1st Round Shakedown
My rules with the first round are that I cannot project a
trade, this of course will never happen but there is no way to truly assess a
trade so we will stick with this right now.
This is the straight, Andre Mock Draft where I make all of the picks and
I pick who teams SHOULD pick and then who I think they WILL take afterwards, so
that means I am leaving out players that I think will be busts with my picks.
1 – Texans: Who I
think they should take: Jadevon Clowney DE S. Carolina: The more I look at
the QBs the more I think that there is too much risk with any of them. If you are going to go risky, go all in on a
top notch prospect. Clowney was
downgraded because he did not have the stats last year. It is tough for any DE to be triple teamed
and still get sacks.
Who they will take: Clowney,
easy pick.
2— Rams: Who I think
they should take: Jake Matthews OT Texas A & M: I am a firm believer in building your
offensive line back. There may be more
upside in Greg Robinson, but I say go with the safer pick that you know is
already well coached.
Who they will take: Greg
Robinson – They will go with upside over safety here.
3— Jaguars: Who I
think they should take: Kahlil Mack OLB Buffalo: I love the top two OLB
prospects. I was not initially sold on
Mack until I got more info on him. Both
are passionate, play with a chip on their shoulders, and can be leaders so Barr
makes sense here too. The Jaguars need
players at virtually every position so taking anybody that is an impact player
here is a good idea. Again, I think
there is a bit too much risk with Greg Robinson and you know Mack will give you
everything he has. QB can be addressed
in the 2nd or 3rd round because I think the Raiders are
serious about Schaub.
Who they will take: Johnny
Manziel – I just have a feeling the owner is going to go with flash and hype.
4—Browns: Who I think
they should take: Blake Bortles QB
Central Florida. No player has been more
polarizing for me as Bortles. But the
Browns are a mess and Bortles has tools and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Granted, the Browns could roll the dice and
wait until their next pick and nab Derek Carr (who is my favorite QB in this
draft). At this point, take the QB with
the most upside and hope that you can increase the velocity of that deep ball.
Who they will take: Sammy
Watkins – The browns will pass on the QB here and wait until the end of the
round for whoever is best. Watkins is
good (Clemson aside) but I don’t think that there is a huge drop off between
him and the next four or five WRs.
5—Raiders: Who I think they should take: Anthony Barr LB UCLA. This is an easy pick as Barr is a super
talented and passionate player that will take over the team. I really am back and forth on Barr and Mack;
they both could really be great. I think
that Barr may be everything that Ray Lewis was to the Ravens emotionally and
from a leadership standpoint.
Who they will take: Barr
– You better believe that Reggie McKenzie knows who he is and he is ignoring
him because he wants him.
6—Falcons: Who I
think they should take: Greg Robinson OT Auburn – The Falcons have had a
not very good OL for a while and it was masked by some good players. Robinson is a must here.
Who they will take: Jake Matthews – Since Robinson is gone in
this scenario they take the other LT.
7—Buccaneers: Who I
think they should take: Derek Carr QB Fresno State – I like Derek Carr a
lot. I think he is smart and is mentally
tough as well. I know analysts keep
bringing up his game against USC when he went into a panic, but I think he will
grow in the NFL. Not only has this guy
had to live up to his brothers reputation growing up, but now everybody is
comparing him to his brother in the NFL which is not fair. His brother never got a fair shake down in
the NFL and was destroyed before he could get started. Carr will not go this
high though in the real draft. The Bucs
need a QB bad and this would be an excellent landing spot for him since they
are better than last year’s record.
Who they will take: Mike
Evans WR Texas A&M – I think this might be a very good pick. While there is a glut of WR and these big
overpowering receivers don’t always pan out, he may be more responsible for
Johnny Manziel being the player he is.
8—Vikings: Who I
think they should take: Mike Evans WR Texas A&M – Pairing Evans with
Patterson is going to be a potentially scary scenario, they can grab the QB
later, I have a feeling they are okay with Cassel for right now. I think both Evans and Watkins are
gambles, but I tend to think the gamble on Evans is greater, yet, I think the
upside is significantly greater so it is worth the gamble.
Who they will take: Blake
Bortles QB C. Florida – In this scenario this makes more sense than any move
they could possibly make. I am weary of
Bortles, I think his ball is a bit too slow, but the upside is immense.
9—Bills: Who I think
they should take: Calvin Pryor S Louisville – This pick just makes too much
sense at this point. The Bills could
really use an OL and Taylor Lewan and Zach Martin might be interesting
fits. However, the more I hear about Lewan
the more he reminds me of Chris Williams (Who happens to be on this roster for
some reason) which means, he does not have the toughness. Martin projects a bit more to G but might be
an okay pick here. This is a case of a
guy that will make them better.
Who they will take: Kahlil
Mack LB Buffalo – If things shake down this way, it is a no brainer at this
point; passionate guy, local, fills a need.
