I have decided to make my first mock draft of the year. I did not include trades, even though some will happen.
1. Cleveland Browns: Sam Darnold, QB, USC
I think he has the most potential out of this quarterback class. There is no way the Browns don’t take a quarterback here. Saquon Barkley is a great player, but running backs don’t win you Super Bowls without a good quarterback. In the past few years, they have passed on Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz. They cannot make the same mistake in this draft. Dick Hammer’s grandson has everything you look for in a quarterback and he has a chance to turn around this franchise. With a good offensive line, Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry and David Njoku, he has the talent around him to succeed.
2. New York Giants: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
This is a tough one to predict. I think that if the Giants don’t plan on taking a quarterback, they should trade down. Eli Manning is 37, so they should look for his replacement soon, and I don’t see them picking this high in 2019. This is a really good quarterback class, and at pick No. 2, Rosen or Baker Mayfield should be the pick. If they don’t plan on taking a quarterback, they need to trade down because teams like the Broncos and Bills would love to trade up and get their quarterback at this spot. New York would get a king’s ransom for this pick. Just look at what San Francisco received from Chicago last year to move up one spot. Rosen is a better prospect than Mitch Trubisky, and the G-Men would trade down more than a single spot.
3. New York Jets: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
It will be interesting to see who the Jets prefer between him and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. There is no way the Jets traded up for anything other than a quarterback, and they traded in front of Denver to do so. New York signed Teddy Bridgewater and re-signed Josh McCown, but you can’t count on either one to be “the guy.” The J-E-T-E-S (according to Tony Richardson) lack talent, but when you find your quarterback, the rest just falls into place. Mayfield is my QB2, and I think he could become a really good quarterback in the NFL. The size could be a concern for teams, but the success of players like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson could make it less of a concern. His accuracy is really good and his ability to create outside the pocket is Aaron Rodgers-like.
4. Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb, EDGE, North Carolina State
The top four positions on the field are quarterback, left tackle, cornerback and pass rusher. New General Manager John Dorsey had four first-round picks in his five years with the Chiefs. Not surprisingly, those four positions are the ones he drafted with those four first rounders. That is why I have Chubb going here instead of Saquon Barkley. Chubb is the top rated pass rusher in the draft. He has had 10 sacks in each of the last two seasons and had more than 20 tackles for loss in both of those seasons as well. Cleveland was one of the worst, if not the worst, pass defenses in the league last season. Opposing quarterbacks had a 102.2 passer rating against the Browns defense last season. They also finished 21st in sacks and added just seven interceptions. Cleveland generated just 142 pressures from the front seven, which was far and away the worst in the league.
5. Denver Broncos: Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
If I were the Broncos, I’d be worried about a team like Buffalo trading in front of them with Cleveland to snag one of the quarterbacks. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Broncos try to move up to No. 2 to snag a quarterback. As it is, though, Allen it is for Denver. The Broncos signed Case Keenum to a deal this offseason to get the dominoes rolling, but he is not the quarterback of the future. Keenum just turned 30, and while he had a great season in 2017, it would be tough to expect that once again. The former Minnesota Viking had 22 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions, but before that, he combined for 24 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his previous five years. He is not the long-term solution, so drafting a quarterback early would be wise, especially after Paxton Lynch has been a bust so far.
6. Indianapolis Colts: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Barkley is an extremely talented running back, and not only is he really good at running the ball, but is a great receiver as well. Even before the trade down with the Jets, Barkley was in play for the Colts at No. 3. With Frank Gore gone to Miami, Marlon Mack is the top running back. Whether it was him or his offensive line, Mack didn’t show he is prepared for being a lead back. As I mentioned earlier, Barkley would help Andrew Luck as an outlet. In his three years with the Nittany Lions, he caught 102 passes and eight touchdowns, including 54 and three, respectively, in 2017. Luck has an injury history, so I could see them drafting offensive line here as well. Two players to watch here are Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson or Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
The more I think about it, the more I think James goes in the top 10. He is a queen on a chess board. James can do it all. He can play center field, rush the passer and cover the slot. It was tough to choose between James, Quenton Nelson and Minkah Fitzpatrick for this pick. All are top guys at a position of need. I decided to go James because Tampa Bay struggled defending both the run and the pass last year, and he would be able to help in both areas.
