say this kid can really get to the QB and his tape is impressive as well.

Round 4, Pick 100

Washington, OT Trey Adams, 6’8” 314 lbs

I was gearing up and preparing for my third round selection and then I remembered Dave Gettleman inexplicably traded it to the crosstown rival Jets for DL Leonard Williams who he could’ve signed in Free Agency while simply keeping both picks he traded for him. Anyways, because of this, I had to watch many of the players on my big board slip away from my grasp. Maybe, the Giants trade up in this range, because a rebuilding team needs as many high draft picks as it can amass to get players who can play on the field, quickly. Fortunate for them in this scenario, there was a tackle that they had high on their board still available. Trey Adams is a mammoth of a man at 6’8″ and about 320 pounds. Playing LT in the Pac-12 North has to count for something right? He has some injury concerns but was once viewed in NFL circles as a first round talent. I’ll take the upside pick here with the hopes that newly hired offensive line coach, Marc Colombo, can help him refine his skills to make up for his lack of elite level athleticism. Colombo helped right the ship on Dallas’ offensive line and get back to being one of the most dominant units in the league. Doesn’t hurt to take a risky pick here with how porous the offensive line play has been, any production from the tackle spot is a positive.

Round 5, Pick 132

Notre Dame, WR Chase Claypool, 6’4″ 229 lbs

Non Notre Dame bias here, of course, Claypool was too good to pass up in this spot. The Giants land another stud of a reciever in the 5th round in back to back drafts. I think the team will target a big bodied reciever in this years draft to fit Garrett’s system where he’s always had a tall receiver on the outside with strong hands who can go up and highpoint the rock. Claypool fits the bill here and unites with former collegiate teammate Julian Okwara in this fantasy mock scenario. I don’t anticipate Claypool to wow people with this speed at the combine, but he has a knack for coming down with contested catches. There is a difference between track speed and game speed and the Giants bank on that here with this selection.

Round 6, Pick 163

Florida, RB Lamical Perine, 5’11” 211 lbs

As my first mock draft winds to an end, I figured I’d get Saquon a backfield running mate that won’t mysteriously disappear in the second half a regular season *cough* Wayne Gallman. If you know anything about his brother, Samaje, you know that he runs in a straight line and he runs hard with a purpose. Lamical is very much the same, but made it a point of emphasis to cut weight this past season to be more of a complete back. I see him has more of a thumper type in the NFL and he can help alleviate some of the workload from Barkley, especially if the Giants are out of playoff contention yet again. Saquon may be listed at 6 ft 230 lbs but he plays lighter than that and I feel as if the Giants need an RB2 who can bring the boom. RB isn’t a need for this team, but they could use some fresh legs in the backfield, even if that same backfield possesses one of the best talents at the position the league has seen. Yes, I know siblings are a common theme in this mock, leave me alone.

Round 7, Pick 195

Alabama, S Shyheim Carter, 6’0″ 191 lbs

Any pick in this round is usually a shot in the dark where teams hope whoever they take here can be a practice squad player Year 1 or maybe even a contributor on special teams. I have the Giants penciled in to take a hybrid nickel corner/ safety here who played the STAR role for Nick Saban’s Crimson tide this past season. This isn’t a player the Giants would draft to man the back end alongside Jabrill Peppers. Instead, this is a player who can slide into slot corner or even a $ backer type role. It is hard to predict how new DC Patrick Graham will push the front office to draft which players to fit a particular scheme since he is so multiple in his play-calling. However, this is the type of player I envision the new coaching staff to thirst for; accomplished, physical, hard nosed, and versatile.

Round 7, Pick 215

Fresno State, CB Jaron Bryant, 6’1″ 186 lbs

The second of two 7th round selections here for NYG, as they go with a corner here. With one of the youngest secondaries in the league, after cutting Janoris Jenkins in the regular season, I’d presume the Giants will bring in one or two free agent cornerbacks this off-seasons. I anticipate them to sign one of Byron Jones and Logan Ryan to come in and influx talent, leadership, and experience into a secondary that desperately needs it. It would not surprise me if Gettleman goes corner way sooner in the draft. But, the Giants land a long, lengthy corner who has plenty of room to grow in stature and on the field. A word I saw twice while reading a scouting report on him was the word versatile. Another player, like Isaiah Simmons and Shyheim Carter that is a swiss army knife type player that will allow Coach Graham to deploy them in a myriad of roles on the field to keep opposing offenses guessing and off balanced.