10—Lions: Who I think
they should take: Darqueze Dennard Michigan State– I am a little torn here
between Roby and Dennard, but Roby’s most recent arrest has me thinking that he
is not going to change in the NFL.
Dennard is at the same level talent wise but he is a different kind of
player. CJ Mosley may also be an interesting option but the Lions really need
to fill the CB spot bad. The Lions also
need to replace Delmas so Safety is a possibility but I think they will wait on
that.
Who they will take: Justin
Gilbert – Call it an Andre stigma but Oklahoma and Oklahoma State guys scare me
with the exception of one player ever, I would take either of the big ten guys
over him.
11—Titans: Who I
think they should take: Bradley Roby Ohio State – I tend to favor big ten
players a bit but I think Dennard and Roby are about even and with Dennard gone
the Titans roll the dice and take a chance on Roby. Although, with the recent issues with Britt,
they may shy away.
Who they will take: Dennard,
he makes too much sense at this point in this scenario.
12—Giants: Who I
think they should take: Louis Nix DT Notre Dame – I am a little torn on
him, but I think that he could bring a really interesting dynamic to this
team. While the Giants need an offensive
lineman, I do not think anybody is worth it at this point. You can get good OL later in the draft but
Nix could be special.
Who they will take: Taylor
Lewan OT – I already said, I think he is soft.
But the Giants are going to panic and overdraft a OL like they did last
year.
13—Rams: Who I think
they should take: Justin Gilbert CB Oklahoma State – The Rams have a need
here and Gilbert is the best CB left. I
think there is a pretty big drop off from this point and I am not totally sold
on Gilbert but you need to take a talented player when he is there.
Who they will take: Bradley
Roby CB Ohio State – Fischer knows talent and he has rolled the dice on off the
field issues in the past.
14—Bears: Who I think
they should take: Aaron Donald DT
Pitt. Donald is a great fit for the
Bears and has a chance to be what Henry Melton was turning into. I am not totally sold on Donald but he makes
the most sense here.
Who they will take: Donald. This is a dream scenario for the Bears
because they will have a choice of the best Safeties and the best DT. However, the Bears tend to work from the
front line back and they will get their safety in round 2 so they go with
Donald here.
15—Steelers: Who I
think they should take: Dee Ford
DE/OLB Auburn. I am not sure why Ford is
being so underrated but he seems to be that perfect 3-4 pass rusher. Love Ford, I think he is going to have a very
good NFL career but his first year may not be as productive.
Who they will take: Ford
– He makes too much sense here. Remember
when the Steelers took Woodley people thought it may have been a reach and it
seemed to work out. Ford reminds me a
lot of Woodley, but I think he has more potential.
16—Cowboys: Who I
think they should take: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix S Alabama – At this point, the
Cowboys need a pass rusher but Clinton-Dix is too talented to pass up at this
point and the Cowboys could use a safety.
Who they will take: Clinton-Dix
– in this Scenario both safeties are available but HHCD is the more refined
player.
17—Ravens: Who I
think they should take: Zach Martin OT Notre Dame – The Ravens could use another
offensive lineman and Martin should be able to slide in on the right side no
problem, I know some see him as more of a guard but either way, I think he is
going to be a good player.
Who they will take: CJ
Mosely LB Alabama – This is a great pick here as well and I think Mosely will
be too talented to pass up. You can
always use a good ILB in a 3-4.
18—Jets: Who I think
they should take: Jordan Matthews WR Vanderbilt – I know this looks crazy
and this is not going to happen.
However, I really believe that Matthews has a chance to be the best WR
to come out of this draft. The Jets need
a WR that shuts up and plays. Think of
it this way, in hindsight Jordy Nelson was probably worthy of a first round
pick. Matthews is almost the same size
and speed and has more production coming out of college. Matthews is also one of my favorite players
in this draft.
Who they will take: Kelvin
Benjamin WR Florida State – This will be a bad pick, I think Benjamin has all
the makings of former USC WR Mike Williams but a significantly worse attitude.
19—Dolphins: Who I
think they should take: Xavier Su’a-Filo Guard UCLA – I know it is easy to
find halfway decent guards later in the draft but the Dolphins need to stock up
on quality offensive lineman and XSF is a quality offensive lineman that will
allow them to move on from Icognito and “Bullygate”
Who they will take: Zach
Martin – In this scenario Martin is still available and is an excellent pick
here. If he plays RT, great, if he plays
Guard, great. Win win situation for the
Dolphins.
20—Cardinals: Who I
think they should take: Cyrus Kouandjio OT Alabama – I was not a fan of DJ
Fluker, I thought he was kind of oafy but Kouandjio has a better ceiling to
me. I am not totally sold on him but the
Cardinals need to re-build their offensive line and Kouandjio should fit in at
tackle or guard.
Who they will take: Eric
Ebron TE – I am a little torn here because I could also see them taking somebody
like Derek Carr. But they can get their
QB later and Ebron is regarded as the best TE in the draft.
