This is my final mock draft. This will be the one that will be graded out by The Huddle Report. That means I'm going for accuracy most of all, rather than where I believe these players rank out. That means that THIS IS NOT WHAT I WOULD DO OR WHAT I THINK THESE TEAMS SHOULD DO. Rather I spent a LONG time gathering information on each team's needs, as well as the massive amount of rumors, anonymous scout reports, team visits, and triangulating player values based on a lot of reports. So this is WHAT I THINK, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, THESE TEAMS WILL DO.
The result is a wacky two-round mock (and don't worry, I'm going to fully mock out the Giants draft) that goes off the rails, but hey, that's what happens in the real thing, too.
Round 1
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1) |
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Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State | I've heard rumors about Mariota not being out of the mix, but I think that's smoke. Winston is the pick. |
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2) |
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Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon | I do think Mariota goes right after, however. It may not be to the Titans, who I think ultimately trade out of the spot to another team, with the money being on the Cleveland Browns. |
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3) |
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Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson | This pick is either Beasley or Fowler. I've been hearing both names. I'm going with Beasley, who I think fits the speed rusher aspect that Bruce Irvin had when Gus Bradley was in Seattle. |
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4) |
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Leonard Williams, DT, USC | I don't think the Raiders stay in this spot either, but whoever trades up, it will be for "Big Kat." If the Raiders stay at four, it will still be Big Kat. Williams is too good to fall further than this. |
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5) |
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Dante Fowler, EDGE, Florida | With the loss of Brian Orakpo, I think the Redskins and Scott McLoughan will look for a versatile rusher to complete their front seven. |
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6) |
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Bud Dupree, EDGE, Kentucky |
A bit of a surprise, but I think with a new coach in Todd Bowles, they will drool over the potential that Dupree brings. I do think they go best pass rusher available. |
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7) |
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Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama | If Cooper is here, I think this is as far as he falls. The Bears replace Brandon Marshall with a receiver that can win more in the "short" game. They've been linked to him as well, and John Fox, even as a defensive head coach, appreciates what great weapons can do. |
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8) |
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Kevin White, WR, WVU | At first blush, this is a bit of an odd pick, but this fits Thomas Dimitroff's profile. He traded way up for Julio Jones. He took a chance on Rashede Hageman. He likes these big, athletic freaks at some of these positions and with Roddy White fading, an aerial assault of Julio Jones and Kevin White could be too tempting for him. |
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9) |
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Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford |
Surprise! I think if certain players are gone, the Giants have set themselves up for an offensive lineman. The fact that they really didn't go hard after an OL in free agency despite players like Joseph Barksdale, Anthony Collins, Bryan Bulaga being available tells me they will go heavy on OL early. On top of that, Jerry Reese admitted there was "more work to be done" on the OL. I love Devante Parker, and he'd be my pick if I were the GM, but I haven't seen him connected with the Giants. I think this is going to be an offensive tackle. The Giants have always been cognizant of positional value and I can't see them going after a guy that they think is a guard only. On top of that, you can see them targeting a tackle. The buzz around Justin Pugh has been a move to guard. You have Reese's "dynamic right tackle" comment that was made to push Pugh to guard. You have Kevin Gilbride, Shaun O'Hara, David Diehl and other people close to the organization calling for Pugh moving to guard. It just makes sense. I took eat, but this could easily be Ereck Flowers, Brandon Scherff, La'el Collins or someone else assuming they think all those guys can play tackle. I went with Peat because he's a classic riser like Beckham was last year (when he was awesome all along, and the media just caught on late). People assumed the Giants would take Zack Martin (Brandon Scherff this year) or Mike Evans (Ereck Flowers), but the guy they took instead was Odell (Peat). Peat has been a big riser through this process, especially late. Lance Zierlein ended up putting Peat as his top tackle in the draft, one that he said he was surprised by, but he seemed confident in that evaluation. Jason La Canfora reported that there was a tremendous amount of buzz for Peat going in the top nine picks. Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting stated that at the combine, based on what he was hearing from scouts and team executives, he gave Peat the "best odds" for being the tackle taken in the top 10. Dane Brugler has him now as his best tackle. Bucky Brooks has had him rated as his best tackle. Ourlads has had him as their top tackle and through their sources have noted that he's killed his interviews, that he's a film nut and "knows his opponents better than they know themselves." Even guys who don't have him as their top tackle, don't have him far off. Both Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis have D.J. Humphries as the only tackle ranked higher, but Humphries likely can't play on the right side. Russ Lande has had Peat as one of his top tackles as has Greg Gabriel, who states "don't be surprised if come draft day, Peat is the first offensive lineman drafted. Not too many have his combination of size, strength, athleticism, and production. He looks like a future Pro Bowl type tackle and will play right away." Draft Insider Tony Pauline has him as a top 10 player in this draft and "won't get past the St. Louis Rams at 10 and could even go earlier." Nolan Nawrocki called Peat in his draft guide "one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the last decade." Truly, truly high praise. One of the issues regarding Peat is this reputation of being "soft" which has been debunked in his interviews, as his father forbade him from playing football, but he ignored him and played anyway, displaying a passion for the game. College Football Focus rated Peat as the only highly-rated offensive tackle that ended up in their top 10 in both pass protection and run blocking. Matt Miller recently just stated that he talked to a lot of former offensive linemen and scouts and stated he needed to move Andrus Peat up because the most important part of an OT's game is "recovery, and Peat is the best at it." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel does a GREAT feature where they poll anonymous scouts and get their take on a lot of these prospects. Four of the scouts they polled stated that he'd be the first offensive tackle taken. The quote they used were "He's got everything. The size, the bend, the feet, the tenacity .... he's the top tackle." The final guy (and in my opinion, the most important guy) who thinks Peat would be a great pick is of course, your boy, Invictus XI, who believes that Peat has the footwork, first step, and power to have Pro Bowl upside at tackle. Peat has NFL bloodlines as his father, Todd Peat, was a guard for years with the Cardinals and Raiders and right or wrong, that's something the Giants have been connected with. They take players with NFL bloodlines. On top of that, the Giants LOVE taking highly-rated high school prospects. Peat? Oh yeah, he got more than 20 Division 1 scholarship offers at some of the best football schools. Did I mention how young he is? He's 21 years old, a full two years younger than Brandon Scherff. So he is a highly-decorated, young, intelligent player with NFL bloodlines that did well in interviews and plays at a position of need and high positional value. Connect the dots. This guy is my odds on favorite to be the pick. |
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10) |
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Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa | If Kevin White or Amari Cooper are gone, I think the Rams definitely go OL. Given how much they liked Greg Robinson, I can see them going for Brandon Scherff, especially since they got rid of Jake Long. A mauler, this would make perfect sense to combat the vicious defenses in the NFC West. |
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11) |
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Trae Waynes, CB, MSU | Waynes to Minnesota is a popular pick. He's been connected to them quite a bit and it makes sense. A straight line athlete that can be a dominant boundary corner like Desmond Trufant. Great to pair opposite Xavier Rhodes. |
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12) |
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Danny Shelton, DT, Washington | A monstrous player that has had a combine meeting and a private visit with the Browns. He could take over for Ahtyba Rubin and really dominate in that front. Pending, of course, that the Browns don't move up. |
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13) |
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Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami | I'm buying the reports that some teams have him as their top OL, even if I myself don't think so. This is earlier than where I'd take Flowers, but I can see it happening. New Orleans needs an OT and an OG and he can play both. |
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14) |
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Devante Parker, WR, Louisville | This is the furthest Parker could fall and the Dolphins have pretty much gotten rid of every WR they have. Jarvis Landry is a great slot receiver, and Kenny Stills is a great deep threat, but they don't have a number 1. |
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15) |
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Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon | Probably the easiest pick of the mock outside of Winston to the Bucs. Justin Smith is gone and their DL coach is now the head coach. |
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16) |
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Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska | Gregory could go here or somewhere later, but I think the Texans will take an edge guy to pair opposite Jadaveon Clowney. Certainly has been plenty of connections between the two parties. |
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17) |
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Todd Gurley, RB, Alabama | Running back is the popular pick here. Gurley is slated to go mid-first, so it's connecting the dots. |
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18) |
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T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh | The Chiefs could go any number of directions. I think they will love the athletic potential of Clemmings and his ability to play anywhere on the line. Perfect scheme fit as well. |
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19) |
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La'el Collins, OT, LSU | Collins falls pretty far, but I do get a feeling (smoke?) that teams are lower on him than the media. The Browns worked with him extensively. |
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20) |
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Jake Fisher, OL, Oregon | He's an athletic, versatile, nasty, Oregon Duck. |
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21) |
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Malcom Brown, DT, Texas | Bengals and defensive tackle makes so much sense here. Brown seems like a first rounder, so this is a good spot. |
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22) |
