I Got A Crazy 1St Round Mock For You Guys

[nagai]

There are many reasons people like to make mocks. Some do it because it’s fun, some do it to prepare themselves for the draft. However, I think there’s an unspoken reason fans spend countless afternoons on their mocks and that’s because they want to feel that they’re part of the community. For this reason, most drafts don’t have any trades. Think about it, if you really wanted to predict what would happen on draft day, you would MAKE SURE that you had a few trades in there, because it’s bound to happen. Despite this, I think people don’t involve trades in their mocks a) because they’re lazy and B) because they want their mocks to have the same structure as others, because it makes it easier to compare. That is the precisely what I DIDN’T want this mock to be. This mock was created to truly simulate the first round. The draft isn't half as neat and tidy as the media makes it out to be. It's messy, it's a scrap. Every year, fans are left with their jaw hanging open, trying to make sense of what just happened. If you think this mock is crazy but still logical, good, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. Enjoy!

1 Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck QB

Roger Goodell steps on the podium and announces what we already know. Luck is going to Indy.

2 Washington Redskins (from St. Louis Rams) – Robert Griffin III QB

Still no surprises here, the Redskins didn’t pay that much to trade up to get anything other than a franchise QB.

3 Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil OT

Claiborne and Blackmon will be considered here but ultimately they want to protect their franchise QB in Christian Ponder. Drafting Kalil allows them to move a few pieces on the offensive line and upgrade multiple positions. In that sense, the value is too good to pass up.

4 Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson RB

This is the first turning point in the draft. The Browns will consider drafting Blackmon to help whoever’s at QB, they will also consider Ryan Tannehill. Blackmon would be a good fit here, but I think ultimately, Richardson may be the best player in the draft. You can say that RB is being devalued, but remember that the Browns have 2 first round picks, so they can still grab a wideout later. Tannehill on other hand simply is not worth a top 5 pick.

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Clailborne CB

No real surprises here. Tampa fans seem to be torn between Richardson and Claiborne, but if Richardson isn’t here then the pick is obvious.

6 Rams (from Redskins) – Fletcher Cox DT

Surprise! Yes, Jeff Fisher passes on Justin Blackmon and Michel Floyd to grab Fletcher freaking Cox. Let me explain my reasoning – Fletcher Cox is by far the number one DT in the draft. He is quick off the LOS, he has long, strong arms so he is a good pass rusher, he is strong enough to hold up against the run, he plays multiple positions in multiple sets, and he has a great motor. Fisher is known to stockpile talent on defensive line – that’s how he builds teams. He’s also known to pick whoever HE likes according to HIS rankings. You think he cares that most people have Blackmon rated higher? Did he care that Chris Johnson wasn’t considered a 1st round pick, even when the Titans already had talent at RB? Trust Jeff Fisher to shock you on draft day.

7 Jacksonville Jaguars – Justin Blackmon WR

The Jaguar’s prayers have been answered. The stars have aligned and Justin Blackmon falls to them at 7. The jags are a team that make their 1st round picks by need. Anyone remember Tyson Alualu? Even if there wasn’t a highly rated WR here, I would trust the Jags to ‘reach’ for a WR for young Blaine Gabbert to throw to.

8 Miami Dolphins – Quinton Coples DE

I call this the ‘ghost of Bill Parcells’ pick. If the scouts in Miami learned anything from Parcell’s short time in Miami, it’s to value players who are athletically gifted. I think Coples has the range and the strength Parcells would look for in a pass rusher. Even if you think that I’m making too much out of a guy who’s no longer in Miami, you got to admit that the phins need a 43 DE pretty bad. Tannehill will be considered, but I just don’t think this guy has shown enough for a relatively conservative organisation to pull the trigger. It could happen though.

*9 Arizona Cardinals from Carolina Panthers – Ryan Tannehill QB

At this spot the Carolina Panthers are spoilt for choice, despite Cox going early. They opt to trade down because they have multiple players here who could work for them, so they try and get more value. I imagine 2 phone calls from 2 different teams wanting to trade up. First there’s the Cardinals who want to leapfrog the Chiefs to grab Ryan Tannehill, then there’s the Jets who want to grab Melvin Ingram. The Panthers choose to go with Arizona because they have a higher 1st round pick, meaning that there’s a higher chance that Reiff, Floyd, Kuechly or one of the DT’s would be there. They choose to pick before Philadelphia – a team that can take a number of those players and Zona gets their franchise QB.