This concludes my first edition of a Full Seven Round NYG Mock NFL Draft. It is my first time doing a mock draft simulator where I actually wrote player analysis explaining my reasoning behind my selections. I aim to get better as I do more and more of these. I hope everyone is as excited for this upcoming off-season as I am! Big things are on the horizon for Big Blue. As always #GiantsPride

The draft simulator I used is called NFL Mock Draft Simulator: Make Your Own Draft Picks on a site called The Draft Network. It can be found at this link–> https://thedraftnetwork.com/mock-draft-machine

by Anthony Ingraffia

Now that 2018 MVP, Patrick Mahomes, led Kansas City Chiefs with a supporting cast of great players both on offense and defense capped off the season by hoisting up the Lombardi in Super Bowl LIV and making history by being the youngest player to win both an MVP and a Super Bowl title as well as the youngest player to be named Super Bowl MVP we look toward the 2020 NFL season.

It is quite clear that after the unfortunate season the Carolina Panthers endured and struggled through, David Tepper has decided it’s time for a change and had begun what Panthers fans would see as a full rebuild process. Tepper has hired an entire new roster which began the well rounded and proven leader Matt Rhule, who is known for completely 180-ing two college programs (Temple and Baylor). Rhule brings a vast array of football knowledge on offensive, defense and special teams. From what I have observed, Coach Rhule gets his guys to buy into the winning culture and trains the team to put it all together to WIN. Following the hire Matt Rhule, a huge and bold hire of Joe Brady, now former offensive coordinator of the National Champion LSU Tigers. This man spearheaded LSU’s explosive offense all season long. The Panthers then introduced Phil Snow as their new defensive coordinator. Snow worked with Rhule at both Temple and Baylor and was responsible for making both defenses much better. Following those three big coaching hires, they also made some adjustments to their assistant coaching assignments, one specifically with Jake Peetz, from running backs coach (who coached Christian McCaffrey during his MVP like season this year) to quarterback coach.

Now the big question many Panthers fans and football analysts may be asking is who will be quarterbacking the Carolina Panthers in 2020? Well I will tell you. Now before I say who I want, everyone who reads this needs to know Cam Newton is my favorite football player of all time. I have been watching him since he was at Florida to Blinn to Auburn and to the Panthers; he in fact is the reason I came to like the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton will be quarterbacking the Carolina Panthers in 2020! Why you may ask? Following his unfortunate lisfranc injury which sidelined him for the 2019 season, Cam Newton was and still is THE GUY in Carolina. Many argue about his 2018 season in which he suffered an untimely injury to his throwing shoulder after being hit by TJ Watt in a loss to the Steelers. The Panthers had a 7-2 record with a healthy Cam. When Cam Newton is healthy, he is the most dynamic player in the NFL. We have seen what healthy Cam Newton can do; go 15-1 and make it to the Super Bowl and have an MVP type season. Cam has been rehabbing his injury to get back on the field to full health and it is quite evident he working his way to 100% through his posts and attitude during his interviews. Football is a team sport and I believe the new coaching staff is going is going to build around Cam and a recent interview I have seen, Cam and the new coaching staff have had quite positive talks and they want to see what a fully recovered Cam Newton can do with weapons like Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel. Let’s not forget Cam helped revitalize the former Panthers stars Greg Olsen and Steve Smith helping them achieve career high years! #KeepCamInCarolina2020

 With Cam Newton and the QB controversy likely silenced, the Panthers can focus on what I believe they need to do to address their team needs in the draft. With the retirement of the great Luke Kuechly, the Panthers have lost the nucleus to their defense. Luke was a 7 time Pro Bowler and had a knack for the ball. He was at the center of every play on defense and linebackers of his caliber are extremely rare. He will be greatly missed but we wish him a happy retirement. With that being said, I believe that Shaq Thomson will be playing in place of Luke Kuechly. There is still a major need to improve both offense and defense. When it comes to addressing the defense, there are two major positions the Panthers must draft. An interior defensive lineman and a linebacker. Derrick Brown out of Auburn is a strong pick for the Panthers at number 7. The Panthers must buff their pass rush first. We can see what an effective pass rush can do to an offense just by observing the 49ers defense. In terms of the linebacker position with the absence of Luke Kuechly, we need someone who will maintain depth at linebacker. A strong linebacker to draft, in my opinion, would be Isiah Simmons out of Clemson at the 7 pick. Personally, I would draft Derrick Brown at 7 and scoop Patrick Queen in the second round.

As for the offense, it is absolutely necessary the Panthers draft an additional lineman. The offensive line is a desperate need and a key factor of the offense’s success in both the passing game and running game. They must protect Cam and open up the holes for Christian McCaffrey. The wide receiver position and tight end position are in need of depth now too. Luckily, because DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel stepped up this season, it is important they keep up the momentum in 2020. I feel they can sign a notable receiver in FA this year rather than address it in the draft. Notable potential targets would be AJ Green or Robby Anderson, whom the panthers have expressed interest in. As for the tight end position, the Panthers parted ways with Greg Olsen who I call “good ol’ reliable” or “bread and butter”. I am sad to see him go but wish him nothing but the best and I enjoy watching him play. I think Ian Thomas can establish himself as a pass catching tight end. However, if the Panthers decide to go for a tight end in FA, I would target Eric Ebron or Hunter Henry. Jacob Hollister would also be a good target as well considering I got to evaluate him while he was having much success in Seattle.

