MOCK NFL DRAFTS
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 |
|
QB |
||
| The Bears are going to get a haul for this pick if they choose to trade it away, and the Colts have more than an adequate amount of capital to secure this selection from Chicago. They will probably have to trade away a couple of high draft picks and maybe a good player or two, but that’s a price they’ll be willing to pay for a franchise-changing prospect like Young. | ||||
#2 |
|
QB |
||
| I think the Texans would prefer to get Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud, but they threw away the opportunity to have their QB of choice when they won Week 18’s game in miraculous fashion to lose the first overall pick. Stroud is also a great prospect, however, and I don’t think Houston will view this as ’settling’ for a worse prospect. He has the tools and physical traits to be a franchise quarterback, and his addition would immediately prove to be valuable for this underwhelming roster. | ||||
#3 |
|
LB |
||
| J.J. Watt retired, Kyler Murray has a torn ACL, and DeAndre Hopkins seems to be on his way out. The Cardinals have needs all over the field, so they’ll just take the best player available in Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama. He’s an absolute game-wrecker, and having a player like him anchoring this defense for years to come will make the unavoidable rebuild that much easier for Arizona. | ||||
#4 |
|
DE |
||
| As long as the Bears trade back from the first-overall pick, it will be hard for them to go wrong in this draft. They need help at essentially every position on both sides of the ball, so why not start with a premier edge rusher in Murphy? He has been one of the best edge rushers in college football for multiple years, and he would offer a substantial boost to Chicago, who usually prides themselves on playing shut-down defense. | ||||
#5 |
|
QB |
||
| You’d think that the Panthers would avoid the ‘raw but high-athletic potential’ quarterbacks after the failed Sam Darnold experiment, but we all know that Carolina’s front office doesn’t make the best decisions. In this scenario, they are content trading up and taking Levis on the chance that he can develop better than Darnold ever did in New York or Carolina. | ||||
#6 |
|
DL |
||
| The Lions are building something special on their defensive line, and this pick would be a dream come true for Dan Campbell. Jalen Carter is highly regarded as a blue-chip prospect at defensive tackle, and while I’m not as sold on him being a generational prospect as some are, it’s hard to argue that the Lions wouldn’t have the best young defensive front in the league if Carter fell to them at this pick. | ||||
#7 |
|
OT |
||
| Paris Johnson isn’t my highest ranked offensive lineman for the draft this year, but I could see him jumping up boards for his elite physical tools. Standing at 6’6/310 lbs, the Ohio State product possesses elite athleticism and strength for his size, and it would come as no surprise to see a team like the Raiders reach for him because of his elite potential. | ||||
#8 |
|
CB |
||
| Draft experts and casual NFL fans are both finally starting to take notice of Devon Witherspoon. An Illinois product, Witherspoon has been a dominant lock-down corner throughout his four-year college career, and he has arguably the best coverage tape of anyone in this class. A.J. Terrell might not be the elite coverage guy that the Falcons once thought he was, and taking the young buck would go a long ways in helping solidify Atlanta’s defense in the long-term. | ||||
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|
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#9 |
|
DT |
||
| Seattle’s 2022 draft class was arguably the best in the league, and that has given them the luxury of picking whoever they want without considering their positional need too heavily. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle made a move on a quarterback to eventually succeed Geno Smith, but they have an awkward spot in the draft to grab any of the top guys, so they won’t do that in this scenario. Instead, they will opt to take a boom-or-bust prospect in Breese, who is a physical anomaly at his position. | ||||
#10 |
|
OT |
||
| The Eagles have one of the most complete rosters in the league, but one thing they will need to consider the future of is the offensive line. They have multiple players nearing retiring age, so grabbing somebody like Peter Skoronski would be helpful in securing the position for the long-term. He has the versatility to play at guard or tackle for Philadelphia, and he would likely be a day-one impact player on an already-dangerous roster. | ||||
#11 |
|
LB |
||
| The Titans gave Bud Dupree a fat check to rush the quarterback a couple of off-seasons ago, but that hasn’t worked out for them like they had hoped it would. They will likely be looking to move off his contract before free agency, and who better to replace him than Wilson? He possesses elite physical and athletic measurables, and he has the potential to be an elite player at the next level with proper development from a defense-oriented coach like Mike Vrabel. | ||||
#12 |
|
WR |
||
| This selection may seem like a slight reach at first glance, but this pick would actually make a lot of sense for the Texans. They drafted Smith-Njigba’s former college quarterback C.J. Stroud earlier in this scenario, and reuniting them would be beneficial for the development of both players. They already have a proven and dangerous connection together, and this tandem would be the building block of Houston’s offense for years to come. | ||||
#13 |
|
WR |
||
| There have been some serious rumors about Aaron Rodgers possibly being traded to the Jets this off-season, and that trade will go through in this scenario. Green Bay gets a haul with multiple first-round picks for the former MVP, and they take an athletic freak in Quentin Johnston to help stimulate Jordan Love’s development as Rogers’ replacement. | ||||
#14 |
|
OT |
||
| To the disappointment of some Patriots’ fans, boring Bill Belichick will strike again. He loves to build his rosters through the trenches, and Broderick Jones is the gritty type of player that the Patriots love to have on the line. It’s not the flashy pick that will get New England over the hump, but the Georgia product is a safe prospect who’s a realistic option for a conservative team like the Patriots. | ||||
#15 |
|
LB |
||
| The Packers continue their half-rebuild with another premier player at a position of need. Nolan Smith has proven that he can consistently get to the quarterback throughout his college career, and Green Bay will be needing that help on defense desperately in the coming years. | ||||
#16 |
|
WR |
||
| Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Chargers have QB Justin Herbert on a rookie deal right now, but they have been underwhelming despite having extra cap flexibility. In this mock, Los Angeles will make a big move to trade up for Jordan Addison, who possesses the game-changing speed that their offense has been lacking for Herbert’s entire career. | ||||
