Have we seen any changes in the mock thanks to the outcome of what happened at the combine? OF COURSE WE HAVE!
This is how I see the draft falling into place if it happened today. I'll be revising this thing once the gut of the NFL free agents make their decisions, but until that time....this is what we have!
Oh, and did I mention this is a TWO-ROUND mock draft?
You're welcome.
1. Tennessee Titans - Laremy Tunsil (OT), Ole Miss
The Titans have the ability to go a number of different ways with this pick. Right now, it seems as though Tennessee would be best off targeting Laremy Tunsil with the first overall pick. Tunsil looks like the absolute real deal at offensive tackle. If you already have your QB in place, then the next obvious thing to do is to protect that guy. The Titans offensive line was atrocious last year and franchise QB Marcus Mariota was hit way too many times. The selection of Tunsil in the first-round would likely give Tennessee a QB/LT combo that could be something special for years to come.
2. Cleveland Browns - Jared Goff (QB), California
I think the only thing we know for sure is...Cleveland will likely be targeting a QB with this pick. The major question is, which QB do the Browns favor? The top two prospects are Jared Goff and Carson Wentz and both players are intriguing enough to cause some sort of excitement in Cleveland. Right now I think the Browns pick Goff as he is the best QB prospect in the draft by a hair over Wentz. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see them go either way.
3. San Diego Chargers - Jalen Ramsey (CB), Florida State
San Diego could go a number of different ways with this pick. The biggest need for the Chargers is easily on the defensive line where they lack any real threat. With this selection, San Diego has the ability to grab a potential stud and plug them on the line. However, this draft is LOADED with defensive line players and I personally believe the Chargers could find some quality players later on in the draft at that position. San Diego should target Jalen Ramsey if he's still available (he could go #1 overall to the Titans). Ramsey is going to be a shut-down corner in the NFL for years to come and his stock absolutely exploded following the combine.
4. Dallas Cowboys - DeForest Buckner (DE), Oregon
No one really knows what the Cowboys are going to do with this pick, but it's pretty obvious that they are in a good spot at the #4 position. Dallas is a playoff team masquerading as a team with a top 5 draft pick. They are a talented football team with only a few holes and that puts them in a position of power. They could either trade this pick and walk away with even more draft picks, or they can target a guy that could help them for years to come. Some people have the Cowboys taking a QB, but I don't see that happening. You don't draft a guy in the top 5 and have him sit for a few seasons. Top 10 draft picks should be contributing right away and that's why Dallas shouldn't even think of a QB. If the Cowboys really want to draft a player at a position of need, they could do a lot worse than DeForest Buckner. Buckner is an interesting prospect. A lot of people bag on him because he played for Oregon and their "vanilla defense". However, a lot of NFL scouts believe that Buckner is the real deal. The fine folks at Pro Football Focus have him ranked as one of their top players and his selection would also mean that the Cowboys don't have to bring back that locker room cancer known as Greg Hardy.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Myles Jack (LB), UCLA
Jacksonville needs help on defense, namely at the linebacker position and in the secondary. Myles Jack might be my favorite player in the draft and at this spot, it would be hard for the Jags to pass up on him. They could play him at either the outside linebacker or inside linebacker position and if they were feeling quirky, they could also line him up at running back where he excelled in college as well. One of the most athletic players in the draft and would definitely give the up-and-coming Jaguars an exciting player on the defensive side of the ball.
6. Baltimore Ravens - Ronnie Stanley (OT), Notre Dame
Baltimore just once again lined up the average (not elite) Joe Flacco's pockets with money. With an investment like that, you had better keep that player on-the-field. The Ravens need some help on the offensive line and with Ronnie Stanley sitting right there staring at them, I think it would be hard for them to resist. Stanley has the potential to be one of the best left tackles in the NFL. He could have been a top pick last year, but decided to return to school and likely saw his stock rise after another successful season at Notre Dame.
7. San Francisco 49ers - Carson Wentz (QB), North Dakota State
I think Chip Kelly and company would prefer to have Jared Goff, but Carson Wentz would be a hell of a consolation prize for the 49ers. San Francisco desperately needs a QB. Colin Kaepernick wants out of town and Blaine Gabbert isn't going to win you a Super Bowl. With a new head coach coming into town, it would probably be a good idea to bring a fresh QB with him who he could groom. Wentz is an interesting prospect. He's talented enough to go in the top 5, but there are all sorts of questions surrounding him and if he has what it takes to be a successful NFL QB. I think he does and I also think he would give the 49ers fans someone to be excited about next season. At this point, there isn't a lot on that team to get excited about.
