I was working on turning that four-round mock into a seven-round mock… and then the Eagles trade broke yesterday. So, we have two blockbuster trades to the top, presumably for QBs; hence the “Double Blockbuster Mock.” And, as the title suggests… we’re going the whole way. Seven rounds. All seven and we’ll watch them fall! (RIP, Prince. Another star too bright for this world.)
I’ll write commentary as much as I can– for the first round, for sure, and selected picks thereafter. A mix of what I think, who I like, and needs. And I projected a handful of trades.
1. LA (from TEN) – Jared Goff, QB, California
I feel it’s about 3:1 the Rams take Goff over Wentz, and I like him better anyway.
2. PHI (from CLE) – Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
Teams put out a lot of smoke this time of year, but the reports of the Eagles loving Wentz, followed by the fact of them trading up to #2, seems like a smoke with fire behind it.
TRADE: San Diego sends the 1.03 pick to Tampa Bay for the 1.09, 2.08, 4.10, and 2017 3rd.
3. TB (from SD) – Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
Tampa Bay has enough holes that trading up might not be a great idea, but they also have a franchise quarterback going into his second year, and pairing him with the best left tackle prospect in a decade seems like a rock-solid foundation for a team to build on. Tunsil is the rare prospect I can see being worth the trade up here.
4. DAL – Jalen Ramsey, FS/CB, Florida State
The other elite prospect of the draft falls to a team that needs him. Dallas has to be thrilled to snap him up here.
5. JAX – Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
No real change here. A huge talent at a serious need.
6. BAL – Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
They sit in place and get the best talent that falls to him. He’s my #3 prospect overall.
7. SF – DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
Why, yes, I do think Trent Baalke will take a 5-tech in the first round two years in a row.
TRADE: Cleveland sends the 1.08 pick to Tennessee for the 1.15 and 2.12.
8. TEN (from CLE) – Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
Rumors have Tennessee looking to trade back into the top ten, possibly for a tackle. Stanley will start from day one at right tackle.
9. SD (from TB) – Shaq Lawson, EDGE, Clemson
A little large for a 3-4 OLB, but he’s so talented I don’t think it matters. Wherever they play him, he might be their best pass rusher– and I don’t think too badly of Melvin Ingram and Jerry Attaochu.
10. NYG – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
They have a mishmash of backs ranging from the OK (Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen) to the bad (Andre Williams). Now they have a true featured guy who can play every down and do it all.
11. CHI – Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
They let Jermon Bushrod go this year. I don’t know if Decker can play left tackle, but I’d rather take a chance on him than Charles Leno, Jr.
TRADE: New Orleans sends the 1.12 to Atlanta for the 1.17 and the 3.18.
12. ATL (from NO) – Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
I projected this trade because I think Atlanta has shown strong interest in him but is worried the Dolphins will take a linebacker. So they make the move to get the guy they want. The Saints are more interested in trading out of the pick with Lawson off the board.
13. MIA (from PHI) – Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
I think he’s great value here. Floyd or Darron Lee might also make sense, but I have Hargreaves as one of the best prospects in the draft. (But since he’s only 5’10”, he’s going to slide on draft boards. Teams never learn.)
14. OAK – Sheldon Rankins, DL, Louisville
They gotta love this addition. Rankins and Mack is a dynamite combination.
15. CLE (from LA via TEN) – Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
I think teams are starting to prefer Doctson as the top receiver, even though I don’t. Still, I have him #2, and now that Cleveland is in this position, they’ve decided it’s more important to get a top receiver for whoever their quarterback ends up being.
16. DET – Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
Detroit adds some serious speed to complement Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
17. NO (from ATL) – Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
Fine, he’s my favorite receiver in the draft. He’s a perfect fit for the Saints, too, whose biggest need in their crew is a guy who can be reliable on third downs and in the red zone.
18. IND – Noah Spence, EDGE, Eastern Kentucky
Well, they have a lot of needs, but I think they’re going to go with adding a pass rusher.