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Jalen Collins, CB, LSU | I would not take Collins this high, but he's had dinner with the Steelers, fits their style of play, and has upside as a safety as well. |
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23) |
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Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin | With Haloti Ngata in the fold, I think this pick is either a CB or an RB. I've heard that it's almost a virtual certainty that the first round has at least two running backs, which is a bit shocking, but this is a good place for the second one to go. |
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24) |
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Shane Ray, OLB, Missouri | Ray takes a tumble but there's a bunch of rumors that state that the NFL sees Ray as a top 30 guy and Dupree as a top 10 guy. Ray's relentless style is a perfect fit for the aggressive Cardinals. |
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25) |
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D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida | The Panthers currently have Michael Oher as their starting left tackle. No thanks. Humphries has gotten enough buzz as a first-round pick to make this a sensible pick. |
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26) |
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Marcus Peters, CB, Washington | A report said the Ravens would jump all over Marcus Peters if he fell to 26. Well, here he is. |
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27) |
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Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest | The Cowboys need a CB in the worst way. Morris Claiborne is awful and coming off injury, and Brandon Carr is awful and getting paid a lot. Johnson is a terrific player. |
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28) |
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Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M |
I've heard rumors that Ogbuehi is a surefire first-round pick and he visited the Broncos who are exploring all options for a tackle as Orlando Franklin left for greener pastures. |
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29) |
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Landon Collins, SS, Alabama | Collins falls to what I think his natural range is. The Colts need help everywhere on their defense, so purely a BPA pick. |
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30) |
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Eddie Goldman, DL, FSU | Apparently the Packers are enamored with Goldman and why not? His physical style of play should make him a good nose tackle in that scheme. |
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31) |
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Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA | The Saints are rebuilding that entire defense. Rumor has it that they love Eric Kendricks. Thirteen might be a little high for him, but 31 makes it a value. |
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32) |
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Nelson Agholor, WR, USC | I've heard that the Pats are locked into WR or CB here. Could very easily be Byron Jones, but I went with Agholor, who many are now saying won't escape the first round. |
Round 2
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33) |
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Damarious Randall, FS, ASU | This appears to be Randall's range and it would make a ton of sense to pair him up with Da'Norris Searcy in Tennessee. |
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34) |
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Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DL, UCLA |
Diggy could easily go in the first round, but falls to the second. Has visited with the Bucs before and I've heard whispers that they love him. |
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35) |
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Jaelen Strong, WR, ASU | If the Raiders pass on WR in the first, they could opt for one in the second. I don't think Strong is a lock for the first round, but could go top of the second. Great fit with David Carr as well. |
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36) |
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Byron Jones, CB/FS, UConn | The Jags really beefed up their front seven. I could certainly see them going OL here, but they just added Steven Wisniewski, so I'll take Jones, who can play FS or CB for them. |
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37) |
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AJ Cann, OG, South Carolina |
Seems like a good spot for Cann, who goes to replace Willie Colon and fits perfectly in the Jets' inside zone scheme. |
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38) |
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Cam Erving, OL, FSU | It would be a mild upset if Erving lasts this long, but I think if he does, the Redskins pounce to add a versatile piece on the interior. |
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39) |
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Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State | I've heard lots of rumors about Smith going high in the second round. Smoke? I don't know. I'll go with it, though, and add him to a Bears front that could use the help. |
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40) |
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Devin Smith, WR, OSU |