8. Miami Dolphins - Joey Bosa (DE), Ohio State
Miami Dolphins' defensive end Olivier Vernon is coming off a wonderful year. The only problem is, he's a free agent now and with all sorts of money invested in Ndamukong Suh already, the Dolphins might be better off to let Vernon get grotesquely over-paid elsewhere and draft a young guy to replace him. The ideal situation for the Dolphins in my mind would be to let Vernon walk and take a guy in the draft. This draft is loaded with defensive line players and with the 8th pick in the draft, Miami could get a guy who would immediately jump in to replace Vernon and wouldn't miss a beat. Joey Bosa was the consensus #1 overall pick in the 2016 draft for the longest time. After a less-than-impressive NFL combine performance, his stock has dropped a little. At this spot though, he would definitely be worth it.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vernon Hargreaves III (CB), Florida
The Buccaneers need some help in the secondary. Last year, they were absolutely abysmal in that department. They didn't have a player in the secondary that graded positively on ProFootballFocus.com and they ended up using players that had no business playing. The selection of Hargreaves would give the Buccaneers a potential #1 shut-down corner, which they are obviously lacking on their current roster.
10. New York Giants - Shaq Lawson (DE), Clemson
Shaq Lawson was one of the big stories of the combine. After a great year at Clemson and a wonderful performance at the combine, I'm almost positive Lawson will wind up in the top 10 now. The Giants need as many defensive players as they can get. Luckily for them, there are a lot of good options at the #10 spot in the draft. They could also take a flyer on Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott who would help give new head coach Ben McAdoo a potential rocket at the running back position. However, if New York wants to be smart, they really need to add some players on the defensive side of the ball where their team is a mess.
11. Chicago Bears - Sheldon Rankins (DT), Louisville
Chicago is in desperate need of some defensive ends. They are absolutely dreadful on the defensive line and it's time to re-build it up. The selection of Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville gives them a versatile player who could be a beast at defensive tackle, but is also talented enough to slip in at defensive end if that's where he needs to be. A dream scenario for the Bears would be if Bosa or Buckner slips this far, but I don't see it happening.
12. New Orleans Saints - A'Shawn Robinson (DT), Alabama
The Saints were absolutely atrocious on defense last season. They are one of the teams that could honestly look a number of different ways as far as it pertains to defensive players, but at this spot....the Saints would be smart to take A'Shawn Robinson out of Alabama. Robinson is a BEAST and is the kind of guy who can change the identity of your defense. That's something New Orleans needs ASAP.
13. Philadelphia Eagles - Paxton Lynch (QB), Memphis
I have no idea what the Eagles are going to do with the 13th pick as they have a variety of different ways they could go. In this scenario, I think taking a flyer on a player like Lynch would be the best bet. The Eagles just extended the contract of Sam Bradford, but there's no way the Eagles brass thinks he's the best long-term solution. They obviously have a "Plan B" in place, but what is that? Is it signing a guy like Kansas City Chiefs back-up QB Chase Daniel in hopes that he's good enough to supplant Bradford as the starter? Or is it taking a QB in the first-round who they could groom for a season or two? Who really knows, but like I said earlier, giving a new head coach a young guy to groom as his own usually goes a long way in achieving success in the NFL.
14. Oakland Raiders - Reggie Ragland (LB), Alabama
The Raiders are one of the best up-and-coming teams in the NFL. When's the last time anyone was ever able to say that? They are building something special on the offense and defensive sides of the ball, and seem like they are only a few solid pieces away from returning to the playoffs. However, they still need a lot of help, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is a mess. The defensive line needs more solid players, and the middle linebacker position is a big need. Reggie Ragland is likely the best inside linebacker in the draft and would provide the Raiders a player who could be a disruptive force in the NFL. Khalil Mack AND Reggie Ragland? Talk about giving NFL OC's everywhere the heebie-jeebies!
15. Los Angeles Rams - Jack Conklin (OT), Michigan State
I think the Rams would love if Paxton Lynch fell to them here, but it doesn't happen in this scenario. They also could look at Laquon Treadwell as the Rams are in dire need of a #1 wide receiver and Treadwell is the best one in the draft. Jack Conklin would be the best value pick for the Rams here though. Some draft experts have Conklin in their overall top 10 prospects and the Rams have a huge need at left tackle. They took Greg Robinson with the #2 overall pick a few years ago, but he's been a huge bust so far. If Jeff Fisher and the Rams want to go over that 7-9 & 8-8 hump in their return season to Los Angeles, they need to do something about their tackle situation.
16. Detroit Lions - Laquon Treadwell (WR), Ole Miss
With the retirement of Calvin Johnson, the Lions are in big time need of a #1 wide receiver now. Golden Tate is good, but if he's your #1 guy, it's going to be a long season on offense. In this scenario, the Lions luck out by having the #1 WR prospect in the draft fall right into their laps.