19. BUF – Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss
Rex Ryan has no fear of colorful personalities, and he’ll figure out the way to get the most out of the talented interior pass rusher. (Well, at least that’s the idea.)
20. NYJ – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Their QB of the future. I still have some hope in Chan Gailey as a creative offensive mind.
21. WAS – Andrew Billings, DL, Baylor
Same as last time.
22. HOU – Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
Coleman is gone, but they still want to add speed. I wouldn’t make this pick here, but I think they would.
23. MIN – Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
The big-bodied, reliable receiver Teddy Bridgewater needs.
24. CIN – Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
Their linebacker crew suffered from a serious lack of athleticism. Lee can certainly fix that.
25. PIT – Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
I see him as a pretty ideal fit as an ILB in their 3-4.
26. SEA – Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida
As I said last time, a player who can fill the Michael Bennett role for them.
27. GB – Jarran Reed, DL, Alabama
Same as last time. Get those B.J. Raji snaps.
28. KC – Chris Jones, DL, Mississippi State
Same as last time– interior pressure.
29. NE – Pick forfeited
I have nothing new to say about the Sentient Potato.
29. ARI – Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
Increasing buzz that Kelly is going in the first round, and Arizona cut Lyle Sendlein last off-season before re-signing him right before the season started, so they’re clearly not happy with what they’ve got there.
30. CAR – Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
Badly need an offensive tackle. If all goes well, Spriggs and Daryl Williams should be the starters for the long term.
31. DEN – Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
See the last mock draft for more.
ROUND 2
CLE | Cardale Jones | QB | Ohio State |
TEN | Eli Apple | CB | Ohio State |
DAL | Sterling Shepard | WR | Oklahoma |
SD | Kenny Clark | DL | UCLA |
BAL | Mackensie Alexander | CB | Clemson |
SF | Cody Whitehair | G | Kansas State |
JAX | Emmanuel Ogbah | EDGE | Oklahoma State |
SD (from TB) | Karl Joseph | FS | West Virginia |
NYG | Kevin Dodd | EDGE | Clemson |
CHI | Kenneth Dixon | RB | Louisiana Tech |
MIA | Su’a Cravens | LB/S | USC |
CLE (from PHI via LA then TEN) | Jack Conklin | OT | Michigan State |
OAK | William Jackson | CB | Houston |
TEN (from LA) | Javon Hargrave | DL | South Carolina State |
DET | Vernon Butler | DL | Louisiana Tech |
NO | Joshua Garnett | G | Stanford |
IND | Germain Ifedi | OT | Texas A&M |
BUF | Deion Jones | LB | LSU |
ATL | Keanu Neal | FS | Florida |
NYJ | Kendall Fuller | CB | Virginia Tech |
HOU | Jerald Hawkins | OT | LSU |
WAS | Nick Martin | C/G | Notre Dame |
MIN | Vonn Bell | SS | Ohio State |
CIN | Leonte Carroo | WR | Rutgers |
SEA | Shon Coleman | OT | Auburn |
GB | Shilique Calhoun | EDGE | Michigan State |
PIT | Will Redmond | CB | Mississippi State |
KC | Artie Burns | CB | Miami-FL |
NE | Derrick Henry | RB | Alabama |
NE (from ARI) | A’Shawn Robinson | DL | Alabama |
CAR | Braxton Miller | WR | Ohio State |
DEN | Hunter Henry | TE | Arkansas |
Notes: I hope most of these picks were self-explanatory. Cardale Jones is the most talented QB on the board remaining by some measure, and Cleveland would be an ideal spot to develop him. Jeremy Langford had poor receiving metrics last year, so the Bears grab a guy who’s better suited to that role (and is better suited to being a featured back, in my opinion). Everyone else, I think, is a pretty good marriage of talent and fit.