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|
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#17 |
|
CB |
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| Pittsburgh needs a true lock-down cornerback, and Christian Gonzlez fits the bill. His tape coming out of Oregon was a bit boring, but that’s exactly why he’s a great prospect: nobody throws the ball his way. Mike Tomlin always seems to have an elite defense up in the Steel City, and he would be ecstatic to grab somebody with as high of an athletic ceiling as Gonzalez in the middle of the first round. | ||||
#18 |
|
CB |
||
| This would be quite the draft for Detroit if it falls this way. They secure two of the top players at their respective positions on defense in Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Carter, and that could be enough to put this team over the top. The offense is already above-average, and the defense could develop into one of the league’s best in the coming years with some help in the secondary as well as the trenches. | ||||
#19 |
|
OG |
||
| This off-season feels like a lose-lose scenario for the Buccaneers. Tom Brady might not return as the quarterback for this team, and they don’t have a viable backup on the roster as of now. On the other hand, if he does come back, the roster might not be good enough to win and they may be wasting precious time that could be spent rebuilding. With all this confusion, Tampa Bay would be well suited just patching up the offensive line, and Torrence would be a safe selection for the Bucs at one of their many positions of need. | ||||
#20 |
|
LB |
||
| Simpson falling this far would be criminal if you ask me, but that’s the way it could end up going down on draft night. The Seahawks will double up on Clemson defenders in this mock, and that would give them high-upside young players at just about every position on their defense. | ||||
#22 |
|
CB |
||
| Many teams will be scared off by Ringo’s consistent lapses in coverage last season, but there will be a few teams that fall madly in love with his measurables. He stands at an ideal 6’2/210 lbs, and he projects to run a sub-4.4 40 yard dash at the combine. He also has long arms and good ball skills, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a CB-needy team like the Commanders buy into the hype for a high-ceiling guy like Ringo. | ||||
#23 |
|
CB |
||
| Baltimore had an okay year on paper considering their circumstances this season, but they never once felt like a dangerous team to me. Their offense was obviously underwhelming with Lamar Jackson sidelined for a large chunk of the year, but their defense also didn’t feel like a threat. Cam Smith would help with that. He’s a fiery player with great competitiveness, and that paired with his skills as a coverage guy would offer a big boost to an aging Baltimore secondary. | ||||
#24 |
|
QB |
||
| I understand this pick will be controversial, but I think this would be good for everyone involved. Minnesota knows that Kirk Cousins isn’t the future of the franchise, but he’s playing well enough and getting paid enough to make it hard to justify moving off of him this year. That’s why they take a raw, high-upside prospect like Richardson. He would greatly benefit from sitting behind a veteran quarterback for a year or two, and when the team is ready to move off of Cousins, they could unleash a newly-polished quarterback to create one of the most athletic young offenses in all of football. | ||||
#25 |
|
OT |
||
| Trevor Lawrence has emerged and proven himself as the franchise guy in Jacksonville, so now they will need to make sure they protect him. Enter Anton Harrison. He’s what many would consider a ‘project’, but he has the fundamental tools to be a great player at the next level. It’s not a pick that will sell tickets, but GM Trent Baalke would be wise to invest in the long-term health of Lawrence by using a high pick on an offensive lineman. | ||||
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#26 |
|
WR |
||
| Hyatt has a lot of work to do as a prospect before he’s ready to succeed at the next level, but his lightning-fast speed may be enough for a team to use a high selection on him. In this scenario, that team is the Giants, who invest in their offense and receiving core while trying to build around QB Daniel Jones. | ||||
#27 |
|
S |
||
| This pick would be an absolute home run for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office. Their defense was stellar this season, but they need some help on the back end of their secondary. Branch solidified himself as one of the top defensive back prospects during the bowl season, and pairing him with CB Trevon Diggs would help take this already-solid secondary to the next level for years to come. | ||||
#28 |
|
RB |
||
| This has been a pretty consistent pick for me throughout this off-season. I don’t think running backs belong in the upper-first round in the modern NFL, but a later selection here could be just what Buffalo needs. They weren’t able to get a consistent rushing attack imposed throughout the course of the season, and changing that may be enough to get them over the hump. Robinson is one of the best running back prospects we’ve seen in years, and this is the perfect win-now pick for the Bills in the late first round. | ||||
#29 |
|
TE |
||
| Cincinnati isn’t in desperate need of more skill players, but Mayer falling into their laps in the late first round is too good to pass up. He’s one of the safest tight end prospects we’ve seen over the past few years, and his addition to the offense would just be icing on the cake for an already-elite offense led by Joe Burrow. | ||||
#30 |
|
TE |
||
| Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ offense showed some signs of life at the end of the season this year, but they will need some help if they want to reach the level that they have the potential to reach. Kincaid, a Utah product, would be perfect for that. He’s an athletic tight end with a high motor and excellent hands, and his contributions would likely be felt on day one for Denver’s offense. | ||||
#31 |
|
DE |
||
| Philadelphia’s front seven was among the league’s best this year, but they will need to invest into it if they want it to be an elite unit long-term. They have a few players that are aging or set to become free agents after the year, and Ojulari would come as a nice, cheap replacement for these veterans. He’s no slouch himself, and he could develop into a high-end edge rusher at the next level in the proper system. | ||||
#32 |
|
WR |
||
| JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney played decently well for the Chiefs this season, but they are still missing a true WR1 on the offense. Downs has the potential to be that guy. He had a hyper-productive career as a Tar Heel, and the downfield speed he brings will be very useful in filling the void that Tyreek Hill’s absence still leaves to this day. | ||||