17. Atlanta Falcons - Noah Spence (OLB), Eastern Kentucky
Atlanta could be tempted to take Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith here, but with Smith's medical stuff still unknown, that pick would be a big-time gamble. Noah Spence is a player who's stock has skyrocketed in the last few months. The former Ohio State Buckeye is one of the best pass-rushers in the draft and if you pair him up with last year's pick Vic Beasley, you could start seeing a devastating pass-rushing duo. Something the Falcons have lacked for awhile.
18. Indianapolis Colts - Darron Lee (OLB), Ohio State
The Colts are in dire need of some upgrades at the linebacker position. Outside of Jerrell Freeman (who is a free agent by the way), the Colts don't have a whole lot to be excited about in their linebacker core and badly need some pass rushers. Darron Lee had an excellent combine and saw his stock increase even more. There's a good chance he'll be long gone by the time Indy selects, but if he's there...they need to take him.
19. Buffalo Bills - Josh Doctson (WR), TCU
The Bills were a surprising team last season on offense. Most people knew that the Bills were going to be alright on the defensive side of the ball (even though it was a down year for the defense, they were still OK), but no one expected the offense to be as good as it was. With Tyrod Taylor looking like he could potentially turn into a franchise QB for the Bills, they need to give him more weapons. Sammy Watkins is a fantastic #1 option, but outside of that, Buffalo doesn't have a whole lot to work with. Josh Doctson would be a welcome addition to both Taylor and Bills fans. Good luck covering those guys.
20. New York Jets - Ezekiel Elliott (RB), Ohio State
With Chris Ivory not expected back for the Jets, the addition of Ezekiel Elliott to this team would be huge. Elliott has the kind of potential that could be a game-changer at the running back position. New York has a big question mark surrounding the future of their QB position and they will continue to pound the rock until they can get that thing squared away. If this happens, I'm taking Elliott with a high pick in my fantasy draft. People would be saying "Todd Gurley who?" in no time at all.
21. Washington Redskins - Jarran Reed (DT), Alabama
Washington has questions surrounding their defensive tackle position heading into the off-season. Both Terrance Knighton and Kedric Golston's contracts are up and both could end up leaving the team. If that happens, that opens a huge hole for the Redskins. Good thing for them that this is a loaded draft on the defensive line and there will likely be a lot of good options available for the taking. Jarran Reed is a SHIT CLOGGER and Washington fans would quickly learn to love him.
22. Houston Texans - Vonn Bell (S), Ohio State
Houston is a team that is a candidate to trade up and grab one of the QB's in this draft. The QB position is easily their biggest need, but the chances that one of the good ones will be available at the #22 spot is unlikely. They would also love it if Ezekiel Elliott somehow fell to them as well. Even though Houston doesn't have a QB, if they had Elliott...him and DeAndre Hopkins would help make things a lot easier on whoever is playing QB for Houston next season. Since none of those options are available here, the Texans take the best safety in the draft, which is also a position that they need an immediate upgrade in as well.
23. Minnesota Vikings - Corey Coleman (WR), Baylor
Teddy Bridgewater needs help. The guy only passed for 14 TD's last season and a big part of that was because the Vikings wide receiving core is disgusting. Outside of Stefon Diggs (who was one of the surprises of last season), the Vikings don't have a whole lot to work with which means it should come as no surprise that Bridgewater threw for less than a TD a game. Corey Coleman would immediately entrench himself as either the #1 or #2 option for Bridgewater and would also give Minnesota a WR to be excited about. Something they haven't had in awhile.
24. Cincinnati Bengals - Will Fuller (WR), Notre Dame
With Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu both likely to depart in free agency, that opens a huge hole at the wide receiver position for Cincinnati. Cincinnati's best bet for success is to surround Andy Dalton with as many talented pass catchers as possible. A.J. Green on one side is a fantastic start, but the Bengals are going to need someone else to step in and fill the void that is sure to be left once free agency starts. Will Fuller is arguably the best deep threat in the draft and would look amazing in that #2 spot or in the slot for the Bengals.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers - Mackensie Alexander (CB), Clemson
The Steelers are in dire need of help in the secondary. At this spot in the draft, Pittsburgh would have a lot of options. They could either go with Mackensie Alexander, who was one of the most exciting players to watch this year in college football. Or they could go with Eli Apple, who may be a step ahead of Alexander as far as being "pro ready" is concerned. Either way, the Steelers can't go wrong because they would be making the right decision by drafting a corner in the first-round.
26. Seattle Seahawks - Taylor Decker (OT), Ohio State
Ask Russell Wilson what the Seahawks biggest need is and he would likely kick you in the teeth for asking. Why? Because anyone who watched Seattle Seahawks football games last season could see that the offensive line was easily this team's biggest weakness. Wilson was asked to do a lot more than usual to make up for his lackluster line and with players departing in free agency and bad players still around...it's obvious what Seattle plans to do in this draft. Seeing Taylor Decker still available when Seattle is selecting at #26 would likely cause the Seahawks "draft war room" to explode with excitement. Hopefully if it does happen, the cameras will be rolling and we'll get to see it happen.