10 Buffalo Bills – Jonathan Martin OT

The Bills are another team that look at the draft as a chance to fix their biggest need. This year, that position is LT. Some will be surprised that I chose Martin over Reiff, and I can explain my reasoning with one word – upside. Martin is just more naturally gifted than Reiff and is a better fit at LT.

*11 New York Jets from Kansas City Chiefs – Melvin Ingram LB

The Chiefs can do a few things here. They can grab Ingram for themselves, draft Decastro to shore up their run game, grab Kuechly to have a strong LB corps… they can even get Michael Floyd to help Matt Cassel. Ultimately I have them trading down with the Jets because they can still grab Decastro at a later position. There's a good chance that the Jets will trade up on draft day. That's precisely how they landed Revis and Sanchez. Rex Ryan now gets a very athletic and versatile chess piece for his 34 defence.

12 Seattle Seahawks – Luke Kuechly LB

Reiff is an option here, but ultimately I have the Seahawks grabbing Luke Kuechly to give them a great player at LB and to build on an already strong defence.

*13 Carolina Panthers from Arizona Cardinals – Jerel Worthy DT

The surprises keep coming. A lot of draftniks would have the Panthers grabbing Floyd here but let me tell you, WR isn’t half the need the media makes it out to be in Carolina. They don’t have any all pros there beside Steve Smith, but they have youth and they have talent. Reiff should be considered here because Otah can’t stay healthy and Gross is getting old, but don’t see a high ceiling for that guy. Ultimately, I think the Ron Rivera will want to draft defence. Worthy I think is a guy who is being extremely underrated right now. If you think Cox has a fast first step, you need to watch this guy play. Though his top speed isn’t quite as good, his first step is EXPLOSIVE. He can also anchor against the run very well. I have this guy rated higher than Brockers (who I don’t think will ever be a top pass rusher) and Poe (whose tape is just extremely underwhelming).

14 Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron S

The Cowboys need help in their secondary. That backfield has cost them games this year – a problem Jerry Jones would surely want to fix. There are some nice options at CB here, but the Cowboys have just signed Brandon Carr to a big deal and Barron is a rare talent.

15 Philadelphia Eagles – Riley Reiff OT

The fall of Riley Reiff finally ends. Philly is obviously looking for a tackle after Jason Peters was lost to injury. Reiff is a slam dunk pick here because he is a highly valued prospect who fills a position of need. It’s also no secret that Andy Reid likes picking linemen in the 1st round.

*16 Kansas City Chiefs from New York Jets – David Decastro OG

The Cheifs execute their game plan to perfection. Decastro is a guy who the Cheifs should really like and would be strongly considered at 10. Now they trade down a few spots and still get their man.

17 Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders) – Michael Floyd WR

Michael Floyd has been dropping like a rock in this mock and it really isn’t his fault. Other teams just have bigger needs and they’ve gotten value out of those picks. There are some teams that are known for drafting the ‘best player available’ like Tennessee, Pittsburg and the Packers, but they haven’t made a pick yet. The only team I would even consider a BPA one after Jeff Fisher at 6 is Carolina and I honestly think that the grades should be close enough for Rivera to favour defence as the tie-breaker. Cincy’s not complaining of course.

18 San Diego Chargers – Shea McClellin OLB/DE

Nose tackle will be strongly considered here as Dontari Poe is still on the board but the Chargers also need a pass rusher and Shea McClellin is a cleaner prospect. This guy can do many things for you in a 34 defence.

19 Chicago Bears – Dontari Poe DT

Dontari Poe finally finds a home. Lovie Smith is a defensively minded guy. Furthermore, their drafts have traditionally been incredibly focused on defence. Poe is a guy that they can develop. His tape is pretty bad, and he plays high the majority of the time, negating his athleticism. However, once in a while he stays low and wham, he flashes all that talent we saw at the combine.