The guy I take here if I'm the GM is Eric Rowe. However, I haven't seen the Giants linked to him at all. His draft range is all over the place from late-first to late-second round. Since there have been no connections with him, though, I'm not making him my pick. Take a look at the guys the Giants had in for visits or met with at the combine. Devin Funchess, Breshad Perriman, Kevin White, Phillip Dorsett, Jaelen Strong, Sammie Coates, Adrian Coxson. What's the connection? They clearly want someone who wants to go down the field as a big-play guy. One other guy they met that's flying under the radar? Devin Smith. He is perhaps the best big-play threat in the draft. Nobody, and I mean nobody, tracks the ball in the air like he does. He makes some jaw dropping plays with his catch radius and body control. His vision is absurd. He's my fourth-rated WR and for me, a sure-fire first rounder. Everything that I've been hearing about him has him in the 25 to 40 range. The Giants attended Ohio State's pro day, and as we all know, take great stock in the Senior Bowl. At the Senior Bowl, the one thing that Smith had to prove was that he could run routes and run them well. He did just that and again, reportedly did very well in interviews. This is the type of under the radar prospect that the Giants could very well be enamored with and it would make sense. The Giants have shown that they don't care about size if the receiver can catch anything around him, and Smith can just do that. Watch his highlight reel and he's got several "Odell" catches in him. On top of that is the special teams aspect. Jerry Reese and the rest of the front office showed by their signings this offseason that they are tired of having a craptastic special teams corps. Devin Smith was perhaps the best special teams player in the country last year as a gunner. We know the Giants picked Odell Beckham in part because of his abilities as a returner, would only make sense to take Smith in part because of his abilities in coverage. He's the pick for me here because a lot of what the Giants like fits with what he can bring to the table as a prospect. |
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41) |
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Bernardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi St | There have been several reports that the Rams are enamored with McKinney. Let's go with it and add him to an already terrifying front seven. |
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42) |
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Shaq Thompson, ILB/SS, Washington | Another flash player for Thomas Dimitroff. There's a vacuum there with Sean Weatherspoon gone. Thompson can be a four-tool player, useful on special teams, at running back, at linebacker, and at safety. |
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43) |
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Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota | They lost Jordan Cameron and will want to add more receiving threats. It makes a lot of sense for them to go Williams here. |
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44) |
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Eli Harold, OLB, UVA | Pass rusher for the Saints needs to be addressed in the first two days, and they didn't do so in the first round. Enter Eli Harold, who is flying under the radar. |
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45) |
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Mario Edwards Jr., DE, FSU | Nobody is generating more buzz than Edwards Jr. I'm not sure why, but there are some that believe he won't make it to the Giants' second-round pick. The Vikings are rumored to be enamored with him and that sort of makes sense given that Zimmer coached similar players in Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. |
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46) |
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Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson | Stephone Anthony is going to go early. The 49ers have to try and rebuild some of that broken front seven, and with Chris Borland and Patrick Willis retiring and Navorro Bowman coming back from injury, an ILB makes all sorts of sense. |
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47) |
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Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana | Miami looks to creating a mega offense after investing a ton of money into their defense. Coleman is supposedly the 2nd or 3rd RB on quite a few team's boards and the Dolphins are on the prowl for a RB. |
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48) |
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Eric Rowe, FS, Utah | The Chargers lost Marcus Gilchrist in free agency and have a gaping hole next to Eric Weddle (who himself is looking for a big contract). Rowe makes a ton of sense and would be good value at this juncture. |
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49) |
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Breshad Perriman, WR UCF | Even after signing Jeremy Maclin, the Chiefs would be on the lookout for a WR to help stretch the field. Perriman has been gaining significant buzz and would be a huge value at this juncture for them. |
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50) |
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Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor | Gil Brandt tweeted that the Bills were hosting a private workout for Bryce Petty before quickly deleting it. Where there's smoke, there's ... |
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51) |
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Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri | Someone in the top two rounds is going to take a chance on DGB. Adding him would help compensate for the loss of Andre Johnson and replenish the Texans' firepower on offense. |
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52) |
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Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami | Doesn't seem to be a much better fit for what the Eagles want to do on offense than Dorsett, who can take the top off a defense. He's worked out for the Eagles as well. |
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53) |
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Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami | The Bengals seem unafraid of adding linebackers that have questionable measurables, like Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, and James Harrison. Harrison and Maualuga are gone, and Perryman would fill a big void in the middle of that defense. |
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54) |
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Michael Bennett, DT, OSU | He seems like a picture perfect fit for that defense as a 4-3 three technique penetrator. This appears to be around his draft range and putting him next to Haloti Ngata could help maintain that dominant defensive line. |
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55) |