8. Chicago Bears: Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
Nelson could go anywhere from six to eight. He is one of the best guard prospects in years.....just a beast. The Bears have a major need at guard after declining Josh Sitton’s $8 million option in February. The Bears also hired Nelson’s offensive line coach from Notre Dame, Harry Hiestand, which is interesting. He has the size and skills to be a Pro Bowl guard for years to come, and is such a talented guard that he will be a top 10 pick, even though his position is not as in demand as others.
9. San Francisco 49ers: Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
San Francisco was able to steal a franchise quarterback away from New England, trading just a second round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. That trade meant that the 49ers no longer needed to take a quarterback in the first round. San Francisco is able to take the consensus top cornerback in the draft. Ward had an outstanding combine, but there are questions whether he fits their scheme. His slight frame could cause him to be a slot cornerback, but with him being the top corner, the 49ers look the other way to draft the former Buckeye.
10. Oakland Raiders: Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia
He fits both a 3-4 defense and a 4-3 defense, and is an outstanding run defender. Smith seems like a perfect pick for the Raiders. Oakland has a need at middle linebacker and Smith is the top player at that position. Former Baltimore Ravens scout and Browns general manager Phil Savage told Chris Childers of SEC Today on SiriusXM that Smith is a reincarnation of Ray Lewis. While I don’t know about that, he is a great talent and could be a steal at pick No. 10 for Jon Gruden and company.
11. Miami Dolphins: Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech
Miami grabs Edmunds in this draft, which would be an interesting story because his dad Ferrell was drafted by the Dolphins in 1988 and played for them from 1988-1992. The elder Edmunds also was an All-Pro with Miami in 1989. Tremaine Edmunds is extremely young, as he does not turn 20 until less than a week after the draft. He has great speed for a player his size. He could play both inside or outside linebacker. After the release of Ndamukong Suh, Washington nose tackle Vita Vea could be an option here as well.
12. Buffalo Bills: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
I will say that I do not think the Bills select at this pick. I just think the Bills traded up to 12 in order to make another trade up for a quarterback. As of right now, Buffalo would go into the season with A.J. McCarron starting and Nathan “Five pick half” Peterman backing him up. But, since I did not predict trades, Fitzpatrick is too much of a talent to pass up here. The Bills secondary is solid, but Vontae Davis injury prone. Fitzpatrick can play all over the secondary.
13. Washington Redskins: Vita Vea, DT, Washington
The Redskins need a run stuffer in the worst way. Washington allowed a league-high 134 yards per game on the ground. The 4.5 yards per carry the Redskins allowed ranked 29th. Vea would go a long way toward turning around the run defense. Vea was a second-team All-American in 2017, when he recorded 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The former Washington Husky moves really well for a man his size. He and last year’s first round pick Jonathan Allen would give the defensive line two building blocks for the future.
14. Green Bay Packers: Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College
Green Bay has a huge need at both pass rusher and cornerback. Landry had a down 2017 after a great 2016 season. It would not shock me in this scenario to see the Packers trade down with a team like New England, which may want to move up in front of Arizona to draft Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. But, as it is, Landry is the pick. The Packers ranked 17th in total pressures from the front seven, but there were games where the pass rush went invisible. Landry battled an ankle injury in 2017, keeping him to only five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. However, as a junior, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 16.5 times and had 22.5 tackles for loss. If he were to have come out last season, he might have been a top 10 pick.
15. Arizona Cardinals: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Arizona is sitting here at No. 15 and is in desperate need of a quarterback. To say Sam Bradford is injury prone is a major understatement. Bradford is not the long-term answer at quarterback, so the Cardinals may have to use this pick to take Jackson. I think the former Louisville standout will go higher than many may think. Jackson wouldn’t even have to change team names. It’s perfect! Jackson does have some accuracy issues, though, He struggled against the better teams and better defenses he faced at Louisville. Jackson does have skills to be able to play well in the NFL. I could very easily see a team like New England trade up for him with Green Bay to move in front of Arizona. It will be interesting to see where the Louisville playmaker will go.