One interesting detail is Eli Apple going ahead of Mackensie Alexander. Though I rate Alexander more highly, it seems (as with Hargreaves) teams are concerned about his size. So I’m projecting Apple ahead of Alexander because I expect that to happen.
ROUND 3
TEN | Charles Tapper | DL/ED | Oklahoma |
CLE | Rashard Higgins | WR | Colorado State |
SD | Austin Hooper | TE | Stanford |
DAL | Joshua Perry | LB | Ohio State |
SF | Xavien Howard | CB | Baylor |
JAX | Jack Allen | C | Michigan State |
BAL | John Theus | OT | Georgia |
NYG | Tyler Boyd | WR | Pittsburgh |
CHI | Jalen Mills | CB/S | LSU |
MIA | Landon Turner | G | North Carolina |
TB | Yannick Ngakoue | EDGE | Maryland |
OAK | Malcolm Mitchell | WR | Georgia |
TEN (from LA) | Darian Thompson | FS | Boise State |
CLE (from DET via PHI) | Kamalei Correa | LB/ED | Boise State |
NO | Maliek Collins | DL | Nebraska |
PHI | Christian Westerman | G | Arizona State |
BUF | Carl Nassib | DE | Penn State |
NO (from ATL) | Bronson Kaufusi | DL/ED | BYU |
IND | Devontae Booker | RB | Utah |
NYJ | Le’Raven Clark | OT | Texas Tech |
WAS | Kentrell Brothers | LB | Missouri |
HOU | Nick Vannett | TE | Ohio State |
MIN | Willie Henry | DL | Michigan |
CIN | Jordan Payton | WR | UCLA |
GB | Alex Collins | RB | Arkansas |
PIT | Austin Johnson | DL | Penn State |
SEA | Hassan Ridgeway | DL | Texas |
(KC) | |||
NE | Mike Thomas | WR | Southern Miss |
ARI | Maurice Canady | CB | Virginia |
CAR | Vadal Alexander | G/T | LSU |
DEN | Spencer Drango | G/T | Baylor |
DET | Jordan Howard | RB | Indiana |
NE | Peyton Barber | RB | Auburn |
SEA | Jeremy Cash | SS | Duke |
DEN | Joel Heath | DL | Michigan State |
(Italics indicate compensatory picks.)
Notes: Again, I don’t think this round is particularly wild. I wanted to give New England another back who was a better receiver than Henry, given the uncertainty of Dion Lewis’ performance level after returning from injury. Detroit also takes a power back who can complement Ameer Abdullah. San Diego takes Austin Hooper to replace Ladarius Green and eventually Antonio Gates– but he can block, too.
I don’t know exactly where Bronson Kaufusi will play in the Saints’ defense, but he’s 285 pounds and Cameron Jordan plays at 287– so if he ends up being at all similar, that’s great. (A 4-3 with Kaufusi and Jordan at the ends, or a 3-4 with Hau’oli Kikaha and Davis Tull outside of them rushing the passer as well, both work fine for me.)