20 Tennessee Titans – Stephon Gilmore CB

Mr. Punchy-Mcpunchpunch Cortland Finnegan has left to follow Jeff Fisher in St. Louis so the Titans have a void at CB. Gilmore gives them a good corner that can press and shut people down.

21 Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick CB

I think Cincinatti may prefer Gilmore, but Kirkpatrick is still a reliable corner who can match up against the bigger receivers in the NFL.

*22 Cleveland Browns – Kendall Wright WR

You can be assured that the Browns would make a lot of phone calls if Floyd starts dropping, but at the end of the day, I just could not find a good trade partner for them. Any trade for Floyd would require them to leapfrog Cincinnati at 17, but all the teams from 10 to 16 have found ways to grab impact players in positions of need. The Browns therefore settle for Kendall Wright, the speedster from Baylor. Stephen Hill would be considered here but his lack of production is really unappealing.

23 Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB

Alright, there are 2 parts to this pick. 1) The Lions are a BPA team and Jenkins should be by far the best football player here. 2) The lions have a need at CB. Alabama had a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drug abuse, so there would’ve been no way that Jenkins could’ve puffed on a little MJ without people knowing about it. I think the Lions take the risk here.

24 Pittsburgh Steelers – Dont’a Hightower LB

I think this is a match made in heaven. Hightower is a tough player who can penetrate from different spots as a linebacker. Another good piece of the puzzle for a 34 defence.

25 Denver Broncos – Michael Brockers DT

Don’t let the pursuit of Peyton Manning and starting The Golden Calf of Bristol last year fool you, John Fox is a conservative coach. When he was in Carolina he wanted to run the ball and play defence, even though the league has changed into a passing league. What I think is happening now in Denver is that he focusing on defence and allowing other coaches to run to show more on offence. When it comes to the draft however, I think his conservativeness will reappear. Brockers will never be a great pass rusher, but he can be OK with time. He can be a great run-stuffer in the mean time and will find a place in Fox’s defence.

26 Houston Texans – Mike Adams OT

The Texans don’t have many holes. They lost DeMeco Ryans, but there isn’t really an ILB that can replace him here. They still have a hole at RT to fill in the mean time, so Mike Adams makes sense here.

27 New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints) – Courtney Upshaw LB

The Pats need to find ways to rush the QB. Courtney Upshaw doesn’t have elite speed, but Bill Belichick will find a way to use him.

28 Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry OLB

The Pack need to find a buddy for Clay Matthews. Clay, Meet Nick.

29 Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz C

Ben Grubbs has left to the Saints and Matt Birk is getting old. The Ravens select a great fit in Peter Konz.

30 San Francisco 49ers – Stephen Hill WR

The 9ers have a great defence, but their offence is going to have to get better. The 9ers fans are screaming for a wide receiver (don’t believe me? Go visit one of their forums). Stephen Hill should not go too early in the 1st round, but the value is decent here. Alshon Jefferey is an option, but I just don’t think he has the speed to get the separation he needs in the NFL.

31 New England Patriots – Kendall Reyes DE

The Patriots continue to add to their defensive front. This is a guy who can play in multiple positions along the D line. Think of him as a toned down version of Fletcher Cox.

32 New York Giants – Coby Fleener TE

The Giants want a 3rd receiving option for Manning. With how important receiving TE’s have become in the NFL, don’t be surprised if Fleener goes earlier than this.

I hope you guys enjoyed the mock, I certainly had fun making it! Good luck to your team on draft day!

[Ken]

Worthy at #13??? LOL

[LinvilleGorge]

If we moved down to #13 picking up an additional 2cd and Floyd was on the board, I'd take him. I like Worthy, but I like Floyd better.

I know it's not a position of huge immediate need, but Smitty ain't gonna last forever.

[CardiacCats]

that would suck hard

[TylerVagyler]

Literally the ONLY pick in this draft that is unrealistic and stupid in our pick, haha

[wwgd]

Move down four spots and reach on Worthy. Awful.

[KBRed]

Props for the time and effort in putting this together. I would put a 3-4 year window on the Broncos to push to win the Superbowl. Don't know if they would take a project like Brockers, but not sure who else might fit.