16. Baltimore Ravens: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
Ronnie Staley has proven to be the real deal at left tackle, and drafting his college teammate could give them two really nice, young tackles. He is a really good run blocker, and Baltimore has always been a run-first team. McGlinchey could go top 10, so getting him at 16 could be a steal. Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley could also be an option at this pick.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
Vander Esch is a run-stopping inside linebacker, and would be a good fit for the Chargers. Los Angeles gave up 131 yards on the ground per game, which was only better than Washington. The 4.9 yards per carry allowed was dead last in the league. The Chargers need to address the run defense, and with Vea off the board, Vander Esch would be a great pick at pick No. 17.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
After releasing Richard Sherman, Seattle has a major hole at cornerback. Jackson is a playmaker who led the nation with eight interceptions, and returned two of them for touchdowns (both coming against Wisconsin). Carroll likes ballhawks in the secondary, and corners with size. Jackson has good size for a cornerback and he is a ballhawk. This is just a natural fit.
19. Dallas Cowboys: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
There is some uncertainty surrounding Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver, Dez Bryant. Regardless, the Cowboys could use a wide receiver, especially a deep threat. With Bryant not being much of a deep threat, Bryant and Ridley could be a dynamic duo, and with Ezekiel Elliott running it behind a great offensive line, this offense would be deadly. The defense could use some help, so Marcus Davenport or Isaiah Oliver make sense, but Ridley is too good of a value to pass up.
20. Detroit Lions: Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
Detroit has swung and missed on many running backs. Ameer Abdullah is not bad, but not as good as the Lions have hoped. Whether it is him or Mikel Leshoure or Jahvid Best or Kevin Smith, the Lions have drafted a number of running backs in the early rounds. But none have panned out for the Motor City Kitties. Guice is a better prospect than all of them. In his three seasons with the Tigers, he ran for 3,074 yards, despite playing two years behind current Jaguars star Leonard Fournette. He also averaged 6.5 yards per carry and is the only player in SEC history with three games of at least 250 yards rushing. The Lions need a running game to complement Matthew Stafford and the passing attack. Detroit’s rush offense has not ranked above 30th in any of the past three seasons, including twice ranking dead last. They also have not had a 100-yard rusher since Reggie Bush rushed for 117 yards in a Thanksgiving Day win in 2013 (!!!!) against Green Bay.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
There are not many drafts in which two guards go this high, but both deserve it. Last offseason, the Bengals lost offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency, and the offensive line play suffered in 2017. Andy Dalton looks halfway decent when he has a running game, and well, the Bengals finished 31st in the league in rushing, finishing only ahead of Detroit. Their yards per carry was just 3.6, which was 29th, and were 28th in rushing touchdowns with just six. Hernandez is great as a run blocker, and is very good at pass protection as well. At the Senior Bowl, Cincinnati showed interest in Hernandez. That is not surprising, as he is ready to come in and contribute immediately. He helped current Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones rush for nearly 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016.
22. Buffalo Bills: D.J. Chark, WR, LSU
Buffalo still needs a quarterback, but I have them passing on the other quarterbacks in this one. I don’t see them passing on quarterbacks with both of their first round picks, but I also see them trading up into the top 10 for one of those top quarterbacks. But as it is, I have them taking a wide receiver here, as the Jordan Matthews acquisition last offseason did not go as planned. They drafted Zay Jones last draft, who I believe can excel as a slot receiver. Chark could be a good outside receiver to pair with Kelvin Benjamin. Chark is a tall receiver who can run like the wind. He could go higher than many think.