ROUND 4
CLE | Sheldon Day | DL | Notre Dame |
CLE (from TEN via PHI) | Keith Marshall | RB | Georgia |
DAL | Paul Perkins | RB | UCLA |
SD | C.J. Prosise | RB | Notre Dame |
JAX | T.J. Green | FS | Clemson |
BAL | Sean Davis | FS | Maryland |
SF | Keivarae Russell | CB | Notre Dame |
CHI | Dominique Alexander | LB | Oklahoma |
MIA | Kyler Fackrell | EDGE | Utah State |
SD (from TB) | Denver Kirkland | G | Arkansas |
NYG | Travis Feeney | LB | Washington |
LA | Charone Peake | WR | Clemson |
DET | Miles Killebrew | SS | Southern Utah |
NO | Tavon Young | CB | Temple |
LA (from PHI via TEN) | Cyrus Jones | CB | Alabama |
OAK | Brandon Wilds | RB | South Carolina |
ATL | Kyle Murphy | OT | Stanford |
IND | Jihad Ward | DL | Illinois |
BUF | Vernon Adams | QB | Oregon |
NYJ | Jonathan Williams | RB | Arkansas |
HOU | Max Tuerk | C | USC |
WAS | Jonathan Jones | CB | Auburn |
MIN | Connor McGovern | G | Missouri |
CIN | DeAndre Elliott | CB | Colorado State |
PIT | Sebastian Tretola | G | Arkansas |
SEA | Connor Wujciak | DL | Boston College |
GB | Mitch Mathews | WR | BYU |
KC | Tajae Sharpe | WR | Massachusetts |
CHI (from NE) | Kenny Lawler | WR | California |
ARI | Trevone Boykin | QB | TCU |
CAR | Rashard Robinson | CB | LSU |
BAL (from DEN) | Isaac Seumalo | G | Oregon State |
GB | Joe Haeg | OT | North Dakota State |
BAL | Nick Vigil | ILB | Utah State |
SF | Avery Young | OT | Auburn |
BAL | Tyrone Holmes | EDGE | Montana |
DAL | Jacoby Brissett | QB | North Carolina State |
DEN | Jordan Jenkins | EDGE | Georgia |
GB | Jatavis Brown | LB/S | Akron |
CLE | Jason Fanaika | EDGE | Utah |
BUF | Devon Cajuste | WR/TE | Stanford |
Notes: Dallas intrigues me the most here. Paul Perkins gives the team a pass-catching back, which Alfred Morris decidedly isn’t and which Lance Dunbar may never be again, depending on the severity of his knee injury. And Jacoby Brissett, with work, could be good enough to take over when Tony Romo hangs it up / breaks down for good.
Some QBs besides Brissett are drafted: Vernon Adams and Trevone Boykin won’t go this highly in the real draft, but I like both their talent levels and fit here (Adams for his similarities to Tyrod Taylor, Boykin for his deep ball).
Lots of running backs besides Perkins as well. San Diego tries to recapture the Darren Sproles magic with C.J. Prosise. Cleveland adds another back to the rotation who will allow them to use Duke Johnson in space more and more. Oakland tries to find a better-receiving complement to Latavius Murray. And the Jets try to replace Chris Ivory’s role in their offense.
Connor Wujciak was the most athletic defensive lineman at the combine according to SPARQ, so of course, he’ll be playing interior offensive line for the Seahawks in two years.
ROUND 5
TEN | Scooby Wright III | LB | Arizona |
CLE | Eric Murray | CB | Minnesota |
SF (from SD) | Dak Prescott | QB | Mississippi State |
OAK (from DAL) | Keyaris Garrett | WR | Tulsa |
DEN (from BAL) | Evan Boehm | C | Missouri |
SF | Daniel Braverman | WR | Western Michigan |
JAX | Harlan Miller | CB | Southeastern Louisiana |
MIA | Jerell Adams | TE | South Carolina |
TB | Adolphus Washington | DT | Ohio State |
NYG | Graham Glasgow | G | Michigan |
CHI | Ben Braunecker | TE | Harvard |
DET | James Cowser | DE | Southern Utah |
NO | DeAndre Houston-Carson | FS | William & Mary |
PHI | Rashawn Scott | WR | Miami-FL |
OAK | Nick Kwiatkowski | LB | West Virginia |
(LA) | |||
IND | Tyler Matakevich | LB | Temple |
BUF | Fahn Cooper | OT | Ole Miss |
(ATL) | |||
DEN (from NYJ) | Daniel Lasco | RB | California |
WAS | Kevin Hogan | QB | Stanford |
HOU | Joe Schobert | LB | Wisconsin |