21—Packers: Who I
think they should take: Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE Washington – The problem
with me picking all the players that teams should pick is that the well is dry
for my Packers. Given the choices, I
really like ASJ here because he has a lot of potential and it sounds like he
just got too big for his body last year and he has since dropped weight.
Who they will take: Calvin
Pryor S Lousiville – Pryor is too good to pass up at a position of need
here. If the scenario plays out this way
they should take him here. I like HHCD a
little better personally but he is not here and the Packers fill an immediate
need.
22—Eagles: Who I
think they should take: Sammy Watkins WR Clemson – This is where I think
Watkins should go but of course this will never happen. Option 2 is who they will actually pick.
Who they will take: Brandin
Cooks WR Oregon State – I think that Chip Kelly has had his eye on Cooks this
entire offseason. The Eagles will
exchange the pain in the neck and injury prone DeSean Jackson for a not quite
as exciting but less of a pain in the neck and less injury prone Cooks. Cooks will stretch the field and play the
slot well.
23—Chiefs: Who I
think they should take: Joel Bitonio OT Nevada – Bitonio has been rising up
the boards fast and the chiefs will need to replace the departed Branden
Alberts. While it will be a jump in
competition Bitonio sounds like he is up for the part.
Who they will take: Marquis
Lee WR USC – The Chiefs may consider a pass rusher here but they also need more
targets for Alex Smith so they will take whoever is the best available. I don’t love Lee and I think that he will
have the same fate as every other WR to come out of USC.
24—Bengals: Who I
think they should take: Taylor Lewan OT Michigan – Again, this will not
happen and even though I think there is a chance that Lewan is a bit softer, he
is worth it here and the Bengals need a good young Tackle.
Who they will take: Cyrus
Kouandjio OT Alabama – If the scenario shakes down this way, he is the best
tackle available.
25—Chargers: Who I
think they should take: Kony Ealy DE/OLB Missouri – The Chargers have been
losing all of their great pass rushers and the attempts to replace them have
failed. This is a no brainer at this
point in the scenario. While I think
Ealy is a gamble because he seems raw, I think it is worth it at this point.
Who they will take: Kyle
Fuller CB V-Tech – In this scenario Ealy is still available but I think they
may panic a bit and take the best corner available.
26—Browns: Who I
think they should take: Chris Borland LB Wisconsin – The Browns screwed up
by letting D’Qwell Jackson go. Borland
is the same type of hard nosed linebacker that is a tackling machine.
Who they will take: Derek
Carr QB Fresno State - The way that this scenario has played out, the Browns get
their QB with the second pick and he is a steal here.
27—Saints: Who I
think they should take: Morgan Moses OT Virginia – The Saints offensive
line has been depleted and Moses is good enough to start. There are a lot of OT going in the first
round in this scenario but that shows just how good this class is.
Who they will take: Ra’Shede
Hageman DT Minnesota – The Saints seem to gamble on big men that are good
athletes and Hageman is exactly that. I
do not believe that he is going to ever live up to his potential.
28—Panthers: Who I
think they should take: Davante Adams WR Fresno State – The Panthers
painted themselves into this inexplicable corner this offseason where they
depleted an already depleted receiving core.
If I was the Panthers, I would draft at least two WR and bring in at
least four undrafted free agents at WR.
I am not sold on Adams but I think his ceiling is higher than Odell
Beckham and I do not like any other WR at this spot.
Who they will take: Odell
Beckham JR WR – Again, I am not sold on Beckham so I think this will be a
mistake.
29—Patriots: Who I
think they should take: Jimmy Garrapolos QB Eastern Illinois – I know,
another somewhat crazy move. But if guys
like Matt Cassel and Brian Hoyer can develop on a team like this, imagine what
a guy like Garrapolos could do after a few years under Brady. It is pretty scary to think about. I think if Garrapolos goes into a situation
like this, he needs a few years to develop, people may look back and wonder why
he was not drafted higher.
Who they will take: Jace
Amaro TE Texas A&M – When Gronk is on the field he is the best TE in
Football at worst he is the second best.
But he is never on the field.
Amaro will serve as the receiving TE when Gronk is healthy and the Primary
TE when he is not. This pick just makes
sense here.
30—49ers: Who I think
they should take: Stephon Tuitt DE Notre Dame – Justin Smith is still
playing well but for how long? Tuitt is
a guy that needs a tutor like Smith, makes perfect sense here.
Who they will take: Tuitt
makes too much sense her, they won’t pass him up.
31—Broncos: Who I
think they should take: David Yankey OG Stanford – It seems like opinions
are a bit split on Yankey but he fits the Broncos well and they lost Zane Beadles
in free agency.
Who they will take: Xavier
Su’a-Filo G UCLA – In this scenario he is still available, go for it.
32—Seahawks: Who I
think they should take: Jason Verrett CB TCU – Verrett is the best CB
available and should be able to fill in on the slot no problem. Easy pick for Seahawks here.
Who they will take: Jason Verrett, makes too much sense at
this point.