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Carl Davis, DT, Iowa | The Cards lost their big nose tackle in Dan Williams, so they continue to add to their front seven by adding Davis. He's a good fit in a 3-4 and would provide the same type of two-gapping power. |
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56) |
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Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah | There have been a lot of connections between Orchard and the Steelers. He had dinner with them, and there's no doubt they need to add to their pass rush after Jason Worilds retired. |
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57) |
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Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan | A big-bodied receiver with focus drops won't bother the Panthers as they drafted exactly that last year. They still need a receiver opposite from Benjamin though, so this makes a lot of sense. |
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58) |
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Duke Johnson, RB, Miami | I know they signed Justin Forsett, but that's not exactly a huge contract. Some view Johnson as another LeSean McCoy type player, and if the Ravens see that, they'll jump all over him. |
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59) |
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Clive Walford, TE, Miami | There've been connections between Walford and the Broncos, with one of the Broncos beat writers stating that it's a natural fit for them to replace Orange Julius. |
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60) |
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Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise St. | Jay Ajayi himself has stated that the Cowboys have shown a huge amount of interest in him. He's had a two-day stay with them and would perfectly fit what they want to do on offense. |
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61) |
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Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma | There's talk of the Colts trying to land Phillips in the first round, so needless to say it'd be great if they got him in the second. |
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62) |
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Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon | IEO has been rising up draft boards after taking a tumble through part of the offseason process. The Packers have been bleeding through CBs and could use one of his caliber. |
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63) |
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Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson | There's talk of Jarrett moving all the way up to the end of the first. While I'm not sure about that, he's definitely got a place in the second and this is a good place to be. |
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64) |
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Ali Marpet, OG, Hobart | Could've gone CB here with Alex Carter, but something tells me the Patriots would love a guy like Marpet to plug and play inside. |
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Finishing Up The Giants Draft
Round 3 - Anthony Harris, S, UVA
We all know that there is a red-light need at free safety for the New York Giants. We did not address it in the first two rounds, but we're addressing it now. Harris has all the traits that the Giants could be interested in from a safety. He's switched between strong side and free, and if the Giants believe that he has the range to be a single high player, he'll go here.
I considered Durell Eskridge, especially since our fearless leader mentioned that Dave Merritt told Syracuse coaches that the team was high on him, but I'm not sure he would be good value at this juncture.
Round 4 - Lynden Trail, OLB/EDGE, Norfolk State
Everything that I've heard about Trail is that the Giants are very high on him. There was a buzz about him, as he has the ideal length and weight to not only be a designated pass rusher for the Giants, but has enough coverage ability to be at least a starting caliber SAM. That could mean backing up Devon Kennard this year or having Kennard move to the middle or weakside. Trail is also a tight end prospect and could help as a blocker in goal line situations, so he's a utility type of pick that should get tons of playing time.
Round 5 - Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
Everything about this guy makes it seem like he's a good fit for this new Giants offense. Despite weighing less than 250 pounds, he's a complete tight end. He can run routes reasonably well, had good body control and is unafraid going down the seam. He's got average athleticism and is a very enthusiastic blocker. He's at his best with those downfield stalk blocks, and with the Giants heavy screen game, that's a good thing.
Round 6 - Cedric Thompson, FS, Minnesota
Yes, doubling up on safeties, and I think the Giants might do just that. They have been heavily connected with Thompson, who played free safety but is likely more of a strong safety in the pros. He's got above average athleticism with good size at 6-foot-1, 208 pounds and looks to hit someone. Can also contribute on special teams, which apparently is a must for late-round players.
Round 7 - Kristjan Sokoli, DT, Buffalo
A pure project, but probably the biggest freak in the NFL draft outside of Byron Jones. He leads all defensive tackles in SPARQ, where he is in the 99.8 percentile. That's thanks to the 6-foot-5, 290 pounder having a 38 inch vertical and an absolutely absurd 1.55 10-yard split (first round CB Kevin Johnson's 10 yard split was 1.59). He's an explosive and relentless player who could go before this, but a clear work in progress that's worth investing. We worked him out with a private visit and were clearly intrigued.
Round 7 - Damian Swann, CB, UGA
I know that we haven't necessarily been connected to him, but he makes sense on a lot of levels. He's a long athlete that plays with physicality in run support, good press man corner with some special teams experience. Great blitzer. Second-team All-SEC. The Giants like using late-round picks on corners, so he could be a developmental player that could be useful for depth purposes.