MIN | Eric Striker | LB/ED | Oklahoma |
CIN | D.J. Reader | DL | Clemson |
KC (from SEA) | Willie Beavers | OT | Central Michigan |
GB | Bryce Williams | TE | East Carolina |
PHI (from PIT) | Kevon Seymour | CB | USC |
KC | Dadi Lhomme Nicolas | OLB | Virginia Tech |
HOU (from NE) | Mike Bercovici | QB | Arizona State |
ARI | Vincent Valentine | DL | Nebraska |
CAR | Matt Judon | DE | Grand Valley State |
DET (from DEN) | Brandon Shell | OT | South Carolina |
ARI | K.J. Dillon | SS | West Virginia |
SEA | DeAndre Washington | RB | Texas Tech |
CLE | Jaylon Smith | LB | Notre Dame |
CLE | Rees Odhiambo | G | Boise State |
SF | Dwayne Washington | RB | Washington |
SD | D.J. White | CB | Georgia Tech |
Notes: Here come the developmental guys. Prescott behind Kaepernick makes sense to me. I feel like Hogan fits in behind Kirk Cousins well; if Cousins eventually wants more money than Washington wants to pay him, maybe Hogan can take over at that point. Bercovici I like more than most, and granted, that work is influenced by better draft writers than I, but .
This is also the round where Jaylon Smith is finally drafted– and in the place I’d expect, to a team with so many picks that leaving him on IR or NFI is not an issue.
Last pick to mention– the DeAndre Washington pick is to give Seattle a receiving complement to the presumably Thomas Rawls-led current backfield.
ROUND 6
CLE | James Bradberry | CB | Samford |
LA (from TEN) | Stephen Weatherly | EDGE | Vanderbilt |
SF (from DAL) | Alex McAlister | EDGE | Florida |
SD | Jalin Marshall | WR | Ohio State |
MIN (from SF) | Joe Walker | LB | Oregon |
JAX | Dean Lowry | DL | Northwestern |
BAL | Kenyan Drake | RB | Alabama |
TB | Justin Simmons | FS | Boston College |
NYG | Matt Ioanndis | DL | Boston College |
CHI | Anthony Zettel | DL | Penn State |
MIA | Cole Toner | OT | Harvard |
WAS (from NO) | Tyvis Powell | FS | Ohio State |
PHI | Joe Thuney | G | North Carolina State |
DAL (from OAK) | Ronald Blair | DE | Appalachian State |
LA | Pharoh Cooper | WR | South Carolina |
DET | Jake Rudock | QB | Michigan |
BUF | Deiondre’ Hall | FS | Northern Iowa |
TEN (from ATL) | Nile Lawrence-Stample | DL | Florida State |
OAK (from IND) | Jayron Kearse | SS | Clemson |
HOU (from NYJ) | Justin Zimmer | DL | Ferris State |
NE (from HOU) | Trent Corney | EDGE | Virginia |
TB (from WAS) | Ken Crawley | CB | Colorado |
SD (from MIN) | Tom Hackett | P | Utah |
CIN | Dan Vitale | FB | Northwestern |
GB | Anthony Brown | CB | Purdue |
JAX (from PIT) | Blake Martinez | LB | Stanford |
DET (from SEA) | Henry Krieger-Coble | TE | Iowa |
KC | Nate Sudfeld | QB | Indiana |
NE (from NE via CHI) | Briean Boddy-Calhoun | CB | Minnesota |
ARI | Marquez North | WR | Tennessee |
CHI (via CAR) | Brandon Doughty | QB | Western Kentucky |
SF (from DEN) | Mortiz Boehringer | WR | [Germany] |
NE | Thomas Duarte | WR/TE | UCLA |
BAL | Roger Lewis | WR | Bowling Green |
DET | Roberto Aguayo | K | Florida State |
SF | Adam Gostis | DL | Georgia Tech |
DAL | Demarcus Robinson | WR | Florida |
SF | Glenn Gronkowski | FB | Kansas State |
NE | Alex Lewis | OT | Nebraska |
SEA | Austin Blythe | C | Iowa |
DAL | Daryl Worley | CB | West Virginia |
DAL | Lawrence Thomas | DL | Michigan State |
BUF | Halapoulivaati Vaitai | OT | TCU |
DEN | Jared Norris | LB | Utah |
PIT | Kevin Byard | SS | Middle Tennessee St. |
NE | Antwaun Woods | DL | USC |
Notes: Once upon a time… a team whose starting quarterback was a cannon-armed golden boy selected #1 overall seven years ago… took a lightly-regarded quarterback out of Michigan in the sixth round… and the rest, as they say, is history. Hey, it could happen.