23. New England Patriots: Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UT-San Antonio
Davenport is one of the hardest players to pinpoint where they’re going. I could see him going anywhere from around 10 to the second round. Like I said above, I could see New England trading this pick to move up and select Lamar Jackson at 14. In total pressures from the front seven, the Patriots ranked 24th. Granted, they were hurt by injuries, but they need to add some talent and youth to that group. Isaiah Oliver or Sam Hubbard might be options at 23 as well.
24. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado
Carolina traded Daryl Worley to the Eagles this offseason, and their deal for Bashaud Breeland fell through after he failed a physical. The Panthers need a cornerback and grab the versatile Oliver. The former Colorado defensive back did not run as well as many had hoped (4.50) at the combine, but he has good size for the position. He is a good athlete, and allowed just a 75.7 passer rating when targeted. Mike Hughes could be another target at this spot.
25. Tennessee Titans: Sam Hubbard, EDGE, Ohio State
He is a tremendous run defender, and can rush the passer quite a bit as well. In 2017, he had 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Overall, in his three years with the Buckeyes, he had 17 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. He has the talent to be a terrific pass rusher as well, and if he can become a consistent pass rusher, he will be dominant. In an interesting note, the Tennessee Titans hired Kerry Coombs as their defensive backs coach. Coombs was Hubbard’s primary recruiter when Hubbard was in high school.
26. Atlanta Falcons: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Atlanta lost Dontari Poe in free agency to division rival Carolina, so the Falcons could look to the draft to fill the void left by Poe. At the scouting combine in Indianapolis, he registered an irregular electrocardiogram, so many did not where he’d go and if he’d drop into the mid-second round. If he gets cleared, he was a monster for the Michigan defensive line. Hurst is a quick defensive lineman who can dominate any time he wants. The first team All-Big Ten defensive lineman had 10.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in his final two seasons for the Wolverines.
27. New Orleans Saints: Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
Drew Brees is not getting any younger, as he turned 39 in January. The former Boilermakers great signed a two-year deal this offseason to remain in New Orleans, but I expect the Saints to look at a possible replacement either in this draft or in 2019. Rudolph is much taller than Brees, but like No. 9, the Oklahoma State product is strictly a pocket passer. He could come in and sit behind Brees for a few years before taking control of the team.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rashaan Evans, ILB, Alabama
With how much Ben Roethlisberger brings up retirement, it would not surprise me one but to see Rudolph drafted by Pittsburgh if available. Now, instead, they draft a player who can help immediately. After losing Ryan Shazier to that nasty injury last season, the Steelers seek a replacement for the former Buckeye. He is a good athlete with great speed at linebacker and can bring pressure from the middle linebacker spot.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M
In free agency, Jacksonville lost wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in free agency. The Jags brought in Donte Moncrief, who will be a good receiver on the outside. Kirk could be a dynamic receiver in the slot. They will need to draft a few playmakers in order to help Blake Bortles. Jacksonville made the AFC Championship without Robinson for virtually the entire season, so Kirk could help them get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
Minnesota will likely take the best offensive lineman available. He is as athletic of an offensive tackle as there is in this draft class. The Vikings are looking to get younger and more athletic on the offensive line. The 6-foot-9 Miller has the ability to be a really solid tackle in the NFL. Mike Hughes could be another option at this pick.
31. New England Patriots: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
New England lost Malcolm Butler to Tennessee in free agency, so the Patriots will need a replacement. Hughes could step in and play the slot immediately. New England lost quite a bit in free agency, so this draft will be vital for the defending AFC Champions. Kolton Miller could be an option should he fall to 31 with Nate Solder heading to the New York Giants.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford
The reason Philadelphia won the Super Bowl was because of the depth of the defensive line. The Eagles lost Vinny Curry and Beau Allen in free agency, and traded for Michael Bennett. To replace Allen, the Eagles spend a first round pick on Phillips. In his last two years with the Cardinal, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 14.5 times and registered 27 tackles for loss. Fletcher Cox and Tim Jernigan will be with the Eagles for a long time, but Haloti Ngata is getting up there in age and was signed for one year. Philadelphia does not have many needs, so giving the defensive line even more talent is never a bad thing.