27. Green Bay Packers - Robert Nkemdiche (DT), Ole Miss
The former #1 overall high school prospect has seen his on-the-field stock take some hits because of his off-the-field behavior. However, if he's still on the board when the Packers are picking at #27, it may be too much to resist. Yes, the pick would be a bit of a gamble, but with Nkemdiche's upside...the Packers could hit the lottery if he ever reaches his full potential. Fewer NFL teams are as lucky as the Green Bay Packers are. If they take Nkemdiche, he'll be a saint and he'll turn into a top 5 NFL defensive tackle in 2-3 years.
28. Kansas City Chiefs - Eli Apple (CB), Ohio State
The Chiefs are likely to lose stud CB Sean Smith in free agency. If he's not retained, Kansas City will have a huge hole at the corner position. They hit lightning in a bottle last year with the selection of CB Marcus Peters who won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Can they do it again if Eli Apple is on the board and they take him? Apple solidified his status as a "first-round corner" with a solid showing at the combine. The combination of Peters and Apple could potentially give KC a two-headed beast for years to come.
29. Arizona Cardinals - Cody Whitehair (OG), Kansas State
This isn't an exciting pick by any means for Cardinals fans, but it's must needed. If this team is going to once again rely on Carson Palmer to try and lead them to a Super Bowl, they need to give him as much help as he can get. Arizona has a gaping hole at the guard position and they need to fill it. While most NFL fans hate when their teams take guards and centers in the first-round, the Dallas Cowboys have shown that it can be a blessing in disguise. It's all about the guts of your football team. Not the glamour.
30. Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Bullard (DE), Florida
The Panthers released Charles Johnson in the off-season and with Jared Allen retiring, it's obvious what their biggest need is. This team needs some defensive ends and lucky for them, this draft has a lot of them. Take your pick Carolina.
31. Denver Broncos - Jason Spriggs (OT), Indiana
The Super Bowl champs don't have a whole lot of huge needs outside of quarterback and offensive line, especially depending on what happens in free agency. They have a huge need at offensive tackle though. Ryan Clady is an injury-prone mess and Ty Sambrailo didn't fare much better in his rookie year last year. Spriggs would be a much welcomed addition to whoever is playing QB for the Broncos next season.
Second-Round
32. Cleveland Browns: Michael Thomas (WR), Ohio State
33. Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry (RB), Alabama (NOTE: This draft was written before the Titans agreed to trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for RB DeMarco Murray)
34. Dallas Cowboys: William Jackson III (CB), Houston
35. San Diego Chargers: Andrew Billings (DT), Baylor
36. Baltimore Ravens: Leonard Floyd (OLB), Georgia
37. San Francisco 49ers: Joshua Garnett (OG), Stanford
38. Jacksonville Jaguars: Xavien Howard (CB), Baylor
39. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kevin Dodd (DE), Clemson
40. New York Giants: Braxton Miller (WR), Ohio State
41. Chicago Bears: Ryan Kelly (C), Alabama
42. Miami Dolphins: Jaylon Smith (OLB), Notre Dame
43. Los Angeles Rams: Connor Cook (QB), Michigan State
44. Oakland Raiders: Darian Thompson (S), Boise State
45. Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Boyd (WR), Pittsburgh
46. Detroit Lions: Chris Jones (DT), Mississippi State
47. New Orleans Saints: Su'a Cravens (LB), USC
48. Indianapolis Colts: Christian Westerman (OG), Arizona State
49. Buffalo Bills: Kamalei Correa (OLB), Boise State
50. Atlanta Falcons: Hunter Henry (TE), Arkansas
51. New York Jets: Germain Ifedi (OT), Texas A&M
52. Houston Texans: Christian Hackenburg (QB), Penn State
53. Washington Redskins: Nick Martin (C), Notre Dame
54. Minnesota Vikings: Keanu Neal (S), Florida
55. Cincinnati Bengals: Emmanuel Ogbah (DE), Oklahoma State
56. Seattle Seahawks: Sebastian Tretola (OG), Arkansas
57. Green Bay Packers: Kentrell Brothers (LB), Missouri
58. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jerald Hawkins (OT), LSU
59. Kansas City Chiefs: Sterling Shepard (WR), Oklahoma
60. New England Patriots: Vadal Alexander (OG), LSU
61. Arizona Cardinals: Max Tuerk (C), USC
62. Carolina Panthers: Jeremy Cash (S), Duke
63. Denver Broncos: Alex Collins (RB), Arkansas
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