Moritz Boehringer, apparently, played for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.
ROUND 7
TEN | David Morgan | TE | UTSA |
CLE | Hunter Sharp | WR | Utah State |
SD | Brandon Allen | QB | Arkansas |
SEA (from DAL) | Tyler Higbee | TE | Western Kentucky |
JAX | Kelvin Taylor | RB | Florida |
MIA (from BAL) | De’Runnya Wilson | WR | Mississippi State |
DEN (from SF) | Nelson Spruce | WR | Colorado |
PIT (from NYG) | Stephen Anderson | WR/TE | California |
CHI | LeShaun Sims | CB | Southern Utah |
MIA | Joel Stave | QB | Wisconsin |
WAS (from TB) | Ian Wells | CB | Ohio |
PHI | Tyler Ervin | RB | San Jose State |
OAK | Pearce Slater | OT | San Diego State |
NYJ (from LA via HOU then DEN) | Antonio Morrison | LB | Florida |
DET | Morgan Burns | CB | Kansas State |
NO | Temarrick Hemingway | TE | South Carolina State |
ATL | Beau Sandland | TE | Montana State |
IND | Kavon Frazier | FS | Central Michigan |
MiN (from BUF) | Shiro Davis | EDGE | Texas |
NYJ | Parker Ehringer | G | Cincinnati |
WAS | Romeo Okwara | DE | Notre Dame |
NE (from HOU) | Elijah Shumate | SS | Notre Dame |
MIN | Aaron Green | RB | TCU |
CIN | Jeff Driskel | QB | Florida |
PIT | D.J. Foster | RB | Arizona State |
SEA | Aaron Burbridge | WR | Michigan State |
GB | Kyle Friend | G | Temple |
KC | Jalen Richard | RB | Southern Miss |
NE | Keenan Reynolds | / | Navy |
PHI (from ARI) | D.J. Pettway | DE | Alabama |
CAR | Mike Matthews | C | Texas A&M |
DEN | Aziz Shittu | DL | Stanford |
I used this round to draft pass-catching and potential special-teams running backs for quite a few teams.
I designated Keenan Reynolds as a “slash” because I have no idea how New England was going to use him. (Shoutout to Pats fan, longtime friend, and Inside the Pylon contributor Dave for suggesting this pick.)
I don’t know who Shiro Davis is, but I do know that he was the most athletic edge prospect remaining on the board, and the Vikings are fond of those guys.
The last of our drafted QBs go, where they’ll compete for backup roles with a remote chance to start one day. Not drafted: Christian Hackenberg, who is just too damn inaccurate. (He will be drafted. Sean Mannion was drafted, and he’s even worse. But I have him low on my board, and couldn’t find a team that would want to take him.)
Also not drafted: Shawn Oakman. His arrest on sexual assault charges makes him untouchable by itself, but I don’t think he would have gone ahead of the sixth round even if that hadn’t happened. His athleticism is wildly overrated– he’s a long guy but without quickness or lower-body strength.
Last but not least, I still get a little thrown off– and fascinated– by the fact that there are no seventh-round compensatory selections this year.
So, have at it. I probably won’t get to write up another mock draft before this, though I might poke around with the first round if any more major trades go down between now and then.
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