Overall, the new coaching staff give the potential for the Panthers to be extraordinary if they can piece it together and gel. We have seen great turn around and improvements from the 49ers, who were in Carolina’s shoes about a year ago. The sky’s the limit for the Carolina Panthers and they have a great potential to have the same successful seasons they have previously had. I, as a Panthers fan, am excited for these new changes and will be there for the ride! Keep Pounding!

I am striving to have at-least 1 new piece of content posted to my page every single day, whether it be my own or a friend or family member. I am working on a Giants offseason outlook piece that I plan on posting Wednesday night. I know my blog has been all over the place but the goal for me right now is to put out entertaining & amusing material for those who choose to read it. Once free agency and the draft nears, I will shift my focus toward strictly Giants posts only, as that is what this blog page is intended to consist of. Thank you for all the positive feedback and support in real life and via Twitter! To follow the author of this Carolina Panthers article, you can find him on Instagram —> @anthonyi2020

by Kyle Delahanty

As Kansas City and members of Chiefs Kingdom from around the globe celebrate a Super Bowl victory for the first time in 50 years, New York Jets fans look forward to a 51st?…52nd?… straight offseason in hopes of an actual rebuild. It’s been so long you begin to lose track of how many years it’s actually been.

Now, a true lifelong Jets fan will admit that the Jets have more holes to fill and changes to make than a quick blog post could justify. Ultimately, my offseason suggestions are…well my offseason suggestions and I have to understand these probably won’t happen, although I think the team should find a way to make a few of these moves.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients to the START of a Jets rebuild in the right direction (remember, it’s a start…it’s not all going to happen in one season).

First up, FIRE ADAM GASE. Unfortunately, it seems this ingredient was missing from the Jets actual plan, so we’ll have to maneuver our way around this one for now and wait for that to happen next year.

Anyway, the Jets currently hold about $49.6 million in cap space heading into the offseason, but by cutting a few ties to certain players on their roster, they’d be taking off into free agency with around $67.7 million in cap space.

A few notable cuts to clear some room would be releasing the likes of CB Trumaine Johnson, RG Brian Winters, CBs Darryl Roberts and Nate Hairston, as well as WR Josh Bellamy. One additional name that has been rumored to possibly be released is LB Avery Williamson, and although he’ll be coming off a torn ACL, I think Williamson is too much of an asset to the Jets roster and I’d like to see him and CJ Mosley play alongside each other in DC Gregg Williams’ defense for the 2020 season.

Notable UFA’s from the 2019 roster will be WRs Robbie Anderson and Demaryius Thomas, RB Bilal Powell, and LT Kelvin Beachum. Simply put, the Jets should move on from all four of these men.

Now, positions of need for the Jets are the offensive line (which should be the Jets #1 priority not only for this offseason but for years to come) cornerback, wide receiver, and finding a legitimate edge rusher to get some pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

I think the number 1 rule in free agency is to find players that will be beneficial to your roster for years to come, rather than just throwing money at big name stars (S/O Mike Maccagnan and Trumaine Johnson). With that being said, through my years of watching football, I’m a firm believer in the fact that positons such as RB and WR can be filled in the late rounds of the NFL Draft, instead of reaching for skill position talent so early on (S/O Kamara, Hill….and even you, Antonio Brown).

Considering the Jets need to make protecting QB Sam Darnold their number one priority, I’d love for them to fill at least two, if not three of the OL holes with valuable talent. This could involve the likes of Brandon Scherff, Jack Conklin or Anthony Costanzo, plus a 1st or 2nd round draft pick selection in Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills or Tyler Biadasz. If the Jets can acquire two of these upcoming free agents, then I wouldn’t be opposed to drafting a WR like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb at #11 in the draft, while hoping Biadasz falls to NYJ early in the 2nd round, which can definitely happen. Depending on how much cap space would be available following the signing of two valuable OL, the addition of a non-overpriced CB and edge rusher should be the next move for the Jets.

To wrap things up, I want to make one thing clear. The Jets can NOT get rid of Jamal Adams nor Le’Veon Bell. Adams is a bonafide superstar and an ideal leader for a franchise, and if you can utilize Bell the right way and give him holes to run through, he will be worth the money he’s getting paid. I have faith in Joe Douglas, don’t screw this up!

Hey guys, I will be doing a lot of these posts frequently where I feature friends and family on my blog. I feel as if it’ll offer a better perspective into how certain fans of certain teams truly feel about their beloved franchises. You can follow the author of this article, Kyle, on Instagram @kyledelahanty_